Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis

Page 132

"Of course, gentlemen. Who can be without the fear of death? I am no exception. Lord Archimonde has been defeated, and we have nowhere left to retreat in the world of Azeroth."

"I need a powerful being to protect me, and I think you newly risen undead are the best choice. After all, humans or orcs won't accept me," Varimathras said casually.

In fact, his and his brothers' goal this time was very simple: to deceive the leaders of various forces and then take the opportunity to escape. Their target was these undead who had gained freedom.

Balnazzar's target, however, is the human paladins. He and his brothers will hide in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to serve the Burning Legion, or rather, their true master, Emperor Denathrius.

The undead under his command have begun to awaken their own will. He can't control these undead for long, so he might as well pretend to be defeated and beg for mercy out of fear of death.

"You're lying, Dreadlord. Don't think I don't know that the demons of your Burning Legion cannot be killed in the real world. Only in the Twisting Nether, or a similar place, can you be completely annihilated."

"Your defeat was feigned. Your initial goal was to infiltrate our ranks and then wait for an opportunity to strike. Am I right?" Rhodes, disguised as Sandru, sneered.

My icy power froze the Dreadlord down to just its head, and powerful shadow energy emanated from Rhodes, further eroding the Dreadlord's soul and mind.

At this moment, Rhodes appears to be an evil villain, and like the power of shadow and holy light, he can also be summoned through magic.

After learning shadow magic, Rhodes secretly practiced it and can now release shadow energy just like he manipulates holy light energy.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I don't understand." Varimathras's face instantly turned ugly.

Damn it, how do these guys know about the Twisting Nether? Their secret of demons being able to resurrect is strictly guarded.

“Azeroth has been studying you demons for a long time. Don’t think that no one understands you, so rest assured and go on your way!” Rhodes said, patting the dreadlord’s bald head.

“Don’t waste your energy. I will not trust you demons. Death is the only thing waiting for you dreadlords. When you reach the Twisting Nether, ask Kil’jaeden for me. Well, one day, I will take my revenge on him,” Sylvanas said.

When she first gained free will, her only targets for revenge were Arthas and the Lich King.

But now the goal of revenge has changed. After a conversation with Master Sandru, Sylvanas learned that the real culprit was the Burning Legion itself. The reason why Silvermoon City was destroyed was due to the Burning Legion's conspiracy.

From this moment on, the Banshee Queen's targets for revenge will include not only Arthas and the Scourge, but also the Burning Legion, especially Kil'jaeden, the true mastermind behind this.

"Hmph, you've won this time... but the Burning Legion's wrath... will burn you... to ashes... my brothers... will avenge me..." Varimathras said last, uttering a harsh threat.

Defeat is nothing to the Dreadlords; they can always come back stronger, but their next return will be even more painful for their enemies.

“Then let them come!” Sylvanas said coldly. “We will send them back to the Twisting Nether one by one, and you will soon see your brothers again.”

Without another word, Stanker plunged his greatsword down without hesitation. Varimathras's body convulsed in excruciating pain before finally dissipating into a chaotic mass of fel energy, leaving only a shriek of resentment echoing in the air.

With their leader killed, the remaining demons and enslaved undead fell into chaos and were quickly wiped out by the allied forces. The demons were sent back to the Twisting Nether, while the undead, having escaped the control of the Dreadlord, quickly gained self-awareness.

These newly freed undead were filled with fear and confusion, and Sandro, Sylvanas, and Scythe did their best to comfort them.

Then they were added to their respective teams. Only a few high elf undead mistakenly joined Sylvanas's forces. Most of the humans who had become undead, even dwarf undead and some special modified beings, chose to join Scythe's forces.

Of course, some humans who could not accept their undead appearance chose to end their own lives; not everyone can accept continuing to live as a dead person.

The battle ended, and Sylvanas looked at the spot where Varimathras had disappeared, letting out a long sigh of relief. Although she hadn't truly killed him, driving him back to the Twisting Nether had at least solved the immediate crisis and greatly boosted morale. Their free undead had finally come together.

She looked at Sandru, her eyes filled with gratitude and a deeper curiosity: "Master's use of frost and shadow magic is unparalleled. If you hadn't held him back today, we would have had to put in a lot more effort to deal with this dreadlord."

"It's just the result of cooperation, madam." Rhodes, disguised as Sandru, bowed slightly in humility.

"Your archery skills and Lord Stronk's bravery were the key to victory. However, we certainly displayed our prowess, and I'm sure the other two Dreadlords have received a clear signal by now." Time was actually quite tight.

Arthas should have already set off for Northrend with Kel'Thuzad's help; the kid will be on the ship for about a month.

During this month, many things will happen. First, the dreadlords of Lordaeron will be eliminated. In the original timeline, Sylvanas used the fool Garithos and then took over Lordaeron.

His presence has now shifted the Forsaken's target to Stratholme, which is a good thing, at least it will prevent them from clashing with the Alliance army.

The two dreadlords entrenched in Lordaeron are Rhodes's targets, and he plans to return and lead the human army to destroy them.

However, before that, I plan to go to Outland with Illidan. After Illidan conquers the Black Temple, the final war for the Frozen Throne will begin.

This war differed from the original campaign's storyline. In reality, it was Arthas, not Illidan, who held an absolute numerical advantage. The Scourge's numbers in Northrend were even more terrifying than in the Eastern Kingdoms.

"Should we go and cause trouble for the remaining two? Or should we head straight to Stratholme?" Sylvanas asked.

Rhodes shook his head and said, "No, with Varimathras killed, the other two dreadlords will definitely be on high alert, and may even join forces."

We need to consolidate the gains of this victory and absorb the souls of those who have regained their freedom.

Then we'll set off for Stratholme. As for the dreadlords of Lordaeron, we'll leave them to the assembled human army; let them fight each other!

Chapter 213 Survivors of Dalaran, The Floating City Project

“Good idea, Master Sandru. You’re right, what those humans dream of is reclaiming their king and subjects. In that case, let them deal with the dreadlords; we don’t need to waste time here.” Sylvanas nodded in complete agreement.

"Let's not delay, let's set off! Let's quickly build a city for our undead, give us a foothold," Rhodes nodded and said.

Next, he would have to switch to the real Sandru. As for the subsequent contact with Kel'Thuzad, he would leave that to Schonk and Sandru to handle.

I'm sure these two won't let me down. As for Baron Rivendare in Stratholme, to put it bluntly, if this lineup can't take him down, then their two undead heroes are doomed.

“Master Sandru, before heading to Stratholme, I hope to have a more in-depth conversation with you about the future of the undead, about… how to better enhance our power. Some of your earlier ideas about the nature and enhancement of the undead are of great interest to me,” Sylvanas said.

She really wanted to communicate with this Master Sandru, whose knowledge of modifying undead creatures far surpassed Kel'Thuzad's and could be of great help to her.

Furthermore, Sylvanas wanted to bring Shandru to her side. As a high elf who had once come from a magical kingdom, she clearly understood the value of a powerful spellcaster.

Rhodes was secretly delighted. Sylvanas had developed a strong interest in and dependence on Sandru's knowledge, paving the way for his plan to convert Wood Elves into Dark Rangers. He was naturally happy about this; he could even have Sandru bring some Wood Elves so Sylvanas could perform the conversion.

"It's my pleasure, Banshee Queen. I believe our cooperation will bring some...unexpected changes to this world," said Sandru, disguised as Rhodes, with a smile.

The allied forces began clearing the battlefield and incorporating the scattered undead troops. Meanwhile, in the shadows, the true necromancer Sandru was in Black Edge Fortress, eagerly analyzing the magical knowledge from another world. The death knight magic, abominations, skeleton mages, and banshees all piqued the necromancer's keen interest.

"Hahaha, what a magical world! My necromancy skills will be greatly improved here. But the most important thing right now is to complete my master's goal. Now it's my turn to step in and have some fun with that Banshee Queen. A necromancer hero from another world, how interesting! Thank you, master, thank you for letting me come to this world." After receiving Rhodes's notification, Sandru put down his spellbook and then cast the same teleportation spell as Rhodes.

They traveled remotely to the undead camp and swapped identities with Rhodes. Rhodes then ended his journey as a Forsaken and used teleportation magic to return to his military camp near Dalaran.

Four days had passed since Rhodes left. A lot had happened in those four days. First, in Dalaran, Archmage Rhonin led some of the remaining Dalaran mages to Rhodes' camp, where they were received by Jaina and rejoined the Alliance.

Upon arriving at Rhodes' camp, the mages immediately requested to see Rhodes, saying they had something very important to discuss with him.

Jaina was worried about how to deal with it, but now that Rhodes is back, everything is solved.

"Oh my god, darling, you're finally back! If you hadn't come back, I wouldn't have known how to deal with the mess you left behind."

"Besides the mages from Dalaran, I expect the two old knights from the Silver Hand will arrive soon: Alexander the Great and Dathohan. They are top-tier paladins, and in terms of seniority, they are even comparable to Uther," Jaina said with a sigh of relief as she approached Rhodes.

She's been exhausted these past few days.

“Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of everything, so I’m back now. By the way, what do those mages from Dalaran want to discuss with me?” Rhodes stepped forward, hugged Jaina, and asked.

“I discussed this with Rhonin before. The mages of Dalaran are currently researching a new type of magic. They plan to rebuild Dalaran, which was destroyed by Archimonde, and use a special magic to make Dalaran fly and become a floating city,” Jaina said.

Dalaran was originally a large magical city with a population of 100,000, but now, apart from a little over 100 Kirin Tor mages, only about 3000 civilians remain. (This is in-game data; let's use this as the current population of Dalaran.)

“These survivors of Dalaran plan to make some of Dalaran’s magical areas fly and then create a magical barrier to protect the city. This may require some help from the high elves. They also want to recall the Dalaran mages who were originally there to support our journey to Kalimdor,” Jaina said.

Dalaran is currently in dire need of rebuilding. Several hundred Dalaran mages left with Rhodes and Jaina, and their return will greatly enhance Dalaran's strength.

"So they're here to take people back, right?" Rhodes stroked his chin and nodded as he asked.

“That’s right, Rhodes, but the Dalaran mages who are with us are still on the continent of Kalimdor. It will take at least one to two months to get them back.”

"I think they might ask for your help, Grand Marshal of the Alliance. You should consider what to do about this!" Jaina said.

Although Rhodes, Uthir, and others had some unpleasantness with Antonidas in Dalaran, Dalaran still sent some mages to help them when they set off for Kalimdor.

“In principle, Dalaran is a member of the Alliance, and as a member of the Alliance, it is natural to receive help from the Alliance when it encounters difficulties,” Rhodes said.

This time, he wouldn't let Dalaran become a neutral city again. This time, both the blood elves and Dalaran would stay within the Alliance. If it weren't for the fact that the Forsaken were simply unacceptable to the people of the Alliance, Rhodes would have wanted to bring the Forsaken back.

"So you're planning to bring those Dalaran mages back, right? Should we talk to Princess Galiya about this?" Jaina asked.

“I will personally write to Her Highness the Princess to explain this matter, but now is not the time for these mages to return. We will discuss it after we reclaim the royal city of Lordaeron and bring back the expeditionary force,” Rhodes said.

After a brief discussion, Jaina brought Archmage Rhonin, the representative of Dalaran, to Rhodes' camp.

Rhodes met Archmage Rhonin in his command tent. The future leader of the Kirin Tor looked travel-worn. Rhodes actually had a good impression of Rhonin. This legendary mage was practically a protagonist in the early days of World of Warcraft, but he was inexplicably killed off by Blizzard in the Cataclysm expansion, leaving behind a widow and her children.

"Grand Marshal Rhodes, thank you for agreeing to see me." Ronning bowed slightly to Rhodes in a mage's salute.

“Master Rhonin, please have a seat. The tragedy of Dalaran is a loss for the entire Alliance, and I deeply regret the passing of Mentor Antonidas.” Rhodes gestured for him to sit down, his tone sincere.

“Jaina has given me a general overview of the situation. Dalaran needs help, and the Alliance won’t stand idly by,” Rhodes said with a smile.

Rhonin breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that his mentor Antonidas's previous disagreements with Rhodes, Uther, and others might affect their request for help. "Thank you for your understanding, Grand Marshal. As Jaina informed us, our surviving members have devised a bold plan—to elevate the core area of ​​Dalaran into the air, protecting it with a magical barrier, turning it into a floating city. This would not only avoid threats on the ground but also better protect the civilians of Dalaran."

“But this plan requires a huge amount of magical energy and experts who are proficient in barrier spells. We hope to get help from the high elves of Quel'Thalas... or rather, the blood elves now. At the same time, the group of mages who followed you and Jaina to Kalimdor are the core force of our reconstruction, and we need them to return as soon as possible.”

Without wasting words, Ronin directly told Rhodes his plan, explaining that they were currently in dire need of mages.

"Master Rhonin, I understand your urgency. The reconstruction of Dalaran is crucial to the Alliance's magical strength and morale. In principle, I fully support it. The Alliance will provide the necessary resources and connections to assist you in contacting Silvermoon City. As for those mages in Kalimdor..."

"They are currently working with the main Alliance forces in Theramore and the surrounding area to stabilize the situation, fight against the remaining demonic forces and other potential threats."

Abruptly withdrawing them all could destabilize the Kalimdor theater, and the sea voyage is time-consuming and not the best option; you may have to wait some time.

"Grand Marshal Rhodes, as the Regent of Lordaeron, I hope you can explain the situation here to Princess Galiya. We must recall the mages," Rhodes said firmly.

They didn't come here to discuss anything. There are only a little over a hundred mages in all of Dalaran right now, and they urgently need the mages from Kalimdor to return.

“I have a suggestion that might solve Dalaran’s current manpower problem more quickly and effectively,” Rhodes said with a smile.

"Please speak of Lord Rhodes."

"Soon we will be on an expedition to the Outer Realms, bringing back the expeditionary force that once followed General Turalyon. Among these expeditionary forces are many members of Dalaran."

There should be a considerable number of them, and they are all high-level mages.

Chapter 214 Persuading Ronin, the Ashbringer and the First Paladin Arrive

It's definitely impossible to simply detain these Dalaran mages. Once they hear the news, the Dalaran mages will force their way back even if Rhodes doesn't say anything.

After all, Dalaran is their home, so Rhodes would not detain these people. He could even write a letter and entrust it to Princess Calia, who is far away on the continent of Kalimdor.

However, this is too late to solve the immediate problem. The mages of Dalaran will need at least several months or even years of preparation time to raise the floating city.

During this period, the mages returned mainly to inscribe magical runes and establish suitable magical barriers. This is something that any mage can do, so the high elves can help.

However, the mages who followed General Turalyon on his expedition to Outland and remained at Watchtower Fortress could also offer assistance.

"Lord Rhodes, do you mean you've found a way to the Outer Realms? You intend to bring those expeditionary forces back? Are they still alive?" Rhodes asked incredulously.

“That’s right. I plan to bring Archmage Rhonin back. As for the mages in Kalimdor, I’ve sent my letter over, and it will take them at least two or three months to board the ship and return.”

The blood elves have just experienced the destruction of their homeland and are now in need of rebuilding, so they may not be able to spare many people to help you.

"So I suggest that while you wait for the mages from Kalimdor, you come with me to Outland and bring back the mages from the expeditionary force. As far as I know, there are over a hundred mages there, which should at least double your manpower," Rhodes said.