After the expeditionary force drove the Sandfury Trolls into Zul'Farrak, Andreas did not order their immediate extermination. Instead, he instructed Nawaz to send a detachment along the western border, crossing the great desert and heading south to find the entrance to the Crater.
Unlike the sand-swept Tanaris Desert, when the exploration team led by Naisha entered the Crater, the scenery of this primordial jungle stunned everyone.
The lush, verdant jungle stood in stark contrast to the desert separated only by a mountain range. The sheer sense of disparity made even the usually composed Naisha begin to doubt her understanding of ecological common sense.
However, Naisha was, after all, a capable officer handpicked by Maiev. With her extensive experience from numerous wars, she quickly composed herself and regained her focus.
The exploration team first established a camp at the border between Tanaris and Un'Goro, before cautiously and steadily beginning their exploration of this lowland jungle.
Shortly after venturing deep into the jungle, Andreas, stationed in the rear, received good news from Naisha.
Un'Goro Crater contained numerous exposed Thorium veins, and it was clear at a glance that the mineral reserves within these veins were immense.
At the same time, however, Naisha's report mentioned that they had clashed with the local indigenous species. Due to their unfamiliarity, they had suffered quite a bit during the initial encounter.
Devilsaurs—giant beasts over ten meters tall, fierce in temperament, would attack any living creature within their line of sight.
It was the first time the exploration team led by Naisha had seen such creatures, and several unfortunate members lost their lives to the maws of the Devilsaurs.
As time passed, subsequent reports continued to arrive, and the ecological environment of Un'Goro Crater gradually began to unfold before everyone's eyes.
Malfurion was extremely interested in the unique organisms within this primordial jungle. Without waiting for Andreas to convince him to stay, he excitedly set off with a group of Druids from the Cenarion Circle, calling it an "ecological survey."
Andreas felt quite helpless about this. Fortunately, at his request, Malfurion took a group of miners along; as soon as they reached the Crater, the mining of Thorium could formally begin.
Now that the materials were in place, solving the most critical issue became a matter of extreme urgency.
...
At the summit of Mount Hyjal, there was a small lake that appeared unremarkable. The roots of the World Tree, Nordrassil, were deeply embedded in the lake, and the surface would occasionally emit a faint, almost imperceptible shimmer.
The New Well of Eternity—a brand-new source of magical essence created by Illidan using three vials of water from the original Well of Eternity.
In the era when Malfurion and Tyrande held power, the utilization rate of the New Well of Eternity was extremely low.
Aside from powering Nordrassil, only Moonwells and Moonshadow Wells used the eternal waters, purified and diluted countless times. These diluted waters became a life-saving medicine for the Highborne to suppress their mana addiction.
When Andreas arrived at the shore of the New Well of Eternity, Leticia was squatting by the water out of curiosity, tentatively reaching her hand toward it, while Celeste stood nearby, breathing deeply with an intoxicated expression.
Onyxia had no need for this source of Arcane power, nor did she possess Leticia's husky-like excess of curiosity; among the three companions, she was actually the most composed.
The Priests of Elune guarding the Well of Eternity looked at Andreas and the others with wary eyes. These guards, who had not yet been replaced, were Tyrande's trusted subordinates.
"Stand down."
Andreas signaled for the priests to leave with a calm wave of his hand, but his command did not receive an immediate response from the guards.
His expression gradually darkened, and a cold glint flashed in Andreas's eyes. "Do you not understand? I said... stand down!"
"I am afraid we cannot comply."
The lead priestess, who appeared to be the most mature in temperament, resisted with indifference. "We only follow the orders of the High Priestess to guard the Well of Eternity. No one else has the right to command us."
"Heh~"
Andreas sneered. "Very well, such loyalty. From today onward, you are no longer responsible for guarding the Well of Eternity. In the name of Elune, go back and accept 'rehabilitation' along with Tyrande and the other members of the Sisterhood."
"In the name of Elune"—this phrase was not something to be said lightly in a Night Elven society where the entire race worshipped the Moon Goddess.
But Andreas did indeed have this right. His status as the God-Favored had long been exposed, and Elune did indeed intend to reform the overly politicized Sisterhood.
"This..."
Most of the priestesses guarding the Well of Eternity wavered. Elune held absolute status within the Sisterhood.
Only the elder priestess in the lead remained as stubborn and foul as a stone in a cesspit. She resolutely resisted Andreas's command and incited her companions to rebel, accusing him of abusing Elune's oracles.
Andreas's black pupils stared fixedly at the priestess who struck a pose of being ready to die for her cause. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Since you doubt that I am falsifying Elune's oracles, then let me see exactly how much faith you have left in Elune."
Swish!
A beam of black light descended from the sky, enveloping the hardline priestess.
Andreas's sudden move caused all the guards around the Well of Eternity to draw their weapons and point them at him, but Andreas, at the center of the vortex, remained perfectly calm.
"Sigh~"
A sigh from an unknown source brushed through everyone's minds. The priestess covered by the black light suddenly underwent a dramatic change in expression, falling to the ground in utter terror.
"No! No, no, no! Merciful Elune, your loyal believer knows her mistake! Please do not strip me of the right to continue following you!"
Andreas sneered with disdain. "If you knew it would come to this, why act so before? Your loyalty to Tyrande even surpassed that to Elune. Who gave you the courage? Did you want to roast Tyrande over a fire?"
Tyrande herself still maintained a devout faith in Elune. When Elune asked her to step down from her throne of power as the supreme leader, although she was unwilling, the High Priestess obeyed the oracle without a second thought.
But the priestesses under her were not necessarily as devout. One could see from this priestess's previous behavior that she lacked reverence for Elune, who had never truly manifested, but was instead extremely loyal to Tyrande, who gave her status and power.
Choosing the wrong side to pledge loyalty to is a serious problem. Elune was already displeased with Tyrande's excessive involvement in power struggles and her neglect in guiding the priestesses. This unfortunate soul who happened to walk right into the crosshairs naturally met a miserable end.
Her lunar power was stripped away by Elune on the spot. From now on, she could no longer call herself a priestess, and she would likely be given a shameful title by the priestesses who witnessed the entire process today.
The God-Forsaken.
Andreas showed no mercy to this former priestess who was wailing and pleading for Elune's forgiveness. He frowned and waved his hand at the other priestesses. "Take her away. All of you, stand down as well. You should be very clear now about Elune's will, shouldn't you?"
"Yes!"
With the "chicken" killed before them, the "monkeys" dared not have any further objections. They immediately picked up the woman, trembling with fear, and quickly left the Well of Eternity.
Inhale~
Andreas mimicked Celeste's action and took a deep breath, but unlike Celeste, who was an Arcanist, the excess Arcane energy instead caused him to choke and cough.
"Cough, cough!"
Celeste was amused by Andreas's clumsy state and chuckled behind her hand. Leticia laughed even more unkindly, doubling over, while Onyxia rolled her dead-fish eyes and commented, "What kind of show are you putting on..."
"Cough~"
Andreas felt a bit self-conscious. Ignoring the Black Dragon Princess's questioning, he changed the subject and said, "Celeste, let's begin. I want to see how much difference there is between this New Well of Eternity and the original one in Zin-Azshari."