In a duel between masters, every move is a calculation. The two went back and forth, probing each other's attack, speed, defense, and so on, testing their opponent's strength and searching for weaknesses to exploit.
It was obvious that Arthas was being suppressed, almost entirely on the defensive with only occasional, tentative attacks.
Soon, Rend's offensive quickened, his axe falling like a continuous downpour. Arthas constantly raised his shield to block. This time, Rend wasn't sent flying; instead, he converted the damage he took into Rage. The more he was injured, the more Rage he accumulated, and the higher his attack power became.
Bang! After more than ten strikes, Arthas was forced back repeatedly, and even his shield began to show signs of cracking. Seeing the shield crack, Rend, whose body was covered in ruptured blood vessels from the rebound damage, persisted through sheer force of will.
"Your shield is cracked! I'd like to see how you'll fight me now!"
The surrounding Orcs and Trolls cheered continuously. Their leader had gained the upper hand, how could they not cheer?
However, Onyxia and Alleria were both calm, while Sinestra stared at Arthas with curiosity, wanting to see what secrets he was hiding.
Nefarian, on the other hand, was re-evaluating this so-called brother-in-law, the Queen's consort—no, it should be that the Queen was his consort. He just couldn't understand how a guy weaker than himself could make his unruly sister so obedient. Had she taken the wrong medicine? This world was too crazy!
Vereesa, however, was somewhat anxious. She clasped her hands together tightly, praying in her heart, "Please protect Arthas from harm!"
Arthas tossed aside the shattered shield and gripped his longsword with both hands, his gaze still resolute.
"Who told you a warrior needs a shield to use Shield Wall?"
"What!" The moment Rend spoke, Arthas charged forward.
The longsword swung down, and for the first time, the swift attack caught him somewhat off guard. Because Arthas had been passively taking hits before, using strange moves to attack him, Rend had been led to believe that Arthas had no offensive power at all.
But this sudden assault nearly disemboweled him!
Clang! A shield was thrown over, and the concussive force of its impact plunged Rend into a state of terror. He found that he was unable to use any of his moves; the skills that were once like extensions of his own limbs, which he could use at will, were now completely inaccessible.
Under Arthas's hacking blows, the suit of armor meticulously crafted by Orc artisans actually began to crack!
"Bloodlust!"
As Arthas's longsword swung relentlessly, waves of Rage began to rise from his body. Besides being a Paladin, he was also a warrior—and the strongest damage-dealer among them, a Fury warrior who relied on Rage for explosive power!
"In your dreams!" Rend roared, raising his arm to bring his axe down in a furious chop. But Arthas closed the distance and punched him under the arm.
"Argh!" Struck in a vulnerable spot, Rend's chopping motion was broken, and he even felt his arm go numb and unresponsive.
"Execute!" Arthas raised his longsword high and brought it down with all his might, aiming for Rend's head. There were no flashy special effects, only a return to pure, simple lethality that Rend felt was impossible to dodge.
Splurch! A ferocious, white-haired head was lopped off by Arthas just like that. In the moment before death, it was filled with savagery and disbelief. To be defeated by an opponent in the area he excelled at most—this sense of failure meant he could not die in peace!
"Who else! Who's not convinced? Step forward and challenge me! All of you will submit to me, serve me! Who else? Come out! If you're not convinced, then step forward!" Arthas picked up Rend's savage head.
His blood-soaked appearance inspired genuine admiration from the Orc soldiers watching.
At this moment, an Orc leaped out. His eyes were already covered by Fel Energy, and green Fel markings covered his body. It was obvious at a glance that this was an Orc who had drunk the Demon Blood and been corrupted and empowered by Fel Energy. "There's still me! Orcs will never be slaves!"
Roar! The surrounding Orcs roared in unison, clearly unwilling to become slaves.
"Maim Blackhand." Another of Blackhand's sons. The Rend Blackhand whom Arthas had just slain was his older brother.
Arthas casually tossed Rend's head aside. He held his longsword in both hands, Rage still swirling around him. After locking onto his target, he stomped his left foot on the ground and charged.
Maim wielded two sharp axes. Axes were the Orcs' favorite weapon; the visual impact of an axe tearing into flesh was unmatched by other weapons, and its sheer presence could overwhelm an opponent.
Roar!
He first let out a Demoralizing Shout, lowering Arthas's attack power, then began to spin in a life-for-a-life exchange. The two axes formed a Bladestorm, its sharp edges cutting so fiercely it seemed to slice through the air itself, creating a vacuum.
Another Heroic Tier enemy!
Arthas showed no fear. Instead, the more he fought, the braver he became. After finishing off Rend, his confidence had grown immensely. Level was just a threshold, not the decisive factor in a real duel! Only by clashing with real blades could one know the true measure of an opponent.
Splurch! Splurch! Blood splattered and flesh flew. The two traded injuries for injuries, their desperate, reckless fighting style seemingly drawing them deeper into a frenzy.
Hum! A ray of Holy Light descended, instantly staunching the blood on Arthas's shoulder as the wound healed rapidly. His health was on a roller coaster, rising and falling, nearly reaching a near-death state each time.
This life-or-death fighting style had also shattered Maim's armor, leaving his body crisscrossed with wounds. There was even a gash on his face so deep the bone was visible.
The two separated again. A patch of Consecration appeared at Arthas's feet, and his health began to slowly recover as his wounds healed. Despite the huge expenditure of energy, his mental state remained excellent.
This time, he had boldly abandoned the protection of a shield, using a pure warrior style for a head-on assault.
Bloodlust allowed him to enter an Enraged state, increasing his damage by 20%. Moreover, every point of Rage increased his damage, attack speed, and movement speed, making him appear to grow stronger as the battle raged on.
Besides providing the Enraged state to boost damage, Bloodlust also restored a small amount of health, about 3%. Coupled with its three-second cooldown, it wasn't overly effective, but it was better than nothing.