Ael'tharion was indeed reckless, but he wasn't a fool; his recklessness had a purpose.
The trolls outside the Amani Catacombs were heavily guarded. According to the experienced Vereesa, magical wards were set at the cave entrance that would trigger upon approach.
Valeera was the only Rogue in the four-person team with the ability to disarm traps and mechanisms.
But she was young, after all, and lacked experience, so she wasn't very confident in disarming magical traps.
Rather than sneaking up to the catacomb entrance and triggering the alarm, it was better to jump out and startle the enemy. The trio hiding in the shadows could then identify the target's escape route and take targeted action.
With a veteran Ranger like Vereesa present, even if the opponent was a Mage, she could interrupt them before they finished chanting a long, tedious teleportation spell.
Sure enough, Ael'tharion's Battle Shout was like a depth charge dropped into the sea, flushing out both the trolls and the High Elf traitor plotting secretly inside the catacombs.
As two trolls of clearly high status rushed out of the main entrance to investigate, a mysterious figure in a hooded black robe fled frantically toward the woods halfway up the mountain.
"I'll give chase. You two tie down those two troll leaders."
"Lirath, be careful. Don't try to overpower him."
After saying this, Vereesa's long, fair, and athletic legs suddenly exerted force.
Lirath and Valeera could only catch a glimpse of a passing shadow; Vereesa had already lunged forward over ten meters as if teleporting.
Valeera frowned as she watched the black-robed figure fleeing in a panic. The person's behavior differed somewhat from what she had imagined.
'Such a pathetic escape doesn't seem like that far-sighted traitor... I have a bad feeling about this.'
Valeera was merely the guide for this special investigation team; Vereesa was the team's true primary combatant.
With her feet in brown hide boots lightly tapping the ground a few times, Vereesa nimbly leaped to a spot not far behind the black-robed figure.
The two suspected troll leaders clearly knew that their conspiracy with the High Elf traitor was shameful.
One of them took a throwing axe from his waist. His originally dark green skin suddenly turned red as he held the axe high above his head to build up power.
"That's a Berserker Headhunter, Lirath!"
"Leave it to me!"
"Zip!"
Simultaneously as Valeera spoke, Lirath had already drawn his bowstring to the full and loosed an arrow without much aiming.
Just as the Berserker Headhunter took his stance to throw the axe and interfere with Vereesa's pursuit, the troll with a large cat-like head beside him suddenly reached out, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled him back a step.
Lirath's arrow grazed the Berserker Headhunter's chest, leaving a thin trail of blood on his skin.
Such a superficial wound was nothing to a troll with their incredible self-healing abilities.
But because of that brief delay, the unhindered Vereesa caught her target and roughly pinned him to the ground from behind.
Valeera took a deep breath and whispered to Lirath, "Try to keep your distance and provide ranged suppression. I'll look for an opportunity to help you out."
Valeera's silhouette gradually faded as faint shadow energy completely shrouded her body.
Due to his unique upbringing, Lirath had a cautious personality and wouldn't engage in reckless, life-risking moves like Ael'tharion.
Seeing both troll leaders fix their fierce gazes on him, Lirath's heart began to race from the tension.
The troll with the furry, large cat-like head glanced at Lirath with contempt. Suddenly, he turned and dropped to all fours, running at high speed in a way that defied the habits of sapient beings.
His target was Vereesa, who had already captured the black-robed figure.
The remaining Berserker Headhunter curled his lips into a gruesome grin.
Instead of trying to close the distance, he leaned back into a throwing posture.
"Whoosh!"
With a violent sound of rushing wind, the Berserker Headhunter threw the axe with immense power.
Faced with the crisis, Lirath quickly drew his bow and fired three arrows in succession, barely managing to deflect the axe's trajectory.
A Berserker Headhunter usually carried only four small throwing axes. This specialized troll class wasn't just a ranged marksman; even in close quarters, they possessed combat skills on par with warriors.
After throwing the second axe, the Berserker Headhunter kicked off the ground and accelerated toward Lirath, following closely behind the axe.
This time, Lirath didn't meet it head-on but stepped aside to hide behind a large tree.
"Thud!"
The sharp axe bit deep into the wood.
Just as Lirath intended to peek out from behind the tree and switch from defense to offense, he was surprised to find the Berserker Headhunter was less than ten meters away.
"So fast! But..."
The charging Berserker Headhunter kept his body as low as possible to reduce wind resistance.
When he reached a distance where he could clearly see the fuzz on Lirath's face, the Berserker Headhunter suddenly felt a jolt of alarm.
But stopping from a high-speed sprint wasn't that easy, and he ultimately stepped right into a trap Lirath had set in advance.
"Clang!"
The triggered Freezing Trap immediately released a burst of concentrated frost, freezing the Berserker Headhunter's legs into ice sculptures. The layer of ice continued to spread upward.
Rangers were masters of forest warfare, proficient in archery and traps; setting traps near their position had become second nature to them.
However, Lirath was still young. Although he had received elite education since childhood, strength couldn't be increased overnight; it required long periods of accumulation.
If Vereesa had set this Freezing Trap, the enemy would have been completely encased in ice within a second.
A troll in a Berserk state had all physical attributes significantly enhanced. He managed to break free from the Freezing Trap's constraints through sheer brute force.
Holding the remaining two axes in his hands, the Berserker Headhunter continued to close in without stopping, while also preparing for a close-range throw.
Just as the Berserker Headhunter finished building his strength, a sudden chill came from his side and rear.
Valeera, who had been waiting in Stealth for an opportunity, made her move.
Her daggers, coated in paralyzing poison, tore through the Berserker Headhunter's back armor and skin, leaving a deep bloody gash on his waist.
"You brats, you think you can beat me like this?"
His entire body dyed red by surging bloodlust, the troll in his Berserk state was fearless. He raised his two small throwing axes and spun his body in a grand Whirlwind.
Valeera, who was about to press her advantage, had to retreat to avoid the brunt of the attack, pulling out of the range of the enemy's makeshift Whirlwind.
The paralyzing poison was slowly taking effect. Even with the Berserk enhancement delaying its impact, the Berserker Headhunter could still feel his body gradually becoming numb.
Berserk was essentially consuming life force to exchange for a massive boost in physical capabilities in a short time. Even trolls with their powerful life force couldn't use it indefinitely.
The Berserker Headhunter was well aware of the situation. He had to take down these two green High Elf fledglings before his state ended and the poison fully took hold, otherwise... the consequences were obvious. On the other side, Vereesa knocked the black-robed figure unconscious with a casual elbow strike and immediately turned around, standing ready for the incoming enemy.
"Roar!"
A beast-like howl erupted from the troll on all fours. His speed increased once more as he pounced toward Vereesa like a large cat hunting.
On the gauntlets he wore, five metal blades mimicking beast claws were clearly visible.
Stowing her warbow, Vereesa drew two Ranger Shortswords from her waist and crossed them in front of her.
She could clearly see that the enemy's target wasn't her, but rather to silence the unconscious black-robed figure.
"Don't even think about it!"
The moment the twin blades took the impact, Vereesa suddenly applied counter-force, seizing the brief moment before the opponent could follow up to force him back.
*Clang!*
Vibrating her twin blades into a melee stance, Vereesa sneered, "Trying to silence a witness? It won't be that easy."
"Lynx Priest Halazzi."