Chapter 719

Chapter 719: Well-Prepared Summoning

In the afternoon two days later, Jesse brought the incantation that the imp had neatly rewritten to Mor’zul.

This incantation was like ordinary writing. With his Demonic skills, Jesse could only say it aloud, understanding just bits and pieces.

When he entered the room, Daphne finally showed up. For a succubus, her face was too stiff. She put a plate of snacks on the table while keeping an eye on Molofeel nearby.

Mor’zul clearly didn’t like her behavior and tried not to look at her. Jesse placed the two copies of the incantation on the table, and Mor’zul picked them up to check.

“What’s this?”

“I and my demon servants fixed your incantation using reliable sources, Mor’zul,” Jesse said as he sat down. “I think your copy came from someone who didn’t know much about demons, so it has some mistakes.”

“Maybe, but what are your reliable sources?” Mor’zul asked with some curiosity. “Where from, the Wizard’s Sanctum or Kirin Tor?”

“Did you look into me?” Jesse asked.

“Forgive me; I needed to learn about you since I’m responsible for our task,” Mor’zul answered. “You did well at Nethergarde; did they ask you to join Kirin Tor? Or The Violet Eye… I know the Kirin Tor Council hunts for people curious about Karazhan’s secrets to join The Violet Eye, sending them to die in that dark tower. If you’re smart enough…”

Mor’zul’s digging wasn’t deep enough, or it was too early; he still didn’t know about Grim Batol.

“Do you know Dethmoora?” Jesse asked.

Even though he’d checked up on Dethmoora behind the scenes, this was Jesse’s first time saying the name to Mor’zul.

Mor’zul’s face changed in a funny way. He first froze without showing much, then said, “You asked those at The Slaughtered Lamb about me, right?”

“I needed to learn about you too since I’m responsible for my own safety,” Jesse copied Mor’zul’s tone a bit and went on, “I found some strange things about Dethmoora through my ties in Kirin Tor and Quel’Thalas. She wrote these herself. You must know ‘Sympathy,’ how mages track an Arcane caster from their traces. My items passed Sympathy tests, proving she wrote the runes and magic circles… and they show small errors in your incantation.”

Hearing this, Mor’zul’s expression turned sour.

“Is Dethmoora an arcane magic master, Jesse?” He tried to poke holes in Jesse’s words. “Sympathy tracks Arcane energy best; for other magic like Shadow or fel magic, those messy forces, it’s less reliable…”

Jesse shot back fast, “I’ve got proof Dethmoora stayed in an ancient Highborne city. You know how Highborne keep their power.”

“Highborne,” Mor’zul muttered the word, unable to hide his feelings now. If Jesse had to describe it, it was like telling him he’d stolen his wife.

But Mor’zul quickly got back to normal and said, “I’ll show your fixed incantation to others. You’re the strongest among us, Jesse, and I’ll listen to you, but it can’t just be your call.”

“I get it,” Jesse replied. “I just think what you said yesterday was too vague. Are you sure what kind of Demon Lord you want to summon?”

Mor’zul stated, “Don’t worry about losing control. From our casting stuff and the magic needed, its power won’t be too much. We can handle it and make it work for us, Jesse. Don’t think killing one Demon Lord lets you sneer at us demon researchers. Don’t judge us by those warlocks from The Slaughtered Lamb; they’re good at collecting Orc spells, but with demons… they know nothing.”

Jesse said at once, “No sneering meant; luck helped me kill that demon. But you said control it for our use?”

Mor’zul replied right away, “Getting demon knowledge from a real Demon Lord beats scraping rough second-hand stuff from Orcs, right? Then, Jesse, you might not even care about what I know! Not that I look down on Orcs; without the Orc tribe’s invasion, I couldn’t gather summoning materials or ways to bind and weaken demons. Remember, we have Orcs in our group.”

Jesse couldn’t help but widen his eyes a little; he’d never thought Orcs were among them. “Can I see the summoning spot?”

“Sure,” Mor’zul said. “Come with me.”

Jesse glanced at Molofeel and stood to follow Mor’zul out.

The three went behind the house into a thick forest. Jesse saw no path there, but Mor’zul walked straight into the woods. Moonlight stopped it from being pitch-black, but the stone cliffs and weird rocks made it eerie.

After less than half an hour, Mor’zul led them to a clearing deep in the back mountain, ringed by trees and low cliffs. Jesse saw leftover fire pits with ash from Shadowflame, dried black blood, and claw marks from something.

But what shocked Jesse more was the outline of a big dark magic circle still there, showing complex words and patterns. Molofeel stared at it, looking surprised too.

Mor’zul said, “The back mountains of Moonbrook are hidden enough; the Wizard’s Sanctum rarely notices. This is the best hideout I found after moving a few times, Jesse, and we tried twice here before.”

“What was this Magic Circle for?” Jesse asked.

“A demon sealing Magic Circle,” Molofeel replied. “It was very powerful, but it needed several people to keep it working.”

“That’s why I needed many helpers,” Mor’zul stated. “And strong ones. The power for the summoning ritual could borrow from the Ley Line, the casting materials, and Soul Shards, but holding this sealing Magic Circle needed the helpers’ own magic. So I picked six people carefully.”

“Six people for this circle?” Jesse asked. “How many did you get for this summoning?”

“Fifteen, including you,” Mor’zul said.

Jesse had thought he was only finding people in the Kingdom of Stormwind, but now it seemed he’d searched all over the Eastern Continent. If any Orcs were in this group, who knew what other races might be there?

Mor’zul wasn’t an ordinary character.

Jesse crouched to touch the circle’s marks, brought his hand to his nose, and instantly smelled a sharp stink of fel magic, though the power was mostly gone.

“What was this made with?”

“Demon blood,” Mor’zul said, looking at Jesse. “To be exact, it was blood from Azgath. So, we owe you thanks, Jesse. A circle drawn with a Pit Lord’s blood worked better than the one we used with Mo’arg Demon blood. We got closer than before… but we still didn’t fully succeed.”

“Where did you get Azgath’s blood?” Jesse asked, surprised.

Mor’zul explained, “His blood covered the slopes in front of Nethergarde. Do you know what leaving it there to poison the land would do to Nethergarde? Someone had to gather and take it away. But drawing a circle like this didn’t need much blood—Azgath’s blood was thicker than lava.”

Jesse quickly wiped the dried blood off his hands onto the grass nearby. Compared to the small troubles at The Slaughtered Lamb, this group was playing for real.

“So you see, Jesse,” Mor’zul said with some pride, “you should trust our strength and plans. Even if Azgath himself came, I could trap him here—unable to escape or resist!”

“But you failed twice,” Jesse pointed out.

Mor’zul admitted, “I agree, but not from poor planning. The summoning power wasn’t enough. We needed more Soul Shards and stronger summoners. That’s why you must join us, Jesse. If you act as one of the three main summoners for the circle, it will work. Your Shadow talents… I saw them clearly in the last Felhound summoning. I’ve told you everything now. Can you drop your doubts and join us? Once we call that demon, I’ll put you among the top three to speak with him. Everyone else comes after you.”

Jesse asked, “Can I alone fix your lack of power, Mor’zul? That’s the key.”

Mor’zul replied, “From my and other warlocks’ Arcane studies, this summoning spot sat on a Ley Line. Its magic should have been enough for a Demon Lord. Last time, we almost made it.”

“If the magic here was that strong, wouldn’t the Wizard’s Sanctum want it, Mor’zul?” Jesse asked.

“After the Dark Portal, the Wizard’s Sanctum was too busy,” Mor’zul replied. “Nethergarde is still clearing demons from the Blasted Lands and needs help. Even King Varian is struggling with Moonbrook. So now is our chance, Jesse. You’re in the Wizard’s Sanctum—you know I’m right.”

Jesse said, “The real reason the Wizard’s Sanctum ignores this is the Kingdom of Stormwind’s Ley Line isn’t as strong as before, Mor’zul. Karazhan stood on a Ley Line Node, affecting most of the kingdom. Karazhan’s blast shook the whole area’s magic.”

This wasn’t from Jesse’s past life but from mages’ records on Stormwind’s magic sources. Only those with the Wizard’s Sanctum emblem saw that. Mor’zul likely found the summoning spot from old, secret papers.

From Mor’zul’s face, Jesse guessed right. Mor’zul paused a long while before saying, “Others told me this after last time, so that must be why. We should find a new summoning place.”

“Maybe outside the kingdom,” Jesse suggested.

Mor’zul thought a moment and said, “I know a spot north of Redridge.”

When Mor’zul said north of Redridge, Jesse almost knew where. “North of Redridge? That’s Blackrock Mountain?”

Mor’zul clarified, “Not inside Blackrock Mountain, but west of the black plains. Orcs built a hidden altar there for demon summoning. A Dark Iron Dwarf warlock told me, but back then, Orcs held it. Now, with dwarf-Orc battles heating up, the Blackrock Clan’s new chief ignores it. The Shadow Council is weak, so no one watches that altar. Time we used it. Yes, the Storm Altar.”

In the game, Mor’zul stood near that altar, helping warlocks learn to summon Felsteeds. Clearly, he’d eyed it for a while.

He added, “I plan to gather everyone, prepare the spells, spot, materials, and steps.”

“I have other things to do in a month,” Jesse stated.

“Within a week,” Mor’zul said, gripping Jesse’s shoulder. “Everyone waits for the next summoning, Jesse. Without you, we were trying a third time soon. With you, it’s even better.”

“Hope no Orcs guard it,” Jesse said.

“Two years ago, I’d have doubted, but now even if some are there, they’re few,” Mor’zul said flatly. “We’ll clear them out. If we can’t handle a few stragglers outside Blackrock Spire, we shouldn’t talk of summoning a Demon Lord, Jesse. When you see my group, you’ll stop worrying.”