The Art of Light and Shadow Effects

Gazing at the mountain ridge transformed into a torch in the distance, Lostro jolted at the reminder from Tian Sang. He quickly rounded up the stunned Witch Doctor priests and hunters, ordering them to organize the trolls who had retreated here. Although the enemy's fire attack had not succeeded, they would surely use the flames as cover for a probing assault soon.

While they had escaped the rain of fire from the sky, failing to repel the enemy's probing attack would lead the hostile army to march mercilessly upon Zul'Aman. In that case, having survived the fire only to fall to human-wrought disaster would be an inescapable fate.

Under the soothing words of the Witch Doctor priests and hunters, the troll warriors—who had been left dumbstruck and some even kneeling in terror by the sight of Battleaxe Ridge ignited by the falling fire clouds—barely regained their composure to prepare for battle. Most, however, still watched the distant inferno with trepidation.

"Will the fire spread into the mountains? When will the enemy attack?" Lostro leaned toward Tian Sang, following his gaze to the distant flames and asking with concern.

"Wait for the Goddess's instruction." Tian Sang watched the torch-like Battleaxe Ridge and looked up at the sky above the fire. It was thick with dark clouds that refused to dissipate despite the intense heat rising from the flames below; instead, they gathered in greater numbers.

"The Goddess's instruction?" Lostro blinked, listening to Tian Sang.

"BOOM!" The distant fire glowed even brighter as the sky suddenly darkened. A muffled thunderclap rang out, startling Lostro. In the distant sky, lightning flashed within the dark clouds, and amidst the light and shadow, a coiled figure could be seen winding through them.

"What is that?" Lostro, shaken by the thunder, stared wide-eyed at the lightning in the clouds.

"That is the Goddess." Tian Sang grinned slightly at the astonished Lostro. This kind of lighting effect, displaying mystery and power, was what one called art. While the scene of directly countering the falling fire rain was spectacular, raw power alone was not enough to inspire longing in people's hearts.

It wasn't just Lostro; many trolls had noticed the situation. The lightning in the sky flashed and vanished, but as everyone watched, another muffled thunderclap sounded. In the faintly lit clouds, a long, undulating shadow could indeed be seen, and that long shadow held the gaze of every troll firmly in its grip.

"BOOM!" A brilliant bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed immediately by a downpour. A torrential rain began to fall upon the mountains of Battleaxe Ridge, instantly extinguishing the sky-high flames. A hissing sound erupted, and billowing steam began to rise into the sky.

"Children of Amani, Snake Goddess Ulatek, mistress of wind and rain, She is helping us! What are you still afraid of?" Tian Sang, seeing all the trolls captivated by the scene in the sky, suddenly stepped onto a high point and shouted, drawing the attention of every troll.

"Behind us lies Zul'Aman, where our glory and our kin reside. The enemy will show us no mercy. Tell me, what are you still afraid of? Stand up! We must defend our home, prepare for battle! Heaven bless Zul'Aman, for Ulatek!" Tian Sang roared at the top of his lungs, clarifying the situation for all the trolls.

"Heaven bless Zul'Aman! For Ulatek! Warriors, assemble! Drummers, give me the war drums! Witch Doctors, prepare your magic!" Lostro, seeing the fellow roaring from the high ground, let out a thunderous shout. The emboldened troll warriors shook off their fear and stood in formation as ordered. The drummers struck up a rapid beat, and the soldiers began to chant, dancing their war dances to the rhythm of the drums.

"Heaven bless Zul'Aman."

"For Ulatek."

"Damn." Tian Sang stood on the high ground, watching the warriors huddled in groups and roaring after shedding their fear, and couldn't help but twitch his mouth. It seemed the trolls had no experience in large-scale warfare.

The flames of Battleaxe Ridge had been extinguished by the heavy rain, and the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed. The entire ridge was shrouded in steam and ash. Under the coordination of the high-ranking hunters, the trolls gathered and began to prepare for battle.

Although morale had been boosted, warfare wasn't just about rushing forward. Just like Tian Sang's speech earlier, while his words had served as an incentive, the trolls hadn't responded with applause or cheers. That didn't mean they weren't motivated; they simply hadn't expressed it.

Although Lostro was a Nightmare Troll, he possessed intelligence and military acumen that belied his appearance. He quickly helped Tian Sang stabilize the army's morale, then dispatched a wave of scouts riding Raptor mounts. After entering the steam-and-ash-filled Battleaxe Ridge, they quickly returned with intelligence.

The joint army of Elves and Alliance had arrived. A large force of soldiers was assembling before Battleaxe Ridge. They were fully armed and included armored cavalry, wizards, and exhausted Witch Doctors (priests) in support. It looked as though they intended to attack through the Amani Path.

Facing the direct approach of the Alliance army, Lostro quickly began making arrangements. He wanted to block the army at the Amani Path in one go, using the narrow terrain and the courage and fearlessness of the Zul'Aman trolls to kill the invading enemy and drive them out of Battleaxe Ridge.

"A battle like this will cost us a lot of time. Why don't we select some mid-to-long-range combatants to launch a flank attack from the high ground on both sides of the Amani Path, or even send a detachment to cross over and cut off their rear? That would be easy for us." Tian Sang looked at Lostro's plan and, after thinking about the terrain of the Amani Path, offered his suggestion.

"Our army is not large enough to split up further. However, the idea of occupying the high ground to launch a flank attack with mid-to-long-range strikes is good. I can arrange that." Lostro pondered for a moment before shaking his head to reject the idea of cutting off the rear, while simultaneously affirming the plan for a flanking maneuver.

Facing the approving Lostro, Tian Sang nodded, moving his tusks. His military knowledge was purely theoretical, and he had only mentioned it in passing. If he wanted to command an army like this big guy, he still had much to learn.

Under Lostro's arrangements, the troll army was quickly divided into three groups, led by suitable Witch Doctors and hunters. The central force rushed to the Amani Path to engage the enemy, while the other two groups bypassed the main force to occupy the high ground of Battleaxe Ridge on both sides of the Amani Path, launching flank attacks from above.

As the troll army went to attack the invaders, Lostro did not ask Tian Sang to follow, as he did not yet know that this fellow possessed spellcasting abilities and assumed he was a dud. Thus, he left him in Zul'Aman to soothe the populace and organize the situation within the city.

Tian Sang was happy to accept Lostro's arrangement. Although he secretly wanted to experience the battlefield and let out some adrenaline, he felt unsure of himself. Swords and arrows on the battlefield had no eyes, and if he could avoid taking risks, he would rather not. It was better to play it safe for now; once he had mastered his skills, it wouldn't be too late to experience the sights later.