Stormwind Wizard God
Chapter 819: Hook

Chapter 819: Hook

Here’s the rewritten text, aiming for improved flow, clarity, and more natural English phrasing:

As someone who had witnessed miracles firsthand, Grom knew with certainty that Duke possessed the ability to resist darkness. This knowledge had been his greatest psychological anchor, allowing him to endure until this very moment.

Even though he had seen it once before, the sight still stirred an uncontrollable excitement within Grom. His massive heart pounded wildly against his broad chest, and the veins on his arms, thick as earthworms, bulged as he gripped Gorehowl tightly. Gritting his teeth and holding his breath, Grom dared not miss a single detail of Duke’s process, terrified that Duke might fail to shed the darkness and truly devolve into a terrifying lord of the Burning Legion.

A golden flame suddenly ignited on Duke’s chest. Like the first spark catching on dry grassland, the golden fire rapidly consumed his entire body. Grom could clearly see with his own eyes how the dense, dark power was being burned away and purified. The darkness retreated from Duke’s form step by step, like a defeated army, until it reached the area above his neck.

On his neck, the malevolent dark energy fought a desperate battle, fiercely clashing with and consuming the radiant light. These two powerful forces, which mortals could only ever gaze upon in awe, turned Duke’s arteries and veins into a battlefield, unleashing a struggle unimaginable to outsiders.

At this moment, Grom suddenly noticed the water level in the Moon Well beginning to drop rapidly. This immense Moon Well, as vast as a baseball field, was losing water at a rate of one centimeter per second. A whirlpool seemed to form around Duke’s body, drawing the pure well water into his pores with the force of a sea absorbing all rivers.

Three seconds later, Duke abruptly vomited.

"Ugh—"

It wasn’t just vomit; thick black ink also gushed from Duke’s nostrils, ear canals, and even his tear ducts.

"Waaaaaa—"

It was a truly bizarre sight. The well water absorbed by Duke was pure white, yet the water he expelled was absolutely black. The water in the well swirled continuously clockwise, forming a mystical pattern reminiscent of the Taoist Yin-Yang symbol.

Grom, observing from the side, was suddenly filled with a sense of profound awe, and a flicker of anticipation ignited within his heart. As a former victim of the demon blood’s corruption, Grom knew intimately how chaotic and violent that power was. It was impossible for it to manifest in this current, clearly orderly fashion. Could it be that... Duke, this monstrous human genius, could truly conquer the terrifying dark power of the Burning Legion?

Grom breathed and pondered, while Duke’s charlatan journey continued.

"Light comes from darkness, and light comes from darkness!"

The chant, more mesmerizing than any brainwashing song, repeated endlessly. After more than ten minutes, the black, viscous substance Duke expelled had almost formed a monstrous, living sesame paste, and Duke himself had become a hypocritical charlatan, cloaked in the guise of a sacred golden priest.

Watching Duke descend the Moon Well’s steps with a cool, leisurely grace, like the most devout of believers, Grom’s face was a mask of bewilderment. He stroked the rough beard on his chin and asked tentatively, "Duke, have you finally purged all the darkness from your body?"

Duke offered a bitter smile. "I suppose so, but you’re experienced enough to know that even if most of it is removed, there will always be some residue."

Grom looked at Duke with genuine reverence. Twice now. The first time was in dealing with Archimonde. The second was in battling the fel energy alone. Each time Duke had a choice, he chose self-sacrifice. As Grom, who had been tormented by the demon blood in his dreams every night, often waking in a cold sweat unable to suppress the rage in his heart, he understood all too well the insidious side effects of demonic power. For years, Grom had never dared to let any of his compatriots approach him while he slept, fearing he might tear them apart in an unconscious frenzy.

Duke felt Grom’s sympathetic gaze and could only offer another bitter smile. If Grom’s manifestation was rage, then Duke carried all seven deadly sins. It was just that, due to his easygoing nature, most of the Seven Deadly Sins had nothing to do with Duke, except... Cough cough!

Duke casually waved a hand at Grom. "I’m fine. Compared to the survival of the world and the continuation of history, my problems are nothing." Then, Duke earnestly delivered a stream of nonsense that even he himself didn’t believe. "Remember, we are here on behalf of the Time Dragon Nozdormu to preserve the original course of history."

Eh! Am I sure I’m not here to destroy history?

"In our time, the Highborne were a destroyed race. The capital of the Kaldorei Empire was also obliterated. Even if our ultimate goal is to save the planet Azeroth, that doesn’t mean stopping the Burning Legion’s arrival."

Nonsense! If I truly stop them, how can I steal equipment from Kil’jaeden?

"So, what we must do is adhere to the original historical development. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand Azeroth’s history; just listen to me."

Be good! Don’t cause trouble! Don’t be impulsive! I’ll take you to loot some gear later!

Duke’s words made Grom’s eyes redden. The Orc hero nodded heavily. "Yes! I will listen to you."

Good! The deception was successful!

Early the next morning, Duke had already sensed Xavius waiting outside for a long time, pacing anxiously, a mix of excitement and nervousness on his face. Perhaps the vials Duke had given him had indeed proven successful.

Duke, however, simply wanted to ignore him. Each time Xavius couldn’t contain himself and sent those pale-faced elf girls to whisper, "Has Lord Infernal Affairs arisen yet?", Duke would send Grom, who looked ferocious even without makeup, to block them.

"No! Stop your nonsense. I’ll eat you if you keep making noise."

This sent every elf girl scurrying back in tears.

At noon, Duke, ever the showman, finally summoned a few pale elf girls to help him change. After he had savored the various delicacies specially prepared by the elite elf chef, he called Xavius in, treating him like a mere errand boy summoned for a chat.

"No... Lord Mark Dooku!" Xavius remained utterly humble and respectful, his prostration sincere and without pretense. Duke was amused to see this scoundrel, who had betrayed his empire, his master, and his planet, acting so subservient.

Duke slightly raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"My lord! The potion you bestowed upon me truly possesses magical power. My Queen was exceedingly pleased with the results. However, this is only for use on enemies. Is there any way to increase our strength... that is..." Xavius knew Queen Azshara’s request was a bit audacious, but he dared not disobey the woman he so deeply admired.