Parting

"Thank you!" Andy finished the fruit and said to the little beast.

The little beast squeaked twice and quickly burrowed into the dense canopy.

Andy glanced sideways at the ground. Did he really have to spend another day climbing down? Following the branch he was perched on, he climbed down step by step, with extreme caution. Only after a few minutes did Andy realize that climbing down was even harder than climbing up! When climbing up and looking ahead, even though he knew he was dozens of meters in the air, his focus was entirely on the climb, so he wasn't as afraid. Climbing down required his eyes to constantly check his footing and keep track of his height from the ground, which was pure torture for Andy, who had a fear of heights.

As the sun slanted westward, Andy plopped down at the base of the tree. His legs were still trembling, and his heart was thumping wildly.

"I can't even go back to sleep now; I'm completely drained!" Andy muttered.

"That's enough. You should be glad you didn't fall to your death on your first climb!" the voice of the Monster Spirit echoed in Andy's mind.

"You're just an auxiliary system, shut your mouth! I need to rest!" Andy roared, his voice weak and listless.

Andy slept until the sun hit his backside before opening his eyes, which truly frustrated him for a moment. It was already late; if he didn't start climbing now, he feared he wouldn't make it to the top.

Andy thought about finding something to eat, but realized he wasn't hungry at all, so he gave up and focused entirely on the climb.

Sure enough, by the time he reached the top, the moon had already risen. Exhausted and sore, Andy collapsed on that large branch and fell into a deep, heavy sleep for the night.

The next day, Andy was awakened by a few "squeaks." He opened his eyes to see the little beast dragging a large bundle of vines, covered in those red fruits.

Andy patted its head, finished eating quickly, said goodbye, and stuck his rear end out to begin the climb down again.

For over ten days, Andy remained in this cycle: one day climbing up, one day climbing down. Although he hadn't managed to increase his pace to the seven-day goal Nathas had set, he clearly felt the changes in his body; he was much stronger than before. Another situation was that after eating those red fruits, he didn't need to eat for two days, and his stamina recovered very quickly.

During this period, Hilar also visited twice. He was surprised by what Andy was doing and couldn't understand it—was this how the old man, whom even his own teacher seemed to revere, taught his students?

Andy still had no complaints; after all, it was for his own good. Overall, his physical condition was poor, and Nathas's method was very effective for improving his basic abilities in a short time.

A month was almost up, and Andy's tree-climbing speed had improved to the point where he could do one and a half round trips a day.

Andy felt happy about his progress, but Nathas poured cold water on him without mercy: "You've been practicing for a month, and this is all you've managed?"

"Yes, Teacher," Andy said. "I've improved a lot, and my body is much stronger."

"What is there to be smug about!" Nathas said. "You're still far from where you need to be! With this level of physical strength, it's simply not enough!"

"This..." Andy was speechless. He really couldn't guess what kind of state this old man wanted him to reach!

"Forget it, that's enough for now. Don't climb the tree tomorrow!" Nathas said. "I have something to discuss with you tomorrow."

Andy was confused. Nathas was acting differently today; could something be wrong?

At dawn the next day, Andy was roused by Nathas and made to run a lap around Darnassus.

"Sit down, I have something to say!" Nathas said. "Do you know about Stormwind City?"

Andy felt a jolt in his heart. Why would he ask that? He couldn't say he knew; he was supposed to be a little elf who knew nothing, born in a remote area. If he admitted he knew, Nathas's jaw would surely hit the floor.

Sure enough, Nathas looked at Andy's hesitant expression and smiled, saying, "Ah, I'm getting senile. How would you know?" It seemed Nathas had misinterpreted the meaning behind Andy's expression.

"Stormwind City has fallen!" Nathas said with a look of regret. "This great city of the human kingdom has finally fallen, and King Llane has been assassinated. Lothar has already fled with the remnants of his troops."

This series of information made Andy's heart tighten. Stormwind City had fallen, captured by the Orcs as expected. Although it would be reclaimed eventually, that was years away.

What was even more terrifying was that the Orcs had already begun their plan to conquer Azeroth. After the Eastern Kingdoms were finished, it would be Kalimdor's turn.

"Malfurion that fool is too conservative. Even knowing that unknown creatures are attacking, he's still worried about racial issues and hesitates to send troops to help the humans!" Nathas said, his heart aching. "Therefore, for the time being, I will pass my knowledge on to you. As for how much you can comprehend, that depends on you."

Andy nodded to show he understood.

Nathas took him to a secluded spot and said, "Although I gave you a Hunter's Crash Course Guide, that is only the foundation; you must practice it. The skills used by Rangers are basically built upon the foundation of a Hunter."

"Teacher, are you talking about Rangers?" Andy asked.

"Yes, Rangers! I was once a Ranger myself!" Nathas continued. "A Ranger is simply someone who imbues Hunter skills with a type of magic!"

"But, Teacher!" Andy said helplessly. "Malfurion said I cannot sense any magic!"

"Hmph, that's them!" Nathas said. "He was talking about the power of nature. You aren't a Druid, so of course you can't sense it. But the magic I'm talking about is not the power of nature; it is a specialized skill for Rangers, a type of advanced magic!"

"I don't have much time left to teach you." Nathas said, taking a small booklet from his person and continuing, "Here are the incantations for all the skills, such as how to enchant traps to turn them into magical traps, how to enchant arrows, and so on."

"Then what are you going to do?" Andy cursed Nathas's irresponsibility in his heart before asking aloud.

"I have more important things to do! I haven't been back in so many years; it's time to go back and take a look!" Nathas's tone suddenly turned melancholic. "Andy, I know this is irresponsible of me, but I have no choice! In the next few years, something earth-shattering will surely happen on this continent. I must go and warn them to prepare early. As for you, you must practice hard. Those unknown creatures will definitely come to this continent; it's only a matter of time!"

"Yes, Teacher, I will remember!" Andy knew Nathas was talking about the Orcs. Come to think of it, should he also find a time to warn the elves? He thought about it, then gave up. In his current state, who would believe what he said?

"Alright, Andy. It's time for me to go. From now on, you're on your own. I hope we meet again one day!" Nathas patted Andy on the shoulder and strode away.

"Teacher, who are you going to report to?" Andy asked his final question.

"The High Elves!"