"Freedom!"
The Moon Goddess's promise brought a smile of satisfaction to Sylvanas's face; some people are incredibly obsessed with the pursuit of power.
Among the Windrunner Sisters, Sylvanas is not the strongest in terms of strength or intelligence; it is only her unwavering pursuit of power that made her the Ranger-General of Silvermoon City.
"Great Elune, I eagerly await this day."
Sylvanas, ambitious as she was, walked toward the Throne Room in Undercity and activated a mechanism nearby.
The heavy throne slowly moved aside, revealing a secret chamber hidden beneath.
The spacious, enclosed room was quite empty, containing only a few coffins.
But Sylvanas believed that sooner or later, this collection room would be filled with the coffins of Azeroth's strongest warriors, who would be the Dark Lady's finest possessions, her slaves.
"High Archmage Antonidas, my loyal Servant, awaken from your slumber."
With the help of Elune, Sylvanas gained the ability to summon the souls of powerful beings. A black coffin opened, and Antonidas, dressed in a gray robe, slowly rose, his dim eyes gradually brightening.
"Great Dark Lady, I am your most loyal Servant, but I do not know how I can serve you."
"This is one of my areas of expertise, "Antonidas said humbly and obsequiously.
The reason he became the leader of Dalaran during his lifetime was because of his smooth and worldly-wise personality, especially his ability to please Medivh and his mother.
"The time has come, and we will all be free. I need to set up an ambush between Dalaran and Southshore. You are very familiar with the terrain there, so where do you think would be the best place?"
Antonidas wisely refrained from asking further questions. He solemnly took the map, pondered it carefully for a moment, and pointed to one of the bridges:
"This is the Deepwater River, the only way to Southshore. Don't underestimate this unassuming river; its current is swift during this season, and it's very difficult to survive if you fall in."
Sylvanas's eyes lit up. "Excellent! As long as we block this bridge, we can wipe out the Night Elves in one fell swoop."
"Night Elves?" Antonidas paused, then said humbly, "Your Majesty Dark Lady, please explain the situation in detail."
Sylvanas trusted Antonidas to a certain extent and explained her target. Antonidas pondered for a long time before speaking:
"Among the Night Elves is a mysterious and powerful figure named Illidan Stormrage. My advice is not to push them too far."
On the Azeroth Continent, although the Scourge is universally hated and considered an enemy of life, high-ranking figures like Malfurion and Tyrande are far more knowledgeable than ordinary people and understand that the Scourge has been slandered by the Orcs.
The lands between Dalaran and Southshore have always belonged to humans, with only a small number of Trolls, Syndicate rogues, and Ogres active there.
The Night Elves never considered guarding against the Scourge.
Antonidas opened a Portal, Forsaken army was already lying in ambush by the Deepwater River.
After a few days of rest, the Night Elves left Dalaran. Kael'thas, unwilling to part with his friend Illidan, found an excuse to follow them.
Not far from Dalaran, several Undead Gryphons flew in from the sky, scattering hundreds of leaflets like snowflakes. The Night Elves picked up the leaflets and were all astonished after reading them.
The leaflets were delivered to Tyrande and the others.
"Sylvanas and the Forsaken are planning to ambush us; the leaflets are signed Arthas Menethil." Tyrande's lips curled into a knowing smile.
After reading it, Malfurion frowned slightly and analyzed:
"This proves that Arthas's control over Sylvanas has weakened. It seems that Illidan's attack on Northrend caused the Scourge huge losses, leaving them preoccupied with their own problems."
Maiev thought about it carefully, then said dismissively:
"Sylvanas's attempt to break away from the Scourge, using this as a pretext to attack us and tarnish the Scourge's reputation, is a foolish move. I hate Arthas, but I hate Sylvanas even more."
Kael'thas immediately chimed in, "I also hate Sylvanas. Of the Windrunner Sisters, she's the least lovable; she's too calculating."
Tyrande pondered for a moment, then frowned and said curiously:
"Don't you find this strange? If Sylvanas wants to break away from the Scourge, she will inevitably need to unite with other forces to protect herself and avoid Arthas's retaliation. Aren't the best allies the Blood Elves of Silvermoon City and us Night Elves?"
Sylvanas was a member of the High Elves during her lifetime. Night Elves and High Elves share the same origin and race. Although there are conflicts and disputes, they are ultimately bound by blood ties.
Attacking the Night Elves in the name of the Scourge can only fool ordinary people; it won't stay a secret for long, and it would be tantamount to turning against the Night Elves and losing any possibility of an alliance.
Kael'thas found it strange as well, his handsome eyebrows twitching slightly. "Sylvanas may be annoying, but she shouldn't be this stupid. Perhaps there's another reason."
Maiev suddenly shouted:
"Is Sylvanas going to join forces with the Orcs? Yes, attacking our group and framing the Scourge is what benefits the Orcs the most, especially Thrall."
Kael'thas was even more puzzled after hearing this, and his eyes widened as he said:
"That doesn't make sense. Silvermoon City was destroyed by the Orcs, and rumors say Sylvanas was eaten by Thrall. Did she become confused as Undead and actually ally with her enemy?"
Tyrande and Malfurion remained silent, occasionally stealing glances at Kael'thas as if he were an idiot. In the eyes of truly great figures, hatred is always the last resort, utterly meaningless; everything stems from the exchange of interests.
The group tightened their guard and proceeded cautiously. Night Elf scouts scattered, and soon discovered a large number of Forsaken along the Deepwater River.
Tyrande whispered in Malfurion's ear, "I'll cover your retreat for a bit. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
Malfurion stared at Tyrande in surprise, and said worriedly, "Are you crazy? Sylvanas is a madwoman."
Tyrande smiled confidently:
"A little girl who has only lived for a few hundred years, whose age is less than a tenth of the time I spend contemplating magic, how can she possibly fight me? This is all for our future, and incidentally, to slander Maiev."
With prior preparation, the battle became much less difficult.
Because of Robbie, Arthas had long been wary of the Forsaken and therefore did not upgrade their bodies, leaving Scourge.
When a large number of Ghouls appeared at the bridgehead, the Watchers and Sentinels provided cover for the Blood Elf mage group, with prisoners from the Vault of the Wardens clearing the way ahead.
Powerful magic, unerring arrows, and towering alien prisoners charged forward, quickly breaching the Ghoul defenses. Dozens of gigantic Abominations rushed in, but Malfurion's group cast Entangling Roots, Kael'thas unleashed dozens of fireballs, burning them all to a crisp.
Sylvanas and Antonidas, observing from the rear, saw that the Night Elves were well-prepared and advancing with unstoppable momentum. They immediately sensed something was wrong and dared not join the battle.
"You all retreat quickly, I'll cover your retreat."
After the Night Elf party safely crossed the bridge, Tyrande stepped forward.
Maiev was stunned, thinking to herself, "The Forsaken are already routed, what's with this rearguard action? Are you trying to steal the credit?"
Sylvanas's eyes lit up; she seemed to see a good opportunity.