Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 292, Section 49: You built such a huge magic well! See, now look what's happened! - [1415]

(Bonus chapter for "Huo Zheng Ting Hao" [14/15])
Diakum's third descent of God did not go smoothly.

Because Quel'Thalas has activated their peculiar and outrageous "Bantin Norrel" barrier, nicknamed "Frontier Guardian," a super magical barrier that covers the entire territory of Quel'Thalas, powered by their Sunwell as its energy center and drawing energy from underground magical nodes.

Although it is touted as providing "absolute defense" once activated, its actual effectiveness is highly questionable.

In the official lore, Gul'dan and the Old Horde managed to break through it and even used the precious barrier stone to create a group of brutal two-headed ogres, indirectly contributing to the prosperity of the Twilight's Hammer clan. However, that failure was also due to the fact that the Old Horde could control a large number of red dragons.

Generally speaking, the "absolute defense circle" created by the high elves should be able to withstand the intensity of mortal warfare without much problem.

Last time in Silithus, Diakum heard Farondis say that they activated the barrier to prevent the plague spores from entering Quel'Thalas. As it turned out, this accidental event allowed the high elf kingdom to avoid the first wave of demonic invasion.

When Diakum finally found the Holy Light stronghold in Quel'Thalas, his spirit somewhat strained, what came into his view were several Hellfire Meteors crashing into the purple barrier. The demon constructs, blocked by the Bantinorel barrier and countered by arcane power, had not even been able to take shape and turned into ordinary magestones as they fell.

"You have some ability."

Diakum gave a thumbs-up.

But when he looked at the Church of Holy Light in front of him, he was startled.

"What's going on? The plague didn't stop it? So many elves have been infected? Something's not right! They were just infected. There's a traitor within Quel'Thalas!"

The watcher saw the weakened elves being housed in a building near the church, with a group of elven priests bustling about. Not far away, a forest elf sage was brewing a strange-tasting potion. This was the savior whom the Sun King had sent the Silvermoon mages to bring back from Stormwind Kingdom.

"let me see."

Diakum was searching for a suitable "God Warrior candidate" near the Church of Holy Light; his current faith power was only enough to create one more temporary chosen one.

We must be careful.

Fortunately, there is a "backup" among the Holy Light users in Quel'Thalas who meets the Vigilant's demanding requirements. Considering that the Holy Light faith has never been a "mainstream" belief among the high elves, finding a suitable person is not that difficult.

"Chestnut-brown hair, pointed ears that are longer than those of her kind, and she's a priest at the moment. It's you, Liadrin, the 'childhood sweetheart who always gets her base raided in Stromgarde'!"

With a subtle yet irritating laugh from the Watcher, a stream of light flashed across the body of a weary elven priestess, startling her awake as she rested against a table. She was then astonished to see uncontrollable holy light igniting in her hands.

This startled the female pastor.

She was terrified that the holy light might harm herself and her companions, but she quickly calmed down.

Where are you now?

Diakum comforted the somewhat naive elven girl, who had not yet experienced the weight of fate, and asked in Salas:
"Why are so many elves suddenly infected with the demonic plague?"

"Who are you? Some kind of evil spirit?"

Liadrin cautiously picked up the scroll beside her.

That was a relic given to her by her adoptive father, Lord Von Delor, the leader of the High Elf followers of the Holy Light. It was said to have been consecrated in the Chapel of Light's Hope and could protect her from evil spirits.

This protection was absolutely necessary because the high elves were constantly at war with the Amani trolls, who were skilled in voodoo and sorcery.

To Diakum's relief, compared to human priests who focused on chanting and protecting souls, high elf priests clearly had more "flexible" career choices.

Young Liadrin was not just a priestess; she received combat training from a young age and was skilled in using warhammers and spears. Although she was not a fierce warrior, this saved Diakum the trouble of teaching her how to fight.

"I am the Vigilant, a foreign saint who descended upon the Kingdom of Stormwind in the light. You may have heard of my name. It was I who brought the forest elves to Azeroth, so that these elves tormented by the demonic plague before you could receive effective treatment."

"I've satisfied your curiosity, Liadrin. Now it's your turn to answer my question."

Diakum asked:

Why are these elves infected with the plague?

Your Phoenix Guardian, Lord Farodis, told me that the Bantinorel Barrier has remained open, filtering out the effects of the plague. Even if the plague spread in the early stages, I believe the High Elves have sufficient means to control its spread.

But now there are so many new patients, this doesn't seem right.

Liadrin had heard of the name "Vigilant" because a friend of hers had written to her describing in detail the glorious victory of Stormwind that night. In her friend Fina Goldsword's letter, her brave friend had been praising the Vigilant's greatness and selflessness, and Liadrin was also pleased that she had become a paladin.

She had even tried to persuade her best friend to become a pastor.

Therefore, upon learning Diakum's identity, Liadrin immediately replied:

"We don't know that the plague had indeed been brought under control before, and the Phoenix Guardians brought back a new method. Many spellcasters who were infected with the plague have tried the mysterious 'Ascension Ritual' and have become completely immune to the plague's effects."

The Silvermoon Council is preparing a massive ascension to resolve the remaining plague disease within the country in one fell swoop.

But a new patient appeared at that very moment.

No warning!

They seemed to have been infected overnight. From Windrunner's Tower to Goldenmist Village and then to Corona Village, the disease spread faster than anyone could have imagined. In just two or three days, all the residents here had become patients.

We are currently in Qingfeng Village.

This is also where the sick are currently being cared for in Quel'Thalas, but the demons' sudden appearance yesterday interrupted our treatment process.

The young and kind elven priest sighed and said:
“Spellcasters and warriors must be stationed near each runestone of the Bantinorel barrier to prevent patients from gathering quickly. If this continues, the large-scale infection will become uncontrollable.”

"So, didn't you ever suspect that there was a traitor behind this?"

After listening to Liadrin's description, Diakum said:
"The plague is not the most critical problem right now; the problem lies with your Sunwell!"
Although it is not as magnificent as the ancient Well of Eternity, it is still an excellent natural portal in the eyes of demons. With the demons launching a full-scale invasion of the northern frontier, they will never give up on conquering your holy land.

I suspect the Sun King has ordered the archmages of Quel'Thalas to gather on Quel'Danas to protect the Sunwell.

What if those traitors who deliberately spread the plague and weakened the high elves are hiding among them? Wouldn't that be like opening the door to invite thieves in, courting certain death?

Liadrin was startled.

Following the vigilant's train of thought, she immediately realized that her homeland was in extreme danger.

"I now appoint you as my 'temporary chosen one,' Liadrin of Quel'Thalas. I will exchange all your future talents for this moment, and your Holy Light will be enhanced to the point that it can kill most demons."

Head to the Sunwell now!

Diakum said to her:
"I will contact your Phoenix Guardians to work with you from within. Remember! Once the demons have truly seized the Sunwell, do not hesitate to immediately summon me to descend upon your spirit. I will then use holy light to pour into your holy land."

Even if I blow it up, I don't want to see a terrifying portal directly connecting to the distorted void appear at the northernmost tip of the Eastern Continent.

You must understand that the Sun Well is large enough to allow demigods and great demons to freely enter and exit this world. If it were to open now, the annihilation of millions of lives in the Northern Frontier would come in an instant!
Although this may put a lot of pressure on you, the fate of 'Daughter of the Light' Liadrin, Quel'Thalas, and the northern frontier of the continent now truly rests on your shoulders.

Go for it. "

The Vigilant's consciousness retained the knowledge of mastering the Light Oath combat techniques before withdrawing and returning to its original body.

Liadrin stood there, completely bewildered.

The holy light she unconsciously released even illuminated the area around the small house with golden lines of light.

This scene immediately aroused the curiosity of the elves, and when they noticed Liadrin, who seemed to be the "incarnation of holy light," the priests exclaimed that it was a miracle.

The leader of the elven priests, High Priest Von Delor, quickly received the news. This highly respected elven priest was a direct disciple of Miradal, the first female priestess of mankind. He immediately recognized that Liadrin's current state was an "incarnation of faith," and knew that his adopted daughter had received a revelation from the Holy Spirit.

"You don't need to tell me what kind of mission you are carrying out, my daughter."

The old pastor, with a sense of satisfaction, handed the holy silver warhammer he had inherited from his mentor to his adopted daughter and disciple, saying gently:

"When I was young, I saw the pure Lady Miladal walking among us in such an incarnation. Therefore, the Holy Light has surely given you a mission that concerns the future of countless people. Go and carry it out, my child."

In this age of demonic invasion and rampant plague, you have been chosen by the Holy Light to become the 'Soul Guardian' of us Quel'dorei.

I'm so proud of you.

"But Father, I..."

Liadrin took her father's sacred warhammer and slung a spellcaster's shield imbued with magic over her back. She said with some uncertainty:
“The Holy Spirit asked me to do something terrible; I might become a sinner against the people.”

"No, the Holy Light has its own morality."

The old pastor seemed to have guessed, and he said in a serious, deep voice:

"The Quel'dorei's millennia of corruption breaks my heart, my child. That radiant Holy Well protects our kingdom, but the Quel'dorei can thrive even without it. Perhaps it's time..."
Quel'Thalas must never repeat the mistakes of the Elven Empire!
We must not repeat the mistakes Azshara made. Go forth, for this is the will of the Holy Light.

You will not become a sinner against the people; on the contrary, you will become our 'savior,' and I will be proud of you, my daughter.

"Ah."

The encouragement from her adoptive father strengthened Liadrin's resolve.

She summoned her chocobo and dashed out of Clearwind Village, but had no intention of traveling by land to Quel'Danas Island; that was impractical. The island lay in the ocean beyond the continental shelf, requiring either a boat trip or flight.

Teleportation is prohibited there, most of the time.

She must use a smarter approach to reach her destination, and luckily, Liadrin has many resourceful and helpful friends.

"Qiang! Come out quickly, Qiang, I need your help with something important."

Outside the ranger camp of the Eastern Temple, not far from Sunnywind Village, Liadrin called out the name of her childhood sweetheart.

Before long, amidst the friendly winks and laughter of the other rangers, the ranger commander Lor'themar Theron, his face grim and fully armed, emerged. He glared at Liadrin, but ultimately sighed.

“You shouldn’t be near here. Civilians like you are not allowed to approach the runestone during wartime, Liadrin.”

Captain Lor'themar lowered his voice and said through gritted teeth:

"Besides, we made a promise when we were kids that you can't call me that damn nickname!"

"Oh dear, it's because your name is so hard to pronounce. Besides, I think the nickname Fina gave you is great, it's easy to say."

Liadrin smiled, then told Lor'themar Theron with a serious expression what had just happened.

The two grew up together, were captured by trolls together, and escaped danger together. Although they were young, they had experienced life and death together. In fact, the feelings between the two were quite ambiguous, but neither of them took the initiative to take that step, and it has been dragged on until now.

Lor'themar believed that Liadrin would not deceive him, especially after Liadrin revealed information that a traitor might be colluding with demons to launch a surprise attack on the Sunwell, which he took very seriously.

“Neither of us has the authority to act; we must notify Ms. Aurelia immediately.”

"Ah-Qiang," Lorthema Theron said seriously to Liadrin:

"With the Ranger General absent, Lady Alleria is temporarily in charge of the Farstrider Legion. She is currently at the Farstrider's Abode. Now come with me! We must obtain her permission to proceed to the Sunwell."

Don't worry, the gathering of great masters from all over the country is not over yet, we still have time!
Scream with me!
Why are your hands so hot?
It's like a red-hot piece of iron!

"Oh, this is the power left to me by the Vigilant. It is said that those with ill intentions will be burned. So, Ah Qiang, you have 'ill intentions' towards me, right?"

"Tch, what a meddlesome saint!"

------

"toot toot"

The activated secret stone vibrated continuously in Diakum's hand, but he was worried because Farondis was not answering the "call".

Quel'Thalas appears to be stable, but the presence of the Sunwell makes it the most dangerous strategic point in the North Frontier. In fact, after assessing the situation in Lordaeron, Diakum came to a conclusion.

The demons currently invading northern Xinjiang are all "cannon fodder"!
The true elite forces under the Corruptor have not yet been deployed, and the dragons that flew from Stormwind Kingdom to the North Frontier have not appeared on the battlefield of the demon invasion at all. Where have those dragons gone? What are they planning to do?
Considering the current undercurrents in Quel'Thalas, the answer seems obvious.

A "purely natural" world-class legion portal
"Damn the Sunwell! Is that magic so easy to absorb? Keep absorbing it! We need to break the spines of the Quel'dorei before they'll be bleeding and desperately seeking salvation. Where the hell were you all before?"

Diakum couldn't help but swear.

He stared at the still-vibrating secret stone in his hand and scolded:
Why is everything about elves always so terrible?!

After patiently waiting for several minutes, the connection was finally established with the secret stone personally given by Farondis. The old lich's voice sounded weary as he said:

"I've just completed the third inspection of the Sunwell, and I have a pretty good idea what you're worried about. Don't worry, this wonder won't repeat the tragedy of the Well of Eternity."

"You seem very confident, but I wonder if your methods are as tough as your words suggest."

The vigilant's voice was filled with distrust.

He said sternly:

"Haven't you realized the seriousness of the problem due to the abnormal spread of the demonic plague within your country? There must be demonic spies among your spellcasters! And you still want to summon them to protect the Sunwell under these circumstances?"

Are you guys... um?
and many more!

You said you know what I'm worried about?
So, what is the purpose of this gathering?

"At this perilous time, if we don't let those malicious individuals take advantage of this opportunity to fully expose themselves, and if we don't let the cancerous tumors in our country surface so we can eliminate them decisively, are we just going to let them live through Winter Veil?"

Farodis's voice was filled with indifference as he said:

"Don't worry, I've arranged everything! As long as those guys dare to show their faces, I guarantee they won't be able to escape. As for the Corruptor who wants to take our Sunwell as a portal, ha, I actually hope it comes through the Sunwell this time!"
I can't tell you what our trump card is, but I will tell you that if any great demons really try to conquer Quel'Thalas in this way, the Quel'dorei will teach them a lesson they'll never forget!

"We are all elven leaders who lived through the War of the Ancients, Diakum. How could we not have learned a painful lesson from it?"

“I see. But if you could really learn from your mistakes, the Sunwell should never have existed! It turns out you’ve repeated the same mistakes.”

The vigilant nodded and said:
“I originally intended to go there myself, but seeing that you are prepared, I will refrain from doing so. A divine warrior I temporarily appointed is on his way to the Sunwell. If necessary, I will support you in another way.”

"Please, I'm begging you, don't turn into a terrifying 'Eater of Worlds' in the Sunwell, okay?"

The old lich sighed and said:

“Give us Quel'dorei a break. I’d rather charge at a hundred great demons with my sword alone than be in that situation.”

"We'll see how I feel then. You pointy-eared kids who never learn from your mistakes really need to be punished properly."

(End of this chapter)