The full moon shone brightly in the sky. Even under the clear blue sky and bright sunshine, the moonlight was as clear as a jade plate, creating a rare astronomical spectacle.
The monster's actions finally alerted the Elune.
"Someone is attacking the Nexus. Could it be the Scourge? How did they know the location of the Nexus? I clearly ruled out the Scourge from the Battle of Mount Hyjal."
A sense of doubt arose in Elune's heart. She cast countless beams of moonlight to search for the spellcaster's traces, tracing the magic trail back to its source, and quickly pinpointed the direction of Dalaran.
"A beautiful Floating City, Dalaran, floating in the air—whose masterpiece is this?"
Elune looked up at the sky above Violet Citadel and quickly found the answer.
"Illidan Stormrage, the monster locked in the Vault of the Wardens —no, he shouldn't have any connection to Illidan from ten thousand years ago. Who is he? Why did he destroy the Nexus? What does he know? He's a dangerous fellow; he should have been eliminated long ago to prevent future trouble."
Using her less-than-skilled divination magic, Elune attempted to uncover the monster's true identity, but as with countless attempts over the past ten thousand years, she unsurprisingly failed.
"He's sabotaging the Aetrit's Nexus. If the Nexus were to emerge and be discovered by the Scourge, the consequences would be dire. The time isn't right yet; we must stop him."
Elune turned her gaze to Darnassus, looking at Tyrande sitting quietly in the prayer room at the top of the Temple of the Moon. Elune hesitated slightly.
After all, Elune abandoned Tyrande and Malfurion during the Battle of Mount Hyjal.
At present, Tyrande is still outwardly the Chief Priest of the Moon Goddess, and she prays devoutly every day, presenting a perfect image in front of her people.
But Elune knew that her heart had already left her.
"Controlling the hearts of mortal beings isn't difficult; all it takes is exploiting their flaws." The Elune quickly devised a flawless plan.
Dalaran, at the top of Violet Citadel.
The monster calmly pondered for a long time. After repeated attacks, the space here was already in a terrible state and probably could not withstand another attack.
The shattered space will lead to the creation of spatial channels, leading to unknown spacetime. Once the energy is released, it could very well repeat the tragedy of Ner'zhul tearing apart Outland.
Moreover, the monster had also expended a considerable amount of energy, so there was no rush. He decided to modify the Magic Circle to concentrate the power of the attack and shatter the foundation of the Frozen Throne in one fell swoop.
The monster was puzzled as to why the Elune was paying attention to this place; he could only attribute it to the commotion he had caused and didn't take it to heart.
Tyrande pondered in the prayer room. After the attack by the Orc Blademaster, she understood the importance of personal strength even more, so she was thinking about how to use magic more covertly and effectively.
A soft knocking sounded, three light knocks followed by two heavier ones, a very rhythmic pattern.
Tyrande knew this was a coded message from her spy.
After their victory at the Battle of Mount Hyjal, Tyrande and her husband, who had returned from Nordrassil, regained the trust of their people and continued to serve as leaders of the Night Elves.
But Tyrande felt her foundation was more unstable than ever before and was worried that the truth would be revealed to outsiders, so she sent spies to monitor all her rivals in order to prepare in advance.
The spy was a veiled Night Elf woman with a slender figure. She was responsible for providing intelligence on the Vault of the Wardens. She delivered a secret letter to Tyrande and then disappeared.
The secret letter was encrypted, a technique Tyrande had learned from SI:7 of Kingdom of Stormwind. Tyrande carefully opened the letter and deciphered the information.
Since returning from Mount Hyjal, Maiev has remained low-key Anjing, fulfilling her duties as the Jailer.
But just yesterday, Maiev suddenly changed her tune, summoning the Watchers and drawing prisoners from the Vault of the Wardens. She released several highly skilled and loyal prisoners and set off for Dalaran. To speed up their journey, they used a group teleportation.
Maiev announced to her many subordinates that she had won the favor of Elune, and that she only needed to complete one task to replace Tyrande and become the new Chief Priest.
"Damn Maiev, didn't you hate Elune? One of your staunchest opponents, second only to that old stubborn Fandral Staghelm, why have you fallen into the arms of the Moon Goddess?"
Tyrande quickly realized what this was: the allure of power, capable of easily changing the stance of mortals.
Maiev Shadowsong dreams of becoming the leader of the Night Elves.
Something must have happened in Dalaran.
Battle of Mount Hyjal, the Night Elves' primary task was to recuperate. Tyrande rarely paid attention to what was happening outside. Duke Bolvar of Stormwind City repeatedly sent people to Tyrande to discuss an alliance, but she declined each time, citing poor health.
On the nearby intelligence rack, Tyrande found publicly available information about Dalaran.
Tyrande carefully reviewed the intelligence, her expression grew increasingly grim.
"That monster Illidan actually rebuilt Dalaran and even constructed a beautiful Floating City. Just yesterday, Illidan gathered a massive amount of magic and launched an attack on a certain location. Based on intelligence feedback from various places, the target is likely in Northrend."
Why did Illidan attack Northrend? Was it to deal with the Scourge? The Scourge is a thorn in the side of Moonlight Elune, who wants nothing more than to get rid of them. Why did the Moon Goddess send Maiev to Dalaran?
"Maiev's mission is undoubtedly to stop Illidan, after all, she knows the weakness of Illidan's soul. However, Dalaran gathered a considerable number of mages at the moment. Don't underestimate Dalaran Mages just because they are not good at dealing with Orcs. If the enemy were Night Elves, they would definitely not show any mercy, Maiev would probably suffer some trouble."
Tyrande conducted a series of analyses, and although she was unsure of the Moon Goddess's purpose, she was certain that her guesses were pretty accurate.
She will not allow Maiev to become the new leader as she wishes; to retain her position as leader, Tyrande would rather serve the Moon Goddess again.
Stepping out of the prayer room, Elune, knelt before the Moon Goddess and prayed to the Eye of Elune.
Although she was kneeling, her usual pleading and piety were gone:
"Elune, I can forgive and forget the past and continue to serve you. Believe me, this is good for both of us; it's a win-win situation."
Unlike her usual silence, Elune, quickly responded to the prayer. Tear of Elune shone brightly, and her majestic voice echoed in Tyrande's ears.
"I already have Maiev Shadowsong. She's stronger than you, her popularity is on par with yours, and she's far more beautiful—a pure and innocent girl. You see, why would I abandon Maiev and choose you? Give me a reason."
Tyrande was prepared and responded seriously:
"Elune, you've chosen the wrong person. Maiev Shadowsong, she is indeed better than me, but she's not cunning enough. The clever can only serve others, only the cunning can shoulder great responsibilities. Maiev is destined to suffer setbacks in Dalaran; the Night Elves can't afford any more losses."
The authoritative voice rang out again. "Tyrande, how come you've also learned to care about your people? You should know that this is exactly what I hate most. Very well, Tyrande, I'll give you a chance. Dalaran be your test. Whoever can successfully stop Illidan will be the Chief Priest."
The Moon Goddess faded, and Tyrande pondered for a moment before summoning a guard and ordering, "Tell the envoy from Stormwind City that the Night Elves agree to the alliance, but I need to enter the Stockade to borrow some prisoners."