One step through the Portal brought them into an entirely different world. This time, the archmage's Portal had sent Rex and the others straight to the shore. Since the distance was short, the Portal had formed exceptionally quickly. Had they been heading to Lordaeron City, it would have taken at least ten seconds to form. Standing on the coast, they gazed at the towering waves. Already dozens of meters high, they churned and crashed relentlessly, but most terrifying of all was the enormous whirlpool.
The whirlpool was immense. Viewed from out at sea, it had already seemed spectacular, but watching from shore revealed something else: it was even more spectacular than they had realized, beyond anything they could have imagined.
Its powerful suction dragged in a wooden boat drifting on the surface. A huge wave tossed the boat high into the air, sending it into the broad band of white water around the whirlpool. The boat turned slightly inward and immediately began spinning rapidly around the vortex. Seawater rose on its left like a rotating column, while the bottom of the vortex remained invisible on its right. The boat circled the edge, drawing ever closer to the sloping inner wall. Some ten minutes passed before the Maelstrom disappeared.
Forget the wooden boat emerging intact-not even a scrap of it floated on the surface. It had vanished without a trace, utterly pulverized. Otherwise, given wood's buoyancy, even a palm-sized fragment would have remained afloat.
Rex and the others exchanged glances. None of them looked pleased, and Rex's expression was particularly grim. Neptulon the Tidehunter's power exceeded his expectations. He was far too strong. They had yet to see his other abilities, so those aside, this whirlpool alone would let him dominate the seas without a single opponent capable of challenging him.