The moment Rex received Kael'thas's letter, he had a bad feeling. After reading it, he knew his instincts had been right. It proved the old saying: no one came calling without wanting something. Kael'thas's letter focused on one matter-the design plans for the Hearthstone. He repeatedly stressed that he would spare no gold and buy them at any price.
His wish to buy the method for making Hearthstones put Rex in a difficult position. If Rex had possessed the method for making Return Scrolls, he would not have minded fleecing Kael'thas and earning a mountain of gold to fill the bottomless pit that was Gilneas. Building academies, expanding the army, and arming the Greymane Wall-Gilneas needed gold everywhere.
The problem, however, was that Rex had no method for making Hearthstones. They came from the Warcraft System, so he could only refuse.
After considering how to phrase his reply, Rex took a sheet of snow-white paper from his Spatial Ring. He lightly traced his finger across it, and neat rows of words appeared on the paper. Before long, the blank sheet held an entire letter. Living in a world of supernatural powers had plenty of advantages. Magic and technology were parallel forces. Magic was not merely a tool for destruction; it could be used in every aspect of daily life.
Whatever technology could accomplish, magic could accomplish too. Azeroth's development had been slowed by the frequent occurrence of great catastrophes and disasters that swept across the entire world. The explosion of the Well of Eternity, in particular, had set Azeroth's civilization back countless years, while also wasting the Well of Eternity as a source of power. Its usefulness was comparable to oil, electricity, or coal.
The Sunwell that the High Elves now guarded had been formed merely by Illidan pouring a