A ray of sunlight spilled over the camp... For the Ghostlands, even this much sunshine was a rare gift!
Karin woke on his own, his mind perfectly clear!
Life with the Rangers in the Ghostlands had been very regular... He slept soundly every night, and each morning he woke with his mental energy in excellent condition!
"Assessment complete. The host's control over spells has officially reached the 'proficient' stage!" The All-Knowing Eye's voice sounded in his mind.
Control... proficient?
"What is the fundamental difference between the first ring and the second ring? Control! First-ring and second-ring mages do not differ much in their spell slots, but second-ring mages are far better at controlling the finer details of spellcasting..." Karin remembered those words from the All-Knowing Eye very clearly.
Two months earlier, aboard the ship returning from Northrend, Karin had crossed the threshold into the second ring... But that had not been the end. Ever since then, he had felt his control over the finer details of spells steadily improving, right up until today!
"So I can now call myself a genuinely proficient second-ring mage?" Karin asked.
"Yes!" the All-Knowing Eye replied. "This also means that the host can attempt to reach the third ring at any time!"
"Reach the third ring?" Karin was rather surprised. He had always remembered that there was a qualitative gap between the second and third rings. "This soon? I thought I would need to build up my strength for a long time. Then what is that fundamental difference between the second and third rings you mentioned before?"
"Any proficient second-ring mage can attempt to cross the threshold into the third ring at any time... But it is not easy!" the All-Knowing Eye continued. "The fundamental difference between the second and third rings lies in inspiration."
"Inspiration? What exactly is that?" Karin was puzzled.
"Inspiration is very difficult to describe, and it is not something concrete!" the All-Knowing Eye said. "In fact, it is an emotion. When it completely suffuses your mental energy, that means it is your inspiration. When you enter that state, your power will also undergo a qualitative transformation... At least eighty or ninety percent of mages will halt before this threshold on the path of arcane magic, never finding inspiration in their entire lives... More importantly, the stronger a mage's mental energy, the harder it is to find inspiration!"
"That is still very abstract. Could you give me an example?" Karin thought for a moment before continuing.
"There are many kinds of inspiration, and the inspiration different mages need can be entirely different. It might be the frustration of a failed spell experiment, or a word of encouragement from a friend..." The All-Knowing Eye described it as best he could. "Take my first master, Lord Kassas, in his youth. He once witnessed his closest friend being completely devoured by a Mana Wyrm of Feyrun. He swore to drive those monsters out of Netheril entirely, and in that instant, he achieved his breakthrough!"
"It sounds as though finding that inspiration came at quite a price," Karin remarked.
"Yes. Judging by the mental energy the host has demonstrated at this stage, finding inspiration will be far harder than it is for an ordinary second-ring mage... So there is no need to rush. Simply wait patiently!" the All-Knowing Eye advised.
"Mr. Karin, Miss Vereesa wants us all to come over!" The Ranger named Orissa knocked at his door.
"All right!" Karin replied as he climbed out of bed.
It seemed that this leisurely life in the Ghostlands would not last much longer! After all, relations between Quel'Thalas and Zul'Aman were growing increasingly tense, and clashes were becoming more frequent!
Karin walked into the camp's hall. Every member of the Ranger Squad was already there.
Vereesa Windrunner sat in the center of the hall, holding a letter.
"A caravan needs to pass through the Ghostlands to deliver goods to Quel'lithien... We have orders from Tranquillien to escort them!" Vereesa set down the letter and addressed everyone present.
"Who has enough pull to get a permit to travel through the Ghostlands at a time like this...?" several Rangers whispered among themselves.
"And even get Tranquillien to order us to escort them..."
Quel'lithien was the elven camp closest to Eastern Lordaeron-the Eastern Plaguelands. Reaching it required crossing the entire Ghostlands and even passing through some troll territory... Given the recent tensions with the trolls, that trade route had been closed a month earlier.
Likewise, since Quel'Thalas's only remaining connection to the south was by sea, the prices of some magical goods produced in Quel'Thalas had recently soared in the south!
Was this caravan's owner planning to take a desperate gamble?
"Are you coming with us?" Vereesa suddenly glanced at Karin and asked casually.
Thanks to Karin's conduct during this time, Vereesa's hostility toward him had eased a little... But only a little. Thinking back, this was the first time she had spoken to him in over a month.
Karin considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure. Staying in the camp alone would be too boring. I'll come with you."
They soon arrived at their destination: a way station in the southern Eversong Woods.
This had once been an important stop for travelers between Eastern Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas, but the trouble with the trolls had left it much quieter lately.
More than a dozen large wagons stood parked a short distance ahead. Their wooden wheels were considerably wider than those of ordinary carriages, allowing them to travel more steadily.
The caravan's assorted members, including drivers, workers, and others, appeared to number well over a hundred... They belonged to all sorts of races. About half were High Elves, with quite a few Dwarves, humans, and Goblins as well.
As the Ranger Squad approached, a red-haired High Elf hurried out from among the wagons. A dark-skinned Dwarf and a bald human man with a scar-covered face followed behind him, apparently his bodyguards.
"Thank you so much for coming, mighty Rangers... With your help, I doubt any trolls will dare show themselves during our journey!" the red-haired Elf said excitedly. "I am Myra Dawnblade, the owner of this caravan!"
Vereesa went over and began speaking with the High Elf named Myra.
A slick, greedy Quel'dorei, Karin judged inwardly. Such a personality was uncommon among High Elves.
"So he is a member of the Dawnblade Family. No wonder he could obtain a travel permit and persuade Tranquillien to send an escort!" Orissa murmured beside him.
"Dawnblade? What is special about that family?" Karin asked curiously.
"Mr. Karin, you don't even know that...? The Dawnblade Family is a very powerful family in Silvermoon City. Lady Solarian, the master of one of the Six Towers, is a member..." Orissa replied.
Solarian? That name sounded a little familiar... Right, wasn't she the third boss in Tempest Keep? That fucking obnoxious boss you needed to stack arcane resistance for!
Vereesa seemed to have finished the discussion and motioned for the squad to follow her.
Karin followed behind the Rangers... For some reason, he felt there was something strange about this caravan!