Vanessa listened to the Zandalar couple's conversation with a complicated expression, and could only sigh helplessly in the end.
The tragedy of an era, the ignorance buried deep in people's hearts, is something that cannot be changed by human effort.
Under the cover of night, Robbie collected the bones of the Blood Food creatures as a material for a spell that could be used to awaken the souls of living beings.
Robbie doesn't intend to disturb the living; his plan is to extract the truth from the dead.
As the Power of the Dead gathered, the soul on the skeleton gradually became clear, transforming into a white ghost that looked around in astonishment.
"Tell me your name," Robbie asked.
"Muiba," the ghost replied.
"He really is the son of the Zandalar couple," Robbie asked sympathetically.
Tell me about your experience?
The purpose of the conversation is to evoke the memories of the Restless Souls, so that one can take the opportunity to read his thoughts and feelings.
Muiba tried hard to recall, speaking with lingering fear:
"I was carrying stones with many other people. The foreman said it was for building a tomb for Emperor Ata. We worked every day and ate very little. Many people died from exhaustion, and the others divided the bodies among themselves. I was scared, so I found a chance to escape."
Could it be the construction of the King's Rest?
Robbie, who had initially thought they were building City of the Sky, was secretly disappointed and asked:
How did you manage to escape back to your hometown?
"Through Portal," Muiba replied. "I sneaked into Portal near City of the Sky. They say Portals were built by the gods, and there are them all over Zandalar. I was lucky; I was teleported back home, but the curse kicked in."
"Curse?"
Muiba lowered his head:
"I was branded as a tax and given a slave mark. When I escaped back to my hometown, the mark flared up, and I remembered nothing but my parents and siblings."
No wonder Muiba didn't resist when facing her father, but instead knelt down directly.
"I've heard that the City of the Sky has been under construction for over 100,000 years. Have you ever seen building materials transported to the City of the Sky through Portal?" Robbie asked.
Muiba nodded. "I've seen it."
Robbie waved his hand and said, "You can leave now. Remember, never disturb the living. There's a clear boundary between the world of the dead and the world of the living."
Muiba bowed and disappeared into the primeval forest.
Robbie was doing calculations on the ground with a twig in his hand. Vanessa watched curiously, and after Robbie finished, she asked, "What are you calculating?"
"The power of the Zandalari Empire."
Robbie threw away the branch and said:
"I read Muiba's memories and saw the process of building the tomb. I thought that the Ancient Zandalari Empire inherited the magical legacy of Xal'atath and possessed great productivity, but they still relied mainly on manpower to build the tomb. How could such skills build City of the Sky?"
Vanessa thought for a moment and said, "That's nothing. Before the Dark Portal opened, Dalaran Mages flew around in the sky, while ordinary people toiled in the fields."
"Magic created a gap between social classes, so I also considered national strength."
Robbie pointed to the village in front of him and said:
"The Ancient Zandalari Empire is a large country with tens of millions of people, but if all of them have this level of productivity, their national strength is insufficient to cultivate the City of the Sky."
Vanessa said earnestly, "Magic excels at creating miracles; it cannot be judged by common sense."
Robbie nodded:
"There are only two possibilities. First, the Zandalari Empire has a powerful force behind it, possibly a being similar to a Titan Keepers. The second possibility is..."
Robbie hesitated for a moment. "I don't usually assume the worst of others. Let's go to the City of the Sky and see for ourselves."
The City of the Sky.
After Dasa left, Yeh'kinya lay on the bed, her mind in turmoil.
Yeh'kinya was never afraid of death. When he decided to summon Hakkar, he had already disregarded life and death. His biggest fear was that he would do something wrong.
Finally, Yeh'kinya made up her mind and drifted off to sleep with a cheerful heart.
Preparations for summoning Hakkar went very smoothly. At the last moment, Yeh'kinya requested an audience with Emperor Ata and was successfully granted one.
Yeh'kinya knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and asked respectfully:
"Your Majesty Emperor Ata, Yeh'kinya means no offense. I am simply very curious about Your Majesty's true purpose in summoning Hakkar?"
Emperor Ata flew into a rage, pointing at Yeh'kinya and roaring, "Do you know who you are? What right do you have to question a great emperor?"
Yeh'kinya insisted, "I believe in the Emperor's greatness and justice; he must have summoned Hakkar for the sake of the Empire. Therefore, I hope the Emperor will tell the truth."
Emperor Ata had never been so offended before. His face turned ashen, and he was too angry to speak. A Priest beside him, whose fangs were not prominent, said:
"Yeh'kinya, you can't fathom the wisdom of Emperor Ata. He has never made a mistake in his life, all his decisions have been incredibly wise, and his morality is impeccable, just like this Crystal Firmament, clear and transparent."
"Emperor Ata, since you're acting out of a sense of Justice, why won't you answer my question?" Yeh'kinya was truly desperate.
"Look at this blind creature, actually starting to doubt my character!" Emperor Ata laughed in anger. "How can there be such an ungrateful being in this world?"
The nobleman, whose fangs were not prominent, bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, Emperor Ata, Yeh'kinya has offended Your Majesty's majesty, a heinous crime. I recommend that he be punished with the most severe penalty, so that he may suffer endless torment and regret for the rest of his life."
Emperor Ata nodded, his face fierce as he said:
"I'd love to see you suffer, you lowly bastard."
Yeh'kinya turned pale with fright, but still stubbornly said, "Emperor Ata, the facts prove that your decision was not wise. Without me, you cannot summon Hakkar."
Emperor Ata jumped up, pointed at Yeh'kinya, and sneered:
"Once again you have doubted the wisdom of an emperor. You have already told us the details of the summoning; we can accomplish this without you."
Yeh'kinya struggled to overcome his fear and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Emperor Ata, you underestimate summoning magic. It is the culmination of countless years of my people's efforts, containing countless details and experiences. The slightest mistake could summon an evil god, potentially destroying the entire Zandalar. Your people only know the general outline, making mistakes almost inevitable."
"Haha, this guy actually tried to deceive a great and wise emperor."
Emperor Ata angrily waved his arms and addressed the Priests around him:
Tell me he's lying.
The scene was completely silent; no one dared to lie about it.
Emperor Ata, somewhat disappointed, sat back down on his throne and chuckled softly:
"So even the wise and mighty Emperor Ata can make mistakes? Well, Yeh'kinya, this is the first mistake I've ever made in my life. I forgive your offense and will tell you the true purpose of summoning Hakkar."
After a long silence, Emperor Ata's anger gradually subsided, and he said expressionlessly:
"Do you remember those nine riddles? Actually, what was left on the door wasn't a riddle, but a painting. It was of a Zandalari Trolls hanging upside down on a cross, his skin peeled off, still alive, his mouth agape, shouting something."
Emperor Ata's gaze narrowed slightly:
"This is a mysterious message from the gods, which no one in the Zandalari Empire can decipher. My purpose is to ask a great being what this painting means, as it concerns the life and death of the entire Zandalar Empire."