However, considering the total population of the Blood Elves, which was only around one million before the war, and now estimated to be at most five or six hundred thousand.
In this situation, with 500,000 to 600,000 blood elves besieged in a small Silvermoon City, lacking various resources, and suffering from panic due to their own fears, their worries and anxieties are understandable.
To put it in a pretentious way, the blood elves at this point were completely demoralized and had lost all will to fight. From their supreme ruler, Kael'thas, to a mere ranger in Silvermoon City, they were all terrified by the Scourge.
At times like these, the number of reinforcements is not the most important thing; the significance that the reinforcements themselves represent is what matters most.
“Currently, outside the entire Silvermoon City, there are 300,000 Skeleton Army (Tier 1). Among them, there are also 10,000 Yellow Turban Warriors (Tier 2), 20,000 Skeleton Elites (Tier 2), 10,000 Zombies (Tier 2), 100 Yellow Turban Warlocks (Tier 3), and 100 Necromancers (Tier 3). These are the troops that have already appeared. As for those that haven't appeared yet, those hidden in the shadows, we don't know.” Cai Yan said calmly, holding the intelligence report.
"Hehe, it's really nothing special. You know, Silvermoon City alone has over 500,000 elves. If we can be ruthless and take it seriously, there's really nothing to be afraid of. After all, within the city itself, there are 10,000 rangers (second tier), 10,000 mages (second tier), 100 spellbreakers (third tier), and 100 elite mages (third tier)," Shia said confidently.
Although Shi A knew absolutely nothing about military strategy, he had still heard of quite a few of the simplest methods of warfare.
If ten times their strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if twice, divide them; if equal, fight them; if fewer, escape them; if weaker, avoid them.
In other words, the elves are incompetent and lack flexibility. Coupled with the fact that this is their first time encountering the undead scourge, they simply don't know how to handle it, which is why this situation has occurred.
In truth, Lin Yang also found it difficult to understand why the battle had turned out this way! The Blood Elf race was practically all mages; they all possessed the talent to become mages.
Even the rangers are all skilled in one or two simple and practical spells. In this situation, wouldn't it be better to sacrifice a few hundred elite third-tier mages to unleash dozens of large-scale forbidden spells (legendary-level magic) and wipe out the enemy?
A few hundred elite third-tier mages are enough; the blood elves can certainly muster that power. As for a few dozen large forbidden spells, sacrificing some to bring out more treasures is not impossible.
With dozens of forbidden spells combined, let alone Arthas, even if the Lich King himself came, he would only be defeated.
If a few dozen forbidden spells don't work, then a few hundred will do. Anyway, with the Sunwell at their backs, these mages will never lack magic power.
Hundreds of forbidden spells, if they still can't destroy these skeletons, then run! If we can't beat you, we can certainly outrun you!
But look at the blood elves in history, what was their fate? They were wiped out, the entire race almost perished.
The royal family was wiped out, the council was wiped out, and almost all of the high-ranking officials were killed. Even the entire Silvermoon Forest, Quel'Thalas, was devastated by the Scourge's skeletons.
"Ahem, these people's intelligence is just too touching, isn't it? Back when the Alliance was fighting the Horde, Lothar was completely outmaneuvered by a simple feint from Orgrimmar. Now, the entire elf population of Silvermoon City is on the verge of extinction because of a simple inside-outside attack." Shia said with a puzzled look.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang coughed awkwardly. But what else could he say?
Indeed, the intelligence of the people of Azeroth—humans, nobles, and elves alike—is truly appalling. Their level of warfare is equally appalling.
"Ahem, isn't this a good thing? Their low IQ only highlights our importance!" Lin Yang said with a smile.
------------
Chapter Twenty-Three: Quietly Enter the Village, Don't Shoot
Lin Yang set off. As the Duke of Wu and a body cultivator, Lin Yang naturally became the leader of this support army, also known as the marshal.
Anyway, Cai Yan wasn't interested, and Shi A had no intention of doing so at all. As for making Sylvanas and Vereesa, the two Windrunner sisters, generals, let's just say, don't be ridiculous. This is Liu Hao's army, not Silvermoon City's army.
The number of soldiers on this mission was not large. At least, compared to the endless hordes of skeletons of the Scourge, they were far, far, far fewer.
Leading the way were the Windrunner sisters and their thousand elven rangers. The thousand elven mages were left behind by Lin Yang for protection.
After all, they are mages. Even though their strength is only at the second tier and they are just ordinary mages, they are still mages. In critical moments, they can even act as artillery emplacements.
They took them directly to the front lines and used them as regular troops. It's just that the blood elves are rich, talented, and don't treat mages like mages anymore.
"Wow, their talent is truly remarkable. These elves, even the most ordinary ones, can become intermediate professionals (second tier) with just a little training. They can all become mages; they're really amazing." Lin Yang exclaimed, looking at the thousand mages around him.
These are a thousand mages; in the main world, that would be a thousand Taoist priests. If these thousand Taoist priests are properly trained, they would be a thousand crucial, skilled workers guarding key positions.
What an enormous fortune this is! And such wealth is commonplace among the blood elves. When the five years are up, they can find a way to bring in several thousand or even ten thousand blood elves, train them, and the first batch of skilled workers will be secured, right?
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan smiled and said, "There's nothing we can do about it; the numbers are what they are. At its peak, the entire Blood Elf race only had around a million people. Now, with the undead calamity, they're down to just five or six hundred thousand."
"You have to understand, Quel'Thalas is a very large place, at least the size of several counties in the main world. Such a large territory would have tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, of people in the main world. But here, it only supports a million people."
Indeed, with the resources of one hundred people supporting one person, and doing so for thousands of years, it's not surprising that the current situation has arisen after generations of genetic improvement.
Hearing this, Shia said with some envy, "Yes, every blood elf has a talent for spellcasting, it's just a matter of degree. More importantly, these elves have extremely long lifespans."
Back then, I was adopted by the royal army from among a group of orphans. I worked hard to hone my skills and temper my will until the Land of Reincarnation appeared and I became a chosen one before I rose to prominence.
But look at these elves in front of me, each one is incredibly fast, incredibly strong (compared to humans), and very intelligent. It's really frustrating to compare yourself to them.
"Like those two ranger generals ahead, they look quite young, only seventeen or eighteen years old, but in reality, they have lived for two or three hundred years. Moreover, due to their breakthrough to legendary status, their lifespan has doubled compared to that of ordinary elves."
Indeed, even the most ordinary elf can live to be at least five hundred years old. And they're all handsome men and beautiful women, with exceptional talent. In that respect, they are truly enviable.
However, while Lin Yang and his companions were chatting, Sylvanas became quite anxious and personally went to the front to command the rangers. After all, this was her specialty.
Whenever she picked up her longbow and looked at her sisters behind her, a surge of confidence welled up within her. She exuded an aura of self-assurance and dominance, radiating confidence and authority. She also commanded respect. At least, a group of her sisters were completely awestruck.
"Alright, spread out. Form groups of five, provide cover for each other, and gather intelligence within a 20-mile radius of the army."
At a command, the already somewhat disorganized rangers scattered immediately, accompanied by cheers. It seemed they truly disliked standing in formation.
However, considering Silvermoon City's unique terrain, the actions of these rangers become understandable. The entirety of Quel'Thalas is actually surrounded by forests.
In this terrain, cavalry cannot charge. What value do cavalry have if they can't charge? Forming battle formations, at least large ones, is utterly useless. Without large formations, what's the point of infantry?
Therefore, the profession of a wandering knight is actually best suited for playing hide-and-seek in the forest. Everyone has excellent eyesight and incredibly accurate aim. They hit their target every time, and after shooting, they can easily find a large tree to hide under. How safe and convenient!
A very effective tactic, at least it worked well when fighting trolls. It would also be effective if the humans dared to attack.
Unfortunately, they encountered the Scourge. An endless horde of skeletons completely surrounded the forest, rendering any attempt to dodge pointless.
So, once you can't dodge anymore and have to fight head-on, sending these wandering knights into a direct battle... hahaha... hahaha...