The news from Kel'Thuzad didn't shock Arthas much; the Ogres of Blade's Edge Mountains were indeed a force to be reckoned with, but it was virtually impossible for them to rise rapidly with apexis crystals.
Their primary reliance now was still the Dragonkiller Gruul and his offspring; these Gronn were the real reason the Ogres of Blade's Edge Mountains ran rampant.
Gronn themselves were extremely difficult to deal with, and coupled with a group of Ogres accompanying them, nothing foolish dared to provoke them in the entire Blade's Edge Mountains.
Even Sinestra, backed by Deathwing, didn't gain any advantage over these guys; instead, the Black Dragonflight suffered heavy losses, and ultimately, Deathwing himself had to fight Gruul, only to fall into Khadgar's trap, getting 'disarmed' and fleeing in disarray.
Although Gruul was already outmatched when directly confronting Deathwing, he was at least not a character that the mad Black Dragon could easily manipulate; being able to hold on for a while was already commendable, which is why Arthas was so curious about the Gronn.
Aside from some equally reckless orcs who wanted to defeat Gronn to prove their strength, most people's first thought upon seeing a Gronn was usually to run away.
However, the Scourge entered Blade's Edge Mountains specifically for the Black Dragons and Gronn, and what Arthas found most regrettable was that Draenor had been torn apart by Ner'zhul's teleportation magic, causing the demise of those creatures and legacies that could truly be traced back to the world's origin.
"Magron and Primal Thornbeast are probably very difficult to find; I hope these Gronn have some value for use."
Arthas didn't dwell much on the matters of Outland; if Lothar and Kel'Thuzad couldn't even handle this much, then the Scourge had no reason to exist.
In other words, in this world, whether dead or alive, could there be a more efficient "agency" than the Scourge?
It's just that the current Scourge couldn't run around openly like the knights of a certain "Black Wind Stronghold"; otherwise, many problems could be easily solved. There needed to be an opportunity for the Scourge to have a "reason" to appear before the world.
He didn't expect everyone to fully understand the Scourge's existence, but at least the Scourge's existence had to be known and implicitly accepted; at least people needed to know that the Scourge was not their enemy now, but an ally.
Unfortunately, the Worgen problem couldn't be solved by the Scourge alone; otherwise, Arthas would have had Kel'Thuzad lead people to erect a dark sky curtain at the border of Silverpine Forest and Gilneas Peninsula.
If that were the case, the number of Worgen would likely be completely uncontrollable, and it could only be solved by the simplest and most direct method.
But the result might be that another human kingdom in this world would be destroyed.
Tyrande and Malfurion had already arrived in Silverpine Forest. After a brief encounter with Arthas, they knew the situation was urgent and immediately led their team into the Gilneas woodlands to first resolve the problem of Shaladrassil.
Only by sealing the portal through which the Worgen entered the real plane could the uncontrollable Worgen curse be truly eradicated.
These Worgen had been sealed beneath the Sacred Tree for thousands of years; even though they were in slumber, the uncontrolled wild power was still infecting their sleeping place.
Shaladrassil endured this influence, but it was not entirely without damage to itself; from the withered state of Blackwald Forest in reality, one could tell that the influence of this wild curse had actually spread long ago.
It was just that in the dream, the peaceful essence of nature prevailed, but when reflected in the real plane, the situation was different.
Liam and Rona were overly worried, so Arthas had them return to Gilneas with Tyrande and Malfurion.
In the Night Elves' team, their safety was not a concern, which also lightened Arthas's burden a bit.
"Master, our people are ready," Liadrin pulled open the curtain and walked into the command room.
"Have everyone advance towards Greymane Wall from the routes we've secured."
The Lordaeron forces actually didn't need to engage the Worgen directly; the Night Elves were the key to solving the problem here. They were merely a backup, preventing any unforeseen incidents.
...
"King Genn, thank the Holy Light, you are finally awake!" Krennan stood by the bed in the secret room, still holding an unused potion.
"Uh... Krennan?" Genn rubbed his still dizzy and aching head, seemingly puzzled why Krennan was by his side. "Where am I?"
"You're in the underground secret room of the Royal Gardens," Krennan gave a wry smile. "You've been unconscious for many days."
"Unconscious, how—" Genn was about to ask what happened, but then he saw that the arm he was using to support his forehead was covered in grayish-white mane, and his hands, which had already grown sharp claws, gleamed with a cold light.
Krennan sighed, "Your Majesty, your mind is still clear, but I don't know how to conceal this appearance."
"This, how is this possible?!" Genn suddenly sprang from the bed, nearly bumping into Krennan. He looked down at his naked upper body, no longer resembling a human in the slightest, having completely transformed into a Worgen.
"The injuries caused by the Worgen seem to carry a curse that turns the injured into their kind—many people in Gilneas City have already shown such symptoms, and even those who haven't fully transformed into Worgen still have the ability to transmit it."
Krennan truthfully reported the current situation in Gilneas City, which was indeed grim.
"Damn it, how could this happen!" King Genn suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of anger within him, and the angrier he became, the more prominent his claws and fangs became, while his grayish-white fur stood on end.
Krennan was greatly alarmed by this and quickly said, "Your Majesty, please do not get angry! Anger will only make this transformation even more irreversible!"
Genn, hearing this, felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him. Having been in politics for decades, he could almost always control his emotions. After forcefully suppressing the anger in his heart, Genn took several deep breaths before finally calming down completely.
However, the King's tone remained terribly low, "Tell me, what exactly is the situation?"
Krennan hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Please, Your Majesty, you must control your emotions. If you lose your sanity again in your Worgen state, you might never regain consciousness."
"You don't need to tell me that. Are Tess and Rona alright? I didn't hurt them, did I?!"
"Of course not, Your Majesty. Your will overcame the curse, preventing you from completely losing control, but the intense mental clash also caused you to faint. After the Princess and Queen discovered you, they immediately had me bring you here for treatment."
"That's good... Has anyone else seen me in this state?"
Krennan shook his head, "Besides me, only the Princess and Queen know. Even the guards are unaware; they only think you've fallen ill."
Genn generally understood what had happened after he fainted, but then he suddenly remembered what Krennan had mentioned, "You said others in the city have already turned into Worgen?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, but strangely, it's not just the injured who have turned into Worgen. There are also some people who have no wounds, but they are still beginning to transform into Worgen. And then there are the wild Worgen, who have also appeared in the city, and the guards have captured a few."
Genn nodded, "First, have Tess and Rona come to see me."
Krennan immediately went to find Princess Tess and Queen Rona, and upon receiving the news, Genn's wife and daughter also rushed to the secret room as quickly as possible.
Tess, seeing her father awake, didn't care that Genn was still in his Worgen form and hugged him directly.
"Father... I thought... I thought you were like those others..."
Tess's voice began to choke up. In the past few days, she had witnessed too many tragedies caused by people turning into Worgen. She was truly worried that her father would also become such a monster.
After hearing Krennan say that Genn still retained his sanity, Tess and Rona, despite the matters they were still handling, immediately rushed to the secret room to visit Genn.
Genn wanted to pat Tess's head, but when he saw his terrifying claws, he hesitated.
"I'm fine, child. Rather, this strange appearance makes me feel like I have endless strength, as if... as if I've become decades younger."
What Genn said was indeed true. Although the Worgen curse had stripped him of his human appearance, it also made his body transcend that of a normal human, allowing him to once again feel the state he was in when he was young.
However, as the King of Gilneas, being in this state made it impossible to gain the trust of the populace. Coupled with the continuous reports of citizens being harmed by Worgen in the darkness of the city, Genn realized that this could not continue.
"Has Liam returned?"
"Liam hasn't returned yet..." Queen Rona also walked to Genn's side. "But you don't need to worry; Prince Arthas of Lordaeron sent us a message. Liam is with him and is very safe."
"Liam went hunting with Father, and it resulted in Father turning into this! When he returns, I'm definitely going to give him a good scolding!" Tess got angry at the mention of Liam's name. Although she usually respected her brother, this time, she was truly upset.
"Your brother is not at fault. I can feel it... If he hadn't gone deep into Blackwald Forest with that child Arthas, I probably wouldn't even be able to maintain my sanity right now." Genn shook his head; transforming into a Worgen had made him understand some things.
The old King then turned to Krennan and said, "Thank you for your medicine, old friend. I was able to retain my last bit of humanity, and your help was indispensable—by the way, is this medicine effective for other victims?"
"You are too kind, Your Majesty. As for the potion... I cannot guarantee it will work for everyone. This potion is still incomplete, and without strong willpower, it would likely be difficult for it to be effective." Krennan's expression was bitter. After all, he wasn't a god, nor was he making a divine medicine. The current potion was still missing a very important factor, but he didn't know where the problem lay.
"Then let's leave it at that for now... I can't be seen in this state. Rona, I ask that you personally bring the official documents and matters that need to be handled to me here; Tess, stay with your mother until your brother returns."