High above, a magnanimous Naaru watched the farce unfolding below with amusement. This Naaru was no ordinary being; the distribution of the limited Holy Light in Azeroth was entirely at his command.
After the massacre in Silvermoon City, the countless High Elves devoured by Orcs, and the Tauren of Mulgore enslaved and nearly devoured by the Orcs, this Naaru considered whether to share some of the Power of the Holy Light with them, giving them the determination and strength to resist the Orcs tyranny.
"What a naive bunch! How could anyone believe such a basic lie?" The Naaru shook his head. With his intelligence and experience, he certainly wouldn't fall for it, but he quickly realized a problem:
"The Army of the Light has a strict hierarchy. Such an important matter must be reported to the Holy Light Headquarters and decided by the infinitely radiant High Naaru. I am merely a low-level Holy Light distributor stationed in Azeroth, just a tool. I have no right to decide such important matters. Otherwise, if I am investigated later, it will be my dereliction of duty, and I will easily be held accountable."
Naaru sighed silently. He could hardly fathom what ridiculous decisions those high-ranking High Naaru, so ignorant of the hardships of mortals and lacking in wisdom, would make. Out of duty, he had to report to the Holy Light Headquarters, a report that could only objectively state the situation, without even allowing for his own judgment.
A ripple-like halo emanated from his body, a unique means of communication for the Naaru. Perhaps as a provocation to Elune, or to uphold the dignity of the Army of the Light, the Naaru did not conceal it from Elune. Under Elune's watchful gaze, he transmitted the message to the Army of the Light, which was separated by countless star systems.
Many forces remained clear-headed regarding Robbie's lies.
Odyn in Hall of Valor slowly closed his eyes, no longer wishing to be involved.
Helya smirked, turned the ship around, and sailed back into the depths of the Helheim.
At the Tomb of Sargeras, creatures from the Void gathered, each offering their own perspectives on the matter.
"It's just a simple lie, born from the cunning mind of humans," a Void Creature asserted.
"Of course it's a lie. The gems the Scourge sold us showed signs of refining; they weren't raw gems at all. Humanity has told such a colossal lie, attempting to use us to destroy Archimonde —what wishful thinking!"
"But if we remain silent and act as if nothing has happened, it's easy for other factions to doubt our strength," a Void Creature said worriedly. "There are quite a few forces eyeing the Tomb of Sargeras, and we may face endless tests in the future, which is a troublesome matter."
"That's right. Although we know it's a lie, there are all sorts of fools in the universe. It's hard to guarantee that some stupid guys won't actually believe it. We must take the initiative to expose the lie, reveal the human conspiracy, and let the spying parties know that the Tomb of Sargeras still has enough power to not try to take over the avatar."
"Good idea! Capture Archimonde, dissect him, slice his body, and display the pieces; the rumors will be dispelled."
"But Archimonde is very powerful now. We are all clones here, and we are probably no match for him!"
The numerous Void Creatures in the Tomb of Sargeras chattered amongst themselves, discussing countermeasures, while their hostile gazes swept over Archimonde, making him even more irritable.
The commotion from Azeroth finally reached the Burning Legion's headquarters on Argus Planet. Upon learning of this, Kil'jaeden immediately contacted Archimonde's Adjutant, Mannoroth:
"Mannoroth, what happened to Archimonde? What's the story behind these rumors?"
As Archimonde's Adjutant, after Archimonde left the camp to travel alone to Nordrassil, the World Tree, Mannoroth was in charge of everything. He naturally overheard Robbie's lies:
Mannoroth widened his small eyes and discerned:
"Lord Kil'jaeden, I swear on my honor as Pit Lord, this is absolutely slander and a lie. I am Lord Archimonde's Adjutant, I have never left his side, and I know his daily routine well."
Kil'jaeden, his face showing displeasure, rebuked, "Don't insult my intelligence. Of course I know this is a lie, but I've received information that some powerful figures in the Army of the Light are stirring. Their target is the Azeroth, and terrifying creatures hidden deep within the Void are also casting their consciousness toward Azeroth."
Mannoroth was shocked to hear this; it was beyond his expectations. Were there really so many fools in the universe?
"You underestimate the power of rumors," Kil'jaeden said gravely.
"Every rumor-monger likes to add their own imagination and creativity. After being processed and mutated, rumors quickly become unrecognizable, turning simple lies into something incredible. Now there are all kinds of rumors out there."
Mannoroth was at a loss and hurriedly asked, "Lord Kil'jaeden, what should we do? Should we send more troops to protect Lord Archimonde?"
Kil'jaeden looked conflicted, seemingly struggling to make a decision, and after a long while, he finally said:
"The Burning Legion's strength is limited; it cannot contend with the entire universe. For now, we can only temporarily abandon Lord Archimonde and hope he can weather this crisis. Mannoroth, order the Legion's soldiers to retreat. This war to conquer Azeroth has failed."
"No, we cannot give up on Lord Archimonde like this."
Mannoroth shook his head vigorously. "Lord Archimonde Consecration everything for the Burning Legion. Wouldn't it be too heartless of us to abandon him at this crucial moment?"
Kil'jaeden glared fiercely at Mannoroth and roared, "Mannoroth, do you have a way to overcome this predicament? If you wish, stay in Azeroth and die with Archimonde."
Mannoroth lowered his head, he really had no better ideas, and wept bitterly:
"Lord Archimonde, I am so sorry. I am just a cowardly Imp, a Pit Lord who fears death. I will repay your kindness in the next life."
Nordrassil was filled with lightning and thunder, and was permeated with countless Fel and corrupting influences.
The Night Elves inside the fortress watched helplessly as their homeland crumbled, many shedding bitter tears.
To Fandral Staghelm's surprise, the Burning Legion slowly retreated back to their camp.
The Legion Engineers busily constructed a massive Portal, and squads of the Legion soldiers, lined up in neat rows, withdrew from the Azeroth.
What on earth is going on? Fandral Staghelm was completely baffled.
Malfurion didn't sound the Horn of Nordrassil, which infuriated Tyrande. She stopped casting her spell, and the Titans's shield above Nordrassil returned to its clear and transparent state.
The Burning Legion's retreat could not be kept secret from Archimonde.
Kil'jaeden!
Archimonde quickly realized that Archimonde and Kil'jaeden were old friends of tens of thousands of years, held similar positions in the Burning Legion, and were evenly matched in strength.
However, Archimonde has now gained the Corrupted Power of Elune, greatly increasing his strength. This has aroused Kil'jaeden's vigilance and suspicion, forcing him to consider his future.
"Kil'jaeden, when I return to Argus, I will make you pay for your decision today, I swear."
Just then, a familiar sigh rang in Archimonde's ears—the sigh of Elune.