The battle wasn't truly over. The moment they exited the Mirror Dimension, several Stormwind guards surrounded them. Barthras and Varian were about to order the soldiers to stand down when they were shocked to see the group suddenly enter a frenzied state, their bodies gradually swelling and transforming into Black Dragonkin.
"They're the black dragon's minions!"
This was obvious, and there was no possibility of peaceful coexistence between the two sides—especially now that Onyxia had been slain.
Varian and Barthras may not have had the means to handle Onyxia, but dealing with a few Black Dragonkin was not difficult. Logan, who had been more of an observer during the earlier fight, could now step in and assert his presence—his reckless, self-sacrificing fighting style even stunned Varian.
What was most astonishing was that Logan's seemingly fearless combat approach was actually a tactic to draw enemy attacks. He would then counter-kill them the moment they were caught off guard by his unscathed state. His direct charge had caught the Black Dragonkin completely off guard, and several were killed by Logan's Adamantium claws on contact. Logan himself didn't suffer a scratch.
Although claws extending from his hands looked a bit strange, Varian truly admired Logan, this genuine "warrior." Especially in the following battle, Logan drew almost all of the Black Dragonkin's attention, allowing Varian and Barthras to swiftly cut them down. In the end, it only took a short time to clean up the charging Black Dragonkin.
"Thank you very much for your help."
"It's nothing."
Logan wasn't particularly friendly toward Varian, even though he knew this man was the king of the realm.
After eliminating the Black Dragonkin threat, they turned and saw that Jaina and Ethan had already walked over to the black dragon's corpse, examining it. The man who had released that terrifying frost magic and appeared to be Ethan's companion was sitting on a stone bench he had found, seemingly drained from his spell.
Loki was indeed recovering, but not from exhaustion. That previous attack hadn't just killed Onyxia—the backlash from releasing such immense frost energy had injured him.
Fortunately, Loki was a Frost Giant. Though the wounds were uncomfortable, they wouldn't cause lasting harm. As long as he treated them properly, time would heal them.
Compared to Loki, the minor injuries Ethan had suffered earlier were already negligible. He was circling Onyxia's corpse, examining it, and had finally determined the true cause of her death. Loki's frost power hadn't merely frozen most of her body. In the final moment, the frost had erupted inward, sending countless ice spikes from the frozen outer layer deep into her body. These spikes delivered an even more concentrated blast of frost energy to her core. That was the true killing blow that ended Onyxia.
While Jaina's lightning was powerful, it couldn't have killed a black dragon in a single strike. Creatures like black dragons possessed high resistance to magic. The greatest contribution of Jaina's lightning was to stun and disorient Onyxia, leaving her unable to react in time to Loki's decisive strike.
"Truly powerful magic."
This comment came from Jaina Proudmoore. She knew the power of her own spells well, so she had realized earlier than Ethan that the black dragon had died at Loki's hands. She had approached hoping to better understand the powerful effect of Loki's spell.
From what she could now see, no creature could withstand that spell head-on. The best strategy was to interrupt the casting or dodge it before it hit.
"Your magic is also very powerful."
Jaina shifted her gaze from the black dragon's corpse to Ethan beside her. His use of space magic was simply beyond her imagination. He had locked the space around Onyxia, preventing the black dragon from dodging her and Loki's attacks. If Loki's spell seemed avoidable, then Ethan's magic was terrifying because it left no room to escape.
Without anyone noticing, he had transported so many people into an independent space and was able to freely reinforce and seal off any part of it. If they weren't facing a creature as massive as a black dragon, he could have easily locked down a target and chosen whether to burn or freeze them to death at will.
"Thank you very much for the compliment."
Ethan didn't let the praise go to his head. While the black dragon's blood was still warm, he promptly drew a large bucket of it, storing it in a container he always kept prepared. As long as it was sealed inside, he didn't need to worry about it spoiling and could use it at any time.
As for parts like dragon scales, flesh, and sinews, there was no rush. Once Varian had handled the fallout from Baroness Prestor's schemes within Stormwind, Ethan could claim those materials.
He wouldn't be greedy. It was impossible to monopolize the entire corpse of a black dragon. A portion would be more than enough.
Watching Ethan's actions, Jaina, aside from wondering whether she should collect some dragon blood as well, began to believe he really was a traveling mage. This kind of pragmatic action was exactly what a mage would do.
"Are you staying in Stormwind next?"
"Yes."
Ethan was about to wipe his hands clean of dragon blood when he was surprised to discover the blood contained potent energy, seemingly capable of slightly enhancing his body.
After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately chose not to let this energy 'corrupt' his body. He wiped his hands clean, then used his magic to thoroughly examine himself. Only after confirming there were no lingering effects did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Ever since he used a potion made from divine blood to improve his body, he had developed a certain craving for energy-rich substances—like an empty vessel eager to be filled. However, if that energy hadn't been purified, he couldn't predict the consequences of absorbing it.
Moreover, there weren't many substances his body currently considered worthy, and black dragon blood wasn't something easily acquired.
After this brief delay, Loki had also recovered. The three 'mages' stood by the black dragon's corpse, lost in thought. The Black Dragonkin battle had long since ended, and Varian was now speaking with several people Ethan didn't recognize.
The battle with Onyxia had occurred inside the Mirror Dimension, so it had caused no major disturbance. However, the sudden appearance of a massive black dragon in Stormwind Keep, followed by the sounds of battle, had drawn attention from all sides. The city's nobles had sent out spies to gather information and were preparing to flee at a moment's notice.
The Cathedral of Light had also responded. Upon learning of the situation, many priests quickly arrived to tend to the wounded. Archbishop Benedictus even came in person, finally breathing a sigh of relief after confirming that the black dragon and all of the Black Dragonkin had been slain and the crisis was over.
As for the intelligence returned by the nobles' spies, those who had colluded with Baroness Katrana Prestor likely found it hard to sleep. They would now have to worry constantly about how the returning king would deal with them.
None of this concerned Ethan. He only cared whether Varian would honor his promises. Fortunately, the King of Stormwind was a man of his word.
"I've already arranged accommodations for you. The items you requested will be delivered soon. If you need anything else, just let me know."
Varian sincerely thanked Ethan. In today's battle, Ethan and his companions had made a significant contribution. Compared to that, the rewards he had to offer were trivial.
To have recruited such powerful aid with just some information—in every sense, Varian and the Stormwind Kingdom had profited.
Varian also expressed his gratitude to Jaina. Whether it was her prior assistance or her role in this battle, Jaina Proudmoore had played a key role.
As a leader, Jaina could not be dismissed with a few items. After some consideration, Varian offered a political promise in return.
"When the time comes, Stormwind will stand with Theramore."
This was no small promise. Although Theramore was a member of the Alliance, its neutral stance had long kept it on the sidelines. Theramore had virtually no influence. Any suggestions made by Jaina were often ignored by the other member states.
Now, with Stormwind's support, Theramore's status might not change overnight, but at least Jaina would have someone to support her peace proposals. As long as one voice agreed, it could spark discussion and increase the chance of success. Perhaps this was the real reason she had agreed to help Varian deal with the black dragon?
Ethan wasn't sure if Jaina was that politically shrewd, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he could now go to the arranged lodging, get some rest, and start reviewing the various materials Stormwind had collected.
Besides that, there was an unexpected benefit.
Because the information on Druids was quite superficial, Varian may have felt guilty about offering so little. So, he directly assigned Broll Bearmantle—the future Archdruid—to personally teach Ethan the core beliefs and abilities of the Druids.
(To be continued.)