is the perfect prey
"Ahem"
The violent coughing represented a painful awakening. When the weak Rhonin opened his eyes, what caught his eye was the worried face of Vereesa.
"Are you okay? Drink some water. I added some healing potion in it. Your face looks pale, as if you may die at any time."
The ranger captain supported the red-haired mage, letting him lean against the bed, and brought him a glass of red drink with potion added.
Rhonin, who had a thirsty mouth, wanted to catch the water glass, but found that he could not lift his hand at all. His whole body was as soft as noodles, which was a sign of exhaustion and even his soul was weak. Vereesa could only feed him the water glass.
"City. Stromgarde Where are we now?"
The mage regained some strength and said hoarsely:
"How did I survive? I remember I was shot down by Mannoroth. It was too powerful. I was no match for it."
"Don't say that. It was precisely because of your persistence in fighting that we had the opportunity to escape the city. You held Greater Demon for a full thirty minutes. That was simply a miracle."
Vereesa sighed and said:
"We are now on Thoradin's Wall. General Danath brought us here. Some of the refugees from Stromgarde are also here. As for the city Stromgarde, it has collapsed and the demons have used it as a stronghold.
From here you can even see the city burning, like a "magic city"."
Rhonin fell silent.
He raised his hand with difficulty to hold the rock pendant on his chest, which still made him breathe a sigh of relief.
He has realized that this pendant can be connected to World Heart and given power by Star Soul Lord. Once such Divine Object is taken away by the devil, it will definitely bring great trouble to Star Soul Lord.
He tried hard to recall the scene before he fell into coma.
He recalled his war with Destroyer Mannoroth under the blessing of World Power. In his memory, he was like the arrival of the God of Magic, resisting the demon attack of the entire city on his own, and buying time for the residents of the city to escape. But he should have been stronger. World Power could shape great things by pouring it into his own container. However, his own container was too weak.
If Khadgar holds such an artifact, he will definitely be able to do better than himself.
Rhonin sighed.
The red-haired mage touched his unconscious cheek with his fingers again, and touched a somewhat burning scar there, which was a wound.
That was the mark of shame left on him when Mannoroth shot him down with the power of Fel, and it was a symbol of defeat.
"How many people in the city escaped?"
he asked.
Vereesa fell silent, but this silence actually represented an answer, which plunged the room where Rhonin was into a dead silence and made the red-haired mage clenched his fists.
"I let Star Soul Lord down."
He whispered:
"Even if I hold a divine weapon in my hand, I can't fight against the disaster that breaks out in front of me. How can I bear the name of "savior"?"
"Don't say stupid things, Rhonin Grand Magus!"
A sonorous voice sounded outside the door.
As the door was pushed open, Danath·Thorbeinn wearing battle armor walked into the room carrying a simple meal.
The brave but somewhat bald general put the dinner plate on the table, pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, and said seriously to Rhonin, who blamed himself:
"Without the sudden appearance of you, Ms. Vereesa and Master Khadgar, Stromgarde would have definitely been destroyed. In the chaos of that night, I have reviewed the situation. With our usual response speed, facing the double blow of Undead and the devil, even if we fight to the death, not a single person can escape from the city.
It was the arrival of the three of you that provided Stromgarde with another option in the disaster. Although a large number of compatriots in the city did not escape, those of us who survived should pay the highest respect to you three."
He looked at Rhonin's gloomy face and said with emphasis:
"I am a soldier, and I am not very good at persuading others, but I can still clearly distinguish the concepts of "total annihilation" and "preservation of power." The legal system of Stromgarde is still there, and this is all the result of the three people.
And we need you to stand firm now, Master Rhonin, the disaster of Arathi Highlands is not over yet.
I have gathered the Warriors who are stationed on Thoradin's Wall to form a temporary Burning Legion. I will take them across the entire highland to the valley in the northeast, where my uncle and the Warriors of the kingdom are trapped by demons."
"Khadgar is there too."
Vereesa held Rhonin's cold hand, and she whispered:
"That night Stromgarde's breakouts split into three groups and fled. The weakest civilians, led by Prince Garin Thorbeinn, entered Faldir's Cove, where they waited for support from Kul Tiras's fleet.
The common people who are strong and can travel far, led by the knights of the kingdom, take the land route through Thandol Span and enter Wetlands.
The number of civilians in this group is very large, but I heard that the dwarf musketeers of Dun Modr have already received them and are arranging for them to go to Menethil Harbor for temporary refuge. King Magni Bronzebeard is personally in charge of that city to provide shelter for the Arathi exiles.
The last breakout group was led by His Majesty Thoros Thorbeinn. This group was all Warrior and soldiers. They did not leave Arathi Highlands.
On the one hand, because the devil is chasing them so closely, they can only retreat to the unblocked safe area. On the other hand, it is said that King Thoradin also wants to buy some time for his people. They are currently trapped by the devil in the valley in the northeast corner of Arathi Highlands.
There is a small road from there to reach Aerie Peak, but it cannot allow the army to pass.
Wildhammer Dwarves has sent Gryphon Rider to assist this lone army in defense, but if they do not get reinforcements, they will be exhausted and completely annihilated by the demons.
Destroyer Mannoroth was injured by you, it's still there Stromgarde, but it won't always be there."
"My uncle is not that noble."
General Danath·Thorbeinn curled his lips and whispered:
"There is a high probability that they were forced to evacuate by the demons, but since they have defended the valley, I can't turn a blind eye. I will set off with Warrior in the afternoon. I know that we are no match for the demons, but we can't do nothing."
"I'll go with you!"
Rhonin gritted his teeth and said, then took the plate with trembling fingers and put the not delicious fried rice into his mouth with a spoon. He actually had no appetite at all now, but he had to recover as soon as possible.
Khadgar said that the "casting resource" of this World Heart is his own energy. As long as he can hold on, World Heart will continue to give him strength.
But Rhonin is a mage after all, and his mind works very quickly. After taking a few mouthfuls of food, he raised his head and looked at General Danath and said:
"We have to have a plan. We can't just kill Recklessness. It will only add some meat to the evil Mordor. I read the documents before the establishment of the Stromgarde Kingdom when I was Dalaran. I heard that during the Arathor Empire period, there was a legend about "Earth Princess" circulating in this land?
It is said that a powerful elemental princess was sealed by evil giants in Stonehenge Arathi?"
"Well, that's not a legend."
Danath General also remembered this incident. This outstanding commander immediately stood up with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He walked around the room, thinking, and explained:
"That is a secret that only Trollbane family knows. It comes from the handbook of Emperor Thoradin. The folk stories are all false, but the spellcasters in the empire period recorded the truth. The real troublemaker was the elemental princess named "Meshlir", and the stone giants who sealed her came from her hometown.
It is said that she is a servant of the Elemental Lord Stone Mother. In order to punish her wanton daughter, she was sealed in Material World.
I know how to unlock that seal. It is said that the magic wand to unlock Stonehenge is in the hands of the ancient giant that has been wandering in the Arathi Mountains. But we cannot communicate with it, and its Kobold servants will also attack all strangers who come close to the giant."
"I'm going to find that ancient boulder."
Rhonin ate the fried rice and said:
"I will try hard to get the wand from it. The sealed Stonehenge of Earth Princess is not far from the valley where King Thoras is trapped. As long as we release the elemental princess, she will become the target of the demons' attack whether she is willing or not.
The anger of superior elemental creatures can create an earthquake of VanCleef, which can give the king a chance to break out."
"I'll go with you."
Vereesa grabbed his bow and quiver and said to Rhonin:
"I can control Gryphon to take you. You are too weak now. I don't trust you to move alone."
"Well, we'll leave in a minute and let me meditate for a while."
Rhonin nodded.
He could clearly feel Vereesa's concern for him, perhaps because they had experienced life and death together. This was probably the only joy left in Rhonin's bitter heart at this time.
However, Rhonin soon discovered that perhaps Heart of Azeroth was aware of the chaos in Arathi Highlands, so World Power was also helping himself to recover. Especially when he entered meditation, he felt that his consciousness was being pulled and spread by World Heart, like an uncontrolled "signal source".
Just when Rhonin was trying to regain consciousness, he was suddenly "captured" by a powerful consciousness as hot as the sun. The light protected him and quickly strengthened his weak spirit and soul in a "healing" way.
"Red hair Rhonin? Where are you now?"
A majestic voice sounded from the light, startling Rhonin. He immediately recognized the voice as that "Vigilant", so he quickly told what happened to Stromgarde and Arathi Highlands.
"You are worthy of the name "Salvation Army", Dragonheart Rhonin!"
Diakum praised:
"When I first got Argus Heart, I only thought about how to hunt demons, but you used the world's gifts to save it. You are indeed worthy of the award of this artifact."
"But I couldn't save everyone"
Rhonin confided his distress to Saint, and Vigilant asked in return:
"Did you try your best?"
"I tried my best! But I still couldn't."
"Just do your best!
If destruction is a fanaticism, then salvation is a belief. Even the most harsh Holy Light dogma will not criticize a savior who is willing but weak. This is not a question of ability at all, but a question of attitude, and you have a correct and positive attitude, so there is no need to blame yourself."
Diakum persuaded:
"If you stand still due to this mistake, more lives will surely survive because of your rescue and die because of your hesitation, so don't blame yourself too much. If you can save them, do your best, if you can't, then avenge them!
I am preparing the army at Stormwind and will leave for Arathi Highlands soon.
Please tell Danath·Thorbeinn not to regard this operation as "assistance to break out", but to change it to "persistence"!
I will use you to set a trap to lure Destroyer·Mannoroth to go to that "Hammerfall". I promise you and Arathi people, Rhonin, the culprit who caused all this will surely fall on this land."
"You want to come in person?"
Rhonin exclaimed:
"Is it to hunt Destroyer?"
"To be precise, it is to express a signal. After the demon of Arathi falls, I will rush to Kalimdor as soon as possible. The situation there has become intense. The victory or defeat there will be directly related to the fate of Azeroth. If you still have enough energy by then, I will welcome your companions."
With a gentle push from Vigilant, Rhonin's consciousness returned to his body.
Under Vereesa's surprised gaze, when the red-haired Rhonin opened his eyes, golden rays of light circled and erupted on him, allowing the blessing enhancement from Saint to be applied to the weak body, and Rhonin's spirit quickly became full.
"Let's leave now!"
He jumped up and said to Vereesa:
"Vigilant will come to Arathi Highlands in person, and Destroyer Mannoroth will surely face the heavenly punishment of Holy Light! That bitch is dead!"
"General, Hillsbrad Foothills there is something strange approaching Thoradin's Wall!"
A few hours after Rhonin and Vereesa rode Gryphon to search for ancient boulders in the mountains, while Danath·Thorbeinn was making final preparations before departure under the ancient imperial city wall, a sentry came to him and told him a breaking news.
"What is "strange stuff"?"
Danath looked at the sentry in surprise. The latter didn't know how to describe it, so he could only say in general:
"A group of walking "wolves" are approaching the city wall. They also sent a "messenger" asking us to open the city gate of Thoradin's Wall. They are going to pass through the city wall to engage in some strange "hunting pack war".
I noticed that the protective gear worn by the werewolves all have the emblem of Gilneas, maybe they come from Gilneas?"
"Huh?"
Danath is confused.
He knew that Gilneas people liked the symbol "wolf" very much. They liked it so much that the wild wolves in Gilneas became extinct hundreds of years ago.
But no matter how much you like it, it won't turn Gilneas people into werewolves, right?
How come the species has changed?
However, thinking of the news he received from Gilneas some time ago, Danath had a vague suspicion in his mind. He followed the sentry to Thoradin's Wall's sentry post and saw the "messenger".
"Lord Crowley?"
Danath couldn't recognize the difference between werewolves, but he recognized the saber on the waist of the werewolf in front of him and the battle ax on his back. These were the standard weapons of Kingdom of Gilneas's northern lord Darius Crowley.
His territory Silverpine Forest borders Hillsbrad Foothills of the Stromgarde Kingdom, so General Danath and this lord have had several meetings to deal with border conflicts.
The two were not acquaintances, but they were "nodding acquaintances" between nobles.
"What are you doing?"
Danath wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by the fierce Graymane Worgen in front of him waving his claws. The werewolf lord wearing armor said in a jerky tone:
"White Wolf God ordered us to hunt demons. Black Wolf God's servants will also join this battle. This has nothing to do with you Arathi people, but I guess you need reinforcements now. I can see Stromgarde's burning exaggerated magic flames from here, like a city in a nightmare.
So, open the city wall, Danath·Thorbeinn!
My wolf pack goes first, you follow us with your weak Warrior, don't get too close!"
Lord Crowley warned:
"Not every werewolf is like me and can maintain this miserable sanity."
This requirement made General Danath very troubled.
Finally, he asked:
"How many werewolves did you bring here?"
"Twenty thousand? Fifty thousand? No, my brain no longer allows me to deal with such a complicated problem. I only know that all the werewolves of Silverpine Forest are here."
Lord Crowley let out a painful whimper, as if thinking was already difficult for it.
It says:
"Genn is fighting demons at home. It is protecting our territory. It is not just Stromgarde that has demons. There are new demons appearing in every city. Your Hillsbrad Foothills has become Land of Demons, and Tirisfal is no less.
Northern Borderlands is finished, Danath
This place is hopeless!
Just leave.
After you leave, my wolves will continue to hunt here. This is Goldrinn's call to war. I can't resist but I don't want to. If this curse can be used for revenge, then I am willing to turn it into strength."
"You think beautifully!"
Danath scolded:
"This is the land of Arathi people. I will not give up my ancestral territory to a group of werewolves. I will stay here and continue to fight."
"Oh, then you'd better get rid of this frail body."
Lord Crowley let out a weird and sinister laugh.
It says:
"Human beings can no longer survive in this Land of Demons. Those who can persist here are all inhumans. It is useless to say more. Open the city gate. You will walk with the wolves today."
After saying that, Lord Crowley turned around and left the guard post as fast as lightning. Not long after, a continuous wolf howl echoed on the other side of Thoradin's Wall. The sound made the guards beside the general look at each other.
At this moment, they truly realized that some kind of terrible change had occurred in Northern Borderlands.
Gilneas people turned into werewolves in order to survive the ravages of demons, so what terrible price should other people on this land pay in order to persist here?
The most important thing is
"What did it mean by what it just said?"
Danath·Thorbeinn frowned.
He felt that Lord K'ure was conveying some kind of message to him in a subtle way. What does it mean that those who can persist in Northern Borderlands are all "inhumans"?
What is this werewolf hinting at?
"General, can the city gate be opened?"
The sentry asked tremblingly. Danath thought for a moment, waved his hand and said:
"We need reinforcements! Since these werewolves dare to fight against demons, then they are the temporary allies we need! They were all humans before, brothers, even if they change their appearance, they are still humans.
Treat them as brothers, even if it's only for today. Zhuo! This damn world opens the city gate!
Let the werewolves pass and we march after them towards the demons!"