The First Fragment

"So you're the one Father sent?" Grom'tor, Orunok's eldest son, a Warrior wielding a shield and a one-handed axe, was, in his father's words, quite Recklessness. Nathanos wasn't too surprised; such was the nature of young Warrior. But when he actually met this Orcs, he realized Orunok's assessment of his son was far too biased.

Grom'tor wasn't Recklessness, but rather naive. He simply saw the token in the stranger's hand and immediately began telling him about his progress, rendering the Witherer's carefully prepared diplomatic rhetoric useless. His actions also truly impressed Nathanos. Orunok had sent him to the Kuskar Naga camp to find the first fragment of the code, and the Orcs's plan was simple: Naga the camp, capture an unfortunate soul, drag him to an inconspicuous spot, and beat Naga until he was bruised and battered before finally obtaining a clue.

The code was placed in an iron box, which was then scattered throughout the Naga camp, making it impossible to determine which box contained the fragment. To make matters worse, each box was locked, and the keys were distributed among the Naga soldiers.

After hearing all this, Nathanos stared at the sea serpent covered in bruises. "So, we can't secretly attack too many Naga soldiers, otherwise it will easily arouse the Naga's suspicion."

"Yes." Grom'tor glared fiercely at the Naga prisoner. The man's initial disdain had completely turned into fear. "This is the place I haven't acted on. I've been observing for days, and I haven't seen any Naga soldiers take any fragments out of any box."

Nathanos nodded slowly, wondering how Grom'tor had managed to control his impulses and not directly confront the Naga in the Kuska camp. But this was for the best; at least it proved he wasn't a fool.

"Randomly placed in some box? That's interesting."

"Friend, do you have any ideas?"

Nathanos pondered for a moment, looking at the eroded land of Shadowmoon Valley, and an idea came to him. "Who is the leader of the Kuskar Naga?"

"A witch named Sessna, she was the captain of the Kuska forces."

"Is she at the camp now?" Nathanos pressed.

"Of course, but Illidan will send her to the Shadowmoon Temple soon."

The Witherer chuckled. "That makes things easier. Let's put on a fireworks display to send off this Lady Sessna."

A green crystal used for communication hangs on a high platform in the center of the Kuska camp, which is richly decorated and has a touch of elegance, unlike other parts of the camp, which are covered in dust and scales that the Naga have shed as they walk.

Kusca Sesno waited bowing beneath the crystal. A moment later, a pair of eyes burning with intense flames appeared within it. Sesno bowed respectfully; in the entire Outland, even Queen Fasci of the Coilfang Clan could not command such humility from her.

"Listen to your wisdom, Master."

"How are the preparations going?" the eyes in the crystal asked.

Sessna felt frustrated because the other person hadn't even said her name.

"As you instructed, the most elite Kuska have been assembled."

Are they absolutely loyal?

"Yes." She was momentarily angry, but quickly suppressed it. "Their loyalty to you surpasses that of Ms. Fashki."

"Then come to the Shadowmoon Temple immediately, don't delay any longer."

"Yes."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a red light suddenly illuminated the camp. This was followed by a deafening explosion, and then large chunks of wood and tile were blasted into the air, falling in disarray, along with the haphazard remains of Naga corpses.

"What's going on?" The voice from the crystal seemed furious.

Sessna didn't know either. She looked back and saw explosions happening all over the camp. The Naga witch's first thought was: enemy attack.

"They might be enemies, Lord Illidan."

"The enemy? Here?" Crystal exclaimed incredulously. "Quickly check the fragments of the Curse Cipher; there can be no mistakes."

Nathanos hid in the shadows, observing the Naga camp. The distant flames flickered in his eyes, and the horrific scene he had created was fully visible.

Many buildings are burning fiercely. Sessna's men were either killed on the spot by the explosion, or accidentally burned to a crisp by the flames. Others are hiding in various places, fearing that the next explosion will happen next to them.

That moment was truly magnificent: the fireball from the explosion suddenly rose, like a sunrise leaping out of the sea.

That was precisely his intention. Only by making the place dangerous enough could he make the Naga worry about the safety of the cipher fragments. As for Sessna, although Illidan placed such an important item casually, it didn't mean he didn't care; she would definitely check to see if it was safe. And Nathanos took advantage of this.

Screams and alarm bells rang throughout the camp, and panic spread like wildfire.

The explosions are not over yet...

"Ancestors above!" Grom'tor felt breathless—the air was thick with choking smoke, stinging his eyes. He had seen fires before, but never one like this. It looked as if someone had thrown the whole world into a fiery pit.

The Naga camp was littered with the ruins of buildings, still emitting wisps of smoke. Houses were crackling and collapsing one after another amidst the flames.

"How much explosives did you plant?"

"I don't know either." Nathanos shrugged, completely unconcerned and aloof. "I just did my best."

"This explosion won't kill all the Naga, and we still don't know where the fragments are." The Orcs muttered, covering his mouth and nose with his hand. He was puzzled as to how Nathanos could tolerate the smell of burning smoke.

Doesn't this guy breathe?

"Orcs, listen up," Nathanos said. "Sessna should be heading towards the chest containing the fragments of the Curse Cipher. All you need to do is find her and take the chest. I'll provide cover from higher ground with my bow and arrows. Remember, it's best to avoid any conflict with the Naga. If you get caught, it's all over."

Gromt's face was covered in ash and had lost all color. He nodded laboriously. He coughed up a mouthful of thick, black phlegm; the thick smoke from the camp was almost making his lungs blister. The Orcs stammered, "Are you a good archer? There's smoke everywhere; can you even see anything?"

Nathanos pulled up his hood, completely concealing his face in black, so much so that even the flames from the explosion couldn't illuminate it.

"If you keep dawdling like this, we're going to miss a great opportunity."

"I hope you're right." The Orcs, having timed his move perfectly, blended into the chaos.