Chapter 694: A Sudden Turn of Events (Part 2)

Dressed in meticulously tailored attire, a man stood with a flawless, gem-adorned longsword at his side. His face was slightly contorted with disdain. He brushed his sleeve lightly, as if trying to wipe something off.

Both he and Antonidas could see through the facade to the essence. They exclaimed in unison:

"Black dragon?"

"Neltharion!?"

Antonidas could hardly be blamed for mistaking the identity of the man who bore a striking resemblance to the once-lord of Prestor.

Yet, unlike the humanlike Lord Prestor, this man made no attempt to conceal his draconic aura. No, it wasn't concealment; it was a display, an ostentation!

Younger, and more arrogant!

The treasure room's floor and walls were crudely carved from the solid rock of the earth, its ceiling arched. The room, devoid of windows and with only one door, was cluttered with partitions, boxes, and bookcases filled with various treasures, except for a clear area near the exit.

Among the dust and objects, several figures stood.

Despite their humanoid forms, Antonidas sensed the dark aura surrounding them. Before they turned, revealing the glint in their eyes beneath their hoods, he had already discerned their identities.

The Death Knights, a terrifying existence within the Horde that had long troubled the Alliance, were not strictly considered living beings.

Now, several Death Knights surrounded this human-incarnate black dragon, a dire situation that even Antonidas, a Sunreaver Archmage, found alarming.

"Hehe! Behold the great being before us, Nefarian, the new King of the Black Dragons! Old man, make no mistake!" Thalron Bloodmage chuckled maliciously.

Nefarian!

Compared to his father Neltharion, Nefarian's reputation fell short by a large margin. Kael'thas merely frowned deeply, but only Antonidas, privy to countless secrets, knew of Nefarian's drastically different modus operandi.

Rather than a dragon, Nefarian was an anomaly among his kind, rumored to be collecting corpses of various dragon species. Unlike Neltharion, who was fickle but resolved issues through sheer power, Nefarian's methods were more cunning and enigmatic.

Antonidas couldn't fathom Nefarian's brazen appearance in Dalaran's secret vault, but his unease peaked when Nefarian gently lifted an object in his hand.

The light refracted from its facets, casting a purplish-red glow throughout the room. Antonidas recognized the priceless artifact that even the Death Knights and the Black Dragon King would forsake other treasures for.

Despite knowing the likely purpose of their visit, Antonidas clung to a last hope until that moment...

"The Eye of Dalaran!?" he shouted with all his might.

With boundless rage and confidence stemming from being in Dalaran, Antonidas went all in!

In an instant, he raised a hand, casting a mysterious sigil, and with the other, summoned other members of the Kirin Tor.

The Council of the Kirin Tor never fights alone.

Kael'thas placed a hand on his right shoulder, almost instantly linking his arcane circuit to Antonidas's magical circuit, supporting the leader with his own mana.

Another Kirin Tor member teleported beside him, a tall, slender black-haired elf woman. One pale hand rested on Antonidas's left shoulder, while the other, holding a staff, pointed at the dreadful invaders.

Antonidas's beard moved as if in a breeze, his entire being, clothes and hair, stiffened from the surging magical power within.

"Endless Ice Hell!"

It was incredibly fast!

So swift, it resembled an instantaneous flame rather than frost magic.

In less than a blink, the treasure room was encased in ice centered around Antonidas.

A Death Knight tried to resist with dark magic, only to be flung against the wall by the onslaught of icy waves, his chest shattered from the impact. In the next instant, his armor fragments, along with his entire body, were completely encased in thick ice.

The wiser Death Knights, like Thalron Bloodmage, chose to hide behind Nefarian.

Just a fraction of a second more, and even the famed Nefarian would be trapped in this underground treasury powered by the combined magic of over three hundred Dalaran mage towers.

Regardless of being the Black Dragon King or a Guardian Dragon, with such tremendous magic, Antonidas dared to challenge.

Just then, the smile curling on Nefarian's lips made the sun mage's heart skip a beat.

Before Nefarian, a blue glowing magical shield suddenly appeared.

The brilliance was so beautiful that the oncoming frost element seemed to crash against a giant blue dragon scale.

Antonidas was nearly shocked speechless, briefly thinking he was attacking the Magic King Malygos.

Before he could react, his magic was reflected back.

The potency of "Endless Ice Hell" was instantly compressed into a hand of mist, reflecting back at twice the speed, attacking its caster.

Antonidas felt as if gripped by icy hands, an endless chill compressing his heart. He clutched his chest, struggling against the angina-like pain.

The sun mage eventually managed to cast a spell, a purplish-red light dancing around him, dispelling the internal chill. He gasped, expelling the cold from his body. Fortunately, his lungs expanded, his heart resumed beating, warmth returning to him.

His strong magic saved his life, while the elven prince relied on his precious magical artifacts to survive.

But the female elven councilor was not so lucky. Her face pale and twisted, she fell backward, her black hair enveloping her like a shroud. It was clear to all that the extreme cold had claimed her life.

"Sahira! No!"

Ignoring the old mage's cry and the prince's furious glare, Nefarian nonchalantly tossed the Eye of Dalaran to Thalron Bloodmage.

"Let's go!"