Looking at Garrosh's fallen body, his unwilling eyes, and his resentful expression of betrayal, Cairne Bloodhoof felt a sense of exhilarating revenge, which made him feel extremely satisfied.
He thought he was smart enough on the Battlefield, after all, he survived among his many brothers and successfully inherited the position of Warchief.
But compared to the Orcs' cunning, Cairne felt like a fool.
"Haha! Cairne Bloodhoof, great Tauren Chieftain, you've done well. Now, I'll release you from Sylvanas's bonds. Time is of the essence; it must be done before Sylvanas discovers anything amiss."
Gul'dan was cunning and treacherous, full of wicked ideas.
But he was a man of his word; otherwise, he wouldn't have established the Shadow Council, a secret organization that secretly controlled all Orcs Horde and won the support and respect of Orc Warlocks.
Cairne remained uneasy and suspicious of Gul'dan, but he knew time was of the essence; Her Majesty the Queen could discover his betrayal at any moment, and killing him would only require a snap of her fingers.
The Tauren Chieftain rushed toward Gul'dan at top speed, and the soldiers of Karazhan made way for him.
Gul'dan quickly dispelled Cairne's concerns. The cunning Orc Warlock muttered incantations, and a Fel energy enveloped Cairne's strong body, making Cairne's head turn green.
Then he felt something disappear from his body, and he could no longer hear Sylvanas's annoying echo.
Unfortunately, the allure of Demons is endless. Gul'dan chuckled and said:
"Cairne Bloodhoof, this is the power of Fel. You know, since I obtained this Fel body, I've felt unprecedented power. You're Tauren, relying on the power of nature and the strength of your body to fight. Now Earth Mother has abandoned you; you must hate this rotting body."
Cairne stretched his body, truly feeling free, and was delighted that Gul'dan had kept his promise.
It's human nature to crave more after getting what you want. After breaking free from Sylvanas's control and gaining his freedom, Cairne began to miss his Vitality and robust body from his previous life. Gul'dan's words struck a chord with him.
But the body of Fel
Cairne hesitated for a moment as he looked at Gul'dan's grotesque face, twisted by Fel.
Seeing the Tauren Chieftain's suspicious gaze, Gul'dan understood his concerns and once again uttered the alluring Demons voice:
"Power is equal and balanced; there is no absolute superiority or inferiority. The difference lies only in development and application. The Legion has been researching Fel for over 25,000 years, accumulating a wealth of experience. Sylvanas is merely a novice in the use of necromancy. You must trust the choices of wise men, such as Prince Malchezaar. The Eredar once created a glorious civilization, and the Tauren were not even worthy of carrying their shoes, yet they still accepted Fel."
"Don't be fooled by my appearance. I only use my fierce and distorted features to intimidate my enemies. As you probably know, in our Orcs customs, ferocity and terror are more popular with female Orcs. This is very much in line with our aesthetic standards. In fact, I, Gul'dan, am the most handsome and dashing Orcs, just like you Tauren are more popular the stronger you are."
Cairne Bloodhoof was still slightly puzzled after hearing this.
He gazed at Prince Malchezaar in the distance, whose massive and robust physique exuded a powerful beauty.
Cairne watched with fervor, longing to possess such a powerful physique. Perhaps Gul'dan was right; despite also absorbing the power of Fel, Prince Malchezaar's face remained undistorted.
Gul'dan continued to tempt him:
"Reshaping your physical body with the power of Fel energy is not difficult. You will become a powerful Fel Tauren, stronger than you were in life. You only need to do one thing: entangle with Blackhand, the Warchief. Although Blackhand was the most powerful Orcs chieftain in life, you are a great Tauren Chieftain. This is Karazhan, and the power of Fel protects you. Do not resist; accept the infusion of Fel."
A surge of Fel energy flowed into Cairne's head, and he felt his strength greatly increase.
Blackhand, the strongest of the Orcs Blackhand, was a brave and skilled warrior. He led the largest number of Undead Vrykul and was entrusted with a crucial mission by Sylvanas, becoming the backbone of the attack on Karazhan.
Cairne Bloodhoof felt he was no match for Blackhand in a one-on-one fight. After all, he was Tauren, naturally stronger than Orcs, and the blessing of Fel made him even more formidable.
Cairne roared, gripped the Runed Spear tightly, and strode towards Blackhand.
Sylvanas was cautious; she dared not venture too far into Karazhan. Gul'dan was known for his cunning and treachery, and who knew what traps awaited her?
Archmage Antonidas stayed close by, Undercity Royal Guards carried several coffins, following closely behind Sylvanas.
After Thrall and Saurfang lost contact, Sylvanas was somewhat surprised, but had nothing to regret. Her thoughts were the same as Garrosh's: these two enemies got off easy; she hadn't tormented them enough yet!
When Garrosh also lost contact with her, Sylvanas realized something was wrong. Her Vrykul reinforcements were arriving in droves, and the generals leading them were all renowned heroes in life. How could they have died so easily?
Sylvanas suspected something was wrong. She was about to question Blackhand, who was in charge of the main attack, when she realized she had lost contact with Cairne Bloodhoof.
Unlike the previous three times, the connection with the Tauren Chieftain was forcibly severed.
At the same time, Sylvanas heard Blackhand's roar as he loudly reported to her that Cairne Bloodhoof was with Gul'dan and had betrayed her.
Sylvanas felt a chill run down her spine. She finally understood Gul'dan's cunning. Having obtained Fel Body, Gul'dan probably possessed some kind of ability to bewitch people.
After Cairne Bloodhoof betrayed Karazhan and successfully engaged Blackhand Warchief, the Karazhan forces launched their counterattack.
A thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a general is hard to come by.
For the Forsaken, this is the most fatal flaw.
For example, other races can select generals from among their best soldiers.
However, because Sylvanas was not proficient in Undead magic and lacked the resources needed to resurrect the dead, the Forsaken were inherently limited by class. Ordinary soldiers had no aptitude for learning and growth; they were merely slaves to war and could not rise to become generals.
The Scourge, on the other hand, remained unaffected; this is the difference between Sylvanas and Arthas.
After losing four generals— Thrall, Saurfang, Garrosh, and Cairne Bloodhoof— no amount of Vrykul soldiers would be of any use; they would just be a rabble.
Sylvanas secretly admired Gul'dan; he was indeed formidable, seeing through the Forsaken's weaknesses at a glance.
Despite her deep reluctance, Sylvanas had no choice but to order a retreat in the face of her overwhelming defeat.
This is only a temporary retreat; Sylvanas still has several trump cards up her sleeve, including those mysterious coffins.
Robbie had been observing the battle between Karazhan and the Forsaken through the Eye of C'Thun.
Vanessa's attention was focused on the visions of Aegwynn and the vampires.
"Azeroth's restrictions on magic use and the High Elves ' Mana Addiction —could it really be a conspiracy?"
Vanessa was slightly moved and asked in confusion:
"Previously, we analyzed that Mana Addiction was Troll racial defect inherited from trolls to Elves. Strangely, before the explosion of the Well of Eternity and the Sundering, the records of Mana Addiction were vague and inaccurate, suggesting that they might have been altered."
Robbie concluded, "In other words, before the Well of Eternity exploded, the concept of Mana Addiction didn't exist."
Vanessa nodded solemnly:
"Some analysts believe that the Highborne 'Mana Addiction stems from the loss of the Well of Eternity, an inexhaustible source of energy, causing them to experience a thirst for sufficient mana. However, this isn't entirely the case. Even with unlimited mana, the Highborne's minds would gradually become distorted, eventually turning them into irrational madmen. What's even more astonishing is that the Mana Addiction seems to have arisen simultaneously with the explosion of the Well of Eternity, which inevitably leads one to speculate on something else."
In other words, before the Well of Eternity exploded, the Elf race did not have the worry of Mana Addiction, which is why they were able to defeat the Trolls and establish a glorious and great civilization.
Ten thousand years have passed, Night Elf race, who replaced the High Elves, have never been able to recapture the glory of their ancestors.
What secrets lie hidden behind the explosion of the Well of Eternity?
Vanessa tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said:
"Some have offered a different perspective, arguing that only exceptional geniuses like Queen Azshara and Illidan, born with golden eyes, could absorb energy without limit and without the worry of Mana Addiction. Their evidence is that in ancient times, only Queen Azshara shone brightly, seemingly the only top-tier powerhouse among the Highborne. However, I believe this is a historical deception; people seem inclined to concentrate all the glory and achievements on one person."
Robbie suddenly remembered seeing a little girl in Silvermoon City who wasn't Mana Addiction; her eyes weren't golden.