The Great Thief

Peerless City lost their group match.

The Magic Cup champions had lost their first match, rudely waking them up from their daydream.

They only lost a few points, so this wouldn’t impact them from proceeding to the next stages.

If they couldn’t even make it past the first stage, they might as well disband.

Lu Li gained 12% experience from being a guest this time; he was 13% away from level 45.

This would take him one or two days if he followed his usual leveling procedures. At a time like this, no one really had the patience for that kind of effort.

This was why Lu Li brought the rare materials that Square Root 3 had prepared and made his way to the Bloodfang Altar.

”I believe you’ve heard of the Well of Eternity,” Krug said. More healthy Worgen had appeared and had begun to spread afar. Gilneas Kingdom, once shrouded by darkness, was becoming known to increasingly more people.

Apparently, some players had even learned the Worgen Transformation.

”Of course I’ve heard of it; everyone knows of the Well of Eternity.” Lu Li didn’t understand why he was being asked such a childish question.

The Well of Eternity was once the center of Azeroth. It was a lake filled with mysterious energy and was the source of all magic and natural energy in the world.

It drew energy from the endless darkness beyond this realm, providing nutrients for the living beings of the world.

Later, the battle between Malfurion and Azshara would throw the magic of higher Elves into confusion. The swirl inside the Well of Eternity would eventually explode, initiating a series of unfortunate events.

”In the ancient times, we were used to drawing energy from the Well of Eternity. This was so easy that we began to rely on it, uncontrollably,” Krug sighed, then continued, ”We call it a magic addiction, and what you’re doing now is no different to what we did in the past.”

Lu Li instantly understood what he meant.

It seemed like Krug wasn’t supportive of Lu Li using the altar to gain experience.

”Thank you for the reminder,” Lu Li said as he packed away most of his rare materials, only leaving enough for him to reach level 45.

Originally, he had wanted to gain more EXP.

Krug was very right – players an advantage with higher levels, but levels weren’t the deciding factor for everything.

After Water Fairy retrieved the Empowerment: Backstab skill, her teacher advised her not to be hasty about using it. It would be best to learn the skill after she could achieve 100% completion level for her regular Backstab.

One-hundred-percent completion required more than just good posture; you needed a deep understanding of the skill.

Hosted by Krug himself, the altar devoured the rare materials.

As the light emanated outwards and shrouded him, Lu Li let out a long breath.

He was finally level 45.

This wasn’t a big jump, but it gave him an extra equipment level.

While the others were still struggling with their level 40 gear, he was already holding level 45 equipment.

Widowmaker (Epic): Damage 54-72, Agility +40, Strength +20, Constitution +10, Critical Strike +15%. Two slots. Special Effect 1: Disarm. 50% chance to steal an enemy weapon so that it cannot be used to attack for 3 seconds. Special Effect 2: Bleed. Your attacks have certain chance of causing a target to bleed for 50% of the damage taken for 6 seconds. Special Effect 3: Escape. Blink to a designated location within 15 yards in line of sight. 3-minute cooldown. Equipment Requirement: level 45. Durability 150/150.

Control, bleeding and escape – this was a dagger perfectly suited for Lu Li.

The new dagger seemed slightly wider compared to his previous one and was also longer too. This was a suitable weapon for his main hand.

It was a slightly darker shade with a streamlined design to minimize the flow of air during attacks. This made the user more capable of hiding and was a better dagger for sneaking up on opponents.

After reaching level 45, it would become increasingly harder to level up. Lu Li was already two levels higher than the second-place player, so he wasn’t in a rush to train. It would be more beneficial for him to find someone who could empower his skills.

If someone had a whole set of empowered skills, they would be able to defeat Lu Li, even if he was a higher level and had better equipment.

Of course, most players would only have one or two empowered skills at this stage. Even someone like Water Fairy, who was highly favored by the teacher, only had one empowered skill book. Moreover, her teacher had asked her to maximize her completion level before she learned it.

Lu Li waved Krug goodbye and teleported to Southshore.

”I wish to find a teacher in the organization. Can you introduce anyone to me?” Lu Li asked. He had chosen a time when the inn was less crowded and invited the hostess for a drink.

”Teacher…” The hostess was surprised at Lu Li’s request.

”Do you not have a teacher?” Lu Li was curious as to how NPCs taught each other skills. In Dawn, there were many famous teacher and student combinations, for example, Cenarius and Malfurion, Antonidas and Jaina...

”The name of my teacher is unspeakable, and he won’t take a second student either,” the hostess said as she shook her head.

”Is he a master? How many empowered skills has he taught you?” Lu Li asked.

The hostess frowned. She wasn’t impressed by Lu Li’s persistence, but she still answered in the end.

”Of course. You should find a master as your teacher too. My teacher taught me seven empowered skills.”

A total of seven! Lu Li realized he had underestimated these NPCs.

The hostess wasn’t an important figure in Ravenholdt Manor, but she wasn’t a simple watchman either.

”Can you introduce me to a master in the organization?” Lu Li requested.

”Without the permission of a master, I cannot give you anyone’s name, unless you tell me who you’re looking for specifically,” the hostess said, as a hint of fear flashed across. She didn’t even dare to mention any names.

”Please, we’re friends, right?” Lu Li couldn’t do much.

Ravenholdt Manor was one of the most secretive organizations in Azeroth. Even the people in the organization were not be aware of each other. Lu Li knew Duke Ravenholdt, who was the leader of the organization, but there was no way he would take Lu Li as a student.