Duke, who used to be a college student, had a very gorgeous and bloody dream. He wanted to go back to ancient times and become a playboy with no knowledge but the strongest background. He would take a group of people with epic combat power and the characters written by the urban management as lackeys to the streets to harm girls all day long.
Well, now that I can't be a villain, it's kind of sour to be a hero.
Behind him were Vanessa and Solarian, two powerful girls. No king in the Alliance could find such a combination of bodyguards. Especially the Grand Magus-level wizards in various countries, all of them were old men. How could they be as pleasing to the eye as the girls around Duke?
Seeing Duke resting carelessly with an expression of "I am a patient and I need to rest" and two maids serving him, Jaina rolled her eyes at Duke fiercely. However, after the two of them studied the secrets of magic circuits together that night, even the rolling eyes had a hint of flirting.
I originally thought I would have to wait a whole day, but unexpectedly, Krasus came back in half a day.
"I brought good news and bad news!" Krasus, who had turned into a human again, could not hide his fatigue.
Originally, Tyrande seemed to want to hear the good news first, but she gritted her teeth and followed Duke, choosing to hear the bad news first.
Krasus sighed: "The Burning Legion seems to be angry about the death of Archimonde and sent a very large fleet to attack the protective array of the world of Azeroth. In the void that mortals cannot see, Malygos is fighting on the front line and has suffered some minor injuries. He refuses to help."
Duke's eyes narrowed. "Even if I can use this magic power to recall the Red Dragon Queen, it's impossible?"
Krasus showed an angry expression on his face: "Yes! He decisively rejected me and drove me away directly!"
After a pause, he continued, "I guess it was the Sindragosa incident that angered him."
Well, the blue dragon queen's grave was dug up, and Malygos was very unhappy. Even if Sindragosa's soul had been corrupted and hated him, he was still unhappy.
He refused to help.
I really don't know whether he resented Wyrmrest Temple for not helping to look after the remains of his wife, which were not moved to Dragonblight, or whether he was unhappy that Alexstrasza had returned and that the Dragon King was suppressing him again.
Anyway, this road is blocked.
"Where is Ysera?" Although Ysera was not in Duke's plan, he still asked symbolically.
"The Emerald Dream is still in trouble."
Duke curled his lips - that was already two pieces of bad news.
"So the good news comes from Nozdormu?" Tyrande asked tentatively.
"Yes! Lord Nozdormu is willing to help, but the condition he put forward is that you, Duke, do him a big favor."
Duke jumped up as if he had stepped on some air tail that didn't exist. "For the love of Azeroth, he saved his sister and he wants me to work extra hours?"
Krasus straightened his chest and pulled in his stomach: "The following are the original words of His Majesty Nozdormu-"
Everyone was ready to listen with bated breath.
Krasus imitated the words vividly: "Of course I am willing to save Alexstrasza. If you don't want to do this, Duke, then I will only save Alexstrasza."
This time, Duke wasn't just stepped on the tail, he was in a state of panic!
He and Sylvanas, who was standing nearby and had rushed over after hearing that there was a chance to save her sisters, cursed in unison: "Nozdormu, you bastard—"
Just save a red dragon queen?
What a joke!
Wouldn't that mean that Alleria, Vereesa and the others would all die! ?
You know, after being blown into the void, the key to saving Karazhan, in addition to relying on Karazhan's own defense, is the presence of the Red Dragon Queen.
It's not just about eliminating external enemies, the key is that there is emptiness.
A void without light and heat, water and air.
Without her, the Giver of Life, Karazhan might not have collapsed completely, but at least it would be impossible for plants and animals to grow there.
Without plants and animals, there would be no food, and the people inside would be doomed to starve to death.
No, we don't even have to wait until we starve to death. Without plants that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen to circulate the air, everyone will suffocate to death.
Nozdormu is basically trying to hold Duke hostage!
Duke's anger was rising rapidly, but was suddenly extinguished by Krasus' words: "His Majesty Nozdormu also said that he has cleaned up your mess many times. You have to help him this time, or he will stop certain beings."
This sentence sounds a bit nonsensical to outsiders, but a bit scary to Duke.
Not stopping anyone?
Aren't they the guys who ran back from the future to correct 'history'?
The guy who turned history upside down was none other than Du!
Duke glanced at Sylvanas, who was alive and kicking with fresh flesh and blood and had not turned into a Forsaken, then looked at Kael'thas, who was confused and didn't know why Duke was looking at him, and then looked at Vanessa and Solarian beside him, the bosses who should have died tragically.
Duke suddenly sighed.
No matter what, it was he who ruined the history!
Distorting history is cool;
I turned back to pay the bill with tears in my eyes!
Okay, now you're miserable, right?
Duke said angrily, "Alright, alright, stop talking. I'll go! Isn't it okay for me to go?"
Hearing Duke agree to jump into the pit, Krasus breathed a sigh of relief. Although he could rescue his queen no matter what, what worried him most was the thing that Nozdormu gave him!
Krasus took out a piece of dragon scale fragment with a dull earthy yellow glow and placed it on the table. "Here is everything His Majesty Nozdormu wants you to do. Please gather an elite team to help. Of course, for your peace of mind, His Majesty will pull Karazhan back from the void and seal this space rift before you go."
As soon as Krasus finished speaking, Sylvanas rushed over, her two hot red lips pressed against Duke, and immediately they started kissing each other passionately like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Duke! Thank you! Thank you--" The longing for her sister had already made Sylvanas forget everything else.
Duke smiled bitterly with happiness: "Your sister is also my woman!"
Sylvanas said in a somewhat coquettish tone: "I don't care, I'm just happy anyway!"
Krasus was envious of Duke's happiness, so he didn't bother Duke any more. "The ceremony will be held at eight o'clock tonight. I'll go prepare the magic circle first."
At this time, a team of druids came over in a mighty manner.
Although it was the first time they met, Duke recognized the leader at the first sight—the Archdruid Fandral Staghelm, who was famous in history for being so protective of his own people that he went crazy and eventually fell!
Fandral recognized the owner of the dragon scale almost immediately and ran over happily: "Is it His Majesty Nozdormu who needs help? The night elves are happy to serve!"
As soon as Fandral opened his mouth, Tyrande's face looked a little unnatural.
The night elves respect the laws of nature and hate the abuse of arcane magic and the destruction of nature. This is a tradition since ancient times.
Among the night elves, in addition to believing in the moon goddess Elune and the nature demigod Cenarius, the elves also worship the three guardian dragons who bestowed the blessing of the World Tree.
However, Fandral went a little too far. He almost said that the night elves were willing to devote all their strength to lick Nozdormu's boots.
In addition, less than two days after the explosion of Mount Hyjal, Fandral began to advocate among the night elves to plant another world tree so that the three guardian dragons could once again bestow magical blessings on it.
Now Fandral is so flattering just to please Nozdormu. This seemingly generous but actually unprincipled behavior makes Tyrande very angry.
After all, in Tyrande's eyes, things must be done in order of importance. The first thing the night elves have to do is to eliminate the danger, such as destroying the demon army and eliminating the space cracks, and then rebuilding. Now that neither side has done well, this guy Fandral jumped out and said that he would unconditionally support Nozdormu's actions?
Come on, you claim to suppress the entire night elf race without even knowing what Nozdormu is going to do.
No matter how good-tempered Tyrande was, she couldn't help it.
But he couldn't get angry because during the years when Malfurion was wandering in the Emerald Dream, Fandral, as Malfurion's disciple, actually controlled the Cenarion Circle. Even when Malfurion returned, because Malfurion paid more attention to the natural realm, the mundane affairs were still handed over to Fandral.
It is true that the night elves are a heterodox race, but they believe in both the teachings of the Moon Goddess and the druids. Therefore, even though Tyrande is the high priestess, it is impossible for her to make the night elves a one-man show.
Fandral made random promises, and when Tyrande was about to say something...
Fandral was slapped in the face by Krasus, or more precisely, by Nozdormu. Seeing that Fandral was actually trying to touch the khaki dragon scale, Krasus stopped him and said, "Sorry, the Lord of Time has clearly stated that no night elves can participate in this operation."
Fandral Staghelm's expression was very interesting, as if ketchup, soy sauce and other things were mixed together and smeared on his face.
I hope the retribution doesn't come too quickly or too severely!
As soon as this side expressed its willingness to lick the boots, the other side was slapped in the face by the Dragonflight.
This is not an exhortation, it is a warning!
Because Krasus not only blocked them, but also unleashed his dragon might without any concealment. This was the dragon might of an ancient dragon! The weaker elf huntresses and archers standing guard nearby were all suffocated by the pressure.
Fandral couldn't, and didn't dare to, get angry. After all, Krasus represented not just his own dragon, but the will of the entire Wyrmrest Temple. He had no choice but to accept it: "Since this is the will of His Majesty Nozdormu, then please do as you please."
After saying that, Fandral actually bowed to Krasus, and ran away with his men without even looking at Duke. From beginning to end, he really treated Duke and his men as if they were airless.
"Him!" Rhonin gritted his teeth.
"Hmph!" Sylvanas and Jaina snorted at the same time!
Even Kael'thas, who had the best temper, couldn't help it. He moved his lips for a long time, but when he saw that Duke didn't say anything, he stopped moving.
Poor Tyrande, she was caught in a dilemma. She had no choice but to apologize to Fandral: "I'm sorry, Sir Edmund. Fandral is the most radical natural supremacist. He hates anyone and anything that destroys nature, and he also hates arcanists..."
Duke waved his hand: "It's okay! I know. Compared with the return of Her Majesty Alexstrasza and my lover and companions, these are all trivial matters."
Tyrande bowed and apologized again.
At this time, Duke finally reached out and touched the khaki dragon scale.
Almost at the moment when the dragon scales were touched, Duke heard an extremely tragic howl towards the sky in his spiritual sea.
That was - the Dragon King's long howl of pain!
Duke's facial muscles twitched, even though he had asked the system AI to create nine mental barriers in his spiritual sea in advance.
The information that rushed in like a flood still broke through his seven lines of defense in one breath.
If it was a guy with weaker mental strength, he would become mentally retarded before he could even resist.
Horrible images appeared in Duke's mind.
As if right in front of him, the Time Lord Nozdormu, as huge as a mountain, appeared!
Unlike the last time he surrounded Deathwing Neltharion, Nozdormu's body looked very broken. Although as a special dragon made of sand, his body was never dazzling, but the feeling that his dragon scales seemed to have been eroded by wind for thousands of years and would age, decay and fall off at any time still shocked Duke greatly.
The vitality of the Time Dragon is time!
As the Lord of Time, he is unable to resist the erosion of time. How bad is Nozdormu's current condition?
Duke saw sand and dirt on the dragon's face, and the dragon's skin was peeling off like broken plaster. Looking at the very anthropomorphic expression of despair on Nozdormu's face, Duke was shocked.
The illusory images in the spiritual world do not affect the vision in reality.
Duke also saw the worry on Krasus' face. It was obvious that the illusions that Krasus had seen and experienced were now Duke's turn to see.
Nozdormu did not speak. His figure disappeared, and an extremely huge continent appeared instead. It was a vast continent located in the atmosphere with no end in sight, with extremely steep mountains and plains covered with forests...
As his vision gradually rose until it reached the universe and the entire continent could be seen, Duke suddenly realized that this was the continent of Kalimdor.
Not the Kalimdor of today, but the ancient Kalimdor before the War of the Ancients.
The information from the dragon scales made it easy for Duke to identify it as the source of Nozdormu's pain.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Duke still cursed in his heart: War of the Ancients? Holy crap!
Ever since the Dark Portal was first opened, Azeroth has been in constant trouble, but please, Goddess of Fate, don't let me fight the Burning Legion twice in a row!
Just thinking about it makes me drunk.
After watching these scenes, Duke suddenly returned to reality. Although his immersion in the spiritual world only lasted for a few seconds, Duke felt a little exhausted.
Not only did his back feel like he had fallen into water, being soaked with sweat, but his body was also unconsciously gasping for breath.
If it was simply to convey information, Nozdormu would not have created such a terrifying mental level.
You know, even though Duke has changed his job now, his physical and mental qualities are still that of a top-notch wizard.
Duke guessed that the only explanation should be that the bronze dragon king's dragon scales were both a message and a test, testing whether the target person had the minimum requirements to be teleported through time and space.
Seeing that Duke passed the test just by sweating and catching his breath, Krasus couldn't hide his surprise on his face.
"What's wrong?" Duke accepted Jaina's golden handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and gave Krasus a faint smile.
"What a terrifying willpower! I suddenly understand why you were able to forcibly transform the dark power that even the demigods could not withstand after being hit by Archimonde's fatal blow before his death! It turns out, Duke, there is a reason why you can become a great hero of the Alliance." There was not a trace of flattery on Krasus's face, and even in his awe-inspiring expression, there was no trace of affectation.
"This spiritual impact is indeed very strong." Duke nodded.
"This is a very dangerous mission, and there can be no more than five people. You and I count as two, and you can choose the remaining three."
Duke was not surprised at all by what Krasus said. He turned around and said, "Rhonin, come here!"
"Yes, teacher!" Rhonin bowed respectfully and touched the ochre-colored dragon scale.
The next second, Rhonin screamed, fell to the ground and began to twitch.
Those present were not ordinary people, and they all immediately realized how terrifying this mental test was.
Rhonin curled up on the ground, shaking constantly and making indistinct hums from his mouth.
"don't want!"
"Kalimdor!"
"demon--"
"Ancient God..."
He didn't utter many words, but every word made everyone tremble with fear.
It took Rhonin a full half minute to regain consciousness, then his stomach cramped and he vomited on the spot.
The sour smell of vomit hit her in the face, and Solarian, who was wearing a maid's uniform, reacted quickly. She waved her hand, and a well-placed frost magic froze the vomit, and immediately followed up with a small ice cone spell with an extremely precise range, blowing the vomit out of the tent.
Rhonin struggled to get up, staggered and almost fell. Fortunately, Vanessa rushed over and supported him.
Rhonin seemed to be exhausted, gasping for breath, and smiled bitterly: "Sorry, teacher, I embarrassed you."
Duke smiled and shook his head: "No! You're great!"
Over there, Krasus had already started clapping: "I'm so ashamed that it took me a full minute to pass this test. I should say that Rhonin is worthy of being a hero who experienced the Battle of Mount Hyjal."
Duke had a system to separate his spiritual sea, but he still almost got hit, not to mention that Rhonin managed to get through it with his own spirit and will.
"Okay! There are still two positions..." Duke seemed to be talking to himself, and then he made a quick decision: "Please inform Thrall, I need him to send a strong warrior to help."
Maybe you don't want to admit it, but at this point in time, the "warrior, mage, and priest iron triangle" consisting of warriors, mages, and priests is the standard configuration.
Without a strong fighter, the team's actions would be a bit unreliable.
Of course, Krasus can turn into a dragon, but that is a "tactical nuclear bomb" and will not be used until the last moment. Because it would be ridiculous for Krasus, who was not yet born during the War of the Ancients, to go back 10,000 years to find his ancestry.
The last spot...
"Oh my gosh!" Sylvanas and Jaina actually stood up together, each with an expression of responsibility on their face.
Duke rejected it decisively: "I'm going because I have a secret deal with Nozdormu that cannot be told. I have no choice. What are you two queens doing? Especially you, Sylvanas. Anasterian, who betrayed Quel'Thalas, is still entrenched in Lordaeron. Why don't you clean up the traitors and get involved in Nozdormu's affairs?"
"No! I..." Queen Sylvanas wanted to argue, and even had tears in her eyes. At this moment, Jaina suddenly grabbed Sylvanas and shook her head.
They suddenly all understood that this was the trend!
Without world peace, there can be no national peace, and without a country, there can be no small family. They all understand this interlocking relationship, but they just can't accept it for a while.
It is indeed very painful to have just obtained the love you have been pursuing, but to have to accept separation soon.
Unfortunately, they have no choice!
If they fell in love with an ordinary man, a farmer, perhaps hiding in a place not affected by the war, they might be able to spend their time in peace.
The Duke they loved so much was a great hero of the alliance!
The glory and responsibility of a hero always coexist.
Jaina pursed her lips and said, "Duke, you have to promise us that you will try to take care of yourself."
Rarely, Duke made a solemn promise: "It's okay, I'm just taking a walk, it's not dangerous. But I have evidence!" After that, he winked at Krasus.
Krasus understood immediately.
He nodded to the two queens to show that Duke was right.
Yes! This time they are indeed going back 10,000 years to stop the evil existence from changing history. On the other hand, since Azeroth has not collapsed yet, doesn't it prove that their mission to go back to the past was successful?
If this was just Krasus's inference, then Duke had absolute evidence - when he went back to the past, something unspeakable must have happened between him and Tyrande, causing Tyrande to behave so out of character.
Ah! I am so excited just thinking about it!
Oh! No! It's so fucking confusing!
What did I do? What did my future self do to Tyrande when I went back in time?
Duke had a strange feeling of anticipation. It was like lighting a cigarette to calm down after hearing a gas leak alarm.
Uh, that's getting off topic.
But who should we choose as the fifth person?
First of all, it can't be a Paladin. The power of a five-man team is always limited. Bringing a Paladin is like throwing flash bombs in the dark, telling all the demons that your enemies are here, come and kill us.
Then at this point in time, the Alliance and the Horde seemed to have no Archmage-level warlocks or stronger shamans. In fact, the most ideal situation would be to have a hunter or a rogue, because in Duke's memory, the three time travelers fell directly into the forest.
It would be better to have a hero with strong reconnaissance ability.
Duke let Vanessa and Lirath try it out, and the result was...
The one who passed was Vanessa!
After 50 seconds, Vanessa woke up!
Duke was a little surprised, but also a little relieved.
As expected, gold will shine, right?
It seems that Vanessa has inherited the tenacity of the original Vanessa. The little girl who watched her father rise up in rebellion because of injustice and eventually died, and suffered the coldness and warmth of human nature, stood in front of the players more than ten years later...
At this moment, looking at the unconscious Lirath, and then looking at Vanessa who was struggling to get up stubbornly on the ground, Duke suddenly felt that the historical Vanessa seemed to overlap with his former little maid.
"Master! Did I... pass?" Her legs were shaking and her face was pale. Beads of cold sweat formed small streams on her cheeks, neck, shoulders, collarbone, etc., easily soaking the maid outfit on the outside, but revealing the close-fitting leather armor underneath.
Apart from Tyrande, who had witnessed Vanessa's strength, many people looked at Vanessa in shock. They didn't expect that even Duke's maid had broken through the heroic realm and was a leader among thieves.
Duke gently touched Vanessa's head and smiled warmly: "Well done. Although there are greater tests ahead, at least you have passed this time. Now, go down and have a rest!"
There is no first in literature, and no second in martial arts.
This statement applies in any world.
After seeing Vanessa pass the test and Lirath fail, it seemed to stimulate a lot of people. Kapurnia was a little unconvinced, and she tactfully asked Kael'thas to give it a try. Kael'thas could only smile bitterly and convey this wish to Duke.
Duke waved his hand and said, "Go and give it a try. Even if you don't participate in this mission, this kind of mental test is a rare experience."
As a result, the four heavenly kings around Kael'thas were completely wiped out, all became dead dogs, and fainted.
This made Kael'thas a little embarrassed, and in the end, he persuaded him to go. Duke originally thought that since Kael'thas could kneel down to his father in the Sun-Chasing King's Court, his willpower should not be too strong. Obviously, Duke underestimated the desire to prove himself hidden under the prince's gentle appearance.
Or perhaps it could be said that after the battle of Mount Hyjal, Kael'thas found his backbone again.
42 seconds!
A result that was not particularly good, later than Rhonin but faster than Vanessa.
Although he was exhausted, Kael'thas, kneeling on the ground, looked like a winner, with his head held high and a satisfied smile on his face.
"It seems that for some reason, His Majesty Nozdormu did not let me see the relevant content, but simply tested me..." Kael'thas panted.
"Sorry, I can't tell you the reason." Krasus said.
Duke knew the reason: Nozdormu was simply afraid that the elves would return to the Ancient War ten thousand years ago and have too many entanglements with the night elves or the High Elves, such as killing Queen Azshara in advance to preserve the elves' ruling status, which would cause a huge deviation in history.
Hoo! Nozdormu, you underestimate me, Duke! I am the history-crushing machine, Duke!
"Okay, when will we get Karazhan back and when will we start the action?" Duke asked.
"You can go back to the old site of Karazhan and wait. When I go to the Horde to confirm the final candidate and report the team member list to His Majesty Nozdormu, the return to Karazhan can begin. Then, you and your team members will have three days to prepare."
"good!"
Sylvanas was deeply conflicted. She longed for her sisters to return soon, but was also reluctant to part with Duke, so she could only purse her lips tightly.
An hour later, Orgrimmar.
Outside this new, unfinished city, huge arrow towers were erected on almost every hill.
An orc saw a black spot coming from the horizon.
"A dragon! A red dragon!" shouted an orc sentry.
"I've heard that the Dragonmaw Clan used to ride red dragons into the sky. Are those red dragons our companions, Brox?" asked another orc.
Brox snorted. The orc who was asking the question was very young. He was still a child during the Battle of the Dark Gate, so he definitely didn't know how the orcs rode on the dragons.
If the orcs had conquered the red Dragonflight forever, it would be a glory to be proud of, but unfortunately now there is only shame.
Brooks curled his lips and said, "Gasco, you fool, if you want a dragon to carry an orc around, the only way is to let the orc stay in the dragon's stomach!"
Gasco shrugged, looking nonchalant.
The customs of the orcs are very interesting. They only respect shamans and orcs who are stronger than themselves.
Obviously, he and other orcs felt that Brox was not worthy of such gorgeous equipment at the moment.
Yes, Brox was also a warrior who returned from the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Unfortunately, he had been following the Warchief all along, but he neither beheaded many demons nor persisted to the end in the siege of Archimonde.
Brooks had a broken arm, and it was only with the help of human magic that he was able to recover and have his arm reattached.
He was not afraid of any enemy, but the years had worn away his soul. Perhaps because of his hunchback, he looked shorter than Gasco, with less hair, which had begun to turn gray, and his face was covered with scars and wrinkles. In his eyes, there was no longer the desire of his younger companions, and after meeting the suspicious and distrustful gazes of his companions, he revealed deep resentment and sadness.
Brooks is eager to prove himself!
Over there, the arrival of Krasus alarmed the entire city of Orgrimmar. He was not here to fight, so he transformed into a human form 500 meters outside the city gate that had not yet been built, and walked slowly over.
Thrall immediately met with Krasus.
After Krasus explained his purpose and handed over the dragon scale, Thrall touched it first.
25 seconds, the best result except Duke.
Thrall, who looked like he had just been fished out of the water, hesitated for a moment and stroked his chin: "I think I know who to look for, an excellent warrior."
He turned his head and said, "Brooks! Call Brooks!"
Brooks was called in and passed the test in 33 seconds and took on the task.
Thrall respected Brooks very much. Even though many young orcs looked down on Brooks in the last war, Thrall would never forget that Brooks had always been by his side since the Battle for Freedom in Keep of Garrison, whether they were facing fully armed humans, those inhuman zombies, or the bloody battle with the centaurs after arriving in Durotar.