While Andreas and Shandris were rushing toward the Seat of the Sky, the demigods departing from Mount Hyjal led numerous allies of nature, pushing the demons' defensive lines back further and further.
Faced with the powerful Wild Gods, ordinary demons were simply unable to withstand their onslaught.
By the time Andreas reached the Seat of the Sky, the demigods had pushed the front lines to the outskirts of the capital, Zin-Azshari, merging with the main forces of the resistance stationed at Black Rook Hold.
At this point, the leadership of the resistance had already changed hands twice. The original leader, Lord Kur'talos Ravencrest of Black Rook Hold—who had raised the banner of rebellion in the name of loyalty to the crown—was ironically assassinated by agents sent by the Queen he trusted.
Succeeding Ravencrest as commander was his deputy, Desdel Stareye, who was also of noble birth.
Though of high status, Stareye was a man of great ambition but little talent, lacking the ability to lead an army. During his command, the resistance faced constant setbacks and was at one point on the verge of collapse.
Perhaps through the mercy of Elune, Stareye died during a demon air raid due to his own poor decision-making.
Captain Jarod Shadowsong of the Black Rook Hold Guard, relying on his keen intuition for the battlefield and innate leadership skills, temporarily took up the mantle of commander. Most of the noble generals on the battlefield were eventually won over by his precise tactical direction.
However, having suddenly ascended to such a high position, Jarod—who was of common birth—remained doubtful of his own abilities. It was exactly at this moment that Cenarius arrived with the Wild Gods.
Led by Cenarius, the demigods one after another expressed their willingness to follow Jarod's leadership. This unexpected gift caused Jarod's prestige to peak instantly, finally uniting the fractured resistance into a single, focused force.
It was at this precise moment that the world-altering phenomenon occurred. The eerie spectacle drew the attention of everyone both on and off the battlefield; in their alarm and confusion, both sides temporarily slowed the tempo of their combat.
Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage turned to his beloved—High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind of the Sisterhood of Elune.
"Tyrande, are you saying this phenomenon was caused by Elune?"
Tyrande gazed at the moon shrouded in dark light with a deep frown. "There is no mistake. This familiar feeling is undoubtedly Elune. But... this form of power... I have never felt anything like it from her before."
As the chosen successor to the High Priestess, Tyrande held a much closer connection to Elune than the other priestesses of the Sisterhood.
In certain special circumstances, she could even receive short-term divine power from Elune, who could not directly enter the material world.
However, Tyrande usually felt the power of moonlight from Elune—a power with immense healing and supportive effects. This cold, dark, and terrifyingly oppressive energy was something she had never encountered.
Tyrande clasped her hands together and silently closed her eyes, praying to the Moon Goddess in her heart. Elune, please tell your faithful servant what has happened. Why show your wrath to the world at this moment?
...
In the Seat of the Sky, Lath'elazar, once everything settled, the full moon faded, and sunlight once again illuminated the horizon. The Moonwell in front of the Temple of Shimmering Moonvessel returned to its usual clear, ethereal blue, as if the previous phenomena were nothing but an illusion.
But Dejahna and Maiev, who had witnessed the transformation, knew very well that something had changed.
The proof was the young man they were currently staring at with piercing gazes—Andreas Moonshadow, who remained motionless, half-kneeling before the Moonwell.
Maiev, possessed of superior eyesight, was the first to notice Andreas' half-open eyes. The eerie black pupils with golden rims instinctively filled her heart with unease and wariness.
"High Priestess, what kind of power does the 'Dark Side of the Moon' represent? Why does it look so... sinister?"
Dejahna shook her head solemnly. "I do not know. This power, representing Elune's most merciless lunar phase, has never appeared before. I have only seen a few records of it in documents left by previous High Priestesses."
"In the past, there were priestesses who attempted to call upon the power of the Dark Side, but without exception, they were all torn apart by the overwhelming dark energy. Not a single one succeeded."
Maiev's brow twitched slightly as she looked at the still-motionless Andreas with a meaningful gaze.
"Dark power, is it?"
Shandris and the other priestesses, whom High Priestess Dejahna had intentionally sent away, were currently discussing how to break the Moon Guard's blockade of the city so that the main force of the Sisterhood could rush to the front lines.
When the combat priestesses guarding the exterior informed them of the anomaly, they rushed out just in time to see the end of it.
Shandris looked toward the direction where the dark moonlight had descended, her expression shifting. "That direction... is the Temple of Shimmering Moonvessel?"
An elder priestess in the lead immediately shouted orders. "Quickly! Return to the temple! We must find out why such massive dark power has descended upon the Great Temple!"
...
As the vast amount of Shadow energy entered his body, Andreas had long since lost his perception of the outside world, becoming completely immersed in his own mental space.
Just as he had guessed, the power of the Dark Side was both immense and dangerous. Receiving such a massive amount of dark energy at once, Andreas at one point thought his body would explode from the excess.
However, he managed to endure the continuous process of destruction and repair. He never wanted to experience that indescribable agony a second time.
The natural energy that originally existed within Andreas had not been completely annihilated by the Shadow energy; instead, the intermingling of Shadow and Nature energy had undoubtedly undergone a strange mutation.
At the moment, Andreas had no time to carefully examine these changes. He was struggling to regain control over this body that had become somewhat foreign to him.
Under the watchful eyes of Dejahna and Maiev, the half-kneeling Andreas slowly stood up.
However, appearing to have momentarily lost control of his power, his left hand suddenly turned a deep, dark purple, and his entire forearm became translucent—as if it had transitioned from a physical state into a pure energy form.
Maiev's eyes flashed. "Has he lost control?"
"No."
Dejahna's silvery eyes were locked onto Andreas. "The energy within him has not undergone large-scale fluctuations. He is likely just unable to grasp the new power he has just acquired."
Just as Dejahna said, Andreas felt like a leaky balloon; the slightest lapse in concentration would cause a part of his body to enter that strange semi-energy state.
It took several minutes for Andreas to gradually familiarize himself with the Shadow energy Elune had directly infused into him.
Compared to the gentle nature energy, the Shadow energy was far more active and mischievous.
But at the very least, he did not feel the mental erosion or the lack of control often mentioned by members of the Void Elf (Umbraic) circles in his past life.
The pure Shadow energy flowed silently within him. As Andreas actively familiarized himself with it, he was gradually able to control this rebellious power.
"Night Warrior?"
A hint of mockery curled at the corner of Andreas' mouth. That self-proclaimed title is just full of holes. How does a Priest become a 'Warrior of the Moon'?
Feeling the massive energy within him—at least ten times greater than before—Andreas took a deep breath as he looked at the clear blue sky.
"Titles and such... I'll leave those for others to bestow. In any case, I finally have the power to protect myself."
Turning his head toward the tower on the west side of the statue, Andreas' lips twitched slightly. A whisper wrapped in Shadow energy drifted directly into the minds of Dejahna and Maiev.
"Wouldn't you agree, High Priestess?"