Volume 8: The Road to the Ancient Dragon Chapter 386: Brothers' Reunion
Feng Liuwu (Shadow Dancer): "My Lord, this is the information about some monster settlements we have recently discovered. There are frost giant tribes active on this mountain, and there are a large number of giant ice worms in this ice rift valley, which attack passing creatures. It is very dangerous.
There is a level six mine here, and there are a large number of rare mineral resources nearby. We found some cobalt mines.
Oh, by the way, there is also a terrifying ice worm boss here, which ate several of our brothers, but we didn’t dare to attack it. "
Aidan (Lord of Winterfell): "You have done a great job, brave adventurer. This information can greatly enhance our control over the surrounding areas. This is your reward. Please accept it."
After seeing off the president of the Adventurer's Guild, Murphy came to the sand table in the Lord's Hall to check it out. As more map information was obtained, the content on the sand table became more detailed.
This was the second day after he established Winterfell. In just over a day, the adventurers collected a large amount of map information for him. Thanks to the adventurers' fearless reconnaissance and exploration, the main monster spawning areas around the entire Winterfell were marked out.
The general terrain of the surroundings gradually became clear. To the south was the port, to the north was a large coniferous forest known as the Dead Forest, to the northeast was an open field, and to the northwest were continuous frost mountains...
However, what puzzled Murphy was that the undead that appeared two days ago disappeared just as suddenly as they appeared, leaving no trace at all. No gathering places or dungeons of undead monsters were found within dozens of kilometers around.
What also made Murphy speechless was that [Summon Brothers] didn't work. 24 hours had passed, but Varian still showed no intention of showing up.
Could it be that Varian was so far away that even summoning his brothers was useless?
He had reminded the other party at the beginning that if they wanted to find the artifact of death, it would be best to start from the Dragonbone Wilds.
Another thing that bothered Murphy was that there was no result in the mission to find the white dragon's lair. The Frost Mountains was a high-risk area with a very high adventure level.
The adventure level is as high as 50-75, and the deeper you go, the higher the adventure level.
In other words, adventurers between levels 50 and 75 must be able to navigate this map relatively easily.
You should know that adventurers above level 50 are already considered high-level players. Adventurers above level 60 are rare, and those above level 70 currently only exist in legends.
The result was that adventurers who ventured into the area suffered heavy casualties. Fortunately, they could be resurrected directly in Winterfell, and by investigating the corpses, they did find out some information, but it was not related to the ancient white dragon.
Forget it, good things take time. It’s only been two days, so just wait and see.
Murphy comforted himself by thinking that the boss was there and couldn't run away.
Murphy simply decided not to think about it anymore and instead decided to go to the pub for a drink. After all, the town had been built for such a long time, but he had never walked around the city much.
After all, he is a lord of a region, so he should inspect the territory as well.
After leaving the town hall, Murphy walked towards the tavern.
Along the way, on the cold, desolate frozen streets, adventurers walked around in groups of three or five, went in and out of taverns, repaired equipment in blacksmith shops, and smelted ore that had just been dug out of the mines.
Some people also throw bundles of fur into shops for sale. There are a large number of high-level beast monsters near Winterfell, and many adventurers who have learned the skinning profession have begun to form teams to make money by collecting fur.
Of course, there are also complaints about high prices - the price is the cost of goods/services + tax rate. Murphy set a 100% tax rate, which means that the prices here are generally about 30%-40% higher than other areas.
"Damn, the tax rate is too high. A roast pork chop costs 5 silver coins, and repairing a piece of armor costs 15 silver coins. It's a rip-off."
"That's right. I worked hard for the whole morning to collect animal skins, but only earned a few dozen gold. I spent five or six gold just on food and rest..."
Humph, a bunch of ungrateful guys, just be happy that they can enjoy this kind of service in this snowy Northrend.
I earn 20 gold in the morning, which is 40 gold a day. It is almost 400 points when converted into coupons, and more than 10,000 a month. It is definitely a high income for those who work hard.
Murphy complained to himself and walked into the pub.
The tavern was packed with adventurers. The colder the area, the better the drinks sold, and this was no exception in the game.
Murphy walked to the bar and raised his hand to stop the tavern owner who wanted to salute, "Give me a glass of dwarven liquor."
He casually threw down two silver coins. In such extremely cold weather, this strong drink is just right. It can not only stimulate vitality, but also provide a BUFF to resist the cold. Although the Alterac barbarians are resistant to cold, they will still feel a bit of biting chill after being frozen for a long time.
Soon a glass of dwarven liquor was delivered to Murphy.
Murphy didn't waste any words and just went straight to the task.
Because he has a physical fitness of up to 80, his face won't even turn red after drinking a bottle of strong liquor.
I have to say, it was quite enjoyable.
"Your taste is still so unique, Brother Aidan." A voice suddenly came from a corner not far away. The voice was not loud, but it was clearly transmitted to Murphy's ears.
Murphy's hand holding the wine glass suddenly froze. When he turned around, he saw a man in a cloak looking at him with a smile.
What was displayed above that person's head was 'Mysterious Traveler'.
However, the voice immediately evoked Murphy's memory.
"Second brother! Varian?"
This shout immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the tavern, and in an instant almost everyone's eyes were looking over here. "
"Oh shit, it's Varian!"
"Is it true? It's not showing?"
"I found it, I found it! Ten thousand gold coins are mine."
Murphy was speechless. "Get lost. I found this myself. You didn't even notice this guy when he was right under your noses. You deserve not to get the mission reward. Come on, second brother, let's go to the Lord's Hall to talk."
Five minutes later, the two men were sitting in the lord's hall, each holding a glass of dwarven liquor, looking at each other in silence.
Murphy observed Varian silently. Varian had changed, a lot. His black hair turned gray, and he exuded a cold aura. Some skull decorations could be vaguely seen on the armor under his cloak.
Those eyes also turned into a faint blue, as if they no longer had the warmth of a living person.
Well, you don't need to ask to know, most likely he has found Frostmourne. Murphy glanced at Varian's waist and behind him, but didn't find Frostmourne. But why didn't this guy turn black? He was actually a neutral unit. When Arthas pulled out Frostmourne, he was immediately controlled by the Lich King.
Aidan (Lord of Winterfell): "How have you been doing recently?"
Varian (Storm Prince): "I have completed many adventures that mortals can hardly imagine, walked through the canyons of death and destruction, witnessed incredible horrors, the sacrifice of companions, the withering of warriors, many deaths, but also gained a little achievement from this adventure."
Varian spoke very modestly, but it was not difficult for Murphy to imagine how thrilling it would be.
"Where's Kel'Thuzad? And those princes of Lordaeron?"
"They have their own things to do, so let's talk about you - why are you here?"
"Of course I'm looking for you. We have defeated the orcs and recaptured Stormwind City. Stormwind Kingdom has also been restored. Now everything needs to be rebuilt. Grand Duke Lothar has entrusted me to take you back. Stormwind Kingdom needs a king."
When Varian heard what had happened, his eyes were calm. He showed neither excitement or happiness, nor guilt or uneasiness.
"I'm not going back," he said.
Murphy nodded noncommittally, "Oh, why?"
When Arthas pulled out Frostmourne, he was immediately controlled by the Lich King. He returned to Lordaeron and killed his father, staged a drama of fatherly love and filial piety, which also triggered the coming of the Scourge and the destruction of Lordaeron.
Murphy originally thought that Varian would follow suit and go to Stormwind City to replicate the plot.
But now it seems that Varian is different from Arthas after all. His will seems to be stronger, his mind is more mature, and he does not fall into darkness so easily.
"I am already in the darkness, and the people of Stormwind do not need a king who is corrupted by darkness." Varian's voice was calm, but Murphy still heard a sigh from it.
I didn't expect Varian's will was so strong that he couldn't be controlled?
"Besides, I can't go back now." Varian said this, and his eyes suddenly became firm.
"I once shouldered everyone's expectations. The people of Stormwind Kingdom, my father, and the adventurers who followed me, all placed their hopes on me. They called me King V and hoped that I could lead them to defeat the orcs.
I was so naive that I thought I could turn the tide and save the world.
But I ended up disappointing them because I overestimated my own strength, a mistake that cost me everything, and I will never make .
Strength, only strength, can prevent tragedy from happening again. Although I have gained a little strength, it is still far from enough. If the orcs invade again, or if something else terrible befalls my kingdom, perhaps I will let everyone down again.
So I have to become stronger, and only when I am strong enough to protect my people will I return to where I belong."
Murphy listened and couldn't help but feel a little emotional. This is the thinking of the powerful party.
But he could understand that sometimes the sense of responsibility was too strong and the pressure was too great, which led to this kind of striving for perfection.
Varian continued: "So you should leave, leave this ominous land, and don't stay here for me anymore."
Murphy smiled, "Haha, I agree with what you said just now. Only with great strength can we protect ourselves and the people around us in this dangerous world.
In fact, I didn’t come here just to find you. Taking you back is just one of my purposes. My other purpose is also to find strength.”
Varian seemed curious, "Oh? What kind of power is that?"
"Do you know the white dragon that lives in the Frost Mountains?"
"Are you talking about 'Frozen Flame' Borelios?"
"Ha, so you've heard of it. Yes, it is this one. I came here for it this time. I want to kill Borelius and take its power for my own use. However, I haven't found its lair yet, so I may have to stay here for a while."
Varian nodded. "Is that so? I do know the location of its lair. I can take you to it, but do you have enough strength to fight the White Dragon King?"
Murphy smiled slightly: "To be honest, during the time you were away, I also experienced some adventures and gained some strength."
Seeing Murphy so confident, Varian nodded.
"Okay, then it's settled. I will take you to find the white dragon, but according to the rules for distributing spoils to adventurers, I think I am also eligible for distribution."
"Sure, what do you want?"
"Well...I'll tell you after I finish slaying the dragon."
The two were talking.
The door of the hall was suddenly opened, and Van Cleef rushed in.
"Prince Aidan, I heard that you found His Highness Varian—Ah, His Highness Varian!"
Seeing Varian radiating coldness, VanCleef was obviously at a loss.
Varian was very happy.
"VanCleef? I remember you. So you are now a baron."
Van Cleef bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Varian waved his hand and said, "No, don't call me king. I am not qualified to inherit this responsibility. I have already explained this to Prince Aidan. I am not going back to Stormwind for the time being."
Van Cleef was immediately anxious. "Your Highness Varian, please go back. Although the orcs have been defeated, they will come back sooner or later. When that time comes, we will need a true king to lead us. Most of your brothers died in the battle, and the only two left are fighting for the power of the king.
Lord Lothar believes that only you can lead the people of Stormwind Kingdom. Moreover, even if it is not for these reasons, for the dignity of King Llane, you should go back. "
"What happened to Father?"
"The body of His Majesty King Llane was taken away by the orcs."
What! Varian finally showed a trace of excitement, a trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and the chill on his body became more and more severe, and even the lord's hall became colder.
He closed his eyes and a look of pain came over his face.
After a long time, he opened his eyes again.
"No, it's not the right time yet. I can't go back yet. It's almost time. I will soon complete my search. I will go back and tell Uncle Lothar that when the orcs invade again, I will definitely return to Stormwind. Those despicable orcs who dare to desecrate my father's body will pay tenfold or a hundredfold for their rudeness!"
Seeing this, Van Cleef could only nod helplessly.
