Whose Reinforcements?

"Sylvanas, let me see who is stronger—you or your sister Alleria!" Throughout the past few days of battle, Zul'jin had been observing the High Elf defenders within Pathfinder Camp. He had confirmed that their strongest fighters were Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner and the two Ranger Lords.

With both Lor'themar and Hadronox tied down, only the strongest, Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner, remained.

Then, as long as Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner was held back as well, Pathfinder Camp would have no powerful figure left to oversee and command it. Once Warlock Lord Malakas and Dakara suddenly appeared with their Forest Troll forces and attacked from the camp's other two directions, Pathfinder Camp would surely fall.

Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner had naturally received the intelligence Tyrel sent back. Both Forest Troll armies led by Warlock Lord Malakas and Dakara had been intercepted, and before long, the Dawnblade Legion would launch an attack from behind the Forest Trolls. Therefore, holding back Zul'jin, the strongest of the Forest Trolls, was equally important to the High Elves.

Ranger-General Sylvanas leapt down from Pathfinder Camp, took up her longbow, and calmly said to Zul'jin, "Then let me show you my strength, Zul'jin."

Sylvanas Windrunner's talent was even greater than that of her elder sister, Alleria Windrunner. After becoming a Ranger Lord, she had quickly taken up the mantle.

As for Zul'jin, having lost an arm had naturally greatly diminished his strength.

Half of the Forest Trolls poured through the breach into Pathfinder Camp, engaging the High Elf Rangers in close combat.

Meanwhile, beneath Zul'Aman Mountain, the Dawnblade Legion of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas attacked a village belonging to the Forest Troll Darkpine Clan.

Most of the Darkpine Clan's able-bodied adults had been conscripted by Zul'jin to attack Pathfinder Camp, leaving their village vulnerable.

Because of the Darkpine Clan village's location, it had discovered the Dawnblade Legion advancing from Sunwell Citadel. To prevent Zul'jin from learning of this, Tyrel gave the order to wipe out the Darkpine Clan village.

Tyrel's Quel'dorei Greatsword was covered in the blood of Darkpine Trolls—not only adult Trolls, but elderly and young Trolls as well.

Mercy toward the enemy was cruelty toward oneself. Between the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas and the Amani Empire, only one could survive while the other perished.

The Darkpine Clan Forest Trolls were loyal supporters of the Amani Clan. War was cruel; although Tyrel could not bear it in his heart, he still drove his sword straight into the chests of the Darkpine Clan.

Under Tyrel's leadership, ten thousand High Elf Paladins of the Dawnblade Legion successfully destroyed the entire Darkpine Clan village, killing tens of thousands of Darkpine Clan Trolls.

"Looks like you aren't as kind as I thought." Luminas Sunmark was somewhat stunned by Tyrel's order to destroy the entire Darkpine Clan village and slaughter every Darkpine Clan Forest Troll. In her impression, this Little Prince had always been excessively kind and humble, even toward humans and Orcs.

Blood had soaked the clothes beneath his plate armor, and the smell of blood filled his nostrils. Hearing Luminas's words, Tyrel gave a helpless smile but did not answer.

Instead, Valeera Sangunar stepped forward and said, "You don't understand Tyrel at all. He is the kindest Elf."

Valeera still remembered how, twenty years ago, Orcs of the Old Horde had attacked the village where her family lived on the border of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas. Her parents had died at the hands of the Orcs.

Though she had survived by luck, she became an orphan. Baron Sangunar, who served as an adviser to Prince Kael'thas, was Valeera's cousin, but he had no time to care for the young Valeera.

At that time, the equally young Little Prince Tyrel heard that a girl around his own age had lost her parents and become an orphan in a village attacked by Orcs. He had voluntarily asked for Valeera to stay by his side.

The Sangunar Family was not a large family. The reason Valeera had been able to become Tyrel's childhood companion was entirely because of Tyrel.

Besides Valeera, Tyrel, Rilas Windrunner, and Cain Sunfury were all boys.

The older Rilas and Cain had often bullied the stubborn young Valeera. Whenever that happened, Tyrel was the one who stopped them.

It could be said that Tyrel was the only light in Valeera's heart after she became an orphan. She would not allow Luminas Sunmark to speak of Tyrel that way.

"It's fine, Valeera." Tyrel stopped Valeera from continuing to defend him and turned toward Pathfinder Camp.

A sphere of Arcane Energy rose from the direction of Pathfinder Camp, then suddenly exploded in the sky like fireworks.

This was the signal they had agreed upon beforehand. It meant that the battle at Pathfinder Camp had reached a fever pitch and that it was time for the Dawnblade Legion to move out. Tyrel shook the blood from his Quel'dorei Greatsword and said, "Let's go. It's time to reinforce Pathfinder Camp."

"Come on, let's give them hell!" Cain Sunfury was extremely excited. Tyrel had previously barred him from infiltrating the Forest Trolls, leaving him with a bellyful of frustration. Now that he could finally fight the Forest Troll main force, his spirits naturally soared.

Naturally, the Darkpine Clan Forest Trolls had not passed word of the Dawnblade Legion's movements to Zul'jin. Yet when the Dawnblade Legion arrived behind the Forest Trolls, even Rilas Windrunner, despite being a Ranger, failed to notice the eagles circling high overhead.

"Reinforcements..." Egilson, a powerful Forest Troll among the Amani Trolls who served the Eagle God, commanded a great many Amani Warhawks. These warhawks could attack and also serve as scouts.

Zul'jin, who was fighting Ranger-General Sylvanas, heard Egilson's words and burst into hearty laughter. "Excellent! Malakas and Dakara have finally arrived."

"No... not Malakas and Dakara. High Elf reinforcements!" Egilson informed Zul'jin that the Dawnblade Legion was attacking from the rear.

Egilson's news made Zul'jin freeze instantly.

Ranger-General Sylvanas, with her keen hearing, also heard the news. She looked up at the eagles circling high above and silently noted that she would have to watch the skies from now on.

Then she pronounced Judgment upon the stunned Zul'jin. "Zul'jin, your doom has come!"

"Cunning Elves!" How could Zul'jin still not understand? The forces of Warlock Lord Malakas and Dakara had surely been intercepted. The High Elves had long seen through his plan and had instead used it to turn the tables against the Forest Troll main force.

"Egilson! Go open a breach at once! We must not let the High Elves trap us here!" Zul'jin knew Ranger-General Sylvanas would never let him leave. They could only rely on Egilson to lead the Forest Troll forces in breaking through the High Elf troops that had encircled them from the rear, allowing the Forest Troll main force to retreat.