Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 124 23. Even the biggest villain has good friends. Instead of being a slave to power, why not be its master?
While the situation in Nagrand was changing three times a day, the Demon Blood Tribe, which had been pushing the war forward with all its might, was also not idle.

In addition to rushing to feed demon blood to every orc that Warchief Blackhand can find to make them powerful warriors, the Shadow Council, which the Warchief regards as a "weapon of war", is also carrying out quite mysterious operations in secret.

Even though Warchief Blackhand sent the highly mobile Dragonmaw Clan to harass the Talador front from the air, and it did cause considerable trouble to the Draenei's preparations for war, this was only the first step in the Warchief's preparations for war.

As an outstanding tactician, Blackhand did not place all his hopes of capturing the Talador region and Shattrath City on the front battlefield from the beginning.

He was well aware of the power of the Draenei's technology and their excellent individual strength and combat experience in positional warfare. Therefore, in Blackhand's plan, his war tribe had to give full play to the advantages of the orcs.

It would be best to use mobile warfare to pull together the Draenei forces and then annihilate them one by one.

The orcs, who were still in the nomadic civilization period, were very good at this set of combat methods. Every adult orc had his own wolf and this racial talent was strengthened by the black wolf spirit. Once they entered the advantageous combat mode, the destructive power they could cause was absolutely unimaginable.

To achieve this goal, Chieftain Blackhand entrusted the important task to the most capable Warsong Clan.

Grom Hellscream did not disappoint Blackhand. He quickly used the orcs' understanding of Draenor's terrain to find the only weakness in the Talador region, which was built by the Draenei to be as impenetrable as an iron barrel.

Zangara.

This is a secret valley located at the junction of Tanaan Jungle, Shadowmoon Valley and Talador. It is almost completely isolated from the main body of Draenor, surrounded by mountains and full of dangerous swamps. There is only one mountain path to enter and exit the Talador area.

Not to mention the Draenei, even the orcs who have lived in this area for hundreds of years have rarely come close to this place.

It is said that only the wizards of the Goria Ogres, who once occupied most of the continent, once briefly built a wizard tower here, but they were quickly driven out by the dangerous forces in this swamp.

The reason why this damn place is so troublesome is that the life force here is extremely abnormal. The mushrooms here can grow to an exaggerated size of three people tall, and under the mushrooms, the savage magic pod people and the more dangerous swamp beasts will bloodthirstily devour all life that enters here.

Secondly, the area is filled with deadly "spores".

That is the "curse" that the most mysterious species in the world of Draenor, the forest elves, are best at using. These invisible plant creatures will quietly attach themselves to every life form that is recklessly contaminated, and then "take root and sprout", causing mushrooms and flowers to grow on the orcs, taking away their sanity and turning them into disgusting creatures mixed with flesh, blood and plants.

Locals generally call this kind of guy a "fake person".

Not to mention the orcs, even the thick-skinned ogres and even the swamp hydras could not withstand the ravages of this thing.

It was absolutely reasonable for the Gorian ogre wizards to abandon this place. Perhaps there really were some ancient secrets of the Draenor world hidden here, but they did not need to risk their own extinction to explore those taboos.

However, these threats are not "big problems" at all when facing the demons summoned by the Shadow Council.

The warlocks recruited by Grom Hellscream to help clean up the Zangara Swamp burned almost the entire mountain valley with fel fire and magic energy in just a few days. Their purpose was to establish a secret base of operations for the Warsong Clan here, so that Grom could station a small but very elite group of wolf riders here.

In this way, as long as Grom leads his wolf cavalry into the heart of Talador at the critical moment, the town of Tuurem, which is currently the focus of the Draenei defense line, can be captured in one battle!

By then, the defensive positions set up by the Draenei in northern Talador would have been torn open by a terrible gap in the battle with Grom's Warsong Clan. Coupled with the main force commanded by Chieftain Blackhand himself and the exaggerated air superiority of the Dragonmaw Clan, they would be able to push the front line to the city of Shattrath in an instant.

The orcs' technology is indeed far inferior to that of the draenei, but their talent for war should not be underestimated.

However, the cleanup of the swamp is still in its final stages, and the dragons of the Dragonmaw Clan have not yet delivered the necessary supplies. Grom Hellscream and his wolf riders will also have to wait a day or two before they can set up camp here and observe the battlefield for opportunities.

The person currently in charge of affairs in the Zangarra Marshes is Gul'dan, the leader of the Shadow Council.

But even with the ogre's stinky toes, it was clear that the evil Ancestral Warlock had come to this godforsaken place in person, definitely not just to serve the war and victory of Chieftain Blackhand.

If he was really that noble, the War Horde would have completed the bloodbath of the Draenei before Diak'um woke up.

At this time, in the ruins of the mage tower left behind by the ogre wizards of the ancient Gorian Empire, Gul'dan locked himself in a still intact basement. He built a temporary fel altar here and was "reporting" to his master.

"As you can see, my lord, ever since you told me that Draenor is a place blessed by the 'Life Force', I have been searching this barren world for the things you care about. Now, I can finally proudly present my discovery to you."

Gul'dan humbly placed a small jar of unique green stuff into the evil fire in front of the burning fel altar, and through sacrifice, sent it to Cenarius the Defiler, who presided over extinction in the astral sea.

But before becoming the Great Demon Lord, Cenarius was already an outstanding wilderness demigod leader in the realm of life force.

As for the creations of the Force of Life, it had also seen and tasted them. Although it had indeed been surprised and curious about some things in the world of Draenor, Cenarius's attention was now entirely focused on his "homeland" which he had not felt for a long time.

To be honest, the Great Demon Lord was a little annoyed by Gul'dan's flattering calls.

You, a green-skinned orc warlock, have no sense of wit! Can't you see that I am busy with important matters?

I finally found an opportunity to return home and plan the great cause of seizing the Supreme Star Soul for the Dark Titan. If you delay it and the weak bastard Conqueror seizes the initiative, can you afford the compensation?
Of course, Cenarius had been a leader before, and he knew very well that it was a good thing for his subordinates to have subjective initiative. Gul'dan's quick offer to him after finding something good also proved the loyalty of this orc flatterer, although he might not really need these things from the countryside, huh?
and many more!

While Gul'dan was waiting patiently, he suddenly saw the flames on the Fel Altar suddenly surge, as if the Defiler, who had no interest in his audience, suddenly became interested.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the Defiler's unique and powerful astral projection appeared above the burning light and shadow of the evil fire. In its hand, it held the jar that Gul'dan had presented to it. Looking at the contents of the jar, it said:

"These spores are so strange!
This is the first time I have seen such an aggressive creature of the Force of Life. Although compared to the ancient wild life that remains in the world of Draenor, these are just the echoes of the death of great things, but it has indeed been tempered by malice and madness over time into another very valuable thing.

What do you call this thing?"

"The Red Scourge, my lord! The orc clans call it 'the Scourge'. The ogres were the first to discover it and used it to attack us. Many see it as a curse, but in reality it is only a strange plague that spreads among my people."

Gul'dan replied humbly:

"We previously thought it was an unpredictable disease, representing the displeasure of the ancestral spirits. But after receiving the knowledge you gifted me, I quickly figured out the truth about the 'Red Scourge'.

These spores spread the debilitating and even deformed disease that orcs suffer.

It is almost impossible to resist, and cannot be cured or purified by ordinary shamanic spells. Once infected, a creature can only rely on its own vitality to resist!

Every year, many young orcs lose their lives to this disease. Even those who survive become weakened and even suffer intellectual impairments. Therefore, in the history of orcish civilization, the Red Scourge is an extremely terrifying thing.

"No, no, no, no, Gul'dan, my servant, you have only seen the surface capabilities of this spore, but I can see more."

The Defiler extended its fingers, which were wrapped in scorching vines, with great interest, and extracted some plague spores from the jar that had been extracted by Gul'dan using magic. It examined them with the ability of a former demigod of the wilderness.

After a moment, the Polluter said in a deep voice:

"This spore originates from the ancient life forms of Draenor's fervor for destruction. Its true power is the degeneration of life! My servant, it will infect all strong life forms and continuously strip them of their talents and strength, reducing the biological advantages gained through long evolution to a weak, primitive form.

Let me ask you, will those orcs infected with the Red Scourge suffer from muscle atrophy, hunched torsos, intellectual decline, and beast-like movements?

"Yes! Great and wise master, you are absolutely right."

Gul'dan flattered him and exclaimed:
"You can't hide anything from me. We dealt with those infected with the disease in a brutal way. We simply left them to die in the wilderness! Even the legendary chiefs feared the Red Scourge, as it would deprive them of their power.

Only Mother Gaiaan was kind and could not bear to see those abandoned die. She established Garadar on the grasslands of Nagrand where her late husband died. Alas, before I was chosen by you, I also wanted to join her army.
In short, the original Garadar was composed of orcs infected with the Red Scourge. Many orcs said that Mother Gaiaan was blessed by the elements and could cure the Red Scourge, so many clans sent their infected children and tribesmen to her.

But I know!

Gaiaan is a liar!
She couldn't cure the Red Scourge at all, and could only pray to the weak elements to protect the patients. Although the protection of the elements would allow those poor creatures to survive, the mortality rate was still very high.

Even if they are cured, they will become disabled. Only those orcs with great talent can rely on their own vitality to survive and become stronger as a result. "

"Of course. Since it's a degenerate force, we should be rewarded with life after defeating it."

Cenarius said disapprovingly:

"This is how the life force works. Survival of the fittest is its law. If you prove your own advantages, you will be blessed by the life force.

Well, I am very satisfied with the plague spores you presented, Gul'dan. These spores are very compatible with the power of the plague that I possess. I will spread them across Azeroth, and that world will be filled with fear because of this 'blessing'.

This spore will become the Polluter's new weapon, a weapon of immense power and potential.

I will eventually spread it across the sea of stars, allowing those weak creatures to return to where they belong.

However, you surely offered it to me not simply out of loyalty, Gul'dan. I presume you intend to use the Red Scourge in your war against the Draenei?"

"Yes, my lord. To be honest, I have already experimented with Draenei captives before presenting the Red Scourge to you."

Gul'dan laughed sinisterly. He said:

"It turned out that the Draenei couldn't withstand the plague either. The captives quickly transformed into strange creatures: short limbs, hunched torsos, twisted spines, and lifeless eyes. It was like they had transformed from tall Talbuk sheep into weak iguanas. They even grew strange tentacles, like insects.

But I am troubled by the fact that the red plague takes effect too slowly on the Draenei, and not every Draenei can be infected.

If these spores are to be your weapons, then perhaps you could grant your humble servant the honor of being the first to wield the plague?

I know that hunting down the Eredar is your mission, and I am willing to help your servants take the Sanctuary of Auchindoun without bloodshed in the Battle of Talador!"

"Very good, that is invaluable advice. I am increasingly optimistic about you, Gul'dan."

The polluter nodded in satisfaction, waving his hands and saying:

"Be patient. I need some time to transform this plague spore, but I will soon give it to you as a weapon to execute the Draenei. However, your world can actually give birth to such a strange life force creation. It seems that I have underestimated Draenor.

I have another quest for you, Gul'dan!
Go find it!

Go and find the life force creations that have been left over from ancient times in your world, and find the pulsating heart of life hidden in your world.

That is the Heart of Wild Nature, a rare treasure among all the stars. If you can find it and present it to me, I will immediately promote you, regardless of whether you can complete the task of bloodbath Draenor!

I will personally raise the demon for you."

"Ah, this is truly an honor, my lord. I will immediately send people to look for it. I suspect that the object must be in the wilderness of Gorgrond, which is filled with mysterious power."

Gul'dan knelt before the fel altar and cursed and swore to complete the mission given by the Defiler. This made the Defiler very satisfied. He gave a few instructions and then interrupted the audience.

The First Warlock was also extremely excited at this moment.

He didn't expect that he would receive such a generous gift from the polluter just by casually offering a can of plague spores. It seems that the things hidden in his world are very extraordinary, and even the polluter is so eager for them.

but if so
Gul'dan narrowed his eyes. He suddenly felt that as an orc born in Draenor, he might be more qualified than the Defiler to inherit that hidden power?

Huh, such an arrogant idea only stayed in the orc warlock's mind for less than ten seconds before being dispelled.

Gul'dan knew very well that he had no right to play these tricks in front of the Defiler. He could even guess that there might be other minions chosen by the Defiler in his own Shadow Council. He was just the most suitable one but not the only one.

Alas, these big demons with brains are so troublesome to serve.

You said you were a good demon, so you just needed to train your muscles. Why train your brain? Wouldn't that just cause trouble for the warlocks?
So annoying!
Gul'dan complained in his heart, but fortunately the Polluter gave a clear mission objective and generous reward. Considering that this guy had been trustworthy before, the Primordial Warlock decided to send people to look for him.

He then walked out of the basement and returned to his tent, intending to continue learning the profound fel knowledge from the Twisting Nether. As the leader of the Shadow Council, he must ensure that he is always stronger than his servants, otherwise his position will soon become unstable.

However, perhaps he had overused his brain today, and Gul'dan soon became drowsy while reading the knowledge that made him feel wonderful. At one point, he actually fell asleep in front of his desk.

"Gul'dan Gul'dan. The Holy Light you fear is about to leave Talador. Seize the opportunity." The faint call echoed in the orc warlock's dream, like a hand plucking his vicious heartstrings, waking Gul'dan up in an instant.

He couldn't understand how a warlock like himself could suddenly fall asleep while studying magic?

But the strange call in the dream still caught Gul'dan's attention. He couldn't confirm whether it was an illusion caused by his excessive fear of Diak'um. However, when Gul'dan raised his hand, he was surprised to find that there was a strange thing in the magic book in his hand.

Gul'dan's face was gloomy, and he narrowed his eyes as he picked up the thing and held it in front of his eyes.

An exquisite violet emblem, made of an unknown metal, with a lifelike starlight raven on the back of the emblem.

No matter who put this strange thing in his hand, it meant that at that moment, the other party had the ability to easily kill him, but did not do so.

For the warlock, this means that the other party has shown "sincerity".

"Ah, this world is really going to be destroyed!"

Gul'dan cursed under his breath:
"First the Slayer, then the damn weird raven. All sorts of weird monsters popped up. I feel like I'm being pushed around like a toy. But if Diakum really leaves Talador at this moment..."
Well, I can't tell how long he's been gone, but now that I have the red Scourge spores gifted by the Archdemon, perhaps I can use them to set a trap?
Ah, if even a Draenei as powerful as Diak'um could be 'degraded' to the pathetic form of a Broken One.

Tsk tsk, it’s worth looking forward to, worth looking forward to! "

The First Warlock used the outstanding evil ideas in his mind to outline a vicious plan in a very short time, but just as he was about to carry it out, he suddenly found a strange shadow appearing behind him.

That wasn't an orc's shadow, it was slimmer.

That wasn't a draenei shadow either, it was shorter.

It doesn't even look like the shadows of the fel elves under the Polluter, and is even smaller.

There is no such creature in the world of Draenor!

Gul'dan was shocked. He immediately realized that he might have fallen into a "trap", but the fact that the other party could play him in the palm of his hand showed that the other party was much stronger than him.

Well, if you encounter this situation, there is absolutely nothing wrong with kneeling down first.

"This lord."

He said.

"I haven't given you permission to speak yet, orc."

A language Gul'dan couldn't understand sounded behind him.

It was a man's voice, gentle and easy-going, with a hint of the style and tone of a great man. He had never heard of this language, but Gul'dan found that he could understand its meaning completely.

This must be some kind of "mind magic" that he couldn't understand.

"The Defiler Cenarius gave you a promise that made you happy, but you may not realize that what he asked you to seek is more valuable than the desire he showed. It is a secret related to the gods in the stars, which is definitely not something that mortals like you can grasp.

But there is one thing the polluters did not lie to you about.

The Heart of Life hidden in the Evergrove in the wilderness of Gorgrond is definitely a rare treasure in the entire starry sea. This proves that your world, which seems weak in my eyes, is not ordinary. Well, I rarely made a mistake. It was really a strange experience.

If I had time, I would spend years trying to figure it out.

Unfortunately, there is not that much time left.

You and I are gone.”

The figure standing behind Gul'dan moved around, examining the pitiful "collection" of the Primordial Warlock in a nonchalant and gentlemanly manner. He then spoke to Gul'dan, who sat there, not daring to move, in a tone of conversation like a friend:
"Have you ever thought about your future? Gul'dan, after you helped Warchief Blackhand slaughter Draenor, after you found what the Defiler wanted, have you ever thought about how you would continue to exist in the future?"

Gul'dan did not respond.

On the one hand he had to remain cautious, on the other hand he felt the question was somewhat boring.

Isn't it possible to see with the naked eye what your future will be like?
He was promoted to a demon demigod for his achievements in destroying the world, joined the Burning Legion and became a destroyer, roaming among the stars and enjoying endless glory and eternal life.

how?

For a mortal, isn’t this ending perfect enough?

"Haha, how short-sighted and stupid."

The person behind Gul'dan seemed to guess what he was thinking.

He uttered a few scornful laughs, then stretched out his hand and placed it on Gul'dan's shoulder. The warlock took a glance and found that on the pair of well-maintained fingers, which looked like they had never touched water, there was a purple raven ring, which was very luxurious and full of mystery.

"Listen to me, the power of demons is only one of the six forces in the stars, and embracing the evil energy for a long time will damage your wisdom. Most importantly, even if you complete the ascension to demon, what will it matter?

A Holy Oath-blesser like Diak'um, who is watched and blessed by the Force, will hunt you to the end of the stars. There are many holy warriors as fanatical as him in the sea of stars. The demon demigod is not as noble as you think.

In the context of the Force conflict, they are nothing more than high-level cannon fodder.

If you are determined to take this path of slavery, then in the end you will only be a slave to power.

But your talent is definitely not limited to this step, you may try
Become the master of power?"

He laughed.

He did not hide his temptation at all. As his fingers tapped on Gul'dan's shoulder, one picture after another was cleverly stuffed into Gul'dan's mind.

It was a landscape from another world.

This mysterious man allowed Gul'dan to see one magical wonder after another that he had never dared to imagine, the various artifacts that had been preserved in the history of another world, and the various truths that had been summarized and accumulated in a more magnificent time.

Any one of them can instantly transform a mortal into a powerful hero, even one with the power to defy fate.

Gul'dan's breathing became rapid.

Especially when the "friend" behind him was pouring magical knowledge that he could not understand at all into his mind in a teaching manner, Gul'dan could be sure that this guy was definitely on the same level as the Defiler.

When it comes to understanding the "truth", I'm afraid the polluter is on par with him or even worse.

At the end of this "seduction", the mysterious visitor showed Gul'dan a tomb hidden under the sea of another world.

Floating in the deep tomb is a demonic holy staff filled with corruption, splendor and mystery, an orb containing endless divine power that can easily tear the world apart, and the most exaggerated "divine body" bound in the shadows!
That was the human body used by the "true god".
"Oh my God, oh my God!"

When the mysterious man withdrew his fingers, Gul'dan had already collapsed on the ground, and the ancestor warlock was immersed in the illusion of power with lifeless eyes.

He knew it was deception.

But he was powerless to resist! That was his greedy nature!
Just like when he faced the Defiler's initial recruitment, Gul'dan fell into the temptation of power without hesitation.

"I have left you some knowledge that can help you open a door to my world."

The voice said:
"I can't yet tell the outcome of your war with the Draenei, but if you and your Warchief can't deal with a troublesome fellow like Diak'um who is determined to defy fate, then your defeat is a high probability outcome.

What the Vigilantes are doing every minute is far more than your war. Even I have learned from his series of actions how to properly unite scattered allies.

I have to admit that the big blond guy has wisdom and foresight that are as exaggerated as his muscles.

The warring tribes may fail, but you still have other uses in my eyes. So, Gul'dan, before the worst happens, forge that door and take your demon-blood warriors to another world.

Continue your conquests there."

"but why?"

Gul'dan sensed the figure behind him leaving and asked:
"Those should be your compatriots, right? Why did you let the Demon Blood Tribe torture them? Are you crazy? Or do you have a grudge against them?"

"No, I just"

The voice paused, sighed and said:
"I'm just facing a situation where I have to make a decision. The real threat is coming, but my people are immersed in a foolish peace. My world has also allowed itself to enjoy the false prosperity brought by long-term peace. It is difficult for it to return to its former glory.

I want to help it!

But I alone cannot change the course of my fate. I will most likely fail and eventually be captured by the darkness that has always shrouded me, ending up with a miserable ending.

but.
fate
I still want to see if I can shake it.

Unity can be achieved not only through earnest persuasion and guidance, but also through war and destruction! And you are the teaching stick I use to shape unity.

Of course you wouldn't want to.

But it’s just a tool, as long as it’s useful, no one cares what you think, as long as you can achieve your goal!
It's time for you to wake up, Gul'dan.

do not let me down. "

"Ok?"

The orc warlock's eyes widened, and then he woke up.

He looked around his tent blankly. There was no one here, as if he had just had a terrifying dream. But when he lowered his head, he saw the purple raven badge in his hand, which made Gul'dan's hair stand on end.

But then, the Primordial Warlock burst into laughter.

This is not fake.
Those promises and those magical artifacts are not fake!

Yes!

I will be used by another mysterious and powerful person, but what does it matter?

Only waste will not be used by others!
I only care about whether I can get rewards that match my efforts.

Yes!

Perhaps I don't have to be a slave to power anymore. Just as that generous mysterious man promised, I can try to be the master of power!
Gul'dan rubbed his forehead and searched for the information left by the "Lord" among the exquisite knowledge given to him. He soon found the key knowledge. After reading it repeatedly, the cunning warlock stood up, walked out of the tent and looked at the ruins of Zangara Swamp filled with the smell of sulfur.

He whispered:

"Dark Portal. Hello, Azeroth! Very good! Your Excellency, please be patient. I will go to the appointment."

(End of this chapter)