DOTM: Chapter 246/247

Chapter 246: Revealing Identity

"Information?"

"Yes, information."

Jaina suddenly asked, "What kind of information do you want?"

Ethan looked at Jaina. The female mage was full of caution toward him. Compared to ordinary people, mages were more wary of beings from other worlds, because they knew there were many terrible existences surrounding the world of Azeroth, all with various means of 'infiltrating' and threatening it.

A person like Ethan, who claimed to be a traveling mage yet sought information, inevitably triggered suspicion. Jaina couldn't help but think he might be a 'scout,' collecting intelligence on Azeroth.

"Information that does not involve any military or geographical aspects."

Ethan glanced at Jaina Proudmoore.

"As for the specific content, I believe this is something to be discussed between His Majesty Wrynn and myself, Lady Jaina Proudmoore. It seems this matter does not directly concern you."

Jaina frowned, unsure whether it was Ethan's tone or his use of "Lady" that displeased her.

"I apologize, Mr. Ethan. I'm simply very curious what kind of information would be worth facing a black dragon for."

"If you have suspicions, why not ask directly? This kind of roundabout probing seems..." Ethan didn't finish his sentence. He simply didn't know the best word to use, but his expression and demeanor made his meaning perfectly clear to everyone present.

Jaina, of course, understood. The powerful female mage felt that she had never experienced such humiliation in her life. She wished she could blast Ethan's face with an Arcane Missile.

Varian sat there quietly, watching the two of them without understanding why these mages had suddenly begun clashing.

He knew that mages had their own positions, and even within Dalaran and the Kirin Tor, there was no true unity. It seemed that Ethan and Jaina were not aligned. He just didn't know whether this was related to factional struggles in Dalaran.

Varian had no way of knowing that Ethan wasn't from Dalaran at all. Jaina suspected Ethan was a scout from another world, and although Ethan didn't want to clash with her, it didn't mean he would tolerate her constant interference.

"Alright, since Mr. Ethan wishes to clarify matters, I'm very curious to know which master guided Mage Ethan on the path of magic?"

Not all mages in Azeroth came from Dalaran, of course. However, most wandering mages could be traced back to Dalaran. As long as they stated their magical lineage, it was easy to determine their identity and background.

Where could Ethan produce such a connection? He could only shake his head helplessly.

"I am not a Dalaran mage."

He could essentially conclude that their status as beings from another world could no longer be hidden.

"Actually, I am not a mage from this world at all."

Not only did arcane energy surge around Jaina, but the two elves—who had previously stood motionless like statues—also reacted.

The night elf was a druid. The energy on him was full of vibrant nature force, likely nature magic. The blood elf radiated strong arcane fluctuations—a racial trait. Even if they weren't mages, blood elves possessed a deep affinity with arcane energy.

Windsor and Varian both had their hands on the hilts of their weapons, prepared to draw them at any moment. The only reason they didn't act was because they had yet to determine Ethan's true motives and didn't want to rashly provoke a mage from another world.

"What is your purpose in coming to our world?"

"To learn."

Since he had already spoken openly, Ethan had no reason to hide anything. Over the years, he had traveled to several different worlds. Aside from the Diablo world, where he hadn't fully disclosed his origins, he generally revealed his identity everywhere else.

He had become accustomed to his status as an "outsider." Hiding it here felt unnatural.

"To learn?"

"As a mage yourself, you should know that traveling to gain experience and insight is a common way to further one's training."

Not all mages followed this path. Many preferred to remain in their workshops, endlessly researching. The ultimate form of seclusion for this type of mage was to build a mage tower and never leave it.

Of course, mages who traveled to improve their strength weren't uncommon. Jaina herself had traveled extensively when she was younger, though the memories from those journeys weren't all positive.

"Traveling to other worlds?"

Although Jaina did not dispel the arcane energy surrounding her, her expression showed she was taking Ethan's words seriously, even if she found them hard to believe.

In her experience, mages capable of crossing worlds were all extraordinarily powerful. Such mages rarely traveled to gain strength. Most did so to pursue goals or simply to explore.

Among all the human mages in Azeroth, there were only a few capable of this. At present, she herself did not possess such ability.

"You might be misunderstanding something."

"What?"

"Crossing a planar barrier doesn't necessarily require immense magical power. It could also be that the magic system used is particularly suited to this type of travel."

Jaina was, after all, a top-tier mage. With just a little guidance from Ethan, she grasped the key point. At the same time, she recalled what Ethan had said earlier about being able to trap Onyxia.

"Your magic specializes in inter-planar teleportation and spatial containment."

"Yes."

Ethan waved his hand slightly. The seemingly ordinary meeting room was suddenly enclosed by layers of glass-like walls. Only then did Jaina realize that aside from the arcane energy within her own body, the energy level in the surrounding space was extremely low—or rather, this area had been isolated, and the vast external magic could not enter.

"When did you do that?"

Jaina was a mage who truly understood the craft. She immediately recognized the effect of this unusual spell. What she wanted to know was when Ethan had trapped them all in this space.

"From the moment you first tried to use magic to attack me."

Although Jaina did her best to remain calm, her slightly narrowed pupils and quickened breathing revealed her inner thoughts.

She had first activated her magic quite some time ago, yet she had been trapped in this space without detecting any abnormality? Clearly, Ethan was not exaggerating when he said he was proficient in this type of magic. He truly had the power to back it up.

Jaina wasn't the only one who was surprised. The two elves were also tense. Even after Ethan dispelled the magical space, they still didn't lower their weapons (or staves).

Only Varian remained composed. He showed no sign of anxiety. He simply watched Ethan quietly. Ethan happened to look back and met the king's calm gaze.

"As I said before, I came here simply out of curiosity about this world's knowledge, hoping to broaden my understanding and learn things useful to me."

Varian nodded. "So, what exactly do you want?"

"Some training materials and writings from druids, hunters, paladins, and mages. I don't need original manuscripts, just the recorded content."

Information on mages was understandable. Information on druids and hunters seemed a bit unusual to Varian, but it wasn't a big issue. What truly caught his attention was that Ethan was interested in the Holy Light.

"You want information on the Holy Light as well?"

"The energy I used just now is very close to this world's Holy Light, so I'd like to compare and see the differences." When Ethan treated Varian earlier, the energy he used had caused some to mistake it for Holy Light. Given his identity as a mage, Varian had even wondered whether he might be a blood elf using transformation magic.

Only blood elves had previously manipulated the Holy Light using arcane methods by imprisoning a naaru. Outside of that, no other mage had been known to wield Holy Light.

At this point, many questions had been answered. Only Jaina, after frowning in thought for a while, asked again, "How can I be sure you're not an invader from another world?"

Ethan spread his hands. "I've already told you my situation. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. I can't control that. If you believe I can't be trusted, then please have His Majesty Wrynn settle the payment for the treatment."

"You're avoiding the main point."

"No. I'm simply stating the facts."

Ethan knew exactly what Jaina wanted to ask. But understanding her intent didn't mean he had to cooperate.

He felt he had already made his position clear. He had explained his situation. If they didn't believe him, there was nothing he could do. He wasn't about to meet any unreasonable demands just to prove himself.

If Jaina wanted to shout "eliminate the interdimensional invader!" and start a fight, Ethan would welcome it. There were many powerful beings in this world Ethan was wary of, but Jaina was definitely not one of them.

"Alright, Jaina. I believe Mage Ethan truly has no ill intentions toward our world."

After a brief silence, Varian finally spoke, immediately expressing his trust in Ethan. Whether it was sincere or not, Ethan was satisfied with the goodwill Varian had shown.

It wasn't a waste of the effort he had spent on him.

(To be continued.)

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.)