Hellfire Citadel.
The sky was gloomy, the land was barren, and the air was filled with the sweet smell of blood and flesh. Hundreds of mangled Orcs corpses lay on the ground.
Kargath Bladefist, the legendary Orcs warlord and chieftain of the Shattered Hand Clan, now grovels on the ground, humbly submitting to the monster.
"Lord Illidan, you are a great hero, the Savior of Outland, you are our eternal master. I, Kargath Bladefist, chieftain of the Shattered Hand Clan, am willing to pledge my eternal allegiance to you."
In fact, not long ago, Kargath Bladefist had led his people to pledge allegiance to the Pit Lord Magtheridon in the same way.
For Orcs, who lack moral constraints, they are accustomed to submitting to the stronger.
The monster looked at the lowly Orcs with a faint sneer. He was in a hurry and didn't wait for Kael'thas and Vashj's troops to arrive. He stormed into Hellfire Citadel alone and slaughtered dozens of Orcs like cutting vegetables. The Orcs had already lost their will to fight.
Of course, the monster didn't stop there. After tearing apart hundreds of Orcs, Orcs scattered and fled without daring to resist, the monster got bored and stopped.
The monster accepted Kargath Bladefist's surrender with disdain, and Magtheridon's banner was lowered from Hellfire Citadel. The monster had not yet come up with a name for his army.
After a long while, Kael'thas and Vashj finally arrived at Hellfire Citadel, only to find there was nothing to do. The monsters looked down on Kargath Bladefist, but were very friendly to Kael'thas, who was their teacher, and spoke to him much more politely.
"After entering Outland, my longing for Tyrande has faded considerably." The monster revealed a hint of joy, then asked expressionlessly, "Kael'thas, do you have any plans for conquering Outland?"
Kael'thas, well-versed in military strategy and a master of rhetoric, immediately offered his advice:
"Outland's main enemy is the Burning Legion. We need to proceed cautiously, uniting the resistance forces of various Outland races to defeat the Evil Burning Legion. First, we'll advance into Zangarmarsh, using its climate to establish a logistical supply base. Then, we'll attack Blade's Edge Mountains, where powerful Gronn reside; we can subdue them and make them serve us. Next, we'll advance into Netherstorm, using Netherstorm magic to strengthen our army, forging armor, weapons, siege equipment, and so on. Then, we can face Magtheridon of the Black Temple in a decisive battle."
"Too slow, too slow." The monster shook its head repeatedly. "I need to quickly build a powerful army. We must conquer the Black Temple as soon as possible. The Black Temple has rifts to the Void, which can summon endless Demons from the Void to serve me."
Kael'thas frowned upon hearing this. A rapid advance would mean heavy casualties, and the Blood Elves and Naga forces were allies of Illidan, not his subordinates.
The monster saw through Kael'thas's concerns and chuckled:
"Kael'thas, don't worry. I've said it before, I will conquer Outland. Your task is to help me hold off Maiev's Watchers. Apart from Shadowmoon Valley, where the Black Temple is located, whoever conquers this land will own it. I will not interfere."
Kael'thas was finally relieved, thinking to himself that this was fair enough. The monster stood up and said, "Gentlemen, please come with me, and I'll show you my skills."
In the plaza of Hellfire Citadel, the monster drew Magic Circle on the ground and then began casting a spell.
Suddenly, the sky cracked open, revealing a pitch-black rift that seemed to lead to a terrifying Void. A giant white eye appeared, gazing down at the land below. Seemingly uninterested, it slowly moved away.
All the Orcs were terrified and prostrated themselves on the ground. Even Kael'thas and Vashj felt their bodies tremble. The monster didn't care and continued to draw energy from the Void.
A Dark Green ball of light appeared, quickly transforming into a sphere about three meters in diameter, containing powerful Fel. The monster ceased its spellcasting and looked at the subjugated Orcs, saying:
"The Pit Lord Mannoroth once gave you his blood, but you have no idea that Pit Lords feed on Fel. They have no excretory organs. The so-called blood of Mannoroth is just the Pit Lord's discarded blood, equivalent to the Pit Lord's excrement and urine."
These words caused an uproar in Hellfire Citadel, and the Orcs felt a deep sense of shame.
"Now, I bestow upon you true power, granting you unparalleled purity of Fel. You will be stronger than the soldiers of the Burning Legion, and you will become the masters of this world. Fight for me, Fel Orcs."
Countless thin green lines extended from within the ball of light, connecting to every Orcs inside Hellfire Citadel. Infused with Fel, the Orcs' bodies swelled continuously, their eyes turned blood red, and they let out deafening roars.
Many Orcs died from their bodies exploding due to the infusion, while Orcs became weak and feeble afterward. However, a considerable number of Orcs successfully gained power, becoming dozens of times stronger than before, and stood loyally behind the monster.
Vashj grabbed Kael'thas's shoulder and whispered, "The Queen once told us that power easily obtained always comes at a terrible price."
Kael'thas nodded and said cautiously:
"These Orcs have lost their minds and become mere tools of combat. I suspect their lifespans have been severely affected; they probably won't live much longer."
Kargath Bladefist was an exception, receiving only a small amount of Fel infusion, within his tolerance range; clearly, the monster had other uses for him.
Although the two were careful enough, the monster still overheard them. The monster didn't care and explained with a smile, "Orcs have terrible talent. If it were Night Elf or Blood Elf, even if they had transformed into Demons like me, they wouldn't lose their minds. As long as they have enough Fel, they could live forever."
After saying that, she looked at Vashj carefully again, shook her head and said, "The Naga come from the broken bodies of Night Elves. You are inherently incomplete. Although you have undergone ten thousand years of evolution and received N'Zoth's help, you are still somewhat lacking."
Vashj frowned deeply. This "Illidan" was terrifying; he had seen through everything with ease.
Afterwards, the monster assigned Kargath to Guards Hellfire Citadel to ensure the Dark Portal remained open, and also taught Kael'thas and Vashj a simple spell.
This magic can make armor stick to ice shards or dust, making it incredibly heavy, specifically designed to counter the Watchers's thick armor.
With everything prepared, the monster looted all the weapons, armor, and rations from Hellfire Citadel, then led the Fel Orcs Legion away towards Shadowmoon Valley, leaving Kael'thas and Vashj behind. The two looked at each other, unsure of what to do next.
You must understand that the two of you hastily led your armies into the Outland, lacking weapons and armor, logistical supplies, and personal strength as formidable as Illidan's. To fight in such a desolate world is tantamount to sending yourselves to your deaths.
"Kael'thas, we must be careful. Based on our interactions these past few days, I don't trust Illidan," Vashj said, her expression showing concern.
Kael'thas scratched his head and said worriedly, "Yes, I have the same feeling. He's using us to do things for him, that's why he's being so friendly. If we don't keep our promise, I'm afraid... I really will regret it."
"Don't worry, you two." A familiar voice rang out.
Kael'thas immediately exclaimed with delight, "Someone I can trust has arrived!"