"The Zul'Aman trolls are more active now than they have been in the past thousand years. The breach blown open by the traitors has drastically reduced the stability of the Banthinoriel, and the fel's erosion of the barrier is more terrifying than we imagined."
Grand Magistrix Rommath recited the report to Kael'thas, and with each sentence he read, Kael'thas's brow furrowed deeper.
"When the Second Orcish Wars broke out, Gul'dan and his Horde also attacked the Banthinoriel, but their fel didn't seem to have much effect then. If it weren't for the lost runestones, they wouldn't have been able to cast spells here," Kael'thas murmured to himself. "It seems that after that incident, the Banthinoriel wasn't as reliable as we thought."
"The Morning Star Tower is now a ruin. Besides finding some bodies of former Silvermoon Council members inside, we haven't found any valuable clues," Rommath put away the report and then informed Kael'thas of another situation. "The fel explosion almost covered most of the magical traces. Our Magisters have tried their best to restore them, but in the end, they still couldn't find their whereabouts."
If the whereabouts of Dar'Khan and his group could not be determined, they would be like a ticking time bomb, capable of causing more serious disasters at any time, and the ruins of the Morning Star Tower, as well as the heavily damaged Banthinoriel Barrier, were good proof of this.
"Have the Spellbreakers and Farstriders send more people to search for the whereabouts of those traitors. The stench of fel is hard to hide in Eversong Woods; they'll show their hand eventually," Kael'thas issued the order after a brief thought. "Have Lor'themar send more people to the southern forest border. The trolls certainly won't miss this opportunity."
After receiving the order, Rommath did not immediately withdraw. He stood in place, hesitated for a moment, and then asked Kael'thas with some uncertainty, "Prince, should we seek outside help? If the trolls ally with the traitors, our current forces might not be able to handle it."
Kael'thas fell silent upon hearing this. Although he had cut off Quel'Thalas's ties with the outside world during this period to purge these rebels, he was still aware that the Alliance currently had important military operations and its internal forces should be very stretched. At this critical juncture, if Quel'Thalas, as one of the Alliance's elders, not only couldn't provide assistance to the expedition but also had to ask the Alliance for help...
Rommath probably understood Kael'thas's thoughts, so he simply mentioned it and then chose to leave. The final decision still rested with Kael'thas.
...
"Prince, we have sent out our best scouts, and the information they obtained is that the trolls have an ancient city in the mountains northeast of Eastweald. The trolls call it Zumarshar, and the trolls who attacked the caravans and villages should have come from there."
A dwarven Gryphon Knight captain, holding his helmet, trotted behind Arthas, reporting the information they had gathered.
"Zumarshar? I know that place. It seems the large-scale troll movement is indeed a premeditated and organized act, rather than ordinary robbery." Arthas recalled an ancient map of Eastweald and remembered a troll city marked by the ancient Arathor Empire. That should be the closest troll city to human territory.
"Yes, according to our investigations these past few days, the trolls seem to be planning something bigger. Their city is full of soldiers, hunters, and war materials." The dwarven captain wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Based on my experience, it's enough to launch a war of no small scale."
"In any case, the movements of the Zumarshar trolls must be closely monitored. Have the forces stationed near the northern watchtowers raise their vigilance and be on high alert. These trolls must not be allowed to set foot on Lordaeron's land," Arthas said seriously. Although the trolls' primary target should be Quel'Thalas, it was not impossible for them to choose to besiege a point to draw reinforcements and harass human towns.
Eastweald was an important grain-producing and commercial trade region for Lordaeron and even the entire Eastern Kingdoms. If this area were to be disturbed by the trolls, it would not only affect the supply of materials to the expeditionary force but also cause serious losses to the local residents.
However, the good news was that the trolls had always stayed away from human territory and were not as well-informed about the Alliance as they were about Quel'Thalas. They likely didn't know that the Alliance's main force was fighting in the Outland, so they were very likely only to launch harassment in Eastweald, just as happened a few days ago. As for a larger-scale attack, it would undoubtedly be too risky for trolls who couldn't ascertain the movements of human forces.
Zul'jin was a cunning and treacherous opponent, but precisely because of this, he would not make any rash moves. Moreover, he had a great hatred for the High Elves. Instead of provoking humans, whose strength was unknown, and inviting retaliation, it was better to act against Quel'Thalas, which was known to have suffered an attack.
So, compared to Lordaeron's safety, Arthas was more worried about Kael'thas, that proud fellow, making some foolish moves. In the worst-case scenario, it would not only bring disaster to the High Elves, but probably the entire northern part of the continent would face a crisis.
Just as Arthas was having this thought, he suddenly paused, then dismissed the dwarven captain and walked into his tent alone.
"Arthas, my old friend, although this is not a very good time to meet, I want to say that Quel'Thalas, a member of the Alliance and an ally of Lordaeron, is now facing a crisis beyond our ability to handle," Kael'thas's image, slightly helpless, lit up in response to the Orb of Communication.
"It's quite a step forward that you can put aside Elven pride and seek outside help, Kael. When I learned that Sylvanas had been exiled by you, I almost thought you were crazy," Arthas had always had a headache with the inherent problems of the High Elves. "Tell me, what exactly have you encountered? The trolls here are practically throwing a party to celebrate."
"The rebels of the Silvermoon Council secretly harbored demonic power. At the last moment, as I led my troops to encircle those traitors, they summoned a group of demons. Although those demons' power in the Banthinoriel was severely restricted and they were easily annihilated by my soldiers, the enemy took the opportunity to detonate the souls of those demons. The violent fel explosion destroyed a Magister Tower and severely impacted the Arcane network nodes and the Great Barrier. I am having people try to clear the fel pollution as much as possible, but the traces of those traitors have since disappeared."
Is that really how it is? Given Illidan's personality, anything he left behind would surely be disassociated from him. So, that means those Elven traitors probably summoned a high-ranking lord of the Burning Legion. The worst-case scenario is that Illidan left something related to Kil'jaeden...
Given what happened between Kil'jaeden and Illidan, this possibility is not small.
That's truly a big problem. Arthas looked thoughtful. "What is the situation with the Banthinoriel?"
"It's not optimistic. The violent internal explosion was caused by at least one Magister proficient in Arcane magic. They didn't know the workings of the Banthinoriel like the back of their hand, but they at least had some understanding. Coupled with the special fel pollution, the damage caused is even more severe than when Gul'dan stole the runestones," Kael'thas grew increasingly helpless. He was well aware of his current awkward predicament, otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to ask Arthas for help.
Although their relationship was good, and they were considered good friends, once they spoke as high-level leaders of two nations, he always felt less at ease.
"Let's think of a solution first. You know, the Alliance has other urgent matters recently and can't provide you with a large number of troops for the time being. Just stopping the trolls' actions in Eastweald and preventing them from affecting Lordaeron has already given me a headache," Arthas explained the current situation to Kael'thas very directly. "My suggestion is that you first send people to stabilize the defenses and at the same time search for the traitors' traces with maximum effort. At least that can buy us some space and enough time to react."
"I naturally want to do that, but I'm afraid those traitors won't give me that time and opportunity," Kael'thas stated his biggest headache. "Sylvanas isn't here, and the Farstriders have to put a lot of effort into watching the trolls. It's very difficult for my people alone to track down those former High Elven officials who know Quel'Thalas inside and out."
"You shouldn't have given them the chance to escape into their Magister Towers in the first place," Arthas struck at Kael'thas without mercy, but what he said was indeed a problem. Catching those rats might be a more important issue than holding off the trolls.
After all, they were mostly clear about the damage trolls could cause, but if those few traitors were left unchecked, it was not impossible that Kil'jaeden would descend upon the Sunwell tomorrow.
Considering the potential strength of those traitors and their ability to summon demons, even if they were found, Kael'thas alone would find it difficult to decisively capture them. If they were to escape again, it would probably not be so easy to catch them.
"How about this: after I arrange the defenses for Eastweald, I'll personally bring people to help you. Although I'm not that good at tracking either, at least I have a few people under me who are good at that kind of work."
"Thank you very much, Arthas. May our friendship be as long-lasting as the sun."
Kael'thas, far away in Silvermoon City, let out a long sigh of relief. With Arthas's assurance, he felt a little more at ease, and as soon as he relaxed, the fatigue he had deliberately suppressed rushed over him. He was about to cast a spell to dispel this exhaustion, but the accompanying sense of alertness made him abandon the idea.
"It seems I've cast it too frequently before," Kael'thas yawned and finally chose to sleep first.
...
After recalling Valeera, Arthas recalled a second person, Nathanos Marris, the Human Ranger, but unexpectedly, he welcomed an "uninvited guest."
"Sylvanas? Nathanos, why did you bring her back too?"
Arthas questioned his subordinate, making the female Ranger quite embarrassed.
"Don't pressure her, Arthas, I insisted on coming back with him," Sylvanas stretched, her graceful figure fully displayed. "Who told your special envoy to have no vigilance at all, and I 'accidentally' saw the content of the secret letter."
"Then you were truly 'careless,' Ranger-General," Arthas didn't take it seriously, after all, if Sylvanas truly wanted to peek, few could stop her.
"Watch it, I'm not the Ranger-General now. I'm just a nobody, oh, and now a deserter from the expeditionary force." Sylvanas was truly tired of playing hide-and-seek with the Naga in Zangarmarsh. The extremely humid climate there and the omnipresent spores had made her quiver moldy.
"I took it upon myself, Prince. Teacher Sylvanas is a great help, and her strength far surpasses mine," Nathanos sincerely took responsibility, after all, if it came down to it, Sylvanas was still a soldier under her command this time.
"Don't let it happen again." Arthas didn't say much, nor did he want to see the two of them exchanging flirtatious glances in front of him. He simply gave them a few instructions and sent them away, then looked at the other person.
"Tulani, I didn't expect you to want to participate in this operation." Arthas looked at the current ambassador, somewhat curious as to what drove her to want to participate in a secret pursuit.
"I've dealt with many demons and killed many disgusting ones," Tulani explained. "Moreover, my people have received the Alliance's care, and I have also gained the recognition of Valanar, so I feel I should do my part for the Alliance."
"This operation is different from the skirmishes before. We might face high-ranking lords of the Burning Legion. Are you prepared?" Arthas knew that Tulani was a Priest and not a warrior, and combat was not her strong suit, so he repeatedly confirmed whether Tulani was prepared.
Tulani pursed her lips and looked at Valanar, which was silent at her waist, nodding heavily. "I will not run away blindly anymore. This is the fate we must face."
"Very good, then make your preparations. We'll depart tomorrow." Arthas understood Tulani's determination and said no more.
"Oh, by the way, if we're all gone, what about Fordragon?" Tulani suddenly thought of the serious-mannered girl.
"I've already arranged it. Her strength is not bad, but she needs to undergo some practical combat tests. The northern watchtowers will likely have skirmishes with small troll units for a while. Those trolls sent by the tribe to die aren't very strong; even a few militiamen can kill them with pitchforks. It's a good opportunity for her to practice."
"But, her safety—"
"You don't need to worry about that either. I've sent someone to protect her in secret. Speaking of which, that Master Assassin can even be considered a fellow countryman of Artoria."
*****
"Thank you very much for your help, Arthas. I really wanted to greet you personally, but the Amani Trolls from Zul'Aman to the south have almost all come out, and our defenses are under immense pressure. I have no choice but to go to the front line. I will have one of my most trusted subordinates provide the information for this operation."
After the video left by Kael'thas dissipated with his apologetic words, Magister Solarian put away the video orb. She apologized to Arthas again on behalf of her master, "I'm very sorry, Prince Arthas. The Prince has been entangled in trivial matters recently and has hardly rested. Now the Trolls on the front line are very rampant, and he has no choice but to go there to oversee and command."
After speaking, Solarian also cast her gaze on a hooded figure behind Arthas—that person was too familiar to her, or rather, to most Quel'dorei. Even with a simple disguise, it was completely useless.
How did this Ranger-General end up cavorting with a human Prince? Wasn't it enough that she had a Ranger apprentice?
"It's pretty much what I understood," Arthas didn't care whether Kael'thas could be there in person. Anyway, it was unlikely that he would go with him to hunt down those escaped Elves. The Amani Trolls were not opponents that could be easily ignored; underestimating them would lead to heavy costs.
"According to the information we have gathered, the most threatening member among the remaining councilors is Dar'Khan Dath'Remar Sunstrider, a powerful Magister, and this fel explosion may also have been caused by him, because Morning Star Tower was once Dar'Khan's Mage Tower, and it is most likely that he had a backup plan there."
Solarian briefly stated the intelligence they had obtained, "After the destruction of Morning Star Tower, Dar'Khan and the remaining traitors should have fled north. Our Spellbreaker units found some traces of fel corruption near the northern river and Lake Alendar, but going further north would enter Tor'watha, which is the city of the Amani Trolls."
"Dar'Khan Dath'Remar Sunstrider? I remember him as the envoy who came to Lordaeron last time," Arthas recalled Dar'Khan and was not surprised by his choice at all. "He is a rather arrogant and ambitious Mage, and I'm afraid his mind has not been on serving Quel'Thalas for a long time."
"It turned out to be true. This Magister had always coveted a higher position in the Silvermoon Council, even wanting the title of Grand Magistrix. For this, he secretly engaged in many sordid dealings with those councilors, which were almost all exposed after this incident broke out."
Solarian also had a severe headache. Dar'Khan knew too many secrets of the High Elf; if he betrayed them, the harm caused would be immeasurable.
Arthas looked around at the map provided by Solarian and nodded, "Then we will go to Tor'watha first to see. What do you think, Lady Solarian?"
"You think Dar'Khan might seek refuge with the Trolls? But… he was once captured and tortured by Trolls, so his hatred for those vermin should be even stronger, and Trolls will not accept an Elf, after all, they should not believe that an Elf would surrender to them." Solarian was a little puzzled. In her opinion, Dar'Khan was more likely to hide in Dar'Khan's Tower further north, which was safer, closer to the Arcane nexus, and also close to the sea, which could serve as an effective escape route.
Arthas shook his head, "Lady, you may understand Elves and Trolls, but you probably don't know much about a fallen one tainted by fel. Sometimes what they want to do is not their own will."
"He's right, Lady Solarian," Tulani also expressed the same opinion. "If that Dar'Khan really gained the power to break the barrier, his demon master is probably not an ordinary existence. The worst result is that the Burning Legion has already set its sights on here, so the first thing he has to do is…"
"Spread corruption, enslave subordinates, and then open a portal for the Legion's army to descend." Arthas added the final point, "The Amani Trolls are launching a massive attack due to the weakening of the barrier, and they will inevitably draw troops from all over. Tor'watha is probably also sparsely defended now. An Elf Magister who has mastered fel is enough to cause a disaster there."
"I hope this situation doesn't happen." Solarian imagined the potential disaster, and Tor'watha was the closest Troll town to Silvermoon City. If it became a demon's lair, the High Elf would simply be unable to fight on two fronts. "I will arrange the teleportation array to Farstriders Lodge. That is our closest stronghold to Tor'watha."
Solarian originally wanted to assign them another guide, but seeing the Ranger-General hiding in the shadows, she dismissed that idea. No guide would be as familiar with Farstriders Lodge and Tor'watha as her; instead, they might become a burden.
...
"Phew, I'm suffocating. The war room in Tranquillien is still the same—dull and boring." Sylvanas breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the room. "What, do you really think that Dar'Khan is plotting something in Tor'watha?"
"The Amani Trolls's sudden large-scale attack, apart from noticing the abnormality of Banthinoriel, is probably also related to Dar'Khan," Arthas said. "Since he hates both Trolls and Elves, why not stir up the already tense nerves of both sides? If war breaks out, it will be more convenient for him to achieve his goals."
"It's very likely, then I'll take you to Farstriders Lodge—Solarian must have recognized me. Her gaze keeps glancing over here, damn it, she'll definitely tell Kael'thas about this." Sylvanas was a little helpless. Being famous wasn't good either. Even though she deliberately changed her attire and wore a linen cloak and hood, she was still recognized.
"Your homeland is facing a crisis. Given your personality, shouldn't you be eagerly responding to your country's call now?" Arthas teased, "The Farstriders should be more eager for your return than anyone else."
"War…" Sylvanas sighed softly, "I have spent my life protecting the land and people of Quel'Thalas, but I am disliked by those high-and-mighty Mage lords, who believe that the Windrunner family should deal with Trolls all their lives and never expect any benefits. If it weren't for the former King's protection of my mother and family, perhaps the Windrunner family would have been removed a thousand years ago.
I have fought my whole life, and what did I get in return? My mother died in the Second War, my elder sister disappeared without a trace because of that war, and finally, even my younger sister became disheartened with some foolish individuals in Silvermoon City and chose to stay in Dalaran, marrying a human Mage and having children, unwilling to even glance back at her hometown."
The former Ranger-General gently caressed the bowstring of her longbow, her eyes revealing endless sorrow, "I have seen my companions tragically sacrifice themselves in the struggle against the Trolls, and I have also seen some nobles in Silvermoon City enjoying lavish banquets with singing and dancing. Sometimes I am truly confused about what I am doing all of this for."
Nathanos silently walked to Sylvanas's side, wanting to offer her some support. Sylvanas shook her head, "But after all this, I have realized some things. Perhaps just like the Windrunner family name, we spend our lives chasing the footsteps of the light breeze, and that is also our attitude towards fate.
—But before considering whether to return to the Farstriders to continue serving as Ranger-General, I must first deal with Dar'Khan and those traitors. They are the culprits who caused this catastrophe. As for the Trolls, hah, I know what kind of scum they are. Without external help, with Kael'thas and Lor'themar there, Zul'jin, that old fox, wants to break through our defenses? A fool's dream!"
As her words fell, the group was ready to receive the teleportation spell. After a flash of blue Arcane light, the scenery before them was completely new. Outside the window were golden forests and shimmering rivers, and the gurgling water flowed peacefully, yet the sentinels and hunters in Farstriders Lodge were hurrying about.
Sylvanas's expression changed slightly. As the former supreme commander of the Farstriders, she knew very well what such vigilance among the troops near the outpost meant.
"It doesn't look so peaceful here either. Perhaps we came to the right place." Arthas walked to the balcony of the teleportation room with his arms crossed, leaning over to look down, and saw many tents and wounded. "Valeera, go look around and make sure there's no strange fel magic monitoring this place."
No sooner had Arthas finished speaking than a red shadow vanished into the darkness. At this moment, Sylvanas quickly walked to Arthas's side, "Farstriders Lodge was established to prevent Trolls from leaving the mountains and appearing in Eversong Woods. The current situation of the Farstriders here indicates that Tor'watha has indeed become abnormal. Even if it's not Dar'Khan, those Trolls are also attacking us."
"Not Dar'Khan? I think it's probably his doing." The light of dawn on Arthas's waist flickered, which was a sign that fel magic had been detected.
"Excuse me, could you please move?" A crisp female voice rang out. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. A young High Elf woman looked hurried, carrying a large stack of receipts and documents, seemingly wanting to use the teleportation service.
"Elayne, long time no see, you've grown so much." Sylvanas leaned in to look at the Elf girl and actually recognized her. "How's your family's general store doing?"
"Oh… don't even mention it. Recently, for some reason, Troll tracks have crossed the Troll town ruins halfway up the mountain and appeared downstream of the waterfall. Many of our guards have been injured, and some have been afflicted by evil magic. Even our priests can't do anything, and my medical supplies here have also run out—wait, are you…?"
The Elf girl was clearly burdened by a pile of troubles and blurted them out when asked, but as she spoke, she felt something was off. Did she know the woman with this voice?
Half confused, half alert, she looked up, and her eyes instantly widened. The receipts and documents in her hands slipped, scattering all over the floor, "Wind… Windrun—ugh—"
Sylvanas quickly covered the girl's mouth, but the chaotic sounds still attracted the attention of those around them. However, seeing that it was two Elf women playing around, they looked away and focused on their own affairs.
After signaling Elayne to be quiet and not reveal her identity, Sylvanas slowly released her hand.
"Lady Windrunner?! I… I really didn't expect to see you here. This is, truly too—" Elayne was extremely excited, but she didn't forget to pick up the scattered papers on the floor. Sylvanas also squatted down and helped her tidy them up.
"Shh, quiet down. I snuck back and don't want to attract too much attention." Sylvanas whispered, "You said Trolls have recently appeared near Farstriders Lodge. What exactly happened?"
Elayne finished tidying the receipts, looked left and right, and then whispered, "This matter is very strange, Lady Windrunner. Please wait for me a moment. I need to mail these cargo lists and previous receipts to the supplier in Silvermoon City. The camp is waiting for medical supplies for emergencies."
Watching the Elf girl hurry to the Mage guarding the teleportation array with a large stack of items to apply for the use of the teleportation node, Arthas said in a low voice, "Your popularity is really something. Even a shopkeeper in such a small place knows you."
"Heh, after all, I was once the Ranger-General of Silvermoon City, but I've known this little one since she was a child. When I used to come here to fight Trolls, many supplies were provided through her family's shop." Sylvanas briefly explained, "Elayne has now taken over their family's shop and is very well-informed about many things in the camp. We can ask her, which will conveniently avoid the possibility of alerting the enemy."
As Arthas and Sylvanas were talking, Elayne returned empty-handed, apparently having finished her work. She leaned closer to Sylvanas and whispered, "Lady Windrunner, come with me, this is not the place to talk."
Soon, led by Elayne, they entered a shop. After Elayne closed the door, she breathed a sigh of relief and said to Sylvanas, "It's so good to see you, Lady Windrunner! When the Silvermoon Council announced that you had been exiled from Quel'Thalas, we were all worried about your safety. Those damned councilors truly deserved it. Not long after you left, Prince Kael'thas sent people to clear out all those rebellious and corrupt individuals."
"Alright, alright, Elayne, I know all this. Can you tell me what's been happening at the camp recently? Has it been attacked by Trolls?" Sylvanas interrupted her little fan's complaints on her behalf and went straight to the main point of the issue.
Elayne nodded heavily at this, "It's Trolls, alright, but I heard from the injured Farstriders that it seems very different from usual invasions."
"The number of injured Farstriders in the camp is rapidly increasing. Those trolls are crossing the border in droves, appearing on the mountainside where they never used to be." Elayne was a bit distressed. She had always run a general store at the Farstriders Lodge and was familiar with many Farstrider rangers and patrolling guards. Seeing her close friends from daily life getting injured and dying one after another, Elayne was sad and helpless.
Kael'thas had led the main force to the southern defense line to intercept the trolls. Their small outpost was basically isolated and helpless, relying only on themselves.
But now, Sylvanas's appearance gave her someone to ask for help. She poured out everything she knew, hoping to gain Sylvanas's attention.
While Sylvanas and Elayne chatted and comforted the young girl, a phantom slowly materialized beside Arthas. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered something into Arthas's ear.
Arthas, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up instantly. "Are the wounds really caused by undead?"
"Yes, besides normal penetrating and lacerating wounds, some parts of those guards and rangers have been corroded by plague and corpse poison, which is quite different from scars caused by fel," Valeera said with certainty.
"The existence of Banthinoriel should suppress the birth of undead. Sure enough, someone is causing trouble here. It seems that Dar'Khan's magical attainments are indeed extraordinary; besides Arcane magic, he is also involved in necromancy and shadow magic."
Arthas leaned against the windowsill, looking out, his pupils gradually tinged with a blue glow. Under soul vision, he saw the wails of souls—those were troll souls. It seemed that not only were they undead, but someone had turned the trolls' souls into weapons.
"Was Tor'watha once a battlefield for elves and trolls?" Arthas suddenly asked Sylvanas.
Sylvanas paused for a moment, then replied, "Indeed it was. Originally, the troll cities were closer to the foothills, but in the end, we drove them all the way back into the mountains, and even their outposts on the mountainside were breached by us."
Arthas nodded, then fell silent, seemingly contemplating something.
Elayne looked at this strange human and quietly asked Sylvanas the question in her heart, "By the way, Sylvanas, who is this?"
She had always lived at the Farstriders Lodge and only occasionally went to Silvermoon City to purchase goods. For her, humans were already a very rare "species"; besides elves, she had barely seen people of any other race.
"Him? He is the Prince of Lordaeron, a paladin of the Silver Hand Knights, Arthas Menethil."
Elayne secretly covered her mouth. Although she had never seen him in person, she had heard Arthas's name. After all, storybooks about this Prince were very popular even in Silvermoon City. Today, she realized that even the illustrations in the storybooks failed to depict Arthas's extraordinary heroism; the real person was even more surreal than the pictures.
Sylvanas patted Elayne's head. "Thank you, little girl. I generally understand the recent situation."
She turned to look at Arthas. "So, do you have a conclusion?"
"Living trolls and dead trolls, which do you find more annoying?" Arthas blurted out a nonsensical question.
Sylvanas chuckled. "Is that even a question? Only dead trolls are good trolls."
"Then you might find dead trolls even more annoying in a bit."
"What?" Sylvanas and Elayne exchanged bewildered glances.
…
"Damn it, Arthas, these are the dead trolls you spoke of?! They clearly move!" Sylvanas muttered elven curses under her breath, complaining, "I don't even want to retrieve my arrows from them anymore!"
Around the group were troll zombies covered in gangrene and blisters, with vacant eyes and festering limbs. They moved slowly, stubbornly advancing even with arrows stuck in their heads.
Arthas waved his hand, sweeping out a large swath of Holy Light flames, igniting these stiff walking corpses. But even Holy Light couldn't make these zombies feel fear. "The caster's skill isn't great. These are all the lowest-grade zombies; they don't even have the instinct to seek advantage or avoid harm. They can't even be called undead creatures; they're purely puppets controlled by necromancy."
Valeera's shadow flickered like a ghost. Each time her figure flickered, she would retrieve some materials from the zombies. Tulani, who was protected in the center, stared at the others besides Arthas, ready to heal their injuries at any moment.
"Don't waste arrows, Sylvanas, Nathanos. These zombies are just carrying out the most basic commands." Arthas stopped their attacks and carved several runes in the void.
After the runes flickered, they slowly dissipated, and the zombies' movements paused. As if Arthas and his group were no longer in their sight, they slowly walked in one direction.
"That way is… upstream of the waterfall? These zombies want to pollute the water source?" Sylvanas's expression was grim. She didn't know who the manipulator behind this was, to resort to such a malicious method.
Even trolls wouldn't do something like this, because they are, after all, part of the forest ecosystem, and wantonly destroying water sources would also harm them.
"I took some samples from the troll zombies," Valeera said, studying the materials she had "collected." "This toxin is very similar to what's on the injured rangers in the camp."
Arthas nodded. He looked at Sylvanas, but found her still staring at the slowly departing zombies, knowing what she was thinking. "Nathanos, Tulani, you two follow Sylvanas to deal with this group of zombies preparing to pollute the water source. Valeera and I will go see if we can find the manipulator. With such clumsy methods, the fellow controlling these corpses shouldn't be too far from us."
"Thank you, Arthas." Sylvanas expressed her heartfelt gratitude. Arthas could have simply charged straight in to deal with the Blackhand behind the scenes, but the cost would be the potential pollution of Lake Al'Andar and the surrounding water sources. While this might not have a significant impact on the entire Eversong Woods, the Farstriders Lodge relied on this river for survival, and they were at great risk of being infected by plague and toxins.
Arthas said no more, leading Valeera towards the higher forest. He had already seen the energy source controlling these zombies, and it wouldn't be too late to deal with the opponent first before anything else.
Thus, the group split into two paths, agreeing that the party who resolved their problem first would wait at the ruins of the troll outpost on the mountainside.
Arthas followed the trail of necromantic magic, only to find that it led directly to the ruins of a Troll town halfway up the mountain.
According to Sylvanas, this place had been uninhabited for a long time; after several major battles between Trolls and Elves in this area, both sides had tacitly abandoned it as a buffer zone between them.
This was not because the animosity between the Amani Trolls and the High Elf had been resolved, but because years of war were a burden any race could not afford. After both Elves and Trolls had paid a heavy price, they both understood that pointless attrition would not achieve anything against the other side.
The overgrown weeds and vines throughout the ruins indicated that the place had been abandoned for a considerable period, but amidst the wild grass and dense bushes, there was a clear path that had recently been cleared.
"Valeera, look around carefully. Sometimes the senses of the dead are keener than those of the living."
Arthas sent Valeera to scout the surrounding area while he stepped into the small town ruins.
There were barely any tall buildings left in the ruins, only fragmented stone walls and pillars, some still carved with ancient Troll script. It was easy to imagine that hundreds or thousands of years ago, this too had been a prosperous place.
Unfortunately, the Troll ruins had now become a desecrated wasteland for necromancers. Many of the Troll zombies appeared to have been dug up from graves, many of them withered beyond recognition.
As for graves, these ruins were the burial ground for many Trolls and Elves. However, for some unknown reason, only Troll remains had been excavated. Arthas did not see any Elves among the zombies.
Arthas did not believe that Dar'Khan or other renegade Elven mages still retained respect for their deceased kin. Since these individuals had chosen to defect to the Legion, they were mostly deranged. Even if they had possessed a shred of conscience before joining the Legion, it would have been extinguished afterward.
So Arthas had a guess, and whether it was true or not would depend on his subsequent discoveries.
This ruin had no undead guarding it, not even a mindless zombie, but the widespread desolation indicated that many bodies had been pulled from their peaceful rest and turned into tools for the fallen.
It was highly illogical, but if it concerned disposable items, it was perfectly normal.
Arthas arrived at a cellar entrance covered by rubble. This might have once been a tomb or some other place, but now, it was radiating a necromantic aura like a torch.
He gripped a corner of a shattered stone pillar, gently exerted force, and pried it open, then kicked away a blocking stone brick, clearing the cellar entrance in a few swift movements.
Blue flames once again filled his eyes, and the darkness beneath the cellar could not obstruct his vision at all.
Soon, the full extent of this shallow underground chamber was revealed to him. Arthas frowned slightly, not because he saw an enemy, but because he found a horrifying skeleton.
Its flesh was dismembered but not entirely dissolved, adhering to the bones, the entire body floating in mid-air in a particularly deformed and eerie manner. Burning fel constantly surged from its empty eye sockets, accompanied by mournful wails and whispers of souls. Its peculiar skull and elongated tusks indicated the identity of the deceased—a Troll, and a female one at that.
The walls of the cellar were carved with foul incantations and runes, serving as the energy source maintaining this bizarre scene.
After confirming that these magic circles had no special connections, the spellcaster must have simply captured this Troll, used her as a sacrifice, turning her into the cornerstone of this magic circle, and then disregarded her.
A simple but effective evil spell, which explained why the zombies had little intelligence, because those commanding them were merely a corpse and a fragmented soul; the true spellcaster was no longer here.
Since there were no other connections, Arthas lightly raised his right foot, then stomped heavily on the ground. A dazzling burst of Holy Light instantly erupted, cleansing all defilement within.
Within a few seconds, the skeleton and fel runes were all reduced to ashes, leaving only a remnant of the Troll's soul.
Arthas did not hesitate at all, raising his hand to grasp this remnant soul, allowing it to serve its final purpose.
After reading the remaining information in this soul fragment, Arthas roughly understood the cause of the matter: this female Troll was a Priestess of Tor'watha, captured by some entity and turned into a pathetic sacrifice used to summon the dead.
Only a very small portion of this soul remained, and even Arthas could not read more information before it completely dissipated. Only the most deeply imprinted part of this Troll Priestess's remnant soul remained.
Tor'watha was engulfed in dark green corruption. The Trolls defending the city fought bravely but were merely hitting a stone with an egg. They were slaughtered, tortured, and turned into nourishment for summoning demons and undead.
As for the female Troll spellcaster, she was singled out. The events after that were very blurry and could no longer be clearly seen.
Dar'Khan's movements were very swift. It was likely that by the time they found Dar'Khan, they would not be facing a few Elven fugitives, but an army of undead and demons.
There were only five of them, and entering rashly would be somewhat dangerous. It would be best to inform Kael'thas about the situation here and have him send more people.
However, Arthas had a better idea. Although the Amani Trolls would not care about the fate of a weak tribe in a small place like Tor'watha, the Loa behind the Amani Trolls understood the horror of the Burning Legion. If Dar'Khan's actions were exposed to those Loa, even if they could not reverse the intentions of the Amani tribe, it could at least cause internal disputes among the Trolls, allowing Kael'thas to free up his hands to deal with the situation here.
Just as Arthas was contemplating, Valeera approached Arthas, carrying something.
The Elven rogue complained, "Your movements here were a bit too loud; you almost scared this guy away."
Arthas waved his hand, "A demon magic circle. It takes some effort to wipe it clean, otherwise, it's a ticking time bomb. This is..."
He paused, walked to the individual Valeera had knocked unconscious and bound, and pinched his chin, lifting his face.
Comparing his appearance with the wanted individuals he remembered, Arthas found that this person was indeed one of the missing council members, only the fel pustules on his face indicated that he had also embraced fel.
"Well done, Valeera. It seems we have a catch."
"No, don't kill me, I was forced into this!"
As soon as the elf mage woke up, he started screaming. Valeera showed no mercy, kicking him in the abdomen, causing the noble mage to bend over and wail in pain.
Neither Arthas nor Valeera had any sympathy for this fool. After all, he was the first to betray his homeland and people, and he also accepted fel infusion, which made him somewhat unforgivable. Pitying him was less worthwhile than pitying the elf civilians displaced by the troll invasion.
The paladin directly placed his armored boot on the elf mage's calf. "You'd better tell me Dar'Khan's whereabouts quickly, or I'll consider breaking your leg first, then healing it with Holy Light—oh, right, I forgot you still have fel flowing in your body. As a mage, you should know what happens when fel and Holy Light collide in the human body, right?"
The elf mage wanted to shout a few more words to express his innocence, but hearing Arthas's words, he immediately turned pale with fright and started stammering, "I…I really don't know. Even the fel was forcibly infused into me by Dar'Khan. After we escaped Morning Star Tower, he branded everyone who followed him with fel…He's gone mad! I really wasn't willing! Cough cough! I…I really don't know!"
As he spoke, the elf mage suddenly began to convulse. His pale face was covered in dark green veins and tendons, looking extremely horrifying.
"It's a fel backlash," Valeera reminded him—most of the Secret Intelligence Agency's combat personnel had studied relevant knowledge.
Arthas frowned and kicked the elf mage away, watching him roll and struggle on the ground in agony, like a fish out of water. This guy's body was almost completely filled with fel, and he couldn't even use magic properly, otherwise Valeera wouldn't have captured him so easily.
Not long after, the elf mage's convulsions gradually weakened, and he lay motionless on the ground. Valeera, holding her dagger in a reverse grip, slowly approached, knelt down, and carefully used the back of her blade to turn him over. She found that his eyes had rolled back, and he was no longer breathing.
After she stood up, just as she was about to explain the situation to Arthas, her slender eyebrows twitched violently, and then she unhesitatingly vanished into the shadows, enveloping herself in their power.
"Bang!"
After a loud bang, the elf mage was reduced to dust, leaving only a massive crater over two meters in diameter, still burning with highly concentrated fel energy.
Valeera's figure slowly emerged from the shadows. "This guy was a ticking time bomb. Dar'Khan never intended for those who escaped with him to survive."
"If what he said is true, then there should still be several individuals branded with fel wandering aimlessly. They've long been abandoned. This not only disperses the manpower for capture but also can severely damage unprepared teams." Arthas quickly grasped Dar'Khan's intention.
He never intended to escape with people; those he took were merely disposable "consumables," tools to buy him time.
And those pathetic individuals, after betraying their own country, were then betrayed by their last trusted resort, which could be considered their deserved punishment.
"However, since this elf mage could wander alone in troll territory for so long, it suggests that Tor'watha was probably already destroyed by Dar'Khan, and the troll priest's corpse in that cellar confirms this." Arthas looked at the gradually darkening sky. "Undead will be more active at night. Dar'Khan should have noticed this guy's self-detonation just now. We can't find him in Tor'watha anymore. Just inform the Farstriders about what happened here and let them handle the aftermath."
...
On Sylvanas's side, as they were clearing out zombies, they noticed that the moving dead trolls suddenly began to fall one after another. Nathanos cautiously sent out a hound. The hound sniffed around a troll corpse and let out a low whimper to inform Nathanos.
"These guys are completely dead." Nathanos put away his longbow, instinctively looking around. "It must be that His Highness found the evil spellcaster."
"Arthas's efficiency is as high as ever, but we cannot leave these corpses here; their lingering toxins will pollute the land." Sylvanas pulled out an arrow and ignited it with magic. "Priest Tulani, can you help me?"
The flames of Holy Light could purify the defilement of these undead more effectively, far more thoroughly than her burning them alone.
Tulani called upon the Holy Light, igniting the surrounding corpses with holy flames. Under the purification of the Holy Light, these trolls, who had found no peace even in death, finally rested completely.
Sylvanas ignited a zombie next to her and sighed, "Although I despise trolls, they shouldn't be desecrated like this after death—at least not turn into such monstrosities on the lands of Quel'Thalas. I never thought that in my life, besides killing trolls, I'd also have to deal with troll zombies."
"What do we do next? Do we continue up the mountain, or…" Nathanos looked at Sylvanas, hoping she would make a decision.
"We…"
Just as Sylvanas was about to answer, her expression changed, and her hands immediately went to the short daggers at her thighs. Nathanos also moved closer to Tulani, his fingers on his bowstring.
"Arthas sent me to inform you all to return to Farstriders Lodge for now. The situation has changed." Valeera's ghostly figure reappeared beside them.
Upon realizing it was Valeera, Sylvanas's hand on her dagger relaxed. "Next time, you'd best not approach two rangers like that, or you might get an arrow in the head."
Valeera was noncommittal, her tone still flat. "I will be careful, but the situation was urgent, and I had to come as quickly as possible."
"Don't let it happen again, little girl," Sylvanas tilted her head and put her hands on her hips. This little girl in front of her was not cute at all!
Their foot speed was good, and without obstacles, they easily returned to the camp, finding Arthas already waiting for them there.
"What exactly did you find, and why did you call us back so urgently?" Sylvanas asked, puzzled.
"There's no need to go to Tor'watha anymore. It's either full of corpses or corrupted trolls infused with fel. Dar'Khan might have been there originally, but he's definitely not there now."
Saying this, Arthas told Sylvanas about meeting the elf councilor, which made the elf ranger frown deeply.
"This guy treats the lives of his own compatriots as expendable?! Why didn't I ever realize he was such a scumbag! I can't believe Lor'themar and Liadrin once considered him a friend. If they knew about this, they would surely regret their trust in Dar'Khan!"
Even the formerly corrupt Silvermoon City council had not made Sylvanas so angry. After all, those incompetent fools were only full of political struggles and power shifts; at least they could still be considered half-human. But this Dar'Khan had reached a level of utter inhumanity.
"So what do we do now? It seems we've lost all traces of that fallen one," Tulani asked. "Every moment this dangerous individual remains alive, the kingdom and even the entire world become more perilous."
Arthas did not reply for the moment, but he already had a rough idea. The only question was whether Dar'Khan would fall for it, or in other words, what Dar'Khan's patience was like.
....
"What? Why are we suspending the search for Dar'Khan?"
Kael'thas was somewhat astonished when he heard this news from Solarian. He looked at his subordinate with a bewildered expression, hoping she could give him a reasonable explanation.
Solarian sighed inwardly. This job was truly difficult. If the human prince's plan hadn't been approved, she would have been the one getting reprimanded.
But duty called, so Solarian had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "According to that human prince, the idea is to give Dar'Khan the illusion that the pressure from the Amani Trolls has left us with no energy to pursue him further. This will make him act more boldly and eventually reveal his true colors."
Kael'thas listened, stunned. He could understand the logic, but why was Arthas so convinced that Dar'Khan was so impatient? Dar'Khan could completely disappear for a while and only act after truly confirming there were no traps.
"About that… Prince Arthas means that Dar'Khan can be patient, but his true master behind him will not tolerate missing a good opportunity. After all, Dar'Khan is just a dispensable pawn to him. When he's useful, he'll be thrown out to be used. He won't care if Dar'Khan lives or dies, only if he achieves tangible results."
Dar'Khan… just a pawn?
Kael'thas somewhat understood Arthas's meaning. He probably knew something about the entity that granted Dar'Khan fel power. He likely had more sinister and ambitious schemes. Dar'Khan's actions were not entirely his own; at crucial junctures, it was still his demonic master behind him who made the decisions. As long as the other party saw a profit, Dar'Khan's life or death was not important.
Arthas didn't want to play hide-and-seek with Dar'Khan. He wanted to confront Dar'Khan's demonic master directly, to see whether he would let Dar'Khan lie low or choose to abandon a low-value pawn for a bigger prize.
Although that one was called "the Deceiver," his nature was still that of a cold-blooded demon. He wouldn't care about a low-level subordinate like Dar'Khan; he only cared about the final outcome.
Moreover, if Dar'Khan were to lie low, then once the Amani Trolls noticed something was amiss and temporarily halted their attack on the High Elf to see who was undermining them, Dar'Khan would have nowhere to hide. Both the High Elf and the Amani Trolls would want to figure out his existence, and then he would have no other option but to flee Quel'Thalas.
In short, although the current situation seemed to put the High Elf in a very passive position, they still had choices. Dar'Khan, on the other hand, faced the same outcome whether he failed to accomplish anything or simply didn't act. Dar'Khan's final choice would not be surprising.
The only drawback to this approach was that Dar'Khan's next action might cause Quel'Thalas some losses.
After a simple deliberation, Kael'thas ultimately decided to adopt Arthas's proposal, not only because Dar'Khan's traces were indeed difficult to track, but also because the pressure the Amani Trolls put on Quel'Thalas far exceeded any previous instance. Although they had not yet launched a full-scale attack, according to scout reports, a considerable number of Amani Trolls troops had already gathered near Zul'Aman, ready to invade Quel'Thalas at any time.
Thousands of years ago, during the Troll Wars, the High Elf, who had only recently established a foothold, were directly threatened by the Amani Trolls's forces at the gates of Silvermoon City. If they hadn't allied with humans in time, Quel'dorei civilization might have been extinguished by the Amani Trolls then.
Even though their ancestors had crushed several once-invincible Amani Empire, Azeroth was vast, and even after losing large territories, the Amani Empire had not completely lost their former glory.
At least the Amani Empire, after declining for unknown thousands of years, could still single-handedly contend with the alliance of humans and High Elf. Although the final outcome was the Amani Trolls's defeat, they were only defeated; humans and High Elf had no ability to completely eradicate them.
This time, the Amani Trolls's grand actions were undoubtedly a clear message to the High Elf: we will reclaim the debt from thousands of years ago while your barrier is weak, and this time there is no Arathor Empire to disrupt things, which made Kael'thas feel immense pressure.
Now he could only hope that Arthas could help him solve a major internal problem so that he could wholeheartedly prevent the Amani Trolls's invasion.
…
"Kael'thas actually agreed to your plan?" Sylvanas found this unbelievable. From her understanding of Kael'thas, he should have found it very difficult to agree with Arthas's opinion.
But this also made Sylvanas worry. Kael'thas's compromise undoubtedly indicated how dire the situation was in the south. He truly had no more desire to search for a hidden fel rat in the vast Quel'Thalas.
"It seems the situation is indeed not optimistic," Arthas also hoped his old friend could withstand the pressure, otherwise it would be his turn to have a headache. The Amani Trolls were all like unkillable cockroaches, just like their Loa gods. They seemed to die, but after a few hundred or thousand years, you'd find, "Hey, how come none of them died? How come I'm the one who's about to die?"
The Arathor Empire had already disintegrated for so many years, and the Amani Trolls were still continuously declining. The problem was that they had been declining for so long and still hadn't completely died out; they always had a breath left.
Putting aside the matter of the Amani Trolls, Arthas focused on how to find Dar'Khan. Kil'jaeden's purpose was self-evident. Since Dar'Khan had betrayed them, he must have been fully aware of the Sunwell's existence, not to mention Illidan had already made a round of trouble before. It was likely that the Sunwell's matter had long become common news within the Burning Legion.
Kael'thas didn't know that the most terrifying thing was not being targeted by the Amani Trolls, but by Kil'jaeden. Little did he know how many light-years and centuries Prophet Velen had led the Draenei in their escape, and Kil'jaeden still couldn't forget his old friend and former kin.
Being targeted by this Legion Lord was even more terrifying than being targeted by Archimonde. Archimonde was only barely sent back to the Twisting Nether after the Alliance and Horde fought side by side and sacrificed a World Tree. Fortunately, Arthas left a "small gift" on The Despoiler's soul; he would have a headache for a while upon his return. Otherwise, this time, an enraged Archimonde might have come with Kil'jaeden to contend for the Sunwell's spot.
"Just wait. In a few days, Dar'Khan will be more anxious than us. Without the pressure of being pursued, he'll definitely be eager to show off some talent to his master, otherwise the Burning Legion won't tolerate a useless glutton."
Arthas told the others to rest and observe the situation at the Farstriders Lodge. Dar'Khan was currently hiding, having temporarily abandoned Tor'watha and the stage that had been set. But once he realized that he had no other place to act besides Tor'watha, he would return.
Moreover, the Eastern Sanctum, an important Arcane node of Quel'Thalas, was not far from the Farstriders Lodge. To achieve the Burning Legion's goals, he would strike sooner or later. If he didn't seize this opportunity, once Banthinoriel finished repairs and the Amani Trolls dispersed, Dar'Khan staying in Quel'Thalas would no longer be about finding an opportunity, but purely about being imprisoned!
About three days later, when the Trolls on the border first attacked the Elven defenses, the Rangers at Farstriders Lodge finally discovered unusual tracks again.
Sylvanas's identity had naturally not yet been made public, but Elayne told Sylvanas and her group all the news she had gathered from various parts of the camp.
"You said the Rangers discovered Hellhounds on the border of Eversong Woods?"
Upon hearing this news, everyone looked at Arthas, not expecting that it was indeed as he had predicted; Dar'Khan truly could not stand still. When the Trolls blew the war horn, that was when Dar'Khan chose to act.
However, Arthas did not appear excited or relaxed; instead, he was unusually solemn, because he knew very well that Dar'Khan was merely a clown, and the one truly giving orders was now far away at the ends of the universe.
Dar'Khan was easy to deal with, but Kil'jaeden was not to be trifled with; he had very likely already sensed something amiss, and Dar'Khan revealing his tracks so easily meant he might already have some trump card.
They could not relax their vigilance yet, but since Dar'Khan was willing to come out, they would first remove his claws. The one who truly could not afford to delay was not Quel'Thalas, but Dar'Khan.
Quel'Thalas could at least hold out for several months under the Troll offensive, and they still had the Sunwell as their ultimate reliance.
What did Dar'Khan have? Kil'jaeden had granted him power, but it was also his death warrant. Now that Dar'Khan had come out to cause trouble, it indicated that his life was very likely on a countdown.
With news of Dar'Khan, the group immediately headed to where the Rangers had discovered the Demon. Midway, the golden trees of Eversong Woods, nourished by the Sunwell's magic, gradually gave way to plateau cypress, a common tree species around Lordaeron, and precisely the original appearance of this forest before the High Elves established their city-state.
"We have left the range of Banthinoriel; the enemies we encounter next will not be as 'harmless' as they were within the defensive barrier," Sylvanas reminded them.
With Banthinoriel present, even if Banthinoriel was damaged, it would be difficult for Dar'Khan's power to cause much commotion within it. He even had to use Troll priests as sacrifices to control mindless low-level Undead, but once outside Eversong Woods, his power would not be suppressed at all.
"The Sunwell's magic increases year by year, and Banthinoriel's range also slowly expands. Now, one has to travel far from Quel'Thalas's actual territory to see these ancient primeval forests."
This indicated that the group had already traveled a certain distance from Quel'Thalas. After another period of rapid travel, everyone noticed the smell of sulfur permeating the dark forest.
"There are no volcanoes around Quel'Thalas… This is the scent of land polluted by fel," Sylvanas twitched her delicate nose. "This smell can spread at least several kilometers. It seems Dar'Khan has been here."
"Valeera, Nathanos, this time you two go scout together. Do not act rashly."
Worried about alerting the enemy, Arthas sent two capable individuals to support each other this time. Dar'Khan's behavior always gave him a feeling of having nothing to fear.
Valeera and Nathanos returned together after about ten minutes, both looking very serious. "About two kilometers away, in the Troll camp, there are traces of fel pollution everywhere, and a considerable number of Trolls have already defected to Dar'Khan, becoming corrupted. The vicinity of the camp is full of Warlock anti-scouting magic and traps; we cannot go any deeper. We don't know if Dar'Khan is in that camp."
Nathanos added, "I found a fel trace extending downwards from the mountain peak. It is the marching route of these fel Trolls. Following this path, it leads directly to Farstriders Lodge and Eastern Sanctum downstream of Lake Elrendar waterfall."
"Damn it, we cannot let these Trolls enter the territory of Quel'Thalas. The forces at the Sanctum and Farstriders Lodge alone are completely unable to resist such an army," Sylvanas looked into the depths of the jungle, gripping her longbow tightly.
Although their goal was Dar'Khan, the best option was to bypass this Troll army and first ascertain Dar'Khan's whereabouts. But now, with a danger that could threaten the safety of her people, she simply could not let it go unchecked.
"Confronting hundreds of fel Trolls head-on is not a good idea, not to mention we don't know if there are even more dangerous things inside," Valeera toyed with the dagger in her hand, glancing at Arthas. "What do you think?"
"You are right, Valeera."
Arthas's agreement made Sylvanas a little disheartened. Although she knew very well that this was the best method, the thought of many innocent lives perishing under the Troll attack made it difficult for her to make a decision.
"However, besides us, there are others who can stop these corrupted Trolls." Arthas's change in attitude made all four of them look at him. "We will still follow the original plan and prioritize finding Dar'Khan's location. As for those Trolls… Nathanos, leave a magic mark on their inevitable path; someone will naturally take care of them."
"You have other reinforcements?"
Sylvanas watched Nathanos carve a magic-emitting mark on the nearby mountain wall, asking in surprise, "But in this remote mountain forest, even Gryphon Knights couldn't arrive so quickly…"
"They arrived long ago, in the nearby mountains, but it's not time yet," Arthas did not say more, letting Valeera lead the way to find Dar'Khan as quickly as possible.
Sylvanas watched Arthas walk past her, filled with doubts. Tulani followed closely behind, and seeing Sylvanas's disbelieving expression, she smiled and explained, "Don't worry, Sylvanas, although this Prince is sometimes very mysterious, his promises are always valid."
Sylvanas felt like she was the only one kept in the dark, but she still forced down her curiosity.
Actually, neither Nathanos nor Valeera knew when Arthas had summoned new reinforcements, but since their leader had spoken, they naturally did not question it. Tulani, however, knew that Arthas had more than just his apparent identity. Although she did not know who Arthas had called as reinforcements, since he said he had them, it should be true.
Thus, the group passed by the Troll camp. The pungent smell of sulfur and the corrupted aura made both the Draenei and Elves very uncomfortable. Only Nathanos and Arthas were unaffected.
Arthas was unaffected because he would not be polluted by such low-level fel radiation; even if the Lord of the Legion stood before him, he could only determine the difference in power, as it was impossible to pollute him with corrupted power.
As for Nathanos… she was simply not as sensitive to energy as the Draenei and Elves. Although her instincts also made her keep a respectful distance from this power, she did not look as grim as the other three, as if she had inhaled poison gas.
Fortunately, although it was a bit uncomfortable, the group's power would not be greatly affected. Based on some materials obtained from the Elf Mage and Troll Priest that day, along with Solarian's magical assistance, Valeera and Nathanos created a small contraption that could track Dar'Khan's location.
The disadvantage was that this thing was only useful when very close, and it could not pinpoint the exact location.
This was why they only took it out to use after they had approached Dar'Khan's possible hiding place.
"The compass is reacting strongly; Dar'Khan is nearby," Valeera stopped, the bone emblem in her hand trembling continuously. "We need to find a high vantage point to observe the surroundings. Be careful; the Troll camp isn't too far from here, so don't attract their attention."
"Follow me; the terrain to the northwest is higher," Sylvanas quickly found a suitable spot and led the group to the high ground.
Standing atop the cliff, the view instantly widened, and they could also see the fel path Nathanos had mentioned.
It extended down from the depths of the mountain, and the trees along the path were either withered or covered in strange dark green scars formed by fel pollution. Sylvanas looked back along the path and said, "So it really spread from Tor'watha? The Trolls there seem not only cruel by nature, but also quite spineless, as they directly surrendered to Dar'Khan."
At the same time, Valeera, who had been comparing the bone emblem everywhere, finally stopped, pointing in one direction and reminding them, "Look over there."
Following the direction of her finger, at the side of a mountain peak, instead of flowing spring water, there was scorching fel magma, and where the magma flowed out, a hidden cave entrance attracted everyone's attention.
"Let's go, let's check it out. Be prepared; such environmental changes indicate that a Demon has very likely already descended. Corrupted Trolls alone wouldn't cause this."
Arthas led everyone towards the cave. From a hidden spot outside the cave entrance, Sylvanas observed for a moment. "Guarding this place are not Trolls… but Demon Guard."
At the entrance of the cave, several Demon Guard, armed with great axes and sharp blades, were patrolling with Hellhounds. On the exposed ground near the entrance, there was a shocking number of bones, indicating that the disobedient Trolls had all been brought here for "disposal."
"Let's go, it's time to end this," Arthas gazed at the cave for a while. The Holy Tome at his waist transformed into a warhammer, and the burning power of Holy Light quickly attracted the attention of the Demon Guard.
Accompanied by the Hellhounds' furious barking, several hounds broke free from the Demon Guard's restraints and charged wildly towards the bushes where Arthas and his group were hiding.
"Intruder—[Demonic language]"
A Demon Guard had not finished shouting before an arrow, tearing through the air, pierced his forehead. His heavy body fell to the ground, which made the rest of the Demon Guard react.
At this moment, the Hellhounds that had just rushed into the jungle fled in panic. The one running at the very back was unfortunately instantly vaporized by a pillar of Holy Light descending from the sky. Immediately after, one light pillar after another turned the remaining Hellhounds into ashes.
The Demon Guard were about to raise the alarm when more arrows flew out from the shadows. In the blink of an eye, several Demon Guard fell, leaving only the last one guarding the rear. He held his great axe with both hands, cautiously observing his surroundings, backing away, trying to enter the cave.
But before he could retreat to the entrance, a sharp pain shot through his lower back, and all his strength rapidly dissipated. After he knelt on the ground, Valeera pulled out her dagger, dripping with Demonic blood. After observing inside the cave, she nodded towards Arthas's direction, then gestured, indicating the situation inside the cave.
Looking at the dark cave, Arthas didn't even glance at it, having no intention of going inside. He directly called out to Sylvanas and Nathanos, "Prepare your most explosive arrows! We're going to put on a big fireworks show!"
Tulani also understood. She gripped her staff, pouring blessings into the three preparing to attack.
The hammerhead component of the light of dawn instantly disintegrated and reassembled on the hammer handle, transforming into a staff in Arthas's hand. The core crystal was at the top of the staff, and at this moment, the Holy Light within it was as blinding as the sun.
Nathanos pulled out a specially made arrow. The arrowhead's material seemed to be some dangerous magical alloy, combining penetration capabilities with the ability to cause terrible explosions.
At the same time, Sylvanas, feeling Tulani's blessing upon her, took out an ancient, plain wooden arrow. This wooden arrow was engraved with ancient Elven runes. Sylvanas solemnly placed it on her longbow, knelt on one knee to steady herself, and softly chanted in Saras, "Wind, please heed my call, crush all invading enemies… Bash'anofalortalah!"
A violent whirlwind exploded the moment the arrow spun away. The ground in front of Sylvanas was pressed with clear marks by the strong wind, but her posture remained steadily in the wind.
Nathanos's explosive arrow followed closely behind. As the blade-like wind wall shredded the hidden enemies inside the cave, it pierced through several Demon bodies, detonating a spectacular fireworks display within the dark cave.
Countless Demon limbs spun out, then were torn into shreds by the wind blades, falling to the ground.
At this moment, the radiance of Arthas's staff finally erupted. Golden runes lit up one after another around the staff's crystal head. A blade of Holy Light slowly formed, and after Arthas gently moved his wrist, a Holy Light blade several meters wide shot out, tracing a beautiful golden light trail in the air, accurately hitting a certain presence inside the cave.
A violent golden halo exploded. Those who touched the halo felt much of their fatigue dissipate, while the Demon flesh on the ground turned to ash the moment it contacted the Holy Light halo.
Arthas gripped the Light of Dawn, which had returned to its warhammer form, not rejoicing at the success of the attack. That strike had almost completely cleared out the ordinary Demons, but there was still a presence inside that had not died…