Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 38: Diakum's Dawn

“He is coming”

Kil'jaeden chopped a demon to death with all his might. Panting, he raised his head and saw a burning figure standing in the sky.

The Dark Titan's destructive walk across the stars has finally reached Argus.

He stood in the sea of stars, and just his upper body that was revealed occupied the entire sky visible to the naked eye of mortals.

This world cannot accommodate such a powerful being that stands at the pinnacle of power in the material world. He has already blocked the light of the star just by standing outside the star and gazing at it coldly.

When the Naaru ships saw the Dark Titan approaching, they immediately fled into the flowing light like startled herons.

The Holy Light was protecting them as they escaped. Even if they were a little slower, they would be instantly transformed into evil due to the pull of the evil energy. But no one could scold the Naaru for being cowardly at this moment.

When facing the Dark Titan, all the stars are weak.

Lord Sargeras' body still carries an unextinguished fighting spirit, which is not directed against the fragile world of Argus, but simply because he has just returned from the battlefield with the Void enemies. Perhaps not long ago, those corrupted pioneers who were thrown into the material world by the Void Lords were destroyed by the sword of the Dark Titan.

The Dark Titan has always killed those Chaos originating from the Lightless Sea without mercy or compassion.

That is His duty.

When he was the first pair of red sticks in the Pantheon and the Titan of Order, that was already his duty.

The Dark Titan's decision to embrace fel energy may also be due to his adherence to his duties. After all, compared to arcane magic, fel energy is obviously a sharper weapon when facing void corruption.

To be honest, the Dark Titan is not very interested in the conflicts taking place within the material universe.

He even rarely descends in his true form among the material stars to personally lead the destruction of a world or vent his anger.

He found that boring.

Moreover, He is not a tyrant who arbitrarily pours out His anger on innocent people. Every time He appears in the sea of stars, it must be accompanied by some purpose that is higher than reality.

Rather than bullying mortals and enjoying their embarrassment in destruction, Sargeras would rather hear the terrified cries of the Void Lords when they face him.

But the world before us.
It was certainly worth wasting some of His precious time.

The Dark Titan looked at Argus in front of him with curiosity.

His burning eyes stared directly at the stars, causing the world soul hidden within the stars to tremble. But at this moment, Sargeras was not only concerned about his unformed "brothers". On the contrary, he paid more attention to the Eredar.

Thirty days ago, He sensed a prophecy that involved Himself, so He used His great power to pronounce a doomsday proclamation upon the two insects who dared to spy on the Supreme Lord.

Maybe it was just a spur of the moment, after all, I must win the world in front of me.

The war against the void cannot be won by one's own efforts. The enemy is cunning and vicious, numerous and acts strangely. They spread corruption in the shadows of the entire physical universe. One needs more warriors and companions to completely eradicate the poison of the void.

He tried to discuss with his brothers and sisters in the Pantheon, he tried to get their help, but the arrogance and contempt unique to the Force of Order made him feel bored and helpless. Their scolding and restraint forced him to kill those companions who possessed power but were addicted to the "Pokémon Game".

It turns out that not all powerful beings can correctly understand where to direct their power, so Lord Sargeras has decided to form his own "Dark Pantheon".

He already had a preliminary idea, and Argus, a world that nurtures star souls, was very suitable as the place to carry out his grand plan.

Initially, He just needed this world.

But the repeated failures of the demons he used as "instruments of execution" made the Dark Titan realize that he had underestimated the world.

He underestimated his weak "brothers" and the guardians he chose for him, especially when the great demons blessed by the Dark Titan himself were sent back to the Twisting Nether in a short period of time to queue for resurrection, the supreme bravery of the Eredar finally attracted the attention of Sargeras.

He realized early on that the current Burning Legion lacked organization and guidance.

The demons' terrible and violent nature determines that they can only be excellent destroyers, but they cannot accomplish the great deeds that the Dark Titan hopes they can accomplish.

The legions under his command lacked wise management and qualified commanders to direct them.

The Ereduin are loyal but inflexible, the Nathrezim are cunning but cowardly, the Mo'arg have shrewd minds but are only interested in their machines, the Alannath have foresight and can weave the threads of fate, but their numbers are too small and they are difficult to breed, so they are of little use, and the Shivalar know how to understand orders but lack authority and can only do the work of adjutants.

The higher demons under his command all had flaws of one kind or another. After building up his own power, Sargeras finally understood why his former brothers had wasted so much time trying to cultivate "perfect life" on numerous planets.

Defects.

It is really difficult for a creature with defects to take on such a heavy responsibility. However, a random declaration of doomsday brought him a surprise.

Eredar!

The Dark Titan's gaze swept across the battlefield of demons in Mac'Aree.

He saw the remnants of Lord Kil'jaeden's army fighting against demons hundreds to their number.

This is strategy, loyalty and obedience!

He saw Diakum wielding the holy light to drive away the demons and protect his compatriots from escaping to the sea of stars.

This is talent, strength and belief!

He saw that the wounded were determined to bring Velen, who risked his life to protect them, back to the starship despite the threats from the demons.

This is unity, courage and kindness!

He saw that Sachir was determined to maintain his civilization even at the cost of falling into irreversible corruption.

This is sacrifice, dedication and persistence!

His brother Argus used his still immature power to accidentally create a group of mortals who were very outstanding in Sargeras's eyes.

They have everything that demons have, and they also have everything that demons don't have. Since the formation of the Burning Legion, demons have never suffered such a humiliating defeat in any world.

Perhaps the demons thought they had washed away the shame by finally occupying Argus, but for the first time they failed to exterminate the civilization on the planet. Instead, they allowed the Eredar to complete an astonishing escape in thirty days.

The bravest among them, under the command of the wisest, protected those who were not so outstanding.
Sargeras was pleased with the outcome of the war.

It once again saw the demons' numerical advantage, but also discovered the perfect subordinate it had been looking for.

Eredar!

If these Eredar could join the Legion, the army of destruction they created to pacify the galaxy would have a mind, and the unsheathed blade would have a will of its own, knowing where to direct its force.

The Burning Crusade
The Dark Titan thought that the demons at this time were still completely unable to understand the mission they were to undertake and the destination of the expedition they launched to ignite the starry sea.

The world that gave birth to the Supreme Star Soul.
The world hidden in the physical universe by one's brothers and sisters!
A world with the Pantheon's most powerful protections and an entire army of Titans as guardians.

Even if the Burning Legion finds it now, it will only suffer one crushing defeat after another. Haha, the demons think highly of themselves but they can hardly even take down Argus. If they really let them go to the more brutal battlefield of Azeroth, they will only be embarrassed.

Still have to practice!
The Dark Titan thought so.

I have always been harsh on mortals, but everything that has happened in Argus in the past thirty days is indeed worthy of me showing leniency to the creatures here and giving them a chance.

An opportunity to embrace and dedicate yourself to true greatness!

The thoughts of the noble one undoubtedly have power, and the demons seem to have sensed the will of the Supreme Lord.

The landslide and tsunami-like attack they launched stopped quietly at some point, and the Eredar warriors who were trapped on the battlefield and fighting to the death also found themselves at a loss as to what they were targeting.

On the quiet battlefield, in the "circles" formed after the demons faded away, more or less warriors were holding weapons and covered in blood.

They didn't understand what was happening.

They could not understand why these demons would let them go, but Kil'jaeden knew that the moment of his and the Eredar's fate had come.

He has seen this future!
In the vision he saw on the day of the announcement of the end of the world, and in the prophecy brought by the Mother of Light, Zera, he had seen with his own eyes the distorted self who had drunk on fel energy.

He had seen himself sitting on the Skull Throne commanding trillions of demon armies across the planetary sea. He had seen himself becoming the great demon lord and obeying the dark Titan.

He once thought he could fight against that fate
How stupid and ridiculous, how passionate and regretful, how sad and glorious.

Kil'jaeden laughed.

Under the gaze of the guards around him, he dropped his weapon, staggered forward, reached out to take off his heavy helmet, and threw the broken shoulder armor to the ground.

Talgath seemed to have a premonition of something and tried to reach out and grab his commander, but Kil'jaeden just shook his head at him.

He continued forward, discarding his armor piece by piece, until he finally reached the edge of the battlefield, clad only in a single garment soaked in demonic blood. Atop the destroyed platform of the Archon's Seat, he raised his head, gazing directly at the towering figure beyond the sky as if gazing directly at the sun.

他 说:

"Let me see."

"."

Silence answered him.

But then the supreme thought from the Dark Titan was like a heavy filter that captured him and all the Eredar on the battlefield.

Even those who are dying.

From the Dark Titan's perspective, they saw the boundless stars, the galaxy with stars flickering every moment, the dark roots hidden beneath those beautiful worlds, and how those indescribable chaotic creatures infused the poison of the void into the stars.

Those bastards in the shadows laughed shamelessly and polluted and corrupted countless lives, turning them into gangrene after gangrene in the physical universe.

They saw the hatred from the abyss crawling in the darkness in the shadows of the starry sea, and the corrupters in the lightless sea were extremely eager to see the arrival of the great twilight of the starry sea when all things would fall.

The enemies of all beings are whispering.

Just as they had corrupted the soul of the pitiful world they once were, they longed to create void pioneers plagued by extinction in the material star sea that did not belong to them.

If there is no sufficiently resolute and powerful army to stop all this, the corruption and destruction of the material star sea will only be a matter of time.

The Dark Titan didn't even hide the brutal scene of himself killing his own brothers and sisters.

He told the Eredar with facts that the Pantheon did not see all this as a problem. Their arrogance led them to fall into the trap of the Void Lords. They were unable to manage this galaxy well, so Sargeras had to take their place!
If we can't save this doomed galaxy, then burn it!

Beneath the warm ashes, the pure seeds of hope for the future will take root and sprout.

This is the Burning Crusade!

This is the will and hope of the Dark Titan.

"how?"

A deep, commanding voice echoed within Kil'jaeden's mind and spirit.

He rarely gave mortals the power to choose, perhaps because the performance of the Eredar in the past thirty days deserved such respect.

Lord Sargeras is such a god.

Although He also has the arrogance of the Titans, He will look upon those mortals who have performed miracles differently.

The same thing happened more than once in the Dark Portal canon. The Aldrachi, whose boundless power had driven the Burning Legion into a state of disarray, sending countless demons fleeing and their cries echoing throughout the galaxy, would also receive such glory in the future.

And Azeroth, which is extremely tenacious and has driven the main force of the Burning Legion out of the world without even resorting to the useless Titan Guardians, will also win such glory after its great victory.

But whether in official history or in this "wild history" which starts wild enough, the Eredar are always the first civilization to win favor.

The Dark Titan was waiting for Kil'jaeden's answer, and Kil'jaeden did not disappoint him.

He half-knelt on the ground, raised his head, and said to the tall man:

"All you needed was a commander and a commander. You've got what you wanted. Please spare my people. At least today, give them a chance to choose, just once!"

The Dark Titan gave him his answer.

He really admired this tenacious soul with kindness and protection in his heart. He seemed to see another self in Kil'jaeden.

At the moment of reply, He hesitated for a moment whether to include the only one of the Radiant Ones on the battlefield who could resist His mental conscription into this "exchange", but in the end Sargeras gave up the idea.

It's a pity that the uncut jade has been preempted by the omnipresent primordial light.

That's it.

I have gained enough today.

The primordial light is not an enemy either. At least before the ambitions of the void are defeated, that shining glimmer of light is still of some use.
After receiving the answer, Lord Commander Kil'jaeden lowered his head for the first time on the demon battlefield. He whispered:

"Then I will serve you."

Pure fel light lit up Kil'jaeden's forehead, dimming the Seal of the Eredar Leader and transforming it into the gloomy "Seal of the Legion Lord". The fel energy originating from the purest source of the Twisting Nether also turned into a storm that swallowed Kil'jaeden.

Behind him, Talgas sighed and knelt to accept the embrace of the fel energy.

The warriors obeyed one by one. They all heard Lord Commander Kil'jaeden's plea before his fall. They knew that their fall would ensure the survival of their people.

This is just a different way of protecting the compatriots who must be protected.

But there are also those who are not so obedient.
On the battlefield where beams of evil energy dance in groups, there is a ray of light still burning.
And it seems to burn more majestically.

------

"You actually withstood the Dark Titan's mental summons?! How is this possible!"

Sachir roared in horror.

The Manari warlocks behind him looked at the seemingly immortal holy light in front of them at a loss.

They saw with their own eyes that Diak'um was also entangled and wrapped in the thoughts of the Dark Titan, and at the moment when Commander Kil'jaeden surrendered to the great power, Diak'um did not become cowardly because of seeing the "truth".

On the contrary, he seemed to be "enraged", and his originally weak holy light actually burned again.

How can this be?

Not only did this group of fallen beings feel horrified, but even the higher-level demons hiding among the demons were staring at each other in amazement.

This was the first time they had seen such a tenacious soul that faced the will of Lord Sargeras and refused to surrender?

"Those things that have happened, those that have not yet happened, those that are certain, those that are uncertain, those that are painful, those that are gentle, those that you know and those that you don't know, have all been conveyed to me through the power of the Holy Light!"

Dick was indeed under pressure from the Dark Titan's thoughts. The terrible mental interference made him unable to breathe for several moments, but the prompt "The Veil of the Other Shore has been activated" that kept flashing in front of his eyes allowed him to maintain his sanity in the tide of the Titan's thoughts.

In his left hand, he held the shining fragments of the shattered Narulula, and in his right hand, he held the golden fragments left after the shattered Atama crystal. He poured his own holy light into them, as if lighting up this most ancient holy object.

Amidst the burning aura that ignited himself again and again, Dick gritted his teeth and said:

"Your Dark Titan may not even know it himself, but all the threats he sees are merely the product of the schemes of other conspirators. Perhaps compared to the brothers and sisters he slaughtered, he himself is the sharp knife that will chop down upon the physical universe!

And you.
An accomplice who does evil in the name of justice and great cause!
You expect me to kneel before violence like you do, you expect us to be plagued by cowardice like you do.
I don't think about it!

I.
I didn’t come here for these!

Today will definitely not be the end of my glorious destiny!"

"boom"

The blazing holy light burst out at this moment like adding fuel to a fire. Its brilliance was not as great as the previous burst, nor as powerful as when the power of the world was added to it.

But this is Dick's own holy light.

After thirty days of not-so-long polishing and countless battles, this mortal finally reached the moment of crossing the legend.

He knew it was time.

Even if the priest profession has not been polished to perfection, even if the expansion of the pool of light energy has not yet reached its limit, even if there is still room for improvement in the affinity with holy light, even if his own intelligence attribute is still somewhat terrible.

but.
it's time!

He had fallen into an absolutely desperate situation. If he didn't give it a try now, he might really have to follow Kil'jaeden and "serve the Legion."

Golden runes swayed before his eyes, forming a question from a mysterious force:
[The burning of power has begun! The life level begins to advance!
Power belongs to: Holy Light Force.

Power bias: punishment/sanction/judgment.

Strength Rating: Vindicator/Paladin (Mortal Rank·Perfect), Cleric (Mortal Rank·Advanced).

Strength summary: There is still room for improvement!

Yes/No Start the 'Mortal→Legend' promotion? 】

"it's time!"

Dick decisively chose to start.

It was like a bomb was detonated on my spiritual level.

At this moment, he felt that every drop of blood and every bone in his body seemed to have begun to burn, and the originally weak light energy flowing in his blood and bones turned into "fuel" in cheers and poured into his self-ignited body.

With every breath, Dick could feel new strength surge forth.

It was like a bursting flood crashing into him, and when he raised his head, his eyes lit up with a holy flame.

"Swish"

Dick raised the crystal blade of the Naaru's remains. It was too sharp and cut his finger, making him bleed. But he didn't care. He just pointed the blade of blazing light at Sachir in front of him and said:

"I'm now selecting a 'lucky spectator' to witness my destruction, or my legendary enlightenment. Would you be willing to honor me?"

"Haha, why not? The journey of such a unique Spirit of Light towards doom is destined to be extraordinary, and I am honored to personally complete the duel that you and I failed to complete before. Ah, consider this the final Jedney Competition on the world of Argus.

The only contestants are you and me.”

Sachir accepted the invitation with a strange kind of pleasure.

He strode forward, holding a wand made of demon spines and a skull weapon in his hand.

Amidst the surging storm of evil energy and the roars of demons, the two no longer had any unnecessary conversation. It was as if the dark green shadow and the shining holy spear collided in this doomsday land, like a farewell performance.

In the front row of the audience sat the dark titan, Lord Sargeras, and the ray of light that shone in the darkest moment of all.
Well, what an honor!
------

“We left him behind.”

On the starship Genedar, which had already flown away from the world of Argus, Faria huddled on the surface of the teleportation hall. This strong warrior burst into tears at this moment.

She wailed:

"We left him to the apocalypse. The Light will condemn us for our cowardice."

"Damn it! Don't even think about it, your moral integrity is about to be shattered!"

Ymira, carrying the Holy Staff of Naaru, grabbed Faria's arm and tried to pull her up, but her other companions were in the same bad condition.

They were demoralized.

Even Gemini is dejected like a defeated chicken.

Obviously, the parties involved said that Brigadier General Dick would rather die than sacrifice himself to save them.

Captain Naili remained silent at this moment. She handed over the Atama crystal fragments brought back by everyone to the high priestess Ms. Isana who came to greet them, and took new weapons and sufficient ammunition from her companions in the Assassin's Court. She also grabbed a bottle of alchemical medicine to replenish her energy and drank it.

The terrible smell made Naili clench her fists. Then she turned around and kicked Faria's armor roughly, scolding:
"Why are you crying? Dick isn't dead yet, but if you keep dragging it out like this, he won't survive. How can he even fight?"

"Ok?"

The five emo guys all looked up at her. Nari pointed in the direction of the starship and said:
"Remember how Lord Commander Kil'jaeden returned to the battlefield? These starships have escape pods! Now, take the most powerful weapons you can find and the toughest guys you know. Return with me!

Brigadier General Dick still owes me a date.

Even though I have to wait two hundred years, I don't mind.

I also know that this is a suicide mission, so I want to ask a question before I leave."

She looked at everyone in front of her and said:

"Anyone want to quit?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Garrison Commander Malderan, who was carried back by Garrison Commander Sovos, clutched his chest and said:

"Let's go."

"Are you sure? Brigadier General Malderan."

Nellie sighed and said:
"Your family is on the starship. Perhaps you should go and reunite with them now."

"If I had left Dick behind."

Madeleine smiled generously and said:

"Even my own children won't forgive me. Little Maraad has already regarded Dick as his idol. As a father, how could I let my son down? What's more, Dick and I have saved each other on the battlefield many times.

That heavy friendship has gone beyond friendship and become brotherhood. I know where my last ray of holy light should be directed.

Let's go, kids.

Let us bring back the Hand of Argus!"

(End of this chapter)