Chapter 81： Gerde's Future and Past

After taking a sip of light beer, Gerred grimaced and shook his head, exhaled, and said, "Although I can move normally now, neither my legs nor my hands are very obedient. I plan to rest for a while during this period and wait until I fully recover before taking on jobs again."

"I agree." Jess said, "Anyway, we earned some money before. You can live a few happy days now."

"What are your plans for these days? By the way, how is the matter of you entering the Wizard's Sanctuary going? Did the king go in person to help you apply?" Gerred asked while holding his cup.

Jess also took a sip of wine and looked at Gerred's expectant look of watching the excitement. Helplessly, he said, "How is that possible? Just sent a letter asking the Wizard's Sanctuary to take me as an apprentice. It's probably not official yet. But Marin has taught me a move and let me practice it first."

"Really? What move? Show it." Gerred put down his glass and waved his hand.

Jess extended his left hand, stared at his fingertip and murmured, "Liyusa!"

Suddenly, an arcane mass gathered above his fingertip, and a bright light suddenly spread. Several people around curiously looked over here. Jess immediately put away the light.

"Awesome!" Gerred clapped twice and said, "You learned the light spell so quickly?"

"It's just reciting a spell." Jess muttered.

Gerred asked, "For you, casting such a small trick is already not difficult at all, right? After all, right, ha!"

Jess smiled noncommittally, but in his heart he felt that this dwarf seemed to have a much higher tolerance for the power of shadow.

The dwarf picked off a piece of fish and threw it into his mouth and said, "To be honest, this trip to Redridge Mountains... still made me think a lot. That is, without knowing a bit of magic or something, it is really difficult to fight those monsters. Not to mention that now even monsters can recite spells. Even relying purely on strength, with the help of the elements, it is even stronger. What kind of logic is this! But it just happened. An old warrior like me was knocked down on the ground like a wild dog, and the magic-wielding orc won."

Jess remained silent, waiting to see what conclusion he was going to draw.

Gerred narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you think I can learn some kind of magic or something?"

Jess burst out laughing and asked, "You finally think about learning some magic only when you are in your sixties or seventies?"

"You said before that one should keep learning until they die, right?" The dwarf said, "But, I really doubt if I have any talent in this area. But actually, it's secondary. In fact, Jess, from the experience of going out with you during this period, I found a very important problem with myself. That is, I took the power of the gryphon as my own power."

The smile on Jess's face gradually disappeared. At this moment, he seemed to understand why this dwarf in front of him, even with one blind eye and unsteady hands holding weapons, still looked down on this and that and dared to charge at any enemy without hesitation.

At the same time, he also understood more deeply why he had such a strong resentment towards not being able to be a gryphon rider anymore.

"I have been a gryphon rider for too long." Gerred took a sip of wine and said, "I have been fighting against the Amani trolls on a gryphon since many years before the opening of the Dark Portal. By the time the Orc War started, I had almost forgotten how to fight on the ground. The gryphon has become my legs, my wings, my... everything."

"What really made me realize this was when I rode on that mare you got from the mage district. I had a familiar feeling. The animal under my butt made me feel like I was back in Hinterlands. The difference is that I can't control it. Just like I can't control my own body now. I... can't explain it clearly."

"When you were knocked down by the orc, I was thrown far away by him. When I stood up, I even wanted to shout an order to let the gryphon take me back. Because with my own feet, I could never save you before he killed you. When I realized that I was no longer on the gryphon, I remembered that I still had a bow and arrow... In other words, I have been away from the gryphon for several years, but I still can't get rid of this inertia. In short, I don't want to continue like this. Arcane, fire or something... I've only lived half of my life. I can't be so mediocre. By the way, do you think it's possible for me to convert to the church?"

"It's hard to imagine, but you can try." Jess said, "However, don't you admire Danath Trollbane very much? He is neither a priest nor a paladin, nor does he know any magic. He can defeat unimaginable enemies with just his sword. Didn't you say that you wanted to improve together with me at the Giant Lake Farm? Why have you lost your dream all of a sudden?"

"My injury, Jess." Gerred said helplessly, "No matter how I train, I can't stop my trembling. Not to mention this eye. When that orc rushed over, I couldn't even tell how far away he was from me. I could only guess based on experience. I really don't know... in the end, what extent can I achieve."

He lowered his head and didn't raise it for a long time. Only his beard could be seen moving.

"Have you considered going to Quel'Thalas to ask?" Jess said.

"Ask about what?" Gerred raised his eyes and looked over here.

Jess said, "About how to restore your blindness... and the problem with your hand."

Gerred let out a dry laugh, but his face almost immediately sank.

He stuffed a piece of fat into his mouth and almost vomited from the greasiness. After taking a big gulp of beer and pausing for a while, he said, "How is that possible? I admit that those lunatics who don't know what they are researching all day might really have a way, but how could they be willing to lend a helping hand to a dwarf like me? I will never ask any elf for help. Not even if I die. You might as well let me die. Die blind!"

Jess helplessly coughed and said, "You've been with so many elf girls. Isn't there one who is willing to help you find a way?"

Gerred glanced at Jess for a while with half-closed eyes and said, "Not that many actually."

Jess took a sip of wine and said teasingly, "I thought that since you have already summed up a set of theories for on and off the bed, the sample size should be large enough to be very convincing."

"She just wants to have fun, you know what I mean? Everyone gets what they need!" Gerred said, "After having fun, go back to doing what you should do the next day. I don't want to help her kill anyone, and she definitely won't be willing to help me cure my illness. It's that simple."

"She?" Jess asked, "Singular?"

Gerred coughed and took a deep breath and said, "They. They. My Common is not good."

"You've been in love with an elf?!" Jess asked in surprise.

"Go to hell!" Gerred slammed the table and shouted, "In love? Damn... That bitch's pointed ears. I'll cut them off... string them up and hang them around my neck! I'm still in love. Go to hell!"

Jess couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Gerred stared at him sideways and took another sip of wine. Only to find that his glass was empty. So he started yelling at the bartender again.

"Don't have light beer anymore! Don't have light beer anymore! I want dark beer! Dark one!"

Then he looked at Jess again and pointed at his glass and shouted, "You drink too!"

With him saying this, Jess couldn't hold back anymore. Seeing the dwarf so angry, he had to quickly take a sip.

Looking at Gerred's appearance, he felt that this guy probably didn't know when he had been tricked.

The elves in Silvermoon City are known for their extravagance and lust. Even towards their own kind, they are not polite at all, let alone towards foreigners. Perhaps for that elf woman in Gerred's memory, he is just a mini-sized human-shaped self-propelled pleasure tool.

But why is Gerred so angry? Isn't it a case of each taking what they need and both having fun?

Or did he give his heart?

When the dark beer came up, Gerred drank half of it in one gulp and then slumped on the chair and stared blankly behind Jess. After a long time, he burped.

Jess said, "Remember what you said? Elves will also help others, but only when they have to."

Gerred's eyeball slowly turned and asked, "How can you make them have to help?"

"Well... At least we have to see an elf first." Jess said, and picked up a piece of fat from a Bloodfang Boar with a fork and put it in his mouth.

"Are you sure?" Gerred muttered, "Will the elves definitely have a way to cure the aftereffects of my poisoning?"

Jess said, "I asked an alchemist. She told me that the elves have been fighting against the trolls for so many years. There should be quite a few wounded people in similar situations as you, so they may have rich experience in handling it. By the way, how did your eye... get injured? Was it blinded by a blow or is it broken?"

Gerred took off his eye patch and said, "It just can't see anything."

Jess looked at his invisible eyeball. It had a somewhat cloudy feeling, like a mild cataract, but not as pale. Looking at it alone didn't seem very serious, but compared to the normal eye next to it, it was a bit strange. No wonder Gerred covered it up.

"It's really worth asking." Gerred said in a low voice, "But after all, it's just a guess."

"Don't be so pessimistic. You are questioning the heritage of a ten-thousand-year-old civilization." Jess said, "I was thinking, don't limit our vision to Stormwind City or even within the kingdom. There are many elves in Dalaran. At least more than in Stormwind City. I want to find my boss... No, it should be my teacher now. Ask him if there is any opportunity to go on a business trip to Dalaran at the end of the year. In this way, I can take a boat to Lordaeron without spending my own money."

The dwarf's eyes lit up: "Really? The benefits of your job are too good, right? Can you also get my ticket waived by the way?"

"This..."

"Forget it. Saving money for one person is not bad either."

Jess said, "Anyway, when I get to Dalaran, I will find an opportunity to ask for you. Just ask... Those elves shouldn't be so hostile that they won't even pay attention to me, right?"

"I don't have much hope." Gerred picked his teeth with a fork. "Speaking of which, the meat here is just not as delicious as that in Redridge Mountains. After eating at the inn in Lakeshire and coming back here, it has no taste."

Jess didn't have the mood to evaluate how the food tasted anywhere. At this time, his thoughts had already flown to Dalaran.

When he returned home at night, the imp was still constantly copying books. It seemed that he had copied a lot.

Jess picked up one sheet and randomly picked a word. According to the Common pronunciation annotation on it, he slowly read: "Anak."

"No, no, no." Thaeorno said, "This is still Common. Master, to pronounce demon language, you must pronounce it with the unique intonation of the Eredar. Follow me... A—nak!"

When Thaeorno pronounced the sound "a", it was like there was a series of plosive sounds in his throat. It was almost like making a "ha" sound. And when it came to "nak", it was like biting off the bone of something.

In short, this simple word made Jess feel very difficult.

"It's too complicated."

"Being able to tell that it's complicated already shows that the master has very good demon language talent." The imp said, "Be sure to pronounce accurately... Be sure to remember the pronunciation rules. This is the prerequisite for using demon language to exert the full power of spells!"

"Anak." Jess pronounced it following the imp's pronunciation. The imp clapped his hands and said, "Right, right, that's the feeling! The Eredar can use magic to enhance their pronunciation and then continue to enhance the intensity of magic, making their incantations more powerful than ordinary people. But I can't do that. I'm just a little imp."

Jess nodded and read, "Anak... meaning tragic."

What effect would it have if one pronounced "Vaecht" in this way?

He originally wanted to directly use it on the imp, but looking at its busy back, thinking that if it was scared and jumped out of the window and then set fire to a few houses or something, it would be a loss. So he gave up this thought.

"I need a pronunciation rule." Jess said, "Can you write a pronunciation rule table?"

"A pronunciation rule table for demon language?" The imp turned around and stared at Jess and said, "Is the master joking?"

Jess didn't get angry at the imp's sarcasm. English, for example, is a fusion of words and pronunciations of many other older languages and has countless special pronunciations. And demon language is a fusion of the primitive languages of countless strange demons in the Twisting Nether. Perhaps the vocabulary of the base language of demon language - Eredar language - accounts for a low proportion.

Each kind of demon has its own way of pronunciation. If there are any pronunciation rules for demon language, it may take another book to write.

Jess plopped down on the bed and felt his whole body was sore and numb. The cold autumn wind blowing in from the window passed over his chest and belly, and a little bit, little by little, the fatigue of the day was taken away.

It would be even better if there wasn't the continuous demon smell emanating from that imp.

"Go back and sleep in the bag."

"Can I rest? Great!" The imp excitedly got into the bag.

Now, it's perfect.

Jess closed his eyes comfortably.

His stomach is a bit full.