As the Scourge's floating fortress moved towards the Eastern Kingdoms, a black raven circled above them for a while, finally letting out a clear cry before flapping its wings and flying in the same direction.
"Even if we mobilize all our ships, we can only transport a maximum of six hundred thousand people at a time."
"Without enough supplies, how will the migrating people survive?"
"The sea voyage is two to three months long, and any small problem could lead to massive deaths! It would be better to stay and fight the Scourge!"
"The wealth our ancestors accumulated over thousands of years, the cities we built, our homes, are we just going to easily give them to the Scourge?"
This was an expanded meeting of the Alliance. Hundreds of people gathered in a heavily guarded square. Kings, ministers, nobles, generals, all sorts of people representing their respective interest groups, loudly voiced their demands.
The main venue was arranged according to countries and forces. Aiden and the representatives of Valoran were in the northwest corner. He didn't bring too many people with him, only Kayle, Swain, Garen, and Lux, as well as a few attendants. Compared to the dozens of people in other countries' teams, it seemed very thin.
He and Anna both agreed that the people of Lordaeron should migrate to Kalimdor, and the rest should be transferred from the mainland to the Southern Continent to seek refuge in Stormwind and Ironforge. Moreover, the action must be fast, as Archimonde and the Scourge Legion could descend at any time.
And accompanying the arrival of the Demon Lord would inevitably be the Burning Legion's army.
Aiden didn't like the Alliance's meetings. Here, no matter what the topic, the meetings would eventually turn into debates and arguments, making it very difficult to form practical and effective decisions. Unlike the Valoran Federation, where everyone obeyed a single will.
He had stated his opinion in Los Angeles, and the Alliance had invited him here not just to make an appearance. As the voices against the migration grew louder, he knew it was time for him to stand up.
"Silence!"
Kayle made a sound. Her divine power silenced the venue.
Aiden stood up.
"There are many difficulties in migrating, I know. But why are we doing this? Because if we stay, we will face even greater difficulties. The Burning Legion's invasion is different from the wars we have experienced in the past—perhaps if we can't win, we can retreat through political means, or even surrender to protect ourselves. But now, the enemy's goal is not to make us submit, but to bring complete destruction to this world! We will have no way out. Failure means destruction! The difficulties of migrating are great, but is that more difficult than destruction?"
Aiden's voice echoed throughout the venue.
"Perhaps you have immense wealth and vast industries in Lordaeron, but money cannot buy off the demons of the Burning Legion; perhaps you have immense power and can summon wind and rain, but that is even less likely to make them fear you; perhaps leaving your homeland will make survival difficult, but under the Burning Legion's attack, even survival will become a luxury!"
"Our war with the Burning Legion is no longer a conventional war. It is a matter of life and death! We are facing a matter of survival, what kind of difficulty can compare to survival? Without wealth, we can start over; life is difficult, we can strive hard. But when the world we depend on for survival is destroyed, what is the use of wealth, power, and cities?"
"Perhaps some people think I am exaggerating the threat of the Burning Legion. But I want to tell everyone that ten thousand years ago, the Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, and Northrend were still one continent. It was the invasion of the Burning Legion that caused the cataclysm—or rather, the power of the cataclysm that thwarted the Burning Legion's invasion. So, do we have such power now? No! So we need to use the power of our allies. We need to migrate, we need to go to Kalimdor, find more allies, and fight against the Burning Legion together!"
"This is not just the responsibility of humans, nor is it just the responsibility of the Alliance. We need to unite any force that can be united, and only by working together can we defeat them!"
As Aiden finished speaking, a raven lightly landed in the middle of the venue. Seeing those strange eyes, Aiden breathed a sigh of relief.
Medivh, the Guardian, had finally reappeared. He transformed back into human form amidst the exclamations of the crowd, and his first words shocked everyone:
"Quel'Thalas! The Burning Legion's target is Quel'Thalas!"
Prince Kael'thas stood up in shock, "Quel'Thalas?" The representatives of Silvermoon City behind him also looked terrified.
—
With the Scourge's floating fortress's flying speed, they would arrive in Quel'Thalas in at most twelve days. And their purpose was obvious—"The Sunwell. Archimonde's target is the Sunwell!"
Aiden instantly understood the demon's plan, but he immediately thought of something even more terrible—in The Burning Crusade, the blood elf prince Kael'thas tried to use the power of the Sunwell to summon Kil'jaeden. If the Shattered Sun Offensive (the player group) hadn't stopped him in time, Kil'jaeden would have already descended upon this world.
Aiden didn't know whether Archimonde wanted to absorb the power of the Sunwell to strengthen himself, or use it to summon the Burning Legion's forces, or summon his good brother Kil'jaeden. But no matter which one it was, it was definitely bad news!
Aiden looked at Kael'thas and said in a deep voice, "The power of the Sunwell must not be used by demons."
"That is the source of power for us high elves!" Kael'thas's face was agitated, his expression extremely painful, he thrust his hands into his golden hair, grabbing it hard, "I... are we going to destroy it?"
"I have a way." Aiden thought of a win-win solution: it could prevent Archimonde from extracting the power of the Sunwell, and also solve the high elves' mana addiction.
"Before that, we need to fight a battle with the Scourge Legion in Quel'Thalas," he said in a deep voice. Without witnessing Archimonde's power firsthand, his arguments would ultimately seem insufficient. He couldn't persuade those who were unwilling to migrate with words alone, but he could when Archimonde's power was used as evidence.
In the end, the conference decided to concentrate elite troops to Dalaran, travel to Quel'Thalas by air, and fight the enemy head-on in the high elf kingdom! The result of this battle would directly affect the Alliance's policy: retreat or fight!
Aiden walked towards the teleportation array, mocking himself: "Burning July, the 'Burning Crusade' 2.3 new expansion 'Showdown at the Sunwell' is about to land, stay tuned!"
"What are you talking about, Summoner?" Lux next to him didn't hear clearly.
"Nothing, just entertaining myself."
Medivh disappeared for half a year, and then reappeared to warn of such an alarming message, and then disappeared again. Aiden didn't know what this prophet was usually busy with, perhaps he was just deliberately acting mysterious?
He really wanted to find a chance to ask him properly.
Now Los Angeles was busy preparing for the migration. The prices of goods in the city fluctuated sharply because of this, and the City Council had to use official means to intervene, resolutely cracking down on and punishing unscrupulous behavior such as price gouging and hoarding.
The war was about to begin, but the busiest part of the Valoran Federation was not the military, but the research institute—Aiden brought a lot of research materials and products from Earth. The blueprints alone filled three large warehouses.
In fact, Aiden only realized how complex the original designs of modern products were when he went to find "local specialties"—the blueprints for an ordinary MP5 alone could fill an entire wardrobe. Not to mention airplanes and warships—the complete blueprints would definitely be measured by the size of a basketball court.
Aiden had downloaded more design drawings on his hard drive, and he didn't even know how many terabytes of data he had stored, perhaps it was in the trillions. Anyway, they were all copied or swiped by him from the cutting-edge research centers of certain countries.
The great inventor Heimerdinger was surrounding an electromagnetic railgun, calculating how to modify it—the commander told him that this gun was very powerful, even more powerful than the Skybreaker cannon they had designed before. But driving it required extremely large amounts of electricity. It was obviously not realistic to drive it with the generator brought by Aiden. Heimerdinger was an expert in artillery design, he looked at the general principle of the railgun, and he already had an idea in his mind.
The other scientists had also found Earth technology products that they were interested in, and each took the initiative to modify them locally.
Corki was the first pilot to see the new armed chopper, and he was also the first test pilot. The Yordle air combat hero let out an exaggerated scream and pounced on it when he first saw the Apache. Compared to his original steampunk-style vehicle, the Earth-made armed helicopter had the full beauty of industrial design, and its firepower, speed, and function were much better than his original helicopter!
The only drawback was that the cockpit was designed for humans of normal height. As a Yordle, operating it was a bit inconvenient. However, this didn't stump him; he personally modified the cockpit, and after a day, he flew the armed helicopter into the sky!
The barracks had been filled with the sounds of gunfire and cannons for the past two days. The warriors of the Valoran Federation were quickly mastering the operation of new artillery, firearms, and tanks. They would soon test the power of these weapons on the Sunwell battlefield!
---
Aiden, Anna, and Krasus had all arrived in Quel'Thalas ahead of time.
Aiden once again met with Anasterian, the King of the High Elves. The king's expression was complicated when he saw him. He hadn't seen him for half a year, and Anasterian appeared even more gaunt, his aura even sharper, and he no longer possessed the arrogant air of the past.
"I am very sorry about what happened last time," Anasterian bowed deeply to Aiden. "My ignorance blinded me."
Aiden sincerely said, "I was also a bit impulsive at the time. Your Majesty Anasterian, let's forget those unpleasant things. We have more important things to do now." He knew how difficult it was for an incredibly proud person to offer such a humble apology. He hadn't suffered any losses, so naturally, he wouldn't hold onto it.
"Your father, Dath'Remar, was also a hero who personally experienced the War of the Ancients. I believe you are very clear about the Burning Legion's desire for the Sunwell's energy," Aiden said, getting to the point and avoiding those awkward memories.
"What is your plan? This time, our High Elf race will fully support it," Anasterian also used honorifics. Clearly, he now regarded the Alliance and the Valoran Federation as races completely equal to the High Elves.
He would never have spoken like this before. But now, the 'Magisters' (the High Elves' term for the Guardians of Tirisfal) had warned them that the Burning Legion was coming, and the Alliance had unhesitatingly sent elite troops to help them defend. This favor was truly too heavy. In comparison, his previous behavior of believing that the Alliance depended on the High Elves, while the High Elves hardly depended on the Alliance, and withdrawing from the Alliance for the sake of profit, seemed extremely shameful. It was precisely because of this that he had completely changed his attitude towards his allies.
Aiden looked at Anna, signaling her to speak. The white-haired mage nodded and said, "This is what happened in my timeline. After Lord Aiden and I confirmed it with each other, we believe that a method is very feasible—historically, the death knight Arthas broke through Silvermoon City and used the power of the Sunwell to resurrect Kel'Thuzad. As a result, the Sunwell was polluted, making it impossible for the High Elves to absorb its energy. Blood Elf Prince Kael'thas ordered its destruction. Although the Sunwell disappeared, its magical essence remained. A mage collected its essence and transformed it into a human form."
Anna carefully added different titles to the names of the people involved in this matter, to avoid causing them discomfort. However, both Arthas and Kael'thas already knew their fates in the parallel timeline.
"So, we have found the mage who could collect the magical essence of the Sunwell in history. If we act accordingly, both Lord Aiden and I believe that, when necessary, the Sunwell can still be reborn!"
Kael'thas knew that his fate in the parallel timeline was very unbearable, but he couldn't help but ask, "Then… did the incarnation of the Sunwell's power eventually become the new Sunwell?"
Anna looked at Aiden, who could only smile wryly. He had to play the role of the villain: "No. Someone found her and tried to use her energy to summon Kil'jaeden. Fortunately, she finally woke up and began to resist the demon. Otherwise, Kil'jaeden would inevitably enter this world through the Sunwell."
Kael'thas only felt an immense bitterness in his mouth, "Was it the me who has now defected to the Legion?"
"…"
Aiden and Anna didn't know how to answer. In fact, they didn't know which timeline the Kael'thas on the Frozen Throne came from. Perhaps it was the one who defected to Illidan, perhaps it was the one who defected to Kil'jaeden, or it might not be a Kael'thas from a history they were familiar with, but from a timeline with a completely different fate.
"Then, let us complete this matter!" Anasterian looked at Krasus, "I believe you are the mage who can collect the magical essence of the Sunwell?"
Krasus nodded. He hadn't experienced such a thing in this timeline. But after Anna and Aiden's description, he believed that he could indeed do it.
---
The Sunwell was located on Quel'Danath Island, north of Quel'Thalas. During the War of the Ancients, Illidan secretly filled several vials with pristine well water before the Well of Eternity exploded.
After the Well of Eternity built by the Titans exploded, Illidan, who craved magical power, poured most of the collected well water into a lake on Mount Hyjal. A new Well of Eternity formed there. The rest was seized by Dath'Remar.
When night elf society began to reject magic and advocate the path of the druid, Dath'Remar and the High Elves who were unwilling to submit exiled themselves, sailed to the Eastern Kingdoms, and established a new kingdom in Quel'Thalas. The seized vial of well water was used by him to create a source of magic—the current Sunwell.
It provided the energy needed for the entire High Elf kingdom. The powerful magical barrier that enveloped Silvermoon City was also unbreakable because of the Sunwell's power supply.
But now they had to destroy it with their own hands.
The High Elves were in an extremely heavy mood. Anasterian waved his hand to signal the magisters extracting energy from the well water to step down. He, Kael'thas, and the mage Rommath stepped forward. The golden well water contained infinite energy. It was because of it that Quel'Thalas existed today.
Anasterian's heart was like a knife. He knelt on one knee by the well and reached his hand into the well water, feeling the majestic arcane energy within.
"Father and all the High Elf ancestors: Your unworthy descendant Anasterian is here. Now that the Burning Legion has descended again, the Sunwell can no longer protect us, but has become the target of the demons' desire. Your unworthy descendant can only guarantee the fate of his people by destroying it."
His voice was painful and sorrowful, with a clear tremor. All the High Elves around him looked sad, and some even began to sob softly.
"Let us commence!" Anasterian stood up and looked back at them.
Aiden saw tears still in the corners of the king's eyes. At this moment, he completely understood the other party. Anasterian had left him with a very bad impression—arrogant, blind, unreasonable, but now he began to sympathize with him.
"Everything will get better," Aiden encouraged with a smile.
"Let's begin!" Anasterian nodded.
Aiden, Anna, Rommath, Kael'thas, and his father stood around the Sunwell respectively.
Anna took out the Focusing Iris, controlling it to float in the air. Everyone poured their energy into it. After condensing enough energy, this magical artifact released a pale energy beam, injecting it into the Sunwell. It instantly destroyed the energy channel connecting Quel'Thalas to the Sunwell. The Sunwell's energy began to become chaotic and violent, and a terrifying power began to brew within.
"Retreat!" Anasterian warned. Everyone except Krasus retreated far away.
Finally, the induced energy produced a chain reaction. The energy well emitted a deafening roar—it was detonated!
The hall trembled as if in an earthquake. Krasus floated in the air. He chanted spells loudly, using the power of the Focusing Iris to gather the magical essence that had escaped from the well water.
The Focusing Iris amplified his power exponentially. Under his control, this magical artifact frantically absorbed energy. The essence of the Sunwell gathered above the wellhead, flowing with golden brilliance. When all the energy surges subsided, Krasus injected the life force of the Red Dragonflight, giving this unconscious magical energy life.
The brilliance of the magical essence converged, eventually completely gathering, turning into a golden-haired girl—she had pointed ears and fair skin, delicate and lovely.
She opened her eyes and saw Krasus at first glance, then showed a naive and innocent smile: "Father!"