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Chapter 340 - Amani II

After the aftermath of the fierce attacks from the group dissipated, there was no movement in the cave, as if all the enemies had been annihilated in the barrage of attacks.

However, Arthas, sensing danger, grabbed Sylvanas by the shoulder and yanked her behind him. Before the elven ranger could react, he thrust his right hand forward, and Light of Dawn quickly disassembled and reassembled into a massive tower shield.

"Get behind me!"

Just as he managed to shout that, a destructive fel beam shot out from the cave, colliding heavily with Light of Dawn.

The intense heat scorched the ground in front of Arthas, and in some places, the soil and rocks had even melted, turning into green fel magma. However, the light of Light of Dawn remained brilliant. Under the dual blessings of the artifact and Arthas's Holy Light power, those protected by Arthas were completely unharmed.

Gripping Light of Dawn, which had reverted to its warhammer mode, Arthas glanced at the two behind him and asked, "Are you alright?"

Tulani and Sylvanas both shook their heads. Sylvanas said, "That attack just now was...?"

At the same time, Valeera and Nathanos also arrived beside the three, ready for battle. Nathanos glanced at the terrifying gash left on the ground and commented, "Dar'Khan is stronger than I imagined."

"No... this doesn't seem like something Dar'Khan could do," Arthas recalled the impact he had just taken. The entity that launched the attack was clearly just making a normal counterattack. Even if Kil'jaeden's bestowed power were to make Dar'Khan explode, he couldn't have achieved this level in just a few days.

This wasn't a difference in strength, but in the application of fel. There's a huge difference between newly fallen races and true demons!

Before anyone could figure out what was happening, the surrounding ground suddenly began to tremble. The shaking of small pebbles on the ground seemed to presage some ominous sign.

A massive figure slowly emerged from the cave. His bloated body was clad in armor, and his limbs, as thick as a dragon's, made the earth tremble with every step. His ugly, abhorrent head burned with raging green fel fire, and his two eyes fixed on Arthas and the others, like a beast spotting its prey.

"Did you little insects kill my subordinates? Heh, not bad, but I'm still looking forward to a real challenge."

"Pit Lord..."

Arthas gripped Light of Dawn with both hands. A fierce battle was about to erupt. This might be Dar'Khan's trap, or perhaps a bodyguard sent by Kil'jaeden to protect Dar'Khan. But no matter what, if they didn't deal with this troublesome opponent, they would never know what Dar'Khan was doing.

"Annihilan? Why is there an Annihilan here?!" Tulani's grip on Val'anyr unconsciously tightened. She was too familiar with these detestable monsters. Every Draenei would never forget the blood debts these demons had accumulated against their kin.

"This thing standing here just disgusts me. We'd better deal with him quickly!" Sylvanas's arrow was already pointed at this Pit Lord.

Arthas quietly said to Valeera and Nathanos, "We'll buy time. You two try to find clues about Dar'Khan's whereabouts in the cave. Be careful, and if there's any danger, come back immediately."

The Pit Lord paid no attention to Arthas and the others' conversation. His gaze was fixed on Arthas; he remembered that it was this "insect" who had blocked his attack just now. He seemed like a good "toy."

"Mortal, don't be in a hurry. Soon, I, Brutallus, will make you despair."

The massive body of the Pit Lord Brutallus charged violently towards Arthas. His thick limbs displayed a speed inconsistent with his size, and every step he took made the earth tremble violently.

This Pit Lord, without wings and with his hands replaced by fel gauntlets, had a cruel, excited glint in his eyes. His two arms, wider than a normal human's, brought down a powerful gust of wind.

Arthas chose not to meet the attack head-on. He moved, diverting Brutallus's offensive to another direction, leaving ample space for Sylvanas and the others.

Brutallus swung his two arms, the blade of his gauntlet scraping the ground, tearing a huge fissure. Arthas dodged the attack again and turned to swing his warhammer at the Pit Lord's front leg.

Battle-hardened Brutallus immediately pulled back one hand to block the heavy hammer. The warhammer struck hard against the gauntlet, and a surprising sense of power quickly traveled up Brutallus's arm, making him realize immediately that Arthas was a very dangerous opponent.

However, for an Pit Lord who craved battle and slaughter, the more dangerous the opponent, the more excited he became. His missing wings and arms demonstrated how brutal the battles he had endured were.

Brutallus pressed his arms down, moving to crush Arthas, but before he could even touch Arthas's shadow, several sharp arrows pierced through the air, breaking his skin and embedding themselves in his arm.

The attack barely broke his defense, causing him pain. Brutallus was about to locate the archer when he caught sight of Arthas's heavy hammer, imbued with Holy Light, coming at him.

He quickly parried Arthas's attack and even heard Arthas's taunt, "Is that how you lost your hands?"

Brutallus no longer bothered with Sylvanas. In his opinion, Arthas was far more dangerous than that jumping female elf.

Arthas, entangled with Brutallus, gradually adapted to Brutallus's pressure, careful not to accidentally use too much force and stun this Pit Lord.

He certainly had a way to instantly finish off Brutallus; after all, Frostmourne was currently hidden in the planar rift, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Brutallus's head at any moment.

But if Brutallus failed too quickly, Dar'Khan would undoubtedly have reason to beg Kil'jaeden for more time. Such a rapid loss of an Pit Lord would make Kil'jaeden re-evaluate the risks and benefits of this matter, making the ultimate outcome difficult to predict.

So he chose to entangle with Brutallus for a while, waiting for Valeera and Nathanos to get reliable intelligence before making a move. Anyway, with him watching, it was also a good opportunity for Tulani and Sylvanas to get accustomed to opponents like Pit Lords.

The battle thus became a stalemate. Sylvanas's arrows could indeed harm Brutallus, but they were mostly superficial. As for more lethal attacks, Brutallus would suddenly break free from Arthas's entanglement and increase his defensive efforts, which left Sylvanas unable to achieve results for a long time and made her start to suspect if Arthas was holding back.

But looking at the dangerous close-quarters situation between Arthas and Brutallus, Sylvanas still dismissed that thought. She stopped to catch her breath, pulling Tulani behind some cover.

"Tulani, help me out," Sylvanas said immediately after catching her breath. "I want to finish off that monster in one go."

Tulani used Holy Light to alleviate Sylvanas's fatigue, helping her maintain her best state, and replied, "I can temporarily cast a blessing on you to increase the power of your arrows, but even the very first arrow would hardly threaten an Pit Lord's life. The vitality of these high-ranking demons is much stronger than you imagine."

"Well, it's worth a try." Sylvanas drew an arrow, and just as she was about to go out and try again, a strange roar from the sky made her involuntarily look up to observe.

"What... is that?" Tulani and Sylvanas simultaneously looked up, seeing several massive shadows approaching their position under the blinding sunlight.

.....

An hour ago, in the mountains surrounding Quel'Thalas.

Onyxia flapped her wings in displeasure, taunting the Blue Dragon beside her, "You'd better fly even slower. That way, we can wait for the entire Burning Legion to be ready before we go to our deaths together."

"You'd better shut your mouth too, Black Dragon, or I'll let you taste the might of magic!" The Blue Dragon Martigosa was extremely annoyed by Onyxia's sarcasm. "Quel'Thalas is surrounded by a powerful barrier. If you dare, just plunge straight in, no need to wait for us to clear the way."

"You two, stop arguing! We didn't come here to quarrel!" Kalecgos had a headache. The Weaver heard that there were demon remnants appearing around Quel'Thalas, so he sent them to support Arthas, but he didn't expect to encounter a Black Dragon.

After discovering Onyxia, Martigosa immediately wanted to challenge her without a second thought. However, Kalecgos noticed that Onyxia was different from other Black Dragons; at least, she didn't show much hostility towards them.

But Martigosa, fueled by her temper, charged directly at Onyxia. Kalecgos didn't even have time to stop her before he saw Martigosa struck down from the sky by Onyxia.

He was greatly alarmed at the time and immediately prepared to counterattack. However, one sentence from Onyxia made him swallow his magic back down.

"I'm not like other Black Dragons. At least I still have my sanity. You must be here to support Arthas, right? What's your name?"

"Kalecgos," Kalecgos said his name after a moment of silence, then glanced at Martigosa, who was getting up from the ground. "The one you just knocked down is Martigosa."

"What a hot-tempered little female dragon." Onyxia let out a sinister chuckle, which further infuriated Martigosa, who was already at a disadvantage, and she immediately intended to fight Onyxia again.

Fortunately, Kalecgos stopped her, forcibly calming her down using the Weaver's authority.

Just like that, the two parties finally gathered and headed towards Quel'Thalas together.

Onyxia had naturally received Arthas's orders. She had just emerged from Blackrock Mountain and originally wanted to bring some manpower, but Arthas told her not to make a big fuss. The Black Dragonflight's reputation had not yet recovered, especially since Deathwing had just fallen. If she ran around with people, it might provoke the fragile nerves of the Dragon Army.

However, Onyxia also knew that Quel'Thalas had a powerful magic barrier. If she entered rashly, she definitely wouldn't achieve the inconspicuous effect Arthas mentioned. So, she intercepted the two Blue Dragons, hoping they would take her into Quel'Thalas.

The more good-tempered Kalecgos naturally said nothing. He maintained a basic vigilance towards Black Dragons, but Onyxia truly didn't seem like her crazy kin. Coupled with the Weaver's statement that Deathwing had fallen and the corruption staining the Black Dragon bloodline might slightly alleviate, he agreed to travel with her while maintaining his distance from Onyxia.

Martigosa was naturally unwilling, but she didn't want to contradict Kare, nor could she defeat Onyxia, so she could only grumble and trail behind, entirely as a way to vent her dissatisfaction.

At the speed of Dragons, they quickly entered the airspace of Quel'Thalas, but to avoid alarming the Elves within the barrier, plunging straight in like that was definitely not an option.

So, Kalecgos tried to contact the High Elves. This job could only be handled by him, as most Blue Dragons had little fondness for Elves who abused magic. If Martigosa had gone, she probably would have been cut off before even saying a few words to the Elves.

Two proud races coming together usually ended up like this, especially since they didn't see eye to eye.

But half a day passed, and Kalecgos still hadn't received a reply from the Elves. While feeling frustrated, he even wondered if he had made a mistake somewhere. But just as he was about to try a second time, Onyxia suddenly called out to him to stop.

"Wait, Blue Dragon, look there, is that a magic mark?" Onyxia pointed in a direction, which was precisely where Nathanos had left a mark earlier.

"That's… an attack mark. Someone is hinting that enemies will pass through there?" Kalecgos reacted and immediately used a reconnaissance spell, and sure enough, he discovered a group of fel Trolls approaching the border of Quel'Thalas.

"Ah, damn it, these pockmarked monsters bring back bad memories." Martigosa's words revealed her displeasure. "These guys must be the enemies, right? I'm going to destroy them on behalf of Lord Weaver!"

Before she finished speaking, Martigosa flapped her wings and sped away.

"Hey, wait!" Kalecgos didn't even have time to stop the reckless Martigosa. He could only turn his pleading gaze to Onyxia. "Could you please look after Martigosa? I need to continue trying to get the Elves to open the barrier… I know she's too reckless, please."

Onyxia was about to refuse this troublesome task, but then she remembered Arthas's warning and finally said reluctantly, "All right, all right, little Blue Dragon, remember, you owe me a favor."

Compared to that female Blue Dragon whose brain might be filled with muscles, Onyxia found Kalecgos much more agreeable. At least he understood what mutual respect meant, unlike his Blue Dragon kin…

"Hmph."

After a cold snort, Onyxia chased after Martigosa.

Kalecgos finally breathed a sigh of relief. No one knew what tricks those fel Trolls would pull after receiving the blessing of demons. Martigosa going alone was very dangerous, but with the powerful Onyxia watching over her, there shouldn shouldn't be any problems.

It was just that after half a day of not getting a response from the Elves, even with Kare's temper, he was getting annoyed. He had no choice but to give up on communication and instead contacted his superior.

"Lord Weaver, we have arrived at Quel'Thalas, but the Elves haven't responded, and I can't set up a teleportation beacon inside the barrier."

Soon after, Kalecgos received a slightly impatient magical message from Malygos.

"Those arrogant fools, if it weren't for their Sunwell, how would demons have targeted this place? You keep an eye on your current location, and I will send more people over."

Then, the King of Magic cut off the connection, and Kalecgos had no choice but to wait obediently in place. He didn't want to incur Malygos's displeasure at this time, especially since Malygos was currently in the Eye of Eternity trying to awaken the sleeping soul of his consort.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before Malygos's promised "reinforcement" arrived.

However, to Kalecgos's surprise, it wasn't a Blue Dragon that came, but a Red Dragon.

"Hello, Kalecgos, I am Corestraz, you can also call me Krasus." The newcomer kindly stated his identity to Kalecgos. "I have come to help you all under the command of the Red Dragon Queen and Lord Weaver."

"Hello, Corestraz, we are currently blocked by the barrier. Do you have any way to contact those Elves?" Kalecgos remembered that this one seemed to be the Red Dragon Queen's consort, and he didn't expect him to personally make such a trip for this.

Kare didn't know that Krasus came precisely because of his special identity. Besides being a Red Dragon, he was also a member of the Kirin Tor's Council of Six. Most importantly, he had a way to contact Kael'thas and have him open a small "backdoor" for them.

The appearance of Dragons in Elven territory would somewhat unsettle some civilians, especially since they received news and came to assist suddenly because traces of the Burning Legion had appeared here.

If it were anywhere else on Azeroth, the Dragons would have certainly gone in droves to exterminate the demons long ago, but it was specifically Quel'Thalas, a place rarely trodden by Dragons.

The only good news was that the High Elf barrier, Banthinoriel, while blocking external enemies, also acted like a prison, firmly locking away certain schemers, which prevented Dar'Khan from causing any major commotion in time.

But the information from Arthas made the Dragon Army realize that if the problem wasn't dealt with in time, it would definitely get worse, and the Elves were already locked in fierce combat with the Trolls, having no time to spare for demon infiltration.

Arthas originally didn't intend to call upon the Dragons for help, as before, this was essentially an internal conflict of mortal races, and the Dragons wouldn't interfere. But Dar'Khan's actions crossed the line. Since he had sided with the Burning Legion and wanted to become the vanguard assisting the Legion's arrival, the Dragons naturally had an inescapable duty to eliminate him.

The reason for waiting so many days at Farstriders Lodge was both to lure out Dar'Khan's whereabouts and to await the Dragons' reaction. Arthas also conveniently called upon Onyxia. Deathwing had fallen in Northrend, keeping Yogg-Saron company, so the Black Dragonflight's sensitive status could gradually be eliminated through this opportunity.

Archaedas also stated that if the new leader of the Black Dragonflight could discard the corrupting influence in her bloodline, he wouldn't mind reappointing a new Earth Guardian.

However, this might just be a mere title, because the results of their communication with Algalon were all consistent with the facts stated by Arthas: they could no longer contact the Pantheon's Titan Father-Gods, and thus could no longer bestow the power and blessings of the Guardian Dragons upon her.

Azeroth now seemed like an isolated island in the universe, and precisely because of this, the Dragons and Guardians became highly vigilant. If the Legion were to exploit this vulnerability at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

...

After Krasus contacted Kael'thas and explained the situation, he cast a spell on himself and Kalecgos. Kalec finally realized that Banthinoriel no longer repelled them.

It was just that Krasus's efficient actions even made Kalecgos doubt his own professionalism for a moment, until Krasus explained his special identity to the Blue Dragon, which made Kalecgos feel a little better.

At this time, Martigosa and Onyxia also returned. Compared to Onyxia, who was perfectly fine and refreshed, Martigosa looked a bit disheveled.

Although she hadn't sustained any serious injuries, her originally beautiful scales were corroded by fel into various pits and holes of different sizes. And judging by how much effort she put into flapping her wings, if it weren't for Onyxia's help, she probably wouldn't have made it back unscathed.

"Do you need to rest, Martigosa?" Kalecgos realized his friend was in poor condition and wanted her to rest for a while.

"No! No need, I just didn't expect those Trolls to have some tricks up their sleeves—heh, if it weren't for a high-ranking corrupted priest hidden among them, I wouldn't have put in so much effort—"

"Alright, little female dragon, I was the one who dealt with that priest. You almost got shot down from the sky by him and his people." Onyxia's blunt dismantling of her story made Martigosa's Blue Dragon face turn red with embarrassment.

Stopping the two female dragons, who might have escalated from arguing to fighting, once again, Kalecgos only felt his head throbbing, as if a second head was about to sprout. Krasus flew beside them, smiling silently, but his gaze towards Onyxia still carried a degree of vigilance.

Kalecgos and Martigosa, being young, might not know Onyxia's true identity, but he was very clear. Valastrasz, who had escaped from Blackrock Mountain, had given a detailed report about Nefarian's sister.

Nefarian was personally slain by Arthas, while Onyxia, for some unknown reason, had sided with Arthas. However, Krasus currently didn't sense the same kind of corrupting aura from Onyxia as from other Black Dragons, so he temporarily didn't make too much of a fuss.

Just then, a violent explosion and a surge of Holy Light from the other side of the forest made the Dragons look over in unison. After carefully sensing it, Onyxia's vertical pupils constricted slightly. "It's Arthas!"

With that, the Black Dragon's agile figure charged fiercely towards that direction.

After the remaining three Dragons exchanged glances, Krasus said, "They seem to have engaged the enemy. Let's hurry over as well."

.....

The commotion caused by the four dragons descending from the sky was considerable, at least enough for Brutallus, who was in a stalemate with Arthas, to realize that something was amiss.

He swung his twin fist blades with all his might, striking at Arthas, wanting to end the fight quickly, but Arthas cleverly rolled away from under the blade's edge, directly out of Brutallus's attack range.

As he left, Arthas did not forget to turn back and throw a warhammer made of Light, which exploded and tore Brutallus's front leg open.

The Pit Lord, in pain, steadied his body, temporarily supporting himself with his fist blades, and only after gradually adapting to the pain did he regain his footing, though a hint of apprehension appeared in his furious eyes.

Being warlike, barbaric, and fond of slaughter was fine, but it didn't mean his mind was truly dull; at the very least, he could distinguish between stronger and weaker, otherwise Annihilan would not have been appointed as a high-ranking general of the Legion by Kil'jaeden.

Due to Dar'Khan's very limited strength and resources, Kil'jaeden could only send a small vanguard force to Quel'Thalas to scout, and for safety's sake, he took great pains to ensure Brutallus could also descend with the vanguard.

With Brutallus's help, Dar'Khan easily swept away the trolls of Tor'watha, both avenging his past capture by the trolls and replenishing a fresh batch of forces.

Dar'Khan had already begun to have other ideas when he discovered that Kil'jaeden had only given him so few people, and that the highest command was not his, but Brutallus's; though he couldn't betray Kil'jaeden, he also didn't want to obey Brutallus's orders, for even after their corruption, elves retained their inherent arrogance.

So he selected a group of elite Demon Guards, preparing to slip into Quel'Thalas through a loophole in the Banthinoriel Barrier, while simultaneously half-coaxing and half-suggesting that Brutallus remain outside the barrier, allowing this Pit Lord to draw fire for him while also eliminating a group of unsuspecting pursuers.

However, he didn't know that when Kael'thas felt he couldn't handle this matter alone, he went to Lordaeron for reinforcements; Arthas's arrival had essentially foiled half of his plan, and Brutallus was being used as a pawn, but now the result was that Brutallus would also perish here.

Brutallus's face was ashen; he now understood that he had been tricked by that coward Dar'Khan.

It seemed he was told to guard the camp while Dar'Khan handled matters, with Brutallus taking the credit in the end, but in reality, that devious Dar'Khan wanted to use a scheme of killing with a borrowed knife!

Didn't he fear Kil'jaeden settling accounts with him later?!

Unfortunately, Dar'Khan was currently unaware, as he had already led his people into the magic barrier's interior; if he had known that even Brutallus couldn't handle the pursuers, he would never have dared to return to Quel'Thalas, but would have chosen to flee elsewhere first and then make other plans.

As for plotting to harm Brutallus, Dar'Khan had the thought but not the courage; he had estimated that during the conflict with the trolls, the elves would not have the strength to send someone capable of threatening an Pit Lord, because if Brutallus died, Kil'jaeden would surely hold him accountable, and even if the mission was completed, let alone a reward, it would be good not to be punished.

Realizing he was isolated and without aid, Brutallus no longer held back, preparing to fight the dragons to the death; not to completely annihilate them, but at least to make them pay a heavy price, otherwise his failure could very likely lead the Lord of the Legion to cause his death, which for a demon was a fate more terrifying than death itself.

But just as Brutallus took a step, he felt his body lighten and he directly collapsed to the ground.

He angrily propped himself up, and the intense pain made him realize that his two front legs had "disappeared."

Krasus and Kalecgos's eyes shone with magical light; both of them simultaneously used powerful Arcane magic to sever the Pit Lord's legs, while Martigosa used all her strength to restrict Brutallus's senses and movement.

Looking at the empty space in front of him, Brutallus pointed his fist blades at the dragons, but before he could utter a threat, a thick dragon tail, accompanied by a gust of wind and a sonic boom, directly struck him in the face; the heavy force made Brutallus see stars, and his body uncontrollably toppled to one side.

After his body fell backward, a nimble figure leaped into the air, with the sun behind her, leaving only an indistinct shadow in Brutallus's final memory as he gazed skyward, but that sudden sense of déjà vu made the Pit Lord feel strangely familiar.

"Lightforged's Ranger..."

"Swish swish swish."

Three arrows tore through the air, and the Arcane-infused arrows plunged into the Pit Lord's forehead.

He reeled for a moment, and before he could react, the runes pre-engraved on the arrows instantly detonated.

After a deafening roar, the Pit Lord's head vanished, his bloated body collapsed to the ground, and the fel energy within him began to expand uncontrollably.

In the blink of an eye, the deceased Pit Lord became like a massive fel bomb, unleashing terrifying power upon its surroundings.

Sylvanas leaped into the air, her pupils contracting sharply; she hadn't expected the turbulent Arcane energy to trigger a fel explosion, but being in mid-air, she was too late to dodge.

Just as she was about to be directly affected by the shockwave and fel radiation, a soft Light shield enveloped her.

The deadly energy was almost entirely absorbed by this shield, leaving only some residual shockwaves that knocked Sylvanas out of the air.

After the explosion, a somewhat dizzy Sylvanas propped herself up, shook her head, and found Arthas standing beside her, extending his hand, "Be careful; if an Pit Lord suffers a heavy blow, he might choose to unleash his energy before death and take his opponent with him."

Looking at the Light in Arthas's hand, which had not yet completely dissipated, Sylvanas took his hand, and after using his help to stand up, she smiled at Arthas, "Thank you, I owe you a life."

Tulani jogged over and checked Sylvanas's injuries, confirming that the lady was mostly fine except for some scrapes and being a bit dizzy from the shockwave.

The Draenei priest then looked at the Pit Lord's remains and explained, "Brutallus is dead, but his corpse is still a considerable threat; if left unchecked, it can corrupt a significant area of land."

The fel energy and defilement contained in demon blood can easily pollute land and water, which is why worlds invaded by the Legion are almost universally scarred and permeated with fel.

The deaths of low-ranking demons have no impact on the Burning Legion; in fact, their deaths even make the surrounding environment more suitable for demon survival.

But for other mortal races, it is a land of death, no different from purgatory.

Furthermore, the corpses of high-ranking demons can birth or attract other demons; if not properly disposed of, they can bring catastrophic destruction to nearby forests and even affect the interior of Quel'Thalas.

"Don't worry, I'll try to purify the defilement here," Krasus proposed his idea, "Arthas, can you help me?"

"Gladly," Arthas nodded in agreement and said to Sylvanas, "Go into the cave and see what Valeera and Nathanos have found.

Tulani, you come over too; we might need your and Valanael's assistance."

Krasus also noticed Valanael, which Tulani had been holding, and exclaimed, "I didn't expect this hammer to choose to serve you; this is truly a wonderful destiny, little one.

I hope you can make good use of this holy hammer's power, and Azeroth welcomes you and your people."

The dragons had a considerable understanding of the Draenei; they were not so isolated as to be completely unaware of the outside world.

In fact, a significant number of dragons had even visited Outland and seen Draenor before its destruction.

With the Red Dragon's life flames, coupled with the assistance of Arthas and Tulani, Krasus was confident he could completely dispel the corruption left by Brutallus, though it would take some time, which led a bored Martigosa to lie on the ground, preparing to rest for a while to pass the time.

"You should be glad that Pit Lord wasn't with those trolls just now, otherwise I have no doubt he would have dragged you down from the sky and beaten you to death," Onyxia took the opportunity to taunt Martigosa.

"Shut up, Black Dragon, I don't want to argue with you."

Martigosa grumbled, she was dead tired, but surprisingly, she didn't refute Onyxia's words.

She had just used all her strength to barely restrict the Pit Lord's movements; if he had broken free, the damage from the immediate magic backlash would surely have left her no time to react before the Pit Lord closed in.

She dared not imagine what would happen if she took a hit from those city-gate-sized fist blades; in any case, she didn't dare to hope her scales and skin could withstand such a heavy blow.

Fortunately, she wasn't alone—it was just that for some unknown reason, seeing Onyxia smack the Pit Lord senseless with her tail gave her an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, so she temporarily "let Onyxia off the hook" verbally.

....

By the time the Pit Lord's body was completely purified and the fel-corrupted land was once again covered with flowers and grass, night had already fallen.

The two Blue Dragons had already left to continue tracking Dar'Khan, and Arthas and the others were in the cave collecting clues Dar'Khan left behind, leaving only Krasus, who had been exhausted by half a day of clearing the corruption, and Sylvanas resting at the camp outside.

Sylvanas sat in front of the bonfire, poking the fire with a branch. "Dar'Khan Sunstrider, heh, when he was captured by the trolls, Lor'themar should have let him die in the hands of those trolls."

"No one can know what will happen in the future," Krasus, in his elf form, said, looking through a book in his hand by the firelight. "Even the Bronze Dragon, who can travel through time, will have a day when he cannot see the future clearly."

Hearing this, Sylvanas paused the hand holding the branch, then threw the branch into the fire, resting her hands on her knees, with her chin cupped in her palms. "Speaking of which, how did you and Arthas meet?"

"Me?" Krasus stopped reading, looking at Sylvanas. "In Ulduar, Arthas, Weaver, and I, along with a dwarf, raided the Halls of Stone. That should have been my first meeting with this Human Prince."

"Ulduar?" Sylvanas murmured the unfamiliar word. For the Elves, there were few things in the world they didn't understand, and this Titan city was one of them. "Can you elaborate?"

"I'm sorry, Sylvanas, although I'd love to share that thrilling adventure with others, due to my identity and the duties of the Dragon Legion, I cannot speak of what happened there," Krasus said. "But if you really want to know something, you might as well ask Arthas, or that dwarf."

"Dwarf... Let me guess, that dwarf's name wouldn't happen to be Brann Bronzebeard, would it?"

Krasus smiled. "It seems you also know that fellow's style very well."

"Uh... Anyway, I think some of the dangers you encountered must be related to that guy."

Sylvanas didn't really know much about Brann Bronzebeard.

However, there was an organization in Silvermoon City called the Holy Relics Society, who scoffed at a certain famous dwarf from the Explorer's League, believing his existence was a form of destruction to cultural relics.

And the Holy Relics Society indeed provided a lot of evidence to prove that Brann Bronzebeard was an oddball, especially when adventuring with him, one had to be very careful of one's personal safety.

"Heh heh, but actually, Brann is a pretty good person, it's just that sometimes he can't control his hands," Krasus said casually, then pondered for a moment, seemingly hesitating about something, but finally he said, "Sylvanas, there's something I must tell you... or rather, tell the residents of Quel'Thalas."

"Please speak," Sylvanas nodded, indicating she would listen carefully.

"The Sunwell is a potential threat... Weaver Malygos is already very unhappy with the very existence of the Sunwell, and this time, due to your negligence, you attracted the Burning Legion. I'm afraid when that Adult is free, he might even come in person." Krasus's tone was very serious.

Sylvanas felt inexplicably uneasy. "In person... come?"

Krasus sighed, lowering his voice and saying, "The worst-case scenario is that the Weaver intends to destroy the Sunwell."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sylvanas immediately retorted, "How can he do that?! Do you know what that means? Destroying the Sunwell is equivalent to destroying everything of the Quel'dorei!"

"Please don't get excited, Sylvanas, this is just the worst-case plan, but if the Quel'dorei continue to abuse the Sunwell's magic, the Weaver will certainly not stand idly by. After all, because of Dar'Khan, the Burning Legion already knows about the Sunwell's existence, and with only the Quel'dorei's strength, do you think you can defend the Sunwell?"

The truth Krasus spoke was a bit too cruel. It was equivalent to telling Sylvanas that if your people cannot control their magic addiction and continue to abuse the Sunwell's power, they will either be destroyed by the Weaver or by the Burning Legion, with almost no other choice.

"Those two young Blue Dragons, Kalecgos and Martigosa, are investigators sent by the Weaver. They are responsible for evaluating the Sunwell's situation. It can be said that eliminating Dar'Khan was just a side task. If their evaluation results do not satisfy the Weaver, the outcome... Sylvanas, you can comprehend it yourself."

Sylvanas stood stunned. She could hardly believe that her people were facing such a cruel fate, and if they lost the Sunwell, what should they do?

Without the Sunwell's protection, not to mention the lurking trolls around, magic addiction alone could claim the lives of a large portion of the population, especially the weaker elderly, women, and children; they would almost certainly not survive.

"You... why are you telling me this?" Sylvanas's voice was a bit weak. For the first time, she felt that everything she protected was so fragile, like a dream bubble that could burst instantly with just a gentle poke from someone else.

Especially since the one who could burst the bubble had already appeared, although their goals were not the same, the final outcome for the High Elves was the same.

"Kael'thas is my friend. I cannot let my friend and his compatriots be overwhelmed by sudden changes before they understand the truth of the matter. However, the Sunwell is a problem far beyond my ability to handle; the Quel'dorei must find a way out themselves."

Having said all that, Krasus had already conveyed everything he knew to Sylvanas. He knew the status of this Elf Ranger among the High Elves, and because of her ranger identity, she would be more able to accept this reality than other Elves who came from a mage background.

Krasus glanced at the sky. "I should go. Dar'Khan and his minions are still lurking within Quel'Thalas. If they can be eliminated and Dar'Khan's evil plan stopped, perhaps there is still a chance."

He transformed back into his dragon form, flapping his wings and slowly departing, leaving Sylvanas alone in the camp.

After a while, Sylvanas suddenly heard someone calling her name.

"Sylvanas, why are you spacing out? Sylvanas?"

Sylvanas came back to her senses, looking at Arthas and the others emerging from the cave, and quickly forced a smile. "Nothing, just a bit tired."

Arthas nodded, looked around, and asked again, "Where's Krasus? Did he leave?"

"Ah... Mm, yes. He should have gone to track other demons."

The Human noblewoman with black hair and black eyes, who was none other than Black Dragon Princess Onyxia, waved her hand. "Still the same. The Dragon Legion is always so rushed, not caring about anyone else."

Hearing this, Arthas glanced at Sylvanas, suddenly feeling that her mood seemed off. Then he glared at Nathanos, sending him away, and pulled Tulani aside, asking in a low voice, "You must have noticed, right?"

"Mm... You mean Sylvanas?"

Tulani was indeed a Soul Priest with special perception; she had also noticed Sylvanas's abnormality.

Valeera stood beside Onyxia with a poker face. Onyxia, seeing no one paying attention to her, tried to lean into the soft, delicate Valeera's embrace, but Valeera gave her no chance. As soon as Onyxia came close, she would dodge away.

"You little Elf, do you hate me that much?"

Onyxia also got excited and started playing "you chase me, I run" with Valeera.

Ignoring the two bickering individuals, Arthas frowned and said, "She was fine just now; Krasus must have told her something..."

Suddenly, Arthas thought of the two Blue Dragons who had left earlier. A sudden thought struck him: Krasus staying behind to rest was probably not genuinely due to expending too much energy clearing the corruption. He most likely had some news to tell Sylvanas, and it was best if only Sylvanas knew.

With an idea in mind, Arthas grabbed the back of Onyxia's collar, who was running around aimlessly nearby, and pulled her in front of him. "On your way here, did those two Blue Dragons chat with Krasus at all?"

"Huh?" Onyxia asked, puzzled, then began to recall. "That little female dragon named Martigosa was very fidgety, but the one named Kare was more composed. But what's strange is that Kare actually contacted Malygos directly because he couldn't enter the barrier... Is the Weaver that idle? And in the end, they sent a Red Dragon, the one called Corestraz."

"Weaver... Kalecgos, Krasus..." Arthas muttered these names. Krasus was probably sent by Alexstrasza, who was worried her brother might do something out of line, to mediate. Fortunately, none of them knew Kalecgos's personality; that guy wouldn't stand idly by. As for Martigosa... it had nothing to do with her.

Thinking of this, Arthas said to Onyxia, "Go after them and see what they intend to do in Quel'Thalas. Don't be too conspicuous. I have a feeling this might be an opportunity for the Black Dragonflight to prove themselves again."

Hearing that it concerned the Black Dragonflight, Onyxia immediately became serious. She sighed softly, "Alas, two Blue Dragons traveled all the way to Quel'Thalas under the Weaver's orders. I wouldn't believe that old dragon has no thoughts about the Sunwell. My Prince, the Elves are probably in big trouble this time. But thankfully, Corestraz's appearance indicates there's still room for negotiation."

"Malygos isn't as stubborn as before; Krasus's appearance proves everything. Go, be careful, just don't let those two Blue Dragons die... Although Malygos's temper has improved a lot, the Blue Dragon race's dwindling numbers are a reality. If an adult dragon is lost, he might really vent his anger on the Elves."

Onyxia transformed back into her dragon form and flew into the sky. Tulani said with some concern, "They won't be in any trouble, will they? Brutallus's appearance always gives me a bad feeling."

"Don't worry, Tulani, Azeroth will never become a second Draenor. Kil'jaeden's plot will not succeed, and that idiot Dar'Khan will receive his deserved end." Arthas held a fel crystal in his hand, the Holy Light surrounding the fel corruption. "His death is coming soon."

....

The last guard of the Sanctum was struck down by the great axe of a Demon Guard. Before he died, his final blow wounded the Demon Guard, but he was unable to kill his last opponent.

Dar'Khan stepped over the guard's corpse and entered the Sanctum. Looking at the Sanctum, which had been massacred by demons, his expression was full of gloom.

The Eastern Sanctum was one of two sanctums that guarded the magic net around Silvermoon City. It was located in a valley, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If Kael'thas had not been busy dealing with trolls and transferred a large number of people to the front line, Dar'Khan and his demon minions would have had no chance to attack here.

"My Lord, the Sanctum has been cleared. No one escaped." The Demon Guard stood before Dar'Khan, leaning on his axe, reporting the situation.

"I know."

Looking at the Arcane Sanctum, which was usually meticulously decorated, now stained with the blood of his former compatriots, Dar'Khan felt a strange sense of satisfaction—these fools had been immersed in a life of ease for too long. The guards and mages defending the Sanctum were completely vulnerable. His decision was indeed correct; he would eliminate these weak parasites for the Legion and clear the obstacles for his master's arrival.

"You few, go guard the Sanctum entrance and see if there are any stragglers."

Dismissing the Demon Guard by his side, Dar'Khan sneered as he looked at the magic net monitoring device in the Sanctum. The Quel'dorei relied on the power of the Sanctum to sort out the complex magic net covered by the Sunwell. Each Sanctum was the center of the magic net for an entire region. If this place was corrupted, the continuously spreading magical energy would carry the corruption to every inch of the surrounding land.

Those who absorbed fel-corrupted magic would either fall and become slaves of the Burning Legion, their minds controlled, or directly die from the backlash of the conflict between fel and magic. Whichever it was, it would quickly destroy the living forces in this large area east of Silvermoon City.

And now, the magic net conduits were close at hand. Dar'Khan only needed a little time to achieve his goal, and he even had the chance to corrupt the Sunwell through the transportation of magic net energy!

Once the area where the Sunwell was located was corrupted, the entire Eversong Woods would be within reach.

...

While Dar'Khan was carrying out his insane actions, a survivor from the Eastern Sanctum was completely unaware of the tragedy that had occurred in the Sanctum. She was riding her purple strider, laden with a large amount of supplies, sighing and leaning on the strider's slender neck.

"Teacher is really something. Making me get so many things by myself. How can one person carry all of this! A'zi, don't you agree?"

The apprentice Mil'verda stroked her strider while complaining softly to him. The strider A'zi occasionally chirped twice in response.

Regardless of whether the strider could understand her, Mil'verda continued to chat idly with her strider, but soon, her gaze was drawn to a collapsed tent by the roadside.

"Wait, A'zi, stop."

Mil'verda lightly jumped off the strider, somewhat nervously drawing her staff from her luggage, and cautiously approached the tent.

"Cough cough!"

"Who's there!" Mil'verda cried out in alarm, shielding herself with her staff, but then heard coughing sounds from under the tent's ruins. After looking around and confirming there was no other danger, she quickly ran over, only to find a guard half-buried by the camp's debris, weakly coughing with his face covered in blood.

"Are you alright?!" A shocked Mil'verda quickly cast a small spell on him, trying to stabilize his injuries, but her actions were quickly stopped.

"Cough cough… Run… quickly… go notify Silvermoon City… Dar'Khan attacked… the Sanctum…"

The guard, having delivered his last words, exhaled his last breath. His neck went limp, his head slumped, and he became still.

The apprentice was stunned by the scene before her and the news she had heard. She had just recovered her senses and was about to flee when she heard her strider let out a pained cry.

The strider A'zi shrieked and rushed into the jungle, her luggage and goods spilling all over the ground. Mil'verda struggled to chase her mount, "Come back! A'zi, come back, don't be scared!"

Unfortunately, her weak legs could not keep up with the strider's retreating figure, and she could only watch helplessly as the strider dashed into the bushes and disappeared.

At this moment, two grotesque Hellhounds sprang out from the bushes. Their narrow eyes fixed on the apprentice, as if they had spotted fresh meat.

Mil'verda's face turned pale, but she still feigned composure as she looked at the Hellhounds, swiftly casting a protective spell on herself, and quickly chanting a spell, throwing a large fireball at one of the Hellhounds.

However, a tentacle on one of the Hellhounds moved, and a strange power impacted the formidable fireball spell. Mil'verda was horrified to feel the fireball spell's magical structure rapidly disintegrate after being disturbed by this power, quickly turning into scattered sparks and vanishing into the air.

The apprentice immediately reacted. She now understood that in such terrain, these two Hellhounds were a nightmare for a novice mage like herself, because their attacks could not harm the Hellhounds, but the opponents could easily dismantle their defenses.

She couldn't even run away. Mil'verda didn't think her two legs could outrun their four legs.

Just as Mil'verda desperately closed her eyes, waiting for the Hellhounds to bite through her throat, a deafening roar and a huge shockwave blasted Mil'verda away.

"Be careful."

Mil'verda, who was about to fall to the ground, was steadily caught by someone. The person also shouted, "Marty, deal with those Demon Guard behind us."

"I know, Kare, you don't need to tell me. They can't escape!"

Mil'verda, dizzy from the shockwave, felt the world spinning and her ears ringing. It was not until a few minutes later that she emerged from this chaotic state. She opened her eyes vaguely, and at the same time heard a gentle inquiry.

"Are you alright."

What met Mil'verda's eyes was a handsome half-elf face. Most striking were his blue strands of hair. Mil'verda could barely recall seeing any elf with hair of that color.

"I… I'm fine, thank you."

Mil'verda frantically struggled free from Kalecgos's embrace. She stood up but found that her balance had not yet recovered, her legs giving way, almost causing her to stumble again.

Fortunately, Kalecgos steadied her, "I am Kalecgos, you can call me Kare. What happened here?"

Mil'verda hadn't answered yet when she heard Martigosa's slightly impatient voice, "Do you still need to ask her? This place has clearly been attacked by demons—these elves are completely unreliable. Their own Arcane Sanctum was attacked by the enemy, and they didn't even react."

Martigosa transformed into a blue-haired High Elf wearing sky-blue embroidered mage battle armor. Her gauntlets were still stained with a good deal of green demon blood, but it was rapidly disappearing under the cleansing of her magic.

"Marty!" Kalecgos's tone rose slightly, signaling Martigosa to stop talking nonsense. Martigosa shrugged, indicating she would no longer speak.

Mil'verda looked at the two with some confusion. Her brain, still unclear from the magical aftermath, thought they were reinforcements sent by Silvermoon City, so she blurted out, "Dar'Khan attacked the Eastern Sanctum. It's probably already fallen. We need to hurry and support them."

"Fallen? An Arcane Sanctum fell so easily? And you, little elf, if the Sanctum fell, how did an apprentice like you escape?" Martigosa questioned Mil'verda, emitting the aura of a dragon. Let alone Mil'verda being an apprentice, even a proper mage would have been greatly frightened.

"I was sent by my mentor to Silvermoon City to get supplies…" Mil'verda stammered her reply.

Kalecgos glanced at the magical items scattered on the ground, then turned and said, "Let's go, apprentice. Go to the nearest outpost or somewhere to seek help. The Eastern Sanctum is very dangerous right now, and we can't protect you indefinitely."

"Oh… oh," Mil'verda was still a bit disoriented. Seeing Kalecgos tell her to leave, she turned around and prepared to walk away on her two legs.

"Wait, are you planning to walk to Silvermoon City on two legs to get help?" Martigosa said with a headache. She was starting to regret it a bit now, fearing that her magic might have been too powerful and stunned this elf.

"But my strider—"

"Alright, stop dawdling! I'll give you a ride!" Martigosa spat out a few words through gritted teeth, waved her hands, and the light of a teleportation spell lit up around Mil'verda. Then the elf apprentice disappeared in the light of the teleportation spell, looking bewildered.

"I almost thought you were going to kill her." Kalecgos quipped, but immediately he became serious again, "Alright, stay vigilant. Next, we'll face an Archmage who has taken control of the Arcane Sanctum, a fallen one who has accepted fel."

"I know, Kare, stop nagging like an old woman!"

As the two talked, Krasus's figure appeared from the sky. After landing beside them, he looked worried, "I'm not too late, am I?"

"It depends on what you mean by too late," Martigosa pointed to the ruins nearby, "If you mean before the Sanctum fell, then we are all too late."

"Then we must… be careful." Krasus's gaze was somewhat vacant, but it quickly returned to normal.

Kalecgos, who was nearby, happened to notice Krasus's change, but he didn't pay too much attention, only thinking that he was too mentally exhausted from expelling corruption.

"Let's go, we need to find Dar'Khan."

With that, Krasus walked in front. Kalecgos was about to follow when Martigosa grabbed the back of his clothes. Kalecgos turned his head and saw Martigosa looking at him suspiciously, whispering, "I think that Red Dragon is a bit off."

"Don't overthink it. Corestraz might just be tired." Krasus's strange behavior a moment ago flashed through Kalecgos's mind again, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

"Alright, alright, but you have to remember, whatever happens later, you must report it truthfully. Don't cover for those elves, otherwise Weaver will not be pleased, and I won't intercede for you then!" Martigosa said, pointing at Kalecgos's nose with a fierce look.

This friend of hers was good in every way, but sometimes he was too kind to mortal races. She worried that Kalecgos might eventually do something detrimental to himself for the sake of those mortals.

"Don't worry, Martigosa, I know what I'm doing."

"Dar'Khan, your Demon Guard have been eliminated. Surrender now, and we might spare your life for the time being."

Standing outside the Sanctum, Martigosa shouted while thrusting a spear she had taken from a Demon Guard directly into the chest of another Demon Guard who was trying to get back up. After the Demon Guard struggled for a few moments, she twisted her hand, which was gripping the long handle, eliminating the last shred of the demon's life.

Kalecgos stood behind Martigosa, his eyes fixed on the Arcane Sanctum. At the same time, he manipulated the magic net to seal off the surrounding space, preventing Dar'Khan from teleporting away again.

Just when the two thought Dar'Khan had no escape, the pale-faced elven Magister, whose luxurious robes were stained with blood and charred marks, calmly walked out from the main entrance.

His eyes no longer held the unique bright blue of a High Elf but were covered in an eerie green fel fire.

"Hmph, how ridiculous. Have those elves become so lowly that they need to beg the dragon race for help? You two foolish dragons, do you truly believe you've dealt with everyone?"

"What?!" Martigosa was slightly stunned by Dar'Khan's confident words, and in that blink of an eye, danger suddenly descended.

"Careful, Marti!"

Kalecgos finally sensed the anomaly at that moment, but he didn't have time to cast any defensive spells. He could only throw himself at Martigosa with his body.

"Pfft."

The muffled sound of flesh being pierced reached Martigosa's ears. She furiously hurled a barrage of Arcane Missiles at Dar'Khan, forcing the cackling Dar'Khan back, then supported Kalecgos and dodged to the side.

"Are you alright, Kare? Answer me!" Martigosa held Kalecgos, whose abdomen had been pierced, her heart burning with anxiety.

"I… I'm not dead yet…" A dragon's vitality is incredibly powerful; such an injury alone was not enough to take Kalecgos's life. But the real danger was that Kalecgos felt fel energy surging through his body, eroding his life. "But I have to suppress the fel energy inside me…"

Martigosa finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, her beautiful eyes widened in fury, staring intently at Krasus, whose hands were covered in blood. "You!"

"I—" Krasus looked at the blood on his hands, momentarily startled. What exactly…

But soon, he felt a chilling sneer emanating from deep within his mind. Strange sound waves attacked Krasus's spirit from the inside out. He used his last bit of strength to say, "Run… I… I'm being controlled!"

The eyes of the Red Dragon Queen's consort once again lost their focus. When the light returned to his eyes, his gentle demeanor was gone, replaced by madness and glee.

"Hahaha, I am no longer Alexstrasza's slave!"

"Krasus… might be controlled by a demon…" Kalecgos, while fighting against the lingering effects of the fel energy, explained with difficulty to Martigosa, "He was probably ambushed by a demon on his way here, but his memory was affected, and he never knew about it."

"Damn it!" Martigosa cursed under her breath. This wasn't reinforcement; it was clearly a ticking time bomb. She had intended to retreat with Kalecgos first, but she quickly noticed something was wrong.

"What? Only just realizing the teleportation spell failed? Do you think the elven Arcane Sanctum is truly that useless? It's just that those previous incompetents were too useless!" Dar'Khan sneered, "When this power is under my control, you should know that even dragons should fear this power!"

"Stop talking nonsense, Dar'Khan," Krasus—no, now it should be the Corruptor Sasovale—"It truly took some effort to seize this dragon's body. As for you, Dar'Khan, quickly deal with these two dragons and resurrect them as Bone Dragons to fill Brutallus's vacancy."

"What do you mean, Brutallus is dead?" Dar'Khan frowned. Although he resented that Pit Lord who thought with his muscles, if the other party died because of his arrangements, he would likely be held accountable by his master.

"Hmph, do you know how big of a mess you've made? Now it's not just the elves; even the dragons have come out. If it weren't for me, you'd be besieged by three dragons right now!" Sasovale was very displeased with the current situation. "Be quicker about it. There's also a group of mortals tracking your whereabouts, and some of those guys are even troublesome for me."

"You don't need to tell me, but we first need to figure out how to face the Deceiver's interrogation. According to you, you were present when Brutallus died."

Dar'Khan, while manipulating the power of the Arcane Sanctum to attack Martigosa, began to bargain with Sasovale. "If the master holds us accountable, don't think you can get yourself out of it."

Sasovale didn't answer Dar'Khan's question at all. How could he have dared to secretly trip up Brutallus using Krasus's identity at that time? If he had been discovered, he would likely have suffered the same fate as Brutallus, so he simply pushed his brother when he was in trouble, quickly sending that unlucky Brutallus back to the Twisting Nether.

As for what Krasus said to Sylvanas, although some of it was what Krasus originally intended to say, the remarks designed to provoke conflict between the Blue Dragons and the elves were still due to his subtle influence on Krasus.

Otherwise, even if Krasus considered Kael'thas his friend, he would not privately discuss the Weaver. At most, he would have used a different, more indirect approach to guide Sylvanas.

The magical defenses Martigosa hastily erected were quickly shattered by the Arcane Sanctum's bombardment, controlled by Dar'Khan. She was now gritting her teeth and struggling to hold on, while also having to guard against Sasovale nearby.

The reason Sasovale was not attacking at the moment but bickering with Dar'Khan was that Krasus's will was simply too strong. Even with all his methods, he couldn't completely control his body; Krasus's will was still resisting his corruption.

But after all, the battlefield had been dragged into the place where the Dreadlords were most proficient. In the inner world, Krasus could only struggle to resist Sasovale's will. He could only pray that Arthas would discover the anomaly here in time, otherwise, once Sasovale controlled his body, Martigosa and Kalecgos would both die here.

At that time, even if the demons were dealt with, the Weaver's wrath would make the Quel'dorei tremble.

Kalecgos also understood this. He knew that in the current situation, he was a burden. If Martigosa wanted to escape, she could only do so before Krasus was completely controlled. "Marti, don't worry about me. You need to escape quickly and find reinforcements…"

"Don't be foolish, Kare!" Martigosa gritted her teeth, enduring Dar'Khan's bombardment. "I can't possibly leave you and escape alone!"

"Don't be impulsive! Martigosa!" Kalecgos struggled to prop himself up, helping Martigosa repair her magical shield, completely disregarding the bursting wounds on his body and the large amount of blood flowing out.

"Kare!" Martigosa was distraught. She was not a healer and couldn't possibly deal with such severe injuries.

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry and go, while I can still hold on for a little longer—go, don't just stand there foolishly!" Kalecgos let out a painful groan. Severely wounded, he could only hold on for a very short time.

Tears welled in Martigosa's eyes. She now deeply regretted her impulsiveness, which had led them to their current predicament. If she had chosen to act with those mortal champions at the time, perhaps…

But there was no time for sorrow. Martigosa wiped away her tears, leaped into the air, transformed back into her Blue Dragon form, gave Kalecgos a lingering look, and then flew away rapidly.

"Don't let her escape, Dreadlord! If the Weaver is drawn here, we'll all die!" Dar'Khan glared at Sasovale, scolding his colleague for not putting in enough effort.

"You can't escape, little Blue Dragon!" Krasus let out a long roar heavenward, finally having most of his will taken over by Sasovale. He also quickly transformed back into his Red Dragon form and charged head-on towards Martigosa.

Seeing this, Dar'Khan ignored the severely wounded Kalecgos and shifted most of his firepower to harass Martigosa's flight path. Martigosa, with no escape, after dodging one energy torrent after another, exposed her soft underbelly to Corestraz's claws.

"Bang!"

A loud crash echoed, and Krasus's body wailed as it plummeted to the ground. Dar'Khan's arrogant expression vanished completely. He stared furiously at the huge black shadow in the air, waving his hand to unleash all his magic towards the opponent.

Blazing crimson flames surged forward, engulfing all the magic. The destructive dragon breath easily disrupted the magic's stability, turning it back into raw Arcane energy.

"Little female dragon, counting the last time, you owe me another life now."

As the dragon breath dissipated, smoke from the high temperature wafted from Onyxia's lips. She stared at Martigosa with a teasing look. "Looks like you and your partner are in trouble!"

"It's you?!" Martigosa's expression was complex. When she almost thought she was about to be disemboweled, it was Onyxia who had come to save her.

"Who else, little female dragon? Read fewer fairy tales written by humans. No prince is coming to save you—now go check on your partner, his injuries are not light. Leave the Red Dragon to me!"

With that, Onyxia looked at Krasus with a serious expression. Although she had succeeded in her sneak attack just now, Krasus's strength was undeniable. She wasn't sure if she could face the Red Dragon Queen's consort head-on.

Krasus shook his head and stood up. The look in his eyes towards Onyxia first flashed with a hint of relief, but it was quickly replaced by malice.

"Black Dragon… you dare to ruin our good deed. I will make you know what fear is." Sasovale growled. He had thought this Black Dragon wouldn't follow.

"The one who should be truly afraid is you, bat. Do you really think you can easily seize the Red Dragon Queen's consort's body? You should know that even Tichondrius wouldn't dare to do that!"

Onyxia had her own understanding of verbal sparring, but what she said was not nonsense. The Red Dragon Queen's consort was not like ordinary dragons. If Krasus suffered such a mental attack, Alexstrasza would surely sense it.

Barring any accidents, there should already be Red Dragons on their way now.

However, before that, she had to unite with Martigosa to hold off Krasus and Dar'Khan. This battle was not a guaranteed victory, as they also had a severely wounded Kalecgos as a burden.

While Onyxia and Krasus confronted each other, Martigosa also rushed back to Kalecgos's side. She quickly re-established a magical shield and simultaneously pulled out a large pile of various alchemical potions, stabilizing his injuries.

Kalecgos's handsome face was pale, clearly, his desperate exertion just now had worsened his injuries. Fortunately, the situation was stable for now, and he no longer tried to act tough. "Cough cough… It seems our luck isn't too bad."

"Say less, you fool, where's your swagger from just now?!" Martigosa glared at Kalecgos, but her beautiful eyes were full of heartache. "Drink these potions. Don't worry, with me here, you'll get better."

"Heh…" Kalecgos forced a smile, bringing the healing potion to his mouth.

After dealing with Kalecgos's injuries, Martigosa stayed put, expending all her strength to carve out a small space within the magic net controlled by the elven Arcane Sanctum. She inscribed new runes and magic circles to solidify their defenses, while also disrupting the Arcane Sanctum's magic net to interfere with Dar'Khan's spells, forcing him to prioritize dealing with her before he could cast spells that would threaten Onyxia.

"I hope you can hold on, Black Dragon. I can only buy you this much time." Martigosa was drenched in sweat after doing all this. Her previous disdain for mortal races vanished at this moment—the elves' technology was indeed extraordinary. Trying to tamper with the Arcane Sanctum's covered area in a short time was as difficult as ascending to heaven!

Fortunately, when Dar'Khan captured the Arcane Sanctum, he had to destroy some of its functions to seize control, otherwise, her efforts for this short period would have been futile.

Seeing Onyxia and Krasus, two physically powerful dragons, fighting with earth-shattering force, Dar'Khan's eyes flashed with ferocity, yet he was helpless against the turtle shell Martigosa had created. He could only temporarily abandon the idea of attacking and fully infuse fel energy into the surrounding magic net. This would both corrupt Martigosa's defenses and achieve the goal of damaging Quel'Thalas's magic net.

He immediately poured all the energy from the fel crystals he had brought into the magic net core, regardless of the outcome of the battle between Krasus and Onyxia, concentrating fully on manipulating the fel energy to corrupt the magic net conduits.

"Ouch!"

On the road far outside the valley, Mil'verda, who had been dropped from mid-air by a teleportation spell and landed in a daze, rubbed her backside and propped herself up with her staff, complaining, "You call me an apprentice, but your Magister's teleportation spell isn't that great either… By the way, where exactly am I?"

Mil'verda thought Martigosa was a Magister sent by Silvermoon City, unaware that it was precisely because the Blue Dragon was unfamiliar with Quel'Thalas's magic net that the teleportation spell malfunctioned and didn't send her to her destination.

But the sound of hooves approaching reached Mil'verda's ears. Ignoring her still throbbing backside, she waved her staff and ran to the middle of the road, shouting, "Hey, listen to me! I'm an apprentice from the Eastern Sanctum! The Eastern Sanctum is under attack and urgently needs reinforcements!"

"Did you hear me?"

Arthas, riding Invincible and galloping, heard the apprentice's cry. He exchanged a glance with Sylvanas, who was riding a strider beside him, and both nodded simultaneously. The party then spurred their mounts, accelerating past Mil'verda, leaving only a cloud of dust.

"Hey!! Wait, can't you take me with you?!"

Mil'verda stared dumbfounded at the departing group. She was now in the middle of nowhere; how long would it take to walk until she saw people?

....

Onyxia's body recoiled a dozen meters, crashing into a giant tree, severing the ancient tree, which required several people to encircle, before she finally stabilized herself.

The Black Dragon Princess now looked a bit disheveled; Krasus's strength was greater than she had imagined, and she was restricted from using lethal force, which, combined with the power imbalance, made it extremely difficult for her to cope.

"Arthas, you'd better hurry... otherwise, I'll have to flee first!"

Onyxia flapped her wings, soaring back into the sky, and entangled with Krasus, while the Red Dragon, controlled by Sasovale, revealed its sharp claws and fangs, and as the two giant dragons intertwined, scales and blood continuously splattered.

Just as Onyxia and Krasus were locked in an intense battle, Martigosa's voice suddenly echoed in her ear, causing the Black Dragon to freeze for a moment and inadvertently take a claw from Krasus, who, in pain, furiously breathed dragonfire to force Krasus back, and replied irritably, "What do you want? Are you trying to get me killed?!"

Martigosa, maintaining communication with Arcane magic, said helplessly, "I just wanted to remind you that if this drags on any longer, the surrounding Arcane network will be completely corrupted by fel!"

"Will that lead to any serious consequences?" Onyxia wasn't clear about the purpose of the Elves' Arcane Sanctum, and as she fended off Sasovale's attacks, she asked in confusion.

Martigosa immediately explained, "This Arcane Sanctum is the Arcane network hub for a large area in the eastern part of Silvermoon City. All magical convergence passes through this place. Once Dar'Khan spreads the corruption... nearly a quarter of Eversong Woods will become like Felwood Forest after the war."

"Then there's nothing I can do. Just dealing with this maddened Red Dragon is already hard enough. Damn it, why is he the Red Dragon Queen's consort? Otherwise, I would have killed him long ago!"

Onyxia was furious at this moment; she couldn't afford to be distracted. Not only did she have to block Sasovale's attacks, but while counterattacking, she also had to worry about using too much force. If Sasovale deliberately exposed a weakness, she would become the murderer of the Red Dragon Queen's consort, and then she would be in deep trouble.

Compared to Sasovale's unrestrained attacks, Onyxia was in a very passive situation, and it was already very difficult for her to reply to Martigosa's message.

"I'll try to find a way... but with Dar'Khan controlling the Sanctum, it's almost impossible for me to counterattack the hub successfully."

Looking at the Eastern Sanctum, which was tightly sealed by Arcane magic, Martigosa also felt despair. It was like Dar'Khan was at the upstream of a waterfall, and she had to paddle a powerless canoe against gravity up the waterfall!

"Martigosa, don't worry. Don't forget, this is Quel'Thalas... there's the Sunwell here." Kalecgos grimaced in pain from the fel corruption, and he also had to be careful not to let the wound on his abdomen burst. "There's no point where magic converges more than at the Sunwell."

"But I'm not the Elves' Sun King! How can I control the power of the Sunwell?!" Martigosa was exasperated. She, of course, knew such a simple theory, but to use the power of the Sunwell to break through Dar'Khan's blockade of the Arcane Sanctum, one had to be a High Elf Sun King.

"Have you forgotten how we entered Quel'Thalas? Heh heh, that unlucky fellow Krasus, at least he gave us a useful tool before he was controlled." Kalecgos outlined an Arcane rune with his fingertip. "This is Kael'thas Sunstrider's mark; it can connect to its owner!"

"That's right!" Martigosa suddenly understood. As dragons, they could use magic without restraint in Quel'Thalas precisely because of Kael'thas's tacit approval, and the purpose of this rune was clearly more than just that.

Martigosa immediately stored a piece of information in the magical torrent and transmitted it backward through this rune.

"The Elves' Sun King had better react quickly. I see Onyxia is about to give out." Kalecgos sighed in relief, slumping to the side, looking at Onyxia with some concern. He noticed that the Black Dragon's injuries had been increasing since earlier.

"Damn it, I have to delay Dar'Khan's actions; I can't help her." Martigosa gritted her teeth. The interruption from sending a message to Kael'thas had allowed Dar'Khan to advance his progress significantly.

...

At this moment, Arthas and the others finally arrived outside the valley. He looked at the two figures, one black and one red, in the sky, his face cold—a Dreadlords had been hiding right under his nose for so long...

"Is that... Krasus and Onyxia?" Sylvanas clearly saw the two figures. "Why are they fighting?"

Arthas looked around and said to Sylvanas, "You go support Onyxia and them. I need to make some preparations. That guy Krasus is being controlled by someone. I need to find the mastermind—Tulani, you know what to do."

Regarding souls, Tulani was the most knowledgeable among those present. This former Auchenai Soul Priest had once guided and comforted the souls of countless deceased Draenei.

"You suspect a Nathrezim is at work?" Tulani also understood Arthas's meaning. "I understand. Valanaar can help me protect Krasus's original soul."

"Be careful. Dar'Khan has occupied the Eastern Sanctum for so long; I'm worried that all of the Sanctum's defenses have been taken over by him." Sylvanas cautioned Arthas, then mounted her strider and rode with Tulani, Nathanos, and Valeera to the battlefield.

After Arthas saw Sylvanas and the others disappear from sight, he dismounted and patted Invincible's rump. The undead warhorse immediately snorted, stepped into a burst of Holy Light, and vanished.

"Varimathras, get out here."

Arthas growled, and Frostmourne tore through the space from the shadow rift, manifesting the ghostly figure of the Dreadlords Varimathras.

The Dreadlords' face no longer held its usual contempt for living beings; only deep dread remained. Half of his soul had been torn by Arthas and stored in Frostmourne, and only he truly understood what kind of "monster" the person before him was.

Perhaps soon, this fellow might even surpass those Eternals in the realm of death...

"My esteemed master, your humble servant is always at your command." However, the Dreadlords still retained the elegance etched into his bones, something their creator had imprinted upon their souls.

"Don't call me master. I know that the only one you truly serve is the ruler of Revendreth," Arthas didn't want to have too much contact with the Dreadlords; their true identities were too sensitive, but for now, he had no choice but to borrow their abilities.

"Heh heh, nothing escapes your discerning eye, great Lich King. But forgive my frankness, even Lord Master would be pleased for us to serve such an excellent being as yourself," Varimathras's smile remained sinister and cunning, but he was sincere towards Arthas. "You want to deal with the corruptor Sasovale, right? Hmm—I can smell that fellow's presence from here."

"Don't let that guy escape. I have some questions for him. After it's done, I will restore your soul." Arthas didn't mince words, directly stating his price.

"Ah, you are truly generous. I will do my utmost." Varimathras was also very straightforward at this moment. He was already in Arthas's hands, a more dangerous situation than being with Kil'jaeden. What else could he do but help? He didn't want to become a blob of Anima and be thrown into the Soul Forges beneath Icecrown Citadel.

Going in there would either benefit The Jailer or Arthas. Since it was helping either way, he would definitely ensure his own well-being first.

...

"What? Dar'Khan breached the Eastern Sanctum?!" Kael'thas looked shocked. He repeatedly examined the Arcane message transmitted to him. The caster's technique was completely different from that of the Elves, clearly not an Elf.

And currently, within Quel'Thalas, the only ones with the mark he had bestowed were those few dragons, precisely to ensure their power could be used normally within the barrier.

"This... My lord, do we need to immediately dispatch troops for rescue?" The Astromancer was also full of surprise. The fall of the Eastern Sanctum was no small matter, especially to a Magister like Dar'Khan, who was skilled in Arcane network control. It was known that he had once personally controlled parts of the Sunwell's power, creating various magical miracles in Quel'Thalas.

"It's too late to rush back now. All the teleportation nodes around the Eastern Sanctum are sealed. The closest one is Farstriders Lodge, and even if we send the fastest Farstriders, they won't arrive until tomorrow dawn." Kael'thas sighed, "I must use the power of the Sunwell to seal the Eastern Sanctum."

"But!" Solarian was very surprised, but her words of dissuasion never left her mouth, because during her few days in Tranquillien, she was well aware of how tight the front lines were. Not to mention withdrawing Farstriders for defense, Kael'thas was even considering whether to continue drawing forces to the front to fill the gaps.

Kael'thas took a deep breath. Using the power of the Sunwell was not difficult. The problem was that Banthinoriel had not yet been fully repaired, and excessive use of the Well's power could easily lead to a repeat of the ancient Highborne's mistakes.

This was a difficult choice, but compared to the harm caused by Dar'Khan controlling a quarter of Eversong Woods' Arcane network, Kael'thas couldn't afford to worry about these dangers that were still only possibilities.

However, what Kael'thas didn't know was that at the border between Zul'Aman and Quel'Thalas, the former site of the Amani Empire and the front line of the High Elf homeland, the Amani Trolls Warlord Zul'jin was venting his anger in his tent.

"These idiots, fools! The Elves are already at a disadvantage, and our warriors are about to pierce their defenses, and those few tribes actually told me they want to retreat!"

The Hex Lord stood silently not far from Zul'jin, watching the Warlord vent his anger, recalling the messages that had come from various tribal priests not long ago.

—"Lord Warlord, the eagles brought a message: an ancient danger has returned. If we don't want the tribe to be annihilated, it's best to retreat into the forest."

—"Yes, yes, Tor'watha was wiped out by a terrifying entity. If we insist on fighting the Elves now, the Amani will also face a huge threat."

The high priests of various tribes argued fiercely in the meeting, but most of their opinions were surprisingly similar: retreat.

They didn't care if they were deserters or anything, because their worshipped gods had said that if they didn't retreat, their clans would face utter destruction.

Zul'jin's face was expressionless at the meeting, but the Hex Lord later found the wooden goblet Zul'jin had crushed, and he knew that Zul'jin's heart was definitely not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

Indeed, upon returning, Zul'jin immediately began to rebuke those priests for their foolish loyalty and selfishness to the gods. The red-eyed Troll Warlord's chest heaved violently. After a long while, the anger in his eyes gradually faded, and he sat back on the throne symbolizing the power of the Amani Empire, but when he spoke again, his voice was terrifyingly low:

"Malacrass, go announce my order: retreat."

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