Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 379, Section 69: You defeated our weakest. Very well, you have disturbed the conquerors!
"Our warriors who remained at Mount Hyjal tracked down Tichondrius, and they completed an amazing hunt, banishing the Lord of Dread to the Sea of ​​No Light."

In the operations hall of the Exodar, already navigating the stars, a sorrowful Diakum spoke to Illidan as he entered the room:

"Those dreadlords brutally murdered Governor Torsedrin, and his body has disappeared. What do you think of this, Starhunter?"

“I haven’t been back to Azeroth for ten thousand years, Vigilant.”

Illidan leaned against the wall, shook his head, and said:
“I still need time to discern the various forces that have emerged in my hometown, but since you have specifically summoned me here for this matter, it means you must already have the answer.”

"This is the work of the forces of death in the shadows!"

Dick maintained the signature pose of a certain commander, resting his chin on his hands and said:

"Perhaps soon we will see a Death Lord wielding the Soul Eater Sword and roaming the land, that bastard on Icecrown Glacier in Northrend who is nominally serving the Burning Legion."

But I'm certain it's part of a much more dangerous plan.

"Speaking of which, as a demon hunter who has fought against the Burning Legion for millennia, have you and your followers considered the future situation of this galaxy after the Legion's defeat?"

Illidan shook his head.

Beneath his demonic horns, the black hair hanging down on either side of his pointed ears swayed—one of the few remaining elven adornments on Illidan's body.

The Star Hunter said in a hoarse voice:

"The Burning Legion is so powerful that even with my hunters' best efforts, we can hardly see any hope of a complete victory, so we don't really think about these questions about the 'future'."

Illidari are grounded in reality; we simply keep making plans and executing them, trying to build a big victory from small wins.

But it's clear that you have your own views on the future.

There was still time before we reached the ambush point, so I was all ears.

Such efficiency greatly pleased the Watcher. Diakum had always considered the Illidari trusted allies, so he did not conceal his intelligence, revealing in detail the intricate connections between the Realm of the Dead and the Burning Legion, and concluded:
"The Legion has become a tool for the Death faction to create destruction. Although Sargeras himself may not care about this, after all, the pervasive corruption of the Void is real, but we cannot turn a blind eye to it."

I have a suggestion for you.

I hope you will train more demon hunters in Azeroth. As far as I know, the demon hunter's ghost vision doesn't just work on demons; negative energy creatures such as ghosts and wraiths can also be tracked by you.

The material world needs such keen protectors, and I've always wondered, besides elves, can other races become demon hunters?

"It's very difficult because their energy affinity is not up to standard, so they are very slow to manipulate evil energy, making it difficult for inner demons to be born."

Illidan shook his head and said:

"Over the course of ten thousand years, we have tried to recruit other races, but with very few exceptions, there have been very few successes, except for one faction."

Warlock!

Warlocks of all races are excellent recruits, provided their minds are strong enough. But that single requirement alone is enough to eliminate 99% of warlocks, making it a frustrating paradox.

"If it's about energy affinity, the Eredar should be able to."

Diakum rubbed his chin.

He glanced at Illidan and shared a secret with him, saying:
"In fact, on our homeworld Argus, there are some Eredar who were forced to become Man'ari. Although they became half-demons, they did not agree with the Burning Legion's call to arms. Those people are confined to Argus and cannot move freely. The Shaper of Sargeras protects them."

I think, if we gave them a chance to become demon hunters...
However, this plan obviously requires a long period of preparation, so let's focus on the present.

Besides hoping you can train more demon hunters in Azeroth, I'd also like to ask you if you have a way to completely kill a Nathrezim in the physical world.

"It can't be done."

Illidan decisively said:
"I have banished many dreadlords and even hunted many Nathrezim in the Twisting Nether. I thought they would follow the nature of demons and be completely killed in the Twisting Nether, but after a while those guys would reappear. I was puzzled by the resurrection of these dreadlords."

But now that you've explained their connection to the Force of Death, I understand the whole story.

Currently, it seems that apart from sealing them away, we have no way to 'kill' these evil beings, but…

The Star Hunter hesitated for a moment, then said:
"I once heard a rumor about a 'demon artifact,' which is said to be able to devour all life, not in the conventional sense of bloodsucking or life extraction, but literally 'devour.'"

The Illidari had visited several worlds ravaged by that weapon, where even the life of the planets was completely drained, a scene that was almost conceptually 'devouring'.

If Nasrezim also possessed the concept of 'life,' then they too would not have been able to escape the tearing and biting of that murderous weapon.

Unfortunately, the Burning Legion is extremely protective of that weapon, and we are unable to obtain any further information.

"You mean the 'Cursed Throat'?"

Diakum rubbed his forehead, thought for a moment, and said:
"It is said that it was a battle axe made by a fanatical follower of Kil'jaeden. The demon admired Kil'jaeden so much that it regarded it as the most perfect life in the starry sky, so it forged a cursed monster with the only desire to one day swallow Kil'jaeden into it and make the two one."

Wow, these demons are playing pretty twisted games.

Illidan let out a low laugh, seemingly mocking Kil'jaeden's encounter with the "demon stalker."

"Finally, let's talk about the joint operation you've been planning."

Diakum tapped the table and said:
"When does the Illidari plan to make their move regarding Mardun, the Demon Star?"

"Not urgent."

This question made Illidan stand up straight, serious, and wave his hand, saying:
"We need to complete the preliminary reconnaissance first. If Argus is the heart of the Burning Legion in the material world, then Mardum is the largest 'war hub' between the Twisting Nether and the material world. Destroying it will cause the Burning Legion to face difficulties in projecting its power into the material world for a period of time."

This is why the demons' defenses in Marton are incredibly strong.

Even if the Illidari and the Lightforged Chapter combine their forces, it won't be enough to break through head-on. I still need to invite some daring 'heroes' from across the Star Sea to join me.

It would be even better if the Holy Light Legion were also willing to join in this great undertaking.

Dick nodded and promised:

“I’ll contact them. Once you’ve completed your reconnaissance and are ready, we’ll unleash the ‘punch of revenge’ on Marton!”

"Warning! His Majesty Volos has detected the Legion starship's trajectory! Proceed to the navigation station immediately!"

The call from Saloras invigorated Diakum and Illidan, who immediately sprang into action. Meanwhile, in the meditation room, old Velen also received the message. He sighed, closed the scrolls before him, and stood up.

He didn't know if he would encounter his own brothers in this ambush.

But if there is even the slightest chance, he will try to save him without hesitation.

Kil'jaeden, you have wandered too far alone in the darkness.

Do you still remember the way home?
------

"boom"

The fel-based artillery barrage from the hunter warship struck the flagship of the reconnaissance fleet squarely, causing the Hunter Targas, who was listening to Kil'jaeden's tactical instructions, to rise from his command chair.

The low-profile but extremely powerful demon, Man'ari, loudly rebuked the commanders, ordering them to retaliate immediately.

Soon, in the asteroid belt in the central part of Azeroth, the two fleets began exchanging gunfire. Even though this was just a demon fleet used for reconnaissance, consisting of only four light fel-powered starships and not carrying enough elite demons, the enemy's ambush force was not necessarily superior, and the combat strength of the two sides was not one-sided.

The main reason is that the starships used by the Illidari were all captured from the Burning Legion. The demons are very familiar with their own warships, and Targas has been conducting close reconnaissance in the starry sea for many years, which makes its demon commanders very good at dealing with ambushes.

"Please wait a moment, Conqueror."

Targas confidently spoke loudly into the Legion communicator before him, a unique model capable of real-time communication with Kil'jaeden:

"My warriors and I will surely bring you a great victory!"

"Ah."

Kil'jaeden doesn't seem to be in a good mood today.

Leaning back on the demon throne, it tapped the armrest with its menacing fingers, seemingly unconcerned about this unplanned ambush. Perhaps the conqueror's war-driven mind was preoccupied with figuring out how to take over the mess in Azeroth.

The polluters unsurprisingly failed, a disgrace that did not exceed the conquerors' expectations.

Moreover, the cooperation between the Polluter and its Destroyers provides Kil'jaeden with a rather good "strategic window."

The entire northern frontier of the Eastern Continent has now been transformed into a true demon land by the rampage of the Legion under the command of the Destroyer. That place accounts for about one-tenth of the entire area of ​​Azeroth and is indeed a very good war fulcrum. If it can be used properly, it will surely buy enough time for the Legion's subsequent advance.

It is said that there are also an astonishing number of fel elves, wither druids, and fel centaurs left behind by Cenarius in Kalimdor, all of whom are excellent cannon fodder.

Of course, the Conquerors were somewhat disappointed by Manonos's death. In the realms of the Twisting Nether, they would probably never find another great demon as purely dedicated to destruction and war as the Destroyer.

What a pity, such a fine knife.

As a result, it crashed into Diakum's Celestial Diamond Ingot and shattered.

Kil'jaeden pondered how to receive the "legacy" left by the polluters and destroyers. It was Targas who had given it this advice, which it found very reasonable. So it sent Targas himself to Azeroth and appointed its most trusted Targas as the vanguard commander.

It trusts Targas's wisdom and skill in walking in the shadows.

Just like during the Second Concordation of Argus, Targas, who controlled the Assassin's Court, was also the most perfect "Eye of Shadow" under the two Grand Consuls.

As Kil'jaeden was pondering this, he suddenly heard a demon reporting to the Hunter:

"Report! A Naaru starship has appeared on the battlefield ahead! Judging from its appearance, it should be a standard warship of the Holy Light Legion. It is ramming towards the flagship at an extremely high speed! The opponent's energy shield is very powerful, with at least two Naaru charging it!"
Our naval guns cannot penetrate the defensive matrix; a collision is imminent!

caveat!

A collision is imminent!

Targas immediately activated the defensive device on the command chair. As he was being secured by the magic steel chains, a violent tremor came from the rear of the ship. In the dizzying chaos, the lights in the entire command room became scattered.

Some of the demons that failed to be secured were thrown out and crashed into the command platform, bleeding profusely from their heads.

"Switch to internal monitoring! I want to see who's here!"

Targas roared.

Soon, the magical surveillance inside the fel-powered starship was activated, and the footage was projected in front of Targas and also seen by the Kil'jaeden projection displayed on the Legion communicator.

"It's Diakum! That damned Vigilante and his Lightforged warriors, along with the Twin Archbishops of the Legion of Light, they've joined forces!"

Targas angrily rebuked:
"Activate the Fel Engine immediately and prepare to jump out of this star system."

This is a very correct instruction.

Facing the terrifying combination of the Twin Archbishops and the Vigilant, no demon warship could withstand their internal invasion unless it was well-prepared.

The sheer power of individuals in the universe of Azeroth is enough to influence a local war.

However, just as the demons were about to execute the warp command, Kil'jaeden spoke up to stop them. The Conqueror, who had just been looking listless and lethargic, suddenly stood up from his throne.

Kil'jaeden seemed to have seen the most magnificent treasure in the entire cosmos.

Its eyes were wide open, and even the scarred eyes seemed to gleam.

Its wings are abnormally folded and unfolded, representing the conqueror's excited and astonished state of mind at this moment.

"Viren!"

The Conqueror stared at the hooded priest, personally protected by Diakum, on the magical monitor. Even though the priest was completely covered up, Kil'jaeden recognized him instantly.

"Stop the jump!"

The conqueror commanded:

“Stay here, let them come over. The rest of you, get out! Everyone escape, this won’t count as desertion. Targas! You stay.”

Kil'jaeden personally issued the order from across half the starry sky. Although this also falls under the category of "battlefield micromanagement," which is equivalent to ordering the fel cannons in the first row of the position to shift a few centimeters to the left, no demon commander jumped out to shout, "This is a chaotic order, and the demons do not obey the call."

On one hand, these demon commanders truly lacked the courage to defy Kil'jaeden.

On the other hand, the "Holy Light Butcher" is coming!

It's rare for the Conquerors to show mercy and allow them to escape on their own. If you still don't run, buddy, how many lives did the Twisting Nether give you to block Ashbringer's blade?

The demon commanders in the command center all ran out, each boarding their own landing pods to escape; landing in any world would be better than staying here.

On the empty bridge, Kil'jaeden activated the communicator's special function, allowing his projection to appear as an astral avatar. He coldly stared at the hunter, who was as if slapped in the face, lifted and bound in mid-air amidst the surge of fel energy, and then subjected to torture in the blinding dark green lightning.

Kil'jaeden is punishing its "arrogance".

Targas was also hit and rolled to the ground.

"Did you arrange this?"

The conqueror's mind was still sharp; it rebuked:

"You secretly conspired with Diakum! Arranged this 'accidental meeting' between me and Velen? Targas, where did you get the nerve! Did I give you too much freedom of action, making you think you could make decisions for me?"
Targas, is this how you repay my unwavering trust in you?

"I'm sorry, Commander."

Targas stood up, without wiping the demonic blood from the corner of its mouth, and whispered:
“I have failed your trust, so I will die today under the holy light of the Watchers.”

But you really need to meet with your brother.

Forgive my bluntness, but Kil'jaeden, who once sacrificed himself for the survival of his people, is now sliding into the abyss of a true destroyer!
Over the past thirteen hundred years, the number of worlds you have personally issued destruction orders that have been annihilated simply for resisting the Legion, without being corrupted by the Void, has been increasing. You can, of course, argue that it was to maintain the Legion's prestige and to fulfill the will of the Dark Titan.

But you are also enjoying the pleasure and satisfaction that destruction brings.

Planets burned and shattered under the annihilation of the Legion fleet, and countless lives were reduced to dust at your will.

That's the kind of pleasure demons should enjoy.

But that is not the kind of evil that Eredar heroes and leaders should allow themselves to seize. The evil energy is embracing you and is making its final transformation. If you embrace it without resistance, how can you ever turn back in the future?
When Velen and Diakum return to our ancestral land with the desire to reclaim their homeland, how will you face the people who still sing your praises? How will you return to that light?
The Dark Titans never truly possessed you!

Perhaps it was this final farewell that made Targas no longer hide his thoughts.

The most loyal assassin, the Chief Justice, shouted:
"You can return to your people! You can be the same as before. Argus will welcome you back, Commander!"

“You’re really naive, Targas.”

The conqueror looked at his overly loyal subordinate with a complicated expression.

It was difficult for it to describe to Targas the changes it had undergone over the years, but there was no doubt that the reasons and will that had once supported Kil'jaeden into darkness were fading, while it was Targas, this "blindly loyal" fellow, who still retained his former ideas.

He convinces himself to persevere amidst the allure of fel energy through salvation and sacrifice, while Targas fights against its corruption with loyalty.

"boom"

The bridge hatch was cleaved open by the blazing holy light and then kicked open by Diakum. The Vigilant did not step inside; he merely stared at the massive red demon lord's figure, then took a deep breath, turned to the side, and gestured for those behind him to enter.

Viren understood at that moment.

This was a pre-arranged meeting. He looked at Diakum, and the Watcher whispered:

"Commander Kil'jaeden is sliding into the abyss of destruction. He needs your help, even if he doesn't think he does. His mind needs to be corrected."

Even if it's just for those worlds and creatures that have nothing to do with us, the tragedies from afar are turning into cries in the wind that flood our ears, but only you have the power to stop all of this from spreading.

Sorry, Prophet.

"After we return, I am willing to accept any punishment."

Velen nodded, not blaming Diakum for his "dictatorial" behavior. He reached out and removed his hood, revealing his aged yet gentle face, and stepped into the bridge of the demonic command ship.

Targas emerged from the shadows carrying a box, and Diakum turned and chased after him, leaving Lyran and Eredas behind to guard the prophet.

Kil'jaeden is merely an astral projection here; he cannot harm Velen.

"Are you just going to turn your back on me like this, Kil'jaeden?"

The prophet whispered:
“I have come from afar, my brother, we have not spoken for more than 20,000 years.”

"Ugh"

A complex sigh escaped the conqueror's lips. Under immense pressure, it turned with difficulty to look at Velen. He was different from the one in its memory; the wrinkles and white hair indicated that the past 20,000 years had not been easy for him.

The immortal Eredar believe that one's appearance reflects one's heart; if Velen had not endured the harshness of time, he would not have become what he is today.

Kil'jaeden raised his hand, trying to touch his brother, but ultimately withdrew it. So many words were on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he simply said calmly:
"Time has not been kind to you; you have grown old, Velen."

(End of this chapter)