Chapter 247: Storm Fortress

After revealing his identity and making his request clear, Varian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Ethan's request wasn't difficult to fulfill. At the same time, he was a little concerned about whether this mage might attract invaders from other worlds.

The world of Azeroth had already endured too many invasions. As the King of Stormwind, it was impossible for him to ignore such a potential threat.

"Don't worry, I have no interest in your world whatsoever."

Although these words were meant to express that he bore no ill will, they carried a strange undertone of condescension, as if he were dismissing something they held dear. Both Jaina and Varian felt a faint discomfort.

Fortunately, Ethan soon explained why he thought little of this world.

"A world targeted by the Burning Legion is not one I have any interest in getting involved with."

"..."

The Burning Legion was a lingering shadow in the hearts of all Azeroth's inhabitants. Anyone who had some knowledge of the world's affairs feared the return of the Burning Legion at any moment.

Although Azeroth had successfully repelled several invasions from the Burning Legion, no one could guarantee they would always prevail. No one knew when the entire world might fall under the Legion's destruction.

"You know about the Burning Legion..."

Ethan nodded. He didn't say much about them, avoiding the appearance of being overly familiar. What if the others suspected he was affiliated with the Legion? That would be a major issue.

"I travel between multiple worlds. Wouldn't it be odd if I didn't know?"

The Burning Legion existed in the Twisting Nether. If a world could be seen as an island, the Twisting Nether was the ocean between islands. The Burning Legion wandered constantly through this void, searching for the next world to destroy.

"Speaking of which, the Burning Legion has suffered repeated setbacks in Azeroth. They really don't live up to their fearsome reputation."

What else could Ethan say? It was because Azeroth was the 'protagonist' of this world.

After reaching a mutual understanding with Jaina and Varian, everyone rested separately. Once preparations were complete, Jaina would teleport them directly to Stormwind City.

Before launching the surprise attack, Ethan and his companions gathered in their room to discuss how to deal with Onyxia.

"How do you plan to deal with that black dragon?"

From Goldshire to Menethil Harbor, then by boat to Theramore, they had spent considerable time traveling. Ethan hadn't just been on a journey—he had also been preparing to deal with Onyxia.

"I remember you wanted to capture that black dragon before, right?"

Perhaps because they had spent enough time traveling together, and because Ethan had been learning Asgardian magic from him during this time, Loki no longer kept his distance. He would occasionally chat with Ethan about interesting topics.

Loki wasn't inherently silent. He had simply spoken little before due to his complicated identity and unresolved matters.

Now that his training in ice magic was on the right track, he only needed to improve steadily over time. His training no longer occupied his full attention.

"Killing her is fine too. Dragon scales, dragon hide, and dragon blood are all very valuable materials."

As Deathwing's daughter, Onyxia was among the most powerful dragons. To obtain better materials, one would have to kill Deathwing himself.

"What I mean is, are you confident you can kill that black dragon?"

Ethan shook his head.

"The real question isn't whether I can kill her. It's whether my magic can restrain her."

What Onyxia had done completely enraged Varian and the entire Kingdom of Stormwind. No one liked being made a fool of. After she was killed, her head had even been displayed at the gates of Stormwind as a warning.

With such hatred, the entire Kingdom of Stormwind would do everything in its power to eliminate this black dragon. As long as Ethan could restrain her and prevent her escape, Varian would naturally do everything necessary to finish her off.

"However, if I seal off the space, Stormwind City's reinforcements won't be able to get in either."

When the mages in Stormwind's Mage District found out a black dragon was in the city, they would have to act even if they were reluctant. After all, black dragons that wanted to destroy everything were enemies of all races in Azeroth.

The Archbishop of the Cathedral of Light was also a powerful force. Though he would eventually fall, for now he couldn't ignore the matter, if only for the sake of preserving his position.

"And besides that?"

Other than that, the strongest forces in Stormwind were its military and the paladins, led by the Grand Duke of Stormwind, Bolvar Fordragon.

"It seems there aren't many others."

Stormwind City had a considerable military force, but surprisingly few true powerhouses. Ethan wondered if he simply hadn't understood the game properly back then, or if his standards were too high now.

Given that, it might not matter if reinforcements couldn't enter. As long as Bolvar wasn't foolish enough to side with Onyxia, and with an enraged Varian in the lead and Jaina backing them, Onyxia was essentially doomed.

They rested well that night, though due to Jaina's repeated displays of hostility, Ethan didn't truly let down his guard. Instead, he sat with his eyes closed through the night.

At dawn, he stood up, stretched, and led Logan and the others to regroup with Varian and Jaina.

This time, there was no delay. Varian was unwilling to linger. After a good night's rest, he had organized his gear. Now, he was ready to charge at the black dragon.

"Let's teleport directly into Stormwind City." Varian looked at Jaina. "Where can you send us?"

"While I would love to send you straight into Stormwind Keep, that's difficult. The most likely outcome is appearing just outside the Keep."

Powerful arcane energy swirled around Jaina as she began casting her teleportation spell.

Entering a building wasn't impossible, but group teleportation into an enclosed space could lead to unpredictable outcomes—like someone being embedded into a wall. An open area was always the safer choice.

"Outside the Keep is fine. That way I can quickly rally some soldiers to deal with the black dragon."

Seeing Varian had no objections, Jaina nodded and motioned for everyone to step into her arcane circle. Once everyone was in position, she activated the teleportation.

The spell had no specific name, but it was incredibly powerful and stable. The teleportation was smooth, without any disorientation. In the blink of an eye, they were already standing outside the gates of Stormwind Keep.

The guards of Stormwind City were immediately alerted. The first soldiers to spot them began sounding the alarm. Ethan could hear the sound of heavily armored soldiers running toward them.

However, when Varian stepped forward, the Stormwind guards who had begun to surround them froze in place.

As the guards of Stormwind Keep, the city's most secure area, they were elite soldiers who regularly interacted with the kingdom's top officials. Naturally, they recognized the King. When they saw their long-missing sovereign appear before them, they were stunned.

"Is Duke Bolvar Fordragon present?"

"The Duke is currently attending to official duties, Your Majesty."

Almost instinctively, the guards saluted. As garrison troops, a standard military salute was sufficient.

Since Varian was leading the group, they encountered no resistance. However, out of military caution, the guards subtly surrounded the group, even separating them from Varian slightly.

This was an entirely spontaneous action. No one issued orders, but every soldier instinctively knew what to do and where to position themselves. Even Ethan, who had no formal military training, could tell these soldiers were the best of the best.

Blending into the group, Ethan kept a low profile, following them all the way into the core of the Keep. There, he finally saw Bolvar Fordragon—the man he had mocked so many times before.

Bolvar was not standing in the hall with Prince Anduin Wrynn and Katrana Prestor, as he had been in the game. Upon hearing that the long-missing king had returned, he had rushed out and encountered Varian head-on.

"Your Majesty?"

The person before him was indeed Varian. He was certain he wasn't mistaken, but something about the King felt different.

"Bolvar, where is Anduin?"

"His Highness is learning how to handle state affairs with Countess Prestor."

Hearing Bolvar's response, Varian's brows furrowed. This was not good news. He had come to confront Katrana Prestor, but first he needed to ensure his son's safety.

And now his son was with the black dragon. This was the worst-case scenario. Varian was sure someone had already informed the black dragon of his return. Anduin was in grave danger.

"Valeera!"

The blood elf Valeera darted out from the group. Not a single surrounding soldier reacted in time. By the time they realized what had happened, Valeera was already gone.

Bolvar Fordragon was still stunned. He had not fully grasped the situation. Only now did he notice the large group of people following behind Varian.

(To be continued.)

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