Chapter 37: Serenity |
In the dead of night, Allen and his party’s carriage was racing toward Stormwind.
Inside the carriage, Allen glanced at his character attributes. He had allocated all the newly earned free attribute points to Charisma again.
«Race: Human
Strength: 12 (Can’t even lift this much weight? Add some more!)
Agility: 14 (Calling you a fast one isn’t wrong!)
Constitution: 15 (Won’t need saline for the next ten years.)
Intelligence: 18 (Your brain isn’t very smooth.)
Perception: 18 (Trust your instincts.)
Charisma: 30 (What kind of aphrodisiac turned into a person?)
Learned Spells: Meteor Swarm, Chain Lightning, Speak with the Dead, Knock, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Grease, Speak with Animals»
Looking at his current attributes, Allen felt a strong sense of achievement. In his previous life, he had always been sickly. Now, he was finally a healthy human being.
They continued on their way. But when they reached the gates of Stormwind, they discovered the gates were closed due to curfew, and no one was allowed in or out.
Even the token Varian had given Allen couldn’t get them through.
The group had no choice but to return to the grassy field outside the main gate of Stormwind and set up camp for the night.
Wen Lei quickly and expertly pitched two tents, then took his bow and arrows and disappeared into the night.
Less than half an hour later, he returned carrying a few plump wild pigeons and one unlucky rabbit.
A campfire was soon lit.
Wen Lei crouched by the fire, his short knife deftly flipping as he cleanly gutted the game. Morgan helped by whittling wooden skewers on the side.
When the chunks of meat were skewered and placed over the fire to roast, fat dripped down, sizzling.
Wen Lei had also brought some spices and sprinkled them on top.
Stella stared at the meat longingly, her little tongue constantly licking her lips.
Even Morgan and Allen couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.
Wen Lei glanced at them, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly into a rare hint of a smile.
He handed the first two skewers of pigeon to Stella and Morgan, then took down the largest rabbit leg and gave it to Allen.
“Eat slowly. Don’t burn yourselves.”
Stella took the pigeon, too impatient to wait for it to cool, and took a big bite.
“Delicious! So good!”
Morgan also ate heartily. Between mouthfuls, he mumbled, “Mr. Wen Lei, your cooking... is even better than the best chef in Darkshire!”
Wen Lei didn’t respond. He just kept turning the meat skewers in his hands.
Allen bit into the rabbit leg. The outside was crispy, the inside tender, and the seasoning was just right.
He stood up, walked to the carriage, and handed a skewer of roasted pigeon to the driver.
“Thanks for the hard work. Have something to eat and warm yourself up.”
The driver was a taciturn middle-aged man who had barely spoken during the entire journey. He took the skewer, paused for a moment, then broke into a simple, sincere smile.
“Thank you, Master Allen.”
Allen returned to the campfire and sat back down.
The flames flickered in the night breeze, casting alternating light and shadow across the faces of the four.
Not far away stood the towering walls of Stormwind. Nearby was the endless grassy field. Above them stretched a brilliant starry river.
At that moment, it felt as if the world consisted only of them and this warm campfire.
Allen looked at his companions gathered around the fire, and a strange warmth welled up in his heart.
It had only been a little over a month since he had transmigrated here. And now, these people were already by his side.
He turned to Morgan and carefully broached the subject:
“Morgan, once we’ve made a big fortune, have you ever considered moving your wife and daughter to Stormwind?”
Morgan looked up at him, somewhat confused.
“Darkshire is always too dangerous,” Allen continued. “You’re out there punishing evil, and they’re at home, worrying all the time. Stormwind is the capital, after all. It has city walls and an army. It’s much safer than over there.”
Morgan shook his head, his tone firm:
“Mr. Allen, I’m not following you just for money. I’m here to repay a life-saving debt and to pursue justice.”
Allen looked at him, the firelight dancing in his eyes.
“I know. To you, the most important thing is the pursuit of justice.” His voice was calm and sincere. “But if you can pursue justice while also taking care of your wife and daughter, that’s what true strength is.”
He paused, his tone growing heavier:
“Otherwise, you will definitely regret it.”
Morgan fell silent.
The fire crackled, and the night breeze gently brushed past.
After a long while, Morgan lifted his head, a complex glimmer in his eyes.
“Mr. Allen...” His voice was a little hoarse. “Thank you. I will seriously consider it.”
Wen Lei watched the scene from the side, not intervening. He turned to Stella and, showing rare curiosity, asked:
“Stella, I’ve always wanted to ask you—you’re a gnome, how did you end up in Goldshire... uh... begging?”
In his opinion, as an engineering technician, she was surely a highly skilled professional. How had she fallen so low?
Stella’s face turned bright red. She stammered, saying things like “there are reasons” and “how can what we engineering types do be called begging.”
Her voice grew softer and softer, until it was barely audible.
“Did you come from Gnomeregan?” Allen suddenly asked.
Gnomeregan was the gnomes’ capital city in World of Warcraft, an underground marvel of technology. It was currently in a state of collapse, but Allen vaguely remembered that Gnomeregan didn’t fall until the Third War.
Stella looked up, a flicker of longing in her eyes.
“Gnomeregan... such a big city. I’ve never been there.”
Her voice softened:
“I’m from Spirits Rest. I don’t have parents. The villagers raised me. They all said I was the smartest gnome they’d ever seen, and that one day I would become a super awesome engineering master.”
The firelight illuminated her small face, her sapphire-blue eyes sparkling.
“Later, I heard that Stormwind was being rebuilt, that there were opportunities everywhere, and that I could make a lot of money!”
Stella’s face was full of anticipation.
“So... the villagers all pitched in and gave me ten silver coins, so I could go out and make my way.”
Her voice grew a little low.
“It was very cold. I walked for a very, very long time until I reached Ironforge. But when I got there, I found out that the Deeprun Tram ticket cost twenty silver coins...”
Stella began to tell her story...
The Deeprun Tram had only been open for a short while, so the management wasn’t too strict. Penniless Stella managed to sneak on board.
Since she had never seen the Deeprun Tram before, she got off at the middle of the tunnel and accidentally ended up stranded on the tracks.
The tunnels beneath the tram were home to many homeless people. Stella was terrified, but she had no choice but to keep walking.
Luckily, some of the homeless people were kind.
She was very hungry along the way, and she even roasted rats with the other homeless people in the tram tunnels.
By the time she finally made it to Stormwind, she had spent all her money. Then, treated as a vagrant, she was kicked out of Stormwind. Luckily, Mr. Farley of Goldshire took her in.
Wen Lei and Morgan both fell silent.
The fire crackled, and the night breeze gently brushed past.
Stella looked up, a spark of hope reigniting in her eyes:
“Everyone in the village told me that I would definitely succeed! When I make a fortune, I want to take everyone in the village to live in Gnomeregan!”
Allen looked at her. Her small face was full of hope for the future.
He couldn’t bear to tell her that in another decade or so, that city of technology she yearned for would fall, devoured by troggs and radiation.
Those “city people from Gnomeregan” she spoke of would become refugees, flooding into Ironforge and pouring into her home village.
He reached out and gently patted her little blue head.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice warm and firm. “I will definitely help you make a fortune.”
Stella narrowed her eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.
The night deepened.
Morgan wrapped himself in a blanket and soon was snoring steadily.
Stella curled up in her blanket, her small body scrunched into a ball, still smiling.
Wen Lei sat by the campfire keeping watch, his gaze distant, lost in thought.
Allen and Morgan shared a tent. Lying inside, Allen looked out through the open tent flap at the starry river in the sky.
The night wind blew, carrying the scent of grass and the faint sound of distant wolves howling.
He closed his eyes, and his thoughts gradually drifted into sleep.