Chapter Eight: Beyond the Starry Sky, the Path of Arcana (Part One)

Xiao Ao became an egg.

After Kael'thas used the form mutation reward on it, Xiao Ao instantly turned into an egg about the same size as its body, much to his surprise.

What a rip-off...

Kael'thas nearly coughed up blood at this "surprise." Fortunately, he quickly confirmed that Xiao Ao had merely entered a dormant period for its mutation, rather than actually becoming an egg.

He breathed a sigh of relief, only to be saddened by their parting. Xiao Ao's mutation would take exactly as long as his quest, which meant Kael'thas would have to wait seven years to see Xiao Ao again! For him, who had spent every day with Xiao Ao for eight years, ever since birth, it was painful.

"...All right, I've set up a secure barrier around it to keep others from approaching..."

Mephistes withdrew his hand from the magic circle on the ground. A huge ring of light surrounded Xiao Ao's egg. After carefully checking it and making sure nothing was wrong, he turned and held out a hand to Kael'tha:

"Your Highness, let us go..."

"Yes..." Kael'thas reached out his right hand and took Mephistes's.

Mephistes smiled faintly. With his other hand, he gently traced an arc in the air, and a small portal appeared before them.

Holding Kael'thas's hand, Mephistes walked into the portal.

The next instant, Arcane light flashed, and Mephistes brought Kael'thas to a new place.

"Where is this?"

A cold wind blew against Kael'thas, and he couldn't help shivering at the sudden chill. He looked ahead. Beneath a deep blue, starry sky, a lavish, transparent walkway stretched out before him, spiraling upward into the unseen distance...

"This is the Path of Arcane..."

With a casual wave of his hand, Mephistes took a magnificent fur cloak from his storage space, where it had lain untouched for thousands of years. He crouched down and gently draped it over Kael'thas as though handling a treasure.

The golden cloak, the red formal attire, and the little golden-haired elf of unparalleled beauty before him warmed his memories.

"Your Highness, let us go! In the name of Quel'Thalas, let us walk toward the supreme hall of magic!!" Mephistes stood, took Kael'thas's hand, and led him forward with a confident, cheerful smile. As he gazed at the walkway ahead, his blue eyes shone with joy.

Kael'thas followed Mephistes forward, setting foot on the transparent walkway. The next moment, a sight he would never forget appeared...

As though cheering his arrival, blue flames burst to life one after another on both sides of the walkway. They had nothing to support them, nor did they need anything. In an instant, hundreds upon thousands of flames spread out before him, each floating proudly alone in the air and casting a deep blue glow that dimmed even the brilliance of the countless stars in the night sky...

Th-this is...

As Kael'thas walked, he looked at one of the flames beside him. It was fire, yet the next instant, he seemed to glimpse the radiance of ice and the flicker of lightning within it...

Kael'thas was utterly astonished!

"Each flame here is a crystallization left behind by a High Elf Arcane mage."

Mephistes saw the shock in Kael'thas's eyes, and it was as though he saw himself. Once, he too had walked this supreme path under his own teacher's guidance, filled with unfamiliar longing and awe.

And now, he had finally found a new successor...

Kael'thas!

"This is the sacred place where the High Elves pass down Arcane. Every High Elf who aspires to become an Arcane mage must walk this path under a mentor's guidance."

Mephistes sounded proud as he spoke, leaving Kael'thas momentarily stunned.

"But I want to become a fire mage!?"

The Master of Flames trait was powerful, and Kael'thas had no intention of giving it up.

"A fire mage?" Mephistes smiled, then continued unhurriedly:

"What does that matter?"

"Let's talk after you've walked the path!"

He walked on, and after a moment's thought, Kael'thas followed.

"Those flames are made of Arcane. What did you see in them?"

"...Ice, fire, lightning, and some other things..."

Kael'thas answered with a frown.

"You're puzzled?"

"Yes!"

"Kael'thas, the answer is simple." Mephistes looked up at the flames, their blue light reflected in his blue eyes, giving them an eerie, mysterious look. "I should be the one to tell you the answer, but you are exceptionally gifted. I believe you can reach the conclusion yourself."

He turned to give Kael'thas a hopeful look, then reminded him:

"Walk forward, believe what you see, follow what you feel... and then..."

"Tell me the answer..."

Mephistes stepped aside. Kael'thas hesitated, then gritted his teeth and walked past him.

He walked ahead of his own mentor!

An immense surge of magical power rushed toward him. Only then did Kael'thas realize with alarm that Mephistes had been shielding him from it all along.

"Arcane!"

It didn't harm Kael'thas, but he felt every cell in his body trembling with excitement. Such overwhelming joy could only come from the absolutely pure Arcane magic that High Elves revered above all else! Kael'thas felt his whole body wanting to open itself to this joy and receive Arcane's baptism. He gritted his teeth, struggled to control the impulse, and walked forward, unwilling to give in.

To High Elves, Arcane was like a drug. If Kael'thas wanted to use it, he had to resist its attraction.

Watching this scene from behind, Mephistes nodded in satisfaction.

And so Kael'thas walked slowly along the endless crystal walkway, his whole body bathed in Arcane radiance, a mysterious blue glow covering him. Step by step, his consciousness grew hazier. Something seemed to be speaking to him, slowly taking root in his heart...

Mephistes followed behind. He saw traces of frost slowly forming beneath Kael'thas's feet, flames beginning to rise from his body, and lightning enveloping him as well. Kael'thas was unaware of it all. His steps grew faster, and more and more illusions surrounded him...

Elemental, natural, and even runic...

Mephistes was stunned. He had never imagined Kael'thas had such a perfect affinity with Arcane.

"Perhaps His Highness can change the High Elves' current situation..."

Mephistes murmured to himself. After he had followed Kael'thas for nearly half the journey, Kael'thas finally stopped.

All the illusions vanished with him...

"Mephistes!"

Kael'thas called back. His face was somewhat pale, but his large, lively blue eyes showed his joy:

"Arcane is the source of all spells, isn't it?"

Before he even had to wait for an answer, the system notification answered Kael'thas:

"Ding..."

"You have triggered the hidden class High Elf Arcane Mage. Accept?"

"Notice: As this class has few inherited skills, it comes with a permanent independent learning (creation) template."

"Notice: This class cannot be discarded. After accepting, you must complete the Path of Arcane, where your initial aptitude will be reassessed."

"Please choose. Countdown: 10... 9... 8..."

Confirm! Startled by the countdown, Kael'thas hurriedly pressed confirm!!

It was High Elf Arcane Mage, not Arcane Mage. That should mean something different. As for the permanent learning (creation) template, although he didn't know how it worked, one look at the word in parentheses told him it had to be incredibly bugged!! And Kael'thas was even less worried about the final aptitude assessment.

"You have accepted the hidden class High Elf Arcane Mage. Updating class..."

New class: High Elf Arcane Mage

"Ding..."

"You have received the quest: Assessment of the Path of Arcane."