Chapter 53: My Home Planet Is Azeroth

The awkward atmosphere inside the warehouse lingered. For a moment, Yuxing couldn’t fathom how things had ended up like this—both of them just standing there, staring at each other in embarrassed silence.

It was only after Uncle Oda, his face flushed, began stammering an explanation about how he had absolutely no improper desires for the giant in his story that Yuxing realized his earlier brief remark had indeed been easy to misinterpret...

Wait, why is it that the moment I mention “desire,” Uncle Oda immediately thinks of something so pink and fluffy?!

Uncle Oda, get a grip! Remember your Nakelian racial setting—aren’t you from a warrior race? When it comes to desire, shouldn’t your first thought be the desire for battle?

Fine, Yuxing admitted to himself that he was at fault; he should have spoken more directly, or there wouldn’t have been such a misunderstanding.

Still, this untimely burst of “pink bubbles” did serve to break the atmosphere that was on the verge of turning into a horror film. Half willingly, half resignedly, the two of them ended up sitting side by side on the steps outside the warehouse, letting the gentle night breeze wash over them as they began their late-night conversation.

Uncle Oda gave a rough account of his identity, only briefly touching on his origins. Then, with a wry smile, he asked Yuxing, “You must have found out, right? How did you know...?”

Of course, it was from watching the Taiga series...

Yuxing thought this, but naturally couldn’t say it aloud. Instead, he chose his words carefully, “When I saw that egg, I knew. Black King always acts in tandem with Nakelians…”

Uncle Oda simply nodded in silence. Had he pressed further—asked how Yuxing knew at a glance that the egg belonged to Black King—Yuxing would have had no answer.

Observing Uncle Oda’s pensive expression, Yuxing realized the man was now filling in the blanks himself. Perfect—no need to patch one lie with another.

“You’re sly,” Uncle Oda said. “You’ve recognized my true form, yet I… I haven’t truly known you, Yuxing.”

“Me?” Yuxing blinked. He was, after all, just an ordinary Earthling.

But saying so now, Uncle Oda would never believe him, and would only think Yuxing was trying to tease him. After all, Yuxing’s string of actions earlier had only enhanced the impression that he was not quite human; to deny it now would be too late.

“Well, I…” Yuxing scratched the back of his head, troubled as he saw Uncle Oda’s wounded expression.

He really was just a “native of Earth”...

He couldn’t just make up a random planet to claim as his origin; any lie needed a solid template, or he’d be exposed in no time. He couldn’t use any planets already familiar in this world either, since it would be obvious that he was borrowing from them.

“I’m from…” Suddenly, inspiration struck Yuxing, and he thought of a rather good template. But before he could delight in his cleverness, before he could even say the planet’s name, a wave of homesickness swept over him.

After all, he did not truly belong to this world...

He missed home, just a little.

Indulging that emotion, letting it color his words, Yuxing began to speak of his “homeland.”

“My home planet is called Azeroth.”

“Azeroth?” Uncle Oda repeated the unfamiliar name, then shook his head, completely at a loss.

Yuxing nodded. “Yes, of course you wouldn’t know, Uncle Oda. It’s not a planet from this space-time—it’s from… another universe. But it’s already been destroyed.”

“Destroyed…?” Uncle Oda immediately regretted bringing it up—wasn’t this tearing open someone’s wounds? He grew anxious and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“It’s all right,” Yuxing smiled faintly, though his brow remained furrowed as he racked his brains, piecing together the lore of World of Warcraft, weaving it into his tale.

“My home planet was destroyed by the Dark Titan.”

Another new term. Uncle Oda frowned, asking, “Dark Titan? What’s that? Some evil enemy?”

“Well… let’s start with ‘Titan.’ In my homeland’s language, it means ‘giant.’ We use this word to refer to those…”

He paused, then said,

“Giants.”

Giants?

Uncle Oda was taken aback. Of course, certain associations came to mind.

Yuxing’s story continued.

“They exist as a race in our universe—a race of giants. Their origins predate all our own. In ancient times, they formed an organization called the Pantheon, vowing to use their innate power to protect the universe. Those kind-hearted Titans soothed the raging elemental spirits of worlds, shaped mountains and seas from chaos, sowed the seeds of life, and brought order to every world they visited.

“But among those Titans, there was one—how should I put it? A traitor, a rebel. He was once the Pantheon’s most powerful warrior, possessing unwavering faith and noble virtues, unmatched strength and courage. He fought evil to protect the universe.

“But then… something happened. He went mad.

“That is the one I called the Dark Titan.

“And it was he who destroyed my home planet.”

Uncle Oda was left speechless.

Titans, Dark Titans, Pantheon… I suspect you’re alluding to the Giants of Light, Belial, and the Intergalactic Defense Force, but I have no proof.

I am not, I am not, don’t talk nonsense—Yuxing denied it three times in his heart.

“In any case, the Dark Titan destroyed my home planet with a single strike, perishing himself in the process… and so my homeland was erased from the star charts. That’s all there is to it.”

Yuxing casually rewrote the ending of World of Warcraft’s 7.3 patch, describing Sargeras’s sword as an apocalyptic weapon, not merely piercing Azeroth but obliterating it completely—game over, servers shut down.

As for what happened afterward? The Azerothian refugees, homeless, wandered the universe, scattered and lost. The refugee ship Yuxing traveled on—the Vindicaar—crashed after an accident, passing through a rift in space-time, and that’s how he ended up on this planet.

“…You’re not just making this up to fool me, are you?” Uncle Oda was sharp; Yuxing was wounded.

So Yuxing used his most wounded, gentle tone and said, “Just treat it as a story, Uncle Oda. It all happened a long time ago, anyway.”

He’d been AFK for a long, long time.

With a look of deep sorrow, Yuxing gazed into the distance, as if, somewhere in the endless void, his eyes might glimpse his lost home. The mix of grief and longing in his expression made Uncle Oda want to punch himself for his careless words.

The atmosphere grew cold again.

“Ahem.” Nearly going off on a tangent, Yuxing hurried back to the main topic. “Let’s not talk about that. In any case, since you’re a Nakelian, Uncle Oda, the desire for battle written into your genes needs an outlet. Keeping it bottled up for too long…”

Is bad for body and mind.

Yuxing hadn’t finished his opening statement when, from the warehouse behind them, a sudden loud crash rang out—like a stack of wooden drawing boards had been knocked over. Immediately following was the sound of footsteps, unhidden and fleeing fast.

There was someone in the warehouse!

Both Yuxing and Uncle Oda leapt to their feet and rushed inside.

When they entered, they found the display platform empty. Black King’s egg was gone, and the fallen drawing boards pointed toward a window at the far side of the warehouse.

From the look of things, both of them understood at once—there had been a thief!