Murloc Guard

Shawn ran in the lead.

The Kobolds ran behind him.

Shawn's pace grew slower and slower.

Yet the Kobolds ran faster and faster.

Even the oldest and the youngest of the Kobolds surged ahead of Shawn.

Shawn kept blowing the War Horn, not wasting a single second of its duration.

Fury burned, blood boiled, weapons swung, and the Kobolds roared in rage.

Hundreds of Kobolds charged into the Murloc Shoal.

Yes, the individual strength of a Kobold was inferior to a Murloc.

Yes, the number of Kobold professionals was inferior to the Murlocs.

Yes, the total population of Kobolds was inferior to the Murlocs.

Yes, the Kobolds were inferior to the Murlocs in every way.

But at this very moment, the Kobolds were united enough, brave enough, angry enough, and passionate enough.

Hundreds of threads twisted into one, tougher than a steel cable!

This steel cable of Kobolds was determined to strangle every last Murloc!

When Shawn finally arrived at the Murloc Shoal, panting for breath, he stood dumbfounded, faced with the tragic scene before him.

How could one even describe this sight?

The Murloc Shoal was stained red, sea and sky alike!

Blood turned the Murloc Shoal into a pool of gore. Kobold after Kobold charged forward; large numbers were frozen by Frostbolt and Frost Nova, large numbers were struck down by Backstab and Sinister Strike, and large numbers were smashed into pulps.

However, the Murlocs were faring even worse.

Because they had been ambushed, the Murlocs were unable to form a complete defensive line or mount an effective counterattack.

The Murlocs, despite outnumbering their foes several times over, were actually being scattered by the Kobolds, slaughtered tribe by tribe. Even the Coldlight Oracles were powerless to stop it.

In fact, even several Coldlight Oracles had already been killed.

A pyrrhic victory, a true pyrrhic victory for both sides.

By the time the Murlocs before them were wiped out, only a dozen Kobolds remained, each covered in wounds, all of them warriors who had bathed in the blood of the battlefield.

Even Shawn couldn't help but cheer for them.

Yet, this was not the time for cheering.

Because only the nearby Murlocs had been slaughtered; other Murlocs not far away had finally reacted and were charging toward this position.

How could the remaining dozen Kobolds withstand those frenzied Murlocs? They were quickly slaughtered to the last.

Shawn felt a wave of disappointment.

Could it be that even after bringing in the Kobolds as a surprise force, he still couldn't wipe out the Murlocs?

Just then, suddenly, crabs ranging from ten to several dozen centimeters in size crawled out from beneath the sand and seawater, moving with aggressive dominance and incredible speed as they charged at the Murlocs.

Their hard claws pinched the Murlocs' bodies to shreds.

Their shells, possessing extremely high resistance to water elements, were able to withstand the ice-based spells of the Coldlight Seers and Darkscale Oracles.

They were the legendary Murloc Killer Crabs, the natural nemesis of the Murlocs!

"So this is the true key to clearing the Murloc Shoal!" Shawn stood stunned, letting out a deep sigh.

Of course, Shawn luring the Kobolds was a crucial catalyst. If the Kobolds hadn't fought so bloodily and killed so many Murlocs, there wouldn't have been enough of a bloody scent to attract so many Murloc Killer Crabs. And this, in itself, was the true strategy for clearing the Murloc Shoal.

The Murlocs had met their natural predator.

In less than half an hour, the Murlocs were slaughtered to the last by the Murloc Killer Crabs.

However, this was not the final outcome.

For at that very moment, a kilometer away, a surviving Coldlight Oracle stood atop something resembling an altar, chanting an ancient incantation.

Immediately following, a roar erupted from the depths of the ocean.

Shawn looked up abruptly, straining his eyes to see.

He saw a massive wave crashing toward the beach from the far reaches of the deep sea. A giant monster, blue and red, wielding a terrifying trident, was striding across the waves.

She possessed a towering frame, solid muscles, tough skin, and a thick, powerful tail.

"Murloc Guard!"

Shawn's eyes widened.

He cast Eye of Insight at the Murloc Guard, only to find that there was no information at all. The professional level of that terrifying Murloc Guard had already exceeded level 6. Then, just how high must its challenge rating be?

Shawn couldn't even begin to estimate.

He turned around, wanting to flee.

Just at this moment, the dungeon quest for Murloc Shoal finally arrived, albeit fashionably late.

"Instant Quest: The Wrath of Murloc Guard Skoda!"

"The Coldlight Oracle has summoned the guardian and master of Murloc Shoal, the Murloc Guard Skoda. This terrifying Naga warrior was once a personal bodyguard to Lady Vashj. Although ousted and eliminated due to the survival of the fittest after losing to a newly promoted Murloc Guard, she still possesses the strength to look down upon most living creatures. Defeat her, slay her, and prove yourself!"

"Quest Reward: Gathering."

"Note: With Gathering, you will gain the ability to harvest loot from the enemies you kill."

Shawn stopped in his tracks instantly, turning around to face the menacing Murloc Guard.

"Murloc Guard? Is that supposed to be impressive? I'm not afraid of you!"

What is a natural predator?

A natural predator is something that, no matter how powerful you are, commands absolute awe from the depths of your bloodline. It matters not how tall you are, nor how small it may be.

Murloc Killer Crabs are the natural predators of Murlocs.

The moment they see a Murloc, they charge in to kill without a second thought. It does not matter if the Murloc is larger than them, nor does it matter if the Murlocs outnumber them.

And so, they successfully slaughtered the Murlocs.

But now, they spotted the remaining Coldlight Oracle, as well as the Murloc Guard Skoda, who came striding over the waves.

No matter how formidable the Coldlight Oracle might be, it was still a Murloc.

Although the Murloc Guard bears the title of "Murloc," in reality, she is not a Murloc, but a Naga.

However, judging solely by appearance, the Murloc Guard still bears a slight resemblance to a Murloc, not to mention that she was summoned by the Coldlight Oracle.

Therefore, it was only natural for the Murloc Killer Crabs to immediately place themselves in the position of the "Murloc Guard's" natural predator.

It did not matter how tall she was, how powerful she was, or how terrifying she was.

Because we are her natural predators, we are born without fear.

The Murloc Killer Crabs charged toward Murloc Guard Skoda, incidentally wiping out the mana-drained Coldlight Oracle along the way.

Can you imagine a swarm of ants rushing toward you?

Is it not laughable?

Because you could crush a whole patch of them with a single stomp.

But what if the number of ants was infinite?

What if those ants were not ordinary ants, but giant ants capable of biting an elephant to death?

Although the Murloc Guard is many times more powerful than an elephant, the Murloc Killer Crabs are also infinitely more powerful than ants.

Yet, Murloc Guard Skoda felt no fear.

Because she could not allow herself to fail once more.

Ever since she was defeated by that detestable Naga warrior who stole the position that should have been hers, Skoda could no longer guard the side of the great Lady Vashj, and her own strength had plummeted by several levels; the Naga warrior of the past had become a wanderer of today.

However, she remained a Murloc Guard. This Murloc Shoal was still her territory, and she would not allow anyone to set foot upon it!