Marvel: Death Knight

The frigid winds of Icecrown Citadel roared as never before, the fortress now alive with the chaos of battle. An unstoppable coalition of Azeroth's mightiest warriors surged through the breached gates, battering down halls once thought impregnable as they pushed toward the Frozen Throne.

Wave after wave of undead fell beneath their blades, but the Scourge's numbers seemed endless. For every abomination destroyed, ten more surged forth to challenge the invaders. Before the teleportation device leading to the throne room, the united forces found themselves stalled, unable to press forward.

Unlike the tireless undead, mortal soldiers felt the burden of exhaustion creeping in. Prolonged combat tipped the scales against them.

Highlord Tirion Fordring, wielding the legendary Ashbringer, cleaved through a diving gargoyle and shouted to his allies. "Warchief Garrosh, King Varian! I will lead the Argent Crusade to the Frozen Throne. Hold the line against the Scourge!"

King Varian Wrynn glanced at the battlefield. The stench of plague overwhelmed his soldiers, many collapsing under its influence. Concern edged his voice as he asked, "Tirion, can you truly stand against Arthas?"

"The Light is with us!" Tirion's voice rang with conviction.

Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, drenched in gore, severed a lumbering abomination with a swing of Gorehowl, spilling its putrid innards. "The warriors of the Horde will hold back these monsters!"

"Forge a path! Aid Highlord Fordring in reaching the throne!" Varian rallied his soldiers with a commanding shout.

Together, the Horde and Alliance combined their might. They sacrificed without hesitation, paving a road to the teleportation device with their fallen comrades.

Among the warriors was Garus, a young man who had crossed over from Earth, now a seasoned paladin thanks to years of training aided by a mysterious system. As a squad leader under Tirion, Garus led his team into the fray, plunging into the teleportation device with the others.

A flash of brilliant white light. Garus opened his eyes to find himself standing on a frostbitten platform. Perched on a throne of jagged ice was a fully armored figure, his gaze cold and unyielding as he surveyed the arriving warriors of the Argent Crusade.

"Arthas! You will pay for your crimes!" Tirion's voice thundered from behind Garus. The fury in his tone spoke of memories shattered by the fallen prince, now the dreaded Lich King.

The crusaders parted to make way for their leader. Tirion stepped forward, his presence radiating Light as he faced the figure on the throne.

Arthas Menethil rose to his feet, his chilling voice resonating through the hall. "I've waited for this moment, Tirion. You've brought me a banquet of strong souls. Soon, the Scourge will consume this world. Even the fallen Titan will kneel before me!"

Gripping Frostmourne, the Lich King descended the steps. Soldiers in the front line instinctively retreated, fear gripping their hearts at the sight of him.

"No more words!" Tirion roared, raising Ashbringer high. "This ends here! Argent Crusaders, charge!"

Tirion led the charge, his blade blazing with holy light.

Garus's system chimed suddenly:

"Mission Alert: Assist Tirion Fordring in defeating the Lich King Arthas. Rewards will be determined by kill count. Completion bonus: Legendary Mount—Invincible, Artifact—Helm of Domination."

Eyes widening at the tantalizing rewards, Garus's hesitation melted away. Joining the fray, he surged forward, striking at the Scourge with renewed vigor.

Arthas remained unfazed, summoning the tormented souls bound within Frostmourne. Ghouls and wights materialized, flooding the already narrow platform.

"Seal of the Crusader, Judgment!" Garus' hands shone with golden light, cutting down undead with every swing. Yet his power paled in comparison to the likes of Tirion or Arthas. His weapon was a crude tool compared to Ashbringer or Frostmourne, and the endless tide of undead pressed on relentlessly.

Behind him, Argent Crusaders poured forth from the teleportation device, fearlessly sacrificing themselves in the face of death to reach the Lich King.

But Arthas merely sneered. These mortals were only adding to his army. His voice, dripping with mockery, echoed over the battlefield. "Tirion, is this your grand strategy? To send your warriors to their deaths, only for them to rise as my champions?"

The Highlord's breathing was labored, his hands trembling as they gripped Ashbringer. The Lich King's strength far exceeded expectations, unshackled from the restrictions he had once faced at the Light's Hope Chapel.

Arthas raised Frostmourne high, unleashing a freezing gale. The winds encased friend and foe alike in ice, leaving only a graveyard of frozen statues atop the platform. Even Tirion was immobilized, though his fury burned brightly within.

Garus, too, was caught. The icy grip locked his body, yet he retained consciousness. He watched in horror as Frostmourne's gray mists extended from the blade, latching onto the frozen warriors.

The deathly energy coursing through his veins was unmistakable. Arthas was converting them, reshaping their souls into his Death Knights.

"Not me! I won't become one of them!" Garus screamed inwardly, his will defiant against the encroaching darkness.

"Ah, Tirion," Arthas mocked, his voice tinged with cruel delight. "You'll become my mightiest Death Knight yet."

Just as the conversion began, Garus' system flickered with warning:

"Alert: Host undergoing soul transformation. System malfunction detected. Emergency format and upgrade initiating."

"What does that mean?!" Garus' mind reeled, but the system remained silent. Darkness consumed him.

The Lich King paused, surprised as a swirling black vortex materialized around Garus. Before Arthas could act, the young paladin was swallowed whole.

"Format complete. System reboot successful."

"Activating soul protection. Immune to all soul-based attacks."

"Opening wormhole. Exiting null-space."

High above a barren desert, a black portal burst open. A naked Garus tumbled out, landing unceremoniously on the ground.

When his consciousness returned, he groggily took in his surroundings, relief washing over him. "I'm alive... I'm really alive!"

Excitedly, he patted himself down—whole and warm, untouched by undeath. Only the awkward realization of his nudity tempered his joy. Thankfully, no one was around to witness his predicament.

The system chimed once more:

"Upgrade Complete: System Version 2.0. New functions unlocked: Exchange Store. Quest rewards converted to exchange points. Due to prior interference, host has acquired the Death Knight class."

Garus's system was incomplete, with many functions still underdeveloped and requiring specific conditions to upgrade. However, the exact conditions were unknown to him. This marked the system's first upgrade.

"Gifted: Runic Battle Armor, Runeblade, Frost Power activated, Unholy Power activated, Blood Power activated..."

Garus felt the deathly energy infused by Frostmourne within his body awaken, splitting into three distinct forces.

-----------------

Join my patreon to access advance chapters: patreon.com / primaldemon