Chapter 924. The End of the Invasion
As the orcs were marching back in the direction of their home country, a legion of the human army approached them. Makubwa looked at this legion with a frown. ‘Do they still want a fight?’ He thought.
The legion was led by an outworlder woman. Behind her on her horse was the corpse of an orc. Makubwa raised his hand to halt his army. He then approached this woman with Samuhn.
The woman was Jeanny. The corpse on her horse was Abdu. Jeanny came down from her steed and brought Abdu to the two orc leaders. He laid Abdu on the ground without getting too close to the two. Emris and Armstrong followed close behind her, in case the orc leaders tried something.
“This is your comrade. Please take him back for an honorary burial,” Jeanny said to Makubwa and Samuhn.
“Hmph! He is a disgrace,” Makubwa said with a disdainful grunt.
Jeanny pulled out her spear upon hearing it. Her spear was different from the one she used in the fight before. In fact, her spear was Abdu’s spear. It had dropped as loot after Abdu died. The spear alighted with dark fire. It was a unique-grade spear.
“Take that back! He is a great warrior!” Jeanny exclaimed.
Makubwa was taken aback. Never would he imagine an outworlder, a human to add, would speak highly of his race, of her enemy.
Samuhn stepped forward. He kneeled before Abdu’s corpse and uttered some prayers, before picking him up.
“Thank you for bringing him to us,” Samuhn said to Jeanny. Jeanny replied with a nod.
Samuhn walked back. “Let’s go,” he said to Makubwa.
Makubwa gave Jeanny and Emris another stare before turning away. He didn’t say anything. He gave a silent signal for the troops to resume their march.
Jeanny and the others watched the orc army slowly move away. It was over. The invasion had ended. They heard loud cheers from the border town. All the soldiers were cheering there. Armstrong looked at Emris and Jeanny with a smile.
“It’s finally over,” Armstrong said.
“We don’t know yet about the phoenix army,” Emris reminded.
“We can send a message from Thenitsa. If they need help, we can head over to help, but I doubt it. Without any delivery of supplies, the orc army there should be in a bad condition as well.”
It was as Armstrong had said. The Phoenix army was at first losing at the start of the war because of their slightly lesser number. But ever since supplies stopped arriving, the advantage slowly tipped toward the Phoenix army. When Verremor’s first army retreated, the second army had dwindled to become less than the phoenix army.
One day after the first army’s retreat, the second army received the news and began to vacate the border town they were occupying. They wouldn’t be able to continue for long without supplies anyway. Even now, there was still no clear sign of when the supplies will arrive.
They had lost hope of the supplies ever arriving. Since the first army had already packed up, they had no point in staying. They decided to leave before the rest of the Themisphere army came and surrounded them.
When the second army crossed over to the Fulgur Region, it officially marked the end of the war. All the Verremor’s forces were now no longer on Themisphere’s soil.
As for Jack and the shock army, after they split up and ran in all directions, a large portion of the players used Town Return Scroll once they were out of combat. A few ran back in direction of Themisphere to join the fight with the main armies.
As for the native soldiers, they had also split out into many groups during the escape. Many also rode back to join the main armies. These native soldiers and players who rode back, watched the fight between the Dragon army and the first army from a distance. When they saw Armstrong’s force hit Thenitsa, they immediately joined.
The rest of the native army that split up found each other in the desert and merged into a larger group. Duke Alfredo and Commander Quintus led this group. Jack found them and instead of going back to join the main armies, they decided to continue roaming the desert, trying to find the next supply carts that were sent.
After losing the supply carts, Umeza tasked his entire force to guard the next supply carts. While Abasi’s force stayed and guard the supply depot they had retaken.
With a much smaller force, Jack couldn’t destroy these supply carts that were being transported. But he still used guerilla tactics to harass Umeza’s escorting force. Playing cat and mouse, hit and run, causing the supply carts’ movement to slow.
This drove the elder orc crazy. They couldn’t spare too many soldiers to chase after Jack’s harassing force. What if there were other hidden troops? If they left these supply carts with minimal guards, then what happened a few days ago would repeat itself. The enemies would use the opportunity to destroy these carts. They couldn’t afford it.
So, they just endure and chased the harassing force away every time they came. These humans kept on circling around and disturbed them, like flies on a carcass, slowing their advance.
Once they refreshed the military rations in the supply depot, they headed out immediately. Abasi took a portion of his army and followed Umeza, leaving the rest led by Lubanzi to continue guarding the supply depots. He needed to make sure for himself that these supplies reached their destination. But after a couple of days, they saw the first army coming in their direction. Seeing this army could only mean one thing, there was no need to deliver the supplies anymore.
Makubwa just looked at Umeza without any words. He was not in the mood for conversation. This defeat was a stain he had to carry forever in his life. When he saw Abasi amongst Umeza’s troops, he instructed people to bring Abdu’s body to the young warlord. Samuhn took it upon himself to deliver the body.
When Abdu’s body was laid before Abasi, Abasi lost all his words. He just knelt before his father’s body and stayed silent for a long time. Samuhn stayed there and let Abasi process his grief. Makubwa resumed their march, bringing his army back to Verremor.
Umeza, after reviewing the situation, decided to turn back as well.
“Who did this?” Abasi finally asked after a long time.
“Your father’s force was surrounded when he tried to attack the enemy’s rear,” Samuhn informed. “He fought against many opponents. But from the report of surviving soldiers, the ones who dealt the final blow were a human soldier named Claudius and an outworlder named Jeanny.”
Samuhn could hear Abasi’s breathing turn rougher upon the knowledge of his father’s slayers. He said, “I understand your desire for revenge. However, I can’t let you send more of our soldiers to death for your rage. I will take over this remaining army. I hope you can cool your head and return to Verremor as well. This war is over now. Your late father wouldn’t want you to throw your life away for the sake of a petty emotion.”
Samuhn then called the superior officers there and assumed control of the army. He issued an order for a retreat. Everyone started to march following him. Only Abasi’s private force stayed, which was not many.
Abasi clenched his fist and looked at his missing arm. “Storm Wind, Claudius, and Jeanny,” he muttered. “Father, I swear to you that I will claim this vengeance.” He picked up his father’s body with one arm and then told his soldiers, “Let’s return to Verremor.”
Jack and the others saw the event from far away, ready to run away if needed. They had continued provoking Umeza’s army but after seeing Makubwa’s army appear, they hurriedly put a safe distance.
Seeing all those orc forces marching back in direction of Verremor, they knew then that the war was over.
“Finally!” Commander Quintus exclaimed.
“Your sacrifice is not in vain, Laurent,” Duke Alfredo muttered softly.
They waited until the last of the orc army disappeared on the horizon. Jack lifted his sword high and loudly declared, “VICTORY!!”
Everyone cheered then.
After the cheering ended, Jack said to them. “Let’s return.”
Jack brought them to Thesewal. There, he checked to make sure Guss was safe as well. He had promised Gruff after all.
Duke Alfredo met his wife there and told her about Laurent. Duchess Isabelle was visibly sad. Laurent was their long-time friend. He was practically a family to them.
Seeing that Guss was all right, Jack said goodbye to everyone. Duke Alfredo and the others would be going back by steed. Jack used the Town Return Scroll and teleported to Thereath.
On the day that Verremor’s second army departed from Themisphere, every player who was participating in the war heard a victory notification. Everyone received a report on their contributions. Jack did as well.
Fight enemy’s troops = 1,182,751 war contribution points
Participate throughout the war = 200,000 war contribution points
Successfully protecting the country and repelling the invasion = 1,000,000 war contribution points
Lead the army as a general = 1,000,000 war contribution points
Play a major part in helping ally troops arrive in Slaughterer Plains Fort before the enemy = 500,000 war contribution points
Successfully achieving a major victory in the battle at Slaughterer Plains = 1,200,000 war contribution points
Wound a high-rank officer = 300,000 war contribution points
Play a major part in hasting the shock troop to arrive at the supply line = 300,000 war contribution points
Kill two mid-ranked officers = 400,000 war contribution points
Successfully disrupting the supply line = 2,000,000 war contribution points
