"Who am I?"
Arthas revealed a smile that sent shivers down Brann's spine.
He spoke slowly and clearly, enunciating each word.
"I am Arthas, Crown Prince of Lordaeron, and future King."
"Also a Paladin of the Silver Hand, student of Lightbringer and Highlord Faol, a champion who upholds the Light, supports justice, and eradicates evil."
"The founder of the Secret Intelligence Agency, Highlord of the royal knights, creator of Theramore, Troll Slayer, and ally of the Elves."
His words seemed to resonate directly in one's heart.
Brann could clearly feel Arthas's voice echoing within him.
Yet, in this situation, Brann was no longer as afraid as before.
He frowned, staring at Arthas for a while.
"…You are Arthas. Wait, how did you become like this? This is too strange; this kind of power is no joke!"
The imposing aura emanating from Arthas subsided slightly.
He looked at Brann with a profound gaze and said calmly, "So, the first thing you thought when you saw me was that I must have been corrupted or fallen?"
Brann still held his warhammer, but he was no longer tense.
He pondered the meaning of Arthas's words.
After a few seconds, he realized, "You've had this ability all along?! But, this is too incredible… If that's the case…"
"Then the Light will not protect me, right, Brann?"
The expression on Arthas's face finally returned to normal; he still seemed like the gentle and refined prince.
Brann paused, unsure how to respond, because Arthas had indeed said what he was thinking.
"Perhaps there is indeed a distinction between good and evil in the powers of this world, but the key lies in how we control them."
Arthas waved his hand, guiding the ghosts that blocked his path to Frostmourne to disperse completely.
The path to the Ice Throne, where the runeblade was hidden, immediately became clear.
"Brann, you are not a stubborn fellow, which is why I am telling you this today."
Arthas sighed, placing his palm on the ice, his gaze complex as he looked at the runeblade encased in ice.
"Arthas… this… this cannot be accepted by everyone—it's too dangerous.
Have you forgotten the fate of Kel'Thuzad and those mages who dabbled with souls before him?"
Brann did not directly refute Arthas's words, but he still felt that the power Arthas revealed would not be accepted by the world.
Kel'Thuzad's magical experiments initially only involved animals like rats.
After being discovered, he was stripped of all titles by the Kirin Tor Council of Dalaran and exiled.
And the power Arthas now displayed was far more exaggerated than Kel'Thuzad's.
Shaking his head helplessly, Arthas's expression became resolute.
"Of course, I know what you are saying, which is why I have hidden for over a decade, waiting for such an opportunity."
It was no longer the time to continue concealing his power.
The Burning Legion's vanguard had already spread a web of deceit across this world.
Even a slight misstep could doom Azeroth to eternal damnation.
Arthas was unwilling to entrust hope to those stubborn Kaldorei.
Their race was definitely not tolerant, otherwise Illidan Stormrage and his Illidari would not have suffered so terribly.
However, he now seemed to be playing a role similar to Illidan's.
But he would not wait for others to judge him like Illidan.
Arthas's determination was to protect the entire kingdom and world.
Mere prejudice and misunderstanding could not shake his resolve, which is why he spent over a decade operating in the mortal world.
Taking a deep breath, Arthas clenched his right fist.
Ice and shadow, intertwined with death energy, swirled around his arm.
"Bang!"
A punch infused with energy slammed heavily onto the Ice Throne.
Blue cracks immediately spread across the ice surface.
The long-suppressed power of Frostmourne began to release from within, and the base, separated from the shadow ice of the Twisting Nether, suddenly shattered with a crisp sound.
Brann was pushed back a few steps by the shockwave of the explosion.
Countless sharp ice shards flew towards the dwarf.
Just before he could dodge, a powerful barrier of Holy Light rose before Brann.
The ice fragments, imbued with death and shadow energy, quickly melted upon contact with it.
Arthas extended his right hand and firmly grasped the exposed hilt of Frostmourne.
With a lift from the ice shards, this runeblade, forged with the painstaking efforts of countless Nathrezim, was now in his hand.
The moment he picked up the runeblade, a strange voice echoed in Arthas's ear.
But he didn't need to introduce himself; Arthas already knew his identity.
"Now, go seek revenge on Mal'Ganis."
He is in the Undead Scourge base north of your camp, but you best hurry, otherwise…"
Along with the voice, a vast, cold, and evil thought invaded Arthas's body.
This was the curse of the Nathrezim on Frostmourne, and the seed of corruption planted by the Lich King to cause Arthas's downfall.
However, these evil intentions and influences were completely filtered out by Arthas's almost pure death energy.
Frostmourne seemed to realize something.
The blade hummed, and the flames in the hollow eye sockets of the demon skull carving on the hilt instantly ignited, wanting to contend with Arthas and seize control of its will.
"Obey, or be destroyed."
Arthas spoke with authority, and a large amount of death energy surged into Frostmourne, completely erasing the traces left by the Dreadlords and the Lich King.
If Arthas only knew how to use the Holy Light, he would never have been able to achieve this.
But the path he chose encompassed both light and darkness.
Although his knowledge of dark and necromantic magic was not as extensive as that of the demon lords in the Twisting Nether, the energy Arthas could wield was several grades purer than that of demons.
If his body could withstand it, his Holy Light and Death might even pose a direct threat to the Titan deities.
Titan deities were not Loa or Wild Gods born on planets.
Their immense power truly aligned with the title of "Creator," and they themselves were cosmic beings infinitely close to the primordial source.
Were it not for Sargeras's rebellion, even all the demons in the universe combined could not have threatened the Titans.
Arthas's power, in just a few seconds, completely reversed the master-servant relationship of Frostmourne.
No longer did the sword control the wielder, but the wielder wielded the sword.
However, the current Frostmourne had not yet tasted fresh souls, and its power was only slightly stronger than an epic weapon.
Moreover, in a sense, although Frostmourne was a two-handed sword, it was more suitable as a ceremonial sword than a combat weapon.
Its power lay in its control over souls and its ability to grow stronger by devouring souls, feeding that power back to the wielder.
The original Arthas, wielding this sword, almost massacred the entire population of Lordaeron and then, leading the Undead Scourge, crushed the Elf Kingdom of Quel'Thalas.
Only then did the runeblade and the infamous Death Knight, Invincible, achieve their notoriety.
However, no matter how many ordinary human souls were absorbed, the enhancement to the runeblade was very limited, as the essence of life was simply too weak.
Arthas had no desire to become a burden to Frostmourne by devouring too many weak souls.
Furthermore, because of Arthas's own high-purity death energy, he could easily convert harvested souls directly into pure energy for his own use or to strengthen Frostmourne, making crude consumption unnecessary.
However, slaughtering living beings was not his style, but this did not mean that Frostmourne's greatest use was restricted.
Instead, it would be Arthas's sharpest weapon for slaying all enemies.
One must remember that not only humans, trolls, orcs, and elves possess souls; demons, demigods, dragons, and even Titans also have souls.
Compared to the Lich King's mindless absorption of fragmented souls, Arthas's goal had long been set on something of a higher caliber.
Under Arthas's control, Frostmourne, which had shown signs of unrest, quickly quieted down.
The runes on the blade dimmed one by one, and the blue flames in the skull's eye sockets gradually extinguished.
Frostmourne acknowledged this master and would serve him.
It sensed Arthas's desire for power.
This runeblade was incredibly greedy; as long as it could be given souls, it would serve as master.