Chapter 614: What is a Hero?

Time rewound thirty seconds earlier, and Uther was sent flying.

Some might say he was overreaching, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Yet, from the moment he leapt from the skies to when he was hurled away, Uther didn't feel an ounce of regret.

"Oh, Light! If you hear my prayer, answer me! Please strike down this most wicked dragon with the penalty of death!" As if hearing the call in his heart, while falling face-up, Uther spotted a bright blue portal.

A mage?

Who would be so brave to teleport mid-air?

Aren't they afraid of misusing the "Slow Fall" spell, leading to a crushing fall?

The next instant, he saw the audacious mage.

Duke!

Only he would have such courage!

Uther had seen many mages, but only Duke completely overturned his impression of the arcane.

Bravery! Fearlessness! Sacrifice! Justice!

Qualities seen only in the most devout paladins, were all evident in this young mage who should have been safely casting spells from the rear.

"Indeed, only such a youth represents humanity's hope for the future," Uther thought, gazing upwards. As Nefarian became but a speck in his view, Uther saw Duke land a powerful arcane punch on the Black Dragon's cheek, followed by a surge of the four guardian dragons.

"So, I have no regrets," Uther closed his eyes.

He was high up in the sky, with no means to save himself.

Not even the "Divine Shield" could help.

While the "Divine Shield" can prevent any damage from directly hitting a paladin, it cannot negate the terrifying force of falling from such a height. Even the sturdiest dragon can't withstand the impact of a kilometer-high fall, let alone a mere mortal.

One second. Two seconds. Five seconds.

Uther instinctively felt something was amiss. Was that... a sound?

When he opened his eyes in astonishment, he saw Duke, arms and legs tucked in, plummeting towards him at an even faster rate.

"How is this possible?!" Uther exclaimed.

Of course, he wouldn't know about gravitational acceleration, or that a body spread out parallel to the ground during a fall experiences more air resistance, slowing its descent.

Duke got closer and closer. When he was about fifty meters from Uther, he suddenly reached out.

The next moment, Uther felt as if he was enveloped in a mini tornado, his descent sharply slowed.

Is this the "Slow Fall" spell?

No! It must be some unknown power.

Regardless, he seemed... to have survived.

"Thank the Light!"

Upon hearing Uther's rescue being attributed to the Light, Duke almost regretted saving him.

"Thank the Light? It was ME who saved you!" Duke retorted.

"I'm grateful to you too, but it was certainly the will of the Light that I lived."

Duke facepalmed, "This is beyond belief."

He suddenly understood why Uther's Light powers were so formidable. In a sense, the most potent paladins were deeply delusional!

Glancing at the distance between Uther and the dry lakebed, Duke thought, if Uther fell from here, he'd likely be 87% dead, right?

Suddenly, Duke feigned panic, "Oh no! The magic is failing!" With that, he dispelled the storm force around Uther.

The radiant paladin fell about seven stories onto the frozen lakebed.

"Thud!" A dazed Uther lay sprawled out.

Oh, what a sight!

The shameless Duke gloated mid-air.

Unexpectedly, Uther, the indomitable Lightbringer, got up, spat out a little blood, looked up at Duke, and said earnestly, "While I'm deeply grateful for your assistance and admire your courage and leadership, it seems your magical prowess could use some improvement."

This wasn't sarcasm or mockery. Uther was genuinely giving Duke feedback.

Duke was flabbergasted.

Indeed, religious zealots can be quite mad. Arguing with them only brings you down to their level of insanity.

"Damn, it's a good thing you're not from Stormwind."

Deep down, Duke respected Uther's character. As a paragon of virtue, Uther was truly deserving. However, wanting to befriend or play with him was another matter entirely.

Duke finally landed beside Uther, managing a smile. "Shall we return in triumph, Uther? Together?"

"Yes!" Uther's hand, clad in a silver gauntlet, gripped Duke's firmly.

"Could you not squeeze so hard when shaking hands?"

"Ah, my apologies."

They returned in triumph, a true victory in every sense.

Despite the twists and turns and the unpleasant surprises, the fall of an evil dragon that plagued the world for millennia was cause for celebration.

When Duke and Uther emerged from the frozen lake and approached the shore, all of Lordaeron erupted in joy.

"You guys are amazing!"

"Well done! You truly are heroes!"

"Long live the Dragon Slayer, Duke!"

"Long live the Lightbringer, Uther!"

Who could receive such adoration from tens of thousands? Who could be adored by people worldwide, regardless of borders and race?

Throughout history, only one kind of person enjoyed such treatment.

This person is called a hero!

When Nefarian's acid loomed over the city, and all mortals were powerless; when the evil dragon, capable of easily destroying hundreds of meters of city walls, was about to escape; when the attempt to vanquish evil failed, and the just and kind feared retaliation;

Who stood against that transcendent terror, the Black Dragon King?

It was Uther—

It was Duke Markus—

Some kings reign for decades, and history might not even remember their names.

Some heroes fight for mere seconds, yet they'll have a thick page dedicated to them in history.

That's a hero! A mortal who achieves the extraordinary!

"Duke!" Vereesa rushed out from the city, followed by Alleria.

Sylvanas watched quietly from behind. She realized finding a hero like Duke as a partner, just like her sister did, would be very challenging!