Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 543, Section 4: Mardun's Offensive - Illidan's Wild Hunt
When Diakum returned to Stormwind through the Dark Portal, Illidan's emissary, Lady Arandine, the Demon Hunter and an old friend of the Eredar, was already waiting for him at Northshire Abbey.

Demon hunters are not the type to waste time. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Diakum boarded the blind men's landing pod and headed to orbit the planet.

The Illidari hunter ships have been stationed there all this time, always ready to launch an attack.

To be honest, every time Diakum boarded this Illidari warship, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. It wasn't the fel energy that filled the ship, but rather the mental hurdle he couldn't overcome.

What kind person would let a bunch of blind men sail a boat?

Isn't this just waiting to transform into the evil power of the Great Demon Lord?
Although there is no direct evidence, Diakum always felt that every crash the Illidari had made in their ten thousand years of hunting in the stars was somewhat directly related to the fact that the blind men should not have been in the pilot's seat.

Yes, at least one-tenth of the reason is that!
Of course, he wouldn't say such a thing in a place full of demon hunters; that would be asking for a beating.

"How did you get into this state? You look like a complete mess."

Diakum was not led to the hunter's navigation station, but instead met Illidan in the "medical room".

It's quite surprising that there's a "medical room" unit on a ship filled with fel energy and half-demons. One can only say that the Illidari's meticulousness is delightful.

Illidan the Starhunter was visibly in poor condition at that moment.

His injuries were secondary; it was the weakness that made Diakum frown. He didn't need to check or treat him, since the Demon Hunter was full of fel energy, and if holy light were poured into him, he would explode on the spot.

他 说:

"Where is your inner demon? Why can't I feel its provocation at all? It used to always provoke me."

"When leaving Marton, they were ambushed and pursued by a group of traitors."

The Star Hunter made no attempt to hide his disheveled state.

He lay on that chair, brimming with malevolent energy, "healing" his weakness from his inner demons, and then, in his classic, hoarse voice, said:
"In order to bring back intelligence, Auturis and I led our fighting brothers on a dangerous boarding maneuver. We repelled the traitors, but at the cost of almost getting lost in the void vortex."

My adjutant, the powerful hunter general Aurelius, has been captured by them.

But he should still be on Mardon.

The demons won't let him die so easily, which actually gives us the possibility of rescuing him and those trapped.

“Hmm, the traitors of the Illidari, I’ve heard of that group.”

Diakum nodded, and the hunting master Arantien beside him whispered an explanation:
"This time, the attack on us was personally led by 'Traitor' Kelya Fel Soul and her Fel Warband. When we followed the Starhunters and sneaked into Mardon on Targas's command ship to scout, we didn't realize that the Burning Legion had also recruited them to join the war."

But the cunning traitor sensed our presence first.

She set a trap, inviting the powerful high demon lord 'Fleshbreaker' Gorerick to join the hunt, and attacked us at the border of the Twisting Nether when we were about to leave Mardun and our defenses were at their weakest.

The traitor and her followers wielded hundreds of pairs of Aldorjerk Blades, bestowed upon them by Kil'jaeden the Conqueror, making them incredibly powerful, while their ally Gorerick also possessed a terrifying cursed weapon.

Lord Illidan was unjustly ambushed by Kelya Fel Soul and Gorereix while fighting off their combined attack!

"No need to flatter me, Arandien."

Illidan shook his head and said in a hoarse voice:
"I was defeated, there's nothing wrong with that. I've failed before over the past ten thousand years, but I've always managed to win again after each defeat. However, this defeat was truly an accident."

Diakum, I must remind you, the cursed weapon in the hands of that great demon lord is quite extraordinary.

It might just be the weapon you were looking for recently that can perfectly counter Nathrezim.

That's the legendary 'Cursed Throat,' said to devour everything.

The Star Hunter let out a strange laugh, patted his arm, and said to Dick:

“I have personally tested the ‘power’ of that divine weapon for you. It devoured two-thirds of my inner demons. If it can even devour spiritual energy like inner demons that have no physical form, then that battle axe can certainly wipe out the dread demons!”

In the physical sense.

This is double happiness.

"Indeed, a divine artifact that can devour everything sounds like a perfect match for the Devourer of All Realms."

Diakum stroked his chin and said:

"However, Mardon, the Demon Star, is a broken planet. If you intend to launch a devastating raid there, then relying solely on the Illidari and the Lightforged Chapter is certainly not enough."

“I sent messages to many of my ‘old friends’ in the sea of ​​stars.”

Illidan said:

"The Node Hunters of the Order of the Stars, the Starsea Bounty Hunters who have been fighting the Burning Legion for years, the Vengeance Warband composed of demon survivors from several worlds, and a group of fierce rangers that I thought were dead but were actually still alive."

Those Odachi who survived because of the intervention of the Holy Light Legion.

They were the last of the Oddachi, and upon hearing that the Burning Legion's minions wielding their artifacts were also on Mardon, those fierce fellows immediately agreed to join the battle.

But as you said, such a large group is indeed not enough to break through Marton.

"The Burning Legion is preparing a terrifying invasion. Based on the strategic plans we have uncovered, we are certain that their target this time is Azeroth. They are personally commanding the Blacksmith Sargeras and have mobilized more than thirty demonic chapters specializing in destruction from various star sectors."

The number of great demons gathered in Marton alone exceeded one hundred.

Arantien sighed and said:
"Most terrifyingly, in order to ensure the success of the invasion, Sachil learned from the failures of the Defilers and ordered the Burning Legion's weapons foundries to be moved to Mardum as well."

There, demonic warships are being forged, the Fel Heart of the Burning Legion. The Apocalypse Engineer Kingaros is forging the terrifying Garrosh World Destroyer in the lava pools of Mardon. I saw it with my own eyes; the steel giant, equipped with a weapon capable of destroying a world, has already taken shape under Kingaros's forging.

In addition, the Burning Legion has prepared at least three chapters' worth of Fel Reavers and Felsteel Annihilators.

This time, they're going to use a "lion hunting a rabbit" strategy, attacking Azeroth with all their might. Even from the most optimistic perspective, I don't think our world can withstand such a terrifying military force.

Therefore, Lord Illidan believed that only by destroying this legion before it set out could Azeroth buy some time.

Diakum nodded.

He knew this was necessary, as the demon star Mardum possessed a unique "spatial structure"—a prison once used by the Pantheon to hold order-breakers captured from the star sea, which Sargeras later shattered, releasing demon prisoners to form the original Burning Legion.

That world was dragged into the Twisting Nether and then transformed, giving it the ability to ignore all spatial structures and send demons to any star sector.

But that ability was clearly not innate; rather, Sargeras had hidden one of his "treasures" in Mardon.

It's hard to say whether there are other "war nexus" like Mardum in the Twisting Nether, but it's certain that once Mardum is destroyed, the Burning Legion will be unable to invade other worlds at will, ignoring spatial structures, for a very long time.

Although they also have a large fel-powered fleet, compared to the exaggerated scale of the matter-filled star system, the speed of the demon warships is simply insignificant.

Illidan the Starhunter had been plotting this ever since he learned of Mardun's existence.

He knew very well that destroying the war nexus Mardon was the most important part of slowing down the Burning Crusade.

"You want me to contact the Legion of Holy Light?"

Diakum asked a question, and Illidan nodded, saying:
"Although I hate those overly fanatical guys, I have to admit that they are the only ones in the Star Sea who have the courage and ability to cooperate with our operation, and they are absolutely willing to participate."

"No, time is too tight."

The vigilant shook his head and said:

“Your reconnaissance has been discovered by the demons, and they will definitely adjust their arrangements. Even if the Holy Light Legion responds immediately, it will take them several months to get from the Holy Light Universe to the fel energy border where Mardon is located.”

The demons aren't fools.

Moreover, this legionary invasion was personally commanded by Sachiel, so we must act immediately! As for the army, I actually have an 'army' at my disposal.

"It all depends on whether you dare to use it, Illidan."

"dare?"

The Starhunter was taken aback by the question, but then he realized that Diakum was referring to the Shadow Chaser swarm.

The previous Void Wars, thanks to the Dark Titan's "highlight performance," caused the demons in the Twisting Nether to go crazy with discussion. In order to promote Sargeras's invincibility, the archdemons specially hired eloquent demons to boast about it everywhere, making the whole star system a hot topic of discussion.

As hunters, the Illidari naturally had their own intelligence channels.

Therefore, Illidan basically figured out all the details of that battle on his way back. He even knew that the Shadow Chaser swarm had destroyed a Void faction's flesh and blood continent during the war. If we don't consider the appearance, those Void fel creatures that could mass produce troops insanely were basically equivalent to the status of Mardum in the Burning Legion's combat system.

"But as far as I know, your swarm should have been wiped out. How could the Sea of ​​No Light allow such terrifying, rebellious insects to survive?"

Illidan fell into thought, and he slowly said:

"You tampered with things beforehand?" "Yes, our strength has been greatly reduced. You could even say we've returned to our most destitute state, unable to even muster a single combat swarm."

Dick did not hide the swarm's weakness, saying:
"But as long as there is enough biomass, the transformed swarm can multiply rapidly. You just said that there are enough demons on Marton, right?"

These words caused all the demon hunters around to stop what they were doing.

They stared at Diakum in astonishment, even Illidan sat up straight. The Starhunter asked very cautiously:
"What exactly are you planning to do?!"

"The demons invade other worlds everywhere, they follow the lust for fel energy and spread destruction, they crave eternal war to satisfy their twisted desires."

Demons are immortal; they are resurrected in the Twisting Nether after being defeated.

This means we have virtually no chance of completely eradicating the demonic threat from the material world; however, perhaps it's time to let the demons experience what it's like to be 'invaded'.

Diakum stood there and spoke in a pastoral, compassionate tone:

"The great cycle of the Swarm has begun. The War of the Darkness is merely a declaration originating from eternity. Other Forces seem unaware of the true significance of the Swarm's existence."

That was not just a disaster in the Sea of ​​No Light!
When the Shadow Chaser was driven from its birthplace, it desperately needed a hunting ground where it could find enough biomass; it needed the highest level of evolution!

So, is there any race more suitable as a source of biological resources than undead demons?
Once both sides have completed their 'cooperation,' they can almost achieve 'perpetual motion.'

The vigilant paused.

He emphasized:

We must curb evil power!

We cannot futilely seek victory on every invaded planet; every victory we achieve means the demons will gain ten more victories in other sectors.

The exhaustion of the Illidari, the Legion of Light, and other rebels proved this strategy flawed. A more direct approach was needed to weaken the demons' exaggerated immortality at its core.

Yes.

I've decided to release the swarm!
Let the wings of the Shadow Chaser fly through the fel realms, and on every demon star in the Twisting Nether, the vanguard of the swarm will roam freely.

The eternal cycle has begun, and this time its target is fel energy.

The medical room fell silent. Even the most radical Illidan gripped his fel-infused claws. He wasn't frightened, but a sudden, inappropriate hesitation arose amidst his excitement.

他 说:

"What if it gets out of control?"

"As long as I or the Overmind are alive, the swarm will not get out of control."

Dick gave a slightly sinister smile and said:
"If both it and I die, then I can only wish the six realms and the material world good luck. But on the bright side, if the death of the supreme will causes a split in the swarm's will, they will start fighting each other first."

Before a victor emerges and a new supreme will is born, the swarm will also be mired in a long period of division.

The demons will not let this opportunity pass; they will retaliate, and the two sides will continue to fight each other in the Twisting Nether until an irrefutable result is determined by force.

"Hmm, demons and swarms, what a perfect match."

"Then do it!"

Illidan stood up, extended his hand to Diakum, and said:

"Your swarms need time to hatch their first warriors after being left in Mardon. Our duty as rebels is to buy them that time, isn't it?"

"Ah."

Dick grasped Illidan's hand.

The clash between holy light and fel energy caused blinding sparks to dance around their fingers. He said:
"Dig out that Mardum 'jewel,' and evacuate before the Zerg swarm takes over the battlefield. Leave the final cleanup to me. Mardum will cease to exist! The Legion's Nexus will perish in the Great Cycle."

However, the fact that Sargeras could create the first Keystone meant that He could create more, but the Dark Titans simply felt it was unnecessary.

In the future, new war hubs will certainly emerge.

"That's our duty."

The Star Hunter shouted:

"The Illidari will not stop hunting. They create a calamity star, and we destroy it! If this is truly an eternal cycle, as you say, then I would gladly become a blade and be thrown into it."

Let's begin, Diakum.

Let us begin our first real counterattack, 25,000 years after the Burning Crusade began.

------

"Dang, Dang, Dang"

The deep, resonant sound of the holy bell echoed throughout the void rift where the Twin Realms Walker was located, startling the Void Spirits who were conducting some indescribable void experiments.

The Twinwalker appeared on the shattered land where the swarm was located as it walked through the void. It was astonished to see the worker bees carrying one egg after another towards Agamaggan, Eranikus, and Anub'arak, who had already risen.

The three-headed beast moved its body, placing the insect eggs on its massive and sturdy dragon armor. Even the gene masters, who always stayed in the cave, moved their bloated bodies and walked with the swarm of insects.

This scene resembles the start of a "great migration".

As the Blade Queen Shakshir flapped her bone wings and landed beside the Twin-World Walker, supported by terrifying mental power, this worldly-wise ethereal being couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice:

Where are you planning to go?

"The eternal cycle is calling; the Lightforged have designated a new enemy for the Swarm, and of course we must rush to the battlefield!"

Shakshir, her face beaming with pride and joy, exclaimed:

"The Swarm is about to embark on a new conquest, and we need you to do one last thing for us. Please open a void rift and send us to the planet closest to the edge of the Twisting Nether."

"The border of the distorted void?"

The energy body beneath the bandages of the Twin Realms Walker flashed its video again, representing the astonishment of this ethereal master.

It exclaimed:

"You're going to Marton?"

"Truly worthy of being a partner of the Lightforgers, your wisdom and insight are something the Swarm craves."

The Queen of Blades used a compliment that made the Dual Realms Walker very uncomfortable.

What does it mean to be coveted by the swarm?
Oh, so you've become so thirsty for the ultimate evolution of superior genes that you're even going after an outstanding energy being like me?

But even after realizing he had correctly guessed the swarm's next move, the Twinworld Walker's head still throbbed with pain.

It's unclear what suddenly drove Diakum to launch a war against the Demon War Nexus, but this will undoubtedly become another "Interesting Anecdote" following the Void God War.

The Dual-World Walker compared the advantages and disadvantages of the Shadow Chasers and the demons, and then realized a terrifying future that was likely to occur: the demons' "rear area" was about to be invaded.

Moreover, the fact that the vigilant is personally taking charge brings this future infinitely closer to reality.

However, it calmed down at this point.

Although the world of the ethereal beings wasn't destroyed by demons, the ethereal beings and demons aren't exactly friends, right? With such precious time, why would they have time to mourn the demons' misfortunes?

It thought for a moment and then asked:

"The internal structure of the Twisting Void is very similar to that of the Sea of ​​Matter; both are demonic lands composed of individual stars. The Zerg Swarm currently lacks the means to traverse the Sea of ​​Matter. How do you plan to achieve a larger-scale expansion there?"

"You have too many questions, and they involve swarm secrets."

The Queen of Blades stared coldly at the Twinworld Walker with her two bloodshot eyes and the compound eye on her forehead, but then, as if she had received permission from the will of the swarm, she seemed to have received permission from the swarm.

Say it softly:
"It's just not there yet. The Leviathan Queen will soon take flight, and an even more amazing 'Insect Saint' will be born in the future. Be patient in the material world, Master. As long as you live long enough, you will eventually witness the Zerg mothership soaring through the stars."

Yes.

If you continue asking these questions without any tact, I can only wish you a long life.

(End of this chapter)