Kel'Thuzad's voice grew weaker and weaker, sustained only by sheer willpower as his life force was about to be extinguished.
"Ner'zhul is clever; he knew this was his only chance to turn the tide. For mages like us, who tirelessly pursue the truth, knowledge is an irresistible temptation. Fortunately, I withstood the test. I had no confidence in my own will; either I merged with Ner'zhul, or Ner'zhul merged with me. I had less than a 50% chance of winning."
"Ner'zhul mocked me, he sneered at me as an Imp. But I was not afraid of death; I was willing to perish for the sake of knowledge. But I could not risk the Destiny of Azeroth. I returned to Lordaeron and saw corpses everywhere, the people of Lordaeron suffering from hunger. I founded the Cult of the Damned, organized the people, and reclaimed the grain. But alas, the grain had been Corruption by the blood of Orcs."
"The Cult of the Damned's brutal suppression by the Silver Hand and the massacre of innocent civilians made me realize that Lordaeron was beyond hope. The Plague of Orcs blood was spreading, and people were dying slowly, either from hunger or from the Plague. Fortunately, the little knowledge Ner'zhul passed on to me as bait was of great help. I changed the composition of the Plague, turning the people into the undead, so at least their souls could be preserved."
Death was near, and Kel'Thuzad grew weaker and weaker. After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"Prince Arthas, there are many ways to be reborn in this world: the Curse of Flesh from the Old Gods, the power of the Sunwell, the ancient Druid traditions of Kalimdor, even the Evil gods worshipped by the Trolls. I don't know which method will work; you need to explore, relentlessly pursue, and experiment again and again. If one day you find a way to Pain Suppression the soul, you can try to merge with Ner'zhul's soul. Perhaps the answer lies in the knowledge of the Burning Legion. I cannot accompany you any longer. Remember, never give up hope."
A Lich brought over an exquisite jade box. When opened, it contained a fist-sized, crystal-clear gem.
"This is the powerful spiritual force the Burning Legion bestowed upon Ner'zhul. I have removed Ner'zhul's spiritual imprint; now it belongs to you, Prince Arthas. From this day forward, you are the leader of the Cult of the Damned, the new master of the Undead, and the King of Lordaeron."
Arthas accepted the crystal, its pure surface reflecting the Prince's moist eyes.
Kel'Thuzad turned around with difficulty, stared at Luo Bi for a long while, and then slowly said:
"Young traveler, I have a small gift for you. When I was young, I stayed with relatives in Lakeshire and met a beautiful girl named Lisa. She was so beautiful and pure. Unfortunately, I became a mage, destined to be separated from her. Once, while traveling in Quel'Thalas, I saw a magic music box for sale, which reminded me of my wonderful memories with Lisa. Those were the happiest days of my life. Now, I give you this music box."
Kel'Thuzad slowly took out an exquisite music box from his pocket, carefully turned the buttons on it, and handed it to Robbie.
Slow, gentle music began, followed by the chorus of the Highborne. Kel'Thuzad slowly closed his eyes and softly murmured:
"Listen, what a beautiful and mysterious song! This is an extremely ancient ballad, ten thousand years old, called 'Praise of Queen Azshara,' used to praise the queen's wisdom and beauty. It's a magical ballad; legend Legendary when this song is played, all of Azshara's Mana Wyrm will dance."
Kel'Thuzad tilted his head and fell into a deep sleep. The Archmage, who Consecration his life to Lordaeron, reached the end of his life amidst the beautiful songs of the Highborne.
This is not the end; it's not over yet.
Arthas gripped the Spirit Crystal tightly, biting his lip hard. "The people of Lordaeron will be reborn, Kel'Thuzad will be resurrected, and the enemy will pay for their crimes in blood. I, Arthas, swear this oath."
Robbie gently patted Arthas on the shoulder and carefully put the music box away.
Experiment 335 crawled out of the soft soil.
Sunny days are wonderful.
The surrounding area was a lush field, with a winding path leading into the dense forest. A stream babbled, and the air was fresh. In the distance, a dilapidated sentry post stood in a clearing.
Experiment 335 lay on the lush green grass, basking in the sun.
Now, he is an Undead of Lordaeron.
Since Thrall cruelly devoured his previous Tauren body, he has been possessing this body for some time now, hiding and living in darkness, avoiding the ever-present threat of being hunted down.
Just over ten days ago, Experiment 335 received the inheritance: four Runes of the Dead. He didn't know where these Spirit Runes came from, not even the Undead passed them on to him. All he knew was that they were passed down from the Cult of the Damned Rune.
With the enhancement of Rune power, Experiment 335's body became stronger.
However, he only learned three Runes; he couldn't complete the fourth, the Scourge Rune.
"That's talent!"
Experiment 335 sighed, "Strange, blood, Frost, Evil —aren't these the Runes of Death Knight? Why can't I become Death Knight? What's wrong with me? That's right, I'm missing a Rune sword."
Many Undead gathered towards Andorhal, Experiment 335 did not go. Glory meant nothing to him; he stayed in this timeframe solely to see if Arthas would truly raise Frostmourne.
Feeling drowsy, a midday nap in the sunshine—what a wonderful experience!
"Wait, I can't just sleep like this. I need to figure out where I am and if there's any danger."
Experiment 335 opened his eyes and saw a young face.
"Haha, got you, Undead!"
"It's over!"
Experiment 335 felt a chill run down his spine. He sensed the Power of the Holy Light. A Paladin of the Silver Hand was about to end his life. Next time, he would definitely possess a strong Orcs, Experiment 335 warned himself.
I closed my eyes and waited for a long time, but death did not come.
Experiment 335 secretly opened his eyes.
The young Paladin gripped his sword hilt, his eyes fixed intently on the direction of the sentry post, fulfilling his duty.
"Little Undead, run for your life! The master doesn't like Undead. He'll cut off your head and burn your body to ashes."
"Damn, that's cruel. Who's your master?" Experiment 335 asked casually before fleeing for his life.
"The great Tirion Fordring, lord of Hearthglen, I am his bodyguard Barthilas!" the young Paladin declared proudly.
"Tirion Fordring?" Experiment 335 stopped walking and sized up the young Paladin.
"Aren't you Tirion Fordring's bodyguard? Why are you here all alone?"
"My lord told me to stay here while he went over there to take care of some business." The young Paladin was simple-minded and unsuspecting, easily revealing Tirion Fordring's whereabouts to a stranger.
"Oh! Oh!" Experiment 335 whistled and grinned mischievously, "He must be going to meet his lover in the middle of nowhere. I didn't expect Tirion Fordring to have this kind of hobby."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Barthilas blushed. "The master and mistress are very loving."