Azeroth Monster Manual

The sky was just beginning to lighten, with a few stars still scattered across the deep, pale sky. A cold morning breeze blew gently, and crystal-clear dewdrops slid down the eaves of the inn, gathering into sharp icicles.

The girl sat up from the soft, comfortable bed, stretching languidly. Groggily, she grabbed the alarm clock from the bedside table, squinted at it, and then, belatedly, exclaimed in surprise, quickly throwing on her clothes.

"Crap, I'm going to be late!"

Changing into the cotton clothes she had bought the night before and putting on a thick hood, Selena hurried downstairs without even bothering to eat breakfast.

"Bang..."

The girl, panting, inexplicably returned to her room.

"Sorry, I forgot about you guys."

Embarrassedly sticking out her tongue, Selena smiled and grabbed the two fighting robots from the bedside table, making "da-da-da" sounds as she made them 'fight' each other, acting extremely childish.

These two fighting robots, with their vastly different colors and appearances, were Winter Veil gifts given to her by the dwarves and 'Grandpa Winter' last night. Although she would have preferred a beautiful doll to the robots,

Selena still carefully put them away. These were the first gifts she had received from someone other than her aunt Sandra in decades.

Humming an unknown elven tune, the girl skipped out the door amidst the curious gazes of the inn's guests, heading towards the headquarters of Elune's Light.

Selena curiously surveyed the surrounding scenery, everything around her was so new and interesting.

The streets were bustling with traffic and people, elves, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and even a憨憨Minotaur, like her, was looking around curiously.

What she found most curious was that a 6 or 7-year-old human girl was sitting on the Minotaur's shoulders.

Selena had never seen such an interesting creature. The two ferocious, large horns, combined with that naive face that looked so easily fooled, gave off a strange sense of familiarity, making people feel that this Minotaur was very friendly at first glance.

And that human girl was pointing and chattering all the way, extremely happy.

......

Six months ago, Booty Bay.

Will Earthfist had been on this unfamiliar land for more than ten days. His days hadn't been easy since leaving Un'Goro Crater.

Despite his strong and muscular body and ferocious horns, he had been swindled out of all his gold coins by those dirty and vile human thugs during the bumpy journey.

Fortunately, he had a strong physique. Although Mr. Earthfist's Common was still so poor, some daring, black-hearted merchants hired him to do some hard labor.

Mr. Earthfist struggled to make ends meet every day, and his once muscular and robust physique gradually became thinner and thinner. Until one day, he fainted on the dock while carrying sacks, and the black-hearted boss cursed him and kicked him.

The Minotaur woke up and stood blankly for a long time, enduring the boss's beating. That day, Will Earthfist suddenly realized...

"This is not my tribe, nor is it the dangerous Un'Goro Crater. Although I don't have to face those ferocious beasts and the menacing centaurs,

there is a set of rules here that are more cruel than the law of the jungle. Honest people cannot survive in this world."

Enlightened, Mr. Earthfist risked injury, snatched the firelock from the black-hearted boss, and shot the ugly human who had exploited him for three whole months.

This was the first time he had killed someone. As he stared blankly at the bleeding corpse at his feet, unsure of what to do, the workers next to him cheered loudly. These miserable people, who shared the same fate as him, rushed up and lifted him high.

They threw him up, dropped him, then threw him up again, and dropped him again. Will Earthfist gradually adapted from his initial fear, and even, he suddenly began to enjoy this feeling.

The following events became logical. Will Earthfist led these oppressed workers to plunder all the property of the black-hearted boss. In order to avoid being discovered by the goblins of Booty Bay, the workers suggested leaving and letting Will Earthfist lead everyone to find another way out.

Mr. Earthfist was honest but not stupid. He gladly accepted his subordinates' proposal, and sailed away from Booty Bay in the black-hearted boss's legacy, a decent single-deck cargo ship.

Mr. Earthfist also became their captain amidst the cheers of his subordinates.

Time always flies by quickly. Because the time was too rushed and they lacked experience, these miserable people lost their way on the endless sea, and the ship's supplies were finally running out.

On this day, Will Earthfist was boredly fishing when his subordinates' exclamation woke him up as he was about to fall asleep in the warm sunlight.

"It's a merchant ship! There's a merchant ship ahead!"

"Where?"

Mr. Earthfist excitedly grabbed the telescope hanging around his neck and carefully observed.

It was a blue and white caravel four-masted sailing ship with a huge lion head logo on the hull.

"Quick, get closer, we need their help!"

......

The bloodstains on the scimitar dripped down the blade, until they dripped onto the crimson deck, splashing a scarlet 'water flower'. Will Earthfist stood blankly in place, his body covered in wounds of all sizes.

In front of him were more than a dozen humans kneeling on the ground, trembling, and corpses everywhere.

At his feet lay two naked female corpses, with obvious burn marks, bruises, and whip marks on their bodies.

These two human females were completely dead. From the distorted faces of fear and pain, it could be seen that they had suffered inhuman abuse and torture before their deaths.

The Minotaur numbly raised his scimitar. Just as the captives screamed in despair, thinking that this ferocious and fierce Minotaur would kill them mercilessly like his subordinates had done,

Mr. Earthfist knelt down with a "thump".

The sharp blade slashed across his horn, and half of the dark horn fell on the deck, then rolled towards the two corpses until it stopped in front of their faces.

"I'm sorry..."

Throwing the knife at the feet of a young captive, Mr. Earthfist walked alone towards the ship's side, threw a small boat into the sea, and then jumped down without looking back, until he disappeared.

The small boat drifted in the ocean current. Mr. Earthfist didn't know where he was, nor did he know where he was going. He didn't prepare food, nor did he prepare fresh water. Unconsciously, he had cut off his own retreat.

He was indeed punishing himself. He felt that it was all his fault. The dozens of innocent lives that died on that merchant ship were all because of him, as well as those two beautiful human girls, if it weren't for him...

The Minotaur lay in the small boat, letting the raging waves beat against his body, his eyes staring blankly at the sky, like a walking corpse.

He didn't know, didn't know why those 'workers' who had been exploited and abused would show such ferocious and ugly faces when they encountered people weaker than themselves.

Why would these beasts inflict the humiliation they had suffered on innocent people? Is this human nature?

The Minotaur, who still had kindness and innocence in his bones, didn't know, didn't know why he just wanted to get some food and fresh water from that merchant ship and leave, but his 'workers' were not satisfied. They wanted gold coins, they wanted treasure, they wanted women...

Even so, he didn't stop them much, because he knew that the boring time at sea was driving them crazy. These 'workers' needed to release their pressure to ensure the next voyage.

But why, why kill those innocent people? After getting gold coins, getting treasure, and venting their animal desires, why were they still not satisfied? Why did they still kill wantonly, even torturing those two poor women to death!

He was angry, he roared, he cut those 'workers' into pieces in their horrified eyes, and then threw them off the cargo ship to feed the sharks.

He felt that he had avenged those dozens of lives, avenged those two women, but when he inadvertently swept over the two corpses on the ground.

The fear and pleading in the eyes of the two girls before their deaths were like a sharp sword, deeply piercing his heart.

He collapsed, and the net of excuses and lies that he had woven for himself was completely torn apart.

"The boy who slays the dragon eventually becomes the dragon himself. I hope that after my death, Mother Earth will take me home..."

A monstrous wave roared and slammed into the small boat. The Minotaur quietly watched the approaching wave, without dodging, but instead showing a naive smile on his face.

"Perhaps this is the real redemption..."

After a violent rumble, the small boat was torn to pieces, but the Minotaur had long since disappeared.

......

Will Earthfist woke up faintly, waves of severe pain stimulating his nerves.

"You're awake?"

A childish voice sounded in his ear, with a hint of trembling and panic in the voice. He wanted to turn his head to see who had saved him, but no matter how hard he tried, his thick neck could not move even a little.

"Don't move, your neck is badly injured."

The voice gradually approached, and a blurry figure appeared before his eyes.

It was the silhouette of a little girl, she had short brown hair, but her face could not be seen clearly. He wanted to wipe his blurry eyes with his hand to see the girl's face clearly, but he failed.

"Your eyes are bloodshot, it will be fine after a period of recovery,"

The voice continued.

"Thank you..."

The Minotaur said in slurred Common.

"Ah, the Minotaur is talking!"

The little girl took two steps back in fear, and after a moment, she couldn't help but be curious and walked back to Mr. Earthfist.

"What's your name?"

"Mr. Earthfist."

The Minotaur said weakly.

"Haha, no one calls himself Mr., only those noble lords are called Mr., are you a nobleman?"

"No... no... my name is Will Earthfist, Mr. Earthfist is my nickname."

The Minotaur added shyly.

"Do you want to drink water? I'll get it for you."

"What kind of animal are you, that you can talk?"

"I'm not an animal, I'm a Minotaur... from Kalimdor."

“Kalimdor? What a strange name.”

“It’s Kalimdor. The night elves call our continent ‘Land of Eternal Starlight.’”

“Night elves? What are those? And eternal starlight? Well, the name sounds pretty. Hey, hey, wake up! I have so many questions to ask you!”

The little girl huffed, hands on her hips, wanting to poke the tauren's broken horn, but as her small, tender hands neared it, she nervously pulled back.

“Hmph, once Moo-Moo wakes up, I’m going to make him tell Martina stories all day long!”

The little girl pouted, dissatisfied, then giggled as if she had thought of something.

… …

Days passed. Will Fists-of-Iron stayed there. Through the little girl's stories, he learned his current location: the human kingdom of Gilneas. They were in a village outside Silverpine Forest.

The little girl was named Martina. Her parents were local hunters, specializing in hunting Gilnean white foxes to sell to nobles for high prices.

In fact, the entire village consisted of fox hunters like her parents.

This meant her family was relatively well-off, but a sudden tragedy ruthlessly took her parents' lives.

In the little girl's memory, her parents disappeared while trading fox pelts with a minor noble. When they were found, their bodies were bloated, having been submerged in a well.

Despite losing both parents, Martina managed to survive with the help of the villagers and the inheritance her parents left behind.

…

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Will Fists-of-Iron lived happily. Although he still wasn't full, Martina's company each day allowed him to temporarily forget his terrible past.

The nights in Silverpine Forest were beautiful. The dark sky was filled with twinkling stars. The little girl sat on the tauren's shoulders, constantly urging him on, while Will Fists-of-Iron just chuckled.

“Hurry up, you big dummy! That firefly is going to fly away!”

Martina patted the tauren's long horns, humming incessantly.

“But Martina is too heavy…”

Mr. Fists-of-Iron covered his mouth, chuckling “Hehe.”

“Martina isn’t heavy at all! Will is heavy! You big fatty eats three big bowls of rice every day!”

The little girl grabbed the tauren's black hair on top of his head, screaming in a huff.

Will Fists-of-Iron just laughed heartily, quickening his pace as Martina cried out in surprise.

… …

“Wow, so pretty!”

Martina picked up the kerosene lamp. The wick and kerosene inside had been completely cleaned out by the tauren. Now, the lamp was filled with flickering fireflies, emitting a faint glow in the silent night sky.

“Will is amazing! I want to catch fireflies again tomorrow!”

Martina spun around happily, then, as if remembering something, reluctantly opened the kerosene lamp, releasing countless fireflies back into freedom.

“Don't you like it, Martina?”

“Yes, I like it, but these fireflies are also pitiful. Tomorrow, let’s go fishing instead. We don’t have any food at home anymore. Will, you have to support yourself.”

The little girl patted the tauren's knee like a little adult, then skipped away.

“Okay.”

Smiling as he watched Martina walk away, Will Fists-of-Iron felt nothing but warmth in his heart. He felt healed.

The two walked through the quiet forest, laughter echoing from time to time. Just as they were enjoying the warm night, the distant firelight caught their attention.

… …

The once peaceful village was burning fiercely under the licking flames. There were no cries for help in the village, only the 'crackling' sound of burnt wood in the air.

Martina wanted to rush in, but the tauren grabbed her.

Tears streamed silently down her face. The little girl cried hysterically. She had already lost her parents, and now she had lost her only home.

The kind Village Chief, the kind hunter uncle who gave her boar meat, Aunt Emma next door who often gave her apple pie… they were all…

Mr. Fists-of-Iron looked at the little girl lying unconscious on the ground and made a decision.

He took off the only cloak he had that was still somewhat intact, wet it in the well water, put it on, and resolutely rushed into the sea of fire.

“Cough cough cough…”

The tauren covered his red eyes, coughing violently. The cloak on his body had already been burned to ashes, and his tough hide showed varying degrees of burns.

But he didn't give up. Instead, he quickened his pace, thinking that even saving one person would be worth it.

Mr. Fists-of-Iron thought to himself.

“Crack…”

He kicked open the door of a house. The fire hadn't spread here yet. The tauren walked in without hesitation.

The room was unusually messy, with signs of searching everywhere. Two corpses lay quietly on the ground.

Lying on the ground were a couple. Will Fists-of-Iron recognized them. They were a well-known hunter couple in the village who often helped Martina.

But what puzzled him was that these two bodies didn't seem to have been burned to death, but… killed.

Looking at the dense blood holes on the man's body and the tightly clenched hand, he hesitated for a moment, but then forcefully pried open the man's hand.

A tuft of snow-white hair slipped from the corpse's hand. Seeing this, Will Fists-of-Iron was instantly stunned, and then he went crazy. Even if the flames passed through his body, he didn't care at all and rushed out.

“Dead, dead, dead, all dead…”

Searching through the familiar yet unfamiliar rooms one by one, the wounds on each corpse made him completely understand that this was a conspiracy.

These innocent villagers were not burned to death, but rather, after looting the village, those people killed all the villagers and set a fire in the village, attempting to destroy the evidence.

“Why, why, they are just innocent good people, why…”

The tauren knelt helplessly on the ground, roaring hysterically. The fire grew bigger and bigger, and a large beam fell from the roof, blocking his way.

“That's right, the white fox, the white fox. They targeted the fox hunters in the village. They wanted to steal those expensive white fox furs!”

Finally understanding, the tauren collapsed again. At this moment, he recalled the extremely ugly faces and dirty nature of those 'workmates'.

Mr. Fists-of-Iron frantically covered his head, shaking it non-stop. He knelt on the ground with dull eyes, not moving even as the flames scorched his skin.

Those bandits who destroyed the village reminded him of the sins he had once committed, but at this moment, he understood that he might never be redeemed.

But just as he was about to be swallowed by the flames, the figure of that little girl appeared in his mind.

Her not-so-pretty but very cute cheeks, the two small tiger teeth that showed when she smiled, and those pure eyes that made people feel sorry for her.

“I… I want to get out…”

… …

Martina woke up from her coma. The first thing she did upon waking up was to look for Mr. Fists-of-Iron.

When she saw the tall, mountain-like figure sitting in front of her, her lonely and bewildered heart instantly warmed up.

The little girl hugged the tauren's broad back and cried sadly. Mr. Fists-of-Iron didn't say anything, but took out a doll with only half a body left from his arms and placed it in front of Martina.

“Wuwu… This is… This is the doll Mom gave Martina…”

“I'm sorry, Martina, I couldn't protect it…”

“Wuwu… Promise me, Will, don't leave me. You're the only one I have left.”

Martina put down the doll and tried to throw herself into Will Fists-of-Iron's arms, but Mr. Fists-of-Iron just turned sideways, continuing to face away from the little girl.

“Will doesn’t look good right now…”

Mr. Fists-of-Iron's voice was a little hoarse, but Martina just turned around nimbly and came to the tauren's front.

Looking at the scene in front of her, Martina covered her small mouth in a daze.

Arms, chest, abdomen, legs, there wasn't a single intact spot on his body. He was burned beyond recognition, and a foul, charred smell emanated from the hideous wounds.

“I'm sorry, Martina, I couldn't…”

The tauren wiped his red eyes, wanting to say something, but a small figure plunged into his arms. The intense pain almost made him cry out.

But when he saw the small brown head buried in his chest, he felt that it was all worth it.

“Papa…”

“Martina, I…”

“Papa, don't leave me, okay?”

The little girl looked up, her eyes blurred with tears, looking at the tauren.

“Okay…”

… …

And so, Mr. Fists-of-Iron had a human daughter. He didn't tell Martina about the situation in the village, but took her to Hillsbrad Foothills in southern Silverpine Forest, preparing to start over in this land.

He needed a job, he needed to give Martina a home.

Because… Martina was his redemption.

PS: A 6000-word chapter to thank Wildfire Xu for the reward, you are awesome.

These two chapters were conceived by the author a long time ago. They are not purely slice-of-life. There may be two or three more chapters before the Hinterlands is finished.

It briefly explains the origin of Mr. Fists-of-Iron, and more importantly, makes the images of these relatively important supporting characters fuller.

Here I have to say that the war in the Hinterlands is the main plot line, which is related to the future direction of the story, and these supporting characters are the sub-plot line. After the Hinterlands chapter ends, it will not enter the Black Gate chapter so quickly. There will also be some farming and development processes. These transition chapters will write about the development of the protagonist's power, black technology, etc., and these supporting characters are the cornerstone and supplement to the development of power.