Burning Legion

Demons, evil creatures born of the Twisting Nether, had been constantly invading the Dark Void ever since their emergence. As the warrior sent by the Pantheon to purge this scum, Sargeras could not have been more familiar with these chaotic creatures.

Now, having completed his own "transformation," Sargeras gazed coldly ahead. That region was the prison he had shattered—the Exile Plane, Mardum.

As he broke the prison, he also shattered the boundary between the Dark Void and the Twisting Nether. The realm Vanidak had called impenetrable had now been torn open. A gaping maw wreathed in emerald flames ripped through the fabric of reality. It would become a scar that endured through the ages, and it was also proof of Sargeras's madness.

Countless demons of every size and color streamed through the rift into the material universe after the explosion. After being hunted by the Pantheon for endless ages, this was the first time they could enter the Dark Void so freely and vent their desire for destruction.

The demons let out triumphant howls, as though cheering for their newfound freedom. Yet their delight did not last long before a familiar figure descended before them.

Sargeras had already gained a deep understanding of the Twisting Nether and the Fel magic within it. He offered the demons before him a proposition: he could grant these chaotic creatures even greater power.

The demons' obsession with power was beyond imagination. Before Sargeras could even name the price he wanted, those twisted creations howled their agreement.

Sargeras bestowed his power upon those greedy demons, uniting them within the infernal purgatory of Fel magic. Using his knowledge, he granted them the purest Fel power. Though many demons had long been exposed to the unstable energies of the Twisting Nether, they had never experienced the baptism of pure power and wrath radiating from Sargeras's Fel magic. Some demonic creatures grew tall and immense, while others became increasingly cunning and intelligent.

By then, having bestowed his power upon the demons, Sargeras had gained a deeper understanding of their nature—including how to utterly destroy their souls.

Watching the empowered demons roar with excitement, Sargeras spoke. In his deep, hoarse voice, he stated his demand:

"Submit, or perish!"

Sargeras's demand was simple: obey him, or be annihilated forever.

Having accepted the gift of power, the demons naturally dared not defy the Fallen Titan of such immense strength. One after another, they knelt and pledged their loyalty.

At last, the force Sargeras required—the Burning Legion—had been formed. The stars would be purified in the flames they unleashed, or so Sargeras believed. He remained unwavering in his original conviction: to prevent the Void Lords from controlling all things, he had to eradicate all life completely.

In some remote corner of the Dark Void, the many Titans of the Pantheon gathered once more.

The Titans were unusually weary. Not long ago, they had been attacked by servants of the Void Lords. Though those lesser servants lacked the power to inflict any real harm upon the Titans, the vast army formed from life corrupted across countless worlds had caused them no small amount of trouble. Even their mighty Titan bodies were now exhausted.

After fighting for so long, Vanidak was also resting nearby in slight fatigue. He continuously spun and played with the hand axe Khaz'goroth had recently forged for him, his brows tightly furrowed as though pondering something.

"Vanidak, how is that axe? I carefully forged it from the precious materials you provided. Its power is impressive, isn't it?" Seeing Vanidak frowning nearby, Khaz'goroth stepped over and asked.

"Hm? Oh, Khaz'goroth. Of course the weapons you make are excellent. I like it very much." Vanidak only then realized someone was speaking to him and replied distractedly.

"My brother, though perhaps I should not say it, I think those strange bladed bracers you used before suited your style better. But... well... after using the axe, you've clearly become a different person. Like... like a..."

"Berserker?"

"Yes, exactly, like a berserker!" Khaz'goroth slapped his thigh and continued, "Your fighting style changed too quickly. It's completely different from the way you used to kill!"

"Well, thank you for the praise, my brother. I'll take that as a compliment." Vanidak was still answering absentmindedly.

"Hey, Vanidak, what has been wrong with you lately? Even we can tell something is weighing on your mind. Is it still because of those Naaru we encountered last time? Those children of the Holy Light are not evil creatures. I do not think you should be troubled over that." Golganneth joined the conversation and spoke to Vanidak with concern.

"Uh... fine, just do not mention those glowing puzzle pieces. I said that if I see them again, I'll smash those bastards into scraps." Vanidak froze for a moment before speaking angrily.

"Why is that? You really have seemed off lately. Even those toys you always took out to study have not been seen for a long time. What exactly is troubling you, Vanidak? Do you need me to heal you?" Eonar interjected from the side.

"No, Eonar, my goddess, please do not heal me. I know how you treat me. I do not want to be physically sent on to the next life one day. What, you do not understand what that means this time? That's for the best..."

"Bang!"

"Vanidak, caring about you does not mean you can insult me in different ways. Even if I do not understand it, I can still... uh... physically send you on to the next life!" Eonar casually swung her staff down and knocked Vanidak to the ground.

"Fine, fine. What a nuisance. You lot—ever since Aggramar went off alone to pursue demons, have you had no one else to amuse yourselves with? So you have all turned your attention to me!" Vanidak clutched his head as he slowly climbed up and looked at his brothers around him.

"To be precise, yes." That was clearly Norgannon.

"Pfft."

"Ha ha ha!"

The many Titans burst into laughter. The intense battle from before had left their minds taut with strain, but after that remark, they gradually began to relax without realizing it.

"All right, all right, my brothers. Let us not treat Vanidak this way." Aman'Thul, also smiling, stopped his brothers' good-natured teasing at the right moment and said, "Vanidak, my brother, ever since our conversation last time, you have often seemed worried about something. If you can, would you tell us about it?"

Hearing Aman'Thul's question, Vanidak pondered for a moment. He looked at the brothers around him before speaking. "All right. It is indeed my problem. I should not have hidden it from you and tried to solve it myself."

"When I was speaking with Aman'Thul last time, I sensed an abnormal spatial fluctuation. It left me uneasy. It felt as though somewhere had ruptured. I feel that some evil creatures are invading the Dark Void. That is why I have been worried all day."

"But I mentioned last time that I did not sense anything then," Aman'Thul replied.

"Yes, but perhaps because I am more sensitive to space, I truly felt it." Vanidak spoke slowly, as though making up his mind, then solemnly addressed Aman'Thul. "Aman'Thul, I request permission to investigate what exactly happened. Otherwise, my heart will not be at peace!"

"But, Vanidak, would it not be somewhat unsafe for you to travel through the Dark Void alone?" Aman'Thul asked with concern.

"Relax, relax. Nothing capable of killing me has appeared in this Dark Void yet!" Vanidak declared proudly.

Seeing that Aman'Thul was still somewhat hesitant, Vanidak was about to say something else when Norgannon stepped forward and spoke.

"King of Gods, I think we should trust Vanidak this time. Our long years of fighting side by side have shown that although this fellow is often unreliable, he is quite sensitive when it comes to certain crucial decisions. If what Vanidak says is true, then I believe it is necessary to investigate!"

"Hmm... is that so? Then..." Aman'Thul lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked at Vanidak and gave his order. "Then, Vanidak, go investigate. If such a threat truly exists, we cannot simply stand by. Remember to stay in contact at all times!"

"No problem, Aman'Thul. You all should watch out as well. I'll be going first!" Having received his orders, Vanidak grinned and vanished from the spot after several spatial jumps.

"That fellow... he is not trying to sneak off, is he?" Khaz'goroth asked suspiciously as he watched Vanidak's figure disappear so quickly.

"Who knows? That is not impossible." Norgannon shrugged helplessly.

"All right, regardless of what Vanidak truly intends to do, we must continue onward."

"Let us depart, my brothers and sisters!"

Aggramar, a Titan of the Pantheon, had set out once more on his journey after successfully saving the world of Azeroth. After fighting through who knew how many ages, this warrior of the Pantheon tasked with pursuing demons discovered a unique world.

On this world, besides the four elements that existed everywhere, Aggramar was astonished to discover a fifth element—Spirit of Life, or rather, souls.

This unique quality had resulted in creatures of countless forms and vastly different sizes roaming across this young planet. The land's strongest predators did not rely on fangs and claws, but on roots and thorns.

Seeing this chaotic world, Aggramar naturally thought of the Azeroth he had seen not long before. With a wave of his hand, he combined the energies of fire, air, earth, and water to create a being.

He named his creation Grond and had it organize and guard Draenor in his stead.

From the Astral Realm, Aggramar watched his creation constantly battle the world's native chaotic creatures, gradually amassing power until it was about to launch an expedition. Aggramar felt great joy, for he could bring life and order to another world.

But at that moment, he sensed a faint fluctuation of energy within the Twisting Nether, and he was very familiar with its source.

It was the death cry of a Constellar.