"Howling Fjord?"
Arthas's heart calmed a little… It seemed Anub'arak hadn't gone mad, at least he hadn't ignored his advice and dug towards Storm Peaks.
If something had been dug up in Howling Fjord, Arthas probably had a guess.
"Go on."
Lothar recalled Anub'arak's words and explained, "The Crypt Fiends responsible for digging, while excavating an underground passage to Baelgun's Excavation, passed through an ancient citadel as tall and majestic as a mountain. It was empty, but the items, decorations, and other furnishings inside were as good as new.
Anub'arak said that the citadel was originally the capital of the ancient Vrykul, but for some unknown reason, they seemed to have vanished overnight. All living beings in the citadel disappeared, yet the wine glasses they left behind even still contained wine.
Until… the Crypt Fiends dug into the Vrykul's 'graveyard,' where thousands of Vrykul were buried."
Lothar paused for a moment, then continued, "Perhaps 'graveyard' isn't the most accurate term, because our Necromancers discovered that most of the Vrykul there still showed signs of life. They seemed to be in a deep slumber, not dead."
The soul fire in Arthas's eye sockets flickered continuously, his voice seeming to resonate directly from all corners of the space, "So, there are Vrykul who have died?"
Lothar nodded, "That's right, they seemed to have fallen into slumber under the influence of some ancient magic. For some, the magic on their bodies had worn off after a long time, so they couldn't continue their slumber and instead aged and died."
The Vrykul's underground tomb… it must have been King Ymiron's decision after facing the continuous weakening of the Flesh Curse. He never expected it to be dug up by Anub'arak. Although the timing wasn't ideal, it was still a "small gift" for the Undead Scourge.
The slumbering Vrykul were defenseless. Under the magical restrictions, they couldn't even wake up on their own. There were even unluckier ones whose protective magic had disappeared, but the sleeping curse hadn't, causing them to die of old age directly in their sleep.
But it must be said, Ymiron's method still preserved most of the Vrykul's vital forces. However, the thing this king regretted most was that his wife also perished in this slumber. He deeply loved his wife; when he was killed on the throne at the pinnacle of Utgarde Keep, he still wore a pendant commemorating his wife.
He was a devoted Vrykul, and also an iron-blooded tyrant. He forced his people to kill the "fragile" infants afflicted by the Flesh Curse; these infants were the ancestors of humans. Their parents, unable to bear killing their newborn children, had some quietly leave the Vrykul kingdom.
Therefore, Ymiron's actions actually led to the formation of humanity, but he was indeed a tyrant. He even joined the Lich King's ranks with his people for power and to resurrect his deceased wife, hoping to resist the Old Gods' Flesh Curse.
The Vrykul are an aggressive presence towards any race outside their own. However, for the current Scourge, they are excellent fresh recruits.
Arthas's tone was flat, even cold, "Have the Necromancers try to resurrect those deceased Vrykul and see if they are useful."
Lothar hesitated for a moment and replied, "Actually, they've already tried. The souls of those dead Vrykul have long since withered or departed. We can't get powerful warriors from them; they can only be resurrected as low-level Undead, a bit stronger than ordinary Skeletons and Ghouls."
The Vrykul are naturally tall, their bodies like half-giants to most existing races in Azeroth. Undead resurrected from their corpses are slightly stronger than other creatures, but compared to Death Knights, Liches, or other high-level Undead, they are only low-level Undead.
This was no different from what Arthas initially thought. In fact, the powerful essence of the Undead is their souls. A soulless body, even if resurrected, is merely a puppet-like low-level Undead.
"Then… study the Vrykul who are still alive."
"This…" Lothar's expression was hesitant; he seemed to have some reservations, "Arthas, is this really alright? Even if we are Undead, taking the lives of innocent living beings is ultimately not a good thing. It will sow hatred between the living and us."
Lothar had long realized that ever since he became Undead, his feelings towards the living had become increasingly faint. So, he used exaggerated language and humorous expressions to prevent himself from completely alienating the world of the living.
However, Undead are Undead after all. Some things cannot be changed by personality and habit. That something is called instinct, just as living people eat and drink. Even if he consciously restrains it, he cannot change it.
This approach, on the contrary, made him feel uncomfortable and also made him question his own existence to some extent. Sometimes, he also had questions about Arthas—because he was clearly a living person, yet most of the time, he appeared even colder than himself.
Anduin Lothar was dead, but the justice and knightly ideals he upheld did not dissipate with him. This was also why he became very troubled and conflicted when resurrecting other Undead.
He worried that his indifference towards the living would one day become even more terrifying, just as people don't care about the life and death of ants. The most terrifying emotion in the world is not hatred, but absolute indifference.
Arthas sighed. He had already suppressed the hatred of most high-level Undead towards the living, but this indifference towards the living could not be eliminated.
Without this indifference, they couldn't even become Undead, because they existed in two different worlds from the living. Undead, due to the alteration and enhancement of their soul essence, also have their emotions affected.
Lothar's concerns were not unfounded. He worried that he, Arthas, and the entire Undead Scourge would one day lose control of their instincts and launch a full-scale attack on the world of the living.
"Sir Lothar, I understand your thoughts, but if we don't seek opportunities, then the existence of Icecrown Citadel will be meaningless," Arthas's voice entered Lothar's ears, "I will not easily take the lives of innocent individuals to strengthen our power, but the Vrykul are different; they will actively seek the Lich King's blessing… I am merely giving them an opportunity in advance.
Awaken them; they will give you the answers you seek. Life has its imperfections, and so does death."