Chapter 626: Ner'zhul's Dominance

Who is Gul'dan?

The mastermind behind the First and Second Wars of the Dark Portal.

And who is Ner'zhul?

Before Duke's arrival, many might only recall the Lich King as Arthas Menethil, unaware that there have been three iterations of the Lich King. Arthas Menethil was only the second. The true original Lich King was Ner'zhul.

While Gul'dan may surpass Ner'zhul in cunning, deception, and sheer audacity, when it comes to the scale of destruction, even Gul'dan pales in comparison to Ner'zhul.

Originally, Kil'jaeden, the Deceiver, used illusions to convince all orc shamans of the 'threat from the Draenei.'

The illusion that appeared to Ner'zhul was the spirit of his wife.

Grief-stricken, Ner'zhul trusted the omen. After making a pact with Kil'jaeden, he soon realized he might have been deceived. Upon consulting the ancestral spirits, Ner'zhul found that he had unwittingly betrayed the entire orc race, deviating from the shamanic path and being abandoned by the elements.

Before the overwhelming might of Kil'jaeden, Ner'zhul chose to flee, to surrender. Had he had the courage to expose the demonic conspiracy to the entire orc horde, Gul'dan would have been irrelevant, and there would have been no invasion of Azeroth through the Dark Portal.

But Ner'zhul lacked that courage.

Upon Ner'zhul's refusal to obey, Kil'jaeden quickly turned to Gul'dan.

Ner'zhul lacked the courage to stop his talented and cunning disciple, nor did he stand up to lead the Horde against Kil'jaeden.

In his lifetime, he was merely a powerful... failure.

Yet, the true terror of Ner'zhul wasn't his will or magic, but a gift he wasn't even aware of—his soul's strength!

Not everyone is worthy of becoming the Lich King.

Like Duke, who on his arrival was so weak that in death he would've been reduced to a mindless ghoul.

Ner'zhul's terror lies in his shamanically enhanced soul, which with demonic assistance, could project thoughts across tens of thousands of square kilometers. He could easily control the undead legions from afar, spreading death and converting the deceased into undead soldiers, endlessly expanding his army.

Indeed, the Ner'zhul that fell into Kil'jaeden's grasp was the most fearsome.

Facing Ner'zhul, Duke felt despair.

Acting prematurely against Ner'zhul would only send his soul directly to Kil'jaeden, one of the Burning Legion's bosses, hastening the Lich King's emergence.

Ignoring him, Ner'zhul would still cause chaos in the world of Azeroth.

Expelling him risked him fleeing to the Twisting Nether, still ending up with Kil'jaeden.

Most crucially, this time Ner'zhul would come with the entire Shadowmoon Clan's warlocks.

These aren't the lazy warlocks from Gul'dan's previous assault, but elite warlocks.

Magical battles would become commonplace.

At this point, Ner'zhul wasn't too powerful, maybe around the level of a sun mage.

But... that's still formidable!

Historically, only after acquiring one of the three artifacts, the Skull of Gul'dan, would Ner'zhul stir trouble. With the artifact, the sun mage's power approached demigod levels!

Damn Gul'dan, even in death, his mere skull remains a nuisance!

Duke felt stifled at the thought.

He had considered acquiring this so-called artifact. The problem is, the artifact's original form was the head of Gul'dan himself! If he had the capability to defeat Gul'dan and use his head as an artifact, Duke would've single-handedly crushed the Horde.

He could scavenge the body after his death, theoretically.

But remember, Gul'dan opened the Tomb of Sargeras only to be consumed by endless demons pouring out.

Arriving early would mean facing an onslaught too powerful even for demi-gods. Could Duke withstand it with his frail frame?

Arriving late, the vast ocean would hide the remains.

Duke clearly remembered that the Skull of Gul'dan was found by Grommash Hellscream of the Warsong Clan. But when he crossed the Dark Portal back to Draenor, there's no record.

Furthermore, with the memories of Gul'dan and properties similar to the 'Whispers of the Old Gods' that drove Neltharion mad, this artifact was clearly cursed. In the hands of a regular person, it would induce madness.

Duke could only sigh: Travelers aren't omnipotent!

If he couldn't preemptively avert this tragedy, he had to fortify himself. This was why Duke introduced so much advanced technology.

After Duke elaborated on the dangers of Ner'zhul and emphasized his capability to open the Dark Portal, both Llane and Anduin looked grim.

Anduin asked, "So, in your judgment, how long before Ner'zhul leads the Horde to attack again?"

Duke hesitated.

Due to his intervention, the war that historically ended in six years at the Dark Portal concluded in its second year. Ner'zhul's venture to Azeroth was an event eight years after the Dark Portal.

Duke estimated, holding up two fingers.

"Two years?"

"Perhaps less, or maybe more. While Draenor is crumbling, the process is slow. Because we nearly annihilated or severely weakened the top-ranking clans in the Horde during the war. Many hunting grounds in Draenor will become vacant."

Llane pondered, "So, the orcs will first fight amongst themselves before considering attacking our Alliance?"

Duke affirmed, "Exactly! Like Terenas' previous attempt to annex Alterac. The intact orc clans will need to settle scores before heeding Ner'zhul's call."

Llane nodded, "Alright, while the prospect of another war isn't good news, we're fortunate to have a visionary leader like you in the Alliance. Two years gives us ample time."

Anduin chuckled, "Your railroad proposition and the like are beyond us. You'll be quite occupied when we return."

Duke nodded, "Before that, I might need some time off."

Llane raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"I need to hone my magic skills."

Llane laughed, "I almost forgot you're also a mage!"

Duke could only facepalm at the reminder.