It was truly a case of a single word waking a dreamer. There was no need for any high-end methods; nothing is achieved overnight. It was simply a matter of spending a bit more time. Instead of wasting effort thinking about it, it was better to just start working.
Mobilizing the Mantid and Gnomes to come for the dismantling work would only take a few days. Don't look down on these fellows just because they can't lift gears; they don't rely on their own strength, but on machinery. There was no need for much manual labor.
"That makes sense. Ysera, you've given me quite a surprise."
Arthas inconspicuously glanced over the snow-capped mountain peak. If nothing else, her status as a Queen was very attractive. Some people like older women? It's nothing more than coveting the disparity in wealth, status, and position; the'subordinate overtaking the superior' always provides plenty of surprises and excitement.
It must be said that all men are like this: eating from their bowl, looking at the pot, and thinking about what hasn't been cooked yet.
The more powerful a male is, the more he wants to monopolize more mates. This has nothing to do with being lecherous; it is purely driven by genes, by nature.
This sensitive gaze naturally did not escape Ysera's perception. Her half-asleep eyes suddenly brightened. There was no shyness, nor any anger, only a calm that reached the extreme. Her willow-like eyebrows even twitched a few times, carrying a sense of flirtation.
The two locked eyes for a few seconds before Arthas turned to look at the massive pit in the distance. A meaningful smile played at the corner of his mouth—interesting, it seemed Ysera wasn't refusing and was even somewhat expectant.
This is the benefit of having great strength; many things that previously seemed inconceivable are easily resolved. Men like beautiful women, and women like powerful men who can provide a sense of security, guarantee basic living, and further obtain better treatment.
He had Jandice open a magical communication line so he could personally contact the Gnomes' High Tinker and the Goblins' head manager, ordering them to immediately bring people to dismantle the instruments here. At the same time, he ordered the mage units to open portals to transport the materials to Lordaeron.
Whether they were reassembled there or melted down into weapon and equipment materials didn't matter. If reassembled, the future Burning Legion would be in luck—no, it should be said all enemies would have the fortune of enjoying the ultimate soul extraction brought by the machines.
Despite their lack of understanding, the large contingent arrived quickly. When His Majesty summons, one must arrive even if it means death.
Looking at the magnificent, massive forge engine, both the Gnomes and Goblins fell silent. Such technology had already surpassed the knowledge they currently possessed, even though they had always been hailed as the Alliance's most gifted races in engineering.
Now it seemed there was always someone better, and there was always a higher mountain.
When did The Legion become so formidable? To actually manufacture such a massive machine that wasn't just for show, but could truly be activated. The unique and exquisite construction within was truly eye-opening.
Both sides harbored their own little schemes; they had to replicate this if given the chance. Even a scaled-down version of the device could upgrade their machinery by several levels. Having more abundant energy would allow for more powerful effects.
Arthas did not leave; he camped nearby to prevent the engineering units from fishing in troubled waters. He could turn a blind eye to some things and let them study, but when it involved system tasks, there was no room for negotiation—strict priority had to be given to completing the task.
This put the Gnomes and Goblins in a difficult position. Considering they would have to live under his roof in the future, they gritted their teeth and decided to get to dismantling.
Dismantling while learning would ultimately enhance their engineering knowledge.
Half a month later.
The Soul Forge was completely dismantled. Archmage Elisande, summoned from Suramar, led the Nightborne mages in using a unique magic circle to thoroughly destroy it.
"Ding, Divinity Ascension Path III, Completed."
"Task Content: Defeat Lich King Nerzhul, seize the helm of domination, and destroy the Soul Forge."
"Task Reward: Azeroth's repair progress accelerated; obtain the Power of Domination to unlock Herald Mode."
As the falling snowflakes froze in mid-air, the voice of Azeroth's world soul was heard for the first time. It was very weak and soft, sounding like a young woman.
"Thank you for your efforts, Guardian. I have seen everything you've done. It is precisely because of your existence that I was able to awaken."
"I am still very weak, trapped in a place without light. I do not like it here. The Titans are not my kin."
"Please rescue me from this place, and I shall return to my original state. And you shall become my herald, my mate, Guardian. Are you willing?"
There was such a good deal? e-chan was taking the initiative to offer herself?
"I am at your service, my Goddess."
Arthas smiled. Could this be considered working hard for his wife? All for the sake of being able to enjoy a warm meal of'soft rice' in the future?
"My name was once Eonhara, and my children called me Goddess. Very well, my Guardian, I am still very tired, and this place limits my connection with you. Please come to the core of the world; you will find the answers there. My people will find you."
"There is no need to rush this. Currently, the Titans' shackles are still very firm. Fortunately, the equipment here has lost its conversion capability. We still have plenty of time; you can find the solution to break the seal in other Titan facilities."
"If you encounter Freya, please contact me. She will be of great help in my liberation. I currently have no way to reach her. She is the only one who is decent, but unfortunately, she is a puppet of the Pantheon."
e-chan's voice was very weak, and after saying the last sentence, there was no more sound. She had likely exhausted her strength. He didn't know where she was imprisoned, only that her original resting place had been discovered by the Titans and then she was forcibly moved. To find her place of imprisonment, he could only ask the Guardian.
Arthas stroked his chin, his gaze appearing somewhat distant. Just now she mentioned the Titan Keeper Freya; could this be a chess piece left behind?
The closer a Titan construct was to the world soul, the more likely it was to be assimilated, eventually ceasing to follow Titan orders and beginning to defy them to obey a new master. This was not unique to the world soul; the two imprisoned Old Gods, Yogg-Saron and C'Thun, could also do the same, warping the programming of titan constructs to turn them into their own servants.
Freya?
He turned to look at the drowsy Red Dragon Queen beside him. After the great battle, she was covered in a fragrant sweat. Having lost her Aspect power, she was no longer as energetic as before. Previously, she could go without sleep for a month without issue; the surging life force within her could sustain her mental strength without the need for sleep.
That wasn't the case now. Only after losing power does one realize how precious that original power was.
"Do you remember Freya?"
Alexstrasza pouted her red lips and rolled over. The dragon horns on her head were knocking against the headboard uncomfortably. Human furniture really wasn't suited for dragons; she had to find a way to improve the furniture, or else life would be uncomfortable everywhere.
"I remember, of course I do. Back when we became Aspects, it was the Guardians who helped channel the Titans' power. Ysera and I channeled it through Freya. For a long time after that, Ysera and I stayed by Freya's side to learn how to use that power."
"Compared to that annoying Odyn and Loken, the attitudes of Freya, Mimiron, and Tyr were quite friendly. Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've seen Freya. I wonder how she is. Over these ten thousand years, it's been intermittent; sometimes she would say some very strange things."
Arthas stretched. Lately, they had been taking turns so they wouldn't fight. Counting the time, tonight should be Sylvanas's turn. Heh, he wondered what kind of surprise this cool Queen Sylvanas would bring him.
"She has been controlled by Yogg-Saron, and I don't know if she can regain her senses. It originally had nothing to do with me, but on second thought, she might be someone we can win over. As for you wanting to regain your Aspect power, I've already started to get a lead."
"Trust me, this definitely won't disappoint you. Our actions can be felt by the world soul; she needs me to help her find Freya. If Freya wakes up, we can find where the world soul is located. This process will allow the world soul to re-endow you with Aspect power."
"This power is even greater than that of the Titans, capable of making you stronger than before. When that time comes, you won't be calling out that you're tired after just an hour. How about it? Are you moved?"
A surprise! This was absolutely a surprise!
Just listening to the man's self-boasting, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. He really wasn't mature enough! She felt like criticizing him, but then she thought—he probably wasn't even twenty yet, right? For such a young demigod, what was wrong with being immature?
Perhaps this was his true side. The price of maturing quickly is enormous. Who hasn't had a time of innocence and romance?
For some reason, Alexstrasza felt a pang of heartache for her man. Just what kind of hardships did he have to go through to make him hide this innocence and face the world with coldness?
Maternal instinct flooded her, and she pulled Arthas into a hug. Without redundant words, she only wanted to give him a warm, suffocating embrace to convey her love to him.
"It's been hard on you. From now on, you are no longer alone."
There were no moving love whispers, only unswerving loyalty. She had never found a suitable mate before, but now that she had met him, she wouldn't let him go again.
This kind of thing is rare. Compared to Arthas, it seemed everyone she met before was trash.
Since it was decided, it was time to execute.
But just as they were about to make a move, long-awaited news came from Jaina.
Currently, Kul Tiras was plunged into chaos. The entire archipelago consisted of three major regions: Tiragarde Sound, Drustvar, and Stormsong Valley.
Tiragarde Sound was the seat of House Proudmoore and House Ashvane, and also the most important maritime trade port. It was the most prosperous area, generating significant revenue every year.
Drustvar was a highland plateau and the primary producer of grain and medicinal herbs. Stormsong Valley was a natural forest and mining region, and also the most important shipyard for all of Kul Tiras.
Now, House Waycrest, which controlled Drustvar, had lost contact. Grain was not being shipped out, and rumors of something called the Heartsbane Coven were causing a stir locally.
House Stormsong was also in chaos; they had begun refusing to build ships and had blockaded the entire region. No one knew what had happened.
Jaina felt that there was definitely some kind of conspiracy brewing. If they couldn't take down Lordaeron, they would strike at its most important member. As long as Kul Tiras was in chaos, Lordaeron, which relied on transoceanic trade, would also suffer a heavy blow.
This was a replenishment point for the transoceanic fleet. Without the support of the two great houses, the port would be difficult to maintain. This move was very vicious and malicious, and the culprit was still unknown.
Originally, Jaina had the ability to resolve these matters, but considering her status as the Queen of Lordaeron, it was somewhat inappropriate to intervene in Kul Tiras's internal affairs. Furthermore, she knew her status was exactly what certain malicious masterminds were targeting.
Once she was in danger, it would directly threaten Lordaeron. Her husband, Arthas, would also fall into a passive position, which was not what she wanted to see.
Therefore, this message was not only to inform him of her safety but also to ask for reinforcements. At least with her husband's help, she would be much more at ease.
On one side was e-chan's request, and on the other was his wife's request, which put him in a bit of a dilemma.
Thinking it over, he decided that since he was already in Northrend, right here at Icecrown Glacier, and the Storm Peaks were right next door—where Ulduar, the prison of Yogg-Saron, was located—going there now would not only be convenient but would also save time.
"Is there a possibility that this is being orchestrated by Yogg-Saron or C'Thun? When the Orcs invaded, they brought an Ogre unit. The leader was named Cho'gall, an Ogre Mage who worshipped the Void and just happened to connect with the local Old Gods."
"I have reason to suspect that the Twilight's Hammer is behind this. We must uproot them and cut off the Old Gods' claws from acting outside."
Arthas knew this was definitely a trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain—no, a 'besiege Wei to rescue Zhao' tactic. The Old Gods were not fools; they wouldn't just stupidly wait for him to develop and then wipe them out in one wave.
The Titans' cages were indeed a natural protection, but they also limited their abilities. Their true bodies could not personally take the field, whereas his advantage was being as powerful as an Old God while being able to personally take the field and beat up their pawns. This was essentially cheating.
Thinking of this, Arthas decided to dispatch his elite subordinates to help.
"But what about Jaina's side?"
Sylvanas had already arrived. Since there was business to discuss, she naturally had to be present. She didn't care much about protecting Azeroth; she only cared about her husband. If her husband said to protect Azeroth, she would protect Azeroth.
What does 'follow the chicken if you marry a chicken, follow the dog if you marry a dog' mean? This was it.
"It's fine. I'll send Shandris, Whitemane, and Lilian over. Let Bridget lead the Scarlet Crusade to support Kul Tiras."
"Shandris will coordinate the overall situation; she has the ability. Whitemane will be responsible for pacifying the civilians, Lilian is skilled in intelligence reconnaissance, and finally, Bridget will be responsible for leading the army to push through."
"This time, blood must be shed. Even House Waycrest and House Stormsong will have to be purged. Since we have this opportunity, we shouldn't miss it. Only what we hold in our hands is truly ours."