Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 290, Section 47: I, a wanderer, have even hidden myself in Lordaeron City, Vigilant, please spare me! - [1215]

(Bonus chapter for "Huo Zheng Ting Hao" [12/15])
"boom"

The scorching hellfire, trailing a long, dark green tail of flame, crashed down in front of the cathedral in the capital city of Lordaeron, amidst the horrified gazes of countless people.

This place was originally a refuge for the city's residents, and now many wounded people have been brought here from all over to await the priests' rescue. At this time, the city's doctors, herbalists, and charlatans have all gathered here to treat the wounded, and the huge square is crowded with fearful people.

The hellfire struck in an absurdly inaccurate location, right in the center of the square, smashing the statue of the saint, who stood there and was regarded by the locals as the "embodiment of faith," to pieces.

The woman whose statues stand throughout the human kingdoms is the source of faith in human civilization. Named "Mireidal," she is the sister of General Lordaeron, the ancestor of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, and the first priest in human history. She is the origin of the Church of the Holy Light.

Although the Church of Holy Light does not have idols, believers in the general public generally regard the angel icon of Miladal as the embodiment of Holy Light.

Now, this damned demon, in the presence of countless believers, precisely destroyed this ancient statue with hellfire. When the statue of the saint was set ablaze in the evil fire, leaving only half a body and even her benevolent face shattered into pieces, many believers who had escaped the attack of hellfire almost collapsed on the spot.

This location was clearly chosen by demons or cultists of the "Doomsday Prophet" sect through meticulous calculation, in order to undermine the already low morale of the capital city of Lordaeron. And this vicious tactic achieved almost perfect results.

The city's residents were first tormented by the demonic plague, with many suffering from hunchbacks and mental dullness. Now, they were besieged by demons, incredibly ferocious supernatural entities. Already in a state of high tension, they subconsciously believed that demons, representing evil, would never dare to approach a sacred place like the cathedral.

They believed that their devout faith could protect them from harm.

But as it turns out, the Holy Light seems unable to save them from the demons' violence and slaughter.
"Ah, holy light! Open your eyes!"

An old knight draped in a holy sash knelt before the shattered icon. He saw the hideous hellfire, after melting the ground, brandishing its scorching claws and rising in a hideous manner that burned everything. But he had lost all courage and will to fight back. He could only hunch over the icon, cowardly embracing his wife, weakened by the plague, as he faced death.

The knights guarding the church reacted quickly.

They rode their warhorses, hurling heavy spears in an attempt to pierce the damned demonic monster. Only one hellfire crashed onto the plaza, with no demon guards or imps following it. As long as the evil creature could be killed in time, not many people would die in the plaza.

But just then, a group of strange men wearing tattered hoods suddenly rushed out from the crowd.

They nimbly leaped over and pulled the unsuspecting knights off their horses, then hurled their worn-out daggers or other strange objects at the soldiers protecting them.

The warriors also resisted, but when they tore off the hoods of those guys, they saw twisted and hideous faces. They still had human appearances, but green light was dancing deep in their eyes, and demonic scales had grown on their foreheads, necks and fingers.

They howled and cheered in the language of demons, welcoming the arrival of their master.

"Your king cannot save you!"

A robust female "half-demon" straddled the struggling young knight, her clawed hands gripping his neck as she roared madly:

"The plague has come! Terenas has abandoned us to die! My son is dead, but he has returned to the warm Twisting Nether. The demon lords have arrived! Hahaha, they will kill that dog king for us!"

He couldn't protect his people; he deserved to die!

"No, no, the king has been trying."

The knight struggled, but then someone struck him on the head with a hammer. Although the blow wasn't fatal because of the warhammer, the excruciating pain and suffocation were gradually killing him.

The hellfire is still raging.

The terrifying monster continuously spewed sacrificial fire, burning everything around it. As the terrified crowd scattered in all directions, the savage creature charged toward the largest group of people, intending to kill them all and offer their souls to the Twisting Nether.

"Open the door quickly!"

The terrified young pastor pounded on the church door, and the frightened people fled inside and closed the door, refusing to open it no matter how much the people outside called out to him.

Nobody wants to die here.

"Open the door!"

A deep voice came from behind them, and a man gripping the door latch tightly shouted without turning his head:

"We can't open it! My wife and kids are here! Those monsters are killing people outside, we can't open it!"

"But a wooden door can't protect you, nor can the city walls."

A hand radiating golden light was placed on the shoulder of the father, who only wanted to protect his family, amidst the surprised screams of those around him. As the warm holy light spread outwards in a halo, Bishop Benedict said softly:

"Only faith can protect the soul, only holy light can illuminate the darkness and open the door. I light that light for you."

The man turned to look at the bishop behind him.

Benedict was still wearing his blood-stained white priest's robe, but he was surrounded by a warm golden holy light, and there was a halo like a sun crown behind his head. The archbishop held a gleaming sword in his left hand and an ancient holy light scroll in his right.

His eyes turned into golden pupils.

Under his gaze, fear was dispelled, and courage returned to the hearts of these anxious people.

"follow me!"

As he spoke, he reached out and cleaved the door in front of him with a single sword stroke.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the desperate priests and the crowd outside, the bishop, who seemed to have transformed into a "saint" in that instant, strode out, raised his longsword, and concentric circles of holy light spread out from him across the entire square.

The half-demons committing their crimes, as well as the demon worshippers hiding in the crowd and setting fires to create chaos, dared not look directly at them; they screamed and retreated.

Those who drank the demon's blood to ward off the plague fared even worse; they were as if they had been thrown into a burning fire, screaming and covering their faces, but grayish-white ash fell out along with their scorched skin.

The hellfire was also drawn to the light.

Although it was a construct without reason, the fel energy's aversion to the Holy Light caused it to roar and hurl molten fel fire at Benedictus. However, the bishop with wings on his back leaped up and extinguished the fel fire with a single, shimmering leaping strike. Then, with a perfectly executed Judgment of Ashes, he pierced the scorched core of the hellfire and utterly defeated the evil creature in a burst of Holy Light.

Cheers erupted in the square.

The devout cried out at the top of their lungs, the saved ones shed tears, and some even threw themselves at Benedict's feet, desperately kissing his old, ashes-covered shoes.

But at that moment, the bishop's mind was actually in a state of confusion.

He could sense everything around him but couldn't react in time. His body felt like it was being taken over by another force, like watching a cool "divine intervention" movie, but he was the protagonist, yet he wasn't himself.

However, this tingling sensation, like touching an electric shock with bare hands, was rapidly dissipating, and Benedictus could feel his mind gradually taking over his body.

He could still hear that voice saying to him:

"Did you learn it? What I just taught you."

"Uh"

Having spent the first half of his life as a priest, purifying souls with scriptures and never having fully practiced martial arts, Benedictus at this moment desperately wanted to lie and say that he had "learned" it.

But he is very smart.

He knew why this "Warrior" was "transferring his skills remotely" to him. If he couldn't master these holy light combat techniques, he wouldn't be able to play his proper role in this city that was about to fall.

So, risking blasphemy, Benedictus pleaded:

"Could you demonstrate it for me again? I was so shocked that I didn't pay attention."

"Sigh, that's why you priests, besides studying the scriptures, should also take time to exercise. If all else fails, find a martial monk and learn a few sets of boxing techniques; you might need them in a pinch."

Diakum offered Benedictus a few earnest words of advice, then propelled his body into the air, spreading his golden, eagle-like wings amidst the cheers of the commoners as he soared through the smoke-filled skies above the city of Lordaeron.

After spotting a street where hellhounds and imps were pouring out in droves, he folded his wings and slammed down with a whooshing sound.

"boom"

With a classic superhero-style landing, a golden beam of light bursting outwards in a halo-like formation incinerated all the surrounding hellhounds. Amidst the swirling, scorching ashes, Diakum manipulated Benedictus's body to rise and casually treated his shattered knee.

Yes, this move really strains your knees, good kids shouldn't try it.

"Watch closely this time."

The vigilant stretched his shoulders, sword in his left hand and scripture in his right. Under the horrified gazes of the demons in the dark alley, the human priest with golden wings tore through the rising ashes and strode toward them.

The man was covered in blood, his face was serious and angry, and his golden eyes radiated endless majesty.

"Oh my God!"

An elite imp elder was burning the knees of an unfortunate guard when he turned around and screamed:
"It's not him! It's not that person! The one inside him is the Vigilant! It's Diakum Zastins! The Butcher of the Light is coming! Run, children!"

This guy is terrified.

Benedictus watched in shock as the powerful imp elder crashed to the ground, grabbed a guard's sword, and slashed at his own neck with tremendous force, severing most of it in an instant. But as the elite imp fell, a hint of relief lingered on his ugly face.

"What on earth is it doing? Is this some kind of evil sacrifice?"

The bishop of Lordaeron Cathedral asked in astonishment.

"They are afraid of me. They know that if they are purified by my holy light, they will die forever. So before I kill them, they will choose to commit suicide to escape back into the Twisting Nether. What a cunning tactic."

Diakum sighed and said:
"I don't know which clever demon spread this message, but now all the demons with brains do this when they see me. These cowards can't satisfy me at all."

"Fine, just watch how I use your holy light."

"what?"

The bishop exclaimed:
"Isn't this the holy light you bestowed upon me? How can my own holy light be so scorching hot? I...no, this isn't it."

“You haven’t reached your full potential yet, Benedictus, but don’t worry, you will redeem all your talents in the future, and one day, these demons will crumble and flee before your eyes.”

Diakum gave his temporary "spirit warrior" a pep talk, encouraging him:
"I have blessed you. Your potential will be fully unleashed in the next ten days, but after that you will fall into extreme weakness. This means you only have ten days to wield this power from your future self and bring those trapped in dire straits in this city out of danger."

Your mentor, Archbishop Alonsus Fao, has found a noble and sacred protector for mankind, the Naru.

Let's go to Stormwind.

Go there to gather strength and choose righteousness.

One day, you will become a symbol of hope, returning to this land bathed in holy light.

Did you learn it this time?

As the last demon turned to ashes by the sword, only a few saved souls remained in the quiet alley, loudly chanting praises of the Holy Light. When questioned by the vigilant, Benedictus nodded and said:
"I have learned it, I know my mission, and I will make good use of your divine revelation!"

"Go, let the demons of the city witness the wrath of the Holy Light."

With the vigilant's consciousness withdrawn, Benedictus regained control of his body.

He was in a daze. The scorching ashes behind him meant he wasn't fantasizing. So he tried flapping his wings of light, letting himself fly low into the air and hurtling towards another place where demons were causing trouble.

He gripped the unsharpened decorative sword that hung in his meditation room, and charged at his demon guards, who were burned to ashes in the holy flames.

The bishop roared.

He charged at the demons that harmed the people of the Holy Light, hacking and slashing until all the monsters in the entire city were slaughtered.

He seemed to be caught up in some kind of fanatical punishment.

He would normally find it difficult to control this fervent dedication, but when he saw the scriptures in his right hand, some of his fervor would subside.

No wonder the guardians consecrated this scripture along with the sword.

Ah, walking the path of holy light requires both fervent power and unwavering faith.

------

"boom"

The bat that burst into the tavern through the window had its head smashed open with a club.

Old Chen, the wanderer dressed in black, took a slight breath. He glanced back and saw that the tavern was already crowded with civilians who had come here to seek refuge. Seeing their expectant and admiring gazes, Old Chen's head began to ache.

He felt as if he were back in the same situation he had experienced in the tranquil garden town.

He had already broken the rules of wanderers by recklessly rescuing people there. After confirming that the forest could hold off the Greenskins, he ran away as fast as he could. He thought that he could avoid the dangerous "saint" by coming to the Northern Frontier, but he did not expect to encounter similar troubles as soon as he arrived in Lordaeron City.

"I should have left this travel trip in Kalimdor."

Chen sighed.

But he knew that if he let his guard down this time, the demons on the street could rush in and kill everyone in the tavern in less than five minutes.

Protecting the tavern wasn't difficult; the challenge was figuring out how to get these people away to a safe place.

Most importantly, is there really any safe place left in northern Xinjiang now?

"Of course not. You have to escort these poor people to where you 'came' from, Old Chen, who is trying to escape his fate but will always be found by me."

A familiar voice rang in Old Chen's ears, startling the martial monk.

He turned around sharply but couldn't see anyone beside him, yet the voice lingered around him like a shadow.

"It's good that you're here; otherwise, a mere temporary divine warrior wouldn't have been able to break this terrible situation."

Through the wondrous power of faith, Diakum reached out and placed his hand on Old Chen's shoulder, saying:
"I'd like to borrow your abundant internal energy!"

"Don't!"

Old Chen only had time to resist for a moment before his consciousness was ripped from his body, just like Benedictus's "divine intervention" or "incarnation of faith" just now. His body, which was as fierce as a bear and as sharp as a cat, was temporarily taken over by the dangerous saint.

But Old Chen is not a believer in Holy Light!

This means that Diakum would have to expend twice the amount of faith power to cast "Divine Descent" on him, but considering the monk's high mobility and unique and powerful combat talent, the Vigilant believed that this was necessary.

"Don't mess around, Vigilant!"

Old Chen's consciousness roared:
"Do not disturb my body with your holy light. The way of Qi and your holy light works in completely different ways. Do not destroy my foundation."

"Are you underestimating me?"

Diakum fondly played with the jade bamboo stick in his hand, performing a fancy trick with it. He then gestured for the people behind him to "follow" as he controlled Old Chen's body.

He then stepped forward and kicked open the tavern door.

The demons who were burning and looting outside the door all turned around and saw a pandaren casually tossing his hat out and clasping his hands together, calling for holy flames to envelop him.

Under Old Chen's astonished gaze, the vigilant controlled his body and smoothly unleashed a set of exquisite "Holy Light Wrathful Thunder Strike" with the posture of someone who had "cultivated for at least thirty years." He then used the Divine Crane Neck Kick, which spun around, to create a scorching whirlwind of yang fire, engulfing the surrounding demons and burning them to ashes.

"I heard that your monks' ancestor, Master Kang, was nicknamed 'Fist of Dawn.' I don't know what kind of ancient Pandaria fist technique he used back then, but I don't think there's much difference between Holy Light and Chi."

Diakum made a "gathering energy" gesture.

He allowed the terrifying holy light to continuously swirl and compress in his palm, being constantly strengthened like a "spirit bomb".

He commented sharply:

"But I also have a move called 'Dawn Fist' that I would like to ask you, Master Monk, to take a look at."

Before him, a legendary-level doomsday lord roared and wielded its doomsday blade, igniting the city. As Old Chen leaped up, stepping on the wall, the energy he had been accumulating in his hand was unleashed with tremendous force.

A streak of light flashed across the sky above Lordaeron. After the golden fragments of light dissipated, the Doom Lord, with a large hole in its head, fell helplessly to the ground. Its entire body was rapidly being incinerated by holy flames, leaving only a burning Doom Blade stuck in the ruins.

Old Chen stood atop the ruins with a flamboyant, one-legged stance, caught a straw hat falling from the sky, placed it on his head, and, with the air of a master, bowed and said:
"Lightforged faction, Sun Soul Sect - Fist of Dawn, please enlighten me!"

"What kind of damned 'Dawn Fist' is this? You clearly used your own holy flames to burn it to death with a powerful, brick-like holy fire attack!"

Old Chen complained:
"And what kind of strange Sun Soul Sect is this? I've never even heard of this martial monk school!"

"Now you hear me."

Diakum laughed and withdrew his consciousness, leaving behind a blazing blessing of holy light within Old Chen's body.

He warned:

"The people of the city are in my hands! Help Bishop Benedictus lead them to Stormwind. If you succeed, you will be rewarded."

"Hmph, the warrior monks of Wuchen Temple never ask for favors in their actions."

“I will take you back to Pandaria.”

"Okay! It's a deal!"

(End of this chapter)