Chapter 423: Stratholme, the Land of Destiny (Part 2)

"It has begun..."

Richard in the sky said with some melancholy as he watched Jaina Uther leave and Arthas lead his army in. Fina couldn't bear to look down and sighed softly.

"What's wrong?"

"This is a massacre, a brutal massacre."

"Yes, but it is necessary. Everyone here is infected with the plague, and even we have no way to solve it. What Arthas did is cruel, but it is the quickest way to preserve the strength of the Alliance. If they are allowed to really turn into undead, the Alliance might lose the population of two Stratholme cities..."

"Then...if one day our people have this experience..."

"Maybe...maybe they will face the same fate."

Fina's eyes were a little dim. Richard patted her on the shoulder and said, "All we can do is prevent this from happening. Well, the massacre is about to begin. If you don't want to watch it, go back."

"No." Fina shook her head. "Every scene we see now is a warning to us. I will remember it carefully."

Richard nodded and set his sights on the doomed Stratholme.

Arthas and his soldiers have already rushed into the city. It is easy for the soldiers to deal with the resurrected dead. Because those undead are enemies and no longer human beings, but just corpses to be used. Smashing their skulls and chopping off their heads is no more difficult than killing a ferocious beast. But when it comes to other living people...

these citizens looked at the fully armed soldiers and his prince, confused at first, and then fear. At first, most people didn't even pick up weapons; they recognized the emblem and knew that these soldiers who came to take their lives were supposed to protect them. They didn't even understand why they deserved to die.

When Arthas knocked down the first person, his heart tightened with pain. This was a young man, with only a few hairs growing down there. But his brown eyes looked at Arthas in confusion, and he wanted to ask why this paladin wearing the emblem of the Paladin of Lordaeron attacked him, but before he could ask, Arthas roared and swung the hammer. This blow was a pain that had to be done, but it was also mixed with other factors. The moment the hammer struck the boy's chest, Arthas realized the hammer no longer shone with the Light.

Perhaps the Light was weeping at the horrific act that had to be done. Fighting back his heart-wrenching sobs, he turned to face the boy's mother...

he thought this would be easier. Instead, it got worse. Arthas could not back down. The soldiers looked up to him as an example; if he faltered, so would they, and Meganes would triumph. So he kept his helmet on to hide his face from them, and lit torches himself to burn buildings, despite the cries and screams of the people packed inside. He strode forward, not letting the horrific sights and sounds slow him down.

Some citizens of Stratholme began to resist, but they were powerless against professional soldiers and well-trained paladins. To put it bluntly, it was like slaughtering animals. But their self-defense alleviated the terrible feeling that Arthas and his men felt, and made them feel relieved.

"I have been waiting for a long time, young prince." A deep voice suddenly trembled and echoed in his ears and mind. It was a voice more evil than Kel'Thuzad's voice. Kel'Thuzad once said that his leader was a terrifying demon, an extremely dark existence, and the name of that dark creature was...

"I am Mal'Ganis."

Arthas felt a surge of joy in his heart. He was right. Mal'Ganis is here, the mastermind behind the plague. Alsas' men also heard it, and they turned around to search for the source of the sound. At this moment, the door of a house hiding residents suddenly opened, and a group of zombies rushed out from inside, with a green sickly halo on their bodies.

"As you can see, your people are mine now. I will convert the entire city house by house until the fire of life is extinguished forever." Mal'Ganis laughed unpleasantly, his voice was extremely gloomy and harsh.

"Huh! I won't let this happen, Mal'Ganis!" Gentleman Alsas took a breath and shouted loudly. He now knew that he was doing something absolutely right, and he must not let this damn monster succeed in his conspiracy!

"Even if they die in my hands, it's better than becoming your death slaves!"

Another round of laughter, and then this annoying sound came and went quickly. A large group of undead suddenly rushed up from three sides, and Alsas immediately entered a state of combat...

Maybe after today, Alsas will never be able to tell how long it took to kill every living person and dead person in the city. But it finally ended. The grocery store has become a burning building, but the sweet smell of poisonous flour is still floating in the air. This smell is mixed with the smell of blood and gunpowder, making everyone feel nauseous.

Everyone, including Arthas, was exhausted after the massacre, and everyone's armor was stained with blood and pus.

Except for Arthas, everyone else was sitting or lying on the ground. Arthas knew that this was not over yet, and he knew what he was waiting for. Sure enough, a moment later, his enemy fell from the sky and landed on the roof of a burning building.

Arthas was stunned. This creature was huge. His blue-gray skin looked like a moving stone. Two long horns grew forward from his bald head and bent upward. A pair of bat-like wings behind him were like moving shadows. His legs with goat hooves bent backwards were wrapped in metal armor studded with spikes, decorated with patterns of skulls and bones. He smiled arrogantly, revealing his sharp teeth that gleamed under the green light in his eyes.

He looked up at the creature, fearful and unbelieving, but the evidence was right in front of him, which made him lose his mind for a moment. He had heard similar legends and had seen them in old book illustrations in the Royal Library and the Dalaran Archives. But now he was facing this shocking monster standing before him, and the sky behind him was covered with blood-red flames and dark black smoke.

The Dreadlord is a kind of demon, something that exists in myths. Arthas once thought that demons did not exist, but they really stood before his eyes...

There was a sudden fluctuation in the sky in an inconspicuous corner of Stratholme. It was Chromie, who had been lurking for a long time. Chromie stared at Mal'Ganis closely, his lips trembling.

"The devil...is back..."