Provocation Works Better Than Persuasion

The Scar of Lagrios? What the heck is that? Xiao Yu glanced at the map's annotations.

The Scar of Lagrios: In the Battle of Blazing Flame Canyon, Alliance heroes Long Ao Jiutian and Phoenix joined forces to Execute the Raglios, the Balrog Lord. Before dying, Lagrios self-destructed. The violent explosion destroyed the Flame Altar and blasted a huge crater in the center of the battlefield. The explosion was so violent that it permanently changed the local environment. This giant crater is known as the Scar of Lagrios.

Although Lagrios is dead, its blood has given birth to a large number of fire elemental creatures, making this land unsuitable for human habitation. However, it has attracted many adventurers to come and explore. It is said that the equipment of the adventurers that Lagrios killed in the past is buried somewhere in this sinkhole.

Well, I didn't expect that death would have such an impact. But it's okay, even though I don't have a statue to erect, being able to leave my mark in the game is a kind of statue in itself.

Seeing Xiao Yu's thoughtful expression, Esmehalda found it strange, wondering why the Water Elemental had suddenly become silent.

"Hmm--humph!" She gave a soft humph, waking Xiao Yu from his reverie.

"You still haven't told me what you want from me?"

Xiao Yu nodded. "An irrelevant answer. I wonder if you've ever heard of Amalarui?"

Esmehalda paused slightly, "Amalarui? You mean Amalarui Fieldnan, the missing Kirin Tor elder?"

Azathoth (Water Elemental Prince): "Yes, it's him. So you know him too."

Esmehalda (Dalaran Mystic): "Of course I know him. When I was in school in Dalaran, the teachers mentioned him a lot, mostly as a negative example, to teach us to follow the rules and not cause trouble, lest we end up like that Amalarui, blown to bits."

Azathoth (Water Elemental Prince): "You even went to school in Dalaran?"

Esmehalda (Dalaran Mystic): "Nonsense, otherwise where do you think I learned my magic? And how did I get my title?"

Azathoth (Water Elemental Prince): "I mean, aren't you a player? Do you really need to learn?"

Esmehalda (Dalaran Mystic): "I am a player, that's true, but I'm not a rich guy who can just buy a template. I played the free template back then because I wanted to experience school life, so I chose the identity of a mage apprentice in Dalaran. Then I attended magic school for several months. It was because I studied hard in class that I advanced to the elite template. Later, I worked as a mage assistant for several months before advancing to the hero template. Do you think everyone is as willing to spend money to buy templates as you rich guys?"

Xiao Yu was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that attending a magic school could lead to advancing to the hero template. However, it took several months, which seemed like a lot of free time. But when did he become a tycoon again? He did buy the character, but it was for saving his life. However, he was too lazy to explain. Since the little girl liked to hear nice things, he would just coax her.

Azathoth (Water Elemental Prince): "Wow, really? I didn't expect you to be so amazing. Advancing from a free template to a hero template is too incredible. I thought players bought their hero templates with real money." Xiao Yu said in a slightly exaggerated tone.

Esmehalda, upon hearing this, indeed displayed a "[Hmph, that's for sure]" expression.

Azathoth (Water Elemental Prince): "Alright, it's easy now that you know about Amalarui. But what if I told you that this Amalarui isn't actually dead?"

Esmehalda didn't seem surprised, nodding and saying, "That's not surprising. Actually, some people have said before that Amalarui didn't actually die, but rather faked his death, because a large amount of precious materials disappeared with him. Some of these anti-magic materials couldn't possibly have been destroyed in an explosion. The only explanation is that someone stole them, and Amalarui is undoubtedly the prime suspect. However, strictly speaking, this kind of thing is considered family dirt, so the Kirin Tor Council has never publicized it, lest other factions in Dalaran find fault with it. Why are you asking about this? You don't happen to know Amalarui's whereabouts, do you?"

(In the Sky World, Dalaran is a city of mages, ruled by three main mage factions: the Kirin Tor Council, primarily composed of human mages; the Sunreavers, primarily composed of Sunreavers; and the Violet Alliance, which has no particular racial requirements. Esmehalda clearly belongs to the Kirin Tor faction.)

Azathoth (Water Elemental Prince): "In fact, I not only know Amalarui's whereabouts, but I just came back from him. He's now a boss in a dungeon, a level 49 skeleton boss, a 25-man elite dungeon, and he's wielding the Kirin Tor Elder's Scepter."

As the highest echelon of the Kirin Tor Council, which is led by six Kirin Tor Councilor, each elected Kirin Tor Councilor receives a Kirin Tor Elder's Scepter. Only six Elder's Staffs were ever created when Kirin Tor was founded. The staff itself is a powerful magical weapon, as well as a symbol of status and prestige, making it exceptionally significant. The staff and councilor's seat are linked, passed down through generations as positions change. However, over the years, three Elder's Staffs have gone missing, including the one held by Amalarui.

In Kirin Tor, there is an open law that anyone who obtains the Elder's Staff (only mages or wizards are eligible) is automatically qualified to be elected as a member of the next council.

Esmehalda (Dalaran Mystic): "So you mean you want me to take back the scepter? Good heavens, I'll have to think about that." Esmehalda said, her eyes shining, pacing back and forth in front of Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu wasn't in a hurry, quietly watching her.

The temptation is undeniable. Although the hero the player takes on can leave their mark on the game's storyline, they mostly just play minor roles. After all, the most powerful heroes in the game are usually NPCs. Unless you're a professional whale player like Long Ao Jiutian, supported by a large guild, it's difficult to gain significant fame. Your actions are usually limited to small things like eliminating Gnoll in a certain area or capturing a few gnolls. In large-scale faction battles, you often only serve as an assistant to those powerful NPC heroes. However, if you could become Kirin Tor Councilor, your prestige would be considerable, and the resources you could control would be far beyond what you currently possess. The resulting sensation would definitely be substantial.

These thoughts flashed through Esmehalda's mind, but the risks were equally enormous. She told herself, "Amalarui's strength is not to be underestimated, given that he's now the final Kirin Tor Councilor of a dungeon and has countless minions around him. Should I gamble my life like this?" She hesitated.

Seeing Esmehalda's hesitation, Xiao Yu knew he had to add fuel to the fire. The best way to deal with such a spirited young girl was to use reverse psychology.

Azathoth (Water Elemental Prince): "Of course, if you find this task too difficult, then forget it. After all, it's far too dangerous for an ordinary person to do. If you're too scared to participate, I completely understand. I'll just find someone else to cooperate with. I think many people would be tempted by the title of 'Kirin Tor Councilor.'"