Allies

After leaving the throne room, Aiden's emotions slowly calmed down. He thought self-deprecatingly that he was still too naive—it seemed impossible for the undead to join the current alliance with equal status. Faith created an insurmountable chasm between humans and the undead.

As for the name "Forsaken," it was to distinguish the original Scourge from the undead legion now controlled by Karthus.

At least the undead legion under Karthus' leadership would be treated equally by Aiden.

The Valoran envoy had its own embassy in Lordaeron's capital city. Aiden's previous words had seriously offended them. He knew that an irreparable rift had inevitably formed between the Valoran Federation and the Alliance. Because of the Burning Legion's threat, both sides would endure it for the time being. But when the external pressure disappeared, the internal conflicts would definitely become more and more acute.

But Aiden believed that the Valoran Federation could not continue to be constrained by the Alliance. The correct decision should be executed correctly, and political means should not serve mistakes!

Even if it meant parting ways!

Aiden made up his mind.

Heavy footsteps came from behind him, and a group of strong, green-skinned orcs were catching up.

"Aiden, wait!" Thrall called out.

Aiden saw the orc warchief and was a little surprised: "Is the meeting over?"

Thrall grinned, his tusks gleaming, and he said: "I don't know. But I don't like the atmosphere inside. The smell in the air is disgusting. I think I'd better leave with you! How about it, are you welcome to have me?"

Aiden saw the sincerity and smile in the other's blue eyes and patted him hard on the shoulder: "Of course, you're welcome!"

He knew what Thrall's actions represented. The support of the orcs moved him.

Then he thought: Orcs, Forsaken, plus the tauren of the western continent—was he going to form a new Horde?

Aiden chuckled. It seemed like something was missing.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, just happy!"

Aiden simply laughed out loud.

Just then, another voice, somewhat hoarse with age, came over: "What's so happy, Aiden? Tell me about it?"

It was Antonidas. Aiden was very familiar with the Archmage's voice.

He asked again: "Is the meeting over?"

"Not yet. I have something to do, so I'm leaving first." Antonidas showed a sly smile, like an old fox.

Aiden saw that the other party was not in a hurry at all and immediately said: "You don't look like you have anything urgent, Archmage."

Antonidas said solemnly: "Why not? I was preparing to discuss with you the expansion of the Dalaran rune workshop. Those little gadgets are indeed quite powerful. I'm even using them, but the output is still a bit low!"

Aiden opened his mouth, knowing that such things could be said at any time. With the alliance between Dalaran and Valoran, the Archmage could even send a message. Antonidas' departure at this time was also a statement.

The orcs naturally had a weak relationship with the Alliance, and even had deep-seated hatred between them. Aiden was not surprised that Thrall would catch up. If it weren't for the full support of the Valoran Federation, the orcs would definitely be ostracized in the Alliance. But Dalaran was different. This magical kingdom had always held a pivotal position in the Alliance for thousands of years since its founding and was the holy land in the hearts of all mages. Antonidas' statement was definitely a fatal blow to Terenas.

Aiden was a little moved and said: "Then from now on, Valoran's rune workshops will share resources with Dalaran."

"We Quel'Thalas are also a little interested in it!" At this time, Anasterian's voice came from far and near. The king of the high elves also chased after him.

And Queen Tess, who was lagging behind—she was just an ordinary girl, overtaken by the high elf envoys and had to trot to catch up.

"Lord Aiden! Gilneas is also willing to support your decision to counterattack!" Tess was a little out of breath. She didn't hear what the others were saying just now and thought they were talking about Aiden's plan in the throne room to jointly send troops to counterattack Quel'Thalas.

Tess saw that the other leaders were looking at her with strange eyes and couldn't help but ask: "What's wrong—ah, am I being a little inappropriate?" She hurriedly straightened her appearance. As a queen, she was indeed being impolite.

"No, no, Queen Tess, you're right," Antonidas said with a relaxed smile.

"That's right, very correct," Anasterian also affirmed.

Thrall said: "The orc warriors will fight for this."

Aiden said in a low voice: "This will be a thorny road, you—"

Antonidas waved his hand to interrupt, "But the direction is correct."

Thrall said in a deep voice: "We will overcome all obstacles and reach the end!"

Anasterian nodded: "The correct path will not lack allies."

"Then, let us fight side by side!" Aiden stretched out his hand.

Five hands of different sizes and skin colors clasped tightly together. A new alliance, more close-knit and pure, was forming. It would challenge the old order. And no one knew where it would go in the future.

A thought suddenly popped into Aiden's head: Orcs, blood elves (formerly high elves), undead, and the tauren who hadn't yet joined—was he forming a new Horde? He had just felt that something was missing, and it turned out that it was the high elves!

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But this new Horde was definitely much stronger than the original.

However, he immediately thought again, what about the night elves? Which side would they join?

—

With the addition of several other major forces, Aiden's original counterattack plan had the capital to be realized. According to the news obtained from interrogating Varimathras, the Burning Legion's demons now had a total force of less than 30,000, and Arthas only controlled about 80% of the undead in the Ghostlands. This was still because Karthus was relatively far away. If he were closer, Karthus might be able to compete for more control of the Scourge.

Now was the weakest time for the Burning Legion, even weaker than when they had just arrived at Quel'Danath. If they didn't strike hard at this time, when would there be such a good opportunity in the future!

Before the Battle of Ashwood Village began, Aiden had advocated defending Stratholme. This decision was implemented. Dalaran City had already flown to the vicinity of Stratholme and would soon be able to enter the Ghostlands. As long as the new alliance's forces gathered in Los Angeles, they would be able to quickly counterattack the Ghostlands and even Silvermoon City through the portal between the two places!

"Aiden, I have an idea." Anasterian found Aiden. He and most of the high elves had come to Los Angeles to stay temporarily. During the great evacuation, the high elves constructed a portal from Silvermoon City directly to here. Except for less than a third of people who were evacuated by sea or land, the remaining high elves were directly teleported to Los Angeles. Now there were hundreds of thousands of high elves gathered here. Aiden allocated the outer Los Angeles City, which was a quarter of the third phase of the project, to them.

Aiden looked at him: "Oh? Please speak."

Anasterian said: "I heard that the entire underground of Los Angeles is engraved with floating magic arrays. However, only the central city and the inner city can ascend into the air now. The larger outer city cannot ascend because of insufficient energy."

"That's right." Listening to the other party's tone, it seemed that he had a solution. Aiden was a little expectant.

"I have a way, perhaps it can solve this problem. Thousands of years ago, my father Dath'Remar led the ancestors of the high elves to establish a magic barrier surrounding Quel'Thalas, using a large runestone—we placed it at the nodes where the Sunwell outputs magic power to maintain the normal operation of the magic barrier. We dug out all these runestones when we retreated. My idea is—if we place it in Los Angeles and Anveena provides the energy…"

"Highly feasible." Aiden nodded immediately. He knew that these runestones contained magical power. Anasterian's method was very worth trying. If the outer Los Angeles City could also ascend into the air, it would become the largest floating city in the history of Azeroth—enough to load 1.5 million people!

This was almost close to a third of the entire population of the Eastern Kingdoms!

Anasterian said: "Then let's try it! The magic guides who originally maintained the Sunwell's energy supply system will provide assistance."

Aiden decisively said, "Let them join the floating magic array construction team. If it succeeds, that would definitely be great news, no less than winning a major battle!"

---

On the eve of dispatching troops, Anna came to Los Angeles to find Aiden. She did not participate in the last Alliance meeting and only learned about the changes at the meeting afterward. Anna is now considered a member of Dalaran, and Dalaran has sided with Aiden. She was reassigned to a camp without her knowledge.

"You want to build a new Horde?" Anna stared at Aiden, her face frosty.

"In terms of composition, it is indeed a bit similar." Aiden said helplessly. He didn't do it on purpose. When he came to Azeroth, the first thing he favored was the Alliance, and he has been fighting for the interests of the Alliance ever since. The situation has become what it is now, not because he did it on purpose. He didn't expect that these races that originally made up the Horde would gather around him unintentionally.

"I know you come from a more distant future than me. Then you must know what the future Horde did--especially Garrosh!" Anna's eyes burned with anger, and her voice was as cold as ice.

"Indeed, I know more about what Garrosh did than you do." Aiden looked at her and said, "Environment shapes people. What if the environment changes? You also know what Arthas and present-day Lordaeron would be like without our intervention."

Anna argued, "But that's different!"

"How is it different?" Aiden retorted. "I believe the way to correct mistakes is not to eliminate the person who made the mistake before he commits it, but to guide him in the right direction as much as possible. This world is full of infinite possibilities because of our intervention. Since Arthas has become like this now, how do you know that Garrosh will continue to degenerate? What's more, we will definitely prevent this from happening."

Anna stubbornly insisted, "If Thrall had always been the Warchief of the Orcs, I believe that would not have happened. But he is just an anomaly among the Orcs. Most Orcs are bloodthirsty and warlike. They will do anything to gain power! They have no bottom line, no morals! My experience is a bloody lesson!"

"Anna, your reason is being controlled by hatred." Aiden frowned at her, this mage with a head full of silver hair, "There is no destined future. No one is destined to be a bad person. We cannot convict him for a mistake he has not yet committed. Moreover, I believe that even if he really makes a mistake, I have the ability to stop it when the harm occurs!"

"What's more, even Garrosh cannot represent the Horde. In your unknown future, even the Horde is rebelling against him. He can bewitch some people, but more people will not stand on the wrong side."

Anna's expression softened a little. She was silent for a while before staring at Aiden and said, "I will supervise all of this. If there are signs that those things we can't bear to talk about are about to happen, I will not hesitate to take action--I hope you don't stop me then."

"No, I will help you. Or I will take action faster than you." Aiden replied seriously. He would not allow anyone in his new alliance to make mistakes under his nose.

"Then how will you handle the relationship with the current Alliance?"

"Let's take it one step at a time. The Burning Legion is what we should be worried about right now. The difference between me and the Alliance is only a difference of opinion, and it will not lead to hostility. At least I will keep all the forces around me restrained." Aiden sighed. Although it is still a bit early to consider these things now, Archimonde might destroy this world if he is not careful. However, after the threat of the Burning Legion recedes, this problem will inevitably surface.

He had the previous idea again--introducing the League of Legends system into Azeroth. Let all the disputes be resolved under this system, without bloodshed or endless fighting.

Can this system gain widespread support? Aiden was not sure. But he always had to try!

But for now, let's aim the target at the Burning Legion!

---

Now is the weakest time for the Burning Legion. The Lich King Arthas knows this well. Therefore, after regaining control of most of the Scourge undead in Ghostlands, he immediately set out to attack Zul'Aman again. The forest troll capital's population of more than 100,000 would greatly expand the Scourge's strength.

This time, the Lich Kel'Thuzad prepared a large amount of plague venom and siege vehicles, and also created a large number of biochemical monsters. For example, abominations carrying plague venom clouds and plague ghouls that spread venom through bites. Even though the Alliance already has an antidote to the plague, these trolls don't! The Alliance cannot provide the antidote to the forest trolls either.

This time, Arthas came with the belief that he would win. Zul'Aman's population of over 100,000 would soon become the Scourge. But reality was not as good as he imagined--when he and the Scourge army rushed to the gate of Zul'Aman, there were two gradually rotting corpses stuck at the gate.

It was the black witch Farina and the filthy Hil'geek--the Scourge's internal support in Zul'Aman!

After the Burning Legion withdrew from Zul'Aman, Zul'jin immediately vented all his anger on these two hateful rats. The Eagle God locked on their positions, and the troll headhunters found them. Zul'jin personally executed the two Scourge in front of the forest trolls and had their corpses hung at the gate of Zul'Aman as a warning.

Arthas wanted to avenge these two capable officials, but now Zul'Aman was empty, leaving only an empty city. The forest trolls had disappeared without a trace. They abandoned their homes and withdrew first. No one knew where they went.

"Hmph--withdraw the troops!" Arthas snorted coldly in dissatisfaction after making a trip for nothing.

But just then, even worse news came from the direction of Stratholme--the Alliance's floating city of Dalaran was coming again. Obviously, the Alliance counterattacked!

Arthas knew what the Burning Legion was like now. The most powerful Archimonde was fully engaged in building a large teleportation array and could not get away at all. And the total strength of the Scourge and the demons combined was less than 50,000. There was no advantage in terms of strength or equipment. How could this battle be fought?

Arthas ordered the Scourge army to retreat while sending a message to Anetheron in Silvermoon City. He was unwilling to bring the bad news directly to Archimonde at this time, so let Anetheron go--anyway, this dreadlord commander-in-chief was originally Archimonde's mouthpiece.

"This time will be tricky." Arthas seemed to be talking to himself, and also to Kel'Thuzad next to him.

"Don't worry, my master." Kel'Thuzad said, "The great Archimonde will sweep away all troubles."

Arthas glanced at the other party. This Kel'Thuzad came from another timeline where Arthas had just led the Scourge to break through Dalaran. He had just obtained the Book of Medivh from the city, so he would naturally not know Archimonde's final fate.

In the original timeline, the Burning Legion basically did not encounter any major setbacks after its arrival. Archimonde led the demon army all the way to Mount Hyjal, smashing the three lines of defense of the humans, orcs, and night elves to pieces.

The three major forces did not trust each other and fought their own battles, and were eventually defeated by the Burning Legion one by one.

If Archimonde had not been too arrogant and had not anticipated that the night elves were hiding the last trump card, as long as he had been more prudent and eliminated all the resisters on Mount Hyjal, I am afraid that history would have been completely rewritten, and Azeroth would have become one of the worlds completely destroyed by the Burning Legion.

But this time, the Burning Legion's opponents have become more united and more strategic. Someone in the Alliance knows the past history as well as Arthas, and they have made the most of their strengths and avoided their weaknesses, exploding with great power. If Archimonde is still the same as before, his end is destined to be death and destruction!

Arthas also knows the direction of history. But he doesn't plan to tell Archimonde, at least not yet. Because this will not necessarily be rewarded with the other party's gratitude, but more likely with punishment.

Archimonde would not believe that there is any power in this world that can kill him. If Arthas really said that, the proud and arrogant Archimonde would most likely think that he had ulterior motives.

Arthas was somewhat dismissive of Kel'Thuzad's confidence.

"This battle will be difficult."