Varian's threat worked; the succession of the Stormwind City monarchy was not based on mercy, but on the boundless fear buried deep in the hearts of the people.
Varian assigned three thousand soldiers, who, under the King's watchful eye, removed their armor, discarded their weapons, and, with tears in their eyes, marched in formation toward Thrall, the eye of the storm.
The Gale engulfed the soldiers' bodies, cruelly tearing them apart; chunks of flesh and blood, along with glaringly bright red blood, quickly filled the sky and earth.
Varian said smugly:
"I have finally made a contribution to the world, and history will remember my great achievements."
Three thousand soldiers paved a path with their lives, the raging wind elementals gradually Anjing down, Thrall's remnant soul, finally freed from torment, weakly gathered together.
Sek'kronas said coldly, "This is only a part of Thrall's soul. You will need to enter the other three Elemental Planes to collect the complete soul of Thrall."
Varian said solemnly, "No matter what difficulties I face, nothing can stop my determination to save the world. No matter how far I have to go, I will never abandon Thrall."
Jaina retrieved a portion of Thrall's soul and whispered, "Next, we need to enter the Water Elemental Plane. We must get there as soon as possible to face the unpredictable tides."
Varian said solemnly, "I am ready."
Using the Portal at Mount Hyjal, Jaina changed her destination to the Abyssal Breach and said to the eager Varian:
"The water Elemental Plane of the Abyssal Maw is fraught with countless dangers. Go to the Abyssal Breach and find Hydrolis, an elemental who has dealt with Thrall. He's the only one you can rely on there."
Varian rallied several thousand soldiers to follow him, and they crossed the Portal to the depths of the sea. He immediately felt an immense force squeezing his heart and lungs. Right above Varian's head, a giant Water Elemental unleashed its domain, protecting Varian and his soldiers.
All around was pitch black; it was the endless sea.
Only the Water Elemental Hydrolis emitted a faint light and emitted a buzzing sound:
"Very well, human King. The tide of Destiny has guided you from the distant, bright world. I know what you are seeking, and it is right before you."
Jaina and Varian looked in the direction Hydrolis pointed, and a faint light illuminated their surroundings. In the distance, they saw a large, rapidly spinning vortex that vaguely resembled Thrall's image.
Hydrolis scoffed, "This is your great Savior, now a vortex of thirst and desire. See? His heart is devouring everything. If you fall into it, you will be swallowed up too."
A faint sound reached Varian and Jaina's ears— Thrall's arrogant and frenzied shouts:
"I am the great Savior Thrall, I will devour everything, all things are mine, I am the greatest god in the universe, I will reign supreme, I will eat Varian."
Varian frowned slightly, recalling the Red Dragon Queen's warning, and felt uneasy.
Jaina whispered reassured him, "Don't worry, this is just Thrall's insane desire, not his true intention. You know he's not that kind of person."
Varian looked up and asked, "Is there any way to rescue Thrall?"
Hydrolis emitted a sound like the crashing waves:
"Rescuing Thrall isn't difficult; it only requires a small price to pay. However, Thrall owes me a debt, and I won't help him until that debt is repaid."
Without even asking what the debt was, Varian said magnanimously, "Fine, I'll pay it off for him."
"That was satisfying! Truly worthy of being the King of Kingdom of Stormwind and the leader of the Alliance."
A list lay before Varian, listing Dark Iron Ore, Blood of the Mountain, Arcanite Bar, and other substances. While not particularly rare ores, the quantity was astonishing.
Varian roughly estimated that even if the Kingdom of Stormwind didn't eat or drink for a hundred years, it still couldn't afford to pay this debt. He immediately turned pale and didn't know what to do.
Hydrolis, seeing Varian's predicament, called out, "Thrall made this debt to me to defeat Ragnaros, and in return, he received the support of the Abyss Waters. Human girl, you were there then; can you testify for me?"
Jaina glanced at the staggering number on the list, which bore Thrall's handprint, and said nonchalantly:
"Yes, there is such a debt, but the amount is so small that Savior Thrall didn't take it to heart. Varian, with the wealth of Kingdom of Stormwind, paying off this debt shouldn't be difficult."
Varian was in a terrible predicament; he simply couldn't afford it. But he was a proud man, and stubbornly said, "Please give me some time, I will definitely pay it off."
Hydrolis paused, then softened his tone. "You can refuse, Varian. I can forgive your debts."
"No!"
Varian felt insulted and roared:
"I am Varian, I am also Lo'gosh, King of Stormwind City, leader of the Alliance. My promise is as firm as the rock of Blackrock Mountain. For my honor, I am willing to give you all the people of the entire Kingdom of Stormwind, to become your Servants, at your mercy."
Hydrolis coldly sneered, "The Stormwind City family, protected by the Guardian Medivh, actually has an arrogant fool like you? Very well, since you insist on this, I will definitely collect this debt from you, unless you are no longer the King of Stormwind City."
Varian sank. He regretted making the vow, but for the sake of his pride, he didn't want to go back on his word, so he stubbornly said, "I have promised to repay the debt. Now, how will you rescue the great Savior Thrall?"
Hydrolis calmly stated, "There is only one way to satisfy Thrall's desires and bring Thrall peace: by devouring souls."
Varian smiled slightly, "I brought five thousand soldiers."
Hydrolis laughed loudly, "Varian, even if you fed Thrall all the people of Kingdom of Stormwind, you still wouldn't satisfy his desires. But there's another way; all it takes is a soul."
"Any soul will do, as long as it's not mine," Varian insisted.
A soul, a middle-aged man, was enveloped in magical water as clear as jade. His eyes were closed, and the magical water conjured up the man's clothes from his previous life: a well-tailored, elegant golden robe.
Varian froze, then whispered, "Father!"
Hydrolis's voice, like the tide, rang out again:
"After your father, King Llane, was devoured by the Orcs, his bones remained in the sea, and I preserved his soul. Thrall's greatest desire is to surpass his ancestors. By consuming King Llane's soul, he can be saved. Varian, it's not worth paying such a price for an Orcs. I advise you to give up."
Varian did not hesitate at all and said firmly:
"The great Savior Thrall Consecration everything for Azeroth. It was worth it to sacrifice my father's soul. I am willing to give up my father's soul to fulfill the greater good."
Hydrolis sighed, "Under imperial power, there is no kinship, colder than the icy sea. Varian, you have disappointed me, just as you wished."
King Llane's soul drifted toward Thrall, and the enormous vortex generated a terrifying suction force. Right before Varian's eyes, Thrall tore King Llane's soul apart. Then, the vortex collapsed, and Thrall's remnant soul, having achieved its goal, shrank back to its original size.
Jaina exclaimed joyfully, "We have obtained half of Thrall's soul. Now it's time to head to Deepholm Earth Plane with stone elementals."