Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 401, Section 10: Big News in the South China Sea - A Giant Tortoise and a New Continent in the Mist
Kael'thas Sunstrider stood atop a tower in the Land of Fire.

From this high vantage point built by the fire demons to monitor the entire elemental land, he watched the ongoing war on the scorched plains.

Although the truth behind the Balrog's feigned defeat and retreat was unknown to the Dark Iron dwarves, they could indeed feel the fading of the Flame Curse within them.

After their previously burning emotions were calmed by reason, the Dark Iron dwarves of Darkhearth were surging towards this place, responding fervently to Emperor Thaurissan's call and stepping into this place one after another.

Despite his apparent bravery, Kael'thas knew very well that very few dwarves were truly fighting for the freedom of the Dark Iron Kingdom; most of the dwarves who came to fight were only doing so for their own personal gain.

Just kidding, this is black iron!

Their veins flow with conspiracy and treachery, malice is their standard of conduct, and malice is their style. These guys don't do slave trading because they really need the money, but because they enjoy watching those poor wretch suffer from the loss of their freedom.

This awful pleasure of watching others suffer can effectively soothe the generally distorted minds of the Dark Iron dwarves after being "collectively corrupted" by the Balrog King.

It is said that Emperor Thaurissan, on the advice of his very powerful "Grand Chancellor," issued a reward to the people of the Dark Iron: whoever found a vein in the Firelands before the arrival of a new master would own all the profits.

Although they still had to pay a hefty mining tax to the royal family, the Dark Iron dwarves continued to participate enthusiastically, driven by greed.

In just one day, thousands of Black Iron slave owners led their combat slaves into the Firelands, occupying land everywhere.

Kael'thas found this method of "driving the people with naked self-interest" somewhat distasteful. Although his royal upbringing had taught him this, he would never use such methods on his own people.

"I feel like I've done more than just complete my graduation project."

The Elf Prince stretched out his finger, teasing the little phoenix perched on his shoulder, and muttered to himself:
"What I'm seeing has given me much to think about, and it might give me a better understanding of 'royal power.' But one thing is certain: the Iron Kingdom is about to change. Emperor Thaurissan is altering his kingdom's system, using incentives to lure and attempt to centralize power."

But is this really his idea?

Or is someone secretly orchestrating all of this in his shadow?
Considering the relationship between the Dark Iron, Wildhammer, and Bronzebeard races, can I presume that a storm is about to break out in the dwarven lands, which have been divided for centuries?

What are you talking to yourself about?

The Vigilant's gentle voice sounded from behind, causing Kael'thas to turn gracefully and bow to the alien saint who had orchestrated the destruction of the Balrog King.

Defeating the Flame Demon King was nothing to the Vigilant, but the fact that he turned the Firelands upside down in just a few days without using too many resources demonstrates the efficiency of this alien saint and how terrifying his elite forces are.

"I'm just summarizing my short but profound trip."

Kael'thas pointed to the magical canvas floating in front of him, which already contained a small portion of an oil painting depicting the scene of the warriors defeating the Balrog King.

He smiled and said:
“My fiancée wants me to document my life experiences this way, saying it will allow her to share my amazing travels. I invited her, but she felt it was more important to go back to Quel'Thalas to plan the wedding details.”

Sigh, she's quite impulsive too.

"Women are always emotional, so remember to send me an invitation when you hold the ceremony."

Diakum admired the half of the painting and said:

"In addition, the elders of the Mystic Scholars clan will be going with me, so the matter you planned before can also be put on the agenda."

This made Kael'thas's expression turn serious.

He nodded seriously.

That concerns the future of the people and the country, and cannot be taken lightly.

"What are your plans next?"

Dick asked again:
"If you're not too busy, would you like to come with me to the 'New World' in the southernmost part of the world? I've heard that the continent has emerged from the mist. It has been isolated from the world since the ancient war, for ten thousand years."

"The kingdom of the Pandaren?"

Kael'thas blinked and said:
"Quel'Thalas' treasury still holds treasures that the Pandaren emperor once gifted to Queen Azshara. Unfortunately, we only have one incomparably elegant Dragon Chest; the treasures within were lost in the Cataclysm."

If I had the time, I would definitely go and see that legendary place myself, but for now, I must go back to the laboratory at Nassaras College to complete my graduation project, which I have been putting off for three hundred years.

My fiancée and I had agreed to get married after I received my graduation certificate.

If I delay any longer, my wife will kill me.

"Haha, this is love, like an invisible chain that binds the phoenix that should be free."

The guard was amused.

He waved his hand, indicating that Kael'thas should hurry up and finish his important life event, but before leaving, Diakum asked earnestly:
"I have a question. Do you know where the surname 'Sunchaser' comes from?"

"what?"

This question stumped Kai. He looked at Diakum in confusion and asked in return:

"Is there a problem with my family name? All I know is that we have had this name since my grandfather's time, or even earlier, before the Elf Empire was even founded."

"But aren't you curious?"

Diakum pressed on:
"Among tribes that generally worship the moon, why did a family emerge with the prestigious name of 'the sun' and eventually become a great noble family of the High Elves?"
I have heard that the worship of Lady Elune began the moment your ancestors came into contact with the Well of Eternity. Although the Highborne are not bound by faith, there are still many statues of the moon goddess even in Queen Azshara's palace.

That was the original collective belief of the elves.

In this environment, wouldn't a group of elves called 'Sun Chasers' become outcasts?

And your family's heirloom sword, 'Flaming Strike', Dath'Remar Sunstrider claims it was obtained through a fortuitous encounter, but who knows the truth?

"If you have the time, Kael'thas, I beg you to investigate these doubts for me. I hope to get the answers."

Kai did not answer.

He now understood that the Vigilant's question was actually meant to be answered by Dath'Remar Sunstrider in the Sunwell, and that he, the prince, was merely a messenger.

But there's nothing shameful about it. Passing on messages to those on guard is a way of showing respect, isn't it?
Kai nodded and pressed for an answer:

Is this answer important?

"What might be just anecdotes to others for amusement in their spare time is really important to me. The 'truth' hidden in the answer is truly important."

Diakum whispered:
"That relates to whether I can find a certain secret hidden within the source of the Holy Light. It's no exaggeration to say that it symbolizes a 'long stairway to godhood.' Unfortunately, this is a path to godhood that only Holy Light practitioners can walk, and I am still exploring it."

If you are willing to embrace the Holy Light, Kael'thas, I can guide you on this path.

You possess talent; you're the kind of genius who would be highly sought after in each of the six fundamental forces.

This comment made Kael'thas feel somewhat "flattered," but unfortunately, the prince's pursuit of truth was very firm, and it was clear from some of his actions that he was truly not interested in faith at all.

Or rather, this is a common problem among arcane masters.

They are extremely wary of anything that might affect their mind and thinking.

Dick didn't make things difficult for the handsome Kai. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he left the Land of Fire under the escort of Marad, Iriel, and Nuboton.

Aegwynn is waiting for them in Darkforge, where a portal to Stormwind is ready.

Faria and Tramon stayed behind with a squad of Lightforged to complete the arms trade between the Dark Iron dwarves and the Lightforged Chapter, and to re-equip all the Lightforged warriors before the next great war.

The intensity of the battle at Mount Hyjal had already demonstrated to these Warriors of Light that the fighting on Azeroth was even more intense than the battle against the Burning Legion in the Stars.

There seem to be too many and too powerful demons and monsters in this world.

A dozen minutes after Diakum returned to Stormwind, the Gemship Exodar took off from the Thunderfall shipyard and soared into the sky to the strains of Naru Volos's song at Northshire Abbey.

"Sailing along the South Sea route, we will see the dispersing mist, within which lies the legendary Pandaria. The Star Soul Lord values ​​our operations in Pandaria highly, and He has dispatched Lady Ysera the Sleeper and her green dragons as our support."

They can travel through dreams and are almost always at your beck and call.

On the spaceship's navigation console, Aegwynn drew a flight path on the projection screen. Diakum, acting as both the navigator and the "power plant," glanced at it, then nodded and steered the spaceship to make minor adjustments to its direction in the air.

However, unlike before when Diakum needed to hover on the navigation platform to control the spaceship, this time Dick was sitting on a strange "throne".

That was a "gift" that the Gemini made especially for the Watchers during their resupply stop.

The exterior design is very sophisticated.

A crystal throne with a very Draenei technological feel, inlaid with a gold-plated layer, connected to the spaceship's power system below, and also fits Diakum's exaggerated physique.

This allows the Vigilant to sit on the throne and pilot their own spaceship, flying wherever they please.

Dick was quite satisfied with the chair. Although he didn't feel tired when he was levitating in his Naaru form, the humanoid Naaru was ultimately different from the classic Naaru.

Sitting in the chair gave him a sense of "control".

But at this moment, the shape looks strange.

Look, they're all chairs made of gold.

Each chair is connected to a device that requires a huge amount of energy to operate.

The men sitting in the chairs are all big, blond guys.

Moreover, once you sit down, you can't just leave, otherwise it could lead to something very dangerous.

Most importantly, those sitting in the chairs are regarded by their followers as "symbols of hope and the future," and they all enjoy leadership-like prestige within their respective races. Moreover, they have a ruthless law of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free" when it comes to demons from outer space.

"Uh"

Diakum rubbed his temples in his crystal form.

He suddenly felt that the chair beneath him was becoming "unlucky." Maybe he should have the twins throw it away another day, and he could just stay in his crystal form and continue floating on the navigation platform. Suddenly, following the Naaru's tradition of "piloting the spaceship with his physical body" didn't seem so bad after all.

------

Prince Resag of the Resag Consortium is in a very bad situation right now.

This goblin tycoon, whose wealth was enough to buy the Stormwind Kingdom several times over, sat pitifully in the muddy water on the beach like a peasant. His luxurious left boot was full of mud, and his right boot was completely stuck in the mud.

It stared blankly at the burning goblin airship that had crashed in the bay before it.

Fuel leaking from the engine has stained the bay with black oil stains, and the goblin servants and guardian trolls who escaped from the airship are desperately rowing their small boats, trying to escape the giant airship that could explode at any moment.

Hot Sand is very sad.

That was its favorite vehicle, its "mobile palace," its "big toy" to reward itself after making a fortune, and where it hid all the good things it had collected over the years.

Every goblin active on the South Sea trade routes has heard of this ship's fame, and every month Ravenholdt's scoundrels attempt to sneak aboard and steal their treasures.

Occasionally, when Hot Sand is in a good mood, these assassins might be beheaded and taken in as dogs. But when it's in a bad mood, unfortunate assassins might become part of its "collection."

But now, it's all over!

His airship was gone, and his "Palace of Pleasure" was gone.

That damned "red comet" that fell from the sky hit the airship's engine right in the middle, like a meteorite scraping the torn deck as it crashed into the archipelago below.

If it weren't for its strong pursuit of personal safety, especially after acquiring a batch of Titan technology from its partner "The Sage" and immediately upgrading the airship's security, it probably wouldn't have survived this wave.

Because when the impact happened, Hot Sand was sunbathing on the deck.

The damned "red comet" crashed down less than twenty meters away from itself, but because of this, Hot Sand could clearly see the true face of that "meteorite".

That was an angry spirit of fire!

It has an anthropomorphic face and a very strange "twin ponytail" head.

That thing was powerful, but it seemed to be fleeing something dangerous, which is why it frantically crashed into its own precious airship.

Having experienced three ups and downs in life, the trade prince who eventually achieved great success was not experiencing a plane crash for the first time. He quickly calmed himself down and began to analyze the cause and effect of the incident. Then he discovered a very important problem.

"Where are we?"

Hot Sand leaped up and called upon his most loyal servants.

The goblin servants who had just climbed ashore and hadn't even caught their breath heard the trade prince's summons and immediately got up and ran over to serve him, looking as if they were being disciplined by "goblin commercialism".

The airship's captain was a one-eyed goblin who had once led a pirate fleet in the South China Sea. He was incredibly brave and knowledgeable. Upon hearing the call of the hot sand, he emptied the seawater from his boots and rushed over to his wealthy patron, assuring him:

"We are still on the South China Sea route, but this island is not in my memory. Your Excellency, the boss of Hot Sands, the entire map of the South China Sea route is in my mind! My eyes are the compass."

I assure you, this island is 'newly discovered'!

The one-eyed goblin rubbed his hands together and whispered:

"Do you know the legend of the 'Misty Sea' in the South China Sea? I suspect we are in that mist right now, where, according to legend, a continent full of treasures is hidden."

Oh dear, this must be your 'good luck' working again.

It seems like a bad thing, but we're definitely among the first adventurers to set foot on this continent! We're going to be rich!

"Really? That does sound like a good thing."

Hot Sand squinted, stroking the three different magic rings on his fingers, then gave an order to the goblin servant beside him:

"Quick! Go to the airship's cabin and bring out the communication equipment!"

The servants looked at each other, but no one moved.

The reason is simple: the airship is already on fire on the sea and could explode at any moment. Although goblins would never be stingy with their lives for profit, the big boss hasn't issued a bounty yet, has he?

Why are you in such a hurry?

"Humph."

Hot Sand pursed her lips, waved her hand, and said gently:

"Go ahead and retrieve the communication device. You can keep whatever treasures you find in my vault along the way. But if you try to retrieve them after they've sunk to the bottom of the water, you'll be violating our labor contract."

The goblin servants still didn't move.

All eyes were fixed on the hot sand tycoon, infuriating the trade prince, who jumped up and cursed a few times. With a grim expression, he tossed a large bag of gold coins from his magic pouch onto the ground, saying:
"The compensation for this operation has been increased by 300%! If you can bring the communication device back within ten minutes, you can split this bag of gold coins equally."

"Ah, long live the generous Prince Hot Sands!"

The goblin servants' eyes lit up.

They are all outstanding businessmen who come to Hot Sand as "apprentices" in order to learn a few tricks from this guy, or to be valued by him and rise to prominence.

They could tell at a glance that the bag of gold coins was enough to buy the lives of several goblins, so they cheered and turned to rush towards the wreckage of the airship that could explode at any moment.

Hot Sands doesn't lack money, but it hates this kind of unexpected loss.

While the goblins ran to the communication device, Hot Sand and its captain, protected by several heavily armed giants, climbed a nearby hill and picked up a golden telescope to look around.

Soon, Hot Sand saw something strange.

"What's that? A giant turtle?"

The trade prince put down his binoculars and rubbed his eyes hard, convinced he was seeing an illusion.

Why do I see a turtle as big as a mountain slowly moving forward on the distant sea, and it seems to be carrying a town on its back, with cranes flying around on it?

"Wow, it's the legendary 'Lost Island'!"

The goblin captain glanced around through his binoculars and exclaimed in surprise:
"The legendary giant dragon turtle 'Shinji' who carried the panda people around the world is said to be someone that only the luckiest sailors have a chance to see on the endless sea."

We're saved, big boss!

The panda people on the island are very friendly; they will help sailors like us who are in distress.

We're just on a deserted island, shrouded in mist, and still far from the mainland. Only with a mythical vessel like the Divine Child can we possibly reach the legendary continent.”

"boom"

A loud bang rang out behind Hot Sand and the goblin captain. As the scorching hot wind swept over them, the two turned around and saw that Hot Sand's airship had indeed exploded, and the leaking crude oil had set the entire ocean ablaze.

Of the goblin servants who went to retrieve the communication device, only one escaped.

She was still clutching the strange-looking communicator in her arms, but seemed terrified by the explosion; she sat blankly on the beach, eyes wide, unable to utter a sound.

Sixteen goblins went in total. While the others were busy rummaging through Prince Hot Sand's treasure room for valuables, she was the only one thinking about completing Hot Sand's orders first.

She didn't waste time searching for the treasure, which allowed her to be the first to return and thus escape disaster.

"Well done, son."

Hot Sand strolled over leisurely, took the Titan-technology-made communicator from the female goblin, and while dialing slowly, said:

"You have clear goals, know how to make choices, and have strong execution skills. You are a promising business talent! After we return to the civilized world, I will give you a shop in Treasure Bay or Hot Sands for you to run."

"Work hard and show me what you've got."

"you"

The female goblin stared in astonishment at the calm expression on Prince Hot Sand's face. A terrible possibility flashed through her mind, and she jumped up and screamed:
"You knew the airship would explode! You knew it would explode, yet you still..."

"Yes, I know, I've seen the design drawings."

Hot Sand frowned and glanced at its "apprentice," saying:

"If they didn't think about stealing my money, and if they all knew what was most important in this desperate situation on this stranded island, just like you, and if they were rational enough, then they would survive too."

They proved insufficient to become outstanding businessmen, blinded by immediate gains and neglecting their true goals.

Remember, child!
This lesson is free!
If you want to achieve great success, you have to do things that ordinary people can't.

The Trade Prince gave the female goblin a chilling smile, patted her on the shoulder, pointed to the bag of gold coins on the ground, and said:
"Look on the bright side, there are so many fewer people sharing the gold coins with you, shouldn't you be happy?"

After saying that, Resha glanced at the wreckage of the airship that was rapidly sinking into the sea of ​​fire, spat somewhat rudely onto the beach, and cursed:

"Nobody can steal my money! You piece of trash."

"what?"

A woman's voice came from the communicator in its hand, asking in a surprised tone:

"What are you saying, Mr. Atsuna?"

"Oh, it's nothing, my dear partner. I just wanted to inform you of something strange. My plane crashed and landed in the fog of the South China Sea. Perhaps you'll have to fulfill that 'mutual assistance' agreement we signed earlier."

(End of this chapter)