Chapter 634: Malygos's Contempt

Duke had underestimated the queen's cherished affection for her own eggs.

Firstly, a brute could never fully understand a female's feelings. Even before crossing over, not many women would willingly donate their own eggs.

Furthermore, Alexstrasza was not just any mother dragon; she was the Dragon Queen with divine life-giving abilities. Her dragon eggs could potentially restore the near-extinct Blue Dragonflight to its former glory.

The value of such eggs was beyond imagination.

Lastly, Alexstrasza subtly deceived Duke, hinting that if he offered her dragon egg, not only could he avoid Malygos's wrath, but he could also gain a higher level of the Sunfire spell. This meant that besides advancing to the Radiant Moon Mage, Duke could lay the groundwork for becoming a Sun Mage.

In the world of magic, one can't achieve greatness overnight, unless born to godly mage parents like Medivh, who had Aegwynn, the Guardian, as his mother. Apart from Medivh, which mage hasn't worked to the brink of exhaustion? Some, like Antonidas, did so until their dying breath, while others, like Khadgar from the original world, gained power through countless life-threatening challenges.

Even the opportunity to obtain the Star Moonfire was a result of Duke confronting one of the world's most powerful and malevolent beings, Deathwing.

The queen never expected, or perhaps she expected too much. She believed Duke sacrificed the opportunity to step into the realm of the Sun Mages to protect her precious egg, leading to a spike in her fondness for him.

Ignorant of this, Duke remained unfazed.

Under Alexstrasza's gaze, he indeed sought Malygos.

At the topmost layer of the Wyrmrest Temple, Ysera's will had already departed. Nozdormu was using his time powers to reconstruct the remnants of Deathwing.

Only Malygos, seemingly dozing, had anticipated Duke's request for a reward.

"You've come?" Malygos lazily opened his eyes.

"I have," Duke replied calmly.

"Come."

"Alright then."

Enveloped in a blue ripple, Duke found himself in another pavilion outside the Wyrmrest Temple.

Apparently, each of the five Guardian Dragons had their own private space in the temple.

Malygos's space was quite different.

If Alexstrasza had deliberately shrunk her space into a small room to accommodate Duke, Malygos showed him his domain in its grandeur.

It was a vast space, at least 10 kilometers in diameter.

Duke stood on an isolated island amidst a blue sea, with nothing else around.

Above, a supreme entity seemed to reside. White clouds roiled, obscuring the being, yet one could sense a mysterious power that could annihilate everything.

Its nobility and greatness transcended everything in Azeroth.

That's how it should be...

Duke responded with an expressionless face and vacant eyes.

Impressive indeed.

But that's all it was.

With the most influential Alexstrasza in the temple having my back, dare you harm me?

With that thought, Duke looked up at the sky, murmuring: Ah, as the ancients say, only fools stand at the highest point waiting to be struck by lightning. The ancients truly didn't deceive me.

Malygos was irritated.

He had met Duke before, but this was the first time he truly acknowledged him.

He never trusted humans, or any race other than dragons, for that matter.

When Duke first sought him through Ysera to combat Deathwing, it was out of necessity.

That Duke managed to rescue Alexstrasza was pure luck. After all, the final confrontation against Deathwing involved the four of them.

Without the other dragon aspects, they couldn't have defeated the treacherous Black Dragon.

Yet in Malygos's proud view, all others were secondary. Duke had gained an esteemed position in the Wyrmrest Temple without doing any substantial work.

Seeing Duke's attitude, Malygos's anger simmered.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort echoed, like a thunderclap from the heavens.

Duke remained impassive.

"Is this how you show gratitude to the mighty King of Magic for his rewards?"

With that statement, Duke condemned Malygos.

You want me to work for you, took out your grudges, and now make things difficult for me?

No reward? Fine! Wait till you become a boss. I'll defeat you and take what's mine!

As Duke silently fumed, he made his stance clear.

"Well, you can keep your reward. If you won't give it, I'll leave. Could you open a portal for me?"

Duke's nonchalance infuriated Malygos even more.

"Petty human! Know your place. Before my power, you are nothing." The clouds churned, as if ready to unleash divine wrath.

The dragons in the temple felt the ominous energy emanating from Malygos's chamber.

What on Azeroth angered Malygos?

Alexstrasza couldn't hold back, shouting across the void, "Hey! Malygos, what are you up to? Why are you intimidating the one who saved me?"

Malygos's rage cooled slightly, especially with the revitalized Alexstrasza in the temple, whom he still feared.

"I'm merely teaching a human the respect dragons deserve!"

"What are you doing? Duke is our honored guest at the Wyrmrest Temple. We invited him for the ceremony. You agreed to his temporary Guardian role. Why this sudden outburst?"

Malygos remained silent.

Only Duke knew that, in the end, it was his perceived weakness.

He was so weak that even his reasonable demands seemed like charity. Throughout the past 800 years, when had the previous Guardian Aegwynn or Medivh ever been mistreated?

A demi-god easily overshadows others, commanding instinctive respect.