Book of Ul

"Me? Help?" Li Shaolin was taken aback. "Archmage, are you sure you've got the right person? I'm just a measly Level 8 mage!"

"True, you're only at Level 8, but," Seokreitus paused, his gaze turning meaningful as he looked at Li Shaolin. "As the only male witch on Azeroth to have inherited from the distant East, don't you think you have untapped potential?"

Shock—absolute shock! Li Shaolin's deepest secrets were his identity as a transmigrator and a Necromancer, yet this old man saw through his origins at a glance. How could he stay calm? He had no idea how the people of this continent viewed someone like him; if they didn't accept him, his life might be forfeit.

"Surprised, are you? Heh, to be honest, I'm rather surprised myself. After all, the Eastern Continent is separated from here by the vast Forbidden Sea—even the gods wouldn't cross it lightly!" The old man's eyes held a hint of inquiry.

Forcing himself to steady his nerves, Li Shaolin asked, "Um, Archmage, how did you figure out who I am?"

Seokreitus smiled without answering, pointing outside the tower.

"Clay Golem?" A thought struck him—this old geezer must have guessed something from the golem. But he didn't seem to know I'm a transmigrator. Could it be that the Eastern Continent really exists beyond the Forbidden Sea? Fine, I'll try to bluff my way through.

Making up his mind, Li Shaolin put on a look of surprise. "Well, I really did live in the East, but I was just an ordinary person. Somehow, I woke up one day by Mirror Lake over here, and I'm still pretty confused about it myself."

"I see. Perhaps the God of Fate has favored you. This kind of space-warping rule... seems..." The old man muttered hesitantly to himself, then looked up. "Let's set aside the discussion of your identity for now. Since you've come to this continent, you have the right to exist. For now, let me tell you a story."

"A long time ago, three mages studied magic together in Stormwind City, until one of them began researching dark magic. He didn't intend to delve deep, but he found himself sinking deeper and deeper without realizing it. In the end, he was exiled from Stormwind. That exiled mage took up residence in Ilgarra Tower in the Redridge Mountains, and in his hands was a powerful tome—'Ul's Shadow Magic Research Papers.'"

"Of course, you might not know who Ul is, but I imagine you've heard of werewolves!" Seokreitus asked him.

Li Shaolin nodded. No kidding—he'd run into plenty of those leveling alts in the game back in the day.

"The land beneath our feet, on the edge of the Endless Sea to the northwest, holds a fertile region—Silverpine Forest. Once, under the Alliance's protection, it was full of life. But now it's a downright cursed place, with the Forsaken lurking in the thick, mist-shrouded woods. Of course, there's something even more terrifying than the Forsaken in that forest—the werewolves!" Seokreitus's expression grew heavy. "The werewolves there pour endlessly out of Shadowfang Keep, constantly attacking the Kirin Tor members on the outskirts and tearing passing adventurers to shreds! Their leader is the mage Arugal, who commands both a Ghost Legion and a Werewolf Legion. Once, in the Kirin Tor Council, he was described as a man whose spellcasting ability was thinner than paper. So, do you know why he's so powerful now?"

"Everything stems from the 'Book of Ul' in his hands!" Seokreitus sighed, then added apologetically, "Sorry, I've gone off track. The task I'm entrusting to you is this: go to Ilgarra Tower, take Morgans' 'Ul's Shadow Magic Research Papers' from him, and bring them back to me!"

"Uh, Archmage, I'm just a Level 8 mage, you see..." Li Shaolin found it hard to believe. This old coot wants me to fetch some crappy book for him? That Ul guy was insane, and Arugal used his notes to summon werewolves. Who knows what kind of insane power Morgans has with the research papers? This is basically sending me to my death!

"From atop this tower, I've long been monitoring Morgans, and finally, I've uncovered his plan!" Seokreitus continued. "He's searching for the Moonfang Scythe... and he may have already found it. If he gets his hands on that thing, the entire Redridge Mountains—even the whole Stormwind Kingdom—will fall to his dark power. I haven't figured out a way to deal with Morgans yet, but I'm afraid if we don't act now, there may never be another chance. So I hope you can fight your way into Ilgarra Tower and engage Morgans in battle. Defeat him, then bring back his Shadow Pendant and 'Ul's Shadow Magic Research Papers.' If you succeed, the entire kingdom will be proud of you!"

"Um, Archmage, maybe you could pick someone else?" Another legendary item—the Moonfang Scythe! Old man, you're really trying to kill me! Li Shaolin silently cursed in his heart.

"I'm afraid not. Though our tower keeps in touch with Goldshire, our relationship with Stormwind City means we get no official support. As for ordinary adventurers, they probably wouldn't be much help." The old man seemed a bit troubled.

"Is Azshara's Tower actually opposed to Stormwind City?" Li Shaolin couldn't help but get curious, then quickly asked, "And why do you think I'm the one who can beat Morgans?"

"As for that, heaven's secrets must not be revealed. You just need to promise to help. Maybe a year, maybe two—by then, you'll naturally have the strength to defeat him. Of course, I won't ask for your help for nothing. For now, I'll give you a Space Belt, and you can pick a few potions from our tower's alchemy stores. How about it?" The old man smiled like a creepy uncle luring a child.

"Space Belt? Let me see it!" Li Shaolin had been worrying about not having a personal storage space. Hearing the name, he knew it was an item that could hold a lot of stuff, and he was overjoyed. As for killing Morgans or whatever—the old man said it could take a year or two. Who knows what'll happen by then? Maybe Morgans will get the Moonfang Scythe and wipe out Stormwind City, heh heh.

Seokreitus stood up, walked to a bookshelf, gently took out a box, blew off the dust, and opened it. Inside lay a gray belt made of eight iron rings linked together, looking like it hadn't been used in years, with faint rust forming on it.

"Damn, this thing looks way too shabby!" Just as he was wondering if the old man was trying to pawn off a fake, the old man picked up the belt and placed it in his hands. Then he muttered a short incantation, and white light rose from the belt, gradually merging into Li Shaolin's body. In an instant, a feeling like the belt was part of his own body came over him. With a thought, eight small slots appeared before him.

"An Eight-Slot Bag? Are you kidding me? This stingy?" Li Shaolin thought the old man was really cheap—asking him to do such a big favor and only giving him an Eight-Slot Bag. Still, he was pretty happy. At least now he could store important stuff in it, like money or deeds, instead of carrying them around.

The Archmage called him over and pointed at a shelf. "You can pick a few potions from here to take back. They might come in handy in battle."

Walking over to the potion shelf, Li Shaolin saw Mana Potions, Healing Potions, Lion's Strength Elixirs, Intellect Elixirs, and more, all lined up in a dazzling display. "Heh, this old man thinks I can't tell good potions from bad. I'll grab a few good ones and sell them!" But as he scanned the shelf, he realized there were no high-tier potions to choose from—just the same few types all the way down. No choice at all. Looks like the old man's pretty sly.

Suddenly, a label at the bottom caught his eye: "Noggenfogger Potion?" Isn't this the stuff that turns you into a skeleton?

"Uh, what does this potion do?" Li Shaolin asked, playing dumb.

"Oh, that potion was left behind by a dwarf who passed through by chance. He was surrounded by Murlocs and trapped for days before our tower's mages rescued him. The Murlocs had robbed him clean, leaving only a few potions. To thank us, he gave them to me. Unfortunately, I studied them for a long time and concluded that this potion is a failed brew—it doesn't enhance any stats at all. I'm not even sure if it's drinkable."

"Alright, I'll take this one then. Huh, Invisibility Potion?" As he picked up the Noggenfogger Potion, he noticed a label next to it for Invisibility Potion! Now that was a must-have—perfect for murder, arson, and everyday travel. He quickly grabbed a few bottles. Seokreitus just smiled and said nothing, since the potion wasn't expensive to make, and let him take what he wanted.

Once he'd chosen his potions, the Archmage led him to a crystal ball. "I'll show you the location of Ilgarra Tower through this scrying orb. Watch closely!" Blue light swirled, and the view shifted. Under the blazing sun, a forest of elm and pine came into view, with a towering spire flickering in and out of sight. Beside the forest lay a massive lake. As the view rose higher, the lake's shape resembled a dragon with its wings folded, lying across the land.

Finally, the view seemed to plunge into the tower, rushing inside—only to be met by a surge of black light. Then, everything went dark. But that fleeting glimpse left Li Shaolin utterly stunned: a massive dragon skeleton hung suspended within!