The blueprints for the Magic Circle passed down by the Moon Goddess were far too complex. Medivh arrived just in time when the Dalaran Mages were in trouble.
Medivh, dressed in a black robe, didn't even glance at Rhonin who came to greet him. Amid Rhonin's awkward expression, he walked straight towards the blueprints of the Elune.
After carefully examining the blueprints of the Magic Circle, Medivh's expression turned solemn, and he said reverently:
"Praise be to the great Elune! This is a Soul-Gathering Formation. The souls of the defeated will be devoured by the victors. The victors grow ever stronger, while the defeated are doomed. The final victors of the Trial of the Crusader will become the most powerful warriors in this world."
Upon hearing Medivh's introduction, Rhonin gasped.
As expected of Elune, she was able to design such a terrifying Magic Circle.
The victorious team, selected from thousands through rigorous Trial of the Crusader, each member embodying the power of thousands of souls—how terrifying must they be?
They are probably all on par with the Guardian Medivh.
Medivh glanced in the direction Tirion Fordring was.
Tirion Fordring immediately understood and carefully replied:
"As per the Moon Goddess's decree, there will be fifty final victors: twenty-five from the Alliance and twenty-five from the Horde. They will become the spearhead in the attack on Icecrown Citadel, tasked with annihilating the Scourge. I will carefully select the final victors to ensure they are all highly reliable."
The word "caution" contains too many meanings: unspoken rules, pre-selected candidates, and clandestine conspiracies. To survive to the end, having real strength and courage is not enough.
Medivh scoffed dismissively, "That's far from enough."
Tirion Fordring was stunned; he didn't understand what the Guardian meant.
Medivh looked around and said loudly:
"We all know the Scourge is in trouble, Scourge soldiers are weakened, and there are rumors that Arthas has entered the New World. I believe this is a lie. He must be licking his wounds on the Frozen Throne. Arthas is a master of the soul; Frostmourne seals countless souls, which is his source of power. Only warriors with powerful souls can possibly defeat Arthas."
Rhonin, Tirion Fordring, Eitrigg, and the others listened quietly, until Medivh's tone shifted:
"The Lich King Arthas was a scourge to Azeroth, and I will absolutely not allow another Lich King to appear. Tirion Fordring, you are nothing but a despicable opportunist. What right do you have to command such a powerful team? Do you want to become the next Lich King?"
Tirion Fordring was so frightened that his forehead was covered in sweat, and he hurriedly knelt on the ground. "I dare not!"
Medivh snorted coldly:
"Tirion Fordring, I see your ambition. Of course, I don't trust anyone else either. I am the Guardian Azeroth Azeroth, representing fairness and Justice. The final fifty victors can only be chosen by me to become my most loyal servants."
Everyone looked helpless after hearing this.
Of all those present, the Guardian Medivh undoubtedly possessed the greatest strength and authority, and no one dared to question his decisions.
With Medivh's help, Dalaran successfully solved the technical problems in the Magic Circle, but building the Magic Circle required a large number of Magic Gems, Dalaran's reserves did not have enough of.
In order to raise an astronomical number of Magic Gems, King Varian increased taxes once again, forcing countless families to sell their children, plunging the entire kingdom into extreme turmoil.
The easiest way to conquer a fortress is from within.
Robbie bribed a Dalaran Archmage and successfully obtained the blueprints for the Elune.
This Archmage had a good memory; he not only secretly copied the blueprints but also successfully plagiarized Medivh's breakthrough in overcoming technical difficulties, bringing his family to Icecrown Citadel.
After Robbie verified that everything was correct, he said to the Gnome mage:
"Archmage, just tell me your request, and the Scourge will do its best to fulfill it."
The white-haired, Gnome mage first bowed and whispered:
"First, let me introduce myself. I am Archmage Rend Fitzbang."
That name sounds familiar; Robbie seems to have heard it somewhere before.
The Gnome said angrily:
"A few days ago, I received secret instructions from Rhonin to study Demons summoning magic. I never expected that Rhonin had ulterior motives. He actually ordered me to summon the Demons Lord Jaraxxus during the Trial of the Crusader. He clearly intended to use me as a sacrifice. Damn it, Rhonin must be jealous of my talent and good looks."
It was him! No wonder he seemed so familiar.
The Gnome said defiantly, "I hope my whole family can be protected by the Scourge Army and that Rhonin never finds me."
"As you wish." Robbie readily agreed.
Kel'Thuzad spent days studying the blueprints for the Moon Goddess's Magic Circle, but he was still completely baffled.
"I can only say that Medivh's conclusion is wrong. This is definitely not a Soul-Gathering Formation, but I can't tell what kind of Magic Circle it is either."
Robbie agreed with Kel'Thuzad's assessment that Medivh's conclusion had a flaw: the dark, shiny meteorite was directly beneath the Magic Circle, and there must be some connection between the two.
"Why not give it a try?" Robbie suggested. "We can build a model and verify the effectiveness of this Magic Circle."
Kel'Thuzad's eyes lit up. "Good idea, let's do it that way."
Kel'Thuzad meticulously scaled down the Magic Circle to about one meter in diameter and built a small training ground on it.
Below the Magic Circle are collected meteorite fragments, a complete replica of the Trial of the Crusader.
The Trial of the Crusader required a great deal of bloodshed and sacrifice, brutal battles and infighting. Robbie ordered his men to find a large number of crickets, centipedes and the like and put them into the Arena model.
A stimulant was released into the model, and the insects fought each other relentlessly for several days. When the number of dead insects exceeded ten thousand, the meteorite fragments below began to change.
The meteorite fragments sprouted tentacles and countless eyes, absorbing the earth, fire, water, and wind energies within the room. As the countless tentacles danced, the entire room shook violently, cracks appeared in the floor and walls, and finally, it collapsed.
Robbie froze, remembering the Cataclysm in Azeroth.
Kel'Thuzad appeared deep in thought, and after a long while, he said, "This is the Power of the Old Gods."
Robbie bit his lip and said:
"To be precise, the black meteorite is a piece of Y'Shaarj's flesh and blood, likely processed by the Moon Goddess. If it absorbs enough souls, it will disrupt the Elemental Power of Azeroth. If it succeeds, the continents will crack, volcanoes will erupt, seas will flood, and all life on the surface of Azeroth will be wiped out."
Kel'Thuzad said bitterly, "Is this Elune's revenge on the Scourge? We must stop Elune's madness immediately."
Robbie shook his head, thinking carefully for a moment, "Kel'Thuzad, don't you find it strange? Why would the Moon Goddess choose Icecrown Glacier to carry out her conspiracy right under our noses? Wouldn't it have been safer if this meteorite had fallen in Durotar?"
Kel'Thuzad was startled. Could this be a trap within a trap set by Elune, to lure the Scourge into a snare? Was there another layer of entrapment involved?
The wisdom of God is beyond comprehension; neither Robbie nor Kel'Thuzad could find the answer and dared not act rashly.