Wayne had previously broken through his Cloak of Shadows, leaving a profound impression on him. He had been imagining what kind of clash would occur between them today.
However, even as the head of SI:7, the leader of the Stormwind Thieves' Guild, a world-class Master Rogue who had handled coups, carried out assassinations, executed traitors, and slain Orcs, this powerhouse still failed to predict that a giant Black Dragon would be right beside them when they met.
He soon realized, however, that he didn't need to hide. He was present at Wayne's battle scene as an observer, akin to a phantom.
By now, the Black Dragon was on its last legs, entering a near-death state. For any other ordinary monster, a hunter could choose to capture it with a trap in this state to obtain more materials.
But as the final boss, the Black Dragon could not be captured. Humans simply didn't possess traps large enough to hold it.
The field was filled with the scent of death and the marks of courage.
After a short while, following a long roar, the dragon collapsed completely. Wayne pulled out a slender short blade and began carving materials from its carcass.
"Sorry, Master. I was right in the middle of a hunt. To keep you from waiting, I had to pull you in this way."
Mathias: "Should I interpret this as a show of force?"
Without stopping his hands, Wayne laughed. "If this counts as a show of force, then I have many other methods that are far more intimidating than this."
Mathias: "This dragon... it seems larger than what my agents reported to me... and more..."
Before he could finish, Wayne cut to the point: "And more like the Black Dragon in Blackrock Mountain, right?"
Mathias smiled faintly. As ninety seconds passed, the two were transported to the Hunter's Gathering Hall. Here, Mathias officially entered the game, his clothes replaced by the basic starter gear.
Mathias looked down at the changes to his body, feeling the air, the breeze, and the tactile sensations of his limbs. "If I had a choice, I would certainly be willing to spend more time here."
"But reality is still waiting for me to protect it. Young man, it seems you guessed I was coming today?"
Wayne walked toward him, and the two found a bench in the village to sit down.
"Don't worry, Master. The people here are called NPCs. You can think of them as dolls that aren't much different from real people. I'm sure Kerane told you—this is the safest place to exchange information, bar none."
No surprise showed on Mathias's face, a result of his vast experience.
Those who had personally witnessed the opening of the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands—watching countless, once unimaginable Orcs flood into Azeroth like a tide from another world, brandishing weapons, eyes glowing blood-red, and letting out terrifying roars—more or less ceased to find anything in this world incomprehensible.
No matter how surprised they were, they wouldn't find it irrational.
Wayne tucked the gold rewarded by the Gathering Hall into his bag and continued, "Yes, I know you would come."
Mathias didn't know how Wayne knew all this. "I know you exploited a blind spot in SI:7's compartmentalized communication to bluff Kerane. Indeed, as a low-level agent, her knowledge is limited. However, that trick won't work on me."
"I might even say I know far more than the Regent Lord himself."
Wayne smiled. "I admit that, Master. But what you don't know is how I know all of this."
Mathias laughed as well. "Interesting. Communicating with you is truly entertaining."
"So, how do you know Tyrion?"
On the surface, Wayne was calm and composed. However, he had been using a mystifying approach, circling around in conversation while repeatedly feigning a direct attitude.
Hearing the name "Tyrion," he finally connected it with his memories from before he crossed over.
The quest titled "The Ambush" would never have left such a deep impression on players if it were just a simple matter of lying in wait and killing a target. After all, there were dozens of such quests in World of Warcraft. But the step right before that quest involved a ridiculous gnome named Tyrion asking the player to buy a fresh red apple!
Many people who didn't use guides couldn't figure out that this red apple had to be bought from a girl named Clara in the orchard north of Goldshire—who also happened to be the neighbor of the deceased Braden couple.
It was this unexpected step that caused countless players to curse the quest designer in their hearts while running the errand.
"I don't know him, but I know he is in Stormwind Keep. And the fact that you are here proves he has verified the truth of my words."
Mathias found things increasingly intriguing. "So you don't know him, yet you somehow know what he discovered in the gardens of Stormwind Keep? I am very interested in that."
Wayne shrugged. "Don't doubt your people; they didn't leak anything to me. I have my own information channels."
Mathias naturally wouldn't doubt his subordinates. His agents observed every move of the net cafe every day; Mathias could see exactly which guest came and how long they played in his reports.
"Speak then. While I'm not in a hurry, it would be nice to get back early and squeeze in an hour or two of sleep."
"By the way, that woodland and the house belonging to the Bradens can be yours, provided your next piece of intel truly helps us find His Majesty the King."
Wayne smiled, this time with a wide grin. "Master, though I don't want to hike up the price, isn't a small orchard for the King of Stormwind... a bit of an unequal exchange?"
Mathias had excellent patience, but not on all topics. He didn't pull back his smile, but his eyes became exceptionally serious. Combined with the smile, his gaze became even more chilling. "Do you realize what you are using as a bargaining chip? With that one sentence, some people in Stormwind Keep could charge you with treason and suspect you are in league with those who kidnapped the King."
"Young man, do not play with fire where you shouldn't."
Wayne maintained his smile, completely ignoring Mathias's warning. "You might as well hear me out first."
Then, Wayne began to describe the situation of the Stormwind loyalists—Mathias's faction—which almost every Alliance player knew, but which in this world was a secret of high-level power struggles unknown to outsiders.
"Since the Stonemasons' Riot, Stormwind hasn't known peace, and you, the head of SI:7, haven't had a moment's rest either."
"Find the Queen's killer, find the Defias Brotherhood's lair, find their informants among the nobles... and now, find where the King is, and find who kidnapped him."
"What gives you an even bigger headache is trying to find out what has made the once bold and decisive Regent Lord so hesitant and indecisive."
"Actually, you have the answer in your heart, but you don't understand it. So you're still looking, trying to find out why that person is doing what they are doing."
"In short, you and your colleagues have spent almost every day for the past few years searching—searching for the answers to one mystery after another."
"As an intelligence master, when you cannot fully analyze the entire chain of information, you cannot blindly force one link open, because that will break the entire chain."
As Mathias listened, he reviewed the facts he had repeatedly confirmed recently.
How did this person open such a net cafe? How did he get connected with the heads of the professional guilds in Stormwind? How did he know these things that even I know? How could he even draw even in a fight with a rogue like me who has spent half a lifetime in the field?
However, he was simply too busy. As Wayne said, he had to withstand the pressure of the House of Nobles while Bolvar was unable to provide more support—sometimes even hindering his movements—all while sifting through countless agent reports with his colleagues to find the King's whereabouts.
Fortunately, the mysteries surrounding Wayne were not part of that cycle. After determining the net cafe was an ally and not an enemy, he had placed Tess under Wayne's protection, which was effectively placing an agent right inside the cafe.
Yet, after chatting with Wayne for just a short while, he found this enigmatic young man even more inscrutable.
It was like a game of chess; every time he planned five or six moves ahead, his opponent had already guessed those moves.
Mathias: "You're right. But that also means we've already grasped a lot of information. The traitor Tyrion found in the garden is a very important link."
Wayne shook his head. "That person must be eliminated, but he doesn't know where the old King is. He's just a lackey helping his master tip off the Defias Brotherhood."
Mathias asked immediately: "Then why exactly is his master doing this?"
Wayne didn't answer directly. Changing the subject, he asked, "Master, have you met Khadgar?"
Mathias: "More than just met. we once fought side by side."
Wayne: "Then you must know the reason why he grew old?"
Mathias nodded. "Medivh's spell cursed him... He is a true hero."
Wayne: "Then do you know what Marshal Windsor saw in that time spell?"
Mathias, who had felt Wayne was circling around again, felt a "buzz" in his brain the moment he heard that sentence. His brow furrowed, and he felt as if every hair on his head was standing on end. "Is that why you showed me that Black Dragon just now?!"
Wayne nodded. "He saw in the time spell that he would ultimately die under the claws of a Black Dragon. Because of that, he has been devotedly searching for clues about the Black Dragons ever since."
Mathias knew what Wayne was implying. "So... you mean, behind that person... it's a Black Dragon providing help?"
Wayne laughed. "Master, let's talk terms first. My net cafe is too small; I want to expand. I've already picked out the place. I provide the information, you handle the formalities. I'll help you find the King and uproot every opponent in that cycle. And I just want that one small piece of land."
Mathias laughed too, but it was a self-deprecating laugh, realizing that not only had his body entered Wayne's virtual space, but his thoughts had also walked right into Wayne's trap.
"You can tell me which piece. As long as it isn't Stormwind Keep or the Cathedral of Light, I can try to consider anything else."