Chapter 15：Duskwood

Mentioning Duskwood, Jess felt a chill on the back of his neck.

This happened during his early days in Stormwind, when he and others went to help move goods at a small dock on a tributary of the Nefarian River. As they worked into the evening, they saw a man standing on the opposite bank near Duskwood.

That man stood there for almost an hour, not moving, until they were ready to return to Stormwind. The only movement was occasional shifts to maintain balance.

Upon asking the guards who patrolled near the Nefarian River, they mentioned it was a zombie that had wandered here from southern Elwynn Forest, and it was no longer a surprise to them.

A massive explosion in the direction of Stranglethorn Vale had a terrifying impact on the southern part of Elwynn Forest years ago. A huge dark energy engulfed a large part of the forest, including the towns of Grand Hamlet and Raven Hill, which were shrouded in darkness, and even affected a part of Westfall.

Many people in Stormwind still talk about the incident. Those who fled from Grand Hamlet and Raven Hill to Stormwind are more inclined to keep silent, but the event cast a shadow over the entire Elwynn region.

Some believe the dark energy was from the Dark Portal, carried by orcish homeworld Draenor, as the direction of Stranglethorn Vale roughly aligns with that of the Dark Portal during the massive orc invasion.

However, the orcs tended to avoid Duskwood during their march. If this dark energy originated from their homeland, it seemed contradictory.

Jess knew the true cause - it started with the great marsh where the Dark Portal stood, between Duskwood and an ancient magic tower in the valley, Karazhan, causing malevolent reverberations.

The master of Karazhan, the great mage Medivh, controlled by Sargeras, opened the Dark Portal for the orcs.

Heroes like Lothar, the mage Khadgar, and the orcish assassin Garona, upon learning the truth, plotted to assassinate Medivh and succeeded. Medivh's death caused a loss of control over the terrifying power within him, leading to the explosion that drastically altered the landscape around Karazhan.

This is also the main plot of the Warcraft movie.

Since then, southern Elwynn, once as sunny and warm as northern Elwynn, turned into a dreadful area filled with evil thorns and dark trees, with only two human towns providing some shelter for the civilians who once lived there.

Now, many in Stormwind call this area Duskwood, Grand Hamlet as Darkshire, or Twilight Town.

Near Raven Hill is a large graveyard, the largest in the Stormwind Kingdom, where many unnamed soldiers and nobles from the Gnoll and Troll Wars are buried.

If one could enter, they could find Grave Moss, but the challenge is entering and leaving alive.

Venturing into Duskwood could also solve the problem of Wicked Claws, as many beasts there have feasted on human corpses, and some have gone mad from absorbing too much death energy, aggressively attacking all living beings.

As for Kingsblood, it thrives in flat areas, around Lakeshire in Redridge Mountains, or in Westfall, and should be in Elwynn as well, but this herb is rare and can only be hoped to be stumbled upon during travels.

Thinking this, Jess even felt it might be better to face the Shadow spells with his body, as venture into Duskwood seemed as dangerous as directly confronting a warlock's magic.

The main difference is the unescapable and unpredictable consequences of resisting warlock spells, while some risks of going out could be avoided.

He briefly recorded his travel plan and related materials on a scroll with a borrowed quill, feeling the need to consult Grit's opinion, as he is the professional survival expert of Hinterlands.

However, he would first visit "Alchemist Needed" to inquire if the mage district's apothecary accepts herbs and at what price, to calculate a reasonable price before discussing with Grit. At least having a tangible profit could make the dwarf more motivated.

The alchemy shop "Alchemist Needed" is close to the Wizard's Sanctum, often mistaken as just an alchemy room. For most mages, it serves as a small shop integrating the sale, identification, grinding, and research of herbs' effects.

Most senior mages have their own alchemy labs, or at least small apothecaries, and their apprentices use their teachers' labs. Thus, the alchemy shop, initially intended as a public alchemy room, mostly overlooked its main function, becoming busy with herb-related transactions instead.

Upon entering the alchemy room, Jess was greeted by the rich scent of herbs. A middle-aged blonde lady at the counter turned to him, saying, "New to the Mage District? I'm Ruth Lumiel, the owner. If you need herbs, my daughter will assist you. I'm busy with some work right now."

"I'm not here to buy herbs," Jess replied. "Do you buy herbs here?"

"Of course," answered Ruth Lumiel. "Are you an herbalist?"

"I am," Jess said. "I've recently arrived from Lordaeron and am unfamiliar with the market prices here. However, I already have a team for gathering herbs, so I came to check your purchase prices."

"For common herbs in the Elwynn region, the approximate prices per pound are Peacebloom at two silver, Silverleaf at two silver and fifty copper, Earthroot at one silver per stem, and Briarthorn at two silver per stem."

"Do you have Kingsblood in Elwynn?"

"If you include southern Elwynn, yes, but it's rare and hard to find. However, herbalists no longer go there, referring to it as Duskwood, which is unpropitious. Because of this, Grave Moss supplies have been cut off."

"If I managed to gather Grave Moss, how much would you pay?"

"Seven silver per pound, how does that sound? We could also negotiate prices for other rare herbs like Bruiseweed and Wildvine."

Thanking her, Jess left "Alchemist Needed" feeling undecided.

Should he sell the Grave Moss or use it to make Shadow Protection Potions?

Should he try to learn magic or earn some money for living first?

Standing under the high tower of the Wizard's Sanctum, watching the mages come and go, Jess slowly felt it was better to quickly master some life-saving skills, even combat skills.

After all, with greater strength, one's safety during herb gathering could be higher, possibly allowing the collection of harder-to-find herbs or other rare items.

Forsaking growth opportunities for a small amount of silver would be a mistake.

However... seven silver was already a significant amount for him.

Jess smirked, surprised at his own appetite.

Considering the price of seven silver, it was definitely not an easy task.

But without trying, one would never know.