"Xavius?"
When Malfurion spoke the name, Shandris frowned, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"Wasn't he turned into a tree way back during the War of the Ancients? I remember you, Archdruid, planted him yourself?"
"He was."
Malfurion's expression darkened. "Xavius' body is sealed inside that tree beyond doubt, yet with help from a certain being his spirit slipped into the Emerald Dream through the trunk."
"Now, calling himself the lord of nightmares, he leads a nightmarish army in mad assaults on our defenses, trying to spread corruption throughout the Dream."
Shandris narrowed her eyes, guessing at once who stood behind him.
"The Old Gods?"
"Indeed—whether Yogg-Saron or NZoth I can't say, but Xavius definitely enjoys their backing."
Malfurion sighed as he regarded the great orb of light hovering in the cordoned grove. "Xavius boasts that his masters will reclaim their glory. To stop the nightmare's spread, the Dream's Keepers have exhausted themselves."
"Yet the Old Gods' corruption is everywhere. Lately we've found a few once-faithful guardians tainted; they stay hidden, acting as Xavius' spies inside our ranks."
Shandris sneered. "That turncoat Xavius is swaggering again, counting on his new master's favor. Time to teach him a lesson."
Malfurion gave a wry smile. "Easier said than done; the Dream's forces can hold but not push back."
"We've repeatedly asked the Zandalari Trolls to send more druids, yet they care little for helping us hunt Night Elf traitors."
"Envoys to Zandalar have been ignored; the leaders who helped us crush the Qiraji Empire are long dead, and recent god-kings and prophets grow ever colder toward the Night Elf Republic."
Malfurion gazed at the radiant sphere Andreas had become. "Andreas once said: 'The loa endure, god-kings come and go.'"
"With his ties to Rezan, loa of kings, he might have swayed the Zandalari—only to meet this sudden misfortune himself."
Through Tyrande's recent communion with Elune, Shandris now understood why the goddess had gone silent.
Elune explained that sending Shandris and Andreas to Draenor had drawn the gaze of distant void-lords beyond the physical realm.
She had to elude their pursuit, leaving only a pre-programmed reactive spell on Andreas.
Once the spell sensed his task complete, it would trigger a trans-stellar portal, drawing on Elune's own power to return them to Azeroth.
The mindless protocol couldn't judge the travelers' condition and activated the jump regardless.
When Elune realized Andreas' peril, the teleport had already begun; halting them mid-void risked interception by those lurking powers.
The result: compressed and battered by transit energies, Andreas' saturated void power surged uncontrollably, forcing him into a dispersive hibernation to survive and digest the excess Shadow Power.
Elune's estimate gave Shandris a timetable—Andreas would need fifty to eighty years to finish that inner alchemy.
"Misfortune may hide a blessing; blessing may hide misfortune."
Though forced into deep slumber, the mishap was not entirely ill for Andreas himself.
If he could fully assimilate Kara's void energy, Elune believed, he would become only the second Night Elf after Azshara to transcend Mortal limits—a demigod in flesh.
Tyrande, relaying this news, was downcast; as another of Elune's chosen, she had watched the gulf between her strength and Andreas' widen unnoticed.
The brooding High Priestess handed most affairs to deputies in the Sisterhood, vowing that her next seclusion would end in a breakthrough.
Burdened by governance, Tyrande's power had crept forward at best during the past ten millennia.
Her apprentice Shandris, ever in the field with the army, had far outpaced her; now the two stood nearly equal.
Malfourion welcomed Tyrande's resolve; the easy-going Archdruid never favored her love of politics, and a return to self-training could only help.
After Malfurion left, Shandris and Celeste kept silent vigil over the dormant Andreas. Leticia, Niana, and Aurora visited often, though their own lives forbade long stays.
During Andreas' century-long absence, Niana had learned much of statecraft; under Maiev and Fandral's guidance she now tackled weightier tasks.
With Shandris away, Leticia had assumed the mantle of Sentinel General, working conscientiously under Daelin Summerleaf's counsel and Lunara's watchful eye.
Aurora, having resigned from Nalath Academy, set off to see the world with Onyxia, needing no employment and wanting for nothing.
On her travels she befriended many peoples and savored Azeroth's wonders; by her own account the past century had been richly lived.
Onyxia remained carefree; as princess of the Black Dragonflight, she lacked nothing and, having renounced her claim, answered to no one.
Yet one question still gnawed at her—and all her flight: the whereabouts of Deathwing.
Since the ill-fated raid on Blackwing Lair, the fallen Black Dragon King had vanished without a trace for millennia.
Wyrmrest Temple never ceased its hunt; Malygos poured immense effort into the search, yet Deathwing seemed erased from existence.
Those who knew him, however, were certain he still lurked, waiting to strike the moment weakness showed.
Shandris sighed at the dark sphere. "We all wait for your return; don't fail the kin you've guarded for ten thousand years."
Celeste squeezed Shandris' hand, sharing warmth and care; the two stood like statues by the new cottage, silently watching the unchanging orb.
The world does not stop turning because of one person's absence; the time on Azeroth still flowed slowly and regularly while Andreas was in slumber.
Prisim, who was responsible for monitoring Karazhan, recently came to the cabin where Shandris and Celeste lived to inform them of the latest news from the front.
After years of pursuit and evasion, Guardian Aegwynn and the Tirisial Conclave, who were tasked with capturing her, unexpectedly developed feelings for one of the mage hunters who also harbored doubts about the Tirisifal Council's involvement in politics.
The two powerful mages gave birth to a son in the Kingdom of Stormwind. Aegwynn transferred most of her Guardian power to her child, retaining only a portion to sustain her own life and youth. This infant, named Medivh, could be said to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Prisim told Shandris and the other person the information so that they could relay it to Andreas as soon as he woke up, as it was Andreas himself who had originally ordered strict surveillance of Karazhan.
Prisim sensed the Speaker's seriousness and the importance he placed on the matter.
As time passed, Andreas still did not awaken, but the new Guardian of Tirisfal, Medivh, grew up day by day in Stormwind City under his father's care.
The former Guardian, Aegwynn, was already exhausted from her years of struggle against the Tirisial Conclave. After transferring her Guardian power to her son, Medivh, she quickly and quietly disappeared from everyone's sight.
Upon learning of the transfer of Guardian power, the Tirisifal Council quickly changed its strategy, abandoning further pursuit of Aegwynn and instead turning its attention to the young Medivh.
To protect his young son, Medivh's father, Nielas Aran, accepted the invitation of King Barathen Wrynn of the Kingdom of Stormwind to become a Court Mage for the Wrynn royal family.
The Tirisifal Council's bad habit of dabbling in politics remained unchanged, but in the face of Nielas, who held the position of Court Mage, their claws dared not extend too obviously for fear of offending the Kingdom of Stormwind. Medivh, under his parents' arrangements, obtained a relatively stable environment for growth.
However, possessing immense Guardian power, the young Medivh had to learn a vast amount of knowledge and numerous spells from a young age.
Little Medivh's only solace from his heavy responsibilities were his two close friends who grew up with him: Prince Llane Wrynn of the Kingdom of Stormwind and Anduin Lothar, the last descendant of Emperor Thoradin.
The heavy workload overwhelmed Medivh, and his repressed feelings, under the deliberate guidance of a certain entity, finally exploded on the eve of his fourteenth birthday.
His old father, Nielas, was unexpectedly killed by the fierce Arcane power when trying to Quel'l Medivh's sudden outburst of Guardian power, and Medivh consequently fell into a coma for ten years, with only Nielas' old butler, Moroes, looking after his body.
Three years before the Dark Portal, the Kingdom of Stormwind experienced a war with the Gurubashi Trolls. The old King Barathen passed away, Prince Llane took over the throne, and Medivh's childhood friend Anduin Lothar also became a prominent general in the Kingdom of Stormwind's army.
Just as Lothar and King Llane were worried about their friend's increasingly reclusive personality after he finally woke up, far away on the outskirts of the capital of the Night Elf Republic on the other side of the ocean, Andreas, who had been dormant for many years, finally showed signs of awakening.
Shandris and Celeste excitedly watched the black sphere of light begin to fluctuate, and Aurora, who had received the news, also rushed over.
The large black sphere of light shrunk smaller and smaller under the gaze of the three, finally dissipating completely. The residual energy was absorbed into the body of the man kneeling half-on-the-ground in the center, dressed in magnificent foreign attire.
"Hoo~"
Andreas let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. Shandris and the other two gasped in unison when they saw his eyes.
Andreas' eyes were strangely colored, left gold and right black, looking quite sinister.
Fortunately, this was only temporary. As Andreas' consciousness gradually returned and he instinctively blinked, his eyes quickly returned to normal.
However, this 'normal' was what Shandris, who was already accustomed to it, considered normal. Although Celeste and Aurora had heard Shandris mention it, they were still curiously observing Andreas' golden pupils.
"Dad's eyes are so beautiful!"
"Hmm! Before, I only saw this noble color in Queen Azshara's eyes."
The Sunstrider Family, into which Celeste was born, was nobility in the Night Elf Empire before the War of the Ancients. Although she didn't have many opportunities to meet Azshara when she was young, she still retained some impressions.
As for Illidan… who was that? At least before he went blind, the chubby little Celeste didn't recognize him at all.
The prolonged hibernation left Andreas' brain a bit muddled, and it took several minutes for his groggy mind to fully resume operation.
"This is…"
His golden eyes moved left and right, scanning the surroundings, and quickly settled on his three family members, whose faces were filled with joy.
Shandris and the other two quickly stepped forward together. Without overly intense emotional release, the family silently embraced each other, all warmth unspoken… "Is that so…"
In the small cabin not far from the sleeping area, Andreas said with some emotion, "I didn't expect to sleep for decades."
'Thankfully, I woke up before the Dark Portal opened. I just don't know what the situation is like on Draenor now.'
To Andreas, the parting with Prophet Velen and Yrel seemed like just yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, over a hundred years had passed.
'Medivh is starting to become reclusive; perhaps he has already colluded with the Orcs of Draenor. I wonder if Velen and the others can escape the tragic fate originally destined for the Draenei.'
Due to the intervention of Andreas and Shandris, the situation in Draenor had undergone some subtle changes.
The revival of the three Naaru and the presence of the Arakkoa Exiles as allies gave the Draenei some extra cards to play, but facing the Horde, manipulated by Kiljaeden from behind the scenes, Andreas couldn't say for sure that they would escape their fate.
"Oh, right."
Aurora suddenly remembered something, slapped her palm, and asked curiously, "Dad, the High Priestess relayed Elune's words, saying that you would break through the limits of Mortals after you woke up. But to me… you don't seem any different?"
Andreas playfully ruffled his daughter's hair, "What kind of celestial phenomenon were you hoping for? It's just a breakthrough in personal strength and life form; only I can feel it."
Celeste's expression shifted, "You mean…"
"Mm."
Andreas felt the light and shadow energies coexisting within his body, his expression appearing somewhat strange.
"During my slumber, my body seemed to undergo some changes that I couldn't control. In short, the light and shadow energies within me achieved a delicate balance, mediated by Nature Energy."
"My life and soul forms have indeed sublimated. If I had to describe it…"
Andreas tilted his head, thinking about his choice of words, "The previously vague connection with Elune has become much closer. I can now communicate directly with her without needing meditation."
"Moreover, I can now directly perceive the pulsations deep within the land of Azeroth. That must be the 'heartbeat' of the azeroth world-soul, right?"
The animal demigods of Azeroth all bind their souls to Azeroth. As long as this planet is not destroyed, their souls will never dissipate, and their deceased bodies can be reshaped over time.
Andreas' situation is relatively unique. Although he can sense a deeper connection between himself and Azeroth due to his advantage as an indigenous creature, his soul is not completely bound to the world-soul; a larger portion belongs to Elune.
While answering his family's questions, Andreas was actually communicating with Elune simultaneously. Now, he can completely ignore the distance between Elune and Azeroth, connecting with the moon goddess anytime, anywhere.
Elune first apologized to him and described her mistake. After receiving forgiveness from Andreas, who had benefited from the disaster, she explained the compensation she would offer him.
"Simply put, the harmonious state of energy within your body was not naturally formed; it is the result of me spending a large amount of time stationed on Azeroth meticulously regulating it for you."
"During this process, the quality and quantity of energy within you simultaneously broke through the critical point, allowing your body and soul to be sublimated, promoting you to a Demigod."
"A Demigod's soul can be bound to certain immortal existences, ensuring that even if their body is destroyed, they will not completely perish. For your safety, I took the liberty of binding the majority of your soul to myself."
This was exactly when Aurora asked this question. While Andreas was relaying the answer to his daughter, he asked Elune internally with a strange expression, "Why didn't you directly bind my soul completely to Azeroth? Isn't that the custom for indigenous creatures?"
"Heh heh~" Elune chuckled, her tone slightly rising. "Can you guarantee that Azeroth will never be destroyed? It's not just the Burning Legion; some powerful figures in the Void are also eyeing this planet that harbors the Titans' hope."
"Just in case, I intercepted the consciousness of the azeroth world-soul and linked the majority of your soul to myself. This even provoked a slight tantrum from Azeroth. Wouldn't it be unreasonable for you to blame me instead of thanking me?"
"Emmmm..." This level of communication between powerful beings left Andreas profoundly bewildered. "Wait, does Azeroth already have a consciousness?"
Elune replied, "Of course. She gained consciousness as early as ten thousand years ago during the war with the Burning Legion, but she lacks a spokesperson to convey her thoughts and cannot communicate directly with her children."
"Otherwise, did you think the Burning Legion was truly only driven away by the Pantheon's defensive measures? It was inevitable that Azeroth's own will, as the host, contributed to their expulsion."
"However, because the Forge of Wills and the Forge of Wills were shut down, Azeroth's consciousness has remained in a relatively young stage for ten thousand years. Tricking... no, persuading her is still quite easy."
Andreas complained, speechless, "...You just said 'tricking,' didn't you?"
"Did I? You misheard." Elune lightly coughed and began changing the subject. "In summary, after you and Thorim restored the operation of the Forge of Wills, Azeroth's consciousness began growing again, but there is still a long way to go before maturity."
"Your existence has already left an impression on Azeroth's heart, which is why she proactively wanted to bind your soul this time. Too bad... ha ha ha~"
'A rogue senior tricking a child...' Andreas rubbed his brow with a wry smile, complaining internally to Elune.
It is hard to say what impact binding the majority of his soul to Elune will have on the future, but as a being whose true form exists outside the Material World, Elune should be safer than Azeroth.
At least until Elune falls, Andreas doesn't have to worry about his body and soul being completely annihilated. At worst, he can hide by Elune's side and slowly resurrect, competing with the Burning Legion to see who can cling to life better.
However... Sensing the worry and hesitation in Andreas' heart, Elune gently reassured him, "You don't need to worry about your wife and daughter. I have already discussed it with Azeroth, and as long as they reach the corresponding level of strength, I will complete the soul binding with them as well."
"Alright, let's stop here for now. Since you can communicate with me without restriction anytime in the future, go take care of matters in the Material World first. I should also go check on Tyrande; that child has been working very hard over the past few decades."
Cutting off contact with Elune, Celeste happened to mention the intelligence provided tirelessly by Prisim over the years.
"A series of changes have occurred at Karazhan, which you asked Prisim to monitor. After the Keeper Aegwynn married and gave birth, she went into seclusion and disappeared."
"Her son, Medivh, couldn't control the powerful Keeper Power inherited from his mother. During a power outburst, he accidentally killed his father, Nielas Aran, then fell into a coma lasting ten years. When he woke up, his personality had changed drastically, as if he were a different person."
A sharp light flashed in Andreas' eyes. "And now? Are there any new developments regarding Medivh?"
"Nothing much worth noting." Celeste shook her head. "Medivh has distanced himself from his childhood friends, Anduin Lothar and Llane Wrynn. He stays holed up in Karazhan all day, thinking who knows what. The butler, Moroes, continuously holds various banquets in Karazhan to soothe his mood."
"Although the singing and dancing never cease in Karazhan, he himself is mostly reclusive, often not seen for months at a time."
"The Tirisifal Council gave up trying to seize the Keeper Power violently and instead sent several batches of young apprentices into Karazhan, hoping to win over the new Keeper, who has close ties to the Kingdom of Stormwind, to their ideology."
Andreas raised an eyebrow. "Not seen for months?"
Besides being a Keeper, Medivh also holds the title of Astral Mage. Utilizing Karazhan's unique structure and the powerful Keeper Power that surpasses Mortal limits, he is able to enter the Dark Void to explore the existence of other planets, traveling freely through the stars.
No matter how low-key Velen acted, Kiljaeden's discovery of Draenor was almost inevitable due to the powerful holy energy fluctuations that spread throughout the cosmos when the Genedar crashed onto Draenor.
The Avatar of Sargeras that descended upon Azeroth actually contained a portion of his soul. After the Avatar was defeated, this soul portion secretly slipped into Aegwynn, who was immersed in joy, and then possessed Medivh when she gave birth to the child.
With Kiljaeden secretly relaying information, it was only a matter of time before Sargeras knew about the existence of the planet Draenor. Under the manipulation of a certain psychologically twisted collaborator, it would be difficult for the Orcs to avoid their predetermined fate, and the same was true for Azeroth.
Andreas originally wanted to stay a few more days after completing his mission on Draenor.
On one hand, it was to calm the surging Void Power within him; on the other hand, he planned to try and make contact with the Orcs to see if he could leave a strong negative impression of the Burning Legion in the minds of certain key individuals' ancestors, thereby influencing their descendants.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. He only managed to remind Velen to watch out for the Orcs before he was pulled away by Elune's automatic teleportation program.
'Medivh hasn't been seen for months, which means... under the temptation of Sargeras' soul, he is using his Astral Mage ability to travel to Draenor and conspire with the Orcs?'
Andreas, having just recently awakened, had a bold idea. But before that, he first needed to sort out numerous domestic affairs and also have Prisim's network of spies investigate the situation at Karazhan to confirm whether Medivh was still inside the mage tower.
"An Astral Mage who can freely wander between worlds? Heh~"
Three years before the Dark Portal opened, Speaker Moonshadow, who had been in slumber for many years, finally returned to the public eye.
However, considering that he would be departing again soon, Andreas did not rashly alter the current high-level structure of the Night Elf Republic.
He merely solved some difficult problems for the High Council, compiled the Draenei crystal technology he learned on Draenor into a book for the technical department, and set the country's future development direction, instructing the army to actively prepare for war starting now.
The problems with the Zandalari Trolls and the Nightmare were not particularly urgent; the most pressing concern at the moment was the impending Orc invasion.
Andreas woke up too late; Medivh's influence was already established.
As a Mortal who also possessed demigod-like power, Medivh also had Sargeras' soul lurking behind him, guiding him. It would be no easy feat to defeat him head-on, and doing so might also offend Medivh's good friends, Lothar and Llane, completely souring relations with the Kingdom of Stormwind, which would be more trouble than it was worth.
Since things had come to this, Andreas decided to try another method.
The internal problems of the Night Elf Republic were not significant and could be resolved smoothly with some time.
Regarding territorial expansion, the root cause was still the population growth rate, which Andreas could not fix by simply increasing efforts to promote birth, so it could only be left to nature for now.
Fortunately, the complete annexation of Suramar and Moon Guard Fortress provided a new force for the Night Elf Republic. Elisande had, over 100 years of development, brought the abandoned territories outside Suramar back under control.
The problem of mana sources that had originally plagued Suramar's population growth was also resolved after the newly planted Arkandor was integrated into the World Tree system.
Yes, Arkandor.
In the years Andreas and Shandris were away, the Arkandor seeds Vastann and Farodin had eagerly watched over finally matured.
Fandral personally supervised the planting of this seed in the ruins of Shal'Aran beneath the ruins of Elun'is, which was the most suitable ley line node available in the Suramar region.
After more than a year of careful training by Vastann and Farodin, the two, with the cooperation of Suramar City, solved one problem after another, finally allowing the Arkandor to officially enter its mature phase. Fandral immediately initiated a vote in the Council, and after it passed, integrated the Arkandor into the World Tree system.
With ample energy supply, the fruits produced by the Arkandor were successively distributed to the addicts among Suramar's high-ranking citizens, to balance the excessive Arcane energy and Mana Addiction within their bodies.
The yield of a single miracle tree could not satisfy all the people of Suramar City, or even the entire Night Elf Republic, in a short period.
Fortunately, the Night Elves lacked everything but time, and the total number of fruits produced over several decades was quite substantial.
Many Highborne Mages in major towns of the Night Elf Republic, such as Astranaar, Eversong, Suramar, and Moonshadow's Rest, also consumed the fruits of the miracle tree, thereby breaking free from the torment of Mana Addiction.
Originally, Celeste wanted to introduce the Arkandor fruits to Quel'Thalas, but the increasingly old and muddle-headed Anasterian hesitated greatly at his grand-aunt's suggestion.
He worried that without the check of Mana Addiction, the High Elves nobility would lose their reverence for the Sunwell and their already dwindling respect for the Sunstrider Royal Family.
It is said that Celeste was so angry she stomped her feet, never expecting that Anasterian, who had been so decisive in his youth, would become such a disappointing figure in his old age.
Although Celeste was nominally Anasterian's elder, as the King of Quel'Thalas, if Anasterian was determined to play deaf and dumb, Celeste truly had no way to deal with him.
If she were too forceful with a king, it might cast more shadows on the already increasingly distant relationship between Quel'Thalas and the Night Elf Republic.
To Celeste's great relief, Prince Kaelthas, Anasterian's only son, was very interested in his grand-aunt's proposal.
Unfortunately, before she could delve deeper into discussions with Kaelthas, Anasterian, sensing something was amiss, immediately intervened forcefully, sending Kaelthas to Dalaran for "study abroad" under the guise of strengthening cooperation with friendly nations.
Since the Sun King's resistance was so strong, the annoyed Celeste couldn't be bothered to waste her efforts on someone so cold. She returned to Astranaar in a huff, and with a dark expression, swore to Aurora that she would never again concern herself with Quel'Thalas.
However, despite her words, Aurora knew that her stepmother could not truly let go of the High Elves kingdom across the sea.
After all, the Sun King's lineage was the only blood relative she had in this world, and no matter how distant their relationship, she could not completely sever her concern for them.
Kaelthas did not cease contact with Celeste after being sent to Dalaran by his father. He even forcefully consumed an Arkandor fruit, despite the dissuasion of his attendants.
It is difficult for those who have not personally experienced Mana Addiction to truly grasp its threat.
Kaelthas, who had always lived in Quel'Thalas, had not paid much attention to this problem, but after moving to Dalaran for "study abroad," he could no longer draw mana from the Sunwell and could only maintain the High Elves' craving for mana by consuming Sunwell water.
Practice makes perfect; after personally experiencing the dangers of Mana Addiction, Kaelthas became even more resolute in his ideas.
His father, the King, had lost his original intentions in years of political struggle with the nobility, placing the authority of the royal family above the interests of the people. Kaelthas was determined to correct Anasterian's mistaken notions.
However, most people become stubborn and old-fashioned in their old age. Anasterian, after receiving Kaelthas' subtly worded letter of persuasion, not only showed no intention of changing his mind but instead severely reprimanded Kaelthas for acting unilaterally without permission.
The two father and son, separated by distance, developed a conflict due to their differing views. The Sunstrider Royal Faction also took sides based on their ideological divergence, while the nobles of the Silvermoon Council were happy to watch the struggle from the sidelines.
Upon learning of this, Andreas comforted Celeste with a kiss on her forehead, saying, "Don't get too deeply involved in the affairs of the Quel'Thalas royal family. In their eyes, you are just a relative who married abroad, not a core member of the royal family."
Celeste sighed dejectedly, snuggling into Andreas' long-missed embrace for warmth and comfort, "I know, I've come to terms with it."
"Little Kael and Anasterian's ideological differences will eventually lead to one side winning. I can't do anything now but wait and see."
"But if the Silvermoon Council dares to take advantage of the situation..."
Celeste bared her teeth, revealing four cute canines, "I'll make them remember the lessons their ancestors suffered."
"Uh..."
Andreas' mouth twitched, "Don't go too far. It wouldn't look good for the Night Elf Republic if you were accused of interfering in another country's internal affairs."
Celeste nodded confidently, saying, "I know my limits, I won't cause a big incident. Besides, this is only a last resort; it shouldn't come to that point yet."
Although Anasterian had grown stubborn and unyielding in his old age, most Silvermoon Council members had heard from their ancestors about Princess Celeste, this incredibly senior Sunstrider princess.
If she were to act on the grounds that the Silvermoon Council nobles were plotting against the crown, as long as she didn't truly interfere with Quel'Thalas' political core, it wouldn't be a big problem for her to reprimand the Council based on her Sunstrider identity.
Those councilors would simply have to take their beating... just like their ancestors who were beaten before them.
After sorting out domestic affairs, less than two years remained until the Dark Portal opened.
Shandris, back on track, returned to the Sentinels. She had a sudden whim to test the strength growth of Aurora, Leticia, and Niana with Celeste.
Leaving the three crestfallen juniors behind, Andreas set off alone for the Eastern Kingdoms with a schadenfreude-filled smile.
Prisim's scout embedded in Karazhan had just sent back intelligence: three days ago, Medivh had locked himself in the Upper Starfall Observatory of Karazhan, citing a need for secluded training.
"Hmph~ Let me see if you can still find your way back from distant Draenor without the support of the Karazhan mage tower."
The region where Karazhan is located is called Redridge Mountains, which connects Duskwood and The Black Marsh, and is the location of the largest ley line node in the southern part of the Eastern Kingdoms.
Aegwynn originally built Karazhan to serve as a final sanctuary for herself. Most of the time, this mage tower was concealed by spells, making it impossible for ordinary people to find.
However, the various protective measures set up by Aegwynn have now become old news.
With the new Guardian Medivh moving in, Karazhan is almost completely open to the outside world under the operation of the old butler Moroes. Except for some core areas within the tower, guests attending banquets can visit freely.
As one of the most powerful mages in the world today, Medivh uses a combination of manual labor and machinery in his mage tower.
Moroes coordinates the entirety of Karazhan. Hundreds and thousands of servants and attendants gather in the lower levels of Karazhan, while the more important upper areas are guarded by constructs created by Medivh.
Since this trip to Karazhan was primarily to cause destruction, Andreas did not bring any followers, except for Prisim, who had already gone to Karazhan personally to keep watch.
With his current strength as a demigod, he can move unimpeded through most areas of Azeroth. Even if he were to have a direct conflict with Medivh, although he might not necessarily win, he would at least definitely not lose.
When he arrived at Redridge Mountains, the scenery here was very different from what Andreas remembered.
Andreas, who had run the Karazhan dungeon countless times, remembered quite clearly that Redridge Mountains was an incredibly desolate area, with a complex mountain structure full of rocks presenting a uniform, deathly gray tone.
But the Redridge Mountains before Andreas' eyes at this moment was completely different. Lush trees and verdant peaks surrounded Karazhan in the center, showing none of the desolate and abandoned appearance of the future.
As a childhood friend of King Llane Wrynn, although their interactions had decreased in recent years due to Medivh's drastic personality change, the friendship hidden deep in their hearts had not faded because of it.
The entire Redridge Mountains was granted to Medivh and his family by Llane as a fiefdom.
Numerous manors were built on the vast territory surrounding Karazhan. The high officials and nobles of Stormwind City were proud to be able to attend the Guardian's banquets, and many important exchanges of interests were facilitated in the opera hall of this mage tower, where the master was rarely seen year-round.
Since Andreas decided to come personally, Prisim rushed to the outskirts of Karazhan ahead of time to make contact with the hidden agents she had sent into the tower.
To avoid causing suspicion, the scouts Prisim sent to Karazhan were not Night Elves, but human orphans she had arranged to be adopted and raised in the Kingdom of Stormwind from a young age—genuine citizens of the Kingdom of Stormwind.
With thousands of servants in Karazhan, Medivh never managed them personally, leaving everything to Moroes.
Although she hadn't deliberately confirmed it, Prisim speculated that many of these servants were spies planted by various nations. Medivh seemed completely unconcerned about this, allowing them to convey a great deal of information from Karazhan to the masters behind them.
Of course, the main reason was that these spies could not enter the core areas of the mage tower. The dutiful Arcane constructs would block anyone with ill intentions at the door.
The people Prisim planted were likewise unable to enter the core area, but that didn't mean they didn't understand the structure inside the tower.
As early as when Karazhan was being built, Andreas had ordered Prisim to conduct close monitoring of this hidden mage tower.
When Medivh came to Karazhan under the guidance of his mother Aegwynn and decided to settle here, Prisim's pre-prepared people were among the first batch of servants Moroes recruited from the Kingdom of Stormwind.
As veteran servants, although they were also unable to explore the upper levels of Karazhan, years of hard-working and patient infiltration had at least earned them the trust of the old butler Moroes, from whom they obtained a lot of information about the upper levels of Karazhan.
Andreas completely ignored the high officials and nobles talking loudly around him, passing by them as if no one else were there. These people were also completely unaware of Andreas passing by.
Wide-range Mental Suggestion.
After entering the Karazhan tower, Andreas set up a temporary solidified mental suggestion within a one-kilometer radius centered on himself. Unless he granted permission, others would not notice his existence at all.
Although many areas in the tower were completely open to the outside, this was Medivh's mage tower after all, and it was very sensitive to energy fluctuations appearing within it.
Andreas could have put up a Shadow Veil to let himself and Prisim sneak in all the way, but it would be more trouble than it was worth if it triggered a stress response from the tower's defensive measures.
Mental suggestion was much more convenient. Mind spells would only obstruct the cognition of the guests in the tower and would not have energy fluctuations strong enough to alert Karazhan's defense system.
However, this method could only allow the two of them to smoothly pass through the servant quarters on the lower level and the banquet halls and opera house on the middle level. Going further up into areas like the library, laboratories, and the observatory was unlikely.
At this moment, Andreas and Prisim were hiding in a corner not far from the entrance to The Menagerie. Two motionless Arcane constructs stood on either side of the entrance.
These Arcane constructs, specifically used as guards, possessed powerful detection and anti-stealth capabilities, ensuring that no petty thief could sneak through their defensive zone.
Andreas believed these two constructs were just the beginning, and they would encounter more of their companions the deeper they went into the upper levels.
"Hmm..."
Stroking his chin and thinking for a moment, Andreas asked inside Prisim's mind through Telepathy, "From here on out, is it all the core area of the tower?"
Although Prisim was startled by the sudden voice of an outsider in her mind, her steady nature meant she did not show much agitation, and she quickly nodded silently in agreement.
"It seems like it's impossible to completely avoid alerting these puppets..."
Andreas' eyes flickered as he considered for a while. He stepped forward with his left foot first, and in the next second, he appeared behind the two constructs.
"Warning! Detected..."
"Sizzle!"
Before the two constructs could fully issue their alarm, two slender Shadow Cones pierced through the thinking cores in their heads at the same time. Flickering Arcane currents caused these two constructs, which still retained full energy, to completely short-circuit.
"Let's go, you lead the way."
Prisim followed in Andreas' footsteps without a word, guiding Andreas along the way based on the route maps provided by the spies.
Although the constructs in the tower were connected to each other, the Arcane programs written by Medivh still required a certain amount of reaction time after all.
As long as Andreas struck fast enough, these destroyed constructs would be unable to transmit the information they had acquired to the other individuals in time.
Passing through the library and The Menagerie all the way, the two left behind only a large pile of short-circuited and scrapped Arcane constructs. Before the patrolling constructs in the tower could discover the destroyed individuals and issue an alarm, the two arrived silently at the upper-level Celestial Hall.
Even the loyal Moroes had at most only wandered around in the vast library. If he were to see the bizarre sights in the Celestial Hall, the old butler might be scared into a heart attack.
"This is the place."
Looking at the countless spatial rifts presenting grotesque and variegated scenes around them, Andreas waved his hand to signal Prisim to move back.
"Guard the main entrance and don't let any constructs break in here."
"Yes."
The entire Stargazing Hall was filled with numerous spatial fissure (rifts) of various sizes, each reflecting unique scenes from different worlds.
Most of these scenes were static, but the largest spatial rift shimmered with eerie green flames on the other side. A desolate, dry wasteland, almost devoid of life, appeared before Andreas's eyes.
Andreas squinted slightly, and from the other side of this active spatial rift, he saw a group of green-skinned creatures galloping past, letting out wild war cries.
Although their stature was taller than the individuals he remembered, and their muscles were more coiled, with terrifying green skin and red eyes, Andreas still recognized the origin of these green-skinned creatures from their distinctive tusks—Orcs.
At this moment, these Orcs were clashing with each other in the world on the other side. The warring factions seemed indistinguishable; both were fellow Orcs with blood-red eyes, only the patterns on the banners they carried on their backs differed.
Andreas had once briefly learned from Velen how to identify the representative patterns of well-known Orc Clans.
The banner of one of the units depicted a bright red, inverted bloody handprint. Andreas didn't recognize this pattern, but with his advantage as a Transmigrator, he could roughly guess their origin.
The banner of the other unit, however, displayed a familiar ferocious Orcish grin—the Warsong Clan.
"Has the civil war begun? So... the forces resisting the Orcs in Draenor have been completely wiped out?"
The entire Orc race, having drunk demon blood, had transformed into relentless warmongers. They desperately craved blood and conquest. If there were still resistance forces in Draenor, their Great Chieftain would likely not allow the valiant Warsong Clan to fight among themselves.
As for the other Clan fighting the Warsong Clan, although Velen had not mentioned this banner pattern, Andreas recognized their origin from the highly distinctive iron hands of their Clan warriors—the Shattered Hand Clan.
The Shattered Hand Clan was a new Clan founded by Kargath, formerly arena gladiators enslaved by Ogres.
After the Orcs rose, Kargath seized the opportunity to incite a gladiator uprising, killed the Ogre slave masters who enslaved them, gathered these physically disabled Orcs, and formed the current Shattered Hand Clan.
Kargath, a former gladiator, was extremely brutal, and his Shattered Hand Clan was also a true warmongering Clan, gathering insane warriors with physical and psychological distortions.
These Clans, already fierce in battle, became even more berserk under the influence of demon blood. If they didn't fight for a day, they would start infighting.
Andreas speculated that most of Draenor had been flattened by the green-skinned Orcs, and these battle-crazed individuals, having lost their external enemies, could no longer suppress their inner bloodlust and began fighting each other in a desolate wasteland.
Through these green-skinned Orcs clashing with each other, Andreas could vaguely see a majestic stone fortress on the distant, desolate horizon. Without a doubt, it should be Hellfire Citadel, which served as the Old Horde's command center.
'So, this is what was once Tanaan Jungle, now Hellfire Peninsula?'
Since he didn't know when Medivh would return from Draenor, Andreas, despite being very concerned about the Draenei's situation, dared not risk entering the Hellfire Peninsula on the other side, where natural resources were almost completely depleted.
Karazhan's Stargazing Platform was Medivh's crucial reliance for traversing multiple worlds. He could enter the other side through spatial rifts connected to various worlds, thereby completing his 'control' over the Orcs.
Having made up his mind, Shadow Energy surged from Andreas's body, and Void Power began to massively annihilate these unstable world rifts, destroying Medivh's path back to Azeroth at its source.
The largest Draenor rift rapidly cracked under the impact of Void Power, and with a series of crisp, almost tangible sounds, all the spatial rifts in the entire Stargazing Hall were destroyed.
"Who dares to intrude upon Karazhan and act so wildly!!"
An angry, aged male voice echoed through the tower as Andreas's Shadow Energy surged forth. A translucent phantom appeared in the Stargazing Hall through the use of teleportation magic.
This was a handsome elderly man, whose temperament and attire vaguely hinted at some of his youthful splendor.
However, this man did not appear to be corporeal but rather in a translucent soul state, glaring furiously at Andreas.
'Is that Nielas Aran?'
Facing Nielas Aran's rapidly chanted Pyroblast, Andreas merely waved his hand, using a Shadow Wind to disperse the attack.
"Intruder! I'll show you that even an old dog has a few teeth!"
Nielas Aran, in his soul state, seemed somewhat disoriented. He had only instinctively left his soul in Karazhan out of paternal love, to help his son guard this mage tower built by his wife.
"Flame Wreath!"
A troublesome skill, seen countless times in dungeons, appeared at Andreas and Prisim's feet.
"Don't move for now!"
Andreas spoke, stopping Prisim's movement, and with a slight chuckle, he used Shadow Energy to shatter the wreath on the ground.
If one carelessly walked through this thing, it would explode, indeed a small trap for outsiders encountering this spell for the first time.
Unfortunately, although Nielas Aran was an elite mage hunter trained by the Tirisial Conclave and a Court Mage of the Kingdom of Stormwind, he was still no match for the greatly empowered Andreas.
No matter how he bombarded Andreas with spells from all three schools of magic, he achieved no effect. The fundamental difference in power could not be bridged simply by accumulating mana.
Out of respect for Nielas Aran's great paternal love, Andreas did not annihilate his soul immediately but allowed him to expend his physical and mental energy.
Only when Nielas Aran's casting speed began to slow and the quality of his spells declined did Andreas take action.
Mind magic, affecting the soul, easily controlled Nielas Aran, whose willpower had significantly decreased. Andreas sighed, looking at his chaotic and vacant eyes.
"Return to the resting place you are meant to go."
Seamlessly switching his energy to Holy Light, the golden, warm power purified Nielas Aran's last lingering obsession in his soul. Losing the meaning to continue existing in the Material World, Nielas Aran's soul gradually began to retreat into the Shadowlands where the dead reside.
The commotion from their battle alarmed all the arcane constructs in the tower. On their way to the Stargazing Hall, they saw their dismantled companions and rushed frantically into Karazhan's upper levels, sounding alarms all the way.
"Let's go."
Looking back at the completely filled-in spatial rifts, Andreas gestured for Prisim to retreat to the higher-level open-air platform.
When Andreas, transformed into a griffin, carried Prisim away from Karazhan, the guests inside the tower were also startled and at a loss by the suddenly rampaging arcane constructs and the stern-faced Moroes. All suspects present were temporarily detained by the old butler.
Meanwhile, in Talador, Draenor, a bearded human carefully observing Shattrath City suddenly changed his expression, turning his head with a somewhat ferocious look towards a direction from which he had come.
"Who is it? Who could infiltrate the heavily guarded Karazhan and destroy the spatial passage I left behind?"
Andreas didn't know if destroying the portal would completely prevent Medivh's return, but at least it could effectively delay the opening of the Dark Portal, leaving more room and time for the Night Elves to prepare for war.
Andreas woke up too late; even if he ordered immediate war preparations, the vast Night Elf Republic, without a visible external enemy, would find it difficult to complete preparations in a short time.
Currently, Shandris is training the Sentinels in Astranaar. Although the High Council doesn't quite understand Andreas' intentions, without the argumentative Tyrande, Fandral and Maiev have not questioned his decision.
After all, most of the preparations Andreas made in advance had later proven true, and by responding in advance, the Night Elf Republic had avoided many losses.
After concluding his destructive journey in Karazhan, Andreas did not linger in the Eastern Kingdoms. He also had no intention of informing the Kingdom of Stormwind; King Llane, busy with internal strife among the nobles, probably wouldn't have time to believe the one-sided words of an outsider like him.
However, Andreas wasn't doing nothing. Human Scouts under Prisim quietly infiltrated the Kingdom of Stormwind, secretly spreading rumors.
The content of the rumors was rather vague: it was said that within five years, terrifying otherworldly creatures would descend upon The Black Marsh, and driven by cunning demons, they would devour the Kingdom of Stormwind and even the entire Eastern Kingdoms.
Man proposes, God disposes. The seeds have been sown; whether they can move the great stone above depends on King Llane's vigilance and foresight.
Andreas did not return directly to Kalimdor on his way back but first visited the Suramar region of the Broken Isles.
More than 200 years have passed, and Suramar's previously abandoned outer districts have been repurposed. New towns and villages, built around various ruins and ancient sites, are scattered throughout the region, and territories once encroached upon by plants and animals are now returning to the control of the Nightborne.
Archmage Elisande personally came to greet Andreas upon hearing of his visit, but Andreas' purpose for coming this time was not an official visit.
He stopped Elisande's grand welcoming ceremony and quietly came to Shal'Aran, where the Arkandor was planted, to check on the growth of the miracle tree.
Farodin and Vastann were still responsible for guarding the Arkandor, but Vastann was now married to Leiana. When Andreas arrived, he saw Leiana, with her heavily pregnant belly, struggling to bow to him with Vastann's support.
"No need for formalities! The child is more important."
Andreas, as one of them, had much to say about how difficult it was for Night Elves to get pregnant.
He wouldn't dare let Fandral's precious grandchild have any problems due to trivial formalities; that fiercely protective guy would surely go mad.
Besides Vastann, who looked blissful, and Farodin, who was still a confirmed bachelor, the assisting personnel sent by Suramar also respectfully bowed to Andreas.
This assisting personnel was someone Andreas knew, but his appearance had changed significantly from before.
Former Botanist TelAn, the Archmage advisor who was driven insane by assimilation with plants.
After Elisande sent him to Moonglade and immersed him in the Emerald Dream, TelAn finally separated from the unnaturally fused plants under Malfurion's long-term care, and his erratic mental state gradually returned to normal.
Now TelAn is a full-fledged Druid of the Cenarion Circle. Due to his in-depth research into plants, Malfurion made him one of the Council members, assisting Vastann and Farodin in caring for the miracle tree arcan'dor.
Malfurion was also greatly amazed by the existence and function of the Arkandor, but unfortunately, Farodin was temporarily unable to replicate new Arkandor seeds.
The birth of this tree seed was thanks to the Well of Eternity, and now it is almost impossible to recreate new Arkandor seeds.
A miracle is called a miracle precisely because it is difficult to replicate. After many unsuccessful attempts, Malfurion gradually came to terms with it.
As long as the fruits produced by the Arkandor can be distributed sequentially to the citizens who need them most, curing the entire race's Mana Addiction is only a matter of time, and the Night Elves do not lack time to wait.
"Vastann, your father asked me to tell you that you should be transferred back to Astranaar."
Before leaving, Andreas patted Vastann's shoulder, meaningfully glancing at the pregnant Leiana.
"I know you're reluctant to leave Suramar, where you've worked for many years, but even if you don't consider yourself, you should think about the little life about to be born."
"Astranaar has the most complete medical resources; even the rapidly developing Suramar can't compare. I suggest you follow Fandral's advice, at least temporarily return to the capital so Leiana can rest well."
War could break out at any time, and Vastann, wielding the moonglaive, was undoubtedly an important combat force. Andreas didn't want him to be stuck planting trees in the countryside his whole life, so he used Fandral's suggestion to transfer Vastann back to the central command.
Vastann was indeed a bit reluctant to leave his colleagues he had worked with for many years, but Farodin and TelAn encouraged him to return to Astranaar so Leiana could safely carry her pregnancy under proper care.
Ultimately, Vastann agreed and prepared to pack his belongings to return to the continent of Kalimdor via the portal.
Leaving Suramar, Andreas subsequently visited Lorathil, Black Rook Hold, and the Marksman Camp in Highmountain.
Although local officials didn't quite understand Andreas' order to mobilize for war, the Night Elf Republic's philosophy of strict obedience had been fully implemented over the years.
Commands issued by the Speaker of the High Council were executed by local administrative and military officers without any question.
After receiving a clear answer from Namuria Lin'ge of The Hidden Path, Andreas finally intended to return to Kalimdor, but at that moment, Namuria's apprentice, Imorell, called out to him.
"Speaker, please wait a moment."
Andreas turned around, puzzled, "What's wrong? Is there something else?"
"Yes," Imorell said seriously, "It concerns the Vrykul of Stormheim."
"Oh? Tell me."
"Yes, the atmosphere in Stormheim has been rather strange for the past decade or so. Helya, who has been dormant for many years, has intensified her efforts to snatch souls from the Valkyr. She also seems to be gathering forces, probably with some ill intent."
"Helya?"
Andreas stroked his chin thoughtfully, 'Odyn isn't free yet; what is she so hastily gathering people for at this time? Could it be...'
Thinking of Helya's past record of conspiring with someone to scheme against Odyn, Andreas had a bad premonition.
'Could Loken have another trick up his sleeve? And the target is... Thorim?'