Make Azeroth breathtaking

Mekkatorque sighed.

“Let me explain it to you from the beginning, Miss Tanis.”

————————————————Several months ago, Gnomeregan————————————————————

Several years ago, after Gnomeregan deduced from Tannis's mechanical assistant that the goblins had acquired 'lost technology' and might surpass the gnomes in precision mechanical manufacturing, the Craftsmen's Guild had been calling for Gnomeregan to do the same. Of course, at first, this call didn't have much of a following, and the gnomes remained immersed in their own world, researching all sorts of frivolous gadgets.

Then, after the Stormwind incident, goblin tinkering suddenly emerged as a new profession among humans. The gnomes then discovered that gnome engineering was actually recognized as a branch of goblin engineering among human nobles, and some humans even proposed that gnome engineering was 'wrong and imperfect'!

That would be outrageous!

Enraged by being inexplicably humiliated by their old rival, the gnomes submitted requests to the Craftsmen's Guild, hoping they would learn from the goblins and restore the 'lost technology' to counter goblin engineering. In the gnomes' view, if the goblins, who were good at explosives, could restore those things, there was no reason why the gnomes couldn't!

Thus, amidst the surging tide and with the encouragement of some of the artisans' guild, Mekkatorque, who initially thought the plan was completely unreliable, had no choice but to agree to the 'restoration plan' and entrusted Thermapulg, who had volunteered, to negotiate with Ironforge to see if they could get something from the dwarves.

As one of the most radical gnomes, Thermapulg happily accepted the task and completed it brilliantly. When Gnomeregan saw the large cartload of things that Thermapulg brought back, which the dwarves said were 'perhaps ancient relics,' the streets were deserted.

The items were brought back, and the research began. Most of the items were proven to be worthless, but one item proved to be exactly what the dwarfs wanted.

Soon, the dwarves were drawn to the various strange mechanical structures that made up this thing and devoted themselves to its study. As time went on, even Mekkatorque, the great craftsman who had initially opposed the plan, had to admit that perhaps Thermapulga was right and that the dwarves could benefit from restoring these things.

What troubled the dwarfs was that the process of restoring the ancient artifact was not going smoothly. Although the dwarfs had gained a lot of inspiration from it and improved many things in dwarf engineering, the most crucial thing—to use this item to make a breakthrough in dwarf engineering—remained a mystery.

So Thermaprag came up with a plan, a seemingly flawless plan... that is, to try to activate the core of this item using the powerful energy of Gnomeregan, and then use the radiation bomb that had already been developed as a fuse.

Despite instinctively sensing something amiss with Thermaprag's plans, Mekkatorque agreed to them because Thermaprag's prestige now surpassed his own... a decision he would later regret.

The thing was activated... Gnomeregan was destroyed... The activated core used Gnomeregan's machinery to reforge its own body and launched an indiscriminate attack on the gnomes. After failing to put it back into hibernation, Mekkatorque immediately activated the backup plan and attacked it with radiation bombs.

but……

The bomb, which had been expected to be a lifesaver, not only failed to penetrate the defenses but actually became even more powerful. Worse still, parts of Gnomeregan were rendered uninhabitable due to radiation contamination from the explosion!

Disoriented, Mekkatorque wanted to talk to Thermaprag, only to find that he had somehow ended up standing with that thing. His body had become semi-mechanical, his eyes gleamed with a thirst for power, and behind him stood hundreds of mechanical dwarfs.

'Dwarves! Submit to me! Submit to the King of Mechagnomes, Thermaprag!'

31. Tennys's Request

"You mean, many dwarves chose to stay in Gnomeregan, undergo modifications, and become mecha-dwarves? What's the brain circuitry like in you dwarves?"

Looking at the Great Craftsman clutching his head, Tanis truly didn't know what to say. She imagined herself transformed into a robot... and then, she couldn't help but think of the scene of her self-destruction...

Tannis shivered and pulled herself back to reality, while Mekkatorque spoke in a deep voice.

"There's a niche theory among the dwarves that both gnomes and dwarves were originally made of rock or metal, without any flesh or blood. Thermaprag used this theory, combined with the 'Sweeper's' database, to convince many gnomes that our current flesh and blood bodies are flawed and worthless, and that only by returning to our original mechanical form can gnomes have a future..."

"I have good reason to believe that a dwarf who has been transformed into a mechanical dwarf can never turn back."

"I know, Miss Tanis, I've given up on the gnomes in Gnomeregan, but we can't let Gnomeregan continue like this. Thermapulg will inevitably use the Sweepers' technology to develop his army and then fulfill his ambition of conquering Dun Morogh and establishing a gnome empire! To prevent his ambition from succeeding, we must seal off Gnomeregan, using it as a seal, a tomb! Therefore, I need your help, Miss Tanis!"

Mekkatorque raised his head, his eyes burning as if a fire were burning within them.

"So, Mekkatorque, if it succeeds, what price are you willing to pay?"

Mekkatork's eyes dimmed.

"The dwarf... has almost no money left."

"No, no, no, I think it doesn't necessarily have to be paid with money. Technology can also be used. You know, the Tinker's headquarters are in Ratchet, but because goblins and gnomes are inherently incompatible, the Tinker only has the goblin engineering tradition, without any gnome influence..."

Mekkatorque's expression turned to astonishment, while Tennys spread her hands.

"So, could the Great Craftsman send some dwarfs to Ratchet as visiting professors?"

Mekkatorque remained silent for a few seconds, weighing the pros and cons, before finally shaking his head.

"I can't give you an answer to this question right now. Could you give me a day to think about it?"

—————————————That evening———————————————

At the dwarf artisans' meeting, Mekkatorque relayed Tannis's message.

"No, Master Craftsman, this is foolish! That Tannis is definitely trying to use this opportunity to steal our technology!"

After hearing Mekkatork relay Tannis's message, Overspark was the first to object, and the other dwarfs elected as temporary councilors also expressed strong disapproval.

"Yes, yes, High Tinker, we can blockade Gnomeregan even without her. We don't need to sell our technology in exchange for help!"

"Things have developed to this point and they still want a reward? The people the goblins handed over are all greedy!"

Looking at the expressions of the dwarfs around him and listening to their remarks, Mekkatorque gently tapped the table to silence them, then cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen, I know your concerns, and I know that Miss Tannis's request may have consequences for dwarf engineering, but there are a few points I think you can consider."

As he spoke, Mekkatorque began to raise his fingers.

"First! Gnomeregan is destroyed, and many of our plans have been forced to a halt. Coupled with the missing documentation, the gnome engineering heritage might be disrupted! Therefore, one of the most urgent tasks now is to preserve the vitality of gnome engineering. Integrating gnome engineering into the Tinker's system is undoubtedly a good choice! Using the equipment in the Tinker's Building, we can continue our research! Second, through the Tinker's system, we should be able to effectively expand the influence of gnome engineering and increase gnome income! Third! You only see that our secrets might be stolen, but have you considered that we can also learn technology from them? I've come into contact with the Tinker's engineering system. Although it claims to be a product of goblin engineering, in my opinion, apart from various explosives, the Tinker's engineering system has absolutely nothing to do with goblin engineering! In other words, learning from it will be beneficial to us!"

After saying this, Mekkatorque paused and looked around.

"And then, lastly, do you really think that a tinker like Miss Tanis, who has mastered technology that surpasses ours, would steal our technology? To put it bluntly, our technology might not even be worth mentioning in her eyes!"

The dwarfs began to whisper among themselves; some of them had already been persuaded by Mekkatorque.

Feeling that the time was right, Mekkatorque tapped the table again.

"Gentlemen, what we are doing now is for our future. We cannot afford to fail. Miss Tannis's request, from another perspective, is also an opportunity. We have been working behind closed doors in Gnomeregan for so many years. Perhaps it is really time to go out and see the world!"

——————————————Ratchet——————————————————————

"I don't quite understand why gnome engineering should be introduced into the Tinker system?"

Gazlowe looked at Tannis in the projection. Although he knew that Tannis would not harm him or Ratchet, he was still slightly annoyed that gnome engineering had been incorporated into the Tinker system.

"Gnome engineering will help us reconstruct the Celestial technology I brought with us, Father. Besides, judging from various clues, there might really have been an Iron Empire in Azeroth a long, long time ago, forged by engineering. Therefore, the engineering of goblins and gnomes will merge sooner or later. Since merging is inevitable, why not let us seize the priority?"

"Your ambitions are greater than I imagined, daughter. I originally thought you just wanted to acquire some secret technology related to dwarfs..."

After Tannis answered, Gazlowe immediately understood his daughter's plan. Tannis wanted to merge gnome and goblin engineering into the Tinkering profession system and place it under the Tinkering system! In this way, even if gnome engineering became successful in the future, it would never be able to escape the shadow of the Tinkering Guild!

"After all, one of the key steps in achieving a capitalist monopoly is seizing pricing power... isn't that right, Dad?"

32. The Battle of Gnomeregan (Prologue)

The next day, in Mekkatorque's tent.

"This is a map of Gnomeregan. To bring Gnomeregan to a standstill, we must shut down the four main generators located in the four zones, and the overload emergency stop devices must release over 90% of the energy."

Mekkatorque carefully took an old parchment scroll from a small box, unfolded it, and found it covered with a large number of passages marked on it.

"This map...has been revised many times?"

Tennys leaned closer and was surprised to find that the ink on the map was a mix of new and old, and the handwriting was inconsistent.

"Yes, this map was hand-drawn by the first generation of residents when Gnomeregan was founded. Afterwards, it was passed down as one of the symbols of identity for each generation of high-ranking craftsmen. Each generation of high-ranking craftsmen would draw the latest changes in Gnomeregan on this map to show future generations..."

The master craftsman gently picked up his pen, drew a few crosses on the map, and wrote his name on them.

“These emergency exits have been blocked due to the cataclysm in Gnomeregan, and I believe Thermapulg has no interest in reopening them. There is only one way for us to achieve our goal. Open the main gate, march down the main road to Gear Square, and then have four elite squads split up to shut down the four main generators. Once all four generators are shut down, the main force will activate the emergency safety device in the Artisan's Hall to release the pressure.”

After saying this, Mekkatorque solemnly rolled up the parchment, locked it in the box, and handed it to Overspark.

"Three days. If I don't return in three days, you will be the new Grand Craftsman. If you become the Grand Craftsman, your first task is to lead our people to retreat to Ironforge and never come back!"

Overspark took the box, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and tried to say something, but in the end he found that he could only utter one word.

"Master craftsman..."

"Your early handover ceremony of the master craftsman has made me consider breaking the contract for the first time."

Tennys's words instantly destroyed the melancholy atmosphere between the two dwarfs.

"...If you want to break the contract, that's fine with me, Miss Tanis. In the beginning, I only hoped to get some technical support from you. Gnomeregan is our home, and as the tinkerer of the Gadgetzan Consortium, you have no reason to shed blood for it."

"It's just a thought; for us business people, reputation is more important than life."

Tennys took out her engineering glasses and solemnly put them on.

“I am ready to depart at any time, Mr. Mekkatorque.”

"Okay, I'll go assemble the team first..."

Before Mekkatork could finish speaking, a piercing siren blared throughout the camp. Realizing something was amiss, Mekkatork peeked through his binoculars and saw a massive, heavily armed robot, its body painted with the large Gnomeregan logo, slowly making its way towards the camp.

"what is that?"

Tennys also noticed the huge robot slowly approaching the camp.

"That's the Destroyer T100, a complete failure! That thing shouldn't even be able to function!"

Overspark, who was busy pulling out all sorts of mechanical squirrels from his bag, quickly answered Tennys's question.

"Failure? It seemed to be running perfectly fine to me?"

Through the telescope, Tannis saw the T100 easily destroy the outermost defensive mechanism placed by the dwarves with rocket launchers. She shouted as she sent the drone over.

"God knows what that traitor used to make it work... Soldiers! Get the civilians to safety! Let's go!!"

Mekkatorque flipped onto his mechanical chocobo, a strange gun in one hand, and charged toward the front lines.

———————————————Entrance to the Dwarf Refugee Camp————————————————————

When Mekkatorque and his two companions arrived at the entrance, the battle had already reached a fever pitch. Various mechanical wreckages, still emitting smoke, were scattered on the ground, and some dwarves lay in pools of blood, their fates unknown. Clearly, the T100 had easily breached the dwarves' outermost defensive line.

Despite this, several dwarfs in combat uniforms relentlessly attacked with their weapons, which seemed only good for scratching the T100, in an attempt to slow it down as much as possible. The T100, meanwhile, moved effortlessly through the hail of bullets from the dwarfs, occasionally firing a shot that sent up a spray of snow and blood.

The scene before him made Mekkatorque's eyes turn red, but Tennys was faster than him.

Amidst the whistling sound of drones flying at high speed, a formation of drones broke through the T100's fire network and dropped several electrocution bombs on its head. Instantly, the T100's movements slowed down significantly due to the electromagnetic waves.

Then, with a flick of her wrist, Tannis mounted an anti-tank gun on her shoulder. After a brief aim, she pulled the trigger without hesitation. The specially made gun whistled as it struck the T100's breastplate, exploding into a huge burst of flames.

"That thing has an arcane barrier; it's not a purely engineered creation. Perhaps that's the real reason it moves."

Tannis, who unleashed the attack, instantly analyzed the nature of the T100 through her glasses, and at that moment, the T100 launched a counterattack.

With the sound of tearing cloth, the T100 viciously plowed the spot where Tannis had just been with machine guns and shells, shaving off a layer of soil. However, in the dust, Tannis and the other two had long since disappeared.

“Buzz...buzz.......”