Chapter 117: The Levitation Array (Second Update)

The elves throughout Quel'Thalas were simple and peace-loving, harboring little ambition toward the outside world. However, with the crisis drawing ever closer, Patrick abandoned all other distractions, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to development, hoping to consolidate human and material resources to lay a foundation for the future.

Of course, this was also because the authorities of the Silvermoon Council paid little attention to regions outside Silvermoon City, providing Patrick with a golden opportunity.

In places like Goldenmist Village, Sunstrider Village, and Tranquillien, the development of High Elven towns remained lackluster. Elves who sought growth flocked to Silvermoon City in search of better opportunities and living conditions. This mass exodus caused the development of the highlander towns to lag further and further behind.

There was a precedent for this in his previous life: in a certain country, the population declined annually, yet urban congestion in major cities remained unabated. In cities like Moscow, the permanent population surged by nearly forty percent as people desperately poured into metropolises seeking superior medical and educational facilities. Meanwhile, smaller cities, drained of their people, saw their local infrastructure and healthcare slowly crumble, trapping them in an endless, vicious cycle of decline.

As cities grew, the resulting population density allowed for a more refined division of labor. Naturally, their efficiency increased, creating an inevitable sense of a faster pace of life. This was one of the reasons Patrick persisted in his urban construction projects. Once he fully mastered levitation technology, he believed the number of residents coming to the Sunspire would continue to grow. No matter how much he built now, he was simply preparing for the future; the current sacrifices were absolutely worth it.

Summer in the Ghostlands was hotter than in Eversong Woods. Without the constant protection of temperature-regulating barriers, many elves wore short-sleeved clothing, and the women donned long dresses. The population of the Sunspire was increasing, and the cultivation and planting of surrounding farmland were steadily rising. Many new residents had even begun to turn their attention to the Sun-Scarred Peaks, which was a positive development for Patrick.

The flora and fauna of the Ghostlands were closer to nature, with only a small fraction of animals having their habits altered by magic. The green leaves shimmered with a verdant luster under the sunlight, and the air was filled with the rustling of insects and birds. The trolls to the east of the Sunspire, having suffered from the raids organized by Patrick and Alleria, were much more subdued, significantly reducing the pressure on the front lines.

"Chief Patrick," Yanida’s voice came from outside, sounding urgent.

"Come in."

"Councilor Aux is sending a magical transmission."

Patrick channeled his mana, and the magical projection of Councilor Aux materialized.

"Long time no see, Councilor Patrick," said Councilor Aux Dawnblade from the projection.

"Good day, Councilor Aux." As equals in status, they no longer required the overly formal honorifics.

"The Prince has sent word from Dalaran. The Violet Eye has dispatched an apprentice to Karazhan to secretly pry into Medivh's secrets. Furthermore, regarding the events of the past few days, the fabric of the world's laws appears to have been damaged. Dalaran’s sensors indicate a problem in the south; a powerful force is destabilizing the order of Azeroth."

"Dalaran has invited us to join them in an investigation. Other members of the Council have offered their own suggestions, but only Councilor Senior Sunwing and Councilor Dath'remar have supported the invitation. They asked me to contact you and hear your thoughts."

The Dark Portal had already opened, though it was still unstable. If Dalaran pursued this investigation, they would inevitably stumble upon Medivh at Karazhan. But to go to Karazhan to meet Medivh now would be tantamount to suicide.

"Dath'remar?" A name in Aux's words caught Patrick's attention—Dath'remar Sunstrider, the most famous traitor in all of Quel'Thalas, known as the man of "double-faced loyalty."

"Does Chief Patrick know him?"

Patrick smiled. "No, not exactly. I just find the name familiar."

Councilor Aux didn't dwell on it and continued, "Dath'remar Sunstrider is one of the Silvermoon Councilors, a seventh-rank mage specializing in Evocation, with a focus on Arcane Constructs. His family, the Sunstrider clan, is considered a vassal to the Sunwing family. Their fief is Goldenmist Village, and the Sunstrider family also holds shares in Goldenbough Valley. Furthermore, Dath'remar is the chief administrative officer in charge of the Crystal Temple of An'owyn."

Seeing Patrick still lost in thought, Aux added, "At the last council meeting, it was an elf who proactively proposed that you be sent as an envoy to Stormwind, and that proposal was passed by the council. That elf was Dath'remar. It’s no surprise you find the name familiar."

"Thank you for the information, Councilor Aux. Please relay to Councilor Senior that I have no time to travel south for a detailed inspection; I have my own matters to attend to." Patrick refused directly, leaving no room for the Sunwing family to negotiate.

"Shall I relay that verbatim to the Council?"

"Yes, tell them exactly as I said."

Closing the magical projection, Patrick fell into deep thought. Dath'remar was a Silvermoon Councilor with such immense power in Quel'Thalas—why would he betray the kingdom? Moreover, Patrick recalled that in the "original history," it was said Dath'remar was greedy for power.

But in reality, that seemed impractical. Dath'remar had already reached the Council, just a step away from the pinnacle of power in Quel'Thalas. Why would he shoulder the infamy of being a traitor? This was worth pondering.

...

Setting aside the matter of Dath'remar for now, Patrick picked up his book, *Methods of Constructing Levitation Arrays*. He felt an increasing urgency to master levitation technology to face the dire situation ahead.

The inscription of the entire levitation array was incredibly complex, composed of twelve composite arrays. These twelve arrays were further formed by the integration of thirty-nine independent ones, featuring 1,452 arcane nodes and 9,722 arcane circuits. The entire process was exhausting, requiring immense amounts of mana and mental focus.

The principle of levitation technology was to modify the gravitational constant, altering the impact of Azeroth’s gravity on the levitating structure. This was complemented by several other spells, including spatial stabilization, energy shielding, arcane redirection, and mana channeling.

As for material consumption, it was relatively acceptable. The core materials remained Arcanite, Mithril, and Thorium, with auxiliary materials including Arcane Crystals, Amber Stones, Sapphires, and Cat’s Eye Emeralds, alongside large quantities of Arcane Dust, Planar Essence, and Shimmering Shards.

The difficulty lay in the inscription and the synergistic effects of the connections. One had to simultaneously activate the thirty-nine independent arrays, and only when their combined effects aligned could the levitation be achieved. For Patrick, this was yet another fresh challenge.