Troll outpost

With the return of the last group of ranger scouts and the confirmation of the surrounding terrain, it became possible for the troops to advance deep into the Life Forest.

The rangers marked the locations they had scouted, paying particular attention to traces of Troll activity in the forest to avoid alerting the Trolls and giving them time to prepare.

The scholars hurriedly produced a sand table of the Life Forest, and everyone gathered in the Temple hall to deliberate. This operation deep into the forest had to go ahead.

In the hall, Alleria, Baron Sungunar, Lanaya, Valeera, Idonis, and Candiris once again discussed the battle plan.

The sand table marked their planned route and the locations of Troll activity identified by the rangers, recording several possible Troll ambush routes as well as difficulties along the march.

"Since the last battle in the Life Forest, we've pulled back our defenses throughout the forest. Only a few Trolls remain around the barrier. After this period of rest and recovery, those Troll priests, ugly enough to make an elf sick, have quieted down for now. We'll strike them a fatal blow while their guard is down." Hawkspear pointed his command baton at the route on the sand table as he explained everything in detail.

Hawkspear had fought Trolls for many years, overseeing the defense of the Farstrider camp, the Eastern Temple, and other locations, as well as ranger training and troop deployment. He could certainly be called experienced. This future king of rangers was second to none in all of Silvermoon City when it came to training and commanding rangers.

Alleria said nothing and looked at Baron Sungunar, asking for his advice with her eyes.

"After these days of joint training, coordination between the units taking part in this operation has improved considerably. But if we're fighting deep in the forest, we need to end this quickly and overwhelm Zeb'Watha's garrison outright." Baron Sungunar's suggestion of a lightning offensive was perfectly reasonable.

Alleria remained silent and looked at Patrick.

Patrick quietly pressed his chin, considered for a moment, and said, "No problems, then. When do we leave?" Baron Sungunar and Hawkspear both had extensive combat experience, and there was nothing Patrick needed to add to the tactical details.

Although ranger units had significant shortcomings and were better suited to defensive battles, positional warfare, or attacks supported by melee troops, and the elves had pitifully few melee troops, elven forces favored quality over numbers. Their individual combat ability was high, and they were well equipped. They could put up a fight.

"Check the supplies, armaments, and troop deployments once more. Compile and organize all intelligence, then submit it to me for review. The army will depart the day after tomorrow," Alleria told all the elves.

The arrow was already on the string.

As news of the expedition spread, the rangers below were all extremely excited. Another chance to win distinction had arrived. The council's battle standards had already been brought out in Sungunar's force, while Alleria had also prepared the Windrunner family's battle standard.

The two forces had supposedly undergone training to work together, as well as training in joint combat coordination, but judging by the results so far, both forces marched in very orderly ranks. As for everything else, it was best not to worry too much about the details.

Sure enough, councils were the same in every world, with factions inside and outside them fighting both openly and covertly. It seemed that saying from his previous life, "If you don't know martial arts, you'd be embarrassed to say you belonged to such-and-such council," had some truth to it after all.

The troops set out, leaving only a small defensive force and a few low-circle mages at the Eastern Temple. The mages accompanying Alleria's expedition were still the same two, Idonis and Candiris, making only three including Patrick himself. Sungunar's force also had only two mages, whom Patrick barely knew.

The troops passed through the barrier and, two hours later, entered the depths of the Life Forest. Hawkspear held a map, checking that they had not strayed from their route.

As the troops advanced, the stench of hex magic gradually grew stronger. The soil beneath their feet also began to turn into fertile black earth, and the smell filling the air grew increasingly pungent. Hex magic and voodoo had completely taken over this place.

Patrick was very close to Zeb'Watha. As they continued onward, the rangers found scattered traces of Trolls, and the troops went on alert, yet they encountered not a single Troll. Patrick found this rather strange. Trolls were not a farming people; they survived through nomadic herding, wild fruit, and other primitive forms of agriculture. Going an entire day without encountering any Trolls made no scientific sense.

On the second day, the troops finally spotted a Troll camp. It was small, with few occupants, and stood on a low hillside, presumably an outpost of Zeb'Watha. Through Eagle Eye, the rangers had already seen the Trolls setting up defenses, spears in hand and ready for battle.

Patrick extended his Mind Vision to investigate the Trolls. There were around a hundred of them, with only two spellcasters. It appeared to be merely an early-warning post.

The rangers were ready to attack. They needed only Alleria's command to blanket the enemy with the first volley of arrows and inflict an effective round of casualties.

"Loose," Alleria called sharply.

Arrows flew toward the Troll outpost like a swarm of locusts. Some Trolls were struck before they could dodge, but most of the wounded simply pulled the arrows out and suffered no serious harm. Only a few Trolls died from direct hits to the head or spine. Ordinary arrows without damaging enchantments could not overcome the Trolls' exceptional regeneration.

Magic gathered in Patrick's palm as powerful arcane energy began to condense. A mass of blazing flame appeared in his hand. At the same time, he continued compressing the magic until, at last, a bright orange fireball flew toward the Troll outpost.

Boom-!

Piercing screams erupted from the outpost as Trolls, their faces contorted in pain, were hurled in every direction like fragments of an explosion. Then the Troll buildings shattered, dealing a second round of damage to the Troll soldiers... The huge wooden house broke apart, as though telling of the tremendous blow it had endured.

Boom-!

Another tremendous explosion rang out as a second compressed spell flew forth. The bright orange fireball struck the Troll outpost directly, and a searing wave burst from its gate. Flames ignited the wooden houses and walls, and the outpost's gate slowly collapsed.

The troops began their assault, intending to wipe out the entire outpost. The accompanying mages began casting spells, applying arcane agility, armor enhancements, and haste one after another. Everyone was enveloped in arcane power, and the entire force shimmered with a multitude of colors.

The Trolls began hurling javelins downhill. Even primitive javelins could pose a tremendous danger to elves, and with the Trolls holding the high ground, gravity increased their lethality considerably. The Troll priests performed an unknown dance, sending waves of green light into the surrounding Trolls to heal their wounds. At the same time, the Trolls' muscles swelled further. Their eyes blood-red, they all licked their bloodthirsty fangs.