Make Azeroth breathtaking

You mean?

Tennys instantly understood what Dlamar meant, but out of respect, she felt she should confirm the potential client's requirements.

"I heard from Garrison Commander Haruni that in that world called Azeroth, you fought against the Legion and won, and that the races you cooperated with all spoke highly of your weapons..."

As he said this, Dramah pointed in a certain direction in the distance.

"Interested in joining us for a 'visit' to the largest Burning Legion camp in Blade's Edge Mountains, right now? Tannis the Great Tinker?"

8. The Draenei say the Burning Legion

Dark green sky, dark green buildings, deep green flames, light green earth.

Tanis strained her eyes to find a different color among the green, but even the demons roaming the Burning Legion's demon-forging camp were surrounded by a more powerful and intense fel fire than any she had ever seen in Azeroth. All of this made the area controlled by the Legion glow green and resemble a dark, infernal realm.

"The garrison commander of Haruni made a copy of all the documents and video recordings of your battle against the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal and handed them over to Shattrath City. Our Draenei officers, under the leadership of Velen, studied the combat experience of your world, but we soon discovered that compared to the Legion demons who fought against us, the demons in your world performed... well, let's just say they were a bit weak."

Drama sat on the back of his Void Ray, looking at the land in the distance that had been completely corrupted by fel energy, and spoke in a deep voice.

"Weak?"

Tanis shuddered as she thought of the demon guards, which even two or three elite orc soldiers would have a hard time taking down, and the doom guards, who could overpower a standard squad with spellcasters with the power of a single demon. They were considered weak.

"Great Tinker Tanis, you may not know this, but we Draenei have endured countless millennia of exile under the clutches of the Burning Legion. We have witnessed countless worlds reduced to ashes by Sargeras's evil will. This pain is etched into our souls, making our understanding of the Legion's demons perhaps second only to the Legion itself..."

After saying this, Dramah paused slightly.

"Based on the combat performance and data in your videos and documents, we manufactured a batch of similar weapons. Following the combat methods described on them, we fought against simulated demons. The results further confirmed our conclusion that the Legion's power has been weakened in your world. According to the estimates of those scholars, in Azeroth, the Legion's core combat force—demons like Demon Guardians, Doomguards, and Pain Guardians—has had its basic combat power reduced by at least 20%, or even more."

After telling Tannis the scholars' conclusions, Drama and Tannis gazed at the distant Demonforged camp and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Less than a year after this world was shattered, the Burning Legion suddenly dispatched its soldiers to this wasteland once again—their leader being none other than Magtheridon, a figure renowned even among the pit lords. Prophet Velen believed that Kil'jaeden or Archimonde might be preparing to annihilate us, the 'traitors' they saw, and we thought so too—after all, what else in this wasteland, besides us Draenei, was worthy of the Legion's attention? Khadgar and their expeditionary force? At least at that time, we assumed they, like us, were refugees whose homes had been destroyed by the Legion."

Taking a deep breath, Delama continued his calm and collected narration.

“Velen was tired, and so were we. We thought we could live a peaceful life in Draenor, but Kil'jaeden shattered our tranquility with just a drop of pit lord blood, causing countless deaths and injuries. Under Velen's arrangement, we infiltrated the forests, broke into smaller units, and formed fighting forces, preparing for a final battle against the Legion. Everyone was quiet, because we all knew that every day that followed could be our last—but we didn't live to see our end.”

"Finally, you encountered the Blood Elves and heard the story of what happened in Azeroth?"

Tannis's words made Dramah nod.

“That’s right, the Holy Light inspired the prophet, allowing him to receive the Blood Elves—our best allies now, who have provided us with the most important thing—spiritual support!”

Delama's tone became impassioned.

"Do you know, Great Tinker Tanis, before we met Prince Kael'thas and his men, none of us Draenei—including Prophet Velen—had ever imagined that Azeroth could exist as a world that could stand firm even when the Legion's main force was mobilized! Even though the Legion was indeed weakened in your world, in many worlds, without even the Legion's leaders needing to lift a finger, those demons, big and small, could turn everything to ashes! Do you know what an incredible achievement you have made?"

"Ha ha..."

Tanis gave a dry laugh.

"Your stories have inspired us, causing many of our warriors who had lost their will to fight to return to the embrace of the Holy Light. Hope and the future, words that had long seemed unattainable, have resurfaced on our path. With our fighting spirit restored, we reconnected with the Naaru, and with their assistance, we and our allies recaptured Shattrath City. From this base, we have slowly suppressed the Burning Legion's expansion in Outland—but this is only the surface."

"Appearance?"

"As I mentioned earlier, the Burning Legion's commander-in-chief in Outland was the Pit Lord Magtheridon, but his current situation is... not so good."

Whether it was her imagination or not, Tannis felt that a very satisfying smile had just flashed across Dramah's face.

"What does this mean, Commander Delamar?"

"This means that the Burning Legion in Outland will be leaderless until the next commander arrives. We have taken this opportunity to further compress the Legion's demonic sphere of influence. However, a new Legion commander will come sooner or later, and his arrival will inevitably cause this shattered world to erupt with demonic tides again. We didn't know this before, but now we do. The Legion's goal is to use Outland as a springboard to jump back to Azeroth, your stubborn world that has caused the Legion to fail twice."

Delama looked at Tennys.

"Great Tinker, do you think the most troublesome thing for the Legion, for your Azeroth, is it high-level demons or low-level demons?"

"In a world with no ceiling on combat power, the Legion's higher-ranking demons are a source of despair. However, if it's a matter of kings versus kings, generals versus generals, then the Legion's lower-ranking demons become the most troublesome thing—engineering is best at dealing with cannon fodder."

Tennys answered Dramah's question quickly, while gently adjusting her engineering glasses.

"I originally thought I could sell what I have to you as weapons, but now it seems that it will be quite difficult to satisfy you customers. However, a little challenge is not necessarily a bad thing."

9. An Unexpected Meeting

After speaking with Drama, Tannis remained excited for quite some time. The information Drama, a mid-level officer among the Draenei, revealed was clear: the Draenei had high hopes for Azeroth, and especially for the engineering equipment of Ratchet, which had played a crucial role in the Battle of Hyjal against the Legion. In other words, the Draenei wouldn't mind purchasing or collaborating with Ratchet to restore their lost technologies, provided it was permitted! She had no reason to worry about the Consortium potentially squeezing out Ratchet's future market in Outland!

So when Kael'thas met Tanys, he always felt that the great tinker of Ratchet had a somewhat silly smile on his face...

"Great Tinker Tanis, I am grateful for your help to our kingdom of Quel'Thalas so far. What you have done for my country and my people will be recorded forever in the annals of our kingdom."

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I'm a businessman. It's not my style to turn down business opportunities."

Kael'thas, knowing that one of Tanis's hobbies was to push everything towards business, nodded slightly, then looked with interest at Onyxia, who was sitting next to Tanis and crunching on a cookie.

"This must be the newly born Black Dragon Princess Onyxia. The fact that she's become like this shows that the research of those sorcerers is indeed worthwhile."

"It's pets and mounts."

Tanis calmly answered Kael'thas, while pressing Onyxia's head, who was looking up to protest, back down. Seeing Tanis's actions, Kael'thas decided to pretend he didn't see it.

“Great Tinker Tanis, I know why you’ve come here. I’ve arranged for someone to open a fixed portal to Shattrath for you. However, before you go to Shattrath, there is someone who wishes to see you.”

"?"

Although she couldn't figure out what Kael'thas was up to, seeing his serious expression, Tanis thought for a few seconds, then stood up, grabbed Onyxia whose mouth was full of cookie crumbs, and followed Kael'thas into the depths of the Mana Forge.

————————————The dividing line leading to the depths——————————————

"Mr. Illidan?"

Deep within the Manaforge, Tannis encountered someone who, though in Outland, should theoretically not be in Netherstorm: the original Demon Hunter, the traitor in the eyes of the Night Elves, Illidan Stormrage!

“You are indeed extraordinary, Tennys the Great Tinker.”

Illidan shook his demonic wings, turned around, and stared at Tanis with his eyes, now completely filled with fel fire, as if trying to see into the depths of her soul.

“I’m just a businessman, Mr. Illidan.”

Tanis shrugged and answered politely but firmly.

"A businessman willing to risk his entire fortune to fight the Burning Legion to the death? At least as far as I know, most goblins are the type to risk their lives for money; what does the destruction of the world have to do with them?"

“I am human, Mr. Illidan.”

"No, no, no, your race is written as human but read as goblin. Everyone in Azeroth knows this."

Illidan wiggled his finger, making a light-hearted joke, before his tone turned serious.

"Upon learning that you might be coming to Outland, I informed my nominal servant, Prince Kael'thas, to guide you to me. Although I am not fond of trusting outsiders, my intuition tells me that you are trustworthy."

Should I say thank you?

Hearing Illidan categorize her as 'trustworthy', Tanya suddenly felt a bit amused and exasperated. However, her heart sank even further, because being favored by Illidan seemed like, perhaps, bad news.

Ignoring Tanys's teasing, Illidan began to explain why he wanted to meet with her.

“I have a plan, a plan that, if successful, could completely end the Burning Crusade. However, I don’t want Azeroth to be burned to ashes by the Legion’s flames before my plan is completed. You’ve seen those Draenei and should have heard about the current situation in Outland. Although I’ve bound Magtheridon and used it as a training target for novice demon hunters, while arranging for warlocks to pretend that it’s still there and continue to communicate with the Legion, such things can only be kept secret for a while. I have reason to believe that the Deceiver has already become suspicious of the current situation in Outland, and the arrival of the next Legion commander is only a matter of time.”

As he spoke, Illidan extended a sharp finger, drawing an arc in the air. A little imp, shrieking, was summoned from beyond the void and then crushed by the demon hunter's claw.

"Furthermore, because Outland has gradually taken on a special state that lies between stability and instability, it makes it easier for Outland to serve as a springboard to Azeroth. If the Legion wants to reopen the Dark Portal, it won't require much effort—just as you can now easily come to this wasteland."

"Is there anything you need me to do for you, Mr. Illidan?"

Tennys' tone became serious.

"First, I want you to inform your trusted people to deploy a large force in the Cursed Lands, because even with my utmost efforts, I can only close the Dark Portal for a short period."

"I understand, is there anything else?"

"The second matter is a personal request. When you return, please bring someone with you. Remember to keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn't run back to Outland. Prince Kael'thas will let you know what to do afterward. Once it's done, I will offer you a reward that will satisfy you."

"...Okay, is there anything else?"

Tanis's brow twitched. She instantly realized who Illidan wanted her to bring back. However, with Prince Kael'thas by her side and the idea that it would be foolish not to make money, Tanis wasn't too worried about losing money.

"That's all, just these two things."

After saying these two things, Illidan didn't say anything more. He vanished in a burst of fel flames, and Tanis gradually became expressionless as she watched him disappear.

"Prince Kael'thas, I think the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas can also accomplish these two things, can't it?"

"That's not the case, Great Tinker Tanys. Malfurion might not listen to the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas."

"...Does Mr. Illidan mean for me to pass his request on to Archdruid Malfurion and High Priestess Tyrande?"

"exactly."

Kael'thas looked up at the arcane energy pipes spiraling downwards and shook his head helplessly.

"While it's not good to gossip behind someone's back, Lord Illidan's behavior... really does feel like he's acting out of spite..."

10. The 'Unrecognizable' Foreign Forces (Happy New Year!)

———————————Mana Furnace, O————————————————

As the first mana forge built by the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas in Netherstorm, the Arcane Forge was imbued with great expectations. Prince Kael'thas personally bestowed upon it the name of his most beloved pet—the immortal phoenix Arcane—hoping that the people of Quel'Thalas could be reborn from the ashes like this wondrous elemental creature. To his delight, the blood elves did just that.

After the blood elves were indeed settled down thanks to the Manaforge, the blood elves who remained in Eversong Woods hoped that Kael'thas would return to Silvermoon City to register his residence. However, Kael'thas always declined, citing that he was not yet worthy of the Sun King. Therefore, the Manaforge became Kael'thas's palace in Outland, and the young blood elf prince and his staff resided in this enormous building that symbolized the future of the blood elves.

“Prince Kael’thas, I heard from Talonnicus that Lor’themar has complained more than once about your not yet returning to the throne.”

Sitting in the reception room of the Manaforge of Orgrimmar, Tanis sipped arcane wine brewed by the blood elves using water infused with trace amounts of arcane energy from Outland plants, and with a businesslike smile conveyed the blood elf regent's 'resentment' to the blood elf prince.

"Great Tinker Tanis, if you meet with Lor'themar when you return, please tell him for me that the reconstruction of Quel'Thalas is entrusted to him. I trust him. Although I know that inheriting the throne as the Sun King is very important, my advisors and I believe that now is not the right time to inherit the throne. The people of Outland need me, and the city of Shattrath, which is still being rebuilt, needs our strength. In addition, Lord Illidan needs us blood elves to maintain a certain degree of cooperation with him, even though he has not been of much help to us. But I cannot betray his trust."

Looking at Kael'thas's sincere face, and knowing that the blood elf prince was unlikely to leave Outland anytime soon, Tanis nodded slightly and changed the subject to Illidan's request.

"The person Illidan entrusted to me to take away, wasn't it Maiev Shadowsong?"

"You guessed it! No wonder your expression was a bit strange back then."

Kael'thas put down his wine glass and readily agreed to the mission objective.

"The only person who could give him such a headache that he'd want to send him back to Azeroth is Maiev Shadowsong, the stubborn Watcher who has guarded him for millennia—based on what I know of him, only Maiev could stand against him without being killed."