Chapter Forty-Five: Companions on the Journey

“I’m quite interested in the ruins you mentioned. Could you tell me about them in detail?” Patrick poured a cup of calming flower tea for both himself and Lorne Flowing Song. His manner was reminiscent of a homeroom teacher from his previous life, calling a student in for a conversation, waiting patiently for the hesitant response.

“I understand your concerns. I can accompany you to the Wasteland with the agility of an adventurer. Pure treasure holds little appeal for me,” Patrick said with a meaningful look at Lorne Flowing Song, fully aware of what troubled him.

Had it been an ordinary adventurer, Lorne Flowing Song would have agreed without hesitation. But now, it was a high-ranking, six-circle spellcaster, the Chief Mage of the Sun Sanctuary, who wished to join. With Patrick accompanying him to Uldaman, perhaps the pressure would ease considerably.

Yet, if there truly was treasure within Uldaman, and Patrick decided to turn against him after seizing it, Lorne Flowing Song would have no recourse. The gap in their abilities was too vast. Should Patrick abscond with all the riches in the blink of a teleportation, where would he go to seek justice?

Lorne deliberated carefully, weighing his options, then raised his head to look at Patrick. “Respected Chief, there is indeed a Titan ruin in the Wasteland. The Explorer’s League, formed by the Bronzebeard Dwarves, discovered Uldaman. While excavating, they were besieged by Troggs and Dark Iron Dwarves and forced to retreat to the Dustwind Dig.”

He paused, then continued, “At present, Uldaman has likely been occupied by the Troggs and the Dark Iron Dwarf councilor, Gagarn Firehammer, from Shadowforge City. The ruins are overrun by Dark Iron Dwarves. My friends, the dwarf surveyor Redur and the Lost One, Seldurin, and I are seeking outside help, hoping to reclaim the right to develop Uldaman.”

After hearing Lorne Flowing Song’s account, Patrick recalled that in his past life, there was indeed a dwarf boss named Gagarn Firehammer in Uldaman, and the Hall of Guardians at the entrance was encircled by Troggs. Lorne Flowing Song wasn’t deceiving him, and Patrick nodded with satisfaction.

“Very well. I’ll join your adventuring party, and we’ll divide the spoils according to your established system. How about that?” Patrick offered a suggestion that was entirely unexpected.

Lorne Flowing Song’s eyes lit up with disbelief. “Really? Chief?”

“Are you questioning an arcanist?” Patrick fixed him with a sudden seriousness, displaying a hint of displeasure.

Lorne Flowing Song relaxed; an elf’s pride would never allow them to go back on their word, especially not a high-level spellcaster.

Relieved of his last doubts, Lorne Flowing Song exclaimed with excitement, his eyebrows and ears twitching, “Then I’ll contact Redur and Seldurin immediately to prepare for another entry into Uldaman.”

……

After Lorne Flowing Song left, Patrick reflected on what he knew of Uldaman from before. The final boss was Archaedas, an ancient Stone Guardian, left behind by the Titans to guard the secret of the Platinum Disk and the powerful energy source it contained.

Back then, Archaedas was a skeletal-level boss. When Patrick reached the Wasteland as part of his quests, Archaedas had caused him no small amount of trouble—he could resurrect all the earth elementals around him to aid in battle, making the dungeon a considerable challenge in those days.

……

“I heard from Quelrenthis that you’re interested in an adventure to the south?” Patrick immediately recognized the visitor as Aurelia.

“I’m somewhat intrigued by the so-called Titan ruins, so I called that adventurer in for some details.”

Aurelia, a ranger general, was sharp and wise—so Patrick spoke plainly of his intentions.

“Oh? For an arcanist to take interest in such places, I can see you’re quite eager. That’s not like those old mages of Silvermoon at all,” Aurelia said with a satisfied smile. “You’re an outstanding mage, and unlike them, you’re ambitious, enterprising, and passionate.”

Patrick chuckled lightly. “Thank you for your praise. The arcane is a reflection of every elf’s spirit, the lifelong pursuit of each one of us.”

“Our last joint purge went well. Would you like to accompany me to the Wasteland this time?” Patrick extended an invitation. Aurelia’s ranger skills were superb; with her at his side, facing Archaedas would be less daunting.

It was just that, since crossing into this world, Patrick had found that the power dynamics of Azeroth were fundamentally different from the game mechanics—level and data from the game no longer applied to reality.

“Whenever we rotate out the defense forces with Sylvanas, I get a period of leave. Heading to the Wasteland is no problem,” Aurelia agreed.

With her assent, Patrick began preparing supplies for their journey—potions, spell components, even emergency bandages—all carefully stowed in his magic satchel. He then instructed Quelrenthis on his duties during Patrick’s absence, informing everyone that he would be heading south for a short time, with no need to notify Tower Quel’thalas, and that they could rest easy.

Lorne Flowing Song and Aurelia arrived at Sunspire Tower. Upon seeing them, Patrick led the pair into the teleportation chamber. With a flash of arcane brilliance and rippling distortions in the air, Patrick, Lorne Flowing Song, and Aurelia arrived in the Wasteland.

“So this is the power of a high-level spellcaster?” Lorne Flowing Song exclaimed in awe at their ability to traverse space in an instant.

After his admiration, Lorne Flowing Song set about orienting Patrick and Aurelia, eager to locate Dustwind Dig as soon as possible.

Patrick carefully surveyed the landscape. Long ago, this had been a lush valley, rich in natural resources. Three centuries ago, the arrival of Ragnaros cursed the region, turning it into the Wasteland.

Now, it was desolate and uninhabitable. The surrounding gorge was utterly barren and stiflingly hot, the scorching heat churning the air and offering no respite. Only the hardiest plants—cacti and brambles—could survive in such a harsh environment.

No orcs or ogres had yet arrived, so the only hostile strongholds were places like the Bastion of Anguish and Lethlor Ravine. Patrick’s main target was Uldaman, so for now, he paid no mind to Infernus the Firelord’s agent, nor to Nefarian’s minions.

——— Divider ———

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