Scorched earth, shattered wasteland, black and red mountains taller than Mount Hyjal piercing straight into the sky.
Silithus, Scar of the Earth.
Arthas bent down, picked up a pinch of dust with his hand, rubbed it gently, and then let it slide off his leather glove.
"This land has completely lost its vitality, and that sword gives me a strange sense of fear."
Jaina took off her hood, looking at the endless Sword of Calamity with lingering fear, she truly realized for the first time the terrible threat Azeroth was facing.
"The true power of this sword has been sealed—or more accurately, it's dormant, but this is only a temporary measure. It will take time to truly eliminate any potential lingering dangers it might pose." Arthas also looked up at the colossal sword, even more magnificent than the mountains, the power of the world-destroying Titan, Sargeras, laid bare.
There were no fancy moves; just his last strike before being sealed permanently altered the topography of Silithus.
It even caused irreparable damage to the entire Azeroth.
"This place is filled with the mineral you call Azerite, and I sense astonishing energy within it." Jaina frowned, "But how can we find the ancient Titan facility you mentioned?"
Arthas summoned Invincible, mounted first, and then pulled Jaina up, "Archaedas gave me a coordinate. That secret chamber was built by him, but Sargeras's sword caused significant changes to this area, so we might need to search a bit around the ancient coordinates."
Jaina nodded, then gently stroked Invincible's golden, warm mane, "Long time no see, Invincible. You've changed so much."
Invincible snorted, clearly enjoying his mistress's caress.
With Invincible's help, even traversing the entire continent wouldn't take much time. The two quickly reached the coordinates of the Hall of Heart with little effort.
But just as Arthas expected, even with the coordinates, finding the Hall of Heart was not a simple task. At least within the coordinate area, they could only see scorched earth and exposed Azerite ore.
Arthas said to Jaina, "Summon a few familiars to help us search this area. It should be not far from here."
After sending a few Arcane familiars into the sky, Jaina asked her question, "I remember your perception abilities should be very strong. Can't you directly find the Hall of Heart?"
"Soul Sight is not omnipotent. Sargeras's power has almost completely saturated this place. Until that sword is completely removed, I can only see a very limited area."
Arthas looked solemnly at the colossal sword left by Sargeras. The Burning Legion was still a pressing issue in their world, but their schemes had been thwarted by Arthas several times, and the Burning Legion had lost the ability to descend upon Azeroth again in a short period.
After a while, Jaina saw some images through her familiars, "That must be it, in that direction, Arthas, let's go see."
Under Jaina's guidance, they quickly found the portal entrance to the Hall of Heart. Part of the secret chamber's structure was already exposed above ground, and there seemed to be some camp ruins around it, but the tents were deserted, and the boxes around the camp were covered with a thick layer of sand.
"This place has been abandoned for some time. Hmm… this is the emblem of the Cenarion Circle, and this, this seems to be a Tauren-style symbol, but I haven't seen any force using this mark."
Jaina began to inspect the surrounding camps. She could easily imagine that this was where the major forces of Azeroth gathered to discuss and resolve the problem of Sargeras's sword.
"That's the Earthen Ring, a secretive organization composed of shamans, aiming to suppress the elemental spirits of Azeroth." Arthas wiped the sand off the portal's surface, then noticed that the patterns on it had dimmed.
"Even the Kirin Tor have been here," Jaina picked up a disabled scroll at random, which was engraved with the Kirin Tor's mark, "It seems they ultimately failed… no, or rather, they temporarily succeeded."
After speaking, she tried to inject magic into the disabled scroll. When she picked it up, she realized it should be a scrying scroll, usually used by mages to record experimental processes. Although its form was somewhat different from the scrolls of her era, it should theoretically work…
"It worked!"
Jaina's cheer made Arthas look over. He walked to Jaina's side, and together they watched the image left by the Kirin Tor mage.
The image was nothing special; it was just a log of a Kirin Tor wizard's attempts to solve the Silithus problem.
Because the scroll was damaged, the magical image was intermittent, but it roughly recounted events from the fall of Sargeras's sword to after the Fourth War between the Horde and the Alliance.
When the image disappeared, Jaina put the scroll into her magical pouch, "It seems the people of this world encountered some more troublesome things. Undead began to run rampant across the world, and all organizations started to face manpower shortages, forcing them to recall their field investigators."
Arthas also returned to the portal, "This portal has been disabled and stopped working…"
"Let me take a look," Jaina volunteered. Although she didn't know much about Titan technology, she knew that most Titan technology incorporated Arcane magic as its foundation. "Hmm… very complex energy lines, but just like this, and then like this…"
Under Jaina's manipulation, the lightless portal quickly glowed again.
Arthas showed a permission, and soon, the reactivated portal opened for them.
-----------------
"Prompt: The Hall of Heart's portal system has been activated. A visitor has entered. Verifying authorization—Authorization verified, authorized by [Archaedas]."
The voice from Pure Saintess startled the diamond dwarf who had been sitting in the Hall of Heart in a daze. He looked around the Hall of Heart somewhat blankly, and it took him a while to gradually come to his senses.
"A visitor? Pure Saintess, what's going on?" The diamond Magni was a bit confused. Ever since he turned into diamond, his perception of time had become much slower. Sometimes he would sit in the Hall of Heart for ten days or half a month at a time.
"Answer: Unknown. Recommended to remain vigilant. Guardian Archaedas is offline. Visitor identity cannot be confirmed."
"Alright, more trouble."
Magni picked up his warhammer, stood up from the ground, and watched the portal and the Hall of Heart's connection entrance warily.
After a brief silence, two figures emerged from the shadows into the secret chamber, and Magni, who had transformed into diamond, felt his heart beat violently again for the first time in many years.
"We didn't defeat N'Zoth at all, did we—otherwise, why would I be having such a hallucination?!"
Magni could hardly believe his eyes, and the hand gripping his fearbreaker warhammer tightened involuntarily.
"You are… King Magni?"
Jaina's slender index finger rested on her chin, as if she was trying to discern Magni's appearance. Although the former King of Ironforge had been completely transformed into expensive gemstones, some features could still be recognized from his voice and face.
Magni did not answer, merely staring fixedly at the two people standing before him, who looked incredibly natural together yet were undeniably bizarre.
"No corruption detected. Visitor access granted. Welcome to the Hall of Heart, Arthas Menethil, Jaina Proudmoore."
Streams of data flowed through the Pure Saintess's eyes. She had already verified Arthas's and Jaina's permissions, confirming them as allies.
"Correction: Corrupted entity N'Zoth has been purged."
In addition, the Pure Saintess kindly dispelled Magni's doubts. They had already defeated N'Zoth; there was no question about it.
"So, what we're seeing now is the real Arthas?" Magni's grip on fearbreaker tightened further.
What exactly was happening? Had the Lich King also been resurrected due to the recent events sweeping across Azeroth?
Arthas greeted Magni, "Good day, King Magni… or should I say, Speaker?"
"Azeroth above, I must have been asleep for too long, my mind is failing," Magni felt an inexplicable chill, but fortunately, his psychological fortitude was extremely strong. After a brief moment of confusion, he also noticed some details, "Jaina, your hair?"
Jaina touched her golden hair tips, looking a bit strange. "My hair? Is my hairstyle odd today?"
"Don't be nervous, Magni. As you suspect, we are not the Arthas and Jaina of this world." Arthas began to explain the situation, then lowered his head in thought.
Was it just as Nozdormu had warned? Their journey had gone slightly awry. Even the Lord of Time couldn't send him to a precise point in time; he could only choose a relatively vague method.
But from the scroll Jaina had discovered earlier, the biggest problem was that they had entered a slightly "late" point in time. N'Zoth had already been eliminated by Azeroth's champions, and if all went as expected, the Undead Scourge problem affecting all of Azeroth was due to the banshee Sylvanas destroying the veil between reality and the Shadowlands.
"Guardian Dragons' essence residue detected. Analyzing—report: high probability of originating from Guardian Dragon Nozdormu."
The Pure Saintess beside them spoke again at this moment. From the first moment she saw Arthas, she had begun analyzing the anomalous energy still lingering on Arthas and Jaina, and her report finally made Magni understand everything.
"Like the Iron Horde that once invaded Azeroth? This is quite dangerous. A slight misstep, and both our worlds could be utterly destroyed by this."
Magni finally put away his warhammer. Although he didn't know why Arthas and Jaina appeared in their world, the Lich King's numerous crimes in this world made it difficult for him to view Arthas normally in the short term.
Arthas, of course, understood the source of Magni's resistance, and he didn't mind it, merely saying, "Because our world is facing a certain danger, I came here to find a solution."
"Our world is already struggling, I'm afraid we can't help you much." Magni's voice was somewhat cold. "You must have seen the sword stuck outside. If it can't be dealt with, the entire planet is in peril, plus the Undead Scourge that has inexplicably reappeared recently…"
At this point, Magni stopped speaking and simply returned to his previous seat, beginning to check if all the indicators of the Hall of Heart were normal.
Arthas subtly shook his head. Sure enough, could Magni no longer hear Azeroth's voice at this time?
Magni was a typical dwarf: resilient, tenacious, and also very stubborn. Since becoming the Speaker of Azeroth, he had shouldered this heavy burden alone. From the Burning Legion's invasion to N'Zoth's complete demise, this old dwarf, as solid as a rock, had not wavered in the slightest.
But now, he was clearly in a state of dejection. He probably could no longer hear Azeroth's voice.
Without disturbing Magni too much, Arthas began conversing with the Pure Saintess beside him, "How is the Hall of Heart's condition?"
"Maintenance work on the Hall of Heart is underway. Estimated time: several cycles."
It didn't look too optimistic, but it wouldn't be too bad either. At least after N'Zoth was defeated, the Hall of Heart wouldn't face particularly severe threats in the short term. As a researcher and Guardian of Uldir, the Pure Saintess should be capable of maintaining it well.
It was just that due to the less-than-smooth time travel, Arthas didn't get what he wanted, or rather… they might only be able to intervene in this specific time period.
If Arthas was not mistaken, all parties in the world were currently focused on dealing with the Undead Scourge and tracking the whereabouts of the banshee Sylvanas. The various leaders and heroes of the Alliance should have gone to the Shadowlands by this time, which meant that Jaina was not present on Azeroth, and Arthas, as the Lich King, had long since died.
Time itself had strong anti-interference capabilities. Even if Arthas forcibly intervened, it still tried its best to make Arthas and Jaina appear in a time period with less impact.
As for the Shadowlands… that place was completely different from the real plane. Arthas suspected that real-world time might not apply there. As for the specific situation, he hadn't had time to research it yet.
Anyway, he had already obtained all the important things from The Jailer. That fellow's failure was simply predetermined—ever since Arthas noticed his existence.
Arthas was actually quite concerned about the error in time travel. His original intention was to directly arrive at the time when N'Zoth escaped his prison and summoned the sleeping city of Nyalotha, then enter to kill N'Zoth and conduct a small experiment.
But at this time, N'Zoth was already completely dead. The energy of several Genesis Engines had completely erased this Ancient God from the world, and the biggest reason for his defeat was that he thought he had the upper hand and tried to recreate the glory of Nyalotha. Although this sleeping city, existing between reality and illusion, greatly enhanced his power, it also weakened his connection to the reality of Azeroth.
Engaging in full-scale war with N'Zoth in the real plane was a challenge, because fighting this Ancient God, hidden deep beneath the sea and earth, could very likely bring calamity to all of Azeroth.
N'Zoth in Arthas's world probably realized this, which is why he wasn't afraid that Arthas would fight him to the death. While he might not be able to defeat Arthas, if he simply clung to reality and didn't flee into Nyalotha, it would likely throw half of Azeroth into chaos.
The Old Gods naturally wanted a complete Azeroth, but when their schemes failed, they would absolutely not hesitate to directly destroy the treasures in their hands.
"I want a physical sample of N'Zoth. Do you still have one preserved here?"
Pure Saintess's eyes shimmered, seemingly pondering Arthas's question.
"Corrupted entity has been completely purified. Whether a sample remains—unknown."
She gave a rather conservative answer. Although N'Zoth had been completely purified by them using the power of the Creation Engine, no one knew if the Sleeping City had truly disappeared. Nyalotha exists between illusion and reality. If new Old Gods-level enemies were to appear in the future, perhaps this Sleeping City would reappear.
This answer was clearly not unexpected by Arthas. It was certainly impossible to find N'Zoth on Azeroth again; it had completely fallen. So the only way was…
"Then give me the coordinates of the key nodes that previously pinpointed Nyalotha."
"Error: Localization coordinates have been destroyed, cannot be retrieved. Only original data is available."
"Original data is enough."
Magni, who had been listening silently, finally couldn't bear it anymore and interjected, "What exactly are you trying to do? This is the Hall of Heart; you can't just mess around here!"
"It's precisely because this is the Hall of Heart that those coordinates are useful," Arthas said, obtaining the information to locate Nyalotha from Pure Saintess, "because N'Zoth has invaded here more than once."
Where there's a path, there's a trace.
If N'Zoth could invade the Hall of Heart through various means, couldn't Arthas invade Nyalotha in reverse through the traces left by N'Zoth?
Magni was greatly astonished. He seemed to have realized what Arthas intended to do and reached out to stop Arthas.
"Wait, you brat!"
Unfortunately, he was still a step too late. In the next instant, black void engulfed Arthas and Jaina. Magni immediately raised his warhammer, but before he could make any more moves, the void energy swallowed Arthas and Jaina, and then everything returned to silence, as if they had never appeared.
"There really is residual void energy?!" Magni looked in shock at the spot where Arthas had vanished.
"Detecting… No corruption traces detected. Hypothesis: Corruption is related to visitor Arthas, probability, extremely high."
Magni's expression darkened. This series of events happened too quickly; he hadn't even sorted out the logic before Arthas disappeared before his eyes again.
Some time later, the Hall of Heart's gate of realms lit up again, only this time the person who walked in was no longer Arthas, but a young man with long black hair, a short beard, and burning red eyes.
As soon as he entered, the person asked Magni, "What happened, Magni? I felt… that familiar power from afar."
Outwardly, these words were spoken casually, but the last few words were almost spat out through gritted teeth.
"Wrathion, something big has happened."
-----------------
"Bang—Boom—"
After hearing a sound like a beating heart in their ears, Arthas and Jaina saw the true appearance of the Sleeping City, Nyalotha, for the first time.
Obsidian steles and pyramids stood on mountains and magma, densely packed and orderly, connecting an endless complex of buildings. Upon closer inspection, one could see that beyond the magma, the black buildings were not resting on mountains at all, but on massive, continuous bodies of piled flesh, resembling mountains.
"Is this the true form of the Old Gods? It's actually so… perfect."
Jaina surveyed N'Zoth's body, finally using a word she herself could barely believe to describe everything she saw—yes, it was perfect. Unlike conclusions drawn merely by sight, Jaina was a powerful mage; she could perceive more information. The Old Gods' bodies were formed in ways that defied common sense, yet they did not repel each other, and even mutually benefited. Besides perfect, she couldn't think of another word to describe such a creature.
"It is indeed very perfect. They are very likely 'perfect beings' created by a higher-level existence." Arthas fully understood Jaina's perspective.
The Old Gods, even as infants, could survive in the complex environment of the cosmic astral plane. Upon encountering energy-rich planets, they could grow rapidly. Their blood and flesh could corrupt—or rather, transform—things in the real universe, providing a perfect living environment for themselves and the species they spawned.
Even the Titans couldn't decipher their complex life activities, only by a strange twist of fate creating a similar construct to the Old Gods, which was G'huun, imprisoned in Uldir, the research institute where Pure Saintess resided.
If this couldn't be considered perfect, then from Azeroth's current perspective, perhaps nothing could be called perfect.
However, this Sleeping City, which should have been fraught with danger, now exhibited an eerie silence.
"It seems that after N'Zoth's death, the power sustaining Nyalotha also vanished. This place is now essentially a dead plane, relying on reality, and most of N'Zoth's dependents have also perished with him."
Arthas had already gathered a large amount of information about Nyalotha, "But we still need to be careful; it's unlikely that all of N'Zoth's dependents have disappeared. This Sleeping City is not entirely abandoned."
He fixed his gaze on the highest point of the city, which was Nyalotha's sacred altar and the location of N'Zoth's heart. However, its core had been completely destroyed, leaving only this empty shell.
After arriving at N'Zoth's altar, Jaina began to construct a defensive barrier with Arcane magic. What they were about to do might cause quite a stir, so they needed to set things up in advance to avoid being disturbed by any remaining N'Zoth dependents.
Arthas also assisted Jaina in reinforcing the defensive measures. Otherwise, Jaina alone would have a hard time building perfect defenses in this chaotic place.
After a while, Jaina wiped the sweat from her forehead, "It's done. This should hold them off for a while."
"Completely sufficient. Even if it only holds for ten minutes, it's enough for us to complete what we need to do next."
Arthas looked at the huge tear in N'Zoth's body, where Xal'atath's echoes still lingered. It was the wound inflicted on N'Zoth's body by Wrathion, the Black Prince, using the dark empire blade.
This was also the pathway connecting to the Old Gods' heart. Without this tear, the commotion Arthas would have caused to open a path to the core would truly have alerted the entire Sleeping City.
The complex internal structure of the Old Gods' body was riddled with traces of battle. Even after the passage of time, the intensity of that battle could still be seen. The champions of Azeroth had used all their strength here to break through the last line of defense before N'Zoth's heart.
"What?! You're just going to stand there and watch him mess things up?!"
Wrathion glared at Magni, unable to comprehend the process Magni had described to him.
"This is the Hall of Heart! If another problem like N'Zoth emerges, we'll all be finished!"
"If you don't want to live, don't drag me down with you!"
Facing Wrathion's reprimand, Magni remained silent, no one knowing what he was thinking.
Seeing Magni completely unresponsive, Wrathion glanced at the Pure Saintess beside him, suddenly realizing that talking to these two stone-like individuals here would yield no conclusions.
"Then continue being your Spokesperson here. I'm going to gather allies to solve this big problem!"
The Black Prince's arrogance was always thus, until the very next second he turned, a sharp blade pressed directly against his throat.
The terrifying threat of death instantly flooded his mind, and Wrathion immediately realized that the person in front of him was a powerful existence he could not possibly defeat.
But the anticipated attack did not come. Arthas lowered the hand holding Frostmourne. He looked around at his surroundings and said to Jaina beside him, "We've left that place."
The runes on Frostmourne flickered on and off, countless corrupt creatures' blood dripped onto the ground along the blade, and those fallen souls had also given it a full meal.
After realizing Arthas had no hostility, a sudden, inexplicable anger surged in Wrathion's heart. He intensely disliked this feeling of powerless weakness; even when facing N'Zoth, he had the courage to bare his fangs, so why had he just been intimidated by Arthas?!
He endured the threat of death, about to grab Arthas's collar and question him, but at that moment, a uniquely shaped staff blocked his path. Jaina was beside him, now staring intently at him.
Wrathion could only question in a trembling voice, "Who exactly are you, and what do you want in our world?!"
"You are?"
Jaina, holding her staff, looked at Wrathion with some confusion. She had never seen this rather exotic-looking man before.
"He is Wrathion, a black dragon, our ally—for now."
The one who answered this question was neither Wrathion nor Arthas, but Magni, who was standing to the side. This Spokesperson finally seemed to have decided to do something to ease the current situation.
A black dragon?
A hint of vigilance flashed in Jaina's eyes. As far as she knew, among the black dragons who dealt with humans, none were not evil. They always carried unspeakable secrets, like Nefarian, whom Arthas had slain.
"Please don't look at me like that. I am different from my fallen kin." Wrathion's voice was quite cold, but everyone could tell he was putting on a brave face.
The killing intent and pressure Arthas had just displayed during combat had indeed frightened him quite a bit. Since he didn't know how to quickly escape Nyalotha, Arthas simply used some rather crude methods.
He shattered that plane.
Nyalotha, already fragile from losing the support of the Old Gods, simply couldn't withstand such a disturbance. After being heavily damaged by Arthas, its connection to reality became even more tenuous, directly expelling Arthas and Jaina, two outsiders who did not belong to Nyalotha.
"What exactly do you want to do, Arthas? You are not from our world. Your actions will cause unpredictable effects on our world."
Magni tried to reiterate to Arthas the potential harm his actions could bring, after all, the other party did not seem to be the unreasonable Lich King. If it were the uncorrupted Arthas, then this method should be understandable.
"Magni, you are too nervous," Arthas stared at Magni, his gaze sending a chill down the diamond-hard dwarf's spine, "And don't give up on yourself just because you can't hear Azeroth's voice."
"You?!"
Magni looked at Azeroth in shock. His biggest secret had been revealed in a single sentence, something he had not anticipated at all.
"What, Magni, you can't hear Azeroth's voice anymore? Why have you never told us about this?"
Wrathion, who had still been somewhat angry, calmed down upon hearing this. He turned to look at Magni and questioned, "Do I have reason to suspect that you are truly the Spokesperson?"
Magni glanced at everyone, knowing that this matter could no longer be kept secret. He sighed and explained the whole story.
"Not long after defeating N'Zoth, I could no longer hear Azeroth's voice."
"At first, I could still hear her elegant song, but later, gradually, I heard nothing at all."
"This left me feeling dejected, not knowing how to face it, so I kept sitting and thinking, trying to reconnect with Azeroth, but I received no response from her."
Magni gripped his warhammer, also the staff symbolizing the Bronzebeard clan, fearbreaker. This legendary warhammer's name implied it could shatter all fear, but now, Magni was afraid for his responsibility and for Azeroth's future.
What had happened to their world? What did they need to do to make everything return to normal?
Azeroth's champions had fought desperately to defeat the Burning Legion and expel the Fallen Titan; they had also quelled wars and thwarted the Old Gods' conspiracies, but why did it seem like nothing had changed?
"Cheer up, Magni."
To everyone's surprise, the one who encouraged Magni was Arthas. "The King of Ironforge I know is not like this; he is strong and persistent, and will not shrink back from difficulties."
Arthas quickly walked up to Magni, and continued in a deep voice, "Your world has not reached its end. If you feel you can't bear it alone, then seek allies. Unity is the essence of survival."
"I—"
Magni looked at the figure before him. In that instant, he felt as if his body had returned to ordinary flesh and blood. The young prince and Muradin's laughter, everything appeared vividly before his eyes as if real.
"Although I don't know what this mysterious prince wants to find in our world, there's one thing I agree with: if one person's strength isn't enough, then find help." Wrathion still maintained his elegant demeanor, and his tone returned to that of a bard.
"You want to know what I'm looking for?" Arthas looked back at Wrathion at this moment, a slight curve on his lips.
This smile, however, did not put Wrathion at ease, especially when Arthas was holding Frostmourne—this guy couldn't have killed all the dragons in his world and come to theirs to continue hunting for bone dragons, could he?
Fortunately, Arthas did not tell him such a story. He simply put away Frostmourne and then slowly said, "I came here to find answers. Just now in Nyalotha, I already had a glimmer of an idea, but I think I still need some assistance."
So that's how it is?
Wrathion realized the reason Arthas was looking at him. He feigned thought, "So, we can conduct a mutually beneficial transaction?"
"Yes, a transaction—the kind you like best."
Arthas's tone, however, greatly displeased Wrathion. Wrathion realized he completely didn't understand Arthas, but Arthas seemed to understand him very well… Had he really killed all the dragons in his world and turned them into bone dragons?
What Arthas wanted was naturally something that didn't exist in his world, or rather, was hard to find.
For example, the legacy left by the Burning Legion and N'Zoth; Arthas didn't believe Wrathion could resist collecting the things left by these two forces—that was completely unlike the Black Prince's style.
"I'm sure you have many things I'm interested in right now."
Arthas sized up Wrathion, who immediately felt an uncomfortable sense of being seen through, but he still maintained his composure and said, "I do have quite a few good things, but that depends on whether you can offer a sufficient price."
"News about your father's true legacy? Or should I help you all solve the Undead Scourge that's everywhere in the world right now?"
Arthas threw out two bombshells right away, making Wrathion's smile freeze on his face.
Deathwing's true legacy?
Wrathion was somewhat disbelieving. "My father's legacy? Hmm... interesting, but for now, let me hear how you plan to deal with those reanimated undead."
Wrathion, forcing himself to suppress the urge to delve into his father's secrets, steered the conversation in another direction.
He was indeed very interested in the Black Dragonflight's legacy, but his intuition told him that what Arthas was about to say was likely a very dangerous secret, one that could backfire with the slightest misstep.
Reason temporarily suppressed that strong desire, and Wrathion decided to first discuss solving the Scourge rampant on Azeroth; only after the general situation stabilized could he better manage his Legion.
"Not just Northrend, but the entire Azeroth is now filled with rioting undead, and even some old fellows' skeletons in Dragonblight are restless. What do you plan to do?"
This problem was actually no problem at all for Arthas.
The reason for the undead riot was simple: the Helm of Domination was destroyed by the banshee, and the veil between the Shadowlands and the real plane was shattered.
Bolvar was a half-baked, reluctant leader, but Arthas was not; when it came to solving the undead problem, he was a professional.
"To solve the undead problem, we can't just sit here. You should know the whereabouts of those important individuals, right?"
Wrathion shrugged. "Free information: several important figures from the Alliance and Horde are indeed temporarily not on Azeroth, including Lady Proudmoore who is with you."
Jaina didn't know why she was suddenly mentioned.
She looked at Arthas, who understood and said to her, "At this point in time, you should be going to the other side of the veil to rescue Anduin."
"Anduin? He ran off to another world?" Jaina sighed. "That little guy still likes to run around as always."
"This time it's not just running around; he was taken captive as the King of Stormwind."
Wrathion was explaining for his friend.
"Taken captive? King? Then Varian—"
"Varian, he sacrificed himself in the fight against the Burning Legion..." Magni sighed. "He fought bravely, but they were ambushed at the Broken Shore."
Jaina also felt a strange sadness upon hearing this, even though this wasn't the Varian from her original world, hearing such a fate still made her very emotional.
"Arthas... this doesn't seem to be the world you arrived in before."
"The flow of time itself is complex and hard to trace; no one can guarantee seeing two identical flowers in this endless river."
Arthas had known this for a long time; he had once saved a Varian in one world, but unfortunately, he couldn't save everyone in every world.
"It seems our Prince is not traversing time for the first time?" Wrathion also gathered that Arthas might have other time-travel experiences.
"Not a Prince, but a King," Jaina glanced at Wrathion. "Arthas is now the legitimate King of Lordaeron."
"Huh?"
Wrathion's smile froze on his face. What kind of wild history was this?
-----------------
Northrend, Black Watch Citadel next to Icecrown Citadel, Bolvar, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes in horror.
Soon, the originally silent Black Watch Citadel immediately boiled like hot water.
The three Horsemen still stationed in the mortal realm, Sally High Inquisitor Whitemane, King Thoras Trollbane, and Nazgrim, all gathered urgently in the Highlord's room.
"You... heard it too, right?" Bolvar himself could hardly believe what he was about to say.
The three Death Knights remained silent, but their expressions had already betrayed their inner thoughts.
After a long silence, High Inquisitor Whitemane carefully chose her words and said, "Could it be a trick from the other side? After all, you saw... that person die with your own eyes."
"I don't know."
Bolvar's mind was in turmoil right now; the voice was exactly like the one in his memory, and it was very clear.
"He told us to go to Stormwind." Nazgrim had also experienced that bloody and cold war, and this old orc veteran uncharacteristically showed hesitation. "Should we go?"
"This is very likely a trap. Anduin was just taken captive not long ago, and then we hear that person's voice again." Thoras was still trying to analyze, but there was too much unknown information, making it difficult for them to reach a conclusion.
Finally, Bolvar, casting aside distracting thoughts, made a decision: "No matter what, we must go. Even if it's a trap, we must go to Stormwind to save its people."
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Stormwind, at the main gate of Stormwind Keep, a group of royal guards watched the elegant Wrathion warily.
"Hey, no need to be so tense. I'm your King's dearest friend, a brother."
Wrathion, surrounded, showed no tension, and the commotion he caused quickly drew the attention of those currently in charge of Stormwind.
"Wrathion? What are you doing in Stormwind again?"
Genn, the Wolf King, frowned as he stared at this Black Dragon. Although most of the time this fellow was considered their ally, one thing was undeniable: his appearances were never accompanied by anything good.
Stormwind's current regent, Archmage Turalyon, also arrived at the scene. His wife, Alleria, was holding a longbow at this moment, looking as if a sharp arrow would shoot towards Wrathion's forehead at any sign of ill intent.
"Relax, I've come with good news this time. Why are you always so tense when you see me? Didn't we just fight alongside each other?"
"Hmph, you're always smooth-talking. If it weren't for Anduin's sake, I wouldn't even give you a chance to speak." Genn had no fondness for Wrathion; in his opinion, this fellow was a typical dragon, arrogant and looking down on mortals.
The punch Anduin gave him in the face last time was considered light; if it were Genn, he would at least make Wrathion lie in bed for ten days to half a month.
"Alright, alright, it seems you don't like me much, but that's okay. The person you're about to meet, you will definitely, definitely, really, like!"
Wrathion seemed unable to contain his amusement.
He put his left hand behind his back, took a few steps back, bent one knee slightly, and while bowing, raised his right hand to the side, performing a slightly exaggerated stage introduction gesture.
The next moment, brilliant teleportation magic light flared, and everyone looked over.
Genn hesitated slightly, then his face lit up with excitement. "Jaina—"
But his words got stuck halfway, unable to come out, because he saw the person who appeared behind Jaina.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire square at the main gate of the Keep fell into absolute silence.
Genn's voice gradually deepened and turned wild; gray mane grew on his face, and his body slowly grew taller.
"Wrathion... that joke isn't funny at all."
That face was one that no one in the Eastern Kingdoms could ever forget, for it represented disaster, fear, and... hatred.
Wrathion smiled beside him without speaking, eagerly anticipating the show; after all, he couldn't be the only one for Arthas to tease.
"Genn, you've aged."
Arthas looked at the Genn before him, feeling quite emotional; compared to the King of Gilneas he knew, the current Genn appeared old and lonely, like a solitary old wolf.
"Who exactly are you... You can't be him, he's been dead for a long time." Genn's throat rumbled with low growls.
Alleria silently drew her bowstring, and in the tense atmosphere, just a tiny spark could ignite a major battle.
Turalyon, on the other hand, kept staring at Arthas without any other movement, his eyes filled more with questions.
Had that man returned from the other side after the veil of the world shattered?
Or had he never truly died, observing Azeroth in secret until this very moment?
Genn's mind was a tangled mess, devoid of any useful information; the Arthas before him looked exactly as he had decades ago, only taller and more imposing.
"Was it you who did those things to my sister and my homeland?"
Alleria could barely contain herself; facing Arthas's face, the only thing she wanted to do was draw her bowstring taut andLoose a fatal arrow into his brow.
"Wait a moment, our guests haven't all arrived yet."
Arthas sighed, seemingly displeased; he waved his hand, grabbing into the void and then pulling gently, four black doorways were forcibly torn open, and four figures tumbled out of the doors in disarray.
"You're too slow, Bolvar."
"Arthas, it really is you!"
Bolvar, who had just stumbled out of the portal, glared at Arthas, his warhammer erupting in fierce flames; at that moment, he could no longer suppress the furious rage in his heart, fortunately, the other three Death Knights promptly restrained him.
"Calm down, Bolvar!" Thoras roared, causing Bolvar's movements to falter.
And in the brief chaos, a sharp longsword suddenly shot out, stabbing directly towards Arthas.
Arthas extended his right hand, casually gripping the blade as if it were merely a child's wooden toy; he turned to look at the Stormwind guard who had attacked him, feeling a slight amusement, "The Royal Guards of Stormwind, still the same old story."
After being stared at by Arthas, the soldier suddenly let out a terrified shriek, immediately followed by his entire body being enveloped in black mist; the mist seemed to have a life of its own, constantly pulling at the soldier's body.
"Arthas! You butcher, don't you dare harm the people of the Alliance again!"
Genn roared, about to charge forward and fight Arthas to the death; Alleria had also aimed her target, but at that moment, Turalyon waved his large hand, directly blocking Genn, while solemnly telling Alleria, "Alleria!"
The elven ranger paused, and it seemed as if countless voices were speaking in her ear; everything happened in an instant, and she immediately returned to normal, releasing the bowstring, and an arrow flew from the string!
The arrow accurately struck the black mist entangled around the Royal Guard, and immediately after, a shadowy figure was stripped from the Royal Guard's body.
The female-like figure wailed and spread the wings on her back, attempting to escape, but a holy light, like a divine hammer descending, fell down, instantly smashing her into a puddle of mud.
"Valkyrie?!"
Genn was utterly stunned at this point, and then he instantly understood the situation: not good, the guard had been infiltrated again!
After the shadowy Valkyrie fell, the eyes of almost half the soldiers glowed with an eerie blue light; they picked up their weapons and began to attack indiscriminately.
Wrathion deftly deflected a longsword aimed at him with his scimitar, remarking, "Wow, this really is... a classic rerun."
The riot happened too quickly, many guards were backstabbed by possessed comrades before they could even react, but the experienced veterans immediately broke free from the chaotic fight, forming a protective circle around Turalyon and the others.
"Arthas! What in the world is going on?!"
Genn finally understood who was friend and who was foe, though the expression on his wolf face was now somewhat grim; their headquarters had been infiltrated like a sieve, and they had been completely unaware.
"What else could be going on? It's the same old story: a lack of vigilance and corresponding countermeasures."
While replying, Arthas snapped a stabbing spear with his bare hands, his feet moving lightly in a smooth, dance-like step, and with a backhand, he plunged the spearhead into the heart of the possessed.
"No need to hold back; the souls of these guards are long gone. To put it simply, they are just puppets for these Valkyrie to possess."
He patiently explained the enemy's situation to Genn, while Jaina beside him had already easily subdued a large number of rebellious guards with her magic.
Under the counterattack of the legendary powerhouses and a large number of surviving elite veterans, the temporary rebellion stirred up by the Valkyrie was quickly suppressed. After the battle, Genn, breathing heavily, strode purposefully in front of Arthas, his sharp wolf eyes fixed on him.
"What in the world is going on? Are you really Arthas?!"
"Of course I'm Arthas," Arthas glanced at the surrounding mess and the four Death Knights who were still quite wary of him, "Let's find another place. This doesn't seem like a good spot for a conversation."
Despite being an outsider, Arthas seemed completely at ease at this moment, not even needing someone to lead the way; he walked directly towards Stormwind Keep. For him, Stormwind Keep was as familiar as home; he probably knew the fortress's layout better than Turalyon and Genn.
"Turalyon, how did you know just now?" Alleria slung her longbow over her back, her eyes clearly showing confusion.
She had changed her target at the last moment because she heard voices from the void, an eerie extra-dimensional sound like an intuition that helped her pinpoint the true enemy, but she also noticed that Turalyon had realized Arthas was a friend, not an enemy, long before she figured out who the enemy was.
"Don't you feel it? The will of the Holy Light within him... I've never seen such vast Holy Light. Even a Naru seems like just a torch under the sun compared to him."
"We're not Paladins, of course we can't sense it."
Genn snorted, displeased that Turalyon hadn't explained it sooner.
For some reason, Genn felt a surge of anger when he saw Arthas sitting leisurely in the guest area, sipping tea.
The events of today had already been heavy enough; they hadn't found the missing Anduin and had lost many excellent soldiers.
Moreover, the root of all this could actually be traced back to Arthas. If Arthas hadn't massacred Stratholme, hadn't fallen into a Death Knight, destroyed Quel'Thalas, killed Sylvanas, and resurrected her as a Banshee, none of this would be happening now.
He was the culprit!
But Genn also understood that the Arthas before him was not the fallen prince known to the world. He had noticed earlier that the cloak Arthas wore bore the special insignia of the King of Lordaeron.
In his world… had he inherited Terenas's throne and become the rightful King of Lordaeron?
For some reason, Genn suddenly felt a certain expectation for such a world. If that were truly the case… would Liam also be alive and well?
"You all don't seem to want to talk to me?"
Arthas set down his teacup, impeccably polite in his movements, yet his words always seemed to provoke.
Alleria had a fiery temper. Although she generally knew Arthas wasn't an enemy, she didn't give him any pleasant looks. "You, a suspicious person who suddenly appeared and acts so mysteriously, it's already our greatest sincerity to let you into Stormwind Keep."
In her opinion, the Arthas before her was even harder to deal with than Wrathion, the Black Dragon. Incidentally, that Black Prince had already slipped away in the chaos after completing his guiding mission and watching a good show unfold in the square.
Jaina, sitting beside Arthas, also spoke up in a timely manner: "Please, everyone, don't be too wary. We truly come with good intentions."
The three leaders of Stormwind and the four Death Knights of Black Watch Citadel had no objections to Jaina's statement. After all, although Arthas's attitude was annoying, he did help them solve a big problem as soon as he arrived.
Moreover, compared to Arthas, this younger version of Jaina clearly made them feel more familiar.
Finally, the composed Turalyon was the first to begin speaking:
"Lady Proudmoore, why have you and King Arthas… come to our world?"
"Because our worlds are similar. Aside from some historical differences, we are also facing the same great crises that you are, so we wish to seek solutions."
This was what Arthas had told Jaina, and Jaina strongly agreed with this view. They had always been in a rather passive position when facing entities like the Burning Legion and the Old Gods.
This journey might allow them to find a way to take the initiative against evil forces. However, Jaina didn't expect that upon arriving in this world, she would find it unexpectedly terrible.
Setting aside the unknown forces that emerged after defeating the Burning Legion and N'Zoth, the mere fact that the human kingdoms were already shattered made Jaina feel as if this world was beyond saving.
"We are very willing to share our combat experience in facing N'Zoth and the Burning Legion and tell you their weaknesses."
On this point, all of them had no objections. After all, the timeline of their world was quite miraculous, and there were mystical species like the Bronze Dragon. Perhaps helping another timeline was helping themselves.
But at the same time, they also had to be careful of problems brought by alternate timelines, as they were still paying for the bitter consequences of the Iron Horde invasion.
Arthas then interjected, "Actually, weaknesses alone are not enough. The inherent power of the Burning Legion and the Old Gods makes their flaws very difficult for mortals like us to grasp. Stormwind being repeatedly infiltrated by demons, dragons, and today's Valkyrie, already speaks volumes."
"But we also defeated them," Alleria frowned.
"Is it truly a victory when such a heavy price is paid?" Arthas raised his teacup, his meaning clear.
These words silenced everyone present. Indeed, they had difficultly defeated many powerful enemies, but Azeroth showed no signs of prosperity. Instead, their steps forward grew heavier.
This could not be called a victory; rather, it was like a mutual destruction bought by heroic sacrifice.
Draining the remaining tea from his cup, Arthas continued, "I am not here to open old wounds, but the threats facing Azeroth now have already surpassed your maximum capabilities."
"Every victory is a fleeting moment of recovery after a desperate struggle. If this continues, I fear Azeroth will be unable to hold on first."
"And your world has something I need. As long as you help me with one thing, all problems will be solved."
Arthas's statement plunged everyone into silence, until after a while, Bolvar, who had been an observer, asked, "What exactly do you want from our world?"
This was indeed the crux of the matter. If what Arthas needed was to sacrifice their world's World-Soul, for example, by extensively mining Azerite, further damaging their world, then they would never accept it.
Bolvar, who had once taken on the Lich King's duties, knew this clearly. The power of this Arthas before him was absolutely no less than that of the former Lich King Arthas, and even far surpassed him.
At least the former Lich King could not easily control their will and bring them from Black Watch Citadel to Stormwind without even using the power of the Helm of Domination, across an entire continent.
In other words, the Arthas before them was actually a terrifying entity they currently could not handle, or rather, handling him would require a terrible price, no less threatening than the puppet master behind the veil, Blackhand.
"What I need is very simple. Its prerequisites have already been met; it's just that the time has not yet come."
Arthas casually glanced at the Four Horsemen, especially Bolvar. "It seems the Helm of Domination has had a deep impact on you… Hmm, let's start with this."
To the horrified gazes of the crowd, a black chain appeared out of thin air from the void, shooting forth and directly piercing Bolvar's heart.
But Bolvar did not suffer any harm. He only felt something being peeled away from his body, and soon, a sense of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted, washed over him.
"I—"
But before Bolvar could utter his words of thanks, intense burning pain made him cry out in agony. The flame of life that had been dormant within him suddenly erupted at that moment.
In an instant, Bolvar became a human torch, but strangely, the flames did not burn anything around him. Even the wooden table and chairs next to Bolvar were completely unharmed, and even slowly grew new sprouts under the scorching heat of the flames.
The flames came and went quickly. In just a dozen seconds, the flame of life left by the Red Dragon completely dissipated. Bolvar's body went limp, about to fall forward, but Sally and Thoras beside him quickly supported him.
"My… my hands?"
Bolvar looked in shock as his previously charred hands were restored to their original state, even the cracks on them had completely vanished.
"You… you've fully recovered. This is incredible, Bolvar."
Turalyon looked at Bolvar in disbelief. Everything that had just happened could only be described as a miracle.
Bolvar moved his body in shock. He had never felt so… wonderful. His strong and pure body was once again completely restored, even the hair follicles and hair that had been burned away by the flames had fully recovered.
Arthas looked at Bolvar before him with satisfaction. "Alright, paladin Bolvar, you should no longer fear the master of Maw now, should you?"
"Of course not," Bolvar clenched his fists. "I will definitely bring Anduin back."
As they left Stormwind, Jaina teased Arthas, "You're quite the schemer."
"Oh? How so?" Arthas asked curiously.
Jaina chuckled twice, looking back at Stormwind behind her. "Healing Bolvar was something you intended to do all along, wasn't it?"
"It was just a convenient thing to do. He can do so much more after being resurrected than he could in his previous half-hearted state."
Seeing that Arthas was not being entirely truthful, Jaina didn't press the issue, merely covering her mouth with her hand and chuckling softly.
Bolvar in this world had endured many hardships. The passing of his close friend made him more dedicated to managing the kingdom Varian left behind, and after Varian's return, he resolutely embarked for Northrend, both for the future of the Alliance and as atonement for his previous dereliction of duty.
But that expedition was destined to be a tragedy. Betrayed by a villain, Bolvar helplessly watched his comrades and soldiers fall before the Wrathgate.
The Red Dragon's fiery breath and his unyielding determination allowed him to awaken on a battlefield ravaged by plague and corpses, but fate played a cruel joke on him. His body was not recovered by friendly forces; instead, he was captured by the Lich King's servants. From then on, Bolvar was tortured on the Frozen Throne, his soul and body scarred.
Even so, after the Lich King was defeated by Fording and the champions, he chose to shoulder that heavy burden, becoming an unworthy "Lich King."
Compared to the true Lich King, Bolvar's power was much weaker. He couldn't even control the Undead Scourge outside of Northrend; the remnants of the Undead Scourge in the Eastern and Western Plaguelands are still rampant to this day.
Jaina found it hard to imagine what state of mind Bolvar possessed after enduring this series of setbacks and tortures, as the world responded to him with the cruelest reality.
But Bolvar had never changed. Even if his body was charred by flames, even if his soul was tormented and broken, even if his own daughter didn't recognize him as her father, he remained that noble and fearless paladin.
This is why Arthas was willing to give him a second chance. A person who is treated with hardship by the world, yet still repays the world with love and justice, should not suffer such a fate.
The long-standing rapport between Jaina and Arthas prevented her from pointing out this fact. She looked at Arthas, who was walking ahead of her, with gentle eyes. Although he had changed a lot, growing from a boy into a man, from a prince into a king, he was still that kind Arthas.
At a farm not far from the outskirts of Stormwind, Arthas saw Wrathion playing with two children. He held a large, bright red apple in his hand, but always made it disappear with magic before handing it to the children.
"You really are quite childlike," Arthas said, looking at Wrathion, teasingly.
Upon hearing Arthas's voice, Wrathion stopped teasing the children. He tossed two apples to them and then walked over, saying, "I'm making up for my lost childhood—well, my childhood was quite dark after all."
Then, Wrathion asked, "You two, have you finished everything in Stormwind?"
"The necessary arrangements have been made. Now it's time to discuss matters between us."
Arthas had already pushed through everything that needed to be done, hoping that Bolvar's involvement would make things progress faster. His time was very precious.
"Good, then let's continue our previous topic." Wrathion narrowed his eyes, seemingly contemplating something. "Can you really find the location of the Dragon Isles?"
Arthas didn't answer, merely nodded to Jaina. Understanding, Jaina took out a sealed scroll.
The moment Wrathion saw the scroll, an inexplicable tremor immediately arose in his heart. He clutched his chest in surprise. "It's actually real?"
Although Wrathion was still only a whelp and had never seen the true Dragon Isles, the Dragon bloodline itself could transmit information. And just now, the violent reaction of the Black Dragonflight blood within him made him not doubt that what Arthas had produced was genuine.
But very quickly, Jaina used magic to conceal the information on the scroll. "Since it's a trade, it must be fair and reasonable. As long as you can provide what we want, we naturally won't deceive you with false information."
"That's for the best."
Wrathion's expression became serious. This concerned the Dragon Isles, and possibly the last legacy his father left behind, which would be an important proof for him to take control of the Black Dragonflight.
Although the Black Dragonflight now existed only in name, perhaps on the Dragon Isles, he could find a way to restore the Black Dragonflight.
While pondering, Wrathion resumed his cynical demeanor, saying playfully, "Hmm—I'd love to give you what you want right away, but you know, collecting the legacies of the Burning Legion and N'Zoth isn't an easy task. I need some time."
"You want time, I'll give you time. Once you've gathered enough chips to exchange for this, it'll be yours."
Arthas took the scroll from Jaina's hand. After two streaks of light, one gold and one blue, swept across the scroll, he casually tossed it to Wrathion.
Wrathion was somewhat surprised. He caught the scroll, glanced at it, confirmed it was still the genuine article from before, and asked in confusion, "Aren't you afraid I'll just abscond with it?"
"You can try."
Arthas chuckled, then said in a very calm tone words that sent shivers down Wrathion's spine, "My Legion is indeed still short a few bone dragons."
This guy actually controlled the Scourge of his world!
Wrathion's pupils trembled as if in an earthquake. He once again confirmed that Arthas was not as approachable as he seemed. Even Bolvar, after suppressing the Undead Scourge for many years, had developed slight deviations in his principles of action compared to ordinary living people, let alone this man who was actually the Lich King?!
A bold guess suddenly formed in his mind: According to the current clues, the Lich King of their world was very likely just a puppet manipulated by the other side of the realm, but the Arthas in front of him was clearly unaffected. Could what he was plotting be precisely...
"Oh, and Wrathion, a piece of advice," Arthas suddenly spoke, scrutinizing Wrathion with a meaningful gaze. "Although this is your reward, I suggest you discuss it thoroughly with the other Dragons of the Dragon Legion. That island is not just your homeland."
Wrathion immediately dismissed his speculation about Arthas. He knew that his thoughts had probably been largely guessed by this dangerous man. "I understand."
With that, Wrathion transformed into flames and vanished before them.
Jaina looked at Arthas and asked, "Are you scaring him again?"
"Wrathion, if you don't put some pressure on him, he definitely won't work wholeheartedly for you."
Arthas was very clear about Wrathion's nature as a Black Dragonflight. Wrathion was both arrogant and full of tricks. To make him achieve Arthas's goals, a mere agreement would certainly not suffice.
"But I didn't lie to him. There are indeed very dangerous things on the Dragon Isles, and the current Dragon Legion certainly can't handle them on their own."
As for what Wrathion would do, that was up to him.
The biting cold winds of Northrend swept across Dragonblight, where the Dragonshrine, standing for tens of thousands of years, welcomed an unexpected guest today.
"Ah, as expected, few people heeded the message I sent out."
Wrathion sat in a corner of the Dragonshrine, self-deprecating yet also a bit annoyed.
But Wrathion didn't find it too strange, because the Black Dragonflight had long been like a rat crossing the street, universally reviled by other Dragons. If he hadn't truly been uncorrupted by Deathwing's tainted bloodline, he wouldn't even have been able to enter the Dragonshrine's main gate.
However, Wrathion believed that one person would definitely still come, so he wasn't in a hurry to leave.
Just as Wrathion had been waiting quietly for a long time, a huge flapping sound echoed from outside the Dragonshrine, clearly indicating a large adult Dragon was approaching the shrine.
This time, Wrathion didn't have to wait too long. The blue-haired half-elf walked into the Dragonshrine, looked around, found Wrathion sitting in the corner, and quickly walked towards him.
"Oh, Kare, my brother, I knew you'd be the quickest to arrive."
Wrathion got up and walked over, giving Kalecgos a hug.
Kalecgos's expression was a bit helpless. "Wrathion, it's good to see you, but you said you had something important to announce and needed to gather all the Dragons. I hope you truly have something important."
"So, in your eyes, I'm always so unreliable when I do things? Ah, that's truly disheartening."
"Alright, brother, what is it? Tell me first."
The gentle Kalecgos never had the upper hand when facing Wrathion, but he was always very patient. Wrathion's attitude towards Kalecgos was also better than towards other Dragons.
At Kalecgos's request, Wrathion took out the scroll Arthas had given him and tossed it to Kalecgos. "You take a look at this first."
Kalecgos was puzzled but still took the scroll and examined it, then he frowned.
"Where did you get this thing from?"
"A secret. But judging by your expression, you also can't do anything about the seal on it?" Wrathion probed.
Kalecgos carefully injected a tiny thread of Arcane energy into the scroll, activating the magical lock hidden on the scroll in a visual way for Wrathion to see. "This Arcane lock must have been meticulously designed by a certain Archmage of the Kirin Tor. If forcibly broken, the contents of the scroll will be directly destroyed."
"However, this isn't the most difficult problem. Although this Arcane lock is complex, I can still unlock it given some time..."
"The problem is, this very complex and precise Arcane lock is already the weakest defensive measure on this scroll. There are still two extremely powerful seal traces on it, but I can't quite understand how they even exist. Only one thing is certain: if these two seals are not undone, merely opening the Arcane lock will, at best, still not yield the information inside the scroll."
Wrathion's eyelids twitched, and he asked, "And the worst-case scenario?"
"The worst-case scenario is that the two conflicting energies within this scroll will instantly collide. I'm not sure how much harm they can specifically cause. If the master who set the seals only wanted to conceal the information in the scroll, then it might just result in a minor annihilation event."
"But if the other party wants to completely destroy anyone who attempts to violently dismantle this scroll, then it might trigger a huge explosion capable of destroying the entire Dragonshrine."
At this point, Kalecgos looked visibly shaken. This scroll was truly too dangerous, like a bomb that could explode at any moment, and the bomb was in a black box. Before the explosion, no one knew how powerful it would be.
But at the same time, Kalecgos's curiosity as a Blue Dragon and a mage was also piqued. Although he couldn't directly open the scroll, he could still inquire about the situation from Wrathion, who held the scroll. "Where did you get this scroll from? Judging by your expression, you also seem to know roughly what's recorded on it?"
"I can't tell you everything for now. But I can tell you that I witnessed this scroll being set with the kind of terrifying seals you described."
After hearing Kalecgos's description, Wrathion's smile also froze: Had he been carrying such a bomb with him all this time? Thankfully, the seal Arthas set was only to ensure the reliability of the transaction. If he had truly wanted to kill him, he would probably be exploding like fireworks all over some part of Azeroth right now, wouldn't he?
"Who are you dealing with now?" Kalecgos sighed, reminding him, "The Dragon Legion no longer has the blessing of the Guardian Dragons. We are just a part of Azeroth. You absolutely must not do anything out of line."
"Of course, I know what I'm doing. And what if I told you that this scroll contains a secret that could allow the Dragon Legion to regain the power of the Guardian Dragons?"
Kalecgos looked at Wrathion in shock. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Seeing Wrathion so certain, Kalecgos made a decision after a brief thought. As the leader of the Blue Dragonflight, he once again issued a call to the other Dragon Legions.
With Kalecgos's guarantee, this time the Dragon Legion finally answered the call.
Red Dragon Queen Alexstrasza, Malyndia of the Green Dragonflight, and Chromie of the Bronze Dragonflight all arrived at the Dragonshrine after receiving the summons.
Upon meeting, Alexstrasza asked Kalecgos, "Kare, what happened? Why the sudden urgent summons?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Malyndia and Chromie beside her, sighing inwardly.
"Wrathion has found information regarding whether the Dragon Legion can regain the power of the Guardian Dragons. I believe this matter is important and urgent enough."
Kalecgos explained to the Red Dragon Queen, "Although our world defeated the Burning Legion and N'Zoth, there is clearly a more terrifying entity eyeing Azeroth right now. I think if conditions allow, it might be time to seek new power to help our world."
Alexstrasza nodded slightly. "Indeed, the undead have been rioting again recently, and several Dragon sacred sites in Dragonblight have been disturbed to varying degrees... Perhaps it is time for us to regain our original power, it's just—"
She didn't finish her sentence because the person Kalecgos mentioned who held the crucial information, Wrathion, had a way of doing things that was too peculiar, making him difficult to trust at first glance.
"My dear Queen, please listen to me. After I finish speaking, how about you make your decision?"
Wrathion jumped out from beside Kalecgos at this moment. The thought of what he was about to say and the possible reactions of the others made it difficult for him to contain his excitement.
Alexstrasza hesitated for a moment, but thinking that since the ambassadors of the Dragon Legion had gathered, and with Kalecgos's guarantee, Wrathion should not cause trouble, she nodded and said, "I will listen carefully to what you have to say."
"Very well, then the story begins with our Dragons' true homeland, the Dragon Isles."
Before he finished speaking, Alexstrasza's expression changed dramatically. She looked at Wrathion in shock. "Are you saying you found it?!"
"Yes, that's right, my esteemed Queen, I have found the location of the Dragon Isles, but before we return home, there's just a tiny little obstacle."
Wrathion extended his hand, bringing his index finger and thumb together slightly and then separating them a little, making a gesture that everyone understood.