In the jungle, the weather could change in an instant.
Not long after the Alliance completed their logging operations and established a defensive perimeter, the once clear sky turned dark with storm clouds. Soon, heavy rain began to pour.
Under the unrelenting downpour, the Alliance warriors were forced to retreat to their camp, putting their offensive plans on hold.
Though they lacked gunpowder weapons, the rain was still a formidable enemy to the Alliance army. It soaked their armor and clothes, hampering their movements.
It loosened the tautness of the rangers' bowstrings, significantly reducing the effectiveness of their bows and crossbows.
As for the gryphon riders, flying in the rain was simply out of the question.
Faced with such unfavorable conditions, even Alaric had no good solution. While magic could alter the weather temporarily, it could not maintain the effect for long.
Thus, he could only grit his teeth and endure the misfortune.
Fortunately, they had established the perimeter and relocated their camp here. Had they still been in the forest, the rain would have been twice as troublesome.
Out of caution, Alaric ordered increased patrols. The rangers were fully mobilized to compensate for the grounded gryphon riders, keeping a close watch on the Amani trolls' movements in Zul'Aman.
Sure enough, as Alaric had predicted, the trolls were not going to let this opportunity slip away.
Compared to the Alliance, the trolls—who were well adapted to life in the forest—were far less affected by the rain.
They wore minimal clothing, using only animal hides for protection. Instead of heavy armor, they strapped wooden plates to vital areas.
Rather than relying on bows and crossbows, they wielded javelins and throwing axes for short-range attacks.
Thus, the rain had little to no impact on their combat effectiveness.
Moreover, the rain neutralized one of the trolls' greatest threats—fire magic.
The saying goes, "Live by the land, thrive by the land."
The Amani trolls, living in the forest, had underdeveloped metallurgy.
Wood was their primary material for armor, weapons, and siege equipment. With an abundant supply of timber, they never lacked resources.
However, this also meant that the high elves' fire magic was their greatest nemesis.
Furthermore, fire magic suppressed the trolls' innate ability—powerful regeneration.
Now, under the heavy rain, fire magic was greatly weakened. If there was ever a time to attack, it was now.
Inside the command tent, Alaric was handling his daily military affairs. The warmth of his magic kept the space dry and comfortable.
Suddenly, he looked up. A high elf ranger was approaching him soundlessly, like a cat.
"You're here, Sylvanas," he said with a nod before continuing his work.
"Tch~ So boring! I can never sneak up on you!" Sylvanas pouted in disappointment before turning serious. "As you predicted, our enemies aren't giving us any time to rest. My scouts have spotted them."
"That's expected. If I were them, I'd also take advantage of the rain to narrow the gap between our strengths."
Calmly gathering his documents, Alaric stood up.
Unlike typical mages, he did not wear flowing robes. Instead, he donned a magnificent suit of light armor, with the legendary sword Infinity Blade prominently hanging from his waist.
Of course, like most mages, he also carried a staff.
To blend in with local customs, he had modified his original twelve-inch wand, Weaver's Staff, into a nearly two-meter-long staff.
However, unlike traditional wizard staffs, his had a unique enchantment—"Mage's Blade."
When activated, the staff transformed into a polearm with energy blades on both ends, allowing Alaric to seamlessly shift between mage and warrior as needed.
So far, however, no one had forced him to reveal this hidden side of his abilities.
Back to the present, with Alaric's command, the previously silent camp erupted into action. Soldiers rushed out of their tents, swiftly assuming their battle positions.
Mages activated detection spells, rangers retreated to the watchtowers outside the camp, archers climbed the ramparts, and infantry formed tight ranks at the main gate, awaiting the enemy's arrival.
Yet, the first sound they heard was not the trolls' chaotic war cries but the deep, feral roars of beasts.
Soon, the very ground beneath them trembled with the rhythmic pounding of massive footsteps.
"Amani bear riders!" a high elf mage, using the Mage's Eye spell, suddenly exclaimed.
The Amani trolls were not only formidable hunters but also exceptional beast tamers. Depending on their devotion to different Loa gods, they raised various ferocious beasts for war.
Amani bear riders, as the name suggested, rode atop war bears—huge, powerful creatures clad in wooden armor, with sharp bone spikes protruding from their sides.
The trolls who rode them were elite warriors.
Though their numbers were limited by the availability of war bears, they remained a force to be reckoned with.
From the watchtowers, the rangers unleashed a storm of arrows upon the charging bear riders. However, against the trolls' only heavy cavalry unit, the effectiveness of the arrow barrage was far from ideal.
With their sturdy wooden armor and extraordinary regenerative abilities, the trolls ignored the arrows and charged wildly toward the camp.
The war bears, thick-skinned and fearless, roared as they stormed forward, trampling through the rain and mud.
"Front line, shields up! Brace for impact!" Alaric raised his staff and commanded, "Mage corps, with me! Cast Quagmire—fifty meters in front of the gate!"
As waves of arcane light shimmered, the ground before the camp entrance transformed into a muddy swamp.
The rain had already softened the terrain, and the spell's effect was amplified far beyond expectations. Though it could not completely stop the bear riders, it significantly slowed them down.
As expected, the once-unrelenting charge of the Amani bear riders was reduced to a sluggish advance.
The thick mud clung to the war bears' legs, forcing them to trudge forward with great difficulty. The momentum that once gave them overwhelming power was greatly diminished.
Because of this, the impact against the shield wall was far less devastating than anticipated. The first defensive line held firm—none of the bear riders managed to break through.
Their greatest advantage had been nullified by a simple spell, leaving them entangled in brutal close-quarters combat with the Alliance infantry.
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