[Genius Mage Modera]

The damp environment of Un'Goro Crater's primeval forest made the young Dalaran Archmage deeply uncomfortable. Modera cast a spell, keeping the damp and even poisonous mist away from herself and her magic carpet.

"Phew..."

"The energy activity here is incredibly frequent—truly rare. But the environment is also exceptionally harsh. Even those dinosaurs have evolved powerful magic resistance. What a mess."

That was the Archmage's assessment of the many Devilsaurs below and the environment within the primeval forest.

Modera was one of the youngest Archmages in Dalaran's history. If the Guardian were not counted, she could even be called the finest human female mage in history.

Of course.

There would be another outstanding human female mage in the future, but that woman had not even been born yet!

At present, Modera was unquestionably the most gifted human female mage—aside from the Guardian...

Young, exceptional, intensely curious, female, and powerful. Having only recently joined the Tirisfal Council, Modera had volunteered to take on a difficult mission from the Council: travel to Kalimdor and track down the former Guardian whom the Council considered derelict in her duties.

That was why the young mage had appeared here.

She had already been flying through the forest for a day. Modera did not particularly like Un'Goro Crater's environment. Everything was wet and gloomy, and the creatures surviving in such an environment had evolved in increasingly savage and bloody directions.

Yet a mage's curiosity made Modera more and more intrigued by this place. She believed that if she stayed here for a while and studied its climate and creatures, she would certainly be able to produce a magical research report that would astonish both Dalaran and Quel'Thalas.

But.

Modera knew that her foremost task was still to track down her idol, the former Guardian.

With the special device provided by the Council, no matter how the Guardian concealed her trail, Tirisfal could locate her through the Guardian power that had been passed down within her for thousands of years.

Unless the Guardian had not a trace of mana left, or the Council had fallen and could no longer create such tracking devices.

That was how Modera had found this place.

"Hm?"

"She seems to be nearby!"

The device provided by Tirisfal showed that the former Guardian was nearby. This perked Modera up, but before she could hurry closer, the trail on the device shifted again.

Modera furrowed her lovely brows and stared carefully at the tracking device before making her judgment.

"It seems the lady has discovered me. She's moving at high speed, preparing to hide?"

Modera felt that Aegwynn had no need to avoid her at all. The Council had not said they intended to do anything to the former Guardian. The Guardian power within Aegwynn had already been passed on, and the succession was a fait accompli. The Council could no longer reclaim that Guardian power.

After all, to gain Guardian power and inherit it, the most important thing besides talent and aptitude was that both parties had to be willing.

If the Guardian was unwilling.

There was simply no way to strip away the Guardian's power.

A new Guardian had already been born, though she was still young. Even so, the Tirisfal Council could do nothing about it. If that new Guardian was unwilling, they could never take back that power.

As for the former Guardian.

The Council merely wanted to capture her and question why she had acted as she did before, monopolizing the Guardian's power for so long. In truth, when facing a human Archmage who had lived for centuries, the Tirisfal Council could not possibly want to kill her.

"I just hope the lady doesn't attack me. Even without her Guardian power, I probably couldn't beat her. I'm suddenly regretting taking this mission!"

Modera muttered.

At the same time, she controlled her magic carpet, changing direction as she followed the former Guardian, who was constantly shifting her position.

"Looks like she's headed northwest."

Within Zutona.

Watching the former Guardian swiftly depart, Chromie shook her head. "These mages are too good at stirring up trouble. Sometimes, I really want to suggest that Lord Malygos restrict magic and stop this kind of power from spreading everywhere!"

That was just a thought.

Chromie knew it was merely wishful thinking. In every timeline, arcane power would inevitably spread among mortals. That was an established course that could not be stopped.

Even something Lord Norgannon approved of.

"This place is becoming more and more conspicuous. First it brought in goblins, then it attracted two powerful human mages passing by. Who knows what kind of people will come next."

Chromie felt a little worried.

Because that meant this troll city was beginning to interfere with the mortal world and might begin changing the timeline.

She did not know whether that was good or bad. If the Infinite Dragons had not intervened at the beginning, intending to destroy this group of trolls.

Then, to ensure the timeline continued normally, Chromie might have already used a time dragon's power to preserve the timeline and correct Zutona.

It was precisely because of the Infinite Dragons' intervention that she had continued observing until now. It definitely was not because the barbecue here had bewitched her and made her reluctant to act!

Chromie thought.

"I need to send Soridormi a message and have her find Lord Nozdormu as soon as possible..."

"For something this important."

"It's better to leave it to the Dragon Aspect!"

On the outskirts of Fire Plume Ridge.

The temporarily stationed troll camp was silent. Every so often, the footsteps of troll night watchmen could be heard, while the silhouettes of Voodoo Archers occasionally flickered through the nearby forest.

Everything was orderly.

And extraordinarily quiet.

Only from within Fire Plume Ridge in the distance came the occasional roar of an elemental.

These earliest elemental beings of Azeroth, natives who had appeared even before the trolls, had once been enslaved by the Old Gods. Chaos had long been imprinted into their very genes, making their tempers difficult to control.

At the center of the camp.

Beside the bonfire.

Tonatiuh could not sleep.

Discovering his new cheat skill still left him slightly excited. Over the entire night, he had conducted many experiments.

Among them, he toyed with that poor level-nine Living Flame, testing the effects of fire immunity.

He had also asked several of the finest Tonatiuh Voodoo Archers and witch doctors capable of using magic and voodoo spells to cast offensive magic on him.

He discovered that the powerful, terrifying magical forces attached to the arrows fired by the Voodoo Archers—whether frost capable of freezing everything, wind elemental power that could cut through anything, or earth elemental power that made people sluggish and increased gravity—could not affect him at all. Only the physical damage of the arrows themselves posed even a slight threat.

By now.

Tonatiuh had basically confirmed it.

He was immune to magic.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he possessed an ability similar to Imagine Breaker. After carefully studying it, he found that this power did not simply exist within his body. It could be controlled, though he was not very good at controlling it yet.

"Who would have thought that instead of becoming the mage I dreamed of being, I might have a chance of becoming a mage killer instead..."

A small comfort.

Suddenly.

He raised his head toward the sky.

The Fire Plume Mountains were barren, and there were not many trees around Fire Plume Ridge. Unlike other places, the sky here was not obscured by the forest canopy.

Here, he could directly see the night sky beneath Elune's radiance.

With his excellent eyesight, Tonatiuh noticed a small black shadow in the distant moonlit sky, rapidly flying toward them.

A pterrordax?

Didn't look like it.

The aerial overlords of Un'Goro Crater slept by day and hunted by night. At this hour, they should have been sleeping soundly in their nests. Why would they fly to the barren Fire Plume Mountains?

And at that black shadow's altitude.

Among Un'Goro's native creatures, none besides pterrordaxes could fly that high.

Tonatiuh could not help but rise to his feet, his tall figure casting a patch of shadow beneath the moonlight.

"Looks like a human."

He said uncertainly.

Thanks to [Big Ya Big Watermelon, 24k Pure Stupid Black, Your JJ Is 2 Centimeters, wow521] and several other generous supporters for the tips! And while I'm at it, please send some recommendation votes my way!