Galen, clad in the latest Grand Marshal armor forged by the blacksmiths, strode into the conference hall, his golden radiance dazzling the assembled generals and eliciting envious glances.
Lothar was the first to greet him, clapping Galen on the shoulder: "Good lad, your strength has grown again!"
As a great warrior in the late stages of the Legendary tier, Lothar keenly perceived Galen's power. Even though Galen had tried to restrain it, Lothar still felt a faint, looming pressure.
"War ages people, Uncle Lothar."
Galen remarked, glancing pointedly at Lothar's increasingly expansive bald spot.
During the year-long war, Lothar had endured immense pressure. Moreover, Galen's frequent acts of recklessness had subjected Lothar to criticism from other Alliance member states, all of which Lothar had single-handedly suppressed.
After all, Stromgarde had consistently supported Lothar during the war, providing troops and supplies. Furthermore, Stromgarde had inherited the Arathi Highlands, the birthplace of the Arathor Empire, which naturally predisposed Lothar favorably towards it. Coupled with Galen's boundless potential, Lothar would naturally favor him.
"Galen, lad, remember to find me at the Explorers' Hall after the meeting. We'll drink until we drop!" Muradin and Brann from Ironforge greeted Galen warmly.
Thanks to Galen, Ironforge had been besieged by the Blackrock clan for over two years. They had relied entirely on Galen's supply of massive amounts of food and equipment from the mountains behind them, which allowed the Bronzebeard dwarves to live relatively comfortably. Otherwise, they would have had to tighten their belts from top to bottom.
"No problem. Bring Kurdran along too, or I'm afraid you'll be the first to fall!" Galen replied, not forgetting to tease them.
"Hahaha, arrogant lad, today I'll show you the drinking capacity of a dwarf!" Brann declared, unconvinced.
Kurdran wore a mysterious smile, anticipating Galen's humiliation of the Bronzebeard dwarves that evening!
"Alright, everyone's here. Let the meeting begin," Lothar said, banging on the table to draw everyone's attention. "Galen, we've driven the orcs to the Burning Steppes, yet you're asking us to halt our advance. We need a reason!"
"The Light has given me a vision, regarding a potential disaster that may befall the Alliance!"
Galen stood up and said slowly, "Actually, this reason isn't just known to me. The dwarves here all know it. Our southern Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge were formed by the power of Ragnaros the Firelord, and this Firelord is sleeping deep beneath Blackrock Mountain."
Upon hearing this, Muradin's stout frame trembled, as if recalling the war he had participated in during his youth, which remained fresh in the memories of the Bronzebeard brothers.
The earth-shattering explosion in Redridge Mountains was like the end of the world, and it allowed them to witness the power of the Firelord for the first time. Subsequently, the Bronzebeard dwarves shared some information about the Firelord with the Alliance generals.
"Galen is right. During the War of the Three Hammers, Emperor Thaurissan of the Dark Iron dwarves summoned an avatar of the Firelord. Later, the Firelord enslaved the Dark Iron dwarves, while his avatar slumbered underground. If we engage in large-scale military battles on the Burning Steppes, we might disturb the Firelord!"
As the prince of the Bronzebeard dwarves, Muradin's words carried considerable weight. His confirmation of the matter indicated that it could indeed happen.
"Imagine what would happen if something unexpected happened to the Alliance's hundreds of thousands of troops? Therefore, if we want to eliminate the orcs in Blackrock Mountain, we must first suppress the Firelord's avatar!" Galen continued after Muradin finished speaking.
However, Galen's calm words caused the generals in the hall to look at each other in dismay. A Fire Lord, the Firelord himself! This sounded like a legendary creature on par with dragons! It was true that many Alliance generals had slain red dragons, and most of them had even tasted red dragon meat.
But those were red dragon whelps! Red dragon whelps could be fought, but if a Dragon King came, at least half of those present would shrink back. Now, they were being told to suppress the Firelord's avatar? That was beyond the capabilities of humans!
Damn it, they were about to win the war and could go back to their shameless noble lives! Now you're telling me to deal with the Firelord?
No way!
Galen looked at everyone.
Huh?
Just a moment ago, they were all acting like they could defeat the orcs and were invincible generals. Why were they all shrinking back now?
Did I make the situation sound too serious, or did I exaggerate Ragnaros too much?
"Everyone, we're not facing the Firelord alone. I rescued the Red Dragon Queen in Grim Batol, and I will request her to send adult dragons to help us deal with the Firelord."
Galen paused, then continued, "Moreover, according to my intelligence, a group of black dragons has invaded the upper levels of Blackrock Spire. The Black Dragonflight is constantly fighting with the Dark Iron dwarves and the fire elementals, the Firelord's servants. This is our opportunity!"
As soon as Galen said this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became less tense. It was best to have the red dragons at the forefront, otherwise, how could humans face the flames that incinerate everything with their flesh and blood?
"After years of planning, the Thorium Brotherhood is confident in capturing Blackforge. The war between the Alliance and the Horde isn't urgent for this month. Let's wait patiently for a month. What do you all think?"
Durin spoke on behalf of the Thorium Brotherhood, and the armor worn by the generals in the hall were all exquisite products forged by the Thorium Brotherhood, which had saved them many times on the battlefield. Therefore, their perception of these Dark Iron dwarves was quite positive.
Lothar inquired about everyone's opinions, and finally a consensus was reached. The Alliance agreed to suspend the offensive and rest for a month. Then, Lothar would explain the reason for the suspension to the Alliance's kings and nobles, and then he announced the adjournment.
"Galen, are you really going to deal with the Firelord?" The Bronzebeard prince looked worried, as he had truly witnessed the Fire Lord's furious venting of his power, which was something no mortal could withstand.
"Don't worry, my friend, the Red Dragonflight will help us," Galen said, indicating that he had to go this time.
Galen had obtained several artifacts from the Tomb of Sargeras, but none of them could be used properly. The warlock class was currently reviled by everyone in Azeroth. The Scepter of Sargeras and the Skull of Gul'dan looked like they belonged to the wrong path, and Galen didn't want to be sanctioned.
And Blackrock Mountain contained many treasures. Besides anything else, Durin's Sulfuron Hammer needed to advance into Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros, which required him to smash the Firelord's avatar and obtain the Eye of Sulfuras.
And the Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker, which he had been longing for, as well as Ashkandi, Greatsword of the Brotherhood, were all beckoning him in Blackrock Spire!
At this moment, Galen had already regarded the Firelord and the Black Dragonflight as artifact ATMs.