Chapter 401: Flames of Eversong Forest

The sound of Zul'jin crashing into the arcane guardian was so loud that it seemed to make the earth itself cry out in pain. However, that was the last sound of battle on the field.

Except for a few powerful trolls who had been strengthened by the Storm Altar and managed to fly over the massive chasm using the power of the wind, 99% of the trolls were left behind.

In the massive chasm, the groans of trolls could still be heard. One could imagine that not many trolls survived the fall, but not too few either. The trolls' incredible vitality ensured that as long as their heads and hearts were not destroyed, they could fully recover.

This didn't matter. The trolls trapped in the chasm had nowhere to escape. Once they climbed out, they would surely face death.

Duke used the Slow Fall spell to gently descend from the city wall, landing precisely in front of Prince Kael'thas and extending his hand.

"Congratulations, Prince Kael'thas. This was a perfect counterattack! It seems I can have my men run a few hundred kilometers less," Duke said loudly, his voice clear enough for hundreds of people around him to hear.

If this victory had been achieved before the war with the Horde, the high elves would have shown Duke what it meant to be 'superior'.

That kind of arrogance, they simply couldn't suppress it.

Now, anyone with a brain knew that this was simply Duke giving the high elves a final cover for their honor. A day ago, the high elves, beaten and battered, were holed up in their main city, their last magical defense barrier broken by the Horde. It was as if they were a vulnerable young girl was helplessly waiting in a corner for her enemies' final violation.

Duke made a brilliant entrance.

His awe-inspiring power, which could make an army of ten thousand retreat with a single flag, told the high elves about the changes in the outside world and also showed them how terrifying Duke's power was.

If it weren't for Duke scaring off the Horde's main force led by the orcs, could the elves have taken revenge on the trolls?

If it weren't for the quick relief, how could those elves who were scattered in various parts of Eversong Forest and temporarily hiding, escape the trolls' brutal extermination?

Moreover, after losing seventy thousand troops, the elves could no longer stand tall.

Kael'thas was also straightforward, bowing to Duke on the spot: "No, no, no, it's entirely thanks to your full support, Duke, that we were able to cross the gates of hell and return to this world."

Duke knew how to behave, and Kael'thas knew even better. For a moment, the host and guest were full of joy.

Next, cleaning up the battlefield and sweeping the scattered trolls, Duke didn't have much to do except send out a large number of wraiths.

The huge chasm created by the rune stone formation was nearly forty meters deep at its deepest point. This was a terrifying height for mortals. Most of the trolls who were forced to fall down by the flames were killed by the fall. Still, quite a few trolls survived because they fell on their companions.

Of course, the elves wouldn't let them go. They directly poured oil and other things into it under Duke's instigation, and set fire to all those who were still alive. The trolls' healing power was useless in front of the flames.

Actually, Duke really wanted the elves to send troops to encircle and wipe out Orgrim's elite forces within Quel'Thalas. Unfortunately, the high-level elves complained that the losses were too severe and there were not enough troops

to maintain internal security, but in reality, most of them were scared out of their wits.

Didn't they see that the Wildhammer dwarves had all come out in full force?

The elves refused to move.

But Duke still had to act. Even if it wasn't suitable to fight a decisive battle with Orgrim at this time, at least he shouldn't let him run wild.

Duke called on Kurdran Wildhammer to take his Gryphon Rider Squadron and chase in the direction of the Horde's retreat.

"Wait! I'm coming too!" Alleria whistled, and to the astonishment of Duke and the dwarves, a group of rangers climbed onto the backs of the gryphons.

"Damn it! What if a fight breaks out?" Kurdran protested loudly.

"Then I hope you'll drop us near the treetops. There are no Windrunner rangers who have fallen to their deaths in the forest!" Sylvanas shouted.

Alleria hugged Duke's waist from behind: "Thank you for resolving the troll crisis, but for some reason, I'm a bit worried about what Orgrim might do."

This was exactly what Duke was worried about.

Running away with his tail between his legs like a beaten dog was not the style of the orcs.

The speed of the gryphons was fast, flying at a full speed of seventy or eighty kilometers per hour was not a problem. Of course, considering the gryphons' stamina and food supply, flying at sixty kilometers per hour was ideal. If the gryphons were to fly at full speed, they would need to eat a whole cow to replenish their energy.

In Quel'Thalas, where could they find a thousand cows...

By evening, they saw a light reaching the sky in the distance, and Duke's worst fear had come true - a great fire in Eversong Forest!

It was the height of summer, the season most prone to forest fires. From a distance, dozens of fires sprouted from the southern part of Eversong Forest. Clearly, this was not a natural disaster.

"Orgrim, you beast!" Alleria's pretty face was streaked with tears of anger and sorrow in just a few moments. Not just her, all the elves in Duke's view showed expressions of desperate grief.

Duke was silent.

As a traveler from a big city, he might never learn the rangers' love for nature. He also couldn't understand their grief, which was like losing a loved one, when the forest was destroyed.

Clearly, the Horde seemed to have left very simply after falling out with the trolls the night before. But after Orgrim had the Horde march quickly away from Eversong Forest, he set fire to it, taking the wind direction into account.

The more dense areas were obviously the work of the wolf riders, as the fires were quite concentrated.

The more sparse areas, if he wasn't mistaken, were the work of Zuluhed's red dragons.

Rolling flames swept the edge of the forest like giant waves. The intense heat instantly evaporated every bit of moisture, making the forest appear to shimmer like a mirage under the setting sun.

There were many black dots moving back and forth in the sky, spitting out one long streak of light after another - no need to guess, those were the wyverns.

Although the lush Eversong Forest was never short of rain in the summer, and the trees had just been soaked by rain, they were scorched and turned to ash in an instant by the intense heat of the dragon's breath.

The thick black smoke that rose, coupled with the arrival of night, began to block out the sun.

The flames showed no signs of stopping

and, driven by the summer heat, engulfed more distant trees. While it didn't destroy them instantly, it was enough to set them ablaze. The fire spread endlessly in all directions, consuming one tree after another, spreading like a fast-moving plague.

"Damn you, Orgrim!" Alleria's face was streaked with tears of anger and sorrow. Not just her, all the elves in Duke's view showed expressions of desperate grief.

Duke was silent.

As a traveler from a big city, he might never learn the rangers' love for nature. He also couldn't understand their grief, which was like losing a loved one, when the forest was destroyed.

Clearly, the Horde seemed to have left very simply after falling out with the trolls the night before. But after Orgrim had the Horde march quickly away from Eversong Forest, he set fire to it, taking the wind direction into account.

The more dense areas were obviously the work of the wolf riders, as the fires were quite concentrated.

The more sparse areas, if he wasn't mistaken, were the work of Zuluhed's red dragons.

Rolling flames swept the edge of the forest like giant waves. The intense heat instantly evaporated every bit of moisture, making the forest appear to shimmer like a mirage under the setting sun.

There were many black dots moving back and forth in the sky, spitting out one long streak of light after another - no need to guess, those were the wyverns.

Although the lush Eversong Forest was never short of rain in the summer, and the trees had just been soaked by rain, they were scorched and turned to ash in an instant by the intense heat of the dragon's breath.

The thick black smoke that rose, coupled with the arrival of night, began to block out the sun.

The flames showed no signs of stopping, and, driven by the summer heat, engulfed more distant trees. While it didn't destroy them instantly, it was enough to set them ablaze. The fire spread endlessly in all directions, consuming one tree after another, spreading like a fast-moving plague.