Even though Arthas had departed from the future timeline, due to his disappearance, the expedition team had not ventured deeper into Eldre'Thalas during this period, so there had been no progress.
As a result, Arthas realized that the time he could remain here was not abundant.
After thorough consideration, Arthas decided to return to Lordaeron first to make preparations, while the exploration of Eldre'Thalas could be directly handed over to Kael'thas and Brann.
One of them was a long-lived, knowledgeable Elven Mage, and the other was a reckless but well-informed Dwarven explorer. Eldre'Thalas was very suitable for them to explore.
Currently, no Ogres had entered Eldre'Thalas. The greatest dangers were the spirits and corrupted creatures within, but their exploration focus was mainly on the western district, so they would not intersect with these two forces in the short term.
Even if conflicts arose, Arthas was confident that Kael'thas and his Mage troops were not to be underestimated, and with a group of 'reckless' Dwarves who often roamed various dangerous areas, Eldre'Thalas was not particularly dangerous for them.
Arthas's original purpose in coming was to see if the ancient Elves had left behind any valuable treasures or information worth excavating, and it would be even better if he could interact with the Highborne hiding within the city.
However, because he had delayed some time, his father was summoning him back to Lordaeron, and Arthas had already, by chance, gained great benefits from Eldre'Thalas, so there was no need to stay in this city any longer.
Of course, the valuable things hidden in Eldre'Thalas were far more than this, but Arthas truly could not stay here indefinitely waiting for everything to be excavated.
If the Highborne intended to contact the Alliance later, Arthas only needed to contact Kael'thas and have him help open a portal.
After communicating with Brann and Kael'thas, they also approved of this approach. After all, the Dwarves and High Elves currently had no troubles and had relatively abundant Elves and time to explore Eldre'Thalas.
Remember m in one second.
However, before leaving, Arthas asked Brann some questions.
"Ah, you mean our neighbors... It seems they have indeed had much less contact with the Alliance recently. Even in the fight against the demons, they only provided equipment and materials, without sending troops to participate," Brann stroked his bushy beard, talking about the Gnomes' situation.
As he spoke, Brann himself realized that something was amiss. "Now that you mention it, I do feel something is wrong. The Gnomes are considered the most loyal members of the Alliance; they shouldn't seem so indifferent, unless..."
"Unless they've encountered trouble, and the kind where they can't even protect themselves," Kael'thas interjected. "Although I find some Gnomes really noisy, I have to say, these guys are still very friendly."
There were also many Gnome Mages and other self-employed individuals from Gnomeregan in Dalaran, so Gnomes were not unfamiliar to Kael'thas.
So Brann's hand unconsciously tightened its grip on his beard. "If that's really the case... then it's bad. Those little guys are sometimes very stubborn and will never ask others for help if they think it's their own business."
The leader of the Gnome race is not a king or a prime minister, but The Great Tinker, the most respected and skilled engineer among them.
Because these small creatures are extremely fascinated by the mysteries of engineering and machinery, these are as important and noble to them as magic is to the Elves.
And the current The Great Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque is the most outstanding among contemporary Gnome engineers. At the same time, he is also an excellent leader, but Dwarves who are close to Gnomes almost all know that this The Great Tinker has a fatal flaw.
— He sometimes focuses too much on his inventions and creations, neglecting other conflicts and problems.
When conducting research, Mekkatorque's mind is at its sharpest, but also at its most sluggish in reacting to the outside world. Brann connected this to Gnomeregan's increasingly sparse contact with Ironforge recently, and all sorts of bad premonitions surged forth.
"Arthas, since you are returning to the Eastern Kingdoms, please contact Magni on your way and ask him to inquire if the Gnomes have encountered any trouble."
Dwarves are very concerned about their neighbors who also live in Dun Morogh, and almost all of Ironforge's and the Alliance's steam tanks, gyrocopters, and other products come from the Gnomes of Gnomeregan.
If the Gnomes truly encountered trouble, then helping them would be the best choice, both according to the alliance treaty and the vital interests of each nation.
These clever little guys never meddle in the affairs of other nations; they always quietly research new inventions in their mechanical city.
Who wouldn't like such allies?
Arthas, of course, knew the current situation of Gnomeregan, and what he wanted was Brann's message, firstly to enable Ironforge to react quickly, and secondly to allow the Gnomes to accept the Alliance's help with peace of mind.
The matter of Gnomeregan was also part of the reason Arthas returned to the Eastern Kingdoms. Of course, more importantly, it was the Burning Steppes, which hindered north-south communication like a thorn in the throat.
Solving the problems in the Burning Steppes required not only an army, but also a large number of strong individuals united to contend with the two forces deep within Blackrock Mountain in the Burning Steppes.
After helping the Gnomes solve the difficulties of Gnomeregan, Arthas planned to consolidate his strength in Dun Morogh. When the time was right, he would cooperate with Stormwind's forces in the south to completely eliminate all hostile forces in the entire Burning Steppes in one fell swoop.
Once the threat in the Burning Steppes was eliminated, although the desolate Searing Gorge and Burning Steppes could not yield grain, timber, or even accommodate residents, the ground beneath them contained rich mineral deposits and energy sources awaiting development.
The appearance of Ragnaros the Firelord almost changed the topography of half of the Redridge Mountains, but at the same time, it also caused those ore veins to appear on the surface. Meanwhile, the underground flowing magma and flame core, in this world where magic and dark technology combine, are fully capable of being utilized.
And the Gnomes are an important link in achieving these goals. At the same time, this is also the best way to arm mortal Legions—just look at the Iron Horde, which acquired some Goblin technology, and you'll know that besides swords and magic, technology is also an important means of changing fate.
For beings like Arthas, whose strength has surpassed mortal limits and entered a new level, items produced by Azeroth's current technological level are not of much significance. However, there is an almost insurmountable difference between an army armed with swords and bows and an army possessing guns and cannons.
Azeroth's technology tree is very peculiar because Gnome technology actually originates from the Titans' ultimate black technology.
Don't let the Titans' divine power fool you; their research into technology is just as profound as their mastery of magic.
The Pantheon's ability to terraform different planets in the universe is not only due to their authority and power, but also because they possess 'God-tier technology' far beyond human imagination.
Of course, these technologies were not fully inherited. In fact, because the transmission of technology relies heavily on the transmission of information, after the fall of the Pantheon, most of the Titan technology fell into the hands of the Burning Legion, or was lost or destroyed in the endless starry sky.
This led to Azeroth still primarily following a development path centered on magic and swords.
However, for the Gnomes, who had once 'peered' into Titan technology, they could even directly imitate and replicate some weakened versions from the Titan technology they knew, without relying on complete theoretical frameworks.
Coupled with the Gnomes' continuously accumulating scientific research capabilities, they actually managed to create a large number of things that looked impressive but were practically useless, in an era dominated by swords and magic, and even when many theoretical frameworks might have been missing.
However, as the number of these miscellaneous inventions continuously increased, there would always be one or two particularly useful ones that emerged.
For example, steam tanks, gyrocopters, and even intelligent robots. It's unclear how the Gnomes used punch-card computers to create robots that could be deployed in various tasks!
Although those robots looked crude, they were genuine, capable of movement and combat, and could even reflect magic!
Arthas didn't know whether to praise the Titan technology or the Gnomes' brilliant minds.
Of course, the Gnomes' creations, while impressive at first glance, actually had significant flaws. In Arthas's view, the main problem was that, apart from products that had been in use for a long time, most inventions lacked the capacity for mass production.
Gnomeregan is a completely mechanical city, even a steampunk one, but its production capacity is still limited to a few specific products, not enough to support the scale of production Arthas desired.
Moreover, Gnomeregan is a city built within mountains. Even if the Gnomes' technology were more advanced, the efficiency of digging and building simultaneously would always be slower than direct construction.
Only when the Alliance truly possesses an industrial chain sufficient to support the entire Alliance will Arthas's blueprint truly begin to take shape, and the first step of this blueprint is precisely in the Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge, which can almost be considered transportation hubs.
Their unique geographical advantages are not discernible by the people of the current era. They only know that the strategic location of the Burning Steppes is very important, but they do not know that behind it lies the symbol of the rapid development of the entire Alliance.
The Burning Steppes must be taken!
Not to mention, to the west of the Searing Gorge, a sharp descent from the mountains leads directly into an excellent deep-water port! Once a railway can be built, the Alliance's capacity for transporting vital strategic materials will far exceed everyone's imagination.
The Dwarves and Gnomes can even build a subway directly to Stormwind, so building a railway along the mountains is entirely within their capabilities.
To the north of the Searing Gorge are Ironforge, Gnomeregan, the Minas Hill of the Wetlands, and further north is the continent of Lordaeron.
And not far to the south is Stormwind's port. The canyon and plains located in the center of the continent have clearly become Arthas's ideal strategic stronghold and industrial origin.
What Arthas needed to consider was not whether he could take this 'feng shui treasure land' that others considered a desolate wasteland, but when, how, and at what cost he could seize control of them.
— This will definitely be a turning point for the Alliance's growth.
...
"The Master has not given us instructions for some time." Kel'Thuzad's projection appeared in the hall of Icecrown Citadel. "Now the construction of Icecrown Citadel is almost complete, and the outer defensive lines are nearing completion. What should we do next?"
Varimathras said maliciously, "Perhaps we can turn our gaze to Dragonblight... there are very precious resources there."
Kel'Thuzad remained silent regarding Varimathras's statement for the time being, although this was a plan he had also considered, and resurrecting the bones of powerful creatures was also a study of necromancy.
"No, His Majesty, Arthas said that we must never easily send large numbers of Undead into Dragonblight," Sir Lothar unhesitatingly rejected Varimathras's suggestion. "We are not Necromancers who expand wildly and act on instinct. Provoking the Dragons rashly is not a good idea."
"I am rebuilding the underground kingdom of Azjol-Nerub, which will take some time." Anub'arak rubbed his sharp claws. He was not idle, so he did not feel as aimless as the others.
"Alright, you certainly have something to do, but what about us? We can't just watch these low-level Skeletons and Ghouls do hard labor. I believe Lich King will definitely agree to us increasing the strength of the Scourge."
Varimathras's voice sounded again, "We can avoid Dragonblight... But surely we can use those excellent resources in Icecrown Glacier? Otherwise, after such a long time, we will have accomplished nothing, and His Majesty will still be angry."
Sir Lothar frowned upon hearing this. He, of course, knew what Varimathras was referring to; he was merely setting his sights on that Dragon skeleton. However, Arthas had once mentioned something to him: Weaver Malygos's... mind was not very stable.
"Enough, Varimathras, you are merely the Master's defeated subordinate. If you speak another word, I will send you to stoke the furnace." Kel'Thuzad noticed Sir Lothar's expression and stopped Varimathras from speaking again. "Sir Lothar, indeed, the Undead Scourge is still very fragile. We should look for ways to strengthen our power. For example, those Vrykul from last time were a good start."
"I know, Kel'Thuzad, but there are only so many Vrykul in Northrend, and most of them have not yet awakened from their slumber."
Sir Lothar felt a headache. Arthas had instructed him to appropriately and timely strengthen the Scourge, but currently, Northrend offered no room for the Undead Scourge to develop.
Just as the Scourge leaders were at a loss, the Lich King's low echo made them all straighten up.
"If you encounter problems, speak quickly. My time is limited."