Walking along the road, stopping frequently, and sometimes having to deal with some weak gnoll raiders.
These semi-intelligent beings are generally scattered across various regions, making communication difficult. They do not have their own self-sufficient system and must constantly go out to forage and raid resources from other races, even humans.
Along the way, we encountered many goblin corpses, their flesh and blood mangled from being gnawed on. A pack of gnolls was surrounding several corpses, feasting, including some human bodies.
The guard soldiers pressed forward, initially greeting them with arrows and magic, and when they were close enough, they surged forward using a neat battle formation to block the wolfmen outside, with one responsible for the killing blow, one for defense, and one as backup support. A perfect three-by-three attack formation, which had shone brilliantly in orc wars.
Calia excitedly waved her staff, using holy light to heal the injured. It's a rare adventure, the life she has longed for; how could she not be thrilled now that it's so close? However, Arthas sensed something was amiss; these were shipwrecked sailors, meaning they were being hunted? What could be worth the kobolds chasing them?
"Leave one alive."
Such a level of combat doesn't require Arthas to take action; he just needs to wait for the guards to eliminate the few remaining wolfmen. In front of a semi-conscious wolfman, Arthas asked in gnoll language amidst the astonished gazes of Calia and the gnoll.
"What happened here?"
The captured wolfman nearly fainted from shock, not understanding why he was being attacked. "We are foraging."
"Where did the remaining goblins go?" Arthas pressed on.
"They were tied up in our lair." the wolfman said, looking at Arthas with fear, not understanding why Arthas spoke their language. However, the glowing holy light emanating from him filled him with a sense of dread, as it lightly healed his wounds.
"I can give you a chance to live, even make you the leader of your clan. Hehe, but are you worth my time?" Arthas looked at the wolfman in front of him with interest, already planning to make use of the gnoll.
The number of humans was not large, and he would certainly need talents from various sectors in the future across the sea. The gnoll might be a good source of strength, as every intelligent race can cooperate. Of course, cooperation is also built on equal strength. Arthas did not intend to enslave these wolfmen, or rather, he wanted to play the charade well.
Complete control is not much different from enslavement; making it sound nice could prevent any resistance. Arthas was very familiar with this; wasn't he treated this way before crossing over?
The company boss paints a bright picture for you, promising all kinds of benefits, naively tricking employees into working hard, knowing full well they are being duped, but they can't help but cling to newfound hope. Flattering words are always more pleasant to hear than sarcasm; the capitalism brainwashing technique is too powerful.
"Who are you? How do I know you won't deceive me?" The gnoll's eyes darted around, clearly not foolish, but not particularly smart either.
"I am the prince of a human kingdom; why would I bother to deceive you? Hmph, what is there about you that I would want to deceive? I can ensure that human soldiers will not attack you, provide you with some food, and even enable your clan to receive magic training. A gnoll spellcaster can help the powerful clan to absorb other clans. This is how you can become a wolfman king!" Arthas was feeding him motivational words, claiming what he said was absolutely true.
Teaching gnoll magic is almost insulting to the term 'magic.' Are gnolls weak? Not at all. There are even gnolls on the Dragon Isles, and these races have existed since ancient times. Compared to these races, the history of humans is much shorter. Well, if we count the history of the Vrykul, humans would come out ahead.
Arthas remembers the gnolls outside Stormwind, who once pressured Stormwind into seeking help from the Alliance. Their strength cannot be underestimated; if it weren't for a genuine threat, the nobles would often value their face over their lives! Not to mention, the gnoll chief Hogger in Elwynn Forest had educated countless newcomers.
Wolfmen are indeed not weak; no race is weak, it just depends on how to utilize them. Relying solely on humans, if the whole Alliance followed his commands, perhaps they could have a battle.
But with the Alliance being a disjointed group constantly vying for power, Arthas had no interest at all. The reason why the king of the Alliance takes Lordaeron's Sir Lothar's advice is because he is a descendant of the bloodline of the human empire. If another king were leading, the other kingdoms would absolutely not agree. Who knows if they would secretly take action to swallow them up? One must not be naive; it's acceptable to have a sense of vigilance.
"Your a human prince?" The gnoll seemed surprised; he had heard of it. "How can I help you?" Arthas was about to respond when he heard the system's prompt.
'Outsider Fanatic: The gnoll Ogg is very tempted by your suggestion; use absolute power and wisdom to make it submit!'
'Content: Help Ogg become the chief of the Gray Tooth clan. Task Reward: Ogg is converted into a fanatic follower.'
'Fanatic Followers: They admire you immensely, will never rebel, and will execute your orders with unwavering determination. Within their territory, they can provide three times the devout faith and can spend faith points to strengthen their followers.'
A gnoll becomes his fanatic follower? Arthas squinted, placing his right hand on the sword hilt. Perhaps he will need some assistance, even if it's feigned power. A fanatic follower brings immense benefits, even exaggerated ones.
The Scourge can sweep through the Alliance of Lordaeron not only relying on the massive corpses and ghoul tactics but also on the fanatics in the curse cult, using human identities to gather intelligence, feedback information to the Lich King, and then formulate corresponding battles.
Taking down supply points, contaminating grains, making soldiers eat plague-infested grains to turn them into the undead, and so on.
"Hehe, I will help you become the chief of your clan. Alright, now wait a moment." Arthas called for Emeriss, asking her to come help right after they had shared a bed last night. Shouldn't be a problem, right?