The howling winds swept across the land of Northrend, where endless polar glaciers stretched out, and a towering black wall stood majestically.
At the top of the fortress, the towering Frozen Throne pierces the clouds; in Robbie's absence, the magnificent Icecrown Citadel has been completed.
Beneath the towering Icecrown Citadel, beneath thick, millennia- Frost, in a vast cavern, Robbie and Arthas stood on a block of Frost.
Before them lay a dark and chilling Spatial Rift, over a kilometer in diameter, like a terrifying maw leading to an incomparably distant and unfamiliar world.
This is a long, blood-soaked road, every inch of space has been fought over repeatedly, and even the space itself is permeated with a bloody aura.
Robbie saw countless towering figures, including hideous Demons, all sorts of war machines, and Undead creatures as large as mountains, all of whom had become corpses, lying forever in the rift.
Arthas was clad in thick armor and held Frostmourne in his hand. The greatsword, the size of a door, was riddled with nicks. Of course, with the Scourge's current level of craftsmanship, forging a new Frostmourne would not be difficult. This sword was more of a symbol.
"This is Elune's retaliation against us."
Arthas's gaze was calm. The endless battles and arduous, outstanding fights had left him with very few emotional fluctuations, like a perfectly functioning machine.
"Shortly after you left, Elune, opened this Spatial Rift, leading to Argus, a vital stronghold of Argus World Burning Legion. We were forced into a fierce war with the Burning Legion. We must admit, Elune succeeded; she used the Burning Legion to hold us back. I was unable to spare any resources to deal with the Orcs. Although I grew greatly in the war against the Burning Legion, I fell into Elune's trap."
"Elune's trick? What is that?" Robbie asked in surprise.
Arthas removed his helmet, revealing a deeply wrinkled face and a head of silver-white hair. Robbie was shocked upon seeing this and murmured, "Why is this happening?"
Arthas is still alive and well, and is only about thirty years old, but he looks incredibly old.
Arthas chuckled indifferently, "Elune, knows more than we do. The Scourge Army is incompatible with the world of the living. We've grown too fast, exceeding Azeroth's tolerance limit. If we continue to grow, we might even threaten Azeroth itself. The stronger we become, the stronger the repulsion we face from Azeroth. It's not just me; apart from those Cannon Fodder Troops, the entire Scourge has aged considerably."
Robbie bit his lip and shook his head, saying, "No, no, that's not fair."
If the Orcs are the pathogen invading the Azeroth, then the Scourge is the antibody produced to resist the Orcs, like white blood cells. If the antibody gets out of control and continues to grow, it will also harm itself. Azeroth's rejection is understandable.
Arthas's eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Perhaps Azeroth sees us as more dangerous than the Burning Legion. After all, the Burning Legion can only threaten the life on the planet's surface, while we can threaten the very existence of the World Soul. But there's no need to worry. Once we enter the New World, everyone will be restored to their original state. It's just a pity that we don't have much time left in this world."
The entrance to the New World lies directly beneath the Frozen Throne, on a life-bearing planet devoid of a World Soul, and therefore free from the world's repulsive force. Robbie asked in a low voice:
How much time does the Scourge have left?
Arthas shrugged and said calmly:
"Aging hasn't affected our strength. We probably have less than a year left. When that time comes, we must leave this world, or who knows what will happen."
No wonder!
The Scourge Army commands the largest force in the world. Defeating such a powerful force would require at least several years of war, even if the Alliance and the Horde joined forces.
In fact, the Alliance and Horde conquered the Frozen Throne in less than a year, not because the Alliance and Horde were too strong, but because Arthas and the Scourge had run out of time.
"Prince Highness, what are your plans?" Robbie asked.
Arthas's eyes gleamed, and he said in a deep voice, "Before leaving this world, I will eliminate the threat of the Aetrite Ore, and then fulfill my long-cherished wish: to find a way for the Undead to become human."
Looking at Arthas's confident demeanor, Robbie asked in surprise, "You've already found the direction to strive for?"
Arthas nodded, a smirk playing on his lips, and chuckled, "It's funny, really. These past few years, as I've come to understand this Elune adversary better, I've suddenly realized that the answer we've been searching for lies within Elune herself."
"Nature and the power of life!"
Robbie pondered for a long time, feeling increasingly incredulous, and could only say it was the cruel twist of fate.
The Scourge has always focused its research on the Holy Light, believing that its Power of the Holy Light is the only way for the Undead to become human.
"What are your plans?" Robbie asked.
Elune, would never easily reveal her power; even those Druids had only learned the superficial aspects of Moon Goddess power.
Arthas gestured for Robbie to sit down and said kindly:
"Remember a few years ago when Elune, interfered with Jaina's battle against Admiral Daelin? That was the first time we sensed the unusual nature of Moon Goddess's power. Since then, Moon Goddess has targeted the Scourge multiple times, and our understanding of Moon Goddess power has grown increasingly clear. We are now certain that she is the answer we've been searching for."
Robbie understood immediately. "What you need is for the Moon Goddess to intervene?"
Arthas nodded, giving Robbie a meaningful look:
"Orcs are Elune's only weakness, and she will fight tooth and nail to protect Orcs, though I don't understand why. My plan is to constantly threaten the Orcs, but not to let Orcs fall into despair, thus forcing Elune to intervene frequently."
Robbie stroked his chin, deep in thought; this was clearly a difficult problem.
Arthas waved his hand, and seventeen spheres appeared, each bearing the face of Undead creature. Arthas said gravely, "These are seventeen spies sent by Tirion Fordring. Tirion Fordring is an ambitious man, and I felt this might be an opportunity, so I didn't eliminate them."
Robbie's eyes lit up. "That's right, Tirion Fordring is the chosen one, Elune will support him. Whenever Tirion Fordring is in trouble, Elune will definitely not stand idly by. Of course, he's not worthy of Elune's attention yet, but Tirion Fordring's success depends entirely on our cooperation."
Arthas showed great interest. "Understood. We need to cooperate with Tirion Fordring in doing something to get him into the favor of Elune, and make him someone we can support."
Robbie and Arthas discussed the details of the plan, but Tirion Fordring's rise to power would still take time. Robbie's sights were set on Stormwind City, a city that could cause enough trouble for the Orcs and Elune.