At Moonbrook

Two days had passed since the Battle of Sentinel Hill, and Westfall enjoyed a brief period of peace.

Adona sat in the council chamber, reading the report in his hands. Alpha sat beside him, staring blankly into space, lost in thought. "What do you think?" Adona suddenly asked. After a while, Alpha finally responded, "Huh? What did you say?" He asked in confusion, "What do you mean, what do I think? What are you talking about?" Veins bulged on Adona's forehead as he enunciated each word: "In-ves-ti-gate Moon-brook." Alpha suddenly understood. "Oh, right, investigate it. I know, I'm going again, but you need to assign more people to me. Siso alone isn't enough. I need a full team—a knight, a mage, a warrior..." Adona cut him off. "Want me to give you a priest too?" "That would be even better. I was too embarrassed to ask." Alpha said sheepishly, though his expression showed not the slightest embarrassment. Adona felt another headache coming on. "Did you already have candidates in mind?" Alpha answered happily, "Of course. After observing them these past few days, I already picked the people. There's that—"

"Don't tell me. Same as always: as long as they agree, that's enough. Get organized and leave quickly." Adona cut Alpha off again, waving him away as though swatting a mosquito, hoping he would disappear from sight as soon as possible.

After leaving the hall, Alpha first went to see Siso. Seeing that he was recovering well, he left a few words behind and departed. Then he headed to the infirmary. That was right—he needed to find a priest first. Their upcoming mission could very well leave them with plenty of injuries, so a priest was essential.

There was only one person in the infirmary: a human woman in white robes. Her golden hair cascaded down her back, and a pair of golden eyes watched over the wounded soldiers before her. Though she lived in the dry wilderness, her skin was as smooth and pale as white porcelain. Her delicate features were no less beautiful than an elf's. She was Sentinel Hill's chief priest, Linda Claire.

"Honored Priestess, I am Alpha Lang Tu. May I take a moment of your time?" Alpha asked with impeccable courtesy.

Linda looked at him and smiled. "Of course, honored sir. Please wait a moment while I finish casting this last spell." "Great Holy Light, grant us Your radiance and bestow Your blessing—Holy Word." A gentle white light wrapped around the soldier, giving off a soft glow. The wounds on his body gradually healed, and the color returned to his face.

Outside the infirmary, Linda looked at Alpha seriously and asked, "Sir Alpha, how can you be certain I'll agree to your request? According to the lord, I still have the right to refuse." Alpha replied confidently, "Please call me Alpha, Miss Linda. The Holy Light would not refuse a believer's request. Besides, you are a great priest. I sincerely need your help, and with you, we can avoid many losses." Linda stared at Alpha, studying his earnest expression. "I accept your request, but not because of you. After all, no worgen is a follower of the Holy Light, right, Lord Worgen?" With a faint smile, she returned to the infirmary, leaving Alpha standing there, petrified. "Whew, what a difficult woman. Still, at least that's settled."

Next, Alpha went to the cavalry camp. There was a knight there whom he needed. "Peru, someone's looking for you." Soon, a tall middle-aged man walked out. "I heard you were looking for me, sir." A rough voice came from his mouth. He was a knight with curly brown hair, his square face covered in the traces of time. His black eyes seemed especially weathered, while his tawny complexion showed that he had spent a long time here. A thick shield was slung across his back, and the heavy armor he wore did not weigh him down. Instead, it made him seem as unshakable as a city wall. This is the man I need, Alpha thought. "Hello, Peru. My name is Alpha. I'm going to Moonbrook, and I need your help." He got straight to the point without any unnecessary words.

The outcome went without saying. After a brief moment of consideration, Peru joined them.

Now only one person remained, but after searching Sentinel Hill several times, Alpha still could not find a trace of that person. He had no choice but to give up. Still, four people should be enough, Alpha comforted himself.

Early the next morning, Alpha's group gathered at the gate. Captain Alpha: Novice Druid. Siso: Novice Berserker Warrior. Linda: Intermediate Priest. Peru: Novice Protection Knight. Looking at his team, Alpha's confidence surged. After introducing the members to one another, they set off for Moonbrook.

There was a small incident along the way: Linda and Siso already knew each other. Curious, Alpha asked how they had met, and burst into laughter when he heard the answer. When Linda had first arrived, Siso had happened to suffer a minor injury while looking for someone to spar with. Linda had treated him. Back then, Siso was still young, rather small and skinny, and fair-skinned, so Linda had mistaken him for a girl. That had led to quite a few jokes, and ever since then, Siso's face would redden uncontrollably whenever he saw Linda.

Along the way, Peru told everyone what he knew about Moonbrook:

Moonbrook had once been the largest town in Westfall. More than four thousand people had once lived there, making it a bustling place where people lived prosperous and peaceful lives. But during the Second Orc War, it was occupied by the Horde and suffered a massacre. After the Horde was driven out, peace returned, but only half the population remained. After the Defias Brotherhood failed in its attack on Elwynn Forest and retreated into the wilderness, they stationed themselves around this town. Over the years, the Brotherhood's constant harassment drove people away, and it gradually became an abandoned town where only a few thieves remained active. After pausing for a moment, Peru seemed to remember something. "Because the town was once occupied by the Horde, some strong-willed souls refused to leave. Over time, rumors of spirits began to spread. Some people claimed to have seen undead appearing there—people who had been unable to rest in peace for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Miss Linda, the only woman in the group, immediately felt a chill run down her spine. Pulling her cloak tighter, she said, "Uncle Peru, don't try to scare us. How could there be undead here?" The others immediately burst out laughing. Alpha joked, "Miss Linda, I never expected you to be afraid of undead. Hahaha." Siso covered his mouth and secretly laughed as well. Feeling embarrassed, Linda suddenly thought of something. "Little sister Siso, it seems this big sister hasn't shown you enough care." Siso's face instantly flushed bright red, while Peru and Alpha laughed even louder.

Amid the laughter, they finally caught sight of their destination—Moonbrook. The moment they saw the abandoned town, everyone felt a cold wind sweep over them. The gate creaked as the wind blew through it, while rustling sounds came from the grass.

The four cautiously walked through the center of town. The surroundings grew increasingly quiet. Linda asked in a trembling voice, "Do you feel anything? Why do I feel like someone has been watching us the whole time? There can't really be ghosts here, can there? It's so creepy." At that moment, dark clouds blocked the dazzling sun. Siso watched the surroundings as he said, "I feel someone watching us too. Killing intent is coming from nearby, but I don't know whether it's a ghost." Alpha added, "Someone is nearby. I can smell humans. They should be thieves. Didn't Peru say there was an Alliance outpost around here? Where is it? Let's go there first."

Peru took out a map and glanced at it. "It's northwest of here, not far away. We should be able to get there before dark." The four quickly headed northwest.

"Look! What is that? Heavens, undead!" Linda suddenly screamed.