Under the coordinated assault of the Alliance army, the Naga's defenses were quickly breached, and large numbers of Naga were driven back into the river.
However, this time they were not so lucky as to rely on the river's help to resist the Alliance's offensive; to prevent the Naga from continuously hiding in the water to avoid battle, the Alliance had already prepared a countermeasure.
Although the Naga were indeed difficult to locate in the water, the Alterac River was, after all, just a large river, and with some troublesome methods, it was ultimately possible to threaten enemies in the water.
The mage units from Dalaran and Quel'Thalas directly commenced the ritual of summoning Water Elementals on the bank; the Alliance was not incapable of leveraging the river's power, and with the help of Arcane magic, large numbers of Water Elementals surged into the river, engaging the Naga in combat.
At this point, the Gnome's engineering creations became a crucial factor in determining the course of the war.
They urgently brought in a batch of newly developed naval mines and underwater robots; although the robots' performance was limited and they could hardly threaten truly elite Naga forces, they only needed to enter the water, and the rest would be handled by explosions.
Violent shockwaves blasted out waves dozens of meters high on the water's surface; the Gnomes, considering the depth of the Alterac River, specifically increased the power of the bombs, adding Arcane magic, chemical agents, and anything else that could enhance explosive power, all in one go.
Master Craftsman Overspark, who was responsible for deploying these naval mines onto the battlefield, watched the towering spray of water, yet grumbled with some dissatisfaction, "This is too crude, practically no different from goblins. What a waste of my precious little darlings."
Overspark was still lamenting his robots that were blown sky-high along with the Naga, but from the results, the goblin's methods sometimes could indeed solve problems; at least the Naga should have felt the charm of Gnome engineering.
Meanwhile, the Water Elementals controlled by the mages almost ignored the damage caused by the explosions; their elemental bodies were inherently almost immune to physical damage, and being in the river, even if their forms were temporarily destroyed by the shockwaves from the explosions, they could quickly reshape their bodies using abundant magical power and elements.
Facing the Alliance's thunderous offensive, unleashed with its true strength, the Naga were almost unable to resist; they were quickly driven out of the upstream section of the Taren Mill river, and their plot to build a dam and use floods to impact Taren Mill was also foiled.
However, for the Alliance, it was far from time to celebrate victory; driving away the Naga could only ensure temporary stability. The retreating Naga still occupied the ruins of Southshore and the estuary. The blockade along the coastline had still not been broken. The Alliance had only cleared the obstacles on land; without these Naga, at least they could now rebuild bridges to ensure they wouldn't be cut off between two locations.
Arthas stood on the high ground by the riverbank, watching the gradually calming battle.
Below him, sapper units were rapidly constructing a temporary bridge; the original bridge built over the river had been completely destroyed by the Naga, and they were now using the remains of one of the original bridges as a base point, repairing it in the fastest way possible.
The sky over Hillsbrad also gradually darkened, with dark clouds pressing down on everyone's heads, clearly a prelude to a heavy rain.
"This terrible weather, I'm afraid our bridge construction will encounter quite a few difficulties."
Highlord Dathrohan reached out to catch a few scattered raindrops, sighing.
"Although the Naga have been driven away, their disruption of the elements continues."
Arthas looked at the sky, not feeling joyful about the Naga's retreat, because he knew that merely repelling this small group of Naga was pointless; he had to find out the means by which the Naga were affecting the elemental plane, otherwise they would still be attacked by various geological disasters.
"Highlord, after the rain stops, immediately take your men to secure the lower reaches of the Alterac River to prevent the Naga from returning."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
-----------------
Thrall's soul left his body; freed from the shackles of the flesh, Thrall felt as if he had leaped into the ocean like a swimming fish, as if he had shed all worries and anxieties.
However, he knew this was just an illusion, merely a phenomenon caused by his soul connecting with the vast elemental plane of Azeroth; if he did not return to his body for a long time, his soul would only grow weaker and weaker until it was assimilated by the elements, completely merging his soul into the elements, becoming an Elemental Creature.
"Time is precious; I need to quickly find the anomaly in the elemental plane."
In his soul state, Thrall's vision was infinitely stretched; guided by instinct, he looked towards the direction where he felt the elements were most chaotic, and when he looked, his spirit body was simultaneously pulled to the location he saw.
"This is… Deepholm?"
Strange and magnificent rock formations and brilliant light entered Thrall's vision; he felt the active Earth Elementals. The usually docile and honest Spirits of the Earth on Azeroth became wild and active in this place, and their activity kept the land of this plane in constant motion.
Earthquakes, rolling stones, and even the collapse and reconstruction of mountains were commonplace; this was the paradise of the Earth Elementals.
However, those natural phenomena, rarely seen in the real plane, did not attract much of Thrall's attention, because when he entered this plane, his gaze was drawn to the magnificent stone pillar in the center of the entire plane, connecting heaven and earth.
The World Pillar!
In the information transmitted to Thrall by the Earth Elementals, this stone pillar supported the stability of the world, just as the earth bore countless lives; the World Pillar was the most important part of Deepholm, stabilizing the four elemental planes and the real world.
Moreover, compared to the other primitive and natural geographical features in Deepholm, this massive stone pillar clearly showed signs of artificial reinforcement; at the base of the World Pillar, a Titan temple was embedded within the pillar, forming a whole with the entire World Pillar.
However, in Thrall's eyes, the condition of this stone pillar was probably not too good, because even with ordinary vision in his spirit form, Thrall could see alarming cracks spread across the World Pillar.
"It seems the reason for the frequent earthquakes appearing around the world recently is this…"
Thrall hesitated for a moment but still did not approach the World Pillar; in his spirit state, he was quite fragile, and even a slight disturbance could cause him injury, leading him to detach from the elemental plane.
To be safe, Thrall stopped at a certain distance from the World Pillar, communicated with the Earth Elementals, and after obtaining a simple shelter, he began to wait patiently.
Waiting for the next anomaly to occur.
Time began to flow, but Thrall kept staring at the World Pillar until he perceived that strange sound, as if etched into the entire world.
He immediately amplified his spirit perception, and in his enhanced vision, he finally saw the terrifying scene that shook his mind:
A massive black dragon head was gnawing at the base of the World Pillar, and its body below was replaced by twisted purplish-black tentacles. Even half of its dragon head was shattered and broken, oozing viscous, lava-like blood.
Its tentacled body clung tightly to the World Pillar, like a long snake coiled around a tree trunk, occasionally biting into the World Pillar.
And each time it bit, its massive body would fall into a mechanical stillness, and then slowly dissipate, as if it had never appeared—this was probably the reason why earthquakes were sometimes present and sometimes not.
However, Thrall did not have time to ponder, because when he saw this peculiar scene, which was usually invisible, a great sense of crisis surged into his heart.
—He heard the unspeakable whispers.
"Fallen dragon, devour the world, ruined soul, reshape form."
"What was that?!"
Thrall quickly averted his gaze, realizing that the longer he stared, the more likely he was to attract the attention of that thing, or rather, the master behind that monster.
But even so, Thrall felt a suffocating sense of fear, a primal reaction of a living being encountering an unknown and uncanny existence. This reaction was so strong that even Thrall, in his soul state, became unstable.
After struggling to maintain his stability, he glanced at the World Pillar with lingering fear—he knew this was no longer a problem he could solve alone. The best course of action now was to return to Azeroth and seek the help of the entire world.
But before leaving the elemental plane, Thrall decided to first check the situation in the remaining elemental planes.
However, when Thrall attempted to use Astral Walk to travel to the domain of the Water Element, a powerful repulsive force kept him rooted to the spot, unable to enter. Thrall, refusing to believe it, tried several times, but always got the same result.
Was the Water Element repelling all outsiders?
Thrall could feel the elemental domain repelling him, but it wasn't targeting him specifically; rather, the Water Element's domain was indiscriminately repelling everything. Thrall had no solution for this. A Shaman could communicate with the elemental plane, but only when it didn't go against the will of the Elemental Spirits themselves. If he forced his way in, it could lead to severe consequences.
Since the domain of the Water Element was inaccessible, Thrall's only remaining options were the worlds of the Fire Element and the Air Element. After a simple attempt, finding that he didn't encounter similar obstructions as in the Water Element's domain, Thrall projected his consciousness into that eternally scorching realm.
Endless flames and lava were the only colors making up this plane. The scorching orange-red instantly filled Thrall's entire vision, followed by waves of searing heat.
Thrall secretly arrived at the top of a mountain with a good vantage point, looking down at the black plains where ash and smoke drifted. Countless Elemental Creatures were raging across this scorched plain, like a wildfire that suddenly erupts in a field, tirelessly rampaging everywhere.
But the grand fortress further in the distance was what concerned Thrall more—that was the castle of the Elemental Lord Ragnaros, the sacred core of this realm. And even from a considerable distance, Thrall could easily sense the tyrannical and frenzied aura emanating from it.
"The Elemental Lord is inciting his entire domain…"
Thrall's expression became serious. He could sense Ragnaros's monstrous rage. Although Fire Elements were almost always irritable and violent, Ragnaros at this moment had clearly exceeded the scope of his normal state.
His aura was like a volcano about to erupt; although he had not yet truly unleashed his power, the overwhelming smoke and dust were already enough to create a suffocating sense of oppression.
Thrall remembered that the Alliance had once defeated Ragnaros and his elemental Legion at Blackrock Mountain, banishing him back to the elemental plane. It seemed this Elemental Lord had also been summoned by the elemental cataclysm sweeping across Azeroth, and was preparing to invade the real world once again.
But the next discovery immediately made Thrall realize that his assumption was probably wrong.
High above Sulfuron Keep, behind the air distorted by the intense heat of the flames, a white high wall divided the world into two halves: one half was scorching flames, the other was biting cold wind.
"This is not a good sign…"
Thrall stared blankly at the abrupt white high wall. The kingdom of the Air Element being so close to the Firelands could only mean two things: either the two elemental domains were about to go to war, or the two powerful Elemental Lords had reached some kind of agreement.
And neither scenario was good news for the ordinary people living on Azeroth.
A war between the two great elemental planes would inevitably have terrible effects on reality. Wind disasters would frequently appear all over the world, subtle breezes would turn into deadly tornadoes, and Fire Elements would become unprecedentedly active. Candles that could originally only illuminate a single room would suddenly burst into flames without warning, becoming a blaze that consumed an entire house, or even a village.
And if the proximity of the two great elemental planes was not for mutual invasion, then the remaining possibility was even more terrifying—for the Fire Element and Air Element, who were not on good terms, to hold their noses and cooperate, they could only be plotting for a reality far vaster than the elemental plane.
As a Shaman who grew up on Azeroth, Thrall was well aware that the Elemental Spirits on Azeroth were incredibly powerful, and with that power came their ever-present ambition to invade the real plane. For powerful elements, the confined elemental plane was like a cage, making them salivate over the vast real plane.
"I must tell everyone this news! An unprecedented elemental cataclysm is about to occur… The endangered World Pillar, the self-isolated domain of the Water, and the ambitious Firelands and Skywall!"
Thrall quickly withdrew from the elemental domain. Under his control, his soul began to return to his physical body.
As his soul and body reunited, Thrall was almost instantly overwhelmed by the fatigue that swept through him. He forced himself to stand up, stretching his stiff body, and asked his attendant, "How many days have I slept?"
"Almost a week, Warchief."
The attendant replied, handing Thrall a water skin filled with clear water. Thrall took it, pulled out the stopper, and began to drink frantically.
Only when the entire water skin was empty, and Thrall had licked away the last drop of water from his lips, did he feel slightly better.
Upon learning of Thrall's awakening, Vol'jin immediately rushed to Wisdom Valley. He looked at Thrall, who was currently devouring roasted thunder lizard meat with great relish, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. "You were gone for quite a long time."
"And I saw some unimaginable sights."
Thrall's hand, holding the roasted meat, paused mid-air. Rich grease dripped from his hand, but he was oblivious, merely swallowing the piece of meat in his mouth and sighing, "Profound changes are happening in the elemental plane. It's no wonder our world is plagued by frequent disasters."
"Can it be resolved?"
Thrall frowned, placing the roasted meat on the tray. "It's difficult with just our strength. This crisis is like the previous demon invasion of Hyjal, or the Silithus swarm… even more dangerous."
The Silithus swarm and the Burning Legion's demons only affected a few regions, and had not yet spread to all of Azeroth. But the elemental unrest would indiscriminately attack the entire world, just like now. Even if the Naga somehow directed the disasters towards Lordaeron, Durotar in distant Kalimdor would still be affected by various calamities.
If this problem was not thoroughly resolved, the disasters would not only not disappear, but would intensify. It's important to remember that those elements are currently only gathering strength and have not fully broken free from the elemental domain.
Vol'jin, having partnered with Thrall for many years, immediately understood Thrall's meaning. "I will immediately send messengers to the Alliance… Heh heh, I didn't expect that now, the number of times we cooperate far exceeds the number of disputes."
Vol'jin's words made Thrall smile back at him. The Warchief wiped the grease from his hands and stood up, leaning on his knees. "Perhaps this isn't so bad."
....
Countess Katrana Prestor was leisurely enjoying her afternoon tea on a lounge chair on the balcony of her luxurious mansion, the gentle sunshine and breeze of Stormwind making her feel a little sleepy.
Dragons were such creatures; when there was nothing to do, sleeping was their greatest and simplest pleasure, but unfortunately, Katrana now had to maintain her persona as a Countess and couldn't just fall into slumbers lasting years or even decades.
But if it was just a nap…
"Onyxia."
"Who is it?!"
Katrana's eyes snapped open, and chilling vertical pupils appeared in her eye sockets.
"Life in Stormwind is quite comfortable, isn't it?"
Arthas stood behind Katrana at some unknown point, and the Dragonkin attendant who had been guarding there looked at Katrana somewhat awkwardly; in the blink of an eye, Arthas had appeared silently before him like a ghost.
Katrana let out a long breath, her draconic features gradually receding. She rose with a smile to welcome him, "It's His Majesty the King. Please don't be so elusive next time; I'm quite timid."
Having spent so much time with Arthas, she had come to understand that as long as one didn't cross his bottom line, this terrifying human was actually quite reasonable—at least far more reasonable than her mad father.
Arthas stared at Katrana, knowing that this dragon was probably slandering him in her mind, but he didn't care. Katrana hadn't been wrong about one thing: she was indeed very timid, at least the news he was about to deliver was enough to shock her.
"Your father is still alive."
Katrana's smile froze on her face. At this moment, she no longer had the composed appearance of a noble lady; instead, she looked like a hamster whose neck had been squeezed.
The Countess stammered, seemingly trying to reassure herself, "Please don't make such jokes—wasn't the fallen Earth Guardian already slain by your own hand?"
Arthas didn't answer. He released a trace of magic, pulling Katrana into an illusion, constructing for her the scene Thrall had witnessed in the Deepholm: the tattered black dragon had grown grotesque tentacles, transforming from a majestic dragon into a repulsive chimera.
Katrana's pretty face instantly turned pale. Even though the dragon's body was twisted and barely resembled its original draconic form, she still recognized the essence of this monster at a glance—her father, the fallen Earth Guardian Neltharion, who should have been dead.
"When we besieged Deathwing with the Guardian Dragons back then, I felt something was off. It seems my premonition has come true."
Arthas recalled the earth-shattering battle on the ice fields of Northrend. A cornered Deathwing had chosen to attempt to take them all down with a massive self-detonation, but that explosion ultimately failed to harm anyone; instead, Deathwing himself was utterly reduced to dust, perishing on the spot.
Katrana frantically broke free from the illusion, pacing uneasily, "This is impossible… I also felt the Earth Guardian's aura disappear, and the corrupt bloodline he brought to the Black Dragonflight was also dissipating…"
"While the source of the Black Dragonflight's corruption was Neltharion, he was the first victim, because the master of this corrupting curse, the Ancient God N'Zoth, still lurks beneath the deep seas of Azeroth. It now appears that N'Zoth used some method at the time to preserve a part of Neltharion's remnant soul and transform it into such a monster."
Arthas's words made Katrana bite her lip. She asked in confusion, "But now, you've come to me, and I can't help much. I'm just an ordinary black dragon, without my father's world-destroying power."
Katrana was very afraid that Arthas would drag her into fighting the now Void-corrupted monster Deathwing; her small frame couldn't endure such turmoil.
"We aren't that short on manpower right now, you don't have to worry about me using you as cannon fodder."
Arthas saw through Katrana's concerns. Although Onyxia was considered one of the powerful dragons, she was still far too inferior compared to the Guardian Dragons. Even such a tattered Deathwing was far beyond what Onyxia could contend with.
"As long as I don't have to face my father, anything else is fine," Katrana visibly relaxed. It seemed her greatest fear wouldn't come to pass.
However, Katrana quickly noticed Arthas's scrutiny of her. She asked strangely, "What's wrong? Is there anything odd about me?"
She glanced at her simple yet expensive silk loungewear but found nothing amiss.
"Nothing, just confirming whether you're still affected by any residual corruption. It seems now that after Deathwing's death, the corrupting pollution projected by the Old Gods through the bloodline should be imperceptible."
Arthas didn't detect any corrupting aura from Katrana. Since one of the bloodlines closest to Deathwing hadn't been affected, the probability of other Black Dragonflight members being affected was also low.
These few ordinary words inexplicably sent a shiver down Katrana's spine: if she had truly been corrupted by the Old Gods, would she be headless by now?
But Katrana's emotions quickly calmed down. She understood that such a terrifying thought of hers was unlikely to become reality, and her sense of panic seemed to be merely because she was facing Arthas at this moment.
He had become more powerful than before.
Katrana realized this, and then she seemed to make some kind of decision, "Can I help?"
"Hmm?"
Arthas was a little surprised. He hadn't expected the usually lazy Onyxia to actively offer help, especially for such a major event that could involve life-threatening danger.
"Don't think I'm just a timid dragon, and I don't want to live in his mad shadow anymore—none of the Black Dragonflight do."
Onyxia's words carried a hint of determination. After Neltharion's death, some black dragons who had escaped corruption, or who had never been captured by it, came to seek refuge with her. And thanks to Arthas, she had once again given the Black Dragonflight a chance to establish themselves among the dragons.
Even if she didn't want to admit it, Onyxia had now implicitly become the new Black Dragonflight matriarch. She didn't want to turn back into a pitiful creature consumed by madness like her brother Nefarian, nor did she want the Black Dragonflight to be shattered again. She only wanted to live a leisurely life while ensuring the Black Dragonflight didn't completely die out in her hands.
And as long as Deathwing and the Old Gods existed for one more day, then this terrible future had the potential to become reality.
"In that case, then come with me. Perhaps it is indeed better for the Black Dragonflight to personally end the grudge between them and the Old Gods."
The fierce storm and salty sea breeze made Onyxia, who had just been enjoying the mild climate of Elwynn Forest, a little unaccustomed.
In a blink of an eye, she was thousands of miles away from Stormwind, appearing at what might be the center of the entire world—The Maelstrom.
The strong winds constantly buffeted Onyxia and Arthas, who stood on the reef, but both of them were as firm as rocks, completely unmoved by the powerful storm. Arthas, feeling the chaotic elemental storm near The Maelstrom, couldn't help but marvel at the natural wonder left behind after the explosion of the Well of Eternity.
"Ten thousand years ago, that cataclysmic disaster happened right here. The power of the Well of Eternity's explosion astonished even my father."
Onyxia recalled the catastrophe of ten thousand years ago; people at the time always thought it was the end of days, but they didn't know it was only the beginning of everything.
"The Maelstrom is the remnant of the Well of Eternity's explosion. The power of that Arcane well even shattered the barrier between the real world and the lesser elemental plane, forming a giant, never-ending whirlpool here."
As a black dragon, Onyxia could sense the elemental power around The Maelstrom was far more violent than in a normal environment. Even the most skilled mages would find it difficult not to be affected by the environment here. For mortals, The Maelstrom was the embodiment of natural disaster; any mortal creation, such as steamships and high-tech airships, avoided it.
And this was merely the echo left behind by the explosion of the Well of Eternity.
"But for us, this has become an important entrance," Arthas's gaze captured passages imperceptible to mortals. He could see that beneath the chaotic, surging ocean currents, an entrance connecting to the elemental plane was hidden.
Onyxia affirmed Arthas's words, "If creatures from the real elemental plane want to enter Deepholm, this is probably one of the few passages."
There were actually other ways to enter the earth elemental plane, but for Arthas and Onyxia, The Maelstrom was the simplest one, because it didn't require preparing all sorts of complicated rituals; as long as you could withstand The Maelstrom's tearing force, you could enter Deepholm.
Onyxia transformed, shedding her delicate mortal guise and returning to her magnificent and noble black dragon form. She respectfully lowered herself, signaling Arthas to come onto her.
Arthas didn't stand on ceremony, jumping onto the black dragon's back. "Will the storm here hurt you?"
"Probably not, but it might be a bit uncomfortable."
Onyxia responded, folding her wings and diving into the whirlpool with Arthas. Even the black dragon's massive body seemed insignificant before The Maelstrom, and as she plunged into the whirlpool, Onyxia immediately felt the impact and tearing of water currents from all directions.
Even with Onyxia's dragon body, she was inevitably disoriented by the immense force, but she still tried to control her descent, avoiding deviation from the passage into Deepholm.
Like a small boat swaying precariously in colossal waves, Onyxia almost thought she was going to throw up her overnight meal when the chaotic sensation, as if even gravity and space were completely inverted, finally disappeared. She quickly flapped her wings to stabilize her falling body.
A warm glow enveloped Onyxia at this moment, gradually dispelling the dizziness in her mind. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Arthas was not affected by the chaotic sensation when entering the elemental plane, but he saw that Onyxia's state was not right, so he helped her recover a little. Dragons have strong regenerative abilities, and with Arthas's help, Onyxia quickly got rid of her dizziness and returned to normal.
After finding a safe place to land, Onyxia transformed back into her human form, as it was more convenient to communicate with Arthas this way. "A little nauseating... Next time, it would be better to have someone teleport us over."
"The dizziness from teleportation might be even stronger than just now."
Arthas replied casually, but his gaze was already completely drawn to the sight of the World Pillar in the distance: from his perspective, he could clearly see the residual soul of Neltharion, mixed with the power of the Old Gods, coiled around the World Pillar, unlike Thrall, who could only glimpse a trace when Neltharion affected the World Pillar.
However, Onyxia also seemed unable to see the abnormality of the World Pillar; she could only sense that the originally indestructible World Pillar seemed to be on the verge of collapse, but she could also guess something, and her face instantly turned ugly. "My father's soul, it's not currently clinging to that pillar, absorbing the power of the entire elemental plane, is it?"
Although Onyxia was arrogant, cowardly, cunning, and had a host of other problems, her knowledge and intellect were absolutely top-notch. Although she couldn't see the deliberately hidden evil dragon soul, based only on the known information and vague perception, she had already guessed the general situation.
"Indeed, the World Pillar has weakened considerably. If we don't stop it, I'm afraid this pillar will directly collapse, and then the entire topography of Azeroth will change."
Arthas's expression also became serious. The former Earth Guardian had completely disappeared; the current Neltharion was a parasite sucking blood from Azeroth, exactly like his filthy master.
"Then what are we waiting for? Although my father is a bastard, his soul shouldn't be used like this by that lowly monster after death."
Onyxia was also quite angry. She was once the daughter of a noble Guardian Dragon, but because of her father's sudden madness, the entire black dragon race became like rats in the street. She almost lost everything, including her own life, until Arthas appeared.
Arthas was about to speak, but suddenly frowned. "It seems we have guests."
"You are the guests, His Majesty the King, and—long time no see, my daughter."
A clear yet somewhat eerie female voice sounded not far away. Onyxia looked in the direction of the voice and saw a face that made her pupils contract sharply.
"Mo... Mother?"
"Yes, my obedient daughter, what are you waiting for? Come to me quickly."
A slender High Elf suddenly appeared on a nearby rock. A benevolent expression graced her delicate face as she extended her hands towards Onyxia.
But what answered her was not Onyxia's embrace, but a searing flame that instantly melted the rock beneath her feet.
Onyxia held her staff, her right hand still glowing with the fiery red aura left by the flame magic, and her voice and gaze held undisguised icy killing intent. "My mother died long ago, monster. How dare you deceive a black dragon in this way?"
A spine-chilling, grotesque laugh came, the benevolent female voice mixed with some unspeakable whispers from the abyss. "You're really unaffected? What good fortune, my daughter."
The High Elf, with half her body scorched by the flames, still stood unfazed in the molten rock. Her alluring body appeared so twisted and terrifying in the high temperature, and beneath her damaged skin, countless tiny tentacles and scales writhed.
Arthas glanced at this monster in human skin. He had already seen that this body was indeed Sinestra, Deathwing's consort, but what was inside was hard to say.
"Do you need my help?"
"No, you go deal with my father. As for here, let me personally send this monster to reunite with my father!"
Onyxia gritted her teeth, but then she quickly whispered to Arthas, "You'd best be quick. I'm not confident I can completely deal with her."
A heavy punch smashed into the stone wall where the Titan facility was tightly connected to the World Pillar. Arthas followed the stench of Neltharion's rotten soul, tracking it all the way to where its core resided.
Clearly, Deathwing's soul wouldn't have much left after that self-detonation; it was already incredibly difficult for N'Zoth to sneak out a portion while deceiving everyone present. However, it was precisely this portion that led to the disaster now on the verge of overturning all of Azeroth.
Deathwing, even in death, retained the authority of the Earth Guardian, and what N'Zoth most desired to utilize was this blessing from the Titans. In the era after the Dark Empire, Guardian Dragons with Titan blessings had the confidence to defeat most enemies.
If Neltharion's authority hadn't been so intimately tied to the earth, it would have been difficult for even several Old Gods to collectively drive this powerful black dragon mad. And with several other Old Gods already fallen, N'Zoth now sought to monopolize the fruits of this victory.
He merged a portion of his power into Deathwing's lingering essence, thus evading the detection mechanisms of the Titan prison. He then slipped into Deepholm under the cover of the Naga, intending to devour the energy of the World Pillar and trigger a disaster that would engulf all of Azeroth, using it as his opportunity to break free from his prison.
Arthas shattered one rock wall after another, finally finding the Earth Temple, tightly locked away by the Titans, deep within the World Pillar's base. However, there was no order left in this temple; N'Zoth's minions and Twilight's Hammer cultists occupied it, using evil corruption to enslave the elements there, attempting to use them to resist invaders.
But for Arthas, these small fry were not worth mentioning. He effortlessly dealt with a group of fanatics attempting to stop him, thoroughly annihilating their bodies and souls to prevent them from returning to their master's embrace.
It wasn't until he truly stepped into the core of the Earth Temple that Arthas realized the severity of the situation even exceeded his expectations.
Countless obsidian chains, entwined with void tendrils, suspended the shattered dragon's body in mid-air, while Neltharion's residual core was nailed into the World Pillar's interior by N'Zoth's power. That dragon-shaped monster, mixed with a large number of unknown limbs, had completely lost its sanity, turning into a beast driven by instinct.
And it was now continuously roaring, tugging at the surrounding chains, causing the entire World Pillar to tremble along with it.
"Kill!—Save me!—Destroy everything!"
Broken murmurs spread throughout the entire space. Not even a single Twilight's Hammer cultist dared to step in here, because even a devout follower of the Old Gods would instantly lose their sanity and turn into a puddle of pus upon entering this hall, permeated with madness and terror.
The large pools of blood surrounding the deformed monster served as clear evidence of this. Although it was unknown whether they were traces left by heretics or innocent sacrifices they had captured, regardless, this place had already become forbidden territory for mortals due to the existence of this deformed dragon beast.
But Arthas no longer cared about these things; he was carefully observing the monster's existence, not because it was difficult to deal with, but because it had been connected to the World Pillar through some ritual.
After a chaotic roar, the deformed dragon beast seemed to sense Arthas, a living person, in its vicinity. The destructive instinct infused within it caused it to unhesitatingly hurl the fleshy tendrils wrapped around its body at Arthas.
Arthas ignored Neltharion's attack. Endless waves of light erupted around him like the rising sun, instantly burning the tendrils Neltharion had thrown into ash. The pure, ultimate Holy Light even crushed the whispers of the void, and in this evil place, Arthas easily created an uncorrupted, sacred area.
There was still a large amount of unextinguished Holy Light on the burning tentacles, and Neltharion was thus caught in the blaze. The spreading flames quickly melted the festering fleshy tendrils and rapidly surged towards Neltharion's main body.
Before long, this corrupted fusion monster let out a piercing wail. Even though N'Zoth had greatly reduced its pain as a living creature, the agony of such a twisted creation being ignited by pure Holy Light was still unforgettable.
However, it was precisely the monster's piercing roars and struggles that caused the entire World Pillar to shake violently. The other ends of the chains, nailed into the rock layers, were deeply embedded within the colossal fusion monster's body, tightly binding it to the Earth Guardian's remaining soul. And every movement of the monster would awaken the dragon soul within it, repeatedly tormenting the overburdened World Pillar.
The instability of the World Pillar also reflected onto the Earth Temple. This ancient elemental temple began to tremble violently. Seeing the dire situation, Arthas immediately extinguished the holy fire that had ignited the monster.
But the monster at this point seemed to have had its last vestiges of sanity completely destroyed by the massive amount of fused limbs. It was already on the verge of collapse, and the pain from the Holy Light flames burning just now had completely snapped the last string in what could still be called its head, turning it into a mere mass of flesh capable only of wailing and struggling.
Yet, even so, the damage it had inflicted upon the World Pillar was already sufficient. The void chains anchoring it to the World Pillar tightened even further at this moment, and the constantly unleashed final echoes of the Earth Guardian were tearing apart everything in this temple.
Arthas realized he could no longer allow this monster to continue. He had to quickly and thoroughly destroy its core, even if it meant collateral damage to the World Pillar, as that was better than watching the monster tear the World Pillar apart alive.
Light of Dawn transformed into the shape of a greatsword at extreme speed in the blink of an eye. Arthas gripped the hilt, and every rune on the greatsword pulsed as if breathing, rapidly absorbing and storing the energy from the Holy Light ground Arthas had created.
When the light flames became so dense they almost completely obscured the entire blade of the greatsword, Arthas leaped up and swung his sword of annihilation at Neltharion's lingering soul, which he had sensed.
The blade of light easily severed the void chains along with the monster's body. Its shattered remains didn't even have time to fall before being engulfed by the immense light flames, completely turning into nothingness. Arthas flipped his hand, thrusting the blade directly into the monster's core, then gripped the hilt with one hand and pressed down hard on the hilt with the other.
The burning Holy Light spread along the void chains to every anchor point, detonating all the evil beacons driven in by the Old Gods' followers.
But after doing all this, Arthas felt no joy of success—Neltharion's last remnant soul had indeed been utterly destroyed, but Arthas clearly felt that what he had just severed seemed to be more than just the monster's body.
"Thank you, brave His Majesty the King."
That strange yet familiar voice rang in his ear. Sinestra floated around Arthas like a ghost. Strangely, the scorching Holy Light burning on Arthas at this moment seemed to have no effect on her.
Arthas stared at Sinestra, who remained unaffected by the light flames:
This was not a physical entity, but a projection from afar. This wasn't even the projection of the entity currently fighting Onyxia outside, but a power projection from her master behind her.
"Trading your kingdom for my freedom, this is a very worthwhile deal—consider those Naga a gift for you, His Majesty the King. I hope we can be as harmonious next time we meet… Hahahaha!"
Accompanied by piercing laughter, the projection in Sinestra's form gradually dissipated. Just then, Arthas finally captured a faint, almost imperceptible trace in the energy fluctuations generated when the deformed fusion monster was annihilated.
The trembling of the World Pillar ceased at this point. Although severely battered, this pillar still held up and did not continue to collapse, meaning that the scourges attacking various parts of Azeroth, including Lordaeron, would cease. As for the remaining Naga, they were no problem at all; the Alliance could easily wipe them out.
But Arthas also discovered that, through the interaction of Neltharion's death and the damage to the World Pillar, an ancient oceanic plate was undergoing drastic changes, as if something had broken free from its restraints and was surging forth.
Arthas sat cross-legged in the center of the Earth Temple, purifying areas affected by N'Zoth's power.
This task itself wasn't difficult, but the Earth Temple and World Pillar were already on the verge of collapse, forcing Arthas to control his power with extreme caution.
Just then, the sound of wings flapping echoed through the temple.
Arthas looked over and saw Onyxia, her scales damaged and wings bearing many new scars, slowly flying towards him.
Although she had many new scars, Onyxia's spirit wasn't too dejected; clearly, they were just superficial wounds that weren't too serious.
Upon reaching Arthas, Onyxia silently transformed back into her human form.
Her appearance as Katrana was also not very dignified at the moment; her delicate long dress was scorched with many charred holes, and deep bloodstains marked her fair skin.
Most horrifying was the bloody head she held in her right hand—it was the head of the elven body Sinestra used for her illusion, but now it no longer belonged to Sinestra.
More accurately, it no longer belonged to N'Zoth.
"This is absolutely terrible," Katrana sighed, complaining, "I could feel the terrifying commotion from outside.
You'd better tell me you've already handled it."
Though she said this, Katrana knew in her heart that her ability to stand there and speak with Arthas meant that Arthas must have dealt with her father's final madness.
However, this temple also looked like it had been through a lot; she worried it might collapse as she walked inside.
"It is indeed quite terrible; your father left me a difficult problem even after his death."
Arthas glanced at Katrana, walked over, and placed his hand on her shoulder, healing her injuries.
Feeling completely relaxed, Katrana let out a long sigh, "Since my father is completely dead, what kind of problem could he still leave us?"
Although she tried to sound nonchalant, Arthas still detected a hint of sadness in Katrana's tone.
He glanced at the head Katrana was holding, "Didn't you say you might not be able to deal with her?"
"When she was fighting me, she suddenly froze in place like a stuck mechanism for some reason.
I took the opportunity to decapitate her, and then her body unexpectedly exploded, spewing out a group of menacing Void creatures.
I was caught off guard and took several hard hits."
Katrana's injuries were sustained at that time; though not fatal, they certainly made her wince in pain.
"Do you need to find a place to bury her?"
Arthas's question startled Katrana, and she then realized Arthas was referring to Sinestra's head.
"Ah... not really."
Katrana looked at the head, which was already beginning to shrivel due to the loss of the Old Gods' power.
After placing it on the ground, she chanted an incantation, summoning flames to consume it.
Watching Sinestra's last remains gradually dissipate in the flames, Katrana uttered a series of obscure syllables.
Arthas recognized this ancient language as Draconic.
(May you and my bastard father no longer be disturbed by evil after death.)
Katrana completed this naturally, as if she were bidding farewell not to her mother, but to a complete stranger.
It wasn't until her gaze met Arthas's eyes that the Black Dragon Countess suddenly smiled.
"Can you understand?"
"I apologize, yes," Arthas didn't try to hide it.
Katrana didn't mind, simply looking at the still flickering flames, "No matter what, she was still my mother—but from now on, I'm all alone."
The long life of a Dragon had made her experience countless so-called partings of life and death, yet she never expected that she would one day live longer than her Guardian Dragons father.
She personally witnessed the entire process of the Black Dragonflight from its peak to its decline, witnessed her father transform from the amiable Earth Guardian into the mad Deathwing, witnessed the fall of her brother Nefarian, and finally personally ended her mother, who was controlled by the Old Gods.
But she didn't feel much sadness, perhaps because she had learned from a young age to be cold-blooded and cunning, or perhaps because these "family members" of hers had all tried to kill her at some point.
"Sometimes cowardice isn't useless," Katrana murmured, "At least it allows one to survive in this chaotic world."
Arthas gave Katrana some time.
Although Katrana tried in every way to show that she didn't care about Neltharion's death, when they truly vanished from the world, it also meant that certain things would forever become Katrana's memories.
When the man and the Dragon left the Earth Temple, Katrana regained her elegant demeanor.
She asked with some curiosity, "Is everything resolved?
This was easier than I imagined."
She had expected another cataclysmic battle, but it seemed to have been much ado about nothing.
Arthas shook his head.
Of course, it wasn't over yet.
"Rather than saying everything is resolved, it's more accurate to say it's just begun."
"The World Pillar didn't collapse, did it?
What else could there be?
Could that imprisoned Old Gods possibly escape?"
Katrana casually spoke of something she thought impossible, but after a long moment, she heard no denial from Arthas.
Her steps slowed, and she looked at Arthas in disbelief, "Did he really escape?"
"N'Zoth locked Deathwing's lingering soul with the World Pillar's core.
Every time the genuine Earth Guardian's soul was wounded, the World Pillar suffered the same damage.
Through this method, he continuously tormented Deathwing's soul and used it to shake the World Pillar."
"But that shouldn't allow him to escape, right?" Katrana was puzzled.
"Everything he did was to force me to make a choice: either watch him slowly destroy the World Pillar, using earthquakes and tsunamis to destroy all of Lordaeron and even the surface of Azeroth, or instantly destroy Deathwing's soul, causing the World Pillar to suffer severe damage along with it, allowing him to create an underwater earthquake powerful enough to overturn the Titan's prison."
Arthas exposed N'Zoth's scheme.
From the moment he came to stop Deathwing's lingering soul from destroying the World Pillar, he had already stepped into the situation N'Zoth had meticulously designed for him.
And for Arthas, this wasn't even a choice.
He certainly wouldn't stand by and watch Lordaeron and other kingdoms be destroyed by frequent natural disasters, so he would definitely destroy Deathwing's soul.
The moment his blade pierced the soul, Arthas realized this.
His reaction was incredibly swift; he immediately tried to sever all anchor points connected to the World Pillar, but it was still a little too late.
N'Zoth's final projection, sent through Sinestra to his side, was proof.
At that moment, the last Old Gods worked together, from inside and out, to completely destroy the prison, achieving the freedom he had longed for.
He believed that his defeated brethren were only incapacitated because they were trapped in their prisons, and when he regained his freedom, it would be the day the Dark Empire reappeared in the world.
Katrana was practically going crazy over Arthas's calmness. According to him, N'Zoth had been completely released by his own hands!
"I thought everything was over?! It turns out it's only just begun!"
"Of course, it wouldn't be that simple," Arthas explained seriously to Katrana, who was already starting to babble incoherently in front of him. "As long as N'Zoth is alive for one day, there's a possibility of another Deathwing appearing."
"But that shouldn't be my concern!"
Katrana wailed, clutching her head, "I finally got rid of my father's shadow, and I was hoping to live out the rest of my life peacefully! Now look, that damned Ancient God must have remembered me!"
As Neltharion's descendant, Katrana understood very well that she would certainly attract the attention of this terrifying evil god, which was absolutely not what she wanted.
After rambling for a long time, Katrana's voice suddenly faltered. She seemed to have understood something, staring at Arthas with wide eyes.
Arthas asked innocently, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me?"
"Don't you have anything to say?!" Katrana spat out fiercely. She finally understood why Arthas had specifically used the Black Dragonflight as an excuse to drag her into this.
Aside from her own life, the Black Dragonflight was one of the few things she truly cared about. Arthas had deliberately made her believe that unless Neltharion was removed, the Black Dragonflight would not have a bright future. Only then did Katrana make up her mind to personally witness Neltharion's death.
However, the current situation was that Katrana had contributed significantly to stopping the Old Gods, and although this didn't actually cause N'Zoth any trouble, it indirectly helped him escape. But this also completely exposed her existence to the Ancient God's gaze.
So what could she do now?
To save her own life and to prevent the Black Dragonflight from becoming the Ancient God's pawns and slaves again, Katrana had no choice but to change her previous attitude of feigning effort!
"You're still playing innocent! I really shouldn't forget that mortals are cunning creatures—especially ones like you!"
Katrana almost choked. She wasn't unwilling to help mortals fight the Old Gods, but if N'Zoth could stay put in the cage set by the Titans, she certainly didn't want to put herself and her Black Dragons in danger.
"Then you can go hide in Blackrock Mountain?"
Arthas's words completely swallowed all of Katrana's subsequent prepared retorts. No matter what, Katrana absolutely could not find a place to hide by herself now, because with the Ancient God regaining freedom, the safest place was undoubtedly by Arthas's side.
Katrana immediately said seriously, "I want to apply to Varian to be transferred to Lordaeron as a diplomat."
"…Whatever you want," Arthas saw that this Black Dragon was still set in her ways and said no more, but some things did need to be arranged. "What about your Black Dragonflight?"
"That's easy. Anyway, there aren't many Black Dragonflight left. I'll have them all transform into mortal forms and stay with me in Lordaeron—I promise, they absolutely won't run around!"
It must be said that the Black Dragonflight's dwindling numbers to this extent were truly too tragic.
Seeing that Arthas did not reject her idea, Katrana finally breathed a sigh of relief. As a former captive and now a subordinate, she actually had no right to negotiate with Arthas.
But she had also figured out Arthas's personality. As long as she didn't cross Arthas's bottom line, Arthas was quite easy to talk to. Her feigned assertiveness just now was only to secure more chances for the Black Dragonflight to survive.
If something happened to her, Arthas would most likely not ignore it, but if one of her subordinate Black Dragons went missing, Arthas might not necessarily avenge that Black Dragon.
Katrana didn't want to put herself in danger, nor did she want the Black Dragonflight to truly die out under her command. With enemies all around and other Dragonflightss not yet fully letting go of their grudges with the Black Dragons, staying in Lordaeron where Arthas was, was the best option.
"What do we do next? Don't tell me you're going to tell this to your mortal subordinates—you should know better than I how terrifying an evil god who has regained freedom is."
Although Katrana had not witnessed the Ancient God's full strength, even her father, who was the Earth Guardian, could not escape its clutches. She did not believe that mortals could escape N'Zoth's influence.
It was very likely that merely knowing the name would leave irreparable flaws in the fragile minds of mortals. At that time, any slight disturbance caused by N'Zoth could turn large numbers of mortals into slaves of the void.
"Take this."
Arthas did not answer Katrana's question. Instead, he threw her an insignia and instructed, "Go find the other Guardian Dragons and tell them about this."
Katrana held Arthas's emblem, examining it closely in front of her eyes. "Are you sure this little trinket will prevent my kin from blasting me out of Dragonshrine?"
Arthas sighed, then pointed. Before Katrana could react, a swirling portal enveloped her. Katrana only managed to utter a confused "Eh?" before disappearing from the spot.
When this Black Dragon Countess returned to the real plane, a terrifying pressure that made all her scales stand on end swept over her.
"Onyxia… you'd better explain your reason for intruding into my domain."
Malygos's golden eyes stared at Katrana. As he spoke, the surrounding Arcane energy, like subjects hearing their monarch's command, instantly enveloped Katrana.
The pressure from the powerful Arcane energy field caused Katrana a nearly physical stinging sensation. She could only let out a dry laugh and explain:
"Uh… I said I'm here to deliver a message, do you believe me?"
"Hmm?"
Malygos let out a confused hum, but he quickly saw the insignia in Katrana's hand. His wings gently spread for a moment, dissolving the magical field that had trapped Katrana.
"Arthas sent you? It seems there's trouble again. Is it about the elemental plane?"
The Weaver leisurely lay down, tilting his massive dragon head, staring at Katrana with only one eye. "I thought he would come to me sooner—speak."
Katrana took a deep breath, but still instinctively trembled. Her power was far inferior to Malygos's. The Guardian Dragons' ability to suppress ordinary dragons was not something that could be overcome by sheer will.
At this moment, a hand gently rested on Katrana's shoulder, and a gentle female voice entered Katrana's ear, "You scared this child just now, Malygos."
"Hmph… It's already my immense benevolence to let a Black Dragon speak in front of me, Sindragosa."
Facing his beloved's reproach, Malygos responded somewhat tsundere-like, but the name he inadvertently spoke shocked Katrana even more.
"Sin… Lady Sindragosa? This, how is this possible?!"
"Malygos, why have you called us here?"
After Alexstrasza transformed from her dragon form into a High Elf, she gracefully landed on the terrace at the top of the Dragonshrine. The Red Dragon Queen had been in a good mood, but when she saw Malygos's extremely serious expression, she knew something major had probably happened.
"Let's wait until everyone is here before discussing it."
Today was a rare clear day in Dragonblight; even the snowfields in many places had melted, revealing the vegetation beneath. Yet, the Weaver's words conveyed a chilling aloofness.
Alexstrasza's gaze went past Malygos to the person standing behind him, "Onyxia?"
The discovered Black Dragon Countess could no longer hide unnoticed and could only greet the Red Dragon Queen with standard etiquette, "Good day, Life-Binder."
Alexstrasza nodded slightly, but she began to ponder: Even though Deathwing was dead, Malygos still couldn't shake his prejudice against the Black Dragonflight. Yet, today, he uncharacteristically brought Onyxia to participate in the Guardian Dragons' meeting?
Could this be related to the Black Dragonflight? Are the recent abnormal elemental activities connected to the Black Dragonflight?
Alexstrasza fell into deep thought, but these were all just her guesses. What specifically happened would have to wait for Malygos's explanation.
Dragons are not sensitive to the passage of time; almost in a daze, Alexstrasza heard Onyxia quietly reminding her.
"Your Majesty, everyone is almost here."
"Oh—my apologies, I was distracted."
Aside from the fallen Earth Guardian, all four Guardian Dragons were assembled. However, when Alexstrasza looked at Malygos, she noticed he had no intention of starting the meeting. The Weaver was still pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing at an empty spot nearby.
"Malygos, everyone is here."
Alexstrasza reminded him, and only then did Malygos stop, looking at the Red Dragon Queen, "Alright, although one person isn't here yet, let's begin."
"The Old Gods N'Zoth has escaped the prison the Titans set for him."
Malygos's opening words were a bombshell, and the other three Guardian Dragons showed different expressions upon hearing the news: Alexstrasza's shock, Ysera's worry, and Nozdormu's thoughtfulness.
"Actually, I had also noticed something. Recently, the Nightmare has become increasingly rampant, and many Green Dragons and Druids have been injured because of it. I just didn't expect—"
Ysera was the first to speak, recounting the troubles the Green Dragonflight had encountered. As the Guardian of the Emerald Dream, the Green Dragonflight, apart from the Black Dragonflight, was most easily targeted by the Old Gods, because invading the dream world was easier for the Old Gods than operating in the real world.
At least, the Nightmare currently raging in the dream was the work of more than one Old Gods. However, because N'Zoth was the only one remaining, he integrated the "wealth" left by the other Old Gods, becoming the primary enemy of the dream.
"Is this news from you?"
Alexstrasza turned her gaze to Onyxia. She finally understood why Onyxia was here; Malygos's sudden uncharacteristic behavior must be related to this.
Malygos nodded, confirming Alexstrasza's guess, "Indeed, Onyxia told me, but—"
Before he finished speaking, a silver vortex twisted a small space into a doorway, and Arthas stepped out from within.
Seeing Arthas's appearance, Malygos said discontentedly, "You're a bit later than expected."
Arthas waved his hand helplessly. His clothes were still stained with scattered water marks on his chest, and his collar was a bit disheveled. "My apologies, I had to return to Lordaeron to arrange post-disaster reconstruction work. Hillsbrad was severely damaged in this disaster."
"Have those deep-sea Naga been repelled?"
Alexstrasza had previously been in the Ruby Sanctum in the Northeron Mountains east of the Wetlands. The wounds left on the Red Dragonflight by the Second War had not yet fully healed. On days when the Dragonflights did not gather, she mostly stayed there, looking after the whelps and dragon eggs.
The movement of the Alliance army through Arathi Highlands and the Wetlands could not escape the eyes of the Red Dragonflight. Although Guardian Dragons generally do not easily get involved in mortal disputes, because they discovered traces of Void creations, Alexstrasza still dispatched some Red Dragon champions to eliminate those Void creatures that had penetrated deep inland.
"Only a group of defeated remnants are barely surviving on the coast of Hillsbrad, but they themselves were merely bait thrown out by N'Zoth, attempting to tie up the Alliance's attention."
It must be said that N'Zoth's plan succeeded. The Alliance's attention was indeed greatly drawn to the area around Lordaeron. Even though the Naga had been defeated, the deployment of large numbers of troops and post-war reconstruction work were not things that could be completed in a short time.
The Guardian Dragons nodded in understanding and began to exchange information about their recent situations. Taking advantage of this moment, Onyxia quietly approached Arthas and whispered, "What happened to your clothes?"
Arthas also noticed at this moment that he seemed a bit "disheveled." As he straightened his collar, he used the Holy Light to dry the water stains on his chest. "When I returned to the capital, Calia was a bit emotional and cried in my arms for a while."
Arthas took some effort to comfort his sister, and the water stains on his clothes were actually Calia's tears.
"Adults are talking, children go play somewhere else." Malygos used magic to pull Onyxia away from Arthas. He quickly walked up to Arthas. "Do you know N'Zoth's current specific situation?"
"He fused a part of his power with Neltharion's remnant soul, and both were lost in Deepholm. Moreover, he has only just escaped from his cage, so his state is definitely not at its peak."
The deformed monster Arthas destroyed was N'Zoth's doing. He mixed the remnant soul of a Guardian Dragon with his own essence, supplemented by the sacrifices found by those cultists, which led to the birth of that monster.
When the monster was swiftly eliminated by Arthas, N'Zoth himself inevitably suffered some minor injuries. This is also why, after escaping his cage, this Old Gods immediately fell silent and hid.
"Which means, now is the best time to defeat him."
Malygos immediately understood Arthas's meaning. He then turned to look at his siblings, "You all heard it, right? This is an unprecedented disaster, but it is also our opportunity."
The three Guardian Dragons all had solemn expressions. They clearly understood what Malygos's "opportunity" referred to—although N'Zoth had escaped his cage, this meant they had the chance to completely kill this last Old Gods, just as they had killed the other Old Gods.
"Regardless, it is a fact that N'Zoth has escaped his prison. We must defeat this evil God, otherwise the entire Azeroth will be swallowed by darkness."
Alexstrasza set the tone for the entire matter; since N'Zoth had already escaped, whether they wanted to confront this evil Ancient God or not, they had to risk their lives to stop N'Zoth.
Otherwise, the dark tide he would unleash could easily destroy all existing life on Azeroth, annihilate all civilizations, and force the entire planet back into the ancient and chaotic era of the Dark Empire.
"Then, there's a question worth discussing," Nozdormu said, turning his gaze to Arthas. He extended his right hand and offered his idea, "This matter is destined not to be known by too many mortals, yet they cannot be ignored in this war."
N'Zoth's control over mind and spirit was undoubtedly powerful; even their brother Neltharion found it difficult to resist, let alone most weak mortals.
N'Zoth didn't even need to act personally; his countless subordinates possessed the power to annihilate an entire mortal kingdom.
The once-glorious Serpent Empire was a good example; their worshipped God Sethraliss possessed great power, but in the end, this God only managed to barely defeat a terrifying K'thir at the cost of her life.
The fierce battle between the God and the Faceless One swept across all of Vol'dun, transforming it from a lush jungle into a barren desert.
"You are right. Telling the common people, or even the soldiers, about this is not very useful. Letting them know too much about N'Zoth would actually harm them," Arthas did not oppose Nozdormu's suggestion. "But everyone must be prepared. All of Azeroth's strength will unite under the threat of N'Zoth."
"This is destined to be a war known by a few, but participated in by all. The battlefield is not only at N'Zoth's dark core, but also within everyone's mind—I will find a way to unite all mortal races, so they do not become a vulnerability in this war."
And under the threat of N'Zoth, when all of Azeroth's forces were united as one, Arthas would be able to direct this power towards a more distant and important goal.
"Since you have made your decision, and it does not go against our principles..." Alexstrasza nodded in approval, "Then the Red Dragonflight will deploy all of its power until all evil is eliminated."
"The Blue Dragonflight is with you," Malygos swore in a deep voice.
"The Bronze Dragonflight as well," came Nozdormu's voice.
Ysera's beautiful eyes flickered twice. She sighed and said helplessly, "The war has actually already begun. The Green Dragonflight needs some help."
"Is it a problem in the Emerald Dream?" Arthas had anticipated this.
"Nightmares are proliferating wildly. If the Emerald Dream is submerged by these monsters, then the entire reality will be severely affected."
Ysera's Green Dragonflight and the druids had suffered significant losses recently under the harassment of the nightmares. If N'Zoth were to free up his hands and they received no further support, they might very well be completely wiped out.
Malygos offered a suggestion, "That's simple. We can establish a large portal and deploy forces into the Dream."
As long as Ysera granted permission, establishing such a portal was no problem for the Blue Dragonflight.
"That would be best, but we must clear away the nightmare corruption as soon as possible, otherwise allowing the Dream and the real world to interact for too long might also cause some unforeseen problems."
Ysera agreed with Malygos's approach. If they couldn't quickly curb the nightmare's expansion, once N'Zoth gained a firm foothold, they would face more than just the invasion of nightmare creatures.
"Then we had best act immediately. Every second we delay, the power of the nightmares and the Old Gods will grow."
Arthas was also ready to leave. He needed the Dragonflights to prepare, and now that his objective had been achieved, he would go to gather more forces.
He opened a portal and glanced at Onyxia, asking, "What are you going to do?"
Onyxia hesitated. She had originally planned to take the Black Dragonflight to Lordaeron for refuge, but now that the other Dragonflightss were involved in the fight against the Old Gods, there was no reason for the Black Dragonflight to stand aside. She finally gritted her teeth and said, "I will lead the Black Dragons in some support, but don't expect too much from us, after all—"
"You can leave with peace of mind, Arthas. I will take care of Onyxia," Alexstrasza put her arm around Onyxia's shoulder. "No matter what… Neltharion was the first among us to fall fighting the Old Gods."
The Red Dragon Queen's words startled Onyxia. After she recovered, she slowly nodded to Arthas, "I will not follow in my father's footsteps."
Arthas chuckled and vanished again into the silver vortex.
When he returned to the real plane, he had traveled from the clear skies of Dragonblight to the white peaks of Storm Peaks, where dark clouds obscured the sun and storms never ceased.
"Oh? Arthas, what brings you to visit us old friends!"
A thunderous, booming voice echoed, and a tall giant rose from his throne. Thorim looked at Arthas with surprise, his words filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion.
"N'Zoth has escaped his prison."
"Ah?!"
Thorim roared in shock at Arthas's news, and the lightning in the sky instantly intensified at that moment.
This Guardian, who controlled the power of storms, paced back and forth in his temple, muttering, "No wonder I've been feeling so restless lately…"
He looked at Arthas, "So you've come to seek our help?"
"Guardians are a powerful force that cannot be ignored," Arthas made no secret of his purpose. "We need your help."
Thorim rubbed his chin with his large hand, "I'd be happy to slay those evil monsters… but the other Guardians…"
"Thorim, don't try to push the blame on us!"
With a roar, the teleportation device at the edge of the temple was activated, and Mimiron rushed out with a strange cry, a wrench still in his hand. He threw the wrench at Thorim's head, but it bounced off Thorim's helmet with a crisp clang.
Thorim paid no attention to Mimiron's complaints and jokes; instead, he looked at the Guardian who appeared behind Mimiron. "Oh? It seems that after all these years, for the first time, we are going to agree?"
"It's always been you who frequently disagreed with us, hasn't it?" Freya was quite displeased with Thorim's statement, but she wasn't in the mood to bicker with Thorim. The matter of N'Zoth was the most important thing now.
"Hahaha, that's not important. What we need now is to utterly defeat N'Zoth and his dark servants!"
Thorim's laughter caused the thunder in Storm Peaks to continuously rumble. He had long been unable to suppress the hatred in his heart for the dark Gods. For thousands of years, almost all the misfortune and suffering inflicted upon Azeroth had been due to the existence of the Old Gods.
And amidst the flashing white light of the lightning, Arthas suddenly turned his head to look at a corner of a distant mountain. He noticed a slightly hunched figure watching them from beneath a withered tree hanging by the cliff edge. He wore a hood, obscuring his face, but only one eye gleamed in the shadow beneath the hood.
Two ravens circled above his head, letting out shrill cries.
Thorim also heard the ravens' cries. He sighed with emotion, "The sound of ravens, how nostalgic. I haven't heard their calls in many years."