The Second and Third Fragments (Protagonist's Account)

The last time I faced demons was in Auchindoun, but those were just a few small fry. Now, I'm facing an astonishingly large army of demons. I've already got the first fragment of the Curse Cipher. Grom'tor almost messed it up; that guy actually rushed at the fragment box after seeing Sessna find it and tried to snatch it. If I hadn't covered his escape... ugh (gritting teeth). I really hope Orunok's other two sons are a bit less of a worry.

Grom'tor wanted to come with me to find his brother and bring back the second fragment. I tried to remain calm and sent him to deliver the first fragment to Orunok.

Finally, I'm all alone again... This feels really good.

The second fragment is hidden inside the demon camp Illidari Outpost. My "ally" is Orunok's second son, Atol, a hunter, and that alone should give me hope that we can communicate without difficulty. And indeed, he should be wiser than his brother, but his situation is dire.

I found Atol deep within the Illidari Outpost —or rather, I found his soul. Atol had been captured and tortured beyond measure; his soul was severed from his body, bound in mid-air by four Fel Crystal. My first act was to release the Orcs's soul, which had found the key in the hands of a Demon Lord. But it was too late. Atol's soul was severely wounded and could no longer return to his body.

"This is fate, my friend," Atol's soul said to me. "My soul has never stopped fighting. I must retrieve the second piece of the Curse Cipher. If you are willing to lend a hand, you can help me achieve this unfulfilled wish."

I wanted to answer that everything I did wasn't for his mission, but faced with a dying man, I still said I would help him.

Everything was ready. A monster Veneratus was lurking near the altar south of Illidari Outpost. Atol tore a fragment from his own soul and gave it to me. He said that once Veneratus appeared within the fragment's tracking range, the soul hunter within the fragment would appear and force the demon to reveal itself.

All I have to do is kill that demon. I don't know what other monsters the Burning Legion has that I haven't seen, and I've wondered what Veneratus looks like, but when I actually saw him, I still felt a bit nauseous. This guy from head to toe...

... No, it had no feet, only a head, a mouth full of sharp teeth, three pairs of eyes, and worm-like tentacles beneath its head. Veneratus flew through the air, and from the moment it appeared, I wondered why Illidan would entrust the fragment to it?

But that doesn't matter anymore. Since even the Betrayer do this, I'll gladly accept it.

Desecrator Rul? Orunok's youngest son, Burak, said that Illidan Stormrage had discovered someone was stealing the Curse Cipher, and he used the Demon Face Crystal to send a message to the Blood Elf to move the last fragment. The person who carried out this task was named Ruel.

This name sounds so stupid, it doesn't sound like Elf at all.

I Dragonmaw Fortress Keep, Burak the Elf would appear there, but after several hours, I didn't see a single Elf except for the Void Dragon that filled the sky.

Anyone else would have given up long ago, but I'm different because I have a mission to fulfill. We've reached the final stage, and I have to persevere.

The night was drawing to a close, and the prey finally arrived. He appeared in my sight without warning (because he rode Void Dragon). I drew my bow, ready to shoot him in the head. There was no need for that; my target was the cipher fragment, not him.

Looks like I've got some work to do!

My first attack was blocked; the Void Dragon's hearing was incredibly sharp. Just as my arrow was about to reach Ruel's brow, the beast actually raised its head to shield its master from the arrow.

Ruel jumped down from the Void Dragon's corpse, his expression unchanged. He showed no fear, no anger, not even a hint of surprise. Even with an arrow pointed at him, he remained unmoved.

Illidan has finally found a reliable guy!

I raised my bow and aimed, eager to shoot immediately, but why did Ruel show no sign of resistance?

He should have rushed over and attacked me earlier.

"To be honest, you shouldn't have listened to that Orcs's information." I knew it the moment he said it, but I wanted to confirm it again.

Who are you talking about?

"Burak, Orunok's youngest son." Ruel glanced at his Void Dragon, a hint of regret in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

He mentioned Orunok and his son, meaning Illidan already knew.

I am very confused and skeptical.

"Then who am I?"

He looked me up and down and said, "I don't know. I'm just here on my master's orders to lure you out."

"So this was all part of the plan?" I said, but I didn't believe it at all, while this idiot in front of me confidently nodded. During the several hours of waiting, I had already determined that there was no ambush here, and I had also calculated the escape route in case of an accident.

"Then shouldn't you find some helpers, or you can shout loudly?" I pointed to the location of Dragonmaw Fortress. This was a good suggestion. As long as the Blood Elf shouted loudly, within ten minutes, hordes of Dragon Knight would surround them.

"I will not share my glory with others."

Excellent, typical arrogance. Blood Elf who followed Kael'thas here are probably like that.

"Your glory is bringing the fragments of the Curse Cipher here, and then I will take them from your corpse."

That sentence completely enraged him. In an instant, everything was a mess. He stared at me! Sensing that I was about to draw my bow and shoot again, he quickly dodged to the side. Then came the sound of air being torn apart. If he had been half a second slower, he would have been dead.

And I wasted another arrow.

Ruel somersaulted and dodged my attacks several times. I wasn't angry, just puzzled. I couldn't guarantee that every arrow would hit its mark, but this was too strange... I missed several times in a row.

He gave me a disdainful look, his eyes seeming to say that my arrows were no match for him.

As the faint starlight radiated down from the night sky, I realized what mistake I had made: my eyes. My vision had been somehow obstructed, so now I saw Ruel and his shadow several meters apart.