Azeroth Monster Manual

“The shameful invaders have come to sacred Zul'Gurub!”

“Seize those white-skins! Offer them to Hakkar the Soulflayer!”

… …

Although the trio was careful enough, their recent battle, though minor, with Venoxis still attracted a Gurubashi patrol squad lurking nearby.

“Those damned jungle panthers can smell us!”

The three used Blink to sprint for miles, but the pursuers were like leeches, impossible to shake off. This made Ansirem quite surprised, so he kept a close watch and casually planted a [Sentry Totem] by the roadside.

Although the fragile Sentry Totem was crushed into powder by the charging raptors in just a few seconds, he still keenly noticed that the raptor riders chasing them were also accompanied by jungle panthers with keen senses of smell.

“Swish swish…”

Spears and throwing axes flew rapidly towards the three. Even Kalec, the slowest to react, sensed something was wrong. The Archmage had to stop, panting, and enduring his body's fatigue, he quickly chanted a spell.

A faint red anti-magic barrier gradually formed, and the instant it did, a sharp spear pierced the center of the protective barrier.

Sweat poured down Kalec's forehead. The spear was less than 5 centimeters from his forehead, and he could even clearly see the shimmering emerald light at the tip of the sharp spear. This spear was obviously poisoned.

“Ansirem! Think of something! The Gurubashi riders are about to catch up to us!”

Kalec shouted anxiously.

“There's no choice, we have to eliminate them!”

Eran, whose mana pool was the fullest, released Venoxis from the Mage Hand that bound him, and with a casual Sleep spell, knocked the unlucky fellow unconscious.

“No, the map indicates that our location is very close to the chieftains' residences. If we are discovered by a large troll force, then we will truly be unable to escape!”

Ansirem retorted loudly.

“Then what do you say we do!”

“Let me think… let me think…”

… …

Kalec and Eran chanted spells non-stop. Before long, a thick wall of ice appeared in front of the three, and this ice wall gradually became more and more solid under the enhancement of the two Archmages.

“If we're lucky, this ice wall should be able to hold them off for a few minutes.”

Eran gasped for breath. Although his mana pool was still quite full, the high-intensity running had taken a toll on this young nobleman who rarely exercised.

“No… let's retreat first. The ice wall will delay these pursuers long enough for us to cast Teleport…”

Kalec was also panting heavily. He stole a glance at the expressions of the other two and finally spoke the words he had been wanting to say all along.

“No!”

“No!”

“But… in our current state, can we really kill Makkari? That woman may have already discovered our tracks.”

Kalec said timidly.

“Bang!”

Kalec touched his rapidly swelling cheek, looking incredulously at his longtime friend who had punched him.

“Ansirem…”

“Shut up! You coward! Have you forgotten why we joined the Order of the Silver Hand in the first place! Have you forgotten the oath we swore before our mentor! You, you spineless fool, only know how to evade, never thinking about how to solve the problem! I am ashamed to have a friend like you!”

Ansirem gasped for breath, roaring at Kalec.

Eran wanted to step forward and dissuade the two. At this critical moment, it would be better to think about how to escape, but when he saw the flame burning in Ansirem's eyes, he finally understood this man's determination.

… …

“Do you want to be a coward for the rest of your life? Or a hero for a second?”

“I… I don't want to lose all of this.”

“Magic… has a price, but the path to magic, the path to the arcane, should not be controlled by a few.

When we step into the hall of truth, it is destined that everything we once pursued is just fleeting smoke…

Only knowledge, truth, and freedom should be our epitaphs. I don't want my tombstone to be engraved with ‘So-and-so official rests here’ after my death. That money-reeking title disgusts me.”

… …

Under Ansirem's rebuke, Kalec began to recall the conversation between the two that day.

Ansirem's words were like knives, piercing deeply into his heart, making him want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

“I've got it!”

Eran's shout awakened the two who had fallen into silence.

“We can jump into the river below, the water will cover our scent!”

“But that Zandalari scholar said that the rivers of Zul'Gurub hide…”

Ansirem said hesitantly.

“Splash!”

“Come down quickly!”

Kalec showed his shiny bald head in the rushing river, shouting loudly to his companions.

“It seems your words had a big impact on him.”

Eran shrugged at the astonished Ansirem, and together they lifted the unconscious Venoxis and jumped down.

… …

Eran struggled to carry Venoxis onto the muddy riverbank, while Ansirem half-dragged the already unconscious Kalec on his shoulders.

“Cough cough… cough cough.”

Under Ansirem's pressure, Kalec spat out a large mouthful of murky river water and coughed loudly.

“Ow! Damn it, these damned little beasts!”

Kalec pulled a Hookfang Piranha off his butt, and moments later, fresh blood stained the lower half of his robe.

These seemingly inconspicuous piranhas have six rows of dense teeth, and their powerful bite force can instantly cut an apple in half.

Although Kalec had cast a magic shield on himself before falling unconscious, he was still overwhelmed by the swarm of Hookfang Piranhas. If it hadn't been for Ansirem's timely rescue, Kalec might have become the first Archmage to die in the belly of a fish.

After a long while, the three lay flat on the dirty mud, gasping for breath.

“Is that high priest alright?”

Ansirem turned his head to look in Eran's direction.

“That bug has more vitality than us, cough cough…”

Eran, who had recovered somewhat, stood up and began to check on Venoxis's condition.

After adding another Sleep spell, Eran began to carefully examine the surrounding environment by the dim moonlight.

“Give me the map.”

Eran took the map that Ansirem handed him and began to carefully compare their current location.

“Here… no, still here? Crap, it looks like we've lost our way.”

After a long time… …

“Huff… … Kalec, I think you might be right.”

Ansirem said黯然 after carefully reviewing the map for the third time.

“Is there really no way out?”

"Sorry, I can't find our current location. Dawn is coming soon, it seems our mission this time... has failed," Elan said, equally heavy-hearted.

Kael'thas silently watched his two silent companions. At this moment, he remembered Instructor Aier's words.

"Just like encountering a tricky matter, what we need to do is not to give up. If one side doesn't work, then we cut in from another side until it is resolved."

Aier: It wasn't me, I didn't do it, don't talk nonsense.

...

"Kael'thas? What are you doing?"

Anselem stood up, preparing to construct a portal that could allow the four of them to pass through, but found Kael'thas silently digging mud by the bank.

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"I want to try again."

So, under the surprised gazes of the two, Kael'thas smeared the stinky mud on his body bit by bit.

At first, the two were quite puzzled, but as time passed, the two looked at each other and finally understood Kael'thas's intention.

The two didn't say much, and followed Kael'thas's actions, smearing mud on themselves.

After a long time, the three looked at each other's appearance and couldn't help laughing.

"Kael'thas... are you trying to make me laugh to death? Can't you put more mud on your Mediterranean Sea? The moonlight can reflect off of it!"

Anselem pointed to the thin layer of mud on Kael'thas's forehead, laughing so hard that he bent over.

"You still have the nerve to talk about me? Can't you spread the mud evenly on your big beard? You look like a yellow-bearded sprite now!"

Kael'thas pointed to Anselem's exposed golden beard, retorting.

"Alright, companions! Let us embark on this unfinished journey again!"

"But, what about this guy?"

Anselem pointed to Wenoxis, who was slumped on the ground, looking worried.

"How about this, we..."

Elan whispered to his two companions with a mysterious expression.

...

After the three discussed their plan, they wandered aimlessly in this ancient troll city in the dark.

Anselem was responsible for scouting the movements ahead, while Kael'thas and Elan were responsible for finding their location on the map.

Time gradually passed. At this time, Zul'Gurub no longer had the hustle and bustle it had just had. The patrol guards were also visibly decreasing, but the three were still very anxious, because the sky was already slightly white at this time, and it was not far from dawn.

Finally, God did not disappoint those who worked hard. Half an hour before dawn, the three finally found the residence of High Priestess Mar'li.

"Found it!"

"We just need to cross this suspension bridge and go two miles east to get there!"

Kael'thas said excitedly in a low voice, and Anselem and Elan hurried forward to check.

...

Everyone carefully crossed the old and decaying suspension bridge, without making a sound.

Although the patrol team also brought Zulian Jungle Panthers to track the trio's whereabouts, those big cats only raised their noses when they passed by the three, and walked past as if nothing had happened.

The three breathed a sigh of relief. Kael'thas's method was undoubtedly effective. The mud, which was full of the fishy smell of lake water, effectively disrupted the sense of smell of the felines.

After crossing the suspension bridge, the three traveled about two miles to the northeast before finally arriving at the location marked on the map.

Looking at the dense swarm of spiders and the thick web like a barrier in front of them, the three couldn't help but feel troubled.

It seemed that there was only one choice left in front of the three, to rush over.

"Damn it, it's just one step away!"

Anselem roared angrily in a low voice.

"If we rush over now, High Priestess Mar'li will notice. If she carries Shadra's idol with her, then we..."

Elan also said somewhat黯然.

Just when the two were sighing and hesitating, Kael'thas's muttering broke the silence.

"I'll do it..."

"What?"

The two asked in unison.

"I will attack these spider swarms here, you continue to go deeper. High Priestess Mar'li will definitely notice the movement here. When she appears, you will be responsible for killing her."

"No!"

"The commotion you create will not only attract the attention of High Priestess Mar'li, but also attract the patrol guards from the entire city. I can't let you take this risk! You... you... will die!"

Anselem grabbed Kael'thas's shoulders and said excitedly.

Elan stared at Kael'thas's resolute face with a complex expression. What made this young man, who was still timid just now, transform into what he is now?

"Boom!"

In the short moment of the two's contemplation, Kael'thas's chanted spell had been completed. Hot magma surged from the dense spider swarm in front of the three. In less than a moment, a burst of nauseating burnt smell came from the air.

"You!"

"Go!"

Elan pulled Anselem, who was about to burst his eyes, away.

"Bastard! You must not die!"

Anselem roared at Kael'thas, but was met with a faint smile from the Archmage.

The snake swarm just now and the spider swarm that Kael'thas is facing now are not on the same level at all. The dense venomous spiders turned into a dense ocean, frantically surging towards Kael'thas's direction.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Kael'thas completely disregarded the rapidly decreasing mana value in the elemental pool. One Flame Tempest after another exploded in the spider swarm. Although he was a Phantasm School Magister, Kael'thas's clumsy fire spells were enough to deal with these brainless crawlers.

On Anselem and Elan's side, the huge commotion caused by Kael'thas really attracted the attention of the High Priestess. First, one team after another of Hakkari Shadowcasters rushed out.

Then there were the Razashi Blood Drinkers, as bright and dripping as fresh blood, and the verdant Razashi Widow Spiders. These giant spiders, which looked extremely poisonous, crawled quickly towards Kael'thas's direction in an orderly manner like an army.

"No, no, still no! Where is that damn Mar'li?"

Anselem and Elan hid in a dark corner, searching for the High Priestess's踪迹, but to their despair, Mar'li seemed not to be here.

"No! I'm going back to save Kael'thas! He can't hold on for long!"

Anselem's eyes were red, and he was about to turn around and leave. Elan sighed and prepared to go back to rescue Kael'thas.

Just when the two decided to give up on this mission, a female troll wearing a light purple veil came late from the spider web...