King Varian initially refused to see a Murloc, but he didn't want to appear weak in front of others, especially when it was time to boost morale, so he reluctantly went to the riverbank.
The Old Murk-Eye bobbed up and down in the river. When he saw His Majesty the King in full military attire, he bowed respectfully and said:
"Your King, the safety of Azeroth rests on your shoulders. I, Old Murk-Eye, am unworthy, but I am willing to do my utmost for Azeroth. If Your King has any difficulties, please feel free to discuss them with me, Old Murk-Eye."
"Murloc, do you know what you're saying? I am the great King Varian, why would I need your help?" Varian said rudely, not wanting to be looked down upon by a Murloc.
The Old Murk-Eye shook his head and said quietly:
"Your King, though I am blind, my heart is clear. You did not save Thrall of your own volition; you must have had your reasons. Though I Old Murk-Eye and powerless, I hope I can help you."
"You're overthinking it, Murloc. Everything I've done is for Azeroth," Varian almost roared.
Old Murk-Eye's face was bitter, but he still patiently said, "Your King, as long as you are willing to ask, I will do my best to help you no matter what difficulties you face. And it's not just me; I can gather many friends. You must believe me, many people are willing to fight for Azeroth, willing to join humans in driving out the Orcs and protecting our homeland."
For a moment, Varian genuinely believed the Old Murk-Eye, but Pride quickly prevailed. He didn't think a mere Murloc could help him, and he was unwilling to reveal his true feelings.
Varian was unaware of the opportunity he had missed. In the Azeroth Continent, Murlocs were known for their large numbers; wherever there was water, Murlocs could be found.
Unfortunately, this race doesn't have any particularly outstanding figures. Apart from the elusive and Legendary Lurky, the only notable one is Old Murk-Eye, who can be considered the foremost hero among the Murloc.
The natural population size of the Murloc is actually a huge advantage.
They can find what others can't, and Murloc have clues about artifacts that others can't discover. If the Murlocs truly work together, destroying Orgrimmar with the power of the tides wouldn't be difficult.
The Old Murk-Eye meant well, but he misplaced his intentions. He continued nagging:
"King Majesty, although I am merely a Murloc, I know one principle: when faced with the injustice of Destiny, one should choose to fight back, not compromise with the enemy. You need the help of your friends."
"You bastard, how dare you, a Murloc, mock me? What right do you have to be the King's friend?"
King Varian finally lost his patience. He snatched a musket from a nearby Dwarf musketeer and fired at the Old Murk-Eye.
For some reason, even though the shot hit, Old Murk-Eye was completely unharmed. This hero among the Murlocs actually has his own unique abilities.
Upon seeing His King fire, the Old Murk-Eye sighed deeply and had no choice but to jump into the water, quickly disappearing from sight.
While Varian's generals didn't seem to mind missing the opportunity to ally with Old Murk-Eye, his advisors, the team dedicated to strategizing for the King, and some of the advisors who knew the Murlocs well, secretly felt regret.
Varian's party crossed the river at Jerod's Landing and headed west toward Raven Hill Cemetery.
This is the realm of the Undead, the place where the blood of the innocent flows.
As King of Stormwind City, Varian was certainly aware of the tragedies that had occurred there.
In an instant, he seemed to understand something. There was no such thing as fairness and Justice in this world; it was nothing but deceit and scheming. Just like the tragedy of Raven Hill, who would Justice for the innocent people who were slaughtered and died tragically?
In that instant, King Varian felt a sense of relief and became even more Steadfast to save Thrall.
A terrible Plague was raging in Raven Hill, Undead crawled out of the ground, their rotting eyes watching the passing procession. Varian ultimately did not have the courage to cross Raven Hill Cemetery directly. Not wanting to cause any trouble, he bypassed Raven Hill Cemetery from the side.
Not long after entering Duskwood, the Night Watch of Darkshire came to meet them, led by an officer named Jonathan Carl, who reported directly to King Varian and his staff:
"Your King, the Duskwood is fraught with danger. It would be perilous to venture in without proper preparation. I have brought the latest intelligence on the Vulgol Ogre Mound."
"Finally, I've heard some useful information before we reunite with Jaina." Varian nodded. "What I want to know is, how many men does Cho'gall have? And how many enemies do we need to deal with?"
Jonathan Carl cautiously replied, "The situation is far from optimistic. There were originally about a thousand Ogres on Vulgol Ogre Mound. Although they claim to be neutral, based on my understanding of them, don't believe Ogre lies. If things go wrong on our side, they will definitely not hesitate to kick us while we're down."
After a pause, Jonathan Carl's expression tightened, and he said with some concern:
"Cho'gall brought a total of five hundred Twilight's Hammer cultists, the maximum number agreed upon with the Black Dragon Princess. Originally, there were fewer than fifty Ogres; the rest were cooks and support staff to prepare for the Ogre Tournament. However, since learning of His King's personal expedition to Ogre Mountain, although the number of people remained at five hundred, the cooks and support staff disappeared and were all replaced by Warriors, of whom about three hundred Ogres."
Upon hearing that Cho'gall had three hundred Ogres under his command, King Varian's advisors all changed their expressions. Many of them were Veterans who had participated in the Orcs Wars and knew the Ogres' astonishing fighting power.
Ogres possess bodies stronger than Orcs. Although they look fat and strong, and seemingly simple-minded, they are actually exceptionally agile.
Coupled with the Ogres' astonishing defensive and regenerative abilities, they once caused enormous trouble for humanity.
If they were to engage in a direct confrontation, Varian's two thousand troops would not be guaranteed a victory.
Unfortunately, Varian had no idea about the Ogres ' fighting strength. Seeing that it was getting late, he hurriedly urged, "A mere three hundred Ogres are nothing to worry about. March quickly and rejoin Jaina. I need to Savior Thrall before nightfall."
The staff members were shocked upon hearing this, and one of the older staff members quickly suggested:
"Your King, you mustn't! We've marched all day, and our soldiers are exhausted and hungry. Cho'gall's men are rested and waiting, which is extremely disadvantageous to us. We should rest for the night and make plans tomorrow."
"The great Savior Thrall is being humiliated by Ogres, and you're telling me to wait until tomorrow? You're destroying Azeroth. For the sake of the Savior Thrall, no sacrifice is too great," Varian said resolutely.
This elderly advisor, who had served the House Wrynn for many years, was respected and highly regarded. Faced with a life-or-death situation, how could he simply give up?
"Your King, it is precisely in order to rescue the Savior Thrall that we need to proceed cautiously. If we were to suffer a defeat this time, wouldn't we be wasting even more time?"
"You think we'll lose?" Varian's expression darkened. Having just gained immense power, he was unaware of his true strength, and his overestimation of his abilities led to blind Varian.
"You're scared by just three hundred Ogres? You've forgotten we have two thousand soldiers in total."
The old advisor grabbed Varian's horse by the head, refusing to let him move forward. Enraged, Varian was about to draw his sword when suddenly a sharp dagger pierced the advisor's chest.
Garona emerged from the shadows, chuckling, "King Varian, I'm sorry, I injured one of your men. I prefer Anjing and hate noisy things."
Varian waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's alright, I have plenty of subordinates like that."