Chapter Sixty-Two: The Signal to Return Home

Two complex supermagic techniques were linked together, and for safety’s sake, it was best to conduct experiments first. The more advanced and intricate a spell was, the more crucial safety became. Verifying with material experiments was always the preferred approach.

Quelinthys prepared an array of materials—arcane crystals, arcane dust, and planar essence were all at the ready. Patrick began casting, his mental vision expanding to construct a spatial vector platform. Arcane dust and planar essence condensed into clusters of arcane sequences, shimmering with azure brilliance.

Gradually, the vector platform began to guide the spell into effect, and a “ribbon” composed of arcane sequences took shape, drifting gently in the air.

But the promising scene did not last; the blue magical ribbon started to crack, emitting a “zzz” sound. The fissures widened, and soon the entire ribbon was ablaze. Helplessly, Patrick released a blast of frost to extinguish the arcane fire.

“Ellen, why did this happen?” Patrick was puzzled. He had been careful with every step, yet he had no idea why things had gone awry.

[It’s still an issue of mana control. The supermagic techniques summarized by the high elves over thousands of years have become nearly perfect, requiring little modification. The problem is that your arcane casting does not achieve the ideal, textbook state. The connected magical patterns have inconsistent mana flow—some regions are turbulent, others sluggish. Uneven mana output inevitably leads to spell instability, so this result is quite normal.] Ellen replied.

“So, I need to focus on improving my mana control?”

[Mana control and casting proficiency are mutually reinforcing. Humans’ arcane talent is clearly inferior to elves, but humans have more refined control and are more diligent in their arcane studies. Ever since humans learned magic from the Kingdom of Quel’Thalas, their research into magic has advanced by leaps and bounds.]

“That’s true. Later, Karazhan indeed had many marvels, even King Anasterian himself might not have built such a magnificent mage tower in the royal court.”

He recalled the strongest figure of Azeroth in those days: Medivh, the last Guardian, who built the towering Karazhan in the haunted, desolate Deadwind Pass, where twisted trees and jagged stones abounded. That barren, lifeless place gradually saw human footprints thanks to Karazhan’s presence.

Karazhan, in ancient elvish, refers to the hourglass that symbolizes the passage of time. Though every mage studies the arcane and seeks higher casting proficiency, that process is uncontrollable, like the sand in an hourglass.

Time flows ceaselessly, yet you cannot know the movement of every grain within the hourglass—much like the net of time, full of uncertain branches, though the outcome is inevitable, for all those branches converge.

Within the tower, illusions danced between terraces and walls, void and planes coexisted, phantoms and shadows melded, spatial turbulence abounded, magical fields filled the mage tower, and Medivh conducted all manner of arcane research there, seeking to understand powers beyond mortal grasp.

“How powerful was Medivh, truly?” Patrick asked offhandedly. In all his time playing Warcraft, he knew Medivh was formidable, but had never found a direct description of his strength.

[If you look solely at casting proficiency, ignoring armies and environmental factors, and based on your memories, Medivh was undoubtedly the strongest of his era. Having inherited the arcane energies of generations of Guardians, Medivh was able to contest the will of the Dark Titan.]

Though the cause of the recent failure was now clear, correcting it was exceedingly difficult. Reality was reality, and idealization was unattainable.

There was no other way: arcane research was the key to seeking the truth of Azeroth, a process of discerning reality from illusion.

Patrick needed to prove the viability of spatial vector casting and arcane sequence spells—both complex supermagic techniques. He pondered their merits: spatial vector casting offered great advantages in spell accuracy and mental guidance, rivaling higher-tier arcane techniques and conserving mana. Meanwhile, arcane sequence spells were powerful and rich in magical effects—a spell built from arcane sequences often carried multiple magical functions. Yet, the more complex the magic, the harder it was to control and direct.

Thus, Patrick sought to merge the strengths of both casting techniques to compensate for their respective flaws. Though he could not quickly advance his proficiency, he could devote effort to the spells he had already mastered—a valid way to enhance his own power.

He pressed on with experiments, using arcane dust and planar essence to recreate the magical ribbon, running composite spell sequences within the spatial vector. This time, the mental construction was much slower—Patrick was wary of another mishap, focusing his mental energy on monitoring mana flow.

A set of arcane sequences involved many runes and sigils, requiring meticulous inspection and consuming much mental strength. But Patrick, being only a mortal, could not automatically control or identify them like a machine, tireless and needing no rest.

Again, cracks appeared in the sequence, arcane fire ignited, and was extinguished. Over the month, he failed more than ten times, finally achieving a result that satisfied him—at the cost of nearly ten gold coins, which pained him greatly. Still, in the end, he completed the experiment: the linked casting of two complex supermagic techniques succeeded.

Checking the dates, Patrick needed to prepare to return to Silvermoon City—the annual Mage Association gala was about to begin. All mid-level and higher spellcasters in Silvermoon would attend, and Patrick was among the invited elves. Punctuality was a basic courtesy; he would arrive as scheduled.

Returning to Silvermoon, Patrick teleported to the domain of the Cabron family, his father’s tower. Since he was back, visiting his parents was his first priority. In his previous life, Patrick held the typical values of the East: worshipping heaven and earth, honoring ancestors and sages, upholding the traditions of reverence for heaven and law, filial piety, loyalty to the king and patriotism, respect for teachers and valuing education.

But he never worshipped charlatans. To Patrick, faith was not synonymous with religion; his faith was in heaven, ancestors, and morality—not those who paraded as deities for their own gain.

Returning home after so long, he was immersed in familiar surroundings. Changing into fresh clothes, he first sought out his parents to see how they had fared during his absence.