Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis

Page 129

"Your current power is your true form. If you're so capable, throw down Frostmourne and let me see just how strong you really are," Sciark said with a sneer.

“There’s no need to humiliate me any further. I only regret that I can’t kill you with my own hands, and your master Rhodes as well,” Arthas said viciously to Stronk.

Sylvanas, standing to the side, seemed lost in thought. So, who is Rhodes? Why is he said to be Scythe's master? What did Arthas mean by that?

“What nonsense are you talking about? Arthas, I fight only for myself, I have no master,” Sciark said.

“The Lich King knows Rhodes’ secret, and I also know that on the surface that he is a righteous person who uses holy light magic and life magic, but behind the scenes he is researching necromancy. You are a special undead he obtained from the Titan Guardians. You have never truly lived.” Arthas seemed to want to provoke Scythe as much as possible before he died.

This secret was known only to him and the Lich King. When Scythe was captured, the Lich King had already discovered everything, and Arthas had also discovered everything.

Despite Rhodes's denial, it is true that Arthas wanted to trick Rhodes before he died.

Although Sylvanas might not be able to deal with Rhodes, he was still very pleased to have caused her some trouble.

"Are you out of your mind?! What do you mean I never even lived? If I didn't live, how did I die? How did I become an undead creature? How did I become a death knight?" Sciark immediately looked at Arthas with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot.

Arthas knew about his relationship with his master, Rhodes, but it didn't matter. His master would never bring out the undead army in the future; only he would use the undead army.

Sylvanas stood to the side with her arms crossed. Arthas's words were clearly meant for her. She had heard of this being named Rhodes. He was said to be a human lord skilled in holy light magic, fire magic, and mysterious Titan magic. He was also very close to Kael'thas.

However, to say that this person is Sqiang's master is something that no one with a sound mind would believe, as holy light and the undead are inherently opposed.

Wait, perhaps they aren't so opposed. Sylvanas suddenly remembered something. Among the undead who had regained their self-awareness, some remembered their former professions, such as the Dark Rangers.

Among humans are warriors, hunters, thieves, mages, and warlocks, and a special profession has also awakened: the priest.

These undead priests mostly use shadow spells because they have lost the light of the Holy Light.

But is that really the case? These undead, who have awakened their free will, seem to have been trying to communicate with the power of the Holy Light, according to the surveillance of their Dark Rangers.

The Holy Light is said to have responded to some undead priests, and this Holy Light energy can even heal the undead—an incredibly incredible event that has indeed occurred. (Note that in the world of Azeroth, the undead can use the power of the Holy Light, and there are even Lightforged undead; these are not new versions like 9.0 and 10.0.)

Back in the Earth era, the Forsaken race could choose the priest class, which left veteran players speechless. Why could the undead choose priests? It wouldn't be so bad if you only used Shadow Power, but the problem was you could also switch to healing, which was a huge slap in the face to the Scarlet Crusade.

Rhodes was speechless. Arthas was trying to trick him even before he died. Although he didn't want to kill him, he had guts!

Why isn't Kel'Thuzad here yet? Judging by the time, he should be here to rescue Arthas by now, otherwise Scythe won't be able to keep up the act.

“Arthas, there’s no need to sow discord. Even if you want to, you should say something plausible. I know Scythe; he’s an ambitious death knight. He might submit to someone, but that person would never be someone who uses the Holy Light,” Sylvanas immediately stepped in to smooth things over.

I can investigate this matter slowly when I get back. There are some freed undead in Stanker's area. I wonder if he has discovered that those deceased priests have begun to try to communicate with the power of the Holy Light, and some can even use the Holy Light.

The most urgent task now is to get Stanker to kill Arthas as soon as possible, and then we can make other plans after we get back.

Arthas's words spread like venomous snakes through the canyon, attempting to sow seeds of suspicion between Scythe and Sylvanas. He stared intently at Scythe, hoping to find a trace of wavering beneath the mask covered in Saronite.

However, Stank only let out a low, mocking laugh that echoed through the canyon, filled with undisguised contempt.

"Arthas, it seems defeat has clouded your judgment." Stanker's blood-red rune sword remained firmly pointed at the fallen prince.

"They're all starting to spout nonsense, making up such clumsy stories. Rhodes? The human hero who burned the Scourge with holy light on Mount Hyjal?"

You say he's my master? That's probably the most ridiculous joke I've heard since I became a ghost.

“Indeed absurd, Arthas,” Sylvanas said coldly.

"Your failure makes you pathetic, trying to find a moment's respite with such vile lies? Stronk's power belongs to him alone, to the true freedom he gained after breaking free from the Lich King's control! And true freedom." She skillfully steered the conversation toward freedom, which resonated most strongly with all the undead present who had broken free from their bonds.

Arthas wanted to say something, but Scythe was already impatient and raised the Soul Drinker high, aiming it at Arthas.

"Enough with the nonsense, Arthas. It's time to put an end to everything you've done!"

Just as the crimson greatsword was about to strike, a piercing tearing sound suddenly emanated from the air above the canyon, as if cloth had been forcibly ripped open. A powerful and icy arcane energy surged forth like a tide, accompanied by a teeth-grinding sound of bones grinding and chains dragging.

"Stop! Do not harm King Arthas." A cold voice rang out above everyone's heads.

Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the voice. Kel'Thuzad had arrived; otherwise, he might have had to impersonate an undead to rescue Arthas.

This damn thing is so fragile without the Lich King's power. If it weren't for the reputation of the Alliance, I would have chopped you up with one blow long ago.

Everyone looked up and saw that a huge, dark blue portal had been torn open in the sky above the canyon. On the other side of the portal, a cold hall filled with skeletons, ghosts, and strange instruments could be vaguely seen.

From this portal, a colossal figure slowly descended—it was none other than the undead lich, Kel'Thuzad!

Kel'Thuzad led a massive army of undead across the portal.

Numerous abominations, gargoyles, crypt demons, death knights, and other liches appeared before the group.

This is the undead army that Kel'Thuzad brought from Naxxramas, his own elite force, and the Lich King's most powerful force in the Eastern Kingdoms.

"Kel'Thuzad! Thank goodness, you've finally come to my rescue." Arthas's voice was filled with relief and joy.

“Your Majesty, it seems I haven’t arrived too late.” Kel’Thuzad waved his staff, and a cold ice shield instantly appeared in front of Arthas, barely blocking the final blow that Scythek was about to unleash.

Clang! The ice shield trembled violently, cracking open with countless fissures, but ultimately did not shatter.

Stronker roared in feigned anger, urging his bone dragon back a few steps, its massive head turning towards the lich in the air: "Kel'Thuzad! Do you want to interfere in this fair duel? Is this worthless prince even worth saving?"

“Utterly foolish, Stank. Do you think you can challenge the great Lich King?”

"Kneel down now and swear allegiance to the Lich King, and perhaps I may spare your life." Kel'Thuzad opened a portal, and a large number of Naxxramas undead were summoned.

Sylvanas's face instantly turned extremely ugly; Kel'Thuzad's arrival had completely disrupted her plans.

She secretly made a hand gesture, and her dark rangers and banshees immediately and silently adjusted their formation to enter a defensive stance. She had originally planned to decide on her next move after Scythe killed or severely injured Arthas, but now, the strongest lich had descended, and the situation had instantly reversed.

No, perhaps there is still a chance.

"Hahaha, the Lich King's power is strong, save it! Others may not know Kel'Thuzad's identity, but don't you? A pathetic orc, he doesn't even deserve it," Sciark said.

Chapter 208 Arthas's Escape, the Banshee Queen and the Death Lord

Rhodes was secretly delighted; Kel'Thuzad had indeed appeared on time, just as he had predicted.

"His goal is to take Arthas away!" Sylvanas shouted to Scythe immediately, raising her longbow and drawing a dark arrow.

"We must stop him! We absolutely cannot let him take Arthas away!" If it were his side, he would have no choice but to retreat now, but Stanker has quite a few Death Knights under his command who are capable of fighting.

If they let Arthas and Kel'Thuzad leave today, the Scourge could return with a vengeance, and these traitors will be the Scourge's primary targets in the future.

"You don't need to tell me! Arthas's life is mine! Kel'Thuzad, if you want to take him away, you'll have to ask my sword first!" Scythe urged his bone dragon and charged at Kel'Thuzad, the Soul Drinker leaving a trail of blood.

Kel'Thuzad snorted coldly, not engaging Scythe in a direct confrontation. As a lich, he was more adept at ranged spells and summoning. With a wave of his hands, he instantly summoned several rotating ice spikes in front of him, while a terrifying force of ice also surged towards Sylvanas and Scythe.

A large swarm of gargoyles flew out of the portal, shrieking as they pounced on Stronker and Sylvanas's forces. Gargoyles flying in the sky, along with Destroyer Gargoyles, immediately launched an attack. These were ranged attack units, not melee fighters, and they immediately caused the Allied forces a great deal of trouble.

"Waaaaah!" Just then, a shrill roar rang out, and Sylvanas and her banshee army let out their banshee howls.

A gray shockwave emanated from the banshee, forming a giant area-of-effect attack that sent the gargoyles in the sky plummeting to the ground like dumplings.

At the same time, the Death Knights of the Four Strong Clan also set out, a total of 50 Blood Knights who had been transformed by the power of blood, the terrifying Death Knights wielding their giant swords.

He charged into Kel'Thuzad's lines like a tiger among sheep, and with a swing of his saber, large numbers of ghouls and low-level units such as skeletons were instantly cut in two.

Even higher-level units, such as Crypt Fiends and Abominations, are not much of a threat to these Bloodthirsty Death Knights; they can be taken down with a single strike.

Arthas was terrified. What on earth was this terrifying knight? He was even more powerful than his Death Knight.

It looks like a variant of the Death Knight, but it exudes a terrifying, chilling aura. Was this something that Stanker did in secret, or something that Rhode did behind the scenes?

The Lich King had privately suspected that the Titan Guardians were also researching the power of death, since death is not actually an evil force; all things in the world are born and then die.

These Titan Guardians likely created a new batch of undead, a special kind of life that never lived and was born undead. The Lich King said this was very similar to a mysterious death world called the Shadowlands.

This is the origin of the undead army under Rhodes' command. Although Rhodes was always very careful, the reason why the Scourge and the Burning Legion had internal strife during the Battle of Mount Hyjal was because of this.

The root cause was the appearance of a mysterious army of undead skeletons, which attacked the Burning Legion, prompting the Burning Legion to launch an attack on the Scourge.

Originally, according to the Lich King's plan, he was indeed going to betray the Burning Legion, but that was after Archimonde's crushing defeat. However, due to Rhodes's actions, this betrayal was brought forward.

Since then, the Lich King's attention to Rhodes has increased. However, just as the Lich King was about to make a move against Rhodes, a mysterious attack came to the Frozen Throne, and the Lich King's power began to decline significantly.

With no other option, King Wu Yao summoned Kel'Thuzad and Arthas to quickly return to defend.

Just as Arthas was pondering the problem, the Blood Terror Death Knights had already rushed in front of him. These tall, strong warriors, clad in heavy Sarnon armor, brought unimaginable pressure to Arthas.

Faced with the attacks of these terrifying knights, Arthaston was struck several times by the instantaneous transformation. If it weren't for the protection of the Saronite Iron Armor, he would have been killed by now.

These guys are amazing, each one is at the level of an elite death knight. Damn it, that guy actually raised such a terrifying army in secret.

"Protect Her Majesty the King! Don't let anyone harm her." Kel'Thuzad ordered the undead legion behind him. Dozens of huge crypt demons crawled out of the portal, quickly digging through the ground in an attempt to approach Arthas.

Large numbers of cannon fodder undead began to gather towards Arthas, resisting the attacks of the Blood Terror Death Knights.

The canyon instantly descended into chaos. Gargoyles and the Dark Ranger's banshee clashed in the air, while crypt demons fought against Sylvanas's undead forces.

Stank wielded his greatsword, constantly shattering the ice spells and undead creatures summoned by Kel'Thuzad. He appeared incredibly brave as he approached the lich, but in reality, he was secretly controlling the pace and not using his full strength. However, the effect of this performance fooled everyone.

Kel'Thuzad's objective was clearly not to fight. While using powerful frost magic to slow down the advance of Sylvanas and her forces, he commanded the crypt demons to successfully drag the heavily wounded Arthas to a relatively safe area and used a large number of cannon fodder troops to hold off their attack.

"Sch'thunk! Sylvanas! The Lich King's wrath is coming! You will pay for this!" Kel'Thuzad proclaimed in a hollow voice, while beginning to channel a powerful teleportation spell, enveloping him, Arthas, and a portion of the core undead forces in a ghostly blue light.

"Oh no, Scythe is trying to escape! We need to think of something quickly!" Sylvanas was immediately alarmed. Damn it, she should have known better than to let Scythe play her; she should have ended Arthas's life with one arrow. Now look what happened.

"Quiet down, leave the woman to me." A burst of crimson light erupted from Stanker's body, and his skeletal dragon mount roared and took to the air.

Carrying its master, it charged towards Arthas, though there weren't that many undead in the sky.

He held the Soul Drinker high in his hand, seemingly preparing to charge with all his might and kill Arthas.

"Stop him quickly and buy me time!" Kel'Thuzad was immediately alarmed and ordered the undead forces in the sky to stop him at all costs.

Kel'Thuzad used his most powerful magic to cast a Frost Shield on Arthas, and at the same time, he also cast an Arcane Shield on him.

"Don't even think about running! Your life belongs to Arthas!" Sciark roared, unleashing a massive crimson sword aura that slashed at the magical shield. The shield trembled violently but did not shatter.

Sylvanas fired arrows in quick succession, the shadow arrows exploding into clouds of black mist upon striking the light shield, but they could not stop the spell from completing. At the critical moment, the teleportation spell was finally completed.

“We will meet again, traitors… After King Arthas finishes dealing with Northrend… your death will be imminent.” Kel'Thuzad’s voice gradually faded into the distance.

The next moment, a powerful arcane light burst forth, illuminating the entire canyon. When the light faded, Kel'Thuzad, Arthas, and most of the elite undead had vanished without a trace, leaving only the enormous portal slowly closing.

Only Scythe, Sylvanas, and their troops remained in the canyon, along with some abandoned low-level undead and gargoyle remains.

The atmosphere froze for a moment. Arthas had been rescued, their main objective had failed, and their meticulously planned ambush had gone awry.

Sylvanas's face turned ashen. She sheathed her longbow, looked at Scythe, and said in a complicated tone, "This is going to be troublesome. The Lich King will definitely not let us off the hook. What do you plan to do?"

According to her original plan, after killing Arthas, the two should temporarily join forces to eliminate Kel'Thuzad, or she should take action to eliminate Scythe first, but now her plan has fallen through.

Sylvanas had no doubt about Scythe's performance; the power this death knight unleashed at the end was no weaker than Arthas before he was weakened.

Of course, this is on the premise that Arthas does not use Frostmourne to summon the Lich King's power.

"You can run away but you can't hide. Kel'Thuzad, that fool, thinks he'll be safe just by hiding in Naxxramas Fortress. He's forgotten that I also have a floating fortress."