Make Azeroth breathtaking

Neptulon's casual words made Daelin's eyes widen suddenly, and he made a decision in less than a second.

"it is good."

Looking at the scene before her and listening to their conversation, Tennys' expression was subtle.

'Neptulon... could he be a cunning schemer?'

54. The intelligence brought by Hydraxia

Stormwind, Stormwind Fortress, Royal Gardens.

At Thrall's soft call, Duke Hydraxia, whose figure was roughly outlined by the flowing water and whose body was adorned with what appeared to be light blue materials that were neither ice nor something else, slowly emerged from the goldfish pond of the Wrynn family. The water elemental fluctuations emanating from him attracted the surrounding fish to curiously gather around him, playfully blowing bubbles. This simple yet magnificent scene made Anduin, who had been led by Queen Tiffin to witness the ceremony, exclaim in surprise.

"It's a pleasure to fight alongside you, mortals..."

Duke Hydraxia, the Water Elemental, spoke slowly, his voice like rushing water or a waterfall on a cliff. Each word he uttered caused the pool beneath his feet to tremble slightly. Seeing that the Duke's body had materialized, Varian took a step forward.

"It is an honor to meet you, Duke Hydraxia. The Tidehunter mentioned that you have been keeping a close eye on Ragnaros's movements in the Material Plane. So, is there any key intelligence you can share with us?"

"You're right, human king. My master has been eyeing the Molten Core beneath Blackrock Mountain since the moment Ragnaros rose to power. My master has noticed that the concentration of fire elementals in the Molten Core has been steadily increasing over the past few centuries. This indicates that Ragnaros's goal, besides freeing himself completely, is at least to completely connect his territory—Firelands—with the Molten Core, making it a new boundary of his domain!"

"What if it succeeds?"

Although he knew the answer would be terrible, Thrall felt he still had to acquire this knowledge about the elemental lords.

"The Burning Steppes and the Searing Gorge will become a semi-elemental plane, and the land beneath my feet will turn into a new Burning Wasteland. Ragnaros's legions will pour out from the Gates of Flames and ignite the entire world."

Duke Hydraxia uttered words in a very calm tone that made everyone present turn pale. Although Thrall had long known that such an outcome was possible and had warned others of this possibility, he was still slightly dazed when the answer came so clearly and cruelly from the mouth of a high-ranking elemental being.

What should we do?

Varian spoke in a deep voice.

"Besides the fire elementals and lava elementals you're familiar with, Ragnaros's minions stationed in Molten Core include numerous fire sprites, lava giants, and beasts born from the land of fire. The most powerful of these beasts is known as the Lava Hound..."

Duke Hydraxia didn't immediately tell them what to do. Instead, he slowly began to introduce the enemies inside Molten Core. Everyone calmed down and began to seriously memorize this rare knowledge. There were some fire elementals active in Darkforge, and the library of Darkforge could also find some clues about Ragnaros's minions. However, those who truly understood their old adversary were ancient water elementals like Hydraxia.

"Magnanda is the strongest among the lava hounds, and one of Ragnaros's favorite pets. Luciferon, Gehennas, and Shankrox are among the best fire elementals. Lord Reolis is the king of lava giants, responsible for forging lava giants and lava elementals. His strongest lava giant is named Golemeng, known as the Incinerator. His most terrifying lava elemental is Garr, possessing a gigantic body tens of meters tall. Furthermore, the vanguard of the fire elementals is usually Baron Garden, whose ignition of fires far exceeds your imagination..."

After discussing the possible enemies that might appear in Molten Core, Hydraxia slowly introduced some well-known high-level fire elementals. One familiar name after another made Tannis's eyelids twitch.

'These names don't just include bosses from Molten Core! It seems some of them are... future bosses from Firelands? Wait, does this mean we might face Ragnaros himself in the future? This fragmented memory is really giving me a headache...'

Of course, Duke Hydraxia was completely oblivious to the turmoil in Tannis's heart; he was still introducing everyone to the last few remaining members of the fire elemental forces known only to the water elementals.

“Belrock, a battle maniac, is currently guarding the gates of Ragnaros' Sulphron Keep. If the Firelands hadn't appeared, we wouldn't have been able to confront him on the material plane. But the other one is a different story. Exothos, a fire demon, is Ragnaros's closest sycophant, with a position similar to the steward of internal affairs in your human kingdom. According to his habits, he has definitely already gone to Molten Core to pave the way for his master.”

After Duke Hydakxia finished speaking, he rolled over and was pleased to find that the mortals in front of him did not show any fear on their faces.

"The master believed that, given Ragnaros's barren mind, he absolutely couldn't conceive of any artistic way to connect the elemental plane with the material world. Therefore, he must have used the most common technique—elemental runes—to gradually channel an excess of fire element into the mortal realm through multiple runes linked to the Firelands."

"How many of these runes are there?"

"At least five, at most ten. Too many or too few won't achieve the best results. Therefore, the first step in attacking Molten Core is to determine how many of these seals are hidden within it..."

"I know."

Before Duke Hydakxia could finish speaking, Emperor Dagranthorison, who had been a guest but had been largely ignored, suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"When I was very, very young, I attempted to rebel against Ragnaros's rule. With the help of the Seven Sages of Dark Iron, whom I summoned with my father, I successfully infiltrated Molten Core. But I failed, and all seven Sages died because of me. As punishment, Ragnaros's fire demons extracted the souls of the seven Sages before my very eyes, incinerated their bodies, and then sealed most of their souls within Molten Core as a medium for runes, leaving only a remnant of their souls before my palace to remind me of the consequences of betraying it..."

As he spoke, Emperor Thaurissan could no longer continue. He covered his face, trying his best to remain as dignified as a king and not cry.

"Seven of you, I understand... I will bring the essence of water to counter the Flame Runes in ten days. After extinguishing all the runes, Molten Core will revert to an ordinary lava cave due to the repulsion of the material plane. Only then will you have a sliver of hope of victory against Ragnaros..."

After saying this, Duke Hydakxia sank back into the water and disappeared.

55. The Supreme Warriors Who Stepped into Molten Core

Ten days can feel both long and short. While the elite first echelon completed their armed assembly in Blackrock Spire, which had been occupied by the Allied Forces, the Essence of Water, mentioned by Duke Hydraxia, was delivered to the Allied Forces. Thus, the war council convened again at Stormwind Keep.

"The only known entrance to Molten Core is the deep pit beside the lava lake beneath the Great Forge. However, if a large force were to gather there, it would inevitably alarm Ragnaros's lackeys in Darkforge. Although they haven't given a second glance to the elite troops disguised as slaves that we've placed in Darkforge so far, it's hard to say whether they'll still be so slow to react when we take action."

Daelin tapped the table rhythmically, looking at the other leaders. After being forced into the role by Neptulon, he immediately gathered all the intelligence related to the operation, which allowed him to sketch out a map in his mind.

"My plan is to have the second wave of people work with the Darkforge City guards to wipe out the fire elemental creatures of Darkforge City the moment the first wave launches its attack. This two-pronged approach will prevent intelligence from leaking into Molten Core too quickly."

Varian told Daelin his idea, and Jaina nodded with a wry smile—she knew it was risky, but it was the optimal solution given that Molten Core had only a single entrance.

“The risk is great, Varian, but this is the only way when there is no other choice—Tannis, the Great Tinker, you Ratchet people often come up with some ingenious ideas or some incredible discoveries. Can you find another way to get into Molten Core?”

"The sorcerers of the Ancient Literature Association have found a way to 'resonate' and teleport people into the Heart of Molten Core when they are extremely close to the lava lake. However, because the rift is not only extremely unstable but also extremely difficult to open, they have only successfully opened one rift so far."

What is the maximum teleportation limit for the rift?

Jaina's gaze sharpened slightly. She had never expected that a sorcerer, who was considered unorthodox by orthodox mages, could actually create such a teleportation technique!

"According to Iggy's test report—well, at most forty people, but it might become unstable after teleporting twenty people. I don't know the specifics either, since although the Tinkerers' Guild and the Ancient Documents Guild often cooperate, we are still two relatively independent organizations."

"If twenty people... are all warriors of our caliber, perhaps we can secure a foothold for the allied forces inside Molten Core. Grand Tinker Tanis, ask that sorcerer Iggy if they can temporarily create a rift?"

Varian's sudden decision surprised Daelin, while Tannis, who understood Varian's meaning, twitched her lips.

"King Varian, do you mean—to first assemble the most elite troops for a surprise attack?"

"That's right. If we want the allied forces to maximize their combat effectiveness in the Battle of Molten Core, then a foothold inside Molten Core is essential. With a foothold, we can at least move in and out freely."

"Okay, I'll ask."

Tannis put her hand to her ear and connected to Iggy's communication. After a moment, Tannis's expression turned strange.

"...King Varian, those sorcerers said they've set up a small base and asked if we wanted to go there..."

——————————————Molten Core——————————————————

"Huff... cough cough cough!!!"

As soon as Bu Yi stepped through the small rift portal created by the sorcerer into the Molten Core, Tannis almost choked to death by the high-temperature airflow and the pervasive burning smell. The environmental parameters on her engineering glasses also skyrocketed, eventually stopping at over 150 degrees Celsius!

Just as Tennys was frantically increasing the power of the life support device, she noticed that the temperature was plummeting. In less than thirty seconds, the ambient temperature dropped to less than fifty degrees Celsius. Although it was still terrible, it was a world of difference compared to the initial temperature of over one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius.

"General Dalyne? Aren't you hot?"

Looking at Daelin, who was still dressed in his full captain's suit, Tennys had a string of question marks above her head.

"It's a bit hot, but it only feels like summer."

As the core of the Water Lord's Blessing, Daelin had no idea how abnormal the temperature inside the Molten Core was.

Why didn't the fire elementals discover this place?

Following Daelin in was Jaina, who was very curious about how the sorcerers had managed to create such a camp in Molten Core without being discovered by the wandering fire elementals.

"We used a little voodoo magic, a little arcane magic, a little shamanic magic, and a little holy light magic to create a disguise barrier—oh, and we also used some potions!"

Iggy's answer made Jaina chuckle awkwardly. She could tell that Iggy wasn't unwilling to explain, but rather didn't know how to explain it to herself.

"However, the fire elementals will soon realize something is wrong here after we enter. Admiral Daelin carries the blessing of their mortal enemy."

Thrall, carrying the Doomhammer, looked at the fiery red expanse before him and frowned slightly at the excessively active fire elementals around him. As a shaman, Thrall instinctively loathed places with such elemental imbalance.

“We didn’t intend to hide anyway. The reason we chose to enter this way was to kill one or two of Ragnaros’ minions before they realized what was happening. By the way, Thrall, what about Varok’s brother? I remember he was also a powerful warrior. Why didn’t he choose to join this operation?”

"My brother went missing two weeks ago."

Varok Saurfang, who had followed Varian into the rift, gave a somber reply. He knew what his brother was looking for, and he was deeply worried that something bad had happened to him.

"A warrior like your brother wouldn't die easily in battle."

Varian, who could immediately see what Varok was worried about, offered words of comfort. At that moment, dozens more people emerged from the portal. They were none other than Broll, Valeera, Naralex, Archmage Romans, Haduron, Draenei Garrison Commander Haruni, High Tinker Oversbark, Vol'jin, Baine Bloodhoof who had been sent by his father for training, Thaurissan, the Dark Iron Dwarf King, and... the current Archbishop of Lordaeron, Faol—almost all of the Alliance's high-ranking combatants had gathered here!

The instant Faol stepped across the rift, the already unstable rift finally closed with a hissing sound. Varian also shouldered his two-handed sword and put on half of a wolf mask. At the same time, the disguise of the sorcerer's barrier was seen through by the wandering fire elemental sentinels. These monsters dragged flames and churned lava as they charged towards the 'ants of flesh and blood' that dared to provoke them.

Seeing the lava giant trudging heavily toward his group, Varian, who had already finished his pre-battle warm-up, pointed his sword forward.

"For our world, kill them all!!"

56. Molten Core, War Begins

"clang!!!!"

With Varian's battle cry, already overflowing with rage, he slashed heavily at the lava giant's thick thigh, which was well protected by obsidian fragments, with his sword, Salamence, imbued with the power of frost by Thrall's shamanic magic. The collision of extreme heat and frost caused cracks to spread across the lava giant's body with a crisp cracking sound. High-temperature magma flowed out from the cracks like blood, dripping onto the ground and slowly solidifying into hot stone fragments.

"Gala la—"

Although its body was covered in wounds, the lava giant's strength remained unmatched. As a giant of fire element, it knew neither pain nor fear. Although Varian's attack had almost crippled one of its legs, it still had its other leg and fist.

"Boom, boom!!"

Just as the lava giant swung its massive fist, intending to crush Varian beneath its feet into pieces, a magic arrow, also wreathed in cold light, shot like a meteor and struck its swinging right fist. In the blink of an eye, the frost generated by the exploding magic arrow caused a large area of ​​'necrosis' to appear on the lava giant's right fist.

However, this was not the end of it. Because the lava giant's attention was completely drawn to Varian, it did not notice at all that a squadron of drones flew overhead with a slight buzzing sound amidst the cacophony of noise in the cave.

"call out!!!!"

With the sound of high-speed airflow, the drones dropped a large number of ice bombs on the lava giant's head. In the blink of an eye, the lava giant's head exploded into pieces due to the extreme cooling and the heat expansion brought by the still churning lava inside its body. The huge headless body swayed a few times before Varian pushed it with the blade of his sword, causing it to fall heavily onto the still scorching earth of the Molten Core, where it remained silent.

"Well done, Varian."

About ten meters away from Varian, Daelin calmly put away his Tidebringer. At his feet, another lava giant was slowly oozing thick, pus-like magma. Clearly, this lava giant had also been reduced to a pile of meaningless inorganic matter.

“I remember there are still many enemies; we must help others.”

As Varian spoke, he turned his head and saw a frost-covered ground that was theoretically impossible to exist inside Molten Core. Scattered on this frost-covered ground were still slightly smoking stones, and rolled elemental armbands and other items, suggesting that a large area of ​​fire and lava elements had existed there not long ago.

"......"

Even Varian paused for a moment in this situation, and the next second, realizing something, he looked at Daelin.

"Jaina did it?"

"To be precise, it was those mages who joined forces with Thrall, along with Iggy and Tannis, to complete the magic. Faol, Haruni, and Vol'jin provided a protective barrier for them while they were casting the spell. Actually, at first, I also thought that after we killed those giants, we would need to go back and buy them some time, but those elemental creatures couldn't even break through the barrier."

Daelin's tone was somewhat wistful. Like Varian, he thought Jaina needed them to take down the lava giants before they could help her, but those things that were more than capable of burning a medium-sized fortress to the ground didn't even last five minutes.

"Is Priest Fao's Holy Light power so strong?"