"How could you have become like this, my brother?" Malfurion watched Illidan warily. He wasn't sure if Illidan had lost his mind, but in ancient times, most people corrupted by fel energy would become insane.
Illidan saw his brother's wary expression, as if he were facing a great enemy, and a strange sense of loss suddenly came over him. But then, thinking of his ten thousand years of imprisonment, it vanished without a trace.
Caring about others' opinions had no meaning, even if it was his own brother. If his brother still didn't understand his actions, then Illidan felt he had nothing more to say.
"Don't be so tense. Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about your forest," Illidan said, tying Gul'dan's skull to his waist with a piece of cloth. "Otherwise, the next time we meet, perhaps I'll be the one cleaning up your mess."
With that, Illidan did not linger. He flapped his wings, soared into the sky, broke through the obstruction of the tree canopy, and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Malfurion took a few steps, looking up in the direction Illidan had departed. He hesitated for a moment, then did not transform to pursue him, but instead turned to look at the corrupted woodland.
The Arch Druid plucked a vibrant green leaf and placed it in his hand. He infused it with a bit of nature's power, and the leaf, as expected, quickly turned into black, charcoal-like residue, as if corroded by strong acid.
Just as he had expected, the woodland was almost completely corrupted by Tichondrius. These seemingly vibrant trees had actually been eroded by fel energy long ago, leaving behind only empty shells.
Malfurion sighed. He didn't know if all of this was related to Illidan, but seeing his own brother fall into a demon still left him with complex emotions.
Not long after Illidan left, other Druids who had come to assist arrived. They looked at Malfurion, who was standing there in a daze, and tentatively asked, "Arch Druid, have you found anything?"
Malfurion shook his head and walked out in the opposite direction from where the Druids had arrived, leaving the bewildered Druids looking at each other, unsure of what had happened.
...
Arthas nodded. "Felwood Forest has been corrupted. Do they hope we send people to support them? I understand."
Watching the elven messenger leave the tent, Arthas shifted his gaze to Varian. Varian grunted, asking strangely, "Why are you looking at me? Purifying corruption should be something Paladins are better at, right?"
"This isn't just a matter of purifying corruption," Arthas replied. "The Night Elves are clearly facing an insurmountable problem and hope we send aid, and the demons in Ashenvale have already been dealt with by the orcs."
"So, they hope we share the risk of demons appearing in Felwood Forest?" Varian scratched his chin. "Then should we send troops into Felwood?"
Arthas's knuckles gently tapped the sand table. He gazed at the map of Felwood and slowly said, "Felwood Forest is the only way to Mount Hyjal, but it has been corrupted. If we fight demons here, it's like sinking into the deepest part of a quagmire."
The corrupted Felwood was no longer suitable for life. Whether human or elf, if they insisted on fighting demons in the corrupted forest, there would be great risks and burdens.
But for now, the Elves clearly hadn't completely given up on Felwood. They wanted to try one last time to save their forest.
However, Arthas knew that to completely clear such a large area of corruption, even if the Elves poured all their strength into it, it wouldn't be something that could be resolved in a short time. Moreover, the demons would certainly continue to cause trouble, disrupting the Elves' plan to purify the forest.
To Arthas, the Elves' approach was too greedy. They hadn't even finished solving the most urgent matter, yet they were already thinking about repairing the damage the demons had caused them.
"However... this is pretty much what we expected. At least the Elves understand the seriousness of the situation. At the right time, we can build defensive fortifications on Mount Hyjal."
Arthas spoke of his plans and planted the Alliance flag on Mount Hyjal. "By the way, have the Alliance reinforcements gathered at Theramore?"
Muradin took out a document. "The vanguard troops from Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas have gathered at Theramore through the portal. The Mage forces from Dalaran have also arrived. Stormwind, Ironforge, and other subsequent units are gathering at various ports, preparing to set sail for Kalimdor.
Kul Tiras is establishing stable shipping routes to provide continuous logistical support for us."
The number of Alliance troops landing in Kalimdor this time was far greater than the number of soldiers in the First Legion stationed at Theramore. Supplies could no longer be solved by teleportation and ordinary shipping. They needed a stable and safe shipping route, and in this regard, Kul Tiras was clearly the most professional.
With Daelin in charge of this matter, Arthas naturally wouldn't worry. If the Naval Commander got hot-headed when he saw orcs, then he would simply send Daelin away and make sure he didn't see any orcs.
Next, they just needed Jaina to be prepared so that when the Alliance began to build defensive fortifications, they could continuously receive support—the battle of Mount Hyjal would not be a long-term war. Archimonde's power would continuously tilt the scales towards the Burning Legion. All they needed to do was slightly delay the demons' advance, allowing the Elves to harden their hearts and come up with a countermeasure.
While Arthas was thinking, his heart suddenly trembled. He abruptly looked north. He felt it; destructive and tyrannical energy was gathering in Felwood Forest.
It seemed that Illidan had completely failed to stop Tichondrius. Didn't his plan still succeed? He also didn't know if that Dreadlord was dead... But looking at the current situation, if Tichondrius wasn't there, such a grand display shouldn't be possible.
Varian and Muradin were somewhat surprised by Arthas's actions. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just a gut feeling telling me that war is about to begin," Arthas said calmly. "Get ready, we might have to go to Felwood at any time—or even defend Mount Hyjal directly, you never know."
Although Muradin and Varian did not possess Arthas's soul ability, which could almost spread to every corner of Azeroth, they could sense the feeling of the eve of a storm from Arthas's tone.
Meanwhile, far away in Felwood, Malfurion, who was distraught by the forest's condition, felt as if struck by lightning. He heard the wails and cries of nature, and an extremely evil pressure was approaching Azeroth.
Malfurion's forehead instantly beaded with sweat. The overwhelming oppressive feeling even made Malfurion recall the War of the Ancients ten thousand years ago: the Burning Legion had truly returned, and they were more determined to destroy this world than they had been ten thousand years ago.