The troll squad's situation was not optimistic; there were fewer than thirty of them, and everyone was injured.
A continuous stream of Mantid still poured out from nearby. The lower-ranking Mantid had no intelligence, only the instinct to kill.
The higher-ranking Mantid, however, had two wings on their backs, allowing them to fly. There were quite a few of these Mantid as well.
Only Mantid with wings on their backs were qualified to become commanders; the rest, at best, were just minor leaders.
Every race has a hierarchy, especially these manufactured servants, where the class distinctions are even more pronounced.
"Rezan above, please grant me strength!"
A priest began to chant loudly, exchanging devout faith for the service of the Loa.
These Loa were what trolls called them; among the night elves, they preferred to call them Wild Gods, or perhaps Animal Demigods?
An invisible energy descended, causing the injured trolls to recover from their wounds at a visible rate.
"Kill! Break through!"
The leading troll picked up a metal-forged spear and charged forward, impaling a Mantid with a single strike.
The trolls behind him were also infected by the emotion, following with shouts and yells as they charged.
The gloomy atmosphere was instantly swept away; with the help of their worshipped gods, they firmly believed they could break through.
The sudden burst of hope for survival allowed the trolls to break out significantly for a time, but as the number of casualties grew, the thirty-plus troll squad was reduced to just over ten after breaking through less than a thousand meters.
There were still dense swarms of Mantid around them, and these grotesque monsters shrieked at them.
The fallen trolls in the rear were already covered in Mantid, and within moments, the Mantid dispersed, leaving behind a skeleton with not a speck of flesh!
In just a dozen seconds, the troll bodies were completely devoured. This speed was incredibly terrifying, causing the surviving trolls to scream in horror.
There is nothing more capable of making people lose courage than fear, and this emotion could spread to every troll, making them tremble and shiver uncontrollably.
Their attack power decreased, their fighting spirit vanished, and their original faith would also collapse. They only wanted to flee, and might even cause the deaths of other trolls.
But they could no longer afford to worry about such things; no troll wanted to die.
They weren't afraid of death, but they couldn't accept such a horrifying death. It must be terrifying!
To be covered in insects, clearly feeling them gnaw at one's flesh, and to be completely devoured in endless fear.
This kind of death was extremely cruel, the thought of it sent shivers down one's spine, let alone now being on the brink of awaiting such a death?
"Lord Rezan, please grant us strength again!"
"Lord Rezan, please save us!"
Unfortunately, while there was a response last time, this time the called entity seemed to be out of service range, or perhaps that Loa felt that expending divine power to save these believers was not worth it.
No response!
Only the bloodthirsty shrieks and screams of the Mantid, a fervent desire for slaughter, and an excited craving for flesh!
Furthermore, there was the ancient hatred passed down from the Aqir, an unending feud with the trolls!
Despair!
The trolls had many gods they worshipped, and they didn't mind changing their faith. If this Loa didn't work?
Then I'll switch to another!
Those who went to sea would choose the God of Sharks or the God of Sea Turtles; hunters would choose the God of Pterodactyls or the God of Raptors. They chose according to local conditions.
Just as the Mantid were about to launch their attack, a familiar low whisper came.
It was a tremor from the depths of their souls, as if they were born to serve this voice.
Even the less rational insectoids were now whimpering in uneasy alarm.
It didn't align with the commands of the higher-ranking insects; clearly, the voice in their minds made them more fearful.
Descending from the sky, silver-white armor paired with a runic sword. With one swing, a large number of insects fell to the ground.
The strongest Mantid couldn't even withstand a few blows, overwhelmed by the violent attacks and overloaded with energy. Its entire body couldn't bear it and suddenly burst apart.
Only one Mantid met the knight's gaze, and the familiar Old Gods' whisper came from the knight, which immediately excited it.
God!
Their God had returned!
The Old Gods' whisper was a skill that all these flesh-transformed Void creatures could master proficiently; perhaps it was more like a sound imbued with a unique primal force.
The Void also had factions; pure Void creatures could not master this whisper, only the flesh-transformed Old Gods could.
While they corrupted the World Soul of Azeroth, weren't they also influenced by the World Soul's power?
Without hesitation, it turned and ran, this was an order!
This Mantid chose to execute the mission but did not take its other kin, leaving them behind to be slaughtered.
No, this was not a slaughter, but a blessing!
A blessing from the Old Gods!
The stirring imprinted deep in their souls meant that even if they were ordered to commit mass suicide, they would do so without hesitation.
The purpose of the Aqir's existence was to serve the Old Gods. If God said they should die, they would die. There must be a reason for them to die, but they didn't need to know it, nor did they need to understand it; simply obeying the command was enough!
Watching the monstrous divine warrior descend from the sky, cutting down the insects they struggled to kill as easily as harvesting straw.
The remaining troll soldiers didn't know what to do for a moment.
Is this an enemy?
No, more like a friend!
But what kind of creature is it?
Compared to those long-eared beings in the central region who called themselves night elves, this monster appeared somewhat shorter and didn't resemble them in appearance.
So what was it, then?
Could it be a new Loa?
For the trolls' minds, trying to figure out this question was indeed a bit difficult.
But it didn't stop them from watching the show from the sidelines, not participating, nor fleeing. They just watched quietly, wanting to see what this was all about!
If it was a Loa, or a creature from another race, and it could bring a new ally, such a powerful ally...
Chief would surely give many rewards, right?
Then he would be able to marry the female troll he had been longing for, and then have many little trolls!
Arthas, however, found that these weak insects also had many souls, but they were incomplete, and the Anima they could provide was very limited.
It was probably like comparing 1 to 0.001; not bad, but barely better than nothing.
All things have souls, even the undead are no exception.
Those without souls were most likely only mechanical constructs.
The insects retreated, leaving bodies everywhere. There was no need to clean up; nature would digest them.
Retracting his runic sword, Arthas looked at these trolls with an arrogant posture.
"Which clan of trolls are you from?"
The surviving trolls all looked at their captain, who, under the pressure of the demigod, said with a tingling scalp:
"Zandalar! We are from the Seventy-ninth Squad of the First Legion of the Zandalar Empire. I am Captain Kasanpa."