To their relief, Milhouse's teleportation was flawless, and Arthas and the others appeared precisely in the northern Black Forest.
"Oh! As I expected, the teleportation was perfect!" Milhouse's voice came through the communication device. "But don't leave that spot for now. I need to make a small error adjustment so you can find your way back more accurately when you return."
After a brief wait, Milhouse said quickly, "Alright, it's done. Now please check the positioning devices on yourselves. Hmm... good, good, no problems. As long as this thing doesn't fall off, I can find you anytime."
Arthas looked at the darkening sky. "Alright, we've wasted some time. The Alpha Wolf and the wolf pack move very fast. By now, they might already be holding the ceremony."
Velinde, leaning on her wooden staff, said to Arthas, "Esteemed Prince, I will lead the way. The revelation told me the approximate location of the ancient tree."
Arthas nodded. Although Velinde's body had not fully recovered, with him watching over her, coupled with the Night Elves' inherent physical constitution, her condition was basically nothing to worry about.
He looked back at Liadrin, who seemed slightly nervous, and reminded her, "Stay vigilant. We are now truly entering a dangerous area. Valeera, guard our surroundings. Tulani, stay close to me. The swiftness of the Worgen even surpasses that of ordinary demons."
The threat of the Worgen should not be underestimated. Their ferocity and numbers can tear apart demons and halt the Scourge's advance. Underestimating them would surely lead to a heavy price.
The two-way positioning devices carried by Arthas and the others could not only help them return to their position in Silverpine Forest but also call for reinforcements at any time. However, because they needed to find the secret location where the Worgen were holding their ceremony, Arthas decided to act personally.
A very important reason was that Velinde also did not know who the Alpha Wolf leading the pack was. If it was the Druid Lilar Flamefang, who Malfurion himself had expelled and sealed, then perhaps only Arthas could contend with him in this jungle.
Of course, once the location of the great tree was determined, Arthas's Secret Intelligence Agency could provide support at any time to completely deal with the Worgen.
However, Arthas hoped to solve the Worgen hidden danger "personally" because he saw some potential in those Worgen who were lost in wildness and instinct.
Isn't this what the Scourge needs?
That's why Arthas only brought a handful of people. If necessary, he could even summon Scourge generals stationed at Icecrown Citadel at any time.
"Okay, I understand." Liadrin's grip on her longsword and kite shield tightened. Although she had considerable combat experience, fighting using paladin combat techniques and methods was new to her.
Tulani, now holding a Silver Hand standard warhammer, finally took off her cloak. She breathed in the less stuffy air, a slight smile appearing on her face.
She didn't like fighting, but the feeling of being out and about was quite nice, and she knew very well that Arthas, standing beside her, possessed strength beyond anyone's imagination, so she felt no pressure.
Liadrin and Valeera had already seen Tulani's true appearance, but Velinde was seeing it for the first time, and it did not match the characteristics of any race in her memory. She was about to lead the way, but she stared at Tulani's face, unable to look away.
Tulani noticed Velinde's surprise. She smiled slightly, "Ah, I startled you. I am a Draenei from another world. It's perfectly normal that you haven't seen me in this world."
Velinde then realized that her gaze was impolite. She coughed lightly twice, averted her eyes, but her mind was still on Tulani's delicate face and the two horns on her head.
Although it looked very strange at first glance, Velinde had to admit that after getting used to it, Tulani's physical features had a very comfortable sense of harmony, as if they were statues designed according to aesthetics.
During this time, Tulani had also gained a preliminary understanding of the various races of Azeroth. With Arthas's explanation, she naturally knew that the Night Elves were also a race with a glorious civilization and long history, and most importantly, during the period when the Night Elves ruled, they had repelled the Burning Legion's invasion.
This was a feat that the Draenei... or rather, the Eredar, had failed to achieve. Compared to the Night Elves' outcome, the Draenei were ultimately forced to abandon their homeland, betraying everything they once believed in and loved.
Tulani did not understand why those who were once her kin would become obsessed with so-called power and turn against their former friends, lovers, and even family.
The Eredar are now Sargeras's vanguard and the core force of the Burning Legion. They are running rampant with that terrifying Legion in the endless void, destroying countless worlds.
After traversing an unknown distance, Tulani learned for the first time that in some corner of the universe, there were still some tenacious beings who, like them, resisted the Burning Legion's atrocities.
And they were the only ones who succeeded.
Tulani, who had initially been somewhat resistant and skeptical of Arthas's words and requests due to her own experiences, finally began to view this planet with a more objective attitude.
She voluntarily asked to follow Arthas, also wanting to understand the potential threats hidden on this planet.
With Velinde, who had lived in the forest for many years, leading the way, Arthas and his group moved quickly. However, as they gradually went deeper into the forest, they soon saw a bloody scene.
A squad of soldiers wearing Gilneas's standard uniforms seemed to have been ambushed by Worgen. They hadn't even had time to react before their ranks were split and surrounded by the frenzied wolf pack.
The soldiers' deaths were horrific; most of their bodies were incomplete. The bloody scene before them made Arthas frown.
The remains of humans, warhorses, and hounds were mixed together, and the blood had not even dried, flowing to form a small stream-like channel of blood, winding through the soaked soil.
Fortunately, all of them had experienced different situations, and facing such a scene did not affect them.
Velinde sighed, "They are even more ferocious than the Worgen I summoned in Felwood Forest... The blood has stimulated their wildness. If we don't stop them soon, I'm afraid the entire Gilneas Peninsula will become a Worgen habitat."
"The Worgen crossed the Greymane Wall and reached here, which means the section of the wall they breached, and the path they took to get here, probably looked similar to the scene we're seeing."
A slight anger flared within Arthas. No matter who that Alpha Wolf was, he had abandoned the bottom line of being a sentient being. No matter the race or world, slaughter and abuse are ugly acts to be despised and hated.
It seemed that under the leadership of a certain Alpha Wolf, the Worgen had indeed become no different from monsters. Facing a group of bloodthirsty monsters, Arthas believed he no longer needed to feel pity.
"Keep moving forward. The tragedy suffered by the Gilneans indicates 'they' are nearby. Stay vigilant. If you see any Worgen, show no mercy. They are already monsters incapable of communication or reason."
However, after only a few steps, rustling sounds came from the woods, and a dark shadow suddenly burst out from the dense bushes, pouncing on Liadrin, who was on the far left of the group.
He targeted what appeared to be the shortest and weakest "prey." However, he didn't know that Liadrin had already sensed the anomaly.
Amani Trolls also liked to ambush High Elves in this manner. After entering this dense forest, Liadrin had remained constantly vigilant. Even the most experienced hunter cannot guarantee not making any sound when moving through a forest full of fallen leaves and dead branches.
Neither the lynxes of Eversong Woods nor the Amani Trolls could achieve this, and the Worgen likewise could not. They could only integrate their movements with the environment as much as possible. If ordinary human senses couldn't detect them, then the elves' "hearing" for subtle changes had always been excellent.
Especially Liadrin, who had experienced the brutal war with the Trolls, she was very familiar with the mindset of ambushers. This newly appointed paladin unceremoniously swung the kite shield in her right hand, striking the Worgen's face with force.
The hard shield and his bared fangs made intimate contact. Liadrin, strengthened by training and the Holy Light, stood firm, while the shield, infused with the Holy Light, shattered half of the Worgen's teeth.
Arthas made no move, but a longsword hanging on his back suddenly flew out, precisely piercing the heart of the Worgen, who was leaning back in mid-air. Without even a whimper, the Worgen's body fell heavily to the ground.
Frostmourne, having drunk blood and souls, slowly floated back to Arthas's back. It did not reveal its true form, but the rune sword's actions astonished everyone.
Valeera's raised daggers lowered. She felt that she had been ready to assist the moment Liadrin was attacked, but the rune sword's speed was faster than anyone else's.
Arthas felt the information fed back by Frostmourne and suddenly turned to look in one direction. He said to Velinde, "We may have to postpone our journey. Many people are trapped in a cave to the east."
"Then what now?" Velinde did not express opposition or agreement; she merely asked a question.
"Go save them." Arthas, holding light of dawn, which had transformed into a warhammer, walked directly eastward.
Velinde did not say anything like, "Finding the moon god scythe and stopping the Worgen is currently the most important thing." This was originally her, or rather, the Night Elves' fault. Finding the moon god scythe was to prevent the Worgen from harming more innocent people, but abandoning those being besieged by the Worgen for the sake of finding the moon god scythe was not the correct choice either.
In such matters, there is no distinction between right and wrong, only the distinction between saving and not saving.
...
High Priestess Tyrande, far away on Blackshore, received an urgent letter from a Lordaeron agent. These "messengers" stationed in the elven settlements were responsible for relaying messages from their new allies, the Alliance.
However, this was also the first time since the Battle of Mount Hyjal that Tyrande had received a letter from Arthas.
The Priestess cautiously opened the envelope. Having fought alongside Arthas, she understood that the human Prince's style meant the information in this letter was likely not simple.
As the Priestess expected, after a brief greeting, the secret letter concisely stated several matters, and these matters immediately made Tyrande realize the seriousness of the situation.
Firstly, it was about Velinde discovering the moon god scythe and using it to summon Worgen to deal with the remaining demons in Felwood and Ashenvale.
Just the name moon god scythe brought back a bad memory for Tyrande, but as Elune's High Priestess, she couldn't solve this problem alone. Regarding this artifact, she had to seek out Malfurion.
Secondly, there was the rampant Worgen and the problem of the Emerald Dream. The letter stated that the Emerald Dream, which should have been unobserved and undiscovered, was becoming accessible to people who did not understand nature magic. The reappearance of the Worgen already indicated some issues.
Finally, the most unsettling news for Tyrande was the presence of Illidan in the Eastern Kingdoms. This long-missing Demon Hunter had finally resurfaced.
"Shandris."
Tyrande's adopted daughter, Shandris Feathermoon, was attending to her mother and teacher. "From your expression, has something bad happened?"
"The moon god scythe has reappeared. This cursed weapon should have been sealed, but for some reason, a Priestess found it." Tyrande put down the letter and rubbed her forehead. "If this weapon cannot be handled properly, I'm afraid it will bring great disaster to our world. I may have to wake Malfurion again."
Not long ago, Malfurion had fallen back into slumber, but with the Worgen and the Emerald Dream, and even the report about Illidan, these matters had to be brought to Malfurion's attention.
Also, although Malfurion could still be woken from his slumber at any time, some changes in the Emerald Dream mentioned in the letter made Tyrande worried about Malfurion's safety. She would rather have him by her side than have his soul enter the dream.
The Priestess seemed to have made a decision. She looked at Shandris and said to her, "Malfurion and I may have to leave Kalimdor for some days. During our absence, you will take my place in looking after our people."