Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 175: 72. The entanglement of light and shadow: The self-examination of the vigilant

"What kind of monster are you?"

With a terrified, desperate and hoarse scream, in a remote ravine deep in the Redridge Mountains, the powerful eternal dragon Aeonus unwillingly took his last breath.

Before dying, it was still trying to jump through time to escape death. However, its body, which was completely contaminated by the dark void energy, was no longer accepted by time, and even its flesh and blood showed horrific alienation. When it fell, its scales were torn apart by the three faceless barbarians, and its tenacious spirit was torn into pieces by the soul-devouring plague.

What killed it was a psychic shockwave that exploded in the most terrifying memory deep in its soul, like the explosion of a "psychic nuclear bomb" that shattered its last will.

Riding on the Wings of the Sun, Diakum landed in the valley. Holding the Twilight Hammer and Kazzak's Soul-Boning Staff, he walked to the side of the dragon. Looking at the huge corpse wrapped in the breath of the dark void, the summoned Faceless Men were returning to the Sunless Sea. Diakum did not dare to let them stay in the material world for too long.

These true void creatures carry their own mental pollution and are the gangrene of reality in motion.

"The spirits of the legendary dragons aren't as strong as I imagined. Perhaps it's because they abandoned the Bronze Dragonflight's ideals of protection and allowed their souls to degenerate in violence and chaos."

Diakum shed his shadow form and threw the Twilight Hammer, which had drunk of death and fear and was unusually satisfied, back into his bag. Holding the Soul-Boiling Staff, he drew a triangular holy emblem in front of the dragon's remains, then released a blazing holy flame to wrap around the shadow-made corpse, purifying the monster with the purest holy fire.

It was he who brought about the Void Corrosion and killed the Eternal Dragon, and it was he who purified the corruption with the Holy Flame of Light.

This kind of "self-production and self-sales" is really ridiculous.

If the Azeroth universe also had a "merit system", Diakum's move would be enough for him to ascend to heaven on the spot.

But as the white holy flame licked the filthy corpse and burned, Diakum fell into deep thought.

He had just entered Shadow Priest form again and killed an Eternal Dragon in a way that could be described as "easy and enjoyable". The battle process didn't need to be described in detail. With Diakum's current rank of "Demigod Critical", if he still hesitated to kill a legendary dragon, it would be a bit of an understatement to his combat effectiveness.

Killing has never been something to be praised. Diakum has defeated too many powerful enemies. The pressure from a mere dragon is not as impressive as that from Grom Hellscream.

What really triggers thinking are the thoughts in shadow form.

Just like what he realized when he first entered shadow form, he had been standing all his life, but when the shadow covered him, he felt as relaxed as if he was sitting down.

"After temporarily blocking the connection between the Holy Light Force and me, I was able to clearly feel the 'weight' it normally exerts on me."

Dick found a rock to sit on, reached out and took the Twilight Hammer out of his bag, and cast a levitation spell to make it float in front of him.

The Sentinel looked at the holy object shaped by shadows. He recalled the experience of using his power to kill the dragon just now, and recalled the advice given to him by the black wolf god Lycanthos after he killed Blackhand.

Although Lycanthos certainly had his reasons for saying that, the realm that the Loa can see is indeed deeper than that of mortals.

the most important is
"You also said that the growing grace of the Holy Light is interfering with my perception and yours."

He stroked the Heart of Argus on his finger and said:
"Do you also think I've gone too far in the Holy Light?"

In response to Diak'um's question, the Star Soul of Argus did not remain silent this time. Perhaps it was because the shadow form just now temporarily cut off the connection between the Holy Light and Diak'um, and entering Azeroth made him feel the presence of his "sisters" and so he woke up. This time, the Star Soul's voice was particularly clear.

He was like a mute who regained his speech, from being intermittent at first to speaking fluently later.

He said:

"Power has no good or evil, but the Force can influence people's hearts, especially the Holy Light and the Void. They will magnify your strengths and weaknesses. The more selfless you are, the more indifferent you become; the more enthusiastic you are, the more detached you become; the more pious you are, the more fanatical you become.

The Holy Light loves you and wants to give you the best. He really has no ill intentions, but you cannot resist the assimilation of the Force!
That cunning black wolf cub certainly had its own purpose, but its previous warning was not wrong."

Xinghun paused, then said in a more emphatically tone:

"You are not lost, but you are on the edge! If you take one more step, you will merge into the light and lose yourself, becoming the most righteous shining sentinel. You will no longer be the brave child who took the risk to kill Archimonde out of selfish motives.

But it’s your choice, I won’t interfere.”

After saying that, Xinghun fell silent.

Diakum also fell silent.

He felt the holy light returning to him, and the almost imperceptible heavy power also fell upon him, making him extremely powerful, fearless, and selfless, but also making him feel as if he were in shackles, constrained by dogma and discipline.

At this moment, the usually brave mind of the sentinel was unusually a little irritated.

He stared at the Twilight's Hammer floating before him and said:

"Aren't you always good at talking? I'm already mentally unstable, shouldn't you take advantage of the situation?"

"Alas, the world always misunderstands us as empty, and regards us as synonymous with depravity, evil, and corruption. However, fools only see the results and do not seek the reasons. I thought you would be different, but in the end, you also have the same superficial understanding of darkness as them."

The faint voice of shadows surrounded Diakum.

In a world like Azeroth where there are several powerful void entities, its activity is understandable.

But this time, the Shadow's Voice was very gentle. It spoke to Diakum as if complaining:
"Bad people are determined to do evil because they want to. So they call upon the void to gain power, using it as a means to corrupt the world and allow their own black hearts to erupt and harm all living things.

However, even if the Void does not answer their prayers, they will not do evil, and even if we refuse, fel energy and death will open their arms to them.

Just as good people do good things, they will be favored by the Holy Light.

Power has no good or evil distinctions, your 'parents' are reminding you, but the prejudice in your heart is also a mountain, Diakum. Like those fools, you also think that we bring corruption and depravity.

Even in your mind, you have been persuading yourself to face up to the complex existence of the six elements of the Force.

You always talk about the 'interplay of light and shadow' and use it to teach those overly enthusiastic children. The question is, do you believe it yourself?

If you really believe it, if you really put the Holy Light and the Void on the same level, then why is your 'Way of Light and Shadow' progressing so slowly?

Even the afflicted Eredar advanced more rapidly in the ways of shadow than you."

Shadowtalker laughed slyly.

it says:

"Just fool others, Diakum. They respect you as a vigilant and are willing to let you fool them, but don't fool yourself. You are wary of the void, you are wary of shadows. Every time you exert your power in shadow form, you want to check your mind ten times, fearing that we will sow seeds of doubt and undermine your morality.

Do you have so little confidence in yourself?
You are a soul forged from the Holy Light! Few mortals in the physical universe possess such a steadfast and fanatical mindset as yours. You are always wary of the shadow's embrace. With such a mindset, how could you possibly comprehend the twins of light and shadow?

You can abandon this moral obligation and completely embrace the holy light you believe in, allowing the holy light to shape you into a glorious and majestic Lord of Light, leading billions of people of light to protect the galaxy and wage a long and sacred war against the Burning Legion.

Would you do that?

Will you allow the Light to mold you until you become a leader of glory, justice, selflessness, zeal, piety, and fanaticism?"

"Perhaps I won't!"

The Sentinel rubbed his face and whispered:
"I want to separate faith from life, just as I also want to know whether there is love between me and little Nari."

"You don't know shit!"

Shadow Whisper said sarcastically:

Now that you've arrived in Azeroth and left Draenor, let's look back at your actions in Draenor from an outsider's perspective. Consider how you appear to others during this process.

Diakham!

You are only one step away from transforming into light. Perhaps you will not hesitate too much when you need to make that difficult decision. Lycanthos is not deceiving you. The black wolf god deliberately wants to establish a good relationship with you.

It doesn't have to deceive you about that.

You have been in the light for too long and have ignored the holy light's shaping of you. You have become accustomed to it, but with every step you take in the light, you lose a bit of your humanity.

The Light will not harm you.

He truly thinks you are perfect the way you are, but He ignores your own feelings.

Your subconscious mind has saved itself!
Think carefully about what you did the moment you woke up, when the Holy Light accumulated so much that you felt uncomfortable.

"I found Nellie, and she..." Diakum covered his forehead and sighed.

"So that irresponsible, indulgent private meeting during the war wasn't my way of saving myself! Don't try to deceive me, Shadow Whisperer! It was clearly the result of my own pent-up emotions.

Naili and I are more than just lovers, we are comrades-in-arms, companions who can entrust our lives to each other, and we share the same oath to the world.

I know what you want to say.

But the love between her and I is not destined to be pure, we both carry too much."

"Hehe, still as vigilant as ever. Very good, keep it up."

Shadow's little trick was exposed, and it sneered and said:
"But you can't deny that after multiple sanctifications, the relationship between you and Nari has changed. It seems that the Holy Light doesn't want you to spend more time and energy on personal matters. It hopes that you will take saving the common people as your own responsibility and become a more selfless role model for the people of light.

You did well. You single-handedly changed the fate of Draenor, allowing a world that should have collapsed into rubble to retain hope and thrive.

But at what cost? Diakham.

Can we assume that you sacrificed your own humanity to achieve such a rapid turnaround? Then the question becomes, fate is more powerful in Azeroth. What will you sacrifice to defeat it this time?
Lycanthos is right, you can't go on like this!
You can't always sacrifice yourself for the benefit of others. Your little firewood can't even light a flame in the face of the fate of Azeroth. You have to be smarter, more gentle, and use more efficient methods to shake up destiny.

What's in your head is your brain, not your muscles. Give your brain some room to work.

Don’t forget that you are also a person!
The desire for rest, the desire for love, the desire for friendship, the desire for happiness, the desire for release, these are the desires that living people should have.

But you didn't!

So, are you a human?

Do you consider yourself a human being?"

The Sentinel remained silent for a long time. After several minutes, he sighed and said:
"I really didn't, and I didn't feel anything unusual. It seemed like I was born to be a selfless, passionate, and pure soul who longed for justice. I didn't even realize when I became like this.

Just like a dreamer never realizes when he falls asleep.

Okay, I admit that I have been alienated by the Holy Light.

I have always been wary of this alienation, but it turns out that knowing is one thing, understanding is another, and practicing is another.

Now then."

"Embrace the shadows and accept the trials."

The Shadow's Voice seemed to have finally achieved its goal. It said with a hint of persuasion:
“How can you seek the way to light and shadow if you don’t truly walk into the shadows?

Now that you're aware of the problem, you should find a way to solve it. Moreover, you consider it the core path to becoming a demigod. Diakum, you already have plenty of strength. It's better to slow down and spend some time on this.

Most importantly, will the Light stop you from doing this?
Oh, ask Him.

Ask Him whether He wants a flawless and selfless commander of the people of light, or a holy warrior with complete humanity who will still be braver and more fearless to sacrifice everything for his own morality and everything he loves.

Have some faith in your Holy Light, and have some faith in the Void like us!

You are not narrow-minded.

You should know that each of the six forces has its own justice.

Those who are dark are not evil, and those who are bright are not righteous."

The Shadow Whisper dissipated, allowing Diakum to stand.

He looked at the sunlight shining down from above his head. Before the remains of a giant dragon burning with holy flames, the Sentinel half-knelt on the ground like a devout believer, and opened the holy contract that he had written most of himself.

He recited the scriptures aloud, and in his heart, expressed his confusion and requests to the Holy Light, just like sharing his feelings with a friend and expecting a response from the other party.

He did not hide his resistance to being molded by the Holy Light, nor did he hide his determination to walk into the path of light and shadow. The Holy Light listened patiently, and as the scriptures were recited, it transformed into floating golden holy emblems that surrounded Diakum.

This surreal scene alone has the strangeness that a "mortal saint" should have.

At the end of Diakam's prayer, the silent Holy Light gently descended and sprinkled light on Diakam's body, representing His answer and blessing:
[External power is being connected! Power path: Holy Light Force. Connection mode: Stripping/Blessing.]

The Primordial Light listened to your confusion and bewilderment, understood your desire and persistence, and recognized your original intention of honing your own morality through the trials of other forces.

[Special Path Trial: Light and Darkness] has been opened!
During this trial, your Holy Light power will no longer grow and will remain in a 'stripped' state for a long time. Without your own active call, the Holy Light Force will not intervene in any of your activities.

Reciting the Holy Covenant Scripture will temporarily release the stripping and restore all Holy Light power. This behavior will not interrupt the Path Trial, but actively calling on the Holy Light multiple times (≥10) will be considered a trial failure.

In this trial, your contact and in-depth understanding of the Shadow will not be affected, but please use the power of Shadow/Void with caution. When your personal morality is tempted and changed by the Void, it is very likely to cause catastrophic consequences.

Until this trial is over, most detection spells will be unable to discern your Force alignment.

hint!

When you comprehend your own path of "Twins of Light and Darkness", the trial will end, and the manifestation of your Holy Light power will change according to the enlightenment of your path.

hint!

The Trial of the Path is an important step in becoming a demigod, so please take it seriously.

But there is no need to worry about failing the trial. If you cannot comprehend the path of "Twins of Light and Shadow", you can return to the Holy Light and walk the path of "Pure Light Oath".

caveat!

During the Light and Shadow Twin Trial, the Void Entities and Void Force will use every possible means to lure you off your original path and disrupt your morality. Please carefully discern when walking in the shadows.

"buzz"

When Diakum received the answer and stood up, the holy patterns and holy power surrounding him dissipated at this moment. The heavy holy power on his body also dissipated under his self-sealing, like a person sticking his head out of the water. At this moment, Diakum felt an indescribable sense of relief.

“Thank you for your grace. I will move forward in the darkness and clarify the light in my heart. I will no longer just have superficial feelings. I will try to embrace the shadows to serve the light. I also regard it as a journey to find my lost self.

As I once said to the Chosen People of Holy Light, how can a person who does not even love himself love others in the name of light?
Please bear witness to me!"

Diakum concluded the prayer with a chant like the most perfect Aldo priest.

He then put away his Iron Covenant, hung it on his armor with chains, put the Twilight Hammer back into his bag, and used Kazzak's Soul Staff as his main weapon.

Anyway, the Ashbringer was thrown to the northernmost tip of the Eastern Continent by the damn bronze dragon, and he is now basically at the southernmost tip of the Eastern Continent. With the orcs about to invade Stormwind Kingdom, he probably won't have time to retrieve his weapons.

But if you think about it carefully, there is nothing wrong with the bronze dragon's arrangement.

Although the Ashbringer's soul is bound to Diak'um and it is impossible for him to be "taken away" by Grand Duke Mograine, if the human Church of Holy Light can comprehend the way of the Paladin from his holy blade, it would be considered a good thing.

The current development of the human Church of Light has not yet given birth to the "Paladin" profession system. Their mainstream combat force is still the Holy Priests. The ascetics of Light's Hope Chapel already have the prototype of Discipline Priests, but Shadow Priests are still a field they have not yet ventured into.

Speaking of which, Eredas seems to have landed in the Tirisfal region of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.
If things go wrong this time, Velen's eldest son will give Diak'em a hard time again. However, since Eredas is there, he will definitely not allow human believers of the Holy Light to do "strange things" to the Ashbringer's Blade.

This made Diakum feel a little relieved.

He carried Kazak's soul-sucking staff and went forward to collect some spoils from the burning dragon skeleton. At that moment, all the shackles were gone, and Diakum, who walked with the wind, felt as if he had overlooked something, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed that everything was fine.

He put this worry behind his mind and thought about how to quickly gather the warriors of the Alliance of K'ure who were scattered around.

This is business.

Ps:

Thanks to the brothers "陈文君2" and "鱼卧桃苑" for the rewards. I currently owe 140+10 chapters. I will add 3+5 chapters tomorrow, and there should be another chapter at the end of the month.

(End of this chapter)