Mentor

Not to mention Capernian, who had been angered into leaving—if they had not been in the library, she would definitely have blown up.

Once the construct puppet finished charging, Shane brought it out of the workshop. The abundant arcane energy lit all five hundred-plus circuits, spreading across every bone in branching patterns, somewhat like electronic creations from his previous life. Even the guard puppets at the gate greeted it, but Shane's puppet could only blink its single eye in response.

"Mage of Dawnblade, you have been conscripted." Just as he was about to head to the ironworks to install the armor, someone came to make trouble.

Shane recognized him as one of the Windrunners who had taken Vereesa away. His malice was almost tangible. "Lady Alleria personally named you. Commander Sylvanas will receive you properly."

A Mage Hand caught the document thrown at him. From the Silvermoon City Royal Mages' Association to Ranger Command, then to the Sentinel Vanguard, not a single official seal was missing.

The issuer was Alleria, and the stated reason was that troll activity had become frequent and reinforcements were needed. She thought highly of Shane's exceptional talent, profound spellcasting skills, and fine qualities that set him apart from other elves. She believed he would play a pivotal role in the Sentinel Vanguard. At the end, Shane even saw his mentor's supplementary signature.

The issue date was three days ago. It seemed the man had waited outside the library for several days just to personally deliver the conscription order to Shane.

"Why are you still here?" Shane saw that the man had not left.

"Miss Vereesa will never take a liking to you." The man looked very pleased with himself.

"Is that all?"

"That's all."

Shane snapped his fingers, activating the second-circle Evocation spell: Frost Ring. "Send him to take a bath." The construct puppet's single eye flashed, and its two massive pincers seized the man as though pinching a chick. Following the throwing posture from its intelligent behavior protocols, it hurled him into the sky like a shot put.

"I, Lor'themar, will get my reven—" Splash! Into the sea.

There were still twelve days until the date written on the conscription order. It would take only five days to travel from here to the Ghostlands, or just one day if he rode a dragonhawk.

"Three days to install the armor, weapon systems, and drive wheels at the ironworks. Two days to buy necessities, then one day to visit my mentor. After that, I'll head to the Ghostlands, with one day to spare."

Quel'Thalas itself produced no mineral resources. Everything Silvermoon City needed came through trade with humans. The ironworks stood not far from Sun Sail Harbor because of its transportation advantages.

The ironworks engineers handled the armor plate installation while Shane supervised. The engineer was a dependable elf who followed the blueprints step by step, mounting the armor plates before spraying them with the dark gold paint commonly used by elves. A battering ram and chainsaw were fixed to the left and right arms; when used, they would extend and connect to the palms to receive power.

The armor gave special protection to the chest core. It was twice as thick as the rest and bulged outward in a thirty-five-degree arc, creating heart-shaped protection. Its total weight was two and a half times that of a mass-produced puppet.

Shane rode it around the outdoor grounds once. Its weight gave the puppet powerful traction, and with its four cores driving it, it ran both steadily and quickly.

"You will be called Taigo. Puppet Taigo."

Puppet Taigo's single eye flashed repeatedly, indicating that it had received the command.

When they returned to the ironworks, the engineer was full of praise for the finished work.

"Your puppet is incredible. The most incredible one I've ever seen, aside from those made by the masters of Silvermoon City."

If he had not added that last part, Shane would have been very happy.

Later, in preparation for the sudden conscription, Shane spent all eight hundred-plus gold coins he had left. Most of it went toward spellcasting materials and daily necessities, which he stored in his magic pouch.

Shane had not seen Vereesa for many days, and he missed her terribly. She was probably being watched too closely to find a chance to come out, or perhaps she was working hard somewhere he could not see.

Not long ago, that girl had said, "I have to work hard too."

He wondered whether he would be able to see her before leaving. Ask the Windrunners about her? Forget it.

Shane left letters at both his own cabin and his secret base with Vereesa, telling her about his recent circumstances and that he would be heading to the Ghostlands.

Before leaving Quel'Thalas, he still had to pay a visit to his mentor. That master who held a place in the Silvermoon City Royal Mages' Association—Earthshatterer Oakes Dawnblade, an eighth-circle Conjuration master who possessed an eight-story spire.

Holding his apprentice certificate, Shane encountered no obstruction when he went to see his mentor.

"I know everything about your situation. You passed the Mushroom Theorem trial, mastered a magical technique, advanced to the fourth circle, and learned three fourth-circle spells. Originally, Aldorron would have told you certain matters after you mastered a magical technique. But since you are here, I will tell you myself."

Being sent away from Silvermoon City as an apprentice to guard a nursery had also been a trial. As his mentor spoke, Shane could sense arcane energy brimming beneath his robes and mental energy flowing through the space. At least half of his thoughts were simulating arcane experiments, Shane guessed.

"After mastering a magical technique, if you advance to the fourth circle, you will be granted a metamagic technique. Once you master it, you will be accepted into the management of the library: the Arcane Brotherhood. Then, you may obtain more arcane knowledge through your contributions. But remember this: every spell is a burden. The effect is minor at low circles, but at high circles, it will seriously affect mental stability. Therefore, if you wish to climb to that summit, you must possess both love for and restraint toward the arcane."

"Go! Do not concern yourself with the Windrunners' petty tricks. They are nothing to worry about. You will not be denied a single thing you deserve."

"Why didn't you stop them, Mentor?" Shane asked.

"A trial," his mentor said. "You are different from ordinary elves, and I do not want you to become like ordinary elves. Go to the Ghostlands and demonstrate your worth—the worth of an arcane spellcaster."

His mentor's authority could not be questioned, so Shane did not argue and left.

"Mage Shane, the mentor instructed me to give this to you." Just as Shane was about to leave the main gate, an apprentice handed him a book with both hands.

The moment it landed in his hands, Shane could feel the dense arcane energy within.

"Spell detected. Effect: Deflect Arrows. Spell detected. Effect: Trigger Memory," the Eye of Truth prompted. There were seven runes on the cover, indicating that the spell could be used seven times.

Opening the book, Shane found three fourth-circle spells and three fifth-circle spells recorded inside.

There was also a metamagic technique: Multicast. A single spell could release multiple instances within one casting time. The exact number depended on the caster's spell proficiency and casting level.

After only a few glances, Shane put the book into his magic pouch.

The three fourth-circle spells happened to correspond with the schools Shane had learned.

Conjuration: Blink

Abjuration: Arcane Barrier

Evocation: Pyroblast

His casting level was insufficient for the fifth-circle spells, so he did not memorize them.

"Eye of Truth, how great is the gap in strength between my mentor and me?" What Shane wanted to determine was his own strength. Azeroth was a dangerous world. If he was too weak, he might be finished before Arthas even arrived.

"Insufficient intelligence collected. Detailed assessment impossible."

"Make an assessment based on the existing intelligence."

"Earthshatterer Oakes Dawnblade possesses twenty times the user's arcane energy."

Twenty times. A somewhat despairing number.

"Then how does he compare to the Lich King from my memories?" Shane asked again.

"Based on currently acquired data and epic records, the Lich King is an immortal, a demigod. He is one of the apex beings on the planet Azeroth. The user's mentor would be completely crushed."

A possibility he had long anticipated was confirmed.

"Eye of Truth, from now on, formulate a plan to increase my strength. Maximum efficiency is required."

As Shane spoke, he was riding on Puppet Taigo's back, having just left Silvermoon City on the road to the Ghostlands. He mobilized his mana, and three mana spheres floated above his head. Arcane Blaze rose from his head, and another three mana spheres began rotating above him.

"Initial plan: the user will maintain three mana spheres in rotation at all times, increasing to two groups or more when appropriate."

"Prioritize learning the metamagic technique Multicast, greatly increasing the user's combat power."

"This device has observed that the user's physical fitness is below the high elf average. Physical training will be added to the plan."

"To ensure the user's health, the daily schedule is as follows."

Shane looked over the schedule provided by the Eye of Truth. "I approve the plan."

"Understood. Saving... It is now time to practice the metamagic technique. Please begin."

"Mm." Shane began practicing according to the knowledge.

Metamagic techniques were not passed down through writing or spell diagrams, but through memories. Once memorized, they would be destroyed.