The figure who appeared was none other than **Straker**, the Death Knight Rhodes had sent as a mole to the Lich King. Straker possessed powerful Hero attributes and the ability to cast Level 1 and 2 spells.
"Straker, your strength has grown significantly. It seems you've been doing quite well for yourself under the Lich King," Rhodes said, nodding with satisfaction.
"I owe it all to your guidance, Master. Without your trust and support, I would never have reached this level," Straker said, dropping to one knee.
After months apart, Straker's level had risen to **6**. His attributes were now **3 Attack, 5 Defense, 2 Power, and 3 Knowledge**. Since he had been in the field this whole time, he hadn't had the chance to visit the special Hero buildings in the city.
Rhodes immediately directed Straker to "visit" the town's special structures: two Mercenary Camps, a Marletto Tower, and an Arena. Rhodes poured every available point into **Defense**—after all, Straker was a defense-oriented Hero. For his skills, Rhodes selected **Basic Armorer**, **Basic Offense**, and upgraded his **Resistance** to increase his troops' magic defense.
Straker's stats shifted to **5 Attack** and **8 Defense**. Combined with his Armorer and Offense skills and high Resistance, any melee unit under his command was now the most formidable physical force in Rhodes's arsenal. Unlike magic-reliant heroes, Straker was a pure frontline brawler who happened to know a few spells.
He had also mastered the full suite of Death Knight abilities: **Unholy Aura, Death Coil, Death Pact, Army of the Dead, Obliterate, Heart Strike, Death Strike, Anti-Magic Shell, Bone Shield,** and **Blood Shield**. Essentially, if it was a DK skill, he had it. Though Death Knights use magic, they are fundamentally a melee class. These spells didn't even reach the level of "Level 2 Magic" in the system, meaning once **Solmyr** arrived, he could easily use his "Learning" ability to copy Straker's Death Knight techniques and teach them to others.
"Alright, tell me about your experiences. I'm curious," Rhodes asked after the stat boosts were finalized.
"Master, I have been fighting alongside Arthas for months. As a primary Death Knight, the Lich King intentionally kept me away from the Battle of Mount Hyjal to handle other fronts. The Lich King trusts and values me deeply; I am considered the most powerful Death Knight after Arthas himself."
And why wouldn't he be? Straker's reputation was fearsome. Thanks to his Hero abilities, any unit under his command was significantly stronger than those under other Death Knights. For example, a simple zombie under Straker would have faster attack speed and higher attack/defense stats, capable of taking down three to five zombies of the same level. This applied to Crypt Fiends, Ghouls, Skeletons, Banshees, and Abominations alike. If it wasn't for the fact that Arthas held **Frostmourne** and had immense strategic value, the Lich King might have already named Straker his Highlord.
"Hahaha! I was wondering—if you keep growing like this, will Arthas have to step down and let you take over?" Rhodes joked.
"Great Master, you may not believe it, but if I continue to grow in power, Arthas truly might have to step aside," Straker replied. "His base strength isn't that much higher than mine; his only real advantage is Frostmourne."
Straker didn't think much of Arthas's strategic mind, either. During the invasion of Quel'Thalas, Sylvanas Windrunner had caused Arthas immense trouble. Arthas didn't use strategy; he relied entirely on **Kel'Thuzad** acting as his strategist. They only broke the Sunwell's shield because of the traitor Dar'Khan. Even at Dalaran, when the mages set up a powerful anti-undead field, Arthas only succeeded by leading a small elite strike team—including Straker—on a desperate raid suggested by Kel'Thuzad.
"Very good. How is your new specialty training coming along?" Rhodes asked.
"Master, my second specialty is complete. My **Zombie Specialty** has been preserved, but it has evolved into a 'Corpse Unit' specialization. Ghouls and Abominations now receive the same buffs to attack, defense, and speed as zombies. As long as the undead creature has a physical corpse—unlike Skeletons, Gargoyles, or Crypt Spiders—they benefit from my command."
"And what about the Death Knight ability? That's what I care about most," Rhodes said. The whole point of the mole mission was to steal Scourge technology.
"I have mastered it. You can see it in my panel. I have successfully unlocked the training methods for **Blood Death Knights**."
Rhodes opened the Hero panel. Straker now possessed a miracle training ability similar to **Gelu's**. He could consume gold to upgrade Human **Cavalry/Knights** or Necropolis **Black/Dread Knights** into **Blood Death Knights**. Once the units were transformed, they required a Rune Forge to craft runeblades and armor to complete their training.
**Blood Death Knight**
* **Tier:** 7
* **Health:** 200
* **Attack:** 22 | **Defense:** 22 | **Speed:** 18 | **Damage:** 30–50
* **Abilities:** Full suite of Blood DK powers. Can eventually be branched into **Frost** (CC/Burst) or **Unholy** (Summoning).
* **Elite Buffs:** Can eventually master all three specs, retaining the Dread Knight's **Double Damage** and **Curse**, plus the Human Knight's **Charge**.
"This is incredible. I didn't expect you to be able to convert Human Knights as well," Rhodes said, pleasantly surprised.
"Master, Black Knights and Dread Knights were originally developed from human cavalry. The energies are compatible," Straker explained.
"You've nailed Blood. Now I need Frost and Unholy. And don't neglect the other undead units," Rhodes commanded. He was tired of Bone Dragons; these Triple-Spec Death Knights were what a Tier 7 Necropolis unit *should* look like.
"I am already working on it. The Lich King rewards my success; he has granted me a **Necropolis**—a floating necropolis—to serve as my base of operations. I can use it as a laboratory to perfect the other two specs," Straker said.
"A floating necropolis? Is it **Naxxramas**?" Rhodes asked, eyes wide.
"No, Master. The one granted to me is named..."