In the dark basement, the headmaster of the Scholomance, Gandling, led the way. The flickering torches on the walls cast a soft green glow, shrouding the entire corridor in a turquoise halo, as if walking in a world of ghosts.
"The history of Scholomance is older than Lordaeron itself." Dean Gandling's voice was magnetically husky, possessing the air of an old scholar.
Robbie followed behind, admiring the ancient murals on the walls.
"In the distant past, a group of banished Forest Trolls settled on the Caer Darrow Island, performing dark sacrifices according to ancient Troll traditions in the hope of awakening a dark god. Yes, we must thank these Trolls; their sacrifices failed, but they inadvertently opened up the first Ghost Realm for us."
"At the beginning of Lordaeron's founding, a group of mad Warlocks who sought immortality secretly conducted dangerous and Evil experiments on the Caer Darrow Island. A few souls sacrificed as offerings escaped and fled into the depths of the underground, where they coincidentally discovered the Ghost Realm. They were the first inhabitants of this place."
"Subsequently, a secret about immortality circulated among the ranks of mages and Warlocks. Scholomance has been carefully selecting suitable candidates. We need scholars who are dedicated to the pursuit of magical power and devoted to magical research, not ambitious individuals who call themselves Archmages but use magic to arm themselves. We guide suitable candidates in their twilight years to the Caer Darrow Island, and after they take their last breath, we help them enter the Ghost Realm to gain immortality. Here, they can be free from worldly distractions and focus solely on the study of magic."
At this point, Dean Gandling raised his head slightly, revealing a proud expression, and spoke in a melodious voice.
"In the study of Arcane Theory, we were far ahead of Dalaran, but at that time we were just a bunch of ghosts, with theories but no way to put them into practice. We urgently needed to establish a connection with the real world and verify our Arcane Theories."
"At this time, a young man named Barov came into our view. He had Arathi blood and, although a fallen nobleman, he was intelligent, ambitious, and had an upright and just heart. We gave him a Spectral Essence, an item that allows the living to communicate with Wraith. Although Scholomance didn't produce anything, we had invaluable knowledge. Barov quickly amassed a vast Wealth, and we used it to test Arcane Theories."
Robbie suddenly realized that the Barov Family, a mysterious and enormous family whose rise to power had always been a mystery, was actually related to the mysterious underground Ghost Realm.
"Did you know that Dalaran's magical progress relies on the results of our magical research? We cultivate agents in Dalaran to ensure that Arcane Theories are sent to Dalaran for experimentation without suspicion. Moreover, we do not recommend teaching magic to Dalaran mages. It's all for the sake of humanity. Kel'Thuzad is the last agent."
At this point, Dean Gandling said with great satisfaction:
"Kel'Thuzad's excellence is beyond imagination. Back then, we detected unusual magical fluctuations in Northrend, concealing unimaginable Evil. Kel'Thuzad disregarded his own safety and went alone to investigate, successfully stealing the knowledge that the Burning Legion had rewarded Ner'zhul with. He shared this invaluable knowledge with us, so we Wraith were able to research the Undead Body and no longer needed to rely on Dalaran for experiments."
Robbie was secretly astonished upon hearing this. No wonder Kel'Thuzad dared to challenge Medivh. Although he knew the weakness of the Spellstealer Wyrm, Kel'Thuzad was not at a disadvantage at all when the two exchanged magical blows at a distance.
It turns out that he was backed by a powerful magical research organization.
It's no wonder that the Cult of the Damned is elusive and full of talented individuals, many of whom are Wraith have regained their physical bodies.
"The Lich King Arthas commissioned us to help research a method for transforming the Undead into humans," Dean Gandling boasted. "To a certain extent, we have already achieved success."
"It worked?" Robbie asked in surprise.
Dean Gandling smiled slightly and explained unhurriedly:
"The difference between humans and the Undead is that humans can exchange matter with the outside world, eating, digesting, absorbing, and excreting, while the bodies of the Undead cannot do this. Undead eat meat, it only replenishes the magic power in their bodies, but cannot replace their decaying bodies. No amount of preservatives will help."
"Our Scholomance has already solved this problem."
After saying that, Dean Gandling opened a stone door.
This is a vast space that stretches as far as the eye can see. At the top of the space, countless Magic Gems, large and small, float, simulating the starry sky of Azeroth. On the ground, clusters of green campfires are scattered like stars.
Around these campfires sat many Undead.
Robbie noticed that the green Flames had no temperature, and the Undead Bodies surrounding Flame were perfectly normal, showing no signs of decay and almost indistinguishable from humans.
"These Flames are our invention, enabling our bodies to maintain contact with the outside world. In a sense, we are already human, and we can even live a long life. The only challenge now is to shrink the Flames and move them inside our bodies, and these Flames cannot be exposed to sunlight."
After a pause, Dean Gandling said regretfully:
"We simply cannot reproduce, so we cannot be considered true life forms, but we have been inspired by Plague Dragon Eggs. Plague Dragon Eggs can hatch Plague Whelps, and a few of them are exceptionally unique, possessing healthy scales like other dragons, and are also capable of laying Plague Dragon Eggs. In the near future, we will surely be able to reproduce as well."
This is a remarkable discovery, and for some reason, Robbie has a strange feeling of familiarity about it.
Dean Gandling led Robbie through the campfire, occasionally greeting familiar Undead by the fire, though most of their names were unfamiliar. In Dalaran, Mages buried in their laboratories were usually unknown, even those who made significant magical discoveries remaining unnoticed; it was the applied magicians who truly shone.
High Archmages like Antonidas, Jaina, and Khadgar all belong to the application school of magic. They generally need the silent support of one or more teams to achieve the great feats of an Archmage.
However, Robbie did hear a familiar name.
"Archmage Arugal, how is the research on Worgen progressing?" Dean Gandling greeted a mage in a black robe by the campfire.
Archmage Arugal tidied his messy hair. "It'll be soon, it'll be soon. I will soon end the Worgen's madness and make Worgen curse a thing of the past."
A group of people who Consecration silently, whose names are unknown to the living, yet they influence the course of history and are truly admirable.
Dean Gandling continued:
"Besides mage research, we also take in outstanding Wraith in other fields, such as art, blacksmithing, herbalism, and engineering. Your problem will soon be solved, and I will introduce you to the greatest statesmen, strategists, and wise men in Lordaeron's history. In the realm of politics, no living being can match their wisdom."
Robbie was completely baffled by Tyrande's refusal to withdraw her troops; he couldn't understand why Tyrande was making such a desperate gamble. Robbie's knowledge and wisdom were still insufficient; he couldn't see through the hidden truth behind it all.
Fortunately, with the help of Gandling, they were fortunate enough to receive assistance from the greatest schemers and sages in the history of Lordaeron.
Beside a green campfire, Robbie saw a group of Wraith dressed in white robes. Unlike the Wraith mages who studied magic, they did not need the bodies of the Undead.
Robbie didn't know any of these people; they were all unknown during their lifetimes. True wise men understand the burden that fame brings to their descendants, and they do not wish to leave their names in history.
Robbie gave a detailed account of recent events: Medivh and his mother becoming the Flesh-Eternal, the deaths and replacements of Thrall and others, Stormwind City's usurpation of Varian, the battle between the Forsaken and Karazhan, and so on, going into as much detail as possible.
The green campfire crackled, and apart from that, the scene was completely Anjing as the Ghost Advisors communicated in their own ways.
Soon, the Wraith that seemed to be the leader spoke:
"Eliminate all possibilities; no matter how horrifying or unbelievable, it must be the truth."