Along the way, three-person orc teams would occasionally appear to harass them.
Two orc soldiers paired with one forest trolls, making it two melee and one ranged.
Arthas always took the lead. These orcs were not only invaders but also walking experience packs.
The goal now was to gain more experience, level up his Bash skill, and then increase his speed.
That could stun an opponent indefinitely until they died, a tactic that always worked in duels!
When one's strength reached a certain level, human wave tactics became largely useless.
Diligently improving oneself was the key; a long road was fine, as long as there was hope.
During their advance, a dwarf seemed to spot him and eagerly called out.
"Your Royal Highness, please wait a moment. I am a craftsman from Ironforge, an aide to Lord Muradin!"
Behind the dwarf was a hastily constructed temporary blacksmith's shop, with barricades around it and many orc corpses lying in front, all with smashed heads and hearts.
Although their height was only half that of humans, every dwarf was muscular, powerful, and sported a long beard as standard.
"I remember you, Philanore. There are orcs invading here, what are you doing?"
Arthas ordered his troops to halt, feeling a bit curious. This seemed to be a side quest from Act Two.
Sure enough, the dwarf craftsman explained why they were there.
A black dragon had repeatedly attacked their excavation sites, killing many Dwarves and stealing numerous ancient artifacts.
Ironforge had dispatched a dragon-hunting team to pursue it, an operation that had been ongoing for several years.
"Please, Your Royal Highness, help us hunt that vile dlack dragon. It was recently injured and is hiding in the valley over there."
'Side Quest (Optional): Hunt the black dragon.'
"Quest Content: Eliminate the black dragon Searinox, who is entrenched in the valley."
"Quest Reward: Permanent +10 Attack Power, unlocks Blacksmith Shop upgrade function."
My God!
Golly!
This quest reward was incredibly tempting and indeed very generous.
In the game, attack power boosts were also given as rewards, ostensibly by enchanting weapons with dragon blood.
As for the Blacksmith Shop function, it naturally included enhancements for armor defense, melee attack power, or ranged attack power, and so on.
Simple, direct, and practical.
"Ironforge is a member of the Alliance. We should naturally help each other. I accept. Without further ado, lead the way."
Arthas immediately decided, his words naturally sounding grand and righteous.
Only Sylvanas felt something was amiss. That was a black dragon! Not gnolls!
Dragons were usually extremely troublesome, held strong grudges, could fly, and their fiery breath could easily incinerate a village!
Their flesh, bones, and hide were all excellent treasures.
If the mages in Silvermoon City knew about dragon skeletons, they would surely go mad for them.
With the five dragon Aspects, no one dared to openly hunt dragons; even if they wanted to, they would do so stealthily.
"Thank heavens! With Your Highness's help, we can surely put an end to that dragon!"
"This is a snare net; it can pull that damned black dragon down."
This thing was good!
Azeroth not only had swords and magic but also steam tanks and firearms, which were clearly the masterpieces of the Dwarves and Gnomes.
The valley was not very deep, with some gnolls and Kobolds remaining, all enslaved by the black dragon to guard its lair.
These slaves didn't have much health. With Arthas's attack power, five hammer strikes were enough to kill them.
Moreover, there were dwarf musketeers; one volley from them, and he just needed to follow up with a finishing blow.
+3 experience gained!
The more Sylvanas thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. She couldn't help but lean over and remind him.
"I have an ominous feeling. Why would orcs and a black dragon exist simultaneously in a frontier village?"
A faint natural fragrance wafted over. Arthas couldn't help but glance at her profile several times; her face had no fine downy hairs, smooth and fair like a work of art.
"Because these orcs came from the Burning Steppes to the south; they've pledged allegiance to the black dragon."
"If we deal with them, the orcs over there will suffer for a while. Once we're free, we'll deal with them."
"How about I get you a black dragon as a mount then?"
Hearing his teasing smile, Sylvanas's unease dissipated considerably, and she immediately turned her head.
"I don't need one!"
No sooner had she spoken than Arthas blocked her again, intercepting a thrown axe from a forest trolls.
A warmth flowed through her heart. Regardless of what he thought, everything he did for her was so heartwarming and reliable. Perhaps he was a trustworthy comrade?
The further they went, the hotter the temperature became in the valley, with faint scorch marks visible.
No one expected this mountain to actually be a small volcano!
A ten-meter-long black lizard lay on the ground, its wings spread, giving a sense of blotting out the sky.
"Where did these ants come from! How dare you disturb Lord Searinox! Turn to ashes, all of you! I will eat you alive!"
"Sylvanas, you and your musketeers snipe him from the rear."
"Falric, form ranks and meet the enemy."
"Philanore, fire the cannon, pull him down!"
Entering combat, he issued several orders in quick succession, methodical and much improved compared to his first time yesterday.
Visibly better.
The black dragon was about to take flight when a giant fishing net descended from above, enveloping it, leaving it unable to break free for a moment.
This enraged it, so it opened its gaping maw, preparing to breathe fiery dragon breath.
Arthas stepped forward and slammed a hammer down hard, followed by punches and kicks to increase his attack frequency.
Perhaps by a stroke of luck, Bash triggered!
The forming flames, due to the casting interruption and resulting unconsciousness, went out of control and injured the dragon itself!
A fang even fell out; anyone who saw this would have to cheer!
This was a textbook spell interruption; such a backlash not only prevented the caster from casting for a short time but also inflicted intense pain.
"Attack its head, behind its ears, and other weak points."
Sylvanas's prompt came again, followed by a streaking arrow that pierced the black dragon's eye.
"Ow!"
Bang!
Bash triggered again, stunning it.
Even if Arthas's attack power was negligible to the black dragon, the power of numbers couldn't be denied!
With a tank holding aggro, a healer providing healing, and damage dealers following up, it was a very standard combat strategy.
Even Sylvanas felt an unusual exhilaration; she had never tried anything like this before, and for some reason, the coordination felt effortless.
"We're rich!"
"Your Highness, please wait. We will now dissect this black dragon. Let's get to work, men!"
Philanore laughed heartily; this was a treasure! It could be used to forge many weapons!
Arthas nodded, but his gaze fell upon several spiky, black dragon eggs placed by the flowing lava nearby.
He quietly slipped them into his backpack, while the others were still organizing the wealth and weapons collected by the black dragon.
"Black dragon egg (Unhatched)!"
He hit the jackpot!