The next day, Arthas came to Windrunner Spire as promised to cast the resurrection spell on Lireesa's husband. As the Holy Light descended, a fragment of a soul returned to the body. Krostarr's eyes opened, but he could only move his mouth unconsciously, unable to speak.
"His soul was shattered. I could only retrieve a portion of it. I did my best," Arthas said, shaking his head. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. He realized that the resurrection spell was not invincible; there were ways to counter it.
Lireesa was thrilled to see her husband's eyes open. She went over to check his body. The good news was that her husband was resurrected! The bad news was that he had become a vegetable, only able to communicate with his eyes, unable to speak.
"Is there a way to heal him?"
"This is beyond my abilities. Perhaps you can ask someone else in the future. Matters of the soul are too complex, and no one likes to study such things. Forget Dalaran, even you High Elves would consider soul research a forbidden art, wouldn't you?" Arthas was telling the truth. The reason soul research was so reviled was related to the corruption of the Guardian Medivh's soul. Coupled with the blasphemous nature of such practices, it was only natural that it was detested.
"I know. You've already done your best." Lireesa had no intention of blaming him. She had actually been prepared for failure. She just hadn't expected it to be a surprising success! That was what truly delighted her; a surprise is something unexpected.
"He still needs to recover. Let's go. Don't forget your duty." A sense of guilt for cuckolding the man suddenly rose in Arthas. The thrill of doing something so wicked, something he had never done before, excited him.
"Can we not do it here?" Lireesa bit her lip. She couldn't refuse, but she wanted to retain at least a shred of dignity.
"Let's just go next door!" Arthas impatiently pulled Lireesa into the adjacent room. Soon, Lireesa's suppressed moans began to drift out, mixed with the rhythmic slapping of flesh, as she became completely lost in carnal pleasure.
Only the vegetative Krostarr moved his mouth, wanting to speak but unable to. He sensed something was wrong, yet he was powerless to change it.
For two days, Arthas commanded his troops to set up defenses and brainwashed the Orc peons. He appointed one peon as a foreman to manage the others, ordering them to mine nearby ore and construct siege engines. The Orcs' craftsmanship wasn't bad, just very crude and practical. They didn't pursue aesthetics; as long as it worked, anything else was acceptable.
The Naga were taming the local murlocs. Murlocs could be found in almost every area, and they could all be enslaved. In the sea, the Naga were practically overlords. The only ones who could contend with them were the Kvaldir sea-wraiths and the minions of the water elemental lord.
Reinforcing the High Elves? That was just a pretext. All Arthas needed was an opportunity to negotiate and to marry Alleria.
By a river near the mines, Arthas stood bare-chested, holding a pair of tongs in one hand and a hammer in the other. While the Orc peons mined the ore, he processed the raw materials. Smelting the ore into ingots also increased his mining experience. The higher his experience, the more recipes he could unlock, the better the quality would be, and the fewer materials he would need. It was a case of practice makes perfect.
The calm river water began to ripple. A Naga leaped out of the water, a wisp of mist forming around her in mid-air before she transformed into a tall elf. Her faint violet skin had a slight sheen, her complexion growing more and more beautiful. Hailey bowed respectfully to Arthas, her hands clasped before her abdomen. "Master, Lady Vashj wishes to see you."
"Just have her come directly." Arthas set the ingot aside and brought over other ingots and materials to begin crafting equipment. The quality of this equipment was average, but it was good enough to outfit his army. His current task was to upgrade his army's armaments. In addition, he had his sister-in-law assist Omiya in buying some Goblin slaves, specifically those talented in engineering.
He could not stop the advancement of technology. In legion-level battles, technological achievements were far more convenient than painstaking cultivation. Technology could grant mortals immense destructive power, but only strength could allow mortals to become demi-gods. The two were not mutually exclusive.
The river water boiled again. The snake-haired Vashj rose from the river, holding her ever-present silver bow. "Your Highness, good day. It is a pleasure to see you again."
"I'm also very happy to see you again, Vashj. You're as beautiful as ever. What good news have you brought me this time?" Arthas smiled, setting his hammer aside.
He picked up a towel to wipe his body, then changed into a cloth robe.
Under a tree not far away, Jaina and Illucia were still meditating. Neither of them strayed too far from Arthas. One liked to keep her fiancé within her sight, while the other, as a handmaiden, had to be ready to serve her master at any moment.
"Your Highness's life is as colorful as ever," Vashj thought with a flash of contempt. It seems he's a man who can't live without women, unable to control that filthy thing below his waist!
"The main force of the Horde has advanced to Silvermoon City. They've been stopped by the Sunwell. The Ranger Corps has suffered heavy casualties, and large swathes of the forest have been burned. Silvermoon City is now filled with refugees."
"Can you summon a tsunami to flood the Sunwell? Cause some trouble for them." Arthas's gentle, smiling face spoke words that sent a chill down one's spine. The Sunwell was the lifeblood of the High Elves. If it were gone, the High Elves could truly be slaughtered to the last.
Long-term immersion in the Sunwell's arcane energy caused magic addiction, similar to drug use. Once the supply was cut off, the body would experience many adverse reactions, even convulsions and agony, torturing them to death.
This was why High Elf mages rarely left Quel'Thalas; only a few could resist and control the addiction.
In truth, the High Elves knew this, but they couldn't refuse the convenience the Sunwell provided. Besides, the arrogant elves would never believe that anyone could breach the Sunwell's barrier. They would eliminate any enemy who dared to invade!