A green-skinned Forest Troll, stronger than his kin, hunched his back as he patrolled the military camp, followed by two different straight-backed trolls.
The high morale of the Forest Trolls and the initial effectiveness of their battle formations left the troll in golden armor quite satisfied. He nodded and said to the Forest Troll ahead, "Chieftain Xinsa, the troops' morale is high; this war should be won easily."
The Forest Troll known as Xinsa laughed happily. "This is all thanks to the guidance of our Zandalar compatriots. It's the first time I've known that battle formations could be arranged like this."
The other straight-backed troll, adorned with many gold ornaments, gave a proud snort. "Quel'Thalas is just a weak nation established by Night Elf exiles. There's nothing to be proud of in defeating them."
"This is just the beginning. The Amani Empire must take advantage of the momentum of this victory to continue expanding the empire's territory, striving to merge with the Gurubashi Empire in the middle of the Eastern Kingdoms."
Xinsa's face showed undisguised displeasure. "Gurubashi? Those idiots who squat in the jungle all day engaging in infighting?"
"Advisor Ese, why should the Amani share land with the Gurubashi? The entire Eastern Kingdoms should belong to the glorious Amani Empire!"
"Heh~"
The Zandalar Hex Lord Ese chuckled meaningfully. "As long as we can defeat Quel'Thalas, there will be no more races in the northern Eastern Kingdoms capable of curbing Amani's development."
"Humans without even spellcasters are just a minor nuisance. After crushing their primitive kingdom, as for whether the Amani or the Gurubashi will gain the upper hand in the territorial struggle... it depends on which side is stronger. We, the Zandalar, will not intervene."
Nikolai, the Zandalar Army Commander, spoke up to remind them, "Don't think that far ahead yet. Although the High Elves are few in number, their Arcane magic can still cause great damage, and the arcane golems on the front line are quite troublesome to deal with."
"Chieftain Xinsa, I suggest tightening the multi-pronged military strikes and concentrating superior forces to select one route for a breakthrough. Do not give Quel'Thalas another chance to turn the tables; it is best to settle this quickly."
Xinsa waved his hand complacently. "At this point, it's impossible for the High Elves to recover. The face our Amani ancestors lost in Quel'Thalas, I will surely get back with interest."
Xinsa's nonchalant attitude was as if he had already won, and the habitually cautious Nikolai sighed helplessly.
Ese patted his colleague from the Zanchuli Council and comforted him, "Relax, you always overthink things like this."
"No matter how much Xinsa's ego swells, our scouts are still all over the Amani Forest. If there's any movement, they will discover it quickly."
Nikolai nodded with a bitter smile. "I hope so."
'I feel like something has been overlooked. Is it just my imagination?'
...The advisory group sent by Zandalar was led by Hex Lord Ese and Army Commander Nikolai. Like the Night Elves, they did not directly send troops to support the Amani but cooperated with the Amani Empire in the form of advisors.
Since the war between the Amani Trolls and the High Elves had always been maintained in the southern Eversong Woods, the troll side's attention to Sunsail Anchorage, Quel'Thalas' largest port, was clearly insufficient. This was also a common cognitive blind spot for Nikolai as an Army Commander.
In the Zanchuli Council, each council member was responsible for different tasks, with almost no overlap between them.
Nikolai was only responsible for commanding the land army, while naval affairs were entirely left to Botu to manage.
Since they hadn't heard of the High Elves having a powerful navy before, Botu did not join the advisory group this time. Nikolai's habitual thinking led him to ignore the blockade and defense of the sea.
However, the Amani Trolls didn't have a navy to begin with, so even if they wanted to blockade the sea, they probably couldn't do it.
First Leticia and Aurora, and then the envoy sent by Anasterian also traveled south all the way by sea.
When the Sun King's envoy, Dante Sunstrider, landed at a simple pier southwest of Stromgarde, the Kingdom of Arathor seemed to have expected them. The diplomatic officials responsible for reception warmly greeted the envoys into Stromgarde.
Although the High Elves were naturally proud, they were now the ones asking for help. Coupled with the fact that the humans' attitude was very appropriate, Dante, who was responsible for seeking help from the humans, felt much better than his original gloomy mood.
After entering Stromgarde, Dante was surprised to find the Kingdom of Arathor's army training in battle formations and tactics.
Under the command of flags and horns, this group of soldiers, who had clearly only recently begun training, could not yet strictly follow orders, but the discipline of the human army was already beginning to show.
What surprised him even more was that the one responsible for guiding the human army's formation training was actually a female Night Elf.
Dante: "???"
"...A Night Elf? Where did she come from?"
Hearing Dante's subconscious murmur of doubt, the diplomatic official in charge of reception answered in a gentle tone.
"These two Night Elves come from the Night Elf Republic across the sea. They came to help Arathor and Quel'Thalas defeat the Amani Trolls and were appointed as military advisors by King Thoradin."
Dante was stunned for a long while. Thinking of Celeste and Andreas who were still stationed in Silvermoon City, a flash of insight suddenly struck his mind.
'I see. No wonder the humans are so enthusiastic. It turns out Speaker Moonshadow had already prepared. As the rumors say, he handles things flawlessly.'
Andreas was a friend of the first Sun King, DathRemar, and was also quite familiar with the second Sun King, DathNath.
He had personally witnessed the founding of Quel'Thalas, and some legends about him were still preserved in the High Elf kingdom.
It was said that this Speaker Moonshadow liked to plan before acting, making thorough preparations before a war began.
When Dante met King Thoradin, the human king's gentle attitude made him even more certain of his guess.
The well-prepared Thoradin agreed in principle to ally with Quel'Thalas against the trolls, but for the future development of his country, he made a request.
Thoradin looked at Dante with bright eyes. "Mr. Envoy, I hope the High Elves can teach magic to humans."
Through Leticia's analysis, Thoradin had also discovered many flaws in the Arathor army, and the lack of spellcasters was one of them.
"This..."
Dante guessed that the humans would mention conditions, but he didn't expect Thoradin's request to be this.
After hesitating for a long while, Dante said with a conflicted expression, "...Please forgive me, I cannot make this decision alone. I must first tell the Sun King of King Thoradin's request."
Thoradin nodded readily. "That's fine, but wouldn't this back-and-forth take Lord Sunstrider quite a bit of time?"
Dante said proudly, "No need. I can establish remote contact with the Sun King. I only need King Thoradin to open a ley line node in the Hillsbrad Foothills to me."
Curious, Thoradin watched Dante use a ley line node to construct the long-distance communication spell from start to finish.
When the spell was complete, a gentle male voice came from the array.
"Dante? What news?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Without wasting words, Dante relayed Thoradin's request to the Sun King on the other end.
"Hmm…"
Far away in the Sunstrider Court, Anasterian hesitated.
As descendants of the Highborne, they knew better than anyone the dangers of reckless Arcane use; for years the High Elves had hidden every major spell behind the Sunwell so no Arcane energy would leak out.
At this time Quel'Thalas had not yet raised the great combined ward Ban'dinoriel, but its prototype was already visible.
With runestones buried beneath Eversong Woods, the High Elves could completely shroud the Sunwell's stray Arcane energies within Quel'Thalas, preventing them from drifting into the Twisting Nether and alerting demons.
The Sun King wavered for a long while; Dante and Thoradin waited patiently for his answer.
Considering the desperate plight now facing Quel'Thalas, Anasterian finally yielded—at least let his people survive this present crisis first.
"Dante, use the local ley line node to set up a teleport array; I will send someone to teach the humans the basics of the Arcane. But limit the first group to one hundred—no more. I will not repeat the Night Elf Empire's mistakes."
"By your command."
When the call ended, Thoradin felt both disappointment and excitement.
Though only a hundred places were granted, once those first mages mastered the fundamentals the ranks of human spellcasters would surely grow inside the Kingdom of Arathor… To Dante's surprise, the humans learned astoundingly fast; they seemed born with an affinity for that orderly energy.
Anasterian, receiving the reports, was baffled—but Andreas knew the reason.
Humans, after all, were the descendants of Titan-forged; being shaped by the Titans who commanded the purest Arcane power, an innate Arcane affinity was hardly unbelievable.
As Quel'Thalas began honoring the pact, Thoradin reciprocated, setting the armies of the Arathor Empire in motion.
Lordaeron led his own troops westward through the Hillsbrad Foothills, driving off scattered trolls until they reached the foot of the Alterac Mountains and began erecting a mighty fortress—Alterac Fortress.
Ignatius likewise marched north with elite forces, entering the Eastern Wilds through the Hinterlands pass and building a forward post on land later known as the Eastern Plaguelands.
For a full half-year the High Elves defended desperately; many lines were torn open by the Amani Trolls, yet they barely held the core approaches to Silvermoon City.
Chief Xinsa of the Amani was growing impatient; the humans harassing their rear made the Zandalar military advisors uneasy, urging him every day to concentrate strength and break through the center.
Xinsa himself sensed danger; abandoning any thought of toying with the High Elves, he recalled every scattered band in Eversong Woods, ready to smash through Thorny Breeze Village in one blow and reach Silvermoon City.
Once the capital of Quel'Thalas fell, all elven resistance would be meaningless.
Six months later, the hundred human apprentice-mages, crammed through an elven crash-course, had basic combat capability; Alterac Fortress was nearly finished, and the allied armies of man and elf at last saw the moment for a counter-attack.
"The time has come."
Standing before Alterac Fortress, Leticia murmured, "Quel'Thalas is at its limit; the troll assault is turning frantic. This is the perfect moment for Arathor to strike from the rear."
Calmly, Thoradin nodded.
"Clang!"
Drawing his blade stormcaller, the white-haired Thoradin thundered, "Soldiers, since humans first kept history the Forest Trolls have slaughtered our kin and devoured their flesh."
"They see us as walking meat in the woods. Let us show those brutal savages we are not cattle for the taking!"
"Our High Elf allies of Quel'Thalas pin down their main force. Now—hear my order—attack!"
"Roar!"
Leticia and Aurora watched the well-ordered Arathor host stream out of Alterac Fortress.
Uncertain, Aurora asked, "Are their drills up to standard?"
"Not even close."
Leticia shook her head. "Six months only let them memorize the most basic formations; complex maneuvers are out of the question."
"But the trolls won't be much better—unless the Zandalar advisors use voodoo to cram tactics into their skulls, it'll still be rookies pecking at each other."
Aurora rolled her eyes. Blunt as it sounded, to a battle-hardened Night Elf the newly trained humans and Amani Trolls were indeed rookies.
After Thoradin led the main army out, Ignatius also moved from the Eastern Wilds in support.
"Ha!"
At the head of the charge Ignatius plunged into the enemy, his two-handed greatsword reaping any troll in his path.
The hills of the Eastern Wilds border the Amani Forest; Ignatius' troops faced heavy pressure.
Yet to open a path for Thoradin's main force, he and his men fought bloodily and finally broke through to the Western Wilds.
In contrast, Thoradin's route was easier.
Leaving the Alterac range, his army entered the Western Wilds through Icecrown.
Though the Forest Trolls had long guarded against a rear attack, their main strength was committed to Eversong Woods; the few defenders they could muster could not stop the high-morale Arathor troops.
After breaking the token troll defenses of the Western Wilds, Thoradin marched east and joined Ignatius' flanking column.
Only here did the real drama begin.
With the two armies united, Thoradin at last met the elite troll force guarding the Amani southern line.
These Forest Troll veterans were utterly different from the rabble he had faced; when the humans first encountered troll voodoo, widespread panic—predictably—crippled their once-fierce assault.
At that moment Xinsa was personally leading the siege at Thorny Breeze Village; furious, he punched one of Eversong's great trees at the news.
"Insignificant humans dare stab at our rear?!"
Nikolai's face was grim. "This is bad—caught between two fires is a fatal flaw. We must break one side quickly to escape encirclement. I suggest—"
Before Nikolai could finish, Xinsa roared, waving his blade toward Thorny Breeze, "Smash the elves first! Humans are a disorganized mob—once Quel'Thalas falls we can turn back and crush them!"
"But—"
Nikolai tried to argue, but Ese laid a hand on his shoulder and silently shook his head.
"It's no use—look at these Forest Trolls."
Every troll's eyes were red as they hurled themselves at Thorny Breeze's defenses; seeing it, Nikolai could only sigh softly.
"Let us hope Chief Xinsa's choice is right."
The battle on the front lines of Thorny Breeze Village was exceptionally brutal.
The High Elves of Quel'Thalas had built a small fortress in front of Thorny Breeze Village, and now this fortress was crumbling under the assault of the Trolls.
Quel'Thalas did not possess the powerful construction technology of the Night Elf Republic, and facing the repeated impacts of multiple loa, the cracks on the city walls grew increasingly numerous.
A female General, holding an exquisite longbow and wearing a green cloak, unleashed a torrent of arrows so fast they left afterimages. At the same time, she loudly encouraged the nearly exhausted Rangers beside her, "Don't stop! Keep firing!"
"Our homes are right behind us! If you don't want your families to end up buried in the stomachs of the Trolls, you absolutely cannot let them break through the Thorny Breeze Village defenses!"
Anasterian personally entered the fray, holding the legendary artifact Felo'melorn, passed down through the Sunstrider line, and, protected by the Spellbreaker Royal Guard, did his best to serve as an artillery platform.
"Pyroblast!"
The Sun King hurled a fireball the size of a bathtub into the group of Trolls besieging the city below. The fireball exploded upon contact, releasing intense heat that engulfed all Trolls within a ten-meter radius.
Ignoring the Forest Trolls screaming and rolling on the ground, Anasterian used Presence of Mind without pause to instantly cast a second Pyroblast.
Two consecutive massive fireballs blasted a large gap among the Troll siege forces swarming below the city wall, and the rudimentary battering ram was also ignited by the flames, slightly easing the High Elves' pressure in defending the city.
The city gate, which had been reinforced with multiple enchantments, was already covered in heavy cracks. The damage caused by the Witch Doctor's Voodoo Spells was very apparent, and the gate would not last much longer.
Seeing that the protracted attack was failing, Xinsa angrily led his Royal Guard squad to charge directly through the arrow rain. The Witch Doctors and Headhunters quickly redirected their fire, suppressing the nearly exhausted Elf Rangers on the city walls in a short time.
Xinsa stomped and climbed up the pitted city wall. After jumping onto the wall, he immediately swung the great saber in his hand toward the female General commanding the battle.
"Clang!"
The Elf General raised her longbow, using the bow itself—which was clearly no ordinary item—to block Xinsa's attack, but the difference in physique and strength between the two caused Xinsa's blow to send her flying.
However, the General did not completely lose her balance; she adjusted her posture in mid-air, landing lightly, and even while airborne, she drew her bowstring and launched Rapid Arrows.
"Clang, clang, thwack, thwack, thwack!"
Xinsa deflected two arrows aimed at vital points, while the remaining three arrows embedded themselves in his arm and thigh.
"It's you again, you damned Windrunner!"
In Xinsa's memory, he couldn't recall how many times he had fought this female Ranger. Although she had retreated continuously due to the disparity in military strength since the war began, he had never truly defeated this troublesome enemy.
"General, retreat quickly!"
Three Rangers gathered around Xinsa and attacked.
Xinsa leaned his head back to dodge a dagger aimed at his neck, and his large three-toed foot kicked the opponent's chest. A clear sound of breaking bones rang out; the Elf Ranger's chest caved in, and he clearly wouldn't survive.
Extending his left hand to block the Ranger attacking him, Xinsa forcefully clamped the opponent's dagger with his muscles, then swung his great saber down, cleaving the slow-reacting Ranger horizontally into two pieces.
The last Ranger had his head chopped off by Xinsa's Royal Guard Captain, who had just climbed the wall. By this time, the female Ranger-General defending the wall had already retreated dozens of meters.
Having no time to pull out the arrows and dagger embedded in his body, a strong sense of danger suddenly surged in Xinsa's heart. He casually grabbed a nearby Elf corpse and held it in front of him, just as a large fireball landed on the corpse and exploded.
"Pah!"
Xinsa tossed away the scalding corpse he was holding, then hastily removed the enemy weapons stuck in his body. By this time, the wounds on his body had already begun to heal rapidly.
"Haha! Sunstrider, you coward finally dared to show your face."
Grinning sinisterly at the handsome man in red robes holding a crimson longsword, Xinsa gripped his curved great saber with both hands and challenged, "Come on, let's go one-on-one!"
"Boom!"
A Giant Bear Loa violently slammed into the city wall, causing the entire fortress to shake violently.
Anasterian remained unmoved, staring coldly at Xinsa. Just as he was about to step forward to accept the challenge and boost his side's morale, the female Ranger quickly stopped him.
"Your Majesty! Don't bother with him; they won't be able to stay on the wall for long."
Just as the General said, the Arcanist troops protected at the rear began casting spells, and three types of magic soon completely covered the section of the wall where Xinsa was located.
Having finally managed to climb the wall, Xinsa originally wanted to continue expanding his advantage.
But facing the focused attention of the Arcanists and the Spellbreakers watching menacingly nearby, he could only concede defeat and jump back down the wall to avoid them.
"Swoosh!"
The female Ranger-General drew her bowstring again, and several of Xinsa's Royal Guards who were too slow to escape were immediately shot dead on the city wall... This siege battle, a bloody melee between both sides, lasted a full day, but ultimately, the Trolls failed to breach the crumbling city gate.
It wasn't that the Trolls didn't want to press on and break through the fortress, but the Arathor Empire was exerting immense pressure on the Troll's Southern Defense Line.
After the thirty thousand elite troops initially overcame their fear of Voodoo, they advanced once more under Thoradin's command. The remaining garrison alone could no longer withstand the human attacks.
Once the defense line behind them was breached, not only could the humans chase and severely beat the Trolls, but the High Elves, who were on the verge of collapsing, would also be greatly encouraged.
Although extremely reluctant, Xinsa could only retreat under Nikolai's repeated urging.
As soon as the Trolls retreated, most of the High Elves still alive on the city wall immediately collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion.
The Rangers suffered severe physical exhaustion, and their hands trembled constantly after the battle ended.
The Mages were also close to running out of mana. One by one, they sat down where they were, pale-faced, entering a state of meditation, attempting to quickly replenish their consumed energy by drawing power from the Sunwell.
The city walls, both inside and out, were littered with the corpses of Trolls and High Elves, and the wreckage of arcane golems was scattered everywhere.
Generally speaking, the Trolls, as the attacking side, suffered more casualties, but at this moment, no High Elf felt like they had gained anything.
Anasterian sighed sadly. Regardless of the outcome of this war, the High Elves would be unable to recover their strength for at least several hundred years.
Andreas, Onyxia, and Celeste stood atop a mountain peak behind the battlefield, gazing into the distance at the brutal scene of the recently concluded fight.
Onyxia looked at Celeste's tightly pressed lips and quietly asked Andreas, "Do we really not need to help? Even if we only joined the battlefield in a personal capacity, we could still make a difference, couldn't we?"
"No need."
Celeste let out a breath and said in a low tone, "This is a trial that Quel'Thalas must endure. Perhaps this war can wake up those nobles who are constantly immersed in pleasure."
Andreas offered no comment, but he secretly shook his head inwardly, 'Is it really that easy?'
Just as Chieftain Xinsa personally led the Amani Trolls to assault the defenses, the Kingdom of Arathor seized the opportunity to attack the rear of the trolls on the side of the Amani Forest near the Eastern Wilds hills.
Compared to the fiercely contested front line, the pressure on the Kingdom of Arathor was significantly lighter.
Chieftain Xinsa had intended to concentrate his forces to crush the High Elves' defenses in one go and resolve the crisis of being encircled on two sides, but Quel'Thalas' tenacity exceeded his imagination.
If he continued the high-intensity assault, he was confident he could breach the Darrowmere Village Defenses within three days, but the humans constantly harassing his rear prevented the trolls from committing their full strength to the siege.
Nikolai, the advisor sent by Zandalar, once again suggested to Chieftain Xinsa that they should first turn around and defeat the human army, ideally annihilating their main force in one swift blow.
Although the High Elves desperately defended the Darrowmere Village Defenses at great cost, it was clear to any discerning observer that they were now at the end of their tether.
If they continued to press the High Elves, the desperate Quel'Thalas might unleash astonishing combat power when pushed to the brink, and it might not be possible to conquer them in a short time.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. The High Elves possess sufficiently deep reserves. Once faced with a crisis of national annihilation, even those nobles who usually shirked their duties would undoubtedly fight with all their might, which would greatly hinder the trolls' offensive.
In comparison, humans were much easier to deal with.
Without spellcasters or healers, relying solely on brute physical strength to fight, and with military discipline not as strict as the High Elves, they appeared to be an easier target to crush.
After some internal struggle, Chieftain Xinsa decided to adopt the advice of Nikolai and Ese, temporarily suppressing the temptation to eliminate the High Elves and reclaim the Amani ancestral lands, and shifting his main attack direction to the rear... The Amani army formation was quite large, and the movement from front to rear was very noticeable.
Thoradin gazed at the flowing troll army formation from afar, saying with a solemn expression, "As advisor Leticia said, the trolls have indeed shifted their main attack target to us."
Ignatius, covered in various wounds and countless blood-soaked bandages, asked, "Your Majesty, shall we retreat according to the plan?"
"Retreat."
Thoradin ordered without hesitation, "Although the trolls suffered significant losses in their war with Quel'Thalas, their total troop count still far exceeds ours. We cannot engage them directly."
"Fight and retreat, try to appear weak to the enemy, and lure them to pursue us further south, according to the plan."
Thoradin turned to Lordaeron, "Has there been any news from Alterac Fortress? How are the mages preparing?"
Lordaeron nodded gravely, "advisor Aurora sent word this morning. Everything is ready, just waiting for the troll army to take the bait."
"Very good, soldiers, move out!"
The Arathor army had undergone over half a year of intensive training from Leticia. While they couldn't yet seamlessly integrate all tactics in actual combat, their formations were at least respectable.
Chieftain Xinsa received news of the human army's retreat and personally came to investigate with his two advisors and senior Amani generals.
Nikolai frowned as he watched the orderly retreating Arathor warriors. "Advancing and retreating in an orderly fashion. Our army is currently shifting direction, so even a hasty pursuit might not have a decisive effect. Were these humans really barbarians not long ago?"
Chieftain Xinsa also grinned in disbelief, "At least the last time the Amani fought them, the humans couldn't form such a disciplined formation."
Ese stroked his chin thoughtfully, "So, someone is guiding these humans from behind? The High Elves?"
Nikolai's brow twitched; he had a bad feeling.
"When did Quel'Thalas and Arathor establish an alliance?"
Chieftain Xinsa replied, "About half a year ago, why?"
"Half a year... that should be fine."
Nikolai silently calculated the time, 'It should be impossible for humans to quickly grasp the mysteries of magic in just half a year.'
"Chieftain Xinsa, be wary of human ambushes during the advance. I have a feeling they might be plotting something."
...As the trolls and humans moved in and out of the Amani Forest, the High Elves at the Darrowmere Village Defenses finally breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
Just half a year felt like years to the soldiers on the front lines. Every day, countless comrades shed their blood on the walls, sacrificing their lives to protect their nation.
Although under Anasterian's precise control, Quel'Thalas' army transformed the pressure into motivation to defend their homeland, this spirit and energy ultimately had its limits.
Of the thirty thousand elite High Elf soldiers, only about ten thousand still retained combat effectiveness. Over five thousand had died, and there were many wounded soldiers in the barracks awaiting healing from priests.
The scrap rate of arcane golems was even more astonishing. If not for Quel'Thalas' deep reserves accumulated over thousands of years, coupled with the cross-sea trade support intentionally or unintentionally facilitated by the Night Elf Republic, Quel'Thalas would probably have run out of ammunition and supplies by now.
Anasterian looked at the barely assembled remaining troops with a hint of reluctance, then gritted his teeth, discarding the hesitation inappropriate for wartime.
"Ranger-General Windrunner, the pursuit battle is yours to command. You must control the degree of harassment; do not provoke the trolls into turning back and attacking us again. Drive them step by step towards the Alterac Mountains as planned."
"Yes, sir!"
Ranger-General Windrunner solemnly accepted the army entrusted by the Sun King. These troops were the last forces Quel'Thalas could muster.
With the nation in peril, Anasterian no longer cared to play elegant political games with the nobles. He forcefully demanded that the nobles contribute their private armies, which were then barely pieced together and sent to the Darrowmere Village Defenses to replace the elites taken by the Ranger-General for the pursuit.
Quel'Thalas employed a feudal system, where each noble had their own territory in Eversong Woods and, naturally, their own Vassal Army.
These second-line troops were, of course, not as strong in combat as the regular army, but they should be just enough for defending the city.
After all, the main troll force had moved south, and the troops remaining in the Amani Forest were only for early warning and defending ZulAman; it was unlikely they would launch another large-scale siege.
After seeing off the Ranger-General, Anasterian still had no time to spare.
This war had undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to Quel'Thalas. Besides balancing the grievances of the various nobles and calming the panic in Silvermoon City, the Sun King also had to arrange personnel to ensure the supply lines for the pursuing forces.
A massive amount of work pressed down on the young Anasterian, creating immense pressure but also becoming a powerful driving force for his accelerated growth.
With Quel'Thalas temporarily out of danger, Andreas and his two companions also followed Ranger-General Windrunner south.
The decisive battle that would determine the future fate of the three nations of the Eastern Kingdoms was about to begin, and Andreas did not want to miss the opportunity to witness it firsthand.
The current Ranger-General was Veronika Windrunner, whose beauty was considered top-tier even among the handsome men and beautiful women of the high elves. Her heroic and valiant demeanor combined with her exquisite beauty gave Andreas the illusion of seeing Shandris.
However, this didn't mean he had any inappropriate thoughts about the Ranger-General; it was simply an appreciation of beauty, and Veronika was already a married woman.
Veronika Windrunner was over 1500 years old and an experienced veteran.
The Windrunner family rose to prominence during the early days of Quel'Thalas' founding. The family head at the time, Talanas, used the divine longbow, Thas'dorah, to slaughter a large number of invading forest trolls, making a significant contribution to Quel'Thalas' difficult early territorial expansion.
Thas'dorah was crafted from the wood of the holy tree Thas'alah in Eversong Forest. Under the nourishment of the Sunwell, this holy tree's branches and leaves covered the entire forest, and even the trolls benefited greatly from it.
Within the range of the holy tree Thas'alah, the forest was like spring all year round, and the magic of the Sunwell permeated freely, creating an excellent living environment for the high elves.
The wood for Thas'dorah was taken from the holy tree. Dath'Remar ordered it to be soaked in the Sunwell to absorb magic, and only after several years was it taken out and made into a longbow.
This divine bow was given to the first Ranger-General, Talanas Windrunner, who, with the help of Thas'dorah, led his ranger troops to drive all the trolls in Eversong Forest south.
From then on, the Windrunner family guarded the borders of Quel'Thalas for generations, becoming the first line of defense for the nation's gate.
As a descendant of the Windrunner family, Veronika, at a young age, inherited Thas'dorah and the title of Ranger-General from her father, who died in battle, leading the ranger troops to resist the invading trolls.
Veronika was born in a time of peace but grew up in a period of turmoil.
As the internal strife among the Amani trolls gradually ended, their frequency of attacks on the borders of Quel'Thalas increased year by year.
For the past 200 years or so, Veronika had barely left the front lines. She had clashed with Zul'jin, the current Amani chieftain, countless times, and both sides knew each other inside and out.
Compared to the decadent nobles who clung to Silvermoon City but wanted military power, Anasterian was more willing to trust the Windrunner family, who had guarded the high elf borders for generations.
Including the Sun King's direct mage army, the Bloodfury Legion, all of Quel'Thalas' hopes were placed on Veronika.
Facing immense pressure, the Ranger-General showed no anxiety or unease. She maintained a calm mind during her advance, constantly harassing the Arathor trolls' rearguard.
But Veronika skillfully grasped the trolls' mentality, not provoking them completely. The two sides, one advancing and one pursuing, crossed the Eastern Weald, closely following the humans and trolls into the center of the Western Weald, an area that would later be known as Andorhal.
During their time with the army, Andreas and his two companions developed a good relationship with Veronika.
Although he hadn't heard Veronika's name before, the name Windrunner was still firmly etched in Andreas' mind.
The descendants of this ranger family ran through the history of Azeroth for thousands of years. Firstly, the name of Veronika's daughter already sounded somewhat familiar to Andreas.
Feeling the gaze behind him, Andreas sighed softly and turned his head with a conflicted expression. A small golden head was faintly visible, hidden by the leaves in the forest.
"Alleria, come out."
Realizing she had been exposed, the person hiding in the tree jumped down decisively.
"Why are you following me?"
The young girl, not yet 20, tilted her head. "Curiosity. I've never seen a night elf before."
Celes, beside Andreas, looked a little surprised. "That can't be true, can it? Haven't the Night Elf Republic and Quel'Thalas maintained cross-sea trade for many years?"
Alleria pouted. "Mother and Father don't let me leave the Windrunner outpost. There are only traces of night elves around Sunsail Anchorage."
Since the two sides had not officially established diplomatic relations, night elves who arrived in Quel'Thalas with cross-sea merchant ships would only operate around the port and would not venture deep into Quel'Thalas' interior.
Young Alleria was at an age where curiosity was strong, but unfortunately, strict family upbringing meant she could only live and train in the border regions for a long time. She had only been taken to Silvermoon City, the capital, once by her mother when she came of age.
Andreas and Celes exchanged glances, then shook their heads helplessly. "Even if you want to observe, there's no need to be so sneaky. Couldn't you have just come up and talked to us?"
According to Andreas' past life memories recorded in his small notebook, Alleria should be the mother of the famous Windrunner sisters, but at this time, she was still just a highly curious high elf maiden.
Due to her connection with the high elves, Celes felt a sense of closeness to the citizens of Quel'Thalas, with the exception of a few corrupt nobles who looked down on everyone.
Waving Alleria over, Celes patiently recounted the history of the night elves to Alleria, whose eyes were full of curiosity.
Although Dath'Remar and Anasterian didn't care much about their past experiences, the noble historians were tight-lipped about the history before the high elves were exiled.
The historical records circulating in Quel'Thalas today only preserved the history after the high elves established their nation, and younger generations like Alleria only had a very one-sided understanding of the high elves' origins.
Moreover, these messages came from folk traditions passed down through generations, which inevitably contained a lot of inaccurate information.
Onyxia looked at the two whispering together. "Shouldn't we stop them? What if this girl learns the truth about the high elves' exodus and spreads it widely in Quel'Thalas... it might cause a certain impact on the public opinion controlled by the nobles, right?"
Andreas shrugged. "The truth can never be fake. There's no harm in letting her understand history."
"Besides, I believe Alleria isn't the kind of person who doesn't know what's important. Look, Veronika isn't stopping her either, is she?"
At this moment, although Veronika was still instructing the rangers to set up a temporary camp, her gaze occasionally drifted towards her daughter.
"Only one step left until the decisive battle."
Andreas shaded his eyes and looked at the troll camp in the distance. The crude animal hide tents and the high elves' exquisitely crafted gold and red military tents formed a stark contrast, as if representing barbarism and civilization respectively.
Onyxia obviously had similar thoughts. She sneered disdainfully, "Amani trolls, a nation that doesn't know how to keep up with the times, will eventually be crushed by the rolling wheels of progress."
"If the goal of this joint operation is achieved, the Amani will never have any hope of rising again from now on."
Andreas agreed with the Black Dragon Princess' prediction.
Facts proved that even with Zul'jin, a ruthless and resourceful forest troll leader, the Amani ultimately failed to achieve anything significant.
Looking at the clearly visible Alterac Mountains in the distance, Andreas sighed, "The Amani's predicament also serves as a warning to us. We cannot be content with the status quo and must always pay attention to the current era."
"After this war, the situation on the Eastern Continents will undergo a huge transformation."
"With Quel'Thalas recuperating and the Amani in decline, the rise of the Kingdom of Arathor and humanity is almost inevitable."
"We should start formulating strategies for dealing with humans. Fortunately, I laid the groundwork for goodwill in advance, which should help with friendly exchanges with humans in the future."
In the final canyon leading from Icecrown to the Alterac Mountains, a battle with a vast disparity in forces was underway.
Even though Thoradin had been effectively controlling the army to fight and retreat, the combat power of the Amani Trolls' main force still exceeded his expectations.
Amani Brutes, their physiques far surpassing their ordinary kin, led the troll infantry in the charge. Headhunters and Hexxers provided long-range support from the rear, while Witch Doctors performed eerie dances to boost morale and grant healing to the frontline warriors.
With success in sight, the Arathor army was instead caught by the Amani Trolls near Icecrown.
The troll battle line, still seventy thousand strong, was stretched quite long. The rearguard was being incessantly harassed by the High Elves, while the vanguard was the first to engage Arathor.
As the central army led by Xinsa drew closer to the battlefield, Thoradin found himself unable to shake off the trolls' pursuit to continue forward. The immense pressure caused the founding king of Arathor to scratch his head in desperate anxiety.
Ignatius, a man of typical straightforward temperament, gave a simple and honest smile. "Your Majesty, if you keep scratching, you'll truly go bald."
"Shut up!"
Thoradin was already in a foul mood; Ignatius' comment about his sore spot nearly made him kick the man.
When Leticia and Aurora had met Thoradin before, the human king's hairstyle had been a 'Mediterranean' balding pattern. Now... he wasn't far from being completely bald.
Ignatius actually wanted to charge into battle and carve a bloody path for the entire army.
However, he had fought too hard in the Eastern Wilds previously, and the forced march along the way hadn't allowed him enough time to recuperate.
Given the level of human medical technology, the only reason Ignatius hadn't developed complications from his injuries was his exceptionally strong physique; naturally, his recovery speed was quite slow.
As the situation grew critical, Nikolai, who had been silent until now, made up his mind and stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, please entrust the rearguard task to me. You lead the main force and retreat first."
"What?" Thoradin said in surprise. "Don't be ridiculous. In this situation, staying behind is no different from certain death. You..."
"Please agree, Your Majesty!"
Lordaeron bowed his head in firm entreaty. "The future of the Kingdom of Arathor, and indeed the entire human race, is focused on this war. We cannot fail on the eve of success. Please evacuate first, Your Majesty!"
Thoradin rebuked him sternly, "No! You are one of the most important generals of the Kingdom of Arathor. Even if someone must stay behind, it should be someone else's responsibility!"
Lordaeron smiled with an expression that saw through everything. "Who would be willing? And who has enough prestige to make the rearguard fight until the very last moment?"
"General Ignatius is qualified, but his injuries hinder his movements. Right now, I am the most suitable person to hold the rear."
"You..."
"Your Majesty."
Ignatius shook his head at Thoradin with a heavy expression. "Lordaeron is right. We cannot be caught and annihilated here by the trolls. Please make your decision."
"Whether it is I or Lordaeron, we are both willing to stay and serve the kingdom's future with our lives. The one who survives will lead the Arathor army to pick up the pieces after the plan is launched."
Thoradin was, after all, a founding hero of his generation. After a brief hesitation, he took a deep breath.
"Hoo... I understand."
Thoradin spoke to Lordaeron with an apologetic look. "Your heroic deeds will surely be remembered by the people of Arathor. We will make the plan succeed—we will!"
Lordaeron gave a dashing smile. "Your Majesty, I also believe the plan will succeed. The Kingdom of Arathor, and indeed all of humanity, will surely usher in a glorious era."
...Icecrown was no longer far from Alterac Fortress. Painfully entrusting the rearguard mission to Lordaeron and his five hundred elite soldiers, Thoradin led the main force in a continued retreat, his lips pressed thin.
When Xinsa's main force reached the narrow valley near Icecrown, the five hundred human soldiers, already in battle formation, blocked the road to the rear completely.
Lordaeron raised his longsword high with his right hand and shouted, "Soldiers who volunteered to stay behind! In the name of Lordaeron, General of the Kingdom of Arathor, I pay you my sincerest respects!"
"The war we are experiencing will determine the future of humanity. We are destined to not witness the end of this war or the bright future of the Kingdom of Arathor with our own eyes, but we shall become the final stepping stone for the rise of humanity!"
"The entire army must hold to the death! The trolls can only advance by stepping over our corpses! For Arathor!"
"For Arathor!"
Xinsa had originally thought he could annihilate the main human force in this canyon area, never expecting that the only ones left behind would be five hundred death-sworn soldiers who knew they were doomed.
"Attack! Crush them! Annihilate their main force before the despicable humans escape into the fortress! Glory shall belong to the Amani!"
"Roar!"
The physically imposing Amani Brutes were the first to let out inhuman roars as they leaped toward the human battle formation.
Lordaeron commanded loudly, "Shieldmen, hold the formation steady! Spearmen, aim for the air—stab these freaks down! Archers, fire at will!"
Though there were only five hundred soldiers, the human rearguard, united in purpose, followed Lordaeron's commands with perfect coordination.
The knowledge Leticia had taught them was finally put into practice at this moment of life and death. The five hundred human soldiers, their momentum condensed into one, held the canyon firmly. That aura of absolute determination caused the Zandalari advisor Nikolai's expression to change.
"Not good. This unit has begun to form a Martial Soul. This battle... might not be easy to fight."
Ese was not a military commander and asked in confusion, "Tens of thousands against five hundred—how can it be hard? Even just spitting on them would be enough to drown them, wouldn't it?"
Nikolai shook his head with a bitter smile. "It's not that simple. Look at the surrounding terrain."
"Both sides are steep cliffs that are difficult to climb. Unless we turn toward the hills to the south and take a long detour, this canyon guarded by five hundred humans is the final barrier to Alterac Fortress."
The High Elves were still chasing them from behind with frantic harassment. Both Nikolai and Xinsa had decided to settle this war quickly.
Just as Nikolai said, although Lordaeron's rearguard had only five hundred men, in this narrow valley, superior numbers did not grant them much of an advantage. The massive loa also found it difficult to utilize their strength in such cramped terrain.
The humans in the front row fell continuously under the coordinated attacks of the various troll units, but the remaining soldiers seemed to know no fear, remaining rooted to the spot as they held the vital canyon passage.
As the defenders' numbers were significantly reduced, Lordaeron himself took to the battlefield with sword and shield. His opponent was one of the most valiant warriors under Xinsa's command, Dal'ro, a follower of the Lynx Loa, Halazzi.
Clang!
His large shield blocked the claws on Dal'ro's gauntlets. Lordaeron steadily jolted his shield to push the attack back, while the longsword in his right hand followed up with a vertical slash.
Dal'ro had inherited some traits of the Lynx Loa and nimbly dodged Lordaeron's attack, but at that moment, a nearby one-armed human soldier summoned his last strength to thrust a spear at him.
Dodging in haste, Dal'ro lost his footing and stumbled back. Lordaeron seized this opportunity and launched a shield charge.
The heavily armored Lordaeron slammed into Dal'ro with immense force, his left shield striking the troll's head violently. While Dal'ro was dazed and seeing stars, the longsword in Lordaeron's right hand swung in a wide arc and severed his head.
After slaying the enemy general, Lordaeron struck his shield heavily with his longsword.
Bang! Bang!
"Who else!"
Xinsa's expression was extremely grim; he hadn't expected to lose a major general in this small canyon.
"Charge together! This is a battlefield, not a duel! Crush these human defenders, chop off their heads! Tonight, I'll have these humans for dinner!"
Xinsa's furious roar made Ese and Nikolai frown.
The Zandalari Trolls had long ago abandoned the barbaric custom of cannibalism. The Amani Trolls now possessed vast hunting grounds in the northern Eastern Kingdoms and would not lack food. Continuing cannibalism would undoubtedly tarnish the trolls' image and was completely unnecessary.
However, they were merely advisors sent by Zandalar, and it was not appropriate to contradict their chieftain in front of tens of thousands of Amani Trolls. The two could only temporarily suppress their displeasure and discuss it privately with Xinsa after the battle.
Multiple loa priests joined the battle simultaneously, and Lordaeron, stretched thin, gradually found it difficult to resist. His armor was severely damaged, wounds accumulated, and his crudely made shield showed multiple breaks and cracks. His longsword was already blunted.
But Lordaeron, despite his body covered in wounds, still bravely led the remaining hundred or so soldiers to firmly defend the canyon. His powerful fighting will, to fight until death, earned the respect of even Nikolai, his enemy.
Ultimately, all 500 human soldiers were annihilated, but they took down more than three times their number of enemies. Lordaeron, in particular, charged left and right, killing three loa priests in succession, which had Xinsa currently fuming with rage.
The remaining loa priests all became cautious. Although Lordaeron's armor, sword, and shield were almost completely shattered, and his entire body was stained crimson as he stood motionless, no one dared to approach within five meters of him.
"Kill! Chop off his head!"
"Wait!"
Nikolai finally couldn't hold back. He strode past the many hunched Amani Trolls, walked fearlessly to Lordaeron's front, checked for breath under his nose with his hand, and then tried to feel his neck pulse.
"He's already dead. There's no need to desecrate the body of this warrior."
Nikolai gently laid down Lordaeron's stiff, standing corpse. Ese also walked up in silence, lightly tapping his staff on the ground.
A two-meter-long pit appeared at the foot of the mountain on the edge of the canyon. Nikolai, with a heavy expression, picked up Lordaeron's body and placed it inside.
"You..."
Xinsa's expression was somewhat twisted. He hadn't expected the two Zandalar advisors to show such respect to an enemy; even he, the Amani Chieftain, had never received such treatment.
Nikolai and Ese ignored Xinsa. They whispered, "May Bwonsamdi bless your heroic soul, and may you reach the other shore of the land of the dead smoothly."
Although they were both troll branches, the Zandalari Trolls far surpassed these wild, feudal empires in terms of civilization, military strength, and personal training.
The actions of the two Zandalar advisors were incomprehensible to the Amani Trolls, indirectly causing a slight rift in their previously harmonious cooperative relationship.
"Alas~"
After breaking through the canyon and setting up camp in Strahnbrad, Ese and Nikolai sighed at each other in their self-made tent.
"No wonder other races look down on trolls. The fundamental reason is that feudal empires like the Amani Trolls themselves are not striving for progress."
Nikolai nodded gloomily, "If we are to revive the great troll empire, we must make plans to improve the quality and training of the feudal empires. First and foremost, barbaric customs like cannibalism must be eradicated."
Although Nikolai and Ese tried to persuade him multiple times, a victory with significant losses had infuriated Xinsa. The bodies in the canyon had all disappeared by now, leaving only a lone grave mound at the foot of the mountain.
As for the whereabouts of the bodies... considering the customs of the Amani Trolls, there was no need to investigate further... Thoradin, who had already entered Alterac Fortress, received the report from the front line. He nodded expressionlessly and waved the scout who delivered the message away.
On the windy rooftop of Alterac Castle, Thoradin's hands trembled slightly as he gripped the wooden railing in front of him, remaining silent for a long time.
After a long while, Thoradin's aged voice sang a mournful elegy, the song spreading far and wide in the quiet night.
On the third floor of the castle, Aurora and Leticia were speechless, having witnessed the brutal war in the canyon through Eagle Eye.
"Is this... war?"
Aurora curled up, her knees tucked in, and said with some despondency, "Leticia, do all the wars you've experienced involve fighting to the last man like this?"
"No."
Leticia had seen much more of the world than Aurora. Although she, too, was moved by Lordaeron's bravery, she wasn't as deeply impacted as Aurora.
"Normally, battlefields wouldn't be this brutal. Once a defeat is apparent, commanders would order their troops to retreat, trying to preserve their effective strength."
Leticia shrugged, "Of course, this is our Night Elves' way of fighting. After all, our birth rate is low, and Andreas has repeatedly emphasized that we should prioritize self-preservation on the battlefield."
"He'd rather scrap more arcane golems and war machines. As long as too many soldiers' lives aren't lost, we won't be severely weakened."
Leticia sighed, "Humans have different values than us. They are a short-lived species with a strong birth rate, sometimes willing to sacrifice their lives for important strategic opportunities. Perhaps this mindset will lead to a continuous emergence of heroes among humans in the future."
...The trolls had barely established their camp in Strahnbrad when Veronica's Quel'Thalas pursuit force arrived at the previously fiercely contested canyon.
"Why is there so much blood on the ground?"
Lirathra knelt down in confusion, touching the blood-stained earth. A large number of broken armors and weapons were scattered throughout the canyon.
Smelling the bloody soil, Lirathra judged, "It's still fresh. A major battle must have happened here, but where are the bodies?"
Andreas and Celeste's expressions were grim; both immediately inferred the fate of the bodies.
Onyxia sneered, "Heh~ Little one, think about the trolls' customs."
Celeste's delicate brows furrowed, "Auni!"
"Yes, yes~ I spoke out of turn."
Lirathra was not naive; having received strict training from her parents since childhood, she had some understanding of troll customs. She quickly understood Onyxia's meaning.
Lirathra, her face somewhat pale, turned to Veronica, "Mother, is this true?"
Veronica was silent for a moment before nodding, "These are the savage trolls, our eternal enemies."
"Lirathra, you will eventually inherit my position. Never be soft-hearted when facing trolls. These barbaric fellows are not even civilized beings; they are no different from beasts."
"...Yes."
Andreas at this moment noticed a barren mound at the foot of the mountain, "This is..."
Next to this mound was a small, uniQuel'y Zandalari stone carving. Although Andreas couldn't identify whose specific pattern this carving represented, through his previous conversation with Rezan, he knew it was the symbol of a loa.
"A tomb... loa, Bwonsamdi?"
Bwonsamdi, one of the loa worshipped by Zandalar, is known as the loa of death and the loa of graves.
It is said that a stone carving bearing Bwonsamdi's mark left beside a grave can preserve the body from decay for a certain period.
Due to the previous Blood Plague, Zandalar had long abandoned the custom of earth burial.
Leaving a grave here that prevents decay indicates that the person buried here is important, and their remains might be reinterred later.
"It shouldn't be a troll, so... Lordaeron?"
Andreas silently closed his eyes and prayed in his heart, "May Elune grant you peace in death."
...Nikolai stood before the Amani encampment, gazing at the walls of Alterac Fortress.
Although human construction techniques were not as advanced as those of the High Elves, Alterac Castle had a more generous construction period, allowing the Arathor humans ample time to meticulously refine it.
To guard against trolls, who stood over two meters tall, scaling the walls, Alterac Fortress' walls were ten meters high, with numerous archers standing atop them, their sharp gazes sweeping the surroundings.
Nikolai stroked his tusks and frowned, saying, "It's not easy to attack. It would be best to lure the humans out."
Ese shook his head. "Humans aren't stupid. How could they abandon their sturdy walls to fight us in the wild?"
"We can only send a large number of loa to assault the walls, aiming to breach this fortress as quickly as possible."
"The remaining elite forces of the High Elves will follow close behind; they will certainly seize the opportunity to rush into the battlefield. Tomorrow's battle will determine the course of the entire war. There's no need to conserve strength anymore."
Although a sense of unease still lingered in Nikolai's heart, he had been unable to pinpoint its source throughout their journey, so he ultimately nodded and agreed with Ese's suggestion.
Behind the Amani camp, the High Elves set up their camp at a certain distance, and the entire camp appeared to be unchanged from before.
However, at this time, only the Ranger Corps led by the Ranger-General and some priests remained in the tents; all Arcanists had completely disappeared from the camp.
The Alterac Mountains area has abundant moisture, leading to dense fog every morning.
"Kill!"
At five in the morning, before the sky had fully brightened, a cry of battle suddenly erupted from Alterac Fortress.
The Amani Trolls hastily got up; before they could organize their ranks, the army of the Kingdom of Arathor had already arrived.
"How is this possible? Are these humans insane?"
Nikolai's mouth hung open in disbelief as he said, "Why would they abandon the advantage of defending the city and charge out? Is it just for this surprise attack?"
At Nikolai's suggestion, the Amani Trolls had not completely lowered their guard, especially in this foggy weather suitable for a surprise attack.
The Arathor Empire's surprise attack did not have much effect; the prepared trolls quickly blocked their assault and even began to organize a counterattack when Xinsa personally joined the fray.
"No, no, no!"
Nikolai paced anxiously in the camp. "Something is wrong, somewhere! Such a clumsy surprise attack cannot achieve its goal. With the High Elves' guidance, humans cannot make such a foolish decision!"
Although Ese also couldn't understand, he patted Nikolai's shoulder. "Don't think about it. The humans are already showing signs of defeat. Thanks to their arrogant surprise attack, this war is about to end."
Just as Ese said, having rashly charged out of the fortress and failed in their surprise attack, the Arathor army was no match for the trolls in combat. The counterattacking Amani pushed them back step by step, seemingly on the verge of retreating back into the city to hold their ground.
But at this moment, a loa blocked their retreat.
The projection of the frog loa k'agwa, a helper sent by Zandalar to assist the Amani in achieving their ambitions.
Although Zandalar had promised to help, they did not intend to invest all their resources in the Amani.
The loa they brought were merely projections with one-fifth of their true power, and they followed the principle of voluntarism.
The high-ranking Loa of Kings Rezan was not interested in helping the Amani, nor did the death loa Bwonsamdi, who was second only to Rezan, come.
The leader among the Zandalar loa was the raptor loa Gonk, who was very keen on hunting; where there was war, there was slaughter, which was exactly the hunting ground suitable for him.
In addition to Gonk, the frog k'agwa, the thunder lizard Akunda, and the saber-toothed tiger Shirvallah also came to assist.
Previously, to protect the loa from the High Elves' Arcane damage, the Amani had used them very cautiously.
Even so, Quel'Thalas was exhausted by the repeated assaults of multiple loa.
For this expedition, besides the four high-level loa remaining in ZulAman, the Amani brought all the loa they could find.
However, the strength levels of the loa varied; powerful loa could even rival Wild Gods, while weaker ones might not even compare to Dakar, the Wild Spirit killed by Shandris earlier.
Seeing that the humans intended to flee back to the fortress, k'agwa's powerful hind legs suddenly pushed off the ground, and his massive body crashed down in front of the city gate, completely blocking the path for the Arathor soldiers to return to the city.
Thoradin, who had personally led the army out of the city, did not rashly order an attack on this giant frog. He led the Arathor forces to abandon the fortress and move deeper into the Alterac Mountains.
"Where are you running to!"
Victory was within reach, and Xinsa, hyped up, danced and shouted, "All troops charge! Win this battle, and the northern continent will completely belong to the Amani!"
Thoradin, in his retreat, maintained a calm expression, showing no sign of the impending defeat.
As locals, the Arathor army remained agile in the thick fog, gradually widening the distance between themselves and the unfamiliar Amani Trolls.
"Pursue them! Don't let them escape!"
...Thousands of meters in the sky, Andreas and Celeste had already rendezvoused with Leticia and Aurora. The four stood on Onyxia's back, who had transformed into her dragon form, overlooking the battle below from above.
Although the thick fog made it impossible to distinguish between the two armies, the general flow of the battlefield was clearer from this vantage point.
Watching the Amani army being lured into the valley northeast of the mountains by the deliberately noisy Arathor forces, Andreas' lips curled into a cold smile.
"The overconfident Amani have finally taken the bait."
As the sun gradually rose, the mist shrouding the mountains was slowly dissipating, allowing Andreas and the others to see more details from the sky.
The human and High Elf mages, already prepared, were hiding on the back sides of the mountains surrounding the valley.
Thoradin's army swiftly passed through the valley, followed closely by Xinsa, who, shouting, led the Amani army and loa into the valley. Veronica's Ranger Corps also trailed far behind the Amani army.
The climate in the Alterac Mountains was extremely cold, but Nikolai and Ese, who were following the main army, felt something was wrong.
"Stop! The Arcane fluctuations around us are rapidly increasing; we might have fallen into a trap!"
The main army rushing past was very noisy, and Xinsa could not hear Nikolai and Ese's voices at all.
When the hundreds of Zandalar advisor corps, trailing behind the main force, stopped outside the valley, the High Elf pursuit force from behind sped up their chase.
Feeling the surrounding Arcane magic fluctuations still rising, and the temperature around them also beginning to climb sharply, Ese gritted his teeth, reluctantly glancing at the Amani army rushing into the trap.
"Something is wrong, let's retreat first!"
"But..."
"No 'buts'! Let's save our own lives first; the Amani are finished!"