Mephistes
In the end, Kael'thas had been unable to go to the Ghostlands. After seeing a tearful Liadrin off, he returned to Sunfury Spire with Kael'sala.
"Who are you?"
Kael'thas looked at the middle-aged High Elf with silver hair standing before him and asked the question. He could see an immense, dazzling radiance surrounding the elf, brilliant as the sun. He had only ever seen such radiance on his father in this life.
"I am Mephistes, guardian of the High Elves, Your Highness..." The High Elf bowed slightly and fixed Kael'thas with a gentle, profound gaze. "I was once your father's tutor, and I taught your elder brother as well. Perhaps I will also become your tutor..."
Mephistes. Kael'thas searched his memory. In his previous life, he had heard of Dar'Khan, the mage who betrayed his race and opened the Sunwell's defenses. He had even heard of the Tirisfal trio of High Elves who protected the world. But he had never heard this unfamiliar name. Was he the guardian of the High Elves? Still... at least his immense power was real.
That was precisely why Kael'thas had been able to give up his journey to the Ghostlands without hesitation.
"Then let me hear your explanation. Why won't you let me go to the Ghostlands?" Kael'thas rolled his eyes like a child, deliberately making his expression and tone a little mischievous. "And what can you teach me?"
"As for why I won't let you go to the Ghostlands..."
"Perhaps His Highness Kael'sala doesn't quite understand that either." Mephistes glanced at Kael'sala, then turned to look at Kael'thas with admiration. "Your Highness, you possess the Light of Bright Jade and became an Initial Stage practitioner at the age of eight. You are a natural prodigy. Even among humans, such speed would be remarkable."
"But, Your Highness, I would like to ask you a question. Do you know why human mages can reach a level of magical ability in a few short years or decades that takes us High Elves hundreds or thousands of years to attain? We High Elves are known as the children of magic, so why can't we cultivate as quickly as humans?"
"That... I really don't know." Kael'thas frowned. He did find it strange that most of the famous mages in this world were human.
Every High Elf knew magic. Even if the human population was tens of times larger, their mastery of magic shouldn't surpass that of the High Elves, whose heritage stretched back ten thousand years.
"Hehe, allow me to answer that for you, Your Highness. Could you cast a Fireball between your hands?" Mephistes suggested. Kael'thas promptly did as he was asked. He cast a Fireball and held it in his palm, then raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with this?"
"Of course not." Mephistes' eyes lit up, and he smiled at Kael'thas. "Your Highness, that is the answer. Humans cannot play with their Fireballs as you do. Their Fireballs have ample power, but once cast, they must immediately be hurled forward. They cannot be held in their hands..."
"Could it be that their control isn't as strong as ours!?" Kael'thas was surprised.
"Correct. Unless they are as extraordinarily gifted as Your Highness, they absolutely cannot reach our level..." Mephistes took the Fireball from Kael'thas' hand, spun it around a few times, and made it disappear with ease. He continued, "A High Elf's degree of control is tied to physical growth. Initial Stage practitioners need to command magic in a more systematic manner, which places greater demands on the body. So Your Highness is still too young..."
Training at the Initial Stage at too young an age would do more harm than good-that was what Mephistes meant.
Kael'thas fell silent. He had never considered that and had nearly gone down the wrong path...
"Then how old do I need to be?"
"Fifteen, at least old enough to have an adolescent's physique." Mephistes narrowed his eyes and answered at once. "Your Highness still needs seven years!"
Seven years...
Ding... You have triggered the optional quest: A shut-in isn't necessarily an otaku; he could also be a prince! Quest description: Silvermoon City is your home, and Eversong Woods is your backyard. Don't think the god of shut-ins will spare you just because you're a prince!... Reward for accepting the quest: one Phoenix form mutation! Note: accepting this quest will lock your experience!
The system notification sounded, and Kael'thas' face darkened. Did he have a choice? Still, this Phoenix mutation upgrade...
Kael'thas looked at the fat chicken by his feet and breathed a great sigh of relief.
At least it can get rid of all that fat, right?
He had been worried that Xiao Ao would look like a fat chicken for life. When he came out, instead of looking cool, he would look like a fool...
Accept!
Kael'thas decisively selected accept, and his information updated once more.
Ding... You have received the quest: A shut-in isn't necessarily an otaku; he could also be a prince! Ding... Issuing reward... Failed to issue reward! Ding... Triggering quest reward system repair... Quest reward system repair in progress... Quest reward system repaired successfully... Reward issued successfully! Updating information... Name: Kael'thas Sunstrider Race: High Elf Identity: ? (locked) Class: ? (self-learning template activated...) Level: 15 (experience required for next level: 13,600; locked; time remaining: 7 years) Skills: Frostbolt-2-second cast time, consumes 5% of total mana. You fire an arrow of frost, damaging an enemy and applying a freezing effect that reduces speed by 60% for 15 seconds. Ice Lance-instant cast, consumes 1% of total mana. You fire an Ice Lance, damaging an enemy. Damage is doubled if the enemy is frozen. Fireball-2-second cast time, consumes 5% of total mana. You launch a blazing Fireball, damaging an enemy and applying a burning effect. Scorch-1-second cast time, consumes 2% of total mana. Scorches an enemy, dealing additional damage to enemies affected by burning. Fire Blast-instant cast, consumes 15% of total mana. You blast an enemy with fire, dealing additional damage to enemies affected by burning. Molten Armor-instant cast, consumes 1% of total mana. Deals fire damage to enemies when you are hit. Armor lasts 2 hours. Quest reward: one Phoenix form mutation. (Unused) ??: ?? (damaged) ??: ?? (damaged) ??: ?? (damaged) ??: ?? (damaged) Traits: Arcane Torrent-silences all enemies within 10 yards for 6 seconds and restores 1% of your total mana per second. 10-minute cooldown, instant cast. Magic Resistance-increases all magic resistances by 7. Summon Phoenix -summons one Phoenix to fight for you. Master of Flames-permanently increases your fire damage by ten percent.
Seven years remaining. Such a long time...
Kael'thas sighed, though he was also delighted that a system had suddenly been repaired. "You said you wanted to become my tutor? So I'll study with you for the next seven years?"
"Yes."
"What will I study?"
"World geography, the languages and cultures of the various races, and... the fundamentals of magic." Mephistes held up three fingers to Kael'thas. "I believe these things will be just as vital to your future!"
Geography, languages, and culture? Kael'thas was delighted. Those things really were important. His first five years of High Elf education had already taught him that languages couldn't be learned as easily as skills. Nothing could be better than taking this time to learn them early!
Because skills were so easy to learn, he overlooked the fundamentals of magic Mephistes had mentioned. He didn't know that those were actually the most important thing, and Mephistes' ultimate purpose in teaching him.
"All right!"
Kael'thas agreed without hesitation. Mephistes smiled, narrowing his eyes. "Then go and get ready. I'll come and pick you up this evening..."
"Huh?"
Not here?
Before Kael'thas could ask, Mephistes turned and walked outside.
"I'll see Teacher out."
Kael'sala spoke to Kael'thas and followed Mephistes out.
"Thank you, Lord Mephistes."
After they had gone a long way from the door, Kael'sala suddenly thanked Mephistes.
"Why thank me? I'm only doing this for my own purposes..." Mephistes stopped and looked at Kael'sala's face with a doting expression. "I don't have long to live. Teaching the most suitable disciple is my dearest wish..."
"I should be thanking you for that, Kael'sala..."
"...Yes..." Kael'sala's face reddened slightly.
"I'll give you half of His Highness's time. You can teach him every afternoon..." Mephistes patted Kael'sala on the shoulder, then suddenly turned serious. "But there's one thing I must warn you about, Kael'sala..."
"I've noticed certain things hidden in your heart that shouldn't be there. I think your father can sense them too. Listen! As long as you are still Kael'sala and not that girl, you are absolutely forbidden from doing anything to His Highness the prince. Do you understand!?"
Kael'sala's expression changed, and his face turned deathly pale. Seeing him like that, Mephistes sighed helplessly, turned, and waved a hand as he slowly walked out of Sunfury Spire...
"Lord Mephistes! Kael'thas has already entered the Initial Stage. Will he be all right?"
Kael'sala suddenly remembered Mephistes' words and hurriedly called out the question. Although Kael'thas hadn't studied magic systematically, he had indeed reached the Initial Stage. What if it harmed his body?
"He'll be fine." Mephistes did not pause in the slightest, but his voice answered softly in Kael'sala's ear. "A High Elf's body is better suited to living with magic than you imagine. His Highness reaching the Initial Stage does not mean that his magical power was sufficient. It means that his body had indeed reached the Initial Stage. Otherwise... he could never have entered it..."
The truth was that High Elves needed to wait for their bodies to grow strong enough before they could reach the corresponding level of magic. That was why their progress was slow.
In other words, Kael'thas was unquestionably an Arcane prodigy.
How could someone born for the Arcane study those ordinary class spells?
Mephistes, a Saint Rank Arcane mage, had always looked down on those class spells.
Dar'Khan, even if you truly seek to claim the Sunwell someday, my disciple will stop you!