Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 552, Section 13: Shattered Earth, Burying the Dead in Despair - Bonus Chapter for Brother "Jiling Zaiyuan" [45]

"Insect swarms. Amazing life. Worthy of study."

A deep hum echoed through the demonic forge of the Apocalypse Engineers, and the colossal forgeman Kingaros had actually stopped his beloved forging.

The eyes of this Antarn High Demon, who had severed his lower body and eternally merged himself with the forging table, gleamed with fel energy. It seemed to be able to observe the battlefield outside through the demonic surveillance cameras deployed throughout Mardun.

Kingaros was as if he had found a "war sample" more worthy of reference than the world-destroying weapon he was currently forging.

It watched intently, trying to use this last bit of time to observe and study a series of war characteristics of the swarm, even though the swarm was "devouring" the entire demons of Mardon in a rather exaggerated manner.

Whether weak demon guards or powerful demon lords, they will all perish miserably in the relentless and merciless attacks and slaughter of the insect swarm.

Every piece of flesh, every ore, and every valuable item will be used without waste.

The swarm is exploring the "war potential" of the entire Marton with a pragmatic attitude that Kingaros greatly "appreciates," like a war engine in operation, constantly devouring everything beneficial and transforming it into destructive, berserk power.

What's even more remarkable is that this power is not bestowed upon individuals, but rather shared equally among the group.

Each node is like a tentacle of the swarm, sharing war information with each other with an intoxicating efficiency, while an invisible force envelops the impoverished spirits of all the swarm, acting as their war beacon.

The swarm always knows which enemies require full force and which enemies can be defeated and devoured at a lower cost.

Their strategy is constantly being revised and fine-tuned; it changes in real time, making the swarm a "moving whole." The demons not only have to face thousands of ferocious predators, but also that invisible giant.

Kingaros felt a chill run down his spine at this mode of warfare.

It knew that no matter how many deadly weapons it forged for the Burning Legion, the inherently flawed demons could never achieve such a perfect strategic advance.

Although these two life forms are fundamentally different in their underlying logic, if the Zerg swarm is truly specialized in warfare, then the demons are nothing more than a gang of thugs who wreak havoc everywhere with their destructive nature and the blessing of fel energy.

Yes.

In the eyes of an apocalyptic engineer like Kingaros, demons are rather terrible fel creations.

They are violent but irrational, brave but disunited, powerful but unlearning.

The Fel Force is a terrible creator; it simply dumped its destructive power on the demons born in the Twisting Nether, bestowed upon them a destructive nature, and then abandoned them, letting these savage creatures run rampant.

Although Kingaros was also one of the higher demons born from the Twisting Nether, it never thought that demons had anything to be proud of.

Even now, though Lord Kil'jaeden has spent 25,000 years finally disciplining the savage demons into the highly aggressive Burning Legion, the evolution of "demon civilization" has only just begun.

If the demons do not wake up from their illusion of invincibility and earnestly implement the law of survival of the fittest, building their own civilization from scratch, then their complete defeat in the struggle of the six fundamental forces is only a matter of time.

To be honest, the Apocalypse engineers are very pessimistic about this.

Lord Sargeras is the true god of fel energy, the commander and leader of all demons. Unfortunately, the Dark Titan was too obsessed and did not spend time on the great cause of elevating demons and shaping the foundation of civilization in the Twisting Nether.

In this respect, Sargeras was not a perfect commander either.

He placed his own desires above the interests of the Fel Force, and even though the Burning Legion, which he built with his own hands, brought extreme destruction every second to please the Fel Force, it was ultimately just a fleeting victory.

Alas, Sargeras, cruel and powerful monarch, you ultimately do not understand human nature.

The Apocalypse Engineers found themselves being a little too "sentimental" today.

Perhaps it was the swarm's aggressive pattern that made it aware of the nascent "destructive civilization" it had been searching for, or perhaps its demonic mind had been influenced by some malevolent force.
beep.

With a soft click, the mental correction protocol was activated.

The explosion of fel energy unleashed a destructive force that coursed through his body, and the mental conflict that sparked like electricity stripped Kingaros of the invisible malevolent energy that was affecting his mind.

It knew that the watchdog was coming soon.

If that guy possessed even a tenth of the legendary wisdom and greatness, he would never have allowed himself to live today.

The glorious legend of the Apocalypse Engineers will come to an end today, but it doesn't matter. As a forger, Kingaros has completed all the earth-shattering designs in his mind, and he can die without regrets.

Moreover, it may not necessarily "die".

Even though this is the Twisted Void, where the death of any demon here means the soul returns to evil energy, what is there for my weary body to worry about?
The most important thing is wisdom!

Every weapon of war of the Burning Legion is designed by its own hand, and those devices that conform to the destructive aesthetics of the Twisting Nether ensure the continuation of its wisdom with every roar.

He was about to die, but he had already achieved immortality.

If, in the future, demons can use the fel technology they left behind to develop a true "demon civilization," then they will become the founders of a civilization.

Kingaros took a few seconds to define his life, then began to spend the remaining time observing the Zerg's war patterns, recording his thoughts and opinions, and sending them back to the Burning Heart of Argus.

Kil'jaeden may have his own ideas, but in any case, there is no demon more outstanding than Kil'jaeden in the position of High Demon Lord.

Demons need to evolve!
They need to evolve even more than life in the material world, and even more than life in the Sea of ​​No Light; otherwise, when their innate advantages are exhausted, the demons will become the most pathetic life forms in this sea of ​​stars.

The Sea of ​​No Light has already given birth to "great life" like the swarm of insects.

The intensity of the Force Wars has already entered a new phase; perhaps the real war has only just begun, with the Zerg calling for an "eternal cycle."
Ah, what a perfect description! The Eternal War, the War of Heaven, the War of the Abyss. Countless exaggerated words can be piled up for such a war, and it is more than qualified to bear all these glorious names.

Will the future of the stars be determined in such a war?
Kingaros felt it wasn't that simple.

This sea of ​​stars is resilient enough that even in the destroyed star systems swept away by the Burning Expedition, new civilizations are still being born.

The influence of the six fundamental forces on the material star sea remains constrained to a very low level, and the future of the star sea is uncertain, at least not in this era.

What a shame.

I will not have the chance to witness the ultimate war between the six fundamental forces and the material star sea. Perhaps I can call it the "final war"?
Ah, all things come to an end, and will a new era be born from the ashes of those ruins, or will everything be destroyed?
Damn!

The evil energy is still affecting me!
The mental correction protocol failed, and I've been wasting my already limited time for observation and summarization on these meaningless thoughts since just now.

"boom"

The forge's thick, magical steel walls were shattered.

A burst of intense light erupted from it, melting the solid wall as the highly aggressive light traveled upwards along the iron wall, leaving its own veins of light within the fel-elemental demon steel.

It's as if it's been "forged" by the light and heat of a star, causing changes in its molecular structure.

If this process can continue, a new material might be born from the interplay of holy light and fel energy.
Without Kingaros issuing any orders, several miniature Garrosh World Destroyers were activated. Infused with bursts of different energies—fel, shadow, and fire—these destructive weapons roared toward the invaders, fulfilling their defensive duty, which they had been designed to undertake.

However, the next instant was the release of a scorching solar fist.

The exaggerated light and heat distorted the air and the carefully refined steel. The fastest Garrosh Slayer didn't even make a touch of Diakum before being brutally melted by the star's light and heat. The indestructible steel turned into molten iron in the release of this energy.

Diakum carried Ashbringer across the Felsteel Avenue.

He left behind melting footprints, while the fiery mech was bound in place by holy light. In a single contact with the Giant of Light, all its heat was extracted and gathered in Diakum's palm as a golden "shard of the sun".

"Have you finished your last words?"

In the intense light and shadow that obscured everything except a blurry outline, Diakum's gentle voice rang out, as if in jest:

"Time is running out."

The fragment of the sun in his hand spun, like the only light source in the forge, constantly drawing heat from all parts of the workshop, causing the giant equipment that was still running to shut down and cooling the magma below.

It seems that Diakum intends to end Kingaros's cursed life with a single "Anser's Solar Fist".

It's hard to say whether this is an honor or not, but it is indeed the Vigilant's strongest attack method besides the Enemy Breaker's sword technique, fully demonstrating his "high regard" for the Apocalypse Engineers.

The Apocalypse Engineers did not respond to this declaration of death.

It remained silent for a moment before asking:
"Your swarm cannot all leave Marton; some choose to stay here. Why? This is a waste of resources! It goes against the laws of the swarm."

"Those were the first three rounds of incubation products of the 'rapid propagation resolution'."

Diakum patiently explained:

"As 'air transport' that rapidly proliferates and joins the war, the emphasis is on the most perfect response speed and the ability to maintain combat power as much as possible. The price is that they consume their life force rapidly from the moment they are born."

You can think of those insects as 'incomplete'.

They can only maintain a high-intensity state of war by constantly eating. Even if they go through the portal, they will die in a short time. Moreover, due to the severe depletion of their bodily functions, the biomass they produce after death is quite scarce.

Therefore, they do not need to participate in the war deployment after the swarm. Their only mission is to die here, to kill as many demons as possible with all their might.

This is a typical attrition-based unit.

"I see, what a wonderful design."

The Apocalypse Engineer offered praise, and then asked several questions about the swarm, which Diakum answered one by one.

He was building up his Solar Flare, but that wasn't the main reason.

After Kingaros's last question was answered, the Great Demon said with a hint of doubt:

"This intelligence will be sent to the conquerors, so why are you so blatantly 'aiding the enemy'?"

"Do you think that if I don't tell you, Kil'jaeden can't figure out these details in one or two battles? Are you underestimating the most outstanding war commander of us Eredar?"

Diakum countered:
"Moreover, if the demons cannot effectively counter the swarm's weaknesses, how can the Shadow Chaser swarm evolve rapidly under adversity?"
Weak enemies are meaningless to the swarm, and slaughtering the weak is a waste of their time.

Insects experience no joy, nor are they excited by destruction; they only pursue the glory of supreme evolution and the great cycle of reincarnation.

The only truth of the swarm is that the weak perish and the strong survive.

If their conquest of the Twisting Nether fails, it only proves that the swarm is not yet perfect and they still need to work harder on the path of evolution.

Evolution has no end!

What can a demon, who boasts of its power but is actually just resting on its laurels, use to fight against such a civilization?
If this war fails to foster the evolution of demons, then the fel beasts of the Twisting Nether will ultimately become nothing more than 'food'.

At this point, the vigilant smiled.

他 说:

"The swarm was never simply a creation of the void. When I shaped them, I gave them all the talents that wild nature had bestowed upon me."

They were born in the sea of ​​light, but they are products of both 'void' and 'life'.

I've always felt that the Burning Legion's existence is a joke. The Dark Titans needed a weapon, so the demons willingly became that weapon, considering it an honor, completely failing to understand that Sargeras didn't need them at all.

The demons' true enemy is neither the material world nor any other Force!

The demons' true enemy is Sargeras!
If the foolish, arrogant, and proud demons cannot realize this, if they cannot wrest the authority of fel energy back from the Dark Titans, the fall of the Twisting Nether is only a matter of time.

These arrogant and insane remarks silenced the Apocalypse engineers.

It activated a device with its enormous finger, and then, amidst the rising, destructive fel flames, it whispered:

"Yes, Sargeras embraced fel energy, but He still governs us in the way He does as a Titan, using destruction to create the order He desires."

How pathetic.
Both we and He are pathetic!

You're right. If the demons can't reclaim the throne of fel energy from the Dark Titans, we have no future. So, in the Battle of Nalan, did order truly lose and fel energy win?

Isn't this a case of "borrowing a chicken to lay an egg" when the Order faction is facing defeat?

When the sea of ​​stars is engulfed in war, isn't what is born a world filled with a coercive order?
Oh no, we've been tricked!

Even the supreme Twisting Nether was tricked; Sargeras donned the cloak of fel energy, but at his core, he was still an Order Titan!

"Your conclusion is somewhat contrary to the natural order, my demonic friend."

Diakum raised the fully charged "Solar Fist" orb in his hand and said:

“But you are indeed a wise one among demons, and for that reason, I must send you away myself.”

"Perhaps, we can leave together?"

Kingaros discarded the meaningless forging hammer in his hand, a tool used by demon craftsmen to forge weapons of destruction, but which could also become a terrifying weapon.

However, using this thing to fight the Vigilant is somewhat of a pipe dream.

It raised its hands high, as if embracing evil energy itself, and proclaimed:
"The first weapon test of the Apocalypse Bomb begins! Destroy! End all things! That is the true ideal of demons! Sargeras, false god, you will fall!"

"boom"

The golden solar fist slammed into Kingaros's body.

It seems that even a Holy Light Walker like Diakum could not tolerate Jingaros's "mad ramblings." Considering that Lord Sargeras had just helped him resolve the war of the gods, Diakum was also finding it difficult to bear the slander against Him by this wicked demon.

He wants to help the Dark Titan get rid of its "biggest threat".

How could you, you bastard, shout "evil truth" so loudly?

The demons shouldn't know all this at this time; their current level of civilization is far beyond their comprehension.

Perhaps in the future, the demons will also awaken.

When that time comes, they will also realize who is the one who enslaved them.

Hmm, when Lord Sargeras sees the "Demon Rebellion" appear with his own eyes, His expression will surely be quite something.

However, that is the truth.

Compared to the Legion's path, the purer end of all things is the future that the Fel Force wants to see. It's not for victory, nor for enjoying pathetic slaughter; destruction is its truth!

He will personally destroy the other Forces, engulf the entire star system in a world-burning inferno, and after destroying everything visible, the Fel will enter its final self-destruction.

When the Twisted Void completely collapses, the ideal of the end of all things will finally be realized.

This is true evil energy.
Using destruction to forge order sounds rather sinister, Lord Sargeras.

You've gone astray.

"boom"

With this thought in mind, Diakum opened his arms to embrace the destructive power erupting from the core of Mardon.

That was the Apocalypse Bomb designed and built by Kingaros.

Of course, this is no ordinary item; it's specifically designed for world destruction, and not every world can enjoy this privilege.

Perhaps only an army like Azeroth, an enemy world, is worthy of being struck by such destructive power. It is a will that bursts forth from the source of evil energy, and it destroys not only matter, but even the borders of the turbulent Force domain.

In the raging inferno, Diakum felt the tremors of the distorted void, and other Forces were also affected, with disordered energy churning within, fueling the destruction.

Even the Star Soul couldn't withstand the extreme ravages of such a collision of the six primal forces.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the Twisting Nether, Captain Yuna intently observed the entire destruction of Mardon from the lookout tower.

She felt as if she had entered a black hole that was erupting at the core of that world, where strange lights intertwined, not just the eerie green of evil energy, but even golden holy light swirling within.

The entire Mardon was being swallowed up and collapsed, and even the demons who were still fighting the insects were staring in disbelief at this scene.

But soon, at the center of that black hole, an even darker point of light appeared, as if some invisible behemoth had opened its maw, frantically and greedily devouring all of this precious and primal energy.

It spread faster than the power of destruction, and it was more thirsty than the burning will.

Like a primal hunger for devouring born from the sea of ​​stars, it eventually devours everything, an entire world including the destructive resonance energy triggered by the Apocalypse Bomb, and even the black hole itself that is forming.

Nothing is left.

Where Mardon once stood, only a pitiful, completely shattered star ring remained—a lifeless remnant devoid of any nourishment. And at the center of that dim star ring stood the solitary figure of the Devourer of All Realms.

The trench coat made of entropy energy blended perfectly with the surrounding shadows, and the butterfly wings adorned with the light of fallen stars were also fluttering quietly, with streaks of light illuminating them.

It's like a world-destroying demon king admiring his own glory.

However, in the next instant, the golden sun burst forth from the darkness, like a newborn sun illuminating the gloom of the distorted void.

"Just one step left."

Beside Captain Yuna, Illidan Stormrage whispered:
"He's just one step away from becoming a 'god,' and luckily he's on our side."

(End of this chapter)