An Unimagined Path

Fighting his own father, Anasterian, Tyrel felt like a clumsy, lumbering bear. He attacked fiercely again and again, yet achieved nothing.

King Anasterian effortlessly suppressed Tyrel by combining footwork with swordsmanship.

"As expected of Father." Tyrel decisively retreated to a safe distance, marveling at the strength of his father, King Anasterian. In swordsmanship alone, even Sacred Blade Wielder Salorian Sunseeker of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas was likely inferior to his father.

Tyrel did not stand the slightest chance in a contest of swordsmanship and techniques, so he decisively chose to use energy. Blazing Holy Light Energy appeared. "Father, I'm going all out."

Tyrel raised his left hand, gathered Holy Light Energy, and directly cast Judgment, forming a hammer of Holy Light Energy above King Anasterian's head and smashing it down fiercely.

However, Judgment could not possibly hit King Anasterian. It was merely Tyrel's opening move. After casting Judgment, Tyrel appeared to be gathering Holy Light Energy, but he had actually cast Blink, appearing beside his father, King Anasterian. He then used Crusader Strike. Unlike last time, this Crusader Strike was driven by a full measure of Holy Light Energy.

With thousands of years of combat experience and his sensitivity to magic, King Anasterian had already anticipated Tyrel's Blink after evading Judgment. He raised his longsword and infused it with Arcane Energy, clashing against Tyrel's Crusader Strike.

The two longswords were of equal quality. Purple Arcane Energy and golden Holy Light Energy erupted in a blaze of intense light, colliding and consuming each other.

When that strike proved ineffective, Tyrel drew the Holy Light Energy within his body into the longsword in his hand, making its attack even more powerful. This was the Paladin skill—Blade of Holy Light.

Yet King Anasterian's next move left Tyrel utterly stunned. Purple Arcane Energy was infused into the longsword in the same manner as Blade of Holy Light.

At the same time, a longsword formed of flame and another formed of frost appeared at King Anasterian's sides.

Tyrel suddenly recalled that his brother, Kael'thas Sunstrider, had once controlled several weapons to attack at once. Could it be that Brother Kael'thas had learned it from Father as well?

"Tyrel, be careful now." King Anasterian warned him, and then all three swords attacked at once.

The arcane-infused longsword in King Anasterian's hand attacked Tyrel's center, while the sword of flame attacked from above and the sword of frost attacked from above as well. Most importantly, all three swords were controlled by King Anasterian, who wielded them with effortless mastery. Tyrel felt as though he were fighting three versions of his father at once.

Divine Storm erupted, temporarily forcing his father back. Tyrel decisively tossed aside his longsword. "I concede, Father."

Seeing Tyrel surrender, King Anasterian dispelled the magic of the flame sword and frost sword, then controlled the longsword in his hand to fly back to the weapon rack.

"Father, can Arcane Energy be used like this too?" Tyrel asked, voicing his doubts. This was the first time he had seen Arcane Energy applied in close combat. Ordinary Mages used Arcane Energy to power magic for ranged attacks.

Hearing Tyrel's question, King Anasterian explained, "Of course it can. A Warrior's rage, a Paladin's Holy Light, and a Mage's arcane are all forms of energy. Warriors and Paladins can use rage and Holy Light to strengthen their attacks, and arcane can do the same. In ancient times, when we were still High Elves, our family wielded both arcane and swordsmanship. Combining the two was no worse than a Warrior using rage."

"Father, I understand!" Tyrel suddenly realized. Before Paladins existed, everyone believed that a Priest's Holy Light could only provide support and healing, with no offensive power whatsoever. That fixed mindset had delayed the birth of Paladins.

Through King Anasterian's application of arcane, Tyrel imagined it: what if Mages and Warriors were combined? A Warrior who wielded Arcane Energy!

The thought filled Tyrel with immense excitement. It was difficult for the High Elves of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas to accept High Elf Paladins who wielded Holy Light, but what about High Elf Warriors who used Arcane Energy? They surely would not be rejected.

"Father, what if we combine Arcane Energy with Warriors, just as Holy Light Energy was combined with Warriors to create Paladins? We could create a new class, just like you."

"Combining Arcane Energy with Warriors? Like Paladins..." King Anasterian pondered those words, his thoughts racing.

Indeed. Since Paladins could be trained using the Holy Light Energy of Priests, which had been regarded as healing power, why could a Mage's Arcane Energy not be used to train a new class? Besides, had he not already combined the use of arcane with the path of a Warrior himself?

King Anasterian's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He had unconsciously combined the two long ago, yet had never realized it. Influenced by habitual thinking, he had always believed that he was merely using Mage skills and Warrior skills at the same time.

What Tyrel had described was a path the High Elves had never imagined.

In the past, King Anasterian would have thought Tyrel was indulging in fantasy and oversimplifying things. But with the emergence of Paladins as a precedent, all of this became possible.

With this idea in mind, King Anasterian eagerly ordered Liandra Sunstrider, "Liandra, go bring Salorian Dawngrasper and Biluo Hua here."

Sacred Blade Wielder Salorian Dawngrasper and Archmage Biluo Hua were the strongest Warrior and Mage in the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas. To put into practice the idea of combining arcane with Warriors to create a new class, these two naturally had to be brought in to work together.

Liandra Sunstrider acted swiftly. Salorian Dawngrasper and Archmage Biluo Hua soon arrived at the Sunstrider Training Grounds within Sunfury Spire.

After King Anasterian explained the idea, Salorian Dawngrasper and Archmage Biluo Hua's expressions shifted as well, from initial doubt to eventual certainty.

What King Anasterian needed now was their answer.

Archmage Biluo Hua replied first. "I believe Prince Tyrel's proposal has a strong chance of succeeding, especially for us Quel'dorei. We are naturally attuned to arcane. Whether we are Warriors, Rangers, or any other class, we can use Arcane Energy."

Salorian Dawngrasper said nothing. Instead, trembling, he drew the High Elf sacred blade Quel'delar, infused it with Arcane Energy, and slashed fiercely at a training dummy.

The sturdy training dummy forged from Enchanted Metal was instantly cleaved in two beneath Salorian Dawngrasper's sword.