Envy

A visual trick? Interesting. I see through it but won't say anything. I didn't sense any magical activity from Ruel, so some kind of item must have helped him, and he didn't use it at first, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to attack his Void Dragon.

"That was brilliant." I clapped my hands in delight, but then I saw Ruel's smug expression freeze. "Illidan is a good guy. My purpose in coming to Outland was to collect anything with special functions. The Curse Cipher was one of them, and now I have another one."

My implication was clear: this guy finally slipped up. I saw his left hand reach behind his waist, as if he was protecting something.

"You didn't attack just now," I said, putting down my bow. "Because you knew that attacking would mean being exposed."

"I don't need to worry about these things anymore!" Ruel's leap forward caught me off guard. I didn't know what I had said to offend him. Anyway, he rushed at me, and when he was three steps away, he jumped, trying to grab my throat.

But he hadn't even figured out who his opponent was. Ruel blinked, realizing he was only holding air. I was gone. Just as he was wondering, my hand shot out from behind his neck and pulled him down. He fell heavily to the ground. To prevent him from resisting further, I pressed him firmly to the ground with my knee, my hand gripping his neck tightly.

"You're a fool just like Kael'thas." My teeth chattered, and my whole body clenched, making my voice sound furious. "He also met me on the battlefield, but the arrogance of the Elf allowed this mage to dare to draw his sword and fight me. Do you know what the price he paid? He nearly lost his life. But you won't have that chance, because you're different from him; you have no allies!"

"So that's how it is." Ruel suddenly withdrew his angry tone, replacing it with a mocking one, as if he were the one being pinned to the ground. This gave me a bad feeling.

The Blood Elf chuckled. "I once dated a woman named Lana'thel, and I asked her why she had risen through the ranks so quickly under Prince Kael'thas. She told me she recognized an Undead who was fighting the Prince Undead there in Dalaran."

"Where is that woman?" Suddenly I understood many things, setting aside countless other possibilities, and the whole thing was explained clearly with the simplest of thoughts.

Ruel laughed loudly; his voice was interfering with my judgment, making me impatient and angry, but that was not a wise move for him.

"Speak quickly." I increased my strength, and Ruel struggled even more fiercely.

A flash of light pierced my eyes from him. It was a gemstone, lying on the muddy ground, with irregular patterns on it, like a leaf.

I glanced at it. The gemstone emitted a dull Lordaeron oak color. The fragments had very sharp edges, and the surface had irregular patterns, much like a leaf.

Is this the toy he used to distract me?

If so, its value would be roughly equivalent to that of the Curse Cipher.

Taking a deep breath, I carefully picked up the gem.

"The Prince said you were Alleria's husband." Ruel's mocking voice came again. I had temporarily blocked his voice, but these words reignited the anger in my heart. "Of course. But you are already dead, even Alleria despised you!"

Noticing my expression was off, the Blood Elf laughed even more unrestrainedly.

"Alleria has a son, but his surname is Windrunner, not you, Nathanos Marius."

I slowly took an arrow out of my quiver.

"What does this mean, Nathanos Marius? It means she wants to forget you, she refuses to have a cursed husband. You're a pathetic insect!"

I slammed the arrow into his back.

The laughter turned into screams. Arrows imbued with dark magic easily tore through flesh and blood.

The poison began to manifest in Ruel's skin. Spiderweb-like black veins spread across Kael'thas's skin. He was trying to twist his head to get rid of my weapon, but without success.

As he wished, I pulled out the arrow and then plunged it even more desperately into his neck. The screams grew agonizing, and the blasphemer thrashed his hands in despair, trying to push me away. I pressed my face against the Blood Elf's eyes and then plunged the arrow all the way into his throat. The screams turned into faint groans.

From beginning to end, I held the arrow firmly, not caring at all whether Ruel was still alive. I just wanted to get rid of the emotions controlling me. This way of venting was quite good, so I kept my eyes fixed on Ruel's astonished face.

"I'll make her forget," I whispered. "I don't intend for her to remember either!"

I twisted the bow and arrow in my hand, then moved it to a position opposite Ruel's back and chest, and began to stab repeatedly. Blood splattered all around. It wasn't my blood, nor the blood of any creature in this world, but without exception, it was swallowed up by the soil of this continent.

Finally, I stood up after pulling out the arrow.

"Thank you for telling me."

Ruel convulsed on the ground. I looked on curiously at Lana'thel, whom he had mentioned earlier. Where was this woman? I regretted not pressing him for an answer. But would Ruel tell me? I watched as his body went lifeless with the final tremor. A shimmering, sand-like mist slowly emanated from him. Blood Elf, deeply poisoned by magic, never considered how to break free from its constraints, instead using magic solely to satisfy their desires.

In the end, even the magic within them will despise themselves.

When the mist dissipated, silence returned. Ruel's eyes were exposed, and he had stopped breathing. I didn't leave, still worried. After a long while, I finally nodded with a muffled groan.

I left the corpse where it was. Even if it were discovered, people would think this Blood Elf had messed with someone he shouldn't have. Illidan wouldn't be happy. I really wanted to see this old friend, but my actions had put me on the opposite side.

I was just about to leave when I remembered my important task. After searching the Blood Elf's corpse, finally... I sighed, I had obtained the last fragment.

"What an easy death." I took one last look at Ruel's body, without contempt or smugness, but with a different, more ridiculous emotion.

Envious!