The abandoned factory was located some distance from Hell's Kitchen. The drive had taken over an hour to reach this desolate area. Surrounded by barren lands, Garus came to a halt after walking for a while.
Continuing on foot seemed futile, as the journey ahead was uncertain. After some thought, Garus decided to summon his Acherus Deathcharger.
In recent days, he had avoided calling upon the Death Knight's steed to suppress memories of his Paladin days. Back in Azeroth, his faithful charger had saved him countless times, carrying his wounded body through enemy lines. To Paladins, their steeds were more than mounts; they were family.
A flicker of spectral green light erupted, revealing a majestic steed clad in black armor. Its eyes and hooves emitted ghostly white flames, and two sharp, curved horns adorned its head. While it lacked the shining grandeur of a Paladin's charger, the Deathcharger's eerie, powerful aura was unmistakable.
A thought crossed Garus' mind: Could the steed from his summoning space have been transformed, just like him? Almost as if sensing his question, the Deathcharger lowered its head and nuzzled against his arm, a familiar gesture that left Garus momentarily stunned.
"System, has my old Paladin charger been transformed alongside me?" he asked aloud.
"Yes," came the system's succinct reply.
Overcome with emotion, Garus hugged the steed's head. They had been companions for over a decade, and he had assumed that losing his Paladin's summoning contract meant he'd never see it again.
Mounting the steed, Garus joyfully exclaimed, "Golden Spark, let's go!"
The charger snorted indignantly, pawing the ground.
"Alright, alright," Garus chuckled, looking at the charger's jet-black form. "I guess you're Black Shadow now."
With a piercing neigh, the Deathcharger dashed forward, leaving a trail of white flames in its wake. The speed astounded Garus; it was far faster than his old Paladin charger and even outpaced most cars. What had taken over an hour by vehicle now only required twenty minutes.
As the towering buildings of the city came into view, Garus decided it was best to dismount. Riding a spectral steed into the city would draw far too much attention. He dismounted and, with a flash of the summoning circle, the Deathcharger returned to its contracted space.
Making his way back to the villa on foot, Garus felt an odd sense of incompleteness. Something important had been overlooked. After some thought, he realized he hadn't yet constructed two essential tools for a Death Knight: the Runeforge and the teleportation node for Death Gate.
The Runeforge was a critical asset for enhancing a Death Knight's Runeblade with magical augmentations, significantly boosting their combat abilities. Setting up a forge required a base model, but Garus was unwilling to let anyone else into his private villa.
Spotting the fireplace in his living room, a thought struck him. Could it be repurposed into a Runeforge? The idea seemed feasible.
Garus accessed the system's exchange shop, spending 1,000 points on various materials: Saronite ore, a Frost Orb, Bloodstone, and Inscription Ink. This left him with 8,000 points.
Using the Inscription Ink, he etched runes onto the fireplace's surface, each representing different forging effects. Then, channeling the death energy within him, he summoned a pale flame, melting the Saronite ore into a pool of green liquid.
Controlling the molten metal, he guided it along the inscribed runes, infusing them with its essence. This completed the first step—the inscription of the Unholy Rune. He then repeated the process with the Frost Orb and Bloodstone, integrating them into the frost and blood runes respectively.
When a surge of green flames erupted from the fireplace, Garus knew his first Runeforge was a success.
Building the forge had not been overly complex. When he became a Death Knight, knowledge of these constructs had been imprinted into his mind.
Taking out his Runeblade from his spatial pouch, Garus brought it closer to the forge. Activating the surrounding magical runes with unholy energy, he watched as the forge's power enveloped the blade.
For this enhancement, he chose the Rune of the Fallen Crusader, a potent Unholy Rune that granted a chance to increase the wielder's strength by 15% while also siphoning life from enemies.
Testing the blade with a few swings, Garus felt it settle naturally into his grip. Perhaps it was just an illusion, but it seemed more responsive than before.
Satisfied with the Runeforge, Garus checked the time. It was still early enough to tackle the construction of Death Gate.
Death Gate, a spatial teleportation magic exclusive to Death Knights, required a spatial beacon for precise targeting. Without one, opening a gate could lead to unpredictable and dangerous locations.
In the exchange shop, Garus found the spatial beacon stone he needed, priced at a steep 2,000 points. With only 6,000 points left, he reluctantly made the purchase.
Returning to his bedroom, he drew a one-meter diameter magic circle on the floor with Inscription Ink. The complex array of runes—a perfect replica from his imprinted memories—took considerable time to complete. Placing the spatial beacon stone at the center, Garus infused it with his death energy.
The beacon stone sank into the floor and disappeared, establishing a connection Garus could sense. It felt as if only a thin veil of space separated him from it.
"Death Gate," he commanded, slashing the air with his Runeblade. A shimmering purple portal appeared before him, its interior pitch black.
Recalling that this was his first attempt, Garus decided to test its functionality. Grabbing a pillow from his bed, he tossed it into the portal. Moments later, the same pillow dropped from an identical portal that had materialized above the magic circle.
Success! His handiwork had proven reliable, and Garus felt a surge of pride.
Once both the Runeforge and Death Gate were operational, Garus realized he should have placed them in more discreet locations.
"Oh well," he muttered with a shrug. "It shouldn't cause too much trouble."
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