Spellcasting Gods

The masked leader undoubtedly sensed this chilling ruthlessness and hurriedly shouted loudly, attempting to ease the unfavorable situation through negotiation.

After all, there were only two people left on the second-floor balcony, and he didn't want to test whether he could survive the impact of a powerful spell.

Unfortunately, Zhang Cheng was never the type to listen to advice from others; in fact, he could be described as arrogant, especially when it came from his enemies.

He completely ignored the other party's words, and suddenly a deep blue magical light gathered in his right palm, which he then released towards the unfortunate person closest to him.

Waaaaah!!

Accompanied by a piercing sound, a terrifying blast of ice, propelled by a high-speed rotating airflow, swept across a fan-shaped area within a radius of four to five meters. It not only tore the target's skin to shreds, but also severely damaged his muscles and nerves, making him appear as if he were in slow motion.

Without a doubt, this is the Ice Spike spell that is loved by many mage players in the game, as it can both slow down movement speed and cause large-area cold damage.

However, in the real world, it would be far more terrifying than in the game. At least the ice spike spell in the game would never be as gruesome and bloody as it is now.

Even more terrifying is that because the ice completely froze nerve conduction, the victim could not feel pain and continued to struggle desperately, making the injuries worse and worse, with some tendons even being twisted.

Before she could run a few steps, she tumbled off the second-floor balcony to the ground with a thud, like a rag doll.

Zhang Cheng, who didn't treat his opponent like a human being at all, unleashed a deadly fireball from his hands, which shot out of the masked man covered in blood.

boom!

After a tremendous noise and heatwave, a charred corpse was launched into the air and crashed heavily in front of two men who were trying to sneak up using ropes. They were so frightened that they quickly moved aside, fearing that some terrifying spell would fall from the sky next.

Cruel, cold-blooded, and utterly merciless...

Zhang Cheng's attitude made the masked leader realize that the person standing in front of him was not an ordinary person, nor the gentle academic mage he had imagined, but an extremely troublesome battle mage.

If we can't come up with a solution quickly, we might be the next ones to suffer.

He didn't think his men around the cabin would risk their lives to rush up and launch an attack.

Sensing the stench of blood and burning in the air, Zhang Cheng slowly turned around, staring at the sole survivor on the second-floor balcony, and said with a cold smile, "What did you just say? Did you tell me to stop? Sorry, my hearing isn't very good, sometimes I can't hear what people are saying. I'm sure you won't mind, right?"

"Of course! Of course I don't mind! It's all their fault! They shouldn't have made hostile gestures, which caused unnecessary misunderstandings. For this, I express my sincerest apologies to you."

After saying this, the masked leader removed his mask, revealing the face of a man in his thirties, and gracefully bowed with one hand on his chest.

His mustache, in particular, was meticulously trimmed, and his skin was so smooth that there was no sign of sun exposure.

Judging from the relatively low standard of living in the human kingdoms of Azeroth, he was definitely not some ordinary highway robber...

Chapter 0010 The Realm of Shamelessness

"Oh? A misunderstanding? Hehehe..."

A sneer appeared on Zhang Cheng's face, his expression ambiguous. He looked the other person up and down, while quickly searching his mind for the more famous factions in the game. He soon locked onto two targets.

Clearly, there are only two organizations that can operate in the Hillsbrad Foothills area: the Syndicate and Ravenholdt.

The former refers to an Alterac noble who was exiled during the Second War between the Alliance and the Horde for betraying the Alliance.

These guys' goal is to reclaim their own territory and status, and they are willing to use despicable means such as assassination, deception, and theft to achieve this. They have even occupied Dunholde Castle, as well as a large number of farms and watchtowers.

Before the Scourge erupted, their influence had expanded to include Silverpine Forest, Hillsbrad Foothills, Alterac Mountains, Arathi Highlands, the valleys and hinterlands around Lake Lordamere, and so on. Almost all transportation hubs were controlled by this evil organization, forming a vast monopoly network.

Perhaps in another decade or so, the ambitious nobles of Alterac will be able to overthrow the rule of the Kingdom of Lordaeron by using economic means.

Unfortunately, fate played a little joke on us...

Just when they thought their plan was about to succeed, a terrible plague swept across the entire northern continent. Lordaeron, known as the most powerful kingdom of mankind in Azeroth, was devastated. Countless syndicate-controlled areas were occupied by an undead tide, with only a small part in the south remaining.

As for the so-called subversion plan, it has been postponed indefinitely. At least until the threat of the Scourge and the Forsaken is eliminated, the leaders of the Syndicate dare not make any rash moves.

The latter is a very mysterious assassin organization that doesn't care about race or faction.

Whether human, elf, undead, troll, or orc, anyone whose strength is recognized is qualified to become a member. Very few people know their true purpose; they only know that the organization is constantly recruiting elite thieves and gathering intelligence from all over the world.

In addition, the two organizations' main spheres of influence are in the area from Hillsbrad Foothills to Alterac Valley, so friction and conflict are inevitable, and over time they have become mortal enemies.

Zhang Cheng felt that these guys were more likely members of the Syndicate. After all, Ravenholdt would never attack passing caravans for money; they were more like mercenaries who did things for money than greedy bandits.

The man with the neatly trimmed mustache cautiously took two steps back, maintaining a fake smile on his face, and argued in a very cunning tone: "That's right! Your Excellency the Mage, I assure you that everything that just happened stemmed from a small intelligence lapse. If I had known in advance that you were residing here, I certainly wouldn't have sent someone with a gift and greetings first, and then waited for permission before taking action."

“Permission granted? Hahahaha! Do you think I would allow you to attack a caravan under my protection?” Zhang Cheng couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

He originally thought he was shameless enough at times, but compared to the guy in front of him, he wasn't even worthy of carrying the other's shoes.

At least he would never say "misunderstanding" after failing to launch an attack on someone, because anyone who isn't a fool can tell the difference between a "misunderstanding" and a "deliberate attack".

"Why not? I believe everything in this world has a price, as long as I can offer you a price that satisfies you. Besides, this cunning merchant probably didn't tell you that his goods contain a small box of precious arcane crystals, did he? He tried to gain your protection with just some cheap food, which, in my opinion, is essentially deception. Since he deceived you from the beginning, why should you continue to protect him?"

After saying that, the man turned around and gave old George, whose face was covered in bruises, a meaningful look.

The latter opened her mouth as if to say something, but before she could make a sound, she immediately noticed a sharp dagger hidden in the darkness pressed against Jenny's slender neck, and quickly shut her mouth.

Because of the dim lighting, Zhang Cheng didn't notice these subtle movements, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe a guy who had tried to kill him just minutes before.

He merely gazed at the arcane crystal radiating a mesmerizing glow within the box, and asked with a half-smile, "So tell me, what price do you intend to offer to bribe me? And what price do you intend to offer to redeem your life?"

"What do you think of half a chest of arcane crystals? You know, this is the most valuable mineral in Azeroth; a mere small piece is worth the entire year's income of a farm. And for a powerful mage like you, arcane crystals not only mean wealth, but also many other things, such as powerful magical items..."

The man with the mustache clearly noticed the way Zhang Cheng was looking at the arcane crystal and immediately offered to make an exchange.

But what he didn't know was that Zhang Cheng's interest in arcane crystals wasn't out of greed; he simply wanted to see for himself what the mysterious material used to craft top-tier weapons and armor in the game actually looked like.

It must be said that, from a purely visual perspective, anyone who sees an Arcane Crystal for the first time will be attracted by its intense aura.

Gold, orange, blue, red, purple, green, silver...

The arcane crystals inside the wooden box resemble stars hanging in the night sky. Even if they have no practical use, many people would be crazy about the beautiful appearance of this mineral.

Just as Zhang Cheng's attention was firmly drawn, a cold light suddenly flashed in the darkness!

The very next second...

puff! !

The glaring bright red liquid sprayed out a full meter away, splattering everywhere!

The man with the neatly trimmed mustache looked incredulous, clutching his bleeding carotid artery. He raised his trembling right hand and pointed at the dark figure so close to him, as if he wanted to say something.

Unfortunately, blood blocked his throat and trachea, and he could only make short "huffing" sounds. After struggling desperately for more than ten seconds, he fell to the ground with a thud, and his two fearful eyes slowly lost their light.

The shadowy figure, lurking in the darkness, used an assassination technique that ordinary people could never detect to easily slit the neck, including the throat, trachea, and major arteries—a series of fatal parts—in less than a second from its appearance to its demise.

He even cruelly and deliberately did not choose to kill the target immediately, but instead made the target feel the pain of not being able to breathe and the fear caused by the massive loss of blood before dying.

Only psychopaths and madmen who enjoy killing and taking lives would choose to do it this way.

As dark red blood dripped from the cracks in the wooden planks, a deathly silence fell over the entire cabin...

Chapter 0011 The Forgotten

The convulsing corpse caused Zhang Cheng's pupils to contract sharply. The excitement caused by the killing quickly subsided, and he stared intently at the suddenly appearing attacker, his nerves stretched to the limit.

But before he could even see what the other person looked like, he suddenly heard a girl's piercing scream. Then, more attackers rushed out of the darkness and attacked the masked men who had hijacked the caravan. In less than two or three minutes, the makeshift camp was awash in blood.

All those who attempted to resist, or who had a tendency to resist, were mercilessly slaughtered; only those who dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground from the beginning survived.

Precise, efficient, deadly, and utterly merciless...

These shadowy figures, completely shrouded in gray cloaks, communicated without any words or gestures, perfectly demonstrating what seamless teamwork truly means.

They were like a group of emotionless machines. Even after reaping several lives, they showed not the slightest emotional fluctuation and quickly snatched the small box full of arcane crystals.

As for the other goods on the carriage, they didn't even have the interest to glance at them.

Without a doubt, their goal was clear: the Arcane Crystals, coveted by all intelligent life on Azeroth, for which they were willing to destroy any obstacle.

With the help of the dim campfire, Zhang Cheng finally vaguely noticed something unusual, such as the strange red light reflected from the attacker's eyes and the stench of decay in the air.

Although the smell is masked by a more pungent, preservative-like odor, it can still be distinguished with a little attention.

"Don't make any rash moves, you living person..." The shadowy figure who killed the man with the mustache spoke in a hoarse voice that sent chills down one's spine.

Who are you?

While cautiously probing, Zhang Cheng quietly prepared his next spell.

If the other party makes any threatening move, he will not hesitate to use a flame blast to knock them off the second-floor balcony of the wooden house, creating a distance that is advantageous to him.

Having witnessed the chilling sneak attack firsthand, anyone with even a modicum of vigilance would not allow such a dangerous individual to approach, much less give him the chance to repeat the same trick.

However, the figure hidden under the dark gray cloak seemed completely unconcerned, continuing to laugh in a voice as soft as fingernails scratching wood, saying, "Who are we? Hahahaha! I must say, you asked an interesting question, so interesting that I don't even know how to answer you."

The reason is simple: the outside world has many names for us. The Alliance calls us undead, just like the Scourge led by the Lich King. They hate us, fear us, and yearn to destroy us forever.

But the reality is quite the opposite. We are mortal enemies with that bastard Arthas. No race in all of Azeroth is as willing as we are to give everything to achieve our ultimate revenge.

As for the tribes, although they have temporarily accepted our membership, they do not trust us and even hold us in a critical and suspicious manner, and they use us to restrain the power of the alliance.

We call ourselves the Forsaken, and pledge our allegiance to the Dark Queen Sylvanas…

Upon hearing the other party introduce themselves, Zhang Cheng's already tense nerves became even more strained, and he even had an impulse to strike first.

It's important to understand that these living dead with their own consciousness are not the human bandits who were previously suspected to be part of the "Syndicate." Each of them has personally experienced brutal warfare, and their killing skills and mental fortitude far surpass those of the former.

Especially when they were under the control of the Lich King, most of the Forsaken had their hands stained with the blood of innocent civilians, and their hearts had long been consumed by twisted and dark emotions.

Although they have regained their senses, what keeps them going is not positive emotions like love or hope, but an unparalleled hatred for the Scourge and the Lich King. For this hatred, they are willing to pay any price, even if it means extinguishing the last shred of humanity and conscience.

If you accidentally fall into their hands, being killed on the spot is definitely a relief. Those who survive will become test subjects for all sorts of terrible magical potions, plagues, and limb modifications. Even worse, they may be awakened from the dead and become one of the cursed.

As a player who had once played the role of the Forsaken, Zhang Cheng would rather die than become a prisoner of the undead.

Moreover, the current Dark Queen Sylvanas treats her subordinates as mere expendable tools for revenge.

In her own words, the Forsaken are the arrows in her quiver, and all she has to do is shoot them out one by one until the Scourge is completely destroyed.

The leading undead creature, undoubtedly sensing Zhang Cheng's shifting emotions from his eyes, grinned with a nauseating grin and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad. Looks like you're a smart fellow. Unlike other living people, you either go berserk and rush at us to your death or scream and turn tail and run. You seem quite calm, so I suggest you stay put. That way, I won't have to sacrifice my precious subordinates to kill you, and you can also save your own life. You know, killing a mage is quite troublesome, isn't it?"

"You think a few undead can kill me? Someone tried earlier, but unfortunately, he failed, and you won't be an exception," Zhang Cheng replied calmly.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming victory he had just won that had instilled confidence, or perhaps it was his loathing for the undead that had overcome everything. In any case, he felt the tension and fear in his heart rapidly receding, replaced by a strange calmness, and he was completely unafraid of the threats revealed in the other party's words.

"Hahahaha! Do you think those ragtag syndicate bandits can compare to us?"

With a disdainful laugh, the dark figure slowly removed his hood, revealing a face that looked like a car crash.

Especially the dense sutures on the left side, and the dark green viscous fluid seeping from the sutures, are like a nightmare from a nightmare. I believe that just this face alone would be enough to scare away more than 90% of living people.

Of course, compared to the large number of white larvae constantly wriggling around the eye sockets, a mere stitched-up face doesn't seem to be anything to be surprised about.