Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 442, Section 51: Dear Mantis Demon, did you find this golden artifact or the silver artifact?

The Great Queen chose to surrender.

This was actually expected. Although the sovereign, that "old sly devil," kept saying that he had no intention of persuading them to surrender and that whether the empress surrendered or not would not affect the extinction of the Mantis civilization, the purpose of his previous "summons" was actually very clear.

Having witnessed firsthand the scale of the Shadow Chaser swarm's war in the Sea of ​​No Light, all of Shakshir's ambitions were utterly shattered.

The reason is also very simple.

If you score 30 points, you might want to compete with your deskmate who scores 40 points to see who is the coolest last place in the class, but you would never have the confidence to challenge a peer genius who earned a master's degree at the age of twelve.

When the gap becomes large enough, the weak will not even have the courage to challenge. If the other party is still not convinced, it actually means that you are not strong enough.

In short, Shakshir's spirit had already been effectively broken before this final battle.

The final assault by the King Beast and the swarm was merely the barbell that broke the camel's back. Of course, Anveena was also very gracious and did not humiliate the losers, especially after the Great Queen released her King pheromones, forcing the Mantid to lay down their weapons and accept "modification".

Anvina was very pleased with this sensible and considerate approach.

Essentially, the Sunwell Ghost is not a person who enjoys conflict.

The surrender of this elite Royal Guard and its subsequent integration and transformation will take at least two days to complete. Therefore, Anvina ordered the King Beast to lead the Shadow Chaser swarm on the battlefield and, with the assistance of the Unharmed Tyrant, to step into the Dread Wastes first.

She ordered them to capture the Great Queen's palace within two days, securing a main base for the Zerg swarm in the Dread Wastes, and then prepare to begin "maximum troop production".

This task is not difficult.

Because the Great Queen had practically emptied her palace of its resources for this conquest, leaving only an empty shell.

"Oh, so you actually staked your entire future and power on a desperate attack on Kun-Lai Summit, all for the sake of gaining the tribe's approval and achieving great merit, right?"

Inside the Shadow Chaser hive, Anvina personally "hosted" the Great Queen, whispering:
"The Elders' Order is so hateful that it forces you, an empress, to take this gamble of 'going all out with your whole family' just to gain the prestige to rival them. You've had it pretty tough."

"Hmph, this is the common goal of all the great empresses."

Shakshir refused the wheat-fermented "juice" offered by Anvina, saying dejectedly:
"Before the mist rose, the Mantid had already begun the Great Cycle. At that time, the Great Queen still had royal power and was not a puppet of the Elder Order. However, after the mist rose, the continental blockade caused the Mantid territory to be compressed into the Dread Wastes."

The struggle between the two sides intensified.

At first, it was just a struggle between royal power and divine power, but in the end, the empresses could only fight for their own lives and existence.

We are the most pathetic puppets, breeding machines in the eyes of the elders. After all, only the normal release of the king's pheromones can ensure that the mantis can restore its population in each great cycle.

My great-grandmother and mother both died under duress from the Elders' coercion, and if I don't fight back, that will be my fate too. They've even sent assassins!

"Yes, when the Unharmed Tyrant delivered that fossil mark to you, he encountered assassins on the way and took care of them for you."

Anvina said:

"Don't worry about them. In a few days, you will see the revitalized Cutter Ricard and Swarm Guardian Hissek. Like the Unharmed Tyrant, they will eventually become the Swarm Lords of the Shadow Chaser."

Of course, you're very unlikely to encounter them in the material world.

Compared to the low-intensity battles here, elite units like Heroes, each with their own unique skills, will undoubtedly be prioritized for deployment on the battlefield of the Sea of ​​Darkness.

"So, in your eyes, the life and death of the Mantis is merely a 'low-intensity' war?"

The Great Queen sighed.

She was utterly dejected.

What she had experienced these past few days was an utter misfortune, but she had indeed witnessed the Shadow Chaser swarm's hunting war firsthand, so she had nothing to complain about.

She tilted her head back, forcing herself to stay alert, and asked:

"What about me? What are you going to do with me?"

“Well, the Abathurs need to study your unique ‘royal pheromone.’ They believe it must be produced by some kind of gland unique to the queen, producing this magical command hormone.”

Anvina shrugged with a hint of regret and said:

"So you will be handed over to the genetic masters, and once the secrets within you have been thoroughly studied, you may be transformed by the Overlord into a 'backup plan for the Queen of Blades' like me."

"Huh? What do you mean by 'Queen of Blades' and 'backup plan'?"

The Empress was taken aback.

She thought her best outcome would be to live as a prisoner, but she didn't expect that the rules on the Shadow Chasing Insect side were so strange, and it seemed that they would continue to let her be the leader.

hiss.
The thought of commanding that terrifying Shadow Chaser swarm to conquer all directions stirred a renewed sense of ambition in Shakshir, which had been doomed to fail.

She widened her eyes and asked curiously:

"So, there will be many candidates for the Queen of Blades, but ultimately only one person can inherit this prestigious title? Are you and I in competition?"

"No, I'm just an intern."

Anvina sighed and said:

"I'm just here to do odd jobs in the Shadow Swarm and get familiar with the daily work. In the future, I will have my own 'Savior Swarm,' so no one will compete with you for that position."

At least not at the moment.

You seem to be really looking forward to it?

Well, I advise you not to get your hopes up too high.

Although the Overmind won't treat you like a puppet like the Klaxxi Elders, and although it will indeed grant you the power to command the Zerg swarm in battle, if you perform well enough, the Overmind won't even interfere with your actions.

But believe me, this is not a good thing.

Because everything that belongs to you except that power will be completely stripped away, and from now on there will be no more 'Shakshir' in this world! From now on, you can only be the 'Queen of Blades'.

You don't understand, right?

It's okay if you don't understand now; you'll understand later.

She stood up and took a few steps back, speaking softly with a heartfelt blessing:
"The gene masters have arrived. You're about to begin your experiments, as a 'test subject.' Anyway, good luck, Shakshir. You are the first enemy I've ever defeated, and I think I'll remember you for the rest of my life."

Although, in the Dominator's eyes, we were just "chickens fighting," I must say, for a war novice, I thoroughly enjoyed this battle.

Anvina left after offering her blessings.

Then, as several "Abathir" moved their slightly bloated bodies to her side and injected her with a special biological toxin, the Great Queen suddenly asked:
"Is what she said true? Can I really gain unchecked power?"

This question prompted Alpha Abathur to glance at the female.

It was too lazy to answer such a meaningless question, but considering that the test subject's emotions might also affect the normal release of the king's pheromones, it said in a cold tone:

"Yes! You will gain power, and lose everything. You will have to bow to no one except the Lightforger and the Overlord. Victory is your mission, conquest is your life, and you will have nothing else."

"Ah, that's enough. With these, I can convince myself that I have them, and nothing else matters."

Shakshir closed his eyes contentedly in a state of numb lucidity.

She urged:

"Hurry, masters, I can't wait to ascend my throne."

"Haha, as you wish."

------

"boom"

Beneath the destroyed Sacred Tree Palace, in a collapsed amber sculpting chamber, the Windbreaker Kerruk, who had just awakened, shattered the amber that encased him with his arm blade.

It has fully recovered from its severe injuries, and even the missing limbs have grown back to a perfect state.

However, this "amber regeneration" experience felt quite different from many of my previous ones. It can only be said that the skills of the amber sculptor under the Empress's command are far from perfect.

The talented Mantid scholar had only mastered the most primitive "Amber Regeneration," but the Klaxxi Elder Order had already iterated on the technology many times. The current Amber Regeneration technique could even seal away the heroes along with their war beasts, thus perfectly preserving the heroes' sanity, memories, and power.

This is a secret technique unique to the Mantis Elders' Order.

No matter how severe the injury, as long as there is still a breath left, the recovery after amber shaping can allow the individual's life to heal quickly, without any sequelae.

The reason why it cannot be promoted on a large scale is that, firstly, the production of the essence amber from the Kepa Sacred Tree is limited, and it is very difficult to supply even the elders and heroes.

It's important to know that, unlike the heroes, the elders are basically mantis sages who have lived from ancient times to the present. Their lifespan is already dozens of times longer than that of normal mantises, and they are still alive and healthy thanks to the amber that keeps them alive.

From this perspective, the Great Queen's insult of these guys as "a bunch of corrupt old geezers" is not exactly slander.

They ride the tradition of the great cycle of reincarnation, yet they do not participate in it themselves, thus escaping the pursuit of death in the name of "serving the sovereign." Such behavior is absolutely not righteous.

Secondly, the amber regeneration technology is key to cultivating heroes, and the elders would not allow this technology to spread and allow the Queen's faction to cultivate their own heroes; that would be asking for trouble.

In short, just as Jarod Shadowsong commented, the insects' character and politics are actually quite dark, especially those highly intelligent mantid. The Windseeker, intended as a test subject for the Amber Sculptor to decipher the secrets, inadvertently escaped the Shadow Chaser's all-out attack in the laboratory. When it awoke, the Sacred Tree was deserted; the luxurious palace was ravaged, and everything of value had been looted.

Even the core of the Kepa Sacred Tree was gnawed away by the King Beast, truly a waste of this precious sacred tree that has stood for thousands of years.

But the Windbreaker did not let its guard down.

As the most outstanding assassin born in the history of the Mantid, it silently left the Sacred Tree Ruins, hiding in the shadows. There were Shadowbugs patrolling around the perimeter, but the elites had all left, and only ordinary bugs remained.

After repeatedly confirming that there was no threat, Kerruk opened his elytra and flew into the air.

It traveled towards the Dread Wastes at top speed, dodging the overwhelming dragons of the Shadow Chaser swarm high in the sky. It scouted their movements and even caught a glimpse of the awe-inspiring King Beast in the distance.

"Their target is the Great Queen's palace. We don't know yet whether Shakshir has broken through. If she is unfortunate, she has probably died at the hands of this dangerous swarm of insects. But they are unwilling to give up and have come to the Dread Wasteland."

This swarm of insects is here to destroy our civilization!

"Ah, the elders must be informed of this news immediately, and the Kharakshi must prepare accordingly."

The Windseekers, the most honorable of the heroes, prepared to turn back to Klaxevith after completing their initial reconnaissance.

That is the stronghold of the Klaxxi Order, and the place where the mantid first worshipped the "Overlord." The Sha essence they acquired over the past ten thousand years is also sealed there.

However, just after the Windgrass flew away from the main road, its keen senses allowed it to quickly detect a peculiar insect engaging in strange behavior.

Several fierce warrior beetles guarded a helmet beetle used to carry goods. Behind the helmet beetle was a saddle, on which a mantis demon sat regally, holding a box whose contents were not clearly visible.

The mantis, dressed in the amber armor of the Great Queen's Guard, looked like a spellcaster and was communicating with several warrior insects through hissing sounds.

It doesn't look like the warrior insects are escorting prisoners; it looks more like the mantises are commanding them.

They were heading in the exact direction of Kalasikvis.

"The Mantids under the Great Queen's command have cooperated with this threatening swarm of insects? Damn it! This is the worst possible outcome I could have imagined."

The Windbreaker spun around and positioned itself in the best position to attack.

It is the most outstanding assassin and swordsman. If it launches a high-altitude attack after gaining the upper hand, it will be fully confident of taking down these guys when it has recovered to its strongest state.

Without hesitation, it launched an attack as the strange group entered a valley.

The signature "Death from Above" tactic transformed the Windbreaker into a meteorite crashing down from the sky, its speed easily surpassing the speed of sound. Carrying kinetic energy, it swung its bio-blades, and in a tearing spin, the three-headed warrior was instantly killed by the Hero.

A sharp blade piercing the back of the head and shredding the brainstem is a fatal injury even to a Shadow Chaser.

The mantis was terrified. After seeing the Windbringer's figure clearly, it screamed, turned around, flapped its wings, and ran away, only to have its head pierced by a weapon thrown by the Windbringer.

Despite the fact that the heroes were completely defeated in a 1v3 battle against the unharmed tyrant, the destructive power of these highly specialized war units against ordinary units is simply indescribable.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for Heroes to be taken seriously by the Mantid, Mogu, and Pandaren factions simultaneously.

The Windseeker easily wiped out a squad, then stepped forward and took the box from the slain Mantid traitor. Initially somewhat nonchalant, the Windseeker shuddered the moment it opened the box.

Inside the box was a dark bone dagger, its design mysterious, eerie, and exquisite, with faint void runes shimmering on its blade.

Just like the previous unharmed ones, Kerruk immediately judged from the aura of this dagger that it was the remains of the "Overlord," a sacred object of all mantises!
More importantly, this dagger contains the essence of three demonic entities: the Demon of Doubt, the Demon of Confusion, and the Demon of Pride. Two of these three demonic entities are precisely the last missing element that the Mantis Demon has been searching for for thousands of years.

Legend has it that as long as the Seven Fiends unite, the Overlord can be resurrected from the ancient defeat!

"Not only these three, but there's also a strange malevolent energy within, a malevolent entity I've never seen before. Is this a trap? And I'm the bait! What are they trying to do by delivering this sacred artifact to me in this way?"

The Windbreaker is not stupid.

It immediately realized that this was definitely a trap, but with the sacred object right in front of it, the hero was caught in a difficult choice. It could not give up its mission to resurrect the ruler, after all, the great cycle of the hero and the mantis was for this goal.

It knew this was dangerous.

But it must take this sacred object back to the elders.

The Mantis Hero closed the treasure chest and pounced on Klaxxivis at top speed.

Meanwhile, in a deserted fishing village on the shores of the Dread Wasteland, a Shadow Hunter strode up and whispered a report to General Staghelm, who was fishing on the dock:
"The Blade of the Dark Empire has fallen into the hands of the Heroes, but I'm curious, General, with their absurdly rich war experience, will they really fall for the trap?"

"Why not?"

Deer Helmet gripped his fishing rod and said in a cold tone:
"So what if it knows it's bait? We've delivered the last two essences of evil spirits that the mantis demon has been searching for for ten thousand years to it. It either won't be used, or it will have no choice but to willingly take the bait."

They want to resurrect the ruler.
Ha, a false god.

"Swish"

With a flick of his wrist, the commander of the Shadow Hunters pulled a fish to the surface of the water.

However, because the Wasteland of Fear has been tainted by Sha energy for many years, this fish has grown three eyes, and the eyes are glowing with an eerie light.

It hopped around at General Deer Helmet's feet, only to be kicked back into the water by the general.

The Shadow Hunter beside him blinked and whispered:
“That strange fish wants to ‘talk’ to you, General.”

"But what do we have to talk about with N'Zoth?"

Staghelm looked at his men, patted Rondorey on the shoulder, and said:

"I can tolerate you drawing more wisdom from the Sea of ​​No Light in private, but you must ensure that you wield the Void to protect the light within your hearts."

If you stray from the path of light and darkness, child, you wouldn't want to be 'talked to' by shadow bugs in some nightmare in the dead of night, would you?

If you still don't understand, let me put it in a simpler way.

Whom are you more afraid of?

N'Zoth?
Or is it domination?

After saying this, General Staghelm dropped his fishing rod, left the dock, took his own tainted divine weapon from his adjutant, and prepared to begin tracking the Blade of the Dark Empire.

The Rondorei stood on the dock for a moment, then suddenly shivered as if he had just thought of something. He frantically pulled out a N'Zoth's emblem from his pocket, grimaced, and threw it into the sea without hesitation.

He even spat hard at the spot where the holy emblem had landed.

This was to express his blasphemy and contempt for the Thousand-Bearded Demon, as well as his loyalty to the Shadow Chaser faction.

Thirty minutes later, the same message was delivered to Diakum.

The Vigilant is currently piloting the Exodar, a ship full of Pandaren, trolls, and Lightforged, flying over Niuzao Temple. Their destination is overseas, at the palace said to be where Thor ascended to godhood.

Diakum, seated on the "Golden Throne" of the navigation console, listened to Saloras's report with his eyes closed, then waved his hand and said:

"Share the news with the Four Celestials. I know they're exhausted from fighting these past few days, but now that the Death Rift has been dealt with, I plan to eliminate that lightning bolt buried in the Valley of Eternal Blossoms before I leave."
The ten-thousand-year-long 'Chaotic Era' of Pandaria will thus come to an end, after which the Four Celestials will have plenty of time to rest.

“But sir, what if the Mantid elders really did resurrect Y’Shaarj?”

Saloras said with some concern:

“That is, after all, the most powerful ancient god in legend. I’m not at ease unless you’re there personally keeping an eye on things.”

"I can't get through this now either."

Diakum spread his hands and said:
"I only know that the Heart of Y'Shaarj is buried in a temple underground in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, but I can't pinpoint its exact location. Only the Klaxxi elders can pinpoint it precisely using the secret technique of combining the Seven Shaars."

We must use them to find that crisis point, especially since the mist seal of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms is hardly friendly to life outside of Pandaria.

As for Yashaji...
Don't worry, with only a black heart remaining, even if Y'Shaarj finds a powerful host, it will be difficult to restore it to the point where it would require the Titans to personally intervene.

Besides, isn't our purpose in coming here precisely to forge divine weapons?

The vigilant patted the tightly sealed box beside him and said:

"The armor we are offering to our Lord is almost ready, but our Lord cannot go to the battlefield empty-handed. Once this 'Thunder God Weapon' is forged, it would be a wonderful thing to temper and refine it with the echo of the strongest ancient god."

Saloras hesitated for a moment.

she says:

“I always felt that after Ordos died, you looked relaxed but were actually completely on edge, preparing for something to come. Alas, perhaps you felt that my sisters and that wild woman Nelly shouldn’t be involved, but I want to say that we are more than just friends.”

Therefore, if the pressure is too great, we can help share it, even if it's just a little bit.

Diakum turned and glanced at her.

He noticed Saloras's worry, smiled, kissed her cheek, and said:
"I will tell you that even if you want to escape, you can't. That matter is closely related to the future of the entire Star Sea. No one can escape that cause and effect, so be prepared."

Together we will weather the storms of fate, and then, triumph!

(End of this chapter)