Chips and Choices

"Today's haul was pretty good. I took out a whole squad of troll scouts by myself. How dare they come snooping around Windrunner Tower."

Alleria pushed open the door and strode in, casually tossing her longbow onto the table before slumping into a plush chair.

"Mmmhmm... not bad, not bad. This old man is quite pleased..." Hu Feng replied perfunctorily, without turning his head, continuing to fiddle with the rune array in front of him.

"You're being perfunctory with me again! Hey, what are you doing? So mysterious and sneaky..."

The female ranger stood up and leaned closer, curiously observing the unknown divine power array before Hu Feng.

At this moment, golden divine power flowed within the array, driving the purple Arcane energy to converge in a rhythmic pattern.

Suspended above the array was an incredibly ornate and exquisite longbow, with a sharp, pointed purple crystal inlaid at each end. The bow's body was inscribed with the characteristic patterns of the Windrunner Ranger, and it was also adorned with magnificent enchanted feathers.

"This longbow looks beautiful, and the energy contained within it is immense. What made you, a Titan, decide to moonlight as a blacksmith?"

"It's a gift for a special friend."

"Oh..."

Hu Feng turned his head to look at the female ranger, then smiled.

"Alright, it's for you. Look at your current broken bow, it's such a downgrade. So I took the liberty of making you a Titan creation."

Upon hearing this, the female elf immediately pinched Boss Hu hard a few times.

"What's wrong with my longbow? That's a legacy of our Windrunner family, you despicable Titan..."

At this moment, the energy in the array suddenly converged violently, surging into the longbow within the array, which was then grasped and taken out by Boss Hu.

"Ah, there we go, it's done. Here, use this from now on."

Saying that, Hu Feng thrust the divine artifact longbow into Alleria's hand.

"This bow doesn't need arrows. Just draw the string, and it will automatically condense energy arrows. You can use your own spirit to control the longbow and choose the energy type: Flame, Frost, Arcane, and Divine... However, the Divine power won't be replenished by me, so use it sparingly, just as a life-saving measure."

"Additionally, the longbow will enhance your stealth, concealment, and running speed. I believe these are the most important abilities for a ranger... Of course, there's one last thing. I've added a rune array to it. If you ever encounter a life-threatening situation, it will automatically trigger, generating a divine power shield to protect you, and then automatically teleport you to the Tower of Slumber... Oh, the Tower of Slumber is that underwater structure next to the World Tree on Kalimdor. It's my lair."

"As for the name... Solodar*Star's Wrath."

Alleria carefully caressed the longbow in her hand, her eyes burning with excitement.

"This is... a divine artifact?"

Hu Feng shrugged, confirming her guess. The female ranger, having received the correct answer, was so excited she couldn't wait to find some poor troll brothers to test her new weapon on.

"I worked so hard, and you're not going to give me any acknowledgment? If you don't want me to touch it, a few kisses will do."

The female elf's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, which couldn't help but make Boss Hu exclaim that the speed at which female creatures change their expressions was truly divine.

"Dream on. Go away, I'm going to find those Amani Trolls and get familiar with my new weapon."

Hu Feng smiled and didn't mind. The way he interacted with the female ranger had never been stiff or overly cautious, as that only served to create distance.

"Alright, alright, go ahead. Once the war in Quel'Thalas is over, I'll be returning to Kalimdor. So, consider this longbow an early parting gift."

Alleria, who was walking towards the exit, stopped in her tracks and tidied her golden hair.

"I was always puzzled by His Majesty the Sun King's intentions, but I've recently understood... If you want to take me back to Kalimdor with you, I believe His Majesty Dath'Remar would agree immediately."

Hu Feng responded with a casual "Ah."

"Ah... I know that. Dath'Remar's little schemes, it's not just me, even the cleaning ladies in Suramar can see it... However, I really dislike these kinds of political bargaining chips. Besides, power, if not handled well, can lead to losing oneself. I don't want to become a Titan Divine Lord who is outwardly respected by everyone but inwardly hated by everyone."

"Or to put it more hypocritically, you belong to Quel'Thalas, you belong to Silvermoon Forest, so why bother? I don't want to hurt you either."

Alleria let out a chuckle, turned around, and looked at the Titan behind her who was showing off. The somewhat awkward and solemn atmosphere vanished without a trace.

"What cleaning ladies in Suramar city? I think you've stayed in Stromgarde with the Humans for too long and been influenced by them... Alright, I'm leaving."

Watching the female ranger's retreating figure disappear through the doorway, Boss Hu sighed with some annoyance.

Did I overdo the showing off?

What about you belong to Quel'Thalas, you belong to Silvermoon Forest... That's all nonsense! What matters are boobs... Cough.

But then again, although the High Elves didn't receive the eternal life blessing from the World Tree, their lifespans are still incredibly long. So, rather than forcibly taking Alleria away, it's better to let her accept it slowly herself.

It seems my harem-building endeavor is a long and arduous journey...

He leisurely strolled out and made his way to the Arathor Empire army encampment not far from Windrunner Tower.

The main Human army had arrived a few days prior and was currently undergoing final rest before the major battle. The generals were taking advantage of the army's rest to discuss specific attack strategies with the Elven commanders.

Boss Hu expressed his disinterest in participating, as he wasn't skilled in leading troops. He was just here for a casual visit, to experience the feeling of a leader giving unsolicited advice in the countryside.

If only he had learned more about leading troops during the War of the Ancients back then. Then he could have played the role of a majestic commander-in-chief now. Being the protagonist like this was truly embarrassing. Where could he leave the group?

"Mentor!"

A surprised shout came from behind him. Hu Feng turned around and saw Meryl Winterwind appear before him in a flash.

Smiling, he playfully punched Meryl in the chest. "Not bad! You've improved a lot in a short time. Keep up the good work, your Blink is quite slick."

Meryl chuckled. "Thanks for the praise, Mentor. I always remember the motto you taught me: strength is neither good nor evil, it's merely a tool. Control your power, don't be controlled by it."

"A fine motto, young Human."

Alleria had arrived at some point. Rangers were skilled at moving silently, and Hu Feng hadn't been on guard, so he only realized Alleria was there after hearing her voice.

Hearing the female elf's words, Hu Feng pursed his lips and ignored her.

So pompous, acting like you're so much older.

"Has anything significant happened during our march here?"

Meryl immediately shook his head. "Uh... not really. We just encountered a few small troll squads, but our mage corps used them for practice."

"How are the notes and books I gave you coming along?" Hu Feng continued to ask, his expression unchanged.

"They're going well. I've mastered silent casting and multi-casting, and my understanding of Arcane, Frost, and Flame has reached the level you required when you left, teacher."

"Is that so? I also think you've learned very well. So well, in fact, that the Demonic energy aura emanating from you surprised me a little. Wouldn't you agree, my good student?"

Hu Feng's voice suddenly turned cold, his eyes narrowed as he raised his tone and questioned.

Upon hearing this, Meryl's body immediately went limp, and he knelt on the ground. The mentor's anger made him tremble violently.

Alleria, who had been watching the scene, was also taken aback. It was the first time she had seen Sarodar, this unserious Titan, become so serious. The oppressive divine power made it difficult to breathe.

"Speak. I'll give you a chance to explain."

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