Losses and Counterattack

The fighting within Southshore soon came to an end as well. Basic Skeletons were no match for the warriors who had hurried back, their rage stoked by the tragedy that had befallen their hometown.

Some of those Skeletons might once have been their own departed loved ones. Filled with grief, the warriors smashed every Skeleton into fragments. By the time Roderick returned to Southshore, only corpses strewn across the ground and half of a ruined town awaited him.

The guard soldiers had suffered few losses, but the security forces and ordinary residents had sustained heavy casualties. Once-prosperous Southshore had lost its former splendor.

The young secretary, Aers Guwei, had been gravely wounded by a lurking Undead assassin while evacuating the crowd. Chaos broke out in the dock district. Some high-ranking councilors tried to take advantage of the disorder to board ships and flee Southshore. A collective mutiny by the sailors stopped them, but the confusion still caused some innocent people to die in the crush.

Alwyn's father, the blacksmith Bass, lost an arm while shielding Mayor Heni. He would never again be able to lift his beloved hammer.

The only thing that gave Roderick some comfort was that the oil painting bearing all his memories had been safely stored in his home's cellar. It was the most precious legacy left behind by his father and mother.

While directing others to tally the casualties, treat the wounded, and extinguish the fires with all haste, Roderick unexpectedly met an envoy from Hillsbrad. The man was also horrified by Southshore's miserable state and stammered out the purpose of his visit.

While Southshore had fallen into crisis, the Undead had not spared nearby Hillsbrad either. Mayor Bownside, resting at home, had been stabbed to death at his desk by an Undead assassin who had lain in wait for a long time.

Secretary Heras Whitesteed had also had his head cut off in the Town Council's lavatory. When a small Undead force appeared at the apple orchard, the leaderless Hillsbrad militia, lacking command, was no match for the enemy. The swiftly defeated farmers fled back into town.

In the end, under the command of the blacksmith Weilintan, they relied on the town's advantageous terrain and several ballistae to hold off the Undead squad's attack. Later, for reasons unknown, the Undead who had held the upper hand suddenly withdrew.

Seeing thick smoke billowing from the direction of Southshore, the surviving Hillsbrad councilors sent an envoy to learn what had happened here. In the end, the envoy could not bring himself to voice the request for Southshore to send reinforcements and returned to Hillsbrad overnight in helplessness.

Roderick, who had not slept all night, had just been about to eat breakfast when he saw yesterday's envoy enter Southshore with a convoy of carts.

"These are some provisions and weapons. I hope they can help you." The speaker looked haggard as well, clearly having gone without sleep all night. After introductions, Roderick learned that he was Weilintan, the lead blacksmith who had organized the residents to resist the Undead attack.

Southshore was short of everything now. After accepting the man's kindness, Roderick casually mentioned the Jade Mine. Weilintan's expression immediately changed, and several fast horses soon galloped out of Southshore. The men who returned that afternoon looked as if their parents had died. The Jade Mine had been occupied by a swarm of bloodthirsty spiders, and no living people could be seen nearby. The riders, who had only dared watch from afar, had brought back another piece of terrible news.

Roderick whispered a few words to Weilintan, and the latter immediately gathered everyone and returned to Hillsbrad. Having dealt with these external matters, Roderick then headed to the Town Council to discuss Southshore's future.

After a brief rest, Mayor Heni, some Town Council members, and the officers of the Raven Guard Knights had resumed work and were waiting in the hall. Once Roderick arrived, the discussion officially began.

"According to the count, a total of four hundred and seventy-one people died in this tragedy. Most were ordinary residents attacked during the early stages of the Undead assault. The security forces also suffered heavy losses, and the unrest in the dock district caused the deaths of some civilians as well."

"The number of injured was even greater,

but most of them were not seriously wounded and have received effective treatment." "All fires in town have been extinguished. Sixty-three houses were burned down in total. The cattle pens near the riverbank were poisoned by the Undead. All the cows and some other livestock were poisoned to death. Some warhorses fled into the wilderness during the fire and have not yet been recovered."

"The food warehouse was deliberately set on fire. Fortunately, it was discovered early, so the losses were minor. However, the fodder storehouse was burned down, and the town now lacks sufficient feed for large livestock."

"The residents who had boarded ships have all returned to the dock district. Some homeless residents have been taken in by neighbors, while we have set up tents along the coast for the rest to live in temporarily."

"During the day, some residents requested permission to leave Southshore by ship, but since we had received no orders, we did not allow them to depart."

"Councilor Aibute and the others, who were tied up by the sailors, are still being held in the cells awaiting disposition."

After hearing the report, everyone present was filled with anguish. A necromancer who was not even particularly powerful had killed nearly a tenth of Southshore's population. Every house in the northern part of town had been reduced to ashes, and vast numbers of livestock had died. The losses this time were simply too severe.

Mayor Heni forced himself to say, "Maintain vigilance. Be careful that the Undead forces do not return to cause more harm."

"Contact Hillsbrad and ask them to support us with some fodder."

"Send people to report this matter to Stormwind City and request aid."

"Let all those who wish to leave go. Release Councilor Aibute and the others as well. Have them hand over half their property and leave with the rest."

Heni's voice was low. The deaths of so many people, along with the respectable councilors revealing their true faces, left him both grief-stricken and ashamed.

Though public sentiment ran high and some proposed attacking the Undead at Tarren Mill to avenge the dead, more people believed this was a matter for the Alliance army. They should first consider how to restore peace to Southshore.

Roderick said nothing. After signaling to Mayor Heni, he led the Raven Guard Knights out of the hall.

"Antoine, any news?" The Raven Guard officers sat in a dark room, listening to Antoine's answer.

"Hecular was a mage who died many years ago. Back then, he attempted to transform himself into a Lich and conducted repeated cruel magical experiments. He was captured and hanged by soldiers, and his body was buried in Southshore Cemetery. Though we do not know how he was revived, it should be inseparable from the Undead in Tarren Mill."

"The Undead's objective this time was mainly destruction. They had no intention of launching a large-scale assault, and the Undead in Silverpine Forest have shown no unusual reaction." As usual, Antoine gave his report.

"Antoine, I need the number of Undead troops stationed in Tarren Mill. Do you understand?" Roderick's tone was calm, but suppressed rage lay beneath it.

"Mainly a small garrison force sent from Undercity, along with some Undead mages from the Royal Apothecary Society. Their total number will not exceed five hundred, but they can summon corpses, so their exact combat strength is difficult to estimate." Even as Antoine answered, he already knew what Roderick intended to do.

"Are you really going to attack?" Seeing Roderick's expression, Antoine still swallowed the words of dissuasion.

"Alwyn, you are responsible for Southshore's defense. I will leave you enough men."

His father's injury had filled the young man with boundless rage. Yet he still accepted Roderick's arrangement and remained behind. He also needed to care for his injured family; that had been Roderick's intention all along.

"All personnel, heed my order! Everyone returns to Watchtower Village tomorrow morning. There will be no mistakes." Some people did not understand why they were leaving Southshore, which still needed defending, at a time like this. Had something happened over there as well? Those damned Undead.

This time, the Undead had to pay the price. Peacefully coexisting with those monsters was nothing more than a childish fantasy. Whether they were the Dark Queen's Forsaken or the Scourge's lackeys, since they had started this war, they would bear the wrath of the Space Marines!

At Watchtower Village, the busy work had temporarily stopped. Roderick and Thalmar, a Stormpike officer, were discussing something.

"I'm sorry, my friend. Stormpike high command has issued orders. The Dwarves cannot directly participate in this attack. I hate those Undead as much as you do."

"These Undead who call themselves the Forsaken are different from the Scourge. They are also part of the Horde, just as we are allied with humans. Dwarf participation could trigger a full-scale war between the Alliance and the Horde. That is a consequence we cannot bear."

Thalmar's reasons were sound and necessary, but he would provide some equipment in support, especially enough firearms for a squad. During their time living alongside the Dwarves, many human soldiers had learned how to use these weapons that erupted with deafening roars. They would surely give those Undead soldiers a surprise.

"Roderick, have you made up your mind?" Albert, who had returned, had not expected his hometown to suffer such a blow and had rushed to Watchtower Village at once.

"Blood for blood, tooth for tooth!" Roderick spoke the words with strange intonation.

"No matter what, I will fight by your side." Albert's voice was firm.

The assembled human soldiers set out north in a mighty procession beneath the Blood Raven Banner. Roderick had committed every Raven Guard Knight stationed at Watchtower Village. This time, he would wipe the Undead of Tarren Mill from the map completely.