The demon's triumphant laughter numbed Unas. He closed his eyes, and memories played back in his mind like a movie.
How is Gordon doing in his ascetic life at the Monastery? Did his friends— Erigor, Darian, and Angela— throw the Plaguelands at the hands of Balnazzar? And how is the lovable yet infuriating Whitemane doing?
He found himself burdened with too many concerns: Would the people in the outpost have enough to eat and wear to get through the winter? Would the refugees in Stormwind City be able to return home safely without his escort? Would Marshal Windsor be able to uncover the Black Dragon Princess's true identity...?
Familiar faces appeared one after another: Natasha, Nightmoon, Huoye, the Dwarf brothers... Finally, Luisa's timid yet longing eyes appeared.
Do you... do you have anything to eat?
The memory abruptly ended there. Unas opened his eyes and desperately turned his head. Luisa was kneeling at the feet of an Undead soldier, her hands bound behind her back with ropes, helpless like a wounded little animal.
Unas strained to see, and there were those large blue eyes staring back at him, equally timid yet seemingly yearning for something. Unlike before, however, these eyes were now brimming with glistening tears.
What will become of Luisa, whose identity remains a mystery after she falls into darkness?
I have so many promises I haven't kept, so many dreams I haven't realized!
My destiny cannot end here!
Unas's fire was reignited; so what if he became a demon?
Rather than be forcibly transformed into a demonic servant by the treacherous Dreadlord, I'd rather take the lead myself!
Labor and management are going all out!
He immediately called Sargeras's name in his mind and began to chant sacrificial incantations, which Bessarius had maliciously imprinted deep into his mind. Unas never imagined that he would one day use them voluntarily.
Bessarius immediately noticed the Paladin's unusual movement and asked incredulously, "What... what are you doing?"
"You know perfectly well what I'm doing, you demon. You've taught me so much, and now it's time for me to repay you!"
Unas sacrificed all the offerings bearing his mark—in the distant Venomspider Gorge, seventeen Orcs Warriors, Gnolls, and several Troll leaders suddenly burst into flames, creating considerable chaos.
Unas had no time to consider the consequences. In his mind, a void passage leading to the abyss was opened, and a grand, evil, distant, and unfamiliar will conveyed a brief message: It's far from enough.
Is this the will of Sargeras, the Lord of All Demons?
Unas had no answer; he only knew that to take control of his own destiny, he had to pay a higher price.
At this point, there's nothing that can't be given up.
The only part of Unas of his body worth sacrificing was the Emerald Tree, a magical Source of Life containing unfathomable energy. Unas could only obtain a small fraction of it, and now it was time to sacrifice it.
"I dedicate this to you! My great will, the Source of Life, I dedicate this to you! Grant me strength!"
Suddenly, intense demonic fire ignited on the Emerald Tree, burning it to ashes in the blink of an eye. After a profound sense of emptiness, fierce and abundant Fel surged wildly into Unas's body from the void.
In this surging green tide, the Fel delivered by the five Felhound was like a trickle, mercilessly submerged and swallowed up.
Varimathras immediately ordered the Felhound to increase the transmission flow to maximum, but it was only a drop in the bucket.
The Dreadlord for what to do; the demonic transformation under the will of the abyss was beyond their ability to interfere with or control.
Unas's body began to show demonic characteristics. His skin turned crimson, his muscles swelled and became as hard as steel, his fingers and nails lengthened, his hands gradually turned into claws, his legs transformed into demonic hooves with bent knees, and two spiraling Blackhorn slowly rose from the sides of his head.
The five Felhound squeaked, their tentacles, which had been binding Unas, were being brutally assaulted by the massive amounts of different sources of Fel, rendering them unable to continue serving as conduits.
The Dreadlord's infusion spell abruptly ceased, Varimathras flapped his massive wings, roaring, "The Heartless, it's not too late to deal with him now!"
"The Heartless" Bessarius did not want to end its journey in Azeroth. For it, being trapped in a human body for a hundred years was better than returning to the Twisting Nether where nothing existed.
"Wait a minute, Your Excellency. Since this kid has been transformed into a demon under the influence of 'will,' why not treat him as a new demon of the same kind? I also want to see just how he can become."
"Our spell has been interrupted. I'm afraid that once it takes shape, it won't see us as its masters, but might instead seek revenge."
"It's alright, as long as he has become a demon in reality, I will find a way to control him."
"Then it's up to you!"
Varimathras snorted and flew into the sky, ordering his men to retreat into the forest and hide, leaving only the Felhound and Fel Beasts behind. He wanted to use these hastily summoned demons to test the Paladins ' mettle.
Unas's mind went blank. With the seemingly endless influx of Fel, that "will" expressed only one meaning: destruction.
This is the original and ultimate meaning that Fel represents—the destruction of everything.
A destructive will shrouds Unas's soul; if their frequencies align, Unas will transform into a complete demon.
At this crucial moment, Bessarius's voice suddenly broke in. "You human brat, you've surprised me..."
Unas didn't hear the demon's next words at all. He was only startled awake for a moment before being dragged back into a daze by the will to destroy. But thanks to Bessarius's annoying voice, a tiny crack appeared in the demon conversion ritual.
The massive transfer of Fel finally ended. Feeling as if his body was about to explode, Unas instinctively released the excess energy, and a dazzling green light suddenly shone all over his body—BOOM!
A scorching hurricane erupted from the center of the Magic Circle, blasting five Felhound away with screams, and even the massive Fel Beast was thrown over by the shockwave.
The Paladin, now transformed into a demon, slowly emerged from the smoke and dust, accompanied by a teeth-grinding creaking sound. His bulging muscles ripped apart the rivets on his breastplate, and the two plates of armor clattered to the ground. A pair of enormous red bat wings rose from his back, and the Metamorphosis was finally complete!
Unlike before, his size hadn't increased much; under the cover of his enormous bat wings, his body appeared remarkably "small."
The wounded Felhound lay trembling on the ground, and even the Fel Beasts, awakened by the explosion, dared not attack, remaining motionless in place.
Unas ignored these lowly demons, gently flapped his bat wings, and instantly broke through the treetops, bathing in the bright moonlight.
In the air, Varimathras, who had been waiting to watch the show, widened his eyes and trembled uncontrollably. A Lord-level being!?