14. You don't even have a Spirit Beast, and you still have the nerve to call yourself a Legendary Hunter? [Release 17/50]

Dick and his warriors moved with extraordinary speed.

Directing this modest-sized force with the precision of the Hand of Argus, he led them out of the deserted Alodi Village. By dusk, guided by Ner'zhul, they had taken a shortcut and arrived at the Resting Place of Souls.

However, the situation here was far worse than Ner'zhul had described.

Normally, in a celestial body with stable world laws, mortal eyes cannot perceive spirit entities. But currently, under the interference of the diffused Void energies, the entire canyon's Resting Place of Souls was swarming with agonizing, tormented orc wraiths.

Disturbed by the twisted necromantic rituals, these spirits let out eerie, blood-curdling screams. The Void energies originating from the Dark Star were channeled into their ethereal forms, warping them into volatile phantoms. Shadowmoon warlocks then bound these phantoms into bone remains to serve as disposable combatants.

As for the weaker spirits, these malicious practitioners ruthlessly harvested them into soul stones.

Those items served as spellcasting components for warlocks, and occasionally as life-saving trinkets.

Besides the disturbed orc ancestors, the draenei were angered to discover that the foul rituals being executed by the orc warlocks were clearly disrupting the fauna surrounding this vast area.

Beasts such as deceased clefthoofs, talbuks, two-headed drakes, and even orcish wargs had their spirits defiled and transformed into ferocious ghostly entities.

Moreover, this purple zone of pollution was expanding at a visible rate. If left unchecked, it might spread to the vicinity of Alodi Village within days. By then, the dead of a little under half of Shadowmoon Valley would know no peace.

Ner'zhul knelt on the ground in agony, begging the ancestral spirits for forgiveness. Fresh recruits like Yrel gritted their teeth and cursed the orc warlocks for abandoning their humanity, while the more experienced peacekeepers had already begun praying to prepare holy water.

These liquids consecrated by the Holy Light were quite ineffective when used for offensive combat, but paired with roaring flames, they proved exceptionally effective at driving away mundane corruption and curses.

At the edge of the Resting Place of Souls, Nari, who was fully prepared for battle, softly said to Dick at that moment:

"This ritual will not affect our dead. After the draenei crashed on Draenor, we established the holy mausoleum of Auchindoun in the Talador region, using the ancient traditions of the Eredar to lay our deceased to rest.

Archbishop Maladaar is in charge of there. He has also trained many soulbinders for us to ensure our people's souls are not left homeless when death arrives.

But Auchindoun is more than just a resting place for spirits, Dick. This is a secret known only to the Triumvirs.

The Auchindoun sanctuary is also the place of inheritance and transfer for the fragments of world-soul wills within the draenei clans. The world-soul fragments carried by the ancient Eredar during their escape are transferred into the bodies of newborn compatriots through the rituals of Auchindoun.

Take young ones like Yrel, for instance.

When she reaches adulthood, she must participate in a ceremony at Auchindoun, and upon passing, she receives a fragment of the world-soul will."

"That is precisely what I fear."

Dick was still leaning on his legacy war-axe.

Although the crystal blade of this weapon had melted away during the previous battle, he could hardly find a weapon sturdier than this. In any case, using the technique of drawing the Holy Light, he could reshape a "blade of light" for this damaged weapon, which did not affect Dick's combat capability.

Looking at the chaotic Resting Place of Souls before him, he spoke in a low voice to Nari:

"If that traitor is an archbishop, it means the secrets of Auchindoun have long been known to the Burning Legion! If the Defiler's goal is to reclaim more world-soul fragments for the Burning Legion, Auchindoun will suffer unimaginable devastation when the demons invade.

Once we root out that traitor, Nari, all members inside the Auchindoun sanctuary—especially those soulbinders in direct contact with the world-soul fragments—must be thoroughly investigated!

You will execute this matter personally."

Nari's expression was grim. She knew Dick's worries were justified, but she also caught other undertones in his words. Though she initially wanted to ponder them for a moment, the intimacy between the two had broken through constraints, so she simply asked directly:

"Dick, I sense you are thinking of some dangerous matters. What do you intend to do?"

"I will not conceal my plans from you, Nari."

Dick said in a deep voice:

"I intend to reorganize the Assassin Court and the Tribunal. The current Bishop Council system is quite good, but compared to the regime of the Second Triumvirate, we severely lack the capability for external intelligence gathering and internal stability maintenance.

The ranger groups under your command must be reorganized into a more powerful, executive organization. I will suggest this to Velen and Hataar, and you shall be the perfect commander of the future Draenei Assassin Court. You were once an elite commander of the Assassin Court; no one knows better than you how a powerful security department should operate."

"Archon Hataar might agree, but Velen and the other archbishops will inevitably feel apprehensive."

Nari nervously flicked her tail and said:

"That organization has been extinct for over twenty-fivethousand years..."

"Their discontent cannot be built upon endangering the safety of our people and disrupting the world's oaths!"

Dick snorted and said:

"Velen will understand the necessity of this action. As for the opinions of others, I do not care! Their suspicions have not been cleared yet. Besides, look at what you have raised your people to become over these past two hundred years?

Do you think that if the Eredar of the Second Triumvirate era were here, the mere civilizational tier of the orcs could pose even the tiniest threat to us?

Do not talk to me about numbers; there are two hundred thousand draenei here! Nari, this is already equivalent to half the total population of the Krokuun Governorate. But have you ever seen the military strength of any governorate in the Argus world be as feeble as ours is now?"

"Dick—good heavens! Argus was twenty-five thousand years ago. You cannot always live in the past."

Nari felt somewhat helpless for a moment.

Wearing her archery-gloved hand, she gripped Dick's fingers and murmured:

"I know you are doing this to protect the people, but the present is not the past. You are no longer in that war."

"The present is no different from the past. That war has never ended for me. The decisive battle of Argus has not concluded; this is merely a halftime intermission. Nari, years of exile have made you soft.

But it matters not. Just stay by my side like this, and I will make you strong again."

Dick wore a gentle smile as he affectionately pinched Nari's cheek, saying:

"Just as I will make our people brave once more. It will take only one or two wars. It is not that I relish conflict, but we must rearm ourselves; otherwise, facing the coming demons, we can only close our eyes and await death."

"The warriors are watching!"

Nari slapped away Dick's fingers and rebuked him, only to hear Dick drag out his tone and say:

K "However, can you explain to me why, over the past twenty-five thousand years, our 'love story' has practically become the scripture in the Draenei clans for describing 'love' and praising loyalty?

You and I both know that our relationship truly broke through only last night. Yet in those outrageous tales, we have given birth to at least a reinforced battalion of children. Would you dare say you didn't fuel the flames behind this?

Writing smutty fanfiction where you are the protagonist when you have free time, aren't you?

Why didn't I ever notice you had this hobby before?"

"Light above! Let us focus on how to deal with these enraged spirits instead."

Nari awkwardly changed the subject.

After all, she couldn't entirely be blamed for the past.

As she had said, there was a time when even she despaired of Dick ever awakening. In that situation, writing adolescent literary works reminiscing about the tender days of the past was merely a pastime. She had no idea which mischievous rascal ended up leaking those writings.

As a result, through word of mouth, it evolved into what it was today.

Well, precisely which mischievous rascal had done these things?

At that moment, High Ranger Commander Yola, who was escorting Alodi Village villagers into the vicinity of the Karabor Temple, suddenly sneezed. She looked around suspiciously, highly suspecting someone was talking about her behind her back—most likely that boyfriend of hers whom she hadn't contacted in over three hundred years.

Just then, looking down from above, Yola quickly noticed a Karabor Temple patrol knight approaching the area.

Her eyes lit up, and she piloted her spirit drake downward.

"Peacekeeper Maraad!"

As she drew close to the ground, Captain Yola called out to the captain of the elekk riders before her. The tall peacekeeper who was hailed pushed back his helmet and looked at Yola in puzzlement. He previously had no friendship with the rangers of Elodor.

Of course, Archbishop Nari was affectionately regarded as an "elder" by him and his sister due to some enduring rumors.

"Come over here. I have a message for you."

Yola leaped down from the spirit drake and gestured for Maraad to have a private conversation. The peacekeeper instructed his subordinates to hold their position and then followed Yola to an area several dozen paces away.

He had been in a rather poor mood over the last two days, his expression stern and grim.

The reason was undoubtedly related to the desecration of the Vigilant's Holy Coffin by the orcs. Furthermore, this matter had spread throughout Karabor Temple, and the populace was furious—especially the peacekeepers, who regarded the Vigilant Saint as a symbol of their social standing; every single one of them was filled with righteous indignation.

Under such circumstances, the call for an all-out war against the orcs had formed a public opinion trend that the higher-ups could no longer ignore.

The problem, however, was that the Vigilant had only awakened yesterday. Even if the holy coffin had truly been desecrated, the speed of information spread could not possibly be fast enough for this harrowing news to reach the entire Karabor Temple within a single day. Thus, this public outcry felt a bit too "coincidentally" timed.

"Your 'elder' asked me to bring a message to you."

Yola said in a low voice:

"But it is a classified directive. He asked me to tell you that this is the 'new recruit qualification test' for you to join the 'Hand of Argus' legion."

"What? My elder? Are you joking?"

Maraad inherited his father's temperament and was a serious peacekeeper who did not enjoy joking.

Upon hearing Yola's description, his brow immediately furrowed tightly.

However, under Yola's subtle eye gesture, Maraad instantly reacted. His expression shifted, and just as he was about to question her, he saw Yola stealthily pull something from her protective chest armor and shove it into his hand.

The item still retained body heat, but that wasn't the point. As it landed in his palm, it made Maraad's eyes widen.

A tail ring!

A Heart of Argus tail ring.

As far as he knew, among the 129,826 Heart of Argus artifact rings forged during the Thirty-Day War when the Eredar fled their homeland, only one was crafted into the intricate style of a tail ring.

This was the first Heart of Argus in history, held by a hero carved into history, regarded as the first Oathbinder and occupying a rather significant position in Eredar history.

This item could not possibly be replicated!

Not only because of the craftsmanship and materials, but also because of the significance it represented, which meant no jeweler in the current draenei clans dared to replicate such a thing unless they had tired of living and wished to provoke the veteran soldiers of the Hand of Argus into smashing their shop, while conveniently stringing them up on a pyre under the cheers of a crowd of fanatical believers to experience the wonderful tale of "burning an immortal."

Maraad clutched the tail ring tightly, his entire body trembling.

He forced himself to calm down. After taking several deep breaths, he looked at Yola with a gaze that could not conceal his joy and shock. He asked no questions, but Yola understood his expression, nodded at him, and said:

"Anyway, I am merely delivering a message!

The reason 'that lord' chose to do this is part of his own plan, and within his plan, you are clearly an important flank of伏兵 (ambush forces), tasked with gathering clues for him to track down the traitor hidden within our people.

Are you ready to listen to your orders?

I state in advance that if you accept the command, you must submit to my leadership, because this is also my 'return to duty' mission. I certainly do not want that lord to look down upon me."

"Of course!"

Maraad stood up straight and said in a deep voice:

"Before my mother passed away, she instructed me and my sister to always believe that miracles would happen. I know what mother meant; he is my father's brother-in-arms! My sister and I also regarded him like an 'adoptive father' throughout our upbringing.

Speak, what does my uncle require me to do?"

"Heh, getting mixed up with an 'uncle' like that means you're in luck, kid. That lord's temper nowadays is much worse than it was over twenty-five thousand years ago—perhaps because the situation is truly dire."

Yola bantered, then lowered her voice with a stern expression and spoke a few words.

Maraad nodded, accepted the orders, and returned to his squad. He commanded his companions: "Follow me! We need to personally escort the people of Alodi Village to take temporary refuge at the Aldor Sanctuary. These villagers hold intelligence on the movements of the Shadowmoon orcs and the clues regarding the desecration of the Vigilant's Holy Coffin; they must be strictly protected.

Alert no one else; we must complete this matter through covert operations."

"The Holy Light purges all evil! Repent!"

Amidst a low roar, the legacy war-axe covered with double-sided light blades cleaved downward, burning a Void walker along with the Shadowmoon warlock it protected into ashes. Against the backdrop of those wicked individuals being reduced to dust, Dick expressionlessly carried the war-axe and strolled through the battlefield looking for the next "victim."

Led by him and Nari—two legendary figures—the peacekeepers and hunters breached the blockade of the Resting Place of Souls in less than ten minutes.

Gul'dan was not here, and the Shadow Council had not deployed heavy forces here either. Perhaps due to its proximity to the Shadowmoon garrison's Shaz'gul fortress, the orcs did not believe this place would be raided and thus had let down their guard.

The valiant peacekeepers pursued and eliminated the fleeing necromancers and warlocks while scattering holy water across the defiled Resting Place of Souls. Ner'zhul personally held a torch, igniting those screaming defilements amidst the energy clashes triggered by the scattered holy water.

Fire flared, spreading rapidly as if doused in gasoline.

Those defiled spirits also screamed in the fire, but after the Void energies were driven out, the calmed spirits would gesture gratefully to Ner'zhul. They embraced each other right within the flames, letting their ethereal forms be burned away into elemental micro-particles.

For these suffering spirits, such peace was precisely what they desired.

Yet as the burning continued, Ner'zhul discovered something amiss. The old shaman tracked down certain clues, and upon careful searching, he flew into a rage.

"Damn it! That deranged Gul'dan dares to desecrate the heroic spirits of the Shadowmoon clan's ancestral chieftains!"

The old orc stamped his feet and roared:

"I will strangle that bastard with my own hands!"

"What is going on?"

Holding a "low-damage" sapphire war-bow, Nari shot arrows to kill fleeing warlocks and corrupted orcs while asking:

"Why don't your Shadowmoon clan bury the remains of your ancestors in your own sanctuary instead of placing them in the Resting Place of Souls? Does your own sanctuary not even permit your clan's most distinguished figures?"

"Because the duty of the Shadowmoon clan is to serve the deceased of all orc clans."

Picking up casually discarded bones on the ground, Ner'zhul spoke with a grief-stricken expression and a hoarse voice:

"The Shadowmoon crypt obviously cannot entomb the remains of all orcs; only the remains of orcs with status and merit are sent there, while the majority of ordinary orcs spend their final moments in the Resting Place of Souls. Therefore, the Shadowmoon chieftains never place their own bodies in the grand catacombs.

Just as we served our compatriots in life, we guide wandering souls here toward the holy mountain of Oshu'gun in death.

This is the pride, duty, and glory of every Shadowmoon chieftain.

Yet Gul'dan has desecrated them...

He did this undoubtedly to acquire the astrological knowledge regarding the Dark Star mastered by generations of Shadowmoon chieftains, that bastard."

"My condolences," Nari said, then asked:

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Let them find peace. They have been tortured until they are very weak, no different from ordinary spirits."

Ner'zhul said in a low voice:

"I will do it myself."

With that, he knelt before a massive stone monument and chanted necromantic incantations.

Though the elements no longer answered the calls of a sinner like him, Ner'zhul remained an elite spellcaster among the orcs, and he still held the clan-exclusive profession of "Master Necromancer."

Under his summons, the tortured souls of the Shadowmoon chieftains were awakened from their weakness. They loudly cursed Ner'zhul, rebuking him precisely for his poor judgment in introducing scum like Gul'dan into the Shadowmoon clan, which had brought about all this tragedy.

Ner'zhul turned a deaf ear to this.

He knew these spirits had been tortured far too excessively; what they needed was not an apology, but peace.

However, among the spirits of these Shadowmoon chieftains, one lady looked bewildered. She did not participate in the curses, but instead continuously searched for something around her.

Ner'zhul tried several times without successfully soothing the female chieftain's soul.

He asked with a sorrowful tone:

"Matriarch Omlah, what manner of obsession causes you to stubbornly refuse rest? Please tell your incompetent descendant, and I shall surely fulfill your final wish."

"Ah, little Ner'zhul... you have grown, and you have aged. You must have had a very difficult life these past years."

The female chieftain clearly recognized Ner'zhul.

Hearing her words, the old orc maintained an awkward silence until the wraith finally stated the reason she refused to rest.

"My hunting partner, the mighty Gora, has been led astray."

The spirit of the female chieftain sighed:

"I cannot find it. I cannot leave it behind alone in this dangerous place. Little Ner'zhul, help me find it. If you and the clan need its help, keep it.

Gora still possesses the desire for battle!

It ought not to have accompanied me to the realm of the dead, but it is suffering now—I can feel it. Help me find it, help me heal it.

I leave it in your hands, my child."

Having spoken thus, the female chieftain's wraith dissipated before Ner'zhul and Nari, entrusting her lingering obsession to her child.

"Who is Gora?"

Nari asked curiously:

"Doesn't sound like an orc?"

"It is a mighty dire wolf chieftain, Matriarch Omlah's hunting partner, and the most powerful alpha beast the Shadowmoon clan has ever possessed."

Ner'zhul explained:

"When Matriarch Omlah passed away from old age, the loyal Gora neither ate nor drank before her tomb for fifteen days before following her. I was still a child then and witnessed that scene with my own eyes. We must find it.

I suspect Gora may have run into trouble, likely related to Void energy. Those corrosive dark forces love to parasitize creatures of such immense power!"

"Yet you are a shaman and a necromancer, as well as a half-baked warlock, but not a hunter."

Dick's voice came from behind. Having executed a dozen Shadowmoon warlocks in the name of the Holy Light, he had lost interest in slaughtering weaklings.

Carrying his war-axe on his back, he sternly said to the two of them:

"That is a powerful alpha beast. If it senses danger and wishes to conceal itself, no one except the most exceptional hunter can trace its whereabouts. Lord Ner'zhul, you now face an awkward dilemma."

Dick glanced at Nari and said:

"Archbishop Nari is the finest hunter of us draenei. She should be able to find Gora's tracks, but if you request her assistance, you must be prepared to lose Gora.

A beast spirit deeply corrupted by the Void can only meet an end where its soul is utterly shattered—unless a hunter of pure heart is willing to sacrifice her own soul to deeply bind and support it.

Only thus can she assist the beast in overcoming the corruption within its heart.

Yet that is a treasure of your Shadowmoon clan, and we draenei have never had the bad habit of arbitrarily seizing others' treasures."

"You might as well carve the word 'scheming' across your forehead, Vigilant! But do I have a choice now? I must save Gora! This is the first step of redemption for a sinner like me!

Go!

As long as it can be saved, anyone may do it."

An old and cunning fox like Ner'zhul could hardly fail to catch Dick's subtext, especially since the fellow hadn't even intended to hide it.

Nari, on the other hand, was utterly bewildered. Waving her hands, she said:

"I cannot. After my consecutive thirteen battle-beasts all passed away due to the passage of time, I resolved never to tame another battle-beast again. Such partings always bring me unbearable sorrow."

"Then you are in luck, for spirit beasts do not die; they are immortal."

Dick stealthily pinched Nari's little tail from behind and said:

"To my knowledge, even throughout the physical universe, the birth of a spirit beast is an extremely rare miracle. Those pure souls that ought to have journeyed to the realm of death are delayed in the world of the living due to various reasons.

Only the luckiest hunter can possess a spirit beast companion.

Go, Nari, Lord Ner'zhul has agreed for you to rescue the Shadowmoon clan's treasure.

Orcs revere wolves above all. With such a ghost wolf as a companion, your future communications with the orcs will proceed much more smoothly, especially with traditional conservatives like the Frostwolf clan."

"But how shall I do this?"

Nari had never tracked a spirit beast before. In fact, this was her first time hearing the concept of a "spirit beast."

She sought guidance from Dick, and Dick, acting as a peacekeeper, spent a few minutes detailing the precise steps on how to capture a spirit beast to his partner, his demeanor as practiced and steady as a twenty-year veteran hunter giving online tutorials.

It left both Ner'zhul and Nari blinking in astonishment.

Faced with the skepticism in their eyes, Dick blinked not an eye nor flushed a cheek as he declared:

"This is plainly precious wisdom bestowed upon me by the Holy Light. Even He does not wish to see such a pure soul harmed by the Void. Go, Nari, do not disappoint that immortal soul. This is a task that only you alone can accomplish; no one else may participate."

While Nari followed Dick's instructions, utilizing hunter techniques in the Resting Place of Souls to track the ghost wolf, Ner'zhul drew close to Dick.

He spoke in a low voice:

"You are also a prophet? I know you draenei possess the legacy of prophets! Can you, like your leader Velen, foresee the future?"

"Otherwise?"

Dick glanced at him sideways and said:

"Otherwise why do you suppose I made certain to find you and save you on the very first day of my resurrection? These are all inspirations from the Holy Light! Ner'zhul, if you knew what manner of catastrophic ending my actions spared you from, the fact that you aren't kneeling and kowtowing to me right now merely proves you have no conscience."

Ner'zhul ignored the Vigilant's "saintly joke." He stared fixedly at Dick and asked:

"Then in the future you foresaw, where does the destiny of the orcs lead?"

"A tragic future."

Dick stated in a brief tone:

"Everything the draenei experienced over the past twenty-five thousand years, you shall experience in full over the next dozen or so years. But we are exiles, while you are invaders!

What we are doing now is securing one last breath for the orcs, and at the very least, preserving this disaster-plagued, pitiable world.

Destiny!

That is our true enemy!

I shall meet it in battle here once more, and I shall defeat it here!"