At fever pitch

Patrick extended his mental world to sense the Trolls inside Zeb'Watha.

[High-level spellcaster detected. Seven spellcasters, three hundred and seventy-four Warriors, and one individual sheltered by divine power. However, that individual is protected by a large amount of energy, making their exact strength impossible to sense.]

"The one sheltered by divine power should be Chief Zul'Marosh."

[According to your previous memories, the strongest Troll in all of Zeb'Watha is Chief Zul'Marosh. He possesses the skills Armor Shatter and Cleave. His threat level is not high.]

"So far, there's no sign of any other high-level spellcaster, and my Spiritual Power hasn't detected one either. It should be Chief Zul'Marosh. Hopefully, there won't be any unexpected complications."

The army's mages began buffing the entire force, once again using Haste, Stoneskin, Arcane Agility, and the like. The fighting once again opened with ranged fire.

Patrick sensed a tall Troll with fiery red hair and tusks longer than those of the other Trolls. A necklace of teeth hung across his chest. This should be Chief Zul'Marosh.

Several Troll Witch Doctors behind Chief Zul'Marosh kept chanting incantations, bestowing Voodoo power upon him. His muscles bulged, and even the veins beneath his skin stood out.

Nearby, a group of Amani Berserkers absorbed energy. Black energy surged in the hands of the Darkpine Hexer beside them, who kept releasing it into the Amani Berserkers. As the green Hex entered their bodies, the Troll Berserkers swelled considerably, splitting the clothes and trousers they had been wearing. Their eyes gradually lost their clarity and turned blood-red. Some Trolls licked their tusks, seemingly needing blood to calm their frenzied hearts.

The Amani Berserkers charged straight at the Elf forces, with nearby Amani Berserkers and Amani Axe Throwers mingling behind them. The Troll troops soon approached Patrick's position. The rangers' arrows rained into their ranks, but aside from the enchanted arrows, which dealt considerable damage, some ordinary arrows were blocked by shields, while others failed to strike the Trolls' vital points. The Trolls casually pulled out the arrows and, relying on their excellent troll regeneration, continued charging without any hindrance.

Patrick began casting. Compressed Pyroblasts formed in his palms and flew toward the Trolls. Explosions erupted everywhere, scorching many of them, but the Amani Berserkers could no longer feel pain. Even with their bodies on fire, they continued charging, a pack of killing machines stripped of reason.

Patrick continued hurling Pyroblasts at the Trolls. The compressed Pyroblasts were highly effective, but still could not stop their charge. Close combat between the two sides became inevitable. The Elves' position came under assault, and at such close range, the rangers' bows began losing their usefulness. They switched to attacking with daggers, but to little effect. The Trolls' regenerative talent now played an enormous role.

Alleria had already drawn her blade and joined the fighting. The Ranger Marshal had extensive combat experience, and used the Arcane Agility Patrick had bestowed upon her to greatly enhance her movements. She wove nimbly through the battlefield, slashing her dagger and shortsword across Troll throats for one-hit kills.

Patrick unleashed his Spiritual Power at full strength, controlling and guiding arcane energy to release searing Fire Dragons that detonated the surrounding air. Many Trolls who had drawn close instantly became charred corpses, giving off a pungent stench.

Chief Zul'Marosh had also charged into the Elf forces. With the blessings of the Witch Doctors and their Hexes, his strength and speed had increased far more than twofold. Elves were dying at his hands almost constantly.

[The one protected by divine power is Chief Zul'Marosh. Divine power has locked down the space around him. You cannot guide conjuration spells with Spiritual Power to kill him instantly.]

"Then what do I do? Fight him hand to hand?" Patrick asked anxiously.

[You can only hurt him through physical damage, or alter the environment around him.]

Chief Zul'Marosh was protected by divine power. Patrick had originally planned to wait until he approached, then use a conjuration spell to tear open space and kill him outright. But now that conjuration was ineffective against him, Patrick became somewhat flustered.

Right, change the surrounding environment.

Flame Burial! How did I forget that? Patrick unleashed his Spiritual Power in an explosive burst. Powerful arcane energy blasted away the Trolls around him, much like an Arcane Explosion. Threads of Spiritual Power flew toward Chief Zul'Marosh and wound around him. Patrick immediately compressed the arcane energy and used Arcane Mimicry. In just a few moments, Chief Zul'Marosh was engulfed in flames. The divine energy protecting his body began melting away in the fire, which burned into his skin. The roaring flames surrounding him blinded him and robbed him of his ability to fight. Finally, he fell to the ground, struggling, and slowly grew silent.

Seeing Chief Zul'Marosh fall dead, Alleria shouted, "The enemy leader is dead! Victory will be ours! For Quel'Thalas!"

The Elves answered with a shout of "For Quel'Thalas!" Their earlier faltering under the Troll assault vanished.

The balance of the battle began tipping toward the Elves. With their leader slain, the Trolls' morale suffered a heavy blow. In contrast, the Elves gradually began controlling the pace of the battle, surrounding, pursuing, and cutting off the Trolls with every appearance of intending to slaughter them all.

A green light descended upon the Troll Warriors, reigniting their recently scattered fighting spirit. The Trolls brandished their spears and battle-axes, intending to charge toward Patrick's side once more.

[Something's wrong. That priest has more than one spell. He's still channeling. Be careful.]

Ellen sensed the Troll Priest's spell and voiced a warning.

As she finished speaking, another green light descended. This time, however, its targets were not Trolls, but Elves.

[It's the Troll Hex, Corruption. Maintain an Arcane Barrier on yourself first and evade the spell attacks.]

The Troll Priest's Hex fell, and many nearby rangers were cursed by it. Pustules began forming on their arms and bodies, and their skin started rotting. Unable to bear the torment, the wounded rangers collapsed to the ground, wailing and losing their ability to fight. The surviving Troll Berserkers and Troll Axe Throwers ahead were about to charge back up to the front line.

"Idonis, Candiris, let's dispel the curses together! Hurry!" Patrick shouted to Idonis and Candiris. The Troll Warriors were about to reach them.

Patrick, Idonis, and Candiris dispelled the curses on the troops together, then hurled Pyroblasts at the charging Troll forces. Already battered and depleted, the Troll troops were driven back once again.

"All rangers who still have Explosive Arrows, fire at Zeb'Watha!" Patrick shouted to the rangers. "The enemy's high-level priest is still inside! Fire immediately!"

Alleria turned to glance at Patrick, then nocked an arrow and drew her bow without another word. All the rangers followed her example. Those without Explosive Heavy Arrows also fired at the Troll Warriors.

Patrick gathered a large amount of arcane energy once more, compressing it into a small sphere with his Spiritual Power. An extraordinarily concentrated Pyroblast formed, radiating bright orange light, and with a casual motion, he sent it flying toward Zeb'Watha.