The next two days passed peacefully; neither the Murlocs nor the Rot Hide Gnolls caused them any trouble, allowing the two to train in peace.
With three shields protecting him, Unas was fearless and practiced with exceptional daring. By the second night, he had achieved Gordon's initial goal—to attach flames to his weapon without burning himself.
This move is similar to an enchantment spell, which can increase the fire damage of weapons. Unas had witnessed it during his first encounter with Gordon.
The Firekiss, radiating golden-red flames, resembled a lightsaber, giving Unas a Jedi-like feeling.
It is said that when this technique is mastered, a tangible flame blade can condense at the tip of the sword. The flame blade, which can contract and change in length at will, can make the attack range unpredictable. This is a level that even Gordon has not reached. Unas can only attach a thin layer of flame for the time being.
The third day of training involved unleashing the Flame Slash, which is essentially Fireball; Flame Slash is just a fancy name.
Learning this spell quickly is quite dangerous, but Unas has learned a new Divine Protection, which provides high damage reduction every ten minutes, allowing him to practice freely. After exhausting the energy in his Ring three times, he was finally able to release a stable small Flame Slash.
It takes half a day for the energy in the Fire Ring to regenerate on its own after it is depleted. In order to allow him to practice continuously, Gordon used the red crystal in his hand to quickly recharge the Ring.
The so-called red crystals are the five rubies that provided energy to the inheritance Magic Circle. They are a type of energy gemstone that naturally contains Fire Elemental and is very precious. They were later handed over to Unas by Gordon.
Thus, their three-day secret training was successfully completed, and Gordon could now peacefully focus on cultivating his mind.
The two set off back to the Monastery at dawn on the fourth day. Before leaving, Unas wanted to practice on a few Rot Hide Gnolls, but Gordon, who did not want to cause any trouble, stopped him.
The Rot Hide Gnolls are a faction founded by a Scourge necromancer Thule Ravenclaw. This necromancer had a preference for Gnolls and specifically researched a Gnoll Scourge targeting them, thus adding a new unit to the Scourge.
He ravaged several Gnoll tribes in Tirisfal, turning most of them into Rot Hide Gnolls. The coastal counties are now a paradise for these monsters.
Unas wanted to test his skills on them because he found a few lone red dots on the Sense Undead thumbnail, but since Gordon had backed down, he had no choice but to obey.
Fearing another encounter with the Murloc, the two dared not return the way they came, and instead had to avoid the coastline and carve out a path through the thorny jungle.
After taking a long detour, thanks to the experienced Gordon, they didn't get lost and finally arrived at Balnir Farmstead after noon.
The two planned to rest at this outpost, but found everyone there was in high spirits. After inquiring, they learned that the officials who had gone on the expedition had finally sent back good news.
A few weeks ago, Alexander, Abbendis, and Dathrohan led their troops to aid the Eastern Plaguelands. Just last night, they received new news that they had not only defeated the Scourge besieging Tyr's Hand, but the three of them also led their elite forces to storm Stratholme City and recapture the headquarters of the Order of the Silver Hand.
The headquarters of the Silver Hand military group is a fortified city. If this stronghold can be secured and the Silver Hand can cooperate with the Tyr's Hand, it will be possible to recapture the entire Stratholme and then the entire Eastern Plaguelands.
This was a tremendous victory that thrilled every surviving Lordaeron. Gordon was also somewhat excited when he heard the news, but he immediately thought of the carnage he had committed in Stratholme, and his face suddenly turned deathly pale.
Unas understood his feelings; the massacre at Stratholme was a hurdle that Gordon found difficult to overcome.
But seeing Gordon's dejected look annoyed him, he couldn't help but punch him on the shoulder. "Get up where you fell down! To retake Stratholme, we'll need a lot of troops. How about we volunteer for this glorious cause? You can forget about becoming some damn Monk!"
"In my current mental state?" Gordon gave a wry smile. "Don't worry, I will definitely go to Stratholme again, when I'm ready."
Seeing that Gordon's eyes had become firm again, Unas was slightly relieved. He forgot what he had said in the heat of the moment and, with no intention of resting, borrowed two horses and set off again.
Eager to return home, the two did not linger and soon arrived at the entrance of the Venomspider Gorge. Unas wanted to go into the Canyon to see Beryl, as he hadn't seen her for more than ten days and wondered how she was doing.
Gordon, however, was in a hurry to return to the Monastery, and the two parted ways there. Unas then walked alone through the quiet valley path and once again came to this settlement where various races mingled.
In contrast to the several outposts he and Gordon had passed along the way, the camp was shrouded in gloom. Had no one brought them news of victory in the Eastern Plaguelands?
Ask anyone you randomly, and you'll find out they're the highest-ranking person in charge here; the Warden sent by the Argent Dawn has been killed in action.
Unas had met the Paladin named Holiya once; he was a strong and passionate young man.
According to that man, several prisoners escaped last night. Holiya led his men to pursue them, but they were ambushed by spiders. In the dark battle, he was pierced through the heart by a poisonous stinger and died on the spot. His body was brought back by his soldiers this morning.
After finding out where the body was, Unas went straight to Holiya's Memorial. They had some connection, so it wouldn't be right not to go and see him.
In a hut atop a small hill, the Paladin's body lay on a simple long table. The black cloth covering him seemed too short, leaving half of his feet exposed. A few candles, emitting a faint glow, surrounded him, a scene that was truly heartbreaking.
Outside, a square pile of firewood, resembling a coffin, had been stacked up, ready for cremation after the mourners had finished their prayers. This meager funeral left Unas feeling somewhat depressed.
In the chaos of war, human life is worthless, let alone a corpse. Holiya was the highest-ranking officer in the area, which is why he was given a funeral. The other soldiers who died in battle were probably just cremated.
Poor fellow, Unas thought, the idea of resurrecting him burning in his mind. Although Pulhart said that the success rate of Resurrection becomes extremely low after more than two hours of death, he still wanted to give it a try.
He asked Holiya's personal guard, who was standing nearby, "When will the cremation ceremony be held?"
"It should be tomorrow morning." The guard's attitude was very respectful. Unas had become a familiar face when he came here last time; many people knew he was the Demon Slayer, which was why he could move around freely here.
Unas thought to himself, "It seems I'll have to find an excuse to stay at this camp for the night tomorrow morning."