Hellfire Citadel

The first step of the plan was very simple: head straight for the Dark Portal. During this process, Doomguard wielding Greatsword emerged from within the Dark Portal. Nathanos commanded everyone to Charge, and Meryl used magic to eliminate the demons blocking their path. The Witherer knocked down a shouting attacker and was the first to reach the Dark Portal. He felt a strange excitement; without considering whether it was safe, he rushed inside.

A chilling pull swept over him, like a powerful current dragging him along. Nathanos's body was already cold, and he felt no cold, but now, the biting chill made him shiver uncontrollably. The Witherer gritted his teeth and pressed on... In that instant, darkness, starlight, and all sorts of strange colors blurred before his eyes. Then, the abstract images in his vision gradually materialized, and warm air rushed towards his deathly body.

Night fell... yet the sky was bright. Nathanos unconsciously raised a hand to rub his eyes. Now he was certain that if the Dark Portal to Azeroth was hastily completed, this Dark Portal before him was clearly meticulously crafted by the Orcs. Two colossal hooded stone statues towered on either side of him, and the steps in front of him, stacked high, were as tall as a small mountain. Two pillars with flames atop them stood guard on the path before him.

"I believe Turalyon was just as shocked as you were back then," Meryl's voice came from behind, his magic flashing past Nathanos and striking a demon that had just climbed up. "Now is not the time to be dazed."

The mage reminded him, Nathanos turned around to look. Apart from Xirezege, who was still panting heavily, everyone else was ready.

"Let's leave here first, and decide where to go after it gets light!"

The red, barren, cracked plain stretching before them was all too familiar, for it looked exactly like the Blasted Lands. Xirezege gazed into the distance, watching the parched earth crack open. Flames leaped upwards from within. The Orcs couldn't believe that this was the scene that greeted them at dawn. The sky was cloudless, even the stars were visible in broad daylight, and in the distance, floating islands seemed to be pulled into the air by some unknown force. Although Xirezege had told Nathanos before his mission that Tanaan Jungle was no longer a forest but a wasteland, he never imagined it would turn out like this; the situation was a hundred times worse than he remembered. The Orcs began to fear punishment from the Witherer. He turned back and saw the man's gaze drawn to the sky. It was red, a deep, blood-red. The sun beat down fiercely on the earth, radiating scorching heat.

"Nathanos." Meryl, now a raven, flew to the Witherer. After reverting to human form, he wore an indescribable expression, indicating that the situation was not optimistic. "I've investigated this region, and I have a feeling that this world was torn apart into what it is now by powerful magic."

"Tearing a planet apart? It's a miracle that creatures could survive under such powerful magic," Nathanos exclaimed, grabbing a handful of soil and releasing it as the red Shali fell vertically. "No wind now? This world is much worse than Azeroth."

Meryl crossed his arms. He wasn't as pessimistic as Nathanos, but he was well aware of the seriousness of the situation. "It's only here. If it were elsewhere, such as Shadowmoon Valley or Nagrand, the situation might be different."

"What did you see in the sky?" The Witherer asked.

"I found two fortresses not far ahead. One of the fortresses is flying the original Alliance flag and is garrisoned by humans and Dwarf. It must be Turalyon's Alliance Expedition."

"Turalyon?" Nathanos said in surprise, and asked urgently, "Have you seen him in person?"

The mage shook his head. "No, I observed for a while and even used magic to spy on the entire fortress, but I didn't find a single Paladin with sufficient seniority. The one leading that force now is an old Warrior."

"Is he human?"

Meryl nodded.

"That must be Danas Thoradin. I didn't expect them to still be alive." Nathanos scoffed. "Then... what about the other fortress?"

"It is located several kilometers away from the human fortress, built in a canyon, with sturdy walls and several towers, and is much more magnificent than the human fortress."

"That must be Hellfire Citadel!" Xirezege shouted, excitedly walking over, raising his hands high, and proudly introducing, "That's Orcs military fortress. To build it, almost all the stone in Draenor was quarried away. My fellow orcs must live inside, right, wizard?"

Meryl frowned and said slowly, "There are indeed many Orcs living in there, but they are probably no longer your kin." The mage sighed, "The Orcs there are as red as this land, and their bodies are covered with bloody blisters. When I approached the fortress, I smelled the stench of demons."

"This... is impossible."

"You mean those Orcs drank Demon Blood?"

Xie Feng nodded to Nathanos, adding, "Not only that, I sensed a powerful force beneath Hellfire Citadel, demonic power, which should be hiding some demon lord."

"Who is leading this force?" Xirezege looked at Meryl with sadness, hoping the mage wasn't telling the truth.

"I don't know about that, but I saw some Orcs cut off their own hands and replaced them with weapons. It was very cruel."

The mage finished speaking, Xirezege roared at the sky, rage burning in his eyes. "It's the Shattered Hand Clan! They... they actually chose to fall! How could they..."

"It seems we need to understand this world before we act," Nathanos interrupted the Orcs, giving Xirezege time to calm down. Once the latter had composed himself, the Witherer said, "We can't stay here. We need to find a suitable place to build a camp." He looked at the Orcs, "Xirezege, can you take us to Nagrand first? You've mentioned that Nagrand is spring-like all year round."

"I remember," Xirezege swallowed, "But Hellfire Citadel ..."

"I can't help you." Nathanos's decisive attitude was astonishing. He watched as confusion and bewilderment appeared on Xirezege's face. "The Forsaken cannot breach that fortress, but I believe that once the Alliance and the Horde enter this world, they may be able to deal with those corrupted Orcs."