After the Battle of the Frozen Throne, the heavily wounded "Eternal One" Nozdormu returned to the Caverns of Time to recuperate. A year passed, and the physical wounds on his body had long since healed, but the scars in his heart would never heal.
In that battle, Nozdormu even shattered the artifact "The Sands of Time" bestowed upon him by Aman'Thul, using the Sands of Time, containing unparalleled divine power, to completely banish Aiden from this timeline. He thought he had permanently eliminated the threat of this space-time order disruptor, but several months later, Nozdormu learned that Aiden had returned to Azeroth in a massive summoning ritual.
Those mortals used a Titan artifact of infinite power—the Focusing Iris!
When Nozdormu saw this scene from the time he had regressed through, he couldn't help but be shocked and angry: that was the artifact guarded by the Blue Dragonflight for generations! Could it be that "Spellweaver" Malygos had forgotten the warning he had once given and turned to that destroyer of space-time order?
Nozdormu wanted to question his brother, but soon after, he discovered the truth. It turned out that the Focusing Iris used by the mortals did not come from Malygos's lair, the "Eye of Eternity," but was brought by Jaina, whom he himself had summoned from another timeline.
This was purely a misunderstanding.
But the underlying content made Nozdormu ponder: every Aspect Dragon understood what their respective artifacts meant to them, and it was impossible to lend such an artifact to mortals.
Jaina possessing the Focusing Iris was a side proof of the scene he saw from the future, wasn't it?
"Let me see, what exactly happened in the future," Nozdormu muttered to himself.
Although a year ago, Aiden entered the River of Time, obscuring everyone's prying eyes on the future, as the Bronze Dragon guarding the timeline, Nozdormu still had some ways to display his power.
Although the Sands of Time were shattered, its fragments still had residual divine power, and such divine power was enough for him to see a clear future.
He extracted the power of the hourglass fragments and finally sensed those scales containing divine power that he had integrated into the timeline.
"What happened to Malygos in the future?"
He saw Aiden and the heroes around him, united with the Red Dragonflight, rushing into the Nexus, killing Malygos, and seizing the Focusing Iris!
"Traitor! Traitor!" Nozdormu shouted angrily.
"Alexstrasza, how could you betray us for the sake of mortals!"
"Shameful, shameful!"
Nozdormu roared frantically.
The scene in front of him changed, and Nozdormu saw the source of the Focusing Iris in Jaina's hand:
In another timeline, Alexstrasza also united with the mages of Dalaran, rushed into the Nexus, killed Malygos, and took away the Focusing Iris.
"Unforgivable, unforgivable!"
Nozdormu's tone trembled.
He couldn't believe that Alexstrasza, as an Aspect Dragon, would kill a brother of tens of thousands of years with mortals!
"No matter what reason you have, I will not forgive you!" There was hatred in his eyes. "Alexstrasza!"
Nozdormu took a deep breath. He wanted to see what happened to him in the future.
After being seriously injured, his original memories of the future were forgotten due to the closure of the River of Time. He couldn't remember what would happen to him in the future.
He began to pursue the images of the future, and then he saw—it was that person he hated the most again, Aiden came to the Caverns of Time and used his staff to extract all the power of the Caverns of Time.
From then on, the Bronze Dragons lost the divine power bestowed by the Titans and could never fulfill their duties again.
"Hehehe," Nozdormu made a neurotic chuckle: "It really is you, only you. Let me see, what other 'great achievements' do you have?"
Dangerous light emanated from his huge eyes.
"Using that artifact that stole the power of the five-colored dragons to destroy the World Tree? You are really audacious!"
"Invading the Emerald Dream with nightmare-shaped monsters?" Nozdormu saw one scene and suddenly understood, "So this nightmare sweeping all mortals was caused by you!"
"Summoning a continent with the power of Deathwing? Hahaha, a person from another world? So this is your purpose?"
Nozdormu burst into hearty laughter, but the sound was filled with gnashing hatred: "So this is your purpose! Destroyer! Annihilator! You will not succeed, absolutely not! I will definitely stop you!"
When Nozdormu made a crazy sound, N'Zoth, the most powerful Old God of Azeroth, deep in the Endless Sea, also made a low roar at the same time: "Deathwing... Ysera... Nozdormu... Malygos... There is only one last one left—Alexstrasza, you can't escape my control either... My return, no one can stop!"
"This world does not need sober people..." This voice reached a presence in Azshara's perception.
"As you command, my master..." Another voice replied, This was the Nightmare Lord Xavius, "The whole world will submit to your banner of flesh and blood. When you return, everyone will be crazy!"
"This day will come soon."
—
The terrifying nightmare swept the globe. At the same time, the intensity of the sea monster's attack was much stronger than when the Burning Legion invaded a few months ago. All living beings are facing a crisis more terrible than the Scourge and demons.
When half of the people are asleep, the order of mankind will completely collapse. Coupled with the crazy attacks of various Old God minions, any race will completely lose its ability to resist.
Now more than a quarter of the people have fallen asleep, and the collapse of order is very close. Perhaps it will be within three or four days. According to the current rate of spread, half of the people will be asleep and not wake up.
Irelia, Zhao Xin and others have no time to consider these. The Azshara defense line has been in critical condition several times. If the crazy attacks of N'Zoth's minions cannot be stopped, people will be killed before that time comes.
The joint forces of the Valoran Federation and the High Elves have been struggling to maintain the defense line. Tristana's artillery relieved some of the pressure, but another emergency intelligence was sent to the headquarters.
"General Zhao Xin," the messenger said with a heavy face, "This is the news reconnaissance by the airship 'Punisher'."
Zhao Xin took the intelligence, and it was clearly written on it that a large group of mountain giants were joining N'Zoth's army and rushing towards their defense line.
"Mountain giants?" Zhao Xin hadn't seen what this monster was.
But King Anasterian had heard of it. He hurriedly asked, "How many are there?"
"More than six hundred."
Anasterian's body swayed. He forced himself to calm down, but he knew exactly what this number represented.
"We're probably in trouble."
"Because of these mountain giants?"
"Yes." Anasterian explained, "That is a kind of stone giant whose height generally exceeds ten meters. They were once allies of the elves in ancient times. The earth will provide them with endless power. For example... creating earthquakes and throwing boulders."
"What level of damage will that cause?" Zhao Xin wanted to confirm.
"You can think of them as more than 600 remote catapults that can continuously create and throw millstone-sized boulders."
Zhao Xin's eyes widened: "I have to rush to the front line immediately."
He picked up his spear and rushed to the battlefield, and Anasterian immediately followed. He had just withdrawn from the battlefield with Zhao Xin not long ago, and his magic had only recovered halfway, but now the situation was serious, and he was afraid that he would not have time to recover slowly.
When the two arrived on the battlefield, the fallen mountain giants had already launched an attack. Irelia, who replaced Zhao Xin to command the front line, was leading the warriors in a frantic fight on the front line.
The addition of the mountain giants forced them to abandon most of the bunkers, because wherever these fallen giants reconnaissance ed someone, they could accurately throw boulders larger than millstones and with magical power, burying the works and the people inside together, which was even more accurate than most artillerymen!
Tristana's artillery battalion suffered a strong blow almost immediately. In order to preserve the skilled artillerymen, she had to order the warriors of the artillery battalion to abandon their artillery and retreat.
Dragonhawk knights and helicopter units took on the task of fighting these mountain giants, but unless they were continuously attacked by dense fire, as long as they stood on the ground, the injuries of these giants could recover quickly, not to mention that their rocky bodies could naturally resist strong firepower.
After the elven mage Rommath blasted a mountain giant to death with powerful magic, he saw more mountain giants pouncing on their defense line.
Rommath shouted loudly: "Mage troops! Quickly! Use spells to disintegrate the giants!"
To eliminate the mountain giants, mages had to get close and bombard them with concentrated and powerful spells, but this was also a very risky endeavor. Mages were inherently fragile, and without the protection of melee fighters, their situation would become extremely dangerous.
However, they had no choice. If the mountain giants broke through the defense line, the minions of the N'Zoth army behind them would surely overwhelm them with their endless numbers.
Two heroes of the Freljord, Ashe and Braum, were also on the front line. When Braum saw the mountain giant charging over, he roared and used his massive shield to knock the Faceless One in front of him unconscious, shouting, "It's up to you, Ashe!"
Ashe responded with action. She fired over a dozen Ice Arrows in quick succession, pinning the unconscious Faceless One to the ground.
Braum, having dealt with his opponent, charged towards the corrupted mountain giant that was breaking through their lines. The giant was raising its foot to trample a group of ordinary soldiers who were no match for it.
"Face me!" Braum yelled, stepping forward and rushing towards the soldiers about to die under the giant's foot. He appeared before them almost instantly, raising his large shield to meet the mountain giant's foot as it came crashing down.
How could human strength possibly withstand the foot of a mountain giant, whose weight alone exceeded ten or even dozens of tons?
Every soldier who witnessed this scene believed that he and the warriors he was shielding were doomed.
"Bang!"
The giant's foot slammed onto the shield, and a deafening roar kicked up countless sand and dust, obscuring the scene.
"Lord Braum... they must have been crushed into paste, right?" a nearby warrior thought in horror.
But a thunderous roar echoed from the dust cloud. Braum, using his shoulders, stubbornly held up the shield. His bulging muscles unleashed unimaginable strength, his veins popping, and then he exerted all his power and pushed upwards with a mighty heave.
"Rumble!"
An earth-shaking roar, no less powerful than the previous one, reverberated from the smoke once more. No one knew what had happened until they saw the first figure cough and stumble out of the dust, followed by the second and third. These were the very soldiers whom Braum had just saved from the mountain giant's foot.
Finally, a strong, bald-headed man strode out. People watched him in disbelief—the Heart of the Freljord—Braum! Behind him, as the dust gradually settled, a mountain giant, taller than him even when fallen, was faintly revealed.
But now, this once-invincible giant had been torn apart by an even greater force. Its head had been smashed to a pulp by Braum!
The surrounding crowd erupted in a suppressed cheer that had been building for a long time.
Braum had proven to the warriors that human strength could be greater than that of a giant!
Not far away, Irelia led a group of the most elite warriors in a charge. Several whistling, crisscrossing flying swords surrounded her, forming a vortex that seemed to mince all enemies around her. Her beautiful yet resolute face was more terrifying than a demon to the enemy, and the undisguised killing intent in her black eyes made all enemies tremble with fear.
It wasn't until a massive Faceless One charged up that her frenzied slaughter was slightly hindered, but Xin Zhao quickly arrived. The two heroes combined their strength and quickly killed this Faceless One who thought he could match a hero.
Every hero tried to turn the tide, their strength enough to contend with any enemy on the battlefield. But the destructive power of over six hundred corrupted mountain giants, plus the countless minions of the Ancient Gods army, was still too great. The Allied forces quickly fell into a disadvantage, and even the heroes' best efforts couldn't prevent the battle from deteriorating.
But just as the battle was raging, the Ancient Gods army on the battlefield suddenly began to retreat cautiously.
"What's going on?" Everyone was puzzled.
Clearly, the High Elves and the Valoran Allied Forces were at a disadvantage. At most, they would completely fail or have to retreat in an hour. So why were the Ancient Gods army, who had the advantage, retreating at this time?
The warriors, unaware of the truth, began to cheer for their narrow escape, but these minions only retreated a hundred meters before stopping, leaving a wide path in the middle.
They were not retreating at all, but welcoming the arrival of a strongman!
"Boom, boom, boom..." The earth began to tremble lightly and rhythmically.
Anasterian's expression changed drastically: "Could it be that an even bigger giant is coming?"
Many people had the same guess as him.
However, soon everyone saw the true face of the newcomer—it was a twisted creature six or seven meters taller than the largest mountain giant, with an incredibly massive body, like a swollen lobster.
A Faceless One, a Legendary Faceless One.
Ordinary Faceless Ones were prostrating on the ground, chanting its name loudly in the language of the Ancient Gods: "Warlord Zon'ozz! Warlord Zon'ozz!"
This was a Faceless One warlord whose name had been famous in the Ancient Gods civil war tens of thousands of years ago, one of the most powerful minions under N'Zoth, a general who had once conquered Yogg-Saron and C'Thun!
When it moved, the shadows and negative energy surging within it frantically tore at the surrounding space, appearing exceptionally terrifying and twisted to people.
Faced with this behemoth exuding an aura of destruction, anyone would feel fear!
"I have returned! The great master N'Zoth is also about to return! Submit to him, or be destroyed!"
Warlord Zon'ozz's deep and eerie voice echoed in everyone's mind. It clearly didn't make a sound, but its words went straight to the heart.
Everyone looked at each other in surprise and uncertainty, wondering if they had heard the same thing.
"Don't waver!"
"Hold the line!"
Seeing the wavering morale, the commanders shouted to stabilize the army. Although they also feared this monster from the bottom of their hearts, no one was willing to submit, to submit to evil and terrifying rule!
Irelia raised her legendary sword and shouted, "Justice guides us! Don't waver, we will surely achieve the ultimate victory!"
"For Valoran!"
"For Quel'Thalas!"
"Fight to the death!"
Inspiring slogans echoed in the air above the Allied forces, but how to achieve victory? No one knew.
The heroes only knew one thing—and that was never to surrender!
"Charge!"
At this moment, Xin Zhao only felt his heart surging. He shouted his slogan loudly: "The will to break the formation, to die without life!"
"Charge to victory!"
"Charge to death!"
Since defense had lost its meaning, what reason was there not to attack?
Everyone, with the determination to die, followed the heroes in a death charge.
Ashe held the legendary bow inherited from Avarosa, the icy touch of this weapon made of extreme ice kept her calm.
"Avarosa, will you still guide me?"
At this time, a small figure rushed past her, she noticed that it was Tristana, the Yordle Gunner. After losing the cannons, the artillery commander, along with her Yordle squad and other artillerymen, picked up their original weapons and charged towards the enemy as well.
She heard Tristana shouting as she ran, "Hurry up, let that lobster man see the power of our Yordle squad! Send it to the sky with our weapons!"
The confusion in Ashe's heart dissipated, and she became firm again. Just like every person in the Valoran Federation believed that the commander would return, Ashe also believed that this day would come.
If she and the others died here, the commander would definitely avenge them!
And just at this moment, a huge rift suddenly appeared in the sky above the battlefield, and a magnificent fortress was revealed from the rift.
The Tempest Keep's warp point was right in this place!
The weapons on the Nether Ray starships were all attached to this Naaru starship, which lacked offensive means. After it appeared, it quickly assessed the battlefield situation and immediately unleashed a barrage of fire. The crisscrossing beams of energy, like raindrops, poured down on the army led by Warlord Zon'ozz, routing the densely packed enemies.
Aiden rushed out of the fortress's gate, he opened his wings of holy light and flew straight towards the tallest and most threatening monster on the battlefield!
Subsequently, Kayle, Kassadin, Karthus, the Black Dragon family, and more heroes rushed out of it, as well as a large number of Gryphon Riders, Skyguard, and Valoran Air Force.
Their savior—had returned!