Chapter 7
1816words
Sunlight shining through the remnants of cracks fell upon the runes, reflecting a dark green light — that was the energy imprint of Maldraxxus. "The Titan records state that the Witherers of Maldraxxus possess the 'Soul Anchor Reconstruction Technique,'" she pointed to an area surrounded by bone patterns on the star chart, "but since the Jailer's downfall, that place has become a no man's land, with various forces fighting for control of the armory."
Valery's sin stele suddenly emitted a low hum, with blurry battlefield images appearing along the edges of the fragments: bone-made walls collapsing, shadow energy and necromantic magic intertwining among the ruins.
"My sin stele has sensed the aura of the medallion," her voice carried a heaviness, "at least three members of the Harvesters of Shadow are active in Maldraxxus, and they're cooperating with the Void Corruptors."
Kael pressed his chest, where the gold and purple patterns were still pulsating. Forcibly channeling energy during the battle at Andorhal had pushed his body to its limits: "I need time to stabilize the energy within me, but Maldraxxus cannot wait."
He looked at the soldiers of the Alliance and the Horde, "How long can your cooperation last?"
Elias removed his holy light helmet, revealing bloodshot eyes: "The Order of Pure Light will send paladins as support, but our people won't trust warriors from the Blood Oath Clan." Grom Hellscream let out a cold snort, yet still threw his battle axe to embed it in the stone table: "The Blood Oath Clan can guard the rear, but if you try any more tricks —"
"Enough." Vereesa interrupted them, the Silver Covenant's gryphon riders were already assembling in the sky, "I'll accompany you with an elite squad. Maldraxxus's bone forest has complex terrain, and we need someone familiar with shadow warfare to guide the way."
Zik's resonance device suddenly lit up, displaying Maldraxxus' real-time energy spectrum on the screen: "Kaja ore has detected a massive void energy source, right in the forge district!" He tapped the device, "And the soul fluctuations there are strange, as if they've been forcibly compressed into solid state."
Two hours later, a portal opened in the Spinefall Valley of Maldraxxus.
Unlike the golden desolation of Bastion, the sky here was a solidified dark gray, the ground covered with layers upon layers of bones, with the air permeated by the pungent smell of anima mixed with marrow.
In the distance, massive structures built entirely of bones, with decaying banners hanging from the tips of spires, and occasional floating skulls emitting piercing wails.
"Stay close to me." Valery walked at the front, with the sin stone floating before her, "The souls in Maldraxxus are sensitive to the living. Once discovered, they will summon endless bone soldiers."
Her steps were light, avoiding the necromantic runes flickering on the ground — those were alarm traps set by the Withered.
The tip of Liora's staff glowed with a faint blue light, scanning the surrounding energy fields: "Strange, the Titan energy residue here is very faint, but the Void energy is unusually dense." She pointed to a collapsed bone fortress, "That should be the entrance to the armory, the energy source is inside."
Just as everyone approached the fortress, the ground suddenly shook violently. Dozens of bone spikes erupted from the ground, surrounding them in the center. The Void Corruptors at the tips of the spikes opened their fang-filled mouths, spewing black venom.
At the same time, more than ten Harvesters of Shadow clad in black armor emerged from the fortress ruins. Their medal fragments emitted a crimson glow, and their weapons were entwined with energy mixed from the void and necromancy.
"It's a trap!" Vereesa immediately ordered the gryphon riders to dive down. Arrows of Holy Light rained upon the enemies but were blocked by the bone shields of the Harvesters—those shields were inlaid with Kaja'mite fragments that could absorb Holy Light energy.
Kael drew his longbow fully, his gold-purple arrows precisely piercing the medal of a Harvester, only to find the enemy's body instantly swelling and transforming into a host for Void corruptors. "They've modified themselves into vessels!" His arm suddenly experienced intense pain as gold-purple patterns began spreading frantically. "I can barely control my energy anymore!"
Seeing this, Liora immediately chanted Titanic runes and thrust the bronze plate into the ground.
Amidst the brilliant radiance, the Titan defense system beneath the fortress ruins was activated — dozens of bronze constructs erupted from the ground, their arms transforming into energy cannons, unleashing a barrage of fire at the void corrupters.
"This will only buy us time!" she shouted, "We need to rush into the armory and find the core of the energy source!"
Zik threw out his modified "bone dust smoke bomb," white smoke mixed with Kaya mineral powder temporarily paralyzing the enemy's senses. "Follow me!" he sprinted along a passage built from piles of skeletons, "My device can locate the position of the core!"
The team rushed into the fortress under the cover of constructs. The scene inside was chilling: countless giant metal furnaces were operating, churning with black liquid—a mixture of souls and void—while craftsmen in Witherer garb were pouring the liquid into weapon molds—those molds were identical in shape to the spears used by the Harvesters.
"They're mass-producing 'soul-void' weapons!" Valery's sin stone suddenly pointed to the top of the furnace, where a Harvester in elaborate black armor stood, with a medal bearing the symbol of greed on his chest. "It's Bastion! The former financial officer of Revendreth who stole vast amounts of anima and defected to the Jailer!"
Bastion let out a cold laugh, waving his hand to release black chains that entangled the nearest gryphon rider: "Valery, I didn't expect you to still be alive. Once these weapons are mass-produced, all of Azeroth will become our hunting ground — souls will be the best fuel!"
Kael endured the pain of his unstable energy, shooting an arrow of gold and purple light that concentrated all his remaining strength.
The arrow pierced through the chains and struck Bastion's medallion, but was deflected by the barrier emitted from it.
"Titan defense technology truly works well," Bastion said smugly, "This medallion was modified from a fragment of Ulduar!"
Just then, Zik's device suddenly sounded an alarm: "The forge is about to overload! The void energy in the core can't hold much longer!" He pointed to the Kaja ore core at the bottom of the forge, "If we destroy that, we can stop the production!"
Liora and Valery exchanged a glance, then moved into action simultaneously.
Liora summoned an ice wall to block Bastion's attack, while Valery raised the Sin Stone, infusing the bronze plate with redemption energy—the two energies intertwined into a spear of light and darkness, hurling it toward the forge core.
"Not a chance!" Bastion flung chains to entangle the spear, only to find Kael suddenly rushing behind him, placing his palm on his medal. Gold and purple energy erupted, forcibly penetrating the medal's defense system: "Shut up!" His eyes turned gold and purple, "The control of this thing now belongs to me!"
Bastion discovered in horror that the medal began releasing energy uncontrollably. Valery seized the opportunity to thrust her spear, piercing the forge's core. A massive explosion erupted, black liquid splattered everywhere, instantly melting any bone walls it touched. The team rushed out of the fortress just before the explosion, only to find the battle outside even more brutal — more Void Corruptors poured through the rifts, and reinforcements from the Harvesters of Shadow had arrived.
"We're surrounded!" Vereesa's gryphon had been shot down, and she clutched her bleeding arm, "This isn't working!"
Liora suddenly noticed a hidden door beneath the fortress ruins: "There's a Titan symbol there! It might be an escape passage!" She picked up the bronze plate, "And my runes are detecting energy fluctuations leading to the planet's core inside!"
Everyone retreated while fighting, rushing through the hidden door. Inside was a narrow stone passage, with Titan star charts carved on the walls, and a green light flickering at the end.
Bastion's voice sounded from behind: "You cannot escape! The Harvesters of Shadow will initiate the final ritual in Andorhal, and not even the star souls of the earth's core can save you!"
At the end of the stone passage was a massive underground cavern, with a green crystal floating in the center — it was Mathrokxas's "Seed of Life," also an energy node connected to the earth's core.
Liora placed the bronze plate against the crystal, and the runes began to reconfigure: "This place can indeed lead to the earth's core, but it requires sufficient energy to activate the teleportation array."
Kael approached the crystal, voluntarily releasing golden-purple energy: "Use my energy, this might be the meaning of its existence." His body began to become transparent, "Don't worry, I can feel it, the crystal will stabilize my energy."
As golden-purple energy infused into the crystal, the teleportation array slowly activated. Valery's sin stone suddenly projected its final image: the seven medals of the Harvesters of Shadow had been gathered in Andorhal, and the Kaja Vein had begun extending toward the planet's core — they were attempting to directly extract the energy of the world soul.
"We must hurry," said Vereesa, "Alliance and Horde reinforcements are already on their way, we'll rendezvous in Andorhal!"
She led the remaining Silver Covenant soldiers to stay behind, "Don't let our sacrifice be in vain!"
The team rushed into the teleportation array with tears in their eyes. When the light before them dissipated, they found themselves in an enormous underground cavern, surrounded by flowing magma. From the darkness in the distance came the heartbeat of the world soul — a deep and warm pulsation, yet carrying a faint trace of unease.
Zik's device pointed into the dark depths: "The Worldsoul Core is just ahead, but the void energy concentration there... is ten times that of Maz'rokas!"
Liora gripped the bronze tablet, its runes resonating with the Titan ruins in the magma: "The Harvesters of Shadow's ritual has already begun affecting the Worldsoul, we have no time to hesitate." She looked toward Kael, whose body had regained physical form, the gold and purple patterns now stable, "Are you ready?"
Kael drew his longbow to full tension, arrow aimed into the darkness: "I've been ready for a long time. This time, we won't let anyone harm Azeroth."
The four stood shoulder to shoulder as they walked into the darkness, their silhouettes illuminated by the glow of magma.
In the distance, the heartbeat of the Worldsoul grew increasingly clear, while the whispers of the Void began to sound in their ears — the echo of the abyss had only just begun.
