"Great N'Zoth, I am but a lowly human, my strength is too weak to be of any help."
The Old Gods were treacherous and cunning. How could one trust the words of the Old Gods? While Rhonin still retained his senses, he politely declined N'Zoth's offer.
Hehehe.
The red and black snake suddenly swelled up, transforming into an octopus-like tentacle. A red eye appeared at the tip of the tentacle, its Evil pupil staring intently at Rhonin, before it let out a mocking laugh:
"A naive and laughable sense of Justice still lingers in your heart, which is why you reject a divine gift. I will not force you; I want you to experience and reflect for yourself. This is the meaning of life. Every decision you make will affect the entire world, even if it is just a seemingly insignificant choice."
Tentacles coiled around Rhonin, leading him into the Black Empire beneath the desert.
The city is composed of alternating red and black colors, appearing blurry and only becoming clear upon closer inspection.
Rhonin realized that this was an illusion created by the Nightmare power. The ancient Black Empire had long since perished, and N'Zoth had used the Nightmare power to recreate the scene.
Rhonin was cautious, using Ice Barrier to protect himself, but this was barely effective; if N'Zoth wanted to deal with him, Rhonin would have no chance at all.
"These are merely illusory Nightmares, my memories of the ancient Black Empire. Rest assured, you will not be Corruption by the Nightmare power. I will not let you fall into confusion. I need a clear-headed person, an undetected infiltrator, and you are the perfect candidate."
Rhonin wasn't sure how much of the Old Gods' promises he could trust, as he observed the ancient Black Empire up close.
The surrounding area was filled with tall buildings, some hundreds of stories high, made of a material that Rhonin did not recognize.
The building's surface was mostly covered with bright, smooth, strange objects, which Rhonin guessed were crystals, but he had never seen crystals so pure.
Rhonin looked up in astonishment at the towering building; he couldn't fathom how such a structure had been completed.
The streets were filled with monsters with four wheels and wide-open eyes, moving in some kind of Order. The monsters had eyes in the front and eyes in the back, but no tails. Rhonin guessed that these were some kind of puppet creatures.
But he soon realized he was wrong; the so-called monster was just a means of transportation.
The carriage, which could run without horses, opened its doors and stepped out the true inhabitants of the Black Empire.
Murloc.
The Murloc were a diverse group, completely different from the savage Murloc we see today. They were civilized and polite, dressed in all sorts of strange and unusual clothes, and they liked a kind of palm-sized rectangular sheet.
These thin sheets can display images and seem to transmit speech as well.
Rhonin guessed that this must be some kind of magical artifact, specifically used for communication, and he noticed that the Murloc were quite fond of it.
What a strange era.
Rhonin also saw large mechanical birds that could fly in the sky, occasionally swooping across the heavens. He knew that the Gnome could build helicopters, but these silvery-white mechanical birds were much larger than helicopters.
This is truly a wondrous era, filled with unbelievable creations.
The tentacles stopped beside Rhonin, N'Zoth said in a deep voice:
"Even the Old Gods have forgotten. What I have shown is merely a corner of the Black Empire, far from the whole picture. Unfortunately, even Nozdormu was unable to enter this era. This is a forbidden Timeline, a forgotten golden age. Could you have foreseen that the Murlocs once created a glorious civilization?"
Rhonin remained silent, gazing at his surroundings, increasingly marveling at the greatness of the Dark Civilization.
N'Zoth continued:
"The Murlocs possess highly developed brains, sharp minds, and outstanding practical skills. They created an ancient Black Empire, far more powerful than the current Kaldorei Empire. Look at them now, what have Murloc degenerated into? A bunch of shameless, foolish beasts."
What led to the demise of the Murloc civilization?
Rhonin asked in surprise, though he already had a vague answer in his mind.
N'Zoth's voice was filled with resentment:
"It was the Titans. They destroyed the Black Empire and the Murloc civilization. They used their power to eradicate the Murlocs ' creativity, turning them into a bunch of pathetic beasts, barely surviving in this world."
"The Old Gods never concealed their intentions. We did everything in our power to corrupt Azeroth, giving birth to the dark Titans. But Justice and Evil are relative. Who says the Titans are necessarily Justice?"
Rhonin fell into thought.
N'Zoth did not use the power of corruption; he simply showed Rhonin the truth of the ancient times and let him make his own judgment.
"Why would the Titans do this?" Rhonin asked, puzzled Old Gods corrupted Azeroth, and the Titans, being on the same side, should have eliminated them, but there was no need to destroy the Murloc civilization.
N'Zoth remained silent for a long while before slowly replying, "It is fear."
"Fear?" Rhonin scratched his head, completely baffled.
N'Zoth said regretfully:
"The Murloc created a magnificent civilization, and they also invented terrifying weapons, more powerful than any magic. Even the weakest Murloc could easily raze a city. Murloc built spaceships capable of traversing interstellar space, swarming planets like locusts, loaded with all sorts of weapons, making the destruction of a planet effortless. The Titans knew very well that if they didn't strike first and allowed them to develop unchecked, they too would become the Murloc's prey."
"This, this!" Rhonin was stunned.
N'Zoth continued to explain:
"This is the greatest secret in the universe. Titans can see into the future and travel through any Timeline. Despite Titans immense power, they have lost the ability to become even stronger. For their own safety, they must nip any threat in the bud. Survival is the most fundamental need of all life."
"The Void Lords and the Titans have different ideologies. The Void Lords see further ahead, recognizing the ultimate purpose of the universe. They pursue change and evolution, even if it threatens their own survival, which is why they waged war against the Titans."
For beings as powerful as the Void Lords and Titans, the highest-ranking beings in the universe, hatred is no longer the root of war; only differing ideologies can lead to an irreconcilable conflict.
Rhonin was deeply moved and filled with doubt about the Old Gods. But at this moment, Rhonin realized that he had no way to refute N'Zoth. If this was the worst Nightmare, he had been Corruption.
N'Zoth patiently explained, "Sargeras realized the Titans' folly, so he chose to betray them. Although he was fighting against the Void invasion, the Burning Legion and the Void Lords shared the same ideals."
"Humanity is still weak, but you possess potential far greater than the Murloc. You are a smart man, Rhonin. In a sense, the future of humanity is in your hands, in your choices."
Rhonin took a deep breath and had to admit that the Old Gods' bewitching power was truly formidable.
He began to understand why so many powerful beings ended up siding with the Old Gods.
It wasn't that their will wasn't Steadfast, but rather that they chose to believe in Justice.
The Justice of the Old Gods.
"Great N'Zoth, I am willing to become your servant," Rhonin said humbly.
"You're wrong, Rhonin." N'Zoth's voice was quite serious. "There is no hierarchy among us; we are equal partners."