Chapter 264: Sudden Change

The Alliance soldiers stood firmly on the hilltop defense line, holding their weapons steady and relentlessly stabbing their spears downward at any approaching orcs.

The soldiers formed a continuous shield wall, and the trained javelineers relentlessly rained death upon the enemy from higher trenches.

The orcs kept assaulting the squads with overwhelming numbers, but they couldn't break through the Alliance's defenses. At this moment, the sound of cannon fire echoed in the distance.

Duke clenched his fist excitedly. This was what he wanted.

Infantry and artillery cooperation. Land and sea cooperation.

These two war concepts were completely foreign to the world of Azeroth. For Duke, a transmigrator and a pseudo-military enthusiast, these concepts were nothing more than a drizzle.

Cannons in this era had significant limitations. These primitive breech-loading guns had short range and limited power, and no Marshal or marshal would think of bringing in a later-stage fleet for support.

Originally, the Alliance kings believed that if they could hold out against the Horde, it would be a great victory. Little did they know that Duke had bigger ambitions - to swallow the entire Horde army of tens of thousands.

And he was about to achieve it!

In the command post, the faces of the remaining four kings were filled with shock and awe.

The complete first fleet of Kul Tiras, the damaged third fleet, the previously expelled fourth fleet, and the Stormwind fleet took advantage of the distraction caused by the Windrunner sisters and converged on the shore. The cannons roared, unleashing a barrage of fire upon the green coastline.

In the distance, a series of flashes appeared along the hulls of the ships, followed by billowing black smoke that briefly obscured the ships.

It was happening.

Every Alliance soldier's heart was pounding with excitement.

As King Llane Wrynn watched thousands of black streaks cut across the morning blue sky from atop the hill, he even forgot to continue encouraging his soldiers.

Those steel balls, carrying the scorching heat of gunpowder, crisscrossed in mid-air, some colliding with such density that they exploded in the sky with a continuous popping sound. Yet, it didn't matter. Like celestial beings scattering a large plate of black beans, the steel balls whistled through the air and rained down upon the beach.

Despite knowing that the ensuing spectacle would be awe-inspiring, the soldiers of Stormwind and Lordaeron on the hill were almost stunned by the sight. The terrifying cannon fire plowed through the entire beach, where countless orcs once stood, leaving only scattered survivors.

A battlefield resembling a sieve appeared before the Alliance soldiers.

Just when they all thought victory was within their grasp, a voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield, a sentence repeatedly chanted and responded to:

"Lok'tar Ogar!"

Countless orcs snapped out of their shock, shouting the same slogan. The will of a hundred thousand beings converged into one, transforming into a wave of furious rage.

Unfortunately, this wave of rage was extinguished before it could even reach the Alliance's defenses.

"Send the order, cast a Wall of Fire!" Duke commanded coldly.

The Dalaran mage corps immediately conjured a wall of raging flames halfway up the two Alliance-held hills.

Wall of Fire was not a cost-effective spell.

Maintaining the flame as a wall required a constant influx of mana. For low-level mages, maintaining it for just a few minutes would drain all their mana. In most battles, the spell had limited practical use.

However, at this crucial turning point, the Wall of Fire extinguished the Horde's last desperate thoughts.

Orc warriors were not like paladins who could briefly become invulnerable with the power of the Light. How much fighting strength would they have left if they risked their lives to pass through the Wall of Fire?

...

This strike directly shattered the morale of the Horde.

Finally, the sound of retreat rang out from the Horde's side.

Retreat?

Was it that easy to retreat from a beach landing?

Duke wasn't sure who the Horde's commander was this time, but he was certain that Orgrim was not present. However, the Horde's retreat wouldn't be easy.

Their only escape route was the beach to the east. Retreating to the western coast would only lead them into the tight defenses of the Alliance, according to their understanding. Moreover, the seas off the western coast were mostly deep waters, and as long as the Kul Tiran fleet was present, the Horde wouldn't be able to board their transport ships and return.

The eastern coast was different. Although there were soldiers from the Kingdom of Stormwind guarding the hills along the coast from Southshore to Dandred's Fold in the southeast, the seas off the eastern coast were shallow, with depths of less than 3 meters. Alliance ships couldn't enter, which was the Horde's only hope.

In fact, the Horde was retreating in that direction, and the transport ships were also moving toward that area, preparing to pick up the Horde's warriors.

But it wouldn't be that easy.

"Mogor, have your murlocs snipe the orcs off the eastern coast."

"Gah-oh-oh-lah-oh (As you command, my master)!"

Without Duke's order, after seeing the orcs retreat, Lothar personally led the cavalry in pursuit.

This was a rare opportunity to beat a drowning dog!

Aside from Llane, who still didn't dare to be too aggressive and kept to his position on the hill, the shelling had extended to the eastern beach. On the western hills, Mograine and Abbendis led their forces downhill like fierce tigers, chasing after the Horde's tail for another strike.

On the entire battlefield, the battle was nearing its end. From the sky looking down on the beach, the silver torrent representing the Alliance was in a semi-encircling position, chasing the remnants of the green Horde. The Horde had dispatched many rear-guard units, but each unit couldn't hold out for long. They quickly disintegrated under the relentless bombardment of the Alliance's long-range weapons and the fierce onslaught of the Alliance army.

Quickly swallowed by the human tidal wave.

In the Alliance's command center, there was a thunderous cheer, greeting this first and quite magnificent victory since the establishment of the Alliance with the warmest applause.

"Congratulations, Marshal Duke." The most excited Stormgarde King Thoras Trollbane was the first to come up and shake Duke's hand. The Alliance's victory would undoubtedly greatly relieve the pressure on Stromgarde. Even if the Thandol Span was well defended, being besieged daily was not a long-term solution.

"Thank you." Duke smiled.

The second to approach was King Terenas: "Indeed, it's the younger generation's world now. Calia misses you; come to Lordaeron when you have time."

The hint from the King of Lordaeron was clear. Duke forced a dry laugh and nodded, "Yes, I'll definitely visit when I have the time."

Ah, I'm a busy man.

The third was King Genn: "Now, at least we've given those green-skins a good beating, so I don't have to worry about waking up to a bunch of them on the kingdom's beaches."

"There are still many orcs; we need to keep working hard."

The last one was King Aiden, the King of Alterac, who always gave Duke a feeling of being gloomy, cunning, and scheming.

Just as Aiden was about to say something, a sudden change occurred.

A sharp sword pierced through Duke's chest from behind.

"What...?"