Countless thick tentacles emerged from the tree trunk, covered with a dense array of eyes, and swirled with an ominous black aura, coiling towards the three Elemental Lords and Deathwing.
Archimonde was trapped under a pile of boulders, unable to move, but at this moment he was most triumphant, shouting:
"How foolish! You are the most powerful beings in this world, an unstable force. How could Elune, allow you to threaten her position? Nordrassil is a carefully laid trap. You came to save Azeroth, and now you are destined to perish here. Don't you understand? We, the Burning Legion, are acting in accordance with the will of Heaven."
The so-called will of Heaven is the will of the strongest. In the Azeroth, Elune, is the heaven, and her will represents everything.
Al'Akir the Wind Rider cried out anxiously, "It's Elune! She's going to wipe us all out!"
Nordrassil is World Tree that grew from a seed provided by Elune, the Moon Goddess, and can be considered one of the remotely controlled entities in Azeroth.
Let the Flames purify everything.
The enraged Ragnaros unleashed Lava Bombardment, the flames scorching the surrounding tentacles.
However, this was only the beginning. From the cracks in the tree trunk, all sorts of deformed Treant crawled out. Some had eyes all over their bodies, some had huge human faces on their heads, and some had tentacles like octopuses. Their faces were hideous and very incongruous.
Deathwing reverted to his dragon form, attempting to escape into the sky, but it was too late. Dense foliage above his head drooped with endless mutated tentacles. Deathwing cried out a warning:
"This is a degenerate form of life, giving rise to all sorts of deformed and terrifying creatures. You must hold on."
The three Elemental Lords unleashed their full power, and although their skills were incredibly powerful, this was not the domain of any of Elemental Lords, and their Elemental Power was limited.
"Give up! You have no hope." Archimonde grinned menacingly. "The moment you thought about saving the world, your fate was sealed. The strong show no Mercy to the weak, only destruction."
More and more mutated creatures are emerging, including bizarre plants and all sorts of terrifying animals.
Winged tigers, Devilsaur with a bunch of heads, and gigantic gorillas—monsters seemingly from the Emerald Nightmare —were gradually losing their Elemental Lords as the battle drained their Elemental Power.
Deathwing's eyes widened, as if he had made up his mind. He transformed from his Dragon form into his vulnerable human form and shouted, "Quickly, all of you, come to my side!"
The three Elemental Lords were puzzled, but they could only move closer to Deathwing.
"Corruption withers life, only the Holy Light can save all." Deathwing was as devout as a young Priest in Stormwind City, chanting incantations. After a rather long incantation, Deathwing roared:
"Divine Shield."
The barrier formed by the Power of the Holy Light was indestructible, protecting all four of them. The mutated creature was kept outside, gaining a rare moment of respite. The Stone Mother, Therazane, her eyes gleaming with surprise, asked:
"Neltharion, when did you learn the Holy Light?"
"I have multiple identities in human society, one of which is the assistant bishop of Kingdom of Stormwind," Deathwing explained. "I am different from you. You are limited by the elements within you and your magical abilities are singular, while I can learn all sorts of useful skills. In these nearly endless years, I have never stopped learning."
Al'Akir the Wind Rider was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Do you know teleportation magic?"
Before Deathwing answer, Archimonde chimed in, noting that the aberrant creatures weren't attacking him:
"Your Black Dragon is quite unexpected, but it's useless. Elune, surely knew to forbid teleportation. Give up, become nourishment for Nordrassil. Victory will only belong to the Legion."
Deathwing nodded:
"That great Demons is right, teleportation is forbidden around Nordrassil. Fortunately, Elune's abilities are also limited. I once went on an archaeological expedition with a group of Dwarves and found something interesting."
Deathwing pulled a jade-green stone from his robes, upon which was engraved a strange Rune, with light slowly flowing within Rune. Deathwing remarked with a touch of melancholy:
"This Rune Stone is named after the Innkeeper's Daughter. She represents the longing of wandering adventurers for their beloved women. It doesn't belong to any known elemental power, and no magic can stop an adventurer from returning to his beloved woman's side."
The duration of Divine Shield was almost up. Deathwing activated the Rune Stone, and with a flash of light, the four figures enveloped in Holy Light vanished.
Archimonde was taken aback; even Elune, couldn't stop the teleportation.
This is a quaint inn with a wooden structure that seems to be a hundred years old. The gramophone made by the Gnome is rusty and weakly plays an old song, mostly producing creaking and unpleasant noises.
Behind the bar, a slender young woman with a ponytail was wiping glasses. The three Elemental Lords were teleported into the hotel and forcibly transformed into human form, their vast Elemental Power vanishing completely.
The Elemental Lords were taken aback when the woman turned around, revealing a face as bright as spring sunshine.
"You've arrived. My teleportation isn't free; it costs 100,000 gold coins per teleportation, or you can use magical items instead. I'll also include a glass of my own homemade wine."
Deathwing was clearly a regular here, as he went straight to the bar and took a drink, sipping it slowly.
For the wealthy Elemental Lords, 100,000 gold coins were merely pocket change; they were more astonished by the woman herself. Al'Akir, the Wind Rider, relying on his handsome face, stepped forward and asked:
"Hi, beautiful, where is this place? What's your name?"
In comparison, Ragnaros and Stone Mother were much more Therazane.
The power to imprison elements led them to speculate that this place might be somewhere in the Void. The woman with a human face was very likely a terrifying Void Creature, but why would Void Creature be interested in gold coins?
The woman put down her glass and said calmly, "This is the Kingdom of Stormwind, Lakeshire in the Redridge Mountains. I am the Innkeeper's Daughter, and my name is Lisa."
The mutated creatures all returned to Nordrassil, and Nordrassil returned to peace, still a lush and verdant World Tree, towering into the clouds with abundant branches and leaves.
Archimonde crawled out of the pile of rocks, forcefully pulling the Lava spear from his chest. Fel energy gathered and, after a writhing motion, repaired the horrific wound.
"Elune, is this the power you're offering me? Corrupted nature and life force, countless aberrations—it suits my identity perfectly. I'm very satisfied with this deal. The Elemental Lords and the Black Dragon King have escaped, but that doesn't matter. Once I have the power I desire, I will find them all and destroy them one by one."
No one could stop Archimonde anymore, and a broad smile spread across his face.
"A perfect deal: I'll help you stop the rise of the Night Elves and wipe out all life on the ground. In return, you can wait unhindered for Azeroth to hatch, and you will gain a new body."