"Greetings, my great Master, your humble servant bows to you." Kel'Thuzad bowed to Arthas as always, "With the remains of that Old God, our research has finally yielded some results."
"Hmm?" Arthas turned to look at Kel'Thuzad, "Can it reach the estimated level?"
"The results of the experimental tests are perfect. The war with the constructs before caused many of our warriors to... lose a part of their bodies. We compared the use of old and new materials and found that the warriors using new materials had far superior body strength, magic resistance, and a series of other indicators compared to those using old materials."
Kel'Thuzad held a scroll and spoke eloquently, his tone even carrying an astonishing lightness, making it hard to believe that a Lich was speaking.
"Of course, there is also a side effect. Some of the Scourge soldiers who completed their bodies using new materials cannot yet perfectly control their strengthened power, but we have already found a solution. We just need to adjust the ratio of active plants and Old God flesh."
"Will the Old God flesh pollute the soul? I don't want the Scourge soldiers to turn into uncontrolled flesh abominations on the battlefield." Arthas, after a rough understanding of the data on paper, directly asked what he most wanted to know.
"No abnormalities have been found temporarily. My Necromancers have confirmed that the Old God flesh, after being washed by the River of Souls and neutralized with active plants, has lost its original corrosive ability. However, if needed, we can also create those large flesh monsters, but they are all soulless puppets, not much different from the puppets we originally created."
"That's enough. We are not short of usable souls for now."
The River of Souls not only brought infinite fuel to the Scourge's Soul Engine, but those souls that had burned out their anima could also be washed of their previous sins and memories, becoming warriors of the Scourge.
Those who could be sent into Maw by the Arbiter, if not righteous, could be said to be extremely wicked and beyond redemption. Arthas had no psychological burden at all in exploiting such souls. Since they couldn't be good people in life, they could work for the Scourge after death to atone for their sins.
"Remember to examine the mental state of those souls. You know, the souls that even those vampires in Revendreth don't want." Arthas reiterated clearly. It would be bad if one or two of those souls slipped through and didn't lose their memories from life, causing trouble.
"As you wish, Master." Kel'Thuzad put away the experimental records, deliberated his next words, and then slowly began, "Your Majesty, I wonder if you have noticed, but after the River of Souls connected to reality, the undead on Azeroth will become more active."
"I know, this is unavoidable." Arthas did not intend to conceal this matter, "The seals we created can only prevent the River of Souls from raging, but Azeroth's own energy is too active. Under the influence of the River of Souls, the will of the dead will inevitably revive. Arrange for a few naxxanar to search Azeroth and accept those who are willing to join the Scourge and continue to guard Azeroth. As for those who are irrational or whose minds have been completely misled by darkness, purify them on the spot."
To deal with the undead, besides the Holy Light, the undead themselves are the most professional. Even a Death Knight who has just completed training can single-handedly deal with hundreds of low-level undead.
After all, even the most powerful Paladins will get tired; their spirit and stamina will eventually reach their limits. Even exceptional individuals like Uther and Alexandros can at most directly eliminate thousands of undead soldiers, and this is when they have artifacts by their side and there are no high-level undead of equal strength.
If there were Deathlords like Anduin Lothar and Ogrim, or a seasoned Lich like Kel'Thuzad in the enemy ranks, even Alexandros wielding Ashbringer would only be able to choose to retreat.
With the energy and material problems solved, the Scourge's development was virtually unconstrained. Previously, Arthas even considered creating another Sunwell, but such a thing was practically a beacon for the Burning Legion, and excessive use would lead to terrifying consequences.
"Without Yogg-Saron, the only major forces left in Northrend are the Scourge, the Dragons, and the Guardians of Ulduar. Our foundation has finally stabilized." Arthas felt a bit emotional. Wasn't it for this day that he ventured with his demonic sword and had a fated encounter with Ner'zhul?
Northrend is remote, separated from the other continents by vast oceans, and after the Old God was eliminated, it was completely free of worries. Even in the worst-case scenario, if all mortal worlds were to perish or fall one day, this desolate continent would be the last hope for preserving the flame.
After Arthas integrated the Scourge, he gradually began to replace the overly primitive and inefficient methods of 'massing troops,' and through the souls of various races, he collected all the knowledge of Azeroth since the dawn of civilization, storing it in Icecrown Glacier.
Within the cold bones and death, all the hope of the world was preserved.
But Arthas would try his best not to let this terrible speculation become a reality, so he gathered all members of the Alliance to launch a grand expedition, precisely to secure Draenor as a stepping stone. This way, even if he were to eventually ascend Argus to fight the Legion, he wouldn't have to risk bringing Argus and Azeroth so close.
However, this expedition was not just for this one purpose…
... ...
—A few days later, Eastern Kingdoms, Quel'Thalas
"Prince, these are the last of the rebels." Lor'themar walked to the side of Kael'thas's white strider, looking at the distant tower, and reported in a deep voice.
"Prepare to attack." Kael'thas's handsome face showed fatigue, which normally shouldn't appear on a powerful spellcaster, indicating how much the recent conflicts had troubled him.
After his father, the previous Sun King, fell in battle before the Sunwell, blocking the Night Elves' rebel Illidan Stormrage and his Naga allies, Kael'thas was forced to take on the heavy burden from his father's shoulders. But he hadn't expected that the ancient families and their forces within the kingdom had become so deeply entrenched that it astonished him. After an initial clash, he had no choice but to dismiss and exile the Ranger-General, who had been impeached by those nobles and mages.
This was also to protect Sylvanas. Given the conduct of those old geezers, Kael'thas wouldn't be surprised by any despicable tactics they might employ. To prevent the Windrunner family's last remaining branch in Quel'Thalas from perishing prematurely, Kael'thas had no choice but to resort to this drastic measure.
But after that, he gradually began to gain the upper hand. After all, he inherited the pride of the Sunstrider family and the vast legacy his father left him. Coupled with the backing of the Sunwell, he eventually pacified those greedy parasites.
Actually, things shouldn't have reached this point, but the old king's death made those nobles and councilors disloyal. They began to feel that the Sunstrider family might no longer be as powerful, and they could take this opportunity to seize more of the Sunwell's power, with some even entertaining ideas similar to the ancient Highborne.
Kael'thas had no choice but to declare a policy of isolation, trapping these vermin in Quel'Thalas to deal with them slowly, so much so that he had no time to concern himself with various Alliance matters. This ultimately led to only the High Elves from Dalaran joining the Alliance Expeditionary Force, a situation strikingly similar to the previous war across the Dark Portal.
But today, all of this would come to an end.
****
"Miss Tulani, Teacher has been gone for a while now. When will he return?" The petite, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl stopped swinging her longsword and looked at the long-horned girl who seemed to be daydreaming on the side of the training ground.
"Ah, Fordragon, are you calling me?" Tulani snapped out of it and looked at Artoria.
"Miss Tulani, you seem a bit distracted." Artoria placed her longsword on the wooden rack by the field and slowly said, "Is it because you're unaccustomed to living alone in a human city?"
Tulani looked at the girl, who was many years her junior, trying to comfort her, and for a moment she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She softly replied, "Not at all. I once lived a solitary life. It's the peace and prosperity of Lordaeron that makes me a little unaccustomed."
"But Miss Tulani, the look in your eyes makes me feel like you are indeed worried about something." Artoria's sensitivity to the Holy Light far surpassed ordinary people; one could say she was a favored child of the Holy Light, similar to Anduin.
Tulani smiled. She knew Artoria's talent, and precisely because of this, when most of the Silver Hand's main force went to the Outland to fight, the task of teaching Artoria fell to her.
Although she was not a paladin, as a Draenei, her understanding and perception of the Holy Light might far exceed most human Paladins. When Arthas was not around, teaching Artoria was more than sufficient.
After all, no matter how extraordinary this girl's talent was, she was still just an apprentice who had just embarked on the path of the Holy Light.
But Tulani felt that she would soon have nothing left to teach Artoria. If Prophet Velen were willing to teach this favored child of the Holy Light, her future would be even more…
Oh, I almost forgot, this little girl's current teacher is Arthas, the only man Tulani couldn't understand.
He seemed to be less devout towards the Holy Light than an ordinary person, yet his Holy Light power was purer than anyone Tulani had ever seen. Even those Draenei Vindicators who had been tempered over tens of thousands of years, no one could compare to Arthas's mastery over the Holy Light.
The word "mastery" was the only word Tulani could use to describe Arthas's use of the Holy Light. This almost defied her common sense; even the connection between the Prophet and the Holy Light could not be called "mastery." The relationship between the Prophet and the Holy Light was more akin to two equal friends.
"Miss Tulani?"
Artoria's voice interrupted Tulani's thoughts. She smiled apologetically at Artoria and suppressed her thoughts—ever since her encounter in Hellfire Peninsula, her abilities as a Soul Priest seemed to have undergone some kind of qualitative breakthrough. But this change also brought her some small confusions, for example, she still couldn't control her wandering thoughts very well now.
Sometimes overly keen senses are not entirely a good thing, at least not for Tulani. She could now almost clearly sense Artoria's strong underlying worry and a little… displeasure. It seemed that although the girl tried her best to appear mature, her heart was still no different from an ordinary girl.
Being ignored was not a pleasant feeling.
"Sorry, sorry, Fordragon, it's my fault. My thoughts were a bit too scattered. As compensation, how about I treat you to a big meal tonight?" Tulani put her hands together to apologize to the girl and tried to soothe her wounded heart with food.
It proved that food was a special attack against this girl. Tulani noticed that Artoria's displeasure was quickly replaced by joy. She smiled faintly while also feeling a bit gleeful—another large bill was about to be added to the Prince's tab!
Arthas had left her in Lordaeron for so long, saying he had other matters to entrust to her, but now she couldn't even see a trace of him. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was saving the world! Even a frontline commander wasn't as busy as he was!
Far away, Bolvar sneezed. His murky eyes, set in heavy dark circles, looked at the mountain of documents. His body swayed, almost falling onto the desk—Jaina, where did you go? Why aren't you back yet!
Walking down the street with Artoria, Tulani tightened her cloak. Although the streets of Lordaeron were filled with various races, including but not limited to High Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, and sometimes even Goblin and Night Elves, as possibly the only Draenei in Azeroth, walking openly on the street always attracted attention.
If she were just an ordinary Draenei, it would be fine, but the powerful senses and inspiration of a Soul Priest made her almost clearly perceive the thoughts of others when she was being watched. That noisy feeling almost made Tulani's brain overheat.
So she still chose to try to remain inconspicuous, at least until she reached a place with fewer people.
But even so, she could still hear the subconscious brought by some particularly strong emotions.
"My horse died… and threw my dad, who was riding it, off the bridge. Now my dad is gone too…" This was an unlucky fellow, seemed to be named Bobby something or other.
"Business hasn't been good lately. Winter Veil Festival is coming soon, and if these goods don't sell, they'll probably be stuck with me." This was a Goblin, seemingly troubled by stagnant sales.
"Prince seems to be back. Recently, the Secret Intelligence Agency has been issuing transfer orders. I'm afraid something big is about to happen."
This is… huh? These are spies from the Secret Intelligence Agency. They seem to be exchanging information. Arthas is back?
As Tulani was wondering, someone suddenly patted her shoulder. She instinctively turned her head, but her vision went black, and the next second she had appeared in an empty alley.
"Miss Valeera, please don't be so startling next time, okay?" Tulani said helplessly. She had almost pulled out her dagger, ready to defend herself.
"Miss Valeera?" Artoria looked up blankly. Her strength was still very weak, and she had no idea that she had just been brought into the shadows by a Master Assassin.
"The prince needs to see you urgently." Valeera took off her hood. Her emerald-like eyes glowed with captivating light in the dimly lit alley. "I'll temporarily take over your work."
My work? Tulani glanced at Artoria beside her, understanding Valeera's meaning. She then seemed to think of something, slyly leaned close to Valeera's long ear, whispered something, and then said to Artoria, "Sorry, Fordragon, I have to go first, but the big meal is still on! Just let Valeera take you to eat. Order whatever you want!"
"I understand, Miss Tulani."
Artoria nodded, not finding it strange, but she didn't notice that Valeera's expression behind her seemed to have frozen, completely losing her usual cold-faced elf demeanor.
Take this guy to a high-end restaurant, and not allowed to put it on the public tab?
Valeera's hand subconsciously tightened her purse. She had a premonition that something big was about to happen.
*****
"Good day, Prince Arthas, do you need me for something urgent?" Tulani walked into Arthas's reception room, pulled down her hood, and let out a sigh of relief, feeling the oppressive sensation from the street vanish.
"Hmm, Tulani, how have you been lately? Artoria hasn't given you any trouble, has she?" Arthas was carefully examining a map of Eastweald.
Seeing Tulani, he greeted her calmly and put down the map. "I have a gift for you."
"Fordragon is a girl blessed by the Holy Light, and I enjoy being with her, but… a gift?" Tulani was a bit puzzled. "There must be something else, otherwise you wouldn't have Valeera come find me so urgently."
"To be precise, this is not a personal gift, but one for all Draenei," Arthas said with a smile, handing Tulani a wooden box. "Aren't you going to look?"
Tulani froze, but her hands instinctively took the wooden box Arthas offered. She gently opened it, and what met her eyes was a… letter of appointment written in a script familiar to her.
"Light above, this is…" Tulani exclaimed. "Appointing Tulani as the Draenei Ambassador to the Alliance territories? And this is… Prophet Velen's signature and seal?"
The Draenei Soul Priest felt a profound sense of unreality at this moment. She had originally been an obscure Soul Priest, and after the destruction of Auchenai, she had been listless for a time, unable to find her place.
Her last mission with her companions almost saw her return to the embrace of the Holy Light forever, but today, in a stable new world, she was entrusted with a great responsibility by the Prophet…
Thinking of this, Tulani's nose stung, but the long years of hardship had forged a resilient spirit in this once somewhat soft and naive Soul Priest.
She had reached this point not through anyone's grace or gifts, but through her own tenacity.
She suppressed her sorrow and closed the box, about to say something, when Arthas added, "Don't be in a hurry to close it, there's something else under that letter of appointment."
Something else?
Tulani quickly opened the lid, picked up the letter of appointment, and tucked it close to her body, only to be astonished by the paper full of writing beneath it.
"This?!"
Arthas nodded. "After extensive verification and the Archmage Khadgar's guarantee, we are ready to ally with the Draenei and jointly confront the impending darkness—we have captured the Burning Legion's strongholds in Outland.
Once they react, we will certainly face their counterattack.
Therefore, the Draenei are not safe in Outland. With only the stronghold of Shattrath and those few spacecraft, it will be difficult to survive an attack from the Burning Legion.
After consulting with other members of the Alliance, Lady Tyrande, the High Priestess of the Night Elves, stated that as a race that has also suffered from the Burning Legion's ravages, they deeply sympathize with your plight.
So they are preparing to find a place in Kalimdor that can provide you with refuge.
Originally, the Night Elves invited Prophet Velen to settle near Blackshore, but the Prophet politely declined this kind offer.
The Draenei only need a more secluded location; he does not want the Draenei's arrival to add too much pressure on their allies."
That being said, Velen must have also considered the tragedy that occurred on Draenor. Allowing a buffer zone between the Draenei and their new allies for now is also a way to soothe their own inner wounds.
Although Velen, as a Prophet, should have had some foresight, as the leader of his race, he would not fully trust prophecies and gamble the fate of his people on them.
Perhaps this is the difference between Velen and any other fanatical believers. He is a good man, an elder, a believer, and also the last spiritual pillar and leader of the Draenei.
He cannot shirk all responsibility onto faith like other fanatics. It is precisely this foresight and responsibility that is the fundamental reason the Draenei have been able to survive Kil'jaeden's relentless pursuit.
However, Tulani doesn't need to consider so much for now. She only knows that her long-suffering compatriots will have a new home, and the joy and excitement in her heart are almost impossible to contain.
But Arthas still has one last gift. He believes this can be considered a testament, a testament to the intertwining destinies of the children of Argus and the children of Azeroth.
"The Guardians of Ulduar are also aware of the threats we face in the future. The star-gazer Algalon, under the persuasion and strong arguments of several Guardians, abandoned his plan to cleanse Azeroth.
Our future, from now on, is completely in our own hands."
Arthas briefly explained to Tulani what had recently happened at the world's extreme.
Although Tulani, as a Draenei, was already quite knowledgeable, Arthas's experiences and fierce battles in Ulduar instilled in her more reverence for the planet beneath her feet and for the mysterious Titans.
"Many years ago, the Titans personally forged a weapon and entrusted it to the ancient King of the Earthen, so that he could use this weapon to imbue new Earthen with life.
However, later, due to Yogg-Saron's trickery, a war was incited between the Earthen and the Iron Dwarves, and this sacred warhammer was shattered in that battle.
After Yogg-Saron's death, the Guardians gathered the fragments of this warhammer, and the Earth Guardian Archaedas personally reforged it.
Although he no longer has the power to infuse the Earthen, this hammer still harbors the secrets of life and soul.
Originally, this hammer should have been given to the descendants of the Earthen—but Brann said that this artifact should not be kept in a secret chamber in Ironforge; it should become a force for guarding the world."
Brann and the Guardians entrusted this hammer to Arthas, hoping he would choose a suitable owner, and Arthas set his gaze on Tulani.
This former Auchenai priestess clearly had her own unique experiences. Her understanding of soul and life already surpassed that of many bishops.
Given this, Arthas intended to bestow this warhammer upon her as a symbol and gift of the alliance with the Draenei.
"This… this is too precious, and I am just an ordinary priestess, unable to wield such a weapon!" Tulani nervously tried to decline.
The shocks she had received today were simply too many, to the point where her mind was almost unable to function normally.
"I, however, think it seems to like you very much." Arthas's gaze drifted to the side. The light of dawn, which had transformed into a box, instantly disassembled and reverted to a holy tome, landing on the desk.
The ancient warhammer hidden within also revealed its true form.
It tentatively approached Tulani, who looked at the hammer with some tension, and with that one glance, Tulani's eyes became fixated.
She was not coveting the artifact's power, but her unique soul vision allowed her to see the secrets contained within this warhammer.
It was the miracle of life's spark bursting forth and the soul returning to silence.
The marvelous vision and senses allowed Tulani to almost instantaneously experience the entire life of this warhammer, and she also learned its name.
"Val'anyr, Hammer of the Ancient Kings"
*****
"What? Trolls have reached the main road and robbed a caravan heading to Stratholme?"
Arthas was surprised to hear this news. Generally speaking, very few trolls could cross the mountains between Eastweald and Quel'Thalas. Even if they had strongholds in the mountains on the Eastweald border, they were usually small, let alone daring to form groups and rob caravans on a continent patrolled by guards.
This abnormality made Arthas ponder for a moment. He asked the reporting official, "Is there anything unusual on the Quel'Thalas border recently?"
The official nodded, "According to our border mages' monitoring, the Banthinoriel Barrier of Quel'Thalas underwent a large-scale structural change about a week ago."
"Is this common?" Although he had also studied in Dalaran for a period, Arthas only had a superficial understanding of magical theory.
"It's not very common, but due to the special nature of Banthinoriel, its structure and magic flow will change every so often. According to our barrier theory experts, this is likely to prevent the Sunwell's magic from dissipating. Banthinoriel changes every few years or decades to cope with the fluctuations in magic tides."
The official continued to explain, "So at first, our border forces simply thought this was a rare change like before, but in connection with the recent rampant troll activity, the mages began to suspect if there was a loophole somewhere in Banthinoriel, leading the trolls to discover the flaw and start acting collectively. You know, trolls and elves have long-standing grudges. If it's for launching a war, and the barrier really has a problem, then now is the best opportunity to gather supplies and prepare for an attack."
According to this explanation, the increased troll activity made sense, but Banthinoriel had stabilized the border of Quel'Thalas for thousands of years, unwavering. Even the Orc invasion relied on an inside job, stealing a runestone to open a breach. What exactly happened to cause an anomaly in this barrier…
Whatever happened, it definitely wasn't a small problem.
Thinking of this, Arthas immediately issued orders, "Mobilize the scout forces in Eastweald to ascertain the trolls' movements, and have diplomatic officials immediately contact Quel'Thalas to find out the exact reason. Additionally, assign two battalions to ensure road safety in Eastweald and intensify daily patrols."
After the official left, Arthas mused, his knuckles tapping rhythmically on the table. After a while, he summoned Frostmourne, carved several runes in the room, set up a barrier, and then pulled out a strangely shaped crystal from his Pregnant.
Turbulent fel energy surged within the crystal, but Arthas disregarded it. He directly stirred his power, preparing to contact the entity on the other side of the astral plane.
"…"
"I know you can hear me, Illidan Stormrage. Don't pretend with me." Arthas said coldly. Although Illidan's original intentions were always for Azeroth, his ideology was truly disagreeable.
"Heh heh… I'm just curious why you would contact me at this time." Illidan chuckled softly, "Are you enjoying your war games, young King?"
"How is your plan progressing? Did you get the keystone?" Arthas ignored Illidan's provocation and went straight to the point.
"You really do know a lot of things. It seems that the fallen Lich King also carried many secrets in his mind."
At the apex of the Dark Temple, Illidan gripped the fel communication orb, letting out a series of hoarse, low laughs, "Very good, I just love seeing the Legion suffer. the Deceiver and those slippery Dreadlords also have their day of miscalculation."
"Nobody wants to know your preferences. I'm asking you, what did you do the last time you went to the Sunwell?"
"The Sunwell? Heh, I just took away a group of disheartened High Elf, and left a path for those who still clung to certain ridiculous things." Illidan did not intend to answer Arthas directly, "It's you, when are you going to do that thing?"
"The Frozen Throne awaits your arrival, traitor." Arthas hung up after leaving that remark.
Illidan looked at the unresponsive communication orb in his hand and couldn't help but burst into laughter. That Kil'jaeden, bearing the title of the Deceiver, had no idea that his hidden agents sent to Azeroth had long been uprooted, and even those few Dreadlords were probably in grave danger now.
Arthas was a monster, there was no doubt about it, because Illidan knew well that a mortal could not easily escape the Legion's schemes and control. He even immediately counterattacked, seizing everything from that undead monarch, usurping his position. Now, even Kil'jaeden only thought that Ner'zhul wanted to break free from his control and establish his own power.
Although Illidan was currently being monitored by Kil'jaeden, and was forced to use his forces to deal with the Alliance Expeditionary Force's encirclement, he also learned from his subordinates that a ruthless Night Elves Warden was tracking his whereabouts.
But none of that mattered anymore. As long as he played a part with Arthas and got his hands on the keystone, handing over the Dark Temple to those exiles was irrelevant. After all, his goal wasn't to be a demon lord in this shattered world.
It was also fortunate that most of Kil'jaeden's attention was focused on how to descend upon Azeroth and punish the traitor Ner'zhul. He hadn't noticed Illidan's small movements. For this, Illidan truly wanted to thank Dath'Remar. If it weren't for him creating the Sunwell and completely failing to learn his lesson, repeating the mistakes of the Highborne, Kil'jaeden wouldn't have been so easily attracted.
A few days ago, he sensed that the contingency he had left in Quel'Thalas had been activated. That power-hungry madman might bring utter devastation to that extremely arrogant kingdom. But that no longer concerned him, after all, although it was the method he left behind, the object of the summoning and prayer was not him.
Illidan's laughter echoed through the temples of the Dark Temple. In the gloomy corner of the temple, a hunched figure heard the chilling maniacal laughter and tightened his grip on the scythe in his hand.
Arthas, who had hung up the communication, had a gloomy expression. He had known for a long time that working with Illidan would eventually lead to him being sold directly to the Burning Legion to show loyalty, but there was one thing he and Illidan agreed on: the Burning Legion suffering made him happy.
But he could not accept Illidan's extreme methods, acquiring benefits by any means necessary. At least he could not watch Quel'Thalas repeat the mistakes of the Highborne.
Now he could be 100% certain that the change in Banthinoriel was absolutely not a regular fluctuation. It must be that fellow, who had obtained Illidan's remnants, who had caused an earth-shattering commotion in Quel'Thalas.
"Kael'thas, you'd better pray things haven't progressed to an irreversible point."
Arthas unrolled an ancient strategic map. This once bore witness to the alliance between the ancient Arathor Empire and Quel'Thalas against the trolls. He never thought it would find its use again today.