Su Ming knew that in Azeroth, contracts essentially provided no reliable guarantee. The Burning Legion, which destroyed countless realms, used a different control method, akin to dog-training.
They would grant mortals some super-strong evil powers and tempt them into doing simple tasks, offering generous rewards in return. Then, they give slightly harder tasks, with more rewards upon completion, continuing the cycle.
It's like training a dog to fetch a frisbee; every time they bring it back, they get a piece of jerky. Humans are domesticated faster than animals because their desires are more complex.
Strength, wealth, status, longevity—there's always one kind of reward that fits.
Their methods shouldn't be called trade; they should be called breeding. And no one can back out because even if they realized they were under a demon's control, by then, evil power would have coursed through their entire body, and there's no turning back.
Kadaga was extremely sensitive to the term 'negotiating conditions'. As a mage, he was all too familiar with the demons' tricks.
He immediately stepped back two paces, feeling the back of his magic robe soaked. The strange person claiming to be the Supreme Mage seemed to know his every secret, with words piercing to the heart—it was terrifying.
"What exactly are you? Some star realm creature that can read minds? Or an ancient god?" Kadaga felt a deep fear and intended to call for someone.
"You're the ancient god; your whole family are ancient gods." Su Ming snapped irritably as he descended, letting Strangulation remove his helmet to reveal his face: "I'm a standard human, and as I said before, the Supreme Mage."
"Don't try to deceive me." Kadaga pointed at Su Ming's heavy full-body armor and the curved sword that appeared out of nowhere: "Your plate armor is thicker than Sir Lothar's. What kind of mage is this?!"
"Guardian's Staff."
Su Ming spoke to the curved sword in his left hand. The platinum-colored energy instantly changed shape into a long chicken-leg staff, while he simultaneously took out the Nightfall Greatsword, casually stabbing it into the floor, resting his right hand on the hilt:
"That's why I say you're young. Let me tell you the true essence of magic! As a mage, wear full heavy armor, hold a staff in one hand to cast Lighting Technique, and wield a giant weapon in the other, charging into crowds and constantly unleashing Tornado Slash."
Even knowing it's nonsense, seeing him with a staff in one hand and a giant sword in the other, both weapons emitting different splendid glows, his whole being bathed in the starlight projected from the dome, he seemed so mysterious, so unfathomable.
Kadaga felt somewhat swayed.
Is this the true essence of magic? Have we mages who only cast spells and don't engage in melee only learned half of it?
He imagined himself casting Arcane Explosion while spinning and using Tornado Slash, having to admit that it seemed quite powerful...
Seeing his expression, Su Ming laughed: "Isn't it tempting? Once you've mastered this technique, you'll be the most aggressive mage in Azeroth, the well-known golden thigh everyone relies on in a raid to push bosses, without you, others can't proceed."
Kadaga raised a black man question mark face: "???"
What kind of nonsense is this? He vigorously shook his head, trying to dispel those illusions from his mind: "Are you a Breaker from Quel'Thalas?"
"Forget it. Even if I told you now, you wouldn't understand. After all, you're just an apprentice. If you had a title like star realm mage like Medivh or a great mage like Antonidas, they might comprehend concepts beyond the cosmos." Su Ming dismissed him irritably, waving his hand as if to shoo away flies: "The Tirisfal Council wants to know the Guardian's secrets, you want to know why Master Medivh has been so mysterious. I have answers to these questions. Want to trade?"
Kadaga extinguished the Arcane Missiles, wiping his sweaty palm on his deep blue pajamas: "You know a lot. What do you want?"
"Frankly, there's nothing you have that I care about right now. Consider it an investment. As long as you swear to Elune that you owe me a few favors, I'll answer a corresponding number of questions." Su Ming pointed upwards, though there was no moon there.
"Elune? Do you have ancient Kadore bloodline?" Kadaga relaxed a bit. He hadn't agreed to the deal, merely trying to fish for information.
But hearing the other party demand an oath to Elune showed no major issues. Though a deity revered by elves and seemingly very effective, Elune didn't appear dangerous.
Young Kadaga didn't know Elune's true nature—the seemingly plain moon was actually Azeroth's sole true god.
"Didn't I say, I'm a pure human. Are you stupid in the head or deaf?" Su Ming turned directly, going to a bookshelf like the owner, grabbing another book and flipping it open: "If you're unwilling to negotiate, then leave. I don't like you."
Opportunity!
Kadaga's eyes lit up, seeing Deathstroke with his back turned, both weapons planted in the ground. He immediately executed his prepared ambush plan.
Calm and Relaxed plus Ice Arrow.
Watching the cluster of azure ice crystals rapidly fly towards the target, a smile appeared on Kadaga's face.
But he watched as the other party, as if with eyes behind his head, didn't even turn his head. One hand holding a book, the other suddenly pulled out a glass bottle, positioning it in the flight path of the Ice Arrow containing yellowish beverage.
Pop!
Kadaga had no time to adjust the flying path of the Ice Arrow, and it was intercepted mid-air, with a layer of white frost forming on the bottle from the icy energy.
Deathstroke then turned his back to him, flicking open the bottle cap of the beverage with his thumb, making a pop sound, and then brought the chilled Powerful Beverage to his mouth.
"Gulp gulp gulp... Ah!"
He made a satisfied sound.
"The temperature is okay, but it can't even do drinks with ice, why don't you try Arcane?"
Deathstroke casually placed the empty bottle on the bookshelf, at the same time took out a new beverage, shaking it in his hand with his back to Kadaga. With Strangulation, he had vision both front and back, and could see Kadaga's face turning bright red in the darkness.
He's a bit unbalanced, skilled in Arcane Magic, least skilled in the Flame System, but saying his Frost Magic can't even make ice cream, that's simply insulting.
Then, unwilling to accept it, he immediately used various magic to launch a 'tickling' attack on Deathstroke.
Su Ming took out various tools from his belt to handle the magic. Without exception, the Frost Magic was used to chill beverages, Arcane for pounding ingredients to make the meat more tender, Flame System spells for grilling meat.
With Kadaga's help, in just a minute, Su Ming was eating barbecue.
Also, when Kadaga was panting and recovering his magic power, Su Ming was already floating by the accidentally ignited desk, drinking ice beer and eating kebabs.
"This lamb, tender! Didn't expect a big-browed, big-eyed mage like you to have high cooking skills." Slightly hot, but Su Ming ate with oil dripping from his mouth, talking trash while eating to provoke Kadaga.
Grilling meat with fireballs is really extravagant, not something you can enjoy in worlds like Marvel and DC with casting costs, or in DND where there are magic slots.
Moreover, thanks to Kadaga's currently unskilled magic, knowing all three systems but all at three-legged cat level, harmless, it's just right for cooking.
Could Kadaga be Azeroth's Ice and Fire Demon Chef?
But Kadaga didn't panic, he's a mage, he uses his brain to fight, he slowly retreated holding a candlestick, patting his somewhat disheveled pajamas: "You've lost, you've fallen into my trap."
"Oh?" Su Ming threw away a skewer, chewing the lamb, nodded nonchalantly.
"Karazhan is filled with various magical devices. As soon as someone uses magic to destroy furniture, it triggers an alarm. Arcane Servants and Arcane Mecha will rush here, and Master Medivh will soon return. You're no match for him."
Kadaga once again showed a confident smile, at this moment displaying heroic colors, which means waiting for reinforcements.
"Alright, let me know when they arrive."
Su Ming calmly continued eating, casually telling Kadaga, just like an apprentice from Kama Taiji.
"Hmph! Just wait, see how Master Medivh beats you up." Kadaga shrank to the door, waved his fist at Su Ming.
"You're smarter than Luo Ning, I'll give you free information, you'll live longer than Luo Ning." Su Ming took another sip of beer, Kadaga is quite interesting. His magic ability may be poor now, but his brain works well.
Kadaga furrowed his brows: "Who's Luo Ning? No, don't change the subject, aren't you planning to run away?"
"Only the weak need to run away, young Kadaga." Su Ming turned two pages of the book with greasy hands, and lowered his head: "I'll stay here, with you, to see how cruel reality can be."
Kadaga gripped the candlestick tightly, the other even knows his name, what's going on? Knowing Medivh is not surprising, but he's just an obscure figure.
Neither spoke, only the crackling sound of dripping oil falling into charcoal, the red flames casting uneven shadows on their faces.
Silence was the main theme at this moment, Karazhan's bells suddenly rang, but there was no other movement in the hallway.
As time passed, Kadaga's face gradually sank, not to mention Master Medivh, even a magic broom didn't appear.
"Isn't it strange? Why doesn't the security system work, no other servants or attendants coming over?" Su Ming finished the grilled lamb chops, satisfied, wiped his mouth, watched Kadaga's changing face, indeed quite interesting.
"You killed them?! You Demon!" Kadaga became agitated, knowing he's certainly not a match for the opponent, must go to Stormwind City to find Sir Lothar and King Laine for help.
He began casting, hands together at his waist, rubbing like performing Turtle Style Qi Gong.
Su Ming sighed, his shoulders also drooped, he slowly walked to Kadaga's side, somewhat helplessly said: "You really have no combat experience, opening a Teleportation Gate right in front of me? I cut off."
He extended a finger to the apprentice's forehead, breaking the casting, not to mention even pushing him into stumbling.
Thrown off balance, Kadaga looked back on the ground with an indignant look at Deathstroke, silently made up his mind, if he survives today, he must practice Teleportation Magic to the point of instant-casting in the future!