Emerald Dream.
Rhonin felt like he was on a sinking Deathwing; luck wouldn't always be on his side.
Unfortunately, Rhonin couldn't admit his incompetence. In this chaotic era, what would be the consequences for a useless person?
Therefore, he could only keep his fear of Deathwing hidden in his heart.
In the hazy moonlight, the trees of Emerald Dream rustled softly.
Cenarius departed, Emissary received special hospitality from Broxigar the White Stag Malorne, and disappeared to an unknown place. Malfurion sat under a tree, grieving over his appearance.
Krasus pulled Rhonin aside. In this era, surrounded by distrustful people, Krasus felt that forming an alliance with Rhonin to look after each other was better than nothing.
"Rhonin Ning, you shouldn't have done this. Why confront these ambitious people head-on? They're a bunch of insidious lunatics."
"I know this is wrong, but I'm just unwilling to accept it," Rhonin muttered bitterly, his face full of dissatisfaction.
"Look at what they've done: deception, trickery, and blatant lies. How blatantly they disregard us and don't take us seriously."
Krasus shrugged. "You're still too young, Rhonin. You're too impatient. We must choose to be patient. Perhaps we have a chance to regain control of the situation."
Rhonin gave a bitter smile. He didn't think he had any solutions. Perhaps he was just a useless pawn, at the mercy of others.
Lying under the tree, Rhonin's thoughts were in turmoil, half-asleep and half-awake. He felt that he was still awake, but countless strange illusions appeared before his eyes, making him feel like he was dreaming. He couldn't tell whether he was awake or dreaming.
"Now, it's time..." a voice hissed.
Who is it?
Rhonin felt someone calling him. He wanted to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead.
"A human, I sense the power of time within you. Is it Nozdormu? A weak reptile, who does he serve? What an obnoxious fellow, clearly he understands nothing of the meaning of time."
The sound was elusive, buzzing and echoing in my ears like countless annoying flies.
Rhonin was furious. Who was this person? His tone was arrogant and conceited, he didn't even respect the Dragon King Nozdormu, and he wouldn't let him wake up.
"Interesting creature. I wonder what you can bring me. You are very weak, but you contain power—the accumulated knowledge from the future. Come, everything you need is here."
Rhonin finally opened his eyes. He thought he was awake, but he was still in a hazy, semi-conscious state. At this moment, his judgment was poor, and he was almost entirely acting on instinct.
He was still in the Emerald Dream, surrounded by a green mist, the power of nature and life.
In the hazy forest, he saw a beautiful figure dressed in a festive red outfit, with a slender and graceful figure, silver hair cascading down to her waist, and a pair of pointed ears.
Rhonin's eyes welled up with tears. Whenever he dreamt of Midnight, Rhonin missed not Jaina, but his wife.
In this unfamiliar era, filled with lies and helplessness, his longing for his beloved wife grew stronger with each passing day.
"Vereesa, is that you?"
Rhonin reached out his hand, took a few steps forward, and tried to touch his lovely wife.
The beautiful figure turned around, revealing a pretty, delicate oval face with clear blue eyes, a small, slightly upturned nose, and a faint smile that always graced her lips—charming yet playful.
"Vereesa" gave Rhonin a gentle smile, then skipped and hopped away like a cute little deer, running into the depths of the forest.
"Come on, come chase me! Hehe, come on!"
A burst of giggles drifted over, captivating Rhonin's heart.
Rhonin chased after him almost uncontrollably. He had some doubts in his mind, but they only flashed through his mind briefly.
Humans often cannot control their reason well, especially when they are half asleep or half awake.
Following the beautiful figure, Rhonin walked through forests, waded through rivers, and crossed vast grasslands. The vegetation gradually thinned out, and the natural and life force diminished until he entered a desert.
Rhonin's consciousness was hazy. He didn't know how far he had walked. He felt that he had entered the depths of the Emerald Dream, the core area, and all he could see was that beautiful figure.
"I won't give up on you, Vereesa, wait for me."
Suddenly, Rhonin regained full consciousness. His reason and wisdom returned, and he found himself in the desert, a vast ocean of sand where everything was silent and life was nowhere to be seen.
"Where am I? Who is this? Who led me here?"
"Yes, that's interesting."
A snake more than three meters long, with red and black markings, crawled out of the sand, its blood-red eyes staring at Rhonin with Pride and mockery.
"Human, all you want is to live and go back to see your beloved wife, a beautiful woman. In your dream, I saw the future of the Night Elf race. Oh, oh, this is not the outcome I wanted."
"Poor human, I foresee your tragic Destiny. Deathwing, a black Dragon, you are not even a snack for him. You are afraid, aren't you, human?"
The mere mention of Deathwing filled Rhonin with dread; he realized how tragic his Destiny would be.
The snake slithered across the desert, raising its head to meet Rhonin's gaze.
"I see your wisdom as a human being, relying on the strong as your protectors. Very well, why not submit to me? I will give you everything you need."
Rhonin was both surprised and delighted. He knew he had a great opportunity; a powerful being had its eye on him. Unfortunately, he didn't know what price he would have to pay. He quickly asked:
"May I ask who you are?"
"You don't even know who I am?" The snake's eyes were full of mockery. "Ten thousand years of wisdom still hasn't made mortals see through Elune's tricks. You don't even know who I am."
The voice suddenly rose, as if coming from all directions, with countless people singing and praising in unison, grand and majestic, like a god descending to earth.
"I am a lucid dream, I am a nightmare deep within a Nightmare. My reason and imagination have formed Emerald Dream, and my malice towards the world has become a terrifying Nightmare."
"My empire is bound beneath the waves of the sea, buried beneath the ancient yellow sands. Before you tread the earth, I was the master of all things, a dark yet real dream."
A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth. The desert receded like a tide. Rhonin floated in the air and saw a huge city buried beneath the yellow sand, with magnificent buildings and thick tendrils dancing towards the sky.
"Azshara has built a beautiful Elf Empire, but compared to my Black Empire, the Night Elves are still children. Time is running out, Rhonin. You have no idea what kind of conspiracy you are facing. Your death is imminent. Only I can keep you alive. You are a variable. Human, perhaps. You see, even I cannot be sure."
"You are, the Old Gods, N'Zoth." Rhonin's voice trembled.
Yes, I should have realized it sooner: the Emerald Dream, the terrifying Nightmare power.
The Old Gods N'Zoth was the God of Nightmares, the Fiend of a Thousand Maws; he was the true ruler of the Emerald Dream.