Changing history is exactly what Unas is planning now. He wants to defeat the Forsaken before the Blood Elves join the Horde, at which point the Queen will naturally lose her persuasive power over the Blood Elves.
Reclaiming Lordaeron was his ultimate goal; Blackrock Spire was merely a stepping stone on his path. Having realized this, Unas was no longer in a hurry to return to the underworld and continued to ask:
What about the Western Plaguelands? Any new intelligence?
Liante replied, "The Scourge of Andorhal launched an attack on Hearthglen, but were repelled and have temporarily settled down; the Eastern Plaguelands are too far away, and the latest intelligence is from over a month ago—the combined forces of the North Maple Legion, the Silver Hand, and Tyr's Hand are making good progress in their attack on Stratholme, having already captured most of the city, and I believe they will soon be able to recapture the entire city of Stratholme."
Unas dared not be so optimistic. The current progress was only because Naxxramas had not yet appeared. This aerial flagship of the Scourge contained terrifying military power, enough to turn the tide of a war.
The fact that there have been no changes in the leadership of the Silver Hand suggests that Darian and others have not rashly exposed Dathrohan. They may still have doubts about their own claims and are still investigating and verifying them.
Thinking of this, the Paladin asked, "Is there any news about Darian and Erigor?"
Several officers shook their heads. The road to the Eastern Plaguelands was both long and dangerous, and the reports that came back were mostly brief and important, rarely mentioning any specific person.
Unas didn't ask any more questions. He discussed some policy reforms for the Canyon with the others, and finally asked, "Who's in charge of military intelligence now?"
"Me," Centurion Feniel answered, raising his hand.
"You stay, everyone else, disperse."
Once only the two of them remained, Unas pondered for a moment and said, "I have a dangerous mission for you."
"My lord, please give your instructions. I will go through fire and water!" Feniel declared his determination, his face filled with a look of resignation to death.
Unas chuckled, "It's not that serious. I've turned two Forsaken to the side. They were originally soldiers of the North Maple Legion, named Hal and Hake, but we haven't been in contact for a long time. I don't know if they're still willing to work for me. You're in charge of contacting them first and figuring this out."
Hal and Hake were originally just a side move by the Paladins, so they weren't taken too seriously. Now, it will take some effort to make use of them.
Unas produced a map, marked the agreed-upon meeting place with Halhak, and gave the coded message, "This is confidential; it's between you and me only, and must not be revealed to any third party."
Feniel nodded and said, "Please rest assured, my lord, I will not fail in my mission."
Unas pulled out several large bags of Gold Coins. "This is the funding. They only recognize gold, but don't give too much at once. We're going into the Forsaken's controlled territory, so be careful."
Feniel accepted the heavy gold, deeply feeling the weight of his mission. "I'll go prepare my luggage immediately."
"Go."
Unas nodded in satisfaction. After the brief interaction, his deepest impression was that these officers' loyalty to him had increased significantly.
This is a change in status. Before, he was just a novice Paladin, and the officers only had the obligation of subordinates to obey their superiors. Now he has become a member of the royal family and the rising star of hope for the revival of Lordaeron. Naturally, his subordinates are more willing to die for him.
The next step was to meet Rosebayne. The officers could handle other matters, but this was something the Paladin had to do personally, because the Poison Spider Forest was still a dangerous forbidden zone for the officers.
Fairy Lake has become a new stronghold for Poison Spiders. The Druids have purified the lake water, and the new lair of the Spider God is located here. Continuous spider webs cover a vast area centered on it, creating a spectacular sight when viewed from the sky.
Unas was flying in the air, unsure of where to land, when the spider web below opened automatically, and a small, blue Giant Spiders flew up, with a blonde girl standing on its back— Rosebayne.
Only when it flew closer could one see clearly that the spider had grown a pair of thin wings on its side, which were almost transparent as it flapped rapidly.
The flying spider landed beneath the Paladin's torso, and the female Elf bowed, saying, "My lord."
Seeing the other party's attitude, Unas knew that the officers were overthinking things; the Elf girl had no ulterior motives.
"Rose, long time no see! How's your leg?"
The Elf girl replied expressionlessly, "Thank you for your concern, sir. There is nothing amiss."
"I heard you've recently captured many Giant Spiders, and quite a few of the Mutant Spider eggs treasured by the Lich have hatched, so I wanted to come and see."
"Please land with me, and I will immediately gather them for the adults to see."
In just a few words, Unas noticed that the female Elf had become much colder, but he could understand. A young girl living alone in the forest for months, with only the ugly Giant Spiders and the evil Shadra for company, would inevitably lose some of her emotional capacity.
The Giant Spiders Legion arrived quickly as ordered. Unas glanced at it like a military review, and was greatly surprised.
The three Overlord Spider captured in the previous Canyon War have been incorporated into the roster, forming a luxurious lineup of five Overlord Spider together with the two that were already there.
Other common spider species, such as various Thorn Spiders, Blade Spiders, Green Tail, and armored spiders, had formed large groups, and there were also more than a dozen rare Flame Spiders, which was already a powerful force.
Nearly three hundred of the thousands of Mutant Spider eggs hatched. These new spider species, treasured by the Lich, each possessed unique abilities and varied greatly in appearance.
Fifteen of the Sons of Shadra grew the fastest, now reaching the size of millstones. They were destined to be the most powerful Mutant Spiders, impossible to control, but could be tamed if raised from infancy.
"Well done," Unas praised. "This Giant Spiders Legion is our secret weapon; we must continue to strengthen them."
Rose said, "With a more abundant food source, more spider eggs can hatch."
Giant Spiders are mostly carnivorous, and although food resources in Forests and Swamps are plentiful, they are nearing their limit.
Unas considered the only carnivorous hunting grounds he could reach, and the only one he could find was the sea to the north. So he asked, "Where's that giant lizard? Is it still in the Swamp?"
"Yes."
Unas nodded. The Seven-Headed Lizard's recovery ability was astonishing. In three months, it should have recovered from its near-death injuries to its full strength, making it perfectly usable.
The coast of Farshire is controlled by several Murloc Horde, preventing humans from going out to sea to fish. The Seven-Headed Lizard, a dominant aquatic predator, would easily wipe out the Murloc.
Reclaiming the coast would allow us to gather fishermen to build boats and fish, and even establish shipyards to manufacture large ships. That would require rare shipbuilding craftsmen, and I wonder if the Monastery has such talent.
Thinking too far ahead, Unas patted his forehead to bring himself back to reality and focus on the immediate problem: how would the massive Seven-Headed Lizard get through the narrow passage of Blue Rock Pass?
Perhaps the Mage Corps could solve this problem. Unas thought of the Blood Elves ' flying Magic Carpets; with the combined strength of the entire guild, they should be able to transport the Seven-Headed Lizard out of Blue Rock Pass.
"I'll figure out the food problem. Just focus on raising the spiders; I'll need them soon, Rose. Please take care of them."
The Elf girl said, "My new life is a gift from you, sir, you needn't stand on ceremony with me."
Looking at the girl's somewhat gloomy eyes, Unas felt that it wouldn't do to let her continue to be lonely. If she were influenced by the Spider God's temperament and became cold-blooded and cruel, it would be too late.
"The Giant Spiders would be even stronger if they could form an array. There are too many of them right now, and I don't think you can control them precisely by yourself. How about this, I'll send some Blood Elves from the valley over, and you can choose a group to assist you."
"This..." Rosebayne looked hesitant, seemingly afraid to communicate with strangers.
"This is an order, and you cannot refuse. Also, you will see Qiaosen once a week. I will have him teach you some basic military knowledge. Don't stay in the Forest all the time. You will be the leader of the Giant Spiders Legion in the future, and you must learn more."
"Yes, sir."
Rose bit her lip, showing some girlishness, Unas noticed, and he nodded in satisfaction.
Having dealt with everything in the valley, the Paladin had no time to rest, as Rendaen's messenger was already waiting by the Teleportation Array.
Imperial Palace, a meeting had just begun. After entering the palace with the envoy, Unas was brought to this council hall.
He strode forward and apologized to the Dark Iron King, who was seated at the head of the table, for being late.
Rendaen gestured to the chair beside him and said, "No need for formalities, come and sit down."
Unas is currently the Prince of Lordaeron, and his status is on par with the Dark Iron King. Rendaen has considered this very carefully.
Unas didn't stand on ceremony and, under the sharp gazes of the Dwarf lords, took the seat to the side of the king.
Rendaen coughed lightly, silencing the noisy discussion, and gestured for the wind Archmage to speak.
Demitrian stood on the other side of the throne, showing the Dwarf King's high regard for him. He cleared his throat as if to say:
"As you all know, the sealing Magic Circle of the Molten Core is missing a Fire Giant's crystal core. I have gone with Prince Unas to search for it at the Molten Giant's location, but unfortunately, the Fire Giant Geddon's crystal core has been devoured and digested by the Molten Giant Bael'Gar. It is almost impossible to find another Fire Giant in the short term, and my seal will soon be unable to maintain itself. The reason I have summoned you all here today is to discuss the next steps."
Upon hearing this bad news, the expressions of all the lords changed; the warmongers showed excitement, while the war-fearing ones were filled with worry.
Someone asked, "Is it absolutely necessary to use the Fire Giant's core? Is there any alternative?"
Demitrian said, "Fire giants are extremely rare leader-level elemental creatures, and the properties of their crystal cores are irreplaceable."
The man looked incredulous and turned his attention to the Paladin, "I've heard that Unas possesses a rare Fire Elemental gem. Is it really inferior to a mere fire giant's crystal core?"
He was probably referring to the Crimson Diamond, Huoye had used several times in underground battles; it was no secret that the Paladin possessed this treasure.
The exposure of a treasure is indeed an easy way to arouse resentment. Unas admitted, "I do possess an extremely precious Fire Elemental gem. If Your Archmage is willing to give it a try, I can donate it."
The second half of the statement is, of course, a lie. Demitrian's goal is to instigate war. Even if the Crimson Diamond can replace the Fire Giant's core, he will not allow the seal to truly succeed.
The Archmage said, "I can give it a try, but what if I fail?"
An impatient lord jumped out and roared, "It's just one battle!"
Immediately, someone chimed in, "That's right! The Orcs Horde up there are currently focusing all their efforts on dealing with the Alliance army on the Burning Steppes. We no longer need to be wary of them; we can now launch a full-scale attack on Molten Core and wipe out this wicked neighbor!"
This was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the hall immediately buzzed with discussion.
Rendaen hesitated. Since ascending the throne, he had to be constantly wary of the Fire Elemental army beneath him, which made him extremely uncomfortable. He had long wanted to get rid of them.
But the legendary ancient ferocious beast, the Firelord, was too terrifying in its power, and Rendaen felt a sense of fear. He turned his head and asked, "Unas Highness Unas, what do you think our chances of winning are?"
Unas replied, "Once the seal is broken, it will be a matter of life and death. Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do everything in my power to help you. As for the chances of victory, as long as we work together, defeating the Firelord is within our grasp!"
Rendaen, however, was not easily swayed by a few words, and said, "Shadowforge City is now a member of the Alliance. Could we ask some allies for their assistance?"
"Of course, no problem. I'll talk to General Haval about it and try to get some troops transferred over."
After acquiring the Dreadmaul Rock, the allied forces controlled the northeastern part of the Burning Steppes. The army could then detour through the Badlands to the Searing Gorge and enter the Blackrock Depths.
But this is just an empty promise. Whether Haval will agree depends entirely on the situation on the plains. Only if the battle becomes deadlocked will he send reinforcements, firstly to open up a new situation from the depths of Blackrock Spire, and secondly to send some men away to reduce the logistical burden.
Rendaen naturally understood this and wasn't entirely satisfied. Unas then said, "Bronzebeard King seems to have hit it off with you immediately; perhaps we could ask him to help."
The main force of Ironforge was among the allied forces on the plains. Magni Bronzebeard chosen because of his personal combat prowess, Rendaen nodded, prepared to owe him this favor.
"We can also borrow the power of Dalaran. Molten Core, a semi- Elemental Plane, contains abundant mana crystals that mages covet. Offering them benefits should attract many mages to lend their support."
Rendaen generously declared, "I only ask to destroy the Fire Elementals; I'll relinquish my share of the Molten Core loot."
Unas said, "I have some connections with Rhonin, the chief of the Kirin Tor Council. Leave this matter to me; I guarantee His Majesty will be satisfied."
Afterwards, the Dwarf lords each offered their pledges of loyalty, which boosted Rendaen's confidence considerably. He finally declared, "If the seal fails, we will have no choice but to fight. With everyone working together, the Dark Iron will surely prevail!"
The lords responded in unison. Lord Summerwind and the Paladin exchanged a glance, both satisfied with the smooth progress of the meeting.
Upon returning to his mansion in Shadowforge City, Unas immediately wrote to the Monastery —he had just boasted in the meeting that he must retrieve the Crimson Diamond to make a show of it.
The gem has been lent to the Arcanist Doan, as agreed upon when the Teleportation Array was built. After so much time has passed, he is also very concerned about the progress of Du'an's weather Magic Circle.
After a short rest, the Paladin regained some of his energy and enjoyed the feast served by his servants while reading the piles of letters on his desk.
Most of the reports were from Frank. The middle-aged businessman had been busy with the construction of the new territory in Firewatch Ridge for the past few months and rarely returned to the city. Judging from the reports, the construction of the new city was going relatively smoothly.
However, during the summit, Unas ceded a significant portion of the core Trade District in exchange for Rendaen and Magni's strong support for the Restoration Army. This disrupted Frank's original plans, and the letter inevitably contained some complaints.
Although the paladin suffered a slight loss, the joint management of this golden trading post by the three parties will bind their interests even more closely, which is not necessarily a bad thing for Paladin.
Industries within Blackrock Depths have become somewhat lax, with several mines experiencing a slight decline in output but a slight increase in profits, mainly due to the opening of Shadowforge City to the outside world.
Regarding the farm, after Frank's recent frenzied acquisition spree regardless of cost, he fulfilled his promise: to make the Paladin the largest landowner in Blackrock Depths.
However, we are still losing money. This is not because of a poor harvest. On the contrary, last season's Glowing Wheat harvest was bumper, but most of it was sent to Venomspider Gorge and the rest was stored away. Not a single grain was sold.
This was mainly because Unas was terrified by the food shortages in Tirisfal and didn't feel secure without stockpiling resources.
The fact that the largest landowners refused to sell grain directly caused grain prices in Shadowforge City to skyrocket. Fortunately, the Dark Iron landowners saw the potential for profit and sold off their grain in large quantities. Alliance merchants from outside the city also seized this opportunity to meet the demand, so there were no major problems for the time being. Otherwise, Rendaen would definitely have intervened.
Frank's latest letter, as expected, is asking for money. Developing the territory is extremely expensive, and this is something that must be paid for.
Arriving at the somewhat empty warehouse, Unas looked at the Gold Coins flowing out of the accounts like water. Instead of feeling heartache, he felt a sense of pleasure. Was this the kind of joy the wealthy experienced when they spent their money?
So far, he has only spent the spoils from the Battle of Shadowforge City; the nearly ten million gold in Merlin's storage ring remains untouched. Now, however, he has no choice but to begin using this sensitive wealth.
The ruby storage ring was given to Princess Calia as an engagement Ring, but the contents of it had already been moved to her own personal Spatial Bag.
Unas brought out chests of Gold Coins, filling the warehouse once more, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Let the pleasure of consumption come even more fiercely!
The Prince of Lordaeron is now a very popular figure. After the news of his return spread, a large number of visitors immediately gathered at the gate, mostly opportunistic businessmen who wanted to build connections. Unas naturally wouldn't meet with these people in person.
He could not refuse the guests from the Thorium Brotherhood, for they brought what Unas had longed for— the Thunder Spear.
Guild Master Orphest personally came to the door, as did the master blacksmith Stone Greystone, but both of them looked somewhat embarrassed. Unas's heart skipped a beat; could there be something wrong with the weapon?
Six burly Dwarf, panting heavily, carried in a long, rectangular wooden box over three meters long, and placed it on the ground with a thud; it sounded quite heavy.
Stone Greystone removed the box lid, and a dazzling blue-gold light instantly illuminated the entire living room. When the light subsided, the Paladin saw a metal spear, nearly as thick as a wrist, lying in the wooden box.
The triangular spearhead is integrated with the shaft, with a nearly perfectly straight streamline. It is covered with countless magical patterns, and the butt of the shaft is inlaid with five thumb-sized blue gems, making it clear that it is no ordinary item.
Unas bent down and gripped the spear handle, but he could hardly lift it with one hand. He had to use both hands to lift it, and with a loud shout, he raised the long spear made of Adamantite to his chest.
The two Dwarves' expressions changed, both surprised and delighted. They had been prepared to face the Paladin's rebuke, but they hadn't expected that their opponent possessed divine power and could wield such an excessively heavy weapon.
Unas swung the spear he had just acquired a few times, gradually getting used to its weight, before finally standing it upright with a thud. He asked in surprise, "The main material of this weapon should be that piece of Adamantite. I could hold it with one hand without any difficulty before, but now that my strength has increased considerably, I need both hands to wield it. What kind of weird stuff did you add?"
Stone Graystone explained somewhat awkwardly, "This is the first time we've crafted a weapon using Adamantite and lightning alloy. We've done our best to maintain Adamantite's armor-piercing properties while also making it compatible with lightning elements."
Adamantite is an extremely stable metal, almost incompatible with other substances in nature. Stone Graystone sought help from other senior blacksmiths of the Thorium Brotherhood, who offered their opinions and pieced together a variety of strange and unusual materials. As a result, the weapon's weight expanded uncontrollably several times, making it unusable for ordinary people.
Moreover, its length and thickness were somewhere between a standard long spear and a heavy dragon spear, making it somewhat incongruous. This made the two Dwarves feel uneasy when they met the Paladin, and they were only slightly relieved when they saw that he did not nitpick about the spear's model or weight.
Unas found it quite handy and asked, "How do I activate the lightning strike?"
"Touching those five gems will unleash a long-range lightning bolt. We've tested it; one shot is enough to burn a bison to a crisp."
"Wait a minute," Unas keenly noticed the problem, "Five gems, which means it can only be used five times?"
The Dwarf blacksmith averted his gaze guiltily. "No, it's ten times. Lightning doesn't come out of thin air. Each gem can only store two lightning strikes, but they can recharge themselves and be used again after eight hours."
Ten lightning strikes might be barely enough for individual battles, but in the face of war, ten lightning strikes would be utterly insufficient.
Unas roared, "Battles happen in the blink of an eye! Eight hours is too long! I was so looking forward to it, but it turns out the Thorium Brotherhood is nothing but a bunch of incompetent fools!"
The Dwarf guild leader, his face covered in sweat, hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "My lord, please calm down. You agreed to it in the first place. This was a risky experiment, but our research has made great progress. As long as we have new results, we are willing to modify this gun regardless of the cost."
Unas did not answer. He held his spear horizontally, pointing it directly behind the two Dwarves. He flicked the gem at the end of the hilt with his little finger, and a blue-purple light shot out from the tip of the spear like lightning.
With a deafening roar, the smell of burning filled everyone's nostrils, and wisps of black smoke rose. The tall wooden cabinet behind the two Dwarf vanished completely, leaving only a patch of black charcoal, like a child's scribbles.
Its power was decent, that was the only consolation. Seeing Unas Dwarf stunned, Unas sneered, "If you dare to fool me again, an apology won't do you any good."
The Dwarf guild leader protested his innocence and offered strong assurances, which satisfied Unas. He then asked, "How are the preparations for the battle golems going?"
The Dwarf said, "Master Pino, whom you introduced, has differing opinions from our chief puppeteer, and neither can convince the other. Therefore, they have designed two sets of blueprints, which are awaiting your decision."
Unas took the two blueprints and spread them out on the table. After the Dwarf explained them, one of them was designed by Pino, and the puppets resembled eight-legged spiders. They required someone to control them, and their advantage was that they moved quickly and could attack from all eight directions.
The other design, spearheaded by Dwarf designers, is a traditional, heavy-duty design that is slow but extremely durable, with a simple construction that makes it resistant to damage.
The two systems each have their own focus. Unas waved his hand, "Only actual combat can truly reveal their superiority. Build three hundred of each type first. I need those that can be deployed immediately in combat. You won't be shortchanged on gold, but don't cause any more problems!"
The Dwarf guild leader gritted his teeth and could only agree. In fact, setting up two production lines was a huge waste of manpower and resources, but right now he just wanted to get as far away from this reckless prince as possible. The lightning strike that had just grazed him almost gave him a heart attack.
After dismissing the Dwarves, Unas played with the Thunder Spear in the courtyard, growing more and more fond of it. While the Scythe of Elune was invincible for slashing, this spear was effective at both close and long range, ignoring the drawback of insufficient lightning strikes. The Adamantite spearhead should be able to pierce through any armor. With these two divine weapons, he felt increasingly confident about the battle to come.
Before long, Du'an finally arrived. His attitude towards the Paladin had changed drastically; his expression was almost obsequious, and he performed the courtesies of a subject. This was all due to the change in his status and position. He was well-informed and had already confirmed the news of Princess Calia and the Restoration Army.
"Thanks to the gems bestowed by His Highness the Prince, my weather Magic Circle has made great progress. Last quarter, Farshire and Venomspider Gorge had bumper harvests. Besides the help of the Druids, the weather Magic Circle also deserves some credit."
Du'an respectfully presented the Crimson Diamond, not forgetting to boast about his achievement.
Unas nodded. "Weather is something that can't be completely controlled. Being able to make minor adjustments is already quite remarkable. Du'an's achievements mean that you will definitely have a place in Lordaeron in the future."
Du'an sensed something amiss and cautiously began to flatter, "With you and Her Highness the Princess working together, you will surely revive the glory of Lordaeron!"
"Haha," the Paladin chuckled, wanting that kind of confidence. "How have things been at the Monastery lately?"
"Everything is as usual, except that Sir Thomas, offended you and seems to be in a bit of a panic lately."
Unas said, "Tell him there's no need to worry about the little misunderstanding from before; I won't pursue it in the slightest." He now only wanted to unite all available forces for the great cause of restoring the kingdom, and had no time to dwell on past petty grudges.
"I will certainly convey Your Highness's magnanimity," Du'an added, "And I also wish to request that you allow me to participate in this campaign."
It seems the Arcanist has made up his mind to cling to a powerful figure, Unas is naturally willing to accept. "Of course, no problem. Dean Du'an possesses profound magical power, and our army needs talent like you."
Du'an was overjoyed and immediately bowed deeply, expressing his determination to be loyal to the country.
A surge of pride welled up in Unas's chest, his confidence soared, and he became even more eager to demonstrate his strength.
The more momentum is generated, the more people like Du'an will pledge allegiance, and the smoother the path to restoring the kingdom will become.