The Titan Keepers used some world-forging artifacts created by the Titans to transform the geographical environment of Azeroth.
After long-term use, there wasn't much energy left in them, but they were still very powerful for mortal creatures.
Comparing nuclear energy with ordinary energy gives a very intuitive feeling. Even the smallest amount of nuclear energy is hundreds of times more powerful than other energies.
This is why Dargrul, after obtaining the hammer of khaz'goroth, was able to kill the former High Chieftain of the Highmountain tribe, whom he couldn't defeat before. Now he has also unified the Drogbar tribe, intending to wipe out all Tauren and completely occupy the Highmountain territory.
Arthas nodded slightly after hearing this. Each region has different races living in it, perhaps in cooperation, or perhaps as mortal enemies.
Now, to complete the mission of saving the Nightborne, he really had to get involved.
He swore it wasn't because he fancied Mayla, the Chieftain. Although there's no reproductive isolation in Azeroth and different races can have offspring, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Cenarius: Are you talking about my son having centaurs with an Earth Elemental Princess?
Of course, Mayla did look decent, and among the females he had seen, her muscular physique was among the best.
Ahem, getting off-topic, damn it, is this because becoming a demigod gives a strong inclination towards reproduction?
No, it must be because the Tauren are close to nature, and he is a demigod, so he naturally has a good impression.
Yes, that's it, it must be like this, it's definitely not his strange fetish acting up.
"Solving Dargrul is not a problem. If I solve it, the effect won't be too great. It's best if I take you with me, and you do it yourself. Not only will it avenge your father, but it will also help your position as Chieftain. What do you think?"
To personally kill her father's murderer, that was naturally the best outcome. Mayla agreed without hesitation.
With the cooperation intention confirmed, the next steps were to prepare for war and verify intelligence.
At night.
The night in Highmountain was still very cold. Located high in the mountains, surrounded by forests, and without the pollution of heavy industry, the temperature difference was huge.
During the day, one could wear a short-sleeved shirt, but at night, one would wish to put on a down jacket.
After ascending to demigod status, the surrounding temperature difference no longer affected Arthas. Even briefly soaking in magma wouldn't be a problem; at most, he would need to leave after half a day.
The Highmountain tribe's houses were built on cliffs to avoid enemy harassment. The sturdy stones here couldn't even be broken by burrowing worms.
Wooden plank walkways in front were equipped with railings to prevent passing tribesmen from accidentally falling.
As a special guest, Arthas's residence was arranged on the top floor, where only Chieftain Mayla resided. Looking down, one could see the busy Tauren tribe.
In the distance was a hillside farmland, close to a flowing river, convenient for irrigation. Outside, night watch warriors patrolled continuously to prevent other creatures from intruding at night. The vegetables in the garden were very attractive to wild animals; wild rabbits and field mice were considered minor threats.
"The scenery here is very unique. It would be a great place for a vacation in the future, don't you think, Maiev?"
Arthas laughed heartily. Arranging Illidan to deal with the Lich King was the perfect way to maximize Illidan's value. As for whether the arranged spell would tear apart the continent of Northrend, he didn't need to worry about that.
With the Dragonflights watching, and the Wyrmrest Temple among them, Illidan truly couldn't act recklessly. If he insisted on going his own way, then he would be the one to die.
Moreover, even if he failed, he could still hide, and Kil'jaeden wouldn't let him go either.
The Lich King's devastation of the Kingdom of Lordaeron definitely needed to be settled, but now was not the time.
Maiev took off her helmet, revealing a clear and beautiful face, looking like a big sister next door.
If one didn't know her identity, no one would think this was a formidable woman who had been hunting down Burning Legion demons for ten thousand years.
"Many places have beautiful scenery, but we don't have time to stop and rest, nor have we thought about resting. I'm curious, aren't you going to personally avenge yourself for the Lich King's actions?"
Perhaps it was making trouble for no reason, oh no, it should be looking for a topic when there was none. She subtly glanced at Elisande and Vashj next to her. Would the two of them serve him together again tonight?
She subtly glanced at Elisande and Vashj next to her. Would the two of them serve him together again tonight?
Arthas suddenly reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, and her body immediately stiffened, feeling a bit unaccustomed.
She had never been so intimate with a man, but this feeling was good, very reassuring.
"Now you should learn to relax. Being aggressive is fine, but you can't abandon life. The Warden Force is your family; don't let them live in repressed revenge."
"This world is beautiful, and there are many broken places waiting for us to repair."
"I have arranged for Tarecgosa, the Blue Dragonflight ambassador to Lordaeron, to track and construct a teleportation array. As soon as the time is right, I will personally lead the army into Northrend and completely crush Lich King Ner'zhul. His soul will dissipate little by little in endless torment. I will not let him die quickly; that is not cruelty, but mercy."
He spoke of terrible things, yet what he did was chilling.
Being an ally of Lordaeron was fortunate, but being an enemy of Lordaeron would only be fatal.
Maiev didn't want to look, nor did she dare to look, fearing that she would become infatuated. The more time she spent with him, the more she could feel Arthas's charm.
This hero always had a confident demeanor wherever he went, as if nothing could stump him.
It was precisely this leadership quality that made people feel incredibly at ease.
Maiev knew that many Night Elves liked and admired Arthas, not only because he was Queen Azshara's spouse, but also because he saved countless compatriots on the battlefield and was the battlefield god who crushed the Burning Legion's invasion.
When fighting Archimonde and the fallen Titan Sargeras, he acted like a war god, captivating everyone!
"I don't know about Tyrande; maybe she will, maybe she won't. But the Wardens will always stand firmly with Lordaeron, becoming your ally."
Maiev's voice trembled slightly, caused by shyness.
Arthas, however, relentlessly leaned closer to her, their noses almost touching.
"I know, but I care more about you. Will you be my spouse?"
If Mayla, the Tauren, was difficult to approach, then Maiev, the Night Elf, shouldn't be, right?
With her figure and appearance, not having ten or eight children would be a disservice to her.
Maiev: ???
"I, I don't know."
Maiev wanted to agree but was too embarrassed. Seeing his face getting closer, she simply closed her eyes, not pushing Arthas away, but like an ostrich, assuming it didn't exist as long as she couldn't see it.
But after waiting for a while without any touch, she couldn't help but open her eyes, only to see Arthas smiling and pinching her cheek.
"I'm not an unreasonable scoundrel. If you're unwilling, then it must be because I haven't done well enough. How about staying by my side and giving me a chance to win you over?"
Let go?
That's definitely impossible. As for whether Maiev is willing, she must be willing.
Telling you I'd let you go was just a joke; how could I really let Maiev go?
"Mmm."
""
Maiev was shy, covering her face and turning to leave. As if worried about being misunderstood, she added another sentence.
"I'm going back to rest now. See you tomorrow, good night, my lord."
Heh heh, she really is a pure woman with no experience in relationships. Such prey is much more interesting.
Anyway, he wasn't short of bed warmers, so spending a little more time cultivating feelings wasn't a bad thing.
As for Elisande and Vashj, they didn't need emotions; they only needed obedience. After spending a long time together, feelings would naturally develop.
Vashj watched all of this with a smile. Besides serving Arthas, she also had a hint of surveillance in her presence.
Under the premise of loyalty to Arthas, the Queen's command was her will. Even if it meant death, she would not hesitate.
Watching Arthas flirt now, she felt nothing inside. In her opinion, as long as it wasn't plotting against the Queen, anything was acceptable. Whatever he asked her to do, whatever position, in short, unconditional satisfaction was the key.
The night passed without incident.
Mayla yawned continuously when she woke up in the morning, mainly because the next door was too noisy, causing her to not rest well at all. If it were anyone else doing such a thing, she would throw a totem pole down and let them know the price of provocation.
But when the subject was Arthas, she didn't have too many complaints, not even a single grumble.
This was a great ancient hero, a god who protected the world of Azeroth, and a respected demigod, as well as the savior of her ancestors.
Seeing Arthas also leave his residence, Mayla was the first to greet him with a smile.
"Good day, my lord. Did you rest well last night?"
Her words carried a hint of playfulness. Was she deliberately pretending not to know, or did she know and was pretending nothing happened?
"Quite well. Let's have breakfast together. Leave the matters to Ebonhorn; he can handle them. Afterwards, we'll start practicing combat techniques. To defeat Dargrul, you still need to improve."
"I will find a way to take its weapon. Without the hammer of khaz'goroth, its strength will still be greater than yours. You need professional training to defeat it."
"There's a saying in Lordaeron: 'Relying on heaven and earth is not as good as relying on oneself.' This doesn't mean friends are unreliable, but that one needs a certain level of strength as a fallback to do things well."
"Just like now, without my help, Dargrul would soon lead a large army to attack Highmountain. The cliffs here would be as fragile as paper in the face of an artifact. If it uses its ability to change the terrain and the mountains collapse, do you think your tribesmen could survive falling from such a height?"
Listening to Arthas, Mayla shook her head. She was very certain that at this height of over a thousand meters, anyone who fell would die.
"No, then what should I do?"
Seeing the fish take the bait, Arthas began to promote his Azeroth Guardian sect, with himself as the deity receiving worship. This work had already begun in Lordaeron, led by the original Prophet of Light, Alonsus Faol.
This Prophet of Light had originally died, but Arthas revived him after awakening. Due to his faith in the Light, he was resurrected as a Lightforged Undead, a form of resurrection infused with Light energy.
Compared to ordinary undead who would rot and stink, Lightforged Undead were more like energy beings, but with substance. As long as their faith in the Light remained unshaken, they would essentially not die. Furthermore, they had none of the characteristics of the undead, no uncontrollable berserk bloodlust, and were more easily accepted by humans.
Because his skills, after advancing to demigod, gained the attention and favor of the azeroth world-soul, his resurrection skills also carried the world soul's will. Creatures resurrected by this skill would instinctively be more inclined to protect the world.
Perhaps this was also a method of the world soul, a means of self-protection.
Creatures shaped by the Pantheon were not suitable and would not be inclined to protect her. Evolutionary paths dictated by others were not what the azeroth world-soul was willing to accept; that was merely assimilation and control.
With Arthas, the world soul could gradually break free from the Pantheon's control and forge her own path, rather than becoming a servant of the Pantheon.
Whether it was the Burning Legion or the Pantheon, one openly enslaved the world soul, while the other secretly used despicable means to enslave the world soul. Essentially, it was still enslavement.
Alonsus, after his resurrection, had become a fanatical believer of the world soul, spreading the doctrine of world protection everywhere, believing that by worshipping Arthas, the first demigod in human history, one could receive favor and protection.
Alonsus's disciples were shocked by his resurrection and genuinely happy. They firmly believed his words. They had no aversion to worshipping Arthas, who was originally a prince, only believing that His Royal Highness was indeed a rare and wise ruler. Moreover, after becoming a god, his lifespan was greatly extended, which could ensure the kingdom's prosperity for a very, very long time.
Interestingly, Alonsus recently took on two students, two young beauties. One was named Sally Whitemane, and the other was Lilian Voss. Both beautiful priestesses deeply believed in the doctrine, and their adoration for Arthas bordered on fanaticism. The more devout their faith, the stronger the aura effects they were granted. The more feedback they received, the firmer their faith became.
It's like, the better the economy, the worse the economy, the worse the economy, the better the economy, spiraling upwards by stepping on one's own feet.
Now Arthas also intended to develop followers in Highmountain. Wherever he went, he would spread his faith. Whether he left offspring or not was unknown, but he would definitely leave behind faith.
After all, the more followers a demigod has, the more additional means they can bring, which was unimaginable before becoming a deity.
For example, infusing power from a great distance, causing followers' strength to surge in a short period. Allowing followers to use his divine power to cast powerful, large-scale destructive divine spells, and granting followers eternal life, eternal youth, etc., all of these are possible.
This also means that Arthas only needs to become stronger himself, and his spouses can also live eternally with him.
Perfect, absolutely perfect.
With such means, wouldn't he vigorously spread his faith?
Poor Chieftain Mayla, she still didn't know she had been targeted. She had difficulties and just happened to meet a savior; it was undoubtedly a trap.