This is the Eastern Sanctum, one of the many temples in Eversong Woods.
The reason this place was chosen as the defensive position is because the temple is very high, located halfway up the mountain. The winding mountain road, along with the temple's exposed spiral staircase, is enough for the remaining thousands of rangers to defend the position.
Any enemy attempting to reach the highest point of the temple must endure a deadly rain of arrows from the highly skilled rangers.
Most importantly, following the Scourge's straight marching route, they will inevitably pass by the Eastern Sanctum, which is the best sniping spot.
The Scourge arrived quickly.
Arthas clearly valued these rangers and this renowned ranger-general highly, even going so far as to waste precious time ordering hundreds of thousands of Undead to surround the area and launch a relentless, frenzied attack.
The elven rangers had a limited number of arrows. After repeatedly drawing their bows and nocking arrows, after sweating profusely and their fingers beginning to stiffen, they had used up all the arrows in the quiver on their backs.
So the knights drew their swords and daggers and began hand-to-hand combat.
Enemies fell one after another, their heads rolling off and crushed like melons under their own feet. But then more monsters surged forward: skeletons, zombies, Ghoul, Abomination, Crypt Fiend...
In the distance, there are Undead archers drawing their bows and shooting arrows, and undead mages Undead spells.
And in the sky above, there were hundreds or even thousands of Gargoyle circling.
Anub'Rekhan's massive body could still be seen in the distance, and it remained completely still.
If it had come, it could have destroyed the entire Eastern Sanctum with just one or two Charge, but it didn't, because the Death Knight didn't give the order.
The fallen prince, Arthas, seemed to relish the feeling of toying with his enemies. He longed to see them fall one by one in despair, because according to Kel'Thuzad, the more resentful, angry, and desperate they died, the more powerful their resurrected Undead would be.
Sylvanas still fights like a wild lynx in Eversong Woods, channeling her grief and rage into power. She wants to take as many enemies as possible down with her before she dies.
She knew, of course, her fate: death.
As she watched her brothers and sisters fall one by one, she felt somewhat fortunate for her previous arrangements.
Lor'themar returned to Silvermoon City alone to report the news, while Halduron led nearly half of the rangers to escort the people of the Sunstrider Dynasty away. In this way, she saved at least a thousand elven rangers and two promising ranger lords, and died without regret.
The enemy is about to break through the defenses...
They drew ever closer, and the stench was almost unbearable for Sylvanas.
There are too many, they're endless!
The most terrifying thing was that the Undead were casting spells to resurrect the fallen elven rangers one by one, and then Sylvanas had to fight her former subordinates. This feeling was too painful!
Having served as a ranger-general for so many years, she could name every single one of her rangers, even those resurrected as Undead. Watching them attack her with swords and daggers, manipulated by the enemy like puppets, Sylvanas was filled with sorrow—sorrow for the fate of the High Elf.
Sylvanas did not stop; she would fight until they were utterly destroyed, until the very last moment.
She was the most outstanding elven ranger after Alleria. In the end, all the elven rangers died, but she remained standing at the top of the Eastern Sanctum, fighting against every Undead climbed up there.
Sweating profusely, yet resolute as iron.
At this moment, all the Undead stopped and made way for them.
Arthas, the first Death Knight under the Lich King and the second master of all the Undead, easily ascended to the highest level of the Eastern Sanctum on his resurrected Invincible warhorse and stood before Sylvanas.
Sylvanas is not Legendary, even though she came very close to being Legendary.
Even if she's Legendary, it's useless, because she doesn't even have a single feathered arrow now. An elven ranger without feathered arrows is at least half as strong.
"You have nowhere to go, Sylvanas." Riding on Invincible, Arthas, as always, savored the feeling of Invincible —how wonderful it was.
No one could rival him.
He commands a massive Scourge, now exceeding 150,000.
150,000!
Let alone Lordaeron or other human nations, even the Empire of Arathor of yesteryear couldn't muster so many soldiers, yet he was able to control them.
That's not all.
Once Silvermoon City and Sunwell Plateau are breached, this number could easily double.
Once he leads the Scourge south, conquers Lordaeron, Dalaran, and other kingdoms, and occupies the entire Lordaeron, this number could even increase tenfold!
It will lead the Scourge to conquer the world, elevating the Kingdom of Lordaeron to unprecedented heights, even surpassing the Empire of Arathor, and it will become an even greater emperor than Emperor Thoradin!
Who can stop us?
Only the Lich King is above him!
But in reality, the House Menethil is not controlled. No one can be above them, not even the Lich King who created them!
"Father, Uther, Jaina... Look, I am the only one who can save Lordaeron. Only I can grant Lordaeron eternal rule and Lordaeron people eternal life! My choice was right, and you should not blame me for abandoning me..." Arthas thought to himself.
"Anar'belore, for the eternal sun!" Sylvanas gripped her battleblade tightly, her voice unwavering. " High Elf, fight to the death!"
During this period of carnage, Frostmourne absorbed countless souls, its power grew stronger and stronger, and Arthas also grew stronger and stronger, no longer the same as he was half a month ago.
Sylvanas had no way to stop him, absolutely no way.
Arthas ' speed and strength had reached the limits of mortals. Frostmourne left a deep wound on Sylvanas's left leg, severing her entire leg. Her bones, infused with Arcane energy, could not withstand the magic sword's strike and broke. Sylvanas could not stand up and collapsed to the ground.
Looking up at the cold, Eviscerate tip of the demonic sword, Sylvanas murmured to herself:
" Alleria, sister, I'm here. I've come to keep you company..."
" Vereesa, sister, live well and take good care of your child..."
Unlike many who face death, Sylvanas did not close her eyes.
As a ranger general, a member of the Windrunner family, and the wielder of the Windrunner's Warbow, her pride did not allow her to yield to death. Even when she was powerless to resist, she would face death with her eyes open!
He parried with his sword, but the purple epic-quality battle sword was no match for the rune-infused sword's slash. As the battle sword shattered, Frostmourne was about to claim yet another life and devour yet another soul.
An excellent and powerful soul.
However, at that moment, a sword suddenly appeared, piercing diagonally into the hard rock ground, barely blocking the runic magic sword.
A human youth who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old gripped a greatsword tightly with both hands, and with all his might, blocked Arthas's attack.
" Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger-General of Silvermoon City." The human youth grunted, the Frostmourne Eviscerate almost freezing him into an ice cube, but the Shadow energy of the Divine Sword Warbreaker ultimately blocked the surging evil, death, and frost energy.
" Warbreaker!" the human youth growled.
The greatsword brought tremendous impact, Invincible Arthas and his skeletal horse, Invincible, to stagger back several steps. Dozens of dense, thigh-thick, Corruption Thorns entangled and pierced the skeletal horse's body, even controlling Arthas's body as well.
The next moment, the Divine Sword Warbreaker suddenly disappeared, and the human youth picked up Sylvanas in a "princess carry" and then, with lightning speed, leaped down from the highest point of the Eastern Sanctum and rushed into the forest on the mountain.
Feeling the heat emanating from Windrunner, the young human felt the Eviscerate cold slowly dissipate.
He didn't look down at Windrunner, but focused entirely on running, while also trying his best to dodge the frenzied attacks from the Undead archer, Undead, and Gargoyle behind him.
" Stratholme has fallen. The High Elf have kept their promise, and humanity will keep itss. The Ashen Army is wiping out the Undead along the Dead Scar, and the ranger forces from Quel'Lithien Lodge are rapidly approaching," the human youth said.
"I am Nicholas Jiang, the vice commander of the Ashen Army."