Faelandra

They kept attacking, wave after wave, relentlessly pushing forward! No one could stop them. The Gilneas Walls did not provide the safety promised by the King. Below them swayed like a tidal wave of undead, countless spiders Charge forward, and enormous monsters whose bodies seemed to be sewn together from the skin of rotting corpses. Tobias breathed cautiously, the air thick with the stench of gunpowder and the overwhelming stench of the horde of corpses, almost making him vomit.

Not far away, King Genn, the pillar of Gilneas' spirit, was also present on the battlefield, accompanied by a man who appeared to be a wizard of the Cult of the Damned, but was in fact the renowned Royal Archmage Arugal. Tobias stood atop the ramparts atop Greymane Wall, watching them.

"In the name of the Holy Light, they are endless!" a soldier spat. "All the bastards of Lordaeron should die!"

Tobias suddenly remembered the human kingdoms bordering Gilneas, the very place where all the sins originated. Weeks earlier, a messenger from Lordaeron had pleaded for Gilneas's assistance, but the King had refused. Tobias couldn't say that such inaction was justified, but he now knew that even Gilneas's artillery would struggle to halt the Scourge Undead's advance.

Firelight reflected off the tattered armor. The army of the dead continued its relentless advance. These undead creatures had no minds; they had only one goal: to breach the city walls.

Outside the city walls, Gilneas soldiers held their ground, futilely firing cannons into the enemy ranks, the trails of flame tracing the darkness until they struck their targets. But whenever one undead creature caught fire, another would immediately take its place.

This was going to go on forever. Tobias realized with despair. They'd been fighting like this for days. How much longer could the soldiers hold out? The endless enemy would only wear them down. Some soldiers were already panicking.

"What is our King doing at this time?" Tobias grumbled impatiently. Genn heard him. When their eyes met, Tobias saw the pallor on the King's face, an expression Genn hadn't even shown when fighting the Orcs. But Tobias wanted him to show leadership. He was their leader, the beating heart of Gilneas; those who swore to defend the walls were fighting for him.

"Gilneas will stand strong!" Genn's eyes burned with fury as he did his best to boost morale, while looking at the Archmage standing silently beside him.

Arugal appeared remarkably calm. Even here, he showed absolutely no sign of fear. His gaze was also composed; as a mage, he seemed to have witnessed such scenes before.

"Your Excellency, Mage." Genn's call sounded cold and hesitant, with a hint of panting.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Arugal had been waiting for Genn's voice, and now he was starting to get excited.

"As we've discussed, can you guarantee you can turn things around?"

Arugal lowered his head slightly, a strange smile hidden beneath his mask. "Of course, Your Majesty. I have assured you this many times."

Genn glanced at him twice, then nodded. The mage left, leaving Genn and the soldiers to listen to the terrifying sounds below: the clang of steel striking armor, the chorus of groans from undead creatures, and the screams of dying Gilneas soldiers. A very short time later, the howls of wolves echoed across the battlefield.

Tobias could not forget the horrific things he had ever seen in his life during those apocalyptic days, things he could never forget.

A group of uninvited guests arrived in the Black Mire Forest. Dozens of Orcs soldiers, led by a Kor'kron commander, entered the jungle. They were heading towards the heart of the command post. Interestingly, although they could support each other in numbers, the soldiers still found it difficult to conceal their fear of this unfamiliar place. Only the Kor'kron walked in front, gripping a massive battle axe in both hands, his gaze fixed on the surroundings with fury.

Tobias surveyed their weapons. A perfect combination of axes and spears protected the Shaman in the center of the group. He then slightly raised his arm, and with a sudden slam, several Worgen descended from the bushes above the group, their claws easily felling the two healers among the intruders. The Horde squad was thrown into disarray. Tobias seized the opportunity, leaping from the bushes to ambush the Kor'kron commander, who stood with his back to him.

This Orcs was clearly more cunning than he had imagined. Hearing the commotion, Kor'kron swung his weapon, turned, and swept it horizontally, clashing with Tobias's sword, both flying out of his hands. Tobias retreated to regain his footing, then drew two sharp and deadly short swords from his waist and charged forward.

More Worgen joined the hunt. Having received no orders to capture the enemy alive, they displayed the raw instincts of wild beasts. The Worgen's agility and reflexes surpassed those of any other race. The Orcs quickly discovered their superior equipment was utterly useless. Some of their companions, who had been beside them just moments before, were dragged into the jungle and hacked to pieces the next.

Tobias and the Kor'kron Orcs were locked in a stalemate. Suddenly, one of the Orcs stealthily closed in. Tobias ducked sharply, barely dodging a sweeping attack that nearly tore his back open. He turned and, with all his might, plunged his left-hand short sword deep into the attacker's thigh. With a scream, the guard was done for.

The battle ended in victory.

The bottle rolled to the corner of the room. Tobias, shirtless, slumped dejectedly in his chair. He'd been suffering from insomnia for days; every time he closed his eyes, he saw himself transformed into a Worgen, rampaging and killing among the people. Although he knew he could control himself, Gilneas's fear of Worgen deeply affected him.

Looking up at the roof ridge, Tobias began to vaguely believe that Staven's suggestion was correct.

The piercing scream left the pensive man disoriented; Tobias nearly fainted and rushed out of the house. A large group of people had already gone ahead to find the source of the sound.

The sky was a chaotic color, coating everything it touched—the city stretching out below, every tiled roof of Gilneas's tall buildings.

An eagle soared through the strong winds, flying towards its nighttime rest before the golden hues were replaced by the cold, pale purple of the gradually engulfing night. Below it, the Gilneas huddled together, murmuring amongst themselves. Neither the eagle nor the sky could attract their attention.

At the center of their group was the reason they were gathered. Tobias pushed through the crowd to the front, where a mangled corpse came into view. The poor fellow had lost an arm, and his clothes were stained with blood. Beside him lay a broken, bloodstained bottle.

"Worgen! It's that monster!"

"The security team assured us there wouldn't be any Worgen!"

"The Holy Light above!"...

Tobias swallowed hard as he heard the voices. He felt regret and apology for the dead, but the condemning whispers felt like a suffocating attack on him. If he revealed his true form here... with so many living people here... completely unprepared. Tobias began to fear the consciousness that resided within his blood.

Suddenly, a hand tapped his shoulder, startling Tobias, who turned around abruptly. His friend, Gwen Armstrong, stood before him. This unassuming yet strong woman possessed an elegance rarely seen in Gilneas; sometimes, Tobias even felt she wasn't a Gilneas.

"Gwen?" Tobias stammered out the other person's name.

"You don't look too good, Tobias."

The burly man with the hat wore a bitter smile as he glanced back at the corpse on the ground. "No one will be alright."

The patrol team had arrived and started taking over the work, dispersing the crowd. Some people pressured the soldiers who were usually maintaining order to give them an explanation, but they were met with the soldiers' merciless rebukes and curses.

"These soldiers are scared too," Gwen said. "Who knows if they might be the Worgen's next target?"

Tobias was relieved that she hadn't used the word "beast" to refer to the creature, and echoed, "May the Holy Light bring peace to the unfortunate. But I wonder what the King intends to do? Will he order a city-wide manhunt for Worgen? Or does he intend to remain neutral?"

"I would prefer the latter."

This statement surprised Tobias.

Gwen gestured for him to walk while explaining, "Nobody knows what the Worgen might do next. Right now they're just attacking drunkards who don't come home at night, but what terrible things might they do if pushed too far?"

In a daze, Tobias recalled the fate of a Worgen not long ago after its capture. The government publicly executed this enemy, chaining him to a stake. Firewood was piled at their feet, and oil was poured over the pile—and on his body. He was set ablaze, amidst the cheers of the crowd for this horrific spectacle. He had been there too, but back then he was still normal, and his legs hadn't been scratched by the Worgen.

"Perhaps the terrible things have already begun, but we just don't realize it," Tobias murmured.

The sunlight in the Black Mire Forest was sparse. Scattered, somber rays pierced through the clouds, only to be swallowed up by the dense branches.

"I owe you a favor, Faelandra." Tobias would say this every time he saw the Night Elf. He appeared before her in Worgen form, using this...

Faelandra Stormclaw was a Feral Druid — Tobias had no idea what Druids was—she had emerald-green facial markings and flowing hair, and a skin tone close to that of Gilneas. At this moment, she was fiddling with herbs, while a captured Worgen was chained to a rack beside her. The saliva oozing from his teeth indicated he hadn't regained his senses. Faelandra was helping him with this.

The Night Elf gave a slight bow. "We each get what we need, Mistermantho. When Archdruid Stormrage learned that Gilneas was afflicted by the Worgen, he believed that you and your people would become important allies of the Alliance. I have no doubt about his wisdom."

"An ally of the Alliance?" Tobias was taken aback. "Gilneas owes the Alliance a great deal, especially after the King ordered us to withdraw from the Alliance ...that's a fact. But I'm honored that you see us that way, and that you yourself have risked your life to help us, the cursed ones."

"You must understand, our mission is to assist the Worgen. Everything I've done is simply my duty." Faelandra waved her hand in front of the bound Worgen, who obediently drank the freshly prepared potion. The Night Elf continued, "Alright, now tell me what's happening in the Capital City?"

Just as Tobias was about to speak, a Night Elf scout rushed over, interrupting their conversation.

"Any news, sister?" Faelandra handed the scout a glass of water. He gratefully drank it down in one gulp, then whispered something in the Female Elf's ear.

After Tobias transformed into Worgen, his hearing became exceptionally sharp. He stood just a meter away from Faelandra, yet he couldn't hear what the two Elf were saying. He suspected it was some kind of invisible magic.

What news was it? Tobias was curious, but when he saw the horrified look on Faelandra's face, he realized that something was wrong.

"What happened?"

"You must go back quickly, Tobias," Faelandra told him. "By any means necessary, however difficult, you must bring your King here; he needs my help."

At first, Tobias didn't quite understand what Faelandra meant; he even found it somewhat ridiculous. But Faelandra's usually calm voice sounded urgent, as if tinged with fear.

"What's wrong with the King?" Tobias wanted to know the answer, otherwise he couldn't leave in peace, let alone do as Faelandra said.

The two Night Elf before the New Year had faces filled with panic.

"We must act immediately!" the female Druids said. She turned to face the Worgen had fallen into a deep sleep after drinking the potion. The implication was clear.

Tobias had tried his best to remain calm, but fear instantly shattered any semblance of composure on his face. An unprecedented anxiety made him tremble all over.

"Who else... knows..."

The female scout explained, "Not yet. Our men confirmed this after several days of observation."

Upon hearing this, Tobias turned and ran like a madman. He needed to return to Gilneas as soon as possible and bring Genn Greymane here. Only the Night Elf from afar could help the King.

How deep was the influence of the Worgen on Gilneas? Tobias thought in horror, unable to find a suitable word to answer the question.