Chapter 499: Windrunner's Artifact
The weapon in Alleria's hands was called Thas'dorah, meaning "Courage of the Forest."
From the moment this powerful longbow was created, it was meant to defend Quel'Thalas.
It was entrusted to the leader of the rangers at the time, Taranas Windrunner, and had since been passed down through generations of Ranger-Generals.
Of course, since the position of Ranger-General was always inherited within the Windrunner family, it was not an exaggeration to call this longbow the Windrunner family's weapon.
The bow was crafted from a rare branch of Thas'Ala, a mystical tree that thrived under the energies of the Sunwell.
The wood was meticulously carved, and the entire bow was immersed in the Sunwell to absorb its arcane essence.
Saturated with arcane energy, the bow began to transform. Its durability increased drastically, becoming nearly indestructible, yet it still maintained a strong connection to Thas'Ala's natural magic.
Once removed from the Sunwell, Thas'dorah radiated power. Its arcane-infused energy allowed its wielder to summon powerful arcane arrows, even without being a mage, striking enemies with lethal magical attacks.
Originally, Thas'dorah was meant to be passed down to the new Ranger-General, Sylvanas Windrunner.
However, as Sylvanas was granted another powerful weapon, the longbow—destined to be known as the "Hunter's Artifact" in the original timeline—was instead entrusted to her elder sister, Alleria.
The weapon Sylvanas received was known as the Bow of the Sunstrider.
This, too, was an ancient elven artifact.
The founder of Quel'Thalas, Dath'Remar Sunstrider, wielded this bow centuries ago.
It was passed down through the Sunstrider lineage and eventually given to Sylvanas Windrunner upon her ascension as Ranger-General.
Arrows fired from this bow were automatically imbued with magic, striking with the force of burning ammunition. These enchanted arrows could harm incorporeal souls and were particularly effective against demons. Once per day, the bow could unleash a deadly shot capable of instantly killing a designated target.
Additionally, the youngest of the Windrunner sisters, Vereesa, wielded another extraordinary artifact—a weapon with a striking name: Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury (according to Hearthstone lore).
Whether this legendary bow already existed in the current timeline was uncertain, but its power was undeniable.
Like Thas'dorah, Thori'dal was a product of the Sunwell, infused with immense arcane energy.
It required no physical arrows; drawing its string would automatically generate an arrow of pure arcane energy.
When unleashed at full strength, its shots could rain down like falling stars, devastating enemies.
Moreover, the arcane energy within the bow gave it staff-like properties. If its wielder happened to be trained in magic, the bow could rival even the most powerful magical staves.
Considering all of this, there was no denying that these three high elven sisters were truly blessed by fate.
At this moment, to stall the advance of the godly warriors for as long as possible, Alleria and Sylvanas simultaneously unleashed their full power.
Alleria nocked an arrow onto Thas'dorah and slowly pulled back the bowstring.
Unlike her usual swift and agile shooting, this time, her movements were unusually slow, failing to display her true skill.
Yet, this slowness was necessary.
As the bowstring was drawn, Thas'dorah's power surged, gathering immense arcane energy onto the arrow.
Before long, the ordinary arrow transformed, taking on a crystalline amethyst-like form. The dense arcane energy coalesced around it, and if fully unleashed, its destructive force would rival that of a missile.
On the other side, Sylvanas had also prepared her most lethal attack.
The arrow nocked onto the Bow of the Sunstrider was already ablaze with golden-red flames, containing an extremely potent spell.
If Alaric were to analyze it carefully, he would discover that this spell bore an uncanny resemblance to the necromantic spell "Finger of Death"—or the "Killing Curse" from the world of Harry Potter.
What was even more astonishing was that such an advanced spell could be imbued into a bow and used repeatedly, making it truly worthy of the title of a legendary artifact.
The two sisters exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken as they each took aim—one at Halazzi, the other at Nalorakk.
Compared to the more magic-oriented Akil'zon and Jan'alai, the bear and lynx spirits had weaker resistance to arcane magic.
If they could take down these two physical-based bosses—or at least suppress them temporarily—the warriors would have a much easier time dealing with the spellcasting enemies.
Between the two targets, the agile Halazzi was at a greater disadvantage against Thas'dorah's relentless arcane onslaught, unable to dodge or resist its devastating power.
Meanwhile, though Nalorakk boasted formidable physical defenses, his intelligence and mental resilience were relatively low, making him especially vulnerable to spells like "Finger of Death," which targeted the soul directly.
For two expert rangers, hitting such massive targets required almost no effort.
The next moment, the two arrows—each infused with unimaginable power—left their legendary bows and shot toward their respective prey.
Perhaps due to their primal instincts, Halazzi and Nalorakk immediately sensed the deadly threat. Previously furious and engaged in breaking through the warriors' defenses, they abruptly halted their assault, instinctively attempting to flee from the arrows' lock-on.
However, no matter how powerful their instincts were, their towering forms made it impossible to evade the rangers' lethal attacks within a hundred meters.
The amethyst arrow seemed to cross the distance in an instant, striking the lynx god's relatively soft abdomen.
The next second, a massive explosion of violet energy erupted from the impact point.
The overwhelming burst of energy swept away everything in its vicinity, including the gigantic lynx god himself.
Saxxis, the high elf warrior responsible for restraining Halazzi, remained unharmed. As Alleria's comrade-in-arms, he understood Thas'dorah's power better than their enemies.
Having witnessed the bow's devastating might countless times on the battlefield against trolls, he had already anticipated the ranger's plan the moment she began drawing her bow.
On the other side, just as Thas'dorah's arrow struck Halazzi, the Bow of the Sunstrider's shot also found its mark.
Compared to the swift lynx god, the massive and slow-moving Nalorakk was an even easier target.
The arrow landed precisely on the bear spirit's forehead, yet it seemed ineffective against his incredible defense.
At first, Nalorakk believed himself unharmed.
Unfortunately for him, the Bow of the Sunstrider's arrows were never meant to deal mere physical damage.
A moment later, a terrifying force of death manifested within Nalorakk's body.
The dreadful power directly assailed his soul, unleashing an excruciating pain from the depths of his very being, threatening to tear his consciousness apart.