Under the power of Neptulon, Duke Hydraxis, the Water Element, swelled to a size one-third that of Ragnaros.
Just by standing in front of Duke Hydraxis, everyone could feel the surging tidal power within him.
Especially Jaina, her unique background coupled with her dedication to magic, made her understand how powerful Duke Hydraxis was now, more clearly than anyone else.
In front of Duke Hydraxis's pure water body, which was tens of meters tall, everyone except Arthas felt an intrinsic sense of insignificance.
However, the might and awe that Duke Hydraxis exuded were still far less than that of a true Elemental Lord, Ragnaros.
Ragnaros's enormous body, which was probably one or two hundred meters tall, almost filled the wide underground cavern, and perhaps, this Elemental Lord could become even larger, only maintaining this size due to the cavern's limitations.
However, Ragnaros was currently busy dealing with the seawater flooding into his throne, and had not yet noticed the "frail" Water Elementals in his eyes, let alone Arthas and his party.
Magni grinned, his fearbreaker swinging up and down. "I actually imagined it big enough… but seeing it in person is still quite impactful."
Thoras looked up at the colossal Ragnaros, constantly pondering how such an opponent could be dealt with if he appeared on the battlefield.
Would it be with armies, cannons, steam tanks, or mage units?
After much deliberation, Thoras had to admit that no matter how Ragnaros was dealt with, the chances of winning seemed very slim.
As Arthas said, this was already beyond what ordinary armies, or sheer numbers alone, could resolve; to eliminate Ragnaros, a method targeting his weaknesses had to be found.
"It truly is magnificent." Sylvanas gripped her longbow, observing Ragnaros from below. She had to admit, the impact this Elemental Lord brought was far greater than that of Nefarian the Black Dragon.
Unfortunately, such a being was their enemy.
Noticing the arrival of Arthas and the others, Duke Hydraxis's voice changed slightly, carrying a hint of nervousness and urgency. "Arthas, this avatar of Ragnaros's power has exceeded our imagination; his minions have obstructed our advance and prevented the seawater from continuing to flood this place."
After enduring the first wave of sea impact, although a considerable number of Ragnaros's minions had their physical forms destroyed and were banished from the real world, returning to their elemental plane.
But after recovering, the Fire Elementals immediately organized themselves, doing their best to block the entry of the sea waves.
To prevent the seawater from spreading further, they even sacrificed their lives to create a hotter environment, not to evaporate the seawater, but to melt and collapse the mountain above, cutting off the influx of seawater.
Duke Hydraxis had activated the power bestowed upon him by Neptulon, wholeheartedly suppressing the momentum of the Fire Elementals, bringing down the rising temperature. The Water Elementals emerging from the ocean were also trembling in battle with the Fire Elementals.
However, when Ragnaros appeared, the situation instantly reversed. Duke Hydraxis's power simply couldn't penetrate the core area where Ragnaros resided.
Duke Hydraxis had fully suppressed the Fire Elementals' Legion, and he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could directly confront Ragnaros, but he never expected that the power of this avatar of Ragnaros would be far greater than he had imagined.
Just as Ragnaros appeared, the area that was previously a water body instantly transformed into a scorching hot hell, and the cooled rocks showed signs of remelting within minutes.
And after Ragnaros awakened, he didn't even spare Duke Hydraxis a glance, directly using his power to confront the entire ocean that had invaded Molten Core.
What was astonishing was that Ragnaros's power was gaining the upper hand in this confrontation.
The seawater, which had previously advanced unimpeded, encountered an insurmountable obstacle for the first time; it could not penetrate Ragnaros's domain, being instantly evaporated and pushed back, and the rocks once again melted into lava, beginning to compress the water area in reverse.
Duke Hydraxis had done his best to summon Water Elementals to resist Ragnaros's power, but Ragnaros's flames were still gradually eroding the Water Elementals' foothold in Molten Core.
Once Ragnaros accomplished this, he would have enough power and energy to find a way to cut off the opening between the ocean and the mountains, using his own power to trigger another topographical change, thereby completely ending the Water Elementals' offensive.
When Duke Hydraxis relayed all these matters to the five individuals who had entered Molten Core, everyone's expressions immediately became serious, except for Arthas.
If Ragnaros truly freed his hands, the Alliance army would likely face his retaliation before they could even withdraw from Burning Steppes.
No one wanted their soldiers to race against the spread of lava, volcanic ash, and earthquakes.
"Is there a solution?" Jaina asked Duke Hydraxis, "We cannot sit idly by here."
Duke Hydraxis thought for a moment and said decisively, "Yes, that is to distract Ragnaros or weaken his power. As long as he cannot stop the influx of seawater, once the sea completely submerges Molten Core, Ragnaros, deprived of his power source, will no longer be a threat!"
This was a weakness inherent to all Elemental Creatures, even Elemental Lords were no exception; without sufficiently concentrated elemental power as support, even Ragnaros could not exert much strength.
If the seawater truly extinguished the flames of Molten Core and submerged this area, Ragnaros's power would inevitably be greatly weakened.
Moreover, even if he wanted to mobilize power from Firelands, it would be impossible, because once submerged by the ocean, this place would be considered Neptulon's domain, and even Ragnaros, as Ragnaros, would have to step back.
However, this seemingly simple and direct method had an unimaginably high degree of operational difficulty.
"So, in the end, we still have to fight this exaggerated big guy?" Magni accepted this answer with resignation.
"It seems unavoidable."
light of dawn formed a warhammer in Arthas's hand, and Frostmourne also began to accumulate power. He had actually planned to do this all along, but now he just had a few more helpers.
"Then are you ready?" Arthas stretched his arms and neck, "We need to make this flame roll back into his world."
Arthas's words were met with two pairs of eye-rolls from the ladies and a chuckle from Magni, "Of course we're ready, otherwise why would we come with you? I should have run away with my men a long time ago!"
Watching the five members of the Alliance group eagerly preparing for battle, a flicker of light danced in Duke Hydraxis's eyes. He turned to Jaina and said, "Little mage, come here."
Jaina walked up to Duke Hydraxis with a hint of confusion, ready to listen to the Water Elemental Duke's next words.
"Raise your staff, I will share my master's power with you."
Jaina looked at Arthas with some uncertainty, then turned back to Duke Hydraxis, "Won't this affect your ability to maintain the momentum of the seawater?"
Duke Hydraxis shook his head, "Driving the tides is my inherent ability. Now I am constrained here by the trouble Ragnaros has caused, and the power granted to me by Neptulon cannot be fully utilized. It is better for you to use it when fighting Ragnaros."
After hearing Duke Hydraxis's words, Jaina nodded and raised her staff. From Duke Hydraxis's chest, fine streams of water surged forth, condensing into a crystal-clear water orb in front of him.
This water orb, insignificant compared to Duke Hydraxis's massive body, contained a purity of water that even Jaina had never seen before, and a powerful force continuously emanated from the swirling vortex within the orb.
"Such potent life force." Sylvanas's eyes widened; even from a distance, she could clearly feel the fluctuations within the pure water orb.
It was a primal craving from every cell and organ of her body, like a thirsty person facing clean water, wishing to drink it all in one gulp.
Magni and Thoras had the same feeling, especially Thoras. As a human, he was already in his twilight years; although he still possessed a tenacious soul and exceptional combat skills, the aging of his body was something he could not escape.
Just by looking at the water essence from Neptulon, he felt an inner lightness.
"Hold it tight."
After Duke Hydraxis made the preliminary preparations, he sent this blessing into Jaina's staff. The crystal at the staff's tip began to greedily absorb the gift from the Elemental Lord.
Jaina clearly perceived that this staff, which was already crafted from top-tier materials, was undergoing some kind of transformation.
It seemed that some power was budding within the staff.
Although a mage's spellcasting does not necessarily rely on powerful artifacts, the amplification of magic by various artifacts is indeed evident, and those artifacts with excellent synergy with the caster are treasures every mage dreams of.
Famous mages throughout Azeroth's history almost all possessed staffs with excellent synergy with themselves.
The staff in Jaina's hand was a gift from her mentor, Antonidas. This staff might not be one of the most powerful artifacts, but after so many years of Jaina's exploration and use, it was definitely the weapon she understood best.
Arthas had originally considered whether he should find a suitable weapon for Jaina, but now it seemed it was no longer necessary.
After Jaina's staff received the blessing from Neptulon, the blue light within the crystal at the staff's tip flashed and then disappeared. As she held her staff, she instinctively gained much new knowledge.
She firmly planted her staff on the ground and began to murmur ancient and mysterious words.
A wave-like blue aura slowly emanated from the staff's head, passing through everyone present. This blessing from the pure water power immediately surged into the bodies of Jaina's allies.
Neptulon's blessing invigorated them. Sylvanas, as if by telepathy, darted out like a butterfly, gracefully landing on the surface of the water. Just as she had thought, with the blessing, she could walk on the waves as if on solid ground.
Not only that, everyone's physical attributes were significantly boosted. This blessing would remain as long as Jaina's magic or stamina did not run out.
"You have great talent, little mage; you understood how to use my master's power so quickly. Granting it to you was indeed the right decision."
Duke Hydraxis expressed his heartfelt admiration for Jaina's comprehension, "Go forth, Neptulon's blessing will grant you the strength to fight a hundred, endless stamina, and the ability to brave the scorching flames and move through the waves.
The uses of this gift are not limited to these, but no mortal has ever received it, so it still has untapped potential.
Hurry, I must focus on confronting Ragnaros's power. The key to victory is now in your hands."
Arthas gazed at his palm for a moment. Neptulon's blessing had indeed been cast upon him, but in just a moment, the blessing from the Elemental Lord was pulled into the astrolabe.
However, after this blessing disappeared, the astrolabe remained completely still this time, which left Arthas momentarily stunned.
Nevertheless, upon discovering that he too could walk on water without relying on his original powers, Arthas temporarily ceased to dwell on the issue.
It seemed the other uses of the blessing had disappeared, but it didn't significantly affect Arthas, as his physical attributes already surpassed the scope of an Elemental Lord's blessing.
The gifts from such powerful beings, especially those related to physical attributes, become increasingly difficult to obtain at higher levels. For Arthas, who could already be considered a half-Guardian, the blessing of this small amount of power had a negligible effect on him.
Moreover, he himself was not afraid of flames or intense heat, and the issue of stamina was even less of a concern.
As long as the Holy Light remained and death did not cease, Arthas could continue to fight, for he himself was the embodiment of both Holy Light and death.
After confirming all conditions, Arthas took the lead, stepping onto the waves, leaping up, and soaring into the air, dragging his warhammer like a descending meteor, fiercely smashing into the nearest Molten Hound.
One of the poor hound's two heads was instantly pulverized by the indestructible light of dawn, but Arthas's assault did not stop. As the hound wailed, the warhammer sharply swung upward.
The hound's sole remaining head flipped backward at an exaggerated angle, and simultaneously, the heavy blow to its jaw made its body, roughly the size of a steam tank, stand upright, then topple backward, crushing several unfortunate Fire Elementals.
Arthas looked at the few hundred meters between himself and Ragnaros, made a quick estimation, and after casually smashing the heads of those few Fire Elementals, began to clear a path towards Ragnaros.