After leaving the lakeside, Alaric headed to the city market and purchased over a dozen varieties of beast milk before returning to the inn.
Thor was seated cross-legged, deep in cultivation. Though playful by nature, the boy trained with a determined focus—likely driven by the underlying pressure from Darius. Alaric didn't interrupt. Instead, he settled nearby and retrieved a thunder-veined bowl he'd carved from the residual stone shell of the Sky Thunder Jade. While not as potent as the jade itself, the bowl still thrummed with latent lightning energy. Scrapings from it could even be used to fuel Thunder Invocation arrays, saving precious faction points.
This stone and the jade ought to have been Thor's fortune, Alaric reflected. Now they serve me. He poured the inn-preheated beast milk into the crystalline bowl, then drew out the Sky Thunder Jade—now diminished to the size of an egg. Most of its energy was reserved for the Northrend Meteor-Iron Thunderblade, so he channeled only a faint stream of power into the milk.
The bowl, sharing origin with the jade, resonated instantly. Thunder essence shimmered across its surface. The milk churned and bubbled, alive with arcs of blue-violet lightning.
Just as Thor concluded his meditation, his nose twitched. His eyes snapped open, and he lit up at the sight of the bowl. "Sir!" He hurried over, circling the bowl with eager curiosity. "It smells incredible!"
Alaric retrieved the jade and passed him the bowl. "It's infused with thunder energy. Channel it carefully. Stop if it overwhelms you."
Thor nodded vigorously, seized the bowl, and drank greedily. The effect was immediate: his eyes flushed red, and energy buzzed through him. He shot up, dashing wildly around the room, shouting with unrestrained excitement, nearly upending furniture. Alaric sighed. The boy had drunk too eagerly to remember any guidance.
When Alaric finally settled him, Thor blinked up dizzily at his stern expression. "I made a mess, didn't I…?"
After compensating the innkeeper, Alaric tapped Thor's forehead. "In the wild, we drink straight from the beast. In the city, we buy it. This bowl is yours now. Don't lose it."
Clutching the bowl happily, Thor beamed. "Thank you, sir!"
Watching him, Alaric allowed himself a moment of quiet relief. He sat again, focusing his thoughts on blending the capabilities of the Northrend Meteor-Iron Thunderblade, Cloud Dragon Evasion, and Thunder Invocation into a seamless combat style. Individually they were strong; together, they could be exceptional.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Misty Mountains, more than a dozen streaks of crimson light descended. Leading them was a red-haired elder who seemed unremarkable, yet the two Spirit-Forging cultivators behind him showed him absolute deference—a sure sign of a Domain-Level expert from the Blaze Sword Sect.
The red-robed youth—the one Thor had outrun—bowed low. "The trail leads beyond the mountains, Elder."
One of the Spirit-Forging cultivators gazed toward the horizon. "Silvermoon City is the nearest settlement. We begin our search there."
The red-robed youth hesitated. "But Silvermoon borders Holy Sword Mountains territory…"
The other cultivator dismissed the concern with a wave. "If the talent is genuine, we would dare even Shu Mountain's domain."
The red-haired elder's voice cut sharply through the discussion. "Enough. We move." He summoned a blade of flame and soared upward. The rest followed—a blaze of red light shooting toward Silvermoon.
Back at the inn, Alaric was meditating when a knock came. The inn attendant offered an eager smile. "Sir, news you requested—the young lady betrothed to Young Master Soren has arrived with her party at the Soren estate!"
Alaric's eyes opened. Elara is here.
The moment he had anticipated had arrived. The engagement annulment was set in motion—a catalyst for Soren's rise, but also a flashpoint for danger. Rivals gathered, plans converged. Alaric steadied himself. The next move would be critical.
✅ SYSTEM:
Faction Points: 750
New Objective: Monitor the engagement annulment at the Soren estate. Recruit [Soren] in the aftermath.
Warning: Hostile faction [Blaze Sword Sect] is approaching Silvermoon. Conflict is highly probable. Maintain high alert.
Note: Disciple [Thor Stone] requires monitoring during energy integration. Provide guidance to prevent further incidents.