Shadow Word: Pain

If the cards from the Book of Hearthstone had given him many possibilities and much assistance, then his Warcraft mage class was the foundation on which he depended to survive on the continent. He must never forget that. Even if he could later unlock Hearthstone's various classes and obtain their heroes' cards and class abilities, they would still only be the icing on the cake... For him, mage would always be his main class. Only if his main class was powerful could he become powerful enough.

Compared with any other mage on the continent, Aige was fortunate enough. He had a complete Talent Tree and complete skill trees for the three major schools of Arcane, fire, and frost. He could also study specialized, niche mage skills just like ordinary mages on the continent. His starting point was higher than any other mage's... His future achievements would know no bounds!

(Kushou's note: This book won't spend too much time discussing every individual talent in the Talent Tree. You're all veterans; one look at those talents is enough to understand them, isn't it?)

Frost Nova, the new skill Aige had learned at level 10, was a signature frost spell. It was instant-cast and dealt 10 points of area damage to every enemy around him, with himself as the center, excluding allies. This damage increased with level and magic attack. It also froze enemies in place for up to eight seconds, with the duration determined by the difference in strength between the two sides...

You all know how to use it better than I do, so I won't explain.

Notice: The hero has unlocked two-star cards and completed the ongoing quest "Increase in Strength." The system has awarded one basic Priest class card, "Shadow Word: Pain."

Pain was a signature Priest spell, an excellent card that was simple but anything but ordinary. It was practically a must-have in any Priest deck, even though it was only a basic spell card and didn't even qualify as a white card...

Destroy one designated enemy minion with an attack of no more than 3. That was the card's description-simple and domineering...

In the days when Priests ran rampant, Priest decks built around Shadow Word: Pain and Shadow Word: Death, which destroyed minions with more than 5 attack, were so powerful they were unbearable to behold...

How many players had Priests tormented to the point of ecstasy and agony?

For how many players had Priests become a pain in their hearts?

How many players had been forced to bring minions with exactly 4 attack?... This had directly doubled the value of the 4/5 Chillwind Yeti!

The restriction on this spell was truly simple. As long as a minion had no more than 3 attack, it could be killed outright. It didn't matter how much health it had, what special abilities it possessed, or even whether it had Divine Shield. All of it was ignored, and the target was annihilated...

Now, this system-awarded Shadow Word: Pain was just as domineering, if not more so!

"Designate an enemy whose attack does not exceed three stars and use Shadow Word: Pain to attack his soul, deducting 10% of his health per second. Because his soul is being tormented, the target cannot take any action while this effect lasts. If the effect is not removed within 10 seconds, the target dies!"

Could anyone imagine it? A card this domineering was only a basic card... In Blizzard's philosophy, a card's color represented its rarity more than its strength.

Aige carefully touched the deadly card. He knew that if someone else could use it and used it on him, death would be all that awaited him... Unable to take any action for 10 seconds, he would be completely forbidden from casting spells or using skills, and even deprived of the ability to move. He couldn't even drink a potion. Unless someone else helped him, death was certain.

With an almost reverent attitude, he enshrined the card as though it were a legendary... Just how powerful would Shadow Word: Death be? He eagerly looked forward to it!

On the soft bed, the young master tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His strength had increased enormously, and the difference between level 9 and level 10 could be described as a complete transformation. Frost Nova, Polymorph, and the 10% chance to stun granted by his fire talent had given him quite a few more control skills, making him look a little more like a mage... So excited was he that he rolled around in bed until the latter half of the night before finally drifting into a groggy sleep.

Actually, he could have used his Hearthstone to return to the city that night, but nobody else knew the secret of his teleporting Hearthstone. Wouldn't going out in the middle of the night make him look sick in the head? To keep the others from thinking him too unconventional, and to save the cost of a meal and a night's lodging, it was better to stay at Beech Farm... What? Did Sally still have the nerve to charge him? Not a chance...

Breakfast was pumpkin porridge, several flatbreads, and some homemade, all-natural pickled radish, a light and refreshing meal...

After shamelessly mooching the meal, the gentleman set off again amid profuse thanks from his hosts... Of course, that was only for show. He didn't actually go far before finding a deserted spot and teleporting back with his Hearthstone.

This time, Aige didn't hesitate. He took the road northwest, which led straight to Stormwind City!

Caravans passed in an endless stream along the road, mules and horses ran everywhere, and imposing squads of Stormwind City knights patrolled the main road, maintaining order.

This is Stormwind City?

An enormous, solid fortress stood before Aige. Even he, who had seen a little of the world, was shocked by the scale of the city...

The fortress seemed undefended. Its sturdy gates stood wide open, as if welcoming friends from all directions. Without anyone questioning him, Aige passed through unhindered with the flow of people... But he soon understood that it wasn't undefended; the defenses were farther inside. The outermost structure was merely a basic defensive installation.

Beneath the bridge was a broad moat of unknown depth. It was said to connect to Stormwind City's sewers, and those familiar with it could pass through the water gate and go straight into the city... But they had to watch out for the crocodiles in the water!

The sturdy stone bridge was extremely wide, broad enough for several carriages to race abreast. Several huge statues of great figures stood on either side... Aige declared that he had no interest in these enormous, exaggerated stone men. Anyone interested could go to Stormwind City and see them for themselves. Not wanting to waste time admiring these so-called great monuments, Aige hurried on, preparing to enter the city...

This was where the inspections took place! The mere sight of the rows of strong soldiers standing guard showed how deep the human kingdom's reserves truly ran...

Aige had no idea how many ranks of strength these uniformly equipped warriors possessed, but at the very least, none of them were below the Great Swordmaster level. Those above level 60 were Great Swordmasters.

Marshal Hild was evidently on duty today. Compared with Aige, who was still weak at present, his strength was completely beyond reach. He was riding a tall horse, patrolling between the various posts... It was said that the marshal was boss level. (Note: Even among Great Swordmasters, an elite Great Swordmaster was completely different from an ordinary one. A boss-level one was even more extraordinary; it was perfectly normal for one to be worth several others. In online game terms, their levels were similar, but their templates were different.)

"You. Name? Where are you from? What are you doing in Stormwind City?"

A minor figure like him didn't warrant the marshal's personal attention. At the checkpoint by the city gate, he was stopped just like an ordinary citizen. But this was only a routine inquiry, and the inspection wasn't very strict. As long as they could basically determine that someone was from the kingdom, they wouldn't turn them away. The soldiers stationed there weren't even interested in questioning those who came and went regularly... In fact, most ordinary civilians weren't questioned at all. Aige, however, was an unfamiliar face to them, so it was necessary to ask a few questions for security's sake.

"My name is Aigel Stoke. I'm from Northshire, and I'm a junior mage. I came to Stormwind City to register as a combat professional and obtain a combat professional identity card... Of course, I also came to have a look around the big city, hehe!"

Aige answered with neither humility nor arrogance. Although he had said this to keep them from looking down on him, he had no junior mage certification. But his words weren't false. At level 10, he truly was no longer an apprentice mage. By the continent's standards of strength, he had indeed reached the junior mage stage.

"A mage?"

The Stormwind City defense warrior was startled, and his voice rose a few decibels. This drew a slight reaction from Marshal Hild, who was slowly riding nearby, but the marshal soon resumed his patrol as usual... Mages were valuable, but a newly advanced junior mage was not enough to catch his eye.

"Greetings, honored mage. I am Raul, elite sergeant of the Seventh Battalion under the Third Army of the First Corps of Stormwind City's defense forces. I salute you!"

The sergeant gave Aige a proper knight's salute, leaving him somewhat overwhelmed by the honor. After all, the man was an elite Great Swordmaster warrior, while he was merely a little mage who had just entered the junior stage...

In the military, strength was king. The sergeant's reaction was therefore not an affected gesture someone had deliberately demanded of him, but respect from the heart. At that moment, Aige gained a relatively direct understanding of how exalted and rare mages were!

"May the Holy Light illuminate your path, Sergeant Raul!"

Young Master Ai, who was not hidebound, returned the salute. Although Raul was only an elite warrior and Aige believed his own future achievements would far surpass his, that was not the case yet. When a man who was currently stronger saluted him, even a mage couldn't remain too indifferent, could he?

"Lord Aige, this must be your first visit to Stormwind City. You can go to SI:7 in Old Town to the east to register and obtain a combat professional identity card."

"You're already a junior mage, but judging by your clothes, I really can't find a single thing that matches your status as one..."

"I don't mean to question your identity. Your eyes and bearing have already convinced me that you're a junior mage. But I would still suggest that, if you have time, you visit the Mage Quarter to the northwest and have your status certified there. If you wear a junior mage's magic badge, I believe your time in Stormwind City will be more pleasant..."

"As you know, in Stormwind City, a single brick could hit nine nobles. Relying on the status of a commoner alone is really..."