After slowly descending to the ground on the black mist, Sylvanas looked at The Jailer Zovaal, who was standing on the edge of Maw, and asked, "Have you obtained the Winter Queen's sigil?"
Zovaal stared into the void before him and replied, "Everything is proceeding according to plan."
Sylvanas was noncommittal about Zovaal's words. She shifted her gaze to Anduin, who stood beside Zovaal, expressionless like a puppet, and was, in fact, being manipulated by Zovaal like a marionette. She questioned, "You possess such power, why didn't you act personally? The large-scale invasion of Ardenweald caused us significant losses in manpower, and they could counterattack at any moment."
"I cannot yet leave Maw."
Zovaal spoke without any emotional fluctuation. He had been imprisoned for countless eons, and acknowledging his own flaws was not difficult. What was important was that even confined to Maw, he still had a way to shake the entire universe.
"As for those who were lost, all of this is merely a necessary sacrifice for the greater cause."
Sylvanas frowned, instinctively wanting to refute something, but ultimately held her tongue and changed the question, "What are we waiting for now? Haven't the Four Covenants' sigils all been gathered?"
Zovaal stopped staring into the void and turned to Sylvanas, "The Primus's sigil has not yet been obtained. He hid his sigil before coming to Maw—but it no longer matters, I have found where he hid it."
As Zovaal's words fell, countless chains extended from Torghast, the towering spire suspended above Maw, and plunged into the endless inter-realm void.
After a brief sound of chains rattling, Sylvanas felt the ground beneath her feet vibrate slightly, as if the entire landmass had collided with something. She realized that Zovaal's thrown chains had hooked onto something.
Zovaal controlled the chains connecting Maw to the void, clenching his right hand and pulling sharply at the void. The void between realms was instantly torn apart by immense power. Chaotic anima currents severed many chains, but at the same time, more chains shot out to fill the gaps.
Through such repeated pulling, Sylvanas saw a gray outline gradually appear on the boundary of Maw. As the outline became clearer, an entire continent floating in the void was thus dragged to the boundary of Maw by Zovaal.
Zovaal crudely joined the two solid landmasses together. The two lands, controlled by his power, collided violently like icebergs on water, until the boundaries of the continents were forcefully ground away. Zovaal "welded" the two different landmasses together in this manner.
Such an impact caused the entire Maw to tremble, and the smaller landmass captured by Zovaal suffered an even more brutal fate. The violent dragging caused intense friction and collisions with the space it occupied, and coupled with the final violent mashing with Maw, the structure of this continent underwent a drastic transformation.
Mountains collapsed, land cracked, and the once relatively intact land structure shattered into pieces. Many landmasses directly became independent floating islands, yet due to Maw's pull, they had not dissipated into the sea of nothingness, but instead floated around this landmass.
In the secret chamber of Torghast, the Runecarver, seemingly sensing something, slowly raised his head, but then lowered it after a brief contemplation.
He still couldn't remember anything. Numerous fragmented memories simply couldn't form a complete picture, and the most crucial memories were still missing. The Runecarver still couldn't change his predicament as a prisoner.
It wasn't until the door of the secret chamber opened again that the Runecarver looked blankly at the doorway, only to see a Forsworn officer he had never seen before.
"Forsworn... Did he send you? No... No, he wouldn't let anyone else know of this place's existence... Who exactly are you?"
This Forsworn wore metal armor made of soulsteel, seemingly no different from Zovaal's other subordinates. But to the Runecarver, a cautious fellow like Zovaal would not allow an ordinary Forsworn to come into contact with his existence.
So how did this Forsworn find this secret chamber?
The officer's armor distorted in the flickering light of the braziers in the secret chamber. After a few short seconds, a mortal face appeared in the Runecarver's sight.
"You... You are?!"
Even with his memories shattered, the Runecarver still remembered this face, because even in his broken memories, it was a very important part.
This was the most crucial chess piece in Zovaal's personally laid scheme, and it was the betrayal of this chess piece that infuriated Zovaal.
Immediately after, the Runecarver fell into confusion and bewilderment, "You should have... died already?"
The conflicted Runecarver began to twist his body uneasily. He instinctively sensed the aura of a conspiracy, which seemed to be his instinct, but now he was merely a prisoner, unable to break through the cage and chains that held him. He couldn't stop anything.
"Calm down, Runecarver—I apologize for only being able to call you by this codename for now, as I can't attract that fellow's attention yet."
Arthas courteously soothed the uneasy Runecarver. He took some time to dismantle The Jailer's magic and techniques, infiltrated the Forsworn army, and hid himself near Anduin.
The runeblade in Anduin's hand still contained the Lich King's power and aura, which would better conceal Arthas's presence.
And while Zovaal's attention was entirely focused on Korthia, Arthas ventured deep into Torghast. As a being who also possessed Commanding Power and Death power, Arthas was in his element within this towering spire, easily breaking through traps and defenses to find the secret chamber Zovaal had hidden.
Seemingly sensing that Arthas had no ill will, the Runecarver's emotions stabilized somewhat, but he was still quite bewildered, "You came for me? Do you know who I am?"
"Yes, Runecarver, you need help now, just as I need your help."
The Runecarver was a secret hidden by Zovaal. Even The Jailer, before his plan was complete, dared not expose the Runecarver's existence, because the Runecarver was once his most feared brother, the Eternals of Maldraxxus, the legendary craftsman, the creator of runic magic—the Primus.
Even before the other Eternals, the Primus had sensed Zovaal's abnormality, which was why he risked venturing deep into Maw. However, even he did not anticipate Sire Denathrius's betrayal, and thus became Zovaal's defeated opponent.
Stripped of his memories and power by Zovaal, the Runecarver became Zovaal's prisoner and tool, forging for him the death Legion that struck fear throughout the Shadowlands, as well as countless divine weapons and artifacts.
Including the forging techniques for Frostmourne and the helm of domination, all originated from the prisoner before Arthas.
Arthas summoned his two weapons, Frostmourne and Light of Dawn, which left his hands and floated in mid-air. The Runecarver looked up and examined the two weapons before him, his gaze finally resting on Frostmourne.
"This sword... it's different now." The Runecarver instinctively tried to reach out and touch Frostmourne, but was unable to due to the restrictions of his shackles.
"Help me empower them, Runecarver, and the reward is—freedom."
Arthas gazed at the Runecarver, his words like a bolt from the blue, stirring thunder in the Runecarver's heart.
"Strengthen these two weapons?"
The Runecarver repeated Arthas's request, then his gaze began to wander back and forth between the two divine artifacts until, after a long moment, he pointed a finger and sent the Light of Dawn back to Arthas.
"I cannot strengthen this weapon. It should be from... a Titan's hand? At least, a grand forger personally blessed by a Titan. Their forging techniques have their own system; arbitrarily modifying it would be like drawing a tiger by imitating a cat, it would destroy the advantages of this weapon."
The Runecarver had a noticeable pause when he uttered the word "Titan," clearly he himself hadn't fully recalled what a Titan was, but fragments of memory in his mind still stored relevant knowledge, allowing him to instinctively appraise the Light of Dawn.
Arthas was not surprised by this outcome. He put away the Light of Dawn. As an Eternal of the death side, it was not unexpected that the Primus's forging techniques would be vastly different from those of the Titans.
But it was always worth trying his luck.
As for the other weapon, Frostmourne, still floating in mid-air, the Runecarver stared at it for a long time before slowly saying, "This sword... seems to be from my hand, but it's also a little different—"
Even the Runecarver was hesitant. He was very familiar with the forging process of this sword, but there were runic magics on the sword that he also found strange. Those were not the runic powers of Maldraxxus; although similar in origin, there was a significant difference in their practical application.
What he saw was the runic secret art that Odin had re-improved based on Titan power after absorbing knowledge from the Shadowlands. That was his gain after sacrificing an eye to peer into the Shadowlands. It was normal for the long-imprisoned Runecarver not to know this.
As for the rest, it was the traces of use left on Frostmourne, which were clearly from Arthas's hand. The Runecarver also witnessed a runic sword influenced by a person for the first time.
Runic swords like Frostmourne were forged to influence their wielder. The runes on the blade could be a blessing or a curse. A runic sword crafted in the correct way could allow the wielder to draw runic power to strengthen themselves, but Frostmourne was not among them.
The runes on this sword could indeed greatly enhance the wielder's power, but if held for a long time, the wielder's mind would be devoured by these cursed runes, turning them into a mindless killing machine, or even a proxy of Maw, Zovaal's puppet.
But now, it seemed Arthas was not only unaffected but had reversed Frostmourne's power, allowing the runes to only enhance while the curse was eradicated.
In the Runecarver's eyes, it was as if someone had been wielding a weapon by holding its blade, yet this person was not cut by the blade at all; instead, they wielded this weapon, which had no hilt, to its fullest potential.
"Simply incredible... This sword is truly a match made in heaven for you."
However, a weapon that so perfectly complemented its master made the Runecarver stumped; he couldn't immediately figure out where to start to make this weapon even more powerful.
After a long period of contemplation, the Runecarver stretched out his fingers and carved a few runes in the void, only to immediately erase them—he made and remade them several times, but the Runecarver was still not satisfied.
"No... no, this still won't do!"
The Runecarver shook his head. Perhaps it was his instinct as a craftsman driving him, making him unable to accept an imperfect work.
"Something is still missing... Magic? Craftsmanship? No, neither is right... What exactly is missing?"
If not for the shackles restricting his movement, the Runecarver would surely be scratching his head now. He continuously searched through his vast memories for something, but he never found a satisfactory answer.
Could it be that this weapon could not be further improved?
If he could have the lost part of his memory, he might be able to do it. In that case, this weapon might become the key to the future...
The Runecarver felt a bit disheartened. He sat listlessly in the center of the cage, his eyes vacant as he stared at the surrounding space: How long had this cage imprisoned him? He couldn't remember himself, because time was meaningless to death, and even more so in this isolated space—
Wait!
A flash of inspiration struck the Runecarver, and he seized that fleeting thought. He immediately said to Arthas, "I have a way, but the materials are quite demanding. Can you manage to get them?"
Arthas simply replied, "Speak freely."
"I need fragments of a realm—or rather, fragments of a plane. But this kind of material is ethereal for mortals; they can't even obtain it."
The Runecarver proposed a requirement that he considered quite stringent, and he also knew it was very difficult. "I can first forge a container for you, and then you need to find a decaying world and collect it. Even fragments are fine. Only then can I unleash this weapon's maximum potential."
Fragments?
Arthas suddenly thought of something. He reached out into the void, and the space before his palm swirled like a vortex, opening up a strange space.
After fumbling around inside for a moment, Arthas took out a dark purple prismatic crystal, from which cracks and tendrils of void energy occasionally spread.
"I shattered a plane. This is what's left of it. I wonder if it will work?"
This was something Arthas obtained after shattering the world of Nyalotha, before that place completely collapsed. He had originally intended to study it carefully when he had time later, but upon hearing the Runecarver's description, he suddenly felt that perhaps this was exactly what the other party needed.
"Yes! Although it's only a minor plane, it's completely sufficient!"
The Runecarver was both surprised and shocked. This was exactly what he needed. In his opinion, whether there were similar materials was very important, while the quality of the material itself was inconsequential.
Because planes can expand and develop, even if the process is slow, having such a nature or not makes a zero-to-one difference for Frostmourne.
The Runecarver took the crystal from Arthas's hand. After sensing the potential contained within it, the Runecarver tossed the crystal into the air, firmly securing it with runic magic.
"Help me. With my current power alone, I can't remove the void energy from within. What we need is a pure plane fragment."
The Runecarver said to Arthas. Although the crystal's power was immense, since Arthas said he had personally shattered this plane, he would naturally be able to erase the power within it.
Just as the Runecarver expected, Arthas easily erased the void energy, but the moment the abundant void energy within disappeared, the prismatic crystal instantly began to turn light blue.
As the void occupying the plane fragment was expelled, the fragment began to rapidly merge with the Shadowlands. The Runecarver, who had already anticipated this, quickly activated the prepared runes, linking the fragment with Frostmourne.
Like an ice cube sinking into water, under the Runecarver's guidance, the plane fragment gradually integrated into Frostmourne's blade.
....
"I'm preparing to lead a force to launch a surprise attack on Korthia."
Bolvar's voice was deafening, causing the envoys of the Four Covenants to look at him in unison. The Highlord, the Grand Duke, had a determined expression, completely unafraid of the danger of this mission.
"Are you sure? We know very little about Korthia, and we still don't know what The Jailer intends to do there."
Prince Renathal did not entirely agree with Bolvar's idea, believing it was too rash. Although The Jailer had lost a large number of troops in the previous campaign against Ardenweald, the Four Covenants were not unscathed. On the contrary, while they thwarted The Jailer's plan and prevented him from obtaining the Night Fae's Mark, they also suffered many casualties.
However, General Draven, a Stoneborn general also belonging to the Venthyr, had a different view. "This plan sounds very risky, but we really do need to change our approach. For a long time, we have been in the unfavorable situation of passively defending. Now we have an opportunity to take the initiative."
General Draven's words made everyone fall into contemplation. Just as this Stoneborn general said, before truly seeing through the schemes of The Jailer and Sire Denathrius, the Four Covenants were always in a passive state. They didn't even know everything that was happening behind the scenes, and by the time everything had already occurred, their subsequent remedial actions were as powerless as mending the fold after the sheep were lost.
The success of The Jailer's plan targeting Ardenweald and the Night Fae's Mark was the best proof. Although this time they had understood The Jailer's objective in advance and inflicted considerable losses on the Forsworn, they still responded hastily, which allowed The Jailer to seize the Mark.
"That's exactly it. Although we don't know what The Jailer is looking for in Korthia right now, we don't need to know anymore. What we need to do is stop all of The Jailer's progress in Korthia."
Bolvar further articulated his plan to everyone. "While stopping The Jailer's forces in Korthia, the Four Covenants should unite and launch an attack on Maw. Our ultimate goal is to break through the enemy's stronghold in Maw before The Jailer's schemes succeed, preventing all their plots from unfolding."
This plan actually had considerable feasibility, because the battle in Ardenweald had shown one thing: the Forsworn's army was not Invincible. As long as the Four Covenants and the champions of Azeroth worked together, they were fully capable of defeating the Forsworn.
-----------------
After the meeting, the envoys of the Four Covenants quickly departed. They needed to return to their respective realms to assemble forces capable of confronting the Forsworn.
Bolvar, who remained in Oribos, also began to summon the Ebon Blade. Although he was no longer the Lich King, and perhaps not even considered one of the world's forgotten dead, the Ebon Blade was never truly subordinate to the Lich King. Their cooperative relationship had actually been preserved.
While using magic to open paths and summon the Ebon Blade to Oribos, and beginning to form a force called the Death's Advance in preparation for the surprise attack on Korthia, Jaina suddenly sought him out.
Her expression was solemn at the moment, and before Bolvar could even ask, Jaina explained her purpose herself.
"Bolvar, there's something I must show you."
Following that, she handed Bolvar a decrypted magical cipher recorded on a parchment scroll. Bolvar took the scroll and slowly unrolled it, finding only a short sentence on it.
"Korthia. The Attendant holds The Arbiter's Mark. Do not spread word."
Bolvar's expression changed drastically. He immediately closed the scroll and quietly asked, "Where did you get this?"
"Do you remember the Night Fae frozen by frost magic in the Forest Heart?"
Jaina's words made Bolvar recall the large group of frozen Night Fae members from not long ago, but he still had no clue. "What does that have to do with this scroll?"
Jaina explained, "Even after the frost magic was dispelled, it still left some strange disturbances. I intercepted them and obtained this after decrypting them."
Understanding the source of the information on the scroll, more questions arose in Bolvar's mind. "Did none of those Night Fae notice it? And… why would the person who breached the Forest Heart leave this information?"
"That's why I didn't mention this in the meeting… because this encryption method is unique to Dalaran!"
As Jaina spoke, her hands involuntarily clenched. There was also something she hadn't explicitly stated: this magical encryption method was not just unique to Dalaran.
It was an encryption magic she had concocted during her youth, when she was still studying in Dalaran. She hadn't even written it down.
Most importantly, besides her, everyone who knew about this little trick should have already passed away!
Thinking of this, Jaina continued, "At first, I thought Anduin had left us this information using this method, but after confirming this encryption method, I knew it wasn't him—but there's someone hidden by his side who seems to be helping us in secret."
"Of course, it could also very likely be a trap set by the enemy, intending to sow discord between us and the Four Covenants."
Jaina also didn't fully trust this inexplicably appearing information. After all, it seemed intentionally designed to make Jaina suspect that the Four Covenants were not entirely trustworthy, so she only told Bolvar about it privately for now.
If The Jailer had indeed planted a pawn among the Four Covenants, then those also from Azeroth were, conversely, more trustworthy.
"I don't think so…" Bolvar pondered for a moment. "This corroborates why The Jailer specifically sought Korthia: he's looking for The Arbiter's Mark left by the Primus, who has gone missing. This way, all of The Jailer's actions can be explained."
"That's right, but it also means we need to speed up. Otherwise, if The Jailer gathers the Marks of the Four Covenants, it will be too late."
For them right now, this could be considered a mixed blessing. The Jailer's clear objective in finding Korthia indicates that he has at least a preliminary understanding of where the Primus hid the Mark. With The Jailer's methods, he could easily dig through Korthia, and any hidden objects would ultimately not escape his grasp.
However, this was also an opportunity, because they too had learned of The Arbiter's Mark's existence. If they could obtain the Mark before The Jailer, they might be able to use it to find traces of the Primus. In that case, with the Archon, the Winter Queen, and the Primus, three Eternals, united, their chances of victory would greatly increase.
Bolvar already had a premonition that the whereabouts of The Arbiter's Mark would determine the direction of this war. They had fallen too far behind The Jailer and had to make up for lost ground here.
"Immediately open the path to Korthia! I will personally lead the vanguard!"
The Grand Duke made a decisive move, just as he had volunteered to step onto Northrend all those years ago.
For the first time, the arrogant Forsworn suffered an attack of this magnitude in their own stronghold.
Gryphon riders descending from the sky broke through Maw's black clouds, their sacred radiance illuminating the gloomy lands of Maw, as silver-white anima constructs mercilessly destroyed the fortifications and strongholds the Forsworn had built.
Zovaal's commanders were in disarray, scrambling to rally their forces along the chaotic front lines.
"Hurry, go over there, they're about to break through the defenses!"
"Don't give up the position!"
"Kill these damned Gryphon riders!"
Loud roars and curses intertwined, as black and blue clashed on the battlefield, like two exploded dye vats, coloring Maw's gray land into two distinct hues.
The Gryphon riders, led by the Saints, launched wave after wave of attacks against the Forsworn; their Archon, the figure of the Firstborne Kyrestia, appeared frequently within the Gryphon rider lines, as this Eternal even projected her power onto the battlefield, blessing Gryphon rider members while unleashing destructive light upon Zovaal's subordinates.
However, the Forsworn's confusion was only temporary; after recovering from the initial surprise attack, Zovaal's long-established army of the dead displayed their true strength, and the Gryphon riders, who had been advancing smoothly, halted their progress before the gates of the Citadel of Ruin.
They encountered fierce resistance here, with both sides leaving behind a large number of corpses and wounded, as well as countless anima constructs destroyed and scrapped.
The power of the Forsworn was not to be underestimated; even with the Gryphon riders having consolidated their forces, they still struggled in such a siege, finding it difficult to break through the Citadel of Ruin's defenses.
But just as the Forsworn were feeling smug and preparing to launch a counterattack against the Gryphon riders after stabilizing their footing, a deafening roar came from the flank of the Citadel of Ruin.
This sound caused the Forsworn's movements to falter, and they instinctively looked towards the side of the Citadel of Ruin, while the Gryphon riders, conversely, seemed to be encouraged, their morale becoming even more fervent; in this back and forth, the Forsworn were instantly met with a head-on blow, and the complaining Forsworn had no choice but to once again contract their defensive line.
And the Forsworn commander, who was currently fighting the Gryphon riders, after receiving the messenger's battle report, gripped his sword hilt so tightly that his gauntlet made a grinding sound.
The Necrolords, under the cover of the Gryphon riders, launched a strong assault on the flank of the Citadel of Ruin; the gate has now been breached, and a large number of Necrolord soldiers have poured into the interior of the fortress!
"Damn the Four Covenants!"
The Forsworn instantly realized that this was a well-planned attack; first, the Gryphon riders attracted their attention, and then the Necrolords launched the true strong assault.
Even though the Forsworn were not afraid of the combined forces of the Four Covenants, they were now under a hurried attack—as a power rooted in Maw, they had almost completely failed to consider that anyone would dare to actively attack Maw.
Therefore, they had basically not established a large number of defensive facilities on the land of Maw; the Citadel of Ruin could be said to be their only reliable fortress, and if it were breached, they would lose control over almost half of Maw's territory, and what was worse, a large number of their production facilities, such as the Soulforges, established in this area would fall out of control.
"Quickly send someone to Thrumak's Roost for reinforcements!"
"Our messenger says that they are also facing a fierce attack from the members of the Four Covenants! Thrumak's Roost is already preoccupied!"
After receiving such a desperate answer, the commander of the Citadel of Ruin finally realized that they had to rely on their own strength to resist the Necrolords and Gryphon riders' offensive.
However, he knew that this was an impossible task—The Jailer had transferred a large number of his forces to Korthia, and now Maw's defenses were empty; the loss of the Citadel of Ruin was only a matter of time!
As for retreating?
He had never considered that option; he did not want to become a prisoner to be slaughtered in Torghast; even dying in the Citadel of Ruin was better than being stripped of everything by The Jailer and falling into the lowest levels of Torghast, suffering endless torment and hardship.
"Pass on my order… defend the Citadel of Ruin to the death!"
-----------------
"The Forsworn have contracted their defensive line; they are preparing to fight us to the death."
Draka, standing on the high ground, surveyed the battlefield; after clearly seeing the Forsworn's movement routes, she, being battle-hardened, easily guessed their intentions.
Bonecrafter Helmir, who was repairing damaged Necrolord constructs nearby,'s mandible trembled, emitting a sinister laugh, "Fight to the death? Heh heh… that depends on whether they have the ability."
"The power of the Forsworn is not to be underestimated; fortunately, The Jailer transferred a large number of his forces to attack Korthia, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to seize this opportunity."
Draka remained very calm, not trying to advance rashly because of a temporary advantage, "What we need to do now is to continue expanding our advantage, forcing The Jailer to make a choice: abandon Korthia or abandon Maw."
However, based on their current understanding of The Jailer, Draka knew that The Jailer was a person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, and it was not impossible for the Citadel of Ruin, or even the entire Maw, to become his abandoned pawn.
But that was enough; the Four Covenants gathered their forces to launch this campaign to severely damage the Forsworn's troops, weaken The Jailer's power, and at the same time attract the attention of the remaining Forsworn troops, making it convenient for Bolvar to lead another force into Korthia and disrupt The Jailer's plan.
The two-pronged strategy had already shown initial results; the weakly defended Maw simply could not withstand the united Four Covenants, and the Forsworn were retreating steadily; it was only a matter of time before they annihilated the remaining Forsworn here.
At the same time, Draka also received intelligence from Thrumak's Roost; under the combined attack of the Night Fae and the Venthyr, the operation at Thrumak's Roost was progressing quite smoothly, even faster than theirs, after all, it was not a dedicated fortress, and its defensive strength was certainly much weaker compared to the Citadel of Ruin.
As the war spread, the Forsworn's defensive line at the side gate of the Citadel of Ruin finally buckled under the pressure and was completely routed by the Necrolords; Draka, realizing the time was right, mounted her death hound, let out a loud roar, and led her troops into the battlefield.
-----------------
Outside the war-torn Maw, Bolvar's Death Vanguard also took advantage of the Four Covenants attracting the vast majority of the Forsworn's attention to bypass the magical seals left by The Jailer.
But they soon faced new trouble: Korthia had been isolated for too long, and even Oribos had no detailed information about it.
Bolvar and his party had no idea where to find the Attendants who guarded the Primus's secrets in Korthia, and furthermore, since the area was likely already occupied by The Jailer's forces, they first needed to find a reliable stronghold.
After looking around, Bolvar looked towards a nearby mountain peak; he seemed to sense a familiar aura there, and after confirming that there were no signs of Forsworn activity in the vicinity, Bolvar decided to go to the mountain's location to find a high ground as a temporary camp and, incidentally, to investigate the source of that aura.
"Head towards that mountain."
As Bolvar expected, this mountain range had not yet been invaded by the Forsworn; at least, they hadn't seen any signs of them along the way.
However, the deeper Bolvar ventured into the mountains, the clearer the strong summons he felt became. He suppressed his desire to explore the truth and ordered the Death Vanguard to set up camp in a safe location first.
His mission was to gather intelligence on Korthia, find the Korthia Attendants who might know the whereabouts of The Arbiter's Mark, and establish a foothold in Korthia to facilitate the subsequent operations of the Four Covenants, using their camp as a base.
The Death Vanguard alone would certainly not be able to stop The Jailer's forces; they had to unite, just like in the surprise attack on Maw, to have any chance of victory.
After the Death Vanguard settled down, Bolvar found a cliff near the camp with an excellent vantage point. Using it as a lookout, they could even see the situation of the Forsworn's camp on the distant plains.
"Their numbers exceed our imagination... The Jailer seems to have gathered most of his forces in Korthia."
Bolvar observed the Forsworn's camp from afar with his telescope, his tone solemn. He had thought that the previous invasion of Ardenweald was the bulk of the Forsworn's strength, but now it seemed they might have underestimated The Jailer's power.
In the view through the telescope, Bolvar noticed that the Forsworn's camp contained a large number of cages and restraints. He also saw many dying individuals imprisoned in those cages.
Their attire and demeanor resembled the Attendants of Oribos, but the specific clothing and form had some differences. If there were no surprises, these people should be Korthia's hidden Attendants.
"It seems we arrived a step late; many Attendants have already been captured by The Jailer's subordinates."
Bolvar folded the telescope and placed it on a flattened rock used as a table, then spread out a map and marked several locations on it.
This was a topographic map they had drawn based on the terrain along the way, and Bolvar was marking the location of the Forsworn's camp on it.
King Thoras Trollbane, a member of the Death Vanguard, gazed at the map and suggested, "Perhaps I can lead a team to attempt a surprise attack on the Forsworn's groups. I just noticed that their personnel are quite dispersed, likely capturing those Attendants everywhere."
Although the Forsworn were numerous, to more efficiently capture the Attendants and interrogate them for the secrets they hid, the Forsworn still chose to act separately, as these Attendants truly had no ability to resist.
This gave the Death Vanguard an opportunity; they could try to attack some of the Forsworn's small teams, rescue those Attendants, and gain their trust.
"That's a good idea. Then I'll trouble you, Thoras."
After Bolvar gave his approval, Thoras showed astonishing efficiency. He led an elite force of Ebon Blade Knights and, without anyone noticing, annihilated two detached Forsworn squads, rescuing several local Attendants from their clutches.
Upon returning to the camp, the Attendants, who had narrowly escaped death, gratefully thanked Thoras, saying, "Thank you, outsiders. We didn't expect The Jailer to be so insane as to forcibly pull Korthia into Maw, risking its collapse."
Bolvar noticed that the attire of this particular Attendant was more exquisite and complex than the others, so he asked, "No need for thanks; The Jailer is a huge threat to all of us—are you the Guardians of Korthia?"
"Yes, outsider. I am Tal-Galan, the Guardian of Secrets, tasked with guarding Korthia's secrets."
The voice of this Attendant, who called himself a Guardian of Secrets, was ethereal, as if from a distant space, very similar to the Attendants of Oribos.
"I imagine you are also here to stop The Jailer, and perhaps I can offer you some assistance."
Tal-Galan pointed to a higher peak and slowly said to Bolvar, "You must have sensed something, which is why you chose this place as your camp. Go to the higher peak; you can find the answer there."
Following Tal-Galan's footsteps, Bolvar arrived at a platform on the mountaintop. There, he saw the object that had given him that inexplicable feeling.
—A Waystone, similar to those in Maw.
-----------------
"Finished!"
The Runecarver infused the last fragment into Frostmourne. With a flick of his finger, he returned the sword to Arthas's hand. "The Blade of Sorrow was born for taking, but power itself has no distinction of good or evil; it depends on the one who wields it."
After saying this, The Runecarver paused, shaking his head. "My apologies... my memory is still very chaotic; I just said those words instinctively."
Frostmourne was a weapon personally forged by The Runecarver. Even though that memory was quite blurry, when he saw the sword with his own eyes, he still resonated with his past memories.
After helping Arthas forge the weapon, The Runecarver became quiet again. He looked at Arthas and said, "You should leave quickly. This is not a safe place. Perhaps he hasn't noticed yet, but he will discover the anomaly here sooner or later."
Arthas, however, told The Runecarver not to worry. "The Jailer has no time to focus on this place now, because soon everything will be irrelevant to him."
The Runecarver, still unable to understand why Arthas said that, nodded thoughtfully and looked at Frostmourne in Arthas's hand. "This weapon is incredibly powerful; I hope you can make good use of it."
The Runecarver did not mention the reward Arthas had promised, falling silent. For him, freedom itself was meaningless. Even if Arthas had the ability to break the chains on him, without memories, he was just a broken soul, lacking even the meaning of existence, let alone freedom.
He just didn't know that the freedom Arthas promised was not merely about releasing him from his shackles.
Gripping Frostmourne, Arthas carved several new runes into the walls of this secret prison created by The Jailer. The Runecarver was drawn by his actions and began to examine the marks Arthas left behind.
The experienced Runecarver quickly realized that most of these runes pointed to the same function—localization and teleportation.
But even knowing the function of the runes, The Runecarver still couldn't understand Arthas's purpose in doing this. "Why did you carve these runes?"
After completing the runes, Arthas chuckled, "Of course, it's for the reward I promised you—but the one who completes the transaction won't be me, so I need to pave the way for him in advance."
Before his voice faded, Arthas's body was enveloped by ripples spreading like on a water surface. The Runecarver knew this was the means by which the other party would leave this space.
Soon, Arthas was as if he had never been there, even his traces completely erased, and the runes he left behind also vanished into the depths of space, imperceptible even to The Runecarver.
It was as if nothing had ever happened here, as if only the silent Runecarver had always existed alone.
.....
"A Waystone?"
Bolvar was surprised that Korthia also had something similar to what was in Maw, but this stone was clearly dormant, unlike the one in Maw which had already been activated.
"No wonder I kept sensing a familiar aura… So it was this thing?"
Realizing that the feeling he had upon entering Korthia originated from the Waystone before him, Bolvar merely sighed. Although this stone should possess significant strategic value, he seemed unable to activate it.
"This Waystone has been dormant for countless centuries; no one knows how to activate it."
Tal-Galan calmly looked at Bolvar, "But you are different."
"I'm different? How am I different?"
Bolvar stared at the Waystone before him. He wasn't some hero from a mythical epic; how would he know how to activate this stone?
He stepped forward and knocked on the stone with his hand. The Waystone emitted a dull sound. Bolvar self-mockingly said, "You see, this thing is just an ordinary stone in front of me. If I hadn't seen the same thing in Maw, I wouldn't even feel it—"
Before he finished speaking, the Waystone, which had been stacked together, suddenly began to hum, and some small stones even floated up, lifted by an unknown force.
Bolvar's voice abruptly stopped—had he really activated this Waystone?
"Do you see? Within you, there exists the will of a great being. The Waystone resonated with this will."
"The will of a great being?"
A bewildered Bolvar looked at his hands. What will of a great being was in him? Why didn't he know? He was just an ordinary human, half-burned by Red Dragon fire, and had only recently escaped that half-dead state. If there truly was the will of a great being, why didn't he—
"Wait?"
Bolvar, who was starting to understand, froze. He suddenly realized what Tal-Galan's "great being" might refer to.
Bolvar extended his palm, and in its center, a ball of Holy Light slowly condensed. When he brought this hand close to the Waystone, the scattered stones were instantly activated by some power, arranging themselves in a way Bolvar didn't understand but felt was absolutely correct.
When blue light illuminated between the stones, reassembling the broken Waystone, this Waystone truly became active again, just like the one in Maw.
"As expected!"
Tal-Galan excitedly watched everything before him, "This is a miracle—the Waystone has been activated."
Bolvar, as if he had seen a ghost, stared intently at his palm: the Holy Light he had just summoned carried a trace of Arthas's aura, left behind when he had healed himself!
In other words, the Waystone hadn't reacted to Bolvar at all, but rather to the remnants of Arthas's power within Bolvar, resonating with it!
-----------------
"Hmm?"
Arthas, who was collecting souls tormented by The Jailer in Torghast, sensed something. He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through Torghast's endless corridors.
The Waystone in Korthia was activated?
Arthas clearly felt the presence of that Waystone. As a special creation left behind by The First Ones, even The Jailer's sanctuary could not block the stone's "gravitational pull," just as the Waystone in Maw could easily overcome Maw's "inescapable" curse.
"Commander, what's wrong?"
A Forsworn patrolling with Arthas in Torghast kindly inquired—most of The Jailer's forces had been dispatched to Maw and Korthia. They were currently facing a fierce assault from the Four Covenants and had to race against time in Korthia to find the secret hidden by the Primus as soon as possible.
"Nothing, continue the patrol."
Arthas waved his hand and quickly returned to his "current" identity.
He was now a high-ranking Forsworn officer "deeply trusted by The Jailer," sometimes even accompanying Anduin to help The Jailer monitor this puppet.
Even the cunning Zovaal hadn't anticipated the existence of someone in this world who, like him and the Primus, possessed a complete mastery of Domination magic and the power of death. The "Eye of The Jailer," forged from one of Odin's eyes, couldn't detect any abnormality in Arthas. In everyone's eyes, Arthas was a complete Forsworn.
Now The Jailer's attention was completely drawn to Korthia, and he didn't even know that his Torghast had become Arthas's personal playground.
Finding a casual excuse to dismiss his attendants, Arthas raised his hand and conjured a rune, sending a piece of information towards the Waystone's location.
Soon, he received a response—in Torghast, where the flow of time was completely different from the outside world, he could do many interesting things with the chaotic time there. For instance, just now, he had transmitted a piece of information to Bolvar, and now, Bolvar should have found the Primus's sigil.
Bolvar, having used the Helm of Domination to peer into many secrets of Maw, quickly noticed a familiar trace remaining on the Primus's sigil—an iceberg tip he had glimpsed in the endless visions of Maw.
Arthas, standing in Torghast, smiled slightly and gestured, making the Runecarver's prison much more apparent. Bolvar thus easily found the Runecarver's existence.
Bolvar, in the Korthia camp, showed a joyful expression. He summoned members of the Four Covenants and solemnly declared:
"I've found a clue related to this sigil!"
Jaina quickly pressed, "Where is it?"
Bolvar then began to dig for more information, but this time, his face darkened, "It's… inside Torghast."
"Torghast?!"
Everyone was greatly alarmed. This news seemed to lead things to the worst possible scenario: the Primus had suddenly disappeared as if he had vanished into thin air. Before leaving, he had even specifically entrusted his sigil to the Attendants, as if he had foreseen his own fate and that of the Shadowlands…
The Necrolord Covenant members were most shocked. Draka murmured, "The Primus… might have been captured by The Jailer long ago?"
"This is probably the only explanation for why the Primus, as one of the Eternals, vanished when the Shadowlands was on the brink of disaster."
With this crucial information, everyone understood one thing: they had always reversed the cause and effect. It wasn't that the Primus left to find a way to save the Shadowlands when it faced a crisis; rather, it was because the Primus was defeated by The Jailer, and The Jailer, seeing the opportune moment, seized it to plunge the Shadowlands into crisis…
"No wonder Zovaal never cared about the Primus," the Winter Queen, who had manifested an energy avatar in Korthia, sighed upon hearing this news, "Because he knew the Primus had become his prisoner, and could no longer thwart his plans."
But soon, the Winter Queen spoke a thrilling truth:
"But even so, the Primus still left one last move. His sigil has now been found by us first. As long as we can rescue him before Zovaal, then Zovaal will have no chance of victory."
.....
"There's no need to wait any longer, Bolvar! We need to act quickly!"
Jaina looked at The Arbiter's Mark suspended in Bolvar's hand, already beginning to use its connection to Primus to establish a teleportation spell.
Strangely, after Jaina explored for a bit based on the clues from the Mark, she suddenly stopped and said in an incredulous tone, "This is too strange."
"What happened?"
Everyone was tense, as Primus's safety was closely tied to the survival of the entire Shadowlands. If they couldn't find Primus, they might not be able to defeat The Jailer in the upcoming battle.
The power of an Eternal was enough to tip the scales of the situation, especially since Primus was the most skilled among all Eternals in warfare and strategy. If Primus were also controlled by The Jailer like Anduin, it would be a devastating blow to the morale of the Four Covenants.
"Perhaps Primus isn't imprisoned by The Jailer as we thought?"
Jaina herself was a bit uncertain. She had indeed found a signal originating from the same source as the Mark, but the defenses there were too loose, as if someone had specifically created a teleportation path for people to enter and exit. If Primus was imprisoned by The Jailer, then the cage should have been designed to be impenetrable.
Especially since Bolvar had said that the person closely connected to the Mark was inside Torghast. Jaina, who had once been imprisoned in Torghast for a period, had a lot of say; she certainly couldn't use teleportation spells to leave Torghast back then.
Could The Jailer, who had conspired this shocking plot for countless centuries, make such a blunder on such a minor matter?
She knew in her heart that such a possibility was extremely low.
Soon, everyone understood Jaina's concerns, and they began to discuss animatedly.
"Could it be a trap?"
"Possibly. If someone else found The Arbiter's Mark first… such a trap isn't impossible!"
As the camp grew noisy, no one offered a feasible solution for a long time.
"Enough."
The Winter Queen's majestic voice rang out. She looked at Jaina, "Are you sure you've found Primus's location?"
"If this Mark is real, then based on the clues Bolvar provided, that must be the location of the Mark's owner."
Jaina's answer was quite certain, and The Winter Queen fell silent. Inadvertently, she suddenly recalled the Waystone located high up in the camp.
An idea instantly formed in The Winter Queen's mind. If they were worried about it being a trap and being unable to return after stepping into it, wouldn't it be fine as long as they had a guaranteed way to leave?
"I can link you to Korthia's Waystone. That way, even The Jailer won't be able to stop you from leaving."
"That's enough!"
Jaina's eyes lit up. As long as they could guarantee a at any time retreat, nothing would be a problem!
-----------------
At the very top of the Sanctum of Domination, Zovaal overlooked Korthia, which had already merged with Maw. He was patiently waiting for all his actions to come to fruition, but suddenly, a strange disturbance interrupted his thoughts.
"It's time."
Zovaal's expression was indifferent. Everything was within his calculations. What if those mortals found the Mark? They would surely use it to search for Primus's whereabouts.
And he had long designed the stage for this grand play. In that place, he would reap the fruits of his long and painstaking cultivation.
Anduin, holding the Unholy sword with vacant eyes, walked to Zovaal's side. His soul no longer belonged to him. Under the control of Domination magic, Anduin had long become a complete puppet.
Zovaal gently waved his hand, and countless chains shot out from the body of Torghast's tower, disappearing into the void. Before going to pluck the fruits of victory, he wanted to lay the groundwork for what was to come.
This time, the target of these chains was no longer a remote world like Korthia, but the eternal city of Oribos.
"We still need a little time. Let us first go and greet Primus."
A towering portal tore through space. Zovaal led Anduin through the doorway. The world changed in an instant. The vast, silent Maw disappeared, replaced by a confined, oppressive space.
"Zovaal!"
Primus's angry roar came. Primus, who had already shed his prisoner identity as the Runecarver, broke free from the chains that bound him. He shielded Jaina and the others behind him, waving his hand to release death energy imbued with necromantic mysteries. Powerful magic condensed into a ray. He needed to restrict Zovaal's power, making him unable to bother with the mortals present.
Zovaal showed no fear, easily retaliating. Pale death energy firmly entangled Primus's magic. Seeing this, Primus's heart sank—he had just been freed from imprisonment and had not fully recovered. However, Zovaal had always been well-rested, and coupled with the massive amount of anima supplied to Maw by Sire Denathrius, Primus realized that the strength of Zovaal before him exceeded his current limits.
While in a stalemate with Primus, Zovaal casually bound Jaina and her group with Domination magic. Jaina and Bolvar, who had intended to retaliate, instantly lost their ability to resist, only able to struggle in vain.
Oops, I can't restrict all of Zovaal's power, he can still use Domination magic at will…
"Go."
Zovaal gave a simple instruction to Anduin beside him. Anduin immediately obediently raised the Unholy sword and slowly walked towards Primus.
"Unholy sword…"
When Primus saw the weapon in Anduin's hand, he immediately realized what terrifying weapons Zovaal had forged using his knowledge during the time he was imprisoned by Zovaal.
But at the same time, Primus suddenly recalled a small, blurry memory from his time as the Runecarver.
It felt like it happened yesterday, yet also like countless years ago…
Primus's brief distraction allowed Anduin to find an opportunity. Seizing this tiny gap, the controlled Anduin coldly and swiftly approached Primus, swinging the Unholy sword in his hand.
Primus, coming back to his senses, made a timely defense. Anduin's attack didn't cause him much harm, but Primus wasn't happy about it, because the true purpose of the Unholy sword… was to seize.
He felt The Mark within him being uncontrollably extracted by the magic on the blade. Now, being suppressed by Zovaal, he was powerless to stop this process.
If this continued, once the Mark was completely absorbed by the Unholy sword, Zovaal could bury them all here without any qualms.
Must retreat quickly!
After quickly thinking of a countermeasure, Primus, guided by a certain prompt in his memory, immediately found several runes hidden deep within space. He barely managed to spare some effort to break the Domination magic that was sealing Jaina and the others.
"Share your connection to the Waystone with me!"
Under Primus's command, Jaina glanced sadly at the controlled Anduin, who had no self-awareness, and quickly used magic to share the Waystone's connection with Primus.
After gaining the efficacy of The First Ones' creation, Primus immediately activated those hidden runes. As he left, he decisively severed his connection to his own Mark, preventing Zovaal from tracing them.
After doing all this in an instant, Primus's magic climbed to its peak. The entire space of the secret prison trembled under the Eternal's might. Death energy capable of destroying everything swept through the entire prison like ripples, almost completely destroying the spatial structure of the prison, and the runes Primus used to escape also vanished with it.
The violent energy blurred Zovaal's vision and perception. After everything returned to silence, Zovaal looked at the vanished group, silently withdrew his hand. Anduin, who had successfully seized The Arbiter's Mark, returned to Zovaal's side and respectfully presented the Mark to Zovaal.
"My grand design is about to be realized."
"Cough, cough!"
After escaping the secret prison, Jaina began to cough and gasp frantically. The Commanding Power that had controlled her body brought with it a strong sense of despair and suffocation. Jaina continuously tried to counteract the Commanding Power with Arcane magic, but it was always in vain.
Bolvar, who was beside her, was not much better off. Bolvar's face was pale at this moment. Although he was no longer the Lich King influenced by the Helm of Domination, when he faced Zovaal again, he was still as fragile as an ant.
However, despite the vast difference in power, Bolvar was not discouraged. They had at least accomplished one thing: they had rescued the Primus from that cage.
"Thank you, mortals. If you hadn't found me, I might still be in Zovaal's cage, lost in a daze."
The Primus's magic lifted Jaina and Bolvar from the ground, helping them alleviate the after-effects of the Commanding Power. With the Primus's help, everyone affected by the Commanding Power began to gradually recover.
"The Sigil has been taken…" Jaina sighed, having recovered. "We still underestimated The Jailer's power. Even though we had prepared to evacuate in advance, we barely escaped."
The Primus, however, was very open-minded. "There's no need to blame yourselves. Commanding Power can affect even the Eternals. I never expected Zovaal to be able to break free from the magic that imprisoned him and turn it into his own weapon."
"As for the Sigils… it's best if we can keep them, but losing them doesn't mean we've failed."
The Primus summoned the Necrolord Covenant's bone-sculptor, Heirmir. This artisan was already uncontrollably excited upon seeing the Primus. The leader of the Necrolords, the War-Master of Maldraxxus, had finally returned to their side.
"A Sigil is merely a symbol. As long as we are united, we can reforge the Sigils of the Four Covenants."
He transmitted a stream of information to Heirmir. The bone-sculptor, upon receiving this knowledge, suddenly understood. "I know what to do!"
Heirmir realized what the Primus wanted him to do, so he said no more and immediately left to find the envoys of the Four Covenants. He needed to bring this method of reforging the Sigils to the Four Covenants to boost morale.
After dealing with the issue of the Sigils, the Primus looked very solemnly at the towering spire suspended in Maw's sky and said in a deep voice, "Zovaal has already gathered the Sigils of the four Eternals. He must be going to Oribos now."
"Oribos? Why? What exactly does he want to do?"
Jaina was puzzled. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning. In an instant, a spark of an idea suddenly ignited, and she seemed to understand everything. The mists shrouding her vision began to dissipate, and The Jailer's conspiracy gradually became clear.
"The Jailer is after the Arbiter?"
"Your sagacity surprises me," the Primus was also astonished by Jaina's wisdom. Despite lacking much crucial information, this human mage had seen through The Jailer's objective. "But this is not Zovaal's ultimate plan."
As he spoke, the Primus's gaze fell upon a nearby Waystone. It was with the help of this unassuming stone, and the mysterious runes hidden in the secret prison, that they were able to escape The Jailer's clutches.
"These stones are the legacy left by The First Ones, and they are also the power Zovaal has been coveting. He wants to find the secrets The First Ones hid deep in the universe, and use them to reshape all of reality, changing everything into the form he desires."
The Primus slowly recounted the whole story. "Countless eons ago, I and the other three Eternals stopped him, stripped him of his authority and power, and imprisoned him at the bottom of Maw as punishment for his dereliction of duty."
"Dereliction of duty?"
"Yes, because Zovaal was the original Arbiter—after he was defeated by us, we used his authority and power to create the new Arbiter."
Jaina finally understood everything. "Which is the current Arbiter!"
The Primus slowly nodded. He clenched his right hand, and Anima power, shaped by him, condensed into a physical staff. Leaning on the staff, he said, "Zovaal believes that by gathering the Sigils of the five Eternals, he can open the door to The First Ones' true legacy. So he must be gathering his forces now, preparing to attack Oribos."
Everyone's expressions changed drastically upon realizing that Oribos was in danger. To attack Maw and weaken the Forsworn's influence, they had already concentrated most of their forces on the offensive against Maw. The current Arbiter simply did not have enough personnel to defend.
And the Arbiter, due to an unknown reason, had fallen into a coma. Oribos now had no power to resist the Forsworn's army.
"Zovaal must be accumulating power within the Sanctum of Domination, ready to expand Maw into Oribos at any moment. Only then can he exert his full strength. We must stop him before he destroys the Arbiter, otherwise, once he reclaims his power, it will be too late."
The Primus's words were etched deeply into everyone's hearts like a chisel and axe.
-----------------
"The Sigils of the four Eternals have all been gathered. We can attack Oribos at any time!"
Sylvanas clenched her fists, her usually indifferent emotions surprisingly heightened at this moment—for decades, she had never experienced such emotional changes. Ever since she was killed by Arthas and resurrected as a banshee, she felt that normal emotions had been stripped from her soul.
The brave and kind Ranger-General of Silvermoon City was dead. Now, she was merely a banshee who wanted to take revenge on the world's injustices.
"Everything is going according to plan."
Zovaal, however, was not in a hurry. He stood on the top platform of the Sanctum of Domination, his placid eyes observing Maw's rapidly expanding borders.
The Anima sent by Sire Denathrius not only helped him forge a death army like the Forsworn but also allowed him to expand Maw into other realms at an abnormal rate and speed—he had not yet completely freed himself from the magic imposed on him by the other Eternals. Even though his power was now no less than that of any of his siblings, the stronger he became, the stronger the binding effect of that magic became.
Therefore, he wanted Maw to devour Oribos. In this clever way, he himself would not have left Maw, allowing him to exert his full strength.
Although Zovaal disregarded any obstacles other than the three Eternals, ever since his last failure, he understood the necessity of a precise and careful plan. If he hadn't acted rashly that time, but instead secretly plotted using his authority as the Arbiter, he might have already completed his great undertaking.
Just as The Jailer and Sylvanas were anticipating the completion of the plan, they completely failed to notice that, near Anduin on the outer perimeter of the platform, an unassuming Forsworn officer was observing everything that was happening.
Just as Zovaal had said, everything was going according to plan.
.....
Oribos had gradually been put under martial law, and members of the Four Covenants had already understood The Jailer's ultimate goal, but even so, they still felt uncertain.
No one knew when The Jailer would launch an attack, but Oribos clearly couldn't remain under martial law indefinitely; the order of all realms in the Shadowlands depended on Oribos, and continuing like this would only unbalance the order they had so painstakingly re-established.
"We must take the initiative to attack. The Forsworn of Maw have retreated to the Mawsworn's Prison, and this is an opportunity we absolutely cannot miss."
In the Arbiter's secret chamber, a discussion concerning the survival of the entire Shadowlands and even the entire physical universe was underway.
Primus believed it was time for a counter-attack. The continuous offensives launched by the Four Covenants in Maw had left the Forsworn unable to retaliate. As long as they broke through the Sanctum of Domination and destroyed the Forsworn's lair before Zovaal attacked Oribos, they would win this war.
"In that case, it means we must go all in… Our current manpower is insufficient to support an attack on the Sanctum of Domination while also ensuring Oribos's defensive strength."
The Firstborne, Griselda, hesitated. Oribos's own Guardians simply couldn't stop The Jailer and his army.
Moreover, they still had a very serious problem to face: they lacked sufficient strength at the "Eternals" level to stop Zovaal.
The wounds inflicted on Griselda by the Unholy sword had not yet healed. The runeblade was infused with The Jailer's evil power, and its impact on Griselda was not to be ignored. A wounded Griselda could not easily make a move, otherwise, she would easily become a weakness for their side, not to mention she also needed to guard Bastion, making it difficult to provide practical assistance.
The Winter Queen's situation was even worse. Although she was not wounded like Griselda, Ardenweald suffered the most from The Jailer's conspiracy. A large number of groves and wildseeds had already withered, and many more were on the verge of exhaustion. The Winter Queen's entire energy and power were almost entirely dedicated to maintaining Ardenweald's stability. Once she left this realm, it was highly likely that the entire realm would fall into chaos, or even completely collapse.
This meant that, in reality, only Primus alone could directly confront Zovaal.
What was worse, Primus did not believe he was a match for the current Zovaal. The Commanding Power magic Zovaal wielded was a terrifying thing, not to mention he had once been captured by Zovaal. During those days of imprisonment, most of his memories and knowledge had been read by Zovaal. Although he had made some preparations beforehand, hiding the most crucial parts, this would still put him at a complete disadvantage in a battle with Zovaal.
"Primus is right, we must take the initiative to attack."
Unlike Griselda, the Winter Queen strongly agreed with Primus's opinion. "Oribos cannot be defended, you should know that very well."
Griselda fell silent upon hearing this. As an Eternal herself, she naturally knew this: Zovaal could go for a mutual destruction at any time. Even if he destroyed Oribos, he would not hesitate, because Zovaal had intended to subvert the entire universe from the very beginning, reshaping the world into his ideal image.
But the Shadowlands could not withstand such a blow. Once Oribos was destroyed, the entire Shadowlands would be affected, which was tens of thousands of times more severe than the Arbiter malfunctioning or dying.
"I have no objections, but the question is who will undertake this important task? Besides Primus, neither you nor I can temporarily leave our respective domains, but with just Primus's strength alone, I'm worried..."
Griselda did not finish her sentence. She only looked at Primus with worried eyes. Their brother had once been an invincible master of strategy, but asking him to face the current Zovaal alone was perhaps asking too much.
"The Four Covenants and the mortals from Azeroth will break through the Forsworn's defenses and destroy the Forsworn in the Sanctum of Domination."
Primus slammed his staff heavily on the floor of the secret chamber. "I will do my best to hold Zovaal back, so he cannot focus on the battlefield."
This was the most he could do.
"Be careful in everything. The current Shadowlands cannot afford to lose another Eternal."
The Winter Queen finally warned him.
Just then, a violent tremor suddenly spread throughout Oribos, and the avatar projections of the three Eternals were also simultaneously interfered with, becoming extremely unstable.
The three Eternals, sensing something, simultaneously cast their gaze downwards towards Oribos. At the limits of their perception, a profound, endless darkness was surging upwards.
"Is that Maw?! How is this possible!"
Griselda immediately looked on in shock as the black and red clouds expanded wildly, devouring all the void space in their path. The previously empty In-Between was filled with black and red, and Maw, like a writhing giant beast, was devouring all the space between itself and Oribos.
Primus instantly understood Zovaal's intention. "Zovaal wants to use this method to bypass the curse on him! No time for chatter, I must stop him immediately!"
"If you can, try to stop me, brother."
Zovaal's voice suddenly appeared, making the faces of the three Eternals turn grim. Zovaal's perception could already extend into this secret chamber, indicating that the Arbiter was no longer safe.
The Eternals looked with complex eyes at the still-sleeping Arbiter. The next moment, their connection to the Arbiter's secret chamber was interfered with and severed. Without any hesitation, Griselda and the Winter Queen both dispatched emissaries from their covenants, instructing them to rush to Oribos to resist The Jailer's invasion.
Primus, still in Korthia, discovered that the connection to the Arbiter's secret chamber had been cut, and immediately told Bolvar, "Organize your forces, it's time to launch an attack on the Sanctum of Domination. I will do my utmost to delay Zovaal's advance."
After speaking, Primus opened a portal to the In-Between. Before confronting Zovaal, he had to return to Maldraxxus to retrieve his weapons and equipment.
Bolvar watched Primus leave. He said to the Four Horsemen beside him, "Come, let us end this."
The Death Vanguard immediately set out from Korthia. They had to cherish the precious time Primus had bought for them and end this conspiracy before The Jailer reached Oribos and destroyed everything.
-----------------
In the In-Between outside Oribos, two energies collided, exploding into a dazzling spark in the vast space.
Within the surging black and red clouds of Maw, countless black chains subtly writhed. Zovaal's voice echoed in the empty In-Between, "You are not my opponent, brother."
"But I must also stop your madness, Zovaal. You will destroy everything!"
Primus gripped his staff tightly, staring gravely at the expanding Maw—imprisoning Zovaal in Maw back then might have been the biggest mistake he had ever made. Not even the Eternals had expected that Zovaal could completely control this desolate space, leaping from a prisoner to a jailer named "The Jailer."
Although the deeper his connection to Maw, the harder it was for him to leave Maw, Zovaal, with Maw at his back, was almost unrivaled in this space. Even Primus, an Eternal like him, could not directly confront Zovaal.
Moreover, he also had to guard against Zovaal's Commanding Power magic. Although this power could not directly dominate Primus's mind and will, it would inevitably cause an impact, potentially revealing a fatal flaw in their battle.
"You are the one who will destroy everything."
Zovaal's voice remained as cold as ice. Imprisonment and punishment had not changed any of his thoughts; on the contrary, the countless years spent in Maw had only strengthened his resolve.
He stubbornly believed that the current world was far from perfect. This design, full of flaws and constraints, had long been endured by him. In countless cycles, across countless worlds, the same things were repeatedly playing out.
In the long river named time and destiny, Zovaal had grown weary of souls who seemed free but were confined within the framework "designed" by The First Ones. He believed he must become a reformer to change all of this.
And any existence that dared to stand in his way would be crushed by him—even the Eternals were no exception.
"You stripped me of my power back then, cast me into Maw, and placed restraints on me with Commanding Power magic. I don't care about any of that. I only want to achieve that ultimate goal, and my plan cannot be stopped by anyone."
Zovaal waved his hand, tearing apart the death magic Primus cast at him, and pulled out countless writhing chains from Maw behind him. These chains were like intelligent giant pythons, rushing towards Primus.
The dark Commanding Power chains were the manifestation of his will, and they would be as irresistible as his will.
Primus instinctively dodged the chains and then used necromantic magic to summon annihilating death energy, destroying another part of the chains. However, when the undestroyed chains merged into the space of the In-Between, Primus immediately noticed some ominous changes: the connection between Maw and Oribos was deepening further.
The chains Zovaal summoned were not entirely aimed at him; those he dodged all became anchor points between Maw and Oribos. In other words, any chains not destroyed by Primus's magic would become anchors for Maw to pull Oribos.
"This is a very bad situation."
Primus stared intently at the endless chains behind Zovaal. Just as Zovaal said, his plan seemed to be completely unstoppable. As long as Primus and Zovaal continued to fight, he would eventually reach Oribos.
Now, they could only hope that those mortal champions could break through the Sanctum of Domination and destroy the source of the chains from there, otherwise...
Primus calmed his mind, not thinking about that terrible reality, but instead focusing all his attention on the battle at hand. Regardless of the situation at the Sanctum of Domination, he had to attract most of Zovaal's attention here, otherwise Zovaal would approach Oribos at a faster pace.
-----------------
"Kel'Thuzad!"
Draka glared at the resurrected Archlich before her. This traitor of Maldraxxus had caused immense damage to the Necrolord Covenant, and they could never allow such a menace to remain in the world.
Even in Maw!
Kel'Thuzad disdainfully watched the "acquaintances" gathered before him. "Don't look at me with such eyes. You weak ants have no idea what a great cause I am serving—you never knew from the beginning."
He summoned a large number of souls and constructs, blocking the Death Vanguard outside his throne, but his heart was not as calm as he appeared.
Kel'Thuzad knew that these constructs and souls alone could not hold these people back for long. However, the Forsworn had either been transferred by Zovaal or those remaining in the Sanctum of Domination had almost all been scattered and eliminated. The current Kel'Thuzad was no different from being isolated and helpless.
He looked at Sylvanas beside him. "Where are our people? There should be more than just this! We won't be able to hold the passage like this."
"You just need to do your best."
Sylvanas was indifferent to Kel'Thuzad's predicament, and after dropping a sentence, she disappeared into the interior of the Sanctum.
Kel'Thuzad was so angry at Sylvanas that his bones itched, but he couldn't do anything about the current Sylvanas. Compared to him, it was clear that the Banshee Queen had more of Zovaal's trust.
Even with this body, reshaped using Maldraxxus's necromantic knowledge and the power funded by Zovaal, he did not want to clash head-on with Sylvanas.
It seems he'll have to figure something out himself...
Kel'Thuzad's gaze searched everywhere for usable power, and soon he saw a Forsworn officer who seemed to be doing nothing.
Although he was a little confused as to why the battle lines had deteriorated to such an extent and why Forsworn could still leisurely slack off, Kel'Thuzad didn't think too much about it, because these Forsworn officers were nothing more than Zovaal's puppets and consumables, and he wouldn't feel any heartache using them.
"You, yes, you over there, take your men and block those mortals outside the door!"
Kel'Thuzad imperiously ordered the Forsworn; he needed to use these cannon fodder to buy himself time. With enough time, he might be able to attempt to seal off the entire passage with powerful magic.
"Are you pointing at me?"
Arthas looked at Kel'Thuzad somewhat unexpectedly. He had originally been waiting here for Zovaal to open the passage to Oribos, but he didn't expect to be targeted by Kel'Thuzad.
"Of course it's you, quickly take your subordinates… Wait, why are you alone?"
Kel'Thuzad finally noticed something was amiss, but he only realized that Arthas seemed to be acting alone, with no Forsworn accompanying him.
"My mission is to protect that mortal."
Arthas casually brushed him off, though this was indeed his "mission."
"Mortal?" Kel'Thuzad paused for a moment, then realized Arthas was talking about Anduin, and immediately said, "Not anymore. Now go stop those invaders!"
Arthas was noncommittal, giving Kel'Thuzad a meaningful look before respectfully saying, "Yes, Archlich Kel'Thuzad."
Arthas casually drew a greatsword from a nearby weapon rack, swung it twice, and then walked towards the Death Knight vanguard, who were engaged in a chaotic battle with Kel'Thuzad's undead army.
However, his joining was not good news for the Death Knight vanguard.
"Something's wrong, High Inquisitor Whitemane!"
After knocking down the tall construct in front of him, Thoras gained a moment to catch his breath. He shouted to High Inquisitor Whitemane, trying to figure out where this sudden pressure was coming from.
High Inquisitor Whitemane also noticed this. She looked at Thoras, "Is it that officer?!"
Thoras also noticed Arthas among the undead constructs. He used the brief lull to observe Arthas, finding that although this Forsworn officer looked unremarkable and his attacks were nothing special, he seemed to have perfectly integrated these originally uncoordinated constructs, turning a scattered mess into solid rock.
"Let's go take down this guy!"
Arthas was originally paying attention to the movements of the Death Knight vanguard, to prevent the undead he was commanding from causing them too much loss, but then he suddenly noticed Thoras charging directly at him.
Thoras's runeblade chopped down towards his head, the runes on the blade flashing with light, clearly intending a fatal blow.
However, Arthas lightly raised his greatsword, easily catching Thoras's blade with the guard of his hilt. No matter how Thoras urged the power of the runes, he could not advance an inch.
But Thoras had not intended a single strike. He had already considered the current situation. Just as he restrained Arthas's blade, High Inquisitor Whitemane, hidden in the shadows, surged out. She wielded a giant runeblade almost as large as herself, attacking Arthas's exposed flank with full force.
The sharp blade descended, seemingly about to decapitate Arthas or at least severely wound him, but to her surprise, Arthas actually raised his hand to block High Inquisitor Whitemane's greatsword.
Was he insane?
This was High Inquisitor Whitemane's first reaction because she had never seen any Forsworn able to block her blade with their bare hands.
However, Arthas quickly showed her with facts that he was not insane.
The iron armor of the gauntlet collided violently with High Inquisitor Whitemane's blade, even producing visible sparks, but Arthas steadily caught High Inquisitor Whitemane's blade without his hand even sinking an inch.
High Inquisitor Whitemane, her pupils dilated, instinctively tried to pull her greatsword away, but found that she was doing so in vain. No matter how hard she tried, she could not regain control of the greatsword from Arthas's hand. Arthas remained motionless like a statue.
Thoras noticed High Inquisitor Whitemane's predicament and deftly shifted his longsword, breaking free from Arthas's stance, and then slashed down towards Arthas's right hand, which was gripping High Inquisitor Whitemane's greatsword.
This time, Arthas did not block Thoras's slash with his bare hand again, but instead pushed his hand, using High Inquisitor Whitemane, sword and all, as a shield in front of him.
At this point, his grip on High Inquisitor Whitemane loosened, and the deflected greatsword collided with Thoras's slash.
Caught off guard, Thoras had already pulled back some of his strength, but High Inquisitor Whitemane, who had already lost her balance, was still sent flying.
After rolling several times on the ground, High Inquisitor Whitemane finally dissipated Thoras's force. Just as she managed to lift her head, a longsword reflecting a cold light filled her entire vision.
High Inquisitor Whitemane hurriedly rolled away, narrowly avoiding being decapitated by a single sword strike.
"Good reaction."
Arthas effortlessly pulled the longsword out of the steel floor. The hard floor of the Sanctum of Domination seemed as fragile as tofu before his sword, and High Inquisitor Whitemane felt a surge of relief at her narrow escape—she didn't believe her neck was harder than steel.
"High Inquisitor Whitemane, are you alright?!"
Thoras rushed over, a limb from some construct or another still hanging from his sword.
High Inquisitor Whitemane stood up, leaning on her greatsword, and pointed at Arthas, "Don't worry about me, deal with this guy first!"
Arthas raised his longsword, seemingly preparing for battle, but at that moment, he suddenly looked up at something and said regretfully, "I'm sorry, it seems there's no time left."
His inexplicable words left Thoras and High Inquisitor Whitemane bewildered, but before either of them could react, a surging and deadly ice mist emanated from Arthas's sword, coating the entire wide passage of the Sanctum of Domination in a layer of ice crystals.
Thoras and High Inquisitor Whitemane, facing a formidable enemy, both gripped their weapons tightly, ready to meet any incoming attack, but Arthas turned back and slashed at the large door that Kel'Thuzad had closed. The ice mist, seemingly capable of freezing everything, condensed into a ghostly blue sword light, tearing the metal door in half. The undead blocking the way were instantly frozen, then shattered into a pile of debris.
Thoras and High Inquisitor Whitemane had no idea what was happening in front of them. They watched in shock as the construct army was destroyed. When they remembered Arthas, they found that he had disappeared.
On the other side, the Death Knight vanguard had also eliminated the remaining constructs. Bolvar quickly arrived at the battlefield here and was quite puzzled to find that the door Kel'Thuzad had closed had been torn open by some powerful force, "What happened here?"
"We don't know either."
Thoras and High Inquisitor Whitemane, the two involved parties, were even more confused than Bolvar. They didn't understand why the enemy who had just been clashing swords with them suddenly turned their sword on their own people and helped them completely destroy Kel'Thuzad's defenses.
But now was not the time to figure out such questions; they had to speed up and defeat Kel'Thuzad—
"Kel'Thuzad is gone?"
Bolvar, who had been prepared to fight the Archlich to the death, was stunned on the spot. They had repeatedly searched the hall and found no trace or trap left by Kel'Thuzad. Had the arrogant Lich, who had just spoken disrespectfully, run away like a coward?
"Can't worry about that now… Come help me, I'm about to open the portal to the very core of the Sanctum of Domination!"
Jaina found a "key-like" item among the things Kel'Thuzad "accidentally" left behind. The magic on it could remove the seal Sylvanas had placed in this tower.
That was a seal Sylvanas and Zovaal had left to delay them. As long as they broke this seal, they could reach the core of the ritual and completely defeat Zovaal's conspiracy.
At the top of the Sanctum of Domination, they finally saw Sylvanas, who was waiting for something. The Banshee Queen, the Dark Ranger, seemed to have anticipated their arrival.
"Hmm… Kel'Thuzad delayed for even less time than I expected? That Lich is as annoying as he was in life."
Sylvanas ignored the familiar faces who had chased her all the way from Azeroth to the bottom of Maw, elegantly took down the longbow from her back, "Then let us end this here."