Chapter 684: The Completion of Sentinel Tower

October 16th, Year 4 of the Dark Portal.

This day marks a monumental occasion for the entire Alliance, celebrating the completion of Stormwind's reconstruction, the establishment of Sentinel Tower to monitor the Dark Portal, and the inauguration of the two-thousand-kilometer-long railway spanning four regions, connecting Stormwind City and Sentinel Tower.

Accomplishing so much within two years, setting aside the immense manpower and resources involved, this feat in such a short span has left the entire Alliance in awe.

"This is impossible!?" Terenas nearly fell off his throne in disbelief.

"You're kidding! I've just managed to get the inner city in order!" Thoras, equally stunned, looked at his smaller Stromgarde Keep with a wry smile.

The irony didn't stop there. Gilneas, having seceded from the Alliance, saw King Genn Greymane obsessively worrying about the Alliance, with its vast kingdoms, intruding into Gilnean affairs. Since last year, akin to Thoradin the Great building the Thandol Span for Arathi Highlands' security, Greymane commenced the construction of the Greymane Wall, effectively ceding the southern part of Silverpine Forest.

Gilneas had barely erected a wall when news broke of the dual completion in Stormwind and Sentinel Tower.

Genn's face was a picture of humiliation, flushed with a stinging red.

"This can't be—how did Duke pull this off?" Genn cursed from his throne.

"Word is, he boldly enlisted goblins and summoned massive arcane golems."

"Goblins? Arcane golems? Duke must be out of his mind!"

Genn's reaction was understandable. Most intelligent races on the continent bore no love for goblins—agents of destruction, not construction, who left chaos in their wake wherever they went.

But it's all about how they're utilized.

Even if goblins are unreliable, in certain aspects, they are still at the forefront among all races.

Firstly, goblin shredders.

These massive two-person-tall mechanical beings, despite their obnoxious fuel engines and the noxious smoke, outperformed every race in efficiency, even the burly orc laborers, with their saw-bladed arms.

Secondly, goblin explosives.

Don't think of goblins as just a bunch who chant, "Explosions are art!" and adept at using explosives.

Another correct usage for goblins is to employ them for demolition.

Elwynn Forest's terrain is mostly flat, suitable for laying stones and sleepers for the railway. But it was a different story starting from Redridge Mountains. The rugged area initially had only a narrow path.

To make way for trains, expansion was necessary.

When Duke invoked the ancient and infallible goblin incantation, "Gold! Gold! I'll give you lots of gold," countless red-eyed goblins, screaming wildly, rushed up the mountain with their explosives.

Explosions resounded continuously, heard even from the Eastvale Logging Camp miles away.

In a frenzy, the goblins blasted the mountain pass into a basin in just three months, turning the impassable into a thoroughfare!

According to the agreement, Duke was to pay over 15 million gold for the demolition upon completion—a sum that made every Alliance leader's heart skip a beat.

But, half a month before completion, an unexpected incident occurred.

Somehow, word got out that Duke had prepared a million gold cash payment for the Red Dragon Queen Alexstrasza for helping clear a major demon in the Blasted Lands, and as thanks for agreeing to station a squadron of red dragons there. That night, several groups of goblins daringly infiltrated the queen's temporary lair, attempting to steal the gold. Enraged, the queen went on a rampage, burning nearly a thousand goblins at their camp.

"Damn it! I hired you to work, not to steal from the Alliance's most important ally! I wanted workers, not thieves and liars!" Duke, in a fit of righteous fury, banished the goblins.

The goblins initially tried to negotiate for at least half of their payment, but Alexstrasza's ferocity put an end to that: "Leave! One more word and I'll set fire to Booty Bay!"

The difference between goblin leaders and the rank-and-file lies in their relative intelligence. The leaders knew not to cross the red dragons, but they couldn't control their subordinates' foolish thievery.

The queen's draconic might sent the goblins fleeing.

And just like that, Duke was relieved of the 15 million gold debt.

Many Alliance leaders later speculated whether Duke had deliberately set up the goblins.

Indeed, he had!

Goblins, a race driven by greed, sell their integrity for gold.

They'd work for orcs, dragons, fire elementals—whomever pays the highest, instantly betraying their previous employer.

Last year, Daelin Proudmoore led Stormwind's fleet alongside the Kul Tiran navy against Booty Bay. The goblins were beaten into surrendering their territory, paying reparations, and nearly all their ships to settle the score.

This year, with a lucrative contract, the goblins nearly exhausted their explosive stock. But aside from the initial deposit of a million gold, they didn't receive a single coin more. The goblins were enraged and frustrated, even though they had doubled their quote for cheap black powder and added an extra zero. They felt conned by Duke.

Well, Duke did con them.

So what?

Duke would never let these scoundrels join the Alliance, especially since, in the original history, the goblins were part of the Horde.

Once their use was over, kicking them to the curb was met with cheers across the Alliance.

The swift completion of Stormwind and Sentinel Tower owed its final element to arcane golems. These five-meter-tall humanoid golems weren't rare; they were a common sight on the streets of Silvermoon City.

Golems, easily operated by a single apprentice mage, were incredibly useful. Tireless, capable of lifting ten-ton boulders.

The most robust outer walls of Sentinel Tower were built by these golems. Carrying cut stones, they stacked them meticulously—one golem accomplishing the work of hundreds in a day.