"Lord Illidan."
Vashj came to the terrace of the Karabor Temple, now the Dark Temple, looking for Illidan.
After their desperate battle with Magtheridon in the Outland, they finally defeated Magtheridon, the arrogant king of the Outland, and Illidan became Magtheridon's successor, ruling the races of the Outland.
The demons in the Dark Temple who miraculously survived the war had all submitted to Illidan's command, and the deformed Broken and their leader Akama also settled in the Dark Temple.
Illidan quickly hid the small flower in his hand, re-gripped gul'dan's skull, and leaped down from a pillar on the side of the terrace.
"Vashj, why are you here?"
Vashj looked at the skull in Illidan's hand, which seemed to have no fel power left, and wondered why Illidan was still holding it, while also answering Illidan's question.
"Lord Illidan, although we defeated Magtheridon, our troops suffered heavy losses and urgently need reinforcements and manpower." Vashj said respectfully, "My people discovered a swamp to the west of Hellfire Peninsula. There is enough water for my Naga to recuperate, so I hope to lead my people there."
"Is that so? Then do as you say—but you need to be a little faster. Quickly deal with any disobedient natives you encounter. I have a premonition that fellow is coming soon." Illidan tightened his grip on the skull, and several cracks even appeared on the hard warlock's skull.
"Yes, my lord, I will arrange everything quickly."
Watching Vashj leave, Illidan casually tossed the gul'dan's skull in his hand aside—he had absorbed almost all the power and knowledge within it, and Illidan had no intention of continuing to plunder the tiny bit of remaining energy.
He needed that little bit of power to maintain the skull's shape. This wasn't because Illidan had some strange collecting habit, but because a complete gul'dan's skull could mislead many people, making them believe he hadn't fully digested the Orc Warlock's legacy yet.
Illidan raised his head and looked at the Broken sky of the Outland. This world was dying, and the "barrier" protecting mortal's fragile lives was gradually disappearing. Before long, nothing but demons and ashes would remain in this world.
But there were still many treasures worth excavating in the Outland. Unfortunately, even defeating Magtheridon did not mean Illidan could immediately control everything in the Outland, because even that Pit Lord had not completely brought the Outland under his rule.
The orcs' homeland, Draenor, nurtured many wild and powerful lives. Although most of the lives had perished in the world-destroying explosion due to Ner'zhul's actions, many tenacious individuals still survived in the greatly changed Outland.
Besides the Naga who initially followed him, the demon Legion he controlled, the Broken who temporarily submitted to him, and the Fel Orcs who had long been brainwashed by demon blood and were merely tools—these were the forces Illidan could temporarily deploy.
And among them, the only ones Illidan truly trusted were the Naga led by Vashj.
Illidan completely distrusted the demons under Magtheridon. Although they were currently submitting to him due to his methods, it would take time to distinguish between those who genuinely wanted to follow him and those who were merely feigning loyalty as faithful lackeys of the Burning Legion.
As for Akama—that fellow was just like Illidan; they had only been using each other from the very beginning. He didn't trust Illidan, and Illidan likewise didn't trust him. It was just that they happened to have a common enemy before.
Now Magtheridon was Illidan's prisoner, but Illidan knew in his heart that if he wanted to rule the desolate Outland, he had to employ sufficiently strong methods. If he were as benevolent as his brother Malfurion, the butcher's knife would probably fall on his neck tomorrow.
Even with all of this settled, the biggest threat truly facing Illidan still came from the Burning Legion in the Twisting Nether.
While it was good news that Magtheridon was captured alive by him and Vashj leading their forces, which could delay the Burning Legion from discovering what had happened in the Outland, sooner or later, the Burning Legion's master would cast his gaze here.
And everything Illidan did was in preparation for this.
"They won't abandon their plan to invade Azeroth—just as it happened ten thousand years ago."
Illidan's face contorted. His future, his country, and everything he once cherished had been destroyed by the Burning Legion. He would never allow Azeroth to repeat the same mistakes, or to go down the path of Draenor.
For this, he would spare no effort. He would return all the pain that the Burning Legion had inflicted upon him and his world.
Unfortunately, no one understood why he did what he did, except for him and his former followers. Even his foolish brother and Tyrande could not comprehend Illidan's actions.
But everything that happened on Mount Hyjal once again solidified Illidan's resolve. Forgetting the trauma of the Well of Eternity and burying the matter would not solve any problems. The Burning Legion had come before, and they had appeared again, so sooner or later, the iron hooves of destruction would once again set foot on Azeroth.
He was tired of his compatriots' ostrich-like behavior. Who knew if the Druids who put themselves to sleep in the Emerald Dream were doing so because the Burning Legion's actions had left them psychologically traumatized.
—Just like his brother Malfurion.
Illidan shook his head, no longer thinking about those vexing matters, but his thoughts still involuntarily drifted to Azeroth. Of course, it wasn't the "Betrayer" feeling homesick, but rather that he realized, no matter what, he needed to return to Azeroth once more to gather his former followers.
"I hope those fools haven't died at Maiev's hands."
Illidan recalled that troublesome Warden. Although she was no match for him in a one-on-one fight, he had to admit that Maiev was a formidable opponent. After he was thrown into eternal imprisonment, his former followers probably didn't fare well either.
The situation in the Outland was not as complex as in Azeroth, but it was also not something Illidan could handle on his own at the moment. He wanted to inherit everything from Magtheridon and become the new ruler of the Outland, and he also had to deceive the Burning Legion's leader, which would require a very long time and a very heavy price.
But he would use every means to consolidate his rule. First, he would start with Akama.
The demons in the Dark Temple already considered him one of their own. It probably wouldn't be long before the Burning Legion's commander would personally come to the Outland to investigate the situation. At that time, it wouldn't be impossible for him to legitimately replace Magtheridon.
However, Akama's attitude towards Illidan had clearly changed after reclaiming Karabor.
The knowledge left by Gul'dan made Illidan understand that these Broken were actually a corrupted form of a race called "Draenei" after being contaminated.
And looking at Akama's status and prestige among the Broken, he probably had an extraordinary identity even when he was a Draenei.
A group of degraded "Draenei" insisted on reclaiming their temple occupied by demons?
Illidan was not a fool to be used as a pawn. He clearly knew that these Broken still remembered their… past? Humph, a ridiculous bunch. Their current plight probably had something to do with their former compatriots, didn't it?
Illidan's massive demon wings flapped, but no one understood this feeling better than him. And to make these Broken completely abandon their sense of honor and disgrace as Draenei, the most direct method Illidan could think of was to destroy the current strongholds of the Draenei hidden in Draenor.
And unfortunately, among the demons who surrendered to Illidan, some had already ascertained the current situation of the Draenei. They were now mostly concentrated deep within Zangarmarsh, and some were hiding in the shattered lands in the far northeast of the Outland, now called Netherstorm.
The environment in Netherstorm was so harsh that even the Burning Legion rarely set foot there, and Illidan didn't want to expend much effort there. However, Vashj was just about to go to Zangarmarsh to establish the Naga's stronghold, so this task was perfectly suited for Vashj.
As for other forces, the power Illidan currently had at his disposal was not enough to deal with them. He would prioritize Akama's matter; as long as the Fel Orcs could control the Dark Portal, there would be nothing to worry about.
...
"The Eye of Souls in Shadowmoon Valley has sent another message. Magtheridon has been defeated by Illidan for some time, but this fellow hasn't made any moves."
Kel'Thuzad read the message from the ghostly messenger and relayed it to the knights.
"The Lich King said not to bother with Illidan and his forces for now. As long as they don't hinder our actions, we shouldn't engage them in direct conflict."
Lothar wiped his runeblade, "The most urgent matter at hand is to establish a foothold in Blade's Edge Mountains. Here, besides mutated monsters, there are those damned Ogres."
"Ogres, huh? I didn't expect Auchindoun to survive that catastrophe,"
Ogrim surveyed the mountains, which resembled stacked, blade-like spikes. The strong winds and the energy escaping from the void had transformed the original landscapes of Gorelond and Frostfire Ridge into this appearance.
"You should be very familiar with Auchindoun, Ogrim?"
"Generally, you understand," Ogrim exhaled heavily, his warhammer striking the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. "Although the Ogre Empire has declined, they are still a force to be reckoned with on Draenor, and the crude fortress that has stood in the snow and wind of Frostfire Ridge for countless years is the capital of the Dota Ogre."
"Ogres actually have their own capital? I thought they were a race stuck in the primitive tribal stage!" Lothar was a bit curious upon hearing this obscure piece of information. "But the Ogres on Azeroth don't seem very bright. Can they really build civilizations and cities?!"
"Those Ogres were merely the lowest of the low, plundered from Ogre cities. Aside from being able to breed and eat, they're as brainless as pigs. The truly dangerous ones, the nobles who mastered Ogre culture and magic, were almost all dealt with by us in our wars against them long ago."
Grommash revealed a slightly cruel smile. After he became a Death Knight, combined with the death aura swirling around him, such a smile appeared even more sinister.
Ogrim glared at Grommash, then said to Lothar and Kel'Thuzad, "It was Grommash who led the Orc army and conquered Hanging Fortress, the Ogre city in Nagrand."
"Hmph, those Ogres you dealt with later were just inferior breeds, full of brute strength but lacking sufficient wisdom. Without iron-fisted command, they would fall into disarray at the slightest loss." Grommash looked down on those Ogres. The Warsong Clan, as a tribe in Nagrand, often had conflicts with the Ogres, not to mention his own experiences.
Blackhand had the Warsong Clan and a clan led by an Ogre renegade, Gul'dan, launch a conquest war against Hanging Fortress. As both of these factions had a deep hatred for the Ogres of Hanging Fortress, it was clear that Blackhand's original intention was to leave no stone unturned in Hanging Fortress.
But perhaps the orcs discovered the Ogres' war potential. They enslaved the less intelligent Ogres, making them obey their commands. As for the nobles who mastered Arcane power and Ogre history and culture, and the arrogant leader Margok, they all perished in this war.
"So, the Ogre Empire once had a flourishing civilization, and even excelled at using Arcane power?" Kel'Thuzad became interested after hearing the word "Arcane." If anything could pique a mage's interest, it was undoubtedly infinite Arcane knowledge.
This made the Archlich very eager to see what Ogre Arcane magic looked like. Since Hanging Fortress, which was as famous as Auchindoun, had a magical heritage, then Auchindoun should also have similar heritage and records.
"Looking at you, Archlich, are you interested in the Ogres' Arcane knowledge and heritage?" Ogrim noticed the Archlich's change in mood, from being uninterested to now quite expectant.
"Indeed, and since Ogres can become weapons in the hands of the orcs, they can also become our tools," Kel'Thuzad's smile was as chilling as ever. It seemed he was ready to exploit the Ogres completely.
However, Ogrim's next words dampened the Archlich's enthusiasm considerably: "If it's just about turning them into Scourge servants, that's not difficult, but as for obtaining the ancient Arcane heritage treasured by the Ogres, I'm not so sure."
"Auchindoun declined even earlier than Hanging Fortress. Their leader, Korgolock, was personally strangled by a half-Orc, half-Ogre warrior."
This warrior who strangled Korgolock was Leoroxx, the elder of the Mok'Nathal clan at the time, and the Mok'Nathal clan was the clan from which the future famous Beastmaster Rexxar originated.
After the Goria Empire, which was the original Ogre Empire, declined and its capital fell and was destroyed, Korgolock, the leader of Auchindoun, for consolidate his rule, created a race of half-Orc, half-Ogre hybrids through cruel experiments, attempting to strengthen his kingdom's power.
However, these mixed-blood Mok'Nathal were neither welcomed by the Ogres nor respected by the orcs, who considered them lowly half-breeds. Thus, these Mok'Nathal tried to break free from Korgolock's control. Although they were not related by blood, they formed the Mok'Nathal clan.
The Mok'Nathal clan was initially a weapon in Korgolock's hands, used to wage wars of conquest against the Orc clans living in Frostfire Ridge.
The Orc clans who had lived in Frostfire Ridge for generations could no longer tolerate the harassment from Korgolock and his Ogres. Eventually, the Frostwolf, Thunderlord, Whiteclaw, and several other clans united to fight against the Ogres.
In the later stages of the war, Garadar, the then chieftain of the Frostwolf clan, persuaded Leoroxx, the elder of the Mok'Nathal clan, to instigate a rebellion from within Auchindoun. The "impenetrable" Auchindoun collapsed in this internal and external storm, and the Mok'Nathal clan was able to exact their revenge.
From then on, the Ogres lost control of Frostfire Ridge, and the "status" of the Ogres and orcs subtly reversed. As for the Mok'Nathal clan, although the voices of rejection among the orcs diminished significantly, Leoroxx knew that it would be difficult for them to truly integrate into Orc society, so eventually, the Mok'Nathal clan also disappeared from the orcs' sight.
"So, this Auchindoun now is probably just a fake, rebuilt from the ruins by those Ogres who returned here after the Great Shattering." Ogrim shook his head, having given up hope of finding anything useful in such an Auchindoun.
"Never mind, never mind. Even without Arcane magic knowledge, we at least know the background of these Ogres. Besides, our purpose in coming here isn't to fight these Ogres."
Lothar looked towards the layered rock walls of Blade's Edge Mountains. Amidst the winds swirling through the rocks, countless black shadows swayed.
"The way these Black Dragons died is truly tragic." Kel'Thuzad surveyed the countless Black Dragon corpses. "It looks like they must have suffered extreme violence in life."
But what kind of creature could gain the upper hand in a physical confrontation with dragons? Looking at those swaying black bodies, it was likely that what they endured in life was completely irresistible, absolute violence.
There was a creature that ignored the fel flames spewed by the Black Dragons, dragged these supreme lords of the sky down, and nailed their dignity and might to the rock pillars of Blade's Edge Mountains.
"Gronn."
Grommash's voice was very low, and also somewhat astonished. "These guys, they haven't gone extinct amidst the cataclysmic environmental changes?"
"Gronn, what is that?" As a native of Azeroth, Lothar, who had not yet experienced inter-planetary travel, seemed like a curious child, very interested in everything about Draenor.
"A terrifying creature. They are at the absolute top of Draenor's food chain. Even ten of the bravest Orc warriors cannot withstand the wrath of a single Gronn."
Grommash's face suddenly showed a nostalgic expression. "Unfortunately, all our attempts to tame the Gronn failed. Otherwise, the walls of Stormwind would never have been able to stop our advance, and the human kingdoms would have long since succumbed to our war axes."
Lothar rubbed his nose, not getting angry, but rather showing great interest in the creature Grommash described. However, the Archlich showed no signs of surprise. He merely took out a crystal ball, made it float in mid-air, and projected an image.
"Is this the creature you call a Gronn?"
The Arcane projection quickly formed a one-eyed giant whose arms were almost half as thick as its body, covered in muscles and scars. Its body was slightly hunched forward, its thick arms supporting it in front. Its legs appeared weaker than its arms, but the gnarled muscles, like old tree roots, left no doubt about its explosive power in movement.
This creature had no scales, and the image didn't show whether it had fur. Only its skin, with a luster and texture similar to rock, made it look like a beast carved from granite at first glance.
"How do you have an image of a Gronn?" Grommash and Ogrim were both shocked. Even these two pure-blooded orcs had once believed that the Gronn were completely extinct, yet Kel'Thuzad had produced such a detailed magical image.
If this holographic projection were magnified hundreds of times, a lifelike Gronn would appear.
"The Lich King gave it to me—actually, our goal this time isn't just those dead Black Dragons. His Majesty said that if possible, he hopes we can bring back a Gronn."
"His Majesty wants to tame a Gronn, but this—" Ogrim was about to say it was impossible, then suddenly realized that he now served the Scourge, a terrifying army that should not exist in the world. Perhaps they could indeed try to tame a Gronn.
This made the soul fire in Grommash's eyes burn almost to its maximum. He curled his lips, seemingly laughing, "I'm somewhat looking forward to this operation."