After the battle temporarily ended, Rhodes was also assigned a private room to get a good night's sleep.
However, he only rested for a few hours. Around noon, Rhodes was woken up by someone sent by Arthas.
"I apologize for disturbing your rest, Lord Rhodes, but there is something I truly need your help with now," Arthas said, sounding slightly apologetic.
"It's alright, Your Highness. Like me, you fought all night, but judging by the situation, you haven't rested at all yet. At least I managed a few hours of sleep! Has something happened that requires my assistance?" Rhodes asked.
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Rhodes!
The situation is this: my scouts detected an Undead force attacking nearby villages along the road, converting the local villagers into Undead creatures," Arthas explained.
Rhodes nodded upon hearing this. This was a minor event in the Human campaig—a contingent of Undead troops attacking surrounding villages.
"The one leading them is a Lich named Kharis the Son of Specters. I believe if anyone among us can eliminate him, besides myself, it would have to be Lord Rhodes," Arthas said.
It seemed that while he was resting, Arthas had clearly dispatched scouts to investigate the enemy's strength.
Kharis the Son of Specters! This fellow was also a Lich, just not as powerful as Kel'Thuzad.
He appeared during the Human campaign and was guaranteed to appear before version 1.07; afterward, any Lich would appear randomly.
Later, this Lich named Kharis followed the Dreadlord Mal'Ganis to Northrend, where he was eventually slain by the landing Arthas.
So, this was the fellow leading the Undead army to attack the surrounding villages this time!
"I generally understand, Your Highness Arthas. You want me to go and eliminate this Lich, right?" Rhodes asked.
To be honest, going against a Lich alone made Rhodes slightly uneasy. If he could bring out his Undead army and then summon Straker, Rhodes would feel a bit more confident.
"No, Lord Rhodes. It is daytime now, so the Undead army should not launch a large-scale attack!
I will lead an elite force to deal with this Lich, and I hope that during my absence, you can help guard our base," Arthas said.
Naturally, he didn't plan on sending Rhodes to deal with the Lich; he intended to go himself. However, Rhodes was the only high-level combatant he could trust in the camp right now, which was why he had him awakened!
"I understand, Prince Arthas. Please go ahead without worry! I will stay and guard the base," Rhodes said, nodding.
It was better not to have to confront the Lich; Rhodes certainly didn't want to expose his Undead army right now!
After consulting with Rhodes, Arthas nodded to him and left behind a few dozen elite soldiers.
He then led the remaining hundred-plus men directly out of Hearthglen to attack the Undead force that was infecting the surrounding villages.
After taking over Arthas' defensive authority, Rhodes' nerves tightened. He began patrolling the surroundings and arranging for the militia to stand guard.
About an hour after Arthas left, an Undead force—numbering several hundred, led by a few Abominations, with Gargoyles flying overhead—appeared in everyone's sight.
The leading Undead creature floated in mid-air, emanating a chilling aura. It wore a black magical robe, revealing a skull face and a body completely transformed into a skeleton.
The Lich itself was two and a half meters tall, radiating death energy, and looked formidable.
It seemed this Lich had not gone after Arthas but had chosen to attack him instead. Or perhaps that Undead convoy was merely a lure, and the enemy's true target was always Hearthglen.
"Lord Rhodes, they are attacking. What should we do?" Falric, Arthas' adjutant, came forward and asked Rhodes.
"Adjutant Falric, you are better at arranging troops for defense than I am. Leave the defensive matters to you!
I will deal with that Lich," Rhodes told Falric.
"Understood, Lord Rhodes. Please be careful," Adjutant Falric nodded to Rhodes and immediately jogged away to arrange the militia and Hearthglen's troops for defense.
Rhodes, meanwhile, walked to the gate of Hearthglen, took a deep breath, and summoned his hero warhorse.
He immediately threw a Frostbolt toward the Lich in front of him and made a provocative gesture.
"Let's find a secluded place for a duel!"
The Lich opposite was clearly amused by Rhodes, letting out a strange laugh before making a gesture for him to proceed.
Rhodes and the opposing Lich left one after the other, but before leaving, Rhodes cast two defensive spells on the garrison: Shield of Protection and Stone Skin.
It should be fine for them to hold out until he returned, right?
The two—one pursuing, one fleeing—arrived in a forest next to Hearthglen.
"Is this the burial ground you chose, mage?" the Lich in front of him sneered and asked.
"No, no. To be precise, this is your burial ground, not mine," Rhodes replied.
"I want to know where you get the confidence to dare to challenge me..." Before the Lich could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a terrifying aura of death coming from behind him.
A Death Knight wearing black armor and wielding a gigantic spear had appeared behind him without warning.
This time, Rhodes had no intention of facing this Lich alone; instead, he summoned his bodyguard, Straker.
Therefore, calling the Lich out of the city for a duel was simply a distraction.
As a spellcaster, you'll suffer if a melee combatant gets close to you.
Within a certain range, Rhodes could choose Straker's landing location, so having him materialize directly behind the Lich for a sneak attack was the perfect move.
Even before the fight started, Rhodes had instructed Straker to cast an attack speed buff on himself—a spell Straker innately possessed!
"Damn it! You!" The Lich in front of him couldn't react at all and had never imagined a terrifying Undead knight would suddenly appear behind him.
Straker gave the opponent no chance to react. The spear in his hand pierced directly through the Lich's chest, and then he drew the knight's sword from his waist and swung it toward the Lich's head.
With a cracking sound!
A white skull fell to the ground. The Lich Kharis was instantly killed by the surprise attack executed by Rhodes and Straker.
"Master, I can sense his phylactery nearby. I will retrieve it, otherwise, this Lich cannot be permanently killed."