[You have earned the achievement: Soul Mentor's First Public Lesson] [You have successfully completed a public lesson] {Audience must number at least 100} [Teaching material: Offspring of Agamaggan has been consumed] [The system will randomly draw a random skill or a random 10% attribute from every attendee] {Please click to confirm}
[You have successfully completed a public lesson] {Students must number at least 100} [Teaching material: Infinite Dragonflight Whelp has been consumed] [The system will randomly draw a random skill or a random 10% attribute from every target character attending the lesson] {Please click to confirm}
"Just as I expected."
The corners of Al's mouth lifted, delight showing in his eyes.
No wonder Al was so happy. The first few pieces of "teaching material" he had painstakingly obtained had been consumed after teaching only a handful of people, though those he had taught were high-quality students such as Grand Archmage Belovar and Sun King Anasterian.
"No man gets rich without a windfall, and no horse gets fat without night grazing. I'm becoming a Soul Mentor, no matter what."
[Number of people to draw from: 1,863. Draws: 2] [Too many people to draw from. Please wait...] [Too many people to draw from. Please wait...]
An enormous surge of unknown energy suddenly coursed through Al's body. He doubled over in pain and collapsed, his skin scorching hot and giving off thick steam-a sign of energy overload.
A quarter of an hour later.
"That was rash."
Brushing the dust off himself, Al stood as though nothing had happened. He suddenly began to feel grateful for every bit of his terrible gacha luck over the past three years.
"Grandpa, do you know how to dispel the berserk effect on an Eversong sapling?"
"Oh? Let's hear it."
[Your Eversong Sapling teaching material has been consumed] [Congratulations! You have obtained 10% of Belovar's stamina]
"Grandpa."
"Spit it out, or let it rip."
[Your...] [Congratulations! You have obtained 10% of Belovar's resilience]
"Your Majesty, I noticed the clothes worn by your palace ladies are rather outdated. Would you be interested in ordering a batch of magical looms from the Sarona Workshop? This is the latest model, modeled after spindle spiders..."
Anasterian said, "Sounds interesting? Tell me more."
[Your Spindle Spider teaching material has been consumed] [Congratulations! You have obtained 10% of Anasterian's stamina]
"Your Majesty..."
"Spit it out, or let it rip."
[Your... has been consumed] [Congratulations! You have obtained 10% of Anasterian's stamina]
Over those three years, Al had given countless "private lessons" to his two star students, Belovar and the Sun King, pestering those two powerful figures to no end.
"Superstition can't save bad luck, and spending can't change your fate. The ancients really didn't lie. Eighteen materials, and all I drew was stamina or strength. Even Salorian praised me as a promising Warrior.
"Other than [Cross-Realm Teleportation], which is pretty decent, everything's been useless. A Grand Archmage, of all people, and you have the nerve to drop a skill like Light Spell for me."
"Oh, isn't that Lord Dawnseeker? Salorian, I see you. Stop hiding. Today I'll tell you about stone beetles."
And so, over three years, besides drawing some bizarre skills, Al had also acquired a tough physique comparable to a high-ranking Warrior's.
"Let's see what goodies I've got."
"Cooking. Hmm, not bad."
"10% of Constantine's agility? Who's that? Don't know him. Next."
"Peeping... a gentleman, too."
Mostly useless skills. The attributes provided by nearly two thousand commoners don't even match what Grandpa gave me alone. Better than nothing, I suppose. Now comes the main event.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the skill: High-Level Stealth]
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Sanguinar actually dropped High-Level Stealth! What a great start."
Looking at [High-Level Stealth] on the system panel, Al beamed.
[Congratulations! You have obtained 10% of Belovar's strength]
"Tch, old Belo's such a loser. Next."
[Congratulations! You have obtained 10% of Salorian Dawnseeker's intellect]
Al: ...You and old Belo could debut as a duo. I've even thought of a name: Brainless and Grumpy.
[Congratulations! You have obtained 10% of Anasterian's spell power]
"Hey, even an iron tree finally blooms! Little Ana, you've finally stepped up."
He checked his rewards while inwardly ribbing his old fellows, and the happy hours flew by.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the skill: Dispersion]
"A skill from Fengdelor? A shadow priest's signature lifesaving ability. To think an upstanding-looking fellow like you, old Feng, would betray the revolution-cough, cough, abandon the Holy Light. Never mind. Let the older generation settle their own affairs."
"Next comes everyone's favorite part-round two. Perhaps this is the burden of happiness." With mixed feelings, Al checked the system's second draw.
Before dawn, a long line had already formed outside the Sarona Breeding Base.
"John, what brings you here too?"
"My daughter's about to start introductory magic classes at Falthrien Academy, and I still haven't scraped together her first quarter's tuition. I'm here to try my luck and see if I can buy a piglet. Once it's grown and I've sold its hide, I reckon there'll even be enough money for her to advance to junior mage."
"Haha, there's no shame in making money. Besides, Ayou meat really is delicious. It's leagues tastier than hawkstrider ribs."
"Let me tell you..."
Five years had passed since the speech that shook all of Quel'Thalas. This closed-off ancient kingdom, stagnant as a pool of dead water, was gradually being changed by Al, the fresh blood that had suddenly entered it.
"Over these five years, Councilor Al has fulfilled his promise to let some people prosper first.
"He freely taught commoners how to raise Ayou and what they were worth, bought their leather at high prices, and made it into all manner of magic-resistant equipment to sell cheaply to the royal family.
"Thirty-six assassination attempts over five years have not shaken his resolve. He has truly come to love the people as his own children. The masses affectionately call him the Father of Wartlings to commemorate the wonderful changes he has brought them.
"During that legendary speech, Master Al donated Franky's construction blueprints to the nation free of charge and helped the mage troops develop new constructs-the Arcane Guardian and the Arcane Annihilator.
"According to rumors from the Mages' Association, the engineering and alchemical blueprints Master Al contributed were a full two hundred years ahead of Dalaran's. For Silvermoon City, where the scholarly atmosphere was growing ever thinner, this was nothing short of a shot in the arm.
"Over these five years, Councilor Al traveled to Zul'Aman on the border of the Ghostlands, helping the Farstriders repel several small-scale Troll incursions and capturing Akil'zon, the eagle god of the Amani Trolls, alive.
"His arrival saved countless rangers' lives and dealt a fierce blow to the Trolls' arrogance. This was one small step for Councilor Al, but one giant leap forward for Quel'Thalas.
"In civilian life, Master Al developed all manner of convenient inventions for the general public: electric-net fishing devices, magical looms, and civilian-model butler robots.
"Every one of these reflects Master Al's outstanding quality of coming from the people and returning to the people.
"..."
"'The people's good son, the nation's good official'?"
"'Arms broad enough for horses to race on, fists big enough for a man to stand on'?"
"'Father of Wartlings'?"
"Could a fucking carbon-based life-form come up with these headlines? Is this how you test officials? What official couldn't withstand a test like this?"
Freshly returned from gathering inspiration in Kalimdor, Al pointed at the copy of Magic Monthly on the table, spittle flying.
Belovar: "You chose this, idol."
"Let's see which hack editor dared to write this crap about me."
Fuming, Al flipped to the newspaper's second page, searching for the editor's name.
"Kainar Flamesun, I'm going to crush you!"
Al's roar rang through Belovar's mage tower.
Kaynell said, "Why does my back feel so prickly?
"Never mind. I'd better think about how to flatter Lord Al later. Maybe if he's pleased, I'll get to return to Falthrien Academy as an associate professor."
What Kainar Flamesun, Magic Monthly's newest junior editor, did not know was that the darkest hour of his life was fast approaching.
"Must you really leave? Al, the position of the Silvermoon Council's next speaker will always be reserved for you. Remember, all of Quel'Thalas will always be your staunchest support."
The Sun King looked at the youth before him, somewhat reluctant to part.
All these years, this half-grown boy had quietly contributed to Quel'Thalas in his own unique way, and he, Anasterian, had witnessed every bit of it.
Belovar Saronar said, "Your Majesty, I'm not dead yet..."
"Ahem. Al, Kalimdor's temperatures are changeable. Be sure to look after yourself."