Chapter One Hundred and Twenty: The Southern Campaign
After the rules of Azeroth were relaxed, advancement became relatively easier. A large number of elves, humans, and others, unable to resist the allure of power, lost themselves and became pawns of evil forces. Overreliance on powers not fully controlled by oneself made it easier to stray from the path.
Those who betrayed their countries or were corrupted by the Old Gods and the Burning Legion—all were driven to endless madness by the pursuit of so-called immortality and unparalleled power. Patrick always believed in pursuing power within one’s means, not reaching beyond one’s grasp.
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“Your Majesty, this is a report concerning Councilor Patrick Kabron. Recently, he has not appeared publicly at the Sun Temple for an extended period. Subsequently, the entire Sun Temple sensed a surge of arcane energy erupting from the Sunlight Tower,” Velreston paused before pointing to another report. “Additionally, the Sunlight Tower has acquired a significant amount of spellcasting materials. I suspect Councilor Patrick Kabron is crafting some powerful arcane constructs.”
King Anastasian took the information from Velreston and read it with an unreadable expression. “Has the council made any moves recently?”
Velreston was unsure of the king’s intent. The council’s four members had been secretly working together to suppress the Kabron family. It was believed that if the council members could not extract the benefits they desired from the Kabron family, they would not relent.
“The council’s actions remain as before, but Councilor Patrick seems to have close ties with Ox. Judging by the transactions at the Sun Temple, he and Master Ox have significant business dealings. Moreover, the Dawnblade clan has been appearing frequently at the Sun Temple. It’s possible the Dawnblade family is the first in the council to side with the Kabron family.”
Upon hearing Velreston’s report, Anastasian inwardly scorned: Damn that cunning old fox—truly a master of guile.
Outwardly, Anastasian showed no emotion, but inside he was seething. First, he had made empty promises to the royalists, then allied with the newly appointed councilors. Our king must be “admired” for his deft political maneuvering.
The Dawnblade clan had no successors. After the passing of Ox, they were leaderless. To preserve their legacy, they had no choice but to join the royalists. Unexpectedly, Ox had left a hidden path to ensure the Dawnblade’s hope of maintaining their status in the council.
Velreston took his leave. Anastasian held high hopes for Patrick. This young elf had shone brilliantly during the Troll Wars and quickly advanced his spellcasting to the eighth tier at a speed akin to a dragonhawk’s flight. It was imperative to maintain a good relationship between Kael’thas and him. As the older councilors passed, this young man’s reign was inevitable.
Anastasian was already old, now only relying on the power of the Sunwell to delay aging. Kael’thas, meanwhile, resided permanently in Dalaran, unable to cultivate his influence in Silvermoon City.
Originally, Anastasian had intended to wait until the strength of Arthas and others was sufficient to replace Kael’thas as a member of the Kirin Tor. Kael’thas could then return to Quel’Thalas to manage the royal affairs, allowing Anastasian to retire peacefully. When he passed the final stage of life, Kael’thas would directly succeed as King of Quel’Thalas, inheriting the highest authority of the High Elven kingdom.
This would maintain the prestige of the Sunstrider monarchy, balance the power among council factions, firmly control the Sunwell as the energy source, consolidate power, and ensure the Sunstrider dynasty would never lose its throne.
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The meeting in Stormwind Keep was nearing its end when Khadgar and Garona uncovered Medivh’s secret and immediately rushed to Stormwind to expose his crimes to everyone.
However, King Llane’s stance on Medivh was unwavering. Even though Khadgar laid out all the evidence, supported by Garona’s guarantees and supplementary testimony—the past visions, strange behavior, the oscillation between madness and sanity, the appearance of Sargeras in Karazhan once dismissed as an illusion, and the ironclad proof that Medivh had summoned orcs to attack Azeroth.
Each piece could have served as undeniable evidence against Medivh, yet King Llane trusted his childhood friend completely. No matter how much Garona and Khadgar tried to persuade him, the king remained unmoved.
Only Sir Lothar, standing nearby, inadvertently recalled a vision from long ago: a humanoid figure standing before him, his body seemingly forged from bronze, with horns at the front of his eyebrows, and a beard made of flames.
Without a doubt, that was Sargeras.
Leading the assault team alongside Khadgar and Garona, mounted on gryphons, Lothar flew straight to Karazhan. The frontline battle was imminent; the orcs could attack at any moment. The matter of Medivh had to be resolved quickly.
At last, Sir Lothar, Khadgar, and Garona found the long-missing astral mage at the top of Karazhan, in Medivh’s observatory.
Now, Medivh—or rather, Sargeras—had completely possessed Medivh’s body. At their first encounter, Medivh unhesitatingly struck Khadgar down with a powerful life curse.
After a fierce struggle, it was only with Sir Lothar’s arrival—this childhood friend—that Medivh’s true soul was awakened. Sargeras was forced to contend anew with Medivh’s spirit for control of the body, giving Lothar and Khadgar an opportunity.
Medivh had always known Khadgar was a spy sent by Dalaran’s Violet Eye. Thus, when Sargeras attacked Khadgar, Medivh’s soul remained passive, watching as Khadgar aged rapidly under the curse.
Only when his childhood friend Sir Lothar appeared did the youthful bond awaken Medivh’s spirit to resist, forcing Sargeras to divide his attention between fighting Khadgar and Lothar.
Finally, when the real Medivh summoned all his strength, Lothar seized the moment to grasp his sword, shatter Sargeras’s magical shield, and successfully slay the dark Medivh, banishing Sargeras’s soul.
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Meanwhile, at the southern tip of the continent, the forests of Deadwind Pass seemed ablaze. The once lush grasslands were scorched by fire—an orcish tactic to prevent small-statured humans from hiding in the grass and hills to launch ambushes. Other orcs were felling trees to supply the war effort.
The swamp’s ecosystem was utterly destroyed. The newly arrived orcs had no intention of protecting the environment. Outwardly, the orcs fought for survival; in truth, they were mere puppets of the demons.
“Sir, we have been facing off in Deadwind Pass for several days now. According to the map provided by Gul’dan, our allies are situated within a tall tower in Deadwind Pass.”