Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 44 43. If everyone is like you and me, how can the Burning Legion carry out its work? [2/50]

(Additional update for the "Frostfang Claw" brothers [2/10])
The Dark Titan arrives on Argus.

But He did not thrust His destructive, burning giant blade directly into the star, allowing Argus to experience the "supreme treatment" of Azeroth ten thousand years later.

However, Sargeras was very busy. The borders of the physical universe were filled with sneaky and despicable Void forces waiting for him to deal with personally. On the scale of the stars, every minute of delay would result in more planets being corrupted by the Void. Therefore, the Dark Titan did not stay in Argus for long.

He simply went to the heart of the world in person, and then, just as he appeared, he disappeared into the boundless sea of stars with supreme dominance that spanned the universe.

The tasks of establishing a demon fortress on Argus, summoning fel energy to corrupt the Star Soul, shaping his own Destroyer brothers, and transforming this world into a Burning Legion destruction center more suitable than Mardum, and then bestowing the power of the Star Soul on every demon, etc., naturally have to be completed by his servants.

If he did everything himself, then why did the noble Lord Sargeras form the Burning Legion? Did he think his life as a Titan was going too smoothly, so he deliberately invited a bunch of losers to make things difficult for him?

After the Dark Titan left, the two great demon lords he personally selected and promoted began their busy work.

Countless demons were summoned to the surface of Argus and assigned tasks according to their strengths. Their command system was also being reshaped, and the fallen Manari were assigned to every important command node.

Although the demons were reluctant to acknowledge the authority of these fallen ones, it turned out that after Manari joined, the assembly speed and training level of even the cannon fodder army soared at an astonishing rate.

The great demon lord Kil'jaeden was in no hurry to command the demons to launch more destructive invasions.

Instead, he chose the city of Antorus, where he had fought, as the headquarters of the Burning Legion. He promoted many talented Man'ari as his lieutenants and began to reshape the internal command framework of the entire Burning Legion.

According to his plan, the Burning Legion would need to stay in the world of Argus for at least twenty to thirty years to adapt to and complete the various reorganizations of the demon army. At the same time, it would need to set aside enough demon forging camps for the Mo'arg, the demon race that was born in the Twisting Nether and is best at manufacturing, so that they can complete the "weapon upgrade" of the demons as soon as possible.

"You previously relied on planetary portals to complete your invasion. This method is good, but not efficient enough."

Kil'jaeden, sitting on the throne, said expressionlessly:

"You have seen that the Naaru's starships can travel through the stars. In terms of the scale of the physical universe, if the Burning Legion wants to better complete the destruction of the Dark Titan, it must form the same demonic fel fleet.

Only with a sufficient fleet can we ensure that we can carry out the Burning Crusade with the efficiency and speed to satisfy Lord Sargeras."

"You should humbly call Him 'Master'."

The Dreadlord Tichondrius, standing before the throne, said in a sinister tone:
"Maintaining the necessary respect for the Supreme Lord of the Twisting Nether will help you win the trust of all the demons of the Burning Legion. This is what the Doomsday Overlord who sat in your position did before. He was very loyal, and it was precisely because of this loyalty that he was able to gain..."

"Can loyalty be eaten? Can loyalty be used as a weapon? Can loyalty help you win a war?"

Kil'jaeden coldly interrupted Tichondrius's "suggestion". His eyes, burning with pure fel energy, stared at the troublesome dreadlord and said:
"You used Kazzak as an analogy, which is great. Then let me ask you, how many victories did the 'most qualified' demon commander in your opinion win on Argus?
As far as I can remember, it was beheaded twice, and this shame was bestowed upon it by the same garrison commander. When Diakum accomplished this feat, he wasn't even a legend, but Kazzak is the demon demigod who has followed the Dark Titan for the longest time!

IMHO
you!
Nathrezim!
Please stop using your ridiculous schemes in front of me. I hope you and your servants can use your wisdom, which is rare among demons, in the right place."

"Well, great demon lord."

A hint of displeasure appeared on Tichondrius' pale face, but it quickly turned into obedience.

It raises a question, saying:
"However, even though the Mo'arg are very good at forging fel weapons, it is still a long process for them to create starships suitable for demonic operations from scratch.

I understand your foresight, but the problem is that our noble master is sometimes not so patient. If the demon army is trapped in Argus and Mardum for a long time due to the factors of military upgrades, it will be difficult to move.
You and I both have to take responsibility!

We are the whip in the hands of the Dark Titan to discipline the stars. We must bring destruction to those weak and polluted worlds. This is our duty and the reason why we are here."

The Dreadlord shook his head and said:
"You are a powerful warrior. Let me ask you, what do you do with a sword when it becomes useless? Or are you simply hoping to buy a tiny bit of time for your compatriots fleeing their homeland with this excuse that even I can't fool?"

Kil'jaeden fell silent. He did not answer.

But it can be imagined that the thoughts in the mind of this great demon lord must be very complicated at this time.

The Dreadlord keenly grasped this point.

It seemed to be reminding Kil'jaeden in this way that favoritism should not be done too obviously. Once the Dark Titan was angered, no one would end up well.

In this silence, a voice pierced the calm.

"The Naaru are not the only race in the physical universe that can navigate the astral seas. Through the wisdom bestowed by the Twisting Nether, I have learned that there is a life form called 'Ethereal' that also masters the secrets of deep space navigation.

The most interesting thing is that they are not united internally for various reasons, and they have already created a civilizational split in order to avenge their enemies.

Well, I like the Avengers! The more extreme they are, the better!

That means that as long as you can help them get revenge, you can take all the treasures they have from them."

Under the protection of several fel lords, a tall Man'ari holding a skull staff strode into the hall.

He wore a gorgeous and decadent fel robe and the exaggerated shoulder decorations of a demon lord. His sturdy body did not turn red like Kil'jaeden's due to the excessive infusion of fel energy.

On the contrary, perhaps because he knows how to manipulate fel energy with more subtle techniques, he still maintains the blue skin of the Eredar.

But the pair of eyes that were also burning and the "Seal of the Demon Lord" on his forehead proved his identity.

"Hail to you, Enlightener."

The Nathrezim Lord turned around and saluted Thal'kiel, who had reshaped his ascended demon body from the fel energy, in a very hypocritical manner. However, the latter waved his hand and said in a gentle tone:

"That's the name of the past. To celebrate my new life in the Twisting Nether, I plan to call myself 'Shaper'. Don't use the name of the past anymore, and don't remind me of those painful experiences.

In short, honorable Lord Tichondrius, I believe that you and your skillful Nathrezim lords must have a way to contact the Aetherials.

Invite the Node Prince of the Ethereum Army to visit Argus on my behalf."

Sachir waved his hand and said:

"Those poor people's home planet, Karesh, was destroyed by the Void Devourer. I have also heard about it in my memories in the Twisting Nether. They are eager to take revenge on the Void Devourer. The best part is that our great master is also wholeheartedly fighting against the threat from the Sunless Sea.

In this respect, we have common interests with the exiles and we can be 'friends' with them.

Go ahead.

Complete the first diplomatic engagement with the Burning Legion since its founding.

We need the technology of interstellar navigation in the hands of the Aetherials, and we can generously lend them the warriors and strength they need. If the cooperation between the two sides is satisfactory, it would not be a problem for the Burning Legion to directly send out to help them recapture the lost Karesh.

The premise is that they are willing to accept their hometown becoming a holy land of fel energy."

"Your wisdom is as vast as the Twisting Nether, Shaper."

Tichondrius praised exaggeratedly, then transformed into a bat with a strange laugh and disappeared into the dark hall.

Thal'kiel waved his hand, and the fel lords guarding him were also dismissed. When only he and Kil'jaeden were left here, Thal'kiel asked, leaning on the skull staff:
"It was complimenting me by praising Kazzak, but it thought I couldn't hear the sarcasm. These dreadlords who enjoy deception are a bit too tired. They are even unwilling to upgrade their deceptive language. Obviously, they need a comprehensive "refining", but these are minor issues.

I ask you, Commander, how long do you intend to buy time for Velen and the others in the name of 'Legion Reorganization'?"

"I do not know."

Kil'jaeden said expressionlessly:

"But maybe longer is better."

"Very good! You still maintain your self-awareness and haven't been consumed by the brutality and destructive desire of the evil energy. I'm really happy to see that."

Sachir nodded with satisfaction and said:

"You must maintain this sanity for a long time. Once the calmness and decisiveness you pride yourself on are disturbed by the contamination of fel energy, you will quickly degenerate into a fool like Lord Kazzak. The blessings of the six elements of the Force all have an impact on the individual's mind, and in terms of side effects, fel energy is clearly the most severe.

But great talent is a strong wall of our soul that can help us resist this influence.

However, talent alone is not enough, you also need help from outsiders."

"Swish"

A scroll was thrown to Kil'jaeden.

The latter took it in surprise and looked at Sachiel. The demon lord who called himself "Shaper" smiled gently, which was not that of a demon, and explained:

"A meditation technique, a method I've personally refined over the past decade or so spent with the fel, has proven effective. Set aside time each day to calm your mind, Kil'jaeden. As long as you don't give in to the temptations of power and actively seek more blessings from the Twisting Nether, you can preserve your sanity and spirit, maintaining the purity of your will at the lowest level."

Of course, it's not permanent.

Long-term exposure to fel energy will always cause your mind to go wild after your body mutates. That is an inevitable change. If you want to find spiritual belonging and protection, then my advice is that you have to set a long-term goal for yourself.

Whether it is protection or pursuit.

As long as you are extreme enough, your spirit will be protected by yourself. The more resolute your mind is, the less power the temptation of evil energy or other forces will have on you.

I don’t think this is too much of a problem for you.”

"why?"

Kil'jaeden looked at the scroll in his hand, then he looked up at Thal'kiel and said:

"As the first eredar to kowtow to the fel and the Dark Titan, you should be the most fel-worshipping scum, but now you act like a wise man. I'm curious, Thal'kiel, what made you become like this?

Are you not willing to dedicate your life to the destruction of Lord Sargeras, now that you are a demon lord of the Burning Legion?

"Haha, even if I really wanted to, I wouldn't be able to get the blessing of the great master. Just like if you were a coward and led the world of Argus to surrender to the Burning Legion, the Dark Titan wouldn't have completed that outrageous deal with you."

Sachir smiled and said:
“Our Master is great!

He possesses supreme power and wields the authority of the Force. Most commendably, he is a self-reliant god, yet he also has his own personality and will.

This makes Him have personal likes and dislikes just like ordinary people.

Obviously, people like you and me who have self-persistence are different from those fragile ants in His eyes. Demons only blindly worship power. However, Lord Sargeras does not need worship!

No amount of praise or flattery is of any use.

Do you think that a god like Him who can transform the entire world with just his thoughts is really unaware of what we are thinking?

No, no.

He knows better than anyone that the reason you and I joined the Burning Legion is just to protect our people. It’s just that our methods are different, but He still gives us His blessings.

He knows, but He doesn't care!
Alas, in these matters, we, the leaders who claim to be wise, are not as clear-sighted as that three-hundred-year-old kid, Diakum. You know, during our duel, he asked me a question."

The Shaper walked through the palace, leaning on his exaggeratedly evil Spine Staff, a device crafted from the vertebrae of his own body. He spoke to Kil'jaeden, who listened intently:

"Diachem asked me, the fundamental reason why the Dark Titan carried out the Burning Crusade was to purify the void threats from the astral sea. Even though he has embraced the fel energy and become the Lord of Demons, he still has the same protective desire as when he was a Titan of the Pantheon.

Then the problem is coming.

When all the hidden dangers of void pollution in the starry sea are eradicated by us and the demons,
When the astral sea returns to the purity that Lord Sargeras wishes to see, will those of us who only know how to destroy and ruin still have the qualifications to exist in that new world?"

Thal'kiel raised his head and looked at Kil'jaeden.

It was a question, but he didn't need an answer.

He said to Kil'jaeden:
"No!
The moment the Burning Crusade is completed, it will be the end of the Burning Legion!
Lord Sargeras will destroy us with his own hands and regard it as a blessing of liberation. He knows that apart from the Void, the existence of demons themselves is the greatest threat to the physical universe.

He would not allow such a force that would only bring destruction to exist in the pure starry sea that he had protected with violence.

We will destroy the old era, and we will be the last to die in the old era!
There is no such thing as a ticket to take us to that brave new world.

Lord Sargeras knows very well what you and I are thinking, but He doesn't care. Just like would you ask the opinions of the dead on the battlefield?
It's just a tool.

As long as it works, who cares what the hammer in your hand thinks?

So, Commander Kil'jaeden, there is no need to hide your thoughts, just show them openly. No one in the Burning Legion will care whether you want to help your former brothers. The demons only want to see destruction and victory!

As long as you can give them these things, they will submit to you wholeheartedly and sing praises of your efficiency, ruthlessness and cruelty.

More importantly, the Dark Titan's concerns are not groundless. When I was reborn in the Twisting Nether, with the help of the memories of the Twisting Nether, I did see that there are worlds of all sizes in the physical universe that have been contaminated by the Void. "Shaper Thal'kiel said in a serious tone:

"Those worlds will become the rift between the physical universe and the Void Realm, a gangrene on all rules and order. We must destroy them! The Fel only wants to see war and violence, but the Void desires more.

Even without the Burning Legion, we would have eventually faced the Void's invasion of reality. Now we are even stronger, giving us an advantage in the fight against the Void.

Not considering the risk of fel energy, just the Burning Crusade itself.

It truly represents some kind of 'ultimate justice' that is beyond the comprehension of mortals!"

"Justice? Don't be ridiculous, Sachir. Neither of them is a good thing. This is at most an internal struggle between evil and evil, and we are one of them."

Kil'jaeden sneered and said:
"Okay, I admit that what you just said has made me put aside my deep worries. I thank you for your reminder and I have regained some trust in you. But I guess you came here today not just to enlighten me.

Tell me, what else do you have to say?"

"Come with me!"

Sachir waved the staff made of his spine, and a demonic rift leading straight to the center of the earth opened between the two of them.

The two people who were blessed by evil energy as demon demigods had already surpassed the limits of the space of the material world. They entered the rift one after another and then came to the area of the heart of the world.

But this place is obviously not in the material world, because the place where the two people stepped on is at the center of the earth, but there is no support. It is like a floating island in the sky. From here they can see the flying light in front of them, but it is much weaker than what they have seen before.

"Lord Sargeras stayed here in person, so a special area has been formed here where the material world and the star soul exist. We can check the status of the Argus star soul here.

See for yourself."

Thal'kiel pointed ahead, Kil'jaeden raised his head and looked at the star soul entity he had seen before, and then he was shocked.

"Why is He so weak?"

Kil'jaeden frowned and said:

"Compared to before... He's almost dead?"

"Because Argus gave too much power to the eredar, aiding you in that foolish but epic struggle."

Sachir shook his head and sighed:

"He is only a young Star Soul, and the enhancements he has bestowed upon him have already exceeded the limit of affecting his health. The Battle of Argus was not so much a battle between the Eredar and demons as it was a desperate, life-or-death struggle between the Star Soul and Sargeras through you.

He did not want to become a captive of evil power, and took extreme measures to protect himself.

I guess this is the advice that Diakham gave Him.

The methods are rough, barbaric and nonsensical, just like a series of outrageous actions that a naughty child would choose when faced with a desperate situation that he cannot solve, but the effect is surprisingly good.

The Star Soul's entity is still here, but most of its will has already escaped.

There’s just an empty shell left here.”

"Won't the Dark Titan be disappointed?"

Kil'jaeden heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Thal'kiel's explanation, but then he asked in the cold tone expected of a demon lord:

“Isn’t that what He came for?”

"Disappointed? No, no, no, our master is extremely happy."

Sachir laughed strangely and said:
"You must understand, Kil'jaeden, that Lord Sargeras intends to establish his own Dark Pantheon on Argus. He hopes that his brothers and sisters will embrace the fel energy like he has, and become the vanguard against the forces of the Void.

This means that He needs to personally distort the minds of every Titan brother.

But as I said just now, our master may seem cold, but he is actually more "humane" than most mortals. He will carry out this matter because of a firm goal, but it does not mean that he is willing to listen to the cries of his brothers and sisters when they fall.

The gods will also feel sad because of this. They stay at the border of the material world for a long time not only to kill and intimidate the Void Lords who cross the border, but also to prevent themselves from listening to those sad things.

Ah, He is such a gentle God.

Now, the will of Argus's spirit has been shared and carried away by our people, leaving only an empty shell, like a giant with its brains dug out. What remains is only to call upon the fel energies of the Twisting Nether to strengthen, infuse, and catalyze it.

There will be no pain and no screaming of the world. Everything will fall into place naturally, and finally, the fel titan Argus will rise from the ground.

The master will have a powerful lieutenant, the void forces will gain a powerful enemy, the physical universe will have a brutal protector, and Argus will not have to endure the pain of corrupted will.

Everyone will be satisfied.

This is probably one of the reasons why he spared the Eredar. Velen and Diak'um did help Lord Sargeras solve a problem.

But that means we’re in trouble.”

"Oh? What do you say?"

Kil'jaeden asked, and Thal'kiel sighed:

"The Star Soul's will has escaped too much, and now its spiritual entity is showing signs of collapse. We must recover some fragments of its will to ensure that the Star Soul does not suddenly vanish into thin air when it is infused with evil energy.

This means that we must personally recapture some of our fugitive compatriots, brutally transforming them into Man'ari and extracting the fragments of the Star Soul contained in their spirits in the process.

And this number cannot be too small.

According to my estimate, at least three million people must be captured.
Are you ready? Lord Commander Kil'jaeden, this is a responsibility we must shoulder. If we can't do even this simple task, we're in real trouble."

"I'm not going!"

Kil'jaeden decisively refused:
"As you persuaded me, I don't have to hide what I think in my heart. I can lead the demons to destroy one polluted or about to be polluted world after another for Sargeras. I can convince myself to become the Destroyer.

but.
In short, you take responsibility."

"Why?"

Sachir asked back:

"If you don't want to be an executioner, then why should I?

You should also know why I kneel before the Dark Titan. I share your insistence. This is what I must discuss with you today. One of us must become the executioner of our people!
This is our destiny, and we have walked into it!"

The two great demons glared at each other.

Under the gaze of the weak star soul, the conversation became awkward.

After a long standoff, Kil'jaeden shook his head and said:

"It seems that we are all hypocritical, Sachir. Even though we have fallen into the most evil thing in the physical universe, we are still hypocritical and unwilling to betray our past selves. How ridiculous."

"You can mock me all you want, but the fact is we have to come up with a solution."

Sachir said calmly:
"If neither you nor I want to dirty our hands, then we'll have to let a third person do it. So... Kazzak? Or the ambitious Tichondrius?"

"The former is too stupid, the latter is too cruel, they are both inappropriate."

Kil'jaeden shook his head and said:
"We must find someone with some wisdom but not too much. We must find someone who can do just the right amount of evil every time. We must find someone who can convince all demons but who is not an Eredar."

"Well, that's a lot to ask, but I do have an alternative."

Sachir narrowed his eyes and said:
"When I was reborn in the Twisting Nether, I occasionally caught a glimpse of some strange demons. They were rude yet powerful, cunning yet a bit foolish, which perfectly suits your requirements.

Those hideous giants called 'Annihilan' hide on the edge of the Twisting Nether. They scoff at the Burning Legion's recruitment, thinking that the demons under our command are a bunch of softies and not worth their time.

Go recruit them.

Select "virtuous" for the legion, and use your amazing command ability to conquer the powerful and brutal Annihilan demons, and then let these big guys hunt down our people.

They are difficult to deal with.

But to be honest, it did not exceed the limits of what Velen and Naaru could handle.

They will do bad things again and again as you would expect, but they will also occasionally gain something. Of course, this trick cannot be hidden for too long. After all, our master needs to see Argus's "growth", but it can at least delay it for a while.

Until we find a more suitable 'replacement' in our journey to conquer the stars!
An outstanding but not so outstanding 'third leader', I am willing to spend more time on selecting good people for the legion, if this can really alleviate your and my hypocritical guilt. "

"how about you?"

Kil'jaeden asked:

"Besides hosting 'diplomacy' with the Hollow Spirits, what is your job?"

"Well, my job is very troublesome."

Sachir sighed:

"A truly noble 'big shot' will soon be sent to Argus. I will be solely responsible for his reshaping and corruption. I hope that when he awakens in his destructible body, he won't kill me with a single blow.

Although he is not as powerful as Lord Sargeras, he is already a life standing at the pinnacle of the physical universe.

My work is destined to take thousands or even tens of thousands of years to complete, but what can I say? I don't hate it either. Kil'jaeden, I wish you a smooth journey of destruction and conquest.

correct.

Demons like to give themselves and others nicknames. For example, they called Diak'um, who shone brilliantly in the Battle of Argus, the 'Holy Light Butcher.' You should also give yourself a nickname."

"I am not interested."

Kil'jaeden snorted and said:
"A nickname is only meaningful if it's given by an enemy. Also, Sachir, you seem to be 'obsessed' with Diakum?"

"Yes, that young man brought me so many surprises and miracles."

Sachir sighed:

"Just like you and Viren, I feel like there's some twisted and crazy connection between that kid and me. I have to thank him."

The Shaper blinked.

In addition to the scenes of the physical world, there was also a reflection of another world floating before his eyes.

He saw the endless world of death, the city of miracles at the center of the realm of death, and the four eternal beings cast in eternal glory. Finally, every time he blinked, he could see a "big bald head" carrying chains.

The scene in front of him changed to the highest point of the magnificent palace. Above the dancing Wensil Punishers, a handsome Eternal with flowing white hair was raising a crimson wine glass to Sachir.

It seems like "welcome" and "salute".

Under the latter's smiling red eyes, Sachir also smiled.

This "complex" great demon monarch whispered:

"Diachem. No, Dik gave me an 'unforgettable death'. He banished me to Hell, but Lord Sargeras dragged me back. Ah, this magical journey is enough to make me remember him in my heart.

Come to think of it, you hate those Nathrezim, right?

Then let them be under my command.

I will discipline them and teach them well, so that they will not irritate you with their little tricks and be sent off to perform missions that will lead to their death.

In the future.
Well, they might come in handy in the future.

Well done, Kil'jaeden the Conqueror!
Don't look so sad now, let us join hands and give our utmost loyalty to the great cause of our master and the Legion."

(End of this chapter)