The Burning Steppes, as the name implied, looked as if everything had just been scorched or was still burning. Although it was a plain region, it was unsuitable for habitation. Beyond the various threats in the area, this harsh environment was one of the main reasons why the nobles of Stormwind City paid it little attention.
The dry, blistering air made the place unbearable. With magma flowing openly across the land, no noble would consider building an estate here.
"This place is absolutely miserable."
Loki was clearly displeased with the environment. Perhaps it was due to his Frost Giant bloodline, or maybe his recent training had heightened his sensitivity to ice magic. Ever since entering the Burning Steppes, his brow hadn't once relaxed. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see how foul his mood was.
"How long are we staying here?"
"Once we rescue Windsor, we leave."
"And where exactly is this Windsor fellow?"
According to Ethan's memory, Marshal Windsor should be imprisoned inside Blackrock Mountain, located in the northwest corner of the Burning Steppes. Meanwhile, the road they had taken from Redridge Mountains had brought them into the southeast of the region.
"So we have to cross the entire Burning Steppes?"
"Exactly."
The game designers had clearly intended to waste players' time and throw various obstacles in their path to create more 'gameplay.'
But when it became real, there was nothing enjoyable about it—just frustration.
The hostile environment and the constant presence of orcs and ogres meant no one could rest properly.
So Ethan and the others simply gave up on trying to rest and pushed forward with everything they had, hoping to reach Blackrock Depths as soon as possible. Once they regained some stamina nearby, they would storm the place, eliminate the Dark Iron dwarves, and rescue the marshal.
After traveling day and night, even Selene began to struggle. The primary reason was the dreadful environment. Uncharacteristically, the vampire, who had been quiet since joining Ethan's group, started to complain.
"This is horrible. In all my years, this is the worst experience I've had."
"Consider it expanding your horizons."
Ethan wasn't bothered by Selene's complaints. To him, it was a good sign. It meant she was finally beginning to integrate into the group. If she had stayed distant and silent, the barrier between them would have remained.
Amidst the grumbling, they finally arrived at Blackrock Mountain and saw the fortress built by the Dark Iron dwarves. From here, the next steps were simple: find a way into Shadowforge City, then locate Windsor.
This place wasn't going to be as straightforward as it was in the game. No matter how skilled Ethan had been at playing back then, this was a real world now. Following game logic wouldn't guarantee success.
The simplest method was to go in through the front and fight their way through.
"Isn't that a bit too straightforward?" Loki, who prided himself on his cleverness, looked down on such brute-force tactics.
"There are more careful and detailed methods, but they'd take more time. A full reconnaissance would take at least a day..."
"I think simple and direct is just fine." Staying here even one more day was unthinkable. If possible, Loki would have preferred to rescue the marshal and leave this wretched place immediately.
"What about after rescuing Windsor? Don't tell me we're heading back the way we came." Logan couldn't stand the environment either and wanted out as soon as possible, but his eyes weren't focused on Ethan—they were gazing southward into the sky.
In fact, he wasn't the only one. Loki also noticed the figure in the distance. "That's..."
"A black dragon," Ethan replied. He didn't have many memories of World of Warcraft from his previous life, but he at least knew what that place was. "That's the black dragonflight's nursery, where they raise their whelps. That large one is the guardian assigned to protect them."
Ethan didn't know the name of that black dragon. Even when he played the game, he hadn't paid attention to it. If he hadn't learned it back then, he couldn't remember it now.
In this world, there was no interface where he could click on a creature to see its name. So this was the only way he could explain it to his teammates.
"He'll attack any creature that gets too close to that area. As long as we avoid it, we'll be fine."
Being able to clearly see the black dragon from such a distance was proof of just how massive it was. Even Loki wasn't eager to provoke something like that.
"Let's focus on these dwarves instead..."
The assault on Shadowforge City went smoothly. They encountered few obstacles because the Dark Iron dwarves had concentrated their defenses within the city. The outskirts of Blackrock Mountain were only guarded by a few outposts, and those were eliminated before they could raise an alarm or summon reinforcements.
When you're unsure how to navigate a city, the simplest approach is to follow the main path inward. But this principle didn't quite apply inside Blackrock Mountain, where what connected two areas wasn't always a road, but sometimes massive chains.
"These dwarves built their city in a place like this and use chains as bridges?"
Ethan shrugged. Who knew if the dwarves had other, more practical roads? If they did, he didn't know about them. As they made their way through Blackrock Mountain, the scene gradually matched the game screens in his memory.
Only everything was far larger in scale.
"Maybe they just like that kind of thing."
Eventually, the invasion couldn't stay hidden. While they were halfway across one of the massive chains, a group of Dark Iron dwarves appeared on the far end. Armed with muskets, they opened fire on Ethan's group.
In a long-range gunfight, Ethan and his group feared no one.
Wolverine had extensive war experience. He was born, raised, and lived through more than a century of rapid firearms development. He had fought in nearly every major war of the gunpowder era. When he saw the Dark Iron dwarves firing without even taking cover, he curled his lip in disdain and pulled out the M16A4 he had been carrying—rarely used in previous combat.
After traveling through so many worlds, the firearms Ethan possessed were no longer part of the original batch. In addition to keeping some himself, Logan had received some quality gear from Tony.
The rifle in Logan's hands came from Tony. It had no fancy features, nor was it equipped with advanced tech. But for Dark Iron dwarves still using muzzle-loaded smoothbore muskets, it may as well have been a divine weapon.
With Logan 'calling names,' the dwarves fell one by one. Their so-called "dense" barrage failed to inflict any damage on Ethan's group.
Muzzle-loaded smoothbore muskets were notoriously inaccurate. It was said that if two people stood back to back with these weapons, walked twenty paces, turned, and fired, the odds of either hitting the other were close to zero.
To be truly effective, such weapons required large formations to provide overlapping fire. The Dark Iron dwarves were indeed using this strategy, but even so, only a few rounds ever reached their targets. Those few were easily stopped by Ethan's magic shield.
The sound of gunfire echoed for quite a while. One by one, the Dark Iron dwarves with muskets fell. Those who weren't killed outright lay on the ground groaning in pain, unable to stand or continue attacking.
By that time, Ethan and the others had just reached the end of the chain bridge. They finished off the remaining dwarves with their weapons, one by one.
After eliminating the obstruction, Logan reloaded his weapon and replenished his magazine.
Once their equipment was checked and adjusted, the group moved forward. More Dark Iron dwarves began to appear, but against advanced weapons and with Ethan joining the assault, their resistance was completely ineffective.
Before long, they reached Shadowforge City and quickly located the prison where Windsor was being held.
"Reginald Windsor?"
Inside the cell sat a sturdy middle-aged man. Though he looked somewhat weary, likely from prolonged imprisonment, he was still powerfully built. His brown hair was neither too long nor messy, suggesting he exercised regularly and somehow still managed to groom himself, though how he did the latter was a mystery.
"Who are you?"
"We're here to rescue you."
"Rescue me?"
Windsor studied the people before him. From their numbers, they seemed to be an elite team. Were they from Stormwind? He just didn't know who had sent them. "Who sent you? Bolvar? No, that idiot wouldn't believe I'm still alive..."
Ethan was about to introduce himself and his team when Windsor suddenly erupted into a tirade.
"Bolvar, that fool! I stacked the evidence right in front of him, two feet high, and he still ignored it. If I had the Hammer of Wrath..."
Ethan didn't want to listen to him rant like a lunatic. He took out the Battle Cross, broke the lock, walked inside, and dragged out the former Marshal of Stormwind, who was still yelling.
"What are you doing? No, I'm not leaving!"
"I didn't ask for your opinion, Reginald Windsor."
Ethan remembered that in the game, this guy had all kinds of demands and wouldn't leave unless they were met.
He wasn't interested in humoring all that. He had come for Windsor purely to gain leverage, to help build trust with Varian… and Jaina.
(To be continued.)
***
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