Chapter 304: Silvermoon’s Rebirth

Wu Qingsong and the personnel previously affiliated with Orgrimmar could not act openly, so Xeila and Red Moon contacted nearby Darkmoon members, who assembled a dozen large wagons to extract the captives from Orgrimmar.

Compared to when Ram and the others were forced to leave, their numbers had already dwindled by nearly a hundred. About half had died under severe torture, while the rest perished in mining accidents and from abuse.

Once they left Orgrimmar’s surveillance range and saw Beck, Morin, and others, they couldn’t help but break down in tears. Some things cannot be understood without contrast. Many of them had begun to take Orgrimmar’s relative stability for granted. Now, they fully understood that without Wu Qingsong’s protection, everything was nothing more than an illusion.

Their realization was even deeper than that of the houndfolk, who had only lost their homes and property. These people had lost everything. Yet it was precisely because of this that many of them, once rescued, developed an unshakable faith in Xuanyuan.

That night, after darkness fell, the convoy stopped to camp. 

Following Wu Qingsong’s instructions, Morin began comforting and directing these believers, arranging for them to board the airship in groups.

To lighten the load, everyone was instructed to leave all their belongings behind and board the airship alone. Despite their trepidation, they embarked toward an unknown destination. With Morin’s reassurances, they recited Xuanyuan’s name and accepted these unsettling arrangements.

Wu Qingsong had long prepared a temporary relay camp in a secluded mountain valley. He signaled with bonfires and had food and hot water ready, which finally put the people at ease.

The small size and weight of the rabbitfolk and ratfolk proved advantageous during the migration. Ling could transport fifty of them at a time, while only twenty deerfolk could be carried per trip. After an entire night of effort, everyone was finally moved to the valley. Meanwhile, the Darkmoon members drove the now-empty wagons in different directions, creating a smokescreen to cover their movements.

Ram, Nina, and Harold worked tirelessly during the rescue operation. Although Marquis Osaga had not specifically assigned anyone to monitor the Thirteenth Mercenary Regiment’s activities, moving over five hundred kilometers northward—from Orgrimmar to a relay base near the Batiz Desert, far from both Osaga’s territory and Riniconia—without alerting him or his army was no easy feat.

Before Wu Qingsong flew to Gale Island to fetch Red Moon, Ling helped Nina and already traveled by air to the Silvermoon Wolf Clan’s new territory to mobilize their forces for a southern response.

The reunion between brother and sister was a great joy. Daryl could hardly believe his eyes and, in his excitement, lifted Nina high into the air. Nina, in turn, was pleasantly surprised to find that Daryl had grown significantly since she left—so much so that she barely recognized him.

“We’ve established ourselves here,” Daryl said, introducing Nina to Silvermoon’s current state. 

After months of bearing the full weight of the clan’s survival and carrying immense pressure, he could finally relax momentarily. He spoke to his sister with the pride of a young man showing off his achievements.

“We’ve fought several battles with the surrounding tribes. At first, we had to fight nearly every few days, but in the past few months, they’ve stopped provoking us,” he said proudly. “Sister, we’ve never lost a single time!”

The brain-controlling parasites sent by the Crimson Demon Lord had caused a disaster, but in a way, they had also inadvertently helped Daryl accomplish something neither he nor Nina could have achieved on their own.

When the Silvermoon Wolf Clan retreated from the eastern slopes of the Tecks Mountains to the north of Orgrimmar, the number of elders and leaders relative to the surviving population was so high that even Nina couldn’t suppress their opinions or mobilize the clan’s full strength to face their crises.

After the parasite incident, more than thirty elders and leaders died, leaving a sudden vacuum in the upper ranks.

The opposition disappeared in this unexpected manner.

The young Daryl, having exposed the brain-controlling parasites and played a key role in resolving the crisis, gained the recognition of most wolves—though largely because they had no other choice.

As he led the clan northward through the harsh desert, the grueling environment re-forged unity among the Silvermoon Wolves. It also allowed Daryl to adapt to his responsibilities, earn the support of young warriors, and solidify his position.

When they escaped from Orgrimmar, the crisis had yet to be exposed. Ram believed that anything left behind would simply be looted and provided them with a large cache of supplies, including high-quality plate armor, weapons, and numerous crossbow bolts.

This equipment enabled the clan to traverse the Batiz Desert over nearly a month and enter the Northern Wastelands. Even in their fatigued state, they held their own against the local tribes.

Though they suffered casualties, their overwhelming victories never dented Silvermoon’s morale.

Daryl kept Harold and Ram’s advice firmly in mind. He struck hard against the larger local tribes, weakening their strength and morale while seizing sheep, pastures, and hunting grounds. At the same time, he extended goodwill to smaller tribes, assuring them that Silvermoon meant no harm and winning them over to their side.

More importantly, they cautiously integrated scattered wolfpeople from the wild into Silvermoon’s ranks, screening them carefully before acceptance.

This wasn’t easy, but it was a common occurrence in the Northern Wastelands.

When a tribe rose to prominence, it naturally attracted many of its kin seeking a better life. Similarly, when a tribe fell, its members would flee for survival.

After losing nearly two hundred warriors in various battles, Silvermoon gained a fearsome reputation. More and more wolfpeople sought them out, and they established a territory tacitly recognized by nearby tribes. By the time Nina arrived, Silvermoon’s numbers had swelled to nearly five thousand, with another two thousand people from five or six vassal tribes.

“You’ve really grown up,” Nina said with relief.

This change brought her great joy. In a way, it also significantly eased the psychological pressure she felt from her secret relationship with Wu Qingsong. If Daryl could take the throne of the Silvermoon Wolf Clan as she had always hoped, her position would become less conspicuous, and the clan would be far more likely to accept her marriage.

“Our food supply is tight,” Daryl said after hearing Nina’s purpose. “But it’s not a problem. I’ll send people to prepare immediately.”