The old lich Meryl Winterwind, holding an ancient staff, stepped out of Aegwynn's portal, his robe rustling. He looked around at his surroundings, sighed, and said, "What is so urgent, little Aegwynn? You know Karazhan isn't a good place for me."
"It's not a problem for now. I've driven out the demons that were occupying the tower and regained control. This place won't be affected by the Twisting Nether for a while," Aegwynn said with certainty. "If that Dreadlords dares to escape from your body, I'll show him who's boss in my mage tower."
"Unfortunately, you can't kill him," Meryl chuckled helplessly. He didn't doubt Aegwynn could beat Kas'athir soundly, but the difficulty with Dreadlords was that they always had a way to escape. "I'll become very weak after releasing that fellow and won't be of much help; instead, I'll become a burden."
"Alright, alright, I know the Dreadlords inside you is a lot of trouble," Aegwynn waved her hand. She and Meryl had known each other for more than just a year or two, and Meryl was one of the few friends she could truly talk to. "I should still thank you for helping me retrieve Medivh's soul; otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here now."
"It was no trouble at all," Meryl had "lived" for over three thousand years and had found many forbidden pieces of knowledge from Kas'athir. He was already a master among human mages, reaching the pinnacle of his art, but his temperament was completely opposite to Aegwynn's, remaining very humble. "You said you have a way to deal with the Dreadlords; you're not referring to using Karazhan's power, are you?"
"Of course not, Meryl," Aegwynn led Meryl to the front hall of Karazhan, where the undead butler Moros was entertaining three guests of the tower under his old mistress's instructions. "Come with me."
The two quickly used teleportation magic to arrive in the grand hall. This banquet hall was now very spacious. Aegwynn looked around and asked Moros curiously, "Where are those specters?"
Moros stooped, the decaying undead skin on his body even revealing some stark white bones, but his butler's uniform looked as good as new. "Respected old mistress, those lingering souls were somewhat afraid of the sword in Sir Lothar's hand, so they left first."
Meryl was stunned by this. "A group of ghosts afraid of a sword?"
Emperor Thoradin's sword, Trollbane, could also strike fear into the hearts of trolls, but that was due to the Emperor's reputation forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Furthermore, the undead were inherently insensitive to emotions like fear. What kind of sword could make even the undead feel afraid?
It wasn't until the old lich saw the greatsword Lothar had set aside that his expression first became incredibly shocked, and then as if facing a formidable enemy. "Apocalypse? Wasn't this sword sealed by you?"
Aegwynn had also suffered at the hands of this sword, and Meryl had thought Aegwynn had long since sealed it away, but he never expected it to appear here now.
If it were Meryl a magic sword, Meryl wouldn't have been so shocked. He was a mage; even if he couldn't win, he could find a way to escape. But the problem was that the soul of this sword's former master—the Dreadlords Kas'athir—was sealed within Meryl's body.
Sure enough, upon sensing the aura of Apocalypse, Meryl noticed that the demonic soul he had suppressed with magic had become active again. Meryl once again heard the whispers, like a demon in his heart.
"Ah ha ha ha… Apocalypse, Meryl, aren't you a smart man? How could you be so foolish as to walk into a trap?"
"Shut up, demon! Even with that sword, you won't escape," Meryl roared, simultaneously casting several anti-demon wards, attempting to suppress Kas'athir's awakening.
If he didn't know that Aegwynn would never side with demons, he would have even thought Aegwynn had deliberately set a trap for him to fall into. Fortunately, Aegwynn also noticed the change in Meryl's state, and she immediately acted to reinforce the demonic seal on Meryl.
"Lady Aegwynn? Can I help with anything?" Jaina Proudmoore watched the two mages bustling about and felt that sitting there drinking tea seemed a bit out of place.
"It's fine, this demon can't cause any trouble for now," Aegwynn said confidently and decisively, gripping Atiesh. "And even if he escapes, I can suppress him at any time. A demon without a physical body, only a soul remaining, is nothing in my mage tower."
"I see you're completely disregarding my old bones," Meryl said, caught between laughter and tears. Aegwynn could defeat Kas'athir, but without a physical body, that demon would definitely try to seize control of his body. "Are you planning to dismantle my skeleton along with him?"
After complaining to Aegwynn for a moment, Meryl turned to look at Lothar and Arthas, his expression becoming serious. "So these are the helpers Aegwynn found… I know you, Jaina Proudmoore, Arthas Menethil, and… Anduin Lothar, you've become undead too? Well, it seems some extraordinary events have occurred during my seclusion."
"It's good to see you, Master Meryl," Arthas smiled. "I believe you've already guessed what we intend to do?"
Meryl was silent for a moment, then glanced at Apocalypse, sighing. "Kas'athir was once the master of Apocalypse, but that sword has now chosen a new master. Kas'athir's control over Apocalypse has been weakened. Although I don't know how you managed it, trying to lure him out with this sword is still a bit risky. If Kas'athir has some hidden trump card, we won't be able to seal him again."
"Don't worry, this is Karazhan, and Lothar will also contend with Kas'athir for control of Apocalypse. This is already the best-case scenario," Aegwynn saw Meryl's anxiety, but just as she said, if they couldn't eliminate Kas'athir today, they probably wouldn't have another chance in the future. "You don't want to bear this risk indefinitely, do you?"
"Alright, alright," Meryl nodded. He also knew that the Burning Legion was showing signs of a resurgence, and the Dreadlords within him was always like a ticking time bomb, liable to explode at any moment. Rather than waiting until he couldn't hold on any longer and was forced to face Kas'athir, it was better to strike first.
Seeing Meryl agree, Aegwynn also breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid her old friend would be stubborn and unwilling to let them take risks. Fortunately, Meryl was a bit "old" in age, but not yet an old fuddy-duddy.
"But we must also be fully prepared. Even if only a soul remains, Kas'athir is by no means an ordinary demon, not even an ordinary Dreadlords," Meryl said in a deep voice. He didn't want his actions to result in the deaths of the heirs to two kingdoms, as well as Lothar and Aegwynn, here.
As Arthas watched Meryl and Aegwynn prepare, a voice suddenly came from Frostmourne. "This old mage is truly cautious, but that fool Kas'athir, after being gone for so long, I thought he was truly dead. Turns out he just fell into a ditch here."
"If he wasn't cautious, how could Kas'athir have been controlled by him for so long? Alright, Varimathras, stop talking nonsense. You surely want your friend to join you, don't you?" Arthas's mental voice also echoed in half of Varimathras's soul.
"Naturally, my respected master. Kas'athir will surely love his new home, I swear."
Meryl stood with his staff in the center of the magic circle constructed by Aegwynn.
He looked around the circle, "This way, little Aegwynn, we still need to add an anti-demon rune here, um... let's use a different type, the thirteenth category from Archmage Akor's anti-demon spellbook from five hundred thirty-seven years ago.
That one is quite obscure, so Kas'athir won't find its weakness and destroy it entirely."
Aegwynn wiped the sweat from her forehead, "I understand.
Aren't you being a bit too cautious?
I've already used seventy-three different anti-demon spells."
Jaina was helping nearby, and hearing the two mages' conversation left her speechless—they had used seventy-three types of anti-demon spells alone, not to mention countless other chaotic spells like suppression runes, anti-fel runes, and mind resistance enhancement spells.
Most of these Jaina had never even heard of, not knowing which era they belonged to.
It was no wonder Meryl was so cautious; Kas'athir had been sealed within him for many years.
While Meryl could acquire Kas'athir's knowledge, Kas'athir could also probe some of Meryl's memories.
Meryl could be said to be the one who understood Kas'athir the most, but Kas'athir was equally the demon who understood Meryl the most.
The two of them thus held each other in check; without external interference, neither could do anything to the other.
To break this balance, no ordinary external force would suffice.
If Aegwynn and Arthas weren't here today, Meryl would never have dared to agree to expel Kas'athir.
Arthas couldn't interfere with the arrangement of the magic circle.
He and Lothar stood aside, ready to "physically" suppress the rampaging demon if something went wrong and it lost control.
"I think this might be overkill," Lothar said, looking somewhat dazed at the magnificent grand magic circle before him.
"This could probably suppress even a summoned demon Legion."
"Indeed," Arthas agreed wholeheartedly, "but Meryl's situation is special.
He can now be said to be an undead, but his soul has demonic characteristics.
This is the result of suppressing a Nathrezim for such a long time."
"Both undead and demon?" Lothar's hand brushed over the hilt of his Apocalypse.
Only after acquiring a suitable weapon would one cherish it so much.
"I mean, why is this old Lich so strange?
He has existed for three thousand years, yet he has never taken that final step."
Meryl used special death magic to transform himself into an undead, granting him near-infinite life and an undying body.
Furthermore, due to his powerful magical abilities, the moment he became undead, he already became a being similar to a Lich.
The unfortunate thing was that he hadn't taken that final step—although not only floating skeletal appearances like Kel'Thuzad's could be called a Lich, Meryl was indeed one step away from being this special type of undead.
And this step was precisely the key.
Meryl had a body that met the conditions of a Lich, possessed the knowledge and magical power sufficient to transform into a Lich, and might even have obtained the final ritual from Kas'athir.
However, he lacked a soul capable of becoming a Lich, because his soul was corrupted by a demon.
Nathrezim were not demons born in the Twisting Nether, but after mingling in the Twisting Nether and with the Burning Legion for so many years, they had long acquired characteristics indistinguishable from demons.
Necromancy could not transform demons into undead; they belonged to another origin.
Arthas had his Liches and Necromancers research Mannoroth's corpse day and night, even having them summon other types of demons from the Twisting Nether for study.
However, the Necromantic spells that could affect other creatures, even resurrecting loa, were unable to animate demons.
Forcibly resurrected demons were Meryl empty shells; their demonic souls could not be compatible with bodies infused with Necromantic power.
To this day, no matter how the Scourge's researchers improved the spells, they could never complete this final step; demon undead remained half-finished, even worse than Abominations.
At least Abominations still had their own souls and thoughts, though simple and chaotic, they could still act on their own and accept commands.
But demons could only be made into remotely controlled puppets; once the connection was severed, they would cease to function.
Arthas's control over death power had reached a certain height.
He saw further than ordinary Necromancers.
Demonic souls were born in the Twisting Nether; that place was different from the physical plane, and perhaps the reason why demonic souls could not be resurrected by Necromancy was hidden there, but it could not be found yet.
Meryl was also constrained by Kas'athir, unable to transform into a true Lich, but perhaps this mage had never even considered transforming into such an undead creature, as most mages in Azeroth viewed Necromancy as highly unorthodox.
"Are you ready, Meryl?
The combined capacity of the magic circle has reached its limit; adding new auxiliary components will cause the circle to become unbalanced."
Aegwynn looked at Meryl, awaiting the signal for the ritual to begin.
"Actually, I have nothing to prepare," Meryl's gaunt face revealed a slightly unsettling smile.
"Just one last thing to say: if Kas'athir takes over my body, then don't worry about me, just annihilate him... begin."
Aegwynn nodded, then turned to Jaina, "Connect to the magic circle with your Arcane power and force Kas'athir out."
Jaina and Aegwynn simultaneously poured vast amounts of Arcane power into the Arcane magic circle.
A brilliant blue-purple light illuminated the runes one by one.
Filled with magic, the instantly formed runes simultaneously pressed around Meryl.
The old Lich grunted, his body, leaning on his staff, hunched even more.
His contact with Kas'athir's demonic soul was too deep, and the anti-demon spells also affected him.
Jaina saw Meryl's expression and said to Aegwynn with some uncertainty, "Master Meryl doesn't look too good, should we continue?"
"Continue.
Once the ritual has begun, there's no turning back.
Stopping now would only weaken Meryl and give Kas'athir an opportunity."
Aegwynn had seen far more trials and tribulations than Jaina.
Although she was also concerned for Meryl's safety, this matter had to be done; otherwise, a person possessed by a demon could not pass on the legacy of the Tirisfal Council to Jaina.
"It's our turn," Arthas also noticed Meryl's poor condition.
It seemed Kas'athir's corruption of Meryl was deeper than he had imagined.
"Stabilize Meryl's undead body; fel power cannot cross death."
Lothar took a deep breath, slung Apocalypse onto his back, and began to draw in the chilling death power from around him.
He was actually a bit apprehensive.
Although he had become a Death Knight, his mastery of magical techniques was not proficient, so he operated cautiously, afraid of disturbing Jaina and Aegwynn's ritual.
Fortunately, what he had to do was not difficult, and the infusion of death power had not yet reached a level that would affect the stability of the ritual.
Instead, Meryl's condition improved significantly; the painful expression gradually disappeared from his face, and his undead body became more stable.
Arthas was not idle either.
He carved runes of condensed Holy Light into the surrounding void, completely blocking Kas'athir's channels for communicating with the Twisting Nether to acquire fel and shadow power.
Frostmourne also shot out at his will, stopping directly above Meryl's head.
"Damn mortals!
You won't succeed!"
A dark demonic shadow erupted violently from the center of Meryl's spine—it was the soul of the Dreadlords Kas'athir!
Meryl's body instantly hunched under the demon's immense pressure, unable to bear it, and one of his knees heavily hit the ground.
Lothar's eyes sharpened, and regardless of whether it would affect the stability of the magic circle, he increased the output of Death's Power. He noticed that Meryl's Undead Body had become extremely unstable, and with a slight mishap, Kas'athir might destroy his body.
A human soul without a body cannot contend with a Dreadlords. Even if Arthas, the Lich King, stood by Meryl's side, he could only help him with the aftermath, annihilating the Dreadlords and Meryl's consumed soul into energy.
Aegwynn and Jaina immediately took countermeasures. The pre-prepared measures within the magic circle were activated one by one, and dazzling magical radiance and runes full of strange Arcane mysteries illuminated Karazhan's hall.
However, Meryl's body continued to bend uncontrollably. The soul fire in his eyes flickered erratically. The Archmage's keen magical sense let him know that his body was in an extremely delicate and dangerous balance.
While his soul and Kas'athir's soul were contending, the Arcane energy-formed exorcism magic circle intertwined with the Death Runes used by Lothar. Multiple energies within and outside his body continuously flushed, merged, or exploded like a rushing river. Had he not spent thousands of years strengthening his Undead Body, along with prior preparation and Lothar's help, he felt he would have already been shattered into pieces.
"Hold on, Meryl," Aegwynn maintained the magic circle while trying to expel Kas'athir's presence, but gradually she found that her methods were being neutralized at an extremely fast rate. The secrets of those spells were seen through, and they were rapidly dissipating.
"You wish to control me, mortal?" One of Kas'athir's arms had already been unsealed from Meryl's body. His soul, even without a body, began to solidify. His sharp claws dug deep into the ground, stabilizing his body while destroying numerous runes.
The situation of the magic circle instantly worsened. Aegwynn's expression also changed. If Kas'athir continued to cause destruction, his actions would become unstoppable.
Although a mere Dreadlords could not threaten those present, Meryl would certainly not have a good outcome.
"Death's Power... Heh heh, you mortals always like to touch forbidden powers," Kas'athir laughed wildly. Those magic runes could not completely suppress him. Meryl had, after all, miscalculated one thing.
They could indeed capture fragmented information from each other's souls. While Meryl gained some knowledge about demons and forbidden magic, Kas'athir also obtained Meryl's insights into spells.
Nathrezim are masters of lies and deception, and the confidence to perform such mediation across countless worlds comes from their mastery of dark magical arts.
It is true that Meryl had been immersed in the Arcane path for over a thousand years, even reverse-engineering the Lich ritual. However, Nathrezim accompanied the Burning Legion in conquering countless worlds. In his long and immortal life, Kas'athir was already a master of necromantic arts and dark taboos. He deliberately released some information, guiding Meryl to perform some "enhancements" on his Undead Body.
These techniques and knowledge themselves were not problematic. If Kas'athir were not inside Meryl, they would be high-level necromantic magic from the House of Rituals. However, in Maldraxxus, where conflict never ceases, if an Top performers cannot control the spread of power, those outstanding souls could very well drag you off the throne in minutes.
Although Meryl was an undead, he transformed under duress. He had never been to the "Underworld" and naturally did not know the origins of these necromantic spells. This information asymmetry gave Kas'athir the upper hand.
The old Lich became aware of the changes in his body. In the capricious energy flow, as a top-tier mage, his perception allowed him to sense that something was wrong. He quickly realized that Kas'athir had tampered with his body.
Although he still did not know how he did it, the situation was now extremely critical, and there was no time to ponder the cause and effect. Meryl knelt on one knee, using all his strength to slowly raise his hands. Then, he straightened his chest and softly chanted an ancient Sarasian phrase.
Kas'athir's plan was halfway implemented when he suddenly found his power had stopped growing. He looked down at Meryl in confusion, nearly scaring his soul out of him.
"Are you insane?! Old Lich, are you trying to die?!"
As the incantation was recited, chains of concentrated Arcane energy tightly bound Meryl's hands, their ends disappearing into the void, anchored to the root plane of Arcane Power.
And such chains also appeared on Kas'athir's hands. His previously freed right hand and newly pulled-out left hand were bound by even thicker chains, also anchored to the Arcane Plane.
Ancient and complex Elven Empire script appeared on Meryl's body. The blue-purple Arcane glow flickered, rising and falling rhythmically like breathing.
"Demon, have you ever tasted inward collapse?" Meryl's face showed a strained smile, but he was genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.
This was an extremely dangerous spell. The caster would draw energy from the Arcane Plane violently, with himself as the center, until the space around him was completely assimilated and collapsed by Arcane Power, returning to the Arcane Plane.
"You're crazy? You learned this suicidal spell too?!" Kas'athir frantically tried to break free, but chains anchored to another plane were not so easily snapped. He hadn't expected the old Lich to know such a seemingly impractical spell.
During the ancient times, the Elven Empire's magical arts flourished. Besides common magical systems, there were also some showy but impractical spells that belonged to unorthodox paths; they were either extremely dangerous and unstable, or simply theoretical concepts that no one could use.
Kas'athir might have browsed the spell Meryl was using in countless fragmented pieces of information, but he only dismissed it as an old mage's hobby. This spell was completely useless; if you could completely trap someone, why would you perform an Arcane collapse centered on yourself?
But he, of all people, became the "person" who couldn't escape. Unless he himself gave up a part of his soul, he would gradually be consumed by Arcane along with Meryl until he became pure Arcane energy!
"Watch closely, demon... Don't think that just because you've learned a few superficial tricks and know how to cleverly break spells, you can be called a mage. This is how Arcane Power is used!"
Meryl smiled and increased his magical output. Since he couldn't expel Kas'athir, then he would let him go to hell with him!
The space further collapsed under the surging energy. Blue-purple energy erupted from the cracks, almost burning Kas'athir's body. Air, sound, light, gravity—everything seemed to be replaced by the furious Arcane, continuously collapsing towards the center.
Aegwynn sighed lightly and stopped guiding her magic. Jaina, seeing this, became anxious, "Lady Aegwynn, we cannot give up! We are so close to success!"
"No... We have no other way," Aegwynn also knew Meryl's resolve. As mages, they had done their utmost. What was needed next was... power beyond mortal comprehension.
She had not given up on Meryl, but without her Guardian's Power, she was indeed at her wit's end. Aegwynn looked at Arthas; she believed Arthas had a solution to the problem.
Arthas noticed Aegwynn's gaze. He said nothing, only beckoned to Frostmourne, which was hidden in the crevices.
Frostmourne unleashed its power at its master's call; this Unholy sword, having undergone numerous enhancements, was no longer what it once was, containing power beyond ordinary comprehension.
Lothar, who was nearby, also ceased his manipulation of Death energy. As a Death Knight, he was far more sensitive to Frostmourne's power than Aegwynn and Jaina.
As the pressure from all sides gradually subsided, Kas'athir finally got a moment to breathe. He didn't have time to ponder what had happened, only desperately wanting to control Meryl's body and will, to make him stop that suicidal magic.
But soon he discovered that his magic, used to dominate others' souls and wills, had suddenly become ineffective, like stones thrown into the sea, without the slightest sound or reaction.
Continuous attempts, met with continuous failures, gave this ancient Nathrezim a hint of panic and fear for the first time.
Even when Meryl unleashed such suicidal magic, Kas'athir felt more anger than shock, because Meryl might indeed be able to destroy a part of his deeper-rooted soul, but he couldn't completely kill him. If he escaped Meryl's body, he wouldn't be able to defeat those two mages, Aegwynn and Jaina, but he could easily escape.
Kas'athir only regretted that he couldn't reclaim the Apocalypse from Lothar's hand. That weapon was a 'treasure' extremely difficult for even the Nathrezim to acquire, because they were reluctant to provoke those capable of forging such weapons.
Just as he was about to abandon a part of his soul and quickly return to the Twisting Nether to await his body's reconstruction, he discovered that the true despair was yet to come.
Meryl's originally not-so-firm seal suddenly became an impenetrable iron wall. Not only the part of his soul that had not yet broken free, but also his current half-body, were firmly nailed within the seal, completely unable to escape.
Realizing the situation was unfavorable, Kas'athir reacted quickly. Like a gecko desperate to escape, he tried to sever his own soul, but halfway through the action, he froze.
Because he sensed another Unholy sword, and the aura of another of his kin.
"Varimathras?!"
A roar erupted from the soul level. Kas'athir only then realized that another Nathrezim had been hidden beside him, and at this critical moment, he had interfered with his plan.
"You found me after all, Kas'athir," Varimathras's shadow seeped out from Frostmourne's runes. He looked at his kin, yet there was no trace of pity in his heart.
"Are you insane? Why are you helping these mortals?" Kas'athir tried to undo the restraints on him while using words to contend with Varimathras, buying himself time.
But by this point, Kas'athir truly realized that the current situation was probably vastly different from what he had imagined.
He had originally thought that a few mortals, ignorant of their limits, wanted to drive him out. Even with Aegwynn, without the Guardian's power, Aegwynn would at most be a tricky nuisance, far from rendering him helpless.
But now, Varimathras's bizarre appearance made him wonder if he had been set up by some other entity.
"Have you forgotten our oath, Varimathras? The Nathrezim do not attack their own kind; this is a shameful betrayal." Kas'athir knew these were futile words, but to gain precious time, a bit of verbal sparring was the best he could do now.
Varimathras looked at the struggling Kas'athir, his expression calm as usual, even a little amused—their race, when created, was eternally loyal to a supreme master. Who would have thought that the Nathrezim, renowned for lies, deceit, and trickery, might be the most loyal in the Burning Legion?
It was just a pity that their object of loyalty was not Sargeras.
In other words, even if the Dark Titan's power was almost unrivaled in the physical universe, that deity's might was not omnipotent; at the very least, he could not sway the will of the Nathrezim.
Because they were not originally from this universe, some methods applicable to the physical universe did not apply to them. But unfortunately, a terrifying anomaly had appeared on Azeroth.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten the mission our master gave us, Kas'athir, but you understand, such a great and noble mission always comes with sacrifice..." Varimathras spoke as if expounding on his sacred mission, but his next words made Kas'athir's eyes nearly pop out, "And you just happened to be sacrificed in this mission. Well, I'll put in a good word for you with the master."
"You?!"
Kas'athir was beyond furious. He even disregarded his potential lack of escape, brazenly launching an attack on Varimathras's remnant soul. But just as his finger was about to touch Varimathras, black chains, like winding black mist snakes, slowly crawled across his soul.
However, even with such a slow process, Kas'athir had no power to resist. He looked at Varimathras in utter horror, "Chains of Command?! You've defected to the Exiled One?!"
Commanding Power was the bane of souls; almost no soul could resist it. Perhaps a Titan soul could, but no one had ever tried.
Kas'athir was terrified to discover that Meryl's magic had long since stopped. Commanding Power was spreading to him along Meryl's soul. It was just that the rifts torn by Arcane power had not yet closed, so he hadn't noticed the decline in magic—this old man went to all this trouble to create a smokescreen for me?!
Varimathras's reply was, "No, I am Meryl trying to find a more reliable ally."
This sentence seemed to explain the answer, but Kas'athir felt that Varimathras was not referring to the Exiled One. However, he no longer had the capacity to think; the power representing "Command" was dominating his every being.
Soon, the Nathrezim lost consciousness. Frostmourne thus easily severed his connection with Meryl, swallowing his soul into the sword. Another prisoner had been added to Frostmourne.
Varimathras watched the Unholy sword devour his kin's soul, feeling both some emotion and a slight trepidation. This half of his soul had been imprisoned in the sword, and he could probably sense when Arthas had completely purged the Exiled One's mark, and even seized knowledge related to Commanding Power.
Now, he could use this ancient power with such mastery, which left Varimathras bewildered. If Commanding Power was truly so easy to obtain, their loyal master wouldn't need to spend so much effort searching for allies; he could just assume that role himself, couldn't he?
Arthas must still be hiding an even greater secret. Unfortunately, those who knew this secret were either dead or, like himself, imprisoned in Frostmourne, forced to pledge loyalty to Arthas.
After suppressing and devouring Kas'athir's soul, Arthas was also somewhat surprised. The power of Commanding Power even exceeded his expectations, virtually resolving Kas'athir without any hindrance. He had originally thought he would have to expend more effort.
However, the matter of delving into Commanding Power had to be put aside for now. He redirected his gaze to Meryl. Although the demon's soul had been removed, there was a new problem—without Kas'athir's neutralization, the Death and Arcane powers gathered within Meryl's body were somewhat beyond his control.
If it were just Arcane energy, Meryl should be able to calm it with his own abilities, but he couldn't control the Death energy, originally used to stabilize Meryl's body, with proficiency.
Given this, Arthas decided to simply help Meryl complete the final step he couldn't achieve.