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"Don't think of me as too perfect. First, tell me what it is, and then I'll consider whether to agree or not."
"You won't refuse," Dagran said as he put on his battle boots, "because you came for this very reason. The grievances between the Black Iron, Bronzebeard, and Wildhammer clans have existed for hundreds of years. Even without Ragnaros, we will not always maintain peace.
This probably goes completely against your intentions, Prince Arthas. All the information my intelligence officers and councilors have given me, combined, leads me to only one conclusion: you are integrating the power of the entire Eastern Kingdoms.
That's why you attacked Blackrock Mountain at this time, to eradicate all unstable factors. It looks like you are already close to achieving it, and that final step is not far off."
As Dagran spoke, he had already re-equipped most of his armor. He sat back, and his armor clanged dully against the Black Iron chair.
"I don't know how you plan to deal with Ragnaros; that's not within my scope of consideration. But no matter the outcome, it won't be a good ending for the Dark Iron Dwarves.
If you lose, needless to say, the Dark Iron Dwarves will still be Ragnaros's pawns, subjected to the daily exploitation and enslavement of that damned Elemental.
Of course, if you win, I imagine my Bronzebeard compatriots will never forget the trauma of the Three Hammers War."
Dagran chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I don't want history to record after my death that I was the last King of the Dark Iron Dwarves.
When I was young and naive, I once wondered why the three clans of Dwarves couldn't coexist peacefully, and what caused us to fall apart after the Mountain King passed away.
It's just that the answer to that question is no longer important, because what I got was always the answer from that time, not the answer I want today.
But there is someone who might find a turning point for this problem, Prince Arthas. In the Scarlet Crusade, there is a candidate who best fits your expectations."
Arthas carefully weighed Dagran's words. He looked at Dagran, who was now fully armored and in military attire, "It seems you weren't unprepared either?"
To his surprise, Dagran gave a bitter smile that didn't seem feigned, "Prepared… No, that was just a mistake I made once. Who would have thought that this mistake would today become the Dark Iron Dwarves' lifeline."
The Black Iron King's hand rested on the corner of the square table, "I have told you everything you wanted to know. It's time to fulfill your promise, Prince of Lordaeron."
Arthas nodded, "Then… farewell, Dagran Thaurissan."
"Farewell, Arthas Menethil."
Dagran's voice gradually faded amidst a blaze of fire. His magma-red eyes left afterimages in the air, but his body vanished without a trace in the flames.
The most famous "Witch King" Thaurissan and his wife were both renowned sorcerers. What the Thaurissan family inherited was not just knowledge as warriors.
Perhaps Dagran's easy defeat by Magni was also related to his own plan.
The Dark Iron Dwarves had been enslaved and exploited by the Fire Element for too long, almost forgetting the taste of freedom. To truly break free from Ragnaros's enslavement, simply breaking the curse was not enough. Dagran wanted to awaken the deep-seated anger from the mountains within the bloodline of his compatriots.
However, such an approach would require a considerable price.
"He did hold back, after all." Jaina pushed the door open, feeling the still-restless Fire Element in the air. "If he had used that spell then, I might not have been able to stop him from escaping."
"Where could he escape to?" Arthas shook his head. "In the eyes of the Fire Element, he is just a puppet, a consumable that can be replaced at any time. Is Shadowforge City truly safe for the Dark Iron Dwarves? He merely made the necessary choice at the necessary moment."
After hearing Arthas's words, Jaina's lips curved slightly. "So, you're ready now?"
She deliberately dragged out her words, just to hear Arthas's affirmative reply.
"Of course, I'm ready to tell all of the Alliance's enemies and allies that this choice was very correct."
Arthas's voice echoed in the room where only he and Jaina were present. However, the person who should have heard these words the most had already left.
...
"Boom!"
From the blazing flames, Dagran emerged, his face weary.
He slowly walked towards his throne. The hall, usually filled with various officials and nobles fawning over him, was now exceptionally desolate, and even the lights that usually never extinguished had dimmed.
Within the entire hall, apart from the fading firelight behind Dagran, only the flowing lava on both sides of the throne's armrests illuminated the area in front of the throne.
Dagran removed his crown, which was integrated with his helmet, and calmly threw it into the lava pool.
Watching the symbol of kingship float and sink in the high-temperature liquid, Dagran's eyes reflected the faint firelight, as if the entire Thaurissan family, the entire Black Iron clan, like this crown, were helplessly tumbling in the magma.
"Clang, clang"
The crisp sound of a trident striking the steel floor came from behind Dagran, accompanied by a gloomy voice.
"Emperor of Black Iron, descendant of the Witch King Thaurissan, His Majesty the great Dagran Thaurissan has returned to his palace. As a humble servant of Ragnaros, should I welcome your return?
Ah, what nonsense am I speaking? The great King of the Dark Iron Dwarves already valiantly died in the last battle. The one here now is merely a pathetic fake."
Dagran's gaze was indifferent. He put his helmet back on and looked at the fire Elemental below the throne, whose smile was sinister and whose eyes gleamed with malice. He said with an intimidating calm, "Gehennas, I am the King of Black Iron. You should bow to me."
"Bow?" Gehennas suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahahaha, just you? You pathetic mortal, if you and your people hadn't begged the great Ragnaros, we would have killed all of you useless things long ago.
But… it's still not too late! I'll feed you and your incompetent kin to Lucifron's little darlings!"
Dagran gripped his warhammer, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp. The fatigue and decadence that had been on his face earlier vanished. He leaped up and swung his hammer at the Fire Elemental's head.
Gehennas raised his trident, blocking Dagran's warhammer. "Is that all you've got? Is that all your ability?"
"I am the King of the Dark Iron Dwarves! I am the master of Shadowforge City! In my kingdom, no one can offend my dignity!"
Dagran roared, and black lightning, which Gehennas had never seen before, erupted from the warhammer. Unable to dodge in time, the lightning directly shattered one of the horns on his head.
The enraged Fire Elemental swung his trident, attempting to pierce Dagran's body, but the Dwarf displayed agility beyond Gehennas's imagination.
One hammer, then another, quickly smashed into Gehennas's exposed gaps. The powerful Fire Elemental retaliated furiously after being wounded, but just as the trident was about to strike Dagran, he abruptly vanished.
The sharp trident plunged directly into the ground. Before Gehennas could react to what had happened, a heavy warhammer slammed into the back of his head.
The Fire Elemental's body was violently thrown forward by the immense force, undoubtedly making intimate contact with the ground. Dagran ruthlessly lifted his warhammer and brought it down again with full force, almost embedding Gehennas's head into the ground.
His fury and unwillingness poured out onto the Fire Elemental's body. The moment Gehennas fell, Ragnaros's other minions swarmed into the throne room. Dagran spat, picked up his warhammer, and looked at the malicious Elemental Creatures, "Come on, you damned ash!"
...
"Retreat!"
After losing wave after wave of Elemental minions, Exoratus finally realized that fighting the Alliance outside of Molten Core simply wouldn't break these tenacious mortals.
He ultimately decided to lead the Alliance deep into Shadowforge City, to utterly destroy the Alliance army with the power of the Fire Elements' sacred sanctuary, Molten Core.
Meanwhile, the Dark Iron Dwarves, who had suffered heavy losses in multiple battles, had long since become disorganized. When the Elemental minions retreated, they were unable to follow in time, and a large number of Dark Iron Dwarves became Alliance prisoners.
A small portion of Dark Iron Dwarves escaped into the depths of Shadowforge City, intending to avoid the Alliance's marching route.
Dagran's disappearance also dealt a devastating blow to the morale of the Dark Iron Dwarves. They were, after all, subjects of the Black Iron King, not Elementals ruled by Ragnaros.
Seeing that the Dark Iron Dwarves, now with little ability to resist, had hidden in Shadowforge City, the Alliance army advanced unimpeded into the depths of Shadowforge City. Along the way, they annihilated some stubbornly resisting Dark Iron Dwarves and Twilight Cultists, then stopped before the legendary Anvil, the Black Iron Anvil, a symbol of the Dark Iron Dwarves.
Here, the Alliance army encountered the last obstacle left by the Elementals: Baron Geddon's former servant and current successor, the powerful Fire Element Isendios.
This Fire Element possessed considerable power and potential, even threatening Baron Geddon, who had banished him to Shadowforge City outside of Molten Core, ordering him to guard the legendary Black Iron Anvil.
However, no matter how powerful Isendios was, he still couldn't compare to Baron Geddon, and Baron Geddon had already been eliminated by the Alliance. Thus, Isendios also failed to hinder the Alliance's advance.
After his core was pierced by frost magic, losing his ability to remain in the physical plane, Isendios's Elemental shackles fell to the ground with a crisp clang.
Another cheer erupted from the Alliance ranks. Under the leadership of powerful heroes like Thoras, Magni, and Arthas, they had once again achieved a remarkable victory.
Amidst the cheers, Magni took off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his face. Although he wasn't injured, Isendios's heat wave still left him feeling parched.
He took the leather pouch handed to him by his attendant, took a gulp of water, and asked Arthas, "Should we keep going? Any further and we'll truly enter the urban area of Shadowforge City. We might face the most brutal street fighting."
"No, it's enough. Both main gates guarding Shadowforge City have been breached. The Elemental Creatures are preoccupied, and the Dark Iron Dwarves have lost their will to fight. If this were an ordinary war, we would have already won, just like defeating the Blackrock Orcs."
Arthas shook his head. There was no need for the Alliance to advance further. Having breached Shadowforge City's gates and walls, they didn't need to engage in street fighting with the Dark Iron Dwarves. They only needed to lay siege for a period, and the Dark Iron Dwarves would crumble on their own.
Without the Elementals' support, the Dark Iron Dwarves couldn't possibly hope that the city's resources would sustain them indefinitely while they hid inside.
If the Alliance forces continued to push deeper, they would instead be vulnerable to ambushes and sneak attacks from the remaining Dark Iron Dwarves. After all, this was the enemy's city. While the Alliance had many ways to utterly defeat the Dark Iron Dwarves, directly entering the city was undoubtedly the worst option.
Moreover, besides the Dark Iron Dwarves, the Elementals' sanctuary, Molten Core, was still hidden beneath their feet, a place where mortal armies could not tread.
Therefore, the Alliance's military objectives had already been achieved: capturing Blackrock Mountain, destroying the Dark Iron Dwarves' defenses, and weakening the Fire Element's power. After all this was accomplished, the remaining tasks could be left to forces specifically designed to deal with Ragnaros.
"Alright, since you say not to pursue, then we'll rest for a bit. The Dark Iron Dwarves' barracks and armories are already under our control. As long as we don't actively enter the city, they have no ability to counterattack us."
Magni also agreed with the decision not to continue the pursuit. As a Dwarf, he was well aware of the complexity of Shadowforge City. It would be very unwise to have Alliance soldiers fight in such an environment.
After speaking, Magni's attention focused on the pure black Anvil, "The Black Iron Anvil, the legendary Anvil of the Dark Iron Dwarves. It is said to be forged from the purest Black Iron ore, a secret passed down only within the Dark Iron Dwarves."
As a highly skilled craftsman, Magni immediately recognized the Black Iron Anvil's extraordinary nature. He sighed with genuine sincerity, "I thought these Dark Iron Dwarves had long forgotten all their ancestors' teachings, but looking at this Anvil, I have to admit, they still have something going for them."
"Magni, can you take this Anvil with you?"
"Take it?"
Arthas's sudden question stunned Magni for a moment before he regained his composure. "This thing isn't light, and it's a symbol of the Dark Iron Dwarves. If those guys still have any semblance of Dwarves left, taking this thing will drive them crazy."
After a half-second pause, Magni chuckled mischievously, "However, I like this idea. I don't mind having another usable Anvil."
"If it's still useful, I advise you to take it. Regardless of anything else, if it stays here, it might soon become merely a decoration."
"What?" Magni listened to Arthas's words, still not understanding why the Black Iron Anvil would become a mere decoration if left there.