Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 336, Section 26: The Black Iron's Venomous Heart - Who Says a Demon Invasion is Bad? This Demon Came at the Perfect Time!
Diakum spent a fulfilling night in the western wilderness, treating the wounded and preaching the doctrines of the Holy Light to them until dawn.

But when he returned to Stormwind Cathedral, he saw "Sun Witch" Anveena floating over with a nervous expression, handing him the Heart of Azeroth while looking serious as if she wanted to say something.

"A demonic invasion?"

As Dick put the Heart of Azeroth on his hand, he said:

"Let me guess, the polluters have arrived?"

How can you be so calm!

Anveena, this "female Kael'thas," screamed while grabbing her long golden hair:
“That’s a great demon lord! My mother has ordered me to immediately inform you to take your Lightforged to Kalimdor to help the Kaldorei defend against the enemy.”

"Hmph, she says she's disappointed in her elf cubs, but when they're in danger, she's the first one to offer help. I can only say that 'a doting mother spoils her child' is no lie. Can't she be a little hard-hearted just once?"

The vigilant sneered:

"The Kaldorei are not that fragile!"

They can hold out. I'll deal with things in the Eastern Continent first, then I'll go join the fray in Kalimdor. Since the Corruptors are here, the main force of the demons in the Eastern Continent must have already appeared as well.

"You can try to sense the earth's veins."

Anvina whispered:

“When I spoke with my mother last night, she granted your ring that access, so that you can sense any massive energy conflict occurring in any region of the world, if you wish.”

"So, what did you and Lord Star Soul discuss?"

As Diakum stroked the Heart of Azeroth, allowing his consciousness to perceive the area in the eastern continent where a severe fel energy eruption had occurred, he casually asked a question.

The "Sun Ghost" pursed her lips and, like an unhappy child, poked her finger and whispered:
“Your mother envies your relationship with Lord Argus. She praises you as much as the stars in the sky and encourages me to become her ‘guardian.’”

She said I was born from the blood of the world and could borrow the power of the world without the Heart of Azeroth, so theoretically I could do anything you could do. She wanted me to learn from you and become your apprentice.

But I'm not a paladin.

“You can become a priest who serves the Star Soul. You have this incredible talent. More importantly, my ‘Twin Light and Shadow’ is really suitable for you.”

If you truly understand what the Star Soul Lord wants you to do, and if you are genuinely willing to do something for your mother, then when we Eredar leave Azeroth in the future, I will give you a 'gift'.

A 'gift' that can truly allow you to protect Mother Earth.

Diakum made a promise, then opened his eyes and said:
"found it!

Manonos the Destroyer is in Stromgarde, a city razed to the ground by the Burning Legion's demons. Lothar will have to choose a new capital for the Empire. However, Khadgar and Rhonin have done a good job; those two have lived up to their power.

His Majesty Thoras Trollbane has led a large number of civilians outwards, and they are being pursued by the elite demons under Kil'jaeden the Conqueror.

I think I should get some exercise too.

The Vigilant extended his hand and, with the authority of a Highlord of Light, proclaimed to all members of his chapter:
"Lightforgers! Assemble on the Exodar! The Destroyer Manonos has entered the Eastern Continent, and I hereby declare him our next target!"

"As ordered."

The responses echoed in Diakum's heart, following the connection to the Dao. The Great Lord of Light Oath turned to look at Anvina and said:

"So, what's your decision? Do you want to become a Priest of Light and Shadow?"

"Um, may I ask what kind of 'farewell gift' you will give me in the future?"

“Insects! I will give you lots and lots of insects, and if you wish, I can even crown you ‘Queen of Blades of Azeroth’.”

"Tch, I hate bugs! Elves all hate bugs. But I might consider a priest. I hate fighting and killing. Should I call you 'mentor' from now on?"

"Whatever you like, you can call me 'Commander' if you're happy."

------

Celsama is the core territory of the Bronzebeard Kingdom.

As the only mountainous region in the entire Khaz Modan area with a suitable climate, it has been one of the few agricultural treasures for the dwarves since their rise to power.

Even at the height of the Three Hammer War, the flames of war did not spread to Thelsamar. Perhaps this was because it was the most important brewing ground and tobacco growing area for the dwarven civilization. Lake Locke within its territory was the largest freshwater lake in the central part of the continent and a sacred place in the hearts of fishermen from the eastern continent.

Casting a line here can not only yield a big catch, but with a bit of luck, you might even be able to create a nest for a plesiosaur in the lake.

However, Celsama is also a border region of the Dwarven Kingdom.

This place has a mountain pass bordering the Barrens, and the dwarves have also carved a tunnel through the snowy mountains of Khaz Modan to the Burning Canyon.

Of course, when they were digging the tunnel, the other side wasn't called "Scorching Canyon." It used to be the most important mining area in the Dwarven Kingdom. It was only because the Dark Iron Dwarves lost so badly in the War of the Three Hammers that they couldn't afford to lose anymore, so they summoned the Balrog King to gamble their lives, but they lost the gamble.

Not only did they lose themselves, but they also turned the rich mining areas of the dwarf kingdom into the scorching canyons and burning plains of today.

That foolish accident even affected the Redridge Mountains region of Stormwind Kingdom, which used to be as fertile as Elwynn Forest.

All I can say is, don't befriend people who can't take a joke; it's just asking for trouble and harming yourself.

Ever since the three races of dwarves split up, the tunnel leading to the Burning Canyon has been sealed off by the Bronzebeard dwarves for years. The mountain rangers have specially stationed elite patrols here to prevent the Dark Iron dwarves from raiding their base.

Although the enemy could also attack Thelsamar from the Burning Canyon through the Barrens pass, the route was too long, and the pass itself was notoriously easy to defend and difficult to attack. There was also Uldaman's excavation site nearby, so the Bronzebeard dwarves built a fortress there specifically for defense.

Dark Iron dwarves won't take that path unless they're completely disoriented.

But that's the general situation; the situation right now is not the general situation!
Especially with a group of exiles from the Arathi Highlands being sent to the wilderness of Thelsamar last night, the entire Valley of Kings is still in chaos.

"Have you asked clearly?"

Mayor Elon Bluntnose, his face contorted with anxiety, stood guard at the entrance to Kingsvale on his ram, followed by dozens of heavily armed patrolmen. Two steam tanks were even running, but this was clearly not intended to suppress the pitiful group of refugees on the other side.

The dwarf mayor was only thinking about stabilizing the situation first.

When questioned by the town mayor, the patrol captain, Karl Remaut, shrugged and said:

"Those humans said they were sent here by mages, and the one leading them was an envoy of King Solas of Stromgarde. That guy pretended to tell me that our King Magni had signed some damned friendly treaty with the humans, making our Selsamar a place of refuge for exiles from the northern frontier."

That's why the mage named 'Khadgar' sent these poor bastards to us.

The envoy said that this wave of people sent over was only a small portion of Stromgarde's population. The rest, due to the demonic invasion of the city, which severed some spatial system, had no choice but to retreat with their human king along the Saldor Bridge towards the wetlands.

"Oh my god, a demon invasion? Is it real? I thought it was just an April Fool's joke!"

Mayor Elon was dumbfounded.

After confirming that these humans had come seeking refuge because of demons, he, whose head was throbbing from drinking heavily the night before, shouted a few times, pounded his head, and said:

So how many people are there in total?

"Even the envoy couldn't say for sure, but tens of thousands of people came through the portal alone. He said Stromgarde has four or five hundred thousand people, so even if half of them escaped, there would still be two hundred thousand. Dun Mordeka and Menethil Harbor are going to be completely crammed in now."

The patrolman sighed and said:
"We can't make that decision. You should send someone to Ironforge to deliver a message to the king as soon as possible. If the human king really is fleeing to the wetlands with his people, then we should at least help him. As for these people, why don't we let them rest in the town for a while?"
"I see a lot of human children inside. Damn, even those kids are taller than us! I mean, they've been walking through the wilderness all night, they must be exhausted, hungry, and terrified." "We can't go into the town. The people there are completely unprepared, and the military equipment we just made for Marshal Lothar is still there. A sudden influx of so many people will cause chaos."

Mayor Elon thought for a moment and said to the patrol captain:

"Take them to the plains near Greyclaw Mountain to set up camp. I'll have someone send them bread and blood sausage, and have them choose a few leaders to go to town to discuss how to settle them. I'll go write a letter to the king."

"Mayor! The King's envoy has arrived. He flew here on a griffin, saying he has brought the King's orders."

A mountain patrolman rode over on a goat and called out. The mayor was relieved of his pressure. His timely arrival meant that the king had also received the news. This was great. Now, no matter what happened, he wouldn't be implicated.

When the "special envoy" arrived, the town mayor, who was exchanging tobacco with the human king's envoy, was startled by the description and hurriedly ran over, bowing and scraping, saying:

"Your Highness Moira, what brings you here?"

“My father appointed me as the person in charge of dealing with the Arathi refugee problem. Ironforge received a message from Archmage Khadgar that my father has personally led the King’s Guard to Menethil Harbor to take charge and prepare to support His Majesty Solas and the Arathi refugees he is escorting.”

Princess Moira Bronzebeard is the only daughter of King Magni Bronzebeard. Although there are rumors that the father and daughter have a bad relationship, the problem is indeed serious at present, so Her Highness must also take on the responsibilities of the kingdom.

The princess with her beautiful dwarf hairstyle had the air of a great general; she took control of the situation after a brief handover.

While arranging for humans to rest near the town, he also mobilized all the rangers of Celsama to form a temporary force, appointing Ranger Captain Karl Ramo as the temporary commander. He led this force quickly across the Danogaz Pass to the wetlands, where they were placed under the command of King Magni.

Her father had already formed an alliance with humans, and at this perilous time when the human kingdom was being invaded by demons, the dwarven allies would certainly do their part.

Furthermore, wetlands are traditional territory of the dwarves.

If the demons pursue them all the way from the Arathi Highlands in the north, then the dwarves will have to fight to defend their territory.

But things never go according to plan. On the very afternoon that Princess Moira Bronzebeard had stabilized the situation, terrible news arrived in the town of Celsama.

"What did you say?"

The dwarf princess, who was inquiring about the demon invasion from King Solas's envoy, changed her expression slightly. Looking at the flustered griffin rider before her, she asked in surprise:
"What did you say you saw near the ridge?"

"Dark Iron Dwarves! Your Highness, the Dark Iron Dwarves have amassed a large army and are advancing towards the border of Thelsamar, accompanied by Greenskin Orcs! Those heartless bastards are planning to take advantage of the chaos to attack our kingdom!"

The griffin rider shouted:
“You just moved the local troops to the wetlands, and now we only have a few patrol squads and some steam tanks left. Once the Black Iron Bastards blow up the tunnels, we have no way to defend the Valley of the Kings!”

"Oh my God."

Princess Moira Bronzebeard felt a chill run through her body; she realized things were in trouble.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountains, near the Scorching Canyon Tunnel.

"It's unimaginable how you dwarves managed to carve out such convenient tunnels throughout this entire mountain?"

Orgrim Doomhammer rode his dire wolf, carefully observing the Black Iron engineers laying explosives ahead, while chatting with General Angvor, who was leading the Black Iron expeditionary force.

Faced with the green-skinned chieftain's curiosity, the Black Iron General laughed heartily and said smugly:

"This is a unique talent of us dwarves. Before the War of the Three Hammers, during the most glorious era of the dwarves, the entire central part of the continent, from the Arathi Strait in the north to the Redridge Mountains in the south, was the land of our dwarven kingdom. Back then, we used such mountain tunnels to connect our vast kingdom."

We Dark Iron Dwarves also have special drilling machines, which are very powerful engineering weapons. Theoretically, they can dig underground and send you anywhere on the continent.

Of course, that's just in theory.

The tunnel in front of you is the road connecting the province of Thelsamar to the mining area. The weak Bronzebeard dwarves dare not destroy it for fear of causing a landslide, but we Dark Iron engineers are the most skilled at handling explosives in the world. We can destroy it, clear the tunnel, and reach the Valley of the Kings in just over ten minutes.

That's the core territory of the Bronzebeard Dwarves!

"Once we take that place, the entire Khaz Modan will be completely isolated."

"Hmm, what a brilliant plan! The tactic of launching an attack from the center proves His Majesty Thaurissan's strategic brilliance!"

Orgrim offered a few words of flattery, then glanced back at Kargath Bladefist, who gave him a subtle hand signal. Orgrim nodded, then amiably produced a bottle of spirits and handed it to the Dark Iron dwarf general, asking softly:

"But there's one question I just can't figure out."

"Ask away, ask away. You are the vanguard of this battle, and we will rely on you to fight the Bronzebeard dwarves later. His Majesty has ordered me to cooperate with you, so I will naturally answer all your questions."

General Angford took a big gulp of wine. Perhaps the impending victory made him a little smug, and the Dark Iron dwarf became more talkative.

Orgrim smiled and said softly:
“Our shamans clearly informed His Majesty Thaurissan about the demon invasion. Logically speaking, if the demons are allowed to invade the whole world, you Dark Iron dwarves will also suffer. The best course of action is to let the Bronzebeard dwarves fight the demons to the death and not interfere with their war against the demons.”

Why did His Majesty Thaurissan insist on choosing this moment to launch a war?

"Do the Dark Iron dwarves' anger towards Bronzebeard truly drive you to such hatred of your own kind? Are you willing to risk annihilation by demons just to defeat Bronzebeard first?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?"

General Angfer, carrying a black iron battle axe, sneered and said:
"What does the demonic invasion have to do with us Dark Iron dwarves?"
Once we're hidden inside Darkhearth and the gates are closed, it'll be very difficult for demons to get in. Besides, our Lord of Firelord has no connection with the Burning Legion. If demons want to slaughter us, they'll have to get past the Lord of Firelord first.

Their war is like dogs fighting each other; it doesn't matter who wins or loses, it won't hurt us Dark Iron dwarves.

As for why this time was chosen?
Isn't it simple?

Magni, that fool, insisted on dragging the Bronzebeard dwarves into human nonsense; they brought trouble upon themselves. We chose this time because the Bronzebeard Kingdom is at its weakest right now.

Once Ironforge is captured, and the Ragnaros is summoned in the Great Forge, the Firelands will be closer to the material world, and the Ragnaros will be able to grant the Dark Iron dwarves more power.

As you said, Greenskins, if everyone else dies, when it's the Dark Iron dwarves' turn to fight the demons, we'll need a much stronger force to have any chance of winning, right?

At this point, General Black Iron snorted and said:
"Rather than letting the weak Bronzebeard Kingdom be devoured by demons, wouldn't it be better for us to take the power of this land and strengthen ourselves? Don't you think that makes sense?"

"Yes, yes, that makes a lot of sense, you're absolutely right!"

Orgrim nodded, and seeing that the Black Iron engineers had already planted the explosives, he retreated to a safe distance.

While waiting for the detonation, Valok Saurfang whispered to him:
“The people are all in place. Just give the order and we can disarm these dark-skinned dwarfs! It disgusts me to be around these shameless bastards. They disguise their shamelessness with such cold-bloodedness.”

"Be patient, it's not time yet."

Orgrim waved his hand, dismissing his trusted high-ranking overlord, then summoned Red Blackhand and asked:

"Have you made contact with the venture capital firms yet?"

"Yes, that little green goblin promised to get us enough ships. She will contact Overseer Eitrigg directly, and then Overseer Eitrigg will lead the others to evacuate from the Black Marsh by ship and go directly to Kalimdor to meet us."

After his "experience," Red had become more composed. He whispered to the High Chieftain:

“But I’m worried about how we’ll get there. Kul Tiras’s warships have been sailing back and forth in the central waters of the continent. Even if the goblin merchant ships manage to get here, they won’t be able to find a usable port. If we get stuck on the battlefield, it will be very troublesome.”

“We have to win first, Red. This is the will of the Black Wolf God and something we must do. Only by winning this battle will we have the right to withdraw.”

Orgrim casually remarked:
"Forget about all that now, let's prepare for the battle ahead."

(End of this chapter)