The Watchers

In the desolate Blasted Lands, the most prominent landmark is undoubtedly the Dark Portal. This towering, massive structure is exceptionally eye-catching and is the origin of the Blasted Lands' name.

Once, this was a lush Wetlands swamp, but when the Dark Portal opened, a large influx of Orcs poured into the area, and dark power poured into the world from Draenor, causing the swamp to gradually dry up and become barren. It eventually became the Blasted Lands we know today. Only a small patch of the former swamp remains, and because of that history, this swamp is also known as the Swamp of Sorrows.

Having lost its vegetation and water, this once lush area has become desolate and uninhabited. Even the plants have become unusually scarce, with only some drought-resistant brambles and vines struggling to survive. Some Hell and infernal scorpions roam this wasteland. These strangely shaped creatures are exotic species that the Orcs brought from Draenor. Many hunters come here specifically to capture them as pets.

But apart from that, the Blasted Lands is almost deserted, with an eerie atmosphere of tranquility. However, today, this tranquility has been shattered.

Large groups of Water Elemental and murlocs traversed the long wasteland and arrived at the gates of the Dark Portal.

Azathoth (Source of Chaos): "Have the army encamp around the Dark Portal. We need to stay here for a while to gather the rest of our forces, so we won't be leaving anytime soon. Send out sentries to scout the surrounding valleys and see if anyone lives nearby. Make sure the army is safe."

Xiao Yu instructed his subordinates, the Sairen, that this large army was his lifeline and could not be lost under any circumstances.

Sairen (High Priestess of the Sea): "Master, our people seem to be quite exhausted; they are finding it difficult to adapt to this arid land."

Xiao Yu looked behind him and saw that, indeed, since Water Elemental are made entirely of water, they usually prefer places with abundant water, where they can absorb water to strengthen their bodies. In this dry region, the water in the Water Elemental's bodies was constantly evaporating, and over time, their size would become smaller and smaller. The mermaids faced a similar problem. Although they could survive and march on land, they were clearly being affected by the dry climate around them and appeared somewhat listless.

Even the Hydra demigod Sgelari, dragging his enormous body, looked dejected, his skin shriveled and dry from the sun.

This army can do without food, but it cannot do without water. Looking at the sky, the sun was shining brightly, and it didn't look like it was going to rain at all.

Fortunately, this is a magical world, and there's nothing that magic can't solve.

Azathoth (Source of Chaos): "Get those dark Shaman moving! Summon a storm for me! From now on, they are under your command."

Sairen (High Priestess of the Siren): "Yes, my lord—you have all heard me, all of you, get to work!"

Driven by the siren, the hundred dark Shaman immediately began to cast their signature elemental spells. With their continuous prayers and invocations, a huge rain cloud quickly formed in the sky, thunder rumbled, and raindrops pattered down from the sky, causing the mermaids to let out joyful cries.

Xiao Yu nodded in satisfaction. "Now, let's begin establishing our Shadow stronghold."

Although the game engine has been upgraded, some convenient design features remain unchanged. Building a camp does not require actual manual labor. After investing considerable materials and the efforts of the murloc craftsmen, a temporary camp is quickly built, entirely around the Dark Portal.

In the distance, atop a mountain, a slender figure, completely shrouded in a long robe, stood proudly. The mountain was exceptionally steep, making one wonder how this person had managed to climb it.

The man gazed thoughtfully at the dark cloud in the sky. He looked to be no more than thirty-four years old, but his weathered face and wise eyes made one subconsciously feel that he was much older than he appeared. That kind of gaze was something only a wise man or philosopher who had seen through everything would possess.

My gaze quickly fell upon the area above the dark clouds, where a colossal, jet-black dragon was circling, seemingly searching for something.

A faint smile appeared on his lips, and suddenly he leaped off the cliff, transforming into a crow and flying away in the next second.

Xiao Yu surveyed the area from the air but found no signs of human activity. He didn't expand the search area; such reconnaissance was best left to his subordinates.

Slowly descending from the sky, Agnes, who was in charge of reconnaissance, had returned.

Agnes (Frost Lurker): "My lord, we've found a Night Elf camp nearby, with about two or three thousand Night Elf soldiers stationed there."

"What? Night Elf?" Xiao Yu was stunned. He wondered what was going on. He could understand if there were human or Orcs troops in the Blasted Lands, since it used to be human territory and the place where the Orcs entered Azeroth. There were two factions with strongholds in the Blasted Lands, so sending some troops to patrol the area was acceptable. But Night Elf? Weren't they all on Kalimdor? The Night Elf on Azeroth were concentrated around Stormwind City. Why were they in this Blasted Lands?

Azathoth (the Source of Chaos): "You lead the way, I'll go take a look." After thinking for a moment, he added, "Let's bring Esmehalda along too. After all, she's a hero of the Alliance. If necessary, we can have her handle the negotiations."

After speaking, he transformed into Chaos Dragon and flew up like a dark cloud towards the direction of the Night Elf that Agnes had reported. Soon, he found the camp and slowly landed on a mountaintop. Standing on the mountaintop, Xiao Yu could clearly see a Night Elf camp in the valley. The camp was surrounded by a ring of trees, which were obviously not naturally grown. Their vibrant green color contrasted sharply with the surrounding yellowish-brown earth.

Those great trees were creations of the Druid's nature magic. These trees weren't just for shade—though they did serve that function. They were both walls and defensive towers. When necessary, these giant trees could transform into enormous treants to fight, or hurl rocks for ranged attacks. Using these Ancient of War to defend the camp was a very clear Night Elf style.

The flag in this Night Elf camp felt somewhat unfamiliar to Xiao Yu. It depicted a woman in a black shadow with only two eyes of different colors. It lacked the elegant, nature-friendly style of the Night Elf and instead appeared sharp and aggressive.

Xiao Yu had some knowledge of the flags of various factions.

The main fighting force of the Night Elf is the Sentinel Army, led by the priestess Tyrande, which consists primarily of Huntress and archers, and whose banner features a crescent moon and a bow and arrow.

One was a druid legion led by Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, composed mainly of male druids, whose banner was a pattern of eagle feathers and bear claws. In addition, there were various local forces, but he had never seen this symbol before.

"These are the Watchers." A voice rang in my ears. I turned around and saw Esmehalda teleporting over.

Azathoth (the Source of Chaos): "How did you know?"

Esmehalda (Archmage the Kirin Tor): "Of course I read it in a book. Dalaran, I spent all my free time in the library. Reading books in this game gives you experience points."

The Watchers? Xiao Yu vaguely remembered hearing this name before. Suddenly, he remembered that the hero title of the Moonmark?Shadow Chaser was Watchers.