Wayne's heart was hammering against his ribs. Seeing that these men were about to lose their lives, he summoned every ounce of courage, threw open the door of the net cafe, and prepared to pull them in one by one.
"Don't just throw your lives away!" he shouted. "Hold them off from inside the stone building for a bit longer! Come inside so the Holy Paladin can eat and drink something. If he recovers even a little mana, he can heal you!"
Hicks barked back, "Do you think these walls can hold them forever?!"
Wayne had already dragged Willem inside and was now running back out for Samuel. He shouted back, his voice thin but resolute, "You were the ones who told me Gnolls don't know how to conduct a siege! And even if it doesn't hold long, it's better than dying out here right now!"
The logic hit home. Though they didn't quite understand the term "Holy Paladin" (or "Heal-adin") that Wayne had come up with, the reasoning was sound.
Hudson and the others who could still move began to help, half-dragging and half-carrying the rest of the wounded into the net cafe.
As Wayne, the last one outside, turned to enter, the whistling of arrows cut through the air—aimed directly at the men who had just stepped through the threshold! If they were hit now, it would be their certain end.
In a desperate reflex, Wayne slammed the heavy door shut. Thud! Thud! Thud! The thick wooden planks caught every single arrow.
Terrified that a second volley or a Gnoll charge was imminent, Wayne reached for the handle to pull the door open again, only to find it jammed. Two arrows were wedged deep into the door frame. He strained with all his might to yank it open, but before his strength could yield results, the next wave of arrows arrived.
There was zero cover outside the net cafe, save for the two shattered pieces of Verdan's shield on the ground. Facing a dozen arrows flying toward him, Wayne instinctively raised his hands to shield his face, expecting to be turned into a pincushion.
Suddenly, a circle of pale yellow light enveloped him. Wayne opened his eyes to find himself encased in an oval sphere of radiance.
Upstairs in the inn, Priestess Jyssetta gasped as she watched through the window. "That's... Power Word: Shield! How... how can he cast that?"
The incoming arrows struck the shield of solidified Holy Light, losing all momentum instantly before clattering to the ground one by one. Wayne realized that because he had become a target of aggression, the net cafe's defense system had activated!
The Gnolls were equally stunned. They let out a chorus of confused howls until Hogger let out a low growl, seemingly ordering a full assault. The Gnolls on the flanks stowed their bows, drawing daggers and axes as they lunged at Wayne.
Inside the blacksmith shop, the three workers had bandaged Raymond's wounds and given him water. He finally stirred. His first slurred words through his mangled mouth were: "How is Teacher? How is Teacher?"
The workers, having spent all day in the forge, had no idea who "Teacher" was. They assumed he meant one of the seven soldiers. "What?"
"Help... me..." Raymond croaked. Moving his mouth agitatedly caused blood to flow, so he simply pointed a finger toward the window, signaling for them to help him look outside.
They propped him up. Through the glass, they saw three Gnolls being pierced through the chest by a Chain Lightning, killed instantly.
"Chain... Chain Lightning?!" Hudson and Verdan, still able to move inside the net cafe, gaped in disbelief. Because Wayne was pressed against the jammed door, their line of sight was blocked, but the spell had clearly originated from the doorway. Who else could it be but Wayne?
Samuel, having managed to drink some water and recover a sliver of strength, cast an emergency Flash of Light on Willem. Willem sat up with effort. Hearing the others shout about Chain Lightning, he insisted it was impossible and dragged himself to the window.
"Chain Lightning is a Shaman spell!" Willem cried. "That's a craft of the Horde orcs! How could Wayne possibly use it?"
Across the street at the Lion's Pride Inn, the onlookers could barely see Wayne's movements through the pitch-black night and lack of streetlights. They could only see bursts of magical light accompanied by Wayne raising his hands over and over. To them, it looked exactly like a mage finishing an incantation and releasing a spell.
A second later, four more Gnolls charged. Suddenly, two wooden stakes—totems—appeared in the ground outside the net cafe. In an instant, a massive Fire Elemental and a towering Earth Elemental were summoned, swinging their fiery claws and stone fists at the attackers.
"Hahaha! Teacher... Teacher is finally making his move!" Raymond thought, his heart blooming with joy. He tried to laugh, but the pain in his face sent him spiraling back into unconsciousness.
Willem and Samuel couldn't believe their eyes. Why did a twenty-year-old human male know Shamanistic magic?
Among the four charging Gnolls, the Fire Elemental incinerated two into charcoal, while the Earth Elemental crushed the other two into meat pies with a single blow. Despite Hogger's roars and commands to charge, the remaining Gnolls dared not approach such powerful constructs.
Forced by Hogger's authority but fearing the elementals, they drew their shortbows and throwing knives again, raining projectiles on Wayne.
As the arrows flew, the Power Word: Shield on Wayne flickered out, its duration ended. But an even stronger golden radiance immediately enveloped him. It looked similar to the Blessing of Protection Willem had cast on Samuel earlier, but with a significantly more pronounced golden sheen. The arrows bounced off him like they were hitting an unbreakable fortress wall.
Seeing their "master" under attack, the two elemental giants charged into the Gnoll pack.
Willem and Samuel were now babbling incoherently. "Divine... Divine... Divine Shield?!"
They were dumbfounded. Was this a Shaman who knew a Paladin's Divine Shield, or a Paladin who knew a Shaman's natural magic? This wasn't just a matter of power anymore; it was a violation of race, civilization, and history. An Orc's faith in Shamanism was as fundamental as a Human's faith in the Light. Wayne was simultaneously wielding two completely different sets of magic from different continents, factions, and faiths!
The Gnolls retreated in terror from the giants, but a sudden chill swept through the air. A Blizzard of countless icicles began to fall from the sky. The ice shards fell like swords, piercing Gnoll armor and flesh. The freezing frost slowed their movements, making retreat nearly impossible.
First Shamanism, then Holy Light, and now a Mage's frost magic. The onlookers were speechless. The only figure they could possibly associate with such a feat was the legendary Archmage—The Guardian, Medivh!
The two elementals easily caught up, tearing through the terrified Gnolls. Four or five more were killed in the chaos.
Hogger finally charged. He ignored the elementals and swung his massive axe directly at the wooden stakes in the ground—the totems.
"Gnolls have their own Shamans," Willem muttered to himself. "These beasts know that the summons are bound to the totems. If the totems are destroyed, the summons vanish!"
Sure enough, Hogger's axe fell, shattering the two fragile totems into sparks of magic. The elementals vanished instantly.
Hogger roared at Wayne, "Human... come out!"
Wayne wouldn't move an inch away from the net cafe; it was his only lifeline. He pressed himself against the door, his heart racing at 200 beats per minute! He pointed his right index finger at the snarling Hogger, beckoned him, and screamed: "...You... COME HERE!"
With a thunderous roar, Hogger lifted his axe and charged!
Watching the massive beast barrel toward him like a gale-force wind, Wayne began to tremble. "Wait, wait, wait... I was wrong... don't come over here..."
Hogger didn't listen. He raised his axe for a vertical split.
"AAAAHHH!!!"
As Wayne screamed, the onlookers closed their eyes. Many were already mourning him, shedding tears for his sacrifice. But when they opened their eyes, they saw Hogger's axe on the ground. The beast was clutching its head with both paws, scurrying away in a state of sheer terror!
Lyria the Warrior trainer and the soldiers in the net cafe recognized the skill instantly. "That's Intimidating Shout! Only mid-rank Warriors can use that!"
Intimidating Shout was a unique Warrior skill that used an overwhelming roar to cause nearby enemies to flee in panic. They had thought Wayne was screaming in terror; in reality, he was luring Hogger close to break the beast's morale!
When Hogger finally shook off the fear and turned back, his legs wouldn't move. Without anyone noticing, a Frost Nova had crystallized around his feet, freezing him to the spot.
"Frost Nova?!"
Immediately after, a massive fireball—so bright it illuminated the center of Goldshire—roared toward Hogger with a deafening whoosh.
"That's a Pyroblast!!!"
Pyroblast was a gargantuan version of a Fireball. Its incantation time far exceeded a standard Fireball, but its power was incomparable. Willem's jaw dropped, and he clutched his head in shock. He felt like kicking the door open and rushing to Wayne, not to fight, but to apologize for his previous arrogance and to thank the boy for his fearless stand at the gates of hell.
BOOM!
"GRAAAUGH!"
The Pyroblast exploded against Hogger, who let out a guttural scream. Blood poured from his face and torso, drenching his chin and legs. The hit had clearly dealt devastating damage.
"No! I have to help him!" Willem shouted. He tried to stand, but his legs gave way, and he collapsed. The others in the room wanted to help too, but between the injuries and the exhaustion, they had nothing left.
Willem pushed the window open and screamed at Wayne:
"Miller! Pick up the axe! Give him the final blow!!!"
Many in the Lion's Pride Inn were red-eyed with tears. Through cycles of hope and despair, none of them had imagined that the one to save them in the final hour would be this unassuming boy from the blacksmith shop!
Wayne saw that Hogger was severely wounded. He knew that one final strike to kill the Gnoll leader would not only save Goldshire but end the Gnoll crisis in Elwynn Forest forever. He let out a roar to chase away his own fear. It wasn't that he was afraid to fight, but this wasn't a game—the ground was littered with corpses, and the air stank of blood and scorched hair.
"AAAHHH!"
He screamed again, ran forward, and snatched up the axe Hogger had dropped. Gripping it with both hands, he leaped high into the air as he reached the beast!
Having played for most of the day, his character level had reached 15. Although he still lacked combat skills—and he knew the fancy spells were just the net cafe's defense mechanism—the leveling had significantly boosted his Strength and Agility.
Though the axe was a one-handed weapon for Hogger, it was the size of a two-handed greataxe in Wayne's hands. Yet, it didn't feel heavy. His downward swing was fierce and powerful, whistling through the air as it aimed for Hogger's skull!
The scene looked like a mirror of Grommash Hellscream's strike against Mannoroth four years prior.
Hogger, gasping on one knee, let out a low growl and raised both hands, catching the strike that would have split his head. The sheer impact forced the beast's upper body to buckle downward! Wayne refused to let up, putting his entire weight into the axe, while the heavily wounded Hogger fought desperately to keep the blade from his throat.
Suddenly, a cry echoed through the sky: "Fly to the blue skies! For Khaz Modan!"
The sound of massive wings beating the air followed. The people in the inn rushed to the north-facing windows. Far off in the northern sky, a faint light flickered—too high to be a star.
Farley, the experienced owner, shouted, "It's a flare! Zaldimar requested help after teleporting to Stormwind! They fired a flare to alert the Gryphon Riders on patrol!"
Everyone realized what it meant. "Reinforcements! The Gryphon Riders are here!" They embraced each other, weeping with joy. These units—soaring through the clouds, mounting fierce gryphons, and wielding warhammers—were the absolute elite of the Alliance. Because of the extreme training difficulty and the fact that only the Wildhammer Dwarves mastered gryphon taming, they were incredibly rare outside of Stormwind or Ironforge. But their combat power was unmatched. A few Gryphon Riders could easily clean up the Gnoll remnants from the air.
Wayne and Hogger both heard the sound. Knowing victory was near, Wayne gave one last push, desperate to drive the axe into Hogger's neck.
Suddenly, Hogger's right hand slipped. With only his left hand, he couldn't stop Wayne's full-strength effort. The blade bit deep into the beast's left shoulder.
Wayne's joy was short-lived. What followed wasn't a snap of his fingers.
He felt Hogger's right paw slam into the side of his face. His vision went black, and as his mind flashed with the thought, "You should have gone for the head," he lost consciousness...
Some time later, Wayne woke up. He found himself in a massive room built of grey-white stone blocks, lying on a luxurious bed covered in silk and velvet. Two young maidens were nearby. Seeing him awake, they were visibly excited. One hurried toward him while the other ran to the door to report to someone.
The maid near him asked gently, "How do you feel?"
Wayne felt his head throbbing in waves of dizziness. "Where... where am I?" he asked groggily.
"Respected Sir Wayne," the maid replied. "This is Stormwind Keep. The Regent Lord will be coming to visit you shortly."