Thrall was completely relieved to learn that Kel'Thuzad had arrived.
In Thrall's memory, Kel'Thuzad knew Medivh's weaknesses and defeated Medivh multiple times.
Herkula crawled out of the cesspool, completely unconcerned about the filth covering him.
Thrall used Riptide to cleanse his body multiple times, but like Herkula before, he felt dirty and could never be cleaned again.
Herkula led the way, and the two climbed out of the basement, gazing up at the magical battle in the sky.
Flames collided with Frost, creating countless fireworks.
Kel'Thuzad, shrouded in a cloud of black mist, kept making virtual gestures towards Medivh.
Medivh was surrounded by various elements, yet he couldn't break through Kel'Thuzad's fog.
Seeing Medivh losing and Kel'Thuzad gaining the upper hand, Herkula smiled:
"Thrall, when you meet my mentor later, you must be respectful, otherwise he will not recommend turning you into Lich."
Thrall knew it was a joke, and with Kel'Thuzad as his backer, he felt much more relaxed.
How ironic! Who would have thought that Kel'Thuzad would be Thrall's only hope on the Timeways?
In the air, a purple light flashed; it was a massive Portal.
A sound like the tides echoed from within the Portal, and a figure stepped out.
The man had an aged face, but his eyes were bright and piercing, and his white beard fluttered in the wind.
High Archmage Antonidas.
For a moment, Thrall felt uneasy, as if something was amiss.
Medivh shouted anxiously, "Antonidas, what are you waiting for?"
Antonidas produced a magic book in his palm, its pages rustling as a vast amount of magical power surged forth.
"That's the Book of Medivh, no good." Herkula's face turned grim.
The Book of Medivh emitted a Gray Ray, slicing through Kel'Thuzad's mist as easily as a knife through tofu.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and Thrall felt a chill run down his spine; he had seen this magic before.
Archimonde's Finger of Death.
Who would have thought that such terrible magic was sealed within the Book of Medivh?
The mist dissipated, revealing Kel'Thuzad's tall, thin body. A hole the size of a bowl appeared in his chest, and he fell like a kite with a broken string.
Medivh grinned smugly, pointed at Kel'Thuzad's corpse, and a burst of Flame burned it to ashes.
Thrall was in a daze as Kel'Thuzad died right before his eyes.
If Kel'Thuzad were to die in the Main World, Thrall would certainly celebrate wildly.
But now it is Kel'Thuzad of the Timeways who is dead, his only hope.
Just when they saw a glimmer of hope, they plunged into the Abyss of despair once again.
Herkula grabbed the dazed Thrall and shouted anxiously:
"What are you standing there for? Run!"
The two fled back into the underground ruins and jumped into the cesspool.
In the air, the two most powerful mages of the era gathered together and discussed for a long time before quickly departing.
With Kel'Thuzad dead, Thrall could no longer cause any trouble, so the two of them didn't bother to hunt him down.
Having crawled out of the cesspool, Thrall ignored the filth on his body and just sat there dumbly.
Herkula shook his head in frustration. "I never thought this day would come. Antonidas and Medivh have always been at odds, how could they possibly cooperate?"
"It's all because of the Orcs," Thrall murmured.
"What do you mean?" Herkula asked, frowning.
Thrall's smile was forced.
"Anything will happen in Azeroth to save the Orcs."
Thrall couldn't help but think of the Lich King Arthas; the real reason the Scourge left Azeroth was puzzling.
In an instant, Thrall suddenly had an idea and quickly asked:
What exactly is the source of magic hidden within the Statue of Sargeras?
Herkula said dejectedly, "It's a helmet, brought back from Northrend by a member of the Alterac royal family. It emits a strange red energy, neither Arcane Magic nor Fel."
Could it be the Helm of Domination? Thrall made his judgment.
Thrall tentatively asked, "Has anyone tried putting the helmet on?"
"How could you have such a strange idea?" Herkula asked, looking troubled. "Well, some people have tried it, and they turned into zombies, their consciousness swallowed by the helmet."
Thrall bit his lip hard; in his deepest despair, he dared to try anything.
"Take me."
"What are you going to do?" Herkula asked in surprise.
Thrall grinned. "We're going to build a New World."
Beside the Statue of Sargeras, Herkula tapped the statue's forehead and then moved away at a distance.
The statue's chest is open, revealing an ancient metal helmet.
Thrall's gaze burned with intensity as he walked step by step toward the helmet, reaching out his right hand to carefully touch it.
Herkula shouted, "Thrall, don't do anything foolish! This helmet is dangerous!"
Do you think I have a choice?
Thrall's fingers touched the metal helmet, the cold sensation making his mind exceptionally clear as recent events flashed before his eyes.
"I see."
Thrall picked up the metal helmet and turned to face Herkula.
"Kel'Thuzad is not dead," Thrall murmured.
"What did you say?" Herkula asked in surprise.
Thrall looked down at the Runes on his metal helmet:
"The one who just died wasn't Kel'Thuzad. Medivh might also be an imposter; it was just a show put on for me."
Herkula shouted, "Thrall, are you insane?"
"I'm not crazy. I was fooled from the very beginning. The ship searching for the Tidal Charm, the Orcs tycoon Doras and that scumbag, the Murlocs accepting the five million bounty, the raid on your manor, the battle between Medivh, Antonidas, and Kel'Thuzad —it was all fake, fake."
Herkula looked grave and said regretfully, "Thrall, I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately."
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"
Thrall, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, walked step by step toward Herkula:
"You drove me to the brink, slowly eroding my hope, but that wasn't enough. You gave me a sliver of hope, only to extinguish it just as quickly. A very clever scheme, you're masters of manipulating people's hearts."
After a pause, Thrall stated definitively, "It must be the work of some Dreadlord."
Herkula nodded admiringly and chuckled, "Interesting, you actually saw right through me."
Thrall said with a sense of loss, "All you've done is put this helmet on me and lead me down the path of despair."
Herkula licked her lips and asked, "So what's your choice, Thrall?"
Thrall smiled and said, "Wearing this helmet, my will will crumble, and I don't know what kind of monster I'll become."
Thrall, his face contorted with madness, grinned maliciously:
"When you reach the pinnacle of power, who doesn't see darkness before their eyes? As long as my name is remembered in history, I am willing to give everything."
After saying that, Thrall put on the helmet without hesitation.
Endless crimson light evaporated the filth from Thrall's body, and his eyes gleamed with scarlet blood.
Beside him, Herkula clearly sensed that Thrall's soul was imprisoned in the deepest Abyss of his mind, and a dark consciousness had invaded his body.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Arrogant laughter echoed through the underground ruins. Herkula felt a wave of panic and unconsciously knelt down in worship.
Thrall approached the Statue of Sargeras, shook his head, and said:
"You're nothing special."
The statue collapsed with a crash, shattering into dust.