Rift

"What?" Nathanos looked at the short man in front of him with confusion and impatience. He was shorter than Dwarf, but his mind was obviously more developed. He was a Gnome.

"There are rats, very big rats!" the Gnome in front of him replied, while still looking at the design drawings in his hand with great interest.

"How big? Big enough to swallow you whole?" Nathanos made no attempt to hide his sarcasm, hands on his hips, quite angry. "Master Mekkatorque, when you said the subway tunnel construction was threatened by an unknown creature, I thought you'd run into some troublesome thing."

"Really!" Great Craftsman Gelbin Mekkatorque, the King of Gnomes, shuddered. He was involved in building a transportation system that would connect Stormwind City and Ironforge.

"Those scourges are disgusting! They're this big!" Mekkatorque spread his arms as wide as they could, but they still didn't reach the width of Nathanos's shoulders.

"Wait a minute!" Nathanos gestured to stop him. Indeed, such a large rat was quite a threat to Gnome as short as him. "Great Craftsman, don't you Gnome often use rats when you do experiments?"

"Who told you that? That's utter nonsense," Mekkatorque retorted, but a hint of guilt flickered in his eyes.

"It's written in the book!"

"That book? Who wrote it? I'll get him..."

"Written by Brann."

"Ah! Brann." Mekkatorque's angry face suddenly broke into a smile upon hearing the name. Dwarf and Gnome got along well, and he didn't want to speak ill of Dwarf in front of humans. "That's right, his... um... brain is quite good-looking. Yes! Help me move those boxes to that place, it's easy."

Nathanos rolled his eyes at him. He wanted to ask Mekkatorque what use this was, but the Great Craftsman would just waste time with a bunch of nonsensical talk. A week earlier, when Sylvanas had just left the farm, Nathanos's mentor Gudul, came to his door and told him about the reconstruction of Stormwind City. At first, Nathanos didn't care, but Gudul strongly encouraged him to go, telling him about Mekkatorque Azeroth's greatest inventor. This piqued Nathanos's curiosity, so he went to visit. Sure enough, he met the Great Craftsman, and Mekkatorque told him about a transportation system called the Metro, in which Nathanos had become involved. It contained a lot of new things, worthy of his in-depth study. Meanwhile, the reconstruction of Stormwind City was also underway, overseen by a guild called the Stone Masons Guild, whose leader, Edwin VanCleef, was a highly skilled engineer. Mekkatorque had also spoken highly of him.

Nathanos had originally intended to visit him in his spare time, but he learned that the man was no longer in Stormwind City; he was elsewhere, at the Dark Portal. Nathanos's thoughts drifted back to that day with the mention of that name. After Khadgar destroyed the Dark Portal, it seemed that things hadn't ended. The Kirin Tor reported on the Black Morass, discovering that the already corrupted land showed signs of further spread. Meanwhile, the mages of Dalaran couldn't guarantee that the Dark Portal wouldn't reopen. Therefore, the nations reached an agreement: except for Quel'Thalas, all kingdoms would fund the construction of a fortress to monitor the Dark Portal, which was named Tower of Observation. Van Cleef was the engineer who built this fortress.

Meanwhile, the reconstruction of Stormwind City was of utmost urgency. To expedite the process, the newly enthroned King Varian King Wrynn of King of Stormwind made a request to the Dwarf. The Gnome, who had always maintained a good relationship with the Dwarf, had arrived in Stormwind City Bronzebeard months prior, recommended by the Dwarf King Magni Mekkatorque. In Nathanos's memory, Gnome were all incredibly curious, and Mekkatorque was a prime example. He spoke exceptionally quickly, using technical jargon that Nathanos recognized but was unfamiliar with.

At this moment, Mekkatorque angrily exhaled and climbed onto the table—yes, onto the tabletop, stepping on the blueprint in front of him.

"The blueprints depict a chaotic and disorganized structure. Why is no one aware of the rat problem? They're chewing on the wiring everywhere—here, here, and here." Mekkatorque pointed at the blueprints with his small fingers, then scratched his head. Finally, his gaze fell on Nathanos, and the humans immediately sensed that something bad was about to happen.

"We can't get those cables out... We don't have enough manpower here... If that kind of problem happens..." He expressed the seriousness of the situation with his big eyes, while his tone was very tactful.

"Fine, fine!" Nathanos tossed a wooden crate aside, utterly speechless. He grabbed a small, homemade flashlight made by Gnome and headed into the dark tunnel.

After the Second War, someone proposed building an underground tunnel between Ironforge and Stormwind City, an idea that Nathanos considered the person who came up with a genius. Although the reconstruction of Stormwind City continued, progress was slow and uncertain. The journey from Ironforge to Stormwind City was long and arduous. King Magni once flew into a rage because supplies destined for the Stormwind Kingdom had not arrived on time.

Nathanos had discovered that even though the Gnome were incredibly intelligent, they couldn't guarantee that their cleverness wouldn't cause trouble. He recalled their first conversation. Nathanos had asked Mekkatorque how safe the so-called subway would be. Unexpectedly, the Great Craftsman bluntly replied:

"Uh... okay, well! You see, this is cutting-edge technology, so we can't completely guarantee its safety. But I bet you we'll perfect it. Its safety will eventually rival our safest inventions."

Judging from his accent, Nathanos suspected that this "technology" wasn't as safe as he claimed. However, Nathanos was neither an architect nor an engineer. In any case, things were progressing relatively smoothly.

Until this time with the rats. Humans wanted to slap themselves, 'How could I have been so easily fooled?' Nathanos thought to himself.

Although Nathanos did not understand why he was doing such a foolish job, he still tried his best to complete everything Mekkatorque assigned him as an apprentice.

Lordaeron. A long time has passed since the last meeting of the Alliance King, and this time the situation is somewhat different. In the council hall of the Lordaeron Palace, the King from other kingdoms are not standing on a high platform to offer their advice as usual; this time they are seated on equal footing with Terenas. At the very center of the hall stands an architectural model—a fortress under construction.

"Look at these city walls!"

Genn Greymane, King of Gilneas, pointed to the fortress model. Despite Greymane's imposing stature, some engineers described the archway as being three times Genn height. While the other King observed, nodding in approval, Greymane remained unimpressed. Gilneas had never shown any interest in the fortress, and although Genn outwardly admired it, King Sorath Thoradin of the Mountains knew exactly what he was thinking—a wall, a tower, and a single fortress. Was this all we had spent so much money building?

"It's huge," Sorath Thoradin pointed out. The ruler of Stromgarde remained as concise as ever, not wanting to say a single extra word. "And the more money you spend."

The other King also seemed to feel resentful about the enormous expense, muttering amongst themselves. This feeling was especially pronounced when they considered that these huge expenses were to be shared equally among them.

A tall, slender young man stepped forward. "If it were you," he said, "How much would you spend to ensure your safety? Valuable things always come at a price." Upon hearing this insightful warning, the others ceased their complaints. As the Alliance's new commander, Turalyon had always understood the importance of security.

"Indeed," Terenas agreed. "How is the reconstruction of the Stormwind Kingdom progressing?"

"Progress is going quite smoothly. This is largely thanks to Archbishop Alonsus, who gave King Varian a substantial donation," Turalyon replied, adding, "There's no need to worry about the Stonemasons' Guild's capabilities. They are highly skilled craftsmen, their expertise rivaling that of the Dwarf. The restoration of Stormwind City is nearing completion." He smiled at Khadgar; in fact, Varian had told him all this, and he was simply reporting the facts.

Of course, this good news couldn't keep Genn Greymane quiet forever. The King of Gilneas muttered again, then gradually raised his voice beneath his thick black beard, and everyone's attention turned back to Tower of Observation.

Genn reluctantly admitted, "It is indeed very large." He looked at Sorath, who responded with a smile. "But why did they build all of this?" He pointed to the only completed fortress on the model in front of him. "Why go through all that trouble and spend so much money to build such a castle? We built Tower of Observation just to guard the now-destroyed Dark Portal, didn't we? Isn't a simple fortress enough?"

His voice was very loud, and Khadgar and Antonidas were tired of his complaining.

"Still the same as always," said Antonidas, the leader of the Kirin Tor, coldly, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Everyone's the same as always," Khadgar said to the Archmage, stroking his pure white beard. He walked toward the group of people who were talking. His youthful vigor seemed so incongruous with his aged and wrinkled face.

"Perhaps I can explain where your money went," he said to Genn. The King of Gilneas immediately turned his attention to him. Khadgar nodded, as he always did with the King.

"Tower of Observation is indeed very large, which is necessary. Because many people come here, including the mages of Dalaran and the soldiers sent by various countries to garrison it. The ruins of the Dark Portal are in the valley in front of Tower of Observation, which is the only path the Horde to come to our world. If they return at any time, we can be prepared."

"That explains why those soldiers need to stay here," Admiral Daelin Proudmoore agreed. "But what are the duties of these mages?" he questioned, though he wasn't exactly wary of them; in fact, his daughter would soon be going to Dalaran to study magic. "One mage is enough for us to oversee the whole situation."

Khadgar nodded in agreement. "That's true, but..." He glanced at everyone present, except for Turalyon, who stood behind him and gave him a look. He continued, "But Tower of Observation is not just a sentry post guarding the Dark Portal. Draenor's life force is gradually waning due to some strange energy. When the Dark Portal was opened, our world was affected in the same way. The land around the Black Morass became lifeless, and the effects are still spreading. When we destroyed the portal, we thought the earth would recover on its own, but it didn't. In fact, that eerie contamination continues to expand."

The King frowned, exchanging glances. This was bad news for all of them.

Antonidas seized the opportunity to step forward. "We began to take the situation here seriously. Dalaran sent many mages to study that area, and then we made a major discovery: even though the portal has been destroyed, there is still a very small dimensional rift there."

All the lords present took a deep breath.

"What do you mean?" Genn asked, squinting, with a hint of warning in his tone.

A hint of worry appeared on Antonidas's weathered face. "Unfortunately, we cannot restore the corrupted lands. But we have managed to preserve the northern region as it is. Rumor has it that some Orcs are still hiding there, but we have not found any trace of them. As for the southern region, for some reason, we still cannot save it." He shook his head.

Khadgar added, "Some people started calling this place the Blasted Lands, and now it seems that name has come true. As far as I'm concerned, this land can no longer give birth to life."

"Regardless, you have successfully stopped the spread of pollution and saved the rest of the world," Turalyon pointed out. "That's already incredible, considering how fast it spread." The other King thought the same; for them, as long as their own kingdoms weren't polluted, that was enough.

Khadgar tilted his head slightly, expressing his gratitude to those present. "We've done our best," he acknowledged. "Though it may not have been perfect. We still need some mages stationed here long-term to monitor the rift. In short, that's why we've spent so much money building Tower of Observation." He looked at Genn, who was now silent.

"Is it really possible for that rift to reopen?" Sorath asked. The others, hearing this, turned to Khadgar with equal concern, clearly awaiting his answer, yet simultaneously filled with worry about the possibility. Khadgar could see the thoughts swirling in their faces. The thought of the Orcs' invasion of Azeroth two years ago after the opening of the Dark Portal, and the possibility of experiencing the same thing again, filled everyone with immense anxiety.

Stormwind City

Nathanos successfully caught another rat, but he knew there was another one to catch. After working for almost three hours, he finally emerged from the dark tunnel, clutching a twisting cloth bag in his hand.

"Finished catching them?" Mekkatorque was sitting on a small stool, drinking tea. The human gave a cold "hmm" and threw the cloth bag full of rats into the cage next to him.

"Is there anything else?" Nathanos asked patiently.

Mekkatorque sized him up and nodded. "Of course, but not work-related. You need to sort out the trouble you've caused me first." He pointed to a corner where a comfortable rocking chair stood, but unlike usual, someone was leisurely reclining in it.

Nathanos turned to look. The other person was also savoring a cup of tea, with a faint red lipstick mark still on the rim of the cup.

"You're quite the evader, Nathanos?"