The Swamp was quite a distance from Blue Rock Pass. It was after dark that Unas group returned to the camp. A tall and thick Stone Wall had been built over the narrow valley entrance, leaving only a doorway that could only accommodate one person at a time.
This was only temporary, of course. Such a small exit could block the enemy, but it would also make transportation difficult. Unas really wanted was a fortress that could be attacked and defended at the same time. So he set up camp on a large piece of land Blue Rock Pass, while the Dwarves began to dig trenches along the outer edge of the camp, preparing to build a real city wall.
Despite being reduced from a regular soldier to an engineer, the Dwarf commander Sanders-Deeprock had no complaints. Upon seeing the Warden return from hunting, he quickly rode forward to greet him.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Unas asked, "Colonel Sanders, how's the progress today?"
"The trench is basically complete, and we can start laying the foundation soon. The only problem is the lack of stone. Fortunately, the stone in Blue Rock Pass is of good quality and can be quarried on-site, which will save time and effort and also widen the road."
The Dwarf was full of good news, but Unas knew it couldn't be that simple. "That's wonderful. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."
"We don't lack manpower, but we lack proper architects to guide us, and we also lack quarrying and fortification tools. I wonder if you could provide some assistance, sir? Also, our military rations are only enough for two days..."
The Dwarves were pointing out real difficulties. Although they were skilled at working with stone and could usually make repairs, building a city wall from scratch required professional architects.
"I'll send you the architect and all the tools. As for food," Unas said resolutely, "That's fine too. Just stay here without worry."
The Dwarf reinforcements only brought seven days' worth of rations. Unas intended to end the war quickly within a week, then send most of the Dwarves back, leaving only Sanders, whom he had promised to protect, and his trusted men.
But plans never go as expected. It seems we'll have to keep these 2,500 Dwarves for a while. They're all very obedient, and it's worth paying a price to keep them.
The architect and various tools are simple; you can get them from Shadowforge City. That's the advantage of having Teleportation Array. Unas has plenty of money and is the Holy Light Lord of the Dwarven Kingdom.
Although he had a bad reputation among the Dwarf officers, he was highly trusted by the new king among ordinary Dark Iron Dwarves, and there were countless people eager to curry favor with him, so he was not worried about not being able to win them over.
The only problem is food. There's not much food left in the stronghold. They're already living a very frugal life, and they're counting on the mushrooms in the Mushroom Cave to get through the winter.
Now there are suddenly over two thousand more mouths to feed, and we still have to rely on the Dark Iron Dwarves. However, Blackrock Depths was flooded by the sea, and the Dwarves suffered significant losses of their Glowing Wheat. The price of food has been rising continuously, and we don't know how much Frank has acquired during this time.
Fortunately, Unas has ample funds and can continue to spend money. In addition, with the daily harvest from hunting in the Canyon Swamp and the promotion of the Haikesi Giant Spiders meat sterilization method, he should be able to sustain himself.
Upon returning to the council tent, he immediately took out ten boxes of Gold Coins from his Spatial Bag and dispatched his personal guard captain, Raphael, to lead the team back to find Stonebrow with the money.
Stonebrow was originally a businessman, so buying tools and hiring architects were simple tasks for him, while the matter of purchasing grain could be discussed with Frank.
After handling some miscellaneous matters, Unas ate dinner, summoned a few trusted subordinates, and left the camp to the small hill where the dragon resided—he now called this place "Dragon Mound."
The Night Elves, Rosebayne, and the Blue Dragon were all present. After greeting them, Unas got straight to the point. "The reason I've gathered everyone here today is to discuss our next move."
"That's good. I thought the Knight had fallen in love with slaughtering those poor lizards and forgotten his promise to cooperate with us." Only the Watchers ' captain Cecilia-Silver Shadow, would say such a thing.
Before Unas could retort, Mati'gosa asked, "Is Knight Unas preparing to attack the Forest? Alice's injuries are healed; we will fully support you."
"Thank you, Miss Mati," Unas smiled at the Blue Dragon.
Silver Shadow scoffed and didn't say anything more.
Unas took out a hastily drawn map of the Forest and spread it on the ground, with three large crosses conspicuously arranged in a triangle on the map.
"I haven't been idle these past few days. Besides hunting for the army, I've also sent out a large number of scouts to explore the Forest. With the intelligence provided by everyone here, we've found three unusual locations. The Purple-robed Person's lair is very likely in these three places."
He pointed a thin wooden stick to a fork in the map, slightly to the north. "There's a small lake in the forest here. It's nothing unusual in itself, but it's the only place the Seven-Headed Lizard can hide and heal its wounds. If that beast wasn't hiding in the Swamp, then it must be here."
Everyone nodded in agreement, expressing no objection. First, the lake was not far from the Swamp. Second, given the enormous size of the Seven-Headed Lizard, it was impossible for it to have hidden in the Forest for so long without leaving a trace. The Swamp had already been thoroughly searched in the past few days, so this lake was indeed highly suspicious.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find it and wipe it out completely!" Someone immediately wanted to take action.
"Although this lake isn't large, we don't know how deep it is. Finding the Seven-Headed Lizard will take a lot of effort, and the chances of the Purple-robed Person being here are slim. Let's put it aside for now."
Unas moved his staff toward the red cross near the center of the Forest. "Although the Mutant Spiders ' activity area is vast, it centers around this place. Our Elf Ranger risked his life to infiltrate it and found that the very center area was completely shrouded in dense spider silk. Even the slightest collision would trigger an alarm, making it impossible to sneak in. This is very likely the Mutant Spiders ' command center, which is also the Purple-robed Person's hiding place."
No one asked any questions. This location was in the heart of the Forest, surrounded not only by Mutant Spiders but also by many other dangerous spiders, making it no easy feat to break through.
Unas pointed to the last red cross, "This is a strange woodland; the trees are unusually tall and thick, but there are no signs of any other biological activity..."
"I discovered this place first," a young Druid shouted, not caring at all about interrupting the Warden, "I can sense the evil will oppressing the Nature Spirit within!"
Oakleaf coughed lightly, reminding the young man to be polite, and then said, "I also feel the twisted, maddened, and tormented souls."
Unas shrugged. "So, these are the results of our investigation over the past few days for these three places. Does anyone have any suggestions?"
"Move your army, Unas, and attack the Mutant Spiders ' lair directly. They've surrounded Alice and me multiple times before; they must be protecting the Purple-robed Person," the Blue Dragon said first.
The young Druid objected, "The Purple-robed Person wouldn't stay in such an obvious place; I think he must be in that wicked woodland."
"If we're talking about inconspicuous, that lake is the most inconspicuous. I couldn't sense any danger there at all," Perella joined the argument. As the captain of the rangers, she had personally visited the small lake in the woods.
Several more people spoke, but their opinions remained divided, with supporters from all three sides. Just as a heated argument was about to erupt, Unas raised his hand and slammed it down, "Quiet! Stop arguing!"
Once everyone had quieted down, he said, "No matter where the Purple-robed Person are, these places are our targets, but I will not send troops. The unfamiliar Forests are too dangerous for our soldiers. Even if we win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. For the sake of the Argent Dawn's interests, I will not let our soldiers die in vain."
Blue Dragon immediately said, "This is not what we agreed on."
Nightmoon continued, "You want to lure out the Mutant Spider swarm? That won't be easy. We've seen it for the past three days; the Purple-robed Person is using a complete turtle tactic and won't easily leave the Forest."
"Therefore I cannot lead my soldiers into the trap he has laid."
"Is this just going to be a stalemate?"
"Of course not. I called you all here to discuss this matter," Unas said, looking around at everyone. "Your goal is the Purple-robed Person. We just need to find him; there's no need to fight his spider army head-on, at least not now."
If Unas had time to wait until Rosebayne's spiders had amassed several hundred, he might have been able to commit his entire army to a full-scale attack and conquer the Forest. Unfortunately, everyone around him was more impatient than the last.
The Night Elves want to save their brethren, the Blue Dragon wants to retrieve its egg, Rosebayne herself longs to return to her original form. With hope within reach, no one can wait any longer, so they must take the risk.
"Why is the Purple-robed Person hiding in the forest? Because he feels he cannot defeat us, so he wants to use the Forest as a barrier for defense and counterattack. We must not act according to his plan."
"So, what do you want to do?"
"On the front, I will continuously send guerrilla teams to hunt in the Swamps, and move half of the army forward fifteen kilometers to establish a defensive posture, forcing the enemy to retreat. The real attack will be launched by our elite forces, which is you."
Two giant dragons, five Druids and five Watchers, along with a group of professional Argent Dawn members—this team is already quite strong.
Although Unas is only level 43, which is considered an elite-level Paladin, his actual attributes have reached the level of a hero after being greatly enhanced by Sanctification. With the legacy of the Flame Knight, his combat power is no less than that of a level 60 character.
After successfully controlling Bael'Gar, Huoye's mental strength increased significantly. He boasted that he had broken through to the advanced level and reached the level of Magister, but he was not yet proficient in the corresponding advanced spells.
Dalaran divides mages into five ranks: Apprentice, Novice, Intermediate, Senior, and Grandmaster. Those above the Senior rank are collectively called Archmage. The strength of Archmage varies greatly, and one cannot know their true strength just by looking at their titles.
However, Quel'Thalas, as a magical kingdom, has a more detailed division, with three ranks above the higher ranks: Magister, Archmage, and Grand Archmage.
Perella is exceptionally skilled and a high-ranking ranger; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to become the captain of the rangers.
Natasha and Haikesi are both good healers, and the others are all elite Warriors.
If everyone present could truly unite, a decapitation strike might just be enough to eliminate the Purple-robed Person.