Life-form identification anomaly...
New root directory: Talents...
Talents:
Fel Combustion: Use Fel to strengthen flesh and blood, hurting yourself while greatly increasing your combat ability. Sacrifice 8% of your health to gain +3 Strength and +1 Agility for one minute.
Lanlos knew that Sargerite monitored his body constantly, but he was still a little surprised. The instant his spirit was shaken, his instincts had sacrificed his life to use Fel in response to the danger, and a new data entry had appeared. This also meant that although the Keystone could identify a life-form's basic data, it couldn't detect internal abilities that hadn't been observed.
But the longer he spent with it, the more he found himself relying on its help. Memory storage and model projection alone were enough to make him hooked, while data identification let him directly compare the gap between himself and his enemies. More importantly, he'd been too muddled after suddenly igniting Fel to notice exactly how much he'd gained or lost.
The Keystone had recorded all of that.
At least he knew that, if necessary, he could keep Fel Combustion active for a full twelve minutes.
A boost of +3 Strength was substantial. He could even block the black-clad man's cleaving strike perfectly with one hand without feeling much pressure. But losing 8% of his health was still a problem. Unlike mana and spirit, whose recovery rates were guaranteed by his high Intelligence, health regeneration depended on Constitution. And, of course, this body had plenty of problems. Even after being reshaped by Fel, his Constitution was still only 10.
In other words, his health didn't regenerate any faster during battle or exercise. Just like an ordinary person, he could only replenish it with rest and sleep.
Of course, if he used Fel to harvest life or something similar, he wouldn't have to worry about any of that. But right now, he could only offer sacrifices to Fel by touching his target, and he couldn't use demonic power in front of an audience. Well, he might as well get some sleep.
Lying on the bed, Lanlos gradually calmed down and slipped into a meditative state.
Meditation was sleep, too. It was only a light sleep, with his body relaxed, but with Lanlos's mental strength, that much rest was enough.
"You seem a little distracted today." After all the students had left, Alona didn't hurry out of the classroom. Instead, she quietly approached Lanlos, who was gazing into the distance through the floor-to-ceiling window.
"...Is this an interrogation?" After a brief silence, Lanlos replied jokingly.
"If I were interrogating you, your pay would've been docked down to nothing by now."
"Heh, well, I'm still getting the hang of being a newcomer. It's only natural for my attention to wander sometimes." Glancing at her clear, mirror-like eyes, Lanlos inexplicably felt a little guilty.
"Natural?" Alona looked at Lansan, who was still tidying the equipment and materials on the table. A flicker of surprise crossed her face. "Lansan's helping you with your class notes? I had no idea you two had gotten so close. What happened between you while I wasn't looking?"
"What do you mean, 'what happened'? That makes it sound like something weird went on." Lanlos's mouth twitched at Alona's eager little look, and his face turned wary. "It just proves I'm kind and upright, and that I have friends everywhere."
For some reason, as he said the last part, a trace of loneliness flickered in Lanlos's eyes—one he didn't even notice himself.
"What a joyless man." Alona had no idea what he was thinking. Seeing how decisively he distanced himself from Lansan, she let her curiosity die down. "Come on, tell me. What happened?"
"It's nothing much. I've just run into a few problems with the Arcane lately." Lanlos sighed, a helpless smile on his face.
"Oh?" Alona paused. Seeing the troubled look on his face, she seemed to guess what was going on and was suddenly surprised. "You're not trying to build a second-circle spell matrix, are you?"
Lanlos smiled modestly. "You have a keen eye, Mentor."
"I think you're being a little hasty." At the mention of academics, Alona grew serious. "Arcane knowledge is complex and profound, and it's dangerous, too. Your enthusiasm for learning is commendable, but the most important thing when studying the Arcane is caution. You need to treat it with reverence."
Take it one step at a time? That was certainly true for most people. Just as the black-clad man's kick had interrupted him a few days earlier, the higher the spell's rank, the more mana would spill out if its matrix failed—and the more violently it would strike the mind. But Lanlos's mental strength far exceeded his physical strength, and he had the Keystone. The more precise the task, the greater his advantage.
Of course, the Highborne's reverence for the Arcane was no empty gesture. For ten thousand years, they had drawn on the Well of Eternity and brought Arcane magic to nearly its zenith. But their unrestrained exploitation of it and their hunger for power had ultimately invited the Burning Legion's invasion.
Without the Burning Legion, the High Elves of today might still be among Azeroth's rulers. What destroyed their glory was the desire in their hearts and their contempt for the Arcane.
And even now, disasters caused by a lack of reverence for Arcane knowledge were constantly unfolding across Azeroth.
It had been just over two thousand years since the High Elves taught magic to the human empire of Arathor during the Troll Wars. The magical kingdom of Dalaran had been founded, and its ruling body, the Kirin Tor, now held considerable influence across the Eastern Kingdoms. There was also the Council of Tirisfal, the Keepers...
To be honest, the Quel'dorei were astonished by these human achievements. Even Prince Kael'thas of the Elves currently served on Dalaran's Council of Six. But those achievements had come at the cost of countless bloody lessons.
Human spellcasters didn't live as long as the High Elves. They pursued Arcane knowledge with passion and hunger. So when they learned that the Twisting Nether and the Astral Realm held vast stores of magic, many lost their way. Reaching the Astral Realm was all but impossible, while the Twisting Nether was much easier. All they had to do was establish a connection with demons, and they could touch that endless power...
Later, after demonic incidents became commonplace, Dalaran formed the Council of Tirisfal to hunt demons. The Council would eventually create a human demigod whose power surpassed even that of a legend: the Keeper. In the years that followed, every demon roaming Azeroth was slaughtered.
And the previous Keeper, Magna Aegwynn, had even accomplished the feat of slaying the avatar of the Dark Titan.
Of course, as for what happened after she defeated Sargeras's avatar, no one in this world knew—not yet, at least, except Lanlos and the Bronze Dragon.
Looking at it that way, humans had made mistakes, but they'd managed to correct them in time—and even achieved what the Highborne hadn't. In just two thousand years, the Violet City had flourished across the Eastern Kingdoms, gradually catching up with Quel'Thalas. From Lanlos's perspective, he truly admired what human spellcasters had accomplished.
After all, the danger of the Arcane didn't lie so much in the magic itself as in the hearts of those who couldn't resist temptation.
Lanlos was never going to be someone who stopped moving forward for fear of making a mistake.
"But although you usually seem kind and easygoing, when it comes to important matters, you'd rather trust yourself, wouldn't you?" Alona looked him up and down as though he were an item on display. "Judging by your expression, I'd say you've been getting winded because you can't adjust to the mana input when building a spell model."
Getting winded? Why did that sound so awkward?
"P-probably." Lanlos struggled not to take it the wrong way. "I-is there a way to fix it?"
Damn it, this was getting more and more suggestive...
Alona gave him an encouraging smile, her face full of teasing, and gently patted his shoulder. "If a man has a problem, can't he just ask another man to help him solve it?"
Tsk—this wasn't just awkward anymore!
Alona left after dropping that line. But as she passed Lansan, she gave him a meaningful glance. Seeing him repeatedly wipe the same glassware, she couldn't suppress a smile.
After Alona had gone, Lanlos turned to his senior, but didn't immediately ask what she'd meant. "Wow, did you talk in your sleep and let her hear you?"
Lansan froze, then blushed. "It's not like I slept with Alona."
Was that the point?
Lanlos rolled his eyes helplessly. "She seems to know everything already."
"Well, it's almost time. We've been acting differently these past few days, so it's only natural she'd notice." Lansan didn't seem to realize how honest he was. He simply thought Alona was exceptionally clever. "But once this is over, you'll still have to do your own work."
"It's not like I asked you to do it." Lanlos shrugged indifferently.
It wasn't a big deal. A few days ago, he'd found Lansan sitting alone in a corner, looking troubled. When he asked what was wrong, he learned that Alona's birthday was coming up, and Lansan was worried because he didn't know what kind of gift to get her. Lanlos had really wanted to pretend he hadn't heard and walk away, but Lansan clung to him like a lifeline and wouldn't let go.
Desperate to escape before it cost him money, Lanlos had tossed out a few ideas from memory. A cake, fireworks, some surprises—anything romantic, really. Lansan had immediately perked up as Lanlos described the scene. He looked so moved, he practically wanted to take Lanlos on as his teacher on the spot.
And so it had turned into Lanlos coming up with ideas while Lansan paid for everything. Lansan had even taken over his work so he'd have time to think.
With no choice, Lanlos had agreed. As long as he didn't have to pay, it was all fine. Besides, this senior was currently his biggest creditor.
Their relationship wasn't exactly harmonious, but Lanlos was sly. He was always saying, "We're colleagues—you can't just leave me in the lurch, can you?" Lansan had plenty of complaints about him, but he was unexpectedly honest and kind-hearted. So he was practically becoming Lanlos's personal cash machine.
"By the way, about what Alona just said... ahem, what do you think?" Thinking back to that awkward exchange, Lanlos fought his discomfort as he looked at Lansan.
Mm, no wonder he was an elf. The old guy was pretty handsome, too. Hm? Why did the back of Lanlos's neck suddenly feel cold?
"If you mean the problem with your mana output limit, I can give you some advice." The honest man had no idea he'd just narrowly avoided the edge of a sinful abyss. "There's a job at the Western Temple in a few days. If you're free, you can go take a look."
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