Chapter 678: Did a Kobold Just Come?

Clearly, the game World of Warcraft was far more massive than any that had come before.

Its sheer scale and staggering scope utterly transcended anything in past experience.

Thus, the patrons of the new shop harbored no doubts regarding the quality of this mystic realm; rather, they wondered whether such a colossal world framework could hold together, and which supreme power of the Eastern Continent was orchestrating its existence.

As for the rest...

If a mystic realm of such unparalleled grandeur could be brought to life with such mastery, how could its other aspects possibly fall short of the realms crafted by major workshops like the Dulan Workshop?

There was simply no need for concern on that front.

Consequently, a profound curiosity gripped the crowds who had just watched the broadcast at White Dove Square in Canglan City, as well as the players inside the new shop.

"Blizzard Entertainment"?

Unfamiliar with the name, the patrons of the new shop stared intently at the logo, murmuring, "What kind of workshop is this 'Blizzard Entertainment'? Is it truly that formidable?"

Meanwhile, the veterans of the old shop wore expressions of sheer astonishment: "Hiss—! Is this Senior 'Blizzard' always this miraculous whenever they release a game?!"

To them, Blizzard was the legendary creator behind masterpieces like Diablo II and StarCraft; though they had wondered why the studio had been quiet of late, it turned out they were merely conjuring such a monumental masterstroke.

"Young Master Song, this World of Warcraft is an absolute must-buy!" Lin Shao and Xu Luo exclaimed repeatedly as they scrolled through the information on the official website.

"It's not even a question of whether to buy it anymore!" Song Qingfeng shot them a look of disdain. "It seems World of Warcraft divides players into two mutually hostile factions. According to the details here, choosing different sides means even communication becomes difficult. We need to decide which faction to join first so we don't end up scattered all over the place."

In Dungeon & Fighter, the focus lay primarily within dungeon instances and Arena duels; though the system version featured open-world areas, the conflicts paled in comparison to those of The Legend of Mir 2. The atmosphere remained relatively harmonious, restricted at most to shouting matches via megaphone items like Gabriel.

Players could easily enjoy themselves even if they belonged to different guilds.

Yet World of Warcraft was an entirely different beast; the Alliance and the Horde spoke separate tongues and were born adversaries. A wrong choice meant they could never journey together in the same party.

"Should we consult the old class monitor?" From the moment they joined the Yellow Class up through the First Class, Nalan Mingxue had always held the mantle of class monitor, and by now she was fondly regarded as their venerable leader. "By the way, will Instructor Mu be playing this? We should all enlist in the same faction when the time comes!"

At that moment, within Owner Fang’s Sightseeing Tour chat group, Black Demon of Half-City, bearing his title as Leader of the Black Demon Guild, sent a message: "@Royal Guild Spokesperson, which faction are you heading into? How about we choose the opposing side?"

Tang Yuan, the Master of the Yuanheng Pavilion, quickly chimed in: "Are we preparing for another showdown at the Imperial City?"

...

Meanwhile, Nalan Mingxue opened the official website, carefully reviewing the lore and data concerning the two grand factions, their various classes, and their distinct races.

Inside the new establishment in Canglan City, a gathering of elves was eagerly browsing the website, engaged in animated discussion: "Elder, Elder, which race should we choose when the time comes?"

"The elves, of course!" Elder Ciwei replied without a shred of hesitation, her countenance radiating an immense, innate pride in her lineage.

She then cast a look of mild disdain upon the younger elves, as if to ask: Could you possibly contemplate choosing any other race?!

"But..." a young elven maiden named Serra pointed to the text on the screen, "these Forsaken are also led by an elf..."

"Furthermore..." another elf added from the side, "look at this, Elder... Unreleased Race: Blood Elves! These Blood Elves seem far more similar to us! Those Night Elves have dark skin; it isn't very aesthetic. I believe we should first join the Forsaken to fight alongside this elven leader, familiarize ourselves with this mystic realm, and later align with these High Elves, or Blood Elves."

"No, no!" Elder Ciwei shook her head firmly. "These Night Elves revere nature, which aligns perfectly with our elven ideals! It is the spirit, not mere outward appearance, that we must value, my children!"

"Well... a darker complexion isn't so bad... doesn't it actually look rather striking?" Owner Fang interjected casually as he strolled past.

"..."

"Hmph! Human aesthetics!"

"Where is the beauty in that!" They cast a collective look of scorn at Owner Fang.

Ignoring Owner Fang, they resumed their fervent debate.

The elven council was clearly locked in a deeply impassioned dispute.

...

The denizens of the Nora Continent had long grown accustomed to the various humanoid, non-human races dwelling within their world.

Take, for instance, the diverse beastman tribes residing in the distant Beastman Mountain Range, far removed from the Morning Star Empire.

It was worth noting that they were not the green-skinned orcs seen in Warcraft; rather, their appearance resembled upright, speaking beast-kin like the Tauren or Worgen.

Because of this similarity, the players of the new shop had instantly assumed the Tauren in the cinematic trailer were simply beastmen.

This was a distinct race; legends held that their deity had once bestowed wisdom upon common beasts and granted them speech, delivering them from a savage existence of blood and raw flesh, leading to their present form through countless generations of evolution.

Across this vastly sprawling continent, they possessed their own kingdom and a unique civilization.

Yet, to his dismay, not a single beastman had set foot in the shop thus far.

"Ah—! What a miscalculation! A truly grand blunder!" Owner Fang massaged his temples in vexation. When he had first arrived on this continent, he had frequently spotted armored, humanoid creatures with the heads of bulls or tigers; why was it that since coming to this city, not a single one was to be found?!

"Hmm? Boss...?" The assassin, Haxin, who was just about to pay for computer time, noticed Owner Fang's distressed expression and asked, "What seems to be the matter...?"

"Ugh..." Owner Fang looked up, expressing a touch of exasperation. "Do you know why we never see any beastmen in this kingdom?"

"Beastmen...?" Haxin inquired with curiosity. "Why do you ask, Boss? The reason is simple enough: this kingdom is quite distant from the Beastman Kingdom, so... it's only natural that they are a rare sight here."

"What should I do then...?" Was he truly reduced to traveling to another nation just to abduct a few beastmen?

At that very moment, just outside the city gates of Canglan City.

"Good heavens! What a magnificent place! Welcome to 'Travels in the Human Kingdom,' brought to you by Mr. De! Right now, you are looking at humanity's renowned Dawn Empire and the bustling metropolis of Canglan City!" Before the gates stood a beastman sporting the head of a Shiba Inu, clad in light armor and wrapped in a brilliant crimson scarf, exclaiming with open arms, "What a vibrant human realm!"

Beside him stood a slightly portly beastman with the black head of a bull, dressed in leather armor. He had erected a simple stone magical rod nearby, planted into the earth like a staff; atop it rested a magic crystal of fine quality, which seemed to capture the surrounding scenery, serving evidently as a device for magical projection.

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