The long, narrow procession moved eastward along the clear river, with Unas riding a tall horse, slowly overseeing the troops at the edge of the forest.
The journey from the Westfall had been smooth, and after crossing the river, he would soon reach Crowley's camp. However, he had no mood to appreciate the scenery along the way. During the past few days of travel, new intelligence kept coming from the Redridge Mountains, indicating that the situation on the border was quite tense.
The large number of scouts led by the priest Shiroma have caused quite a stir in the Burning Steppes, alerting the Old Horde.
After half a month of fermentation, news of the Alliance armies gathering in Stormwind City had spread. The Blackrock Orcs were not idiots; they had already begun to fully contract their battle lines and mobilize their forces on a large scale.
The two sides are gradually coming to a standoff at the entrance to the Burning Steppes, and a major battle is imminent. The Redridge Mountains front is urging the Alliance forces to move forward more and more urgently.
However, the Duskwood Front remains mired in the war between the Undead and Ogres, unable to extricate itself in the short term.
To make matters worse, Rendaen, who was stationed in Shadowforge City, also sent a secret report: something was wrong with the Molten Core underground, and the Fire Elemental army was stirring. He had to focus his main forces on defending the area below and was unable to pose a threat to Blackrock Spire above.
Without the Dark Iron Dwarves keeping them in check, Blackrock Spire could focus on dealing with external enemies, and the Alliance's original plan of attacking from both inside and outside the region fell through.
Rendaen even considered recalling the Dark Iron troops he had sent to defend the city, but the journey was long, and it would be too disorganized for the troops to return so soon after their long trip. Unas did not agree and wrote back to him, advising him to be patient and find out the motives behind the Fire Elemental disturbance first.
"My lord, I have discovered something."
Nightmoon and the others who went to scout in the forest returned, interrupting the Paladin's thoughts.
What is that?
Nightmoon offered several dull-colored crystals. "Moonstones, magical items that only followers of the Moon Goddess can use. These few have run out of energy and were carelessly thrown on the ground."
"So, there are Night Elves active in this Forest?" Unas took the crystals and examined them carefully. These discarded Moonstones were almost indistinguishable from ordinary pebbles. It was truly remarkable that Nightmoon could distinguish them in the dark Forest.
"There is also a small, simple makeshift altar nearby, which is probably used by worshippers of the moon goddess for daily prayers."
Unas asked doubtfully, "Did Priestess Shiroma send someone? But I didn't receive any notification from her."
Nightmoon shook her head. "That altar has been abandoned for some years; it shouldn't have been built recently."
"So, Night Elves once lived in this Forest."
Could it be that Night Elf who brought the Scythe of Elune here? Unas didn't know the details of this history and couldn't be sure, but thinking too much about it was pointless.
On the rest of the journey, Nightmoon ventured deep into the Forest several more times to investigate, but aside from finding some traces of Worgen activity, she made no further discoveries.
That evening, the Restoration Army finally joined forces with Crowley's troops at their camp in the northeast of Raven Hill.
Once the two sides were seated in the main tent, Crowley first offered his congratulations on the great victory and exchanged pleasantries, then immediately began to pour out his grievances.
Unas couldn't stand too many complaints and raised his hand to stop them. "It was my oversight. This Forest is indeed too vast. I thought we would have plenty of time for a thorough search, but the situation changed and we didn't have enough time."
Crowley looked at him expectantly. "What do we do now? I'd better get back to Gilneas within a month; if we delay any longer, things might change back home."
"Now, the only way forward is to gather more information, delineate the areas where the artifact might exist, and focus our search. Where are the nearby settlements?"
Crowley said with a bitter face, "What residents are there? All the nearby villages have been abandoned. The original inhabitants must have been scared away by the Worgen. I can't find any supplies at all."
"Find them! Even if we have to go to Darkshire, we must find the native inhabitants of this area. We need to know the region where the Worgen first appeared."
Darkshire is located at the easternmost edge of Duskwood, quite far from here, but it is the largest human settlement in the area, where many refugees live, and perhaps some of them are residents from this nearby area.
The hunt for Worgen was temporarily suspended. Unas and Crowley both dispatched large numbers of scouts, one to search for residents who might be hiding in some remote corner of the Forest, and the other to gather information from Darkshire.
Several days passed, and besides rescuing a few survivors from the forest, countless versions of the story were collected. However, it can be generally deduced that the Worgen legend originally spread from three villages in the south.
Using the three villages as points, draw an oblique triangle on the map of Unas. This triangular area is not small, but it is much more defined compared to the boundless Forest.
"We'll start from the center of this triangle, launching attacks from all sides, making a big show of force, but primarily focusing on driving them away."
Why drive them away?
"By deliberately stirring up trouble and creating chaos, the Worgen will feel a great threat but suffer little actual loss. They might unite against us, and their instinctive gathering point might be where the Scythe of Elune is located."
This is all Unas's personal speculation, but it's better than wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly.
Crowley asked doubtfully, "Wouldn't it be even harder to deal with Worgen if they teamed up?"
"They're just some wild beasts; we can easily scatter them!"
The Paladin's resolve inspired the middle-aged lord, who nodded. "For now, we can only accept the inevitable losses."
With little time to spare, the allied forces immediately advanced towards the southern triangular area, turning the once tranquil Forest into chaos.
Unas took the lead and volunteered to be the vanguard. He soon encountered a small group of about thirty Worgen and learned a lesson about this enemy that caused Crowley so much trouble.
Worgen are agile and have extremely high explosive power. Their individual combat ability is several times stronger than that of humans. They are natural ambushers and are especially advantageous in the complex terrain of Forests.
However, when faced with Paladins who are faster and stronger, they can only be harvested as experience points.
Unas effortlessly wielded his gleaming silver hammers, swiftly and decisively killing the three Worgen who were attacking him.
The subordinates who had fallen behind caught up, unleashing a barrage of magical arrows. The vanguard soldiers spread out on both flanks, seemingly about to encircle them. But the alert Worgen didn't linger; leaving behind nearly ten corpses, they fled through the gap in the gap.
Unas didn't give chase, but laughed and said to his subordinates, "Don't be so ruthless next time, otherwise the Worgen will be scared out of their wits and ruin our plans!"
You're the most ruthless one!
The subordinates secretly grumbled to themselves, their fear of the Worgen, their new enemy, vanishing without a trace.
As it turned out, Unas had worried unnecessarily. The Worgen were not scared away at all; instead, they lingered nearby for the rest of the journey, neither attacking nor leaving.
Nightmoon, who had gone to scout the area, reported back, "This beast is ferocious and vengeful. Having suddenly suffered a great loss, it must be seeking revenge."
The wolf pack was fast, and the dense forest made it difficult for cavalry to pursue them. As night fell, further harassment at night would be troublesome. Unas thought for a moment, then said, "Go and summon Vanessa's assassin squad."
Most of the thousands of Defias thieves recruited were scattered and placed into various camps, with only a few elites retained as Vanessa's direct subordinates.
The Blood Dagger Society are a group of assassins meticulously trained by VanCleef, skilled in intelligence gathering and covert assassinations. The Forest environment is perfect for their operations.
Nightmoon nodded, accepted the order, and left.
The moon hangs like a hook, and the forest is shrouded in a gray mist.
"Start?"
Nightmoon carefully raised her palm, silently asking the female assassin beside her with a gesture.
Vanessa squinted, her gaze piercing through the shimmering gaps beneath the layers of foliage, reaching the restless Worgen a hundred meters away, and hesitated.
Upon receiving the order, she immediately set off with thirty Blood Dagger Society assassins. They quickly located the enemy, but the Worgen' beastly instincts were extremely sharp, and they also discovered them almost simultaneously, making a sneak attack impossible.
The Night Elf urged again, Vanessa frowned in displeasure, letting out a cry like that of a night owl. The shadowy figures lurking around immediately appeared and shot towards the wolf pack like sharp arrows.
This is the first battle after Defias merged with the Restoration Army. It cannot afford to fail, otherwise it will be a loss of face and be looked down upon by the Paladin. The only option now is to launch a frontal assault!
However, the assassins' tactics are completely different from those of regular troops. There is no real-time command; everyone fights independently based on tacit understanding.
As soon as the enemy and our forces made contact, the men in black launched various hidden weapons, then quickly scattered and retreated, luring the wolf pack apart before engaging in one-on-one combat.
Once in battle, the Worgen are all incredibly ferocious, and the Blood Dagger Society's assassins are all desperate criminals who have tasted blood. They are evenly matched, and the battle is extremely fierce.
Humans have a numerical advantage, and the battlefield is not about one-on-one combat. Multiple assassins surround and quickly kill a Worgen, then provide support to others. As time goes by, the human side gradually expands its advantage.
Vanessa and Nightmoon teamed up to attack the strongest white-haired Worgen, quickly adding several wounds to the beast and enraging it. However, it was helpless against the two incredibly agile women.
Vanessa's dagger was coated with a paralyzing toxin, and the white wolf's limbs became increasingly stiff. Seeing that victory was impossible, it howled to the sky, and the wolves immediately responded. Suddenly, they all burst forth with extremely high speed, leaving behind several more corpses, and fled the battle.
Vanessa quickly scanned the battlefield, and seeing that their losses were not significant, she exchanged a glance with Nightmoon, and the two women shouted in unison, "Chase!"
The Worgen's sudden burst of speed couldn't be sustained, and it was quickly overtaken. The assassin's favorite target was the enemy with their back exposed, and for a moment, the beast's screams echoed through the forest.
Nightmoon relentlessly pursued the white-haired Worgen who appeared to be the leader, and after a close-quarters battle with him, she keenly noticed that this Worgen's eyes were different from the others, as if they retained a trace of rationality.
If it retains some intelligence, it might be able to communicate, which would be crucial for gathering intelligence on the artifact.
Capturing alive is harder than killing. A patient hunter will wait until the prey is exhausted before striking. As Watcher, Nightmoon is a skilled hunter. She is both skilled and daring, and gradually she breaks away from the group, chasing further and further away.
The white wolf, poisoned by a paralyzing toxin, could not hold on for more than half an hour after its escaping attempt, and finally collapsed by a clear spring.
Nightmoon cautiously approached. This spring should be a drinking spot for forest animals, as there were many footprints of various wild beasts around, so it should be safe.
But since she was traveling alone, she dared not let her guard down. She hid in a tree and observed for a while. Seeing that there was no threat, she landed on the ground and carefully approached the white wolf.
"Sister, you've finally come out."
"Who?!" A sudden shout startled Ye Nightmoon, who immediately ducked and assumed a defensive posture.
From the opposite forest, an elegant figure riding a silver Worg appeared. She carried a longbow on her back and held a silver-white staff. The markings on her cheeks and her long, pale purple ears were the hallmarks of a female Night Elf.
Nightmoon carefully examined the suddenly appearing member of her race. Memories flashed through her mind, and she exclaimed in surprise, "I know you! You are Beresha-Stormwind, the most wanted criminal in Darnassus!"
"Don't make it sound so serious, sister. I know you're a Watcher. I escaped from your prison to atone for my sins."
What crime did you commit?
Nightmoon was prepared to fight or flee at any moment. She had memorized the Watchers ' wanted posters by heart, but this Belysra was one of the few who only had a portrait and name, with her background and crimes remaining vague. Generally speaking, such criminals were involved in secrets unknown to outsiders.
The female Elf did not answer. Her dire Worg leaped lightly and landed beside the fallen white-furred Worgen. She gently tapped the Worgen's head with her staff, and a white magical light slowly shone forth.
Nightmoon recognized it as a moonlight spell, and a healing one at that, and exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing?" At the same time, she flicked her wrist and shot out three silver darts.
Belysra waved her hand, conjuring a silver shield that deflected all the silver darts, and said quietly, "You Watchers always glorify violence so much."
Nightmoon quickly took a few steps back. Seeing how casually the other party released the spell, she knew that she would have a hard time winning. This person must be a very senior Priestess of the Moon existed in ancient times.
The white-haired Worgen quickly awoke. Facing the female Elf riding the wolf, it lowered its head and whimpered, as docile as a lapdog, all traces of its previous ferocity gone.
"Go." The priestess waved her hand, and the white-haired Worgen darted out and quickly disappeared into the forest.
Nightmoon's eyes widened, "What exactly are you...?"
"Worgen are nothing but cursed, pitiful creatures. Why be so ruthless? You saw it yourself; they are not ungrateful beasts."
A fugitive actually spoke of compassion, Nightmoon found laughable. "It's no use saving it this time. The Alliance's army has arrived, and the Worgen here will surely be wiped out."
Belysra remained noncommittal, then asked, "Sister, why are you mixed up with the human army?"
"Darnassus has joined the Alliance, you couldn't possibly not know that!"
"I know, but it's still rare to see our own kind in the Eastern Kingdoms," the priestess pondered, then asked, "Who is your commander? May I see him?"
What do you want to do?
"Warn him," the priestess said softly, "Not to go any further south. I've seen your army; the Heart-Rending Wolf King is a force you cannot contend with."
"The Heart-Rending Wolf King?"
Before Nightmoon could ask further, the priestess Ce Lang turned around, "If you want to know more, have your commander come see me."
Watching the other party disappear behind the tree, Nightmoon hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not dare to chase after them. She turned around and ran back to join Defias's assassins.
Vanessa smiled smugly as she watched the Night Elves return empty-handed. She and her men had almost completely annihilated the enemy, each carrying a bloodied wolf's head.
Nightmoon had no time to argue with them, and hurriedly said, "You all stay here and guard the camp. I'm going back to the camp to inform His Highness the Prince of important intelligence!"
Vanessa snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "Go on, busy man."
Nightmoon knew she had spoken too hastily and offended the young lady, but she didn't bother to explain and quickly ran towards the camp.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Unas stood by the spring. "Why hasn't the Silver Wolf Priest appeared yet?"
Nightmoon was speechless for a moment. She was intimidated by the priestess's imposing aura and dared not pursue her. After returning to the camp, she immediately brought the Paladins over and waited by the spring for a long time, but Belysra did not appear.
"Miss Nightmoon probably failed to catch that white-haired Worgen and is hallucinating out of desperation. There's no silver wolf female Knight here!" Vanessa was quite vengeful and seized the opportunity to mock the female Elf.
Nightmoon turned her head away, not wanting to stoop to the level of this assassin girl who was a hundred years younger than her, and said, "My lord, do you still remember the Moonstone and altar we found when we first entered the forest? That was irrefutable evidence of the Priestess of the Moon's activities here. I absolutely did not hallucinate."
"Hmm, don't worry, I certainly believe you," Unas reassured him, surveying the pleasant surroundings by the spring. "This place is nice; we can sleep by the spring tonight without any problem."
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Soon, rustling sounds came from all around, and the Silver Wolf Priestess appeared in the forest with a large group of Worgen, leading the way.
"Be on guard!" Vanessa shouted in alarm. The assassins hiding in the woods behind them jumped out and surrounded the three of them, protecting them.
"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to fight." Beresha-Stormwind's voice remained as gentle as the wind.
Nightmoon grew anxious and demanded, "Then what do you mean?"
"You've brought so many Warriors, I can't fall behind. It took me a while to gather my friends, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
The priestess gracefully tilted her head in apology, but the Worgen beside her were not so friendly. They could smell the strong scent of their own kind on the Paladin and the others, and knew that these were the mortal enemies who had invaded their homeland.
Nightmoon clenched her fists, feeling a pang of self-reproach. The Worgen opposite them were numerous and their numbers far outnumbered their own. If this was a trap...
Unas patted her shoulder in comfort, stepped forward, and called out loudly, "I am Unas, the commander of this place. You were looking for me? I'm here!"
Having experienced numerous life-or-death battles, he possessed an aura of fearlessness. The priestess smiled with satisfaction, and the silver wolf leaped up, landing gracefully in front of the Paladin.
"I am Beresha-Stormwind."
She turned and gestured, Worgen retreated and disappeared into the forest. Unas also waved his hand, dismissing his men.
"Why do these Worgen obey you?" Unas was filled with doubt. Could the Scythe of Elune be in the hands of the person before him?
"If I help them, they will naturally be willing to help me in return."
Friendship and mutual assistance seemed like a term completely unrelated to Worgen, Unas didn't believe it. "Speak, what do you want from me?"
"Don't let your army slaughter more innocent Worgen. I will help you deal with the Heart-Rending Wolf King."
Innocent? Unas almost laughed out loud. Along the way, he had seen countless abandoned or destroyed villages. The Worgen scourge had created a vast no-man's-land, and the bloody stories that had unfolded there were unimaginable.
However, he did not refute the other party's statement. Judging from the fact that the priestess was able to command this pack of wolves, it seemed that the Worgen were divided. If they could use this to their advantage, their army would have an easier time.
Who is the Heart-Rending Wolf King?
"He is the most powerful Worgen in the entire Duskwood, and he resides in the southern mountains. Your large-scale killing of wolves should have alerted him."
What is the size of his wolf pack?
"Probably seven or eight hundred."
"Heh!" Unas scoffed. "You underestimate me, Elf Lady. Such a small number of enemies are nothing to me." The Restoration Army, along with Crowley's forces, numbered thirteen thousand. No matter how strong the individual Worgen were, seven or eight hundred would only be crushed.
"Don't underestimate him. The wolf king's wisdom is no less than that of humans. Your army moves too slowly in the forest, so no matter how many there are, it's useless. Moreover, the various small wolf packs you've forced will soon join his ranks. The difference in fighting strength isn't as great as you think."
Unas had already witnessed the Worgen's high mobility, which was indeed difficult for ordinary human armies to match. If there were one or two thousand united Worgen fighting against him in the Forest, Unas was not confident that he could eliminate them quickly, and might even be worn down.
But his goal was never to eliminate the Worgen; finding the Scythe of Elune was his primary objective.
According to Nightmoon, the priestess was a criminal from ancient times and was entangled with Worgen, so the Night Elf artifacts were likely not a secret to her.
Unas probed, "What can you do to help me? I've heard that Worgen are otherworldly creatures that escaped from the Spatial Rift in Karazhan. Perhaps there's a way to deal with them in that Mage Tower."
"That's a rumor," Belysra denied immediately. "The Worgen appeared because of an evil Arcane Artifacts. My other condition for helping you is that after defeating the Sixinlang, he must hand over the Arcane Artifacts to me."
She knew it all along! Unas suppressed his elation. What "don't kill the innocent"? That must be her real condition. The Arcane Artifacts in the Sixinlang's hand is most likely the Scythe of Elune!
He continued tentatively, "What kind of Arcane Artifacts is so powerful?"
Belysra remained tight-lipped, saying, "All you need to know is that it's a very evil thing, and once I get my hands on it, I will destroy this source of all evil that has caused the Worgen plague."
Unas was even more certain that it was the Scythe of Elune, and feigned indifference, saying, "Alright, whatever Arcane Artifacts it is, it's just an external possession. I don't care, take it if you want. Now tell me how you're going to help me defeat the Wolf King?"
The priestess never imagined that this young human knew the secret history of the Night Elves from thousands of years ago, and was completely unaware of revealing the location of the artifact. She replied, "I know where his lair is. Before the wolf pack gathers in large numbers, you choose a group of elites to join me in a direct assault on his lair!"
"Wait, we've only just met. Why should I trust a stranger Darnassus fugitive?" the Paladin retorted. "Besides, you seem more eager than I am to deal with the Sixinlang?"
"Believe me, you won't regret it. I'm willing to help you, just to atone for my sins."
"What crime did you commit?"
The priestess pursed her lips, seemingly considering whether to answer.
"Do you know who I'm most wary of?" Unas sneered, "Those who keep saying they'll help me. You're not a good persuader. I won't cooperate with you. Goodbye."
He waved his hand and retreated into the woods behind him, intending to return to camp with his men.
"Wait," Belysra sighed, "I can tell you, but you have to keep it a secret."
This tactic of feigning retreat proved effective, Unas said with satisfaction, "My mouth is always tight-lipped, so speak."
As the female Elf recounted her story, Unas suddenly realized that she was actually one of the creators of the Scythe of Elune.
Nine thousand years ago, Belysra's lover died in the Satyr Wars. In her grief and anger, she was seduced by the Wolf Druid and stole the Staff of Elune, a sacred relic of the Moonlight Cult, and entrusted it to him to forge an artifact.
Later, the wolves were sealed away, and although she was forgiven by the Archdruid, the Moonlight Cult still imprisoned her for the serious crime of stealing sacred relics.
Several years ago, the Scythe of Elune reappeared in the world and disappeared again in the Duskwood. Upon learning the news while imprisoned, Belysra was restless and determined to escape to find it. She had been imprisoned for thousands of years and had always been honest and law-abiding, so the guards were very lax and she easily escaped.
Having trekked all the way here, she discovered that the wolf pack had grown too powerful, and she was too weak to reclaim the artifact. So she had no choice but to hide in the forest and look for a way to "reform" the ferocious Worgen. Over the years, she did achieve some success.
At the very least, she gained the friendship of nearly a hundred Worgen, proving that the Worgen' Bloodlust nature was not a terminal illness.
"If I hadn't stolen Staff of Elune, the scourge of the Worgen curse wouldn't have happened. Everything I've done is to atone for my mistake. Can you believe me now?"
The priestess looked at the Paladin with a guilty conscience and great sincerity.
"It's a very appealing story, but to win my trust, actions speak louder than words." Unas remained unmoved.
What do you want me to do?
"Hand over that white wolf."