Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty-Five

Khadgar was dizzy, but he could feel the healing power flowing over him.He staggered to his feet, cursing.The crack is gradually fading from sight, leaving only a steamy afterimage.And Ner'zhul and his orcs also left. "...we're too late. It's gone." "Missing? In the name of the Light, no!" Turalyon was right behind Khadgar, but he didn't seem to see the crack.Before Khadgar even saw it, his senses felt its presence.Turalyon specialized in the Holy Light, but knew little about arcane magic. "He must have closed the rift behind him," Khadgar surmised.He and Turalyon walked back to the summit, Alleria following behind them.

"But you've got the Eye of Dalaran back," Alleria pointed out. "This is important, isn't it?" Khadgar nodded. "Okay, what do we do now?" She turned her head, looking down at the Black Temple. "Anyway, at least we've captured this place." "Do you have any means of tracking him?" Turalyon asked. Khadgar shook his head and admitted, "I don't know what spell Ner'zhul used, and I don't know what world that damned rift leads to. So, even if I can open a new rift here, I can't guarantee that it will bring us to the same world." Then, his attention gradually shifted to something.Frowning, Khadgar stepped forward, facing the three circles on the temple's summit.

"what is this?" "Energy," Khadgar said absent-mindedly, "there is no place other than Medivh's Tower that can match the energy contained here." He turned his head to one side and whispered, "That's it Yeah. I've been wondering why Ner'zhul left Hellfire Citadel and let us take it instead of holding the fort and casting spells there. Because he can't. He needs to cast spells here. He needs the energy here Come perform the ceremony." "So did it help him here?" Alleria asked. "I'm not sure, maybe," he said, stepping into the center of the circle.Suddenly, Khadgar's head shook back, his mouth opened wide, and he screamed silently.Such a huge amount of energy!It ran wildly across his body like a flame constantly spreading in the wilderness, burning his meridians, making his senses almost unbearable.

Ner'zhul is a shaman, not a mage.He uses the power of heaven, earth and water, the power of the world itself.And here is the gathering point of energy in this world.For Ner'zhul, casting spells in this kind of place has long been familiar.But for Khadgar, this was an entirely new and dangerous experience. But the Archmage Khadgar is not in vain.When he was studying in Dalaran, he had already shown his understanding of magic, and during the short time he was an apprentice under Medivh, he also learned a lot.As for after that, he never stopped to study.Although this energy was new to him, it was still part of magic, and Khadgar was an archmage.This means that everything depends only on willpower.

And Khadgar's will has always been very firm. He slowly relaxed his senses, letting the new energy gradually settle down until it was barely audible.Then, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath.Now, he is standing here, with the energy of the whole world rushing through his body, allowing him to see things that he couldn't see before. "Oh no," he said. "What's wrong?" Turalyon asked. "The crack..." Khadgar gasped, trying to find words to describe what he saw. "Ner'zhul opened more than one rift. There are so many rifts, all over this poor world." They were constantly glowing, like fireflies on a hot summer night. "This level... I don't think Draenor can bear it. These rifts...they will tear the whole world apart." And we will be torn together, he thought, but there was no word on his lips. speak out.

Turalyon and Alleria looked at each other.They turned to Khadgar in unison, asking together, "What should we do now? How long do we have?" Just when he was about to answer, the dark temple and the surrounding ground suddenly began to tremble.The volcano in front of the temple also began to surge, spewing more contaminated lava and creating a green cloud.Then, they heard a deafening cracking sound from behind them. Khadgar looked over there, but saw a rocky mountain falling straight down.The Dark Temple is built on the mountain, and on the other side of the mountain is the sea.Now, the mountain is gradually crumbling.Most of the falling rocks fell into the water, but some flew towards them.With a quick thought, Khadgar cast a spell to save them from being crushed to death by falling rocks.Boulders, gravel and dust flew past them, but all three remained unharmed.His second spell was used to protect the area below, where the Alliance army was clearing away the remnants of the Horde.When the battle started to fall, many orcs were scattered by the crowd, and now this sudden landslide hastened their escape.

Draenor, as he had predicted, was a beast trying to tear itself apart in agony. And Khadgar realized that Draenor might not be the only world in Oblivion. "Azeroth is in danger!" he shouted in the noisy environment. "These cracks connect many worlds. The Dark Portal is the largest and the most stable." Now the surroundings suddenly became quiet, because the ground suddenly stopped shaking.So Khadgar began to explain quickly. "Our worlds are interconnected. The damage suffered here may seep into our world through the Dark Portal, and affect Azeroth!" He walked out of the circle with a heavy face.Khadgar tried not to be disheartened as his energy plummeted from its usual level.It's like being surrounded by a large campfire in the dark and suddenly turning into a small torch.But he knew that the longer they stayed here, the more dangerous they would be. "I need to go back to the Dark Portal!"

"Do you have what you need to close the Dark Portal?" "I have the head of Gul'dan. The book of Medivh is here, but I don't know the exact location. I will find it." He said with exaggerated confidence in his tone. Turalyon nodded, assured, "I'll call the soldiers." But Khadgar shook his head. "Not enough time!" he insisted, grabbing his shoulder. "Don't you understand? Turalyon, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry—but if I can't close the Dark Portal immediately, when the continent of Draenor completely collapses, Azeroth will not be saved!"

Seeing the comprehension and unwillingness in Turalyon's eyes, he felt a bit of unhappiness in his heart.But Turalyon just nodded. "We'll ride the griffin, that's the quickest way," Turalyon said, straightening his shoulders. "Before we go, I'll speak to the soldiers. They deserve it, even if it's short." He held out a hand to Alleria, and the two of them ran down the stairs together. . The Khadgars didn't notice their departure.He managed to take the Violet Eye away from Ner'zhul, but he didn't have enough time to find out the exact location of the Book of Medivh before Ner'zhul fought back.It was here, he told himself—it had to be here for the spell to work in harmony with the constellations.When Ner'zhul disappeared, he still held a silver-encrusted scepter in his hand, presumably it was the Scepter of Sargeras.Very good - this cursed item, the farther it is from Azeroth, the better.But where is that damned book?He needed that book to get the job done, and the job needed to be done now, not until it was too late.

He expanded his senses, but the air was so full of magic that he couldn't feel anything clearly.There's a good chance that book is right under my nose, or miles away.damn it!he thought disappointedly. Khadgar suddenly saw something moving at the farthest point of his vision.He ran towards there, his whole body already prepared for defense.One of the bodies moved, but only slightly.Its upper abdomen was almost completely charred.This, Khadgar realized, was the orc Ner'zhul had attacked before passing through the portal.The orc who called Ner'zhul a coward for abandoning all orcs.Khadgar was delighted that his ring, which had helped him understand other languages, was coming in handy once again.He put down his hands and observed the other party closely.

The orc groaned, obviously in great pain.It reached for something, and with all its might, brought it to Khadgar with one trembling arm.It was a large rectangle richly decorated with runes and edged with metal.Khadgar took a deep breath, he recognized it. Book of Medivh. "I'm not... a shaman. But Obris is smart, and I know... something like this works for you, doesn't it?" Khadgar hesitated.Orc is on the verge of death, but it could still be up to something. "Yes," he said finally. "Why did you give it to me? I am your enemy." "At least, you're a worthy enemy," growled Obris. "Ner'zhul betrayed us. He refounded the Horde, and let my Laughinghead clan fall into other hands again. He promised us a new beginning, but when—" he coughed, he continued. "When he found a safe place, he ran away. He and those closest to him survived... those of us... to him, we were nothing." Those eyes flickered for the last time. "I'm glad my last move was... to challenge him. Take it, take it, fuck you! Take it away and make him pay for his betrayal." Khadgar walked towards the dying orc, gently taking the book from his bloody hand. "Obris, I promise you: we will do our best to stop Ner'zhul." The orc nodded, closed his eyes, and remained still. How capricious fate is, Khadgar thought.He quickly got out of his thoughts, opened the book and turned a few pages.He still remembered seeing the book in Medivh's library years ago.After that, a lot of things changed; it was like a lifetime.Then, he was intimidated by the book, yet overwhelmed by his own curiosity.Fortunately, the defenses of the book itself prevented him from even opening the cover, otherwise he might be destroyed by the magic contained in the book.Now, Khadgar bypassed that defense with ease, scanning excitedly through the contents of the book.As he expected, the book contained a great deal of detail about how Medivh and Gul'dan worked together to create the rift.With these details, and the power still remaining within the Skull of Gul'dan, Khadgar believes he can now close the Dark Portal.But will he be able to complete the task in time? He heard the flapping of wings and looked up.Several griffins hovered on the roof with their wings spread, ready to land at any time.Khadgar saw Kurdran, while another Wildhammer dwarf was fighting with the archmage.Khadgar nodded, pocketed the Book of Medivh, and grabbed the dwarf's outstretched hand, leaping forward to mount the griffin. "Where are Alleria and Turalyon?" Khadgar called to Kurdran. "Speak to their soldiers," the dwarf replied. "Then they'll have to hurry up," Khadgar said, shaking his head. "We can't waste time! Go to the Dark Portal!" The dwarf pulled the reins, and the griffin under his crotch let out a cry, and rose into the air, flapping its wings vigorously to overcome the wind and the weight of the two people on it.Khadgar looked down at the dark temple away from him, his eyes closed, his hair and beard flying back in the air.He brought the pocket closer to himself.With the help of the griffins, they could reach the Dark Portal in minutes rather than hours or even days.He just hoped that was enough. Alleria rested her head on Turalyon's shoulder as their griffins circled over the Black Temple.She squeezed Turalyon's wrist lightly, giving him silent support.She knew that his heart was feeling uneasy because of what he was going to do next.But she also knew that he would never evade the things that had to be done. "Sons of Lothar!" Turalyon yelled, raising his hammer above his head.The light of the warhammer pierced through the clouds and illuminated the entire valley, from the dark temple to the alliance stronghold at the mouth of the valley in the distance.Alleria had to turn her head away from looking directly at the light. "We passed through the Dark Portal a few months ago, though we knew nothing of what we were about to face. All we knew was that we needed to come here. We came here to stop the Horde's failed attempt to take over The attempts of other worlds to stop the Horde from invading our beloved Azeroth. And now, the time has come. Khadgar has got what he needs to close the Dark Portal, but now the world is in chaos Once again, our Azeroth, our home, is in danger. We need to do everything in our power to save our world, and the families behind us." His eyes swept over the soldiers in front of him one by one.Alleria knew that he was imprinting these faces on his heart. "I'm going to help Khadgar, to protect him, because I know very well that there will be resistance there. You...must hold the line here. You haven't let me down, even once. I know, brother You guys, you won't let me down now." His voice became a little hoarse.From her tear-filled eyes, she saw Turalyon's equally moist eyes. "We don't know what's going to happen. Maybe we'll survive, find our way home, and leave a wonderful story for our children and grandchildren. Maybe, we'll die here, with the world. And if this is our destiny, I know each of you will be happy to face it. Because everything we do is for our world, our family, our glory. We are brave to fight so that others can live in peace. If there is anything in this world worth our sacrifice - the Light knows it is this moment." Alleria stared at him.Although he was still full of tears, his eyes now glowed with that white light.Her heart was filled with admiration for her lover.Turalyon...my love...you are so radiant... "Son of Lothar! The Holy Light is with you...whether in the past, present, or future. For Azeroth!" The light from his warhammer had already blotted out the daylight.The eyes of many captured orcs were burned by the halo, and they fell to the ground screaming.The difference is that Turalyon's soldiers were blessed by the Holy Light.Amid the cheers of all the soldiers, Alleria and Turalyon rode griffins, followed the Wildhammer dwarves, and flew to the portal of darkness. "Wish I could fight with them," he whispered.She kissed his neck. "You've always been there, my love. The Light is in their hearts...so, you're there too." There is chaos around the Dark Portal.Turalyon told his soldiers the truth: Khadgar needed defense.But he didn't expect what a huge force he and his soldiers were going to defend against. Danath, Khadgar, Kurdran, and many others had come here before them, fighting their way towards the Dark Portal.It appears that the orcs have reunited.Ner'zhul's sudden betrayal made many clans on Draenor feel at a loss, and they all realized one thing: the Dark Portal is the only stable one of all the portals, and it is also the one that can lead them to a survivable world only one. Battles aren't just on Draenor.On the other side of the Dark Portal, the horn of war has also sounded - it seems that this time, the Horde once again regained control of the Dark Portal from the hands of the Alliance.They are trying to push the front line and return to Draenor, but they don't know the cataclysm that happened in their homeland.For the moment, the Alliance forces still held the Horde's pace, but Turalyon did not expect any help.He knew that a handful of them would be the only barrier between the Horde and Azeroth. However, he reminded himself, their goal here was not to win the battle, that was just a secondary goal.All they need to do now is protect Khadgar and the other mages so they can close the Dark Portal, and that's it. "Do what you have to do," he told Khadgar, who stood beside him, surrounded by the other mages. The archmage nodded, raised his hands, and closed his eyes naturally.Holding his staff in one hand and the Skull of Gul'dan in the other, he began to chant a spell, energy criss-crossing around him. The orcs outnumbered them too much, and they fought frantically and desperately, trying every means to escape from this impending collapse of the world.The ground was trembling, and the soldiers were almost unable to stand.Both sides were constantly brandishing their weapons, but most of the attacks were futile due to the shock, so many fighters started yelling at each other.There was lightning and thunder in the sky, and the stars could be seen one second before, but the sun turned into a scorching sun the next second.The whole planet has gone crazy. On the chaotic battlefield, Turalyon could vaguely see Khadgar's figure.Other mages also joined in the casting, and they were all shrouded in light.Turalyon looked sideways and saw that they were directing several energies into Khadgar who stood in the center.He knew that Khadgar was absorbing their energies so that he could focus his spell on the Dark Portal, destroying it eventually. Just when Khadgar's chanting reached a small climax, Turalyon suddenly heard a strange tearing sound, sharp but barely audible, as if it came from nearby and far away at the same time.He had heard similar voices in the Black Temple.After he had dealt with the other orc, he looked around and spotted a flash of light in the air not far away, not far from the mages.A new rift! The ground beneath his feet began to tremble.Turalyon jumped back, purely on instinct.Just where he had just stood, a crack suddenly appeared, like a hungry mouth gradually opening.More cracks kept appearing.Suddenly, part of the ground rose upwards, carrying a small group of humans and orcs with it.It whirled through the air, knocking them off like a galloping horse throwing off its rider. Khadgar wasn't exaggerating.Draenor is literally tearing itself apart. While he was still looking at the floating boulder, Khadgar raised his staff aloft, and a ray of light shot from it, hitting the center of the Dark Portal.The light is so strong that people dare not look directly at it, but it is different from the holy light. This light seems to be composed of different colors interlaced and constantly changing.It was a purely magical incantation, and when it hit the ever-swirling surface of the Dark Portal, a sound like glass shattering came from there.Then, the portal of darkness began to gradually crumble, and the curtain of energy began to split, turning into fine fragments. "It's done," Khadgar said wearily, and he put his staff on the ground, supporting all his weight with it.Then, looking up, he saw one of Kurdran's dwarves.The young Wildhammer dwarf had just thrown his storm hammer at a tall orc that was threatening Danath's life. "You!" Khadgar yelled. "Take this!" He tossed the Skull of Gul'dan into his pocket, throwing the rather heavy bag to the frightened dwarf. "Take it, go back to Azeroth! Give it to the Kirin Tor!" "But, sir," said the young Lovedwarf, "why don't you go through the Dark Portal yourself?" Khadgar shook his gray head. "No. We need to stay here and seal it off from this side. That's the only way to keep the damage done to Draenor from spreading to Azeroth." Turalyon took a quick breath.So that's it.Khadgar didn't mince words, he just stated the truth that everyone had expected.Everyone else will be stranded in this world, a world that may be annihilated at any time. so be it. Seeing the young Wildhammer dwarf hesitate, the paladin didn't know what to do.Just then, in a flashing arc, he saw a heavy ax coming towards the dwarf, who was still standing there.A storm hammer came first, hitting the opponent's battle axe, and there was a thunderous sound, and the ax and the orc fell to the ground at the same time. "Go, kid!" Kurdran ordered, he controlled the Sky Wing to land beside the dwarf, and the Stormhammer returned to his hand. The young dwarf nodded, bent down to pick up Khadgar's bundle, and gave his own griffin a shove.She reacted quickly, flapping her wings vigorously, rose up, and flew straight towards the collapsed portal of darkness.But just as she passed through the cracked archway, a flash of light shone from the pocket, and the Dark Portal responded, blinding them with light.Turalyon heard the screams of pain from the griffins and dwarves, but he did not know what was happening.The terrifying sound was quickly replaced by a boom.Before he could realize what was happening, there was a deafening crash and Khadgar fell backwards.He fell hard to the ground and lost consciousness for a moment.Just as he immediately regained consciousness and struggled to breathe in the pain, he immediately looked in the direction of the portal of darkness. It's gone. The colossal sculpture guarding the Dark Portal has been reduced to a stone that bears no resemblance.The three pillars that formed the frame of the portal, the three pillars that had witnessed the glory and greatness of the tribe, had also been turned into rubble.There is no longer any sign of Azeroth here. They did.They destroyed the Dark Portal.Now, they are forever separated from all that they once knew. Beside him, everyone in the Alliance and the Horde wobbled on balance, only for Draenor to tremble once again.The orcs rose and advanced, seemingly unaware that there was no escape, but Khadgar knew it.The fall of the Dark Portal only exacerbated Draenor's injuries, and more continents began to rise.Now they are bumping up and down like boats sailing on the raging sea.The earth undulates like water, and the sky is thicker than mist. It would be a shame to die like this, Khadgar thought, a man's head crushed by a chunk of earth.He looked at his friend beside him for the last time—Danas was still standing firm, fighting those orcs who hadn't escaped yet.Alleria had fallen, and Turalyon was helping her to her feet, hastily wrapping a linen bandage around a cut on her arm. Perhaps sensing Khadgar's gaze, Turalyon looked up.Their eyes met, and Turalyon smiled.It was the same smile that Khadgar remembered from the paladin's calm, gentle smile.Alleria looked back at the archmage and nodded, her bright blond hair stained with dust and blood.Kurdran, still riding Skywing, raised his hammer in respect. This will all end.Khadgar had always believed that there was no escape from them.But he was grateful for the fact that he could close the Dark Portal and save their world.And he also knew that if they had to die, they would die here together, fight side by side as always, and die heroically on the battlefield, for which he was also grateful. A faint flash of light distracted him. He blinked.No, it was there - a ripple in time and space.Another rift. another world.Another world, perhaps, not yet threatened with destruction. "There!" he shouted as loud as he could, pointing to the crack. "We're going through there! This is our only chance!" Turalyon and Alleria exchanged glances.Amid the noise of Draenor trying to destroy himself, he couldn't hear what the two were saying.But he saw that the two finally took each other's hand and walked towards the crack. They had all traveled through the Dark Portal to Draenor before, but at the time, they knew where they were going.But this time... Draenor is still shattering itself.Khadgar fell hard to the ground.He struggled to get up, his palms and knees were worn out.The Archmage looked toward the rift.Salvation, or doom?he does not know.Nobody knows. But they need to find out...whatever. Khadgar, the archmage, who was old in appearance and young in heart, swallowed hard, strengthened his mind, and ran towards the crack.