Holy crap, a hundred or so NPC rangers fighting for me? That would be way more spectacular than the Death Knights attacking Light's Hope Chapel! Too bad this was a dream. Otherwise, a screenshot posted online would get enough replies to reach the moon.
"I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Lin Yu snapped to attention, gave a military salute, and shouted.
His Chinese-style way of accepting a mission, complete with the loud response customary on Earth, startled Sylvanas. It was nothing like the etiquette used when accepting orders in Quel'Thalas.
Sylvanas clenched both fists, the tips of her long eyebrows trembling slightly. She was clearly angry. She had had enough of this idiotic male elf.
"What are you trying to do?" Sylvanas asked in an icy, ominous voice.
"I accepted the quest!" Lin Yu said. Why did she suddenly sound so sinister? Creepy! Good thing I knew this was a dream, or I'd have wet myself.
"Am I deaf? Do you need to shout that loudly?" Sylvanas realized that if she kept holding back, this idiotic bastard would drive her mad with anger. She could no longer stop herself from yelling at him.
Afterward, however, she felt a little regretful. After all, she was still a noble of Quel'Thalas, the second daughter of the Windrunner family. She had to maintain at least some grace. She drew a deep breath to calm the raging fury within her.
"Fine! Yu Lin Bloodhawk, was it?" She rested a hand against her forehead and said as evenly as she could, "Since you've accepted the mission, go outside and prepare!"
"Just one tiny question!" Lin Yu held up the tip of his little finger. "Will they follow my commands in battle?"
He could hardly be blamed for asking. These NPCs were so humanlike and intelligent, and they had quite the tempers. In battle, would they charge mindlessly at any enemy they spotted, like in World of Warcraft, or could he control them as he did in Warcraft? It was hard to tell. Besides, he felt this was an important question, one that would determine exactly how he completed the quest.
"They don't follow your commands?" Sylvanas's anger was abruptly extinguished as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over it. In its place, her face turned pale with alarm.
Thank goodness! Thank goodness! Sylvanas silently counted her blessings. Luckily, we haven't moved yet. Otherwise, this would be far worse than a simple failure. What disastrous consequences could an army that disobeyed orders have for the plan? She dared not even imagine it. She also blamed her elder sister, the commander, for sending such an idiot.
"I don't know. Don't they all listen to you?" Lin Yu asked, puzzled.
"You... you don't even know whether your own troops will obey you?" Sylvanas's freshly extinguished anger flared again. This time, she was truly furious, beyond caring about her aristocratic grace. "How did you ever become a company commander? Get out and go back right now! We don't need you in this battle! High elf soldiers' lives aren't so plentiful that those stupid, stubborn nobles in Silvermoon City can squander them however they please!" Her shouting was almost hysterical.
Lin Yu jumped! He could not understand why this NPC was so temperamental. The question was, had the quest been canceled or completed? Was there a follow-up quest? He looked at Sylvanas curiously, trying to see whether a question mark had appeared above her head.
Looks like Sylvanas doesn't think much of the nobles in Silvermoon City.
"What are you looking at? Didn't you hear me?" Sylvanas demanded angrily when she saw his gaze wandering over her.
"I heard you. You told me to leave!" Lin Yu said. After all, when an NPC spoke, it meant there might be a follow-up quest.
"Then why are you still here? Do I have to call the guards?" Sylvanas said coldly.
"Isn't there a follow-up quest?" Lin Yu asked.
"No! You're parasites in the army, disgusting maggots on the corpses of soldiers. I will never allow you within my jurisdiction, and I will never let you devour our soldiers' flesh and blood." Beside herself with rage, Sylvanas lashed out at Lin Yu without mercy. "I don't care where you came from or who's backing you. From this moment on, get out. Get out of my sight!"
In the face of Sylvanas's biting insults, Lin Yu displayed all the gentlemanly poise of a noble. He was not angry in the slightest; in fact, he thoroughly agreed, and that heartfelt agreement showed on his face. "Then, Your Majesty... ah, not yet! Where should I go now?" For a moment, he did not know how to address her. It was normal for an NPC to have a bit of a temper, especially World of Warcraft's leading lady. Besides, anyone who got angry with an NPC was either a fool or an idiot. He certainly did not consider himself a fool, nor would he admit to being an idiot.
Instead, Lin Yu's reaction startled Sylvanas, especially since the complete agreement on his face did not look feigned at all. No noble who had come to her to pad his credentials had ever endured such mockery. A few words from her always left them red-faced with anger, storming off in a huff. Yet this elf remained calm and composed, and even seemed to agree with her, leaving her unsure how to voice the still nastier words she had been holding back. After all, she was an elegant high elf noblewoman. She could not make an unreasonable scene like a shrew screaming in the street. Lin Yu's reaction made her feel that this male elf did have at least one redeeming quality.
After a while, Sylvanas's expression softened a little. "You're different, elf," she said.
"Got a quest for me?" Lin Yu asked eagerly. Here comes the good part. Getting a quest from this leading lady sure is hard.
"A quest?" Sylvanas sneered. "Although your behavior has convinced me that you may be a high elf noble with a few admirable qualities, that"-she stressed the word-"does not mean I acknowledge your military ability. Unless you can prove it to me, I will not let you lead our dear soldiers to their deaths." Her voice was still icy, but it had softened considerably.
"How do I prove it?" Lin Yu asked. I've played Warcraft for ages, after all, and watched plenty of films-the three crossings of the Chishui River, the four great campaigns, and all that. Besides, the experts online discuss everything from ancient times to the present, analyzing classic and famous battles across five thousand years of history as if they understand them inside out. I've never commanded an army myself, but even if I've never eaten pork, I've seen pigs run. Surely I can finish a game quest in a dream!
"Go outside! Take your soldiers, in full gear, and run thirty laps around the camp. Then come back!" Sylvanas said.
"That simple?" Lin Yu asked.
"Yes! That simple. Any questions? If not, carry out your orders immediately," Sylvanas said.
"As you command, Your Majesty!" Lin Yu gave a military salute. With his gaming mindset, the royal address slipped out again without him noticing. After all, her image as the queen of the undead was far too deeply ingrained.
"Don't call me Your Majesty!" Sylvanas snapped angrily, only to draw
a burst of giggles from the two female rangers guarding the entrance.
Lin Yu ignored her, turned, and walked straight out, supplying the notification in his head: Ding! Quest accepted: Sylvanas's Test. As he left, he saw that besides the two female elf rangers guarding either side of the entrance, a male elf stood outside, watching him and struggling to suppress a smile without saying a word.
Lor'themar Theron. Information about the fellow flashed through Lin Yu's mind: the future regent lord, who had served as Sylvanas's adjutant before that. But since he said nothing and did not seem like a quest-giving NPC, Lin Yu paid him little attention and walked right past him.
Holding back his laughter, Lor'themar entered the command tent.
"If you want to laugh, then laugh! Otherwise, we'll never get back to discussing the details of the attack," Sylvanas said bitterly.
"Hahahaha!" Lor'themar finally lost control and burst out laughing.
Sylvanas sat in her chair and watched her adjutant coldly without a word. After waiting some time and seeing no sign that he intended to stop, she said icily, "Have you laughed enough? Can we talk properly now? I really don't know what the commander was thinking, sending an idiot like that."
"I didn't think he seemed like an idiot! He's quite amusing, Your Majesty!" Lor'themar said, then laughed again.
"It seems you're in no state to continue discussing the details of the attack today. If you want to laugh, stay here and laugh to your heart's content. I'm going to see whether that clown of an idiot can actually command his troops." With those cold words, Sylvanas rose and left.
"Wait, I'll come with you. I'd like to see whether this amusing fellow has any ability, too." Lor'themar followed her, laughing.
Before you continue