Chapter 309: Nagrand (Part 2)

Nina quickly took down several bearfolk, but the impact she could create was limited to the immediate area around her. While the beastfolk nearby, witnessing her power, hesitated in fear, many others who hadn’t seen her display continued surging toward the caravan, eager for slaughter and plunder.

This wasn’t working.

Nina stepped back ten paces, raised her sword, and brought it crashing down onto the ground.

A deep sword mark, more than ten meters long, appeared on the ground before her.

“Anyone who crosses this line will die,” she declared to the beastfolk, whose momentum faltered under the display of her sheer force.

The front line halted, stunned by her strength, but those behind them, unaware of what had happened, continued pushing forward, forcing the ones at the front to stumble across the line.

Seeing the helpless and despairing expressions of those being pushed forward, Nina sighed softly. She raised her sword once more.

As the leader of Silvermoon, she harbored no excessive compassion, but she fully understood why Wu Qingsong wanted them to minimize killing. The people from Orgrimmar were too few, and this region, far from the heart of the continent, was unlikely to attract more immigrants. In the long term, they could only grow by integrating the nearby beastfolk.

Senseless killing would only breed hatred, making assimilation impossible. However, there were times when a clear demonstration of strength was necessary to deter ambitions and prevent further misjudgments.

If killing was unavoidable, then it needed to be decisive and effective. Anything less would render it meaningless.

A fierce gust of wind swept across the plains. In the next moment, the air grew thick with the stench of blood. Those charging toward the caravan suddenly stopped in their tracks, confused and stunned.

In the middle of their formation, where many warriors had once stood, there was now a path of carnage paved with flesh and blood. Over a hundred beastfolk had been reduced to mangled remains by Nina’s full-force strike. Her sword energy had pierced through the entire formation, scattering chunks of flesh, bone, and blood across the trampled grassland.

Some on the flanks, unaware of what had just transpired, continued their charge.

Another arc of sword energy screamed through the air.

“Meow~?” 

Liuli, relishing the fun of overpowering her foes, suddenly noticed the silence. The once-roaring battlefield had fallen into an eerie stillness. Only the twisted screams of the bearfolk writhing on the ground, their souls shattered by Wu Qingsong’s attack, remained. These sounds, however, only drained the courage of those who had witnessed Nina’s two strikes.

A handful of beastfolk who had reached the caravan hesitated, sensing that something was amiss. They instinctively slowed down. When they turned back, the scene behind them made their legs buckle, nearly causing them to collapse.

One lone bearfolk continued to roar, charging toward the caravan. Under the dazed gaze of everyone around him, he drew closer, his excitement growing with every step.

Then, a beastgirl archer with exceptional skill released her bowstring. The arrow whistled through the air and struck the bearfolk’s eye. He let out a muffled groan, stumbled into the side of the caravan, and fell backward.

In an instant, the god of fear seemed to return the voices stolen from the battlefield. Panic-stricken attackers screamed and scrambled away, avoiding the two blood-soaked paths as they fled in terror.

“Nina! You stole all the glory!” Liuli called out, disappointed.

Nina smiled faintly, sheathed her sword, and walked slowly toward Wu Qingsong.

Xiela, however, glanced at Wu Qingsong from a distance before vanishing into thin air.

“Xiela, don’t do anything reckless,” Wu Qingsong called after her, but there was no response.

He shook his head. “No one will dare challenge us for the next few days. Let’s press on and reach our destination before making camp.”

There were no objections. Nina’s two strikes not only stunned the enemy but also left a deep impression on the caravan’s members.

In truth, many of them had never seen Wu Qingsong or his companions unleash their full strength. When the horde of beastfolk swarmed toward them, fear and despair had already begun to take root in their hearts.

Now, no one doubted Wu Qingsong any longer.

“Praise Xuanyuan! Praise His only messenger on earth! Praise the power He grants us! Praise the hope and future He bestows!” Morin led the believers in prayer as they marched forward. “He is the creator of all things and the master of everything!”

Meanwhile, under Wu Qingsong’s orders, Alice, escorted by a group of beastgirls, entered the battlefield. Using holy light, she healed the wounded beastfolk who had been unable to flee.

The miraculous sight left the injured beastfolk bewildered and prostrating themselves in awe.

“This is Xuanyuan’s will,” Alice told them. “To those who show disrespect, He delivers thunderous wrath through His warriors. But in His mercy, He does not wish to see you suffer needlessly. That is why He has sent me to grant you a second chance. Return to your people. Tell them what you have witnessed. Spread Xuanyuan’s name and warn them not to offend the gods out of greed or ignorance.”

“Go back,” she continued. “We will make our home here, spreading Xuanyuan’s light. From now on, anyone who recites His name, prays sincerely, and offers devotion will find refuge and aid with us, turning from their wayward paths to righteousness.”

The bewildered and terrified beastfolk might not have fully grasped her words, but Wu Qingsong didn’t expect this to solve all their problems.

However, the combination of overwhelming power and mercy would likely sow doubt and buy them time to establish their new city. It might also ease some of the animosity, making future integration efforts smoother.

The chosen location was a delta where two rivers flowed into the Icy Sea. Although the rivers were small and lacked the lush vegetation of the warmer southern regions, reeds and similar plants grew along the banks.

Standing on a hill overlooking the site, Wu Qingsong could already envision a future filled with villages and cultivated fields stretching across the land.

He firmly planted the banner of the Thirteenth Mercenary Corps at the hill’s highest point and turned to the people.

“From this day forward, this place is our new home. Nagrand. It will become a city far greater than Orgrimmar!”