At 8:00 PM that night, the quartet from Westbrook Garrison finally left the net cafe, albeit reluctantly. Hudson and Hicks had made decent progress; by taking turns throughout the day and helping each other, both had successfully cleared the Diablos. Their account levels reached Level 5, while Verdan climbed to Level 8.
However, their withdrawal symptoms didn't last long. Minutes later, as Wayne was locking up, he could hear the clinking of glasses and excited shouting coming from the Lion's Pride Inn.
Farley, the innkeeper, was speechless. In the past, guests came to drink, listen to songs, and discuss politics, business, or romance. But now, whenever these soldiers appeared, the inn turned into a tactical briefing room for gaming. They debated the optimal timing for Flash Bombs against Diablos, how much Fire Resistance was needed to survive a Rathian's blast, and the best division of labor for a four-player hunt.
As they talked, other patrons stopped their own conversations to eavesdrop on these unheard-of wonders. Many traveling adventurers and merchants were skeptical at first, but the local Goldshire residents backed up the soldiers' claims with such fervor that the net cafe began to sound like a place of divine miracles. As the saying goes, "apes together strong"—with so many people swearing it was true, the outsiders had no choice but to believe. Thus, the net cafe's fame began to spread along the trade routes.
Inside the shop, Wayne started his own session after locking the doors. After clearing the Monoblos (the Diablos' "relative"), he received a quest that served as a "primary school graduation" exam: hunting the Khezu.
Strictly speaking, its name was "Furufuru," officially translated as the "Strange Wyvern." But because it discharged electricity and was the first electric wyvern most players encountered—and because it was entirely white—players habitually called it the White Electric Dragon.
If the first encounter with a Diablos brought pressure, and the Rathian brought tension, the first feeling upon seeing a Khezu was "disgust." It was arguably the most repulsive large monster in the Monster Hunter series. To describe it simply: it was a giant, winged, two-legged... maggot, with no eyes, ears, or nose, and only a gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Even as a veteran player, seeing the Khezu in a hyper-realistic immersive environment—with its drooling mouth and writhing, fleshy body—made Wayne feel an uncontrollable wave of nausea. This was likely the only monster that, if shown on a screen, would scare away customers and hurt business.
The Khezu's attacks were more varied than previous monsters. Beyond standard charges and bites, it possessed two different ranges of body-discharge electrical attacks and could spit multiple globs of electrified saliva. Being struck not only dealt massive damage but also caused paralysis, leaving the player frozen while the Khezu followed up with a finishing blow to send them back on the "Cat Cart." Furthermore, it used its massive mouth to emit blood-curdling roars; the sonic waves forced players to cover their ears to avoid being stunned.
Since it lacked other organs, the Khezu was immune to Flash Bombs and Sonic Bombs. Even Wayne had to circle it for a long time, constantly retreating to other map areas to recover health and stamina, using a Light Bowgun at mid-range to slowly whittle down the disgusting beast's health until it finally collapsed.
After winning, Wayne didn't rush to the next challenge. His current weapons lacked power. He needed to farm the large monsters he could already kill to gather materials for new equipment, ensuring higher damage output for the tougher hunts ahead.
By the time he finished several Khezu runs, it was 1:00 AM. His game account had reached Level 12. He pulled back a corner of the curtain and peered outside. The lights at the Lion's Pride Inn had dimmed, and the streets were deserted.
It was time to move.
He stepped out, locked the door, and circled the building. After confirming no one was in sight, he grabbed a handful of fine soil and tossed it toward the roof. The dust scattered like "celestial flowers" and settled evenly; no human silhouettes were revealed. Only then did Wayne feel safe. Corrine's two attempted thefts had made him cautious; the cellar must not be exposed. While a Rogue's stealth hid their body from sight, they still existed physically. Whether it was a bucket of water or a handful of sand, throwing it would instantly reveal their position.
Wayne went into his bedroom, opened the cellar, and began moving the five rewarded sets of gaming equipment to the shop. Because the stairs were narrow, it took considerable effort. He had to pause several times when he saw someone leaving the inn across the street, waiting for them to disappear before continuing.
Just as Wayne moved the last chair and turned to close the door, a man stood there—stiff and upright. He wore a sleeveless black vest, had salt-and-pepper hair, and a pale, bloodless face.
"Holy crap!"
It was 2:00 AM. Wayne was so startled by this sudden appearance that he nearly jumped out of his skin.
The man seemed to realize his sudden appearance was improper and quickly forced a smile. "Owner Wayne... it's me, Raymond. The one from the inn... Farley's man."
"Dammit, it's the middle of the night! You're trying to scare me to death!" Wayne's heart was pounding. He calmed himself, realizing the man meant no harm—otherwise, the defense system would have blasted him with magic already.
Raymond looked extremely respectful and apologized repeatedly.
Wayne said irritably, "Why aren't you sleeping? Are you stalking me in the middle of the night?" It was both a reproach and a test to see how much Raymond had witnessed.
Unexpectedly, Raymond's attitude was incredibly humble. "Owner Wayne, I just arrived. I swear I didn't see anything!" However, anyone with a brain could see the cluttered items in the shop and realize Wayne was adding new stations. "I won't say a single word about any of this!"
Facing Raymond's assurance, Wayne felt bewildered. "What the hell are you here for then?"
Raymond stepped outside to check the surroundings, then slipped back in and closed the door. He whispered, "I want to be your apprentice!"
Wayne was losing his mind. He assumed this guy was so obsessed with playing games that he had come at 2:00 AM to beg for "instruction," but he remembered this man hadn't even paid the membership fee yet.
"You... if you want to learn, you have to pay the membership fee first!"
Raymond's eyes lit up. "You... you agree?!"
Wayne was confused. "Why wouldn't I? 5 gold for the fee. Once you pay, you can come at noon."
Raymond clearly didn't expect it to be so easy. He hurriedly took five gold coins from a cloth bag and offered them to Wayne with both hands, looking almost pious.
Wayne was baffled and even felt a bit creeped out. Is this guy sick? Coming here in the middle of the night for this... wait, does he have a crush on me? At that thought, he immediately tried to shoo Raymond away. "I need to rest. Go home."
Raymond looked disappointed and asked cautiously, "Teacher, don't you want to test my level first?"
Wayne was about to snap. "It's past 2:00 AM! How can I test you? Come during the day."
Raymond lowered his voice further. "Our business... we can't do it during the day, right?"
Hearing this, Wayne took a step back. "Why the hell can't we do it during the day?"
Raymond was startled, thinking to himself that a master is indeed a master—he even dares to "do it" during the day! But he didn't leave. He pulled a purple, crystal-like object the size of an egg from his bag. Under the flickering candlelight, it emitted an eerie, mysterious violet-red glow.
Wayne recognized it immediately. Isn't that a Soul Shard?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he realized the man before him was a Warlock! Soul Shards were special mediums Warlocks needed to cast certain dark magics. The method of creating them was quite brutal: a Warlock had to use "Drain Soul" to deliver the finishing blow to a target—be it animal, human, demon, or undead—to extract their soul into a shard.
Seeing that Wayne wasn't surprised at all by the Soul Shard, Raymond's confidence surged. These mediums could only be crafted by Warlocks; ordinary citizens, or even Mages and Priests, had rarely seen them. Normally, someone would ask what the glowing crystal was, but Wayne looked at it as if it were a common household item.
What did that prove? It proved Wayne was also a Warlock! This was the reason he came to seek apprenticeship.
Raymond said, "Teacher, I won't embarrass myself with low-level spells. Let me chant a few spells I've recently mastered; please give me some guidance."
Wayne had no idea about the elaborate mental drama Raymond was playing out. He still couldn't understand why this guy was calling him "Teacher" or why he wanted to show off spells. He even wondered if the defense system was broken. If Raymond had bad intentions, could Wayne protect himself?
Raymond began a low chant. Almost instantly, a dark aura swirled around him. "Teacher, what do you think?"
Wayne was lost. "Think of what? What was that?"
Raymond whispered, "I just cast Demon Armor. it increases my defense and enhances the healing I receive."
Wayne scratched his head. "Isn't Demon Armor a bit too low-tier? I recall the Warlocks I've seen all cast Fel Armor..."
Raymond's mouth fell open!
Fel... Fel Armor! His heart was thunderstruck. That was a top-tier buff spell that only legendary Master Warlocks could cast! It not only increased the power of magical attacks but also accelerated health regeneration. Such magic only existed in rumors and unofficial histories. Even among the secret Warlock gatherings beneath "The Slaughtered Lamb" tavern in Stormwind's Mage Quarter, no one knew the specific incantation.
Yet Wayne spoke as if every Warlock he knew used Fel Armor!
Raymond was both terrified and awestruck. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. Although he had decided Wayne was a powerful Warlock/Priest hybrid after seeing him use Holy Fire and Fear simultaneously that night, "Fel Armor"—a legendary shadow spell—exceeded his wildest expectations.
"Teacher... please look again." He began another chant, but this one was much longer. The glow of the Soul Shard in his hand intensified. Ten seconds later, a dark, deep blue phantom gathered beside him, eventually forming a massive figure that was hard to define as either physical or spectral.
It had no feet. Its upper body was bulky, while the lower body tapered off, hovering slightly above the ground. It had two massive hands with four sharp claws each, and magical restraints on its wrists, proving this ethereal creature was enslaved by the power of magic.
Upon manifesting, it spoke in a low, slow voice: "Why... do you summon me..."
Raymond looked proud. "Teacher, what do you think?"
Wayne didn't look surprised at all. He just said, "Oh, it's just a 'Blue Fatty'..."
He knew this was a Voidwalker summoned by Warlocks to taunt creatures and protect the caster from harm.
Raymond was shocked again. Did... did Teacher also go to The Slaughtered Lamb?! "Blue Fatty" was the secret slang used by Warlocks there to refer to Voidwalkers without attracting unwanted attention! He never expected Wayne to know the term.
He asked uncertainly, "Teacher... how do you know the name 'Blue Fatty'?"
Wayne blurted out, "Every Warlock calls it that, okay?" He then added, "But powerful Warlocks don't bother summoning it..."
Raymond was instantly embarrassed. The Voidwalker was the most powerful demon he could summon. In Wayne's eyes, it was a spell that masters wouldn't even look at.
Looking at the clawing Voidwalker, Wayne said, "Dismiss it quickly before it breaks my things."
Raymond complied. With the Voidwalker's low growl of "Returning... to the Void," the deep blue figure vanished without a trace.
Wayne suddenly got excited. "What about the woman? Summon one of those quickly!"
Raymond lowered his head in shame. "I am ashamed. I haven't learned the spell to summon a Succubus yet."
Wayne: "Uh... then I guess you definitely can't summon the 'dog' either."
Raymond was even more ashamed, unable to lift his head. "Yes, summoning a Felhunter is even more advanced than a Succubus. I am just a low-tier Warlock who has only just touched the threshold of the middle tier."
Wayne, who really wanted to see a Succubus in person, was disappointed. He complained, "You can't even summon the dog, let alone a Felguard or an Infernal. Sigh, if you can't even summon the woman, what kind of Warlock are you..."
Raymond fell to his knees with a loud thump!
"Felguard... Infernal... those are unheard-of demonic summoning spells! Please, Teacher, teach me! I will serve you for the rest of my life!"
Only now did Wayne realize the situation. This guy wasn't here to learn how to play games; he thought Wayne was a powerful Warlock and wanted to learn dark arts.
Wayne also realized he had let his tongue slip. The world he transmigrated into was currently in the autumn of the 24th year of the Dark Portal—the "Vanilla" era of World of Warcraft. At this time, the Fire Lord of Blackrock Mountain and the Black Dragonflight hadn't even become public threats yet. Spells like Fel Armor and summoning Felguards were new magics learned by Warlocks much later during the "Burning Crusade" when they went to Outland to fight more powerful demons.
Current Warlocks couldn't learn those spells; only a tiny fraction of bosses or high-level NPCs used them. This led Raymond to firmly believe that Wayne—who recognized Soul Shards and Voidwalkers, knew of Succubi and Felhunters, and was familiar with legendary Felguards and Fel Armor—was absolutely a top-tier Warlock disguised as a commoner.
"You've got the wrong person. I don't know those things."
Even though Wayne told the truth, Raymond wouldn't believe it if his life depended on it. Overcome with emotion, he began to cry. "My talent is ordinary. I struggled with Arcane magic and turned to demonic arts with fellow practitioners. Though I've had some minor success, I've suffered from a lack of a master's guidance. My progress is slow..."
"The night I witnessed Teacher release Holy Light and Demonic magic simultaneously, I knew I had to become your apprentice!"
"Please, Teacher, do not despise my stupidity! Accept me, and I will study diligently!"
A 35-year-old burly man with stubble was kneeling before him at 2:00 AM, weeping and begging for apprenticeship. Wayne seriously wondered what kind of sin he had committed in his past life to deserve this.