After listening to Rhonin recount his past, Prestor's sharp eyes gleamed slightly.
"Rhonin, don't you want to prove your abilities, do something great, and make Dalaran look at you with new eyes? Perhaps it could even be a way to atone for your sins."
"Atonement?"
Rhonin took a deep breath of the heavy air. "Fine, I admit my guilt and am willing to atone, but unfortunately Antonidas won't give me that chance."
"Perhaps I can help you." Prestor handed a letter to Rhonin and instructed him:
"A young person like you has a bright future ahead of you; you shouldn't give up so easily. There's no absolute fairness in this world; the important thing is to seize opportunities. Give this letter to your mentor Korialstrasz; he owes me a favor and will certainly be willing to help you atone for it."
Rhonin took the letter, his mind unsettled, unaware of what Destiny awaited him.
In the brief moment he was stunned, Prestor vanished. Rhonin hurriedly checked the money pouch at his waist, and found that not only was nothing missing, but he had gained dozens more gold coins, enough for him to rush back to Dalaran and have some meat.
The only downside was that the hotel owner was very unfriendly.
Tanaris, Gadgetzan.
This is a city in the desert, a trading hub run by Goblins.
Krasus reluctantly put down his wine glass, gazing sadly at the vast desert in the distance, and said:
"The Bronze Dragon Aspect Nozdormu resides in the boundless desert. Some say the deserts of Tanaris were created by his magic, but this is inaccurate. Nozdormu only favors the Sands of Time, so we must find a special grain of sand in the desert—the key to Nozdormu's realm."
Like Malygos, the Aspect of the Blue, Nozdormu also fell into a precarious state after the Red Dragon Queen disappeared, trapping himself within a point in time.
The key to the node is hidden in the desert, in a special grain of Sands of Time.
Robbie asked seriously, "Is there any way to find the Sands of Time?"
Krasus shook his head. "We can only search bit by bit using the most primitive methods. The Sands of Time emit strange Temporal Disturbance. My detection range is about 500 meters. We'll need luck."
It seems luck really is needed. Robbie secretly cast a spell, using the Eye of C'Thun to scout.
The vast desert seemed endless. Robbie wasn't searching aimlessly; as a dragon, Nozdormu needed to eat to satisfy his appetite.
The Wyrmrest Temple of the Red Dragonflight, the Neltharion's Lair of the Black Dragonflight, the Nexus of the Blue Dragonflight, and the Emerald Dream of the Green Dragonflight —all are located near the sea, for only the vast ocean can satisfy the Dragonkin' terrifying appetite.
Nozdormu's hiding place must be not far from the coast.
Robbie was lucky; he quickly detected unusual Temporal Disturbance, and a strange grain of sand fell into Eye of C'Thun.
"I think I've found Nozdormu's whereabouts," Robbie whispered.
Krasus's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible? We didn't do anything!"
Robbie said solemnly, "Don't you know that there is Prophecy in magic, which can foresee things that haven't happened yet, let alone things that have already happened?"
Krasus was unwilling to believe that the Blood Elf before him Mastery in prophecy, but Alaiseer Sunseeker was always mysterious and it was entirely possible that he knew Nozdormu's hiding place through some channel, after all, this was a piece of history that had already happened.
The two arrived at the Sandfury Camp near Gadgetzan, where a group of ferocious Ogres lived. Krasus subtly displayed his dragon might, and the Ogres wisely fled.
Robbie dug out a strange stone, about the size of a fist, crystal clear, like a fine Magic Crystal.
A special grain of Sands of Time.
Inside the Sands of Time lies a withered rose, its multicolored petals surrounding a golden stamen in the center, emitting a faint, delicate fragrance.
"The Eternal Rose," Krasus whispered.
This is an extremely rare Sands of Time, possibly the only one in Azeroth. Krasus grabbed the Eternal Rose, chanted the incantation aloud, and then threw it to the ground.
Centered on the Eternal Rose, the Elite and clearest sand spread outwards, transforming the world and placing the two in an unfamiliar realm.
The sun blazed down, its heat scorching the ground. The vast desert stretched as far as the eye could see, its temperature high enough to boil water. It was an isolated little world unsuitable for life.
Robbie and Krasus used magic to protect themselves. Countless ruins, broken statues, strangely shaped broken weapons, and the remains of giant creatures as big as small mountains were scattered throughout the endless desert. The tall and majestic Royal Palace and the golden throne remained intact.
The massive metal ship jutted into the yellow sand. Not far away, a pyramid-shaped building stood between two enormous scorpion pincers. Beside the scorpion's tail was an incredibly magnificent gray mage tower, soaring into the clouds and reaching the sky, like a giant pillar supporting the heavens.
Krasus pointed to the mage tower in front of him and said, "This is the original Dalaran. Aegwynn thought it was too tall and abandoned it. Somehow it became part of Nozdormu's collection."
Robbie also saw an island in the desert with many Troll- style buildings. Krasus said regretfully:
"This was the ancient Uzzmit Empire, located on Island west of Stranglethorn Vale. Unfortunately, it offended Nozdormu and vanished overnight."
"What is this scorpion?" Robbie asked curiously.
"Ravager Korlak," Krasus said regretfully, "Was active in the Blasted Lands. Medivh dealt with him when he opened the Dark Portal."
The collection in the desert stretches as far as the eye can see. This independent little world is a museum, recording the rise and fall of countless civilizations in Azeroth.
"Where is Nozdormu?" Krasus searched for the Dragon King.
Robbie smiled slightly and said, "I bet Nozdormu has put a lot of effort into these collections. If we take one of them, what do you think he'll do?"
"They will definitely come out to drive us away." Krasus understood that if he wanted the Bronze Dragon Aspect to show himself, he would have to find a way through these collections.
However, ordinary collectibles won't impress Nozdormu, which will require the two of them to have a discerning eye.
The two wandered among countless collectibles, Krasus was the first to find one.
This is a trident gleaming with a bluish light, stuck diagonally in the yellow sand.
Krasus drew his trident with delight, exclaiming, "The Sea King War Glaive! I never imagined it would become one of Nozdormu's collectibles. Sea King was originally a giant Murloc once established a glorious maritime civilization; at its peak, all of Azeroth belonged to them."
This weapon must be incredibly valuable, given the rare unification in Azeroth's history.
Surprisingly, Nozdormu did not appear, clearly indicating that this artifact was not enough to warrant his attention.
Krasus reluctantly put down the Sea King Trident, Robbie noticed something.
It's an ordinary stone mask, half resembling Night Elf and half resembling Dragon.
"Take this, Nozdormu will definitely come out," Robbie said, pointing to the mask on the ground.
Krasus didn't understand, Robbie explained, "This one has the strongest Nozdormu scent, proving he handled it frequently; it must be very precious."