The green liquid in the cauldron of plague before Kel'Thuzad was constantly boiling. He reached out with his dry, sharp claws, grabbed a handful of the ground herbal powder from the side, and sprinkled it into the pot.
In another quarter of an hour, this pot of plague would be complete. Then it would be packed into wooden barrels and placed with the previous ones.
This lich had been engaged in this tedious task for over half a month. After being transformed into an eternal life, he no longer felt fatigue. He could work tirelessly, without worrying about the aging of his body or the depletion of his life force.
The soul fire flickering in his empty eye sockets was his life signature. As long as the soul fire did not extinguish, he would continue to live. Even if he was killed, his soul could return to his phylactery and be reborn.
That was really a great thing!
The former orc warrior Broxigar quietly guarded him. His rune axe was a powerful deterrent to ensure that no evildoers dared to disturb the plague refining.
"Only the last pot remains," Kel'Thuzad's voice sounded hollow and grating, like grinding teeth, because he had lost his vocal cords.
Broxigar grinned, his two black and yellow fangs attracting attention: "Congratulations, my master."
"Our helpers are also coming," the soul fire in Kel'Thuzad's eyes flickered, which meant that he was very happy and satisfied. "Our cause is about to truly begin!"
At this moment, another loyal death knight under his command barged in, bringing him bad news: "My master, we are surrounded!"
...
The plan for this encirclement and suppression of Kel'Thuzad was arranged as follows:
The Alliance forces would launch an attack from the southern and northern lines simultaneously.
The northern line was led by Grand Marshal Garithos, with the Southern Lordaeron Army attacking from the town of Strahnbrad towards the Ruins of Alterac. Archmage Modera would bring most of the elite mage troops to join his command sequence.
Previously, Garithos was quite dissatisfied. Aiden seemed to imply that he should accept the command of Mograine, who had a lower rank. This did not happen. He was still the highest person in charge of the northern line. It was just that he was acting separately from the southern line, cooperating in the attack. This result was still very satisfactory.
The southern line, led by Mograine's Silver Hand Knights, plus Aiden's troops, would gather in the town of Tarren Mill and enter the Alterac Mountains to the north, attacking the Scourge forces in the Ruins of Alterac from both sides.
Archmage Antonidas of Dalaran personally led a group of Dalaran magisters to set up an imprisonment magic circle in the area near the Ruins of Alterac to ensure that no one in this area could use teleportation spells.
Apart from the battle plan before the war, the most important thing was not to listen to anyone's orders to stop the attack on the Scourge, and even more not to listen to any orders to attack troops that were not Scourge. The only thing the soldiers had to do was to kill any undead they saw! At the same time, prevent any living creatures from leaving the war zone.
This order was to prevent the dreadlords from causing trouble, confusing some people with weak wills, and causing the same thing that happened during the last encirclement and suppression of Scholomance. Or escape with plague poison disguised as humans.
The assembly point for the southern line troops was in Aiden's territory, Tarren Mill.
When Mograine arrived here with two thousand members of the Silver Hand Knights, he saw that Aiden's troops had already assembled. However, their actual number far exceeded his previous estimate. When he transferred the territory to Aiden in Durnholde, he clearly saw that the total number of troops Aiden summoned at that time was less than a thousand. Now, just what he saw was more than two thousand. What's more, there were still those left behind in the territory.
He had heard a rumor that 1.9 million people were loyal to this black-haired lord. As he continued to summon them, perhaps Lordaeron would really have such a huge superpower in the future.
— But that should be a good thing. Because Aiden is a righteous leader.
When he went to take over the command, the supreme commander of the Valoran Allied Forces, a major general named Corte, reported to him:
"Commander, according to orders, the Valoran Allied Forces, including the Demacian Vanguard Regiment, the Noxus Ironblood Regiment, and the Piltover Special Police Force, a total of 2,200 ground troops and the Howling Serpents full team of 35 helicopter squadrons, will be under your command!"
Mograine saw that these Valoran troops were all fully armored and full of energy, and they all looked like elite troops. Especially with the flying troops. Even without Aiden and the powerful heroes under his command, their strength was not worse than his Silver Hand Knights.
He was very touched that the other party could hand over the command so readily.
After returning the salute, he said to Major General Corte: "Then please let your senior officers come to me for easy command."
Major General Corte obeyed the order and left.
Mograine saw Aiden, the leader of these Valoran soldiers, in the crowd. He was at the front of the troops. The three angels were still protecting his safety. He rode his horse over to salute: "Greetings to you, General Aiden!"
Aiden nodded and said, "You're here."
Mograine said: "Thank you for your trust in me."
"I can't command an expert, so let go and do it. My mage troops and I will escort you!" Aiden's Valoran summoners and heroes behind him gave him such confidence. "This time we must completely eradicate Kel'Thuzad!"
"It definitely will." Mograine's answer was full of confidence.
Because clerics don't like to partner with mages, Aiden didn't hand over his mage troops to Mograine's command. In fact, it's not just this point. This time, he also brought the Death Singer Karthus with him. This lich is the key figure in dealing with Kel'Thuzad. His true identity cannot be easily exposed to the paladins. Otherwise, God knows what will happen.
This powerful lich is now transformed into a young mage, mixed with other summoners. Not attracting attention.
After the troops were assembled, as the time agreed with the northern line troops arrived, this southern line mixed formation began to advance towards the Alterac Mountains.
The progress of both lines was very smooth. Because Aiden's most powerful scout, Quinn, known as the "Wings of Demacia," had been keeping a close eye on the Scourge's movements, the Alliance army was not discovered until it was very close.
When the sentry death knight Rivendare reported the enemy's situation, the southern line troops had already engaged the undead soldiers on the periphery of the Ruins of Alterac.
Kel'Thuzad was shocked to hear this news and immediately questioned: "What exactly is going on!"
Rivendare lowered his head and said: "The Alliance army must have discovered our traces. They are large in number and are attacking from the north and south, and have already surrounded us!"
Broxigar raised his rune giant axe and said in a deep voice: "Master, I will help you hold them back, you teleport away first!"
"I'm afraid the space here has already forbidden teleportation spells." Kel'Thuzad was very clear about the usual tricks of his opponents. Since they had suddenly launched an attack, how could they leave him such an obvious loophole?
He quickly loaded the refined plague poison into a large dimensional bag. Looking back at the boiling poison in the pot—it would be ready in another ten minutes. But he probably didn't have that chance.
Kel'Thuzad poured out all the poison in the pot, and green mist steamed up, gradually forming a thick green mist in the cave.
He put the plague cauldron into the dimensional bag together. Looking at the results he had painstakingly refined for more than a month, he laughed softly: "It doesn't matter, it's almost there."
The lich handed the bag to Broxigar: "My death knight, take good care of this bag, don't let it be taken away by the Alliance!"
Broxigar's eyes, which emitted a faint fluorescent light, stared at his master, and he asked in confusion: "Why, master?"
The lich smiled softly, and he patted Broxigar on the shoulder: "I have to face my own destiny. Don't worry, I won't really die. I will be resurrected! Go, my servant, break through to the north, our people will meet you. Then we will eventually complete the Lich King's great cause!"
Broxigar leaned on the axe handle and knelt down on one knee: "Then I'm leaving, my master."
Kel'Thuzad let out a laugh that was not known whether it was gratification or sarcasm: "Go, Broxigar. We all have our own destiny to face. I believe you will definitely shine in the future!"
As the orc death knight left, only Kel'Thuzad and Rivendare were left in the cave.
The green mist made them unable to see each other's faces clearly.
Kel'Thuzad suddenly said: "Are you afraid, my old friend?"
"No, I have forgotten the feeling of fear. My master." Rivendare's voice was full of humility and loyalty. The lich's words reminded him of their previous relationship—when they were still living people, they were close friends. But when the lich transformed him into a death knight, this former friend became his master.
"If we die here? Are you afraid, Rivendare?"
"Fear is a weakness that only the living have."
"But you wanted to obtain eternal life so much." Kel'Thuzad's voice was full of sarcasm.
"I have already obtained eternal life." The death knight's answer left the lich speechless.