The High Elves' Magical Research Capabilities

Yu Lin Bloodhawk had truly been frightened this time.

The Troll Rogue was indeed dead, and had been dead for some time. After uttering the words "go home," his life had finally ended. The only thing that had carried him so far after being stabbed was the resentment burning in his chest. He could not believe that a greenhorn had defeated him so utterly, leaving him with nothing, for reasons he could not even understand.

He considered it an unbearable humiliation. He refused to accept it, refused to admit defeat. Even if he died, he would make this elf die before him.

That vicious determination and resentment had brought him before Yu Lin Bloodhawk, but Yu Lin Bloodhawk's mention of going home had shaken his resolve and made him think involuntarily of home. That distraction had dispersed his resentment, leaving him without the strength to move another step. At last, he had died completely.

His body had simply been perfectly balanced when he died. Coupled with the stiffness that had already begun setting in before his death, this had left him standing motionless.

Once Yu Lin Bloodhawk was certain he had put plenty of distance between himself and the terrifying Troll Rogue, he found a concealed spot and stopped to rest.

He was far too weak now. He had to recover his strength as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even if that Troll Rogue did not pursue him, there was no way he could escape the other Trolls in his current condition.

He sensed no approaching danger, so he lay flat on the ground and relaxed his body as much as possible, hoping to recover his strength sooner.

He tried not to think too much, instead letting himself enjoy the wonders of nature: the rustle of wind through the trees, the chirping of insects and birds. Those sounds made him feel safe and helped him relax.

These were all methods the Old Hunters invited down from the mountains had taught him. They had told him to draw closer to nature and understand it better. Only then could he understand its language. The chirping of insects and birds, for instance, was one form of that language.

If that language fell silent, it meant danger might be approaching, and he had to become vigilant. Those voices of nature would only suddenly disappear when large animals or people moved through the woods. If, instead of falling silent, they erupted into a frantic chorus, a natural disaster might be coming.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk did not possess the Old Hunters' depth of understanding, but he was humble and eager to learn. Even when he did not understand something, he quietly committed it to memory.

He sensed no approaching danger even by the time his strength had recovered. He got up and continued due north. He certainly was not going back to make trouble for those Trolls. He was already thanking his lucky stars that they had not found him.

He did not consider himself one of those overpowered hotshots with cheats who could play weak and crush anyone they met. If he tried copying them, he would truly become easy prey, ripe for someone else to devour. This world had no outright idiots, only greedy people and people absorbed in their pursuits. Those who treated everyone else as fools were the greatest fools of all.

His journey went surprisingly smoothly this time. Even after reaching the main road, he encountered no more pursuing Trolls, which struck him as rather strange.

With no Trolls chasing him, he could only follow the road toward Suncrown Village as agreed. Before long, he met a fifty-strong cavalry unit riding out from Suncrown Village to support him.

Naturally, Yu Lin Bloodhawk was delighted to have an escort. At least he no longer had to worry about his safety. It also meant that his four subordinates had reached Suncrown Village safely.

After reaching Suncrown Village, besides seeing his four subordinates, he naturally had to give a full report on the enemy. That kept him occupied until evening. He rested in Suncrown Village that night, and early the next morning, the five of them rode Hawkstriders back to the military camp at Tranquillien.

As for how to deal with those Trolls, that was the Suncrown Village garrison's business. The area fell under their jurisdiction, and they naturally would not tell him how they intended to handle it.

Back at camp, some of the hunting parties had yet to return, so Yu Lin Bloodhawk had the idle Gryphon Riders notify every hunting team to come back. He plunged into his office again to look for the document on beast training. After surviving this crisis, he was even more desperate to improve his strength.

The High Elves truly deserved their reputation as masters of magic. Their foundation of over ten thousand years of magical knowledge was no empty boast, nor could the crude magical practices of the barely civilized Zul'Aman Trolls compare.

Rather than saying the arcane mages of Falthrien Academy had developed a beast-training method, it would be more accurate to say they had developed contract magic for communicating with beasts. Through this method, beasts could not only recognize allies but also understand many of their masters' thoughts. It was downright incredible.

He excitedly read the entire document in detail, then set it down, thrilled beyond measure. This was real Hunter beast training.

At first, the Arcanists of Falthrien Academy had shown some interest in the Troll Rune Beast Collar. After studying it for a few days, however, they had dismissed it with disdain.

After Sylvanas offered her suggestions, they had easily developed what she wanted to her specifications. Who could have known that, not long afterward, Sylvanas would receive another letter from her elder sister Alleria? Several passages mentioned beast-training abilities that Sylvanas found even more unbelievable.

But she did not care. Alleria's letter said someone had already developed those spells, though they could not currently be found, so she believed that others had already created such magic. Yet the High Elves, who considered themselves the forebears of magic, did not even know it existed. That was unforgivable. Whatever others could do, the High Elves had to possess as well.

So she took the thick volume that had arrived with the letter, containing descriptions of the abilities' names, functions, and effects, and visited Falthrien Academy again. She slapped it down on a table and, after sneering at a group of Arcanists and subjecting them to a barrage of sarcasm, said, "I want what's described in here. Other people have already developed it, and you don't even know this magic exists. I'm embarrassed for you." Then she swept out.

The Archmages of Falthrien Academy exchanged bewildered looks. Several opened the volume and found detailed descriptions of spell names, functions, and effects. Even the weaknesses and limitations of certain spells were clearly described, as though these spells truly existed. Yet they had never heard of them.

But Legion Commander Alleria had written this, and she was unlikely to deceive them. Nor could so many spells have been written up out of thin air. If others could develop them, and the military now needed them, there was no reason Falthrien Academy could not develop them too. Otherwise, how could they call themselves Azeroth's foremost magic academy? Wouldn't that be humiliating? The very first ability listed was beast taming, so Catherine's Archmages gathered their people and began tackling the problem.

Before long, however, another meeting on military reform was held in Silvermoon City, Quel'Thalas. This time, not only senior military personnel but also the king, Council members, and Falthrien Academy were required to attend.

Thus, Sylvanas's unreasonable behavior at Katherine Academy was interpreted as a gesture of goodwill from the Windrunner family toward Katherine Magic Academy: she had deliberately leaked the news early to give them advance notice.

As a result, they attended the meeting with composure and confidence, taking the lead in pushing military reform forward. Since their research was central to the effort, the Military Department decided to establish an experimental unit.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk was the ideal candidate. He was a Baron, yet showed no clear inclination to align himself with any great family or faction. He had no powerful backers, and he was also the first to propose the Battle Pet Ranger Unit. If he succeeded, it would not upset the balance between the various factions and would bring considerable benefits, since everyone could follow his example. If he failed, they could punish him without hesitation. Thus, with the tacit cooperation of every faction, the unit was swiftly established and given clearance everywhere.

Following the order of the abilities in Alleria's materials, Falthrien Academy concentrated its efforts on each problem in turn and soon produced an entirely new beast-training method. In truth, however, the descriptions in Alleria's ability book were simply the abilities she had selected according to her needs after her conversation with Yu Lin Bloodhawk that day.

Because Yu Lin Bloodhawk's explanations had been so specific, she had mistakenly assumed someone had already developed them, yet not a single High Elf knew about them. That was why she had sent the material to Sylvanas and asked her to show it to the old scholars at Falthrien Academy.

She knew those old scholars always considered themselves superior. How could they tolerate others already knowing things they had never even heard of? Ordinarily, they researched all sorts of random things even when there was nothing to do. To eat, they had developed Breadwood. To drink, they had developed Conjure Water. To avoid sweeping their own floors, they had developed the Magic Broom. To watch fountains, they had developed the Magic Fountain. This time, all these abilities were needed by the kingdom's army. How could they not put in the effort?

Yu Lin Bloodhawk knew none of this. He had been busy catching beasts all along. Seeing how quickly they had produced a beast-taming method left him marveling at Quel'Thalas's formidable magical research capabilities. If the Undead invasion hadn't left fewer than one in ten High Elves alive, what power besides the Blue Dragons could compare with research capabilities like these?

If this formidable magical research capability could be preserved, would Prince Kael'thas still have to risk his life so desperately searching for a solution? A single dragon could recreate the Sunwell, and a Naaru could reignite it using a spent core. There's no reason researchers this powerful couldn't find a solution. At worst, we could just capture a Naaru and bring it back.

That thought eased much of his worry over the Sunwell's destruction. He also silently decided that, if he could not prevent it when the time came, then besides taking Well Water from the Sunwell, he had to ensure the safe evacuation of Falthrien Academy's teachers, students, and research materials. Once the Undead invaded, the academy's teachers, students, documents, and books would be the first evacuation priority. Everyone else would come afterward.

As for the Sunwell's Well Water, he would probably need Sylvanas's help. By then, she would already be Ranger-General and should be Quel'Thalas's highest-ranking military officer. The fact that her deputy, Lor'themar, had become regent after her death made that clear.

Without her support, getting Well Water out of the Sunwell would be difficult. He should find an opportunity while her rank was still relatively low and she remained approachable, and arrange for her to help him obtain the Well Water when the time came. Otherwise, once she rose to high office, discussing it with her might become difficult. Who knew whether he would ever become a senior official himself? With no family connections or backing, his chances were probably slim. Relying on a big boss was the safer bet.