Chapter 616

Chapter 616: Back to Familiar Grounds

When leaving Stormwind, winter had not yet passed, but upon returning, signs of autumn had appeared. As he reached the port, Jesse stepped off the ship and onto the solid ground.

While living in the royal city of Lordaeron, he had always felt that stepping on the cobblestone paths should be a daily part of life, but now it seemed like this sensation had been forgotten for a long time.

The nearly completed spire of the Cathedral of Light glimmered in the sunlight. Jesse stared at the grand building for a moment, and Greed glanced at him, saying, "What are you doing? Planning to thank the Holy Light for keeping you safe on this journey?"

"No, I was just daydreaming," Jesse said, lowering his head. "And even if I thanked someone, I should thank you first."

"Don’t get so sentimental suddenly," Greed cleared his throat. "But I’m not feeling well either; I miss Mosa a bit."

"Me too," Jesse replied. "When you head back to Kalimdor, I’ll go with you to visit her."

"Of course, as long as there’s nothing to do here," he added.

"If you hadn’t added that last part, I’d have thought you truly wanted to visit Mosa," Greed remarked. "You’ll always have trouble here, Jesse; you can’t escape. Unless you ditch all this mess and come with me to Kalimdor, you’ll be stuck here forever."

"There will always be a chance," Jesse said.

"Let’s hope so," Greed said as he lifted his package. "I’m going home, Jesse. I need to sleep. Tomorrow, remember to call me out for drinks. Oh, and send my regards to Ms. Molofeel and thank her for her help this whole time. Even though she’s a demon and might not care about my greetings, I’m not a demon; I’ve got to say what needs saying."

"She can hear you, Greed," Jesse said.

"I know," the dwarf replied, tossing the bag onto his shoulder and trudging toward the port gate with the other package and suitcase.

Upon returning home, Jesse opened the door to find dust piled everywhere. He tidied up quickly, put his things away, and sat in a chair by the table to rest for a while.

Ms. Molofeel sat on the bed, resting her hand on the edge of the table by the window, and asked, "Master, do you really plan to try summoning an Ered’ruin?"

"Why not?" Saenor jumped onto Ms. Molofeel’s shoulder and said, "With a powerful Ered’ruin helping, your power will grow a lot, and he can do things that you, I, or even our current master can’t manage… Ered’ruin demons are strong with Void magic, and they match Eredar in handling shadows and fel magic—they’re born from darkness! Sayaad, I admit you’re a tough killer, but our magic is too limited."

"Still, summoning an Ered’ruin is very dangerous," Ms. Molofeel said. "I don’t want the master to die from this. What would I do? I finally found someone like…"

"Don’t worry too much; if we summon one, I’ll be ready, and I can’t do it alone," Jesse said. "Remember that Mor’zul the Bloodcaller? If he enjoys summoning powerful demons, we can work with him. But we’ll talk later. Right now, I need to go to Erlan Drudgemoor for the scavenging shares and check the house."

"Master, one more thing," Ms. Molofeel said, eyeing the packages. "Recall the Demon Lord Vyletongue you met in Maraudon? That strong Mageweave the Burning Legion’s top members gave him… if we don’t use it well, isn’t that a waste?"

"You promised you’d have this imp transfer the Mageweave power," she smiled and said. "Demons remember well."

"What’s in it for me?!" the imp asked.

"Your Soul Shards come from me, little imp," Ms. Molofeel said. "You’re helping me, and you dare complain?"

"I didn’t contribute? I didn’t do anything?!" the imp retorted unhappily.

Jesse looked at the two demons, then lifted his robe and said, "Transferring Mageweave onto clothes is doable, but onto a demon?"

"It’s not much different," Ms. Molofeel said. "Just give this weak little thing some supplies, like Mana Potions or Soul Shards, and transfer Vyletongue’s power onto the Mageweave on my body."

"Wait," Jesse interrupted. "But you don’t have any Mageweave on you."

Ms. Molofeel picked up the elven cloth bag holding the Blade of Eternal Darkness, licking her lips, and said, "That’s why you need to carve it for me, Master."

"Me?" Jesse took the bag and pulled out the dagger. After hesitating, he said, "But I’ve never carved before. What if I mess up?"

"If you mess up, I can heal," Ms. Molofeel leaned close to Jesse’s face and whispered, "I won’t mind the pain; just cut deep, Master, as long as it’s you…"

She grabbed Jesse’s wrist and pushed the dagger toward her pale red neck skin, but Jesse pulled back his arm and said, "Saenor could do this."

"What’s he good for?" the succubus said coldly, moving away.

"I won’t do it, filthy fiend!" Saenor yelled.

"Alright, keep it down," Jesse said. "I’ll help you, Ms. Molofeel—I promised, and I want you stronger. But not for a few days; I’m busy. We can only do this at The Slaughtered Lamb, and first I need Ursula to get Mana Potions ready. I also need a calm place to learn how to carve."

"As long as you remember, Master," the demon smiled. "I don’t care about the rest."

In the afternoon, Jesse bathed in the canal, changed into everyday clothes, and finally felt human before heading to the Mage Quarter with the heavy insect head.

The trio had griped about carrying it all the way, and Jesse didn’t want it near him another second.

Entering the Mage Quarter, most leftover scaffolding was gone now. Otherwise, the Wizard’s Sanctum area hadn’t changed much.

Students came and went as usual, and The Blue Recluse was still bustling, but Jesse saw few familiar faces.

Some of the old crowd had gone worldwide to study, others to Dalaran to learn more, and those staying at the Wizard’s Sanctum rarely shuttled to classes like kids anymore. Of course, some had stayed forever at the Dark Portal.

At The Slaughtered Lamb’s entrance, Jarel Moor stood behind the bar. Though few customers were around, he hummed a tune while wiping tables, seeming cheerful.

Spotting Jesse at the door, Jarel frowned, peered closer, then brightened up. "You’re finally back, Jesse! It’s been a while—about half a year, right?"

"Pretty much," Jesse replied. "How’s everything?"

"All good and smooth, Jesse," Jarel said. "With your Demonic materials helping, that group progressed fast. Later, Zardeth, Erlan, and Surena found some spells outside and mastered a few. They’re waiting for your demon knowledge from the other continent… How about you, Jesse? Did things go well?"

"Overall, it met my expectations," Jesse said. "Is Zardeth down there?"

"No, he’s south handling business in Darkshire," Jarel replied, cleaning a cup and pouring a bit of wine before sliding it to Jesse. "Ursula’s downstairs; she moved in. Jalane? She might’ve left at noon—I was busy and didn’t notice."

"I see, Jarel. Thanks," Jesse said, finishing the wine and heading downstairs, but Jarel called out, "What’s that you’re carrying?"

"For Ursula," Jesse said. "Something from over there."

"If it’s food, don’t bring it into the kitchen," Jarel warned.

"I won’t," Jesse said.