Chapter 278: Peaceful Dalaran

108 times?

It sounded exaggerated, but in reality, it was because the Frost circuit Duke had previously created was just too inferior. It was a circuit he reluctantly found from the Karazhan library.

Fortunately, rebuilding the magic circuit was not as troublesome as practicing meridians in martial arts novels Duke had read before his transmigration.

Although the magic circuit was an important source of mana for a mage to cast spells, it could be modified or even transplanted.

The Frost circuit was like installing an air conditioner inside the body. Simply put, as long as there was a way to constantly transport the body's heat away, a cooling effect could be achieved. More complexly, various components were needed, such as filtering the air sucked into the air conditioner, mixing it with fresh air from outside, cooling it, and then delivering it to the required location.

A top-tier Frost circuit worked in the same way.

Compared to the common Frost circuit, the "Crown of Frost" was undoubtedly far superior.

Firstly, it could theoretically connect to up to 128 elemental planes simultaneously, with 256 intake points for drawing in Frost elements from the atmosphere. In contrast, the common version could only connect to 3 planes and had 12 intake points.

Secondly, there were differences in stability and resistance to interference. The common version had only one connection method, and if it was disconnected, it was severed. The "Crown of Frost" had multiple threads and different frequencies connecting simultaneously, so if a few were broken, others could still compensate.

Next was coordination. Antonidas' high-quality version had a magic circuit array that could mix Frost elements from different elemental planes with varying output levels within a unit of time, eventually forming a unified flow injected into the next-level circuit system.

Lastly, there was filtering. The "Crown of Frost" would automatically determine the purity requirements of the Frost elements in the circuit based on the user's physical condition. The mixed Frost elements would be channeled to the Arcane Fire circuit, where they would fuse with the elements filtered out from the Arcane Fire side, forming a new spell, the "Chaotic Frostfire Missile."

This impure magic attack could not harm more powerful casters, but it could have unexpected effects against creatures with extraordinary self-healing abilities.

After reading the introduction to the "Crown of Frost" magic circuit, Duke felt extremely delighted. However, being cautious, he would not practice the "Crown of Frost" here in Dalaran, Antonidas' territory.

"It seems like I'll have to find a time to return to Karazhan."

As Duke was about to bid farewell to Antonidas, his nosy system elf scanned the contents of a letter.

It read, "Dear senior brother, it's time for you to repay the favor you owe me. Give Duke the 'Crown of Frost.' I want him to take care of my precious daughter, Jandice. You cannot refuse, or I'll expose the time you peeped on me bathing twenty years ago!"

The signature was, "Your most beloved junior sister, Illucia."

Duke felt like he had stumbled upon some complicated secrets within this circle. However, seeing that Lady Jannis still maintained remarkable beauty at her age, it was evident that she must have been a great beauty in her youth.

But twenty years ago, Antonidas should have been nearly sixty years old, right?

Well, it seemed like he was indeed an incorrigible old man.

Duke pretended not to see such gossipy matters.

Duke solemnly said goodbye to Archmage Antonidas, only to be surprised to find that Prince Kael'thas was still waiting for him outside.

"Uh, Your Highness, you…" Duke originally wanted to say 'you have so much free time,' but changed his words at the last moment: "I'm truly ashamed that you have been waiting for me for so long."

The high elf prince was as dazzlingly handsome as ever, with teeth that could star in a toothpaste commercial and golden hair that could grace a shampoo ad. In Duke's previous life, Kael'thas would have undoubtedly been a national heartthrob.

Well, Duke was just being modest; in reality, he was quite envious.

Kael'thas' smile was as warm and friendly as ever: "The one who should feel ashamed is me. I've seen countless magical communications and images, and I also believe that the orcs' existence is a nightmare for the entire world of Azeroth. As a part of the continent and as a member of the Kirin Tor, I should join the war. Unfortunately, no one can escape their background. Unable to join the battlefield, I can only help you in this way because it's also helping the Alliance."

Duke suddenly realized that Kael'thas was indeed a good young man. If not for the series of tragedies and conspiracies surrounding him in the future, he would undoubtedly be an idol-like figure, the kind who was an outstanding student as a child, a top ten young achiever when grown up, and perhaps even a great leader later in life.

Alright, Duke temporarily set aside his thoughts of destroying Kael'thas' for his phoenix mount.

"Thank you for your help, Your Highness."

"If possible, I hope you can call me Kael'thas, and I'd like to call you Duke."

"Alright, Kael'thas."

"Um, Duke, is there anything else you'd like to do?"

"Uh, could you help me find Miss Jandice Barov?"

"She seems to be in class right now, but I can have someone notify her. In the meantime, I know a great place where we can have tea and chat while we wait for Miss Barov."

"Sounds like a great idea."

The place Kael'thas suggested was indeed fantastic.

Duke didn't know how to describe the location, but in general, this establishment called the "Magic Inn" combined dining, entertainment, and socializing all in one. This inn, located next to the central square of Dalaran, was more like an elegant salon.

Sitting in the private room on the second floor, Duke looked down at the purple-patterned floor tiles and then gazed at the predominantly purple buildings in the distance. It was a unique sight.

This was Dalaran before its destruction, and its architectural style was similar to the floating city of Dalaran in the sky in later times.

Most of the buildings were purple torch-like columns or tall towers, with flame-shaped or circular roofs, accompanied by golden edges and slender white pillars below. It reminded Duke of the Middle Eastern architectural style from before his transmigration.

Sipping a light red wine, Duke watched the bustling mages and apprentices below. Listening carefully, nearly everyone was talking about magic or magic-related topics. There were hardly any discussions about the orcs; one wouldn't realize that the shadow of war had already enveloped the entire northern continent.

"Very peaceful, isn't it?" Kael'thas asked.

"Yes. I can't feel the breath of war."

"Actually, there is an impact. Due to the onset of war, in July, the kingdom has already converted 70% of the land originally used for planting magical raw material plants to grow food crops instead. At the same time, the council has prohibited any high-consumption or high-risk experiments, and all battle mages have had their leaves canceled, switching to a 24-hour standby. Sigh, war is truly terrifying. If such a war were to last for years, I can't imagine what Dalaran would become."