Chapter 227
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Chapter 227: Is This What Should Be?
On the hillside of the open ground, the bonfire was almost burnt out. The flickering fire, without shadows or dark magic, was becoming weaker.
The Elwynn Forest was freezing at night. Jesse leaned against a fallen log, waiting. He wasn’t sleepy or hungry at all, just fully focused on the sounds behind him, not relaxing for one or two hours.
He knew Greed was the same. Since being attacked by Hogger on the grain delivery road, he had been seeking revenge. Both Hogger and the Orc Shaman were on his list of people to kill. So, even though he usually liked to sleep, he kept his eyes wide open, peering through the cracks in the wood.
Just as he was starting to worry if Hogger wouldn’t show up for the third time, Greed turned to look at him, and Jesse could tell from his eyes that something had happened.
A familiar, rumbling breathing sound gradually got louder from a distance, drowning out all the background noise in the forest.
Jesse still remembers that commotion to this day, the tall monster he encountered in the heavy rain, the power and oppression shocking him deeply.
Since then, he no longer wanted to dwell on the old story of the newbies killer, Hogger. This monster had brought too much disaster to Elwynn Forest.
The soldiers crouching at Westbrook Garrison, the residents, the dead and injured travelers, the merchants, those wounded he saw in Goldshire… especially the Stormwind Guard with blood dripping from his helmet, who endured everything for him and Greed, Jesse still remembers them now.
How is he doing now, is he dead? Or paralyzed, or still holding the front line in defense of Stormwind?
For some reason, Jesse really wanted to meet that person at this moment.
If it wasn’t for him holding off Hogger with a shield for so long, their journey might have ended right there in the middle of the road.
With that thought, he tightened his grip on the staff in his hand.
Today is about to end.
"Damn it, look quickly," Greed whispered.
Jesse looked through a gap and the first thing he saw was a tall monster that didn’t look like a Gnoll.
Hogger… was right there.
He stood among a group of short Gnoll Guardians like an unsteady giant with a limp, Jesse estimated that he might be taller than an Orc.
The guards beside him held long knives, spears, and small axes, but what caught Jesse’s attention the most was a small Gnoll in tattered clothes holding a curved staff. Could this be a spellcaster?
But what could surprise Greed about this?
Thinking about this, Jesse noticed that all the Gnolls were looking in the same direction – towards the camp on the hill.
In front of the dying campfire, a small Gnoll was bowing its head as two others were piling up bodies from the camp and placing them in front of the small Gnoll.
Is this some kind of ritual?
No.
Jesse felt a discomforting taste lingering in the air. It wasn’t a smell he could detect with his nose, but rather a keen sense of energy as a spellcaster informing him.
It reminded him of that feeling only once… That night, in Dalaran.
The streets were filled with a sense of death, as if undead were lurking in every shadow!
The feeling that night was stronger, more direct. Although tonight’s feeling was more subtle and chaotic, it made Jesse more frightened… because this was in Elwynn Forest, not in the big graveyard of Duskwood or any other cursed place.
That Gnoll was conducting a Necromancy ritual?
Was he trying to resurrect those bodies?!
"Should we go up?" Greed asked softly.
Jesse said, "Wait a moment."
He took a deep breath, calmly recited the spell for Mage Armor, and smoothly and steadily finished. A colorful arc of arcane light surrounded him…
After casting the spell, he peeked out again and confirmed that the Gnolls were all focused on the Necromancer, unaware of the magical light on his side.
"You’ve been practicing in secret? Surprisingly, there weren’t as many random things exploding…" Greed exclaimed.
"Of course, I wasted some mana before." Jesse drank a Mana Potion, finished his bottle of Shadow Protection Potion, and said, "Remember to drink your potions, Greed. Go kill that Necromancer first, and I’ll hold off Hogger and his guards for you!"
"Got it."
The dwarf drank his last bottle of Shadow Protection Potion.
"Saenor," Jesse said, "Cover for me and Greed, just like that day at Stonewatch Keep!"
The imp peeked out from behind Jesse. He could feel it gripping the edge of the Warlock Pack, almost tearing it apart.
The night wind swirled like it sensed something, roaring through the trees. Greed climbed up a tree stump and leaped out at a terrifying speed for a dwarf, racing through the bushes.
Jesse spotted the tallest Hogger and ran after him, but he couldn’t catch up with the dwarf’s fast sprint. His cloak and wizard robes fluttered in the wind, shining brightly in the night, holding a magic wand that instantly caught all the Gnolls’ attention.
"Hogger… Hogger! Stop him! Stop him!"
Hogger yelled hoarsely, and the Gnolls all turned towards Jesse.
He thought, "Come on, let me end this with a Fear spell."
Greed was almost reaching the spot where the Necromancer stood…
Wait, Hogger wasn’t even looking at him!
The giant creature carried a long toothed club, taking exaggerated steps towards Greed, seemingly trying to stop him from attacking the Necromancer!
Just as Greed’s war hammer was about to spark with electricity, Hogger’s massive club swung in front of him!
Greed struggled to block the strike with his shield, but was hit hard and knocked back two steps before falling to the ground. Jesse didn’t have time to check on him.
Jesse wanted to slow down Hogger with a Curse of Weakness spell, but before he could, his view was blocked by several Gnolls. The fastest Gnoll shrieked and got close, its sharp spear tip almost touching Jesse’s face!
Jesse quickly used the Curse of Weakness on the fastest charging Gnoll. The Gnoll stumbled a bit but kept charging. Jesse used his magic wand in his left hand to knock the spear out of the Gnoll’s hand and stabbed it with his sword in the mouth.
The stab was swift, making the Gnoll shiver and fall to the ground, but it stubbornly held onto the sword. Jesse tried to pull it out but couldn’t.
Another Gnoll behind raised its spear and howled, its weapon ready to strike!
Jesse had to let go of the sword to dodge the attack. The Gnoll lost balance and suddenly caught on fire. It tried to lunge at Jesse but he used a staff to push it down.
Seeing an opportunity, Jesse quickly glanced to the other side.
Hogger was swinging his spiked club with both hands, hitting the ground repeatedly. The tall grass obscured Jesse’s view, but since Hogger was still attacking randomly, it meant that Greed was at least defending himself.
"Saenor, go help the dwarf! Hurry! I don’t need assistance!"
Imp shouted and sprinted over.
The plan was completely messed up. Hogger was led over there, while the Necromancer continued its ritual undisturbed. Jesse was surrounded by several Gnoll Guardians.
Must hurry…
He pointed his magic wand at the two approaching Gnolls on the other side, took a few steps back to create some distance. He planned to quickly use a Fear spell to control the situation here but suddenly heard a swooshing wind behind him…
Suddenly feeling a scorching sensation near his ear, Jesse instinctively turned his head, and a fireball directly hit him on the shoulder!
Jesse felt like he had been punched in the face and staggered two steps, almost falling. The Arcane energy on his body excitedly rolled back and forth, protected by his cape and Mage Armor, he didn’t even feel much pain!
Darn it… Forgot about that short mage.
Seeing Jesse lose balance from the Fireball blast, one of the Gnolls reacted quickly, trying to swing his axe at Jesse. But Jesse quickly turned around and struck the Gnoll in the face with his magic wand, instantly killing him.
Jesse heard chanting not far away. It’s a race now. He shouted out the Fear spell and as the shadow gem on his staff released a bright light, the other Gnoll under Fear did not get scared or run away. Instead, it yelled and continued waving the spear in its hand, charging towards him.
Jesse let out a swing, moved closer and smacked its short leg with a magic wand. Then, he raised the wand with both hands and struck it hard on the head. With a crackling sound, the Gnoll vomited yellow liquid and collapsed to the ground.
The other Gnoll Guardians either fell down or disappeared, leaving Jesse to notice a mage sitting on the ground holding a small wand, helpless and wailing. Jesse picked up a spear, ran over and pierced its chest with a sprint. After solving the immediate trouble, Jesse forcefully pulled out the sword that had been bitten, and ran towards the Necromancer up the mountain.
Seeing the piled up bodies stand one by one and start running towards where Greed and Hogger were fighting to the death, followed by a second… If they weren’t stopped now, they would have to deal with six or seven undead Gnolls!
He released a single target Fear spell from a distance of over ten meters to disrupt the ritual, but the Necromancer was unfazed! What’s going on? Was the distance not enough? It couldn’t be…
At that moment, the Necromancer turned around, his eyes glowing with a dark yellow necrotic light.
This is an undead!
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