Before the campaign

Understanding, learning, mastering, applying-the study of arcane magic had always been this dull and tedious.

"Ellen, can you give me the fastest way to improve now?"

[The Sixth Ring is only the very beginning of arcane study. Just as ten thousand years ago, mages who have reached the Fifth Ring begin learning teleportation, but Fifth Ring mages cannot accurately calculate spatial curvature and spatial rifts. Generally speaking, Fifth Ring mages do not dare use it directly.

After entering the Sixth Ring, you begin to truly understand space and what this world really looks like. The ability to control space is the most fundamental knowledge of the School of Conjuration, and the most direct expression of its arcane principles. There are memories from ancient times here. Take a quick look.]

With that, Ellen transmitted a vast amount of memories.

In ancient times, Kaldorei mages had used the power of the Well of Eternity to explore the mysteries of space. Some mages even had knowledge of other dimensions.

Arcane magic flickered in a palm, and five sigils whirled around a Kaldorei Archmage. Arcane magic tore open space at one end, and a rift appeared at the other. Arcane energy built a bridge between the two ends, achieving spatial transportation.

Others used the Well of Eternity to establish a powerful energy field. Space was deconstructed at one end of the field and reconstructed at the other, achieving stable spatial jumps.

The Kaldorei mage's entire body shone with white arcane light, and arcane energy spilled even from his hair. Using spatial magic consumed enormous amounts of energy.

Every rune was the crystallization of his predecessors' wisdom, and every magical inscription was a legacy of arcane civilization.

The mind merged with arcane magic, and the mind, in turn, influenced arcane magic.

To see the world clearly through arcane magic and comprehend truth through arcane magic was the ideal of every Arcanist.

Patrick felt the arcane particles transmitted from the Sunwell. Arcane magic leaped with excitement and rejoiced. Every Arcanist who reached the Sixth Ring could perceive the reality hidden beneath the outward appearance of space.

Space could be cut by arcane magic, and space could also be reflected by arcane magic. Mental power was the driving force behind spatial magic. If one lacked sufficient strength, the mind would collapse and suffer magical backlash; even with sufficient strength, uneven control made spatial passages unstable, making spellcasting prone to danger.

Memories poured in without end. The knowledge drew Patrick in, and although his mental power felt exhausted, he continued receiving Ellen's knowledge. This was the crystallized wisdom of the Highborne from ten thousand years ago.

[Arcane magic can change space. How to change it, and by what means-this process is something you must master yourself.]

Arcane energy could transform into various forms, including the four elements of wind, fire, water, and earth. Patrick remembered that Astalor Bloodsworn had conducted arcane corruption experiments. Astalor Bloodsworn had extracted pure Holy Light energy from a Naaru captured by the Blood Elves and used arcane corruption to transform it into something resembling arcane energy.

After Liadrin used her own body as a vessel to absorb this arcanized Holy Light energy, she successfully wielded the power of the Holy Light like a Paladin with the help of incantations and magical runes.

Although the power of the Holy Light in Azeroth originated from faith and fell within the realm of divine magic, Druids, Paladins, mages, and Priests had all had mana bars in his previous life.

Arcane magic could also emit light, but the light produced through arcane mimicry was not as overpowering as the Holy Light. Patrick believed that energy had different ranks too.

The highest ranks of energy were time, space, souls, and the like. First-tier energies were arcane, nature, and fel, while second-tier energies were the four elements, Holy Light, and shadow.

Patrick formally used arcane mimicry to simulate lower-ranked energy with higher-ranked energy, while the arcane energy particles he had used before also produced higher-order energy effects through the physical effects generated by gathering large quantities of energy.

After he finished viewing the fragments of images in his mind, an immense wave of exhaustion struck, and Patrick nearly fell off the desk.

"So tired. It feels a bit like staying up half the night in my previous life-mentally exhausted and confused." Ellen had controlled it very well.

Although the transmission had been like force-feeding, it had not directly forced him to accept these memories instantaneously. Patrick silently took a sip of a mental power potion and sat in his chair to recover his mental energy.

A nearby mage apprentice saw him slumped in his chair and hurried over. After asking him some questions, the apprentice ran out to find Idonis.

Idonis then came over to question him carefully. "Mr. Patrick, you've finally woken up."

"What? I was just reading for a little while."

Idonis smiled wryly. "You've been sitting here without moving for at least a week. If we hadn't confirmed that you had entered deep meditation and were unharmed, we would probably have sent you back to Silvermoon City for treatment long ago."

That gave Patrick a fright. He had thought it was just like watching a video and that nothing much had happened. How could he have known so much time had passed? It seemed he had overestimated Ellen's decency.

She was either making snide remarks inside his head or screwing him over.

[How did I screw you over? Weren't you enjoying learning?]

"I just wanted to watch it all once first. How was I supposed to know that much time had passed?"

[You never asked how long watching it all would take. How is that my fault?]

"..." Fine, you win.

Patrick continued studying in the temple. During a break, he wrote a letter home describing his recent circumstances. After all, he had not gone to Dalaran as planned, so it also served to let his family know he was safe and tell his parents that he had entered the Sixth Ring. Patrick could imagine how delighted his parents would be.

Alleria and Hawkspear were still training their troops, but Baron Sunstrider had joined them this time, with Valeera accompanying them nearby. The group watched Lanaya Sunstrider practice.

Not far away, Lanaya's figure appeared beside a straw dummy. Ambush, a repositioning attack, Slice and Dice, Sinister Strike, then Eviscerate-a standard rogue attack sequence. It felt nostalgic.

At the sight of Patrick, they all stopped what they were doing and nodded in greeting.

"Good day, Mr. Patrick."

"I was just wandering around. Sorry for interrupting your training."

Patrick could see that many of the ranger soldiers' weapons gave off only the faintest magical fluctuations and were probably plain equipment. The weapons in Lanaya's and Valeera's hands had only a little magical glow, while the light emitted by the longbow on Alleria's back was particularly dazzling.

"How are preparations for the campaign coming along?" Patrick asked.

"We're just waiting for the last group of scouts to return before we start drawing up the battle plan. The other mages are making enchanted arrowheads, alchemical potions, and so on, in case we need them."

"We're determined to win this time. Taking care of the Trolls in the Life Forest in one fell swoop would be the best result."

Mental power potions, vitality potions, mana potions, first-aid bandages, magical food, spellcasting materials, bows, arrows, daggers, and other supplies arrived in a steady stream. The time to set out on the campaign drew ever closer.