On an island off the northwest coast of Blackshore, Kalimdor.
A figure in a large cloak came ashore from one side of the small island, laboriously dragging the small boat he had been riding onto the beach.
This small boat clearly seemed unlikely to carry a person across the choppy ocean, and there was no visible land or other boats around, so it was unknown how this person had reached the island.
After securing his boat, he walked towards the dense forest on the island; it was already quite dark, and he pushed aside thorns and bushes with one hand, while the other hand emitted a faint glow.
After he emerged from the jungle, the light in his hand dissipated, and the soft moonlight scattered across the island, making it appear exceptionally serene and peaceful.
This was a secluded paradise undisturbed by anyone—at least for now.
The cloaked figure removed his hood, revealing a pale, lifeless face, with neatly combed, ash-white hair.
—Alonsus Faol, the Archbishop who had long left the Eastern Kingdoms, had surprisingly appeared on a small island in Kalimdor.
The Archbishop quickly settled down on a high ground near the coast, building a small hut for himself, seemingly intending to stay there for a long time.
After being pulled from his cold grave by Arthas, Faol experienced an entirely different existence as an undead compared to a living being.
Now he felt no thirst, no fatigue, no hunger; if not for his no longer warm body and somewhat dulled emotions and senses, Faol might have considered this a "perfect state."
Arthas had reshaped the body of this Holy Light mentor with the power of death; such a high-level undead state was indeed no worse than any living being, and in some sense, even far superior.
However, such a state would cause fear and repulsion in the living; not everyone could accept such an existence in the world, regardless of right or wrong, it was simply the instinct of the living.
Of course, this was not a problem for Faol to ponder or concern himself with; the spokesman of the Holy Light only knew one thing: since he could return to the world, there must still be things he needed to do.
Immortal life would not bring joy to Faol, nor would an ageless body shake his devout faith.
So he temporarily declined Arthas's invitation, following the revelation given to him by the Holy Light, and came to this island located northwest of the Kalimdor mainland.
The Archbishop did not abuse his power; he still built his hut with his own hands like an ordinary person, keeping everything meticulously organized, as if he were just a regular individual.
And his daily meditation allowed him to perceive the name of the island from the thoughts of the creatures living on it.
Azuremyst Isle.
A very pleasant name, a secret island hidden in the blue sea, and judging from the language, it seemed to be named in ancient Elven, which means the history of this island might be very ancient.
Living on the high ground by the coast, Faol's daily activities involved observing every plant and creature on the small island, as well as their activities, to hone his understanding of the Holy Light.
Until some time later, the Holy Light showed him a vision.
His vision was infinitely elevated, like an eagle in the sky, looking down upon the entire land.
The light green fields, sparse bushes, and ancient-looking stone circles of various shapes quickly made Faol realize that this was the birthplace of humanity, Arathi Highlands.
Why would the Holy Light show me such a scene?
As Faol wondered, his vision suddenly zoomed in, and he saw a human being attacked by a dozen trolls.
Faol initially thought the human was doomed, but the outcome surprised even the Archbishop: the human actually defeated the dozen trolls through sheer bravery.
—This was a warrior.
But his blurred face prevented Faol from knowing who this warrior, who had single-handedly defeated a dozen trolls, truly was, and his attire was ordinary, without any identifying marks.
This was actually quite strange; in the Eastern Kingdoms, a human capable of single-handedly defeating a dozen trolls would certainly not be unknown. In other words, it would be even stranger for them not to have marks indicating their status and honor.
However, Faol still didn't know why the Holy Light would show him such a scene.
Anyone could see that although he had defeated the dozen trolls, the human himself was severely wounded and was about to die. Even though Faol felt some pity, he was far away on a remote island in Kalimdor and could not rescue the warrior at all.
Moreover, even if he were currently in Arathi Highlands, he wouldn't know whether this was a past event or a premonition of the future, and even finding this featureless location would be a challenge.
But soon, Faol understood the Holy Light's intention.
Because he saw a familiar person—or rather, a being that could not be called a person.
Faol had traveled almost the entire Eastern Kingdoms in his life, seeing countless different kinds of people, among them the most despicable criminals, the most arrogant nobles, the wisest kings, and the noblest saints.
Of course, most people drifted in "ordinariness," without such striking characteristics.
The Holy Light granted Faol the ability to see into people's souls, but he rarely used this power to arbitrarily observe others, as it was inherently an act of transgression and disrespect.
Only with the consent of the person involved would Faol use the Holy Light to observe others.
And after his resurrection, this ability not only didn't disappear but was significantly strengthened, to the point where he couldn't control it very well in the period immediately after he awoke.
He was thus "forced" to see the "essence" of many people.
Among them were ordinary mortals, as well as devout believers like Paladins and Priests, and even a few nobles, but no matter who they were, even the famous paladin Tirion Fordring, their souls would still not deviate from the essence of mortals.
But there was one exception.
That was Arthas Menethil.
When he rose from the grave, the first person Faol saw was Arthas; he even thought his eyes were malfunctioning at the time, but after seeing Lothar and Tirion beside him, he realized that it wasn't him who was abnormal, but Arthas.
In this young paladin, whom he had personally consecrated, he could not see a soul or essence; he could only see endless Holy Light.
It was as if Arthas himself was the embodiment of the Holy Light, rather than a mortal of flesh and blood.
Faol was surprised, and impressed, but most of all, he was confused and questioned.
The Archbishop, of course, knew that any power in this world, if overused, would have its harms, even the gentle Holy Light was no exception, so Alonsus Faol always used his power cautiously and carefully.
But Arthas made Faol truly feel that he was as if power itself.
Faol, in his past, didn't know these things; he merely thought Arthas was an excellent paladin and an outstanding Prince.
But after gaining a second life, Faol began to ponder more things; he trusted Arthas not because he was superstitious about the Light, but because he believed in Arthas's character.
Witnessing Arthas master the power of death further affirmed Faol's thoughts.
It's not power driving the person, but the person wielding the power, which is enough to show that Arthas's character is still trustworthy and admirable.
And now, Arthas appeared again in the revelation given to Faol by the Light, making Faol suddenly curious about what Arthas had done to make the Light 'specifically' convey it to him.
Faol saw Arthas walk down the slope to a dying warrior; in Arthas's hand, radiant golden light bands continuously condensed, and the vast Light began to pour into the warrior's body.
Faol also heard Arthas's whisper.
"You once forgot kinship, justice, dignity, and faith, becoming a ruthless executioner, an attempted patricide."
"Power and fame blinded your eyes, making you associate with mad jackals."
"Your actions are unforgivable; your past is already dark."
"However, death is not a path to absolution, nor is forgetting a reason to escape."
"The Light will not wash away your sins, but it can give you a chance for atonement."
"Where there is power, there is hope."
"Awaken, Galen the Atoner."
… …
After silently observing Arthas's actions, Faol's heart felt clear; he saw countless Lights surge into Galen's body, mending his broken form, flesh regenerating, soul purifying.
As the shining Light descended, the scene Faol could see interrupted; when a new scene appeared, Galen was restored to his original state, and Arthas was nowhere to be seen.
This atoning man suddenly opened his eyes, the Light flashing through his pupils, dyeing them golden.
He looked at his restored body with some disbelief, and the memories that returned to his mind made Galen even more tormented.
— He was no longer the Prince of Stromgarde, nor a descendant of Trollbane; he had disgraced this great surname and shamed his father.
The Light cleansed the dark thoughts within Galen's heart; he suddenly burst into tears, as if returning to his naive youth.
He had been blinded by power and fame, making him arrogantly believe he could replace his father, but after regaining consciousness, he found that without his father, he was nothing.
For the throne, he had also killed the soldiers of Stromgarde, who had shed blood and given their lives to defend Stromgarde; a king who murdered his own people was absolutely unqualified.
Galen only now began to understand why his father had delayed passing the throne to him.
He once thought his father looked down on him, wanting to wait for his elder brother Danath to return; he once thought his own merits were insufficient to satisfy his father.
But, he was wrong; even when he tried to harm his father, Thoras still did not strike down his child but gave him a way out.
Galen's immaturity was why Thoras did not entrust Stromgarde to him.
The Light indeed did not wash away his sins, but it made Galen understand from this moment that the rest of his life would be a long road of atonement.
Faol sighed here, knowing why the Light wanted him to see this scene.
Galen, tormented by his inner struggles and pain, also heard a calm and peaceful voice at this moment, "My child, go south, to Minas Hill, board a ship bound for Kalimdor; the Light will guide your future path."
Soon, the voice disappeared, but Galen miraculously found that his tormented mind finally calmed down; the voice, while giving him direction, soothed his pain.
Galen pursed his lips, recovering from his despondency; he picked up his long sword, then rummaged through the troll's body for some food humans could barely eat, his gaze firm, and following the guidance Faol gave him, he embarked on his path of atonement.
And Faol also emerged from this illusion; after calming down, he began to recall Galen's transformation.
In a sense, Galen was indeed already dead; although the Light could heal injuries, in situations like severe blood loss, even if external wounds were healed, it couldn't replenish the blood the injured person had lost.
Whether he could survive at that point depended entirely on the injured person's fate, but Arthas used the Light as energy, replacing the blood Galen had lost; this energy mixed with Galen's blood, flowing through his body, subtly beginning to change Galen's constitution.
Such methods and concepts were extremely novel; even Faol, who had been immersed in the way of the Light for decades, had never heard of them.
Perhaps this is precisely where Arthas differs from the believers in the Church of Light; he doesn't treat the Light as a belief, but rather he is the Light itself, allowing him to unleash the true power of the Light.
Galen is not yet aware that his body is vastly different from before, because there is not enough Light in him yet, but as a Lightforged, Galen will soon automatically attract and gather more Light.
This Light will transform Galen's body, making his body far surpass that of mortals, and he will also be able to wield the Light as a means of attack and defense.
This is completely different from Paladins and Priests who rely on faith and prayers to summon the Light for protection; if the latter are like people who can only make fire with a match or flint, then the former is the flame itself.
Galen cannot strengthen his control over the Light by honing his faith and will like a believer, but he can naturally absorb the Light until he reaches his body's limit.
And this power comes from Arthas; as long as Arthas still recognizes his existence, the changes in Galen will never disappear, and Faol can even imagine that if the Light replaces most of Galen's organs and blood, perhaps he will be free from the limitations of aging and lifespan.
However, longevity and immortality are not a blessing for someone who knows they are guilty; instead, they are more like a punishment, at least for a considerable period in the future, Galen will be tormented by the sins he once committed.
This is also why Arthas refers to him as the "Atoner."
Galen lost the Trollbane surname, and now "Atoner" is both his surname and his title.
Galen's fate and transformation made Faol feel regret and surprise, but Arthas's miraculous ability made Faol even more curious: although Galen became a "Lightforged" after being infused with the Light, perhaps this method could open new doors for some people abandoned by the Light.