The Shadowforge City's defense force still numbers over ten thousand, guarding the four Dead Gates. These are all regular troops, far stronger than the slave army, which can almost be called a rabble.
Thaurissan's elite force, the three thousand Ironrage Army, had all been deployed to guard the Imperial Palace, so they could be temporarily ignored. Apart from that, the only remaining strength of the Dwarves in the city was the private guards of the slave owners, totaling three or four thousand men, but they belonged to hundreds of different masters and could not be effectively united, so they were not a threat.
Only large slave owners with good relations with the king could enter the palace and receive protection; others, like most commoners, could only cower in their own safe houses, trembling with fear.
There were originally no fewer than 100,000 slaves, but now no one dares to hand them weapons. It was only after closing the Dead Gate that the riots in the city were finally completely suppressed. Now all the slaves are locked up. Once the seeds of rebellion are sown, it will not be easy to eradicate them.
The Fire Elemental reinforcements numbered nearly ten thousand, but their quality varied greatly. The strongest was their leader—a giant Fire Elemental nearly ten meters tall—while the weakest included young Lava Hound.
Meanwhile, the Water Elemental reinforcements number around seven or eight thousand, but only two thousand elite troops will actually be deployed in battle; the rest are transport teams.
Of course, the Water Elementals weren't transporting food supplies, but seawater. They forcibly created a Canal upstream from the coast of the Searing Gorge to Blackrock Mountain, a distance of over ten kilometers, so that seawater could be transported continuously.
In terms of both quantity and quality, our forces were at a significant disadvantage, but we caught the enemy off guard from both above and below, leaving them unable to defend themselves from both ends.
Duke Hydraxis easily captured the city gate in his first attack. Water Elementals swarmed in, and the impact of the water waves widened the gap in the Dead Gate, allowing a torrent of water to pour in.
The seawater itself is also a powerful weapon. The climate around Blackrock Mountain is arid, and the Dwarves have never taken any flood control measures. There is no way to stop the floods from coming in, and many places are directly submerged. This greatly slows down the enemy's actions, and the Fire Elemental creatures will also be greatly reduced in combat power in this environment.
Rendaen's strategy was simple: attack while simultaneously freeing slaves, gradually plunging the enemy into a vast ocean of people's war, but only if they could break through.
The battle at the breach in the city walls began to be very close, but as the floodwaters reached there, the balance of power began to tip in favor of Rendaen's vanguard.
At that moment, Unas arrived at the riverbank near Flamewaker Island and had Huoye send a magical signal. Soon, he contacted the Blood Elf mage on the island, and the troops in the stronghold indeed sent a small team to garrison the island as he had ordered, so that they could relay orders at any time.
After exchanging information, the two sides set off again. Once the Fire Elemental blocking the breach was defeated, Unas followed behind the Dark Iron Dwarves and successfully entered Shadowforge City through the breach.
Above the gap was a residential area inhabited by ordinary people. Most of the residents neither dared to resist nor surrender, remaining neutral and submitting to whoever ultimately won.
They are not worth attacking now; the Dwarf lords are focusing their attention on the mines, farms, barracks, and Arsenal in the city, where large numbers of slaves must be held.
This place is near the South Gate, where the two thousand city defense troops stationed there quickly arrived and, together with the Fire Elementals, engaged in street fighting against the invading enemy.
Rendaen personally led the main force to fight the enemy at the front line, and ordered the slave army to split into multiple routes to liberate the slaves in the city.
Guided by Nightmoon, the human team rushed straight to the arena. Huoye still had a lot of temporary antidote for Softbone Agent left, which might come in handy.
The gladiators' riot collapsed first due to the temporary antidote failing, and many were captured and taken back to the arena, where they were given a heavy Softbone Agent and fell into a deep sleep.
Three Watcher and one Orcs Warrior could turn this place upside down, not to mention that most of the guards are dead now, and the broken cages are just temporarily blocked up with debris.
Guided by the familiar Nightmoon, Unas quickly breached the arena, rescuing the humans and Dwarves among the gladiators. After a brief explanation, they all expressed their willingness to join him in fighting the enemy.
Two hundred gladiators may not seem like many, but their fighting strength is exceptional, enhancing the team's power. Unas's next target can only be Firekiss.
The slave owners' residences were built around the Grim Guzzler, making it convenient for them to drink and enjoy themselves there. Fran, the arms dealer who bought the Firekiss, lived in the bar district.
The city is now in complete chaos. The enemy's main force is all dealing with the Water Elemental that broke through the Dead Gate and the Rendaen who occupied the residential area. Unas's group has not been targeted for the time being.
Along the way, most of the rooms in the low-lying areas had been flooded with seawater up to a person's height, forcing them to take a detour. Fortunately, Nightmoon was familiar with the roads, and after many twists and turns, she finally made her way into the Grim Guzzler.
The knee-deep seawater had caused some tables and chairs to float. Apart from that, the surface was mostly filled with wooden wine barrels. The spacious bar was empty of customers, except for a green-skinned Gnomes and a scantily clad Succubus sitting opposite each other at the bar, seemingly playing chess.
Unas and his group's arrival immediately drew the attention of the other side, and the Gnomes's distinctive shrill voice rang out. "War! You scared away my guests! Flood! You polluted my wine cellar! You must compensate me for my losses!"
"This guy must be crazy," everyone thought. The Succubus swayed as she stood up, one hand on her hip and the other outstretched, beckoning with a finger. "Handsome men, won't you come and have a drink with me? I get drunk very easily, you know~"
Her natural Charm made the men in the front row stare blankly, their blood rushing to their heads, and they could only stare at her in a daze. However, Nightmoon and Angela were unaffected, and the two women launched their attacks almost simultaneously.
Frostbolts and silver darts were simultaneously fired at the Gnomes and Succubus, but the opponent seemed to be prepared, and with a flash of green light, they teleported to a shelf on the other side of the bar.
"Hey! Your boss, Rendaen, still owes me several hundred Gold Coins for drinks. He hasn't paid it back since he betrayed us, and this time I'm making sure he pays it back!" The Gnomes seemed to have some connection with Rendaen. "You mercenaries aren't allowed to hit me, or my losses will be deducted from your pay."
Seeing that most of the people who came were human and well-equipped, and that the people in the front row did not have slave marks on their foreheads, he assumed that Unas and his group were mercenaries hired by Rendaen.
Unas didn't bother explaining the misunderstanding. "The master of Blackrock Depths is about to become Rendaen. You still want to ask him for money for drinks?"
"No matter who becomes king, I, Plugger, will always be the owner of the Grim Guzzler! It's me! It's me!" The Gnomes was quite agitated, stomping his feet on the shelf. "Even the king has to pay for his drinks!"
Unas didn't want to argue with him anymore. "That's not my concern. We just want to pass through the Back Gate of your bar. I don't think Mr. Plugger will object to such a small request, will he?"