The battle left a mountain of things to deal with, and the cost of purifying Stratholme this time was heavy.
Fordring was killed, Taelan was killed and went missing, Reno went missing, Darian was killed, and Mograine and Grom also perished.
In the endless sea of undead, no living creature could escape the relentless pursuit.
Sylvanas was unconscious, and the only good news was that Jaina was unharmed; she was merely mentally exhausted from over-casting spells and only needed some rest.
The knights brought Fordring's body over, placing it with the fallen soldiers. They deserved respect and would be sent to the Chapel of Light for burial.
That was the final resting place for fallen paladins, and their honor!
Previously, Necromancers had attempted to resurrect Fordring as a death knight. The vastly powerful Fordring still harbored a large amount of Holy Light within him, which not only prevented his transformation into an undead knight but also exploded, killing four Necromancers in the process.
The Warsong Clan orcs suffered heavy casualties; they now sat huddled in a corner, silently licking their wounds.
Even their chieftain was killed. When facing the Flesh Giant, he didn't hesitate for a moment, charging forward with Gorehowl.
He was fearless.
Arthas, dragging his weary body, came to the center and raised the purified Frostmourne in his hand.
"Azeroth, hear my plea, grant new life to the faithful who fought for you!"
Holy Light is useless! World soul is useful!
A mournful melody began, much like Arthas' elegy while seated on the Frozen Throne.
Instead of Holy Light, the power of the world soul, mixed with Holy Light attributes, formed brilliant specks of light, raining down as starlight.
This life force from the World Soul, imbued with Holy Light characteristics, was similar to the six primary forces yet distinct.
These brilliant specks of light slowly descended, seeping into the bodies of the fallen paladins.
The originally exhausted Jaina, upon contact with these light specks, felt her spirits lift. The fatigue and mental strain from over-casting spells vanished completely.
Even the internal injuries caused by casting spells were gradually healing. Magic was not without cost; excessive spellcasting in a short period naturally placed a huge burden and damage on the body.
Sinestra's eyes, even more, gleamed with light. This power was very similar to the power of the Guardians, yet not quite; it seemed even more advanced?
Watching the deceased paladins, their souls gradually returned to their bodies.
Their bodies also seemed to be undergoing a change, showing a tendency towards crystallization, no longer resembling humans but transforming in another direction.
Fordring opened his eyes again, his consciousness pulled back from the boundless darkness.
His body was somewhat crystallized; he felt he was no longer a pure human.
"I, where am I? What am I, exactly?"
He could still hear a voice calling to him in the depths of his being, urging him to protect this world and eliminate all foreign invaders.
The fallen Mograine father and son also rose again, their bodies reflecting a peculiar glow, somewhat similar to Holy Light, yet not quite; it was hard to describe exactly what it was.
If one had to draw a similarity, it would be to the dwarf King Magni, who turned into a crystal man!
The weeping civilians watched this miracle, their mouths agape in astonishment.
Resurrection?
Was this something humans could achieve?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
If it was prince Arthas, however, it seemed perfectly reasonable.
The resurrected heroes and soldiers all showed varying degrees of crystallization. Unlike simple resurrection before, they seemed to have become stronger.
Arthas lowered his raised arm and examined their condition. They had indeed been resurrected, but they were transforming towards an elemental state.
Now, they seemed more like half-human, half-elemental?
'Did I just lightforge them using Frostmourne?!'
"Your valiant fight not only saved Stratholme but also fought for this world."
"The will of this world tells me that she needs you to expel the demons from the world."
"You are not undead, but heroes. If you don't believe it, try to see if you want to eat people?"
Eat people?
The surviving civilians immediately retreated several steps, fearing they would pounce and tear them apart.
Fordring shook his head. He could feel the presence of the Holy Light and attempted to summon it.
A beam of light descended, healing the wounded soldiers in the distance. This scene brought a sense of relief to everyone.
The undead not only feared Holy Light but also could not use it, so Fordring was not undead!
Kneeling on one knee before Arthas, Fordring placed his right hand on his chest and swore an oath.
"Thank you, Prince Arthas. I have heard the will of the world. Under your leadership, demons will have nowhere to hide. I salute you."
Mograine father and son, and Grom also knelt on one knee. The resurrected soldiers and the remaining wounded soldiers all followed suit, kneeling and swearing allegiance to prince Arthas.
Fordring and his group were left to clear Stratholme, using it as a stronghold to gather refugees.
Uther, meanwhile, led a squad of knights back to Lordareon Royal City to report to King Terenas.
Arthas, with the help of the dragon queen, teleported back to his territory. Although he was in high spirits, he still chose to rest for a while.
As soon as he entered the room, Jaina followed right behind him.
She changed out of her magic robe, untied her golden ponytail, letting her wavy hair cascade down.
A hint of shy blush rose on her fair skin, and a faint smile graced her beautiful face.
"Shall we find some fun, my love?"
Who could refuse a beautiful blonde offering herself?
Unless it was an undead!
Clearly, Arthas was not; he was still a hot-blooded prince.
"As you wish, princess."
The night passed quietly, like spring waters leaving no trace under the moon and flowers.
The morning sun shone down, marking another beautiful day.
Looking at Jaina sleeping soundly beside him, his gaze fell on her profile, the tiny downy hairs on her face reflecting the light, a picture of a beautiful woman asleep.
Arthas shook his head, got up, and put on his armor. Indulgence made one weary; he must stop drinking immediately!
The territory's administrative building had already been constructed, a three-story structure.
The first floor was for the city hall's business operations, the second floor housed the offices of Onyxia and others, and the third floor was Arthas' residence.
Standing by the window, he could see that a large dock was already under construction in the distant bay.
Dragonkin were on guard, while murlocs, arcane golems, and farmers worked busily. The sight of naturally opposing races working harmoniously together would leave anyone speechless with surprise.
The territory was flourishing. An area in the forest had been cleared to settle the fleeing refugees.
He arrived at the office.
Immediately, he saw a pair of high heels propped on the desk, ten crystal-clear, food-grade jade feet with purple nail polish, no less exquisite than Miss Sarathas' pair.
Onyxia leaned lazily in her chair, a floating ledger automatically turning its pages in front of her. From time to time, she would pick up washed grapes and put them into her mouth.
Her work attitude could only be described as utterly lazy, yet it made one stare in awe, truly befitting the black dragon princess!
"Ahem, good morning, Onyxia."
Arthas cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the high heels.
"Oh, good day, Prince Arthas, you've come at just the right time. To help you, I've brought out all my savings. Don't go back on your word, you'll have to pay me back later!"
Onyxia's eyes lit up, and her pretty face beamed with excitement. The new territory held immense wealth, and no dragon loved shiny little darlings more than she did!
Her pink toes pinched a cherry, lifting it provocatively.
"Does Prince Arthas want some fruit?"
Such temptation!
Arthas shook his head and sat opposite her. He had never found this black dragon princess easy to deal with; she had used both feminism and a honey trap right after they met. She was truly not simple!