Malfurion patiently answered Andreas' questions regarding Druidic spells one by one, but beyond that, he could offer no further advice on the mutated versions of those spells.
After concluding their exchange of intelligence, the conversation quickly turned to the matter they both cared about most—the rescue of Tyrande.
Mentioning this topic caused Malfurion to struggle with his thoughts for quite a while before he finally let out a helpless sigh.
"After that ambush, I have made up my mind."
Malfurion spoke with a determined expression, "I will no longer personally participate in the operation to rescue Tyrande. From now on, I will devote my full efforts to assisting Cenarius, serving as the link between the demigods and the mortals."
Andreas was greatly shocked. He opened his mouth and asked in disbelief, "Master, is that truly wise? Isn't Lady Tyrande your..."
Malfurion shook his head. "It is precisely because of that that I made this decision. Tyrande's safety has consumed too much of my energy, to the point where it has begun to affect my judgment of the big picture."
"If I continue to live in a daze with such half-hearted focus, not only will I fail to fulfill my duties, but I might even drag down the Resistance. Therefore..."
Malfurion pressed his hands heavily onto Andreas' shoulders. "I'm counting on you, Andreas. I hope that as a fellow chosen of the Moon Goddess, you can rescue Tyrande in my stead."
"During this time, I will do my utmost to draw the Burning Legion's attention, ensuring that the strike team you organize can infiltrate Zin-Azshari in the best possible state."
"Um..."
Andreas scratched his head. "Master, actually, I don't plan on bringing anyone else with me for this infiltration into Zin-Azshari."
Under Malfurion's astonished gaze, Andreas explained his reasoning.
"I possess both Shadow energy and mutated nature energy. Regarding the function of Shadow energy, Master, you should have been able to discern some clues from Priestess Maiev's usage, right? It is the power best suited for infiltration."
"If I bring other Druids along, not only would they fail to provide much positive effect for my actions, but in some cases, they might even hinder my stealth."
"But..."
Malfurion said, conflicted and worried, "Are you certain you want to go alone? This is no joke. Once discovered by the demons, your fate will be far worse than Tyrande's, who is protected by the Goddess' power."
Andreas gave a hearty laugh. "No problem, leave it to me. I believe Elune wouldn't assign me a mission with zero chance of success; she must have seen certain key factors that we are temporarily unaware of."
Like... the attitude of Dath'Remar Sunstrider.
Although he couldn't speak his thoughts aloud due to the principle of keeping his transmigrator status a secret, Andreas speculated that the key to both infiltrating and escaping Zin-Azshari lay with Dath'Remar. This had been proven in the original history.
Dath'Remar Sunstrider—this strange surname was extremely rare in Night Elf society, which worshipped the moon, let alone for a noble Highborne family.
To any transmigrator, the name Sunstrider was anything but foreign, for it was the royal surname of the High Elven kingdom—Quel'Thalas.
Of course, Quel'Thalas did not yet exist. Dath'Remar Sunstrider was the future founder and first king of the High Elven kingdom.
...
Although Malfurion remained deeply concerned about Andreas' request to go alone, the latter's firm attitude and somewhat plausible explanation left the mild-tempered Malfurion without a suitable reason to object.
Ultimately, he reluctantly agreed to Andreas' request. However, before they parted, he presented Andreas with a precious gift.
Malfurion handed Andreas a branch that looked plain and ordinary. Andreas' mind was filled with question marks, but the moment the branch touched his hand, he immediately understood his mentor's painstaking efforts.
"This is..."
Looking in surprise at the uncarved branch in his hand, a flow of high-quality natural energy continuously surged from it into Andreas' body. After merging with his Shadow energy, it slowly transformed into his own unique power.
"Master, could this branch be..."
Malfurion nodded with a smile. "Yes. It is a sprig from G'Hanir, the Mother Tree."
"Yesterday, I specifically requested it from Aviana. Upon learning it was for you, she departed immediately without a word. She returned early this morning from Mount Hyjal, bringing back this freshly plucked sprig."
G'Hanir, the Mother Tree, grew upon the highest peak of Mount Hyjal and possessed projections in both the physical world and the Emerald Dream. Spanning the connection between reality and dream, Druids frequently entered the Emerald Dream through the Mother Tree.
Legend had it that all plant life on Azeroth originally came from this towering giant tree. The demigod Aviana shared a symbiotic relationship with G'Hanir; she was the only one, besides the Titan-Watcher Freya, authorized to take branches or leaves from it.
Andreas was deeply moved by this heavy gift. Even with Aviana's exceptional flight speed, making a round trip between Mount Hyjal and Zin-Azshari within a single day was no easy feat, let alone the danger of being intercepted by demons along the way.
The ability to move a demigod messenger to make such a trip was partly due to Andreas' outstanding performance during the recent crisis, and partly because Malfurion carried significant influence.
As a direct disciple of Cenarius, Malfurion had long ago established contact with many demigods. Through his personal charisma, he had earned the recognition of many of them. Other mortals wouldn't even have the right to ask Aviana for help.
Gripping the rough prototype of his staff, Andreas thanked Malfurion solemnly. "Master, thank you for your gift. Please also convey my gratitude to Lady Aviana. I will definitely rescue Lady Tyrande and deliver her back to your hands safe and sound."
Malfurion smiled and patted Andreas' arm. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself; just maintain a peaceful state of mind."
"Just as you said, I believe Elune would not assign you a mission you couldn't handle. As long as you can find the key to breaking the situation, the rescue operation will surely yield twice the result with half the effort."
"Over the next period of time, we will attempt several feint attacks against the demons to draw their attention as much as possible. You must be careful during your solo infiltration into Zin-Azshari."
Andreas' original weapon was just an ordinary, standard-issue oak staff. While it could provide a certain boost to nature spells, frankly, the magnitude was limited and couldn't even be compared to a sprig of G'Hanir.
Although he hadn't had time to carve the branch into the shape of a staff, simply carrying it on his person accelerated his casting speed, enhanced the power of his spells, and reduced mana consumption—and by a quite significant margin.
Before leaving, Andreas cast a meaningful glance toward the camp. Two time-travelers who did not belong to this era were watching him with complex expressions.
Rhonin and Broxigar... I'll have to find time to have a good chat with you both later. I wonder, in their knowledge, what the future version of me looks like?
Malfurion watched until the Golden Eagle that Andreas had transformed into became a small black dot on the horizon before finally withdrawing his gaze.
Andreas, I leave the mission to rescue Tyrande in your hands. May Elune be with you.