Rhodes nodded upon hearing this and said no more. Taking a deep breath, he began to concentrate.
Although his mana depletion was significant, the magic potions he had consumed earlier and a brief rest had restored him somewhat. He first raised his hand, and a soft yet resilient earthy-yellow light radiated outward with him at the center—Advanced Shielding Stone Skin!
With Advanced Earth Magic, the Stone Skin Rhodes now cast would envelop all his troops.
As the light swept over the Orc warriors, Tauren heavy infantry, and Troll Headhunters in front of him, they immediately felt a sensation of tightening across their skin, as if they were covered by an invisible layer of hard rock armor. Their defensive power increased significantly.
Immediately afterward, Rhodes cast Haste. Azure wind-aspected mana swirled around the weapons and limbs of the Horde warriors, making their movements swifter and more lethal. The speed of their slashes, thrusts, and throws all increased by a notch.
Next, he used Air Shield. Green shields appeared beside all the warriors, granting them dual resistance against both magic and physical attacks.
This was followed by a golden chalice that slowly appeared above the heads of the ten thousand Orcs, pouring down divine light. This was Basic Bless; it could only be used on a single legion of under ten thousand soldiers. Rhodes bestowed it upon the Orc legion. As for the Tauren and Trolls, they would have to settle for the magical empowerment of the Genies for now.
Rhodes summoned three more Master Genies. Bloodlust, Counterstrike, and Air Shield—these three spells once again covered the three legions of Orcs, Tauren, and Trolls.
After being bathed in Rhodes' magic, all the Orcs, Trolls, and Tauren felt the change within themselves. They felt their attack power grow stronger, their speed faster, and their defense superior. They felt they could easily cut down their former selves. Furthermore, Rhodes' hero abilities—1 point of Attack and 2 points of Defense—were also added to these troops. Rhodes had previously overlooked the utility of these attributes, but Attack and Defense could be added as bonuses to all legions. Sometimes, these permanent bonuses were even more useful than magical buffs.
"For the Horde! For Azeroth!" Feeling the surge in their bodies, the Orc soldiers let out a frenzied battle cry, their morale soaring.
"Warriors of the Horde, show Mr. Rhodes the strength of the Orcs! Do not retreat a single step! Strength and honor, blood and thunder—victory or death!"
Just then, a thunderous BOOM echoed from the foot of the mountain.
Down below, the final wave of the Fire Elemental army summoned by Medivh before his departure was finally submerged by the demonic tide. The main force of the Burning Legion, carrying a violent momentum meant to crush everything, officially slammed into the Horde's second line of defense!
"Lok'tar ogar!" (Victory or death!)
Azgalor, the Pit Lord leading the assault, roared maniacally: "For Lord Archimonde! Crush these green-skinned beasts and their misshapen allies!"
The vanguard of the Burning Legion—mostly Felhunters, Felguards, and resurrected Infernals—savagely crashed into the hastily erected wooden barricades and crude watchtowers.
Thrall raised Doomhammer high. Lightning crackled at the hammer's head as he swung it forward! A thick Chain Lightning hissed out, instantly jumping through and piercing the three Felguards leading the charge.
The battle erupted completely!
Orc warriors roared, braving fel fireballs and flying bone spikes, engaging the demons in a bloody melee with axes and spears. Tauren heavy infantry stood at the front like solid boulders, their totem poles smashing demons until their bones shattered with every swing. Troll Headhunters accurately threw spears, picking off Felhunters trying to leap over.
The battle reached a fever pitch from the start. Although the Burning Legion had suffered significant losses at the first line of defense, their main force remained, and their offensive was still incredibly fierce.
Orc warriors braved fel fire and hellfire to fight Felguards in bloody hand-to-hand combat. The specialized legion support magic Rhodes had cast earlier now showed its effect. Thrall saw with his own eyes a Felguard's battle-axe strike an Orc warrior's shoulder; a blow that should have been enough to tear through armor and severely damage bone only caused the warrior to stagger. The shoulder armor shattered, but the flesh wound was much lighter than expected.
The warrior countered with an axe swing so fast it left an afterimage, splitting the Felguard's head in half!
Under the influence of Rhodes' terrifying magic, the combat power of the entire Horde army increased by at least fifty percent, and their defense rose similarly.
"Truly amazing power... Mr. Rhodes, the Horde will not forget your help today," Thrall whispered in awe, his understanding of Rhodes deepening. This human lord's methods were simply unfathomable! The slight grudge he had felt earlier due to his plans falling through had now completely vanished, replaced by genuine respect and gratitude.
Tauren warriors acted like mobile fortresses, using massive totem poles to crush any enemy brave enough to approach. Troll Headhunters' spears accurately bypassed the front lines to pin down Imps and Succubi trying to cast spells in the rear. Shaman priests chanted ancient songs, summoning the power of the earth to spike demons from below or guiding Lightning Bolts to pick off powerful demon officers.
Meanwhile, Rhodes stood in the relatively safe rear, his gaze sharply scanning the entire battlefield. His Magic Arrow was no longer fired aimlessly; it was like a reaper's pointer, accurately seeking out high-value targets.
A high-level Shivarra tried to slip into the shadows to ambush an Orc centuria from the flank. Rhodes raised his hand and pointed!
Zzap—!
The azure magical energy of the Magic Arrow instantly crossed the distance, accurately striking the Shivarra. It blasted her out of the shadows, charred and smoking. Before she could react, the nearby Orc warriors roared and swarmed her, hacking her to pieces.
The corner of Rhodes' mouth curled up slightly. Nice job!
On the other side, a Pit Lord (not a major boss like Azgalor, but an elite unit) relied on its thick hide to wave a massive double-headed glaive, knocking away seven or eight Orc warriors and looking ready to tear a hole in the line.
Rhodes raised his hand again. "Magic Arrow!" An energy bolt of lightning hissed out with a piercing shriek, directly hitting the Pit Lord's relatively vulnerable belly!
"Aaaaagh!!!" The Pit Lord let out a cry of agony as a massive bloody hole was blown into its abdomen. Green fel blood and organ fragments sprayed out, and its movements instantly stiffened.
The surrounding Tauren warriors seized the opportunity, slamming several massive totem poles into its head and joints, ending its life completely. He successfully sent this Pit Lord back to the Twisting Nether to wait for its respawn timer.
"Warriors of the Horde, hold fast! This is our moment of glory! The time for revenge against these demons has come!" an old Orc with a white beard shouted, raising his axe. A large number of Orc warriors followed him in a charge.
Besides casting offensive and legion-scale support magic, Rhodes could also cast legion-scale healing magic. However, it seemed he didn't need to right now, as some Horde Shamans had already placed Healing Totems and were using golden Chain Heals. This healing was no less effective than the Holy Light. Additionally, some Tauren and Druids were using Rejuvenation and the power of nature to heal everyone.
Rhodes was in high spirits. He drank magic potions to maintain his mana while acting like a calm hunter, picking off high-value targets. At the same time, he constantly refreshed the Stone Skin, Haste, and Air Shield buffs for the warriors fighting at the front.
Under his assistance, the resilience of the Horde's line exceeded Thrall's expectations. While casualties were still inevitable, the kill-to-loss ratio was much better. Every warrior felt they were tougher than usual, attacking faster and harder, often trading a demon's life for a minor cost.
The Orcs blocked the Burning Legion's advance head-on, entering a prolonged war of attrition. Thrall wielded Doomhammer at the very front, and with the Warchief himself boosting morale, the Horde warriors were more unified than ever.
From time to time, Thrall looked back at the human figure constantly releasing magic, his heart filled with complex emotions. There was gratitude, admiration, and a faint, indescribable wariness—this human's power and cunning were too deep. But regardless, at this moment, he was the Horde's most solid and exceptionally reliable ally. If only he were an Orc!
"For Azeroth! For the Horde! Hold the line!" Thrall roared again, casting aside all distractions and throwing himself entirely into this battle for survival.
The Burning Legion's assault was like an unending wave, but under Rhodes' support, the Horde line was like a sturdy reef, stubbornly resisting the demonic impact. Time flowed slowly through blood and fire; they were still far from the eight-hour commitment.
At this point, the goblin mines Thrall had placed earlier began to work, creating terrifying explosions in the demons' rear. Large numbers of demons were sent flying; these high-explosives made by goblins were top-tier in terms of destructive power.
"Great job! Blow those demons to hell!"
"Shatter those demon brats!"
"Feel the Horde's fury, you dregs of the Burning Legion!"
Meanwhile, Rhodes' gaze had already locked onto his next target. Back at the first line of defense, a Lich named Rage Winterchill had already fallen to his Titans. Now, the Burning Legion's second commander, the Dreadlord Anetheron, was leading an elite demon squad in an attack.