Arcane Spider Swarm

Elisande leaned back, shifting into a more comfortable position, and slowly began to speak, "Because we have hope now, Lady Tyrande." She looked at Tyrande's questioning face and continued, "You know that the Divine Emissary is actually..."

"I know that. Lord Hu Feng is an avatar of the God of Magic, Sargeras, not a Divine Emissary."

Elisande blinked. "Yes, the gods saved us. Otherwise, our fate would have been to bear the mark of traitors and drift into the savage southern seas with the shattered continent during the Sundering. Then... under the influence of the Nightwell, we would have gradually gone mad. This was the predetermined fate of us Highborne. But now, everything is different. We are still powerful, and we are still a part of the Night Elves."

"That's right. When the Bronze Dragon King, Nozdormu, blessed the World Tree, he looked at you more than once. He was very confused, seemingly unable to understand why a Titan God would go to such great lengths to save you."

Upon hearing Nozdormu's name, Elisande pouted. "We will prove to the gods that we are worthy of being saved, not that the dragon insists we must be destroyed due to our fallen fate."

"You've already proven yourselves, Ally," Hu Feng said, walking over from the garden with a whole bottle of Moonlight Wine in his hand.

"Divine Emissary!"

"Master!"

Hu Feng waved his hand. "I firmly believe saving you was the right thing to do. The Highborne don't need to desperately prove themselves to me time and time again. As long as the Highborne continue to contribute their strength to all Night Elves, that is the greatest meaning."

The two nodded in deep agreement.

"Alright, let's not dwell on this topic. Although I really don't want to interrupt your banquet, Aethelus just sent word that there seems to be a problem in the Magic Corridors beneath Suramar City. Sometime ago, a spider clan appeared in that sewer system. They've been affected by magic for years and their bodies have been transformed by Arcane energy, making them Arcane magical creatures now. So, who among you two wants to go down there with me?"

"I'll go, I'll go!" Tyrande said eagerly, having had enough of these endless banquets.

"I'll go too," Elisande said calmly.

"Excellent, let's go now."

The Magic Corridors were a vast network of sewer-like structures beneath Suramar City. When Suramar ascended into the sky, the thick earth that rose with it did not destroy these underground structures but rather flew up along with Suramar. Currently, a portion of the Magic Corridors served as sewers, while another part functioned like an underground black market for humans. However, this market didn't accept gold; it only dealt in bartering, where all sorts of strange, dangerous, or dark magical materials and creature corpses could be found.

Hu Feng and the other two left the Star Garden and walked towards the district where the entrance to the Magic Corridors was located.

"I have to say, no matter how many times I visit, Suramar's style always feels peculiar to me," Tyrande remarked as they walked. "The city's luxurious atmosphere is like that of a noble district in human society. Yet, the magical ambiance here is so dense, far exceeding that of Dalaran, the Mage Kingdom. Seeing these two completely different atmospheres blend so naturally makes me feel a bit uneasy every time."

Hu Feng chuckled at her words. "Ha, if the Highborne cities were like the Druids, living in simple wooden houses close to nature, it would be better to just kill them."

The three chatted and laughed as they arrived at a narrow, sloping underground passage. They walked all the way down, eventually entering a long, narrow corridor with a sewer-like appearance.

It was still very lively here. Along both sides of the corridor were small, booth-like spaces, each occupied by an elf. Various items and materials were displayed on the ground in front of them.

As they continued deeper, greetings from various people could be heard constantly. The black market in the Magic Corridors was considered a legal entity, neither permitted nor prohibited. Even Elisande occasionally came here to purchase materials that she needed but were extremely difficult to find.

The crowds gradually thinned, and the Suramar Spellblade guards became more numerous. Upon seeing the trio, they immediately saluted and led them to an intersection deep within the Magic Corridors, where a makeshift defensive fortification had been erected. The Spellblades, holding their magic swords, watched vigilantly ahead.

In front of the fortification lay the corpses of many giant spiders. These spiders had become semi-Arcane crystalline. Their eight legs and eight eyes seemed to be made of Arcane crystals, and even after death, they still emitted a purple glow and mist. Their massive abdomens were covered in purple Arcane patterns, with energy flowing like water across their bodies.

Mages were gathered around a spider corpse, gesturing and conversing in low tones.

"Divine Emissary, Lady Elisande, Lady Tyrande!" a tall Nightborne walked over and saluted Hu Feng and the other two. She was the chief Spellblade of the Council of Truth, Advisor Landus, one of Elisande's two Spellblade advisors.

"What's the situation?" Elisande asked.

"It's manageable. The attacks from those Arcane spiders seem to have a pattern. I infer they must have a leader, otherwise, they wouldn't have formed such a cohesive force," Landus replied.

At that moment, friction sounds echoed from the completely dark passage ahead. The mages immediately raised their staffs and fired glowing Arcane energy balls. Then, everyone saw the enemy: a large group of giant spiders, about two meters tall and around 1.7 to 1.8 meters long, charged forward. Their bodies emanated a dense purple mist as they rapidly charged towards the defense line.

The Spellblades immediately rushed out of the fortification, their magic swords igniting with the energies of fire, frost, and Arcane. The mages then cast frost shields onto the Spellblades, and the two sides collided fiercely. A few Spellblades who misjudged their force were directly knocked back, while the remaining ones retreated a few steps along with the Arcane spiders.

Regaining their footing, the Spellblades agilely weaved through the gaps in the Arcane spider swarm, seizing opportunities to stab their enemies. With the mages' assistance, this wave of spiders was quickly decimated, with the remaining few screeching and retreating back into the distant darkness.

"As you three can see, these spiders are not mere beasts. They understand organization and know when to retreat," Landus said with some helplessness.

"Then, according to your deduction, where might their leader be hiding?" Hu Feng asked the chief Spellblade.

"Based on the terrain of the Magic Corridors, I surmise that if they truly have a leader, it must be hiding in the grand hall at the very bottom," the latter replied respectfully.

"Very well, let's head out. Landus, you come along too. We're in dire need of a melee fighter."

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