Shadow Trails in Azeroth

The Watcher's Crypt is a place Blake is very familiar with.

For the same reason that he was familiar with Shadowforge City, Blackstone Mountain, and the Temple of Atal'Hakkar, he had frequented this place for a certain period of time in the past.

In the version that was so fun to play, each class had a certain step in an artifact quest chain that had to be completed in the Vault of the Watcher.

Not to mention those greedy adventurers who only pursue damned equipment. They are driven to death by a thing called a keystone.

Yes, it's you, Blake Shaw.

In short, he was as familiar with coming here as he was going home, and he knew the way to go even with his eyes closed. But before Blake's search even started, he encountered some minor "trouble."

The speed at which Naga and the Children of the Night rushed into the cave was so fast that people were caught off guard.

When the elite wardens were led by Ms. Maiev out of the cave and went to the surface to support the besieged Watcher sisters, the defense of the cave entered its weakest stage.

Maiev took away almost all the wardens in the entire cave, causing the entire Watcher's Vault to be completely undefended.

The Nagas, led by the Mistress of Resentment Athessa, destroyed everything along the way and were looking for a mechanism leading to the bottom of the cave.

The children of the night have a clearer goal.

Commander Melandus, who entered here through the portal, led a team of elite magic swordsmen. He didn't pay attention to Naga who was accompanying him. He held an evil energy detection device and walked all the way to the center of the cave.

But the Watchers have sealed all the toughest enemies captured in ten thousand years of hunting in the cave. The fact that they still live here proves that the area of ​​the cave is beyond imagination.

This place is like a dungeon filled with rooms.

If you rush here without a map, you will only get lost in the maze-like design. Obviously, when the watchers built the cave, they had already considered the scenario of being invaded by foreign enemies.

"You dare to come to this place without even a guide. How should I evaluate you?"

The pirate hiding in the shadows looked at the Nagas and Children of the Night running around like headless flies. He shook his head helplessly. He threw out the hook lock and landed accurately next to an inconspicuous owl statue.

Stretch out your hand and twist it lightly on the statue.

"Click"

As the magic under the hall was activated, amidst the exclamations of the Nagas and Children of the Night, the large ring in the center of the Watcher's Cave Hall began to move downwards rapidly, just like the elevator started.

A group of Nagas and elves who were staying above were caught off guard and fell off the fast-moving platform, screaming all the way into the abyss nearly 100 meters high.

"This is the legendary 'murder elevator'. You idiot NPCs, please learn from it."

The pirate hiding in the shadow complained. He looked at the overjoyed cave invaders and curled his lips with disdain and said:

"I'm here to search for treasures and meet the 'idol' by the way. What are you here for? Are you here to die? Get out of here and don't disturb me looking for good things."

In his fragmentary thoughts, the Nagas and Nightborne elves who discovered the method to the underground construction did not pay attention to the unlucky ones who were thrown to death.

They even communicated briefly and seemed to have reached an agreement. Mother Asissa's target was only Illidan Stormrage, while the Nightborne's targets were all imprisoned demon hunters.

The goals of both parties are not in conflict, and now they are competing against time. Once the warden wardens come back, they will all be finished, so the arrogant Nagas generously allow the elves to accompany them.

When the magic circle platform was dived for the second time, it was covered with children of night and naga. As the platform slowly sank to the second level, the evil energy detector in the hand of the magic swordsman Melandus suddenly lit up. shine.

He glanced around and soon discovered a group of weird elves imprisoned in the binding barrier in the second floor hall.

"Right here!"

Commander Nightborne waved his hand, and the magic swordsmen and arcanists who followed him immediately dispersed into the second-floor hall. The layout and structure here were exactly the same as the first-floor hall.

There are four doors around the central hall, leading to the four seal halls respectively.

It contains the most dangerous creatures captured by the Watch.

And around the pillars around the hall, there are large pieces of dark green magic stone inlaid in the wall like embellished jewelry.

Melandus held up his wing blade and walked to an uneven magic stone.

The light of the evil energy detector in his hand has shone to the extreme, which means that the magic stone in front of him is an entity condensed by the purest evil energy magic.

It looks like a translucent low-quality gem. In the shadows, you can vaguely see an elf sealed in the magic stone just like a mosquito is sealed in amber.

He was still roaring, but it was as if time had stood still, sealed in evil magic.

"Ten thousand years."

The magic swordsman raised his magic wing blade. He looked at the figure sealed in the evil stone in front of him and said softly:

"It's been ten thousand years, the unparalleled brave demon walkers.

Look how Tyrande Whisperwind treated the heroes of War of the Ancients. The Grand Magister was right, that Moon Priest didn't know how to lead the elves at all!

Today, in the name of Suramar and the Nightborne, I will set you free! "

"boom"

The wing blade in the Demon Swordsman's hand rotated on his wrist, and he slashed forward several times. The crystal blade with the magic-breaking properties crossed the surface of the evil stone. After Melandus retracted the wing blade, four staggered sword marks appeared. Floating on the evil stone.

Just like a crack in an egg shell, there is no need for the magic swordsman to incite destruction. A force generated from the inside will shatter the completely destroyed evil stone bit by bit.

A few seconds later, a sound like breaking glass sounded in the hall. Under the gazes of all the Demon Swordsmen and Arcanists of the Nightborne, the demon hunter sealed in the Fel Stone broke the seal himself.

In a very weak posture, he fell out of the cage that imprisoned him, and was supported by Melandus.

"Hoo, hoo"

The latter was panting violently, as if he had just learned to breathe.

He was like a drowning man, raising his head with difficulty while breathing. There were horrific claw marks on the upper elf's cheek, but there were cloth strips like blindfolds where his eyes were.

Under the cloth strips, there were faint green light spots emerging.

This is the Demon Hunter.

They were the bravest and craziest group of warriors when the Elf Empire fought against the demons of the Burning Legion 10,000 years ago. Their hearts were as hard as steel, and their fighting postures were like wild beasts.

To better track the hidden demons, they blinded themselves in horrific rituals and replaced them with demonic power.

As a result, they lost their mortal vision, but they also gained sharper ghost vision.

They use the power of demons to fight demons, so they are called dark walkers.

When being stared directly at by these blind eyes, Melandus subconsciously placed his fingers on the hilt of the magic wing blade at his waist, not out of fear.

The shirtless demon hunter in front of him was very weak and would not pose a threat to the demon swordsman, but it was a feeling that was even more difficult to describe.

It was as if what he was looking at was a real demon.

Rather than a blind elf.

The aura on them is really hard to describe, and it's really dark. It makes people uncomfortable at first glance, and makes people instinctively want to stay away from them.

"Now. What time is it now?"

After the weak demon hunter got out of trouble, the weird green tattoos on his body were shining faintly, as if he was sensing his surroundings.

Then he asked in the ancient Salas language:

"How long have we been trapped? The devil! Is the devil back again? Where is Lord Illidan?"

"It's been ten thousand years, compatriot."

Melandus made a gesture and asked the magic swordsmen and arcanists behind him to release more demon hunters. There were more than thirty prisoners in the second-floor hall, and there must be more in the third-floor hall below. many.

He himself supported the weak elf in front of him and said:

"The devil has not returned to this world, fellow man.

We are here to welcome you, the war heroes who have been ignored and rejected by the night elves, back to your hometown of Suramar under the orders of Lady Elisande, the Grand Magister of Suramar.

The kaldorei see you as a threat, and that is wrong.

We, the Shaldorei, will personally deliver the honor that is ten thousand years overdue to you. From now on, Suramar will be your home. You no longer have to endure the stupid hostility from the Kaldorei, and you no longer have to wander around. "

The leader of the Demonic Swordsmen is quite eloquent.

The words he spoke were very emotional and had obviously been rehearsed in advance.

But his kindness made the weak demon hunter sneer. The tall blind elf sneered and replied in a stiff tone:

"We resist the demons not to win praise, nor to be called 'heroes.' As for the Kaldorei, they are indeed a group of idiots who are blind to their opinions, but at least they have fought the demons head-on.

You elves of Suramar chose neutrality in the early stages of the war!

I have never seen you, or Elisande, on the battlefield of the War of the Ancients. Lord Illidan said that Elisande was a speculator.

She can't be trusted! "

The demon hunter pushed away Melandus' hand that was supporting him. Less than a minute after being released, he seemed to have regained his strength and stood up straight bit by bit.

He looked around, feeling his companions being released from the evil stones one after another.

He said quietly to the embarrassed Melandus beside him:

"Although we are blind, we are not stupid. Elisande just wants to use us, but that's okay. We are already used to being sent on missions to die.

This was the case ten thousand years ago. It would be nice to revisit the feeling of being deceived ten thousand years later.

However, we have only one request! "

The demon hunter turned around and said to the leader of the demon swordsmen:

"We must take Lord Illidan with us! No one is qualified to lead us except him!"

He didn't give Melandus a chance to refuse. After speaking, he turned back. Although he was blind, he accurately "saw" the released companions in front of him.

He gave the order in a sonorous tone:

"Corvas! Take your team to open the sealing hall here. I feel that many powerful demons are here. We are all weak. We must replenish our strength before carrying out the mission."

"Seyana, take your team to the lower level, release all the new recruits, and have them assemble to find the Watcher's armory. Our war blades and armor should be nearby."

"Loramus, you are the best at tracking among us. You go to the lowest level and find the location of Lord Illidan. After our companions have replenished their strength, we will go to join you."

"As you command, Commander Alturis!"

A group of demon hunters who had been imprisoned for ten thousand years had just been released. They were extremely weak and should have recuperated immediately. However, under the stunned gazes of the Demon Swordsmen of the Night, these guys seemed to be unable to feel anything at all. As if tired.

They did not hesitate when receiving the order. After a few words from the demon hunter commander named "Alturis", they immediately divided into three parts and performed their tasks in silence.

They move freely in their own cages, as if they are the masters here, regardless of the risk that the watchers may attack at any time.

Instead, they left aside the Children of the Night who came to save them. This group of proud soldiers from ten thousand years ago did not even say a word of thanks, which made all the Children of the Night very embarrassed.

"Commander! Fandel can't hold on anymore."

As soon as a female demon hunter broke a fel stone with her fist, she saw her crouched companion trembling with difficulty, as if he was sick, trembling and speechless.

This caused a sad expression to appear on the face of the female demon hunter. She turned around and shouted to Commander Alturis, which also attracted the attention of other demon hunters.

The hunters who had no mission at hand gathered over one after another.

They "watched" Commander Alturis reach out to take his companion out of the cage and put him on the ground. The trembling demon hunter held Alturis's hand tightly.

He said in a difficult tone:

"I'm sorry. I didn't resist it roaring in my heart. It wanted to control me. I'm sorry. I was too weak. It embarrassed everyone."

"This is our fate, brother, and no one can blame you for it."

Alturis half-knelt on the spot.

This demon hunter who was very rude to Melandus showed a rare tenderness at this moment. He held his companion's hand with bulging veins, and seemed to feel the same pain as his companion.

He said softly:

"You have proven yourself ten thousand years ago, Fandral, and no one will think you a coward. You are just one step ahead of us, brother, and you will meet the fallen in the glory of Elune.

Remember to tell our former comrades that we are still here, we are fine, and we will continue to fulfill our oath until the day when the Burning Legion is completely defeated. "

"Well, I will definitely tell you."

A difficult smile appeared on the painful demon hunter's face. He shook harder and harder and said:

"Tell Lord Illidan for me that I can't continue to follow him, but I will never regret it. Remember me."

"Everyone will remember your exploits, remember your name, and we will tell your story to the new recruits. You will become an eternal part of the Illidari."

Ottolis' tone became softer and softer, and he said:

"We will rescue Lord Illidan soon, and I will tell him exactly what you said."

"Then, give me relief."

The painful hunter let out a sigh of relief and tried hard to maintain his last dignity. The female demon hunter next to Oturis snatched the blade of the magic swordsman beside him.

The latter are also elite.

But he couldn't even resist and his weapons were taken away from him.

The huntress handed the sharp blade to Altruis with both hands, and the latter took it in his hand, caressed it like a lover, and quickly and accurately pierced the sharp blade into his brother's heart.

"Today, we lost a brother. He survived the desperate war years, but fell in the darkness before dawn. This is our fate."

Ottoris stood up and said briefly to the other silent people around him:

"We need to remember him."

"Just as we remember others, others remember us!"