MMORPG: Divine Mech Hunter
Chapter 1633: Silver Pine Dispute

Chapter 1633: Chapter 1633: Silver Pine Dispute

Today’s territorial disputes arise from the conflict between the undead under the queen and the Werewolf Kingdom.

The Undercity, also known as the Undead Capital, borders the fertile Silverpine Forest.

This area was once the core region of the Seven Human Kingdoms, and the Silverpine Forest was divided into three parts.

One-third was shared by the Undercity’s former kingdom, Lordaeron, and another third was occupied by the Mage City of Dalaran. At the time, the Werewolf Kingdom, still a Human Kingdom, held the remaining third.

When the Scourge invasion erupted, Lordaeron fell, and Dalaran relocated its kingdom to the Northern Continent, the Scourge Legion’s base, to counter the Scourge.

Only Gilgises, fearing the power of the undead and deeming them invincible, chose isolation.

They built a tall wall encircling the entire kingdom along the edges of the Silverpine Forest, cutting ties with the rest of the world and neglecting the fate of the other allied kingdoms.

Even when human refugees sought asylum, they were never allowed entry. Later, the queen freed herself from the Scourge Legion’s control, seized the Undercity, and naturally claimed the Silverpine Forest as undead territory.

This isolated human kingdom suffered as well. The matter of the Blue Moon Artifact, Moon God’s Scythe, led to an epidemic in the kingdom—the lycanthropy epidemic.

Humans in the kingdom began transforming into bloodthirsty werewolves, and the kingdom tried to suppress the transformation, only to discover the tragic truth that even the king had transformed.

Later, it was discovered that some werewolves could retain their human reasoning and intelligence. These werewolves united with the similarly transformed royal family to fight against the mindless werewolves.

But the mindless werewolves were overwhelming in numbers, eventually leading to the fall of the capital as well.

If not for the Moon God informing the High Priest, who then brought the ancient elves into the fight, even the rational werewolves would have faced complete annihilation.

Their betrayal meant that the leaders of the Human Kingdoms were unwilling to accept them.

The werewolves resided in the ancient elves’ territory for a long time, proving their valor in several battles before gradually gaining recognition and acceptance from other races in the Light Faction.

Recently, the werewolves reclaimed their kingdom and found a way to awaken the primal instincts of the bloodthirsty werewolves, enabling the Werewolf Kingdom to finally recover.

While the domestic situation has stabilized, Silverpine Forest beyond the walls remains under undead control.

With the undead encroaching on their doorstep, the Werewolf Kingdom cannot tolerate this, leading to prolonged rivalry with the undead.

In reality, the territories of two continents and two factions are intertwined, with many contested borderlands.

For instance, the struggle for Warsong Gulch serves as a battleground between ancient elves and orcs.

Similarly, this area is where the undead and werewolves compete, a contest between two races that avoids escalating into full-scale war with the aim of extermination.

The factions abstain from sending united armies for help, as the overarching principle is maintaining peace and collectively combatting world-destroying forces and restricting the Chaos Camp.

This is the grand strategy: as long as the conflict between two races remains controlled, it won’t attract outside intervention.

The werewolf general spoke frankly, "Our kingdom and the Undercity have had some minor disputes and are currently in a standoff. At this time, we also heard about the Withered Sun Legion mobilizing troops, so..."

Li Yao smiled faintly, "You’re afraid our legion might assist the undead, escalating into a faction war. That’s why your forces detoured over the sea to monitor us. I must say, that’s quite troublesome for you."

The werewolf general gave a wry smile, "We had no choice. Although your kingdom hasn’t officially recognized the undead queen, everyone knows the queen’s influence among the nobles. And you, as her heir, leave us no choice but to stay vigilant."

Li Yao waved dismissively, "Your prince is overly anxious. Not only is the distance too far, but even if we were to assist, there’s no need to take this route. Besides, our domestic situation is in such chaos that we have no time to meddle in other nations’ affairs. Furthermore, your Werewolf Kingdom opposing the queen is sheer overreach. At least with your current strength, you can’t truly stand against the undead, and I don’t need to provide them support."

"Caution isn’t a bad thing, is it?" The werewolf general took no offense to Li Yao’s words. The Werewolf Kingdom, weak as it currently was, had to exercise caution.

"The current trend makes it clear: a faction war between us will only benefit the Chaos Camp. Your kingdom, too, neglects to compete for the sub-dimensional continents nearby and insists on fighting over territory with the undead. Never mind, these matters are not for me to decide. However, your army gathering here does make me uneasy," Li Yao continued, "I will deploy a force to monitor you. If you do anything unfavorable, then you’ll remain here permanently."

The werewolf general nodded, "Rest assured, we werewolves are true to our word. To show sincerity, we will station ourselves here and block any threats from trolls, allowing your forces to reclaim lost territory. Besides, after thousands of years, we’re eager to witness the trolls’ combat prowess once more."

Li Yao nodded and said, "Excellent. Let’s strive not to meet on the battlefield. Troops, turn around—we’re leaving."

The werewolf general breathed a slight sigh of relief as the army departed. Had the conversation turned sour, his troops might not have made it out alive today. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario was avoided.

"Sir, do you truly trust his words? This kingdom has betrayed its own kind before—they could easily betray us," Morning Wind said worriedly.

Li Yao shook his head, "Precisely because they’ve betrayed before, it’s unlikely they would repeat such an act. The cost of betrayal is something they cannot bear again. As for colluding with the trolls, even less likely—back when we and the Seven Human Kingdoms united against the trolls, they were our enemy for millennia. Their hatred for humanity rivals their hatred for us. Indeed, their presence here will deter the Amani trolls. For now, our priority is reclaiming the Ghost Land. The trolls will be dealt with eventually, but today is not that day."

"You’re right, sir. We must proceed step by step. However, what about the Ranger General?"

"As I said, my teacher is not so weak as to need his student to maintain order on his behalf. Matters on that side won’t see resolution for years—we should stay out of it."

As Li Yao had predicted, Silverpine Forest was essentially a battleground between players from the two factions.

A new battleground had been established around Silverpine Forest, including fierce guild-based competitions over strongholds. NPC armies mostly observed, leaving players to fight and claim dominance.

Of course, players relished such activities, as high-stakes confrontations offered the best rewards. Silverpine Forest had become a haven for elite players to accumulate military achievements.

"Let’s head to Windwalker’s Tower." Li Yao asked, "How is the vanguard doing?"

Morning Wind replied, "Just received news—the vanguard has captured Windwalker Village, and our magic guides are already setting up their defenses."...