"This crystal… is it the one you captured on the battlefield back then?"
Magni Bronzebeard carefully examined the crystal in his hand. The Holy Light energy contained within it was incredibly powerful, eliciting praise even from the experienced old dwarf.
"This is simply extraordinary. I can't wait to see it transformed into a weapon."
But after observing the crystal for a long time, Magni was still unsure how to maximize its effectiveness.
He tapped and prodded the Holy Light crystal with his fingers, continuously sensing the fluctuations of energy within it.
The dwarf king shook his head, his satisfied expression tinged with some regret.
"What a pity, what a pity. Although this crystal is powerful, it's simply too small, and given its material, it cannot be used to forge a weapon on its own."
Upon hearing this, Mograine's expression froze, but before he could urge Magni to think of a solution, Magni cheerfully added, "Of course, I never intended to use just this crystal."
"Light-forged iron resonates very well with the power of the Holy Light crystal. It will be the best raw material for your weapon—and I believe that with the power of this crystal, the properties of the Holy Light metal itself will undergo some changes."
Magni reminded Mograine, "I need some time to refine my ideas. Feel free to explore Ironforge during this period. It's not a bad idea to look around; you paladins usually don't have much time for leisure."
Mograine's face broke into a smile. "It is our duty to protect our country and territory, even if it's a bit tiring. I should thank you for taking the time to forge a weapon for me."
"Oh, by the way, what has Arthas been up to recently? Ask him to visit Ironforge when he has time."
Magni recalled the prince of Lordaeron, who always wore a confident smile, possessed great power, yet was approachable and lacked any of the bad habits of human nobles.
"Prince Arthas is probably busy hunting down those demons recently. They are the masterminds behind Lordaeron's plague," Mograine stated, relaying what he knew.
"Lordaeron's plague—I imagine that didn't cause too much trouble," Magni asked as he carefully placed the crystal into a magical container.
"If Prince Arthas had not given timely orders, making us vigilant, that strange plague that could reanimate the dead would have likely caused us considerable trouble."
Mograine sighed after speaking. "I was sent to deal with the demon incident with Prince Arthas, but I couldn't provide much help, and the final investigation still came to nothing."
"Don't worry, that kid Arthas always finds a way. He gives me the feeling that he has everything under control."
Magni chuckled heartily, "Once this crystal becomes a weapon, I think you'll be able to fulfill your duties even better."
Mograine's expression shifted slightly. The Highlord's face uncharacteristically became a bit uneasy and bewildered. "Although Prince Arthas didn't say it directly, I always sense that he seems to be constantly on guard against something.
Especially after the plague in Lordaeron, he has placed increasing importance on Lordaeron's military strength—which makes me feel that perhaps something big is about to happen."
Magni paused his movements. He slowly put away the magic box containing the crystal and walked to the window of the room.
Some rooms in Ironforge were carved through the mountain wall. Through the window of Magni's room, one could see the falling snow of Dun Morogh outside Ironforge.
"Arthas once talked to me about these things. I was also very puzzled; the arrival of the orcs came without any warning. We know far too little about the events behind this.
Aside from knowing that the fallen Guardian opened the gate to another world, we know nothing about the other reasons.
We sacrificed too much to fight the orcs. Thanks to the dedication of those fallen heroes, we at least managed to defend our homeland.
However, Lothar, Khadgar, Turalyon, Kurdran… and many others have left us.
Sometimes, I often wonder, can we withstand more disasters?"
Magni sighed deeply, then turned around. His cheeks were flushed by the forge fire, and his expression was weary yet resolute. "The answer is yes, because we have no choice but to fight for survival.
Each of us has people and things we care about. If we give up, invaders like the orcs will destroy everything."
… … … …
"This is why I accepted Varimathras's surrender." Arthas explained to Lothar and Ogrim from atop the Frozen Throne, "The Burning Legion knows almost everything about Azeroth, but we know very little about this Legion."
"Let him stay in Naxxramas. He can't do much anyway, and with Kel'Thuzad watching him, it will be difficult for him to find an opportunity to use magic to contact the Legion or other demons."
Arthas rubbed his brow. "Detheroc and Tichondrius are currently missing, but it is highly likely they have crossed the sea to Kalimdor. We need more power to help us resolve these two hidden dangers.
Sir Lothar, please select the souls willing to return to the real world, bestow new power upon them, and form an army of Death Knights.
Ogrim, I need you to temporarily serve as the trainer for this army, teaching them how to master their power and imparting runic skills to them.
Also, please convey to Thassarian that once he has eliminated the negative effects of the shadow energy, he will be responsible for leading those excellent Death Knights to follow my commands.
I will be heading to Kalimdor during this time. You two will temporarily be stationed in Northrend, curbing the useless growth of the undead. If needed, I will summon you."
Although Arthas conveyed this to Lothar and Ogrim, he would not easily use these two Death Knights again unless absolutely necessary.
Despite their immense power, their reputation was too great. If they were to appear in the public eye now, it would inevitably stir up a storm.
Previous missions were all covert operations and did not have much impact, but this time, heading to Kalimdor, Arthas felt that large-scale conflicts or even wars were very likely to erupt.
He did not believe that Tichondrius had done nothing during this period of no interference.
The entire Kalimdor might be littered with relics of the ancient elven empire, a quantity that even the Night Elves could hardly recover entirely, some of which were even dangerous items that could change the entire world.
In essence, Arthas's trip to Kalimdor this time was not only to track down the remaining two Nathrezim but also to unite with the elves and prepare for the worst.
No one would wish for the Burning Legion to descend. If they truly came, Arthas would also have to find a way to ensure that Azeroth's losses were not too severe.
"I hope Jaina and the others are doing well in Kalimdor."