Naruk Xil floated silently in the air, radiating blue light and emitting a melodious sound:
"Akama, you are now the Lord of Outland, and you have a duty to defend your territory. We and the Burning Legion will not interfere in your conflict with Thrall. You must prepare to resist the Orcs invasion."
Akama, with a mournful face and a furrowed brow, said:
"What can I possibly do against Thrall? He is the great Savior, the darling of Azeroth, while I am but a lowly Broken."
After a pause, Akama crawled a few steps on his knees and slapped himself hard across the face:
"Lord Naruk Xil, I don't want this Lord of Outland anymore, I don't want it anymore."
The Doomsday Mech sneered, "Akama, you betrayed Illidan to gain the position of Lord of Outland. Are you truly content with that?"
"I," Akama, was unwilling to give up, but the situation was critical, and I had no choice but to abandon this hard-won opportunity.
Akama prostrated himself on the ground. "Lord Naruk Xil, I serve the Army of the Light without seeking anything in return. This Lord of Outland should rightfully be the virtuous. I am old and only wish to return to my old age, no longer concerned with worldly affairs."
"How can this be? There are still many important matters in Outland that await your attention." Naruk Xil said with pleasure, "Akama, I am very pleased with your awareness. You don't need to worry about the Lord of Outland; the Army of the Light will handle it. Go, you are still the leader of the Broken."
Akama left with profuse thanks, having thought that by betraying Illidan, he would be given an important position.
I never imagined it would all just be a dream.
As Akama descended the steps from the top of the Black Temple, he gazed longingly at the sky above Shadowmoon Valley.
He is not Illidan; he does not possess Illidan's terrifying, unparalleled strength.
"I am ultimately just a pawn."
Akama had a profound realization and walked into the shadows of the Black Temple.
In Shadowmoon Village, Eitrigg approached Thrall with a strange expression and hesitation.
Thrall's anger hadn't subsided; he was devouring a Tauren, the strong Tauren howling like a child, tears streaming down its face.
"Eitrigg, who stole my Lord of Outland?" Thrall spat out bits of flesh, his mouth full of blood. "I will show the world what happens when you oppose me, Thrall!"
Eitrigg leaned down, avoiding Thrall's eyes, and said meekly:
"My Savior, I have investigated thoroughly. Illidan was killed by a group of adventurers, led by Prince And, who has been hailed Lord of Outland."
Thrall's eyes darted around. "Who is Prince And? Why have I never heard of him?"
Eitrigg whispered, "And Wrynn, son of Prince Anduin, His Highness the Prince of Stormwind City."
"Nonsense! How old is Anduin? He's still a child. When did he have a son?" Thrall roared angrily.
Eitrigg almost burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably as he said:
"My Savior, the Army of the Light and the Burning Legion have both confirmed that the group that stormed the Black Temple and killed Illidan was a group of children. The oldest among them was five years old, and most were between two and three years old. Although their leader, Prince And, was not yet born, his innate soul was exceptionally powerful, making him the strongest being in Azeroth. He personally killed Illidan. By the way, Med'an was their mentor."
"Medivh, son of Med'an." Thrall took a slight breath, his anger subsiding instead of his usual rage.
Eitrigg, speaking out for Thrall, wept, "Savior, this is an insult to my Horde! How could a bunch of children possibly kill Illidan, especially since there were unborn ones? The Holy Light and the Burning Legions have gone too far! We paid the price of millions of Orcs, and the credit has been stolen by a bunch of children who appeared out of nowhere!"
Thrall's eyes widened as he asked, "If I'm not mistaken, these children are all from wealthy and powerful families; their parents are no ordinary people."
Eitrigg paused, then said, "My Lord Savior, as you predicted, Prince And is the son of Anduin. In addition, there's the grandson of Grand Duke Alpha Stormwind City, the son of the Princess of Ironforge and Emperor Thaurissan, and the young apprentice of the Gnome High Tinker Mekkatorque —his status is said to be incredibly noble. On the Horde side, there's Lord Vol'jin's godson, who is rumored to be his Bastard Son, the grandson of Saurfang the Great, a bloodline descendant of Cairne Bloodhoof, and a direct descendant of Lor'themar."
"Stop talking." Thrall, wielding the Doomhammer, smashed the Tauren's head with force.
Taking a deep breath, Thrall calmed himself down. "Let's drop this matter for now. Since Prince And killed Illidan, let's not dwell on it."
"But this is clearly a lie, an insult to my Horde." Eitrigg couldn't swallow this insult.
Thrall said solemnly, "Eitrigg, those who do great things must endure what ordinary people cannot. The fact that the Holy Light and the Burning Legions appointed an unborn child as the Lord of Outland must be the result of a compromise. They want to maintain the current situation in Outland. If we cause trouble now, we will be making enemies of the two Legions, and the Horde will be destroyed."
Eitrigg said obsequiously, "Your Savior's vision and foresight are beyond our reach."
Thrall stood up and said boldly:
"Our Horde suffered the loss of millions of Orcs in this battle, but we fought with spirit and dignity. After this battle, no one will dare to underestimate us Orcs anymore. The Battle of the Black Temple is of profound significance; it is the guarantee for the Orcs' foothold in Azeroth. Even the once invincible Illidan was defeated. The rise of the Orcs is unstoppable."
Eitrigg flattered, "This is all thanks to the wise leadership of the Savior."
"We will have many more enemies to face in the future." A blond man appeared before Thrall: "This battle is merely the beginning of unifying Azeroth."
Eitrigg leaned closer and asked in a low voice:
"My Savior, Shadowmoon Valley now boasts a million Orcs, many of whom are seasoned warriors. Having been tempered by the Battle of the Black Temple, their future is limitless."
Thrall's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Eitrigg, what do you think should be done with them?"
"Why not use them to take the opportunity to eliminate the Alliance and unify Azeroth?" Eitrigg was eager to try.
Thrall sat down, grabbed the Tauren's arm and started gnawing on it. After a long while, he said:
"This matter must be handled with care. If we act too hastily, it will inevitably attract the intervention of both the Holy Light and the Burning Order. Damn it, I still owe Jaina a million Orcs. I'll just use these Orcs to pay off the debt."
Eitrigg froze, then asked in terror, "Savior, are you going to take them all?"
Thrall nodded, then said fiercely, "A million Orcs, how am I supposed to feed them? Let Orcs go into Zangarmarsh, where the vegetation is lush and there are delicious Sporelings. Jaina's origins are mysterious; she's definitely not from this era. She once warned me that I would face a calamity in the future. If I can help her, she's willing to help me through it."
Eitrigg flattered again, "Savior Lord, I am utterly convinced of your wise decision."
Thrall nodded. "Eitrigg, go and make the arrangements immediately. Although we didn't get the Lord of Outland, we Orcs keep our word and will fulfill our promises."
Eitrigg accepted the order and left, his mind heavy with worries, unable to figure out many things.
On the way, they encountered Vol'jin, who was on his way to see Thrall.
Eitrigg stayed with Vol'jin, and the two went to a corner.
Eitrigg earnestly inquired:
"Vol'jin, I have a question and would like to ask you. The million Orcs of Shadowmoon Valley present an excellent opportunity to unify Azeroth. Why has Your Savior abandoned this chance?"