After getting some of what he wanted from Wrathion and leaving New Hearthglen, Arthas and Jaina discussed their next plan.
"For what comes next, it's not suitable for you to stay with me, and I also need someone to anchor this reality for me."
Jaina, hearing this from Arthas, was a bit displeased. She emphasized, "I came here with you precisely to supervise you, to keep you from taking dangerous risks. Why are you going to put yourself in harm's way alone again?!"
To this, Arthas could only reassure her, "Don't worry, this time it's not dangerous. Someone else is already handling the truly dangerous part. I just need to wait for the right moment."
But Jaina was not reassured by Arthas's guarantee. She knew the person in front of her; what he called 'not dangerous' was, in reality, a death sentence for mortals.
"This isn't what we agreed on, Arthas. I won't abandon you."
Jaina said very seriously, her jewel-like eyes fixed on Arthas, making him feel helpless amidst the warmth. "It's not as serious as you're making it out to be. It's just a very short separation. Nothing will happen."
"Really?"
Jaina looked at Arthas suspiciously, somewhat disbelieving what he said, but she still asked, "Then what do you need me to do?"
"Go to Dalaran and help me set up an anchor point there. I'll come find you in Dalaran after I've dealt with things here. It'll only take a day or two at most."
Arthas explained that he needed Jaina's Arcane magic to help him construct a sufficiently stable coordinate, which was the primary condition for their next plan. Without this coordinate, it would be difficult for them to proceed with the plan.
"Dalaran? Why Dalaran?"
"After all, the only Arcane center in this world that's relatively safe and easy to find is that city of mages. The High Elf of this world have already called themselves Blood Elf and joined the Horde. Going to their Sunwell would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble."
Arthas's choice of Dalaran was naturally well-considered. Furthermore, compared to other places, Jaina was quite familiar with Dalaran. As a student of the former Kirin Tor leader Antonidas, a high-ranking member of the Kirin Tor, and the most likely future leader of Dalaran, she could move about in Dalaran with great ease.
However, Jaina thought of a problem. She asked, "That's not an issue, but I probably can't directly use 'my' identity in this world, can I? After all, the two of us... are quite different."
Jaina twirled a strand of her golden hair. If she remembered correctly, her hair color on this timeline was no longer such a vibrant gold, but a pale shade after countless sorrows.
Moreover, the age and experience gap between them was considerable. Jaina wasn't entirely clear about her own experiences in this world. In such a situation, if she rashly disguised herself with Arcane magic, it might backfire. After all, even if she could perfectly imitate her appearance, it was Dalaran, and there might be some extraordinary individuals who could see through her disguise.
"Isn't there Miss Turi?"
Arthas mentioned someone at this point, precisely Turi, the apprentice of Rhonin whom they had met in Theramore. Jaina was momentarily stunned, not expecting to borrow Turi's power so soon.
"But she's only an apprentice, not even a full-fledged mage. Even if she helps us... Wait, I understand. You want to use her identity as Rhonin's student?"
Jaina understood instantly. Although Turi didn't have the title of a full-fledged mage, her teacher was the former leader of the Kirin Tor, Archmage Rhonin. Even though Rhonin had passed away years ago, he still held considerable weight in the hearts of many Dalaran citizens and mages.
"And don't forget Alleria. You can go to Stormwind before going to Dalaran. She should be able to help you solve most of the problems."
Jaina looked at Arthas with a rather complex expression, "So you've already considered all of this?"
Arthas raised an eyebrow. "It's just following the flow. Your task, on the other hand, is a bit more troublesome, because even with their help, building an Arcane coordinate strong enough to cross realms in a short time isn't easy."
"It's not a troublesome matter."
Jaina's reply surprised even Arthas. She explained, "If my teacher Antonidas's mage tower is still properly maintained, I should be able to directly use his existing designs to modify it into the anchor point you need."
"If that's the case, then that truly is a pleasant surprise." Arthas smiled, "I originally thought this would take a lot of time—and, it seems you've agreed to my idea?"
Jaina glared at Arthas, warning, "Consider yourself lucky. I have no more objections, but you absolutely must not do anything risky. Our world doesn't need you to save it alone."
Having finally convinced Jaina, Arthas naturally swore that he wouldn't do anything out of line, and that everything would proceed according to plan.
Only after Jaina left using a teleportation spell did Arthas drop the smile from his face. Gazing at the dark coastline in the distance, Frostmourne at his waist trembled slightly, as if sensing its master's thoughts.
"You've noticed it too, haven't you? Those unwilling and resentful souls, they're all whispering the same name."
Arthas gently stroked the hilt of Frostmourne, as if caressing a docile cat. After a brief pause, Arthas's figure vanished from the cliff, stepping alone into that forgotten coastline.
Many years ago, in a corner of the southern coastline of Dragonblight, an expeditionary force that had crossed the icy ocean established a camp here, following the Prince they served, vowing to fight to the death against Lordaeron's enemies.
But what they didn't know was that ever since the tragedy of Stratholme, the Prince they remembered, who seemed like the embodiment of courage and justice, had already disappeared into the raging fires of Stratholme, along with the collapsing houses and buildings.
What they followed next was merely an avenger whose mind had been consumed by hatred and rage.
To ensure his revenge could continue, the Prince betrayed his loyal soldiers, because he heard their songs of homesickness. He would not allow his soldiers to have thoughts of retreating when he was about to see the hope of revenge.
It had to be a fight to the death!
The Prince, who had deceived his soldiers into thinking they could return home soon, secretly hired local indigenous mercenaries and stealthily scuttled the ships in the harbor that could take the soldiers home, then blamed the mercenaries for the crime.
....
"Thump, thump."
The knocking interrupted Vereesa's thoughts. She leaned slightly forward from the back of her chair and, after glancing at the magical clock, realized it was getting late. She looked at the door with some confusion.
While Vereesa wondered who would be visiting at this hour, she got up and opened the door. The face that appeared before her instantly filled her with joy.
"Sister?!"
Alleria looked at her younger sister with soft eyes and said softly, "Forgive me, Little Moon, for disturbing you so late."
A smile appeared on Vereesa's face, "If it's you, you're never a disturbance—"
In the midst of her greeting, Vereesa also noticed the hooded figure following Alleria, whose face was hidden. Her cheerful voice immediately quieted. As a General of the Argent Crusade, she quickly realized that this visit was not simple.
"Please, come in, Sister, and this mysterious guest as well. Let's talk inside."
Vereesa invited the two into the room. She tidied up the messy documents on her table slightly and said with some embarrassment, "I apologize, things have been quite busy lately, and the house is a bit cluttered."
"Is it about the Undead Scourge?" Alleria inadvertently glimpsed the title of a report, where the most prominent words among the glaring large characters were "Undead."
Vereesa nodded and served two cups of hot tea to Alleria and the other guest. "Yes, Kirin Tor noticed this unusual incident and began investigating. Khadgar also left Kirin Tor not long ago because of this matter and hasn't returned yet."
This sudden Undead Scourge outbreak alarmed all factions across Azeroth. Among them, the most vigilant were the Argent Crusade and Kirin Tor, as they had played crucial roles in the previous campaign against the Undead Scourge and had the most comprehensive understanding of it.
Therefore, at the first sign of the Scourge's resurgence, they reacted. Unfortunately, this time the Undead Scourge's occurrence was somewhat unusual; they found no suspicious manipulators, only knowing that it was all related to Sylvanas's defection from the Horde and the drastic changes occurring in Icecrown Glacier.
"Oh, and I haven't asked who this is—" Vereesa glanced at the person still concealing their face with a hood. Although she trusted her sister, it was perfectly reasonable to clarify their identity before continuing the conversation.
Alleria was about to introduce her, but the mysterious person pulled back her hood first, letting smooth golden hair cascade down. Vereesa instantly froze, staring at the familiar face.
"Jaina? Why are you wearing a hood and acting so mysterious? I thought it was someone else!"
Vereesa almost burst out laughing. She had thought it was some friend of her sister's with a sensitive identity, but she had never expected the person under the cloak to be Jaina.
However, Vereesa's laughter soon faded, as she quickly noticed something different about the Jaina before her.
The long golden hair, the younger face, and the unfamiliar emblem she used to fasten her cloak; Vereesa's eyes told her that the person in front of her was indeed Jaina, but her intuition made her realize that the matter was not so simple.
"Lady Vereesa, good day. I am Jaina Proudmoore, but not the Naval Commander you are familiar with."
Jaina's voice reached Vereesa's ears, making the Ranger-General somewhat dazed for a moment. "Wait... what do you mean? Let me process this."
Alleria looked at her sister and said helplessly, "She is not the Jaina of our world. She comes from an earlier timeline—just like when the Iron Horde invaded."
The words "Iron Horde" immediately brought back many unpleasant memories for Vereesa, but she also knew this was not the time to dwell on the past. She immediately asked, "You said you're an earlier Jaina, so why are you here in our time? Wait, what about our world's Jaina?"
Jaina, however, knew the answer to this question. "That future me, who is now the Naval Commander, is most likely no longer in this world, so there is still only one Jaina on Azeroth right now."
"?!"
Vereesa's mind froze for a moment. She looked at Alleria with disbelief, seeking confirmation. "Is... is this true?"
"You must know about the recent events concerning Stormwind, right?" Alleria did not answer directly.
"Of course, I know. Isn't that precisely why Jaina is temporarily not in Kirin Tor?"
At this point, Vereesa even glanced at Jaina, suddenly understanding the meaning of Jaina's previous statement. "Wait, I understand. You mean our Jaina has already found Anduin, but their location is no longer on Azeroth?"
"Yes, based on the existing clues, we speculate that Jaina and Anduin are currently in another world... which we generally refer to as 'the Otherworld.'"
Alleria's words made Vereesa realize the seriousness of the situation. The term "Otherworld" clearly referred to the place where souls go after death.
However, most of the time, such words only appeared in legends or eulogies, and now Alleria was personally telling her that the Otherworld truly existed, which made it difficult for Vereesa to remain calm.
"So, do deceased souls really go to another world?" Vereesa murmured. "But Jaina and Anduin should still be alive, right? How did they get there?"
"I don't know either, but Genn told us that Anduin was captured by evil creatures similar to Valkyrie, like... those under Sylvanas."
Alleria's expression dimmed when she mentioned that name. Although it was already a fact, she still couldn't believe that the Lady of the Moon, elegant and strong in her memories, who deeply loved her family and homeland, could become a war criminal who betrayed the world.
Countless people lost their lives because of the war she incited, their homes turned into battlefields, and their fields into graves.
If she hadn't insisted on following the expedition to Draenor back then, perhaps Sylvanas wouldn't have become what she is today?
Because of this thought, a deep sense of self-reproach still lingered in Alleria's heart, even though she never regretted her decision. Yet, her sense of responsibility towards her family made it impossible for her to escape this torment.
Vereesa looked at Alleria's somber expression. Tormented herself, she could only offer comfort at this moment. "This isn't your fault, Sister... Let's talk about something else. Since Jaina came with you to find me, you must have something you need to do, right?"
Alleria composed herself and said in a deep voice, "That's right, but I'll let Jaina tell you about it herself. It's all about magic, and I wouldn't be able to explain it very clearly."
"You mean, you want to build a semi-permanent trans-planar Arcane coordinate in Kirin Tor?"
When Vereesa finished listening to Jaina's narration, she did not reply immediately but lowered her head in thought.
Jaina's request was not particularly difficult to fulfill. As the City of Mages, Kirin Tor already had teleportation coordinates connecting various parts of the world, and even Kirin Tor, the naxxanar itself, possessed the ability for long-distance teleportation. So, getting a similar permit was not troublesome.
Perhaps the difficulty of constructing such a high-level teleportation coordinate itself was higher than obtaining Kirin Tor's approval.
But to be safe, Vereesa still asked, "Can you tell me where this coordinate is meant to locate? You know, we must ensure that the place the teleportation coordinate connects to is not a high-risk area."
Jaina was well aware of this, as she was also a mage from Kirin Tor and understood the rationality of this rule.
Even a one-way teleportation spell carried the risk of being traced and located in reverse, not to mention a semi-permanent coordinate located within Kirin Tor. If the target area of the teleportation was not clarified, the failure of the coordinate construction or problems with the teleportation would be minor issues. The most serious situation would be the enemy figuring out Kirin Tor's location and launching a reverse invasion.
So Jaina explained without hesitation, "The other side of this coordinate should be the Shadowlands."
"Why use the word 'should'… and is it not a bit too unconventional to build a portal to the world of the dead?"
Vereesa found it difficult to understand for a moment whether such an operation was possible. She had seen countless strange teleportation spells, but these spells at most only crossed physical distances in the astral plane, such as the Dark Portal connecting Draenor and Azeroth. Did a teleportation spell like the one Jaina described, which directly crossed the two realms of life and death, truly still fall within the scope of teleportation spells?
Because if the dead could truly return to reality through teleportation spells, then… would it not be better called a "Resurrection Spell"?
"The existence of the Shadowlands transcends our current understanding, so generally speaking, our teleportation spells certainly cannot achieve this."
Jaina also understood Vereesa's confusion and briefly explained it to her.
"But there is a very special place there. To put it in layman's terms, it is the center of the Shadowlands. All the realms of the underworld are closely connected to it, like a pillar running through three-dimensional space. Furthermore, because the planar veil was shattered by Sylvanas, we are now able to locate this originally ethereal existence."
"As for resurrection… in fact, some originally powerful or special enough souls, after receiving a summoning spell of a certain intensity from the real plane, could also break through the veil between the underworld and reality. The most common example is those Troll Witch Doctors whose physical bodies have clearly died but whose souls can still remain."
With this explanation, Vereesa understood much better. After all, as a High Elf, even if she did not fight the Forest Trolls in the Second War due to her age, Vereesa's understanding of Trolls still far exceeded that of ordinary people.
That was a mandatory course for Farstriders Rangers. Every qualified Farstriders Ranger knew how troublesome Troll Witch Doctors were, and fortunately, these powerful and eerie spellcasters were extremely rare even among the numerous Trolls. Otherwise, Quel'Thalas would have found it very difficult to gain an advantage in the war against the Trolls.
"I generally understand."
Vereesa looked at her eldest sister beside her and sighed, "However, you two must be mentally prepared. I will try to get the Kirin Tor Council to agree to your request, but this will probably take a lot of time."
Alleria frowned upon hearing this, "Why? Kirin Tor should also be eager to find the Naval Commander and them, right? Wouldn't having such a teleportation anchor point be a better way to solve the problem?"
Jaina, on the other hand, understood Vereesa's difficulties very well. After all, the Kirin Tor Council she knew indeed had this "characteristic": "The council system can prevent some rather bad things from happening, but the disadvantage is… when facing an important issue, there will often be different voices within the council. Given the stubbornness of mages, they are very likely to argue for ten days to half a month over a small matter—especially when the matter concerns magic itself."
But Jaina had no intention of compromising. She knew she did not have that much time to waste, so she could only make Kirin Tor suffer a bit.
"It's just a pity, Vereesa, we don't have that much time to waste. I must establish this coordinate in the shortest possible time, because this world is facing a huge crisis. With this teleportation coordinate, we will be able to react in time when facing danger."
Jaina's words made Vereesa somewhat troubled. Although she was the Ranger-General of the Silver Covenant, she could not defy the will of the entire Kirin Tor Council with her individual power. After all, the Silver Covenant was only a part of Kirin Tor, and Kirin Tor was the true master of this city.
"Then I might not be able to help you much with Kirin Tor, but if there's anything you need me to do, and it doesn't violate my principles, I'd be very happy to help."
What Vereesa said was an undeniable fact. If Jaina wanted to complete the construction of this coordinate through proper procedures, then she could indeed help Jaina expedite the process and even apply for assistance from Kirin Tor.
However, Jaina did not actually want Vereesa to solve this problem for her single-handedly. As long as Vereesa said that, the problem would actually be very easy to solve.
Jaina continued, "Vereesa, do you still remember Turi Flickerflame?"
Hearing this name, Vereesa's heart tightened, and then she slowly nodded, "She… was Rhonin's student. I remember her, she was a very smart child."
In fact, not only did she remember, Vereesa was also well aware of Turi's unauthorized departure from Kirin Tor and even helped Turi a lot with this matter. Otherwise, how could Turi's abilities alone have avoided Kirin Tor's attention for so long?
Fortunately, Turi had returned to Kirin Tor these past few days and was diligently continuing her studies in the mage tower left by Rhonin, which made Vereesa breathe a sigh of relief.
Although she cared deeply for this clever young girl, Vereesa rarely interacted with her directly. It was not because Vereesa disliked her, but because whenever she saw Turi, she inevitably thought of Rhonin's voice and smile… The agony of losing a loved one, even after getting through the most painful days, still pierced her heart when she recalled it.
Speaking of Turi, Alleria also sighed deeply. She had long heard from Jaina about Turi's secret plans. "You should thank Jaina. If she hadn't stopped Turi, that little one might still be secretly developing mana bombs in Theramore and preparing to retaliate against the Horde after succeeding."
The Great War had just ended, and neither the Alliance nor the Horde could endure another war. The wounds of the Fourth War still lingered in both factions, and a fragile balance had just been established. Any fluctuation could be the last straw that broke the camel's back.
However, Vereesa did not comment. She just silently lowered her head. After a while, she asked, "What can I do for you?"
.......
Inside Rhonin's mage tower, Jaina found Turi, who was making preparations.
She had received Jaina's message very early and, following Jaina's instructions, had begun some basic preparatory work.
After Jaina entered the mage tower, Turi, who looked a bit disheveled from organizing a large amount of materials, visibly brightened. She wiped the dust and sweat from her face with her sleeve and proudly declared, "I've prepared most of what you need! We can start anytime!"
Vereesa, who was with Jaina, was a bit lost in thought. She looked at the energetic Turi and felt as if time had flowed back to when Rhonin still frequently worked here.
"Thank you for your hard work, Turi."
Jaina walked over to the pile of materials and began to inspect them one by one. These items were essential for constructing a stable portal capable of crossing both the living and dead realms. Fortunately, with Turi and Vereesa, who could use the permissions within Rhonin's mage tower, purchasing these items was much more convenient.
Turi reminded her from the side, "Uh—Ms. Jaina, because the timelines of our two worlds are different, some items on the list you gave me are difficult to acquire here, and they're not in the teacher's storeroom either. I could only get one set in such a short amount of time."
In other words, Jaina's spell had no room for error; they had to succeed on the first try. If they failed, there was no telling how long it would take to acquire similar materials again.
Jaina also frowned slightly upon hearing this. "I overlooked that... I should have brought some things with me."
Because Jaina didn't know what Arthas intended to do beforehand, she had only made some basic preparations for an adventure. Her personal magic storage space only contained essential items like funds and basic materials.
Buying these things was nothing to her; money was just a numerical difference for her and Arthas. But Turi's words made her realize a problem she hadn't noticed before.
Things that were common in their world might not be easy to find here. For example, alchemical items once produced in large quantities in Lordaeron had become scarce materials because the entire Lordaeron had been destroyed, and those items contained special local products.
Although people on this timeline were already trying to use new things to replace those hard-to-obtain materials, even similar substances would still have subtle differences. For high-precision magic like teleportation spells, a small difference could lead to a disaster, especially since she was building a positioning spell that would cross the world's veil.
"There's no other way. We can only build the prototype first, and then fine-tune it little by little."
Jaina, unable to think of another solution for now, decided to start working. If worst came to worst, she could still seek Arthas's help. Arthas should be able to help her locate the coordinates on the other side of the veil in a short time, and then she would just need to refine and embellish the magic.
"So, are we going to do it in the teacher's mage tower?" Turi said with a hint of excitement. She hadn't participated in such a high-difficulty magical project in a long time.
Jaina, however, shook her head. "No, we're going to my teacher's mage tower."
Vereesa paused for a moment, then quickly asked, "Archmage Antonidas's mage tower... But isn't that in the core area of the Violet Citadel? Won't we attract attention by going in like that?"
While it was normal for mages to conduct strange experiments, that was limited to their own mage towers or laboratories. If they were in Rhonin's mage tower, with Vereesa and Turi's assurance, they could carry out this project quietly.
But Jaina said they were going to Antonidas's mage tower, and regarding that place, Vereesa and Turi were completely in the dark.
"Don't worry, we won't be using the traditional front entrance."
Jaina took out a badge with the Kirin Tor's mark from her pocket. After infusing a trace of Arcane energy into it, she pulled Vereesa and Turi and said, "Just relax."
As soon as she finished speaking, a brilliant blue Arcane glow enveloped them and the materials beside them. In a blink of an eye, they vanished from Rhonin's mage tower.
After a brief spatial transfer, an unfamiliar room appeared before Vereesa and Turi's eyes. Vereesa said in disbelief, "We... just got in?"
Turi, on the other hand, was much calmer. She used magic to shakily lift the pile of materials, which was taller than her, and followed Jaina, explaining, "Actually, this is quite normal, Ms. Vereesa. After all, Ms. Jaina is Archmage Antonidas's student!"
That's true... Vereesa, reminded by Turi, realized that although Jaina had been residing in Theramore, she was actually the most qualified person to inherit the position of Kirin Tor's leader. She only left Dalaran and traveled across the sea to Kalimdor to protect the refugees of Lordaeron during the Third War.
Jaina put away Antonidas's insignia and, after glancing at the room's interior furnishings, said, "Good, no one has modified this place since Archmage Antonidas's death."
Actually, this was not Antonidas's mage tower in the traditional sense, because that mage tower, which once symbolized Dalaran's glory, had already been reduced to ruins along with the old Dalaran city during the Third War, under Archimonde's terrifying power.
Dalaran's proud defensive magic was like a child's paper fort to this god-like Eredar Warlock. Dalaran, which had never completely fallen even under the siege of the Undead Scourge, was easily destroyed by Archimonde as if he were pushing over a sandcastle.
But this did not mean that Dalaran's former glory had completely vanished. Clever mages had long foreseen that even the strongest buildings might one day collapse, so Arcane magic masters like Antonidas would hide a portion of their mage towers in hidden spaces.
On the day Dalaran was rebuilt, the surviving mages gathered these hidden spaces. Although many of them had never been truly opened, they truly existed within the new Dalaran and ascended into the sky with the city, becoming one of the foundations of this city of mages.
The magic insignia Jaina held was the key to entering Antonidas's hidden space. It was also fortunate that the surviving Kirin Tor had not extensively exploited the treasures left by successive Archmages. Their restraint also allowed Antonidas's legacy to endure.
After skillfully establishing a connection with this Arcane space, Jaina confirmed whether the spell prototypes left by Antonidas were still functioning normally, then said to Turi, "The basic structure is still intact. We can start modifying it right away."
With the things Antonidas left behind, this transformation project proceeded much more smoothly than Jaina had imagined.
Even if Jaina was not clear about the properties of some materials she had not used much, Turi made up for this very well; as Rhonin's apprentice, Turi was unlike her master, being very solid in her foundational skills.
Moreover, because of her experience studying mana bombs, Turi's understanding of alchemy and magical materials was far more profound than that of an average apprentice mage, or even a full-fledged mage.
Perhaps Turi's spellcasting ability was not yet comparable to those experienced veteran mages, but if it was just as an assistant, even Jaina had to admit Turi's excellence.
With their combined efforts, they quickly completed the improvement of Antonidas's basic spatial anchoring, and Jaina forged it into a relatively stable prototype of a teleportation spell.
As stable and complex light patterns lit up on the magic circle, Vereesa asked curiously, "Is it finished now?"
"Of course not," Jaina shook her head, "At most, it's only half finished. It has only anchored a point on Azeroth. If we want the teleportation magic to work normally, we also need to set up a similar spell at the destination."
"Then what are we waiting for, Ms. Jaina! Let's continue!"
Although Turi was already feeling tired from long hours of concentration and spell usage, she still forced herself to perk up, wanting to complete in one go this magical project, which was possibly the most complex she had ever participated in.
Jaina showed a helpless smile on her face, "Before that, we both need to rest, Turi. In your current state, can you perform magical operations with the same precision?"
"Uh."
Turi was choked by Jaina's question. Just as Jaina said, even if she was still trying to keep up appearances, if she continued to try, she really couldn't maintain the same level of focus as when she started.
However, what Jaina didn't say was that their task was actually already complete, because to pinpoint the coordinates of the Shadowlands, Jaina alone couldn't do it. All she had to do was establish a sufficiently clear anchor point here on Azeroth.
A master with sufficient accomplishments in teleportation magic could even precisely locate and teleport to places they had never been to with just a vague description. Jaina could also do this, but that was only limited to planes within the real world.
Moreover, there were certain restrictions on distance. Even the most powerful mages could at most perform such vague teleportation between different continents on the same planet.
To cross the astral plane in this manner, or even teleport between different planes, Jaina believed that perhaps only those with the power of a Guardian could do it, such as Aegwynn in her prime, and Aegwynn's son, the mysterious Medivh.
If Jaina had personally arrived at the world on the other side, she might have been able to attempt to establish a teleportation spell connecting the two worlds by herself, but the problem was that she had not been to the city Arthas mentioned.
Oribos, the Eternal City, the hub of the Shadowlands.
Although this city was the center of the Shadowlands in some sense, the existences of different realms in the domain of death would interact in this city. Even on the current Azeroth, because the veil had already shattered, Jaina could vaguely sense some faint information.
It was just that this information was not enough to support stable teleportation. Under unnecessary circumstances, no rational mage would take such a risk.
If they teleported to Oribos, it would be fine, but if they mistakenly entered other death realms, it would be like getting lost in the vast cosmic starry sky, completely becoming wanderers in the astral plane.
Soon after the teleportation anchor point stabilized, Jaina received a communication from Arthas.
"I can already sense the existence of Dalaran, thanks to you, Jaina."
Arthas's voice seemed somewhat intermittent; the communication orb seemed to have difficulty establishing a stable connection over such a long distance.
Jaina was not surprised by this, "Where are you now? The anchor point has been established. What should we do next?"
Arthas said, "Don't worry, I will establish the passage. You just stay in Dalaran and maintain the anchor point—*buzz*!"
After a burst of static, Arthas's voice completely disappeared, and the communication orb dimmed.
Jaina patted the communication orb, and after finding that it had no problems, she immediately became a little nervous, "Damn it... Arthas, that guy, he wouldn't have secretly run off to some dangerous place by himself again, would he?!"
"...Wait a minute, the Arthas you mentioned... it wouldn't be the one I'm thinking of, would it?"
Vereesa's expression froze on her face. She had originally thought that Jaina was the only time traveler, but when she heard Arthas's name, she realized that things seemed to be developing in an unexpected direction.
"Perhaps the magical interference in Dalaran is too strong... Hmm? Excuse me, Vereesa, I have to leave for a moment. If you have any questions, ask Turi first!"
Jaina didn't even have the mind to stay and explain to Vereesa what was going on. She instantly left the secret room using a teleportation spell, apparently to confirm whether the communication orb was functioning normally outside the city.
Vereesa immediately shifted her gaze to Turi, "Turi, what exactly is going on here—what else are you and my sister hiding from me?"
Under Vereesa's questioning, Turi stammered, "Ah... indeed, the one accompanying Ms. Jaina is the one you're thinking of."
Vereesa was at a loss for words. She said in shock, "She actually came from such an early time? Although a mage's age is hard to tell from their appearance, I thought she should have already experienced the Third War!"
"Uh, Ms., it might not be what you think," Turi scratched her cheek, "Ms. Jaina told me that their world had already defeated the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal, so I think they should be from a time after the Third War as we know it."
Experienced the Third War, but Arthas didn't become that fallen one who murdered his father and destroyed his nation? And Quel'Thalas wasn't destroyed by the Undead Scourge?
Vereesa found it difficult to imagine what such a world would be like. She quickly grabbed Turi's hand and said seriously, "Quickly tell me everything you know!"
Turi didn't know why her teacher's wife suddenly became so serious, but being stared at by Vereesa made her inexplicably nervous. She awkwardly averted her gaze, "Please don't get excited first... Wasn't I busy constructing the magic circle earlier—please don't stare at me with that look, Ms. Vereesa, I'm just an ordinary apprentice!"
Arthas put down the Orb of Communication in his hand, looking at it with a hint of regret.
Although he had already considered that the device would definitely have problems when communicating across the veil, Arthas didn't expect that even with a temporary communication channel he specifically built for it, it could only last for a few sentences.
But Arthas couldn't really complain. After all, this thing was just a common item ordered casually from Dalaran. There was already a delay for long-distance calls on Azeroth, so being able to speak a few words with Jaina even in Maw was already beyond his expectations.
After containing all the souls from the Forgotten Shore, Arthas smuggled himself into Maw through the veil's rift in Icecrown Glacier. Although for most people, going to Maw was undoubtedly a one-way trip of no return.
As for the time he promised Jaina, Arthas certainly wouldn't break his word, because the time in Shadowlands was actually different from the real world. As long as he found the right timing, no matter how long he stayed there, only a day or two might pass in the real world.
This was where the Arcane coordinates he asked Jaina to create proved their importance. With those coordinates, Arthas could sense the existence of Azeroth and its passage of time. Most importantly, in critical moments, those coordinates could also be used as a portal.
It wasn't that Arthas deliberately avoided Jaina and went to Shadowlands alone, but because neither she nor Arthas were from the timeline of the real Azeroth, and there was already a Jaina in Shadowlands. Their simultaneous appearance in Shadowlands would inevitably alert The Jailer.
Even Primus had become The Jailer's prisoner. No one knew how many hidden pawns and pieces The Jailer had planted in the Four Covenants of Shadowlands. It could be said that in the early stages of The Jailer's actions, almost all the covenants were unaware of who the Blackhand behind the scenes was, or even what he wanted to do.
Shadowlands was already in a state of panic due to the Arbiter's malfunction and the inexplicable anima depletion. One of the leaders of the Four Covenants was missing, one had already betrayed, and the other two were overwhelmed by various internal and external troubles, having no energy to investigate the anomaly.
Long years of peace had made people ignorant of war.
This statement could be said to be the best portrayal of the various covenants in Shadowlands. Unlike the real world, because deceased souls were judged by specific standards, these souls, separated into various realms, could be said to have their fate as the dead already determined from birth.
Arthas didn't think this was necessarily wrong, because it was precisely due to such judgment standards that Shadowlands had peacefully endured countless eons. However, this didn't mean that such a method was entirely without problems.
The biggest problem had appeared long ago, and that was the Arbiter responsible for judgment itself.
Compared to the more machine-like "Arbiter" currently in Oribos, The Jailer Zovaal was the first true Arbiter in Shadowlands. It was he who was responsible for sorting souls countless eons ago.
However, now, this Arbiter, who intended to reshape the universe, had become The Jailer. But he had not given up his plan; instead, after accumulating power, he was preparing to launch a "retaliation" against the Pantheon of Death that had once judged him.
And now, this grand drama, meticulously planned for countless eons and spanning the real universe and the realm of death, was unfolding. Heroes from the mortal world, and Shadowlands, which had come to its senses and begun to consolidate its forces, were actively mobilizing to oppose The Jailer.
Facing the counterattack of the Four Covenants, The Jailer had no choice but to consolidate his forces and deal with their armies. Before his plan was complete, he had to ensure Torghast was not breached, otherwise his plan would suffer a devastating blow.
Therefore, in Maw currently, The Jailer's minions were not everywhere. Even The Jailer's Eyes, which monitored Maw, had been recalled by him to the Sanctum of Domination. While dealing with the Covenant's offensive, The Jailer was also preparing to launch his most lethal final strike.
"It's really desolate."
Arthas walked fearlessly on the roads of Maw as if he were sightseeing. Perhaps since the birth of the real universe, he might be the only person who strolled through Maw as if he were walking in a garden.
The fierce beasts along the road, affected by Maw's dark power, also seemed completely unaware of Arthas's presence. Their keen senses seemed to have completely failed at this moment. As Arthas walked past them, they were still tirelessly gnawing on the soul remnants scattered everywhere along the roadside.
This was the fate of souls whose anima had been drained by The Jailer and his subordinates. After all their value was exploited, the useless remnants became a delicious meal for the savage creatures in Maw.
Although these beasts did not notice Arthas's presence, Arthas did not ignore them. He walked behind a Maw beast shaped like a giant wolf, extended his right hand, and lifted it up as if picking up a kitten.
Maw beast, lifted by the scruff of its neck by Arthas, twisted its body in confusion, seemingly not understanding why it was floating.
But very quickly, a strong surge of soul energy washed over its body. This ferocious beast let out a mournful cry, and the soul-piercing panic also made the other beasts, still feasting nearby, feel the arrival of danger, and they scattered and fled.
Moments later, Arthas released his right hand, and the beast, now only a husk, immediately turned to ash, scattering on the ground.
"A magical product of soul aggregation, did it turn into this form because it gnawed on too many souls, leading to its bestial nature completely taking over?"
Arthas thoughtfully recalled the information he had just gleaned from the Soul Hound. Due to The Jailer's conspiracy, after the Arbiter malfunctioned, countless souls, regardless of good or evil, plunged directly into Maw along the River of Souls.
During this process, a large number of souls could not find peace and gradually merged under Maw's influence, becoming monsters formed from soul aggregation. Some of these, due to their consciousness being extinguished or being mixed with too many animal souls, simply transformed into beast-like monsters in Maw.
Aside from the magic cast by the Eternals that made Maw a place of no return, it seemed that the place itself possessed some characteristics different from other Shadowlands covenants. Furthermore, as the "lowest layer" of the realm of death, it was difficult for souls, filtered layer by layer, and the anima they carried, to be infused into this barren realm.
If it weren't for Sire Denathrius's "selfless devotion" in sending a large amount of anima into Maw, perhaps The Jailer might not have been able to create an army capable of overthrowing the entire Shadowlands before the universe was destroyed.
Even now, looking up, one could still see large streams of red light flowing from Revendreth into Maw, hanging in Maw's sky—those were the streams of anima Sire Denathrius sent into Maw.
Undoubtedly, even Zovaal could not collect enough anima in this land and had to rely on anima from other covenants to maintain the operation of the Sanctum of Domination.
And now, all these powers were invested by Zovaal into this war against the entire Shadowlands, because before he completed his grand scheme, he had to go to Oribos and reclaim what was "his."
....
In the cold, metallic hall, the intermittent clang of a hammer reverberated through the empty tower.
Sylvanas passed through the archway and approached a giant, still bound by shackles and chains like instruments of torture, his dark gray skin etched with numerous obscure and mystical runes.
Most striking was the massive hollow in his chest, where specially crafted metal was embedded into his skin and flesh, plunging directly into the void; it was clear that whatever once filled this space had been stripped away, leaving only this dark cavity and the embedded instruments of torment.
Before the giant, a blacksmith clad in black armor was repeatedly hammering a weapon on an Anvil.
Sylvanas subtly withdrew her gaze and said coldly, "Sire Denathrius has been captured. Do we have any rescue personnel ready?"
The giant spoke, his voice echoing like the river Styx in Maw, "There is no need. Every soul has its task, and Sire Denathrius's has been completed."
Sylvanas frowned slightly at his words. "Sire Denathrius's power is not to be underestimated. Is this truly acceptable?"
"That is precisely why we must proceed with the next step of the plan."
The giant pointed into the void before him, and ice-blue runes lit up like a spinning wheel, opening the void and connecting it to another space.
He reached into the space and retrieved a prism of anima shaped like an ice crystal; the aura emanating from this prism caused Sylvanas's pupils to contract slightly, but she continued to watch everything unfolding before her with an unperturbed expression.
"How are things progressing on your end?"
The giant handed the prism to the blacksmith, who took it and smashed it into the blade on the Anvil with a forging hammer; as the anima prism and the blade became one, the orange-red flames of the forging process were dyed an eerie cold white.
Sylvanas hesitated for a moment, then replied, "He is not yet ready."
"Then we must simply accelerate our progress."
The giant gazed indifferently at the cold white flames rising from the blade; if the plan continued as intended, it would not be long before the entire world, like the blade before him, would be subject to his will.
-----------------
"Anduin appeared in Bastion and attacked the Archon?!"
Bolvar learned this news from a Kyrian messenger with disbelief, gazing at the familiar yet strange Anduin in the magically recorded footage, falling into a prolonged state of shock.
"This is all our fault… We implicated Anduin, causing him to be controlled by such evil magic."
Baine, the Tauren chieftain, was quite disheartened; he had always considered Anduin a friend and knew deeply that with Anduin's benevolent nature, he could not possibly perform such actions, so the answer was clearly only one: the captured Anduin had become a puppet under the enemy's evil Commanding Power.
Everyone present fell silent; they had all witnessed The Jailer's strange Commanding Power, yet found no way to counter it.
If The Jailer had not deemed it unnecessary to waste time and energy on them, perhaps they would not even have the chance to stop The Jailer now, for a person moving towards a goal does not care about ants on the path biting his shoes.
For a moment, the Arbiter's chamber in Oribos was silent, and both the heroes of Azeroth and the members of the Four Covenants felt a sense of helplessness rise within them, unable to do anything.
But this was not a time for despondency; Bolvar bravely rallied his spirits, encouraging, "Regardless, we at least temporarily know what The Jailer wants from the Four Covenants—it's those sigils."
"Oh, no!"
Lady Moonberry, who was participating in the meeting, exclaimed, saying in a flustered tone, "Does that mean Ardenweald will be the next target?"
The Winter Queen pondered, then gave an affirmative reply, "Grisevalda's sigil has already been seized by The Jailer, Sire Denathrius betrayed us long ago, and his sigil must have already been given to The Jailer, and now the Primus is missing… Zovaal is indeed very likely to invade Ardenweald at any time."
"Then what do we do?! This is terrible, the Wilds currently have no power to stop the Forsworn army!" Lady Moonberry spun in the air with anxiety.
"Calm down, Moonberry," the Winter Queen soothed her subordinate, "We are no longer alone; these mortal heroes, and the other covenants, will fight The Jailer's army with us."
Just then, Thrall, who stood aside, suddenly asked, "I apologize for interrupting, but one question has really been bothering me—what secret do these sigils truly hold, and why does Zovaal want to seize them?"
Regarding this question, the Winter Queen unexpectedly remained silent, and just when everyone thought they would not get an answer, the Winter Queen spoke again, "It's not that I am deliberately concealing it, but I also do not know what Zovaal intends to do with these sigils."
The Eternals, the gods of the Pantheon of Death, received a sigil representing themselves and their subordinate covenants upon their birth, as a symbol of their will, but even the Eternals themselves did not know all the functions of this sigil.
However, one thing the Winter Queen could confirm was that Zovaal must have discovered something within these sigils to desire them at any cost; now that this was clear, what they needed to do was simple: prevent Zovaal from acquiring the Winter Queen's sigil.
After determining the goal and plan, everyone hurriedly left the chamber to prepare, only Bolvar, before leaving, noticed that the white-haired beauty beside him still had a deep frown.
He asked, "Jaina, do you have any other questions?"
Jaina, called by name, looked up, scrutinized Bolvar, and sighed, "I'm sorry, perhaps ever since losing news of Anduin, I've been a bit paranoid, but I always feel like something isn't quite right."
Bolvar shook his head, "You don't need to apologize for such things; we will definitely rescue Anduin—but one thing I still want to say, you still need to relax appropriately. Ever since the Fourth War began, that string you've kept taut hasn't loosened, and if this continues, your body won't be able to take it."
Jaina forced a smile and said, "Don't worry about a mage; I can guarantee my health; it's just that when I saw you again, I was truly startled."
The Bolvar before her was whole and healthy, and even his hair color seemed much more vibrant than Jaina's; when Jaina first saw Bolvar in this state in Oribos, she even thought she was hallucinating from being confined in Torghast for too long.
Normally, Jaina would surely be curious how Bolvar recovered, but now she truly had neither the mood nor the energy; after feeling happy for Bolvar's recovery, she immediately began thinking about how to rescue Anduin from The Jailer.
.....
Under the deep blue, dreamlike sky, the usual tranquility and harmony vanished from Ardenweald, leaving only sorrowful dead silence and stillness.
The Four Covenants and the people of Azeroth gathered before the Forest Heart, their expressions uniformly heavy with grief.
Even the Winter Queen, who stood at the forefront observing the Forest Heart's condition, was no exception: they had won this battle, yet they had also lost.
— Several hours ago
The Forsworn army, commanded by Sylvanas, poured out from every corner of Ardenweald, launching a fierce assault.
The Winter Queen had anticipated this; members of the Wild Hunt proactively volunteered, using magical illusions to project the Winter Queen's image across various locations in the realm, thereby confusing the Banshee's vision.
Leveraging her numerical superiority, Sylvanas directly ordered her army to split up, intending to find the Winter Queen's true location as quickly as possible and seize the Night Fae's Sigil from her.
The Four Covenants resisted desperately, with battle lines extending from the fields to the sky, and warfires igniting throughout Ardenweald; the valiant fighting of the Four Covenants' members made it difficult for the Forsworn's front lines to advance.
It wasn't until the Banshee herself led elite troops to attack the first location where a "Winter Queen" appeared that the Wild Hunt, caught in an encirclement, found it impossible to withstand the Forsworn's onslaught; they quickly began to retreat, consolidating their forces towards the Queen's actual location.
Seizing the opportunity as the Night Fae contracted their defenses, the Banshee precisely fired a lethal arrow, embedding it directly into the Winter Queen's heart, with dark magic exploding from the wound; the fallen Ranger-General's aim remained unerring.
However, when Sylvanas looked closely, she discovered that the one lying on the ground was not the Winter Queen herself, but a Night Fae, who had now lost her life, clearly unable to withstand the Banshee's arrow's fatal damage.
An decoy?
Sylvanas, skilled in the art of hunting, immediately understood the allied forces' strategy, but she still scoffed, letting out a contemptuous laugh—given the vast disparity in strength between the two sides, this was nothing more than a small trick to buy time.
Under such hasty circumstances, how many such lifelike illusions could the Winter Queen create?
Without needing to think, Sylvanas knew that her next step was to hunt down each of these illusions, which would inevitably lead her to the Winter Queen's true location.
As for the Wild Hunt attempting to encircle her after the decoy's sacrifice, the Banshee Queen showed no concern whatsoever; the dark magic bestowed upon her by The Jailer had made her far more powerful than before, and even facing enemies ten or a hundred times her number, she could still easily escape.
After casually defeating the members of the Wild Hunt, Sylvanas didn't even intend to take their lives; she wanted to hunt down all the decoys impersonating the Winter Queen as quickly as possible.
In the ensuing battles, Sylvanas was as unstoppable as an arrow from her quiver; wherever she appeared, it was accompanied by the deaths of numerous Four Covenants members, and the Night Fae's carefully prepared illusions were destroyed one by one.
On the other side, Lady Moonberry, upon hearing this news, was immensely worried, "This is bad! We only have one last illusion left!"
Bolvar, while directing the Ebon Blade Knights to resist the Forsworn, quickly responded, "How many portals are left to destroy?! Close those portals; without Maw's army support, we can win!"
Lady Moonberry quickly assessed the battle situation and soon had the answer, "Most of them are almost closed, only… the largest one hasn't been destroyed yet!"
"Good, send all available troops there. Sylvanas must have realized this too; we will have our decisive battle there!"
Bolvar calmly made his decision; as long as the last portal was destroyed, the Forsworn would no longer be able to replenish their forces endlessly as before, and the remaining Forsworn remnants would be nothing more than cornered beasts, sooner or later to be cleaned up one by one.
However, the battle at this last portal exceeded Bolvar's expectations.
After Sylvanas destroyed all the illusionary decoys, she grew weary of such methods; the deranged Banshee began to set her sights on the wildseeds that had not yet been collected and were still scattered across Ardenweald!
As the first wildseed faded under the Forsworn's torment, the true Winter Queen could no longer stand idly by Sylvanas's brazen actions; if Sylvanas continued this destruction, they might repel the Forsworn, but the entire realm's cycle of life and death would be completely shattered.
The moment the Winter Queen appeared to stop the Forsworn, she attracted Sylvanas's perception; the Banshee revealed a triumphant smile of a successful conspiracy, glancing at the allied army surrounding the last portal, she said indifferently, "Do you think the power of you insects can stop me? You will soon taste the bitter fruit named failure!"
Under the solemn gazes of the allied warriors, who were facing a formidable enemy, a monstrous construct, towering like a mountain, revealed its true form from the large portal; with every step this terrifying construct took, even the earth trembled in fear.
"This… is a bit too much."
Pelagos, a Kyrian Aspirant, swallowed hard and tightened his grip on his longsword; his friend Kleia hovered nearby, ready to obey orders and attack the giant beast at any moment.
"Roar—"
The monster let out a terrifying roar, but the heart-stopping sound lasted only a few seconds before it abruptly ceased, like a duck being strangled.
Even Sylvanas was startled by this sudden development, looking at the giant beast in confusion, wondering if something was wrong with this construct born for slaughter, when a sky-obscuring shadow instantly enveloped her body.
The Banshee nimbly dodged the colossal entity collapsing towards her; the once arrogant killing beast now lay limp on the ground, its core pierced and destroyed by two Moonblades.
Sylvanas looked up at the agile figure standing on the beast's remains, realizing the situation, but she wasn't tense; instead, she said playfully, "Tyrande? I heard you've been looking for me? Very well, let me witness Elune's wrath."
Her words were flippant, but Sylvanas had no intention of underestimating Tyrande's power; the power of the Night Warrior was not to be trifled with, and even the current Banshee was not 100% confident in defeating the person before her.
Tyrande's jet-black eyes, like a lunar eclipse, exuded endless killing intent; she had been relentlessly hunting The Jailer's minions in Maw, and the power of the Night Warrior continuously surged through her body, transforming her from the former Priestess Tyrande; the high concentration of Moon Goddess's power even manifested as glowing runes on her shoulders and face.
"You will only witness Elune's power!"
Wielding two massive Moonblades, Tyrande leaped down, her sharp blades carrying overwhelming destructive power; Sylvanas quickly conjured two hunting knives to parry the heavy Moonblades, but under Tyrande's pressure, she stamped deep pits and cracks into the solid ground.
Tyrande's gritted whisper sounded in Sylvanas's ear:
"And what you will taste… is my fury!"
Sylvanas didn't care about the lives and sacrifices of mortals, but she couldn't underestimate the power of the Moonlit War Goddess.
As the initiator and participant of the Fourth War, she knew how terrifying the destructive power of Tyrande, who had fully embraced Elune's power, truly was. A large portion of the Horde's casualties at Blackshore were due to Tyrande's presence.
Even more surprising to Sylvanas was that the usually infallible Commanding Power had failed on Tyrande this time.
Although she knew that her mastery over this power was vastly different from The Jailer's, Sylvanas had always been successful in previous battles by relying on this power.
Seeing Tyrande easily break free from the chains formed by Commanding Power, Sylvanas immediately realized that she absolutely could not entangle herself with Tyrande here for too long.
When the battle had just begun, the members of the Four Covenants on the side might not have reacted, but once she and Tyrande were locked in a stalemate, they would definitely find an opportunity to help Tyrande defeat her.
Staying here was absolutely not a good idea!
With this in mind, Sylvanas changed her combat strategy, disengaging from the forced close-quarters combat with Tyrande and attempting to harass the Moonlit War Goddess with arrows, while looking for an opportunity to escape the battle.
However, Tyrande's fury was far more troublesome than Sylvanas had anticipated. Each strike of her twin blades, blessed by Elune, carried the resolve to behead or bisect Sylvanas, leaving Sylvanas, who was constrained on both sides, unable to break free from Tyrande's entanglement.
Until the Wild Hunt's retreat horn suddenly sounded.
Tyrande's attention was briefly drawn for a moment, and seizing this opportunity, Sylvanas immediately pulled away and fled, her banshee form transforming into a black mist that shot towards the sky.
"You won't escape, banshee!"
Realizing Sylvanas was fleeing the battle, Tyrande's eyes were bloodshot. The tragic deaths of her kin and the burning of her homeland were vivid in her mind. Today, she would absolutely not let Sylvanas escape.
Tyrande knelt down, already silently reciting a prayer to the Moon Mother in her heart.
"Elune… it's time. My life for hers!"
The power of the stars and moon, using Tyrande's body as a vessel, surged directly towards Sylvanas. The beautiful beam, as brilliant as a meteor, instantly collided with the banshee's ominous black mist.
"Bang!"
-----------------
"This is… too bad!"
Jaina looked at the devastated Forest Heart before her, her heart a mix of emotions: she had personally witnessed Anduin attack the area and seize the Night Fae and Winter Queen's sigils from the Forest Heart.
Bolvar, his face ashen, said in a deep voice, "We fell into Sylvanas's trap. The Forsworn army she led was just part of a feint!"
This was a rather insoluble situation, because the Forsworn led by Sylvanas were already massive in scale. It was a miracle that the forces the Four Covenants had assembled in a short time could withstand the Forsworn head-on, but they hadn't expected that a manipulated Anduin would lead another force to raid the Forest Heart while they were being tied down by Sylvanas.
As a result, even though they had repelled Sylvanas and the Forsworn on the front lines, what they truly needed to protect had already fallen into The Jailer's hands!
The Winter Queen's strategy had indeed confused Sylvanas, making her mistakenly believe that the sigils were carried by the Winter Queen, which was why she created a large number of illusions to deceive her.
But why…
"It seems Zovaal had already made two preparations."
Although the sigils were taken, the Winter Queen remained very calm, or rather, in her view, protecting the sigils was only to thwart The Jailer's evil intentions. Now that the sigils had been stolen, the sigils themselves were no longer important; she was more concerned about the safety of Ardenweald and the groves.
"Moonberry, go and assess the damage."
Lady Moonberry saw the tragic state of the Forest Heart, her familiar companions lying on the ground. Her large eyes were already brimming with tears, and she choked out a response, "Yes!"
She held no hope, even preparing for all her companions defending the Forest Heart to have been annihilated. However, when she approached her companions' "bodies," her tears suddenly stopped in her eyes, neither flowing out nor receding.
She opened her large eyes, surprisingly checking each one, and after confirming several times, she said incredulously, "Huh?! Everyone… just fainted?"
Upon discovering this, she quickly condensed magical dust with her slender fingers and sprinkled it on a Night Fae's face, only to find that the unconscious Night Fae slowly began to breathe again.
"Lady… Lady Moonberry…?"
He was still somewhat weak, but he could already recognize people and speak normally.
After many unconscious Night Fae one by one regained consciousness, Jaina, who was also examining the lingering magical traces on the other side, similarly discovered some anomalies. She gazed at a group of Wild Hunt members frozen in ice before her, and the frost magic always gave her a strange sense of familiarity.
"Jaina, what are you looking at?"
Bolvar walked over to Jaina's side, carrying his warhammer. The flames within the warhammer had now extinguished. Since his resurrection, he had retained some characteristics from his time as the Lich King, such as the Red Dragon's fire that had once tormented him, which he could now manipulate as freely as his own limbs.
"These frozen Night Fae… seem to still be alive?" Jaina said with some uncertainty, "But this layer of frost magic is quite strong. I want to melt these ice layers. Can you help me, Bolvar?"
"Of course."
Bolvar summoned the Flame of Life, carefully controlling the power of the flames while melting the ice to prevent harming the Night Fae within.
Just as Jaina had guessed, when the ice encasing these Night Fae melted away, they began to gasp for air, their faces showing expressions of disbelief, as if they couldn't believe they were still alive.
Jaina immediately looked at a Night Fae who seemed to be in relatively good condition and asked, "What exactly happened here?"
The Jailer's subordinates never showed mercy. If these Night Fae were still alive, it might indicate that Anduin's consciousness had not been completely extinguished, which would make their chances of rescuing Anduin greater.
The queried Night Fae answered blankly, "At that time, that mortal with the terrifying blade led a force that broke through our defenses. We resisted with all our might, but he easily defeated us. Just as he was about to kill us, a chilling cold emanated from beside him, and we all lost consciousness…"
Another Night Fae also told Moonberry, "That mortal with the runeblade was already terrifying, but behind him followed a Forsworn officer. We couldn't see his face clearly, but both my body and soul were terrified of his presence. He merely glanced at us, and we all lost consciousness."
When the information from both sides was compiled, everyone was surprised to discover that there were almost no casualties among those guarding the Forest Heart, and they all simultaneously mentioned that the unremarkable yet terrifying Forsworn officer who followed Anduin.
This strange discovery left everyone deeply puzzled, especially Jaina. She had initially thought that it would be Anduin's lingering consciousness that saved this place, but she had never expected it to be a Forsworn.
"This… is too unusual."
Jaina didn't know what to say. Everyone had speculated that the Forest Heart would be the most heavily hit, yet it turned out to be the place with the fewest casualties in this battle, because a terrifying Forsworn officer had crushed their defenses like a storm, leaving them no chance to retaliate, thus ironically allowing them to survive?
No… this is clearly not right!
The Winter Queen seemed to be in thought, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile suddenly appeared on her perpetually icy face. "It seems… Zovaal isn't infallible either."