The Holy Light is with you and me

Many thanks to wild-kid, Da Qin Huangjia Tufei, and 雨夜~月 for their tips. I am deeply grateful to all three of you. This is the third update.

The moment Rex saw the vast army outside, his faith in the intelligence gathered in Southshore plummeted straight into negative territory.

The immense army finally came clearly into view, especially the seemingly endless ranks of kobolds at the front!

The moment Rex heard the name Warsong Clan, his first thought was Grom Hellscream, the legendary orc hero and a warrior at the pinnacle of his strength. Regardless of race, human or orc, only a handful could be called pinnacle warriors. Rachel had once been one of them, but age had weakened Rachel, and that strength had begun to decline. Rachel no longer qualified, because a pinnacle warrior was someone at the very peak of Heroic Rank.

On second thought, however, Rex ruled out Grom Hellscream. The army before him was large, but it clearly was not the orcs' main force. It was an alliance of several races. There were Warsong Clan orcs among them, but certainly not many. Grom Hellscream could not possibly be here. Southshore was not important enough to warrant his personal involvement. Even if the Warsong Clan had joined this orc uprising, Grom Hellscream would be on the main battlefield. Uther was there, so Rex was not worried in the slightest. As he worked through his analysis, his grim expression eased considerably.

If Grom Hellscream were here, Rex would not be thinking about holding out, but about how to retreat safely. Azeroth was not a world where individual might ruled supreme; no one could take on an entire nation alone. But mighty generals who could sweep across a battlefield and send thousands scattering did exist. Such a man was a living weapon, and Southshore's walls could not stop him. If he were alone, there might still be a way to deal with him. With an army behind him, however, all he needed to do was open a breach in Southshore's defenses. Once his troops poured through, Rex's defeat would be certain.

Having just sparred with Rachel, Rex understood the gap in their strength all too well.

He glanced at Kael'thas and Jaina beside him and steeled his resolve. Within the next three years, he had to reach Hero Rank. Otherwise, once the undead Scourge erupted, it would be difficult for him to accomplish anything.

Everything was in disarray. Azeroth's history had already begun to veer into chaos. The Warsong Clan had remained in hiding until Thrall began liberating the orcs, yet now they had appeared early. No, perhaps it could not be called early. The history Rex knew did not prove that the Warsong Clan had taken no part in this Blackrock Clan orc uprising.

Rex did not pursue the matter further. The intelligence differed wildly from reality, but this was no time to investigate. The orc army launched an attack as soon as it arrived. A vast sea of kobolds ran at the forefront, their bodies swaying as they brandished their weapons. Their small frames showed none of their usual cowardice, and their vicious eyes seemed ready to devour everything.

A bloody killing spree erupted at that moment.

"Ulysses, Old John, I'm leaving the other wall to you two," Rex said as he watched the kobolds surge forward like a tide.

Rex glanced at the two men as they left, then stood in silence. Beside him, Rona stepped forward and shouted, "Riflemen, ready!"

Clad in armor, Rona looked valiant and commanding, with a charm all her own.

One advantage of Azeroth was that the voices of the strong could easily carry across an entire battlefield, allowing every command to reach their troops. Of course, there was a drawback: it also revealed their location.

Rifles were braced in the firing holes of the hastily erected wall. The defenses had been built well, keeping the riflemen out of the enemy's sight and reducing their chances of being attacked.

Fighting from high ground was where riflemen performed best. Azeroth's riflemen were still riflemen, after all, and their vulnerability was inevitable. If the enemy reached them, they could be declared knocked out.

"Ready..." Rona's voice rang across the wall.

The rifles had already been loaded with powder. Every rifleman held his weapon steady, motionless.

"Fire!"

At Rona's command, the riflemen opened fire. Their range was considerable, and that no longer depended on the rifles themselves, but on the Warcraft System's technology. The riflemen's attack range could be extended. The Long-Barreled Rifle was an upgrade that further improved their capabilities. Each of the three known troop types from the Barracks—Infantry Hero Spirits, Rifleman Hero Spirits, and Knight Hero Spirits—had its own corresponding ability.

The Infantry Hero Spirits' shields increased their defense, the Rifleman Hero Spirits' Long-Barreled Rifles extended their range, and the knights had Animal War Training, among other improvements.

With their increased range and the high ground, the riflemen held the advantage.

Bang, bang, bang...

A thunderous crackling like beans popping in a pan rang out in succession. The concentrated rifle fire finally displayed its proper power.

More and more kobolds fell, only to be replaced by those coming behind them. Kobolds were a nuisance: they were numerous, liked hiding in mines, and had always been notorious for their cowardice. A charge in such dense ranks should have been utterly beyond them. The repeated bursts of rifle fire should already have shattered their courage and sent them fleeing in every direction. Yet these kobolds were the exact opposite. Every one of them seemed fired up with rage, as though Southshore were their sworn enemy.

At that moment, they charged with ferocious courage. They were fearless fighters.

The kobolds have become suicide troops. This makes no sense. Rex frowned.

The rifles were less powerful than bows, but their rate of fire was far greater. The concentrated volleys inflicted heavy losses on the kobolds, as the bodies strewn across the ground proved.

That trace of red in their eyes—their minds, the kobolds' minds. Rex suddenly noticed that every one of these kobolds who charged without fear of death had a bloody glow in its eyes. It was a sign that their minds were being controlled. This was demonic power. Only demons could cloud minds so easily.

Watching the enemy set up scaling ladders and surge toward the wall, Rex raised his heavy sword. Against foes who did not fear death, the rifles simply could not keep them from reaching the walls.

"We fight to defend our homes! We fight to oppose evil!"

"The Holy Light is with you and me!"

(End of chapter)