A cold sweat Jiang Jie's back, and he suddenly realized something.
Because of the presence of the Meryl spell barrier, Jiang Jie lowered his guard. Although the game pod's scanner was always on, he himself remained relaxed.
He hadn't expected that the Meryl spell barrier would have no protective effect on Garona, and that the Legendary thief could come and go as he pleased, clearly indicating that the relationship between the two was extraordinary.
As for how Garona knew about his conversation with Meryl —that's a question for Meryl; mages always have all sorts of methods.
Jiang Jie had no interest in thinking about how a Orcs and a human Undead could meet, trust each other, and even to the point of entrusting their child to each other.
What concerned him more was that Garona's strength was even greater than he had imagined.
In his view, although Garona had achieved many amazing feats, such as assassinating Medivh and King Llane of Stormwind City, the assassination of Medivh was very strange. The success of the assassination was probably related to the struggle between the two souls within Medivh.
As for assassinating King Llane?
Please, that wasn't particularly difficult. King Llane's defenses weren't as formidable as you might imagine. Back then, Stormwind City Palace's defenses were probably even weaker than Lordaeron's now, and it was uncertain how many Archmage it might have.
If King Terenas could be assassinated, and almost succeeded, what chance would it be against King Llane?
Furthermore, Garona has many blemishes, such as being controlled by the Shadow Council until now, being captured by humans when she was active in Elwynn Forest, and later captured by Orgrim. Even in the assassination attempt on Medivh, she didn't actually contribute much because she was knocked unconscious by Medivh from the very beginning!
Therefore, Jiang Jie always felt that Garona's actual strength was not as great as imagined. She was only called Legendary because she participated in several epic events and pushed the wheel of fate.
But now he was certain: Garona was a true Legendary assassin.
How terrifying is a Legendary assassin?
Jiang Jie had already experienced this once in Icecrown Citadel, where Maiev Shadowsong, the " Watchers," assassinated Illidan right in front of a bunch of Legendary, and she succeeded!
Now, he experienced it again.
That kind of extreme speed and precise, millimeter-level precision made it truly impossible to defend against. If Garona wanted to assassinate him, he absolutely wouldn't be able to stop her. Even with the game pod constantly scanning and able to see everything within a hundred or a thousand meters, he would still be doomed.
Even if Xiao Feng warned him, he wouldn't have time to react, and the dagger would already be piercing his throat or heart.
Garona is indeed inferior to Maiev; Jiang Jie can confirm this.
Even if he is not as powerful as Jiang Jie, he is still the uncrowned king in the darkness, and the sword of Damocles hangs over Jiang Jie's head, ready to fall at any moment.
He would certainly keep his promise to Garona, but he still disliked the feeling of being coerced, which made him more eager than ever to improve his strength.
Once he becomes Martial Dao Grandmaster, what does he have to fear from Garona?
" Garona..." Jiang Jie sighed softly.
A mother who can't take care of her own child must be in a lot of pain, right?
Of course, Med'an is even more pitiful.
His grandmother was unreliable, his father was unreliable, his mother was unreliable, and even the teachers who raised and taught him were unreliable. The only reliable one, his grandfather, had long since died, leaving only his soul in Karazhan... No, it wasn't a soul, but rather an image of Karazhan's distorted spacetime, neither illusion nor reality, but both illusion and reality.
What a pitiful child.
"Don't tell Med'an about his background," Meryl suddenly said.
"How long can they keep it a secret? He's grown up now and has started to doubt his own origins. Perhaps it won't be long before he learns about Medivh and Garona, and he'll figure it all out himself. The legend of Medivh and Garona is known to more than just one or two people."
Jiang Jie shook his head and said, "Master Meryl, you can't hide this forever."
What happens next,
"We'll talk about it later," Meryl said. "When do you want to go to Karazhan?" Jiang Jie smiled. "The sooner the better, of course."
Meryl nodded, then waved his hand, and the magical barrier disappeared.
Three seconds later, the door was kicked open and Med'an stormed in, Rage.
" Meryl! How long are you going to keep this from me! Tell me, who is that female Orcs?" Med'an shouted.
Jiang Jie raised an eyebrow. Med'an had actually sensed Garona's presence?
Just how strong is the power sealed within this guy's body?
A destined savior is indeed terrifying!
"You're mistaken. There are no female Orcs." Meryl's voice was calm. "Go catch a wolf, cook, and entertain the guests."
" Meryl!" Med'an roared, clenching his fist, his voice hoarse like a wounded wolf cub. "She's just like me! We both look human! We both have green skin! She's my mother, isn't she! Why won't you let me see her! Are you a child trafficker? You're a bad person!"
"Go quickly!" Meryl continued.
Med'an gritted his teeth, finally turned around angrily, and left.
Jiang Jie noticed that Med'an's expression was very unpleasant; perhaps he had already guessed what was going on.
The three of them set off early the next morning.
Brightwood is near Darkshire, Darkshire is near Deadwind Pass, Karazhan is located in Deadwind Pass.
It's not exactly close, but it's not exactly far either; it crosses an area, and it's still over a hundred kilometers away.
A mixed-race person, an Undead, and a human—such a combination is incredibly bizarre. Of course, they shouldn't go to Darkshire, or they'll be greeted not with fine wine and hot soup, but with bows and arrows and swords.
Yes, that's how Med'an has lived for the past 16 years.
It was pitch black and deserted, and she lived in a house like a tomb with a Undead. It was a hundred times worse than Xiaolongnü's situation. I wonder how big the psychological trauma was for this child, and how twisted her personality must have become.
A strange smile appeared on Jiang Jie's lips.
He wondered, when Med'an was a baby, when he cried from hunger, when he wet himself, he asked the full-time nanny, Mr. Meryl Winterstorm: As a single, 2800-year-old Undead, how did you manage?
With no other option, they had to traverse the forest, pass through a narrow mountain path, and enter the Deadwind Pass.
Looking ahead, all that could be seen was barren soil and bluish-gray rocks.
This is a truly the Barrens, more desolate than anywhere else in Azeroth.
Apart from a very few dark creatures, no living thing wants to live here. There are no gentle animals, nor gentle plants.
Although a few wisps of vegetation can be seen in the distance, they are large trees that have grown for many years. They existed before the tower was taken over by darkness and evil, and have grown to this day by relying on their strong vitality. However, they have become gray and dilapidated, not much different from dead trees.
There was no trace of life, only death.
Although Duskwood is affected by the dark magical energy of Karazhan, it is still far away and the impact is not significant. So, although it is filled with a dark atmosphere and the people who live there never experience joy, at least there are still living people, the Darkshire, and various plants and animals.
This place truly resembles an ancient tomb, devoid of any trace of life.
The entire Karazhan, and even the entire Deadwind Pass, is an ancient tomb, a massive tomb that holds the remains of countless people!
Recommended reading: "Yuan Zun" by Tiancan Tudou, and "Da Dao Chao Tian" by Mao Ni.