"Prince Kael'thas, I have been ordered to come and help you purify Eldre'Thalas."
Shandis Feathermoon stood tall, almost as high as an adult High Elf male.
Her eyes were bright and sharp as an eagle's.
When her gaze fell upon others, it felt like a tangible pressure, making one feel uneasy, clearly indicating she was a seasoned and experienced general.
She was not only a general of the Sentinel Army but also a High Priestess of Elune, possessing powerful spellcasting abilities.
Her most renowned skill was her precise and incredibly powerful "Moon Goddess Orbital Cannon," which made her a nightmare for countless Horde players and a legend capable of single-handedly razing cities.
At the same time, she held a very special identity—she was the adopted daughter of Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind.
Her status in Night Elf society was extremely high, arguably second only to her adoptive parents, truly "above ten thousand, below two."
She and Fandral Staghelm together formed the Night Elves' second tier—her status and influence within the Sisterhood of Elune were as crucial as Fandral Staghelm's in the Cenarion Circle.
Tyrande personally sending her showed the importance she placed on Kael'thas, the High Elves, and the ancient Elven city of Eldre'Thalas.
"I have long heard of General Feathermoon's great name, having achieved illustrious military feats in the Satyr War and the Worgen War, and for these past years, she has been patrolling Mount Hyjal, Ashenvale, Felwood, and Darkshore, guarding the peace and natural balance of the forest."
Kael'thas smiled and extended his left hand: "Your personal presence is an honor for Quel'Thalas, an honor for Syndra, and even more so, an honor for me. Welcome to Eldre'Thalas!"
"You know me?" Shandis quickly clasped Kael'thas's hand, her expression somewhat surprised.
The continent of Kalimdor and the Eastern Continent were separated by the vast Great Sea, a great distance, and contact between the Elves of the two regions had mostly ceased thousands of years ago.
She had not expected this Elven prince, far away in the Eastern Continent, to know of her, even being aware of her participation in the Satyr War and the Worgen War.
At the same time, she heard an unspoken meaning in Kael'thas's words:
Eldre'Thalas was High Elf territory, and Kael'thas was the master of this city.
And she and these Night Elves were merely guests invited by Kael'thas to help!
"High Elves and Night Elves were originally one family ten thousand years ago, sharing the same bloodline. I have always maintained an interest in and understanding of our distant relatives residing in Kalimdor."
Kael'thas smiled slightly, his gaze shifting to the valiant Priestesses of the Moon and archers behind her:
"Is this the renowned Sentinel Army? Truly extraordinary! General, you brought so many people, not just to purify Eldre'Thalas, I presume?"
Shandis Feathermoon had a straightforward and bold personality, and besides, what she was about to do didn't require secrecy, especially since the other party was an ally. She immediately nodded:
"The Night Elves have long been dedicated to unearthing and protecting ancient Elven ruins, searching for lost powerful artifacts and precious relics. This is an important way for us to continue our civilization and guard our traditions."
"Eldre'Thalas was one of the most magnificent and vast cities during the Ancient Night Elf Empire, once a stronghold used by Queen Azshara to store a large amount of arcane knowledge and secret treasures. We have always held a strong interest in the history of this city and the heritage that might be buried within it."
"Furthermore—"
She paused slightly, then continued, "We recently received intelligence that the Naga seem to have shown unusual interest in this place. As you know, they are our sworn enemies."
"They are also our sworn enemies, the common enemy of all Elven races," Kael'thas stated his position.
The two exchanged smiles, and the initial awkwardness of their meeting dissipated considerably, making them feel a bit closer than before.
"The Naga are not only our sworn enemies, but also our greatest enemies."
Shandis Feathermoon's expression was solemn: "Queen Azshara is too powerful! She is the most powerful mortal in the history of Azeroth!"
"One of them," Kael'thas added.
Was Queen Azshara truly the strongest? Not necessarily.
Whether she or the legendary Guardian Aegwynn was more powerful was a topic of eternal debate in the mage community, and to this day, no one could give a definitive answer.
But one thing was certain:
Queen Azshara was absolutely a top-tier demigod-level existence.
In ancient times, Mannoroth, the Lord of the Pit, just by looking at Queen Azshara from afar, felt as if he was facing Archimonde the Defiler.
Her true strength might even be stronger than Archimonde's.
Shandis Feathermoon said: "The shadow of the War of the Ancients has always loomed over us. Queen Azshara is like a cursed sword, hanging over the head of every Night Elf. We have always worried about her return."
"So, once there's news of the Naga, you treat it as a grave threat?"
Kael'thas asked: "Have you discovered traces of the Naga in Feralas?"
Shandis Feathermoon nodded: "For ten thousand years, the Naga have been active in the deep sea, and only those on long voyages occasionally discover their traces, allowing us to confirm their existence."
"However, in recent years, the Naga have been coming ashore more and more frequently, first in Azshara, then Darkshore, then Ashenvale and Felwood. Just a month ago, Sentinels discovered Naga on the islands west of Feralas!"
During the Ancient Night Elf Empire, the army was mainly composed of Highborne.
During the War of the Ancients, the Night Elves broke with Queen Azshara. A portion of the Highborne, the Sisterhood of Elune, and commoners united to form a coalition army, commanded by Shandris Feathermoon, ultimately achieving the final victory in the war.
Queen Azshara and most of the Highborne were swept into the depths of the ocean by the Great Sundering caused by the Well of Eternity's explosion, and then corrupted by the power of the Old God N'Zoth, transforming into the physically stronger Naga.
Shandris Feathermoon resigned from her commander position due to personal reasons, retreating to the mountains and forests, her whereabouts unknown, and the coalition army subsequently disbanded.
After the war, the Night Elves forbade the study and use of arcane magic, and the remaining Highborne were exiled.
To heal the ravaged world, Malfurion called upon the Night Elves to study the path of the Druid and established the Cenarion Circle, entering the Emerald Dream for long periods of slumber. Those who answered were mostly males.
Most of the surviving Night Elf males entered the dream, and Night Elf society became a truly matriarchal one.
To protect their kin in the real world, hunt demons, and resist powerful enemies, Tyrande formed the Sentinel Army with the Sisterhood of Elune as its core. Shandis Feathermoon was the highest-ranking Sentinel General.
Therefore, upon discovering traces of the Naga, Tyrande immediately sent Shandis Feathermoon, with the primary goal of figuring out the Naga's purpose for landing and stopping them.
As for unearthing ancient ruins and purifying Eldre'Thalas, that was merely a secondary objective.
Kael'thas asked: "You have fought the Naga for so long, how much do you understand about their situation?"
Shandis Feathermoon shook her head: "Very little, almost nothing. The Naga are very hostile towards us and will not reveal any information. Their individual strength is formidable, and being aquatic creatures, they rarely venture inland. When danger arises, they flee back to the sea, making it very difficult for us to capture prisoners."
"How strong are the Naga?" Kael'thas inquired again.
Although he had killed many Naga in the game, that was, after all, just a game. The strength of monsters served gameplay, not true power—in the game, the Maraudon dungeon's level was lower than Dire Maul's, and its final boss's level was significantly lower. In reality, Princess Theradras, as an earth elemental demigod, was far stronger than Prince Tortheldrin.
In the game, whether human, Night Elf, Tauren, Orc, or Gnome, their strength was similar at the same level and with the same equipment.
But in reality, Tauren were far taller and mightier than Night Elves, Orcs, and humans, and these three races were almost twice the size of Gnomes.
Furthermore, individual strength was affected by many factors such as profession, age, training intensity, combat experience, equipment, and terrain. In the Ashenvale forest, a single Night Elf Sentinel could toy with five Orc footmen.
And in an open-field duel, a Tauren Warrior could easily eliminate ten or even more Gnomes.
The Naga seemed to only be at odds with the Night Elves, only landing in Kalimdor, not seen on the Eastern Continent.
He had never seen them and had no understanding of the Naga's true strength.
"Strength?"
"Their size is similar to ours, but they are tough-skinned and thick-boned, much stronger than us. Their bodies are covered in tough scales, providing defense somewhere between leather and mail armor, and their magic resistance is stronger than ours."
"If it's forest combat, we have a slight advantage."
"In open-field combat, we are slightly at a disadvantage."
"And if it's water combat in the water or coastal areas, we are no match for them at all."
Shandis Feathermoon gently shook her head.
Though reluctant, she had to admit:
The Old God's corrupting power might be even stronger than the blessings of the three Dragon Aspects. Not only did it grant the Naga a lifespan no less than that of Night Elves, but their combat power was also stronger!
"What about their numbers?" Kael'thas asked again.
"Numbers? I don't know, we haven't been to the deep sea, so we don't understand."
"The Naga we fought did mention that their reproduction rate far exceeds ours, and their population is a hundred times ours, but I think they were just trying to scare us. After all—they are also long-lived."
As long as a species is long-lived, its desire to reproduce will decrease.
The longer the lifespan, the lower the birth rate.
Due to the Night Elf males' prolonged slumber, their marriage and birth rates were shockingly low. For example, she, a girl over ten thousand years old, had never been in a relationship.
But the Highborne who sank to the seabed back then were not many in number. Even with a high birth rate, in merely ten thousand years, their population couldn't have grown to a hundred times that of the Night Elves, could it?
If that were the case, the Naga would have come ashore for revenge long ago, instead of waiting until now.
Kael'thas furrowed his brow, always feeling that the Night Elves' intelligence was quite unreliable.
The Naga's appearance rate in the game was not low; they were in many places, not only occupying the vast Vashj'ir but also virtually owning the entire ocean. Their population must be much larger than the Night Elves'.
The reason they hadn't sought revenge on the Night Elves was partly because the Night Elves were indeed not weak, with two demigod-level existences in Malfurion and Tyrande, two demigod-level allies in Cenarius and Tortolla, and numerous legends, making them truly difficult to deal with.
Especially Malfurion, who even had the feat of forcing back Archimonde with a spell and sealing the Satyr Lord Xavius. His normal combat power was already comparable to the Wild Gods, and his peak combat power even rivaled Malorne and the Dragon Aspects.
The title of "World Druid" was not for show; when fully buffed, he truly had the qualifications to stand before Queen Azshara.
And a greater reason was that, compared to the Night Elves, the elemental lord Neptulon and his endless water elementals were the Naga's great enemies.
Unless Neptulon was defeated, the Naga couldn't spare the effort to bother the Night Elves.
"One day, the Naga will go to war with the Night Elves on all fronts, and I have a premonition that this day is not far off."
Kael'thas looked at Shandis Feathermoon and said: "The High Elves are allies of the Night Elves. When that day comes, we will certainly fight alongside you! And it's the same now; if needed, we can help you deal with the Naga on the western islands!"
Reciprocity is essential for lasting relationships.
Inviting someone for help, of course, required giving something in return, and his promise was that return.
Shandis Feathermoon nodded: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. After we finish purifying this place, we will go to inspect the western seas. If the Naga numbers are too great, I will ask for aid."
"Alright, let's not talk about the Naga for now, let's begin!"
She was always decisive and disliked socializing; her style was to get things done efficiently.
This time, she brought five hundred Feathermoon Sentinels, fifty of whom were Priestesses of the Moon.
Shandis Feathermoon herself was stationed in the central arena of Eldre'Thalas, while the fifty Priestesses of the Moon, according to the pre-arranged plan, dispersed to various key nodes of the ancient city.
They simultaneously knelt on one knee, hands clasped in front of their chests or naturally hanging, closed their eyes, and began to pray devoutly to Elune.
It was deep night.
A bright moon hung high in the sky, its cold moonlight bringing a faint glimmer of light to the world shrouded in darkness.
The sound of prayers, initially low and scattered, gradually grew louder and more uniform, finally converging into a harmonious and rhythmic chant.
This sacred chorus of young women seemed to possess life, soaring upwards, piercing through the clouds, and reaching the distant moon.
As if in response to this devout prayer, the brilliant moonlight suddenly became more concentrated, transforming into visible silver light pillars that descended from the sky, precisely enveloping each Priestess of the Moon.
The light pillars received by the other Priestesses had a radius of only about half a meter, just barely covering their slender and delicate bodies.
However, the light pillar enveloping Shandis Feathermoon was of an entirely different scale, its radius clearly exceeding five meters.
Moreover, the light appeared more solid and dense, and the energy density contained within it was evidently far higher than that of the others.
Kael'thas focused his mind, extending his mental power into the light pillar, clearly feeling that it was a composite energy, mostly natural power, mixed with arcane energy, and even a portion of—Holy Light?
"Elune and An'she, the Sun God, are indeed related, perhaps even siblings!"
Kael'thas speculated.
At this moment, the entire world fell silent.
Without a sound, fifty-one pillars of light erupted, sweeping across Eldre'Thalas, yet making no noise and destroying no buildings; even the weeds in the corners remained perfectly intact.
However, all the fel and shadow energies in the city were purified, vanishing without a trace, leaving only pure life and arcane energy to nourish every living creature's body.
"Purifying an entire city with a single move, comparable to a Moon Goddess Orbital Cannon. Truly worthy of being the future leader of the Night Elf."
Kael'thas admired this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, his heart filled with emotion.
"So comfortable, I feel reborn!"
Farnson, the last Syndra Elf, was beaming, feeling an unprecedented sense of relief.
His body felt as if it had been sifted, all "bad" energies and substances like fel and shadow vanishing, making him feel ten kilograms lighter.
Then, a large amount of life and arcane energy surged into him, replacing the old, constantly nourishing his body.
He was like a dry sponge, continuously absorbing energy from the moon. His frail, hunched body visibly straightened, his magic addiction alleviated, and his spirit was completely rejuvenated.
At this point, he had a "reversion" tendency, becoming more and more like the Highborne of the ancient era, already possessing three-tenths of the temperament of an ancient elf mage.
Having lived for over a thousand years, confined within the city for over a thousand years, like other Syndra Elves, he could only pass the time by reading and studying, his mind storing an unknown number of magic books.
His knowledge reserves already surpassed those of most High Elves in Silvermoon City.
However, due to a lack of mana and daring not to cast spells freely, the total number of spells he had cast in over a thousand years was less than a hundred.
Knowledge comes from learning, but casting ability comes from practice.
His casting ability was truly poor, inferior to even most mage apprentices.
He was like a computer science graduate from a remote, impoverished area without even a computer, who had memorized hundreds of professional books on dozens of programming languages like C, C++, and Java, but had written less than a hundred lines of code.
Now, the fel corruption in his body had vanished, arcane energy was replenished, and his depleted mana pool had recovered significantly.
Moreover, since he chose to join Quel'Thalas, he would not lack arcane energy in the future, nor would he have to worry about magic addiction or mana depletion, thus gaining the conditions for continuous spell practice. He decided that he would cast spells a hundred times a day from now on!
Limited by his casting ability and combat experience, if he were to duel a low-level mage from Silvermoon City, he would surely be the one to die.
But he was knowledgeable and had infinite potential.
Just give him a year—no, a month—and his casting ability would skyrocket.
In at most a month, his casting ability would reach the level of an Archmage.
And there were many more Syndra Elves like him.
Not all Syndra Elves chose to become mages.
Spellcasters required far more magical energy than other professions.
So, after being confined within the city, most newly born Syndra Elves chose to become warriors or hunters.
Among the three hundred surviving elves, mages accounted for only one-third, but this already made Kael'thas very satisfied.
A hundred mages, each at least a thousand years old, would soon form a mage corps of at least Archmage level.
Among them were many "scholars" whose magical theories reached the level of an Archmage, or even a Legendary Mage, with one or two even stronger than him in this regard.
These individuals, if properly cultivated, could all become Archmages within a few years.
A hundred-person mage corps composed of Archmages and even Legendary Mage, no country could produce, except for Quel'Thalas and Dalaran!
"With the addition of the Syndra Elves, Quel'Thalas's overall spellcasting ability will increase by at least ten percent, and its comprehensive national strength will increase by half a percent," Kael'thas nodded.
Half a percent, 5%, is not a small amount; most countries on 21st-century Earth don't have GDP growth that fast.
And he accomplished it in less than a day.
Of course, such good fortune is hard to come by a second time.
After all, although the Night Elf had split several times and had many branches, only the Syndra Elves were easy to subdue.
Exclamations, cries of pain, and praises rose and fell.
Even undead creatures like Irina Darkwood and the plague bear Feral were purified, their twisted minds soothed and restored to clarity, becoming members of the ancient spirits.
Also purified were the Elonbark Protectors, led by Teddis Twistedwood.
They, along with the Syndra Elves, came to the central arena to express their gratitude to Kael'thas and Shandis Feathermoon.
"Descendant of Dath'Remar, Legendary Mage of the Sunstrider Family, thank you for saving this city and saving this nature."
"From this day forward, the Elonbark Protectors pledge allegiance to you!"
Teddis Twistedwood bowed.
Its body was huge, its trunk thick, but its movements were supple, comparable to a young girl who had been dancing since childhood.
"Zaetar, son of the King of the Forest, long time no see."
Teddis Twistedwood looked at the Keeper of the Grove beside him.
The Keeper of the Grove protects the jungle, nature, and every tree.
The Ancient Protectors are also guardians of the forest, and have an excellent relationship with the Keeper of the Grove.
In fact, most Ancient Protectors were awakened by the Keeper of the Grove—
An Ancient Protector was originally an ancient tree that had grown for over a thousand years, transformed by natural magic, and possessed wisdom.
It was Cenarius who awakened him.
In a sense, he was also a descendant of Cenarius, and a brother to Zaetar.
He was awakened during the War of the Ancients and was the guardian of Feralas.
After the rise of the Night Elf, a city was built here, and he naturally became the guardian of Eldre'Thalas.
Zaetar was lively and active, wandering everywhere, and had visited him several times during the ancient period, maintaining a good relationship.
"Eldre'Thalas needs to be rebuilt."
Kael'thas said, "Princess Theradras will provide you with stones and ores. I will send people to assist, and I will also ask the Wildhammer Dwarves for help with metal smelting, but they are all helpers; the main body of the reconstruction is you."
"Your Highness, rest assured, we will do our utmost to rebuild Eldre'Thalas under your wise leadership!"
The purified Farnson became lively and active; perhaps this was his original personality.
He looked at Kael'thas: "Your Highness, will you personally serve as the lord of Eldre'Thalas—ah, no, Feralas—or appoint someone else? Regardless, we will certainly obey the lord's command!"
The other Syndra Elves also nodded in agreement.
They had only just emerged from the shadow of constant slaughter, with only three hundred of their people remaining.
They now only wished to live peacefully.
As for who would rule, they didn't care.
Shandis Feathermoon's expression was calm; she didn't care about this either.
The Night Elf population was sparse, unable to even manage the northern forest. Who became the lord of Feralas was irrelevant to her and to the Night Elf.
Among all the races on Azeroth, the Night Elf had the least desire for power.
Kael'thas smiled and said, "Eldre'Thalas is your city, so the lord should naturally be chosen from among you. I don't know you well, so you decide for yourselves."
"Us?" Farnson pointed to himself, astonished.
"Of course, it's you. I'm very busy and don't have time to manage you," Kael'thas smiled slightly.
This was true; he really didn't have time.
He had the book of medivh for several days now, but he had only opened the first page and hadn't even learned the first spell!
He still hadn't finished reading the books in Dalaran and Silvermoon City.
He also planned to make a copy of the books in the Eldre'Thalas library and take them to Sandar Hill.
Before transmigration, he loved to read, finishing a novel of several million words in a few days.
After transmigration, he was busy with this and that all day, with no time to read, which was unacceptable!
"For the next ten years, at least, I will study diligently every day, striving to advance to the High Legendary level as quickly as possible."
"Let my father and the councilors handle national affairs. You manage Eldre'Thalas yourselves; don't even think about occupying my precious time!"
As for whether the Syndra Elves would have problems with self-governance? He wasn't worried at all.
What kind of trouble could a mere three hundred people cause?
He would send people to "assist," and their numbers would be greater than the Syndra Elves, with stronger combat power.
Furthermore, the underground magic web system of Eldre'Thalas was damaged during the Sundering, causing this area to become energy-poor.
For the Syndra Elves to avoid the torment of magic addiction, they would have to regularly visit Quel'Thalas.
Their safety and health were in his hands, so he wasn't worried that the Syndra Elves wouldn't obey!
"Your Highness, you are too wise and too benevolent. I swear eternal loyalty to you, to His Majesty, and to Quel'Thalas!" Farnson quickly declared.
Seeing this, the other Syndra Elves also expressed their allegiance.
The superficial work still needed to be done.
As for what they thought in their hearts, that was another matter, unimportant, and no one cared.
"His Majesty first, me second, little friend." Kael'thas did not correct Farnson's "indiscretion"; there was no need.
The vote of three hundred people was too easy, and they quickly reached a consensus, electing a new lord: the huntress Irina Darkwood.
She wasn't the strongest, but those stronger than her were all scholars, each uninterested in power, focusing on magical knowledge—in this aspect, very similar to Kael'thas.
She wasn't the most senior, but the more senior Syndra ancient spirits were also uninterested in power.
These Highborne mages from the ancient era came here precisely to research arcane magic; they inherently had little desire for power.
In their view, titles like lord or city master were just for those who did the work, who served them, and were uninteresting.
Although Irina had died, she had the highest status in life and leadership experience, and even after death, she was still the strongest among the commoners.
Most importantly:
She had once resisted Prince Tosseledrin to protect the commoners, and this earned her the respect and recognition of most commoners, which was enough.
"Rommath, find a place to build a permanent portal to Sandar Hill, ensuring the Syndra Elves have ample arcane and natural energy supplies."
"General Lirath, Irina lacks experience, so teach her well. Send some people to assist, and please help me speak to the Wildhammer Dwarves."
"Princess Theradras, don't cause any destruction—Zaetar, keep a close eye on your wife! Also, Feralas has many ancient trees; if you have nothing to do, please help me awaken some. Eldre'Thalas needs workers!"
Kael'thas gave a few instructions, then went to the nearby library and began to read books.
Over seven thousand years ago, when Dath'Remar and others left Kalimdor, they took many magic books, which are now stored in the Silvermoon City library.
For seven millennia, the High Elf and humans continuously researched magic, forming a complete magical system, more perfect than it was ten thousand years ago.
The current magical system is stronger than the Night Elf Empire of ten thousand years ago!
Most of the magical knowledge preserved in Eldre'Thalas was already available in Silvermoon City, and a small portion was long outdated.
But there was still a very small part of high value, the kind that had been lost.
For the next month, Kael'thas stayed in the library, frantically absorbing magical knowledge and discussing with scholars. Many doubts were resolved, and his magical attainments rapidly improved, bringing him closer to the High Legendary level.
He had originally thought it would take at least ten years to advance to High Legendary.
But now, it seemed, a year would be enough.
The reconstruction of Eldre'Thalas was also proceeding intensely and orderly.
In just one month, it had already taken shape.
The overall framework, such as the city walls, had been restored by seventy to eighty percent. A magnificent and grand elf city rose from the ground, attracting the attention of the Naga from the deep sea.
This was a group of Naga from the Hate Tribe, who landed on the Isle of Dread in eastern Feralas, searching for ancient elf ruins and artifact relics buried there, to win the favor of Queen Azshara.
They were born after the War of the Ancients and knew nothing about the period of the Elf Empire, only that Feralas had an elf city and many ancient ruins.
They had no idea that a group of Highborne was still hidden in Eldre'Thalas, nor did they know that those Highborne had now integrated into Quel'Thalas.
At this moment, they were attracted by the revitalized elf city and wanted to go ashore, but their path was blocked by the Feathermoon Sentinels led by Shandis Feathermoon.
The Hate Naga were more numerous, with many spellcasters, and their leader was a master-level individual.
Due to the presence of Shandis Feathermoon, the Feathermoon Sentinels' overall strength was somewhat greater than that of the Hate Naga.
However, in beach combat, the Hate Naga held every advantage.
Although they could defeat the Hate Naga, if the opponents submerged into the ocean, they would be helpless. The Moon Goddess Orbital Cannon also could not penetrate dozens or hundreds of meters of deep seawater to attack the Naga hiding below!
Left with no choice, the Feathermoon Sentinels could only launch an attack from the beach, from outside to inside, preventing the Naga on the Isle of Dread from diving into the deep sea.
However, the Isle of Dread was covered in dense jungle and crisscrossed by rivers, allowing the Naga to submerge into the water at any time.
In such an environment, the Feathermoon Sentinels also had a hard time.
They dared not approach the water's edge, as they could be ambushed by Naga at any moment.
After a month of confrontation and battle, having sacrificed over a dozen lives, Shandis Feathermoon, helpless, could only ask Kael'thas for help.
"That's simple, fire attack!" Kael'thas said.