It was only on a whim that he taught four types of Runes of the Dead to an Undead named Malogar, and in just over ten days, he transformed the people of Lordaeron, giving them a completely new look.
Neither Arthas nor Robbie, the time traveler, could have predicted such an excellent result.
A single spark can truly start a prairie fire.
While they were amazed by the rapid Metamorphosis of the people of Lordaeron, they were still just ordinary people.
The difference in combat effectiveness between civilians and soldiers is enormous.
The people suffering from Scourge and the Scourge are not the same thing at all.
The fourth Runes of the Dead, the Scourge, caused the emergence of Lich -like beings among the people. These beings could resurrect fallen Undead and dead human Paladins, and awakened abilities such as mind control, causing the resurrected Paladins to attack their own teammates.
But that's far from enough.
Robbie's impression of the Invincible Scourge was that of Lich controlled the battlefield, valiant Death Knights, colossal Abominations, treacherous Undead Mage, fearsome Banshees, Undead Warriors clad in thick armor, countless Ghouls, sky-covering Frost Dragons, and terrifying Floating Cities.
Not these ordinary people.
Arthas looked at the fifth Runes of the Dead, and Mutation.
This is Rune that allows Undead to evolve special abilities. Abominations, Banshees, and even Ghouls must all be enhanced by this Mutation Rune to be created. Unfortunately, this Rune not only requires mental strength, but more importantly, it requires a special and rare bloodline.
It's likely that during this period, in Lordaeron, and even across the entire Azeroth Continent, only Arthas possessed this bloodline.
Arthas lowered his head, gritting his teeth; he was hesitant.
"Perhaps I should choose to become a dead man; the ruler of the Undead should not be a living person."
Robbie shook his head and analyzed seriously:
"Prince Arthas, I don't know if you've noticed, but Undead lich-like Lich who have learned the fourth Rune only have average magic power. They can only resurrect a few dozen Undead at a time, which is far from being Scourge."
What are true Scourge?
That was the power to turn the tide of battle; with a single incantation from the Lich, all the corpses on the Battlefield were resurrected.
"The power of the Runes of the Dead alone is very limited; it must be used in combination with the Holy Light Rune. That is the power to change the world." Robbie was trying to dissuade Arthas from becoming a dead man.
Arthas gave a wry smile.
Of the thirty-six Holy Light Runes, only three are complete; the rest are Rune.
Completing the missing Runes is extremely difficult. Arthas once tried tirelessly to complete the fourth Holy Light Rune, the Deity.
The only result was a few more gray hairs on his head; this is simply not something human intelligence could accomplish.
The Rune Casting gave Robbie and Arthas hope, but also brought despair.
An Undead emerged from the ground. Garrosh, the former young lord. He straightened his tattered top hat. After not seeing him for more than ten days, his complexion had changed again. His flesh seemed to have become fuller. Although his face was still withered, he already had a few traces of the life of a living person.
"King Arthas, Archmage Kel'Thuzad requests your presence."
"Spare me, and don't call me King anymore; I'm unworthy of it," Arthas said listlessly.
Garrosh was taken aback; he certainly couldn't comprehend the vast gap between Arthas's hopes and reality.
"You brought hope and strength to us Undead, you guided the people of Lordaeron, and only you are worthy to be the King of Lordaeron. Your King, Archmage Kel'Thuzad's days are numbered, and he wishes to see you one last time."
The Undead of the dead in Andorhal are retreating in an orderly fashion.
Although they won a battle and wiped out a small enemy force, no one knew when the main army would arrive.
In a dusty basement, Robbie and Arthas saw Kel'Thuzad leaning back in a chair.
Kel'Thuzad's health was worse than expected; his face was ashen, his eyes dull, and he was extremely weak. Sensing Arthas's presence, he slowly extended his withered right hand:
"Prince Arthas, you have not disappointed me."
Kel'Thuzad managed a weak smile, and his dim eyes regained their light:
"I saw an endless Undead Legion, I saw the raging flames of war, I saw a world of black and white, I saw Lordaeron reborn. My life is nearing its end, only you can inherit my position, inherit everything I have."
"What happened to your body?" Arthas asked with concern. Facing this old man who was nearing the end of his life, and thinking about everything he had done for Lordaeron, Arthas felt a deep sense of frustration that was hard to vent.
Kel'Thuzad gave a wry smile, rolled up his sleeves, revealing his thin arms.
His skin was a pale, ashen gray, and something was surging beneath it, seemingly some kind of out-of-control force. All the blood in his body had vanished, replaced by some kind of putrid fluid.
"Only Liches can fully utilize Rune Casting. Becoming Lich involves a certain amount of risk. I made ample preparations to minimize the risks, much like gambling with dice. If I could avoid rolling a three-of-a-kind three times in a row, I would succeed. Unfortunately, I failed."
Kel'Thuzad coughed, but instead of blood, he spat out a green, rotten liquid.
"Is it the curse of Azeroth?" Robbie asked.
Kel'Thuzad glanced at Robbie with surprise, as if he had noticed something different. He narrowed his eyes and said, "You actually know this? Azeroth spares no effort in protecting the Guardians. The power of the curse is more terrifying than I imagined. Every time I fight against Guardian, I can clearly feel my luck declining."
"When my luck reaches its lowest point, that will be the end of my life," Kel'Thuzad sighed.
"Prince Highness, I know what you want to know, but unfortunately I cannot tell you. The moment I entertain the thought of revealing the Guardian's secret, my life force will be extinguished. Medivh is not Invincible. You will be able to defeat Medivh honorably with your own strength. I have some important things to tell you."
Arthas gripped Kel'Thuzad's hand tightly. Although he couldn't find Medivh's weakness, he didn't feel much disappointment. Perhaps he had been inspired by the old man's strong will.
"Archmage, how can I obtain the power to defeat Medivh?" Arthas asked resolutely.
"Knowledge is the only way to gain power. I still remember that year when I stepped into the cold Northrend, intending to seek the mystery of humanity's origins and explore the secrets of the Vrykul. I inadvertently sensed a powerful and Evil presence. After careful investigation, I learned that the person was Orcs other than Ner'zhul, the orc who brought destruction to Azeroth, and he was plotting an even more terrifying conspiracy."
"I trudged through the frigid mountain peaks, finding Ner'zhul's location through the fluctuations of magic. I sealed his power and stole his immense spiritual energy. Ner'zhul tempted me, revealing to me a vast amount of knowledge—weapons bestowed upon him by the Burning Legion to overthrow Azeroth. I knew I faced a difficult choice: to merge with Ner'zhul, and all his knowledge would be mine."