At this moment, Arthas' heart roared; he was unwilling, unwilling to be defeated like this. He had given up everything—his throne and his kingdom.
The power he gained by killing his own father, destroying his own people, and sacrificing everything he had, was actually unable to defeat his mentor. This made Arthas feel utterly aggrieved.
Buzz—!
In distant Northrend, atop the Frozen Throne, the Lich King sensed the mortal danger facing his most powerful servant!
A surge of Death Power, far greater, purer, and colder than what was previously infused into Sjiangke, instantly crossed the spatial barrier like the waters of a breached River of the Underworld, pouring violently into Arthas' body through the perfect medium of frostmourne!
"Take it, my servant. This endless power, the power of the Undying One," the Lich King's soul roared, injecting all his strength into frostmourne, which then transferred it to the Death Knight.
It seemed he had underestimated Uther a little. The Titan's weapon was truly beyond imagination, worthy of a former Guardian.
Boom!
An unprecedented, terrifying Death Energy erupted from Arthas! Black Death Breath, laced with icy-blue veins, shot up into the sky like a volcanic eruption!
The ice pit beneath him was instantly dyed pitch black and froze into Dark Ice harder than steel! The Silver Hand Great Hammer that was pinning him down was actually lifted an inch by this sudden burst of power!
"Roar—!!!" Arthas roared skyward, his voice no longer human, but more like the mournful wails of countless restless spirits!
His shattered Saronite Armor instantly repaired and strengthened under the infusion of Death Power, becoming even more ferocious!
His broken arm bones were reshaped in the Death Energy, becoming tougher than steel!
The light of frostmourne surged. Countless struggling spectral souls appeared on the blade, and the coldness emanating from it caused the surrounding air to condense into black ice crystals!
With the support of the Lich King's power, Arthas successfully blocked Uther's attack, stopping the Divine Artifact silver hand warhammer.
"What?!" Uther's expression changed drastically. He felt an irresistible, terrifying force violently striking back from frostmourne!
The light of the silver hand warhammer was actually suppressed and dimmed! The Power of Order seemed powerless before the absolutely powerful Source of Death, which had been blessed by the Lich King!
At this moment, countless chains suddenly extended from frostmourne. These chains swayed around Arthas as if they were alive.
Rhodes, witnessing this scene, was terrified. Others might assume this was the Lich King's power, but Rhodes understood that it wasn't the Lich King's power, but the power of frostmourne and the true creator of the Crown of Domination, Jailer Zovaal.
He hadn't expected Zovaal to have already noticed Arthas at this time and to be using his power to help Arthas fight Uther. If Arthas had relied only on himself and the original power of frostmourne, he definitely wouldn't have been Uther's opponent right now.
"Uther! Do you see it? This is the Divine Power of Death!" Arthas slowly stood up, his voice like two pieces of ice grinding together, filled with absolute malice and power.
"This is true power! The power belonging to Death! Your pathetic Holy Light is nothing but a firefly before it!"
He no longer dodged or parried. He gripped frostmourne with both hands, dark Death Power coiling around the blade, facing the great hammer that was still pressing down.
It was an unadorned Upward Slash—pure power and the Source of Death!
Clang—Crack!
This collision was sharp and deafening! It was devastating! The silver hand warhammer no longer held overwhelming power.
Uther's silver hand warhammer dimmed.
The brilliant crimson-white Holy Light on the Silver Hand Great Hammer shattered and extinguished inch by inch, like fragile glass!
The ancient runes belonging to the Titan Keeper Tyr on the hammer body wailed for the first time! The Great Hammer could no longer maintain its form and instantly shrank back to its original warhammer shape!
Uther felt as if he had been struck by lightning, spitting out mouthfuls of blood!
He felt a bone-chilling force, carrying endless despair and decay, rush violently into his body through the warhammer, frantically destroying his meridians and eroding his Source of Holy Light!
He was sent flying backward by this terrifying power, smashing heavily into the thick wooden wall of the granary, leaving a deep crater in the wall!
The chains on Frostmourne shot out directly, instantly piercing Uther's body and binding him firmly in place.
"Pfft!" Uther spat out another mouthful of blood, his aura instantly weakening. The silver hand warhammer in his hand was dim, and he stared in disbelief at Arthas, who was slowly approaching like a Death Fiend.
Was the Lich King's power really this strong? Just moments ago, he clearly held the absolute advantage, even on the verge of killing this Traitorous Disciple.
"The Holy Light—has betrayed you. Your Holy Light cannot save you, but my Death Power saved me," Arthas said, stepping onto the frozen Dark Ice one step at a time, each step making the ground tremble. "Uther, embrace Death. This is your only destination! The destination of this kingdom, the destination of all its people."
Frostmourne was raised high, its tip pointing directly at the heavily wounded lightbringer. The soul-freezing sharpness proclaimed that the outcome of this master-disciple duel was already sealed.
The Holy Light of the Silver Hand ultimately failed before the boundless Death Power personally bestowed by the Lich King.
Rhodes, hiding nearby, knew the time had come. Without any hesitation, Rhodes first unleashed a Thunderbolt Lightning, the strongest offensive magic he could currently use.
With a loud boom, a gigantic bolt of lightning struck Arthas. Having just fought Uther, Arthas was completely unprepared and hadn't activated skills like Anti-Magic Shield, Blood Shield, or Frost Armor. The lightning, like Divine Punishment, instantly blasted Arthas away.
"Lord Uther, don't worry, we're here to save you."
"Damn undead, receive the Holy Light's judgment."
"The Holy Light protects us." Amidst everyone's horrified gazes, three undead Skeleton Soldiers rushed out, wielding warhammers and radiating intense Holy Light Power.
This comical scene left both the human and undead factions present somewhat bewildered.
Jaina rolled her eyes helplessly, raised her Staff, and then used the magic scroll Rhodes handed her to summon 10 Fire Elementals.
Rhodes then smiled and dispelled the Mass Illusion, summoning seven Holy Light Elementals. After the Mass Illusion was lifted, the three charging skeletons finally transformed into Paladins.
"A bunch of senseless fools, do you think you can deal with me?" Arthas snorted. frostmourne traced a blue trajectory, and the Paladins rushing forward were instantly knocked away, their warhammer weapons even being pulverized.
Arthas' combat strength was explosive at this moment. Under the infusion of the Lich King's power, the Death Knight was unimaginably strong.
"I wondered who it was, but it's you, Rhodes. You've ruined my plans time and again. Don't think about leaving this time. The Lich King admires you greatly." As the saying goes, enemies meeting are filled with intense hatred. Arthas immediately developed murderous intent upon seeing Rhodes.
"My apologies, Arthas, but I don't have time to catch up with you." Rhodes shrugged and summoned two Angels.
The Angel, wielding a Holy Light Sword, immediately cast a Holy Light Judgment on Arthas. Simultaneously, Rhodes cast Great Haste Slow, Possession of Evil Curse, and Blindness.
However, this time, a terrifying Death Power erupted from Arthas. Rhodes' negative magic, and even the Angel's Holy Light Judgment, failed to inflict damage upon him.
"Be careful, Rhodes. Arthas' power has suddenly surged for some reason." Uther, who had just been severely wounded by Arthas, stood up, panting as he spoke.
Rhodes nodded and then cast a Healing. The Holy Light's healing ability was indeed strong, but the Healing's restorative power directly nourished the body. At this moment, Holy Light Power couldn't fully heal Uther's injuries, but the Healing could restore him.
A vibrant green light enveloped Uther. In just a few seconds, the previously heavily wounded Paladin stood up.
"Catch this, Lord Uther. Summon Holy Light Elementals." Rhodes nodded to Uther and threw the Fire Elemental Summoning Scroll over.
Uther immediately understood, leaped up to catch Rhodes' magic scroll, and then poured all his Holy Light Power into it, raising the silver hand warhammer high to summon terrifying Holy Light Power.
"Great Holy Light, help me defeat my enemies once more."
A burst of golden light shone. This time, Uther actually summoned a full 12 Holy Light Elementals. All the Holy Light Elementals present flew in the sky, showering down powerful Divine Power, illuminating the entire area with shimmering golden light.
"Damn Holy Light!" Arthas said, using his tattered cloak to shield himself from the Holy Light Power that bothered him.
"I regret to inform you, child, that it seems today is not my day to die." Uther, holding the silver hand warhammer, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Rhodes, nodding to him as he spoke.
"It doesn't matter. You are merely prolonging the inevitable. This won't change my victory." Arthas sneered, raising frostmourne in his hand as he spoke.
Terrifying Frigid mana erupted from Arthas, extinguishing the 10 Fire Elementals summoned by Jaina in an instant.
The Holy Light Elementals summoned by Rhodes and Uther charged forward at this moment. Rhodes then handed the Holy Light Scroll to the other three Paladins, allowing them to also summon two Holy Light Elementals each to join the fight.
The number of Holy Light Elementals present reached over 20. These twenty-plus Holy Light Elementals, along with the two Angels and Uther's flanking attacks, successfully withstood Arthas' offensive.
"We can't fight here for long, or the Scourge will keep pouring in. Cast the teleportation spell now—I need everyone out," Rhodes said to Jaina .
Jaina looked around. She and Rhodes had five people; Lord Uther had about twenty. Thirty-odd in total—barely manageable, though she might exhaust herself. No time to worry about that.
"Rhodes, buy me some time. I'll cast the teleportation spell." Jaina drew a deep breath, stepped into the center of the field, and arcane light flared as she began to channel.
This time she would have to overdraw her mana.
"We'll cover you. Go ahead," Rhodes said, nodding to Jaina.
Please, don't mess this up—his flying mount could carry two people at most.
Rhodes summoned three Golden Golems and three Genie Lords, then ordered the Genie Lords to bestow beneficial spells: Divine Blessing, Retaliation, and Lucky God.
Of the three, only Divine Blessing was of real use. Retaliation granted an extra counter-strike; Lucky God hugely boosted luck—what that meant in reality, he had no idea.
After the Genie Lords finished, Rhodes cast Stone Skin Protection, Shield of Protection, and Bloodlust, buffing everyone.
With Rhodes' group entering the fray, the remaining militia and paladins erupted in fervor, morale reignited.
At the heart of the battlefield, Holy Light Power collided with death, shrieking. Twenty-odd Holy Light Elementals shot like golden meteors, hurling themselves at the Death Knight Arthas.
Then they detonated in pure Holy Light Power—Rhodes' new tactic. The elementals were formidable solo and could heal, but their greatest value was self-destruction.
The blast dealt massive damage to shadow, undead, and demons. Against Arthas, Rhodes dared not hold back, so he ordered every elemental to explode.
Thunderous booms rolled across the field—boom! boom!
Each blast made the death shield around Arthas ripple and hiss as it burned.
An angel swung the greatsword of holy light against frostmourne while another flanked, striking or healing as needed.
Every clash between greatsword and blade scattered radiant sparks and black ice; the shockwave shattered lesser undead nearby.
"Accursed holy creatures—I'll turn you into avatars of death yet," Arthas snarled.
In single combat he could slay both angels easily, but two-on-one, plus the elementals and paladins, left him harried beyond endurance.
"For the Holy Light!" Uther roared. The silver hand warhammer blazed with lawful light as he seized the moment the angels had bought.
A crushing blow slammed into Arthas' pauldron. The Saronite screeched and buckled; Arthas staggered to one knee.
"Well struck, Lord Uther!" Gavrad, Ballard, and Sage followed, holy hammers smashing his greaves and flank to break his balance.
frostmourne swept in a vicious arc. A razor-sharp wave of frost burst forth, hurling the three paladins away, weapons flying, blood spraying—badly wounded.
Rhodes shook his head in exasperation. What were those three rookies thinking? Uther and the angels had the brat pinned.
"Insects! You dare charge me?" Arthas' icy gaze swept the fallen paladins; the chains on frostmourne stirred hungrily.
At that instant Rhodes' voice cracked like thunder: "Now—Holy Light detonation!"
He ordered the ten remaining Holy Light Elementals to explode. At his mental command
they flared blindingly. Their holy cores ignited, compressed—then boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
A chain of cataclysmic blasts erupted around Arthas.
Pure Holy Light Power vented its fury like a dozen miniature suns igniting and vanishing. The dazzling flash left the battlefield momentarily blind; a terrifying surge of sanctified energy thundered across Arthas and the ground beneath him, intent on purging all filth.
"Aaaargh—!!!" Arthas roared in agony. Even with the Lich King's power and frostmourne's protection, the sudden, concentrated explosion of Holy Light essence dealt him a blow he had never felt before. Scorch marks marred his black armor and cold blood spilled from his body.
"Now! Angels, get him!" Rhodes shouted.
The two angels hesitated for nothing, turning into twin streaks of golden light. Ignoring the blast still scouring them, they flung themselves at the stumbling Arthas. Their greatswords of holy light fell with a will that brooked no respite for the prince.
"Jaina! Is the portal ready?" Rhodes yelled, turning to Jaina who had already begun her casting.
Jaina stood a little way off, staff raised high over her head. Powerful arcane energy gathered madly around her.
It spun, forming a twisting field of spatial force.
Her eyes were shut; a teleportation spell needed time and tremendous energy—especially to move so many people and to lock onto a destination within such a chaotic energy field.
"Hold on! I need more time!" Jaina said.
Under the angels' reckless onslaught Arthas steadied himself. frostmourne erupted with an even wilder tide of deathly frost, instantly freezing and blasting one angel away.
Yet as he readied the killing blow, that very angel, almost by a miracle, slipped the strike. Golden light flared around it and it slammed Arthas hard before withdrawing.
Seeing that, Rhodes knew morale had just spiked—and that last hit had to be the hand of Lady Luck. Sometimes a bit of battlefield fortune was priceless.
But the angel, which had had over two hundred health, was now left with a sliver after taking that frostmourne hit. Rhodes hurriedly pulled it back and cast a healing spell.
At the same time the angel called on Holy Light Power to mend itself. Uther stepped forward with his silver hand warhammer; on this battlefield only he and the two angels could trade a few blows with Arthas—and one of those angels could barely take two hits.
Arthas' crimson eyes locked onto the casting Jaina, murder blazing: "You will not escape! Rhodes, Jaina, Uther—you will all die here!"
From the ground burst a swarm of Crypt Fiends. The huge spiders surged into the center, swallowing several unlucky militiamen, while their webs trapped a few paladins.
Above, the sky filled with Gargoyles—and several hovering, bat-like creatures armed with hammers and weapons: Doom Gargoyles, elite Scourge flyers with strong magic resistance.
Now masses of Scourge closed in, among them several Death Knights and liches. Rhodes had to detach troops to hold them, even calling in his ace in the hole—Master Suo.
The moment Master Suo appeared he unleashed a Chain Lightning—not at Arthas, but at the surrounding Death Knights and liches. Rhodes wanted to kill as many hero-ranked undead as possible and maybe score some good loot.
A blue flash burst from Master Suo's hand. The first target of the Chain Lightning was a Death Knight directing charging Ghouls.
The lightning pierced both rider and skeletal steed. The Death Knight had no time to scream before the savage thunder reduced him to charcoal.
The chain did not stop; it jumped. Its second target was a lich in mid-cast of Frost Nova.
The lich's ice shield shattered like paper, its frail bones disintegrated in the blast, the soul-fire in its skull snuffed out.
Jump—third target: another Death Knight trying to intercept. Same result: blackened, broken pieces.
The fourth target was also a Death Knight, but the final jump lacked the power to finish him; it merely maimed. Rhodes politely added a Thunderbolt Lightning to send him off in peace.
Master Suo's Chain Lightning, combined with Rhodes' follow-up, harvested four of Arthas' key lieutenants in rapid succession.
Fast, precise, ruthless—efficiency at its peak.
Rhodes wondered if the goddess of luck was smiling on him; his spell effects seemed stronger than ever. Sometimes a bit of fortune really did help.
The sudden turn made even Arthas falter. He watched his best officers vanish in thunder and fury, rage threatening to rip him apart.
"Damned insects—die!" Arthas spun, turning his fury on Solmyr .
Frostmourne swept out a massive frost blade straight at the blue spell-caster.
That strange azure creature had just killed four of his lieutenants; Arthas would not tolerate it.
Meanwhile the Doom Gargoyles in the sky began hurling eerie undead spells at the angels and Uther.
At last Jaina's teleportation spell completed; a swirl of blue light enveloped the group.
Seeing the light of the teleportation magic flare up, a look of disbelief appeared on Arthas' face. How could this be...
The moment he saw Jaina, he had immediately ordered the surrounding liches to begin casting Counterspell. Logically, given the number of people being teleported and the liches casting Counterspell, the probability of successfully pulling off such a teleportation spell should have been pitifully low!
Under normal circumstances, a mage can only teleport about 3 to 5 people. Any more than that, and the mana consumption and casting time required become truly terrifying.
Jaina's luck was simply too good! To actually manage to cast a teleportation spell of this scale with a probability of barely 10%.
Arthas was unaware of the spell 'God of Luck,' which can boost a target's luck attribute. And luck is something that can sometimes turn the impossible into the possible.
This was a form of idealistic power, the most terrifying kind. Accompanied by a flash of blue light, Rhodes, Jaina, Uther, and all the Paladins of the Silver Hand present vanished collectively.
It could only be said that when the Genie Lord randomly rolled the 'God of Luck' spell, the scales of victory were destined to tip toward Rhodes, for the goddess named Luck was smiling upon him.
"Rhodes! Jaina! Uther! I will kill you! Damn it, you won't escape!" Arthas' enraged roar echoed throughout the burning Andorhal, filled with endless frustration and malice.
He watched helplessly as the prize within his grasp flew away, along with the heavily wounded lightbringer and those damned Paladins!
At the edge of the ice pit, only the lonely and furious figure of the Death Knight remained, amidst the messy remains of the undead and the scorched earth purified by the Holy Light. Near the granary, the last resistors of the Silver Hand, along with their leader, had miraculously vanished.
After the dizziness of teleportation passed, Rhodes and his group fell heavily onto relatively soft grass. Fresh air replaced the stench of Andorhal. The others were mostly fine.
However, Jaina had overexerted herself and fainted on the spot.
Rhodes rushed forward to catch Jaina, then took out a mana potion and poured it into her mouth. At the same time, he cast Healing; Holy Light Spells could only treat superficial wounds.
To truly restore vitality and perform comprehensive treatment, this Healing skill was the most effective. It could heal not only living beings but even non-living entities.
While treating Jaina, Rhodes also checked his system notifications.
A Glorious Victory! You have gained experience points. Your level has increased to 9. Solam's level has increased to 4.
Having leveled up, Rhodes allocated 1 point of Power to himself and Master Suo respectively to increase the potency of their magic. What they lacked now was spell damage; their mana pools were temporarily sufficient.
Among the skills, Master Suo gained Intermediate Wisdom Spell and Intermediate Sorcery, while Rhodes gained Basic Wisdom Spell and one of his Earth Magic skills was upgraded to Advanced.
After reflecting for a moment, besides the level-up, Rhodes had also obtained adventure map resources. This time, they had slain a total of four elite units.
He could obtain adventure resources four times. Unfortunately, the first two times yielded only partial resources—some crystals, gold, and gems. Combined with what he had before, it was just enough to upgrade his Advanced Estate as well as his Advanced Mausoleum.
Rhodes looked at the resource buildings. Congratulations, you have obtained new adventure resource buildings.
A Garden of Truth and a Manufactory.
Both of these were quite good. Visiting the Garden of Truth would increase a hero's Knowledge by 1, raising their maximum mana by 10 points.
The other factory was even more remarkable. It was the only adventure dwelling that could recruit four types of units: Stone Golems, Iron Golems, Golden Golems, and Diamond Golemss.
These four unit types could pass as Titan constructs in the future. He could now supplement his ranks with Golden Golems and Diamond Golems later on, and even if he didn't use the Iron and Stone Golems as trade goods, they were still useful.
Both buildings were excellent, and Rhodes was very satisfied. In the future, he could recruit at least a dozen golem bodyguards every week. These things were much more practical than the units in Muyuan City; at the very least, they could be used openly.
After checking his spoils, Rhodes turned his gaze back to Jaina. Accompanied by a green light, Jaina slowly woke up.
"Are you okay? Jaina, you fainted," Rhodes asked.
"I'm fine, Rhodes. I was just a bit exhausted. But I feel much better after receiving your treatment. Are we out of danger now?" Jaina asked as she struggled to stand, looking at Rhodes.
"We should be safe now. At least there's no stench of the undead here," Rhodes said after looking around. At that moment, they were in a valley.
"Thank goodness! I thought I would fail to cast such a powerful teleportation spell, but there seemed to be a mysterious force helping me. It was quite lucky.
I actually managed to pull off this large-scale teleportation spell. I never succeeded once during practice," Jaina said, patting her chest with lingering fear.
In fact, the most people she had ever teleported was 5 or 6. She had never even tried for more than 10, and this time it had reached a scale of 30 people.
When she cast the spell, Jaina had been unsure of herself and even felt there was an 80% chance of failure, especially since the surrounding liches were also casting Counterspell.
Yet, by some stroke of fate, she had succeeded.
"Perhaps you were just lucky. The Goddess of Luck is watching over us," Rhodes said with a smile.
Earlier, when the Angel was fighting Arthas, the reason it could dodge the opponent's strikes multiple times and even land counterattacks was likely due to Counterattack.
And the fact that Jaina could cast the spell so easily without being disrupted by the liches' Counterspell was very likely due to the God of Luck.
These two spells were indeed not as simple as they appeared on the surface. Much like Mass Illusion, luck was a conceptual thing.
And Counterattack, which in the game provided an extra attack opportunity, had manifested in reality as dodging an enemy's attack and immediately launching a counterattack that hit the target.
Uther leaned on his silver hand warhammer, looking at the shaken but still living Ballard, Gavinrad, and Sarge. He then looked at the exhausted Jaina, the summoned being Solam, and finally at Rhodes, who was also drained but had bright eyes.
"By the Holy Light——" The lightbringer let out a long, relieved sigh, his voice raspy but carrying the joy of survival. "Rhodes, Jaina——and this——powerful warrior (he looked at Solam), thank you. We... we lived."
At this moment, Uther felt a sense of sorrow. He truly hadn't expected the King he served to die suddenly a few days ago, nor that the Kingdom he served would collapse in such a short time.
And the person who killed the King he served was his own student, the Prince of this nation. For a moment, Uther had even wanted to die in Andorhal at Arthas' hands, just to end it all.
"You need to pull yourself together, Lord Uther. Lordaeron isn't destroyed yet!
At least Princess Calyia is still here; I rescued her. Moreover, my magic ship is carrying a large number of civilians. At the very least, for the sake of these innocent people, you must brace yourself.
Do not fail the Great Guardian who passed the silver hand warhammer to you. Do not fail the King you served. Do not fail the Light," Rhodes said as he stepped forward to help the lightbringer up.
He could see that Uther currently had a death wish, wanting to just give up on everything. At a time like this, you had to give him some confidence and a reason to live.
Otherwise, in the next battle, Uther might actively seek death. I came all the way from the Capital City of Lordaeron just to save you; don't let me down.
"Lord Uther, at least you still have Silver Hand Knights following you. At least Lordaeron still has living citizens," Jaina also walked over and offered Uther some comfort.
The several Silver Hand Paladins rescued by Rhodes also stood up and nodded to Uther, their meaning couldn't be clearer.
"Thank you for your comfort, Rhodes, and Jaina. I know... I will pull myself together," Uther said, taking a deep breath.
Rhodes and Jaina were right. He couldn't just sink into despair; he couldn't just die. He still had to lead the Knights of the Silver Hand; at least the bloodline of The Menethil Family remained.
"That's the spirit, Lord Uther. This is the lightbringer I know, the successor to the weapon of the Titan Keeper Tyr, the master of the silver hand warhammer," Rhodes said, nodding to Uther.
"Haha, I didn't think there would come a day when I'd need a kid like you to comfort me.
Where are we now? Rhodes, we must reunite with Princess Calyia and then head to Kalimdor," Uther asked, nodding to Rhodes after regaining his confidence.
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned to Jaina. After all, Jaina was the one who had teleported them here.
"Um, about that... I'm sorry, I... I don't know where we are either. I just cast the teleportation spell, but with so many people, I couldn't pinpoint a precise location. I just teleported us away, but it shouldn't be too far from Andorhal." Jaina suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.
Please, teleporting so many people was extremely taxing; she simply hadn't had the time to calibrate and lock onto spatial coordinates!
"Perhaps we can observe from the sky, Lord Uther. I have a flying mount I can lend you for a bit," Rhodes said, and then summoned one of his Gryphons.
Rhodes had made some modifications to the Gryphon, namely adding two large saddles to it. This made it more comfortable when flying in the sky, and the passenger capacity had increased to two, making it a two-person mount.
Whether for scouting or escaping, a flying mount was incredibly convenient.
"You have a flying mount? That's wonderful." Uther nodded and looked at the Gryphon in front of him.
It was a green, dragon-like creature, but unlike the Giants, it didn't have massive forelimbs. It was smaller in size, yet much larger than a Gryphon, and it could easily carry two adults.
Flying mounts could play a massive role on the battlefield. It was only after the Wildhammer Dwarves tamed the Gryphons that they became a significant force within the Alliance.
"Lord Uther, I'll handle the controls. You sit in the back, and we'll head up to see where we are," Rhodes said. "No problem. As long as this is still the land of Lordaeron, I'll be able to figure out our location."
Nodding to Rhode, Uther took the rear seat, and the massive Gryphon soared into the sky.
The Gryphon's massive membrane wings beat against the air, swiftly carrying Rhodes and Uther high into the sky. The lush valley below rapidly shrank, and their field of vision became incredibly vast.
"Lord Uther, is this height sufficient?" Rhodes turned his head to ask Uther behind him.
"It's perfect, Rhode. This height is just right. Wait a moment while I confirm our position."
Uther nodded and narrowed his eyes, scanning the rolling landscape below. The mountains, rivers, forests, and roads quickly formed a map in the mind of this old Paladin who had once traveled every inch of the kingdom.
"Look over there, Rhode." Uther pointed southeast toward a faint glimmer of blue. "That's a corner of Lordamere Lake. We are currently... about a three-day ride by fast horse from Andorhal, on the southwestern edge of Tirisfal Glades. To the south—" He adjusted his angle slightly and pointed to a winding road. "Follow that road, then head southeast for about... five days, and we should reach Southshore!"
"Five days... Lord Uther, Jaina needs to recover. A forced march with so many civilians cannot be very fast," Rhodes said.
"Yes," Uther agreed. "Lady Jaina has exhausted her mental strength; she must be allowed full rest. Rhode, let's go down to regroup with the others and discuss our next move."
After determining their general direction and location, Rhodes brought Uther back down and explained the situation to everyone.
"Five days to Southshore... that's great!" Gavinrad let out a long sigh of relief.
Ballard and Sarge also looked relieved. Being able to escape Andorhal alive and knowing the exact location of the Princess and the survivors was already a great mercy from the Holy Light.
"Lady Jaina, how long will it take for you to regain basic mobility?" Uther looked concernedly at Jaina. Her face was still pale; although Rhode's Healing magic had stabilized her condition, the exhaustion from overextending her mental and magical power remained heavy.
Jaina struggled to stand straight and assessed her internal state. "I need... at least one full day of rest. Meditation and deep sleep can help me recover some mana, but I'm afraid I won't be able to cast large-scale spells again for a while," she added apologetically.
At most, she could teleport one or two people now; teleporting more was impossible. Furthermore, it was a one-way teleport unless Rhode's people stayed put, and she would have to leave spatial coordinates here first.
"One day is acceptable," Rhodes decided immediately.
"Lord Uther, my suggestion is to set up camp here and rest for the night to let the wounded recover.
Early tomorrow morning, we will take the remaining people and set out immediately. We'll scout the path toward Southshore and clear obstacles, while rescuing any survivors we encounter along the way.
Once Jaina has recovered a bit tomorrow, she can go ahead, taking the wounded via teleportation magic to Southshore to regroup with the Princess and report our situation to her," Rhodes said.
This time, Rhodes intended to have everyone travel on foot rather than having Jaina teleport them. Jaina's mana is limited, and casting large-scale teleportation spells repeatedly is very taxing for a mage, even potentially overdrawing their life force.
It was only a five-day journey; there was no need for Jaina to risk her life.
Once Jaina's mana recovered tomorrow, she would take the two heavily wounded men and head to Southshore first to meet with Princess Calyia.
"A very reasonable arrangement! Rhode, we will rest here tonight and set out tomorrow morning." Uther nodded in agreement with Rhode's plan.
Although time was pressing, everyone was exhausted. They had already been fighting the undead army for a day and a night.
They truly needed a rest.
"We need some transport tools, Rhode, Lord Uther. It would be best if we could find some warhorses; that way, we might even reach there in four days," a Paladin said after doing some calculations.
They currently had no means of transport. If they relied on their legs, the distance would feel much further.
"I remember there's a small village nearby. We could check there; maybe we can find some farmers to buy horses from.
Then we can build a carriage or something to use for now," a Militia member said, looking into the distance.
"Don't get your hopes too high. The Undead Plague is breaking out everywhere now. We don't know the situation in that village; it would be bad if it's already been overrun by the undead," Ballard said.
One couldn't be too optimistic; they had to judge things based on the worst-case scenario.
"Let's rest tonight and go check tomorrow," a Paladin said.
Uther nodded in agreement. The group then began gathering firewood nearby to start a fire, then lay on the ground, using their armor as padding to rest.
Under these conditions, they didn't have luxuries like tents; even Rhodes and Jaina had to sit on the bare ground.
Late that night, a dozen Paladins returned with some food and water, and everyone took a moment to recover.
The night passed without further incident. During the night, Rhodes controlled himself and Solmyr to visit the Garden of Revelation respectively.
**A Monk in the garden invited you to meditate with him, which brought you a moment of enlightenment. Both Rhodes and Solmyr gained one point of Intelligence.**
After visiting the Garden of Revelation, Rhodes took two Angels—leaving all other soldiers behind—and split the Angels into two teams to enter the Manufactory.
The Manufactory did not grant recruitment rights directly like the Refugee Camp; one had to defeat the guards first. There were 9 Gold Golems and 6 Diamond Golems guarding it.
Rhodes chose to attack immediately. Before the battle began, he used his mana to summon a total of 16 Fire Elementals. While Holy Light Elementals were powerful, Fire Elementals were more suitable as cannon fodder.
This time, Rhodes employed a kiting strategy. An Angel's mobility is among the highest of all unit types, while Gold Golems and Diamond Golems could only be described as sluggish.
Rhodes demonstrated the micro-management skills of a veteran 'heroes of might and magic' player, using positioning and waiting to control the two Angels and 16 Fire Elementals.
He wiped out the 9 Gold Golems and Diamond Golem guards without taking any damage. What? You're asking why he didn't use magic? Please, against these two types of creatures, you'd have to be joking to use magic.
The Manufactory allowed you to recruit 6 Stone Golems for 150 gold each, 6 Iron Golems for 200 gold each, 3 Gold Golems for 500 gold each, and 2 Diamond Golems for 800 gold each per week. It also increased the weekly production of these units in your town by 1.
If he acquired a Tower city in the future, this Manufactory would certainly come in handy. A +1 production bonus was quite significant.
The Manufactory was perhaps the most unique among all external recruitment buildings; others usually only allowed the recruitment of basic units.
But this Manufactory not only allowed the recruitment of Stone Golems but also their three upgraded forms, making it even more effective than a Manufactory built within a town.
The Manufactory was the complete facility for the Tower; the upgraded golem units above Diamond Golems were actually Giants and Titans.
Rhodes easily recruited this week's troops. The power of Diamond Golems made them practically immune to magic, as they possessed 95% magic damage resistance.
Rhodes and Uther led over twenty Silver Hand Paladins as they set out on the road south.
The first half-day was relatively peaceful, with only birdsong and the sound of the wind in the mountains. However, as they drew closer to inhabited areas, the cruel tapestry of war truly unfurled before them.
Along both sides of the road, abandoned villages emitted wisps of smoke, and the ruins were covered in dried, dark-red bloodstains.
Farmlands lay fallow, the carcasses of livestock gave off a foul stench, and even more heart-wrenching were the scattered, soul-shattered refugees they constantly encountered. Dressed in rags with hollow eyes, they were like startled birds, dragging their families along as they trudged toward what they hoped was safety—usually south or toward the sea.
Every face was etched with the pain of losing homes and loved ones, along with a bone-deep fear of the Scourge.
"Holy Light above..." Uther looked at a dazed mother clutching a dead infant and painfully tightened his grip on his silver hand warhammer. Ballard and the others also wore expressions of grief, with fury burning in their chests.
"Undead! The undead are coming!" A shrill scream came from the woods ahead.
"Knights! Follow me!" Uther roared, charging forward first. Rhodes followed closely behind, already condensing faint Holy Light energy in his hands.
In a situation like this, there was no way they could just stand by and watch!
At the edge of the woods, a squad of Skeleton Warriors and several sluggish Ghouls were besieging a dozen or so civilians.
The civilians held crude farming tools and wooden sticks, desperately making a final stand.
Uther charged into the undead like golden thunder, his silver hand warhammer erupting with brilliant light, instantly smashing several skeletons into fragments.
The Paladins followed close behind, their sacred Holy Light proving invincible.
The battle ended quickly, and the undead were completely purified.
The rescued civilians collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly and incoherently recounting the tragedy of their destroyed village and slaughtered kin.