Straker immediately became the Lich King's honored guest. The Legion-level Magic he mastered, along with his Group Special Abilities that enhanced troops, were incredibly useful, far surpassing Arthas.
The Lich King even felt the impulse to hand frostmourne directly to Straker, retire Arthas, and make this Death Knight standing before him his First Knight.
However, after a moment of thought, the Lich King forcefully suppressed the idea. After all, this Death Knight was a special creature created by the Titans, and strictly speaking, he was not part of the Undead Race!
He decided to observe him for a while longer. There was no particular rush, and Arthas still had his uses.
Moreover, Straker's innate power and strength were not as great as Arthas'. Although 99% of Arthas' power came from frostmourne, Arthas was currently performing well as a subordinate.
"Straker, you will undergo a new Magic Modification. I will infuse your body with Frost Power, Blood Power, and Unholy Power. Your strength will be greatly enhanced. Next time, I hope you can cut off Rhodes' head," the Lich King said.
Rhodes, who was controlling Straker's body from afar, rolled his eyes. Next time, the one he stabs won't be me, but you. Don't be too confident, Lich King.
Hearing this, Straker nodded and knelt down. Straker was then ordered by the Lich King to be taken by his subordinate Liches to an Undead Magic Floating City for a series of Undead Surgical Modifications.
First to descend was the Frost Power. A bone-chilling, soul-freezing extreme cold instantly enveloped Straker. His bones and flesh emitted faint cracking sounds, and ghostly blue solid ice crystallized on his surface. Muscle fibers were penetrated and strengthened by ice crystals.
This power did not merely act externally; it delved deep into Straker's body, forming a Frost Energy Core and constructing layers of never-melting Ice Runes around his Soul Fire. Straker felt his thoughts freeze for an instant, but immediately, a sense of absolute control over the cold welled up within him.
The Death Knight's Frost Talent was successfully acquired: Icebound Fortitude, Chains of Ice, Death Grip, Howling Blast, Frost Strike, Path of Frost, Icy Blood. A notification sound came from the system. Straker had successfully gained the talents of a Frost Death Knight of the Azeroth World.
"Champion of the Frost Wastes, this is the power of cold from Northrend. Use it well to fight for me," the Lich King's voice echoed in Straker's mind.
"Thank you for your grace, Great Sovereign, Great Lich King," Straker said, kneeling on one knee.
"Next, you will receive Blood Power. This will make your strength mightier and allow you to withstand more damage." The Lich King began pouring Blood Power into Straker's body.
Before the extreme cold of the frost had completely receded, a completely different surge of Blood Power, carrying a thick, life-draining aura, rushed in.
This power was savage and bloody. It washed over Straker's body, which had been reinforced by frost. Straker felt a hunger originating deep within his soul; the desire for Life Energy was amplified infinitely.
The Lich King's will guided this power, opening up new Blood Energy Circuits within Straker's body. Straker learned how to use Rune Weapons to absorb the enemy's vitality to replenish himself, and how to convert Death Power into boiling Blood Energy to scorch his foes.
Soul Reaper, Heart Strike, Blood Shield, Bone Shield, Blood Magic Grip, Blood Mark, Boil Blood Technique, and Blood Boil—these spells appeared sequentially in Straker's Spellbook. Rhodes was visibly delighted; this was the Lich King personally strengthening the Death Knight's three talent specializations.
Come on, Straker, let's see how far you can evolve.
"Blood Power has made you stronger. Next is Unholy Power." The Lich King did not pause for a moment and began injecting green Unholy Energy into Straker.
The infusion of Frost and Blood Energy made the Lich King very satisfied. This Death Knight's power had increased significantly, and it perfectly matched the Death Knight System he had developed.
Finally, the most insidious and treacherous Unholy Power quietly permeated him. It was unlike the tyranny of frost or the ferocity of blood.
It was like a maggot clinging to bone, carrying the Corrupting Aura of Plague, Curse, and the desecration of life essence. This power enhanced his control over Death Energy and granted him stronger Undead Manipulation Abilities.
Straker instantly mastered Summon Plague Scourge, imprinting Plague Runes onto enemies; he understood how to Summon Death and Decay, creating an Unholy Domain in an area that continuously corrupted life; he even touched the threshold of summoning Ghouls and stitching together Abominations.
His aura became more sinister and terrifying, carrying the stench of Plague and the chilling cold of desecration.
Scourge Strike, Shadow Strike, Death Coil, Festering Decay, Ghoul Frenzy, Anti-Magic Shell, Army of the Dead, Unholy Aura, Death Pact, and other Unholy Talents.
The entire modification process was painful and protracted. Straker's Undead Body was constantly ripped apart, reformed, and strengthened under the impact of the three distinct yet homologous powers.
The Death Power within him fiercely collided and merged with the Azeroth Death Knight Power infused by the Lich King.
Rhodes nervously monitored all of this through the system, guiding Straker's Core Consciousness to construct a subtle, undetectable Firewall at the soul level, ensuring that absolute loyalty to the Lich King remained only at the surface command level.
Simultaneously, the system frantically recorded and analyzed the Origin Runes and Operational Mechanisms of the incoming Frost, Blood, and Unholy Powers. This Undead Race hero had evolved after being modified by the Lich King.
Finally, the torrent of energy subsided. The Lich King ordered someone to bring a brand-new weapon: a Scourge Magic Rune Sword, whose power was second only to frostmourne.
He was also bestowed a Skeletal Warhorse and a suit of Unholy Armor crafted from Saronite Ore originating from Northrend, the same model as Arthas'.
Straker knelt on one knee on the cold ground, but the aura he exuded was completely different. Ghostly blue Frost Runes flickered faintly in the gaps of his armor, and his body was enveloped in a faint Blood Mist and nauseating Plague Aura. The three powers had achieved a dangerous balance within him, perfectly merging with his original Death Core.
His power surged under the Lich King's personal infusion. Even his talents had undergone earth-shattering changes, and new specialties had emerged.
"Stand up, my Death Knight Straker." The Lich King's voice carried a hint of satisfied exhaustion; modifying Straker had consumed a vast amount of his power, nearly equivalent to strengthening Arthas.
"Feel this power, feel the true power of a Death Knight! You are no longer a Titan experiment, but one of my Lich King's most powerful creations!
You will fight alongside Arthas for me, eliminating all obstacles."
"I feel unparalleled power... immense power... I shall fight for you, Great Lich King!" Straker's voice was low, perfectly playing the role of a newborn, Fanatical Servant before the Lich King.
But internally, he was reporting to Rhodes: "Master, the Death Knight modification is complete. The new power is preliminarily mastered. The Lich King's power... is currently being analyzed."
"Excellent, Straker. I see that your Four-Dimensional Attributes have all changed, and your specialty has evolved," Rhodes said, looking at the Death Knight Straker's Brand New Panel.
Brother Straker's level was still 3, with Attack 4, Defense 5, Strength 4, and Knowledge 3. The skills of the Three Specialization Death Knight were imprinted in his inherent Spellbook.
The Death Knight Armor and Magic Rune Sword increased his Attack by 2 points, Defense by 2 points, Strength by 1 point, and Knowledge by 1 point, respectively.
At the same time, his inherent power had increased tremendously compared to before. The current Straker, modified by the Lich King, was far stronger than he used to be.
Furthermore, the specialty he possessed had changed. Previously, it only increased the speed, attack, and defense of Zombie Troops.
But now, based on that foundation, it extended to all Necromantic Troops that possessed a physical body.
Only Skeletons and Ghosts did not receive the bonus, and he also gained an additional Upgrade Option.
He could spend gold to upgrade Dark Knights or Dread Knights into powerful Death Knights, reinforcing the three talents: Frost, Unholy, and Blood.
Isn't this ability incredibly powerful? It comes with inherent Troop Training!
In heroes of might and magic iii, only two heroes possessed this ability: one trained Enchanters, and the other trained Phantom Archers. Now, Brother Straker's specialty has been enhanced.
However, this specialty is still under development, currently only at 30% progress.
To fully complete the research and development of this skill, Straker must continue following the Lich King for a period, studying the training methods of the Three Specialization Death Knights.
Only then can this skill be fully perfected. Once this skill is perfected, Straker will truly hold the status of a Divine General in heroes of might and magic.
"Straker, your current mission is to follow the Lich King into battle. Whatever commands he issues, you must execute them unconditionally.
But privately, you must learn to use the Death Knight's powers—Frost, Blood, and Unholy—these three Death Knight powers. You must learn how to train, especially how to train Death Knight Recruits. If possible, you should become an Instructor for the Death Knight Recruits," Rhodes instructed.
"Great Master, when the Lich King modified me, he already demonstrated the three Death Knight powers. I will continuously study this power, perfect my specialty, and in the future, I will transform all of your Dark Knights and Dread Knights into Death Knights, and impart Rune Power to them," Straker said.
Rhodes nodded in satisfaction. The Dread Knight's Evolution Path was now clear. When the Dread Knights gained all the Death Knight's powers, they would be enhanced, potentially rivaling Tier 7 Units.
This modification took a total of five days. During this time, the Plague spread through Lordaeron like poison, and the massive Scourge outbreaks became even more ferocious.
Meanwhile, Rhodes' Fleet also arrived near the port of Southshore, where the situation was also incredibly chaotic.