Attack and Changes

The demon army began its assault, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

Krasus and Illidan joined forces to slay the Burning Legion's vanguard commander: Hakkar the Houndmaster. But the Night Elf resistance immediately faced an even stronger and more terrifying opponent: Mannoroth the Destroyer.

This Abyssal Lord stood over ten meters tall. His massive body did not slow him in the slightest as his four hooves thundered across the ground. He gripped an equally enormous double-headed spear in both hands, his two short wings folded behind his back. A pair of long demon horns grew from his ferocious head, and green Fel Fire burned all over his body.

The Night Elf army was immediately plunged into a bitter struggle, suffering heavy casualties. However, reinforcements from Suramar City arrived in time and joined the battle.

The Highborne mages possessed powerful, wide-ranging magic. Before the endless Felguards, Hellhounds, and Infernal creatures descending from the sky could reach the elven army, they were blocked and then destroyed by the mages' spells. The Highborne's terrible reputation also gradually began to improve among the Night Elves.

Krasus sat on a boulder to rest. Another battle had ended. Demon and elf corpses carpeted the ground, a foul stench filled the air, and the Fel Fire was gradually dying out.

Illidan came over from somewhere unknown, bowed to Krasus, and climbed onto the boulder as well. "Master, these demons seem endless. We must advance faster and break into the capital to destroy the portal before we can have any hope of victory."

Krasus nodded and looked toward the Highborne mages burning corpses in the distance. "Yes, and not only that. We must unite every force we can: Tauren, furbolgs, dwarves, and so on."

"I agree with you. Things are now changing in the direction you envisioned. Ever since Lord Ravencrest died in battle... ah, no offense, but that newly appointed Garrond Shadowsong seems to have a greater talent for command. He is also actively reaching out to those other races." Illidan also looked toward the Highborne mages. "I am glad that most of the Highborne stand with us. Their magic is truly mesmerizing."

"But Forest Demigod Cenarius and the druids do not seem to welcome them."

"Hmph, Lord Demigod... and my brother, who is wholly devoted to studying the Druidic Path, will never understand the power of magic. Gentle nature cannot save Azeroth, nor can it save Kalimdor! I simply do not understand why Tyrande prefers my brother instead of me! Ah, Master, I spoke out of turn."

Krasus smiled and waved a hand to show that he did not mind. "What concerns me more is..." His gaze fixed on a female elf approaching from afar. She wore a silver-white runic robe, with a purple crystal embedded in each shoulder guard. Orbs of energy formed from three different colors floated around her shoulders. She held an ornate two-meter staff, and an eye made of magic gleamed at its tip, blinking from time to time.

"Why would Suramar City's master allow her to come and lead the Highborne mage forces? As far as I know, Archmage Elisande is now that man's forbidden treasure."

"Master Krasus, you are resting here." Elisande walked over. After that eavesdropping incident, she knew that Krasus before her was a disguised red dragon, and that he came from the future. Thus, she held him in great respect.

"Please give my regards to the Divine Emissary, Archmage Elisande. I must admit, I am surprised that the Divine Emissary was willing to let you command on the front lines."

"War has always been the best way to improve, has it not?" Elisande said with a blink.

"Your magical skill is astounding. Aside from Master Krasus and Master Rhonin, I cannot think of anyone better than you." Illidan spoke up. This young and hot-blooded Night Elf had a comparatively simple mind. He longed for magic, for powerful and destructive strength. That was also the main reason he had never been able to settle down and study the gentle, slow Way of Nature.

Yet Illidan had a good heart. He was willing to give everything for power in order to save his people. He was wholly a tragic hero. Krasus and Rhonin, who came from the future, understood this deeply. In that future era, they knew exactly what kind of figure Illidan would become.

Elisande smiled and nodded at Illidan with her breathtakingly beautiful face. "You are talented as well. I can feel it. If Master Krasus is willing to take you as his apprentice, I think another Archmage will be born before long."

Illidan's face filled with excitement. The praise and recognition of an Archmage made him extremely happy.

Krasus, meanwhile, kept glancing at the magical eye constantly turning and blinking at the top of Elisande's staff. The eye also looked back at him, its gaze meaningful.

"Yes. May we achieve final victory under the guidance of the Creator God." Krasus slowly rose, then bowed to Elisande and walked toward the Night Elf camp. Yet Illidan always felt that Master Krasus had not bowed to Elisande, but to the Eye of Magic floating above her staff.

The situation grew increasingly deadlocked, and deadlock meant defeat. The Night Elf resistance understood this clearly. Every day they delayed, countless new demons would cross the portal and arrive on the Kalimdor Continent.

Not long ago, the five Dragon Aspects had offered up part of their essence and jointly created an artifact—the Dragon Soul.

This artifact possessed immense power and terrifying destructive force. The Dragon Aspects had agreed with the Night Elves that, when attacking the capital Eldarath, they would use the Dragon Soul to strike the portal with all their strength and destroy it. But before then, the Dragon Soul would be kept by the strongest dragon in combat, Earth-Warder Neltharion.

However, Krasus and Rhonin were deeply worried. They knew history well. Earth-Warder Neltharion had been corrupted by the four Old Gods sealed deep beneath Azeroth, gradually descending into madness. In the end, he would seize the Dragon Soul for himself, then attack and slaughter the other Dragon Aspects. In the future, he would be known as Deathwing.

Thus, hoping to stop all this, Krasus sent the human mage Rhonin, the orc warrior Brox, and the druid Malfurion to Neltharion's lair to steal the Dragon Soul.

Before that, Illidan disappeared. Neither his friends nor his brother Malfurion knew where he had gone. Only Krasus and Rhonin sighed. What was meant to happen had happened after all.

Illidan went to the capital, Eldarath. He wanted to meet the Dark Titan Sargeras and gain greater power to protect his people.

Everything he did was extreme and irrational, and no one could understand him. Instead, they believed he had willingly fallen into corruption and become a demon. But in Krasus's eyes, Illidan was merely a complex and tragic man who persisted on his own path without being understood by his people.

By now, Illidan had likely met Sargeras and received his gift—a pair of eyes formed from Fel Fire. The first Demon Hunter had been born. His first mission was to find Earth-Warder Neltharion and seize the artifact, the Dragon Soul.

In Suramar City, Hu Feng also sensed a disturbance. He was very familiar with it: it was a spiritual ripple from an Old God. Do not forget that he had two Old Gods under his command, both brainwashed by him and now serving him.

Hu Feng immediately made his decision and set out to find the source of that ripple. He was unwilling to kill Old Gods now. He possessed the ability to command the power of the Void; as long as he weakened an Old God enough, he could seize the chance to brainwash and imprint it, turning it into a completely loyal subordinate.

After a brief flurry of activity in Suramar City, Hu Feng led a large force of mages out of the city. Quite a few Faceless Ones were mixed among them as they headed toward Highmountain.

Poor Neltharion had no idea that forces from every side were already converging on Highmountain. Two groups had come for the artifact that had obsessed him, while the third had set its sights directly on him.

On the main battlefield, Night Elf resistance commander Garrond Shadowsong had successfully united dwarves, furbolgs, Tauren, and many other races. The Moon Priestesses of the Temple of the Moon and the mages of Suramar City had also gathered under his command. Most encouraging of all, Forest Demigod Cenarius had summoned the other demigods to serve under Garrond's command. The allied army had never been stronger, and morale had reached its peak. Plans for a counterattack on the capital had been placed on the agenda.

Meanwhile, the capital Eldarath welcomed a new commander.

The capital was now a hell of ruins and devastation. Only the imperial palace remained incomparably magnificent. The waters of the Well of Eternity churned without cease, while a massive dark-green portal engulfed in Fel Fire floated above it. Mannoroth the Destroyer knelt on the ground, devoutly awaiting his master.

"Kneel! You insects! Welcome the arm of the gods, the Burning Legion's supreme commander, Lord Archimonde the Defiler!"

A massive figure stepped through the portal. His skin was blue, and only a few pieces of golden armor covered his body. The flames in his eyes burned with savage fury, while his tentacle-like beard swayed slightly. He was Archimonde the Defiler, supreme commander of the Burning Legion, High Lord of the Eredar. Countless worlds had become seas of fire beneath his feet, all to please their god, the Dark Titan Sargeras.

"You have disappointed me, Mannoroth. This insignificant world is still struggling on even now! The god is extremely displeased!"

The berserk Mannoroth was now like an obedient puppy, kneeling before Archimonde with his head lowered, as if awaiting punishment for his sins.

Archimonde cast him a cold glance, then snorted. Mannoroth was one of his direct subordinates, and he did not intend to punish him just yet. The Burning Legion was jointly managed by Archimonde and another Eredar High Lord of his own race, Kil'jaeden the Deceiver. The two divided power equally.

The Dark Titan, however, was indifferent to this. As long as the Legion continued destroying world after world, petty matters like fighting over power could be ignored.

"Soon, I will personally deal with those insects who dare resist, then offer this world to our master!"

Dath'Remar Sunstrider, leader of the Highborne in the capital Eldarath, stood on a palace balcony, glaring down at Archimonde with hatred written across his face.

At the very top of the palace, a languid and beautiful figure was also looking down. Queen Azshara had completely sunk into her inescapable fantasy. As long as she could become the god's wife, even if all her people died, that would be acceptable.

After all, she was the Light of Lights, the queen of Thousand Moon Light.

Her people sacrificed themselves for her glory. That was their honor, was it not?