"Impossible, what kind of insidious magic is this?"
Varian, utterly exhausted, was horrified. The three thousand soldiers who had stormed Undercity were now lambs to the slaughter.
Varimathras, the Dreadlord floating in the air, slowly said:
"It's just a simple Plague. I've placed a special Plague in all the water sources in Tirisfal Glades. Once it takes effect, people are temporarily defenseless. Your 100,000-strong army is finished. How can a mere, backward civilization of Azeroth possibly be an enemy of the Burning Legion?"
"Your King, you are too naive. The Burning Legion is far more advanced than our civilization."
Archbishop Benedictus's earnest advice echoed in Varian's ears, and he finally realized how foolish and arrogant he had been.
Recalling the Thoradin's Wall and Robbie's warning to him, he felt even more ashamed.
"Why didn't you tell me the Burning Legion was sabotaging the water source?" Varian grumbled to himself.
Little did they know, the Burning Legion had a variety of methods; if one plan failed, they would come up with another, making it impossible to defend against them.
Thrall walked over, picked up Varian's sword, and grinned maliciously:
"Foolish Varian, you actually dare to oppose the Burning Legion? Look at your pathetic state! If I were to devour you here, who would know?"
With that, he aimed his sword at Varian's neck, ready to sever it.
"Stop, Thrall."
Varimathras shouted, kicking Thrall, and grinned at Varian, saying, "King of Man, are you willing to accept my distribution of the spoils?"
Varian trembled with fear, barely managing to get to his feet and kneel before Varimathras:
"I do!"
Varimathras smiled sinisterly:
"That's right. An Alliance leader willing to cooperate with us can continuously bring soul to the Legion. Just as I promised, you will become a great King."
Varimathras selected thirty Royal Guards, gave them the Antidote for the Plague, and then said to Jaina, "Beautiful lady, send this great King back to Stormwind City. His victorious return will surely inspire the people of Stormwind City, who will willingly come to their deaths."
Jaina smiled obsequiously as she approached Varian:
"See, Your King, I always manage to stand on the side of the victor. I hope you can learn from this and become wiser. I will send you back to Elwynn Forest to congratulate you on your great victory in Undercity. You will receive the enthusiastic support of the people of Kingdom of Stormwind."
With a flash of teleportation light, King Varian and his thirty guards vanished from the spot.
Thrall struggled to his feet. Varimathras's kick had been incredibly vicious; Thrall, grimacing, forced a fawning smile.
"Your Majesty Varimathras, your wish has been fulfilled. Would you now return Undercity to us?"
Varimathras yawned and said slowly:
"I feel tired and incredibly bored. This journey should come to an end. As you wish, Undercity will be returned to the Horde, but it must be Lady Sylvanas. I want the Forsaken to remain in this city, not the filthy Orcs."
A fleeting look of disappointment crossed Thrall's face, and he quickly nodded, saying, "Of course, your wish will certainly be fulfilled."
Just then, a commotion erupted from the Undercity Royal Quarter. Sylvanas, disheveled and covered in dust, led a group of Forsaken into the city.
Judging from their disheveled appearance, it was as if they were fleeing for their lives.
Varimathras flapped his wings and said unhappily:
"Sylvanas, I warned you long ago, never panic in any situation. As a leader, you must always remain calm and composed."
Sylvanas panicked and said:
"Something terrible has happened! Our spoils have been stolen! A huge horde of Black Dragons, almost blotting out the sky, used strange magic to teleport away an army of 100,000 from the Alliance."
"What, the Black Dragonflight?"
Varimathras was terrified, nearly falling from mid-air, and hurriedly activated the Legion Portal:
"Kil'jaeden needs to speak with me urgently, so I must leave immediately. The rest is up to you, Thrall. Don't forget, the Horde still owes me 100,000 souls."
Varimathras escaped, Jaina opened Portal at almost the same time. Thrall hurriedly led the Horde army away, leaving behind only a few Forsaken.
Fortunately, the Black Dragonflight only rescued 100,000 Alliance troops, whose whereabouts are unknown, and had no intention of occupying Undercity.
This was a stronghold of the Peace Dove in Elwynn Forest, which Archbishop Benedictus burned down while hunting Jaina.
Varian emerged from the ruins, gazing at the sky over Elwynn Forest, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
A massive army of 100,000 marched out to war, only to be used as food for the Horde. Only thirty returned. What a disgrace! Varian felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
Varian saw a familiar figure, floating quietly in the air with his hands behind his back, looking up at the white clouds. It was the Emissary of the Moon Goddess.
Varian, as if seeing a savior, rushed over, knelt on the ground, and hugged the Emissary's legs, crying and pleading, "My Emissary, save me!"
The Emissary turned around, looking quite helpless, and said:
"Varian, do you know? The Moon Goddess is extremely disappointed in you. She thought you could replace Thrall Savior, and become a true leader, serving the Moon Goddess, but look at what you've done!"
Varian, crestfallen, asked, "What should I do?"
The Emissary waved his hand and said, "Go back. You are still the King of Stormwind City, the leader of the Alliance. Your rule remains as solid as a rock and unshakeable. Await the Moon Goddess's decree."
Varian's eyes lit up with hope; it proved that the Moon Goddess had not given up on him.
The Emissary disappeared, and Varian, having regained his courage, headed towards Stormwind City under the protection of his guards.
Elwynn Forest, located near Stormwind City, was originally a prosperous and bustling place.
However, due to the Kingdom of Stormwind's continuous exorbitant taxes and levies, countless people went bankrupt, families were torn apart, and homes were destroyed. The former prosperity has long since vanished.
Varian passed through a village where heavy taxes were levied. The Peace Dove not only took away the last grain of food from the villagers' homes, but also seized all their possessions.
The rooms were bare and empty, with windows and doors removed.
Varian was resting in a large room when a guard brought him a bowl of water. Seeing that His King looked worried, the guard offered some words of comfort:
"Your King, your health is of utmost importance. This is merely a minor setback, which does not diminish your greatness in the slightest. The people still hold you in high esteem."
Varian sighed, "But in the end, I have failed the people."
A commotion arose outside the door, followed by the guards' loud shouts.
Varian frowned and walked out unhappily, but upon seeing the scene outside, his legs went weak with fear.
The entire house was completely surrounded. On the low walls and trees around it, there were ragged, disheveled people, all of them thin as skin and bones. Many of them could no longer stand up and were crawling on all fours like wild animals.
The thin, withered people had only a pair of eyes that gleamed with a cold light, like wild beasts that had been starving for a long time and had found food. They grinned, revealing their yellowed teeth, and drooled constantly.
"What do you want? I am King Varian."
Varian roared in exasperation.