The Dark Ranger's Rescue

Two days earlier, Genn Greymane was supposed to celebrate his birthday. However, he completely canceled it himself: there were no celebrations at all, and the King locked himself in his room, refusing to see anyone, including his wife and children.

Queen Mia wanted to ask him why, but Genn just lied and said that he had a fight with Darius Crowley, pointing all the blame at the lord.

Everyone's attention was diverted, but Genn's own problem remained unresolved. He tried every possible method and remedy to heal the wounds inflicted by the Worgen attack, all to no avail. His symptoms had only slightly subsided, but the thickening hair on his arms was now clearly visible.

Genn was terrified. What if the people knew their pillar of strength had turned into a monster... Greymane dared not think further. He wanted to find a cure, and for that, all the notes and materials left by Arugal were now on his desk. Genn knew he couldn't hide forever; delay would only make things worse. He was somewhat lost—like a restless ghost—struggling to maintain his composure.

"No!" Genn threw a book into the corner, then another, until the floor was covered with books. He rubbed his forehead, dejectedly thinking, 'Isn't there a solution?'

This question haunted him until he fell asleep. In his dream, Genn vaguely saw himself running wildly through a forest, with flames shooting up behind him and a cacophony of voices shouting to catch him. He desperately screamed for help, only to discover that his daughter and son were also among the pursuers.

The King awoke with a start, drenched in a cold sweat, a lingering tingling sensation in his wounds. If it was all a dream, all would be well, but if the firelight outside the window was real, it meant something terrible had happened in the city. Genn quickly opened the window, a whiff of burning smoke filling his nostrils. He immediately covered his mouth and nose with his hand and peered out to investigate.

The direction of the firelight... the cathedral in the city center.

"What's going on?" Genn roared as he burst through the door. A soldier who had come to comfort him was instantly stunned. Before the soldier could explain, Genn bypassed him and ran out of the Royal Quarter. Those who discovered the fire began to put it out. Genn wasn't wearing the King's protective gear, so many people didn't notice the King's arrival in their haste.

Greymane wanted to find someone he knew, preferably someone who could tell him the cause of the fire. The Gilneas Cathedral was a place of prayer for the people; a fire there was undoubtedly an ominous sign.

"Genn!"

Hearing his name, the King frowned. Only his wife and political rival Crowley, would call him by his given name, yet this voice belonged to neither of them. He turned to look for the man; if he was trying to get his attention, this would be a clever move.

Genn quickly found the "usurper" hiding in the crowd. A man much younger than himself, yet he gave Gene a completely different feeling. Genn stared at him for a long while. The King suddenly awoke with a start: The arsonist!

"Come with me."

The man turned and left. Genn wanted to grab him, but his inner doubts made him refrain. Arson was a capital offense, and this man dared to appear openly before him. Genn thought he should bring guards, but this time he wanted to go alone.

"Who are you?"

They came to a quiet corner of the street. Genn spoke up, now he could see the man's appearance much more clearly.

"My name is Tobias Mistermantho, Your Majesty. We have met before."

Genn's wariness lessened somewhat, and he tried to recall the impression of the person in front of him; the person's name sounded somewhat familiar.

"Really? I've met many people. Which family are you a member of?"

Tobias sighed, his expression downcast, and said, "I am not a nobleman; I am just a commoner."

"Then you should know what the consequences of setting fire to the cathedral will be. Who gave you the audacity to do such a thing?" Genn roared, his burly, tall figure resembling a brown bear.

"I did all this just so I could talk to you alone, after all, you're not someone you can just meet."

"So what's your purpose?" Genn asked, as he carefully observed Tobias, feeling as if he had seen him somewhere before. That familiarity made Genn uneasy.

"I've come for your wound." Tobias patted his shoulder. A thunderbolt struck Genn's mind; he stood there, stunned, unable to utter a word.

It took the King quite a while to come to his senses. "We really should have a good talk, just you and me."

Gilneas City was burning. Smoke drifted through the alleyways, and the roar of cannons echoed on the horizon. Prince Liam stood atop the ramparts, looking down. As a child, he had stood here with his parents, watching the sunset. He had stood here admiring this magnificent city, the country he would one day rule.

Now, the city is in crisis. The Crowley, known as the Northgate Rebels, are waging an unprecedented riot. Liam doesn't consider them rebels in the strictest sense, as many of the measures his father, Genn, implemented since the Second War have harmed the interests of the Crowley lords. Liam knew long ago that he would retaliate against Greymane with a military coup, but he hadn't expected it to come so suddenly, precisely when his father disappeared. The enemy must have known Genn was missing; that's what has accelerated their riot.

Shortly before Crowley openly rebelled against Greymane, Liam had found Lorna Crowley, and the Prince had attempted to reason with the noblewoman. He tried to explain that the construction of the Gilneas walls was for the benefit of the vast majority of Gilneas, an explanation even Liam himself didn't believe. When Lorna used Worgen to refute his argument, Liam found himself unable to find a suitable reason to explain.

In order to deal with one terrible enemy, you invite another, even more terrible one.

That single statement was enough to shake the Greymane family's dominance. The Crowley faction insisted that Genn's rule was "tyranny" and that everything they did was for a better future for Gilneas. Unfortunately, many were willing to follow the Crowley.

"Father," Liam murmured.

Genn didn't stop. He could hear the rebels searching for him in the forest. He knew that if he were discovered, Crowley would put him on public trial. The guide in front of him was running at a pace he could keep up with.

"Tobias," he called.

The person in front didn't stop, but turned around and asked, "Your Majesty?"

"How much longer? I have a feeling we're about to be caught up."

"Watch out!" Tobias whirled around and shoved him to the ground. Immediately afterward, a musket shot a hole through a tree next to them. The sound of sawdust hitting the ground sent a chill down Genn's spine, and he grew increasingly agitated. A force within him wanted to be released.

"You run first, Your Majesty." Tobias pulled Genn up. "I'll hold them off. They mustn't see you, or we're finished."

Reason reminded Genn that Tobias was right.

"Run along this road! Run to the center of the woodland, someone will be waiting for you there."

What happened next happened so fast that Genn couldn't even tell the exact order of events. As another bullet grazed his sleeve, only one thought drove the old King.

Run!

This made Genn feel quite ashamed, but Tobias's warning was right; he couldn't afford the consequences of being discovered to be on the verge of becoming Worgen. His mind was swarming with all the possible scenarios and thoughts, all chanting the same word.

Run!

So Genn followed his instincts and kept running, in the direction Tobias wanted him to go.

A group of Night Elf from Kalimdor can help you, Your King. They can help you control the power of the Worgen.

Despite his doubts, Genn could only place his hopes on the Night Elf.

Every nerve in Tobias's body seemed to yearn for him to escape, to flee the enemy's encirclement, but in reality, he was facing danger. Moreover, he couldn't use the Worgen's powers, because if he revealed his true form, the rebels could use the evidence of the King's collusion with the Worgen to their advantage. For a moment, Tobias couldn't help but doubt whether taking the King away had been the right decision.

The first attacker flashed a steel weapon, its blade gleaming coldly. Tobias dodged the weapon precisely, simultaneously delivering a punch to the man's face. The man instantly collapsed, but his fate did not deter his companions, for they held a decisive numerical advantage.

Tobias let out a triumphant shout, preparing to rally the other rebels who charged forward. They clashed in the darkness. The brief but brutal struggle was filled with muffled groans and the clang of clashing swords.

The battle ended there, and the rebels fell to the ground one by one. Tobias was also badly wounded, but he suppressed the pain, which only fueled the primal instincts within him.

An assassin from the rebels appeared behind him, leaping down from a tree and closing in slightly while Tobias was busy dealing with the others. He swung his sword downwards, intending to slice the blade across Tobias's exposed throat.

Without hesitation, the Worgen in human form made his move, turning and catching the short sword with fluid movements. He snatched it away and plunged the sword, which was originally meant to slit the assassin's throat, into the assassin's face.

Tobias aimed perfectly; the tip of his sword pierced the eye and went into the eye socket. The assassin's scream tore through the night. He staggered for a moment, then collapsed to his knees, his body falling forward, his head dying before it even hit the ground.

Seeing that many of their comrades had died, the rebels finally dared not advance rashly. Of course, they did not choose to retreat either, but instead surrounded Tobias.

Unwilling to sit and wait for his death, he suddenly lunged at an enemy on the side. The enemy was taken aback and had no time to react defensively, and was knocked to the ground.

A boot suddenly kicked Tobias in the side, sending him tumbling several times. After regaining his balance and raising his head, the butt of a musket slammed down towards his head. Tobias lay on the ground, dizzy and disoriented, countless phantom images of enemies flashing through his vision. The closest enemy raised his sword, ready to plunge it into Tobias's body.

Many years later, when Tobias recalled that terrifying battle, he remembered with crystal clarity how a tiny glimmer of light had caught his attention—the arrowhead, hidden among the leaves. In an instant, the arrowhead burst forth, piercing the skull of the man who had tried to kill him from behind.

The arrow was indeed cruel; the dead man didn't even know why he died, a few drops of blood and brain matter splattered on Tobias's face. Then fell a lifeless corpse.

More dangerous arrows rained down from all directions, accompanied by screams of agony. Tobias kept his eyes tightly shut, waiting for it all to end.

"Get up if you're not dead," a cold voice said.

Sensing the battle was over, an exhausted Tobias opened his eyes. Last time Veronalara, he had only seen one Undead in Gilneas City, an Undead named Tobias. But now, more than a dozen figures dressed identically to Veronalara appeared before him.

Tobias struggled to sit up, looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, and felt a certain admiration for the methods of these Undead.

"It's you again?"

"That doesn't sound like a thank you," Veronalara said, tilting her head back. "I told you we'd meet again, Mistermantho, even though only a few months have passed."

"You didn't say you had this many men." Tobias glanced at the surrounding Undead. "Why did you save me?"

"You seem like a grateful person," Veronalara said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so Night Elf in the Black Mire Forest after they helped you regain your sanity."

"What? You actually knew that?" Tobias stared at her.

"I just haven't had time to give the order to wipe them out. The Alliance is practically an enemy to us." Veronalara waved her hand, and the Dark Ranger began cleaning up the battlefield, clearing away corpse after corpse. "You still haven't answered my question: Are you a grateful person?"

"You need my help to save me? Ha, I knew you had some secret you were hiding."

Veronalara gave Tobias a mocking and teasing look, as if she were sizing up a clown. "Stop being so clever, Worgen. I saved you simply because I was following orders. But you're half right, my leader does need your help. I've been away from the Forsaken for too long, and now that I want to return, I must take action."

"Your... leader?" Tobias's eyes revealed curiosity. He thought that Veronalara and her soldiers did not seem like ordinary people. What kind of person was their leader?

"My leader needs you to do something very, very small for him. Of course, he'll also tell you some things that might interest you." Veronalara's eyes involuntarily glanced towards a certain spot as she spoke. Tobias sensed that the leader she was referring to might be waiting for him there. "And I must remind you. You have no choice but to agree to this deal."

I'm updating a little late today because I went home early for National Day and spent the whole day traveling. Also, I wish everyone a happy National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival.