Ever since Ael'tharion was born, he had carried many questions in his heart.
Why had he been shunned by children his age since childhood? Who was his mother? Why did his father refuse to explain his origins clearly, instead choosing to speak in riddles?
Beyond these real-life problems, Ael'tharion would occasionally see a mysterious countdown appear before his eyes.
He had tested it: his father Julian and everyone else were completely unable to see the countdown, assuming he was imagining things.
After repeated failures, Ael'tharion stopped mentioning it, gradually consigning this secret to the back of his mind.
More than a decade passed, and the countdown still appeared without fail. It had flashed once again just before today's battle with the trolls.
At the time excitement about his first real fight had crowded out everything else; he'd ignored the few hours left on the clock.
In the dead of night, the countdown's final seconds reached zero.
Along with an inexplicable voice, an even stranger sight appeared in Ael'tharion's vision.
"A chat?"
Having been force-fed a few basics by the so-called system, Ael'tharion rolled up from his crude bedroll, startling the jumpy comrade beside him.
"Mm… Ael'tharion, enemies?"
"No."
Face calm, Ael'tharion answered, "Just need to piss. Go back to sleep."
"'Kay… *snore*"
The Farstrider Encampment was hushed at night; only a handful of rangers and one mage kept watch beside the second-floor arcane lamp.
The mage hugged his staff and dozed against a pillar while the rangers swept sharp gazes across the darkness.
Headstrong as Ael'tharion was—often doing things other High Elves saw as eccentric—he could still read the bigger picture.
The sentries' vigilance meant everyone's safety; he wouldn't distract them.
He crept to a corner, sat on a step, and began studying the system that had suddenly rooted itself in his soul, along with the flood of chat it brought.
The messages were a mess, mostly pointless exclamations and questions, some even inexplicably spamming emojis at him.
But pan enough dung and you'll find gold: a few mentioned the defense of QuelThalas.
Forcing himself to ignore the chatter for now, Ael'tharion focused on the system itself.
Judging by the years he'd spent with the countdown, the system hadn't just linked up; it had probably been there since his birth.
He hadn't known what "anti-addiction" meant, but he guessed it was some function blocking full access until age eighteen.
That countdown had simply marked when the lock would lift.
High Elves live for millennia; the current Sun King, Anasterian, has reigned more than three thousand years.
Though now ancient and frail, court gossip said he still had decades—maybe a century—left in him.
Despite their longevity, High Elves mature almost as fast as short-lived humans.
They reach adulthood in their teens, then enter an extremely long prime that only fades near death—just like Anasterian.
Besides the chat, the mysterious system offered only a character panel listing some of Ael'tharion's data.
Name: Ael'tharion Deepshadow
Race: High Elf (half-blood)
Status: Excited, puzzled, lightly wounded (fracture)
Classes: Fighter 11, Ranger 5 (special)
Talents: Nature Affinity, Endless Battle-Fury, OO Bloodline (half-sealed)
Skills: Charge, Battle Shout, Eagle Eye, Rapid Regeneration (innate)
"Ugh…"
Ael'tharion scratched his cropped hair; the panel made only partial sense.
The moment he opened it, the chat exploded.
This show's kinda fire—isekai MC with a system??
Deepshadow?? Wasn't Verlais Deepshadow part of Black Temple F4? Related to that rogue boss?
Rogue?? Nah it's "Infiltrator" 💀 learn the lore lol
AYO reference 😭 wild
Wait did anyone else see "half-elf" in brackets?? No wonder he looks so mid…
Girl you trippin—scruffy beard + buzzcut hiding the glow-up. Clean him up and he's lowkey a sleeper pick.
Dropping a chicken coop here first 🐔🏠
Dual class?? Does WoW even let you do that? Mary Sue alert !
Nahhh rookie take. Bolvar was cleaving as a Paladin 😂
Once you ignore game rules, dual-class ain't even crazy
Talents are where the tea is...
Endless Battle-Fury = straight Warrior build
Why's a High Elf with Nature Affinity?? Night Elf DNA??
And that half-sealed bloodline?? Nah something sus for sure 👀
Per the system, every five class levels granted a new skill.
He already knew Charge and Eagle Eye.
Battle Shout, a level-10 Warrior perk, let him roar to boost damage.
Endless Battle-Fury was innate, keeping him fearless and resistant to mind effects.
Nature Affinity and that bloodline? Total mysteries.
Best guess: the Regeneration talent tied to that hidden blood.
Shaking off his thoughts, he noticed the chat's topic and, following the system's instructions, tried replying with his mind.
Ael'tharion: "You can see my panel?"
???
BRO WHAT 😭
WAIT WAIT WAIT—THIS IS LIVE??? THIS IS REAL???
NAH CUZ WHY THE ARMOR GOT REAL DRIED BLOOD ON IT 💀 that's not prop department behavior
CHAT LISTEN TO ME—PUT THE EMOTES DOWN—THEORY INCOMING 🧠!
"Guys"?? EXCUSE ME??? Where my girlies at??
OMG NOT THIS AGAIN 😭 focus on the elf man pls
SHUT UP WE'RE SOLVING LORE
Ael'tharion Deepshadow… blink twice if you're ACTUALLY in Azeroth bro! Or this a web drama stream?!
Ael'tharion tilted his head. "Web-drama? Stream? What are those?"
"My world is called Azeroth. I'm at Farstrider Encampment in southern Eversong Forest, Quel'Thalas."
"Quel'Thalas is under invasion. We fought the Amani trolls today—what you call the defense of Quel'Thalas?"
The chat exploded again.
WAIT HE'S TALKING BACK?? 😭 THIS AIN'T A SHOW THIS A MULTIVERSE FACETIME
CHAT WE ARE LITERALLY WATCHING ANOTHER WORLD RN WHAT IS HAPPENING
GO FIND SYLVANAS RIGHT NOW 😤‼️ HUG THE QUEEN FOR US
NOOOO DUMMASS THIS IS PRE-BANSHEE SYLVANAS! READ THE LORE
BRO GOT MAIN-CHARACTER QUESTS, NO TIME FOR ROMANCE
WRONG. FIRST QUEST: DELETE NATHANOS 😤💀
GO PACK UP THAT SIMP EXPEDITIOUSLY
SIDE QUEST: HUMBLE BLIGHTCALLER
+5000 XP FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGE
CHAT TYPE "KILL NATHANOS" IF YOU'RE REAL
Ael'tharion rubbed his temples. "What nonsense. Nathanos… Nathanos Marris? He's my friend—how is he a 'simp'?"
NOOOO 😭 WE MISSED IT CHAT IT'S JOEVER
IT'S OVER. PACK IT UP. STREAM ENDED. LIFE RUINED.
WAIT WAIT—NOT SO FAST!
WE BELIEVE IN YOU KING!