Compared to Kalimdor, which suddenly became a hotbed of conflict, the Eastern Kingdoms, on the other hand, calmed down from the turmoil as the Forsaken and Lordaeron temporarily ceased hostilities, and Yiva from Silverpine Forest also accepted orders to lead her wolf pack west for reinforcements.
While Quel'Thalas, Gilneas Kingdom, Kul Tiras, and Dalaran, as well as multiple international neutral organizations, mobilized to send support to the continent of Kalimdor, the two main pillars of the Alliance showed a somewhat ambiguous attitude.
Lordaeron had just finished its war with the Forsaken, so their reluctance to provide cross-sea support was understandable, but the Kingdom of Stormwind, which had long since concluded its war with the Jungle Trolls, was rather peculiar.
Strictly speaking, the Kingdom of Stormwind's immunity from further attacks by the Jungle Trolls was thanks to the agreement reached between the Night Elf Republic and the Zandalari Empire.
Varian himself wanted to send reinforcements to the Western Continent immediately, but the sudden rise of the Twilights Hammer cult within the Kingdom of Stormwind diverted the Lion King's attention.
Varian, stationed in Stormwind Keep, had a grim expression. He looked at the ordinary middle-aged man kneeling before his throne and asked, "Matias, how is the purge of the cultists progressing? What exactly is going on with this unrest?"
Matias subtly glanced at Benedictus, who still looked benevolent, beside Varian.
"Your Majesty, members of the cult are spread throughout all strata of the kingdom, and not just confined to Stormwind City. Large-scale violent unrest has also successively broken out in Westfall, Redridge Mountains, and Duskwood."
As the eyes and ears of the Kingdom of Stormwind, Matias was very well-informed. Not to mention, Garona had recently hinted to him during Brotherhood gatherings that Benedictus was problematic.
Although he couldn't find any concrete evidence, Matias, as an old hand in intelligence work, did detect something abnormal in the Archbishop of the Light's movements.
Varian held Benedictus in high regard; after all, he was a disciple of Saint Alonsus, and Benedictus' Light had never diminished. Varian had never harbored any suspicions about him.
"Sigh~"
Rubbing his brow in frustration, Varian ordered Matias, "Continue the investigation. I will have the local militia organizations control the situation to prevent further escalation of the unrest."
"Yes, your subordinate takes his leave."
Matias vanished without a trace.
Benedictus, with a look of compassion, prayed in a low voice, "May the Light guide those poor lost lambs back to the right path."
Varian personally escorted the elderly, bald Benedictus out of Stormwind Keep, preparing to return to his throne to continue contemplating countermeasures.
"Your Majesty Varian, please wait a moment."
The sudden voice made Varian instinctively grip the great royal sword passed down from Lothar. "Who?"
A purplish-black shadow appeared from within Stormwind Keep, and the surrounding Royal Guards quickly aimed their weapons at the person.
"Wait!"
Varian stopped his guards' actions; he had already recognized the person's appearance.
"Ambassador Xinghen? You are..."
Niana removed her cloak and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty Varian, we have important matters to report to you."
Varian frowned. "We?"
Niana smiled and whispered to her side, "Come out, Garona."
Garona, without a word, knelt on the ground, revealing herself. "Your Majesty, the sinner Garona presumptuously seeks an audience."
Varian was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand, signaling Garona to stand up first.
"Garona, your assassination attempt on my father was under someone else's control, and it didn't succeed. You don't need to dwell on it."
"...Yes, thank you for your Majesty's magnanimity."
As Andreas had predicted, after verifying that Varian could govern the country well, Llane moved into Karazhan Tower with relief, intending to spend the rest of his life in this Keeper's tower that held so many memories.
Karazhan had been cleared by Khadgar and Garona years ago, and most of the dangers within the tower had been removed. As long as Llane didn't foolishly enter the inverted Karazhan, there was no danger.
Of course, even Khadgar and Garona didn't know about the inverted Karazhan, and it was even less likely for Llane to find the entrance.
Garona had often snuck into the Karazhan barrier with Khadgar's permission to visit Llane. Llane, enjoying his later years, no longer had the same vigor as when he was in power, and increasingly began to reminisce about the past.
After confirming that Llane was out of danger, Garona focused more of her attention on Varian's surroundings.
With Deathwing and the Elemental Planes' return, Garona and Niana, who had always been wary of Benedictus, clearly felt him begin to take action.
The Twilights Hammer cultists surging within the Kingdom of Stormwind were secretly instigated by this Archbishop of the Light.
Suffering from a lack of concrete evidence, Garona and Niana couldn't accuse the Archbishop of the Light to Varian with baseless charges.
But as the saying goes, if you walk the night road long enough, you'll eventually run into a ghost. Under N'Zoth's urging, Benedictus finally made some minor mistakes.
Benedictus' task was to prevent the Eastern Kingdoms from sending reinforcements to Kalimdor as much as possible. If it were in the past, when the Kingdom of Stormwind was dominant, he could easily complete this task by simply staying in Stormwind City.
However, with the resurgence of Lordaeron, Benedictus had to travel frequently between Lordaeron and Stormwind City to restrict Queen Jaina's actions.
Although he believed his actions were very covert, Garona, who had been watching him, finally discovered clues.
Varian looked at the set of black priestly robes Garona threw on the table, puzzled. "Garona, what is this?"
Garona, not good with words, turned to her side, and Niana, understanding, explained, "This is one of the outfits worn by the leader of the Twilights Hammer cult, the Twilight Priest, when preaching."
Varian's eyebrow twitched slightly, and his initially puzzled expression gradually turned solemn.
"Twilight Priest? Who exactly is he? Do you know his whereabouts?"
"Yes." Niana sighed. "Your Majesty Varian, please calm yourself first."
"The true identity of the Twilight Priest is the Archbishop of the Light who constantly tries to make his presence known around you — Benedictus."
"What?!"
Varian's eyes widened, and he instinctively retorted, "Impossible! The Twilights Hammer cultists use Shadow Energy, and Archbishop Benedictus, he..."
Before he could finish, Varian suddenly stopped.
Niana's hands alternately displayed two opposing energies, Holy Light and Shadow, a phenomenon that shattered common sense and left Varian momentarily dumbfounded.
Niana gave a wry smile. "Your Majesty Varian, I am not very skilled, so I can only demonstrate Holy Light and Shadow alternately."
"My teacher, Speaker Andreas, can even use both energies simultaneously."
Garona interjected pointedly, "Holy Light and Shadow are indeed opposed, but to some extent, they can also coexist."
"Benedictus exploits this blind spot in common perception to play two roles simultaneously: by day, he is the revered Archbishop of the Light; by night, he sheds his disguise and becomes the secretive Twilight Priest."
Niana sternly reminded him, "Your Majesty Varian, please make a decision as soon as possible."
"Benedictus will soon discover that he has lost a set of robes. To prevent him from acting desperately, we must strike first."
The name Twilights Hammer was not originally created by Benedictus, but came from a Two-headed Ogre who had died long ago—Cho'gall.
Cho'gall was killed by Andreas at Alterac Castle during the Second Orc War, but many of his Twilights Hammer followers escaped and scattered among the populace of various nations.
No one knew why Benedictus abandoned the Holy Light and embraced the Old Gods, nor did anyone know when he fell.
After defecting to N'Zoth, Benedictus quickly took over Cho'gall's legacy and continued to secretly develop the Twilight's Hammer Church.
While serving as the Archbishop in the Kingdom of Stormwind, Benedictus often traveled openly across the Eastern Kingdoms under the guise of itinerant preaching, and the kings of various nations harbored no suspicion toward him.
After the Scourge Crisis ended, the Alliance's focus clearly shifted southward, and Benedictus called most of the followers he had placed in northern Lordaeron to the Kingdom of Stormwind.
Varian held an open attitude toward these refugees who were swelling the Kingdom's population, completely unaware that their migration harbored dark intentions.
The resurgence of Lordaeron astonished everyone, and Benedictus, as the Archbishop of the Kingdom of Stormwind, was already powerless to develop influence in the north.
With N'Zoth's full activation, the last Old God mobilized all the forces under his command, which naturally included the Twilights Hammer secret line.
Not only in the Kingdom of Stormwind, but also within the Gnomes and Bronzebeard Dwarves, many Twilight Cultists emerged, let alone the Dark Iron Dwarves, who were the hardest-hit area.
Just as Niana had said, the cautious Benedictus quickly discovered that one of his cosplay outfits had been swapped. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to abandon his disguise and officially debut as the Twilight Priest.
Changing into a set of work clothes, Benedictus, whose face was completely obscured by a hood, lowered his voice and sneered, "The Hour of Twilight will surely come, and this pathetic world will certainly fall under the Master's control."
...When Varian hesitantly led the Royal Guards to the outside of the Cathedral of Light in the Cathedral District, the entire Cathedral Square was empty and devoid of people.
Due to the emergence of the Twilights Hammer, a cult that venerates Shadow and the Void, many devout followers of the Holy Light had recently come to the Cathedral to pray. The current situation was clearly abnormal.
"Damn it!"
Varian, who had been half-believing and half-doubting all along, saw the situation and his expression changed drastically. "Has the Twilight Priest sensed something is wrong?"
Niana nodded calmly and said, "Your Majesty Varian, please do not panic. We still have a backup plan."
"Boom!"
Just as Benedictus was preparing to activate the Teleportation Array beneath the Cathedral to head to the harbor and board the ship that had been prepared for his evacuation, the array, which had been used countless times without issue, suddenly exploded violently.
"Cough, cough!"
Benedictus used Power Word: Shield at the critical moment to block most of the damage, but his neat black robe was torn to shreds in the explosion, making him look extremely disheveled.
"Damn it!"
Using Renew to continuously heal the minor wounds on his body, Benedictus' face under the hood was grim.
"Who is behind this?"
Benedictus was very confident in the Magic Array N'Zoth had set up for deploying personnel; under normal circumstances, it absolutely wouldn't explode. Someone must have secretly sabotaged it.
Left with no choice, Benedictus could only change back into the Holy Light Priest's white robe, control his muscles to put on his professional, benevolent smile, and plan to escape through the main entrance of the Cathedral before the siege arrived.
The priests inside the Cathedral rushed frantically toward Benedictus' underground quiet room, only to meet Benedictus ascending the stairs.
"Archbishop, the explosion just now was—?"
Benedictus smiled and reassured them, "Don't worry, it was just some evil artifact clashing with the Holy Light. No serious harm done."
"I need to head out for a trip, to visit the local followers in Goldshire. I'll leave the Cathedral in your care for now."
"Yes!"
Benedictus, displaying a look of profound compassion, strolled out of the Cathedral.
"Tap~"
The Archbishop's steps halted. The Cathedral entrance had been surrounded by thousands of fully armed Royal Guards at some unknown point, and Varian was looking at him with a complicated expression.
The priests who had just appeared completely normal also blocked his path back into the Cathedral, watching him with vigilance and hostility, many of them showing hesitation in their eyes.
'Don't panic. Varian hasn't fully made up his mind yet. As long as I can fool...'
"You think if you fool His Majesty Varian, you can escape smoothly?"
The sudden mocking voice from behind made Benedictus' hair stand on end. He was not unfamiliar with this voice.
"...Mr. Shaw, I don't know what you are talking about."
"Heh~"
Looking at the feigning calm Benedictus, Matias pressed his dagger against his back and sneered, "You didn't think the explosion of the Teleportation Array just now was a coincidence, did you? The ship at the harbor controlled by the Twilight Cultists has already been infiltrated by my people. Do you still want to deny it now?"
According to Matias' usual style of action, he should have plunged the dagger into the traitor's heart right then.
But considering that King Varian had not yet fully accepted the fact that Benedictus equals the Twilight Priest, and to avoid leaving a bad impression of acting without authorization, Matias could only temporarily spare his life according to Niana's plan.
Varian's expression shifted several times before he finally adopted a grim look and strode forward.
Garona carefully guarded Varian's side, ready to attack Benedictus immediately if he made any sudden moves.
"Archbishop, why?"
Varian asked in a deep voice, his authority evident without anger, "You are the Archbishop of the Light revered by countless people, the apprentice of Saint Alonsus Faol. Why were you so easily tempted by the darkness?"
"Hehe~" Benedictus lowered his head and chuckled twice. "Varian, you are an excellent King, a good father, and a good husband. Unfortunately, you know nothing about the truth of the world."
Spreading his arms, Benedictus looked up at the sky. "Do you know how many planets there are in the universe? And how many of them have received the great Void's Blessing?"
"Azeroth is just a drop in the ocean of the vast universe. Even if we could defeat the Void on this planet, what good would it do?"
"The immortal Old Gods will eventually devour everything with the help of the great Lord of All Things—the void lords."
"Nonsense!" Niana snorted coldly. "An empty vessel makes the most noise, isn't that the meaning? For shame, you're Alonsus' apprentice, yet you believe whatever the Old Gods say? Do you have no brain?"
Niana looked disdainfully at the grim-faced Benedictus. "Even setting aside the Burning Legion's frantic hunting of Void Forces, your so-called void lords cannot enter the Material World at all. They can only observe the world's development from distant planes."
"The Old Gods are the strongest subordinates they can send. Before the Titans, the Old Gods are completely vulnerable."
Niana turned to look at Varian, who wore a surprised and suspicious expression. "Your Majesty Varian, we previously discussed the fate of the Old God C'Thun."
"The Old Gods are by no means immortal beings. The fates of C'Thun and Yogg-Saron are clear evidence, and N'Zoth... naturally won't be an exception."
The sarcasm on Niana's face enraged Benedictus, who had entrusted everything to the Void. "Blasphemers! You shall all submit to the glory of my Master!"
The furious Benedictus stopped hiding anything; his withered body began to swell gradually.
"During my brief lifetime as a human, I gradually realized one truth."
"Fragile and short-lived humans ultimately have limits to their capabilities."
Surging Shadow Power poured into Benedictus' body, and his physique rapidly grew taller and stronger.
Matias decisively plunged his dagger into Benedictus' back, but Benedictus' incredibly tough muscles blocked the hastily thrust dagger.
Seeing two tentacles curling back and attacking him, Matias could only temporarily withdraw his blade and retreat.
Varian drew the great royal sword and looked at the neither-human-nor-ghost Benedictus with great distress. "What exactly do you want to do?"
"Heh~ It's very simple."
Benedictus' body transformed into an ugly Jebaited Face... a Faceless One.
"Varian! I don't want to be human anymore!"
Powerful Void Creatures seem to share a common trait—they enjoy physically modifying their subordinates, and N'Zoth is particularly adept at it.
The Naga, Deathwing, Xavius, and even the Faceless One-ified Benedictus before them, are all his masterpieces.
*￥#@!
Benedictus, transformed into a Faceless One, instinctively learned the dual-channel dark rap common to Jiebiao Faces.
All things will come to an end, and the Void shall rise!
A very complex expression flashed in Varian's eyes; the respectable elder in his eyes had finally gone completely astray.
Inhale~ Exhale~
After a deep breath, Varian's expression became resolute once more.
Attack! Get rid of this... monster!
Benedictus' voice, amplified by Shadow Magic, spread throughout the city: "Appear! Twilight Cultists, your long-awaited Hour of Twilight is at hand!"
Twilight Cultists hiding throughout Stormwind City quickly responded to the call, inciting riots in various areas of the city.
Varian had arrived with a skeptical attitude, and his distracted mind failed to make the necessary preparations.
Grand Duke Bolvar Fordragon, at a critical moment, received permission from Queen Tiffin to take over command, leading the city's defenders to systematically suppress the rebellions in various areas.
Get out of the way! Filthy cultists!
Bolvar's Grand Marshal's Sword cleaved through the Twilight Cultists blocking their path outside the cathedral square, leading an elite unit to charge into the square to protect the king.
Your Majesty!
When Bolvar arrived, Varian was temporarily acting as the main tank, blocking Benedictus' flailing tentacles. The sharp great royal sword repeatedly sliced off the tips of the tentacles, but Benedictus quickly regenerated the damaged parts.
Useless, useless! Your attacks are but mere tickles to me!
Clang!
The loyal Bolvar launched an intercession for Varian, using his left hand's Grand Marshal's Shield, emblazoned with a lion's head, to block Benedictus' tentacle strike.
Your Majesty, please forgive my late arrival!
Varian consciously stepped back two paces into a melee DPS position, yielding the main tank role to the versatile Bolvar.
No, you've come at just the right time. Let's eliminate this traitor together!
Niana chanted spells under her breath, rotating the staff in her hand and low-growling, "Will Barrier!"
Clang!
A substantial mental armor firmly protected the souls of Varian and the others, preventing them from being affected by the Faceless One's whispers.
The staff in Niana's hand was also no ordinary item; though not comparable to Andreas' Staff of Ganir, the materials used were extremely precious.
The staff's wooden body was made from a Nordrassil branch that had long been nourished by the Well of Eternity, and the gem inlaid at the top was a gift from the Draenei.
The Mother of Light, Xera, once gifted the Eredar a holy relic called the At'amale Crystal through Naaru like Lura. When Velen led the Draenei to flee Argus, this relic shattered into seven differently colored crystals after being struck.
The seven crystals were the red Heart of Fury, the yellow Stellar Bloom, the green Shadow of Leaves, the purple Soul Song, the cyan Mark of the Sky, the blue Abyss of the Azure Sea, and the orange Harvest's Bounty.
Each of the seven crystals possessed different special functions. Among them, the Shadow of Leaves, which could hide an entire city, was lost after Telmor was breached, and only after many twists and turns did it finally return to the Draenei's hands.
The purple Soul Song was always carried by Velen, strengthening his mental resistance and keeping his mind clear at all times.
The crystal inlaid in Niana's staff was one of the seven At'amale Crystals: the crimson Heart of Fury.
The Heart of Fury had a powerful amplification effect on Light users and would imbue the user's attacks with more holy flame burning effects, which was perfect for Niana, who primarily cultivated Lights Power.
Aside from the Heart of Fury, which Velen actively gifted to allies, the yellow Stellar Bloom crystal was unexpectedly lost during a raid by an unnamed Black Knight.
When Andreas recalled the identity of this Black Knight and hastily rushed to search the Karazhan underground vault, he unexpectedly unearthed a large pile of treasures collected by the Black Knight Eredin from the vault, but the Stellar Bloom was nowhere to be found.
Some time ago, Velen's son, Saruman , unexpectedly discovered the whereabouts of the Stellar Bloom, but when he pursued it further, he found that this crystal was already in the treasury of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.
Hearing that Queen Jaina intended to use this holy light gem of unknown origin as a forging material for an artifact, Velen pondered for a long time and ultimately gave up the idea of demanding the crystal from Lordaeron.
Archbishop Adal was not very pleased with Velen's decision, and he deliberately spread the news that the Draenei were searching for the At'amale Crystal.
However, Queen Jaina shamelessly pretended not to hear, and at the fastest speed, commissioned Magni Bronzebeard, the best Mortal blacksmith of the era, to forge a divine two-handed sword using the crystal as the main material, which she then gifted to Tirion Fordring, the commander of The Knights of the Silver Hand.
Although Adal was quite displeased, it was too late. He couldn't demand the divine sword from Lordaeron anymore and could only swallow his frustration in silence.
Fortunately, the Stellar Bloom ultimately fell into the hands of an upright legendary Paladin, which Adal could grudgingly accept.
When Andreas heard this news, his expression was quite peculiar. He hadn't expected that after all the twists and turns, this divine sword forged from the At'amale Crystal would eventually end up in Tirion's hands.
The sword's name was well-known, and Andreas still remembered it clearly today—Ashbringer... Under the blessing of the Heart of Fury, Niana's every Holy Light attack inflicted considerable damage on the Faceless One Benedictus.
The holy flames, burning both body and soul, made Benedictus suffer immensely, but when he intended to turn and kill Niana first, the rock-solid Bolvar firmly blocked his path with his unadorned movements.
Get out of the way!
In his rage, Benedictus unleashed a burst of power, smashing two tentacles heavily onto Bolvar's shield. The surface of the sturdy Grand Marshal's Shield even showed slight indentations.
Bolvar's face changed; his shield-holding left hand was in sharp pain, and he could faintly hear the crisp sound of bones cracking.
But Bolvar did not retreat an inch, gritting his teeth and persisting. Regardless of whether Benedictus used physical or Shadow Magic attacks, Bolvar steadfastly stood in front of his teammates, taking the damage.
With the main tank performing admirably, the other three melee DPS naturally didn't falter.
With Niana's combined damage and healing support, two top Rogues continuously sliced at Benedictus' waist area. Although the damage from each attack was very weak, their attack frequency was high enough.
Ah!!
Benedictus' waist was finally cut open with a large gash. Garona's eyes lit up, and she simultaneously plunged the artifact daggers, Sorrow and Anguish, gifted to her by Go'el, into Benedictus' wound, tearing it open forcefully.
Matias was not to be outdone; he swiftly pulled a packet of modified high-strength gunpowder from his waist pouch and sprinkled it into Benedictus' enlarged wound.
The two Rogues exchanged a knowing glance and simultaneously leaped backward.
Scratch!
Sparks generated by Garona rubbing her dagger fell into the rapidly healing wound.
Boom!
Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!
As the high-strength gunpowder caused a violent explosion inside his body, the Faceless One's screams echoed throughout the city. Varian seized the moment when Benedictus was writhing in pain and his movements were distorted, heroically leaping high into the air.
Haa!
The great royal sword cleaved down, splitting Benedictus' head diagonally in half.
Niana hastily chanted a spell, and blazing holy flames erupted from the magic circle on the ground, seizing the opportunity while Benedictus couldn't repair his brain injury. The severely damaged body of the Faceless One was quickly scorched black.
Before the Faceless One collapsed with a thud, the half-head still attached to its body painfully managed to utter its last words: "The Void... endures..."
If the Twilights Hammer cult had been allowed to erupt under Benedictus' guidance without anyone foreseeing it, the Kingdom of Stormwind—and the entire Eastern Kingdoms—could have been plunged into prolonged turmoil by those fanatics.
But since Benedictus' true colors had been uncovered in advance and preparations were made, all that remained was to predict his pattern of action and respond according to plan.
Benedictus believed every move he made was based on sound judgment, yet each step had been calculated by Niana; she steered the board so he would choose exactly as he did.
Thanks to Llane's vigorous rule in his later years, by the time the crown passed to Varian the Kingdom of Stormwind was poised to soar.
The capable Varian built on his father's foundation, raising storm-battered Stormwind back to the pinnacle of human realms; among the people he gradually earned the title Storm Lion King.
A lion king of such renown was no easily fooled fool, and with Benedictus dead, Varian—his judgment no longer clouded—quickly sorted out the truth.
"Bolvar. Matias."
Varian glanced at his two loyal vassals, sighed softly, and asked, "When did you learn of Benedictus' betrayal?"
Bolvar, his left arm fractured, was receiving emergency treatment from Niana; hearing the king's question, he exchanged a look with Matias.
"Your Majesty, forgive me for knowing yet not speaking—Benedictus' standing was simply..."
Varian waved a generous hand. "No need to be so cautious. Do you take me for a petty, muddle-headed ruler?"
Bolvar shook his head with a rueful smile. "I misspoke."
Matias bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, the Duke and I learned the truth from Garona only a few days ago."
"Benedictus' rank was exalted and his place in Your Majesty's heart high; we could not act before he showed his tail."
Varian handed the great royal sword, stained with strange purple blood, to an attendant, then looked down at the lifeless body of the Faceless One.
"...Enough. Whatever the case, we've foiled the Twilight Priest's next plot—but the storm he raised won't die with him."
Just as Benedictus had said, Varian was a wise king; he did not press Bolvar or Matias for their well-meant silence, instead turning his gaze to the now-headless Twilights Hammer.
Though Benedictus had been slain, the fully mobilized Twilights Hammer would not sheathe its blades simply because its Twilight Priest was dead.
The so-called "Twilight Judgment" still spreads outward from Stormwind. In a sense Benedictus had partly achieved his goal of delaying the Eastern Kingdoms' aid to Kalimdor... When preaching, he claimed Twilights Hammer was a global order, yet that boast held much hot air.
Twilights Hammer is indeed deeply rooted in the Eastern Kingdoms, but when it tried to cross the sea it ran into an immovable iron wall.
Andreas had issued decrees the moment Cho'gall set foot on Azeroth.
Anyone preaching and using words like "twilight" was put under surveillance, and most of them later vanished without trace.
Well aware how cults spread and infiltrate, Andreas—through Prisim's vigilance—kept the danger out of Kalimdor.
As the saying goes, tall trees catch much wind; having borne Azeroth's weight for ten millennia, the Night Elves naturally became the thorn in the side of every would-be corrupter.
Though N'Zoth is the weakest of Azeroth's four Old Gods, Andreas considers the patient, scheming N'Zoth the most troublesome.
Even before the War of the Ancients, N'Zoth undermined the unity of the Aspects by subverting the Black Dragon King Neltharion.
The creation of the dragon soul greatly weakened the four Aspects, allowing the Burning Legion to wreak havoc in that ancient war.
Andreas does not know whether N'Zoth foresaw the Well of Eternity's explosion and Nyalotha's plunge to unreachable ocean depths.
But in the end, with no Keepers left, Azeroth paid a dreadful price to barely repel the Legion; the true victor of that war was not either warring side, but N'Zoth laughing in the shadows.
The Thousand-Mawed Demon gained the mighty Deathwing and, seizing the moment, abducted the Highborne led by Azshara, remaking them into an entirely new species—the Naga.
Recycling the "waste" Xavius as well, N'Zoth used the War of the Ancients to secure his rear and acquire several useful pieces.
Deathwing, Xavius, and Azshara are all proud and headstrong; rather than brainwash away their wits, N'Zoth chose cooperation, drawing out each one's inner desire so they act for their own ambitions—and his.
Deathwing hungered for power, and N'Zoth granted it, promising him the dragon soul; whether the dragon truly kept it was his own affair.
Xavius craved revenge, and N'Zoth obliged, sending the formless satyr into the Emerald Dream via saronite's corrosion of the World-Tree network, giving him a chance to confront Malfurion directly.
The first two had clear goals, so manipulating them was easy; only Azshara still keeps N'Zoth on guard.
Right after the War of the Ancients N'Zoth urged the Naga to strike en masse while the Night Elves were weak and further roil Kalimdor, but Azshara refused, claiming her people had yet to adapt to their new forms.
Across the millennia that followed, N'Zoth pressed her more than once, yet most of the time the languid queen fobbed him off with one excuse or another.
Only when N'Zoth grew desperate did Azshara dispatch handmaids like Vashj to launch limited raids along Kalimdor's coasts.
N'Zoth has never been able to plumb Azshara's heart; he still does not know what the former Night Elven queen truly wants.
Revenge?
Hardly. Azshara bears no deep hatred for Malfurion, Tyrande, or the others who indirectly cast her into the sea; instead she looked with favor on the then-novice Andreas.
Her eye for talent proved sharp—once Andreas took the Night Elves' highest authority he swiftly led his people toward reform and strength.
Today the Night Elf Republic bears scarcely a trace of Azshara's legacy; even Archmage Elisande, once her devoted subject, now follows Speaker Moonshadow with full heart.
To reclaim what she lost? To seek power?
That too seems unlikely; the queen's languid manner hides her true aim so well no one can pierce it.
Formerly N'Zoth could indulge Azshara's whims, but this sweeping plan for Azeroth concerns his own future.
Under his stern commands the Naga mobilized in unprecedented numbers and with unmatched efficiency.
In Astranaar, Andreas listened with knitted brow as messenger after messenger delivered their reports.
"Naga have been sighted off Tanaris, the Dustwallow Marsh, The Barrens, Sen'jin, and the eastern coast of the Azshara Region."
"Western Feralas, Desolace, Ashenvale, and Darkshore as well; even around the Broken Isles hordes of Naga surge from the sea."
"Conservative estimates put their numbers at two million, and still they grow."
Andreas nodded grimly. "Notify all garrisons: rely on coastal defenses, do not pursue; priority is to hold and drive them off."
"Yes, sir!"
After the messenger departed, Andreas stared at the map on the wall. "Queen Azshara, first Mortal demigod in Azeroth's history—after ten thousand years, we meet again?"
Not only could N'Zoth not understand Azshara's intentions, but Andreas also never truly grasped the erratic behavior of the Naga Queen.
At the end of the War of the Ancients, with the power Azshara commanded, she definitely had a chance to fight back.
Whether she joined the Rebel Army to clear her sins or continued down the dark path by aiding the Burning Legion, the power in the Queen's hands would have decisively influenced the stalemated war.
But in the end, Azshara did nothing, allowing the Well of Eternity to explode, causing Suramar to sink into the ocean.
Andreas once speculated that Azshara was atoning for her wrong choices, but upon closer reflection, it seemed unlikely.
Azshara was an extremely self-centered, natural-born leader; even if she regretted her actions, she would not choose such an evasive method to cleanse her sins.
Although the Naga repeatedly attacked the coastline controlled by the Night Elves over the next ten thousand years, compared to the current crisis, those previous attacks were merely skirmishes.
The stalemate in the southern UnGoro Crater continued. Ragnaros was unable to advance his front, and instead continuously lost major commanders due to Jarod's targeted purges.
Although Freya's direct combat ability was not strong, that was only when compared to the other Titan Keepers.
When fighting Ragnaros, Freya's versatile support abilities were fully utilized. Relying on powerful recovery and defensive aid, she managed to turn the fight into a war of attrition.
Ragnaros, who specialized in offensive strikes and always pursued aggression like fire, felt extremely stifled. The battle was completely dragged into the opponent's rhythm, making his every move awkward.
Andreas was not worried about the situation in Theieshal Crater. Ragnaros choosing Fire Plume Peak to manifest the Firelands was inherently a mistake.
UnGoro Crater had indeed been abandoned for many years, but the Boundary Gate connecting it to Sholazar Basin was still functioning normally.
Both basins were ecological experimental fields specifically chosen by Freya; they were essentially her backyard.
When someone came to cause trouble in her own backyard, Freya, as the Keeper of Life, naturally wouldn't ignore it.
Leaving the cleanup work in Storm Peaks to the Great Guardian and her other companions, Freya first led reinforcements from Sholazar Basin and teleported to Theieshal Crater.
Fire Elementals are extremely aggressive, but their sustained combat ability after an initial burst is somewhat lacking.
Their moves and fighting style rely on crushing the opponent in one explosive round. If they fail to crush them... they can only wait to be dragged into a long-term fight until they are defeated.
Ragnaros is currently trapped in this awkward situation.
He couldn't defeat Freya in one burst. Although he could barely maintain the situation by drawing on the energy of Fire Plume Peak, who knew if Freya would receive further reinforcements? What if the other Keepers became available... Jarod did not allow the Mortal Legions to interfere with the celestial battle atop Fire Plume Peak, focusing instead on commanding allies like the Tol'vir and Tauren to pinpoint and eliminate the Fire Elemental Generals one by one.
Compared to the south, the situation on the Isle of Quel'Danath, which Shandris was responsible for, was much clearer.
Therazane, relying on the connections he had built up and his outstanding charisma, recruited a large number of willing defectors from Sky Wall, gradually marginalizing the indecisive Wind Lord Al'Akir.
With the situation having developed to this point, AlAkir had already guessed the direction things were heading.
Just as the Wind Lord was naturally preparing to hand over the throne of the Wind Elemental King to his son, N'Zoth suddenly issued a strict command, forcing AlAkir to continue resisting and delay the Wind Elemental Rebel Army as much as possible.
Under N'Zoth's coercion, the Wind Elementals began performing a classic, crowd-pleasing show on Azeroth: a filial son's conflict with his benevolent father.
The internal strife among the Wind Elementals was mainly concentrated within Sky Wall. Shandris had already received a promise from Therazane the Windseeker: once he successfully seized power, he would join the ranks of the Keepers of Azeroth, resist the servitude of the Old Gods, and allow the Wind Elementals to return to freedom.
Having freed up her forces, Shandris left only a small Garrison to monitor the situation and led the main force of the Second Flying Fleet back to Mount Hyjal to await orders.
The swarming Naga startled Shandris; having commanded the Sentinels for nearly ten thousand years, she had never seen the Naga act so frantically.
Shandris asked worriedly, "Andreas, what do you plan to do next?"
"Hmm..."
Andreas pondered for a few seconds while looking at the map. "In this multi-front war that will determine the future of Azeroth, every battlefield is crucial."
"First, the Four Elemental Planes. Sky Wall is essentially settled, and with the intervention of Hodir and Thorim, Ragnaros doesn't have much time left to cause trouble."
"The problem lies in the Abyssal Maw and Deepholm."
Andreas sharply tapped The Maelstrom's location with a Pointer. "According to intelligence provided by the Earthen Ring, before Deathwing burst out of The Maelstrom, he forcibly shattered the World Pillar in Deepholm."
"The World Pillar is related to the existence of the Earth Elemental Plane. Now that the Elemental Planes are reintegrating with Azeroth, if the Earth Elemental Plane collapses, the main Material World of Azeroth will also be greatly affected."
Shandris also looked up at the map. "Can the Shamans of the Earthen Ring repair this pillar?"
"They can, but they need more manpower and time."
Andreas tapped the Pointer against his left hand. "Go'el mobilized all the Shamans within the Orc Race to head to the Heart of Azeroth, and the Tauren, darkspear trolls, Zandalari Trolls, and Wildhammer Dwarves also answered the call."
"Temporarily handing Deepholm over to them should be fine, but the Water Elemental Plane..."
Andreas pointed worriedly at the Vashj'ir Underwater World, west of Stormwind City. "I obtained permission from King Varian through Niana to deploy Underwater Combat Units into Vashjir to try and establish contact with Neptulon's Water Elementals."
"As one of the main operational areas for the Naga, Vashjir is heavily defended. A large number of Water Elementals are currently engaged in fierce combat with the Naga, and it will likely take some time to break through the Naga defenses and contact Neptulon."
"Next is the Emerald Dream."
Andreas sighed. "Due to insufficient manpower, Fandral led Vastann and a large contingent of Cenarion Circle Druids into the Dream to assist with defense. Cenarius, Goldrinn, and other Demigods have also been deployed."
"But Xavius is clearly going all out this time. A large number of Faceless Ones have invaded the Dream World, and the Nightmare's offensive is unusually fierce."
"If the Emerald Dream, which serves as the Mirror World of Azeroth, falls, all living beings on Azeroth will gradually be corrupted by the Nightmare while they sleep."
"As for the Naga..."
Andreas frowned, looking at the coastlines marked in red on the Strategic Map. "Although saying this might damage morale, for now, we can only adopt a defensive stance."
Maiev suddenly interjected, "Did you forget something? Deathwing is still pinned down in the Gravity Barrier."
Andreas waved his hand. "We don't need to worry about him for now."
"The Gravity Barrier operates in a non-discriminatory attack mode; attacks launched from the outside will also be affected and rendered ineffective. Let's just wait and see how things develop."
"The Elementium Armor Deathwing forged to prevent his own collapse has instead become his death warrant. He shouldn't be able to escape the effects of gravity until his sanity completely breaks."
Andreas pointed meaningfully toward Northrend. "And don't forget, the ones who care most about Deathwing aren't us, but the Dragonflights, who are ready for battle."