In the village of Voldrun, a massive metal seat stood in the center of the square. A giant, dressed in simple yet noble attire, sat upon it with an air of casual elegance.
The tall and powerful Vrykul standing before him looked like small children in comparison. At that moment, a fully armored Vrykul chieftain was bowing his head, reporting to the giant.
"Master, the supplies have arrived. We are ready to restart the war."
"Hmph! Finally," the giant stood up from his seat, dissatisfied. "Then let it begin. This farce should be brought to an end. My warriors, crush those mortals who desecrate the gods!"
...
Across the river in the Night Elf frontline camp, Commander Nawaz noticed the bustling atmosphere in Voldrun. Putting down his telescope, a look of worry appeared on his face.
"It seems the Vrykul's supplies have arrived. This war, in which we have little chance of victory, is likely unavoidable."
Although Loken was technically the weakest fighter among the Watchers, that was only in comparison to other Titanic Watchers. Against mortals, he still possessed an overwhelming advantage in strength.
Nawaz turned to his adjutant with a heavy expression. "Prepare for battle. Push the remaining Arcane Golems to the front line. We must block the advance of Loken and the Vrykul—at least until Lord Andreas returns!"
With Loken himself present to boost morale, the Vrykul let out excited roars as they charged out of Voldrun.
They ignored their comrades falling under the bombardment of Mana Cannons and turned a blind eye to the large groups of their brothers being covered by the combined spells of the Highborne Mage Regiment. They simply charged forward with their heads held high, exerting 120% of their strength.
Facing the high-spirited Vrykul, Nawaz calmly deployed the Night Elf army into a defensive posture.
An initial burst of energy is strong, the second is weaker, and the third is exhausted.
The battle-hardened Nawaz believed that this group of hyper-excited Vrykul could not maintain such a state for long. As long as they could withstand the most threatening first wave of the impact, he was confident he could continue to play for time steadily, provided Loken did not personally join the fray.
However, as the King of Wisdom, Loken was a master of strategy. He easily saw through the Night Elf commander's intentions.
"Heh... hoping for reinforcements?"
Boom!
As Loken extended his left hand, which flickered with a faint golden light, violent lightning struck out of thin air into the Night Elf camp. Caught off guard, the Night Elf soldiers were instantly thrown into chaos.
The continuous barrage of lightning forced the Arcanists to stop their offensive spells and instead begin constructing a defensive barrier covering the entire camp.
Lacking the support of the Mage Regiment, the Vrykul's charge became even more ferocious. Over a dozen Arcane Golems on the front line had already been dismantled. The Night Elf warriors and Druids in Bear Form standing alongside the golems immediately stepped up to fill the gaps.
In the ensuing melee, casualties on both sides continued to climb. Compared to the Vrykul, who had a high fertility rate, this kind of life-for-life combat was very disadvantageous for the Night Elves.
Nawaz bit his lip and shouted orders: "Rifle squads, prepare! Three-stage volley!"
Three rows of elven marksmen holding Mana Rifles took turns stepping forward to fire arcane beams. The high-energy-consuming Mana Machine Guns also began to roar, momentarily halting the Vrykul's momentum.
But the threat posed by Loken, who remained in the rear summoning bolt after bolt of lightning, was glaringly obvious. The defensive barrier maintained by the Arcanists was trembling under the bombardment. He alone was effortlessly pinning down a legion of a thousand Arcanists.
Not only that, but while suppressing the Arcanists, Loken could even find the time to pick off the Arcane Golems on the field. As the number of golems dwindled, the pressure on the Night Elves' once-solid front line grew heavier.
In the sky, the Chimaera riders and Proto-Drake riders were locked in a stalemate, but the situation was tipping toward the Vrykul under Loken's nonchalant guidance.
"Loken, stop!"
A bolt of blue lightning suddenly crashed down from the sky, landing less than a meter from where Loken stood. The splashed earth even stained the robes of the King of Wisdom, causing him to frown in annoyance.
Boom!
A giant crashed down from the sky, his immense mass causing the ground nearby to shake violently.
Roar!
As the massive blue Proto-Drake let out a furious roar, most of the red Proto-Drakes ridden by the Vrykul began to tremble on the spot, tucking their tails and landing on the ground in shame.
"Thorim..."
Loken looked at the giant who had just landed with a dark expression. Confusion and vigilance flashed in his eyes; he clearly hadn't expected the long-reclusive Thorim to suddenly leave the Temple of Storms and come to the Grizzly Hills.
"Loken, what are you doing!"
Thorim looked at the situation on the battlefield and angrily rebuked him. "Have you forgotten the words you used to scold me? How can a Watcher participate in a war of mortals? What exactly are you thinking!"
Loken's expression shifted, but he quickly put on a warm smile. "Thorim, don't be so agitated. My kin were being invaded by an alien species. They called out to me for help; I couldn't just stand by and watch, could I?"
"What do you mean 'alien species'!"
Thorim pointed his warhammer at Loken and retorted, "The Night Elves took root in the continent of Northrend years ago. Don't tell me you didn't know about the existence of the city of Shandaral!"
"Haha, well about that..."
Before Loken could roll his eyes and come up with a better excuse, Thorim interrupted him. "Enough nonsense! I have something important to ask you."
Staring intently at Loken, Thorim followed Andreas's suggestion and watched the subtle changes in the giant's facial expressions. He spoke each word slowly: "Loken... Sif actually died at your hands, didn't she?"
For a split second, a look of horror appeared on Loken's face. Although he masked it quickly, Thorim, who had been watching him closely, caught that fleeting expression of terror.
Though Loken's smile grew even kinder, his left hand secretly moved behind his back. "Thorim, what nonsense are you talking about? Sif died at the hands of Angrim. Was the truth of that matter not made clear long ago?"
Immersed in his grief and anger, Thorim did not notice the detail. Andreas, standing beside him, hurried to whisper a warning: "Watch his left hand! Be careful of Loken's tricks."
With the reminder, Thorim quickly calmed down. He asked again in a deep voice, "And the evidence? Back then, I was blinded by rage and killed Angrim without a second thought, but I never received any proof of the crime committed by the Frost Giants."
"Also, how exactly did Tyr die? Why was he attacked by Zakajz, whom we had sealed away long ago..."
Loken's face changed repeatedly. Before Thorim could finish, he suddenly looked toward the sky behind Thorim with a look of pleasant surprise. "Freya, what are you doing here?"
"Hmm?"
Just as Thorim was about to turn and look, Andreas, forgetting to remain hidden, shouted at the top of his lungs: "Don't fall for it!"
Loken's left hand, covered in golden lightning, shot toward Thorim, looking as if it would strike the distracted Watcher.
At the critical moment, Thorim snapped his head back. In his haste, he raised his warhammer to block Loken's path of attack.
Clang!
Golden and blue lightning collided. With one side calculating and the other reacting, the weaker Loken and Thorim fought to a draw.
Dominated by the terror in his heart after the failed sneak attack, Loken didn't dare stay a moment longer. He transformed into a bolt of golden lightning and fled toward the horizon.
"Stay where you are! I am not finished asking my questions!"
Thorim immediately prepared to call his mount to pursue Loken, but Andreas stepped out and stopped him.
"Don't chase him. Once he escapes into Ulduar, delivering yourself to his doorstep is just seeking your own death."
"Thorim, you need to quiet down and carefully consider how you will proceed from here."