Chapter Sixty: Preparations

The temperature continued to drop, and the radiance from the Sunwell could only keep the Ever-Song Forest warm; it had no way to fully influence the inland Ghostlands. Within the mage tower, however, the constant temperature field insulated its inhabitants from the bitter cold outside. Patrick was refining his metamagic technique: the Arcane Matrix, a composite metamagic he had created himself, building upon the Spell Sequence technique introduced to him by Thalassia.

Previously, the spell sequence that Thalassia had brought up mentioned the Arcane Matrix only in passing—a brief introduction. An individual metamagic technique was like a “point” in a three-dimensional model. An advanced spell sequence, however, combined multiple spells and metamagics, forming a composite spell. If a single metamagic was a “point,” then the spell sequence was a “line.”

When a spell sequence was inscribed into a magic ring—much like connecting points with lines to form a closed area in a Cartesian plane—the concept of the “line” evolved into a “plane.” Within the magic ring, various spells interlocked and flowed ceaselessly, combining into a grand composite spell.

Some mages even gave three-dimensional form to the combinations within that “plane,” animating the space of the spell sequence to create a spatial composite spell. Here, auxiliary spells orbited around the core spell, much like electrons revolve around a nucleus, forming a three-dimensional composite arcana.

What Patrick sought was to cast using spatial vectors: constructing singular “points” of magic in space, then serializing and vectorizing them, merging them into a brand-new, three-dimensional, floral-shaped vector composite spell.

Constructing such spells was a formidable challenge. Many factors affected the success of a spell, each requiring careful testing. Patrick chose to use iterative experimentation to verify his technique. Though this method was time-consuming and costly, it allowed him to systematically eliminate the causes of failure.

As a spellcaster, he did not fear difficulty; on the contrary, obstacles were the whetstones that sharpened advanced mages.

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Shortly after sending his magical letter, Patrick received a reply from Alleria. The elven woman and her sister, Sylvanas, were currently very busy. In the winter, food supplies dwindled, and many trolls ventured out in search of sustenance, putting great pressure on the front lines. As Ranger-General, Alleria’s sense of duty told her she could not abandon her post. For the safety of her people and the kingdom, she had to shoulder her responsibility.

She knew Patrick had received an invitation from the Mage Association, a sign that the council’s elders recognized his strength—a cause for celebration. Since their last joint venture in the Forest of Life, when they thwarted the trolls’ conspiracy, a silent understanding had formed between Patrick and Alleria; both began to watch over each other in their own way.

Moreover, Alleria informed Patrick that she had already applied to the council for the right to develop land in the Forest of Life. She was merely awaiting their approval. As the commander of the Forest of Life campaign, it was only natural for Alleria to seek land rights, but building fortress defenses, funding army supplies, and managing logistics would still require council support.

Now, the selection and preparation for small military bases in the Forest of Life had begun. Once the council released the funds, the Rangers would complete the construction of their camp. After that, an energy stone would be placed to cloak the entire forest in the Sunwell’s protective barrier. A new road would then be built to connect directly to the Eastern Sanctuary and link up with Salas Avenue, allowing reinforcements to quickly enter the forest and protect this nascent elven stronghold.

According to Patrick’s own vision, simply connecting the Eastern Sanctuary and opening main transport routes was far from enough. In the future, during the Orcish Wars, the legendary hero Orgrim Doomhammer would lead the Horde to devastate the elves, leaving Windrunner Village, the Spire, Golden Bough Vale, and other regions in ruins.

And when Arthas, wielding demigod-like power, led the Scourge to invade the kingdom, the Moon Crystal Sanctums of An'telas, An'owyn, and Andalas, along with Sunspire and Golden Mist Village, the fruit of thousands of years of Quel’Thalas’ labor, would all be lost.

To fend off these future invaders, Quel’Thalas would need more than just the strength to defend itself; its future strength must be preserved. The enemies to come would be formidable indeed. Orgrim Doomhammer was not only a legendary orc champion but also a cunning manipulator of strategy and politics. One shuddered to imagine how fearsome he would be if he devoted himself entirely to martial prowess.

As for the Lich King, there was little need for elaboration. Handcrafted by Kil’jaeden, a demigod with overwhelming soul mastery and unparalleled necromancy, the Lich King’s might was unquestionable. If, after the war, the kingdom’s strength could be preserved as much as possible, Quel’Thalas would retain its voice in Azeroth, rather than becoming a vassal of the Horde, forced to cower in the northern reaches of the Eastern Kingdoms in search of survival.

Thus, while the Forest of Life was an excellent hidden refuge—having escaped the devastation of several great wars—Patrick believed that, in addition to building a new fortress, a port should be constructed at the site of the old Sablewas. This way, the fortress, Sunspire Village, and the Isle of Sorrow could be linked. In times of crisis, everyone could swiftly evacuate Sunspire Village and take refuge in the fortress deep within the forest.

However, it was too soon to put forth such suggestions. At most, Patrick could propose building a port to facilitate the transport of goods to Sunspire Village, though he doubted the council would approve.

“Yes, I must continue to grow stronger. Spellcasting rank is the key to unlocking the doors of power in Quel’Thalas!” Patrick thought to himself.

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“Quel’Lintis, come up for a moment.”

“Chief Patrick!” As soon as Quel’Lintis received the message, he hurried to the fifth floor.

Patrick wanted to inquire about Thalassia and Liadrin. In theory, both were representatives sent by the upper echelons to Sunstrider Tower—one as the royal family's observer, the other as an envoy of the council. Neither was someone Patrick could afford to offend.

Yet after arriving, both had kept a low profile. Thalassia spent most of her time secluded in the library, poring over ancient tomes left by predecessors, and even organizing some of the books copied by Patrick, Quel’Lintis, and Idonis. Occasionally, she would attend social gatherings among the residents of the Sun Sanctuary.

Liadrin, a practitioner of the Light, had little in common with the mages, and with a member of the royal family living across the way, she had even less opportunity for interaction. Unlike Thalassia, Liadrin often went out, observing the customs and daily life of the Sun Sanctuary’s inhabitants. Sometimes, she would watch Idonis and others practicing magic in the library.

Patrick had been quietly observing them all along. Understanding their intentions would allow him to navigate more freely within the circles of the council and the royal family.