"This isn't a secret within the Shadow Council. Just interrogate a few Orc warlocks and you'll find out."
Kael'thas's answer was half-truth, half-lie.
In reality, Garona's existence was a highly guarded secret, even within the Shadow Council. Only a very few core members knew her exact identity and purpose.
Taiwan Novel Network is super thoughtful and convenient.
For example, Teron Gorefiend, who had already been transformed into a Death Knight.
Or Gul'dan's most trusted subordinate, the two-headed Ogre Archmage Cho'gall.
Quel'Thalas had indeed captured some Orc warlocks during its war with the Horde, but those were merely low-ranking members who had no access to core intelligence regarding Garona.
Kael'thas knew these things entirely from his memories as a player in his previous life.
"Gul'dan is dead. The mind control magic he left in your body has lost its source of power. Logically, you should have broken free of his control long ago. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come here seeking help."
Kael'thas said, "Any Archmage can clear the remaining residue. Khadgar can do it. Why did you take the risk to specifically seek my help?"
"Risk? Your Highness, you jest. There is no risk."
"Your Highness is not King Solas or Admiral Daelin, so you don't harbor such hatred for Orcs. Besides, Garona is not a pure Orc; Draenei blood flows in her veins."
"She was never on the Horde's side from the beginning. She was merely a manipulated puppet; she is also a victim."
Khadgar shook his head, "I've studied it carefully. Garona's body and soul are deeply bound to that spell. Even if the spell residue is cleared, any warlock who masters that spell can use it to re-control Garona."
"So, you hope that I can resolve this hidden danger from the root, completely dismantle the underlying structure of this spell, and grant her true freedom?" Kael'thas understood their intention.
"Yes, exactly."
Khadgar nodded, "Precisely for this reason, I did not rashly attempt to clear those residual spell traces. By preserving them, you might have a chance to reverse-engineer and completely break Gul'dan's spell."
Actually, at first, he wanted to directly clear the spell residue, but then he thought of Kael'thas.
He didn't have the ability to reverse-engineer Gul'dan's spell, but Kael'thas might.
"You really think highly of me. Breaking a demigod-level warlock's spell? How could it be easy?"
Kael'thas shook his head lightly.
If he could break a demigod-level spell, he would have become a demigod long ago, and wouldn't still be an ordinary legendary—no, a quasi-high-tier legendary, who could be promoted in at most a year.
"Even you cannot break it?" Khadgar was a little disappointed.
Garona, however, maintained her usual expression: "I've long been accustomed to it. Besides, that spell is very complex; it's a large ritual spell that requires a long time to prepare. They'd have to catch me first, and there aren't many people in this world who can catch me."
She looked at Khadgar and said, "Help me clear the spell residue. I will follow the original plan and continue hunting members of the Shadow Council until they are all eliminated. Then no one will ever be able to control me again, and I will gain true freedom."
The residual spell influence of Gul'dan was bidirectional.
Shadow Council warlocks could re-control her through that spell, and she could also vaguely sense the presence of Shadow Council warlocks through the spell residue traces.
She had a strange, inexplicable feeling: many of those warlocks were still alive, and they had already crossed the ocean to another continent thousands of miles away, south of Kalimdor!
"Alright then." Khadgar sighed.
He had tried to dissuade Garona more than once, because doing so was too dangerous.
No one knew how many people the Shadow Council still had, or how strong they were. Hunting the Shadow Council alone was tantamount to dancing on a knife's edge.
But he failed.
Garona's mental will was far stronger than he imagined, and he couldn't dissuade her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to forcibly break free from Gul'dan's mind control—she had broken free early on, while Gul'dan was still alive.
Although at that time, Gul'dan had fallen into a coma due to his mental connection with Medivh and the impact of Medivh's death.
"Relax your mind and body, do not resist—"
Just as he was about to cast a spell, Kael'thas stopped him: "Just because I can't break it doesn't mean no one can. This world isn't lacking in demigod-level spellcasters."
Khadgar paused slightly, his eyes growing brighter: "You mean to ask the Dragon Aspects for help?"
The four Dragon Aspects were all high-tier demigod-level beings.
Especially Malygos, the Blue Dragon Aspect, who was the Guardian of Magic. For him to break Gul'dan's spell would be as easy as flipping a hand!
Garona's heart also stirred.
During the Battle of Lordaeron, she was at Lordamere Lake and personally witnessed the majestic body of Alexstrasza, the Red Dragon Queen, and experienced the terrifying power of a high-tier demigod.
Compared to the Red Dragon Queen, Gul'dan was too weak to even be mentioned.
Kael'thas could actually summon a Dragon Aspect?
She recalled the rumors she had heard recently.
It was said that the Red Dragon Queen was imprisoned by the Dragonmaw Clan, and it was Kael'thas who rescued her.
It was said that Deathwing, the mastermind, was severely wounded and driven away by Kael'thas in collaboration with the four Dragon Aspects.
It was said that the Dragon Aspects gave Kael'thas generous rewards, such as Sandar Hill.
It was said that the Dragon Aspects also bestowed upon Kael'thas a very powerful artifact!
"The Dragon Aspects? Forget it."
Kael'thas shook his head; the four Dragon Aspects were not in good condition.
Nozdormu had delved deep into the vortex of the timeline, lost in the endless temporal currents, entangled with the Infinite Dragonflight, and it was unknown when he would return.
Ysera had gone to the deepest reaches of the Emerald Dream to track the source of the nightmare, confronting Xavius, the Nightmare Lord, and was completely preoccupied.
Malygos was still holed up in the cold Nexus, his mental state unstable, pondering philosophical questions about the nature of magic all day long.
Alexstrasza, accompanied by her consorts, was slowly healing from the immense trauma to her body and mind.
Everyone is busy, and being busy is good—
"It's not just transcendent races that have demigod-level spellcasters; mortals do too, such as the successive Tirisgarde," Kael'thas hinted.
"The Tirisgarde? The Last Guardian Medivh is no longer here. Are you referring to—his mother, Lady Aegwynn?" Khadgar immediately thought of a name.
Kael'thas nodded: "Lady Aegwynn's magical attainments are even stronger than Malygos's, already approaching true divinity. She is a true Archmage, and she will certainly be able to break Gul'dan's spell."
Khadgar said, "Of course. Although Gul'dan is also a demigod, he's not even fit to carry her shoes. But she disappeared long ago. Where would we find her?"
Kael'thas shook his head, "We can't find her. She broke with the Tirisgarde Council centuries ago and has been evading the Council's pursuit. Karazhan was built during that period. When a demigod mage wants to hide, no one can find her. We can only make her come to us."
Khadgar frowned, "But why would she come to us? She wouldn't even pay attention to us."
Kael'thas smiled, "Of course she wouldn't pay attention to us, but there are things in this world that she does pay attention to."
Khadgar said, "Lady Aegwynn's greatest concern is, of course, Medivh. However, Medivh is no longer here. So, the only thing she would pay attention to is Karazhan?"
"Exactly, Karazhan."
Kael'thas said, "She will always pay attention to Karazhan, because it was built by her own hands, it was the long-term residence of her and her husband Nielas Aran, and it was also the dwelling of her son Medivh. Karazhan must have spells she left behind. As long as we arrive at Karazhan, she will certainly notice us."
Khadgar immediately said, "Good, we'll go to Karazhan now! It's been a long time since I returned; it's time to visit!"
Kael'thas shook his head again: "No rush. I promised to help Edwin VanCleef resolve the payment issue. Let's go to Stormwind City first."
Khadgar quickly asked, "Are you going to see Lothar? He is the Regent, the most upright person I've ever met. As long as he personally oversees this matter, he will never delay or withhold the Stonemasons' Guild's payment."
Garona said, "You two go. I'll be here—no, I'll wait for you at Raven Hill in Duskwood."
King Llane Wrynn was assassinated by her own hands.
Although she was forced, she still harbored deep guilt towards Lothar and the young King Varian, not daring to face them, much less step into Stormwind City.
The two teleported to Stormwind City, arrived at Stormwind Keep, and met Marshal Lothar and King Varian.
"The Stonemasons' Guild's payment? Countess Katrana Prestor is in charge of this matter. I'll send someone to invite her over and inquire about the situation." Lothar rubbed his temples.
Stormwind City needed to be rebuilt.
Elwynn Forest, Duskwood, Westfall, and Redridge Mountains needed to be reclaimed.
Blackrock Mountain needed to be guarded.
Keep of Ensorcellment needed to be constructed.
Civilians needed to be resettled.
The nobles also re-divided their interests.
Alliance high-ranking officials also had to hold summits repeatedly to divide the spoils of victory.
Although Varian was intelligent, he was too young and had character flaws. He couldn't control those old nobles and couldn't handle these matters well. Every single issue had to be handled by him.
He only had one brain and two hands, so he couldn't handle everything and could only find capable and reliable people to share the burden.
For example, Duke Bolvar Fordragon, and Countess Katrana Prestor.
He absolutely trusted Bolvar.
The Fordragon family was an ancient noble family with a thousand-year heritage. They were already dukes when the Lothar family was in power, and they were fiercely loyal to the Lothar and Wrynn families.
That kid Bolvar had a decent mind and good abilities. He had also passed Archbishop Faol's test and received the Light's approval, becoming a second-generation Silver Hand recruit alongside Alexandros Mograine.
Now he was a qualified paladin, trustworthy.
As for Countess Katrana Prestor...
She was charismatic, highly attractive to both men and women. Upon arriving in Stormwind City, she quickly became a renowned socialite, adept at social maneuvering. In just a few months, she had won over most of the nobles, and even Bolvar had a good impression of her.
The reason she was put in charge of the construction of Stormwind City and Keep of Ensorcellment was due to the joint recommendation of many nobles, led by Bolvar.
But for some unknown reason, he could never bring himself to like that countess. He always felt that something was hidden beneath her beautiful exterior—this was the intuition of a legendary warrior.
"Don't say I was here." Kael'thas reminded him.
Lothar's brow furrowed: "You also think she's problematic?"
Kael'thas shrugged: "I haven't met her, but being able to win over so many nobles in just a few months—that doesn't seem to be explainable by 'charm'. As a mage, I'm more inclined to attribute it to magic, and besides..."
He closed his eyes, released his mind, and after a moment, opened them again, smiling faintly: "I sensed a very subtle but powerful shadow energy in Stormwind City, likely at the legendary level. Is Uncle Thoradin in the city?"
"No, he doesn't like Stormwind City, doesn't like living with the living. He was invited by an old friend and went to Duskwood."
Lothar's expression grew serious: "It seems my guess was correct; that countess is indeed not simple!"
King Varian, who had been sitting on the throne, now stood up, grabbed the greatsword resting beside him, and said in a deep voice, "I will gather elite troops now and set up an ambush. As soon as we confirm she's problematic, we'll swarm her and capture her!"
Kael'thas shook his head: "A legendary-level spellcaster cannot be dealt with by sheer numbers alone. Moreover, any abnormality will alert the other party. Let's proceed as usual."
Lothar nodded: "Kael'thas, Khadgar, and I, the three of us together, there isn't a legendary we can't handle in this world—Your Majesty, do you want to avoid this for now?"
"This is Stormwind Kingdom, this is Stormwind City, this is Stormwind Keep. I am the King, and this is my territory. Why should I hide? Besides, I am not to be trifled with. I killed more enemies in the Orc war than many generals!"
"Moreover, at this time, I am always here. If I were not here today, she might become suspicious."
Varian sat back on the throne and said, "I will stay here, not retreating a single step!"
"Good!"
Lothar's face showed admiration. This child was much stronger than his father, like me—
Twenty minutes later, Countess Katrana Prestor, in a black dress, walked in. Her dress flowed gracefully, unable to conceal her beautiful figure, but rather accentuating her alluring curves.
Not too fat, not too thin, with prominent curves in all the right places.
An ounce more would be plump, an ounce less would be slender.
Every part of her body exuded temptation, possessing an extremely strong allure for anyone—no, for any flesh-and-blood life—she was practically a succubus in human form.
She wasn't actually exceptionally beautiful, not on par with the Windrunner Sisters, not with Lana'thel, or even Liadrin.
But she possessed a charm that permeated her very being, an attraction on both a spiritual and physical level for any living creature.
And this was definitely not something personal charm could achieve!
As soon as she entered, she saw Kael'thas. Their eyes met, and seeing the mocking, sarcastic smile on Kael'thas's face, she immediately felt a sense of dread.
"This is an illusion. What are you hiding?"
Kael'thas drew out Flameguard, and a pre-prepared Pyroblast shot out, smashing heavily into the Countess's face!
"Kael'thas!"
The countess shrieked, about to cast a spell to evade and defend, but it was too late.
Kael'thas had made ample preparations, having already conjured an inferno fireball the size of a basketball and cast spells to isolate arcane and fire elemental energy fluctuations, ensuring this Old God Black Dragon wouldn't detect it.
At this moment, she was less than fifty meters from Kael'thas, a distance too close. She was struck by the inferno fireball before she could even cast a spell.
A Legendary-level spell was something even an Old God Black Dragon wouldn't dare to withstand head-on, especially since she was in human form, her defenses and magic resistance far from their peak.
One strike, critical injury!
In the blazing flames, the countess's beautiful face was obliterated, her clothes burned away, and her fair skin was charred black like charcoal.
The thin magic defense necklace around her neck activated instantly, but it still couldn't block a Legendary Mage's full-power attack, letting out a crisp crack before falling to the ground.
In her haste, the old woman, who had lived for over ten thousand years, was terrified. She truly sensed Kael'thas's spell intensity and was extremely wary of this elven prince she had never met.
His spellcasting ability was already approaching the High-Legendary level, in no way weaker than hers!
Ten millennia of accumulated wisdom allowed her to make an accurate judgment immediately:
Even in a head-on, one-on-one fight, she might not be Kael'thas's match, not to mention the Legendary Warrior Lothar, who could threaten her, and Khadgar, whose strength was unknown but had the record of killing the Archmage Medivh!
"Fighting is not an option!"
"Fleeing, of course, is possible, but I am unwilling!"
"Moreover, Father's command cannot be disobeyed. If I cannot establish myself in Stormwind City and control the Stormwind Kingdom, Father will surely punish me severely!"
At the thought of her father's methods of punishment, his insane face flashed in her mind, and her delicate body trembled.
What was being burned alive? It was far inferior to her father's punishments!
Her gaze pierced through the elemental fire and landed on King Varian. He was the only weakness of this group.
At such a young age, his combat skills were comparable to a master's, having eliminated dozens of enemies on the battlefield. For a teenager, it was indeed remarkable, but in front of her, it was utterly insufficient.
As long as she captured Varian, she could force these people to comply!
Without hesitation, she didn't counterattack or defend. Instead, she used the simplest spell, attempting to blink next to Varian and seize him as a hostage.
Arcane light flickered, everything as usual.
The flames still burned, Varian remained on the throne, and the distance between them hadn't shortened at all; she was still in place.
Blink failed!
Only Khadgar's chicken leg staff glowed with a dazzling blue light, releasing a large amount of arcane energy from its tip, permeating the entire Stormwind Keep, forming a spatial barrier that isolated this place from the outside world.
"He sealed this space!"
"Medivh's only disciple, the inheritor of the Tirisgarde Staff, is he that strong? Barely twenty years old, and his mastery of teleportation spells is already approaching the Legendary level!"
"A descendant of the Titan-forged Vrykul, his arcane talent is actually this strong, even stronger than our Guardian Dragonflight!"
"The Titans are unfair!"
Although it was only fifty meters, Kael'thas, Lothar, and Khadgar stood between them. With no way to blink or teleport, taking Varian hostage had become impossible.
Onyxia made a swift decision and immediately transformed back into her dragon form.
Her once elegant Old God Black Dragon body was now covered in wounds, her skin uneven, with shattered scales everywhere and torn flesh that writhed and healed at a visible rate.
Furthermore, shadow flames burned within her scales, skin patterns, muscle fibers, and blood vessels, emitting a pure dark aura that permeated the entire Stormwind Keep, making one feel as if they were standing on the edge of an abyss.
Her massive body, nearly a hundred meters long, was even more robust than the similarly sized Krasus, her solid muscles exuding a sense of power.
Without harsh words or taunts, she simply glared fiercely at Kael'thas, then pushed off with her legs, flapping her wings to stir up a gale, and crashed her head, larger than a Quick Inn single room, into the towering, hard dome.
With absolute power, she shattered the rock-built dome and flew towards the freedom of the sky!
With another flash of light, Khadgar dispelled the spatial lock, taking Marshal Lothar and King Varian, and mass teleported them to the small plaza in front of the Stormwind Keep gate.
A rumbling sound came from behind them; the recently rebuilt Stormwind Keep had partially collapsed!
"It's over, at least fifty thousand gold coins down the drain!"
Lothar couldn't afford to feel distressed. He looked up, tracking the Old God Black Dragon who had revealed her true form, and saw a streak of fire shoot out from the ruins. It arrived later but caught up to Onyxia in an instant, tangling with her. It was a phoenix, not much smaller than her!
"Phoenix God, Oh!"
"You, a dignified Fire Elemental Demigod, instead of staying in the Fire Elemental Plane, you abandon most of your power to answer Kael'thas's summons and willingly become his pet. You've brought utter shame upon Ragnaros!"
Onyxia raised her claw to block the Phoenix God's flame claw, angrily rebuking and mocking.
"None of your business! I like it!"
The Phoenix God did not respond, only giving her an emotionless glance before continuing her attack.
"The current you is no match for me!"
Onyxia was about to exert all her strength to force back the Phoenix God, escape the battlefield, and fly far away, when she suddenly heard another loud bang and sensed the threat of death.
She didn't even have time to turn around, furiously flapping her wings to gain altitude, but she was still struck by a body like a cannonball, tumbling two and a half times in the sky before stabilizing herself.
She looked down at the Old God Red Dragon that had suddenly appeared, whose aura felt somewhat familiar, and her expression was puzzled:
"Kael'thas? How did you turn into a Red Dragon? And you still have Alexstrasza's power!"
A golden light attracted her.
Looking at the dragon soul hanging around Kael'thas's neck, Onyxia was stunned: "She gave you a portion of the power granted by the Titans, a portion of her authority? This is impossible, how could she bear to?"
"None of your business, she likes it!"
Kael'thas shook his somewhat dizzy head, flapped his wings, and flew over, joining the Phoenix God in a righteous two-on-one fight.
Onyxia, fighting two opponents, immediately fell into a disadvantage.
She fought and retreated, secretly accumulating strength and preparing spells, planning to seize the opportunity to teleport away.
On the ground, Lothar glanced at the magnificent Kael'thas in the sky, then looked back at the Stormwind Keep, which had collapsed again and was now completely in ruins, feeling a pang in his heart:
Another fifty thousand—no, at least a hundred thousand gold coins gone!
Kael'thas, couldn't you have teleported out first before transforming into a dragon? Did you have to cause destruction?
"Your Highness was worried about Onyxia escaping; every second counts, and teleportation would delay things—"
"I know!"
Khadgar was interrupted by Lothar before he could finish explaining.
He looked at the two dragons and one phoenix entangled in combat hundreds of meters high and frowned: "Onyxia is not Kael'thas's match, but Kael'thas won't defeat her quickly. She is a High-Legendary—no, she is a master even among High-Legendaries!"
Khadgar also looked at the sky: "Dragons are Legendary creatures once they reach adulthood, and if they live for over ten thousand years, they are High-Legendary. Onyxia was already a dragon genius, and after being corrupted by the Old God, she gained shadow power. She is already close to Demigod level!"
In terms of energy level alone, Onyxia was significantly stronger than Kael'thas. If the Phoenix God hadn't helped, Kael'thas would not have been Onyxia's match—that is, without using flame strike and the dragon soul!
"We can't let Onyxia escape. Dragons are skilled in transformation spells; she can change into another person at any time, change her identity, and infiltrate Stormwind City again. Kael'thas can't always be here to guard it!"
Lothar, gripping the Warrior artifact stormkar, the warbreaker, said in a deep voice: "No, we have to help him!"
"This... I want to help, but I really can't!" Khadgar said helplessly.
Kael'thas and Onyxia were too high, hundreds of meters up, and flying higher and farther, already beyond the range of archers and mages.
Although he had a flying carpet and could turn into a raven, his flight speed couldn't match theirs.
Even if he caught up, it would be useless. His limited spellcasting ability wouldn't help; his spells couldn't harm an Old God Black Dragon.
Lothar was even less likely. He couldn't catch up even on a gryphon. Wearing full armor and carrying a greatsword, he weighed over a hundred kilograms; a gryphon couldn't fly fast!
"Khadgar, can you teleport me into the sky? Teleport me next to Onyxia's head!" Lothar asked.
"Ah?"
Khadgar was stunned for three seconds, his mind racing, finally understanding Lothar's plan: "I can, but it's too dangerous. I can't teleport you back from that far away. If you fail, you'll fall to your death!"
Lothar gripped his greatsword with both hands and said: "I trust your aim! And Kael'thas won't just watch me fall to my death; he'll save me! If I really do fall to my death, remember to have Kael'thas resurrect me as a Death Knight!"
"Alright then."
Khadgar calmed himself and focused intensely.
With a flash of light, Lothar left the ground and appeared above Onyxia, less than ten meters from her massive dragon head!
"Khadgar, well done!"
"But do you, a Mage, not know Warrior skills? I was in a 'Execute' stance; you should have teleported me next to her!"
"Do Dalaran Mages not cross-train as Warriors? No, the Stormwind City Battlemage Corps must undergo Warrior training!"
Lothar free-fell, landing steadily on Onyxia's head.
He changed his stance, gripped stormkar with both hands, and forcefully plunged the divine sword into Onyxia's head!
"Ah!"
Onyxia, who was simultaneously fighting Kael'thas and the Phoenix God while secretly preparing a teleportation spell, never expected a sword technique to descend from the sky!
She was completely unprepared and was stabbed in the brain by this sword.
The elven magic and Zakajz's power attached to it erupted simultaneously, scrambling her brain into a mess.
The light in her round dragon eyes gradually dimmed, and bioelectric signals were interrupted as her nervous system was damaged, causing her tense muscles to relax completely.
Onyxia's soul was trapped in her body by elven magic, unable to break free, and fell with her body.
And below her was Stormwind Harbor, filled with ships!
"I slayed a dragon?"
"I killed an Old God Black Dragon close to Demigod level?"
"Sister, Llane, and Ancestor Thoradin, did you see that? I slayed a dragon!"
"And Varian, you must also learn to slay dragons like me in the future. It would be best if you could kill Onyxia's father or her brother!"
Lothar stood tall on the dragon's head, full of vigor, heroic and magnificent, his heart filled with immense pride.
The fierce sea wind whipped his face, bringing the salty tang of seawater and a faint stinging sensation, awakening him from his self-admiration.
He looked down at Stormwind Harbor, which looked tiny a thousand meters below, and at the warships and merchant ships that resembled toys, feeling a chill in his heart.
If he fell from here, wouldn't he be dead for sure?
"Kael'thas!"
Lothar cried out for help, when suddenly a voice sounded behind him: "What are you shouting about, Dragon Slayer?"
He turned back in surprise, seeing Kael'thas, who had somehow returned to his High Elf form, now on Onyxia's neck, less than five meters from him.
The Phoenix God Oh also flew over, her sharp claws piercing Onyxia's spine, firmly gripping the body, and slowly descending.
"Are you a ghost? Why didn't I hear you?" Lothar sighed in relief.
"Don't you know? Elves' footsteps are always very light. This is nothing. If it were the Windrunner Sisters, you wouldn't know even if an arrow tip was pressed against the back of your head." Kael'thas said.
"Are you boasting? I am a Legendary Warrior, and my perception is very strong. No matter how powerful they are, they can't get close—I know what you want to say, this is high up, and I was just excited and didn't pay attention."
Lothar's old face flushed.
No matter how he tried to explain, being approached without noticing was embarrassing.
Fortunately, this was high in the sky, and his cries for help would surely not reach the ground.
"Excuse me."
Kael'thas walked onto the dragon's head, cast a spell to activate the dragon soul, and said: "Pull out the sword."
Lothar didn't understand why, but he complied.
Freed from the elven magic's confinement, Onyxia's soul regained its freedom and immediately flew out of her body, attempting to escape. However, at that moment, the dragon soul shot out a golden light, enveloping her soul and drawing it in.
"No!"
Onyxia sadly discovered that she had been sealed by the magic jointly cast by the four Dragon Aspects, becoming one of the "artifact spirits" of the dragon soul.
And lying next to her, staring at her, were four miniature versions of the Dragon Aspects—
"It's over!"
Onyxia closed her eyes, pretending not to see them.
She could only hope that one day her father or brother would kill Kael'thas and rescue her.
Also sealed was Onyxia's "Guardian" power.
This power came from the Titan Khaz'goroth, sharing the same origin as the Earth-Lord Al'Akir.
The two merged, becoming even stronger than what the four Dragon Aspects had left behind.
This meant that from now on, Kael'thas could merge with Onyxia's soul at any time, transforming into an Old God Black Dragon form.
The Demigod strike of one of the Five Dragonflights also received an enhancement, increasing its power by approximately one-quarter!
The Phoenix God slowly descended, landing on the plaza in front of the Stormwind Keep, then vanished. Kael'thas and Lothar jumped down from the dragon's head, one after the other, and met up with Khadgar and Varian.
"Prince Kael'thas, we owe you a great debt this time. Otherwise, Onyxia would have continued to lurk in Stormwind City, and the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Varian stepped forward, expressing his sincere gratitude. Besides thanks, he had nothing else to offer.
Even the most precious national treasure, the book of medivh, was in Kael'thas's hands. The other party didn't care for gold and silver treasures, so he couldn't possibly offer territory, could he?
That was definitely out of the question.
"It's a small matter."
Kael'thas waved his hand and said, "The Black Dragonflight has infiltrated mortal society, so it's impossible for Onyxia to be the only one. Does countess Katrana Prestor have any apparent family relations? Are there other members of the Prestor family?"
"Yes, Lord Prestor. He is currently Terenas's honored guest, claiming to be Katrana's father!"
Lothar's face changed drastically: "This is bad. He must be Deathwing, and Terenas has been bewitched by him!"
He had met Prestor.
The man was a little older than him, elegant and charming, essentially a male version of the countess, attracting many Lordaeron noblewomen.
He heard that Terenas even intended to marry his daughter to him to win him over and push him onto the throne of Alterac?
He claimed to be a lord from a remote region of the Alterac Kingdom, related to Perenolde five hundred years ago, and the seventy-third in line of succession to the throne!
"No, I must go to Lordaeron to warn Terenas and expose Deathwing!"
Lothar still had feelings for Lordaeron and Terenas.
Moreover, Deathwing was a common enemy of the Alliance and had to be dealt with.
This was not for Terenas, but for the Alliance, and even the entire world.
Kael'thas said, "The Black Dragonflight definitely has other informants in Stormwind City. Such a big commotion couldn't have been hidden from them. The news has already reached Deathwing."
Lothar's face was grim: "I was too hasty. I shouldn't have killed Onyxia in public! Deathwing is a top-tier demigod. If he gets enraged and attacks, all of Lordaeron will suffer!"
This wasn't Kael'thas's fault; it was his own for not thinking of Lord Prestor's connection at the time.
If he had thought of these earlier, he could have made ample preparations and secretly killed Onyxia.
Then, he could have gathered the strongest forces of the entire Alliance, set up a super-large trap, lured Deathwing into it, and eliminated him once and for all, preventing future troubles.
"Don't even think about it. Onyxia is a high-tier legendary. It's almost impossible to kill her secretly."
"Moreover, an existence of Deathwing's caliber, his perception and magical attainments are beyond our imagination. He probably sensed Onyxia's death the moment it happened."
"You want to set a trap to lure Deathwing? That's even more impossible. The wisdom and danger perception of a top-tier demigod far surpass mortals. None of our schemes can outwit him. To deal with him, we can only use overt strategies, relying on absolute strength."
The cicada senses the autumn wind before it stirs; a top-tier demigod's perception is global.
Even with the Four Dragon Aspects working together, it would be difficult to outwit Deathwing. Kael'thas shook his head: "As for Lordaeron, you don't need to worry. Deathwing wouldn't dare waste time on venting his emotions. I predict he has already left."
He deeply suspected that:
The so-called Lord Prestor was merely an avatar of Deathwing, not his true body.
The great battle at Grim Batol must have left a huge shadow on Deathwing.
The older one gets, and the stronger one becomes, the more one fears death.
Deathwing's true body was most likely still hiding in the Stonecore in Deepholm, guarding the World Pillar, which was crucial to world safety and whose destruction would be enough to cause a second Sundering.
That thing was his trump card to threaten the Four Dragon Aspects.
Unless he completely resolved the flaws in his armor plates and possessed the strength to directly confront the Four Dragon Aspects, he wouldn't dare to come out!
"Fine, I'll take a trip with you."
Seeing Lothar still full of worry, he and Lothar teleported to Lordaeron, arriving at Lord Prestor's residence. The man was indeed gone, leaving only an illusion waiting for them there.
"Kael'thas, you've ruined my plans again!"
Deathwing stared at the elven prince he deeply detested, his face expressionless: "We will meet again."
"Yes, on the day I kill you."
Kael'thas casually destroyed the illusion and teleported back to Stormwind City with Lothar. The aerial battle had attracted the attention of tens of thousands of Stormwind City residents.
They flocked from all directions, gathering to gawk at Onyxia's ravaged body, exclaiming in wonder and uttering gasps and praises.
If it weren't for the guards, they would have even rushed over to stomp on it a couple of times for satisfaction.
The nobles also rushed over, offering greetings and flattery, while subtly trying to find out what had happened.
Who exactly was this Ancient Black Dragon, why did she appear in Stormwind City, and why did she engage in such a fierce conflict with Prince Kael'thas and Marshal Lothar?
"She is countess Katrana Prestor, but that is only her superficial identity. She is actually Onyxia, the daughter of the Black Dragon Aspect, Deathwing!" Lothar announced.
A hubbub arose among the crowd. Such a beautiful and charming single countess was actually the great villain, a Black Dragon?
"The moment I saw her, I knew something was wrong with her. She was winking at me. Luckily, I had enough self-control, or I would have been defiled!"
"Exactly, exactly. She loved to wear black clothes so much; what else could she be but a Black Dragon?"
"I told you she was suspicious a long time ago, but you didn't believe me!"
Young and old male nobles alike angrily denounced her, filled with righteous indignation.
Especially those potential suitors who hadn't been able to touch the countess's body or get close to her. The more they liked her before, the more they hated her now, cursing her with increasingly foul language.
As for the 'fortunate' power brokers who had relations with the countess, they either kept silent or looked at each other, then hypocritically joined in the accusations.
As for their inner thoughts, some felt utterly disgusted: 'The one I had relations with was actually a dragon?' The thought made them nauseous, gag, and want to vomit, feeling defiled.
Others, however, felt incredibly pleased: 'The one I had relations with was actually a dragon?' Kael'thas, Lothar, you shouldn't have done that. If you killed her, how will she get back into my bed?
The noblewomen's reactions were similar to the noblemen's, as some of them had also been charmed.
Of course, they also had an additional emotion: schadenfreude. This is called female rivalry.
Human hearts are complex, and thoughts are diverse.
But their attitude towards Kael'thas and Lothar was the same.
Regardless of race or era, the title of "Dragon Slayer" represented awesomeness and commanded respect, especially since they had slain an Ancient Black Dragon close to demigod level.
"Although the final blow came from Marshal Lothar, the main force in this battle was Prince Kael'thas!"
"He could actually transform into such a large and powerful Ancient Red Dragon! This is incredible!"
"If only I could also transform into a dragon—"
Thousands of men began to fantasize.
Some noblewomen were also fantasizing.
The Prince was more handsome than the countess, and his transformed Ancient Red Dragon was more elegant than the Ancient Black Dragon. As they thought about it, the humidity in Stormwind City increased.
"It's only been a few days since it was repaired, and we haven't even gotten used to it yet. Now it needs to be rebuilt again. I wonder how much it will cost."
Marshal Lothar looked at the ruins of Stormwind Keep with a worried expression.
The Stormwind Kingdom, after its destruction, had revived, but now it lacked nothing but money.
It was so short of money that it had to sell titles, which is how many incapable but wealthy nobles rose to power.
Some wealthy farmers and big merchants also obtained knighthoods this way or arranged for their family members to become knights.
The once-wealthy Stormwind Kingdom, second only to Lordaeron, was gone. He wished he could make one gold coin stretch into two. Where would he find so much money to rebuild Stormwind Keep?
"Well, most of the materials can still be used. About half of the hard furnishings can be salvaged, but the soft furnishings are mostly gone. All in all, about eighty thousand gold coins."
Edwin VanCleef appeared out of nowhere, took a quick look, and immediately gave a figure. This was called professionalism.
The Stonemasons' Guild was quite a large organization, with over a thousand people, and even included teleportation mages.
After receiving Kael'thas's promise, he immediately teleported to Stormwind City, not to wait for the results, but to oversee the reconstruction here.
The two locations were a thousand or two thousand kilometers apart. Without a teleportation mage, a round trip would take ten days to half a month, making it impossible to manage everything.
At this moment, he looked at the worried Lothar, and he too was troubled.
He knew exactly what the Stormwind Kingdom's finances were like. Onyxia's success in instigating trouble was precisely because she targeted this point.
If they were rich enough to casually take out millions of gold coins, it wouldn't have been so easy to instigate.
They were already stretched thin, and now they had to rebuild a second time. Could the Stonemasons' Guild's payment still be made?
"Are you Edwin VanCleef of the Stonemasons' Guild? Kael'thas told me about your situation."
"Don't worry, the payment will still be the amount we initially agreed upon, and it will be given to you on time."
Lothar began to ponder where to get money. If Stormwind Keep was too expensive, they could rebuild it smaller. They could also auction off part of the port business, or failing that, consider borrowing—
At this moment, Kael'thas's voice entered his ears: "Your Majesty, Marshal, I've taken Onyxia's soul. Her body is yours."
Lothar's eyes immediately lit up, and he looked at the Ancient Black Dragon's body with gleaming eyes.
Onyxia was a good thing; her whole body was a treasure trove!
Dragon hide was an extremely valuable magical material, capable of being crafted into at least epic-grade leather armor. The softest parts could also be used to make dragon-hide spellbooks, each selling for tens of thousands of gold coins.
Dragon scales were self-explanatory; each scale was a natural epic-grade shield, and could also be ground into swords, arrows, or daggers. Their hardness approached adamantite, and their magic resistance approached mithril, making them extremely valuable.
Dragon teeth were even better; sturdy and sharp, a slight polish turned them into swords or daggers, all epic-grade, each worth at least a thousand.
A pair of dragon eyes was even rarer, a legendary-grade rare material that could be used to craft legendary equipment, worth at least twenty thousand.
Dragon sinews and bones could all be sold for money.
Dragon blood was also a good thing. It could be used to make dragon blood ink, which scribes would surely love, and it could also be sold to alchemists to make potions and elixirs, all of which would be epic-grade products.
Even the most useless dragon meat, surely no one would pass up the chance to indulge their taste buds?
Such a large Black Dragon would yield hundreds of tons of dragon meat. Even if one kilogram only sold for one gold coin, it would still add up to hundreds of thousands of gold coins, not to mention that dragon liver, dragon heart, and the like would definitely be more expensive.
Especially the dragon heart, which contained extremely powerful energy. It wouldn't be sold for less than ten thousand—no, thirty thousand gold coins!
"No, we must contact the high-ranking officials of the Alliance nations now, hold an auction, and divide Onyxia's body to sell to various countries!"
"Everyone will have a part of Onyxia's body, and the Black Dragonflight's hatred will also be spread among the Alliance nations, greatly reducing the pressure on the Stormwind Kingdom!"
"And it could sell for at least a million gold coins, or even more!"
Lothar grew more excited with each calculation.
The value of dragons, especially Ancient Dragons, was too high. A single corpse could sell for the price of an artifact. If there were a few more, would they still need to worry about finances?
This was just the body.
The soul Kael'thas took was even more valuable than the body.
Living Ancient Dragons, needless to say, high-tier legendaries were capable of threatening an entire nation by themselves.
Currently, none of the Alliance nations had a single high-tier legendary!
If they could capture a living Ancient Dragon and find a way to tame or enslave it, the Stormwind Kingdom would have an existence that could be called a guardian deity.
He was in high spirits, pondering over having SI:7 thoroughly investigate where else Black Dragons might be.
He dared not think about the other four colored dragonflights; he only wanted to get some money for the royal family, not court death—
He quietly told Kael'thas his thoughts and asked him if he knew where else Black Dragons might be.
"The Dustwallow Marsh on the Kalimdor continent, Onyxia's lair is there, and there should be many whelps, hatchlings, dragonkin, and dragon beasts."
"There are also Black Dragons in Neltharion's lair in Highmountain on the Broken Isles, but it's too far, and it's Tauren territory, so don't even think about it.
"And don't even think about Deepholm; that's the Earth Elemental Plane."
Kael'thas thought for a moment and said, "If I were Deathwing, I would definitely continue to interfere in the mortal world. Now that he has been exposed in the Alliance once, he probably won't send anyone over again for a while, but the Horde is different."
Lothar agreed profoundly: "Deathwing already cooperated with the Dragonmaw Orcs. Now he can cooperate again. The Dragonmaw Orcs are no longer strong, but the Blackrock Orcs still have considerable power. He might send people to Blackrock Mountain!"
He summoned Mathias Shaw, the current head of SI:7: "Focus on Blackrock Mountain. Find a way to send people to infiltrate it, and report any news of Black Dragons!"
Subsequently, he ordered the mages to jointly seal Onyxia's body for preservation, then had professionals dissect it and transport it to Dalaran.
Stormwind City was still under reconstruction; it wasn't suitable.
Dalaran was already a city of trade, and it had portals to all the Alliance nations, making transportation convenient.
Five days later, a grand large-scale auction was held, and Lothar and Varian made a fortune.
That same evening, Kael'thas and Khadgar rode griffons, gifted to Stormwind City by the Wildhammer Dwarves, and flew to Raven Hill in Duskwood.