Sylvanas's political acumen far surpasses that of King Varian; after all, she is a High Elf who has lived for many years, possessing extensive knowledge and rich experience.
No matter what happens in Kingdom of Stormwind, as long as Prince Anduin is resurrected and uses his excellent diplomatic skills to unite the royal forces of the various Alliance races, he will win the hearts and minds of the people, and the resistance forces in Stormwind City will surely be wiped out.
Collecting Anduin's remnant soul isn't urgent; conquering Karazhan is the real priority. Sylvanas absolutely dares not underestimate Karazhan; even without the Guardian Medivh, it remains one of the most terrifying dens of iniquity in Azeroth.
Deadwind Pass, Karazhan, this eerie and mysterious place is steeped in countless terrifying Legendary.
The excessive use of magic has caused time and space here to become extremely unstable. The eerie illusions from various eras tell tales of the future and its chapters, or reflect the lingering shadows of bygone, poetic times.
Countless Spatial Rifts, who knows which worlds they lead to? Medivh summoned countless beings not belonging to this world, researching various forbidden and dangerous topics.
The Arcane and Fel energy accumulated over millennia Karazhan almost like a small Well of Eternity, nourishing these monsters. Karazhan is far from the peaceful place it appears to be; the most dangerous experiments are hidden in Karazhan deepest parts.
Compared to countless rumors, the simple truth that has been summarized best illustrates its danger:
"Once you go in, you may never come out!"
If Guardian Medivh were still alive, Sylvanas wouldn't dare to launch a surprise attack here; she wouldn't even dare to think about it.
Sylvanas looked up at the bright full moon in the sky above Elune, and a sense of confidence welled up within her. This was the moment when she was at her strongest, and also the opportunity to obtain the greatest help from that mysterious being.
In addition, Sylvanas had made ample preparations. On the airship, hundreds of Undercity Royal Guards were already ready for battle, and more than a dozen heavy coffins were on standby.
Looking down at Karazhan shrouded in mist, Sylvanas's blood-red eyes revealed excitement.
At the Karazhan observatory, Grand Duke Alpha muttered incantations and tossed five ancient coins into a plate.
Looking at the ancient coins rolling around randomly, Prince Malchezaar beside him showed a strange expression and asked:
"What's this?"
Divination, a method of predicting the future.
Grand Duke Alpha moved the ancient coins one by one, his lips moving as he counted on his fingers, letting out an eerie laugh.
"Heh heh, interesting, interesting. On the night of the full moon, those who should come dare not come, while those who shouldn't come are bound to come. I smell decay. It's Sylvanas. She didn't come alone; a huge shadow stands behind her."
"Smell it?"
Prince Malchezaar sniffed; there was no putrid smell from the observatory.
This Eredar accustomed to rational thinking, was always filled with skepticism towards divination that defied explanation.
"I know of some methods to glimpse fragments of the future, but they require precious spellcasting items and complex rituals. What are these five coins of yours? I don't sense anything special about them."
"These five ancient coins are the last relics of our great civilization."
Grand Duke Alpha sighed softly, a look of reminiscence on his face, and a twitch appeared between his brows:
"Hesitation leads to chaos. Medivh more capable and more ambitious than I am, but look at what he's done. He's been completely consumed by desire. Now my world has a new life, clean and pure, free from the intrusion of the Old Gods. Isn't that much better than the chaos in Azeroth?"
As a member of the Burning Legion, Prince Malchezaar agreed with this view.
The more reluctant you are to let go, the more unwilling you are to give up, and the more concerns you have, the more likely you are to lose. Countless painful lessons have proven this point.
Malchezaar was somewhat worried about the impending battle.
He carefully considered the relative strengths of both sides and said uneasily:
"Judging from a civilizational standpoint, Sylvanas is merely a native of Azeroth; her understanding of power is far inferior to that of the Burning Legion. However, the power behind her is comparable to that of the Legion."
Grand Duke Alpha nodded solemnly as well. "If we only focus on Sylvanas's apparent strength, we're doomed to lose. She's far more powerful than we imagine."
Malchezaar unfolded a parchment containing a list of people from Karazhan:
"We have a large number of servants and a small number of mounts. Apart from Nightbane, who can put up a fight, I don't think the butler and the Opera House jester are capable of fighting the Forsaken."
Grand Duke Alpha chuckled and shook his head, saying:
"Malchezaar, you don't understand Medivh. What you see is only the surface, an illusion disguised as a humanoid creature. Everyone in Karazhan, even the maids responsible for cleaning and the beautiful handmaids, are not ordinary beings. They are mysterious life forms that Medivh collected from various worlds, at least no less powerful than the Undercity Royal Guard."
Malchezaar looked surprised. To maintain the luxurious lifestyle of Medivh and his mother, Karazhan had hundreds of male and female servants. "So, we could easily organize an elite army."
Grand Duke Alpha beamed, "Of course, Karazhan's strength is second to none Kingdom of Stormwind Orgrimmar, in terms of hidden power, cannot compare to Karazhan."
At this point, Grand Duke Alpha shook his head with some regret:
"Unfortunately, I don't have the key to the hidden spatial passages. Those passages lead to countless mysterious worlds, and only Medivh and his mother can open them. This means our reinforcements are virtually unlimited, and no one can conquer Karazhan."
Malchezaar looked down at the personnel list, counting the more powerful beings on it:
"We have the soldiers. Now let's look at our generals: the Curator, Netherspite, Nightbane, Illhoof. I've already convinced the Maiden of Virtue that she's willing to help us until we find our way home. Yes, I seem to see a glimmer of hope for victory."
Grand Duke Alpha paused for a moment, then reminded him, "We are still short a commander."
"Me? I'm an officer of the Burning Legion," Malchezaar volunteered confidently. "I'm perfectly capable of commanding the defense of Karazhan. You must trust me."
"Your military skills are fine, and your tactical thinking is sufficient. Unfortunately, you're not cunning enough. Against Sylvanas, a lack of cunning means defeat. You can only be an excellent vanguard officer; the commander will have to be someone else," Grand Duke Alpha said earnestly.
Malchezaar paused, then stubbornly waved his arms:
"I don't believe anyone in Karazhan is more suitable to be the commander than me."
"There is one person who can truly impress you, because he is cunning enough that even Sylvanas cannot."
Grand Duke Alpha showed a relieved expression. "Fortunately, I have a good relationship with Medivh. Although he was clearly using me, he still let me know a few secrets of Karazhan."
Grand Duke Alpha led the way, and he and Malchezaar entered a hidden basement.
The existence of this basement is extremely difficult to discover; it requires a complex ritual to be performed on an ordinary wall, which will reveal a hidden door.
After entering the secret door, you must answer strange questions before you can finally enter the hidden basement.
Inside the basement was a huge pool filled with lush green Fel, a familiar energy that made Malchezaar feel particularly comfortable.
Deep within this Fel Pool, a black coffin floated on the surface.
Grand Duke Alpha muttered incantations as the coffin floated to the surface of the water and slowly opened.
"It was him! He's still alive!"
Malchezaar was completely stunned as he gazed at the figure in the coffin.