Late at night, somewhere in the underground waterway of Dalaran, Holy Light passed through the stratum and still filled every space. In the darkness and silence, there was a sound of footsteps.
Thanks to Death Knight led by Soul Vision, Kel'Thuzad and Arthas, you can walk smoothly in the underground waterway without any light.
Holy Light is burning every inch of exposed dead flesh, making a sickening sizzling sound. Arthas can feel the Ghoul tissues sewn outside the armor are rapidly Carbonized, peeling off like dry bark. He looked down at his hands covered with carrion - this disgusting camouflage was the only guarantee that they could pass through Holy Light Matrix. Fortunately, they had long lost their sense of taste and smell.
"We will reach the first safe point by holding on for another ten minutes." Kel'Thuzad's voice came from the front, echoing in the narrow sewer. The skeletal body of the former Dalaran mage was completely wrapped in a bloated Abomination Leather Pouch, walking like a clumsy penguin.
Behind Arthas, eleven Death Knight advanced silently. They were once the most elite knights of Lordaeron, but now they are like a group of zombies wrapped in rotten flesh, stumbling in the dark sewers. Holy Light seeped through the layers of rocks and soil, and although they have been weakened, they still cause the Undeads to suffer.
"Speed up." Arthas ordered, his voice sounding dull and cold in the closed helmet.
After turning a corner, the sewer suddenly opened up. There were traces of artificial carvings on the wall, and every ten steps on the top there was a Magic Crystals. Arthas emitting a faint blue light. He immediately raised his hand to signal the team to stop.
"Warding Rune," Kel'Thuzad explained in a low voice, "Dalaran's mages have also deployed defensive measures in the sewers. They are not stupid, they have long prevented enemies from sneaking into the city from underground."
Arthas observed the runes carefully. They were cleverly carved around the crystal base, and ordinary people would not notice them at all. But to Undead, these runes were as conspicuous as torches in the dark night.
"Can it be lifted?"
"Of course, my prince." Kel'Thuzad chuckled and stretched out his bony fingers wrapped in carrion. A dark green energy flowed from his fingertips, wrapping around the runes like a poisonous snake, corroding them bit by bit. "When I was studying the Undead spell at Dalaran, I considered that one day I might need to come back secretly."
The runes were extinguished one by one, and the team continued to move forward. Arthas could feel that the protective layer on his body was getting thinner and thinner, and the burning sensation of Holy Light gradually became unbearable. He held Frostmourne tightly, and the cold air emanating from the sword slightly relieved the pain.
"Ahead is the exit to the city." Kel'Thuzad pointed to a shaft blocked by an iron fence ahead, "But the concentration of Holy Light there will be higher."
Arthas nodded and turned to Death Knight behind him. "Supplementary protection."
Death Knight were in pairs and began to use Death Coil on each other. Shadow Energy circulated among them, temporarily increasing their ability to resist Holy Light. Arthas noticed that two knights were in particularly bad condition - the rotten flesh on their bodies almost completely fell off, revealing the bones underneath that were burnt black by Holy Light.
"You two, walk in the middle of the team." He ordered, without a trace of mercy in his voice.
Kel'Thuzad easily dispelled the protective magic at the shaft mouth. Arthas was the first to climb up and used Frostmourne to pry open the heavy manhole cover. When he poked his head out, a dazzling golden light rushed towards him, as if someone had poured molten gold on his face. He gritted his teeth and tried not to make a sound.
The night sky of Dalaran was reflected like day by Holy Light Matrix. Countless golden runes circulated in the air, forming a giant network covering the entire city. Arthas quickly looked around - they were in a remote small square, surrounded by tall Mage Tower. There was a fountain in the center of the square, and the water surface reflected the ripples of Holy Light.
"Come up quickly!" he urged in a low voice, while reaching out to help his companions behind him.
When the last Death Knight climbed out of the shaft, Arthas heard footsteps in the distance. He immediately made a gesture, and everyone quickly hid in the shadows behind the fountain.
A group of mages wearing violet robes came from the corner. They held staffs and the crystal on the head of the staff kept scanning the surroundings. Arthas held his breath - although Undead did not need to breathe, this habitual movement could help him stay still.
"Have you felt it, Kael?" One of the mages stopped, "There is a strange magic fluctuation."
The mage known as Kael frowned and raised his staff. "It may be the periodic fluctuation of Holy Light Matrix. At this concentration, it is impossible for any Undead to survive for more than one minute."
"But Lord Antonidas asked us to be more vigilant."
Kael shook his head disapprovingly. "Holy Light will purify all undead creatures. Instead of worrying about this, it is better to check the protective runes in the southern district. I heard that several trainee mages accidentally damaged several nodes while practicing fire magic there."
After the patrol walked away, Arthas signaled the team to continue moving forward. They moved close to the shadow of the wall, avoiding the areas where Holy Light was strongest. Arthas noticed that the two injured Death Knight had fallen behind, and their movements became slow and stiff.
"Your Highness," one of the knights spoke with difficulty, his voice sounding like it was squeezed out of a broken bellows, "We can't hold on any longer."
Arthas stopped and turned to face them. Through the rotten masks, he saw two pairs of eyes full of pain - that was the last trace of their time as humans.
"Your sacrifice will be remembered." Arthas said calmly, while raising Frostmourne.
The two knights seemed to understand something. They straightened their bodies and performed a standard Lordaeron military salute. Arthas waved the magic sword and activated the "Death Pact" skill - sacrificing a unit with remaining health to replenish Death Knight's Shadow Energy. The dark green energy enveloped the two knights. Their bodies quickly shriveled up and turned into pure energy that flowed into Arthas and the other knights. The armor that had lost its support fell down and piled up, showing that there was a corpse of a certain knight here.
"Keep going." Arthas put away his sword, his voice not wavering at all.
Kel'Thuzad led them through a hidden path and bypassed several Mage Tower. As they went deeper into the city, Holy Light Matrix's intensity continued to increase. Arthas could feel that the newly acquired energy was being consumed quickly, like ice cubes exposed to the scorching sun.
They had to stop and use Death Coil's spells to replenish each other's death energy. But under the strong Holy Light Matrix, the effect became worse and worse.
"How far is it?" he asked in a low voice.
"Across the square in front is the library." Kel'Thuzad replied, "But it is an open area without any shelter."
Arthas thought for a moment, "Let's go underground."
The first update. The Dalaran that Arthas sneaked into in the War3 game was really shabby. Only three mages maintained the magic barrier. Antonidas was stabbed to death by a sword. The water summoner died without teleportation. I just made up the details of this story in my head. Please vote and subscribe!