Under the cover of night, King Faoris was left with only about three thousand soldiers, surrounded by shadowy figures, with thousands of tall men encircling the army.
King Faoris paid the price for his indecisiveness. By the time he finally made up his mind to undo the power of the stars, most of his soldiers had been killed or wounded. Faoris gripped his scepter tightly, his face filled with resentment.
He was so close to becoming the first emperor of the Tol'vir clan. Who would have thought that Neferset would have a way to lift the Curse of Flesh?
In the darkness, a shadowy figure approached King Faoris; it was none other than the leader of Neferset, the Dark Pharaoh Takahen.
"What are you waiting for, Faoris? Are you hoping Ra-den will save you, or are you expecting Thrall, that Savior who's all lies?"
Pride prevented Faoris from admitting his mistake, and he stubbornly retorted:
"Shut up! Don't slander our great Savior Thrall! If it weren't for the Orcs, if it weren't for the Savior Thrall, Azeroth would have been destroyed long ago. As Tol'vir, you should know how to be grateful."
"Very good!" Takahen smiled.
"I see your gratitude. You must know that the Orcs gathered under the cover of night, crossing the Portal with Ramkahen as their target. Your city and your people will be Thrall's greatest gift. Of course, the Orcs alone cannot accomplish this, but unfortunately, Ra-den is Thrall's accomplice."
"What did you say? Lies! The great Savior Thrall merciful and kind; he could never do such a thing. I will not allow you to slander the Guardian Ra-den."
Even so, Faoris was uneasy. He knew Thrall's character, and the blood blister on his head was the best proof of that.
Takahen coldly reminded him, "The power of the stars has not blinded you."
Faoris then realized what was happening and hurriedly raised his scepter, using the power of the Astral Obelisk.
By the light of the glittering stars, Faoris saw an endless expanse of Orcs, their faces contorted in grotesque grimaces and their fangs sharp.
The narrow Portal brought in even more Orcs, and not far away Ramkahen, the jewel of Uldum.
"It's actually true."
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through King Faoris's mind. He was a true ruthless leader, and a plan quickly formed in his mind. He set aside his pride and said respectfully:
"Takahen, although we have been fighting for so many years, you and I both know that this is a last resort. The Orcs want to destroy Ramkahen, Tol'vir are facing an unprecedented crisis. I implore you to lend a helping hand and help me repel the Orcs."
"Aren't you afraid of Ra-den and Thrall?" Takahen asked.
"I am afraid, but my people are about to be slaughtered. As a King, I cannot stand idly by. Even if the enemy is Ra-den, I will fight to the end," Faoris declared passionately.
Takahen fell into thought, and after a long while, he said, "I understand you, Faoris. You are not the kind of King who cares for his people. Your heart is colder than Frost. In your eyes, the people are as insignificant as weeds."
With a sigh, Takahen continued, "But I cannot stand by and watch Ramkahen be destroyed, with three hundred thousand Tol'virs bleeding like rivers. Very well, I promise you, I hope we can stop Thrall and Ra-den in time."
The two sides agreed to a truce. King Faoris led his remaining troops ahead, while Takahen led a thousand of his people who had reforged the Stone of Tol'vir behind them.
The situation was urgent. Lord Siamat of the Southwind Lord had expended considerable power to help a thousand Neferset soldiers break the Curse of Flesh, which he believed was enough to sweep through Uldum, and even defeating Ra-den was not out of the question.
Having regained the power of the Titans, these soldiers possess long lifespans, invulnerable bodies, and have mastered a great deal of Titans magic; it's just a pity they cannot reproduce.
Faoris seemed to care about his people, and his army marched very quickly, advancing along the Ekahlée plain on the Vir'naal River.
The Ramkahen built a dam at the confluence of the two rivers, creating Vir'naal Lake. The lake's waters nourished the surrounding area, creating vast oases. This was the most fertile land in Uldum, and the Ramkahen' large population was thanks to Vir'naal Lake.
As Neferset's army advanced along the riverbank, Takahen felt a deep unease as he looked at the Ramkahen ahead.
It seems there's an idea, just separated by a thin layer of foam, that you could grasp if you just punctured it.
Takahen pondered deeply, then shook his head with a wry smile, realizing he had been overthinking things.
We're not far from Ramkahen; Vir'naal Lake is just ahead.
Suddenly, Takahen realized something was wrong and hurriedly ordered his soldiers to speed up and catch up with Ramkahen's troops.
King Faoris and High Priest Ament have both disappeared.
"Damn it, quick, retreat to higher ground!"
Unfortunately, it was too late.
With a Sundering roar, dozens of sluice gates of the Vir'naal Dam released water simultaneously. The turbid lake water tilted, forming giant waves tens of meters high. The river rose rapidly, and Neferset's army was quickly swallowed by the flood.
Especially the thousand Stone Tol'vir who had been freed from the Curse of Flesh and restored their Titans Powers, their bodies were too heavy, and without exception they were all swept away by the flood and quickly disappeared without a trace.
With the help of magic, Takahen and a small number of Priests flew into the air. On the Vir'naal Dam, thousands of figures were silhouetted against each other, and the soldiers guarding the dam were simply supporting the great King Faoris.
Takahen gritted his teeth in hatred, his eyes blazing. "Faoris, you did a good job."
King Faoris was beaming with pride and laughed heartily.
"Foolish Takahen, I told you long ago that you could not defeat me. So what if the mere Ramkahen City falls? It's just three hundred thousand lowly people. And there are more than one hundred thousand scattered in the Vernal Oasis. I am still the great King Ramkahen."
King Faoris pointed to the raging flood and said, "But after tonight, I will have no chance to deal with you. I would rather feed the Ramkahen to the Orcs than allow you to unify the Tol'vir. Only I am qualified to be the first emperor of the Tol'vir."
Takahen chuckled coldly, "Well said, Faoris. I've never been able to maintain the same ruthless heart as you, which is why I can't unify the Tol'vir. But do you really understand the Titans Power?"
Countless whirlpools appeared in the flood, and the Stone Tol'vir, restored to Titans Power, emerged from one of them, bathed in golden light, with a pair of obsidian wings unfurling from its back, and slowly flew into the air.
King Faoris was stunned, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
Takahen said dejectedly, "I thought I could save the world, but I can't even handle my own people. Perhaps I should really give up. Faoris, you've won. From tonight onwards, you are the first emperor of the Tol'vir clan."
Takahen left without looking back, leading the Thousand Stone Tol'vir.
King Faoris stood on the dam, looking utterly bewildered, watching Neferset depart.
After a long while, the earth-shattering sound of war drums rang out, and the Orcs launched an attack on Ramkahen City. Ra-den shattered the city wall with a single stomp.
Faoris remained calm, enjoying the sight of the Orcs slaughtering their own people.
Without Faoris's heart of stone, he would not have been qualified to compete for the throne of the First Emperor.