"No wonder the orcs took this wreck for a mountain."
Andreas stared speechlessly at the crystal stern of the ship not far away; after thirty years of wind and rain, a thick layer of dust coated the crystals, making it look exactly like a mountain.
Shandris nudged him from behind. "Stop dawdling. You can brood later—let's find a way inside before the Ogres spot us."
Andreas shrugged in resignation and let his impatient wife hustle him forward.
From outside Oshu'gun you could see countless translucent orcish souls floating by; drawn by Kure within, they drifted instinctively toward the crystal mountain.
Souls could pass through walls—Andreas and Shandris could not.
Luckily, while flying in they'd spotted the ship's sealed main hatch. Shandris sprang first, nimbly landing on the half-raised platform before the door.
After Genedar's crash it had lost all power; the once-mighty hull now lacked the shields of its starfaring days, and many exposed crystals were dull and lifeless.
Thud!
Andreas punched the gate; a deep boom echoed back.
"Thick, but not unbreakable."
Shandris unslung her longbow and nudged him aside. "My turn."
Creak!
The drawn bowstring gave a plaintive cry as a moon-white energy arrow grew ever brighter under her control.
"Ha!"
With a soft cry her searing Moonlight Arrow carved a man-sized hole in the gate.
"Let's go."
Bow still ready, Shandris led the way into Genedar.
After three decades of decay every system inside was dead, yet Shandris' face turned grave; she waved for Andreas to halt.
Footsteps—something alive still moved within the ship.
The two partners exchanged a quick word through Andreas' mind magic.
He hardly needed the warning; now wreathed in Shadow Energy, Andreas sensed scattered pockets of void energy all through the hull.
For raw stealth Andreas, master of shadow, outdid her—but for sheer technique Shandris could leave him in the dust.
Watching her camouflage suit melt into the surroundings, Andreas waited silently for word.
On her way to the core Shandris met pale, grotesque creatures by the dozen.
These bald, orc-like things had abandoned every habit of the mind, loping on all fours like beasts.
Some knelt with arms raised, muttering prayers to something she could not see.
What in the world are these things?
Trying to circle them, Shandris had barely come within range when every white-skinned orc snapped its head toward her.
Spotted?! Impossible!
Before she could wonder how her stealth had failed, the howling pack charged on hands and feet.
Some closed in with dark-glowing fists; others stood back, shaping orbs of shadow in their palms.
Tch!
Stealth blown, she ripped away her disguise and struck back.
Arrows laced with Lights Power burned the things to ash with a single hit.
Swish!
Hundreds attacked at once; caught off-guard, she was momentarily swamped.
Sensing the sudden surge of shadow inside, Andreas rushed in to help.
"Pale Ghost Orcs?"
Seeing the white scalps scuttling on all fours, Andreas—who had done his homework—recognized them at once.
Mind Control was his first reflex, but the spell that never failed against humanoids simply fizzled.
"Well, that's… troublesome."
He sidestepped one leaping orc; the light-blade of the Staff of Ganir cut it in half before it hit the floor.
"Once a mind is this broken, psionic attacks are useless—they've lost all reason."
A Collapsing Star yanked the horde together; Shandris followed with a single high-powered sacred arrow that detonated the lot.
Boom-boom!
The blast shook the wreck; debris began raining from above.
With the nearest Pale Ghosts cleared, Shandris frowned. "What are they? They don't even feel sentient."
Andreas nodded. "They're Pale Ghost Orcs. The void lured them until they went completely mad. Don't hesitate—put them down."
Exiled from their Clans for gorging on void, these orcs answered the silent call within Oshu'gun and swarmed here.
Though Genedar was only a mid-sized ark, its true interior dwarfed anything seen in-game.
A vessel meant to carry the entire exiled Draenei people had to be far larger than game maps suggested.
Hunting Kure, the pair carved through at least a thousand Pale Ghost Orcs before finally reaching the bridge at the ship's heart—and the Naaru within.
Kure had not yet fully shifted to the void, but more than half his body had turned violet-black and the core crystal now shed a dim void-light.
Small wonder he drew so many Pale Ghosts.
Andreas studied Kure cautiously; the Naaru seemed mindless, radiating both void and light in equal, clashing measure.
The void attracted the Pale Ghosts, while the light summoned the orcish Ancestor Spirits now drifting calmly about the hall.
"Outsiders."
One ancestral spirit spoke gently. "Have you come to grant peace to this great one—and to us?"
Andreas blinked in surprise. "Yes. And you are…?"
The spirit smiled and shook his head. "My name no longer matters. Know only that I am of the Frostwolf Clan."
"We have watched, trapped here for thirty years, as he slid toward the abyss. May you truly free him from torment."
"And what of you?"
Andreas looked around at the host of spirits. "Aren't you afraid to fade away?"
"Haha!"
The spirits laughed as one, kindly. "Dust to dust. We are already dead; we should have entered the cycle long ago. Lingering only clouds the choices of the living."
"Better to depart with the being who once guided and freed our minds—bringing the tale full circle."
Unlike the semi-entropic D'ore, Kure floated quietly in the starship's bridge while Andreas spoke with the Orc Ancestor Spirits, seemingly indifferent to everything happening around him.
The Pale Ghost Orcs kept coming in endless waves, and as Andreas and Shandris drew closer to Kure their behavior grew even more frenzied.
Shandris was busy shooting down the endless stream of Pale Ghost Orcs while the spirit speaking with Andreas shook his head in pity.
"These poor souls are beyond saving; their minds have been corroded by Void Energy. Grant them a swift end."
Andreas nodded and said no more, leveling his staff at the surging Pale Ghost Orcs and launching an attack.
These Pale Ghost Orcs were Void-attribute creatures; using the same energy against them wasn't completely ineffective, but the efficiency was low.
After recent relentless practice, Andreas had become very adept at one-key switching between Holy and Shadow.
Long needle-shaped bodies of Holy Light appeared in large numbers in the air; a rain of golden needles pinned masses of Pale Ghost Orcs to the ground, and the repelling Holy Power dealt tremendous damage to their Void-corrupted bodies.
The number of exiled orcs was finite after all; after Andreas and Shandris swept the field together with the Lights Power, the tide of Pale Ghost Orcs finally began to ebb.
The source spawning the Pale Ghost Orcs was undoubtedly Kure, still half purple and half gold.
Seeing that Shandris alone could hold back the greatly reduced numbers, Andreas used the Speed of Light; after several leaps across the rubble-strewn bridge he stood before Kure.
The decaying Naaru's core crystal had also been affected; two different energies mingled within it. Kure's unconscious murmurs now contained both the normal Naaru's ethereal chant and the fallen Naaru's mournful, deranged whispers.
As before, Andreas pressed his Holy-Light-emanating left hand against Kure's core, but the instant he touched it he sensed something was wrong.
A tremendous repulsive force erupted from the core crystal; even though Andreas had prepared himself, he was still flung back several steps.
Stimulated from outside, the Holy and Shadow energies within Kure began to repel each other without pause, making the Naaru's body extremely unstable.
A shrill scream echoed in Andreas and Shandris' minds, causing both of them to freeze for an instant.
The surrounding Orc Ancestor Spirits were obviously affected as well; they hugged their heads in pain, curling up in mid-air.
The Holy Light Andreas injected shattered the delicate balance between the two energies inside Kure; Holy and Shadow repelled each other like an Annihilation Reactor, releasing a huge burst of force in a short time.
The Void-corroded, feather-light Pale Ghost Orcs were blown away by this powerful blast, and Shandris could only lower her center of gravity to keep herself steady.
During the War of the Ancients, Andreas and Tyrande had once joined forces under Elune's aid to complete a combined strike; back then, Holy and Shadow energies fused—via the tear of Elune—into an unidentified gray energy.
But what was happening to Kure now was completely different; the two distinct energies showed no sign of merging. Inside Kure's core crystal, Holy and Shadow violently clashed, wave after wave of shock endlessly expanding outward.
With Power Word: Shield around him, Andreas arduously advanced against the current; under the immense repulsion, every seemingly ordinary step cost several times the normal effort.
When he finally touched Kure's core again, the chaotic internal clash of energies prevented him from channeling Holy Light into it.
"Damn it! How do I stop—huh?"
While Andreas anxiously searched for a solution, the tear of Elune atop the Staff of Ganir—now planted in the ground as an anchor—spontaneously began to spin.
"Might as well try anything…"
With difficulty he touched the gem to Kure's core, and to his surprise the effect was immediate.
The mutually repelling Holy and Shadow forces gradually calmed; seeing it work, Andreas hurriedly channeled his Holy Light into the core through the staff.
As large amounts of pure Holy Light energy entered the core, the Light-side energy inside Kure began to gain the upper hand, slowly expelling the suddenly inert Shadow bit by bit.
"Hum—!"
When Kure's core was completely suffused with Holy Light, the Naaru's body immediately regained its radiant appearance, and the beautiful ethereal singing finally replaced the despairing shrieks.
From the Void a reluctant voice drifted faintly: "Cu…rse it, just one…step away…"
Andreas stepped back with lingering fear and looked up at Kure, whose mind was now reorganizing itself.
"A Void force infiltrated Kure? They intended to use the Naaru's fallen body to descend upon Draenor? No wonder Kure's condition was so bizarre…"
Just as Andreas had feared, Draenor had no Titan-built defense system like Azeroth.
Draenor was virtually defenseless; both Void powers and the Burning Legion could arrive on the planet unhindered—and with someone guiding them, it became even easier.
"Who…saved me?"
A gender-neutral, magnetic voice echoed in Andreas and Shandris' minds while the two watched the surrounding Orc Ancestor Spirits vanish one by one, their faces showing relief.
Andreas didn't know whether Naaru actually had genders; at least D'ore used different gendered pronouns in Draenei when referring to Kure and Kara.
D'ore used "he" for Kure and "she" for Kara. Not yet understanding Naaru biology, Andreas could only follow D'ore's usage for now and tentatively treat Kure as male.
"I'm glad to see you've regained your senses, Naaru Kure."
Andreas smiled and waved at the large being floating in the air. Unlike the diminutive D'ore, Kure's jigsaw-puzzle-like body stood over five meters tall.
"I am Andreas Moonshadow, and this is my wife Shandris Feathermoon. By the order of the moon goddess Elune, we've come from distant Azeroth to help you return to the side of the Light."
"Elune?"
Kure sounded puzzled, and his words surprised Andreas and Shandris.
"Forgive me, I've never heard that name—but thank you for saving me."
"Never heard of her?"
Andreas and Shandris exchanged glances; both of them showed confusion in their eyes.
"Did Xera not tell the other Naaru about their creator? Or…in their hearts, is their maker not called by that name?"
In retrospect, it seems this was only natural.
The moon goddess Elune was a name the Night Elves gave her themselves, and Elune created the Naaru during the ordering of the cosmos, long before the birth of Azeroth.
Seeing that Kure didn't understand his meaning, Andreas didn't continue discussing the Naaru's original creator with him. After all, Kure's generation of Naaru wasn't the batch Elune personally molded.
According to the entry Andreas recorded in his memo, Xera, the original Naaru and Mother of Light, had a direct descendant named Volos, which indicates that Naaru have the ability to reproduce.
No one knows how Naaru reproduce. Andreas even speculated in his mind that these strange jigsaw puzzle creatures might be able to undergo mitosis.
After rescuing Kure from the Void forces that attacked him from the shadows, a very serious problem awaited Andreas: how to escort Kure back to the Draenei sphere of influence.
Neither Andreas nor Shandris could use Arcane, so they couldn't cast long-distance teleportation. Shadowmeld could only be used within a limited range, similar to a mage's Blink, and its principle was not the same as Teleportation.
Kure, with his Holy Light body restored, glowed brightly, like a large battery constantly emitting light and heat. To let him just float away in the air would be to underestimate the Orcs and Ogres who were currently fighting.
Leaving Kure here was also not an option. The ancestral lands of the Orcs in Nagrand originally had a large number of ancestral spirits floating there. With Kure's awakening, these attracted souls re-entered the Shadowlands for reincarnation.
The Shaman guarding the ancestral lands must have already discovered the disappearance of the ancestral spirits. Even if the Orcs were busy with the war against the Ogres, such a serious matter would surely attract their attention, and it would only be a matter of time before they came to investigate Oshugun.
Kure, however, was very nonchalant about it: "That's easy. I'll temporarily enter a dormant state. You just need to take my core and body with you."
"Uh..." Andreas and Shandris were both a bit dumbfounded. "That's possible?"
This trick seemed quite standard for Naaru. Didn't Xera shoot her core to Azeroth in desperation, while her body remained in the zeals ark spaceship, guarded by the Army of the Light?
Without giving Andreas and Shandris time to react, Kure's body, which had been radiating brilliant Holy Light, suddenly lost its light. The grayish-white core crystal was the first to fall from the sky, and the rest of his body parts scattered across the ground.
..."Clean this up and put these parts into a spatial bag to take with us."
...As expected, just as Andreas and Shandris embarked on their return journey, the Shaman stationed in the ancestral lands and the Elemental Throne teamed up and arrived at Oshugun.
To investigate the situation of the ancestral spirits, the Shaman of various Clans discussed and decided to break the taboo, entering the sacred mountain to uncover the truth of the anomaly.
However, Kure, the core of the event, had already been transported away. Only a few muddled Pale Ghost Orcs remained in Oshugun, and these Shaman found nothing.
Since they couldn't find the cause, this group of mutated Orcs, who clearly didn't look like good news, naturally became the culprits. The Shaman of various Clans angrily captured these Pale Ghost Orcs, preparing to bring them to the Clan assembly to account for the situation.
Andreas didn't know what changes the loss of ancestral spirits would bring to the Orcs' future. At this moment, he had already returned to Auchindoun with Shandris.
Due to D'ore's recovery, the Naaru recuperating in Auchindoun attracted a large number of Draenei citizens to pray.
Fortunately, the war with the Ogres had ended, and the Orcs and Ogres, two races unfriendly to the Draenei, were fighting each other, making the wilderness of Talador unprecedentedly safe.
The passing citizens only needed to avoid wild beasts in the forest under the guidance of rangers and Defenders to successfully cross the forest and meet D'ore in Auchindoun.
D'ore welcomed the Draenei citizens who came to visit her, as the Naaru's special structure allowed them to communicate telepathically with multiple people at once.
Under D'ore's comforting, the Draenei citizens, who had been uneasy due to the loss of the Naaru, were regaining their confidence.
When Andreas and Shandris arrived in Auchindoun, Velen had already concluded his visit to the Arakkoa Exiles, gaining the understanding of the Raven Claws Priests. Both sides needed to rest and recuperate after a war.
In front of Velen and several Archbishops, Andreas expressionlessly took Kure out of his backpack and placed him in the deepest part of Auchindoun, the Hall of Heroes.
Velen, who had made prior arrangements, temporarily closed Auchindoun. Within this now misnamed Hall of Heroes were only the Prophet, five Archbishops, Niami and Turani from the Auchenai high command, and the shrunken Naaru D'ore.
"Ying!"
With an ethereal sound that pierced the soul, Kure, whose core had been activated by Andreas using Holy Light, swiftly reassembled his scattered body. The complete jigsaw puzzle floated in the air under the excited gaze of Velen and the other Draenei.
"Oh, oh, oh! Light be praised!"
Akama knelt excitedly on the ground, singing in a melodious, chanting tone, "Following D'ore, Kure has also returned to our side! We thank the Light for the miracle bestowed upon us!"
Adal was unimpressed by Akama's passionate performance. As a scholar who controlled Arcane power, Adal's mind was calmer and more rational than his other tribesmen who fanatically worshipped the Light.
While scholars respected the Naaru, they would not worship them as gods.
Adal's Shatar organization valued only the Naaru's powerful auxiliary abilities, hoping they could lead the Draenei to better establish a new home on this barbaric planet.
Upon reawakening, Kure immediately noticed D'ore's condition. The Naaru, with a hint of laughter in his voice, teased, "Long time no see, D'ore. It's great to see you safe and sound, but... have you reverted to youth?"
D'ore remained silent for a while, her Holy Light core flickering irregularly. "...A rare reunion, can't you say something nicer?"
While other tribesmen were busy surrounding Kure with greetings, Velen slowly walked over to Andreas with Adal.
"Andreas, I don't know how to express my gratitude. Your help to the Draenei and the Naaru cannot be simply put into words."
Adal also changed his usual indifference towards Andreas and Shandris, the two outsiders, smiling and nodding to them both. "From now on, anything I or the Shatar can help with, please don't hesitate to say. The Shatar will do their utmost to repay your kindness."
Andreas waved his hand dismissively, saying, "No need to be so polite. I've said it before, rescuing the Naaru is a task given by our goddess, and..."
Andreas' pause in his words made Velen and Adal understand his meaning. The four of them looked together towards the distant Shadowmoon Valley.
"The last problem remaining is Kara."
Although the fact that Kure was parasitized by powerful Void Creatures was somewhat unexpected by Andreas, the trip to Oshugun was generally very smooth.
D'ore and Kure were both Naaru who had not fully decayed; as long as the right method was found, rescuing them would not be too difficult.
But Kara was completely different.
Kara had already completely decayed into a Blighted Entity long before the crash of the Genedar. Her situation was entirely different from D'ore and Kure.
Following the principle of starting simple and moving to difficult, Andreas successfully handled D'ore and Kure, but Kara, the final mission target, left him feeling helpless.
While previously residing in Shadowmoon Valley, Andreas had observed Kara's situation multiple times from the maximum possible distance.
Blighted Entities are not creatures devoid of reason, but they act primarily according to instinct.
Kara had been floating in the Draenor stratosphere for over thirty years. Throughout these three decades, Velen had continuously monitored her, only allowing his people to settle in Shadowmoon Valley after repeatedly confirming she posed no danger.
The cautious Velen did not send the Draenei to test Kara. As a Prophet blessed by the Naaru, his understanding of the Naaru was far greater than that of other Draenei.
The warning D'ore had given Andreas was one she had also given Velen many years ago.
The death-seeking Shadowmoon Orcs attempted the test in place of the Draenei. The result was self-evident; the sight of those Shamans being physically shattered still lingered in Velen's mind.
From Velen's perspective, Andreas successfully rescuing D'ore and Kure was already enough to greatly encourage the Draenei.
Although Kara's decay was regrettable, he, the Council of Bishops, and even the two Naaru persuaded Andreas to abandon the idea of saving Kara, because the difficulty was simply too high.
D'ore and Kure had just recovered from their decay, and their strength was far from its peak. Furthermore, the Naaru were not naturally skilled in combat, so their assistance could not be relied upon.
"Hmm..."
Andreas himself was hesitant. Shandris saw his indecisive appearance and quietly suggested in Andreas' ear, "Why don't we ask Elune? See what she says."
"Yes, let's try it for now."
However, Andreas and Shandris were disappointed with the result of their meditative summoning. Elune was hiding, just as she had said she would, and the summons yielded no results.
"Elune once said that once the mission was complete, we could summon her to send us back. The fact that she chooses not to answer my prayer now, does that mean she believes our mission isn't finished yet?"
Shandris gave a wry smile and nodded, "That's probably what it means. It looks like we still need to find a way to solve the problem of Kara."
...After some deliberation, Kure was sent back to Shattrath by Adal. He would preside over this City of Light, providing faith to the populace of the new Draenei capital.
Andreas and Shandris, having decided to save Kara, returned to Shadowmoon Valley with Velen. However, this time they did not stay in Ampori Village, but went directly to the Karabor Temple, which had recently been completed.
The Karabor Temple, which took many years to build, was not merely a sacred hall providing faith and prayer for the people of Shadowmoon Valley; its docks, spread along the seaside like the wings of a great bird, simultaneously served as a trade port.
Not only trade fleets heading to Talador and Arak Peaks, but exploration vessels departing from the Karabor Temple port could ignore the dangers of the land, navigating along the Sea of Isolation that encircles Draenor, mapping out the coastal edges of the planet in detail.
However, these were concerns for the Draenei. Andreas and Shandris came to Karabor to discuss with Velen how to save Kara.
Velen sighed helplessly, "Forgive my frankness, but I still do not approve of provoking Kara. Her strength after her decay is immense, and I should have the right to speak on this, having directly fought the Blighted Entity Kara before."
Before the crash of the Genedar, the decayed Kara caused massive destruction inside the vessel, which was the fundamental reason for the Genedar's crash.
To protect his people, Velen desperately stood up to fight Kara even though he knew he was outmatched, barely managing to banish Kara from the Genedar while severely wounded.
Velen said with a wry smile, "Kara's strength is absolutely beyond the ability of any Mortal to defeat. The injuries I sustained fighting her have still not fully healed after more than thirty years."
As a Prophet who has lived for ten thousand years and been blessed by the Naaru, Velen's strength already stands at the pinnacle among Mortal races. One step further, and he could break free from the shackles of Mortality and achieve true Immortality.
But that final step was easier said than done. After tens of thousands of years of accumulation, he was still standing still. The discouraged Velen had begun to give up, focusing more energy on guarding and guiding his people.
Relying on his innate Prophet Talent, Velen worked closely with three Naaru over these tens of thousands of years, repeatedly evading the pursuit of the Burning Legion.
The exiled Draenei still maintain a relatively complete civilization and heritage today, a credit largely due to Velen.
But due to the battle with Kara, the severely wounded Velen temporarily lost his Prophet Ability. For the first time in tens of thousands of years, he faced a situation where he could not see the road ahead, which made him very uneasy, and his style of action began to become extremely cautious.
Compared to Velen, Andreas was undoubtedly still a young man, and he still retained a relatively strong drive.
"Prophet, can we combine the Light Powers of the two of us? That should reach the total amount D'ore mentioned, right?"
Velen stroked his beard and nodded, "Theoretically, it is feasible, but Kara will definitely not stand idly by and watch us slowly complete the energy synchronization."
"Besides me, including the Archbishops, their strength is insufficient to contend with Kara. The most critical part of your plan lies here: how to stall through this difficult-to-shorten period of energy synchronization."
Even when using the Holy Light, everyone's energy fluctuations are different.
To purify Kara in one go, Velen and Andreas must condense their Light energy into one entity. This requires them to adjust their respective powers to achieve synchronization and matching.
This process was destined not to be quick. After all, Andreas and Velen had not experienced ten thousand years of companionship like Shandris, and they did not know each other well enough. It would be impossible to deepen their tacit understanding in a short period.
Andreas did not know how much time he and Shandris had spent in the passage from Azeroth to Draenor, and he lacked understanding of Draenor's timeline. He could only guess that it was currently about 100 years before the Dark Portal.
The Burning Legion had not yet discovered the traces of the Draenei, and Kiljaeden had not yet moved to tempt the Orcs, but these events, which were almost certain to happen in the future, would likely be difficult to avoid.
Simply put, Andreas had at most a little over 100 years left. If he could not complete the mission and successfully withdraw from Draenor within this time, he and Shandris would be forced to remain on this planet, facing the schemes of the Burning Legion and the terrifying military might of the Fel Orcs.
"Let's try a different approach."
Andreas rested his hand on his chin and pondered, "Since synchronizing the Holy Light takes a long time, what if... I use the Shadow Body to absorb some of Kara's Void Energy, reducing her energy level enough for you, Prophet, to purify her?"
Velen froze for a moment, then a hint of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes, "That's right! I forgot you possess Void Talent inherently."
"In that case..."
Velen closed his eyes and considered carefully for a while. "Perhaps it is feasible, but we need to adjust and refine the plan."
"We only get one chance. If we fail to purify Kara successfully, it will surely bring her furious retaliation upon the living beings of Shadowmoon Valley. We still need to plan carefully for the long term."
The war between the ogres and the draenei ended, but the world of Draenor did not return to peace as a result.
The war between the orcs and the ogres continued to escalate, with direct conflicts breaking out in all areas where the two sides intersected.
The White Claw and Frostwolf clans were bogged down in Frostfire Ridge by the ogres of Blade Tooth Hold. Even with the help of the Thunderlord Clan, they could barely manage a draw with the ogres and were unable to send reinforcements to Nagrand.
In Gorgrond, the Blackrock Clan was also engaged in back-and-forth battles with the local Stonefist ogres. With the assistance of the Dragonmaw, Bleeding Hollow, and Laughing Skull clans, the Blackrock Clan, possessing the strongest overall strength among all the orc clans, held a slight advantage.
Due to the unfavorable war situation in Nagrand, the Bleeding Hollow and Bonechewer clans of Tanaan Jungle had to send reinforcements. The powerful Highmaul Citadel was single-handedly suppressing six orc clans with its strength.
Although there were also battles taking place in Shadowmoon Valley, compared to the intense fighting in Gorgrond, Frostfire Ridge, and Nagrand, the battles between Grimrail Depot and the Shadowmoon orcs could only be considered minor skirmishes.
Hulk, the leader of Grimrail Depot, had become more vigilant towards the draenei but did not think much of their old rivals, the orcs.
After the draenei withdrew their troops and ceded Quietwind Meadow, the ogres of Grimrail Depot and the Shadowmoon orcs began a new war on this vast plain suitable for deploying troops.
Archbishop Neri led the rangers to roam the edges of the battlefield, gathering intelligence and protecting the draenei near the battlefield from being caught in the war.
Out of fear of the draenei, neither the Shadowmoon orcs nor the Grimrail Depot ogres committed their full forces. In the eyes of the battle-hardened Shandris, this battle was indeed just a minor skirmish.
Andaria and Prophet Velen, who were temporarily staying at the Temple of Karabor, were still discussing and refining their plan to purify K'ara. With the Shadowmoon orcs' attention on the ogres, now was the most opportune time to strike at the Dark Star.
After Shandris had some free time and obtained Velen's permission, she temporarily joined the training camp in Karabor as an instructor.
Having finally escaped the clutches of danger, Yrel and Samaara didn't have much time to rejoice before nightmares descended upon them again.
Fortunately, this time they were not the only ones suffering. The entire Karabor training camp was filled with wails of misery. The plight of these rookies provided some psychological comfort to Samaara and Yrel, who were gradually getting used to the intensity of Shandris' training.
"Huff..."
Ending a day of training, Yrel took a weary breath, supporting each other with Samaara as they stood in place.
The other trainees around them were sprawled on the ground like mud. Shandris looked at the Karabor trainees on the ground with dissatisfaction.
"Get up, all of you! I'll count to five. Those who can't stand up will run three laps around Karabor!"
"One, two..."
Andaria stood at the edge of the Altar of Sha'tar, the highest point of the Temple of Karabor, watching with some amusement as the spirited Shandris tormented the poor Karabor trainees.
'Could Shandris have awakened an S-level talent? I feel a chill down my spine...'
Under Velen's cautious approach, the two had spent more than a month discussing and refining every detail of the plan.
The platform where Andaria was standing was slated to become the battlefield for attracting K'ara. Velen instructed Hataaru to set up an inescapable net near the platform.
Twelve specially tuned Arcanite crystals were buried in the ground of the platform. They could be activated by injecting Holy Light into the ground.
It must be said that the draenei's crystal technology was quite unique. Although Andaria could not learn the essence from Hataaru, he gained a lot of inspiration through years of communication with Hataaru that could be integrated into the night elf arcane technology system.
"Tomorrow is finally the day. Success or failure hinges on this."
Andaria narrowed his eyes, looking at K'ara freely floating in the sky. The Dark Star was clearly unaware that its fate would undergo a huge change tomorrow.
Due to the major changes that would occur in the temple tomorrow, the entire Karabor had been completely evacuated by Velen. The people who came to pray were persuaded to return home, a large number of priests hid in the solid underground shelters, and the trainees who completed the training would also get a day off tomorrow.
If K'ara could be successfully purified tomorrow, today might be the last time Shandris would train these trainees.
Although she was eager to return to her hometown, Shandris still felt some reluctance towards Yrel and Samaara after spending many years with them.
"Sigh..."
Reaching out and ruffling the hair of the puzzled Yrel and Samaara, Shandris was silent for a few seconds before continuing, "Even when I'm not around, you must continue to maintain the intensity of your training. Remember what Andaria said,'Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in wartime.'"
The two sisters sensed something from Shandris' words, which carried a hint of farewell. Yrel grabbed her sleeve and asked urgently, "Sister Shandris, are you leaving?"
"Yes."
Shandris looked at K'ara in the sky and said, "Although it hasn't been confirmed yet, I believe Andaria and the Prophet wouldn't engage in a battle without preparation. Tomorrow, Andaria and I should be leaving Draenor."
... Yrel and Samaara had a rare sleepless night. Although Shandris' training was very strict, as they gradually grew up, they knew very well that Shandris was doing it for their own good.
The growth rate of the two sisters under Shandris' training far exceeded that of other Karabor trainees. They didn't notice it much when they lacked comparison in the past, but now the two of them had become outstanding existences among many trainees.
Women's thoughts are more delicate, and even the usually heroic Shandris is no exception.
Andaria, on the other hand, was not so sentimental. All his energy was focused on the plan to purify K'ara.
Early the next morning, the quiet Temple of Karabor was completely under martial law, and all the priests and trainees were evacuated to the underground shelter.
Velen and Andaria looked together at K'ara, which had not changed in the sky. The Prophet said solemnly, "Let's begin."
Shandris drew her bow, and Andaria reached out and gently stroked her bowstring.
Shandris' war bow was named Kaldorei Tia, meaning Night's Edge.
The wood that made up the bow had been soaked in the new Well of Eternity for a long time to absorb energy, and the bowstring was provided by the dragon guardian clan.
Using the dragon tendons from the corrupted black dragons that were wiped out in the past as materials, Blue Dragon King Malygos personally gave it his blessing.
The magic conductivity of the entire bow was very strong. Although it was not well-known, this war bow made of various precious materials was an out-and-out artifact.
As Andaria temporarily attached the power of the Holy Light to the bowstring, the moon-white energy arrow in Shandris' hand also turned platinum.
Velen said with some emotion, "The energy synchronization that has troubled us has been used so casually by you two. I really envy your tacit understanding."
Velen's wife and children had disappeared during the escape from Argus. He had never remarried in all these years, dedicating his life to the draenei.
Andaria and Shandris did not answer, but both showed similar smiles on their faces.
"Go!"
The platinum arrow flew out from the drawn bowstring, rapidly approaching K'ara in the sky at a speed exceeding the speed of sound.
"Boom!"
"Roar!"
As this high-energy arrow, which combined the power of Holy Light and Moonlight, hit its target, the originally leisurely K'ara let out an angry roar, and its face, which showed no facial features, immediately turned to the Altar of Sha'tar at the top of the Temple of Karabor.
"It's coming! Get ready!"