Doom Walks

Anna was brought back to the ground by Ophiel. Her face was frighteningly gloomy, like a storm was about to break. She walked towards Daelin Proudmoore, and everyone else turned their attention to her. Everyone could tell that she must have discovered something bad.

"We must retreat, Grand Admiral." Anna's voice was somewhat hoarse, and this was the first time she had met her father's eyes since coming to this world. Because what was about to happen was too terrible, more important than her personal feelings.

Daelin said dismissively, "Now? I think we should discuss such topics after we've won, madam."

"What's wrong, Anna?" Antonidas noticed her abnormality. "What did you see up there?"

"Archimonde, master of the Burning Legion, he is about to descend. The Lich King is summoning him! We must retreat immediately, leave this continent at once, or it will be too late! Believe me, none of us can match him!" Anna's voice trembled slightly, as she recalled the fear that Archimonde had spread in the past world. She hadn't witnessed his descent with her own eyes, because Antonidas had teleported her away before that. Afterwards, Archimonde single-handedly destroyed Dalaran and summoned the Burning Legion, destroying Lordaeron.

Even during the later Battle of Mount Hyjal, no one could directly contend with this lord of demons. He was invincible, and ultimately, it was the self-destruction of countless night elf ancestor guardians' souls that killed him.

"You think we should flee without a fight?" Daelin still seemed very unwilling upon hearing this news. If everything went smoothly, the Northern Expeditionary Army would break through the Gate of the Scourge today, and within three days at most, the Scourge entrenched here would no longer exist. Victory was right before their eyes, how could they be willing to retreat like this?

Uther was also very opposed to retreating. "Can't we defeat him directly here? Anna, the strongest force in the world is gathered at the Gate of the Scourge."

"That's right, the Alliance will never be able to assemble a more powerful force than this again." Prince Arthas was unwilling to retreat, seeing the opportunity to eliminate the Lich King right before his eyes. The title of "Lich King Arthas" had always been like a cloud obscuring the sky, preventing him from letting go. If they retreated this time, he didn't know when he would be able to prove himself by killing him.

Anna's eyes dimmed with despair, and her voice became hoarse, "Your Excellency, retreat is not a shameful thing. I have seen Archimonde's power with my own eyes, and I have heard of his terrifying achievements in the War of the Ancients. Countless demigods have died at his hands. We cannot contend with him, at least not now! Staying here will only make him spend a little more time killing us one by one. Believe me, there is no exaggeration in my words!"

Krasus, the red dragon mage, said, "If Archimonde really descends, I believe Anna's words are true. I know some of this demon's history. This is not an exaggeration, he can indeed crush all of us alone." He was still a young red dragon during the War of the Ancients, but the facts that happened at that time were really deeply imprinted in his mind. In fact, for all dragons, the War of the Ancients was definitely the most unforgettable memory.

Daelin was in a dilemma for a moment, still extremely unwilling. "But where can we retreat to? If he is so invincible, what's the difference between us dying in Northrend and dying in Lordaeron?"

"Kalimdor, or Stormwind Kingdom, anywhere will do!" Anna said anxiously, "But no matter where we retreat to, we must retreat first! Grand Admiral, it will really be too late if we delay any longer!"

Daelin looked at the hundreds of thousands of troops gathered around him, as well as the siege vehicles that had already been pushed up, and his mood was extremely conflicted, and finally he could only sigh regretfully. He waved his hand weakly and said, "Then let's retreat."

Retreating is not an easy task. Many people do not understand, not only the lower-level soldiers, but also many leaders.

Grom Hellscream roared, "Retreating without a fight is the act of a coward! We orcs will never allow ourselves to be frightened into running away before we even see the enemy!"

Anna said coldly, "Hellscream, if you insist on staying here, I will be happy to see it."

Her attitude made Rhonin frown, "Anna, you—"

"Thought of some bad things. I'm sorry." She turned and left, heading for the portals. In the original timeline, it was Grom's son Garrosh's mad actions that destroyed her Theramore kingdom, killed countless innocent people, and killed Rhonin and many of her close friends and subordinates. Hatred and despair turned her hair white overnight, almost driving her mad.

After the Theramore massacre, she realized how right her father was and how naive she had been. Orcs are orcs, and their blood will always flow with bloodlust and war. It was ridiculous that she was blinded by Thrall's rationality and justice, unable to see the true nature of the orcs, and rashly condoned the other party killing her father.

She stole the magical artifact "Focusing Iris" that destroyed Theramore, summoned countless water elementals and monstrous waves, and drowned Orgrimmar and half of Kalimdor.

Thrall tried to stop her, but she killed him with her own hands.

She completed her revenge. But she also became another, more terrible butcher than Garrosh.

After that, she came to this world.

Seeing the orcs again, she certainly wouldn't have any good intentions towards them. Grom himself reminded her of the sad past of Theramore, so she behaved inappropriately.

Varok Saurfang stopped the angry Grom and said, "Chieftain Hellscream, without the Alliance, we wouldn't even be able to open this iron gate. Let's go, I think the Warchief and the shamans will guide our way."

Archimonde's name cast a shadow over everyone's hearts. Were they going to repeat history, leading him to Kalimdor and letting the night elves destroy him?

Anna sighed deeply. If it really came to that moment, that would be the only way.

—

"I feel it, the master is descending!" Tichondrius shouted excitedly, "Quick, put in more effort!"

The liches and dreadlords poured more energy into the Shadow Crystal. Kel'Thuzad chanted the incantation loudly, he clearly felt a great being approaching this world.

The power of the Book of Medivh was tearing apart the barrier of space-time, and a huge portal appeared in front of them.

"Master, the master is descending!" Tichondrius's voice trembled with excitement. Arthas and Dar'Khan were the same. They had had enough of being threatened by the living. Now the moment to turn the tables had finally arrived!

A huge hoof first passed through the portal, followed by two gray-black hands with sharp claws. The owner of the two hands grabbed the edge of the portal and tore it apart forcefully. The portal became larger, until it was large enough to allow the incredibly powerful demon in the Twisting Nether to pass through.

His head poked out first. Seeing the scene before him, he couldn't help but take a deep breath: "Azeroth, what a wonderful aura! Ten thousand years, and I have returned here!"

Archimonde thought of something. He looked at these servants who were summoning him, his eyes fixed on Dar'Khan: "You, tell me, is there a human in this world named Aiden?"

"Yes, yes, Master! He almost ruined your great plan!" Dar'Khan replied fearfully.

"Where is he now?"

"He should have been exiled to other timelines by the power of the Bronze Dragonflight, my master. You…" Dar'Khan didn't understand why Archimonde would mention a human.

"Hmm, very good." Archimonde was relieved, "Now no one can stop me anymore!" He forcefully tore open a spatial rift large enough for him to pass through completely, and then strode out.

Behind him, the portal slowly closed. And Archimonde finally descended into this world.

"Tremble, despair, mortals! The Burning Legion has arrived!" Archimonde laughed loudly. His voice echoed from Northrend, until it spread to the entire world.

Every intelligent being heard this terrifying voice: The Burning Legion has arrived!

The arrival of the master meant that the Scourge no longer had to defend passively. The undead and demon armies attacked everywhere. The places that the Scourge had been forced to abandon were immediately reoccupied, and those who resisted them were crushed to pieces by the power of the Scourge. For example, the ice trolls' Drak'Tharon Keep, the Burning Legion conquered it in just one hour.

However, when the Scourge army arrived at Utgarde Keep, it was already in ruins. Not even a corpse was left behind. The Scourge could no longer gain the allegiance of the vrykul.

—

Archimonde's arrival coincided with the third day of the Northern Expeditionary Army's retreat. Half of the troops were still waiting at the Dragonblight Temple for teleportation, while the others had gone to Valgarde and the Grizzly Hills' major ports to sail all the warships back.

When the Lord of the Burning Legion descended, everyone felt the world tremble. The terrifying sound sent countless people into a cold sweat.

"Now, I must return," Vereesa said, her gaze lingering on the brave warriors of various races in the Silver Covenant. She and everyone present felt Archimonde's arrival. "The Burning Legion has arrived. Northrend will inevitably fall into greater calamity. Will you stay here, or continue to follow me?"

The Nerubian leader, Krystallus, the Tuskarr leader, Kalu'yak, the Frostborn Dwarf leader, Torimer Stonebeard, and other indigenous leaders of Northrend hesitated.

Torimer Stonebeard laughed heartily, "We Frostborn Dwarves can retreat to the Storm Peaks. If the Scourge comes, we'll lead them on a merry chase!"

Krystallus said, "General, we Nerubians control a vast network of underground tunnels. We should be able to evade the Scourge. This is our land, and only here can we utilize our strengths. The Nerubians will continue to fight against the Scourge!"

Kalu'yak also spoke in a kind and generous voice, "The Tuskarr are united now. If we leave this frozen land, we will forget how to survive. Don't worry, General, we will protect ourselves!"

Vereesa's nose tingled with emotion. With parting imminent, she found it hard to leave these comrades who had fought side-by-side and depended on each other for life and death for more than half a year. Especially after the great battle in Howling Fjord, these natives present, each race had paid a tremendous price in bloodshed and sacrifice.

"Take care, my comrades!" Vereesa forced a smile.

"Farewell, General. The Nerubians will always be your and Valoran's staunchest friends!"

"May your heart forever be warm!"

"May you have health and longevity!"

"General, the Silver Covenant will remain our banner, and it will never fall!"

Rhonin gently embraced Vereesa, who was crying on his shoulder, and comforted her softly, "Believe me, before long, you will reunite under this banner!"

—

The Alliance leaders returned to Lordaeron on the very first day. They gathered once again to discuss how to deal with the Burning Legion's threat.

As someone who had personally experienced the Burning Legion's invasion, Anna spoke eloquently at the meeting, striving to persuade the kings of Lordaeron to migrate entirely to Kalimdor, or to seek refuge in the south of Azeroth—at least, in her memory, the Burning Legion had not set foot on that land.

But no one was willing to retreat just like that, especially since they hadn't personally witnessed Archimonde's power.

Kael'thas and the High Elves valued the Sunwell more than life itself. They would never easily abandon Quel'Thalas;

Lordaeron had a large population and a powerful force. Even if Terenas was willing to seek refuge, there were just as many who stubbornly wanted to stay. Even as king, he couldn't force everyone to accept his orders;

Stormwind was willing to fully accept them, but no one knew if a large influx of people migrating south would cause the Burning Legion to follow suit, bringing new destruction;

Thrall also attended the meeting. Now that everyone was retreating from Northrend, were the Orcs supposed to rely on their own strength to seize land from the Scourge and the Burning Legion? He had already secretly resolved to take the Orcs to Kalimdor, the new continent.

Dalaran had already ascended into the sky, and Los Angeles was also preparing urgently to ascend. These two floating cities had become the safest places after the Scourge's arrival. But on the lands of the Eastern Kingdoms, the human population alone numbered over three million. How many survivors could they accommodate?

Before long, Anna discovered that the voices opposing refuge and proposing a direct confrontation with the Burning Legion on the continent of Lordaeron were gradually gaining the upper hand. She found herself completely unable to persuade these people, and even Daelin did not agree with a direct retreat.

Just then, the declaration issued by Archimonde's arrival reached their ears.

Everyone looked around in a panic, their faces filled with fear. The meeting room fell into a brief silence. Only then did they realize the terror of Archimonde.

Until Terenas's bitter voice rang out, "Let's move a portion of the people to Kalimdor first. Leave a spark for the Alliance. We have no choice but to do this."

"Dalaran can accommodate up to two hundred thousand people," Antonidas said. Dalaran itself had a native population of two hundred thousand, and this doubling of numbers, coupled with the supplies needed, was Dalaran's limit.

"Los Angeles can accommodate six hundred thousand people," Kayle's indifferent voice rang out, "We will ascend and head to Kalimdor."

Her words immediately attracted many gazes. Six hundred thousand people—even if all the Alliance ships were used for transport, they couldn't carry that many people in one trip. This was definitely a remarkable number! In fact, by the time the Burning Legion reached here, most people would have no way to escape.

These six hundred thousand slots were like sending charcoal in snowy weather, arriving just in time.

After nine months of construction, Los Angeles had expanded tenfold from its original area. It was now actually the largest city in Lordaeron, even larger than Lordaeron City, the number one city in Azeroth. Moreover, because of its many high-rise buildings, it could accommodate twice as many people as Lordaeron City. Unfortunately, only the first and second phases of construction could ascend. This was the limit that Los Angeles's floating array could withstand.

And the third phase of construction, with an area equivalent to the sum of the first and second phases, had not yet completed the construction of the floating array. Even if it could be completed, there wouldn't be enough energy to make it ascend. Otherwise, Los Angeles could load over a million people. That would definitely greatly alleviate the pressure of migrating to the New World.

After the meeting, Thrall left first. He rushed back to Hammerfall to mobilize all the Orcs to leave. The Orcs also had to migrate to Kalimdor. As for Northrend, which had been originally decided upon—that would have to wait until after the Burning Legion was defeated!

The leaders, with solemn faces, also left the meeting room one after another.

Kayle found Antonidas and brought up the matter of summoning Aiden again. This time, the Archmage didn't decline, he smiled wryly and said, "The situation now is truly a mess. Perhaps Aiden's wisdom can help us—only now do I realize that he is truly important. Look at us now, we are like a headless fly."

Kayle said, "The Valoran Federation needs him even more."

"Hopefully it will succeed. I will go and gather people now!" Antonidas bid farewell and teleported to Dalaran.

Anna was still here. She didn't have many memories of Aiden. In fact, their only interaction was during the final battle on the Frozen Throne—and even then, it was as enemies. However, this person had left a deep impression on her—to be able to fight against the Bronze Dragon King, who possessed the power of a Titan, with a mortal body, was definitely an unimaginable feat!

"He, I mean, Lord Aiden, is he also a person who has traveled through the timeline?" Anna asked Kayle.

In her opinion, Aiden's performance was undoubtedly similar to hers. She couldn't find a trace of this person in her memories. There were no such strange surnames among the humans of Azeroth.

So Anna guessed that Aiden should be from a later era than her, and under the influence of some temporal power, he had traveled to an earlier point in time, before the outbreak of the Scourge.

Anna thought, 'Perhaps he will know what happened in my original timeline later on.'

In fact, her guess was already very close to the true answer.

Kayle replied, "His identity is much more complicated than that."

—

In these past few days, Aiden had already sorted everything out: this was Earth, but it wasn't his original home. He wasn't needed here, just as he had never existed in this world before.

What needed him was Valoran, was Azeroth, was the earnest expectation of countless people.

"I will find a way back."

Aiden flipped his hand and took out the Eye of Sargeras. This gem might be the key for him to leave this parallel space of Earth and return to Azeroth.

As long as he waited for the next time Kayle activated the summoning circle, allowing him to determine the coordinates of the Azeroth timeline, he could verify his idea.

And before that, he wasn't idle: since he was on Earth, and had decided to return to Azeroth, how could he not bring some Earth "local specialties"?