Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 22: Argus Shellman: The time of audience is roaring, and fate has quietly arrived
“Ah, I feel so full.”

Captain Naili rubbed her stomach and groaned. As she rode her Talbuk sheep at high speed, she couldn't help but complain to Dick beside her:

"If I had known we would have to march late at night, I wouldn't have eaten so many lamb chops just now."

"I really want you to have a good night's rest, but there's nothing I can do. Work is work."

Dick sighed:
"And who knew you could eat a whole roast rib at such a young age? You finished it all. Is your stomach really that big?"

"I'm a good hunter, who am I looking down on?"

Captain Naili complained:
"How can we hunt if we don't have enough to eat? You're right, Krokuun is a bit primitive, but the food is really good."

"Yes, yes, grilled fish is delicious! I like it."

Imira on the other side also came over and said:

"It's much better than the food in the Arcana cafeteria! I really should have Archon Valara send some cooks from Krokuun. The cafeteria ladies there treat us students like pigs."

The twins didn't say anything.

But it was rare for them to agree with the useless senior on the same thing.

"But I did hear that there's a group of magic rats in the kitchen that are always stealing cakes."

Faria also contributed a "school joke".

She tugged on the reins, commanding the wilder talbuks of Krokuun to obey, whispering:

"Some of the good-hearted seniors nicknamed those magic rats 'pancake thieves.' It's said that every weekend when the academy distributes the magic pancakes, there's always a 'lucky person' who gets a 'rare' one with paw prints on it.

Those evil rodents did it on purpose!"

"That's not a legend."

Dick, a teacher at the academy, corrected him:

"Those pancake-stealing demon rats have been at the academy for far longer than you have. Honestly, you should probably be calling them 'seniors.' As for how they got here, that's up to the clever folks in the summoning department."

God knows from which plane they summoned those magical creatures and built a nest for them in the kitchen warehouse."

"Hey, it's quite interesting to hear you tell stories about the city."

Chief Cavalry Captain Jaid, who was leading the way, interrupted enthusiastically and said:
"Looks like you've had an interesting few years, Dick."

"Yes, I worked as a security guard at the academy while also being a physical education teacher for this group of idiots. In my spare time, under the instructions of the ambitious principal, I went undercover in a cult group and even had my throat slit."

Dick stretched out his voice and said:
"Trust me, Jaid, you'll never encounter anything this bad in your life in Krokuun."

"Then come back. Since you're not happy in the big city, returning to your hometown is also an option. Although there aren't many development opportunities here, what should I say?"

Dick's childhood friend suggested to him:

"At least life here is comfortable, and you don't have to worry about so many things. Besides, with your current reputation, there are many enthusiastic grassland girls who are willing to pay you back. We don't have the bad rules of big cities here. As long as you are willing to marry, you can marry ten!

Anyway, Father Hatton has been worrying about the lack of population in Krokuun, so you, the Holy Lance, should consider it a contribution to the development of your hometown."

"If I really had a few hundred years left to waste, believe me, Jaide, I would definitely come to Krokuun and lie down. With you, a local tyrant, protecting me, I would find a few confidantes to herd horses and sheep.

Tsk tsk, I wonder how comfortable life would be then."

Dick smiled and looked at the peaceful night above him and the clear starry sky on the grassland.

He whispered:

"Unfortunately, we may not have that much time."

The sound was very small.

It was barely audible in the wind on the grassland, at least not Jaid, the grassland man who was discussing with the sharpshooter Barat which was better, the bow or the crossbow. But Naili, who was born in the Assassin's Court and was an elite ranger with excellent hearing, heard it.

She gave Dick a strange look.

She didn't know if it was an illusion, but ever since she embarked on this journey... No, ever since Dick had a conversation with Sachir in the Rula Temple, she felt as if a huge rock was pressing on Dick's heart, as if something invisible was chasing him from behind, making this garrison officer who had just become a "brigadier general" dare not relax for a moment.

Thinking back to the seriousness with which Commander Talgas instructed her to follow Dick to Krokuun in the name of the Assassin's Court to search for the legendary object, as well as the significance of this matter being directly noticed by the two Grand Archons, Nari felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.

She seemed to be able to really feel that a storm was forming before her eyes.
It felt as if he and everyone around him would be swallowed up by the fierce storm that was about to blow.

But because of her profession, she was accustomed to making plans before taking action, so she did not speak at this time. She just tightened the reins of the Tabu sheep, letting herself chase Dick across the endless grassland, trying her best not to fall behind.

Her riding skills were actually very good, but the Talbuk sheep in the Krokuun region were a little too ferocious. They were obviously not convinced by the "delicate" riders and had been holding back their desire to throw these rookies from the big city to the ground so as to give them a "greeting gift from the grassland."

Compared with these fierce creatures with curved horns, which are said to dare to fight in groups with shadow leopards, the Talbuk sheep of Mac'Aree are as docile as children's toys.

Captain Jaid was worthy of being the chief cavalryman who grew up on the grassland. He did not need any assistance in the night. He could accurately find the way relying only on the stars, wind direction and some landmarks. After several hours of rapid galloping, he successfully brought everyone to an entrance of the petrified forest.

It was already early morning, but everyone was in no hurry to enter the forest.

They will rest here temporarily and summon Governor Hatton and his shaman apprentices.

The Governor did not follow them to ride the Talbuk sheep across the grassland, partly because the shamans needed to prepare some materials needed to find their way in the petrified forest.

On the other hand, he was the Governor after all! How could he be seen riding Talbuk sheep with a bunch of youngsters at night, drunken and crazy? If someone saw him, it would probably be on the front page of Mac'Aree's tabloids tomorrow.

Although the Governorate of Krokuun is the most destitute Governorate in the Eredar civilization, Governor Hatton is one of the top fifteen in the Eredar power system.

The leaders of the Governor's District are all powerful figures who control both military and political affairs. What's more, Hatton's personal friendship with Grand Archon Velen that has lasted for a thousand years and his unique identity as the leader of the shamans have given this simple old man from Krokuun political power that others can hardly imagine.

From this point of view, Dick, who can theoretically be called "Hutton's adopted son", actually started from a relatively high starting point.

When Archimonde brought him from Krokuun to the Academy of Mysteries to be the captain of security, it was most likely to get in touch with Governor Hatton, the "political giant", through him.

And this is not the limit of old Hatton.

In the Dark Portal canon, hundreds of years later, when the Dark Titan once again launched a campaign of corruption against the Eredar, Governor Haddon had been promoted to the position of chief governing advisor to Grand Archon Velen.

At that time, he was in charge of the Council of State, and his status was equal to that of Talgas, making him the first tier below the Grand Archon.

Although this simple Eredar had no interest in power, he did have a successful career in officialdom throughout his life. He was also strong-willed and his bones were as hard as the horns of a Talbuk sheep.

Even though he was unable to board Velen's escape ship in order to cover the escape of the Grand Archon, after the fall of the world, he still led the Eredar who were unwilling to succumb to the demons back to the border mountains of Krokuun, and persisted in a hard struggle for 20,000 years in the polluted world of Argus.

Their noble and tenacious character can be regarded as the backbone of the civilization of the Eredar people.

"Put the totem down!"

After everyone rested for more than ten minutes, Jaid confirmed the agreed time through astrology, and then took out two ancient totem poles made of gems from the saddlebag of the Tabu sheep and threw one to Dick. At the same time, the two of them drove the totem poles emitting elemental aura into the entrance of the petrified forest, and then retreated.

As spellcasters, Gemini is somewhat disdainful of the ancient and rustic elemental heritage, but at this moment he is also very curious about the energy changes on the totem pole.

As they watched in amazement, the vibrations of the earth element resonated in a very rhythmic manner. Then, amid the vibrations of the land, Governor Hatton appeared before everyone with seven shaman apprentices as if teleported.

This mysterious and ancient elemental spell shocked the twins.

It took them most of the night to cross the grasslands, but Governor Hatton arrived here from Nathrax Castle in less than a few minutes.

This is almost as fast as teleportation.

"The decline of elemental traditions is not because elemental power is weaker than arcane magic and holy light."

Perhaps seeing the twins' confusion, Dick took the initiative to explain:
"The biggest reason is that 'Elemental Listening' is a rare talent, even rarer than Arcane Affinity. Children with spellcasting talent will always be found first by the affiliated institutions of the Arcane Academy and brought into the more systematic arcane path.

In comparison, the way of elements, which relies more on word of mouth and natural perception, appears much more obscure.

But I can assure you that if you two 'bad girls' dare to provoke the Governor, it won't take him more than a minute to beat you to tears, especially in this place close to the origin of civilization, where the power of the elements converges and surges. This is the home turf of the shamans."

"Don't flatter an old man like me, Diakum, my child. Shamanism is declining, but that's not a bad thing."

Governor Hatton, however, was very open-minded.

He instructed his apprentices to put away the totems and appease the surrounding earth spirits to provide them with shelter and clear the way for their next journey, while casually saying:
"Whether it's a shaman, an arcanist, or a holy priest, no matter what path of power they take, they are all guardians of the Eredar civilization. If the shaman's decline can bring prosperity to other guardian paths and races, I accept it.

For example, these two little girls, their talents amaze me.

Unfortunately, the elements don't like them because they are too clever.

Let me tell you a secret.

Haha, the elemental spirits have never liked the overly smart Eredar, perhaps because they were once used by the ancestor wizard Augure.

It is said that Augre signed a contract with the world, allowing him to control the elemental spirits that have existed since the birth of the world, but he hated the elemental spirits' disobedience, and the war between the four elements brought disaster to the world at that time.

Augure knew that true civilization could not be born in such an unstable world, so he took advantage of them.

He allowed the four elements to reshape the world's surface in the confrontation, while allowing the oldest and purest stable energy from the world itself to be born from beneath the earth.

That is the original arcane!

Argus also used this opportunity to create the arcane tradition of the Eredar. The elements were severely weakened in the struggle between them, and the First Sorcerer also found the ancient sacred object, the Ata'ma Crystal, in the mountains of Mac'Aree. He used the object to defeat the unruly elemental lords, which allowed Argus to truly enter a stable era.

The Eredar civilization only gradually flourished after that time."

Having said that, Governor Hatton paused, took a very ancient rock scepter from the apprentice, and while waving it rhythmically, he continued to share the ancient legends that were passed down only by shamans.

The old shaman looked at the petrified forest in front of him with deep emotion and chanted in an ancient voice:
“It is said that this forest is where the First Wizard defeated and sealed the elemental forces, and it is said that Augure made a mysterious pact with them.

He asked the four elements to guard a holy stone that could communicate with the world's will until the day when the world's will awakens from its slumber in the core of the star. Only then could the elements be free and reshape their leader. Perhaps their freedom lies in this era.

Even tonight."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Jaid, who was impatient, had long been tired of hearing these local stories since he was a child. He waved his whip and urged:

"Father Hatton, let's enter the forest immediately and quickly find the Holy Stone. Then, we can awaken the 'World Soul' that slumbers beneath our feet. If the Dark Titan is truly as powerful as Diak'um describes, and if the demons under his command are truly endless, then warriors like us must rely on the World Soul's favor to defeat him!"

"Let's go!"

Governor Hatton nodded and said no more.

In an emergency, he even omitted the sacrificial ceremony in the ancient shamanic tradition. He waved the rock staff in his hand to bring everyone under the effect of the magical "earth walking technique", and took them to travel through the path opened in the petrified forest in the form of elemental fusion.

In less than ten minutes, they traveled all the way from the outside of the forest to the rift valley in the center of the forest.

But you can't use the Earth Walking Technique going forward.

"The elements will not answer my call here."

Governor Hatton stood on the ground and said to the others who "jumped out" from the earth behind him:

"It's this rift valley. When I led Sachir before, I only sent him here. According to the ancient traditions of the shamans, we cannot enter this forbidden area that seals the ancient elements at will."

"Governor, this is urgent. This is not the time to talk about tradition." Dick advised while observing the terrain.

"If you didn't believe in the existence of the World Soul, you wouldn't have led us in the first place. You've also recognized the warning signs of crisis. We came here in search of hope. How can we stop here?
And Sachir described that place to me!

I need to find a semi-exposed mountain terrace in the rift valley. It is located near an abandoned ancient temple, near the ridge in the middle and upper levels of the cave maze. The shape of the terrace is an irregular triangle.

There are four or five tunnels, making it a transportation hub.”

Dick accurately described the characteristics of the camp. Governor Hatton nodded and waved the rock scepter to try to search the place based on his perception of the earth. When the elements did not respond, the old shaman could only use some "forced" means.

Skilled shamans are not wimps who let elemental spirits mess around with them. The relationship between them and the elements is very delicate.

When necessary, shamans can force the elements to help them.

Of course, this will cause dissatisfaction and resistance from the unruly elemental forces, and it will require a lot of troublesome appeasement afterwards to avoid the worst "elemental condemnation". As for why Diakum can tell the location so accurately, it is certainly not because Sachir really reminded him.

It was simply because he had been to this place too many times.
Although the terrain in Dick's memory was different ten thousand years later, the general direction of the mountains was the same. He knew that the rift in front of him was a complex cave structure, which was like a maze and one could get lost if not careful.

But as long as he could find the location of the "Kroku Camp" in his memory, he would be sure to find the tunnel where the "Holy Stone" was hidden.

Yes.

This holy stone did appear in the official history of the Dark Portal!
But there was only a brief description in an inconspicuous quest line, and people who don't like reading texts will definitely miss it. However, Dick is an "old ass", and these subtle information cannot be hidden from him. With such precise "search conditions" and the help of the power of the earth, the old shaman quickly confirmed the area described by Dick.

"Everyone follow me!"

Old Hatton waved his stone staff and said loudly:

"That place is very secluded, with many forked roads. Don't fall behind."

Everyone cheered up and followed the old governor into the "forbidden land" before them. As the ancient shaman legend described, after they entered, even Jaid, a pure cavalryman and warrior, felt the overly active elemental power oppressing him.

The elemental power sealed here by the original wizard did not welcome outsiders like them, perhaps because the contract with that element was far from over.

Such active elemental power made Dick's heart sink. A bad guess was quietly confirmed at this moment, but he followed Governor Hatton silently into this complex terrain full of caves and chaotic like a maze. They saw an abandoned Augure Temple.

Judging from the style, it is definitely an ancient building from the early days of civilization tens of thousands of years ago, but the crowd did not have time to stay here for "archaeology".

After walking on the crooked ridge for nearly twenty minutes and passing through three complex cave structures, Governor Hatton, whose face was pale due to the resistance of the elements and needed the support of Jaid and the apprentices to move forward, finally brought them to their destination.

As Dick described, this place is a semi-enclosed platform with a cave leading to different places in each of the four directions. Dick first stood due north, then turned his body to the southwest.

There happened to be a small cave there that only allowed one person to enter. The upward slanting entrance was very tricky and could not be found at all if you did not look carefully.

"Right here."

He waved to the others, then was the first to bend down and enter.

At first the terrain was narrow and Dick had to crouch down to move forward, but soon the cave widened, and after turning a bend, all the darkness was dispelled.

A huge, irregular, milky white boulder, as smooth as jade, stood before him.

Like opaque crystal, the four elemental forces of wind, fire, water and earth surround the surroundings in a visible manner, and the completely enclosed cave is surrounded by clear starlight, making the scene before one's eyes seem like a dream.

圣石
Although it is dozens of times larger than the "holy stone" that was only the size of a human head in Dick's memory, this is not a problem!
It's definitely that one.

A holy object that can "communicate" with the sleeping star soul. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it the "artifact of the original world."

On the ancient throne in front of the holy stone lies a decayed corpse of an Eredar. Even in the face of death, this person maintains the most majestic posture. Judging from his weathered attire alone, he looks exactly like the mythical wizard Augure.

It is here.

He found the dreamland of the Argus star soul, the origin of the Eredar, and the destiny of this world and the entire Eredar civilization!

"what's next?"

Jaid, the chief cavalry captain holding a whip, was neither a shaman nor a mage nor a paladin. He did not have the expertise to discern deeper information. Following Father Hatton, he kowtowed twice to the holy stone in awe, then looked at Dick and whispered,

"We've found the sacred stone and the legendary wizard. What should we do next? Move the sacred stone away?"

"Next we'll try to communicate."

Dick took off his armor gloves and handed them to Telamon beside him. He flexed his fingers and looked at the sacred stone surrounded by the heavy power of ancient elements, and whispered:
"I hope Argus isn't grumpy, otherwise you'll have to say goodbye to me forever in the next second. Even the invincible Divine Shield won't be able to save me."

"Is that an exaggeration?"

Faria, the captain of the Five Little Strongmen, said in surprise:
"Will my life be in danger just by contact?"

"this is necessary."

Holy Light Priest Yimira whispered to his four muscular brothers and explained:

"Commodore Dick is trying to spiritually connect with the World Soul. I don't know what that means, but I can give you an example. It's like a child casually touching a shadow leopard's tail. The gap between the two is enormous!
Just one accident, even if the other party has no ill intentions, and Lord Dick's spirit will be crushed in an instant.

That's a mythical life form that needs an entire planet as its cradle to nurture. Even though it hasn't been born yet, there's no problem calling it a 'Star Sea God.'

"In shamanic legends, only the 'chosen one' can converse with the World Spirit."

Dick walked towards the sacred stone and said:

"The original wizard shaped the petrified forest into its current state, isolating it from the outside world to protect others. The price of touching the sacred stone at will is terrible, especially for those who are very curious and don't know the rules.

The mortal world's concept of good and evil obviously cannot be applied to a great individual like Star Soul."

"But Diakam, my child, are you sure you want to do this?"

After completing the elemental prayer, Governor Hatton stood up with the help of others. He said to Dick with a worried look on his face:

"The elements here completely ignore us. They are too ancient, and were probably placed here during the time of Augure. This is only the first line of defense to protect the Holy Stone and the World Soul. You might even die from the pressure of the elemental spirits!
So fast that we have no time to save you.

Now that the sacred stone has been found and the legend has been confirmed, why don’t we wait for the two archons to arrive?
With Velen's exceptional mental strength, he might be able to complete this conversation."

"it's useless."

Dick shook his head and said:
"Legends or demigods, these mortals' ridiculous power classifications are all equally vulnerable in the face of the might of the World Soul. If Argus doesn't want to communicate, even if the Grand Archon and the Naaru come together, it will be useless.

You don't think the World Soul would look at mortals differently just because they have power, do you?

We didn't give birth to Him, Governor Dad.

It is He who generously allows us to be born and multiply in His body. We should have reverence for great things and use the correct method to complete the pilgrimage-like contact.

I dare say there is no eredar alive who is better at this than I am."

This is not bragging.

If Dick's past life experience counts, then he did have many experiences communicating with the World Soul. I just don't know if Argus's temper before he fell into the "Destroyer" was as good as "Ai-chan"
"You retreat to a safe distance!"

Dick said to the others:
"No matter what happens, don't get close. The power of the World Soul cannot be challenged. If I don't turn into a shattered stone statue the moment I touch the Holy Stone, it means that the contact has been successful."

"I will give you my blessing, child."

Old Hatton patted Diakum on the shoulder and whispered:
"At first I thought you came here to complete a mission, but now I don't think so. I can be sure that you came here with some kind of burning belief. Now that we are here, let's not feel any pressure anymore and just do it like a Krokuun man!"

"Ah."

Diakum nodded, and as others watched, he slowly stepped forward and stepped into the flowing water surrounding the sacred stone.

He stretched out his hand towards the holy stone in front of him, which was wrapped in red, yellow, white and green colors. The moment his fingers were raised, visible flames, ice, strong winds and earth and rocks covered his body.

This is the power of the ancient elements that protect the soul of the world.

It's not about killing, it's just about using force to warn the intruders to retreat!

Just like the loyal sword-wielding guards beside a big man, in fact, the relationship between the ancient elements and the soul of the world should be the same. According to the theories of some spellcaster schools, as the original energy that shapes the world, the elements are the original embodiment of the power of the soul of the world.

They are the oldest energies in the universe and can simulate all forms of energy in ever-changing combinations. Generally speaking, arcane energies that tend to be orderly and widely exist in the physical universe are believed to be derived from elemental forces.

Of course, arcane energy, elemental energy and arcane force are three completely different concepts and cannot be confused.

In short, the "elemental rebellions" that often occur in the world of Azeroth are due to the interference and catalysis of the Void Force. Few elements in other worlds are brave enough to directly confront their "creators."

At least on the land of Argus, in front of Dick, the ancient elements born at the beginning of creation still loyally serve the sleeping soul of the world.

Dick clearly felt the pressure.

The closer his fingers got to the holy stone, the greater the pressure the four elements exerted on him.

This exponential increase in pressure quickly triggered a reaction from the Holy Light. As the "Seal of Naaru's Blessing" on Dick's forehead swayed like a golden flame, his radiant energy emerged from his body and fought against the suppressing elements.

This is a test.

It doesn't matter how powerful the audience is, but it cannot be a mortal who is powerless. Mortals cannot feel the rhythm of the soul of the world, and will anger the supreme power because of their stupidity and ignorance.

"Master Dick's feet! Look!"

Faria exclaimed, and everyone else's eyes immediately turned to Dick's lower body.

His hooves, legs and tail were being "petrified", and the constraints from the earth element were rapidly trapping him in the boulders.

Dick clearly felt the numbness in his lower body. He knew this was his last chance, so he gritted his teeth and resisted the pressure that was about to crush him. He pushed forward and let his hands touch the jade-like surface of the holy stone.

The power of the elements also erupted, and the roars of wind, fire, water, and earth intertwined into a chaotic elemental storm, causing the totems of the crowd embedded in the ground to explode one after another, and the twins' shields were torn apart like paper.

"Don't resist! Don't fight back!"

Governor Hatton shouted:
"Back off! Don't show any hostility. The ancient elements are observing us."

Diakum heard the Governor's cry, but he didn't have time to pay attention. Before his eyes, a more dazzling golden light danced. The activated runes combined and arranged in a row, conveying an important message to him:

【

caveat!

Your actions at this moment will severely disrupt the fate of the world of Argus. The moment of fate has arrived! "Holy Light Morality - Hand of Fate" has been activated! Force enhancement has been applied!
hint!

You are now in contact with a special being, a 'Universal True God, Young Ecology'. This type of creature is not bound by the long river of fate. Deep contact with them will trigger the 'Other Shore Curtain' supplementary agreement. Please make every choice carefully in this scenario.

】

"Well"

The strengthening of fate's choice instantly freed Diakum from the shackles of the elements. Under the protection of the Holy Light Force, he reached out and knocked on the surface of the Holy Stone, as if knocking on the door of fate.

他 说:

"Argus! Wake up, I'm here to talk!"

(End of this chapter)