Xal'atath severed contact with the Burning Legion fleet, having confirmed that they had fallen into the trap set by Dimensius. Even if the Burning Legion wasn't completely annihilated in this ambush, it would be impossible for them to escape the area controlled by Dimensius in a short period.
However, this might not be a good thing for Dimensius either. The Burning Legion's retreat had been cut off by Arthas, leaving the trapped Demons with no choice but to fight Dimensius with their backs against the wall for a chance at survival. Dimensius, who had not yet fully awakened, was bound to face the Burning Legion's desperate resistance.
While they were fighting amongst themselves, the First Legion had successfully used the sargerite keystone to cut into the starfield near Argus.
After the Azeroth made its first jump through the spatial rift opened by the sargerite keystone, it activated the ship's full magical barrier. Through this protective barrier, they would become a hidden presence in the astral realm. Under the colorful energy radiation, the engine vibrations emitted by the spaceship would be reduced to an undetectable level.
This was enough for them to penetrate Argus's anti-air firepower network.
"Remember, we only have one chance. We must completely cripple the Burning Legion's anti-air firepower and teleportation network before the ship's barrier energy runs out."
Alleria gave her final warning to the squad about to leave the ship as the vanguard to land on Argus and carry out sabotage. Afterward, she led this hand-picked sabotage squad through the ship's teleportation device under Turalyon's gaze.
After a while, Turalyon attempted to connect the squad's communication device with the ship. "Alleria, respond if you receive."
"This is Alleria. We have successfully landed in the Antoran Wastes. As intelligence indicated, the defenses here are quite sparse, and a large number of military facilities are idle—my squad members and I are setting up Arcane Bombs while advancing towards the port."
Alleria and her subordinates were swiftly setting up pre-prepared Arcane Bombs at the Burning Legion's firepower network nodes—these specialized Arcane Bombs could not only destroy the physical form of matter within the blast radius but also flow along the energy network, causing irreversible and severe damage to devices along the entire energy pipeline.
Their operation was much smoother than expected. Along the way, apart from a very few Demon Guard patrols, there were only lazy and dozing fel Reaver servants. It seemed that the departure of a large number of military forces had reduced the workload for these low-ranking Demons originally responsible for logistics. They were completely unaware that Argus was being infiltrated, or rather, the Demons who *were* aware had already been secretly eliminated by Alleria and her team.
"We have placed timed bombs on all important energy transmission pipelines. Once we enter the port, this place will turn into a sea of fire."
Alleria's voice was somewhat excited. In her long battle with the Demons, she had personally witnessed the destruction they brought to countless civilizations and worlds. The worlds that burned and perished in flames were still vivid in her memory, and today, she had the chance to personally make these Demons experience the feeling of their home base being shrouded in the shadow of destruction.
The pleasure of vengeance made a certain power within Alleria stir, but soon a voice sounded in Alleria's ear, gradually calming her rising anger.
"Calm down, Alleria."
Xal'atath kindly reminded the elf who had come into contact with Void Power, "The power you control is quite dangerous, especially on this planet located at the boundary of reality. Those voices are likely to be infinitely amplified and influence your thoughts."
"I... thank you," Alleria's heated thoughts cooled down as if splashed with cold water. She could once again rationally examine their actions and plans. "This is my dereliction of duty..."
Although she hadn't made any choices detrimental to the operation, the mere state of her mind seemingly being out of control just now sent shivers down Alleria's spine. The Void's influence was sometimes silent, and by the time you reacted, it was already too late.
Alleria even momentarily doubted whether she should have been involved in this covert operation. Perhaps she was more suited to exert her strength on the front lines.
"Don't worry, this change isn't necessarily a bad thing. The more you hear, the more power you can utilize."
Xal'atath knew why Alleria was included in this special operations squad. With Xal'atath limiting the Void's influence on Alleria, Alleria could use Void Power to her heart's content without worrying about backlash, and her highly distinctive Void Power could confuse the Burning Legion's senses in a short amount of time.
Only by making the situation more chaotic could Arthas's landing plan be implemented more easily.
After placing all the bombs, Alleria's squad quickly assembled and ran towards the spaceport—it was the home port for a large number of Burning Legion warships. Even though most of the warships had been dispatched to Kalesh's battlefield, the number of remaining warships here was still quite considerable.
But as long as this port was crippled, these warships trapped in the dry docks would be unable to play their proper role, and what awaited them would be the Azeroth's artillery fire raining down from the sky.
However, upon just arriving at a hidden spot near the port and observing the situation, Alleria realized that the upcoming mission would not be so simple.
"The defensive strength here is several times more than the area we just passed... The Legion has not relaxed its vigilance here."
She reported what she saw to the command center on the ship and simultaneously added her opinion, "Direct infiltration carries too much risk. I request to detonate the Arcane Bombs we just placed to first cause chaos in the port area."
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"Permission granted."
Turalyon's response arrived swiftly.
A Battle Mage behind Alleria took out the detonator he carried, and after a brief unlock, he disengaged the safety device and lit the activation rune.
As the Arcane signal transmitted, a violent tremor, perceptible across almost the entire Antoran Wastes, spread through the fractured mantle with lightning speed.
The Demons in the port watched with their own eyes as the military facilities outside exploded into a spectacular display of Arcane brilliance, like fireworks. The continuous explosions spread along the energy pipelines used by the Demons. The initial Arcane energy ignition was almost immediately, within seconds, overshadowed by an even more exaggerated fel chain reaction, and the earth-shattering explosions and shockwaves instantly crippled more than half of Argus's defense system.
The Eredar officer in charge of the port had no idea what had happened. He certainly didn't associate this explosion with sabotage by infiltrators, because Argus had never experienced enemy infiltration. He even wondered if some lazy engineers' accidental operation had caused this terrible explosion.
"Quick, dispatch personnel to see what happened."
The Eredar officer abandoned the idea of using magical communication to contact the military camp. Given the scale of the explosion just now, all kinds of energy had already become chaotic, and no magical communication could propagate through it. Instead of waiting for the energy storm to subside, it was better to send some people to investigate.
And just as he transferred part of the port's defenders, Alleria, taking advantage of the chaos created by the commotion, led her squad into the port.
Ten minutes later, a Demon Guard ordered to search the explosion area picked up a fel Reaver, half-burned by flames but still alive, and angrily rebuked, "What are you idiots doing? How could the ammunition depot undergo a chain reaction?!"
The fel Reaver shook its head dazedly, indicating it had no idea what had happened.
The Demon Guard slammed him against a burning ammunition rack, and watching the fel Reaver's figure completely consumed by fel fire, he heartlessly told the other still-shocked fel Reavers, "Quickly rescue those unburned ammunition! Otherwise, you will be the raw materials for the next batch of ammunition!"
As the fel Reavers scattered, several more explosions made the Demon Guards look sideways. "What's going on? Where else exploded?"
"I don't know. The ammunition depots and energy pipelines here are too dense. We need to find more fel Reavers and engineers to check."
"Wait... no, why is the explosion sound coming from behind us?"
Several Demon Guards turned their heads in astonishment. Prompted by their comrades, they saw that several ominous mushroom clouds had risen from the port where the warships were docked.
Even the most sluggish Demon should have realized by now that this was no accident. Although hard to believe, Argus had suffered its first attack in millions of years.
And the Void Power emanating from those mushroom clouds immediately made them think of those pervasive Void creatures.
----
Alleria kicked aside the Demon's corpse blocking her path, simultaneously firing an arrow that struck a Demon Wizard attempting to cast a spell to stop the squad's advance.
The squad members also coordinated their attacks, blocking the endless stream of Demon Guards rushing in from all directions through the passage.
"Au...relia, what... happened... to you?! Can... you... talk..."
Turalyon's fragmented voice came from the Magic Orb. The chaotic energy after the explosions at the port and shipyard disrupted the normal transmission of signals, making it impossible for even the specialized communication orb to maintain an uninterrupted connection.
Alleria also wanted to reply to Turalyon's call, but since the explosion ten minutes ago, the Magic Orb had only been able to receive partial, noisy audio, making it impossible to transmit her reply back to the ship.
"Captain, look out!"
A Knight raised his shield, blocking a Fel Fire spell flying from nearby for Alleria. The high temperature left charred marks on the shield. Alleria didn't have time to thank him, simply nocking an arrow and piercing the head of the ambushing Demon with a silent yet deadly arrow.
At this point, she finally had a moment to look at her team. The Knight's arm was already trembling slightly. Although the spell hadn't penetrated his defense, hastily blocking the Demon's spell for Alleria had caused some damage to his body.
They were currently only managing to hold back the vanguard units that had first discovered their tracks, relying on the Demons not having fully reacted yet.
Once the Demons reacted, the large Demon forces closely following would easily surround them within the port, slowly wearing them down until they died.
As the vanguard members executing this dangerous mission, every member of the squad was prepared to sacrifice themselves to complete the task, but the most pressing problem was that their mission objective had not yet been fully achieved.
The previous explosion was not the result they had anticipated. Some of the Arcane bombs they installed reacted unexpectedly with certain goods inside the port. Shortly after the Arcane bombs were activated and placed, they were directly detonated.
For this, they had already sacrificed an experienced Magic Engineer. He was unfortunately caught in the violent explosion while installing the bombs, instantly perishing and being annihilated into nothingness by Void Power.
But Alleria and her team had no time to mourn their fallen comrade. They had to immediately leave the heavily besieged port area and proceed to the last remaining section that still retained core functions.
"Everyone, follow me! We need to break out of this shipyard! At the very least, we must destroy the remaining critical areas!"
As Alleria attempted to lead the squad members in carving a bloody path, she continuously sought Xal'atath's voice—the previous explosion was mixed with a large amount of Void turbulence, even overwhelming Xal'atath's mental fluctuations. She had temporarily lost contact with Xal'atath.
Given the urgent situation, she no longer hoped that the Magic Orb could restore communication functionality in a short time. Whether she could contact the main ship, the Azeroth, for support now depended on her using Void Power to find Xal'atath's signal.
This was also the reason Alleria was chosen as the squad leader. Among the Void Power users who could be located by Xal'atath, Alleria was the most skilled in such mobile combat and stealth operations. Although Alleria's mastery of Void Power was far inferior to those priests deeply versed in the ways of light and shadow, her unique talent and experience made her an almost irreplaceable choice.
However, Alleria herself hadn't expected her abilities to be put to use so quickly. If she had a choice, she would rather her powers be useless in this operation.
Facts proved that everyone's trust in Alleria was not misplaced. After they killed yet another Demon squad blocking their path, the whispers of the Void finally echoed in Alleria's ears.
She swore she had never craved to hear that call from the Void so much in her life.
"Zzz—Alleria? What happened just now? The explosion at the port was clearly visible even from here."
Xal'atath's voice was also filled with surprise. She had envisioned many possibilities for the operation, perhaps success, perhaps failure, but the towering explosion and mushroom cloud, along with the Void Power that was detonated simultaneously and disturbed her thoughts and power, were truly outside her considerations.
"I don't know either. We just installed the bombs as planned, but suddenly, a portion of them exploded without any warning. Not only the Demons, but we also suffered significant losses."
Alleria did not forget the Engineer responsible for installing the bombs. When he carried the bombs to the designated area for placement, no one could have imagined such a thing would happen.
"Is that so..."
Xal'atath recalled the explosion that had almost shaken the entire Antoran Wastes, and the Void energy that dispersed from it. "I can't conclude without seeing it firsthand, but it was very likely Void Energy confiscated by the Legion. Those things are inherently highly unstable dangerous goods, and it's not surprising for them to detonate sympathetically when stimulated by equally unstable Arcane energy."
But such an accident could not be blamed on anyone. No matter how excellent a tactical commander was, they couldn't predict that the Demons would directly pile such dangerous materials in the middle of the port... or rather, no other race besides the Demons could understand it.
Although an accident occurred, their mission still had to continue. Otherwise, once the Burning Legion reacted, the remaining warships capable of taking to the sky would be enough to cause Azeroth a lot of trouble.
"I will continue the mission, but the port is now fraught with danger. We need guidance to reach the target area."
Alleria stated her opinion decisively. Even if they might still have a chance to withdraw now, in her view, they had to take advantage of the lingering chaos to destroy the Legion's reaction capabilities as much as possible.
Xal'atath relayed Alleria's words to the personnel on the main ship. Turalyon remained silent, and the others had not yet reached a common conclusion.
"Withdrawing now gives you the highest chance of survival, Alleria."
Xal'atath gave her final reminder, "Taking advantage of the Demons not having reacted yet, retreating at this moment has a high chance of success, and we can also use the ship's artillery to destroy the last area."
"We cannot expose the main ship's position yet... The Legion still has a small number of ships that have not returned to the port. The main ship's artillery should be reserved for shooting down the remaining Legion forces after we have destroyed their ground reaction capabilities."
Alleria was very clear about their strategic objective: to neutralize Argus's anti-air and reaction capabilities at the lowest possible cost, preventing the Burning Legion from effectively responding to Azeroth's attack in a short time.
If the main ship's coordinates were exposed prematurely, the operational process would be greatly extended, which would have an extremely serious negative impact on subsequent strategic deployments.
"I understand, Alleria, if this is your collective decision."
Alleria glanced at her teammates, who also nodded behind her, and replied firmly, "It's decided, Intendant."
"Proceed straight ahead until the facility reaches its end, then enter the first gate on the right—I will guide you."
-----------------
Just as Alleria led her squad deeper into the port, on a Legion warship not far outside the port, a figure wielding two green warblades emerged from the bridge.
Behind him, an Illidari Demon Hunter quickly walked out and reported the current situation to him.
"Lord Illidan! The Legion's port just exploded. Should we still dock in the port area as planned?"
"Hmph..." Illidan let out a slightly smug snort, as if he were the mastermind behind the explosion. "No need to rush to dock for now. Our allies have given us a pleasant surprise. It seems we can keep this hard-won ship for other uses."
After escaping the pursuit of Kil'jaeden's hunters some time ago, he had summoned a Demon warship controlled by the Illidari. In the spirit of reciprocity, Illidan had originally intended to give Kil'jaeden a small return gift, but he hadn't expected someone else to seize the initiative now.
Although he was unclear about the full scope of Arthas's battle plan, he knew some key offensive nodes, so he himself had intended to provide some convenience to the champions of Azeroth. However, it now seemed that he and Arthas had thought along the same lines.
Prioritize destroying Argus's remaining reaction forces, and then destroy the Burning Legion's core in the shortest possible time?
This human... he truly dares to think and act as he always has—but are you truly prepared to face that existence seated high above the real universe?
Illidan tried his best not to let his senses spread towards the sinister structure encased in dark steel. Although his heart was already filled with rage, his rationality still allowed him to temporarily control his anger and avoid attracting the other party's attention.
"Sargeras, if he is not dealt with, everything we have ever done will be in vain."
"Arthas, so what exactly have you decided to do?"
"Quick, before the demons catch up, quickly plant the bombs!"
The assault team members moved swiftly through the port area, needing to plant the remaining Arcane bombs at their designated locations before the main demon forces arrived.
Alleria and the others raced against time to plant the bombs while fending off the demons surging from the main port road. Although they were holding their ground for now, Alleria knew they couldn't last much longer like this.
Sure enough, after Alleria directly countered the demon guards' offensive, the team responsible for the last area encountered trouble completely beyond their ability to handle.
The battleship, which should have been docked in the port in a deactivated state, suddenly activated its fel engines. Amidst the wails of souls and the roaring burn of fel, the battleship's hum echoed throughout the entire port area.
"Oh no?! How did the battleship suddenly activate!"
The engineer, who was about to board the battleship to install the explosives, watched the ship gradually moving away from the dock and shouted in despair.
They were still some distance from the activated battleship. If the battleship ascended, not only could its onboard firepower easily eliminate them, but it could also expose the location of the Azeroth vessel, leading to the failure of their plan.
This was a result the team members absolutely did not want to see.
The engineer, holding the Arcane bomb, gritted his teeth and, almost without hesitation, aimed the landing point of his teleportation spell directly at the battleship that was disengaging from the port.
Just then, two hands rested on his shoulders. They were the First Legion veterans responsible for protecting his safety in his squad. They both smiled, and the unspoken understanding between comrades instantly made the engineer comprehend their intention.
There was no time for sentimental words. After a brief charge, the engineer opened the teleportation channel. The suction from the channel pulled them into the portal. After a brief moment of dizziness, they adapted to the drastic changes in the scene before them.
But the commotion of the teleportation magic had already attracted the demons on the battleship. They were rushing towards the three with weapons in hand.
The two veterans exchanged a glance, roared, and charged at the demons, buying the engineer the last bit of time. The engineer immediately began installing the final Arcane bomb near the battleship's engine.
As the two veterans were completely engulfed by the demons, a sharp pain suddenly shot through the engineer's chest. The pre-cast magic shield shattered, and then his limbs went numb. He was picked up, almost unable to move, and hung in mid-air.
"Damn mortals… how dare you invade my ship?"
A spider-like female demon pierced the engineer's chest with an appendage growing from her back, hanging him in the air like a sausage. Yet, there was no fear or terror in the engineer's eyes; instead, a smile appeared on his lips.
"What gibberish are you spouting… demon… go to hell with your battleship!"
"What—?"
The spider mother's last memory remained in the dazzling Arcane glow. Her body was instantly torn apart by Arcane energy, and the battleship's indestructible material structure was also penetrated by this unexplainable magical explosion. The location where the engineer planted the bomb had already been meticulously calculated by him, sufficient to affect the battleship's power system.
Soon, the demons in the port saw the newly risen battleship engulfed by a massive explosion. The weapons and combat personnel on board vanished into thin air in an instant.
"Detonate the remaining bombs, quickly!"
Alleria had no time to grieve for the sacrificed team. After strangling a demon guard with her bowstring, she ignored the bloodstains on her face and issued the final command to her team members.
Then, with a series of continuous explosions and loud bangs, the entire Burning Legion military port erupted in a spectacular fireworks display. The demons about to board the ships for battle and the demon guards rushing to reinforce them all turned to ash in this firework display.
The Azeroth vessel also removed its concealment barrier at this time. The long-prepared artillery fire rained down, shooting down all the remaining Burning Legion battleships on Argus that tried to rush back to the port for support.
This orbital bombardment was completely unexpected by the demons. The Legion battleships, having already lost their optimal counterattack altitude, were mercilessly destroyed by the high-ground Azeroth vessel, turning them into a meteor shower falling over Argus.
The wreckage of these damaged battleships caused secondary damage to the demon fortifications on the Antoran Wastes. Within a few short minutes, Argus's entire defensive force was engulfed in flames.
"We succeeded."
Someone on the Azeroth vessel said this, but no one showed any joy—the violent explosion indeed destroyed the Burning Legion's ability to counterattack, but they also lost an entire elite combat team, as well as that legendary Ranger-General.
Alleria and her team had no chance to retreat to ensure the bombs could be detonated. They almost detonated the Arcane bombs at the explosion's center. The power of that bomb could destroy the Burning Legion's steel behemoths and even pierce through space. It was impossible for mortal flesh and blood to survive within it.
Turalyon gripped the edge of the command console tightly, but his expression remained calm and composed.
"First, Second, and Third Action Units, prepare for immediate aerial deployment. We must build the teleportation facilities as quickly as possible before the demons react—For Azeroth!"
"For Azeroth!"
The three elite combat units were already on standby at their designated drop points. When Turalyon's order came, they descended to the specified locations as quickly as possible through the vessel's teleportation system.
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Upon landing, they immediately began to occupy advantageous terrain and swiftly clear out surrounding demon creatures, paving the way for the subsequent construction of teleportation facilities.
The Azeroth vessel now finally had no worries and could provide artillery support to the ground forces, preventing them from falling into the same predicament as Alleria and her team.
After seeing the combat plan proceeding in an orderly fashion, Turalyon grabbed his personal sword and prepared to enter the teleportation device himself to descend to the ground.
But a hand stopped him at this moment. Turalyon looked up, "Intendant, I need to go to the front line to command the battle. What is the meaning of this?"
"Alleria hasn't sacrificed herself yet. You don't need to be in such a hurry to vent your anger," Xal'atath calmly told Turalyon a fact. "Although that explosion was massive, there was a reason we chose Alleria as the action team leader."
Turalyon's hand instantly tightened on the sword hilt, but he still controlled his emotions; this was a mandatory lesson for a commander. "You might have misunderstood something. I want to descend to the ground only to better see the real-time front line situation. As for Alleria… although I am very worried about her, I believe she will definitely find a way to escape… she must."
"Then, by all means, Archdeacon."
Xal'atath could read the surging anger within Turalyon, and she could also read that he was not lying. This man was indeed worried about his beloved's safety, but this was not enough to make him lose his reason.
"If you can contact Alleria, please help them return to the Azeroth vessel to recuperate. I beg you."
After leaving this message, Turalyon joined the front-line battle. Xal'atath turned back to manipulate the residual information in the Void. She was very sure that Alleria had used Void Power to escape with her team members just before the explosion. However, Alleria's application of Void Power was not yet proficient, and using Void teleportation in such a complex environment, she herself might not be able to confirm the landing point.
Xal'atath was now searching for Alleria's traces, to prevent this elf from accidentally teleporting herself to some dangerous place. But on Argus, Xal'atath's sensory abilities were greatly hindered, and she could only follow the ripples Alleria left in the Void to track her landing point.
"That's strange. Why can't I detect Alleria's presence at all?"
After a thorough search, even Xal'atath began to question herself. Alleria shouldn't have perished in the explosion just now, because she clearly detected the ripples and folds left in space by the Void Power that flickered at the last moment.
But Alleria seemed to have vanished into thin air. She and her team members walked through the void without leaving the slightest ripple, and even Xal'atath couldn't track their whereabouts.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Xal'atath decided not to continue with the thankless task. She directly contacted the entity most likely to know Alleria's whereabouts.
"My dear Your Majesty, the accident at the port has caused us no small loss."
"I saw the explosion. Even in this chaotic space, the fireworks on the Antoran Wastes were splendid enough."
Arthas was not on the Azeroth at this time, but he was still closely monitoring the unfolding war on Argus. Although there was a slight unexpected turn in the port raid, the objective had been achieved. Azeroth could now deploy its forces on Argus without any reservations.
For the Burning Legion, this was a completely unprecedented event. They had rampaged through countless realms, destroying innumerable civilizations and worlds, but having their own stronghold invaded was an absolutely novel experience for the demons.
At least the temporary chaos Argus was currently in already proved one thing: the Burning Legion had never even considered this kind of problem, leading to their extremely limited reinforcement plans and response methods. When facing the sudden attack from Alleria and others, the Burning Legion's officers reacted almost purely on instinct.
It wasn't until the entire port exploded into a comical display of fireworks that they realized Argus was under attack.
But what good was it to realize it then? The heavy losses left the demons in a state of disarray for a while. More likely, the demon commanders responsible for the port and Argus's defenses were now probably contemplating how to inform Kil'jaeden of this matter in a way that would grant them a quick death.
Similarly, Arthas also knew what question Xal'atath wanted to ask him.
"Alleria and her team are fine, but they are indeed not on the Antoran Wastes right now. The collapse of the Void passage sucked them into another continental plate."
Arthas manipulated the spatial displacement, thwarting Dimensius's attempt to draw the entire demon Legion into the Void Realm. Although this Void Lord had not fully awakened, his lingering will and instincts were constantly trying to shift the battle to a more favorable situation for him.
The main force of the Burning Legion was entangled with the Void creatures summoned by the Void Lord in Kalesh's star system. After the initial shock of the ambush, those demon officers had largely confirmed that they had fallen into a trap, but the Void creatures had already latched on. Even if they wanted to retreat, they first had to shake off Dimensius's minions.
The demon fleet wanted to withdraw from Kalesh's star system and return to the Twisting Nether's navigation routes to retreat. Arthas also prevented this. He completely sealed Kalesh's star system, turning it into a closed domain where one could only enter but not leave. To do this, he violently pressed parts of the Shadowlands, the real universe, the Void Realm, and the Twisting Nether together, causing anyone attempting to leave this star system to be torn to shreds by chaotic spatial storms.
"But Void teleportation usually only collapses into another Void plane… Do you mean there's another powerful Void creature on Argus?"
"She was once a Naaru, but Kil'jaeden, in retaliation, sealed her within the former core of Eredar civilization, allowing her to descend into corruption during tens of thousands of years of solitude and darkness. You should know that for a Naaru, this is a situation far more terrifying than death."
Arthas paused for a moment, then continued, "For now, focus your attention on the battlefield of the Antoran Wastes. I will personally go and find Alleria."
"Is that alright? My Your Majesty, you must be under immense pressure right now, aren't you?"
Xal'atath knew that Arthas's current actions were almost equivalent to simultaneously confronting Dimensius and Sargeras. Although she didn't know what method Arthas used, while suppressing Dimensius's consciousness, which could go berserk at any moment, he must have also managed to hide from Sargeras's gaze.
Otherwise, that Dark Titan wouldn't have shown any movement until now. Xal'atath was certain that Sargeras was definitely located above Argus; even she would feel a tremor in her heart when secretly peeking at that vast destructive aura.
"Just follow the plan. I can handle things here."
After leaving that message, Arthas cut off contact with Xal'atath. He was currently at the top of the Sanctum of Domination. In the sky above the platform, the magnificent auroras produced by the collision of four different planes were a sight that mortals could never witness in a lifetime, but only transcendent beings could clearly understand the dangers hidden within those eerie lights.
After ending the call with Xal'atath, Arthas shifted his attention from the battlefield between the Burning Legion and Dimensius, re-locating it to a fragment of Argus. In the golden age of Eredar civilization, the Eredar once called that place "Eredath," meaning the center of Eredar civilization. And it was there that the Triumvirate, who once led the entire Eredar civilization, shared the wisdom of the Eredar with the entire planet.
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However, nowadays, the Eredar have long abandoned their glorious past, choosing to explore the mysteries of the universe in a more bloody and brutal way. All their ancient wisdom and glory have been cast aside, leaving only fragments of shattered continents floating in the starry sky, still bearing the imprint of a glorious corner of ancient Eredar civilization.
The lamp of civilization had long dimmed, leaving only cold architectural remains and circular ruins floating in the starry sky, seemingly recording everything that once happened here.
However, within the silent ruins of civilization, there was one small area that still emitted a heart-pounding purplish-black pulsation. It was the lament of a Naaru, and also the beginning of the Eredar's brutal expedition.
Outside this magnificent structure called the Seat of the Triumvirate, not only were there large amounts of fel-corrupted land scattered about, but also small groups of Ethereal camps with very distinct characteristics. And from the Void imprints left by the remaining objects inside, these Ethereals should be Void-aligned Shadowguards. Like Netherwalkers, they embraced Void Power, but completely forgot the hatred of the Void destroying their homeworld, instead embracing the power, hoping to use Void Power to bring about an ascension for their race.
However, these Ethereal camps were now deserted; clearly, their masters had recalled them.
The lament of the corrupted Naaru echoed in every corner of this land, from far to near, all affected to varying degrees by the Song of the Void. While most demons could ignore this level of Void whispers, the native creatures, and now Alleria's group who had wandered here, could not fully resist the lament of the corrupted Naaru, L'ura.
Alleria's situation was somewhat better; she herself had undergone training to resist Void Power, so she could ensure she wasn't too greatly affected. But the team members, who had just experienced a major battle, had only just relaxed their tense spirits, and were extremely fatigued, could not resist.
When Alleria haphazardly led them away from the port area and arrived at this rootless land, floating high above Argus but still pulled by its gravity, these team members quickly began to show various negative symptoms.
Some completely lost their balance and sense of direction, finding it difficult even to walk. Others directly heard the Naaru's mournful lament, unable to control their emotions, weeping and laughing uncontrollably.
Watching the various strange behaviors within her team, Alleria was momentarily flustered. She had just tried to contact her ship but received no reply, and even Xal'atath had temporarily lost contact.
Alleria could only help the team's healer, a priest, trying to rouse her from her chaotic state, "Are you alright?! Can you hear me?!"
"Oh, Alleria… my lady, are you calling me?"
The priest blindly reached out in a certain direction, which was clearly not where Alleria was. Watching the priest flail about, and feeling helpless herself, Alleria began to hesitate whether to use Void Power to shield her from those strange pulsations.
But she herself didn't know what effect this would have on living beings; she had never tried to channel her Void Power in this way.
Just as Alleria was at a loss, a Holy Light suddenly appeared without warning. The light surging from the void enveloped all the team members, soothing their minds and healing their injuries.
The Light pierced through the darkness, bringing salvation and comfort to Alleria and her group. The condition of her team members, who had been tormented by the whispers of the Void, gradually stabilized. Although still somewhat dispirited, they no longer saw strange illusions or were assaulted by intense discomfort as before.
"Thank goodness, you've finally recovered."
Alleria wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. She had indeed been helpless just now, almost watching her comrades slowly die in agony.
"Captain Alleria, did you save us?" The priest, still weak after regaining consciousness, could now cast some basic Light spells. She struggled to get up, wanting to help Alleria treat the still-bleeding wounds on her body. "Please wait a moment, I'll treat your wounds."
"No, you rest well first. These superficial wounds of mine are nothing."
Alleria pressed down on the priest's raised hand. She knew her own body; it was they who needed rest more at the moment.
She gathered her team members and helped them to the area where the Light's power was most concentrated. This sudden appearance of the Light should not be a coincidence; Alleria felt that someone must be helping them.
Although she didn't know where they were, Alleria decided to wait patiently for a while. Since the blessing of this Light could shine here, it meant the caster should be able to contact them soon.
Just as Alleria expected, after she had settled her team members, a golden figure emerged from the Light. Although it was only a blurry phantom, Alleria still easily recognized the other party.
"Arthas! This is great, I knew it was you who helped us." Alleria's face showed joy. Arthas being able to project his power here meant they were saved.
"My apologies, Alleria, it took a while to create this projection."
Arthas expressed his apology. He should have helped Alleria and the others escape danger immediately, but he had too many things to focus on now. Even he couldn't spare much divine attention, so he could only resort to creating a projection to help Alleria and the others escape.
The energy on this broken land of Eredath was too chaotic. He also spent some time laying down the power of the Light in advance to create such a stable projection clone.
"It was already very timely, Your Majesty. But where exactly is this place? I was forced to forcibly open a Void channel during the explosion just now, but the chaotic energy storm made it impossible for me to control the landing point. I could only tumble out of the teleportation along with the raging energy pulses, and ended up here."
Alleria's gaze passed through Arthas's shadow and looked at the corrupted planet below the ground that was emitting fel energy. Fortunately, the Argus in front of them proved that they hadn't strayed too far, otherwise Alleria wouldn't know how to return to the battlefield.
Arthas raised his hand and summoned a Light spell, healing Alleria's wounds. "This is still part of Argus, once the center of Eredar civilization tens of thousands of years ago, but now it's merely the cold remains of a world. As for what dragged you here, it's the dark Naaru hidden within that magnificent structure."
The dark Naaru's gravity captured Alleria and her group, just like a large planet capturing an asteroid. The Void's gravitational pull caused Alleria to inadvertently arrive here.
"Although this place is far less dangerous than the Antoran Wastes, because Kil'jaeden wanted to completely bury that bloody history, he also left many dangerous traces on this wasteland. The most dangerous of them is L'ura, the Naaru in the Seat of the Triumvirate. That fallen dark creature sends a death dirge to all life that arrives on this land, intending to lure and devour them."
What Alleria and the others heard was L'ura's lament. L'ura, who had fallen into a Void creature, radiated an instinctive greed, wanting to devour their life force completely.
"Void Naaru…" Alleria looked at the ruined structure that still hinted at its former grandeur. She could still hear L'ura's song now, and just as Arthas said, her heart was throbbing uncontrollably, wanting to summon her there.
Alleria shook her head, trying to shake off those discordant laments and seductive whispers. "Our situation is not optimistic right now; we need to return to the main ship immediately. Many people… have sacrificed."
The operation against the port also caused heavy losses to their small team. Many elite warriors sacrificed in the battle, and only a few of them managed to escape from the final explosion.
Except for the small detachment personally led by Alleria, who were by her side at the last moment, everyone else failed to escape from there in time.
Alleria was quite remorseful about this. She believed she should have been more careful. Among all the team members, she was the only one most likely to discover those abnormal Void substances, but at the time, her attention was focused on the patrolling Demon Guards.
"It will still take some time for the main ship to arrive in this airspace. You'll have to hold on a bit longer before the teleportation coordinates are dropped."
Arthas estimated the time it would take for the Azeroth to arrive. He had originally intended to leave a sufficiently strong barrier for Alleria and her team, but then he suddenly looked in a certain direction in deep space. "Hmm… maybe not that long."
Alleria followed Arthas's gaze and saw a Burning Legion warship approaching them at an extremely fast speed. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively gripped her weapon.
"Don't be nervous, this ship is carrying… allies."
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Arthas had already seen the figure on the ship. Illidan was leading his Illidari towards Eredath. However, Arthas found it a bit strange: he hadn't contacted Illidan yet, so how did this guy determine the landing point of Alleria and the others?
"Allies?"
In just a few seconds of doubt, the warship had already stopped above their heads. As the iconic fel teleportation light pillar fell to the ground, Alleria still didn't relax her guard—basically, she was the only one left with combat capability. Perhaps Arthas's projection could also provide some help, but this was not Arthas himself after all, and Alleria was worried that the help Arthas could provide would be very limited.
"I saw the Light shining here from a long way off, Arthas."
From within the fel light pillar, Illidan's voice came out, "Are you also interested in what Kil'jaeden has hidden?"
"So that's why you came." Arthas instantly understood Illidan's intention. He didn't know the landing point of Alleria and the others at all; he had his own purpose: to search Eredath for ancient relics left by the Eredar.
This was very consistent with Illidan's style; he always liked to find and utilize everything that could be used.
However, Illidan also saw the group of injured people behind Arthas at this moment. He tilted his head, as if thinking, "Hmm? Those guys behind you… are they the ones from the port earlier?"
"You are Illidan Stormrage?" Alleria also recognized this famous—or rather, infamous—Demon Hunter.
"It's me," Illidan glanced at Alleria. He maintained basic respect for this lady, after all, Alleria had indeed caused a lot of trouble for the Legion. "It seems you all need some help?"
Alleria looked at Arthas, seeking his opinion.
"He is on our side." Arthas's words made Alleria lower her guard slightly. "It seems you have found the Krokul resistance?"
Illidan bared his shark-like teeth in a grin, "That guy wasn't easy to talk to, especially seeing me like this. It took me a lot of effort to extract any useful information from him."
But it was also from the mouths of those natives that Illidan learned some ancient secrets. He was convinced that this land, almost forgotten by the Eredar themselves, still held many good things that could resist the Burning Legion.
"You want to find those lost Eredar artifacts?"
Arthas's question made Illidan, who was surveying the land, turn his gaze back to the projection of Arthas. However, it only lasted for a short while. The Demon Hunter's spectral sight made Arthas's current appearance particularly dazzling, and even Illidan didn't want to look at it for long.
"That is indeed what I'm going to do next. As for how I'm going to do it, I don't think it has anything to do with you, does it?"
"Of course, but the situation is a bit special now."
Arthas looked at Alleria and the others behind him. As the remnants who survived the port explosion, they had little combat effectiveness left. To ensure their survival, it would be best to send them back to the main ship on Azeroth to recuperate.
However, the main ship was still some distance from Eredath, and Eredath was not a threat-free peaceful place. It was only relatively safer than areas like the Antoran Wastes, but if any accident occurred, it was definitely not something Alleria and the others could withstand in their current state.
Illidan easily guessed Arthas's intention, "You want me to send your troops away, right?"
The Burning Legion warship currently above Eredath might be the only starship in Argus airspace besides the Azeroth. If Alleria and the others were to evacuate as quickly as possible, then accompanying the Illidari was indeed the best method.
Arthas had already prepared for Illidan to haggle, but unexpectedly, the Demon Hunter agreed quite readily.
"That's no problem at all, Arthas. I'd be happy to send these brave warriors to a safe place."
However, Illidan's straightforwardness did not make Alleria feel relaxed. Her intuition told her that this Demon Hunter was unlikely to be so agreeable.
And an inadvertent exchange of glances with Arthas further confirmed this for Alleria. Arthas was clearly implying that Illidan likely had ulterior motives for what he was about to ask.
"I can immediately send people to transport these wounded back to your warship, but I also hope you can do me a favor."
Although Illidan was speaking to Arthas, his attention remained on Alleria.
No matter how much Alleria tried to conceal it, in Illidan's eyes, the surging Void Power within Alleria needed no concealment and couldn't be hidden. Furthermore, Alleria's familiarity with the Void could help him achieve his next goal.
That's right, besides searching for the secret treasures left by the ancient Eredar civilization, Illidan had come for the Void creature hidden within the Seat of the Triumvirate. Although the corrupted Dark Naaru was extremely dangerous, if utilized well, that danger could be transferred to others.
Arthas remained silent regarding Illidan's thoughts, but Alleria sensed something. She pointed to herself and said to Arthas, "He wants to use my abilities to deal with that Dark Naaru you mentioned?"
"Precisely so. How about it, Lady Alleria, interested in cooperating?"
Illidan smiled, "As long as you lend a hand, then I won't need to keep the warship as a fallback. I believe your experience in dealing with Void creatures is enough for us to resolve L'ura. That way, I can also have my subordinates send those wounded back to your warship."
This was an undisguised exchange of interests. Illidan seized upon Alleria's needs and was confident that if it were just Alleria, she would definitely agree to his terms.
The only variable was Arthas standing by, but this annoying king seemed to have no intention of stopping them, which made Illidan a bit uncertain.
Alleria's gaze shifted back and forth between Arthas and Illidan. Ultimately, as Illidan expected, this lady responded with almost no hesitation, "No problem, as long as these wounded can be sent back to the main ship, I just need to perform some additional tasks."
Illidan's face showed an undisguised smile, "I hope we can cooperate happily, Lady Alleria—Kare, find someone to send the wounded back to the ship, send them back to the Azeroth."
The Blood Elf Demon Hunter named Kare quickly led his people to begin transferring the wounded on the ground. Illidan also took this time to explain his plan, "According to the information I've obtained, there should still be a large number of Shadowguard Ethereals in the Seat of the Triumvirate. They should have been our main threat, but after our recent reconnaissance flight, those Ethereals have all vanished as if into thin air, even leaving behind a large amount of valuable supplies and equipment."
Illidan was unaware of what was happening with Kalesh, so he didn't know why the Shadowguard Ethereals had withdrawn, but none of that mattered to him. "However, this also saves us a lot of trouble."
"So, we basically won't encounter any danger?" Alleria didn't believe their mission would be that easy.
"Not entirely. Although the Shadowguard Ethereals have left, their previous presence here was not without gain. While they couldn't take L'ura, by utilizing the pure Void energy released by L'ura, they should have created a large batch of experimental subjects."
Arthas spoke up at this point to remind Illidan and Alleria. When he cast this wisp of consciousness, he also observed the situation on Eredath from another perspective.
"The Shadowguard combined Void energy with local species to create various Void-infused abominations. If you plan to delve deep into it for exploration, it's best to be fully prepared."
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At this point, Arthas nodded to Illidan, "I have some things to discuss privately with the First Legion commanders next. Do you have any other questions?"
Illidan shrugged. He only cared if he could achieve his goal. As for whether Arthas would interfere, he wasn't worried at all—if Arthas didn't want him to carry out his plan, he wouldn't have gotten Alleria's help in the first place. Since Alleria had already joined the operation, Arthas wouldn't hinder Illidan any further.
When Illidan led the Demon Hunter contingent to set up camp nearby, Arthas's illusion turned to Alleria, "You heard L'ura's call, didn't you?"
Alleria did not hide her thoughts. She nodded decisively, "If it weren't for the safety of the squad members, I definitely would have gone there to see what was happening."
Alleria had already realized that their crash on Eredath must be inextricably linked to L'ura, and during their Void transit, she had indeed sensed that faint call.
She wasn't sure if it was L'ura intentionally pulling them, or an unintentional emission of her innate aura, but when this Void whisper fell into Alleria's ears, it transformed into a call and guidance for her.
Regarding Zera, Alleria still had many unanswered questions, and after Zera's transaction with Arthas, the Mother of Light fell silent, no longer responding to anyone.
Alleria could no longer find the answers she sought from Zera, but she had never forgotten the destiny the Void had bestowed upon her. She hoped to understand it all and to gain greater power to protect everything she loved.
The experience at the port made her realize the inadequacy of her strength. If she could apply Void Power more skillfully, perhaps not so many people would have been unable to escape, and they wouldn't have been abandoned in an unknown place to die during transit.
This time, Arthas was there to help them, but they wouldn't always have such good luck. Alleria could not bear to watch the people around her slowly die; that was far more terrifying pain and torment to her than death itself.
So, when Illidan stated his purpose, Arthas knew that Alleria would definitely seek something from L'ura, whether it was power or answers.
Kalesh's void was filled with rage and tremors, as countless dangerous creatures from another plane burst forth, clashing with the brutal Legion army.
From the Burning Legion's ships to Kalesh's shattered remains, fierce battles erupted on every piece of habitable ground; although the Burning Legion was ambushed here by Void creatures and Voidwraith Ethereal, their numbers still held an overwhelming advantage.
Dimensius was merely tending towards awakening, not yet truly awake, and his minions were unable to wantonly intervene in the conflicts of the physical plane, which also gave the Burning Legion a moment to breathe.
Almost every second, Void creatures were smashed to pieces by the demons' fel-burning greatswords and axes, and similarly, a large number of demon soldiers were devoured and annihilated by Void energy bodies, turning into the enemy's nourishment without even a single cry.
Two fearless Legions engaged in a bloody tug-of-war across every corner of Kalesh, yet they all tacitly avoided the center of Kalesh, where a tangible Void vortex had almost materialized.
That was the lingering echo left when Dimensius and Kalesh together descended into oblivion; for flesh-and-blood creatures, even approaching it would tear them to shreds by the surging, chaotic energy currents, and at the more core position, even energy beings like Void creatures should not step foot, because no one wanted to become a sacrifice for Dimensius's awakening.
At this moment, the Burning Legion's command authority had been completely taken over by Mannoroth; they had lost contact with Argus, and this repulsive Pit Lord was constantly trying to locate Archimonde.
"Why hasn't Archimonde responded?!"
But the truth was, no matter how Mannoroth searched, he found no trace of Archimonde.
After multiple fruitless searches, no matter how mindless Mannoroth was, he realized they had been tricked; someone had used Archimonde's essence to set a trap for them, luring them into this Void dead end, forcing them to confront a prepared Void Lord.
It was just that this news was too shocking and unbelievable; Mannoroth couldn't even imagine who could control Archimonde and issue orders to the entire Burning Legion in his name.
"This is truly ridiculous..." Mannoroth's fat fingers gripped his twin-headed great-axe, making a creaking sound; he could almost imagine how furious The Dark Lord would be when he learned of all this, and how Kil'jaeden would purge Archimonde's subordinates.
After that Eredar Warlock was exploited, causing such heavy losses to the Burning Legion, Mannoroth believed that no one could ignore Archimonde's repeated failures anymore; Sargeras would inevitably completely erase Archimonde and his name from within the Burning Legion.
And Mannoroth, as Archimonde's trusted subordinate, would certainly not be blameless, but Mannoroth at present had no time to consider these matters—if they couldn't leave Kalesh alive, any worry or fear was useless; the Void Lord would unceremoniously crush their souls completely, and in this bizarre plane, where the Twisting Nether, the real universe, and the Void realm were intertwined, even demon souls no longer had a chance to escape.
Void creatures clawed their way out of every corner of space; Mannoroth had already seen the colossal, mountain-like Elemental Creatures, homogenized by the Void, further shattering the already broken world fragments on Kalesh's remnants.
Countless meteorites, smaller than the world fragments themselves, were hurled by those massive monsters, streaking towards the most densely packed areas of the Legion warships.
"Evade quickly! Get out of the way of those damned meteor showers!"
Although Mannoroth and his subordinate officers tried their best to turn the fleet, the number of meteorites was simply too great; in fierce collisions and explosions, countless meteor showers were pulverized by the Legion warships' cannons, but even more meteors crashed into the fleet, shattering the warships' shields in the most pure and violent way, and completely smashing the ships and the demon guards on them into cosmic dust.
After the disheveled Legion soldiers once again paid the price of numerous ships being destroyed, they also seized the window of opportunity created by the chain explosions to launch a counterattack against the Void creatures.
However, except for the top few commanders in the Legion, most of the lower-level demons no longer had time to ponder how the battlefield situation had changed; they simply numbly accepted their superiors' orders to counterattack, annihilate, and encircle the Void creatures.
And in the green glow of the fel engine's post-ignition detonation, a pair of eyes coldly observed the battle unfolding here.
Standing on the top platform of the Sanctum of Domination, Arthas pierced through the veil of the Shadowlands, clearly and unilaterally observing the war's progression; he even intervened occasionally to prevent either the demons or one side of the Void from gaining too much of an upper hand.
He did not want to see either side in this war win or escape too easily; the best outcome, of course, would be for both sides to perish together, but in Arthas's own view, the Burning Legion actually had no such chance.
The Legion's army seemed endless, covering every corner of the Kalesh star system, but with their retreat cut off, they could neither receive support nor escape; they could not end this campaign except by completely eradicating Dimensius.
Although Dimensius had not yet fully recovered, and the Legion's offensive was consuming his remaining sanity and consciousness, he could not possibly die completely in such chaos, not to mention that the Voidwraith Ethereal scurrying around the battlefield were trying every means to supply energy to their master; they threw everything they caught that could feed Dimensius into the mana furnace, whether demons or other Void creatures forcibly conscripted, as long as they were weak or injured on the battlefield, the shadowguards would dart out from the shadows and turn them into Dimensius's sustenance.
Arthas was watching all of this unfold and judged that this unit of the Burning Legion would gradually move towards extinction within dozens of Azeroth days.
The only regret was not having drawn Sargeras to this battlefield; The Dark Titan was plotting something unknown, neither appearing on the attacked Argus nor on the front lines against the Void Lord.
Originally, Arthas had planned to give Sargeras a small surprise the moment he tried to execute Dimensius, but now that idea had to be abandoned.
However, Dimensius still held great potential for exploitation; in addition to being used to eliminate most of the Burning Legion's forces, this Void Lord himself was an "ultimate weapon" capable of posing a fatal threat to the Titans.
Therefore, in order to have an extra trump card against the Burning Legion, Arthas began to quietly spread a "plague" on the battlefield; this plague would not cause any effect on the entities it sparsely attached to, but it was a mark deeply etched into the soul and body, and even death, or even the complete pulverization of form, could not erase it.
The plague spread quite rapidly, especially on a battlefield full of chaos and death, intentionally guided by Arthas; corpses, remains, and even a faint echo of souls became carriers of this plague, and with the help of those Voidwraith Ethereal acting as "scavengers," the speed of its spread increased exponentially, quickly extending from one corner of the star system to another, and then all of it was thrown into the mana furnace to supply energy to Dimensius.
"Where did these demons come from? Why did they suddenly start attacking us?"
"Could it be that our presence on Eredath was discovered?"
"Impossible! Kil'jaeden barely pays any attention to that land; there are hardly any active demons there. Why would he bother coming to Kalesh just to cause us trouble?!"
"It must be that you didn't clean up your messes properly! Right now, only a single elite Legion of demons has arrived. If we attract the Dark Titan, how will we manage the aftermath?!"
"Then what can we do? Our available resources are rapidly decreasing. We need the energy of that Naaru on Eredath!"
While the Burning Legion and Dimensius's servants were locked in a fierce battle, at the Voidwraith Ethereal' stronghold, several Node Princes responsible for Kalesh's defense were arguing intensely.
They had already received reports from the front lines. Although the demons couldn't break through their defenses for a while, the Burning Legion's sudden attack had caused irreparable damage to their plans.
To counter the sudden arrival of the demons, they had to slow down the energy supply to Dimensius, instead channeling more resources into the war. At the same time, they even needed to rely on Dimensius's power to resist the demonic invasion.
Dimensius's awakening had been proceeding steadily. In recent years, the cosmic energy fluctuations had shown them the possibility of the Devourer of Worlds' complete revival. Therefore, they had recalled almost all callable resources, fully committing to the project of reviving the Devourer of Worlds.
But now, all their plans were disrupted by the invading Burning Legion. A large amount of support that should have been fed into the mana forge to revive Dimensius was forcibly diverted to confront the demons.
"Alright, to make up for these losses, why don't we just throw those demons directly into the mana forge?!"
Ultimately, the Node Princes had no choice but to agree to this plan. Although the salvaged demon remains were not enough to fully compensate for their losses in the war, they could at least partially replenish their depleted resources.
"Extracting energy from demons is inefficient and causes significant wear and tear on the mana forge. I'm afraid that after this great war, it will be a long time before we can fully recover."
"Then what else can be done? The demons have set their sights on Kalesh, but Dimensius has not fully awakened yet. If we cannot bring forth the Devourer of Worlds, and the Dark Titan's gaze falls upon us, everything will be lost!"
A single sentence from someone caused all the Node Princes present to fall silent.
The fearsome reputation of the Dark Titan Sargeras struck terror into countless worlds, and this naturally included the Ethereals of Kalesh. Although their world was not destroyed by the Burning Legion, for the Ethereals, whose businesses and informants spanned the entire physical universe, they had personally witnessed how the Burning Legion's iron hooves had erased one powerful civilization after another from existence.
And the Burning Legion, in their long crusades, had not been without formidable enemies. Yet, those brilliant civilizations, after the Dark Titan descended, all met their demise, without exception.
"Throw all usable resources into the Mana Forge Omega. Besides relying on the power of the Devourer of Worlds, we have no other options."
The Node Princes reached a consensus, and the Voidwraith Ethereal' plundering of battlefield resources grew even more frantic. Like locusts, they madly extracted all energy from the remnants of Kalesh, whether it was fallen demons, void creatures whose forms had been shattered, or even their own Ethereal brethren who could no longer be saved. All were funneled into the mana forge as sustenance for Dimensius.
They dared not gamble on whether Sargeras would personally intervene to stop Dimensius's revival, but the Node Princes all believed this possibility to be quite high. After all, Sargeras's aversion to Void creatures was well-known. When he learned that Dimensius's revival was inevitable, Kalesh would likely no longer be able to remain hidden.
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"These lunatics… they will push Kalesh to the brink of collapse."
The Netherwalker witnessed the Voidwraith Ethereal' actions. He wanted to stop his insane compatriots, but he was currently powerless, able only to watch Kalesh descend from one abyss to another.
"So, you should be very clear that once Dimensius fully revives, your world will be completely beyond salvation."
"Of course, I know that, and for many years, I have been striving for that very goal…"
The Netherwalker turned his gaze to Arthas beside him, his heart a mix of emotions. Facing Arthas, he felt an inexpressible complexity.
Arthas had indeed restricted his personal freedom, but he had no complaints about it. He had, in fact, done many things in secret for his own purposes, not a few of which had an impact on Azeroth.
But what left him even more speechless was that Arthas was simply a stronger, more resolute version of himself. The Netherwalker had tried to protect his homeworld, but he failed. Yet now, Arthas had not only protected Azeroth but had also brought the flames of war to Argus, preparing to permanently resolve the threat of the Burning Legion once and for all.
Upon reflection, if their positions were reversed, he too would have unhesitatingly made choices similar to Arthas's.
It was just that he was the one playing the role of being forced to make a choice now.
However, out of loyalty to Kalesh, the Netherwalker could not accept Arthas's methods.
"You bringing the Burning Legion here can indeed delay Dimensius's awakening… But if the demons win—"
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"Your world will also perish without a trace, and there will be no possibility of recovery." Arthas provided the answer for the Netherwalker.
The Netherwalker let out a helpless laugh, "Both sides of the scale lead to the same outcome, so what more do I have to say? Tell me, what do you want me to do to spare Kalesh?"
"I need someone to enter the deepest part of the mana forge to help me strip Dimensius of his power."
The Netherwalker was stunned, "How is that even possible?"
He felt that Arthas was overestimating him. He had indeed lived for many years and possessed many secrets concerning the Void, understanding its energy. But what Arthas proposed was an impossible task for him.
Let alone plundering Dimensius's power, the Netherwalker couldn't even get close to the Devourer of Worlds.
As a true god of the Void realm, Dimensius had even devoured other Void Lords. His power already surpassed mortal imagination; weaker beings could not even approach his true form. An annihilation aura would instantly compress everything into the most basic cosmic energy for Dimensius to consume.
Even if the Netherwalker and his people had long transformed into energy life forms, they still couldn't completely avoid the effects of the annihilation aura. Getting too close to Dimensius meant certain death.
Even the Voidwraith Ethereal dared not delve into Kalesh's most core domain; they merely relied on conduits to supply Dimensius with energy.
"You don't need to worry about how to approach Dimensius. Your task is actually very simple: just reach Dimensius's core and bring his power out."
Arthas reached into the void and retrieved a runic disk. With an invisible force, he pushed the disk before the Netherwalker.
"Send all of Dimensius into this disk. In exchange, I will remain here and bring this war to an end."
The Netherwalker stared at the disk in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and finally reached out to grasp it.
The instant he held the mysterious disk of unknown material, the Netherwalker had a strange illusion, as if he wasn't holding a disk, but an entire universe.
He looked at the disk, then at Arthas beside him, wisely refraining from asking what the disk was, and instead asked, "You're so sure I can do it?"
"Because you must do it."
Arthas's reply was simple, and the Netherwalker had nothing to say to it. As Arthas said, he had to find a way to complete this task, otherwise, his vows, his cherished homeworld, everything would be reduced to the smallest dust under the crushing might of Dimensius or the Burning Legion.
"Relax, this task isn't as daunting as you imagine. I just simply need a helper—otherwise, you'd be standing here staring at the Burning Legion and Dimensius, telling them not to make too much of a fuss?"
Arthas glanced at the Netherwalker, who looked as if he was preparing for his death, and offered some words of comfort.
Although the words weren't pleasant, they made the Netherwalker smile wryly.
Have him watch the massive battle between fel and the Void here? The Netherwalker believed he couldn't shoulder such a heavy burden, not to mention Arthas also had to focus on the war on Argus, and this battlefield was only a part of his plan.
To prevent the conflict between the Burning Legion and Dimensius from escalating into the worst-case scenario, Arthas's power was indispensable. The Netherwalker could understand why Arthas chose him to complete this task; after all, he was the person Arthas could find who understood Dimensius relatively well.
"What do I do?" The Netherwalker wanted to know how he could help Arthas execute this plan.
"I've deployed a runic plague into the battlefield. All demons, Void creatures, and Voidwraith Ethereal participating in this cosmic war will inevitably be infected by this plague."
Arthas waved his hand, injecting a peculiar energy into the Netherwalker's body, allowing him to see the invisible plague spreading across the battlefield.
In the Netherwalker's eyes, the plagues materialized into fragments of chains, and when their hosts were thrown into the mana forges by the Voidwraith Ethereal, under the catalysis of energy and quantity, they condensed into complete chains within the mana forge's conduits, flowing with the energy towards the Mana Forge Omega.
The Netherwalker knew that the energy being transported there would be injected into Dimensius's still-sleeping core, and along with the energy, an endless stream of black chains would also be injected into Dimensius's body.
Yet, the Void Lord himself seemed completely unaware, or perhaps he simply didn't care about these inconspicuous chains, treating them merely as impurities in the energy, swallowing them all indiscriminately.
The bandages on the Netherwalker's face showed some deformation. "Are you sure this energy flowing into Dimensius can still restrain him?"
"Quantity will lead to qualitative change, Netherwalker. You should understand this principle very well, otherwise, you wouldn't be hoping to use the insignificance of the Etherial race to contend with the Devourer of Worlds."
Just a few runic unions were not enough to suppress Dimensius's power, but when the number of these runes accumulated to a certain extent, even the Void Lord could not escape their influence and control.
Even the most powerful beings must adhere to some fundamental laws, just as Void creatures need to create physical armaments or armor to maintain their existence in the real universe; even Dimensius cannot ignore such basic rules.
What Arthas added to these runic plagues was precisely the power of stability and shaping. The Eternals of the Shadowlands often used these runes to forge indestructible artifacts or to grant others immortal forms.
Dimensius would inevitably accelerate his consumption after being stimulated by these powers, and when he continued to consume at this rate, by the time his power gradually recovered and he regained a more lucid consciousness, it would already be too late.
After sending the Netherwalker to a position close enough to Dimensius, Arthas once again focused his attention on the battlefield of Void creatures and demons.
However, this time he was no longer planning to continue observing, but instead activated the permissions of the Sanctum of Domination tower, gathering the death energy spread throughout the Maw. Under the Sanctum of Domination's absorption, the dark shadows covering the Maw, like rivers flowing into the sea, all surged into the tower.
These powers were not highly pliable Anima; they merely represented the darkest, most desolate domains of the Shadowlands, the place of extinction for countless living beings, the embodiment of death feared by all wills.
Arthas, after confirming that the Netherwalker had delved deep into the mana forge, no longer intended to wait for the demons and Void creatures to slowly fight each other to the death. The death feast prepared for Dimensius had already spread everywhere, and now he would act as a push, delivering this delicacy completely to Dimensius's doorstep.
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"Those demons are indeed powerful… still stubbornly holding their ground against us, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of their reinforcements arriving?"
"That's normal. After Kalesh was destroyed by the Devourer of Worlds, the space here has been very chaotic. I actually don't even know how these demons found their way here."
"This is good news! As long as we can defeat all the demons here before the Burning Legion's reinforcements arrive, perhaps we can use them to significantly advance Dimensius's awakening!"
My lord, there's more to this chapter, please click next page to continue reading, it gets even more exciting!
The Node Princes had different views on the frontline situation, but all in all, they believed that as long as the Burning Legion's reinforcements couldn't arrive, victory would ultimately be theirs.
The Netherwalker was silently hiding in the energy pipeline at this moment. The protection Arthas had given him allowed him to maintain his existence in this intense energy storm, and with the cover of the energy, he also overheard the Node Princes' conversation.
He made no secret of his disgust for these Voidwraith Ethereal. As his former compatriots, these greedy parasites had long lost their original intention, no longer thinking about how to restore Kalesh, but instead fawningly bowed to Dimensius, only to seek greater power and status.
The Voidwraith Ethereal roamed throughout the universe, seizing all resources they believed could help Dimensius's resurgence, including the unbound souls scattered across the universe. They used these souls to create more soldiers, and among those forced into Void-infused soul forms were many Etherial compatriots who did not wish to join them.
And what shocked the Netherwalker the most was that the largest parasite among them had truly been reborn under the infusion of Dimensius's power.
"Lord Sargadar , we will surely win the final victory. The return of the Devourer of Worlds is unstoppable."
At the end of the meeting, the Node Princes uttered that name in unison. The Netherwalker almost lost control of his bandage-wrapped body, and the hand holding the disk suddenly tightened.
Sargadar ?! That tyrant wasn't dead, he was still alive?
When the projection of Sargadar appeared before the Node Princes, the Netherwalker subconsciously concealed his aura more carefully.
Although this former Etherial king had long since betrayed his people and home, the Netherwalker had to admit that the current Sargadar was far stronger than his past self. After being infused with Dimensius' Void power and seizing vast amounts of cosmic energy, this tyrant was no longer an ordinary Etherial.
The Netherwalker's Void vision clearly saw that the current Sargadar was more like a Void demigod in an Etherial shell, even more powerful than typical Void demigods.
"Is this the power you sought… Sargadar?"
The Netherwalker couldn't help but sigh. The king of Kalesh had long since abandoned his dignity and will, willingly becoming a servant of Dimensius for this bit of power—for anyone who accepted Dimensius' power, no matter how strong, would ultimately be nothing more than a dog for Dimensius to command at will.
Xal'atath was the best example; even if she secretly seized more power and authority, as long as she remained under Dimensius' control, everything she gained could be taken away by the Void Lord with a single thought once Dimensius awakened.
Sargadar's actions were no different from Xal'atath's back then. He willingly became a creature not much different from a Harbinger, and he even wanted to drag all Etherials down with him, at least that way, under Dimensius, he would still rule the Etherial race.
The Netherwalker, of course, would not let this tyrant succeed. They had already lost their homeworld and should not have more of their kin lose their freedom and become Dimensius' dogs, serving this Void Lord with whom they had an irreconcilable grudge.
And the only way to stop Sargadar now was in the Netherwalker's own hands.
"As long as I can eliminate the threat of Dimensius, as Arthas said… Sargadar is nothing but a clown."
Sargadar's power was truly astonishing. Just this small projection made the Netherwalker feel a great threat, but compared to the despair-inducing gap between them and Dimensius, he was a ridiculously weak opponent.
After dealing with Dimensius, the Netherwalker himself had nine ways to resolve the ambitious Sargadar. His many years of traveling the cosmos were not in vain. Even if these experiences were not enough to bridge the chasm between him and Dimensius, it did not mean that the gap between him and Sargadar could not be overcome.
The Netherwalker no longer watched Sargadar and the Node Princes' petty squabbling. He plunged deeper into the energy conduits. The deeper he went into the Manaforge, the higher the density and quality of the energy. Even with Arthas' protection, the Netherwalker felt the stinging pain as the energy storm tore at his soul.
Fortunately, apart from a faint ache, he was certain his body had not sustained any substantial damage.
After dodging an Arcane eruption caused by the Manaforge's immense energy, the Netherwalker's bandaged body, like a writhing snake, swiftly leaped past the Shadowguards' sight and rushed into the Manaforge's core.
The process of entering here was incredibly easy. Due to Dimensius' danger, not even the Voidwraith Ethereal dared to get too close to the Manaforge's core. Apart from a large number of constructs maintaining stability, there wasn't even a single living Etherial to be seen here.
On the distant central platform, the Void Lord's still dormant core was devouring the massive amounts of energy supplied to him by the Manaforge. However, his consciousness, still largely in slumber, had not yet discerned the "gift" from Arthas hidden within this energy.
The moment the Netherwalker saw Dimensius' core, even the eyes of his soul felt intense discomfort. He knew very well that without Arthas' protection at this moment, he would have already become the Void Lord's sustenance, just like the surrounding energy flowing into Dimensius' body.
"It seems you have reached the core of the Manaforge."
Arthas' voice suddenly sounded in the Netherwalker's ear. The Netherwalker was not surprised at all; since Arthas could help him ignore Dimensius' annihilation field, he naturally had a way to transmit words into his mind.
"Yes, I have seen Dimensius, who is still asleep… but looking at the armor and gauntlets that are gradually taking shape, he should already be preparing for his full awakening."
The Netherwalker stood before the energy vortex created by Dimensius, feeling the powerful pull and attraction, and asked with some uncertainty, "But he hasn't fully awakened yet. How can I do what you said?"
He looked down at the seemingly unremarkable disc in his hand. Its material was like both metal and stone, and the Netherwalker could not identify its origin or casting method. Arthas told him he could use this disc to seal Dimensius, but he had explained it too simply, like putting an elephant into a box. The Netherwalker could understand the process of opening the box and putting the elephant in, but he truly didn't know how to implement it.
"Just release the disc in your hand and let it flow into Dimensius' body with the energy."
Arthas' instruction came, and the Netherwalker quickly complied. As he watched the disc flow into Dimensius' core with the energy tide, he suddenly realized a new problem.
"Wait, how do I get this disc back?"
"As you said, wait."
After leaving this message, Arthas stopped speaking to the Netherwalker, leaving him stunned in place. He helplessly glanced at the seemingly unchanged Dimensius, realizing that he seemed to have to stay alone with this extremely dangerous entity.
However, the Netherwalker was helpless. Although his instinct for seeking advantages and avoiding harm kept telling him to escape this terrifying place, his ideals and beliefs forced him to confront the terrifying existence of Dimensius, even if this ticking time bomb could explode at any moment and take his life.
"I hope this method works…"
The Netherwalker looked up at the dome above the Manaforge, almost obscured by materialized energy. He knew that beyond this forge was his longed-for homeworld. Although that planet was already broken and could turn into cosmic dust at any moment, it still existed tenaciously, just like the Etherial race, living resiliently in this world.