Into the Wilderness

By the time Alpha woke up, an hour had already passed. Feeling the soreness throughout his body, Alpha gave a bitter smile and sighed. "I nearly got myself killed before even entering the wilderness. If I actually go in, won't it be a nine-in-ten chance of death? What a terrible deal." Looking at his right hand, where the blood had long since dried, he smiled bitterly again and cast Rejuvenation, hoping it would heal faster. Still, when he looked at the gnolls nearby, he realized he was doing better than they were. At least he was alive.

With the sun at his back, Alpha carried Hogger's corpse back to Westspring Fortress. Under the astonished gazes of the soldiers, he threw Hogger's body heavily beneath the bounty notice and said, "Can I enter Westfall now? Also, who do I collect the ten gold reward from?" "Please bring the body over here. Once we confirm it, you can claim the bounty." After a brief moment of shock, the soldier snapped back to his senses, hurriedly replied, and quickly ran over to verify the gnoll's identity.

"Bang!" As the gates closed behind him, Alpha walked away, swinging his coin pouch. "Ten gold in hand. I've finally made it here—now let me see the sights of Westfall."

After walking for quite some time, he heard the roar of rushing water ahead. As Alpha drew closer, the sound grew louder and louder. A broad river stretched before him, and he could neither see where it came from nor where it flowed to. He only knew that it divided Elwynn Forest from Westfall, leaving the stone bridge before him as the only way between the two.

After crossing the bridge, Alpha discovered that this stream had not only separated two lands, but created two entirely different worlds. The sky was still the same blue sky. Elwynn Forest was surrounded by green trees and rich in resources, while Westfall was desolate as far as the eye could see, filled with yellow sand and withered straw. There was not a soul in sight. From time to time, the cries of wild dogs drifted over from the distance. How could a place be this barren? It's even more desolate than land invaded by the Scourge. Alpha muttered to himself. If anyone lived here, it would be a miracle.

"Traveler over there! Yes, you! Could you come over here? I need your help!" A shout came from the distance. "I really did see a ghost in broad daylight." Alpha's face darkened, but he obediently walked over anyway. A carriage was parked by the roadside. Beside it stood a gentleman dressed in a black formal suit, while someone lay on the ground nearby.

"May I ask what you need help with?" Alpha asked cautiously. "Please allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Adona, lord of Sentinel Hill. I was inspecting the surrounding villages when I happened upon a murder case. I can't handle it alone, so I was wondering if you could help me investigate. I don't want to reveal my identity. You will be generously rewarded afterward," the black-clad gentleman said hurriedly.

Well, this worked out nicely. I needed an identity to investigate the situation here anyway. Praise Elune. With a grave expression, Alpha said, "My name is Alpha. It is my honor to serve you, my lord. Please allow me to inspect the body first." With that, he crouched down and began examining the corpse. The man wore coarse linen clothes, his hands were covered in calluses, and his shoes were caked with mud. His body was covered in wounds, making it impossible to tell which one had been fatal. All Alpha could determine was that he had been a farmer. Wait. Alpha carefully picked several strands of hair from beneath the farmer's fingernails. Huh? Gnoll hair. Alpha immediately reported his findings to Lord Adona.

"Gnolls! There is a gnoll camp not far to the east. There should be clues there—go take a look. I'll stay here and see whether anyone else comes by." With that, Adona pointed Alpha in a direction.

After walking for some time, Alpha spotted two or three gnolls gathered together. Honestly, he had no idea why these gnolls always liked huddling together. Alpha grumbled, then charged forward anyway. There was no one nearby, so in order to end the battle quickly, Alpha directly transformed into a worgen. With the worgen's powerful physique, nimble movements, and sharp claws, he ended the fight in just a few moves. On one of the gnolls, Alpha found not only scraps of the farmer's clothes, but also a strip of red silk. Yes, silk. Heh, silk? It seemed the farmer's death was not as simple as it appeared. He should ask the lord about it.

When Alpha returned to the carriage, Lord Adona had already been joined by his subordinates. Upon seeing the red silk in Alpha's hand, he said, "Isn't this the headscarf belonging to the mistress of Farnan Farm? How did it end up here? It seems this matter is not as simple as it looks. Alpha, I have urgent business and must return to Sentinel Hill immediately. I'm placing this matter entirely in your hands. Make sure you uncover the truth. When you are done, come directly to Sentinel Hill to find me. This is my token." He handed over the token, then led his men away, leaving Alpha alone in the wind.

"Heh, why does everyone trust me so much? Aren't they afraid I might be a wanted criminal?" At that moment, Alpha had no idea that this was help arranged for him by Prince Anduin.

A few days earlier, after Anduin discussed matters with Varian, Anduin wrote a letter to Lord Adona of Sentinel Hill. He hoped the lord would offer Alpha some assistance, while also instructing him not to let Alpha notice. That was how today's scene came to be, and why Lord Adona trusted Alpha.

Back with Alpha, due to the terrain, he had left his mountain horse at Westspring Fortress and could only continue on foot. Fortunately, his physique had improved, or he truly would not have been able to endure it. Looking at the farm before him and feeling the blazing sun overhead, Alpha was drenched in sweat and wished only for a cup of cool well water to bring him back to life.

"Did you hear? Another farmer disappeared suddenly some time ago," Farmer A said. "I heard about it ages ago. It was someone from nearby, and I heard he worked at Farnan Farm," Farmer B said. Farmer C cut in, "Farnan? Aren't they hiring workers lately? After something like this happened, who would still dare go there?"

"Excuse me, could I have a drink of water? Also, could you tell me how to get to Farnan Farm?" Alpha suddenly asked. The farmers turned to stare at him, their eyes filled with displeasure and fear. Still, they drew up a bucket of water from the well and handed it to him. "Walk a few kilometers south and you'll reach it. But I suggest you don't go. You just 'overheard' our conversation. If I were you, I wouldn't go." Alpha took the bucket and immediately gulped down the water. After drinking his fill, he said, "Is that farm really so frightening? I just arrived here, so I don't know what's going on." As he spoke, he handed over one silver coin.

The farmers' faces instantly broke into smiles. They accepted the money without hesitation and said, "Actually, Farnan Farm has had it pretty rough. A few months ago, the master of the farm suddenly died. They say he was killed by kobolds in the mine. Who knows why he went into a mine in the first place? All that remained were the mistress and her three children. If the master had not left behind some money before his death, whether the mistress and those three children could have survived would have been a question. Nothing seemed wrong at first, until one day the mistress hired four strong men to work on the farm. That was when people started dying."

A mine! It seemed he needed to pay Farnan Farm a visit. After thinking for a moment, Alpha made his decision. Before leaving, he even filled his water flask to the brim. Hmph, this wolf's silver coin was not so easy to take.

At this moment, Alpha did not know that when he stepped into this wilderness, far more than an investigation awaited him. A shocking conspiracy was waiting as well. But even if he had known, Alpha could not have refused, because this was not only for himself, but also for Gilneas...