Twilight Whelp

"Even so, the problem remains unsolved. How will Deathwing utilize this...container? Will he find a suitable life form to absorb the energy within?" Malygos back into his Elf form to focus more intently on his speech while avoiding being recognized.

"It's not necessarily a living entity," Nathanos cautioned. "It's not just living entities that can absorb energy. There is a race that is not a living entity, yet possesses abilities that surpass those of machines, and their absorption of energy does not cause rejection; there is only an upper limit to the amount of energy they can absorb."

"How could such a race exist? This completely contradicts the Titans' philosophy of life."

Nathanos turned and stared into Malygos's eyes. "They were not created by the Titans."

Undead! The Infinite Dragonlord stared at Nathanos in astonishment. No, simply using "Undead" to interpret everything the Witherer had said wasn't accurate. It should be "corpse." If Deathwing could first find a suitable body, fuse the power of the Guardian Dragons into it, and then somehow awaken the dead souls, then everything would become possible.

"The best vessel is the corpse of Twilight Whelp, as this type of dragon is naturally a predator that feeds on prey."

Malygos gasped. "Tell me, Nathanos. How did you know?"

After talking for so long, Malygos realized that the Undead's foresight was simply too exaggerated. His ability to connect so many things so easily couldn't be attributed solely to judgment. Some of these secrets were things Malygos wouldn't even dare to imagine.

"Because someone told me."

"Who?"

"My child," he said. But Malygos was clearly more confused.

"Do you have your own children?" Nathanos asked again.

"What kind of question is that? Which dragon king doesn't have his own offspring?" Malygos replied.

Nathanos nodded slowly. "Do you remember their names?"

Malygos remained silent; he only remembered the names of some of his more capable descendants.

"I also have children, but I didn't name them. In fact, I've never even met them; I can only look at them from afar."

"Them?" The Infinite Dragonlord narrowed his eyes. Besides Belorell, did Nathanos have any other children?

The Witherer gave an apologetic look. "I'm going to see my second child now. Because of him, I know all of Deathwing's plans."

Nathanos leaped forward into the cover of leaves, avoiding the crossbow traps lurking in the jungle. These deadly weapons were clearly left behind by the Dragonmaw Orcs many years ago.

Grim Batol sits atop a mountain peak. Many things have happened here. The castle is shrouded in ancient magic, inspiring awe and reverence in all who behold it.

"This land was known as Twilight Highlands at this point in time."

Undead and dragons leaped through the trees, soaring into the air with astonishing speed before landing. Unfamiliar with the current situation in Twilight Highlands, Nathanos instructed Malygos to remain in mortal form and approach Grim Batol on foot.

This plan is absurd. They are taking a risk, and the price of failure is their lives.

Can you sense Deathwing?

Malygos smiled, thinking Nathanos wouldn't ask this crucial question. He stroked his beard and replied, "There's no trace of him. The Crimson Bastion, the territory of the Red Dragon, isn't far from Grim Batol. If he were here, Alexstrasza couldn't possibly not have sensed him."

"In that case, let's finish this quickly."

The Undead cast one last glance around Grim Batol, his gaze sweeping over the desolate wasteland at the foot of the mountains. Ever since the Orcs enslaved the Red Dragon, this verdant land had been tainted by malevolent forces.

They infiltrated Grim Batol after the moon rose, moving silently. The entire fortress was silent, save for the sound of boiling lava, making it easy to hear the footsteps of the Troggs and Twilight Cult Warrior. After deduce their location, Nathanos easily found a route that bypassed the sentinels' patrols.

A moment later, the number of patrolling soldiers in black armor decreased significantly, and their frequency also decreased, allowing him and Malygos to advance more quickly.

This situation doesn't mean they've gone astray and strayed from the heart of the fortress; rather, it's a reminder that they're very close to their objective. Deathwing would certainly leave the most important treasures deep within the fortress, but he trusts no one, including his followers. Therefore, there wouldn't be many guards around the treasures.

"I recognize this place," Nathanos said, Malygos stopped behind him and noticed that the Witherer was trembling slightly.

"This used to be... the hall where Alexstrasza was imprisoned."

"Clearly Deathwing hasn't abandoned this place." Malygos frowned. "At least he left behind a barrier spell, and he'll sense it immediately if we force our way in."

"I have to go in."

Malygos was startled when Nathanos suddenly grabbed his arm and earnestly begged for his help.

"Once the magic here is broken, Deathwing will know," the Infinite Dragonlord warned, but Nathanos's resolute expression remained unchanged. "You only have ten minutes."

Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any secrets in Azeroth that Malygos controls time, doesn't know, and removing the barrier set up by Deathwing shouldn't be a problem for him.

Ancient incantations emanated from Malygos's mouth, and the barrier set in the deepest chamber of the fortress suddenly shattered.

"We don't have much time," Malygos reminded him again. "I can't stay here, or Deathwing will sense me. When the time is up, I will take you back to the original timeline." With that, Malygos disappeared.

The moment the barrier vanished, Nathanos sensed his own presence. He stepped into the cage where the Queen of Dragons had once been imprisoned and was shocked by what he saw inside.

A mixture of various smells and magic wafted over, and the secret hall was filled with all sorts of display equipment. Bottles and jars on the experimental table contained potions of different colors; hanging on the giant hook were pieces of corpses that chilled Nathanos to the bone—the corpses of Red Dragon, completely dismembered, but from different Red Dragon; and the pits and craters on the walls and the floor, the marks left by Alexstrasza, were still clearly visible.

In the center of the secret chamber stood a stone platform, resembling an altar. At the top of the platform was a striped granite slab, beneath which rested a circular base of the same material. Four supporting stone pillars connected the slab and the base. Occasionally, bursts of energy could be heard emanating from the platform. These sounds were all due to something on the platform, something Nathanos sought—a Dragon Egg.

The Witherer examined the egg for several seconds, as if his gaze could pierce through its thick shell. Deathwing had clearly added a barrier not only to the chamber but also to this Dragon Egg. After several years, Nathanos was astonished by the extent of the Dragon Egg's transformation.

The egg had swelled to twice its original size. A purple halo shimmered around its shell. And just as Nathanos had said, Deathwing had succeeded; he had incorporated the corpse of a Twilight Whelp into it. From the outside, the strange colors allowed Nathanos to clearly see the motionless outline of the whelp inside the Dragon Egg. This little creature was slowly absorbing the power of the Guardian Dragon, and also absorbing his power.

"My child!" Nathanos recalled his decision in Outland to imbue this Dragon Egg with a portion of his soul essence. Sinestra had clearly not escaped Deathwing's clutches; the Dragon Egg had fallen into the hands of the Black Dragon Aspect.

The time has come!

The Witherer reached out his left hand to touch the Dragon Egg, knowing the consequences: the barrier surrounding the Dragon Egg possessed extremely high energy. His hand would be burned to bone, yet Nathanos did it anyway, for he rarely had the chance to touch his child.