To concentrate their forces and engage the Alliance in a frontal battle seemed like a perfectly reasonable decision to the rulers of the Amani trolls.
However, to Alaric, this was the most foolish choice they could have made.
Alaric's ultimate goal was to exterminate all trolls, ensuring they would vanish forever from the jungles of Zul'Aman and never again pose a threat to the Alliance.
What worried him was never how to defeat the trolls, but rather how to ensure that not a single one of them escaped.
He had always understood the principle that if the weeds were not completely uprooted, they would grow back with the spring breeze.
For species like humans, orcs, and trolls—who could reproduce quickly and in great numbers—only total annihilation could permanently eliminate the threat.
Now, the trolls had foolishly gathered all their forces in one place, saving Alaric the immense effort of meticulously scouring the jungle to hunt them down.
Moreover, by abandoning their natural advantages to engage the Alliance in open combat, the trolls had essentially chosen to attack with their greatest weakness against their enemy's greatest strength.
Alaric nearly burst into laughter at their decision.
And so, with the trolls adopting this overly conservative strategy, the Alliance army steadily advanced through the forests of Zul'Aman, eventually reaching the ruins of the troll capital—Zul'Aman itself.
This vast ruined city had once been the glorious capital of the Amani Empire thousands of years ago.
However, after the empire was crushed by the combined forces of humans and high elves, the capital fell into decline.
The remaining Amani trolls still inhabited the ruins, clinging to their dreams of restoring their former empire.
But now, they would face the wrath of the Alliance.
The supreme leaders of the Amani trolls—Hex Lord Malacrass, Warlord Daakara, and Shaman Priest Akil'zon—were working desperately to rally every able-bodied warrior while sending the elderly, women, and children to the rear.
Their singular objective: to defend Zul'Aman at all costs.
On the Alliance side, however, Alaric had given a surprising order—they did not launch an immediate attack.
Instead, every laborer, militia member, and even regular infantryman was given the same directive: cut down the trees.
Yes, even now, what Alaric feared most about the trolls was their ability to wage war in the dense forest.
Neither human nor elven armies could properly form up and maneuver in thick woods, meaning that even in a head-on battle, the Alliance forces would inevitably be drawn into chaotic skirmishes.
While the Alliance, due to their sheer numerical superiority, would still likely emerge victorious in such a melee, casualties would be unavoidable.
To further tip the scales in his favor, Alaric decided to create an artificial battlefield suited to the Alliance's strengths.
As long as a large enough clearing could be established around the ruins of Zul'Aman, the trolls would be unable to use the forest to force the battle into a disorganized brawl.
They would be left with no choice but to confront the Alliance in a structured battle formation, where their undisciplined warriors, fighting in scattered groups, would stand no chance against the well-coordinated Alliance troops.
In the end, Alaric would be able to annihilate them at minimal cost.
The laborers, militia, and infantrymen carried out his orders with military precision. Soon, the once-dense forest surrounding the ruins was transformed into a massive logging site.
The felled trees were gathered and repurposed—carpenters converted them into barricades, wooden stakes, and other defensive structures to be used against the trolls.
Meanwhile, high elven rangers, elven battalions, and the Alliance's elite warriors did not participate in the logging effort.
Instead, they were tasked with guarding the loggers, ensuring they could work uninterrupted while remaining prepared to repel any troll attacks.
Above them, gryphon riders patrolled the skies, keeping a watchful eye on the troll city.
Any signs of the enemy gathering their forces or launching an assault on the loggers were swiftly reported back, allowing the Alliance to respond immediately.
At first, the trolls mocked them, laughing at their supposed cowardice. They assumed that the Alliance feared their strength and would soon grow frustrated with such a pointless effort.
However, after a few days, the trolls began to realize something was terribly wrong.
The humans and elves weren't acting out of fear, nor was this some impulsive strategy. They were dead serious.
They genuinely intended to cut down enough trees to create a massive clearing, isolating the trolls within the ruins of Zul'Aman.
Panic began to spread among the Amani trolls, who hastily organized several raids in an attempt to disrupt the logging operation and force the enemy to abandon their plans.
However, the gryphon riders easily detected their movements and relayed the information back to the Alliance commanders.
The trolls were then met with fierce counterattacks from the high elven battalions.
In large-scale engagements, the trolls had never been a match for the high elves, and this time was no exception.
Each assault ended in utter failure, with the trolls being mercilessly repelled.
With no other options left, the trolls faced a dilemma: either remain trapped in the ruins and eventually be forced into a desperate last stand, or launch an all-out assault before the isolation zone was fully completed.
A fierce debate erupted among the Amani leadership over which course of action to take.
Warlord Daakara, along with Berserker Chieftain Nalorakk, the mighty hunter Halazzi, and the headhunting leader Jan'alai, all argued for an immediate and decisive attack.
They wanted to take advantage of the jungle while they still could and strike the enemy with all their might.
However, Hex Lord Malacrass and Shaman Priest Akil'zon strongly opposed this plan, insisting that the best course of action was to fortify their position within the ruins.
Their primary argument was that the city's altars allowed them to channel the power of the Loa gods to their fullest extent.
They believed the divine aid of the Loa was the Amani trolls' ultimate trump card.
In the end, the faction representing faith triumphed over the faction advocating brute force.
This was hardly surprising—within troll society, the highest authority often belonged to witch doctors and shamans.
This fanatical race held their faith so dearly that they would even sacrifice their own kin in blood rituals to appease their gods.
Once again, the spiritual leaders had won over the secular rulers.
Another week passed, and with the aid of magic, the Alliance successfully completed the massive clearing around Zul'Aman.
With the isolation zone in place, the trolls had lost their greatest advantage—the jungle. Their combat effectiveness was now at its lowest.
However, within the city ruins, the trolls found renewed confidence.
Facing complete annihilation, the desperate Amani trolls had reached out to the Loa gods—and had received a new power in return.
Unlike anything they had been granted before, this power was stronger than ever.
Now, with tensions at their peak, war was about to erupt.
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