Reforged: Chapter 24: Defying Fate

"Save the world? With just you!?"

"The world is safe under the protection of Archmage Medivh! Your concern is unnecessary!"

"A mere apprentice dares to surpass the great Guardian!?"

"Duke Marcus! You insult the Archmage and this magnificent hall of magic!"

The indignant roars came not from the apprentices but from the Stormwind City mages who accompanied Medivh. Among them were both formal mages and the even more prestigious court mages.

The apprentices who had just envied and resented Duke now stepped back, watching him with hostile, expectant gazes as he stood in the eye of the storm.

What began as accusations quickly turned into a cacophony of curses. The mages, red-faced and wide-mouthed, hurled insults at Duke in a manner befitting their status.

Medivh, ever the gentleman, furrowed his brow, while Duke stared in astonishment.

Trolls, it seemed, existed in every world.

And trolls rarely needed a reason to troll.

But when trolls had a reason, their attacks could be earth-shattering and soul-shattering.

The torrent of curses flooded the hall, and Medivh, or rather, Medivh under the control of Sargeras's will, feigned astonishment while secretly fanning the flames.

In truth, he could have shielded Duke from the onslaught with a single word.

He did not.

In Sargeras's eyes, the young Duke would crumble under such immense pressure, submitting and weeping at his feet.

But Duke's reaction was unexpected. He stood tall, defiantly facing the onslaught.

Sargeras was unaware that Duke was a traveler from another world.

In fact, at this moment, Duke was thinking of something else.

"Traveling to Azeroth at such an early time is a good thing because this is almost the last peaceful era. I have time to gather my strength."

"Traveling to Azeroth at such an early time is a bad thing because these people have lived in peace for far too long."

Long-lasting peace could make people forget the existence of danger.

A stagnant kingdom's upper echelons bred complacency and arrogance, unnoticed by its people.

Perhaps they noticed, but considered it natural.

The hereditary system of nobility led every noble, even those in power, to believe they were inherently superior, transcending the mundane and ruling over the masses. The attack on Duke's bold statement was less about his words and more about challenging the entire hereditary system of nobility, leading to an extreme reaction!

Simply put, Medivh's mother Aegwynn was the Guardian of the world, an immortal symbol who lived for over eight hundred years. She passed on the esteemed and powerful position of Guardian to her son, the ultimate symbol of noble bloodlines.

And now, the 'reckless' Duke dared to claim that he, a common man, could surpass this noble symbol, undoubtedly provoking the wrath of those in power.

Duke suddenly smiled bitterly.

No matter the world, history was always astonishingly similar.

Countless great empires on Earth fell for the same reasons, and now, history seemed to be repeating itself.

Since he had traveled to this world and couldn't return, his fate was now inextricably linked to Azeroth, a world on the brink of numerous apocalyptic crises.

He had to do something!

Suddenly, all the surrounding noise vanished for Duke. The countless fingers pointing at his chest and face blurred, and the noble mages seemed like crude puppets in a shadow play. They could no longer influence his thoughts.

Duke, the traveler from another world, carefully sensed the pulsing threads of fate from Azeroth, feeling the nearly unstoppable force of the torrential river of destiny. He thought about the meaning of his existence as a traveler...

At first, Duke was lost.

He didn't know what he could do.

Nor did he know what he wanted to do.

Perhaps, he simply drifted along, focused on his own survival and growth.

For a long time, Duke had been troubled by a question: what should he do if the fate of Azeroth continued on its terrible trajectory?

Now, the answer to that question was becoming clearer and clearer in Duke's mind.

What of fate?

Resist it!

Reverse it!!

Never be a slave to destiny!

Duke would be the master of his own fate!

Despite being surrounded by angry and even sickly gazes, despite being the only outsider in the room, and despite his weakness, Duke refused to submit.

Instead, he felt a surge of hot blood pumping powerfully from his heart, coursing through his arteries and flooding his entire body like a stampede of horses, emitting a thunderous rumble that filled every corner of his body with intense emotions, infecting every cell.

The corners of Duke's mouth curved up into a subtle smile. He should have been furious, he should have sneered. But his soul seemed to drift away, floating above the hall, quietly looking down upon these seemingly strong yet weak individuals.

His gaze seemed to transcend time and space.

Scenes from the game played out vividly before his eyes.

He saw Stormwind, the first great southern human kingdom with its beautiful walls, falling to the relentless onslaught of the orcish horde, consumed by the flames of destruction.

He saw Anduin Lothar leading humanity to retake Stormwind, giving rise to a new, more vibrant kingdom from the ashes of destruction.

Then, once again, it was destroyed, and once more, it was reborn!

The indomitable will of humanity was perfectly embodied here in Stormwind!

And countless heroes, worthy of praise and tears, were born amid these crises that threatened to destroy the world.

Recalling these grand scenes, Duke suddenly felt grateful that this time, he could participate in this great epic as one of its actors.

Suddenly, Duke burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

His arrogant laughter silenced the entire room. Every mocking mouth hung open, forgetting to close, and every accusing finger remained frozen in mid-air.

The mages were stunned.

Duke's gaze swept across the room, defiantly scanning a full 180 degrees.

"So, merely dreaming of 'transcending legends' is already considered sacrilege."

"So, simply not wanting to be 'ordinary' is already a sin in your eyes."

"So, the Stormwind Royal Magic Academy is this narrow-minded. No wonder people speak of Dalaran as the greatest haven for mages, not Stormwind."

"Fine, if you won't let me stay, then I'll leave. Farewell, everyone!"

"Or, do you want to execute me for offending Guardian Medivh?"