Duke wasn't the kind of person with a strong sense of adventure.
He wouldn't even think about risking his life for anything.
But if gambling his dignity was involved, then it had a different meaning.
In fact, when the will of Sargeras descended upon the Stormwind Castle, Duke's system prompt displayed a few lines:
"Major event in human history (your dignity as a human has been challenged!) - In the eyes of the demon king Sargeras, you're just a slightly interesting ant. However, you, who knows 'history,' realize that this might be an opportunity to change your fate.
If you're really **** lucky enough to push Sargeras into a corner, and save him when he's about to fail, the system judges that you have an 87% chance of transforming into a powerful demon and becoming one of the leaders of the Burning Legion while being in a clear state of mind."
"Of course, if you can help Anduin Lothar successfully kill Medivh and make Sargeras roll back into the abyss, then undoubtedly, you'll become the hero of the entire Azeroth world. According to our system's calculations, you have a 99.999% chance of filling up all missing dignity and soul power. Thoroughly avoiding any possible negative soul states."
The system didn't say what the consequences would be if Duke failed to challenge Medivh. But Duke could guess. Dying from the tusks of a wild boar and dying in front of the demon king were two completely different concepts. Just like the knights who died in the Scourge were often transformed into Death Knights. If he fell into the hands of Sargeras, his soul would be... hehehe.
Duke always thought of himself as an ordinary person. He neither had the spirit of a savior, nor did he have the violent tendencies to destroy the world.
Since he had crossed over, he had to adapt to this world.
The difference between "Martians and suicidal people fighting a huge war, and both sides dying a lot" and "friends and family fighting against savage and evil orcs around you, and many of them dying" was like night and day.
Not to mention, even if he had raised cats and dogs for a long time, he would feel heartbroken if they died.
Therefore, even though the history of Azeroth has been twisted beyond recognition, especially when it went from a "raid on Karazhan" to a "strike on Karazhan," and on top of that, with Khadgar already dead, Duke couldn't bear to watch Lothar go to Karazhan alone and die.
No, it was more accurate to say that from the moment Sargeras arrogantly descended upon the council chamber, Duke felt like he had been struck by a bolt of fate's lightning. He was as if possessed, and couldn't stand the sight of Sargeras.
Regardless, Duke was too deeply involved with the Kingdom of Stormwind, and the entire world of Azeroth for that matter. Moreover, Duke absolutely refused to let the Burning Legion have their way.
Duke silently thought to himself, "Khadgar, your place will be taken by me."
What Duke was thinking, Lothar didn't know. Instead, when he heard Duke's statement that the success rate was no more than 20%, he actually showed a smile on his face.
"That's Sargeras we're talking about! As long as the chance of winning is not zero, I'm already happy." Lothar slapped Duke's shoulder with his strong hand. "Young man, you're not bad at all. You actually think the same as me. I'm increasingly convinced that bringing you along was a wise decision. At least you're more reliable than those court mages. Whenever I see them, I always feel like those rigid and dogmatic fellows will stand there foolishly and try to compete with Medivh's magic, only to be killed off one by one."
Duke smiled and didn't say anything. He knew Lothar's words were half-joking. Of course, the most important thing was that on the front lines, the Kingdom of Stormwind was at a significant disadvantage in terms of magic warfare.
The Orcs' warlocks were even more terrifying than Duke had imagined.
There were many things Duke couldn't reveal. This led to the Royal Mage Corps of Stormwind suffering a great loss when they faced these warlocks, who they had never encountered before. In a sense, warlocks with more cunning and endurance were the bane of mages. The appearance of the Felhounds, which specialized in countering magic, made the mages of the Royal Mage Corps feel uneasy.
Due to the death of one of the only two Morning Star Mages in the Kingdom of Stormwind, the most powerful court mage by Llane's side, the Kingdom was even more short-handed.
"Mages are essential. Without them, once the enemy Warlocks unleash their spells, even if they just use 'Fear' to take down human officers, it would cause the entire front line to collapse. This creates a vicious cycle. In any head-on confrontation, without mages, the army formation is vulnerable to collapse.
However, even with mages present, if they lose the magical battle or die or flee, when the Orc Warlocks have free hands, the army would still crumble. Throughout the Elwynn Forest, ambushes and pursuits abound, and humans are retreating steadily. The whole kingdom of Stormwind is filled with a sense of sadness and despair.
Yet, it was in this dire situation that Lothar led his elite troops into battle.
Duke had asked the soldiers how they felt about this nearly suicidal mission, but the only answer he received was, 'For Stormwind!'
Duke saw their smiles and witnessed the generous and patriotic hearts of those who were willing to die for their country and people.
Their voices echoed in Duke's chest, and even in the sky above the entire human nation.
The echoes lingered like a sweet melody, ringing in Duke's ears again and again."
It was not an oath, but it was more beautiful and resolute than any oath in the world. Duke felt his blood ignited by some sort of passionate flame, and it burned within him with intense heat.
In the face of Lothar's winning strategy, Duke suddenly clapped his hands and shouted, "Everyone who doesn't have a task, come over here for a moment. I have something to announce."
Lothar was a bit curious, but he didn't stop Duke and simply nodded.
Immediately, several lieutenants gestured and these elite knights quickly surrounded them.
Duke stood on a large rock so that most people could see him, "What you will face is a group of opponents who surpass your imagination - demons! So, the first thing I hope you will do is forget the military regulations that Lothar taught you and learn how to be flexible."
Duke's words caused a stir of silence, and almost all the soldiers looked towards Lothar.
Lothar smiled instead of getting angry, "Continue, I picked these soldiers not only for their loyalty and skills, but also for their flexibility. As long as it helps us win, I don't mind you challenging the military regulations I set."
Duke nodded and continued, "The enemies you will face are much stronger than you and possess mysterious powers that you cannot imagine. Following a strict formation is just a death sentence. Forget about the formations and military manuals. Dodge any flashy energy forms and aim for opportunities to stab your sword into the enemy's back or anything that looks like the enemy's core."