On the eastern side of the continent of Northrend, along a coast called Daggercap Bay, Arthas landed with the fleet of Lordaeron.
Soon after establishing the camp, Arthas discovered that Northrend was vast and boundless, and he had no idea of Mal'Ganis's whereabouts, as if he wasn't even in Northrend.
Shortly after, they were attacked by a group of undead. Fortunately, they were rescued by a group of dwarves who had come to the Arctic to seek treasure, and the leader of the dwarves was an old acquaintance of Arthas: his martial arts enlightenment teacher, the Bronzebeard Prince Muradin!
In the following days, Arthas and Muradin continued to advance towards the interior of Northrend, and the fleet also advanced north along the coastline, establishing new camps.
They searched for traces of Mal'Ganis and the treasure on the dwarves' treasure map: a runeblade with immense power, Frostmourne.
After a long time, they still had nothing. Arthas's heart was burning like fire. Later, the situation worsened. News came from the Lordaeron colony in Northrend that Terenas, at Uther's request, was recalling the Lordaeron fleet.
This fleet's expedition originally lacked the king's order. If they disobeyed and did not return to the country, it would be regarded as treason. In addition, after a long period of fruitless searching, the soldiers were tired, hungry, and cold, and they all had the idea of returning home, unwilling to continue suffering with the prince in the Arctic.
Arthas, consumed by rage, hired a local mercenary army and burned all the ships, cutting off the tens of thousands of soldiers' means of returning home, forcing them to stay in Northrend. Then, he framed the mercenaries for the crime of burning the ships, leading the enraged soldiers to kill them.
This sinister trick of using a borrowed knife to kill was played very smoothly, but it also caused a rift between Arthas and the inherently upright Muradin.
Just as the two were about to break up, Ner'zhul timely dispatched an undead army to surround the human and dwarf camp. In order to escape smoothly, Muradin had to take Arthas to continue searching for Frostmourne to deal with the dreadlord hiding in the dark.
Eventually, Arthas and Muradin, following deliberately left clues, arrived at the cave where Frostmourne was located.
The obsessive Arthas, in order to obtain powerful power, ignored Muradin's dissuasion and resolutely pulled out the cursed runeblade from the ice. At the moment of pulling out Frostmourne, a powerful force surged towards him, this force froze his blood and devoured his soul.
Muradin, who tried to stop Arthas, was severely injured on the spot by the sword energy mixed with ice cones erupting from Frostmourne, his life or death unknown!
Slaughtering the city and killing his teacher, Arthas's heart was now occupied by darkness, and his reason no longer existed. Holding the magic sword, he returned to the camp, cleared the undead surrounding the camp, and killed Mal'Ganis with the sword.
After killing Mal'Ganis, the culprit who created the plague, he felt empty and guilty after succeeding in his revenge. At his weakest moment, Ner'zhul summoned Arthas to the Frozen Throne through Frostmourne.
After the prince disappeared, a group of loyal soldiers, led by Falric, still held the camp, waiting for the prince to return. Another group of Lordaeron soldiers and dwarves chose to leave Northrend.
They returned to the Eastern Continent to report the prince's news to the King of Lordaeron, and the dwarves returned to Ironforge to report the news that their Prince Muradin was killed by the Lordaeron Prince!
At the Frozen Throne, Ner'zhul tore apart Arthas's last trace of humanity. Dark knowledge flowed into his consciousness. He learned to use dark necromantic magic. He became the Lich King's loyal servant, the death knight Arthas.
This was a very wonderful state. Although he became a death knight, his body was still alive, only containing the power of blood, frost, and death.
After becoming a death knight, he returned to the camp and easily killed the knights and soldiers loyal to him, and then transformed them into his loyal Scourge warriors. Among them, his guard captain Falric, Marwyn, and the generals in the fleet were all made into the first batch of death knights of the Scourge.
They would be taken back to the Eastern Continent by Arthas as the main force to destroy Lordaeron.
It's just that Arthas didn't know at all that the so-called Mal'Ganis he killed was not Mal'Ganis himself, but another dreadlord, Detheroc, who had infiltrated Azeroth. Arthas not only found the wrong target of revenge, but also failed to kill the right person when he killed Mal'Ganis. This revenge was simply a lonely affair.
From the outbreak of the plague until now, Arthas has been living on the path woven for him by Ner'zhul, like a puppet on a string, manipulated by emotions, from a righteous prince to a dark death knight.
It would take some time for Arthas to return to Lordaeron. Galen first returned to Eldre'Thalas, selected ten thousand druids, ten thousand archers, and ten thousand huntresses from the hundred thousand base unit soldiers, and then handed them over to Vath'strash to command, and stipulated that this son of Staghelm should pacify several centaur tribes in the Desolace within three months.
Moreover, in order to prevent a certain stunningly beautiful Earth Princess in Maraudon from intervening in the war, he specially built a Kings' Altar in a hidden mountain in the Desolace, increasing the range of activity of the wild boar god's spirit.
Galen remotely notified Gandalf and Aegwynn, who were stationed at the Crusader Fortress on the Golden Plains, to prepare their troops, and also notified the tauren on Thunder Bluff to prepare for war.
Finally, Galen came to Highmountain in the Broken Isles.
Thunder Totem was a city that Galen had watched being built step by step. It was located in the heart of Highmountain.
At that time, Huln adopted Galen's suggestion and built the city into a huge totem pole that pierced the sky.
Thunder Totem overlooked the vast and awe-inspiring scenery of Highmountain. Many parts of the city extended beyond the totem, tents were stationed on the cliff faces, and the flat-topped slopes were connected to the city center by wooden bridges.
Galen descended from the sky in the form of a green dragon, causing a burst of tension among the defenders of Thunder Totem. Soon Galen transformed into the form of a night elf during the descent.
This clarification of non-hostile behavior was seen by Blackhorn, the spirit walker of the Highmountain tribe, who immediately lifted the alert of the city guards.
"Ah ha, Ebyssian, long time no see, is this how you Highmountain tauren tribes welcome old friends?"
Galen laughed loudly at the spirit walker in mid-air.
Blackhorn's face changed!
The name "Ebyssian" was no longer used after he passed his whelp period and learned shapeshifting!
Who exactly is this person!
It's no wonder Blackhorn was so nervous. Among the Highmountain tauren of the Thunder Totem, besides Ulan Highmountain, no one knew his true identity.
Back when the black dragon whelp was growing into a young dragon, Huon, who raised him, had already died. Feeling a sense of belonging to the Thunder Totem, he transformed into a Highmountain tauren, adopting the name Soul Walker Blackhorn, and has remained so for over ten thousand years.
Every century, he had to orchestrate a one-man show of hereditary succession among the Soul Walkers to ensure the legitimacy and secrecy of his identity!
Now, a green dragon descended from the sky, directly calling out his black dragon name from childhood. He almost thought the green dragon was here to eliminate him!
Until… Galen descended to a hundred meters, and Blackhorn clearly saw his face. His expression instantly changed from solemn to joyful!
"Uncle Galen!"
Galen, who was descending, paused.
In reality, his body was only twenty-two years old.
Forget it, forget it, Uncle it is. I already have a ten-thousand-year-old disciple and a seven- or eight-thousand-year-old grand-disciple. What does it matter to have another ten-thousand-year-old black dragon nephew?
"Haha, didn't expect it, did you? I'm back again!"
After the little dragon whelp was brought back, Galen and Huon didn't know how to raise a dragon. Galen directly treated the little dragon whelp like a puppy. Later, Huon couldn't stand it anymore and took over to raise it with his own children.
However, this didn't hinder Blackhorn's feelings for Galen. After all, if it weren't for Galen, he would have been killed by Huon long ago.
And those black dragon eggs that Galen brought back from ancient times, after being handed over to Nefarian and them for lightforging after hatching, were all direct descendants of the Dragon Aspects. Even if they couldn't grow to the demigod level of Nefarian and Onyxia, becoming a legendary dragon was still possible.
"I'm really happy to see you again, Uncle Galen, but… Huln has been gone for nine thousand nine hundred years!" After Galen landed, Blackhorn said to him with a look of remembrance.
"Hehe, I came here today for this matter," Galen patted Blackhorn's horns, causing the surrounding Highmountain guards to become tense, but their esteemed Soul Walker seemed to enjoy Galen's stroking.
"For Huln ?" Blackhorn was excited.
"That's right, do you remember the purple gemstone ornament I gave to Huln ?" Galen prompted Blackhorn.
Blackhorn searched his long-sealed ancient memories. For Galen, returning to the current timeline was only a little over a year ago, but Blackhorn had actually lived through ten thousand years!
"Oh!"
A light flashed in Blackhorn's mind!
"It's that gem that hides shadow power!" Blackhorn finally remembered. "When I checked Huln's belongings, I found this item containing shadow energy. Originally, Huln's children wanted to destroy it to prevent it from harming their descendants."
"It's just that I remembered that this gemstone was an item you gave to Huln, and it was impossible for it to harm Huln, so I sealed it in my own hut."
After Galen heard this, he felt a pang of regret. If Huln's descendants had always worn their ancestor's relics, wouldn't he have possessed the spirits of the Highmountain tauren chieftains for ten thousand years?
That was Huln Highmountain! Writing his biography would definitely make him one of the chosen ones!
Not only was he strong in battle, but his leadership was also outstanding. He was favored by Cenarius, who bestowed natural blessings upon him and his people, giving them antlers like moose.
In the war, Huln held the artifact Eagle Spear, riding the divine beast Eitrel, blocking the Burning Legion's teleportation portal and killing the tauren.
After the war, he exiled Deathwing and then raised a black dragon!
If I didn't have cheats, jealousy would have already caused me to separate the quality wall…
I especially resurrected Huln and his descendants' heroic spirits, forming a tauren chieftain guard. They don't need to be as fierce as Huln, as long as their strength is above the baseline, they can directly push the demon army horizontally, directly to Archimonde's face!
At this time, a tall tauren pushed aside the Highmountain guards and came to Blackhorn's side.
"Elder Blackhorn, who is this?"
"Ulan, this is the legendary hero of the night elf clan: Galen Lighthammer. He was a close friend of Huln ten thousand years ago. Galen, this is Ulan Highmountain, the current chieftain of the Highmountain tribe."
Galen looked at Ulan with a smile: "Hello, Warchief Ulan. As expected of Huln's descendant, truly brave and martial."
The tauren and night elves have a friendship that spans generations. Ulan, as the Warchief of the Highmountain tauren, knows that their ancestors fought against the Burning Legion together with the night elves. Therefore, after learning that Galen was a good friend of his ancestor, he also showed a smile.
"Uncle Galen, you said you came for Huln, what do you mean?" Blackhorn had a special feeling for Huon. This black dragon had been by Huon's side since birth, never having come into contact with other dragons, and had long regarded Huon as his own father.
"That gemstone is a trophy I seized from the Burning Legion. It can preserve the souls of the dead," Galen casually gave the Soulstone a origin.
"This… Lord Galen, will that demonic item harm our ancestor's soul?" Ulan Highmountain was a little worried. If it weren't for Galen's high seniority and boundless strength, and Blackhorn Great Elder standing on his side, this current Warchief wouldn't be so easy to talk to.
"Hey, I won't argue with you about the power not being divided into good and evil, only the user is divided into good and evil." Galen smiled, Fel energy is Fel energy, Shadow is Shadow, both of these forces will corrupt the minds of mortals, making them crazy and evil.
"The shadow power you feel is actually the last trace of shadow power remaining in the Soulstone." Galen glanced at Ulan, comforting the Highmountain Warchief. "In fact, the Soulstone I sent out has been thoroughly washed by me with various forces of order, and it no longer has evil power. It only has a nourishing effect on the soul."
Galen relied on his high seniority, old qualifications, and the fact that Ulan and the others knew nothing about warlock spells, so he spoke nonsense in a serious manner.
Doesn't Gul'dan know whether the Soulstone is harmful or not?
Those warlocks die and live again, and live and die again, and their souls are not weak and fragile.
That is just a container that preserves the soul from dissipating. Can a container be divided into good and evil?
Moreover, Huon is such a strong person, the soul strength is definitely one of the best in Azeroth, not to say the first person under the demigod, but it is also almost the same.
The role of the Soulstone is only to allow his soul to temporarily stay in Azeroth, and will not directly enter the Shadowlands's Ardenweald, and then become his legendary hunter…
Under Blackhorn's lead, the two tauren and Galen arrived at the platform's lift. As the lift descended, they reached the cavern beneath the Thunder Totem. This expansive platform, constructed within the mountain's belly and above the river, typically served as the meeting place for the chieftains of the Highmountain tribes.
Galen peered around on the lift, attempting to find any signs of someone falling, drawing a strange look from Blackhorn.
Blackhorn's dwelling was in a corner of the council chamber. Soon, he retrieved an ornament inlaid with a black-purple crystal ball—the very gift Galen had given to Huln years ago.
Galen took it and channeled his magic into it, activating the soulstone.
Upon contact with the magic, a faint shadow appeared at the core of the soulstone, resembling a strong tauren.
As Galen increased the output of magic, the soul slumbering within began to awaken.
Soon, a translucent blue spirit materialized in the center of the council chamber.
The spirit opened its eyes, and upon seeing Galen and Blackhorn, it opened its mouth and let out a hearty laugh: "Haha, Galen, brother, and Blackhorn! I knew you would awaken me one day."
"Oh? Huln, you knew about my backup plan?" Galen had never told Huln what the soulstone he gifted could do.
"Heh, the moment I died, a suction force pulled me into this ornament. Afterward, I fell into a slumber. I awoke two or three times during this sleep, but I never saw Blackhorn take a wife and have children. I saw him just wake up and go back to sleep every day, which was incredibly boring, so I decided to continue sleeping!"
Huh?
Blackhorn was dumbfounded. "Holy crap, you could see me from the soulstone?"
Fortunately, everyone around was a tauren. Blackhorn only had the appearance of a tauren but the inside of a dragon, otherwise, Huln would have seen the whole process of finding a tauren woman to make little tauren!
"Welcome back, Huln. This is your descendant, Ulan Highmountain!"
Huln's gaze turned to his descendant, and then he patted Ulan's shoulder.
"You are good, Ulan, but you have more than enough courage, and not enough caution. You need to strengthen your learning in this area."
Ulan didn't understand his ancestor's meaning, but facing Huln's teachings, he could only nod to indicate that he would continue to work hard.
"Huln, the reason we awakened you is because we need your help. Ten thousand years have passed, and the Burning Legion's demons are about to invade our world again!"
"Those evil demon spawn! Haha, I can't wait to drink their blood!" The spirit of Huln, who had been dormant for ten thousand years, was quite excited. "Ulan, quickly, bring the Spear of our Highmountain tribe!"
"…"
Ulan's expression was somewhat awkward.
Because...
The Spear of the Eagle, it's gone!
"Ancestor…"
"Stop stammering… Hurry up, don't dawdle."
At this time, Blackhorn spoke: "Huln, the spear was lost thousands of years ago…"
Blackhorn explained the general situation in detail: After Huln's death, the artifact known as the Spear of the Eagle was passed down through generations in the hands of the tribe's most skilled hunters. The Highmountain tribe had always maintained this tradition, and if the tribe encountered a threat or challenge, the hunter would bring the spear into battle.
Later, after news came of a mysterious beast appearing in the wilds of Stormheim, Nalmush Highmountain, the wielder of the Teron of the Eagle at the time, set off with the spear, having decided that if he could not tame it, he would have to kill it.
However, Nalmush never returned after his expedition.
In the millennia that followed, each Highmountain chieftain had tried to send people to find this ancestral artifact, but the clues obtained were pitifully few.
Not only that, but most of the warriors who went to search for the lost artifact perished in the process, except for a few who managed to escape back.
The information brought back by those who escaped only added to the Nightstalker Dakharr's reputation as the "Highmountain Bane," who lurked in the mists!
After Blackhorn finished speaking, Huln nearly died again upon hearing such tragic news.
This was a precious inherited artifact of the Highmountain tribe!
It contained the power essence of the Eagle Spirit in Ohn'ahra, the Bear Spirit Ursoc, and the ancient twin-headed wolf demigod, the Year Beast. Huln's heart was broken.
Ulan was also somewhat ashamed, but what could he do?
"Hmph! To think you can't even handle a little Nightsaber. The Highmountain tribe has been getting worse and worse for the past ten thousand years!"
What could Ulan say?
He could only silently endure the ancestor's blame.
"It's not entirely your descendants' fault. That cunning Nightsaber hides in the mists around Meredil. That's no ordinary mist; it's filled with the power of death. That cheetah has been cursed and transformed by the mist, and after so many years, it still stubbornly guards its lair. Nalmush's corpse and the Spear of the Eagle are also there."
"Hmph, I'll personally retrieve my weapon!"
Huln decided to take action himself.
"Huln, do you need any help?" Galen asked.
"Ordinary hunters are of no help to me. Of course, if you let your two darlings, Sylvanas and Alleria, assist me, it's not impossible."
"Heh, dream on. You can go by yourself!"
Now, under Kael'thas's secret connection, the Sun King of the high elves had contacted Galen, and the two sides hit it off and prepared to do something big.
And Alleria and Sylvanas, as generals that the Sun King could trust, could not leave Quel'Thalas for the time being.
"By the way, you are now like a rootless soul. It's easy to exhaust your soul energy if you go to Stormheim like this."
Galen looked at Huln and said sincerely, "Are you interested in joining the organization I'm building? Broxigar is also in it."
"Hmm?"
Huln was stunned. He had heard that Broxigar had already died in the capital of the night elf empire, but he didn't expect to hear news of him today.
"Okay! I choose to join!"
"Ancestor! Aren't you staying to lead the Highmountain tribe?" Ulan tried to stop Huln.
"Child, I have been dead for ten thousand years!" Huln raised his hands: "Look, I am just a soul now. My era has passed. I am just a legend in the mouths of the tribesmen. Now the ruler of Thunder Totem is you, and the future of the Highmountain tribe is in your hands, not mine!"
"Blackhorn, you assist Ulan in gathering the tribes of Highmountain. The Burning Legion's invasion is a disaster for all intelligent races of Azeroth. We tauren cannot stand idly by."
After Huln finished speaking, he signaled that Galen could leave.
Galen led Huln out, remembering that there was also an exit below, so there was no need to take the lift.
"By the way, Galen, what's the name of our organization?"
"Uh…"
"Are you reliable? You didn't give the organization a name, did you?"
"How is that possible! Throne of Heroes! Yes, that's right, this organization is called Throne of Heroes!"
"Hmm, a good name! I like it!"
With Huln's inclusion, Galen successfully acquired the first powerful member of the Throne of Heroes.
This organization was something Galen came up with on the spur of the moment. Having come to these Broken Isles, he couldn't help but notice the Halls of Valor built by the titan watcher Odyn, floating in the sky.
The Vrykul and natives living in the Broken Isles might not be able to see the golden structure in the clouds, but Galen himself was a demigod and naturally able to sense the existence of the Halls of Valor.
To be honest, in his previous life, when Galen played a warrior, he entered the warrior class hall, the Halls of Valor, and learned about Odyn's story, he always had a bad impression of him.
Odyn was a failed titan watcher. Unlike Tyr and Archaedas, who were not strong enough and fled from the pursuit of the fallen Loken, Odyn had the ability to fight against Ulduar.
He was personally infused with power by Aman'Thul, the Father of the Gods, and then appointed as the chief administrator of the titan watchers!
His own strength, his authority in Ulduar, and the military forces under his command were all very strong, which resulted in his stubborn and self-willed personality.
He opposed the titans imbuing the dragons of Azeroth with power.
Because he regarded Malygos, Neltharion, Alexstrasza, Ysera, and Nozdormu as primitive creatures, believing that the fate of Azeroth should not be entrusted to these primitive creatures, and only the powerful titan creations could bear the responsibility of guarding this world.
In the end, his stubbornness displeased the other watchers, and the two sides began to split. Odyn asked his adopted daughter, the titan witch Helya, to raise an area of Ulduar into the sky to build the Halls of Valor, but he turned around and blasted Helya, forcibly twisting her soul into the first Val'kyr, used to guide the souls of Vrykul warriors.
His arbitrary actions caused him to lose Helya's support. In the end, the fallen Loken and Helya joined forces to seal the Halls of Valor, trapping Odyn and his elite Valarjar guard in the Halls of Valor, unable to leave.
Galen thought of Odyn, and from that, he thought of the situation in the Shadowlands. Rather than letting so many powerful souls of Azeroth flow into the hands of some mastermind, it would be better to use them for my own purposes.
Thus, Galen instantly established the Spirit Hall...
It was a bit perfunctory, but Huln didn't know yet that he was the only seedling at the moment, otherwise, Huln would probably kick him.
He had to quickly include Broxigar, Durotan, Draka, Zul'jin, and the others into the Spirit Hall to fill up this new organization composed of heroes.
Wait, why are they all orc souls? It seems that some fresh blood needs to be added. The trip to Tirisfal Glades needs to be put on the agenda. Not only are there several artifacts waiting for Galen to retrieve, but he vaguely remembers that the spirit of Emperor Thoradin is also in Tyr's Tomb!
Time flies, and soon Galen received a message from Thranduil, the news of Arthas returning with the Northrend expeditionary army.
So Galen bypassed Terenas and secretly sent invitations to several countries.
At the same time, Terenas of Lordaeron also met his son's messenger.
During this time, Terenas helped his son spread false news and change public opinion, bearing the condemnation of other member states within the Alliance, especially the pressure from Ironforge and Stromgarde, making the old king exhausted.
It was really too much trouble, acting without regard for the consequences, making his old father clean up the mess with a dark face, almost ruining Terenas's efforts of more than ten years!
Son, if you weren't my only biological son, your old father would have pasted you on the wall in minutes!
Fortunately, the messenger brought good news that Prince Arthas's Northrend expedition was successful. Terenas decided to hold another grand welcoming ceremony to welcome the triumphant prince!
Soon, the Lordaeron government released a message that Prince Arthas had killed Kel'Thuzad, the mastermind behind the plague, in Andorhal, and then tracked him all the way to Northrend, slaying the culprit, the dreadlord Mal'Ganis, and obtaining a divine sword called "Frostmourne"!
The people of Tirisfal were overjoyed. The news of the plague had been spreading like wildfire, and today the kingdom finally gave the final conclusion, and they no longer had to worry.
Prince is mighty!
But why are only the people of the Tirisfal region celebrating?
Because the lords of Eastweald were already overwhelmed. A large number of farms were contaminated by the plague, and the undead were everywhere. The villagers gathered in large towns seeking protection from the noble lords.
The lords' families also have a shortage of food, but they can't ignore it. These powerful lords with territories can't do what some nobles do, pursuing profit without regard for the lives of the people.
You must know that Eastweald and Westweald are autonomous provinces of Lordaeron!
The territories here do not belong to the Menethil royal family. If these lords lose the support of the people, or the people rebel and lose their territories, and the royal family reclaims the land ownership, they will have nothing.
Fortunately, news came from Hearthglen in Westweald that they still had clean, healthy, and plague-free grain in their inventory. Although the price was 10% higher than last year, it was finally able to solve the food problem in the territory.
The lords were busy leading troops to Hearthglen to transport grain. There were many undead in the plague-stricken areas, and they didn't know if it would go smoothly. Who would care about the prince's triumphant return?
Especially the more than 50,000 surviving citizens of Stratholme, they couldn't wait to peel off Prince Arthas's skin, tear his flesh, and drink his blood!
Under this strange situation, Arthas landed on the northern coast of Tirisfal Glades aboard a fleet composed of death ships, leading his death knights to the Lordaeron Royal City.
When the sky was slightly bright, the residents of the city couldn't wait to come out of their homes, singing and dancing on the festively decorated streets. For a time, the Lordaeron Royal City was filled with cheers and the roar of salutes.
Arthas led the army symbolizing death into the city. In the houses on both sides of the street, the windows were opened, and the people spontaneously stretched out half of their bodies from the windowsills, holding a flower basket in one hand and grabbing the pink and red petals in the flower basket, scattering them towards their prince's team.
For a time, the street where Arthas was located became an ocean of flowers.
Heavy armor covered Prince Arthas's pale skin, and a black hood covered his already snow-white long hair.
Arthas, wearing a hood, looked up at the falling petals in the air and stretched out his palm to catch one of them.
In the brown leather gloves, the petals changed at a speed visible to the naked eye, from bright red to lifeless gray-white.
Arthas casually flicked his hand, throwing the petals in his hand away, and then continued to lead the soldiers behind him into the Lordaeron Palace!