Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 562, 23. Hey, goblins cultivating the Dark Heart are a professional skill, a family tradition, you know?

The Dark Heart that the group found on the forbidden island was only a half-finished product.

Neltharion didn't finish it. He only did half of the carving on the border. It looks like an overconfident researcher who took on an extremely difficult research project, only to realize halfway through that he couldn't finish it and decided to abandon it.

Of course, Dick knew the truth wasn't that simple.

After all, Neltharion did create the "Dragon Soul" using the same technique 10,000 years ago, meaning that in terms of skill, Big Brother definitely meets the requirements. The reason he didn't complete Darkheart might be due to other concerns.

But Diakum can't complete his next series of "plans" with a half-finished product, so he now urgently needs this thing to be properly made.

When Neltharion II used the power of the earth bestowed upon him by Mother World to transport the group from the island to the Green Dragon Coast, the Vigilante's avatar was still "assigning tasks" to Onyxia.

“Go to Deeprock and bring your father’s goblin masters to Dragon Isles. They will complete the final step of this artifact in the Black Dragons’ territory on the Awakening Coast, the ‘Obsidian Throne’.”

He said to Onyxia, who was listening attentively:
"It is said that the Dragon Soul was completed with the help of those goblin masters. They must have mastered similar skills, and although those guys are greedy, they were indeed the ones who accompanied Neltharion the longest."

They certainly know how to properly 'temper' this Dark Heart.

"hiss"

The Black Dragon Princess gasped, and whispered:

"Those goblin masters don't charge cheap prices. Have you forgotten about your armor from last time?"

"It'll cost a lot of money, and it's a side job. This time it involves the Darkheart, those guys would be doing a disservice to their race and bloodline if they didn't take the opportunity to rip us off."

"Ha, they still have the nerve to mention that armor?"

Diakum was furious.

A look of being "deceived" crossed his face, and he scolded:

"What happened to the most durable thing in Azeroth? I wore it and it didn't even last three battles before it broke. Isn't this 'contract fraud'?"

I still have those armor fragments with me.

Go and bring the goblin masters over; let's have a serious discussion with them about what 'contractual spirit' really means."

"Uh, they probably won't acknowledge this. You're going to wear it to fight against seven Void Gods! Even the best armor can't withstand your kind of abuse."

Onyxia sighed.

She glanced at the guardian dragon kings above her, who remained in an awkward silence, then looked at the black dragon behind her who had already stood up, and the green dragons flying around, ready to mediate at any moment.

She felt that what was about to happen would be very interesting.

But now that I am a Lightforged Dragon, I have left the ranks of the five-colored dragons, so I should not indulge in such "low-level fun" and obediently complete the mission given to me by the Lightforged.

Before leaving, she still expressed her loyalty, whispering:
“You can’t fight in your current state. How about we send a few Lightforged Dragons to be your bodyguards? My mother has been studying the Light and Shadow Codex recently, and she would definitely be willing to follow you to comprehend the mysteries of light and shadow.”

"Uh?"

Diakum sensed something was wrong.

He gave Onyxia a strange look, feeling that this black dragon princess might have lost her mind. "Your mother has been widowed for many years, and you think it's appropriate for you to try and comprehend the mysteries of light and shadow with an outsider like me?"

Putting everything else aside, your "dad" is right here!
Wow, you black dragons are really playing fancy tricks.

The stern gaze of the devout believer made the black dragon princess, who was eager to find herself a "stepfather of the sun god," feel somewhat embarrassed. She cursed Chromie's bad idea in her heart, saying that the Vigilant liked "mature women" with tails.

The vigilant doesn't like his mother, who is tens of thousands of years old and does have a tail.

She lowered her head and took a few steps back, then, before Diakum could get angry, roared and transformed into a dragon, flying away. Neltharion II raised his hand, activating a patch of ground to open a tunnel for Onyxia to the Deepholm.

Having mastered the power of the earth and mountains, it was quite adept at this task, since the Deep Rock Continent was also part of the concept of "earth".

Onyxia dashed into the living earth tunnel, but Neltharion II's classic casting gesture finally allowed the tense atmosphere to move to the next step.

Malygos, who has been harboring resentment, might be able to convince himself to let go of the black dragons who have "corrected their ways," since the blue dragons had already killed quite a few bad black dragons in the Battle of Lordaeron.

Ten thousand years ago, the Blue Dragon Legion was almost wiped out by the Black Dragons. Ten thousand years later, they almost wiped out the Black Dragons. Now, the Black Dragon Legion is reduced to this few people, the rest of whom have been forged by light. This is called an eye for an eye, and it's considered even.

But after witnessing Deathwing's appearance with his own eyes, the old blue dragon could no longer contain the evil fire burning within him.

It will never forget the innocent people of its kind who were knocked down from the sky by the mad Deathwing using the soul of a dragon during the War of the Ancients. So many children were only following their elders onto the battlefield for the first time. They were bravely fighting against demons to protect the world, but they died at the hands of their own mad kin!

The blood and death caused Malygos to roar as he broke free from the restraints of Alexstrasza and Nozdormu. He gathered the power of the Spellweaver to utterly kill the hooded figure below.

Although the opponent was in illusion form, Malygos could never forget the aura of his mortal enemy.

It was once Neltharion's best friend and brother.

In those peaceful and idyllic times, the two spent countless nights together in the Azure Archives researching the mysteries of magic and having countless late-night talks by candlelight. However, the closer their relationship became, the more unforgivable Deathwing's betrayal seemed.

Perhaps Malygos truly hated not only Deathwing, but also himself?
After all, it was once the dragon king most closely associated with Neltharion, yet it still failed to discover the madness hidden beneath its rationality. When Deathwing took out the Dragon Soul, as a dragon king who possessed the truth of magic, it should have discovered the hidden danger within.

But I failed to fulfill my responsibilities!

This is how the tragic fate of the guardian dragons ten thousand years ago was created.

The deaths and tragedies of that day also had their own part. In the official history, the old blue dragon was eventually driven mad, perhaps due to both loneliness and terrible self-blame.

Now, this complex situation transformed into a surge of angry magic, which erupted at this moment, and a terrifying arcane tear slammed down towards Neltharion II.

Sindragosa the Frostbinder and Cenargos the Icebreaker, the two dragons, also joined their leader in attacking Deathwing. The sight of them made Diakum feel a little panicked.

No, man.

I'm still here!

Aren't you worried about accidental injury?
I'm just a fragile incarnation of faith right now. If you hurt me, believe me, I'll throw a "Holy Light Greatsword" down from the sun and wipe you all out in an instant.
"Don't worry, they're just too angry. They've even used their reason as kindling to fuel their rage. These old men living in the past, how pathetic!"

Neltharion II spoke softly, raised his hand and summoned the power of the mountains, creating four giant rock hands on the spot, not for attack, but to protect the "fragile" Diakum layer by layer.

It remained fearless, raised its head and rose to its true form as the Black Devourer, charging straight at the incoming Arcane Tear.

joke!

Dude, I'm the Black Dragon King, "hatched" by Mother World herself. I wouldn't even flinch if you threw your magic at me, okay?
Ouch, it still hurts a little.

As it crashed through the arcane rift and soared into the air, dangerous "black smoke" swirled around its wings, signifying that the "Dragon Virus" could spread at any moment, turning all the dragons watching the battle from the vicinity into mindless Black Devouring Dragons.

Of course, that's something only bad guys would do.

It's not a bad guy.

"boom"

Malygos's Crystallized Dragon Claw clashed with Neltharion II's Blackstone Claw, causing the two colossal creatures to scatter in mid-air.

They will not have a second chance to fight.

The three dragon kings, the red dragon, the green dragon, and the bronze dragon, who had been waiting for their turn, flew over and quickly restrained each other.

"Malygos, calm down, that's not Neltharion!"

Alexstrasza advised:
"It's just that the aura is similar. It is completely different from Deathwing in appearance, mindset and even power."

"It merely inherited that cursed name."

Nozdorm also said:
"The Deathwing you hate is dead. At the end of the Battle of Lordaeron, it melted into the Holy Light. No, it was already dead when it fled into the Sea of ​​No Light after the failed attack on Quel'Thalas."

The pain Deathwing endured when his will was crushed is beyond your imagination; do not vent your anger on those who do not deserve it.

"Look at its face! Look at its breath! How can you expect me to stay calm?!"

The Spellweaver struggled against the time shackles released by Nozdormu, its eyes fixed on the black dragon flapping its wings opposite it.

The other party did not resemble the Black Dragon King in his memory at all, but in Malygos's eyes, it was Neltharion. Even with a different skin and flesh, the dark wisdom of that guy could not be erased.

No one knew better than himself how dangerous that uncontrolled wisdom could be.

"Isera, get out of the way!"

Malygos roared, urging Ysera, who was standing between him and Neltharion II, to step aside.

It must continue fighting; the pent-up anger of millennia must be released, or the Weaver feels it will be driven mad.

That's just a matter of time.

"But this isn't Neltharion!"

Isera tried to persuade her, but the next second she heard Lady Aegwynn's voice from below.

The Star Soul spokesperson said coldly:

Let them fight!

If Malygos cannot release the anger he feels towards his enemies, the guilt he feels towards his people, and the self-reproach he feels, he will be haunted by the ghosts of the past for the rest of his life; he will not be fighting for himself.

The betrayal and death that occurred ten thousand years ago deserve an explanation.

Open the dream gates of the Ancient Woods, Ysera, let them in and fight!
The place is big enough that you don't have to worry about breaking anything.

These guys engrossed in battle can't interfere with the important business we've come to Dragon Isles to settle! Time is precious.

“This…” Isera hesitated.

She was a pacifist at heart and didn't want to see this scene, but Ms. Egwin's words made sense, and her sister across from her was nodding in agreement.

So the slumbering creature sighed, flapped its wings to activate the power of dreams, and filled the ancient dream gate beneath the dragons with emerald green, which then spun and transformed into the entrance to an emerald dream.

"You fucking get in here!"

The Weaver roared at the Black Devourer:

"I'm going to beat you to a pulp today."

"Ha, but I will let you go, because Mother World wants me to do so. However, you'd better call a few more people, you old geezer! Otherwise outsiders will say that I'm bullying you."

Although Neltharion II's personality was clearly that of a dissolute playboy, he was relentless in his pursuit of the old dragon before him.

It also has a temper; after all, it has only been a little over a month since its "birth," and it is far less composed than other dragon kings.

After making those boastful remarks, the guy spun around and flew into the dream world first. Malygos roared and rushed in, and Sindragosa the Frostbinder, worried about her husband, followed him in.

She instructed Cenargos to lead the remaining blue dragons to the Azure Archives to find the Oathstone of the Blue Dragonflight.

"Won't they actually fight to the death?"

Ysera was still somewhat worried, but Alexstrasza stepped forward to comfort her:
"No, Sindragosa will stop it in time. Malygos may seem to have regained his former vigor over the years, but we all know how miserable he has actually been."

Ms. Egwin is right.

It must release all the pent-up resentment and bitterness of the past; only in this way can it possibly escape the shadows of the past.

But we all saw that beam of sunlight fall upon the Dragon Islands; wouldn't that terrifying energy impact damage the environment here?

"You'll be able to see it if you fly a little higher."

Isera said to her sister:
"The Vigilant Saint controls the power."

Don't worry, it just opened a path to the former Black Dragon's hidden place. Deathwing left some terrible things underground in the Dragon Isles.

"Our purpose in coming to Dragon Island is to eliminate those dangerous entities and thoroughly purify the dragons' homeland, so that you and the other dragons can enjoy peace in your homeland."

"Oh?"

The Red Dragon Queen flapped her wings in surprise and took off. Sure enough, after passing the ridge of the green dragons in front of her, she saw a magnificent golden "Holy Light Greatsword" stuck at the end of this boundless green wilderness in the form of pure energy.

It is located at the intersection of the Ornhara Plains and the Awakening Coast.

The pure sunlight energy transformed into a form resembling the Ashbringer's holy blade, much like a spectacle of holy light. If the believers were to see it, they would probably kneel down in worship on the spot.

The centaurs on the plains were also alarmed.

These fierce creatures, who had lived in this place for thousands of years, marched in groups toward it, trying to see the full picture of the "Sword of the Gods".

Yes, there are centaurs on the Dragon Islands as well.

They are not native to this area; they are a centaur tribe that came from the desolate lands.

Dragon Island has been sealed off for years, so these centaurs migrate along the wondrous "Road of the Loa," which is said to have been guided by the "Falcon God and Sky Mother" Oenhara to escape the desolate land ravaged by war and find this peaceful plain as their new home.

As a powerful individual among the Loa, Ounhala is also suspected to be a member of the Wild Gods, so he can naturally open the Dream Path. However, this Eagle God has a rather ordinary relationship with the Kaldorei.

On the contrary, it has a great fondness for centaurs and minotaurs.

Back then, Hoon Highmountain was able to block the door and slaughter demons, thanks in no small part to the weapons blessed by Ounhara.

"Is that sword dissipating?"

The Red Dragon Queen said to Ysera, who was flying beside her:

"At the current rate of dissipation, the path leading to the underground of Dragon Island may be revealed in a few days. If there are indeed dangerous facilities left behind by Neltharion there, then we need to start preparing now."

"Sister, stop running away!"

Ysera placed her wings beside Alexstrasza's wings and sighed:

"Do you really not know why we have come?"
Lady Aegwynn has only three things to do on her trip to the Dragon Isles: she has found the Dark Heart, she will now unleash her dragon form, and she will then examine the 'treasure' left behind by Tyr.

She is the messenger of Mother World, representing the will of the Supreme Star Soul.

World Mother will not interfere with the dragons' ownership of Dragon Island, but we must also fulfill World Mother's desires. I know you are not ready yet, but such preparation may never be complete.

With each passing day, you lose a little more courage to face the past.

Therefore, it is time to face Velanoz and the other incarnate dragons; Lysages awaits our arrival.

The light in the Red Dragon Queen's eyes became complex, but she could not refuse.

Aegwynn stood on the ridge, holding the Dragon Soul, looking ready to fight at any moment. The fact that the Star Soul Spokesperson had brought the Dragon Soul with him proved that this evil thing was the "magical little tool" they would be using later.

In fact, the Red Dragon Queen could also guess Aegwynn's meaning.

If they make the "right choice" today, the Dragon Soul will be destroyed; if they insist on going down a dark path, then the Dragon Soul will fulfill its intended purpose when it was created.

Mother World may be tolerant and kind, but her saviors clearly have their own ideas.

Besides, Aegwynn and Diakum have already given the Guardian Dragons far too much time; the Saviors don't dawdle like this when dealing with other matters.

Therefore, if they still cannot "repent and reform," then on this land where the guardian dragon was born, they will also usher in another "rebirth."

"Let's go, let's go to Vadraken first."

The Red Dragon Queen turned to her sister and said:
"First, settle our compatriots and wait for Malygos and Neltharion II to finish their venting. Then we will go to the mountains of Tyr's Keep to release the dragons and reforge our old friends."

We must invite Saint Diakum to come with us.

He truly devoted himself to protecting the dragons; we must treat him well in our homeland.

"Oh no! Lord Vigilant's avatar of light has dimmed! He's gone mad!"

Just then, a young black dragon cried out in panic.

Ysera turned sharply and saw the saint Diakum, who was being protected by Neltharion II, transforming from holy light into a deep shadow.

Even more terrifying was that the "Holy Light Greatsword" stuck at the end of the plain also changed from shining brightly to being filled with shadows at this moment. The dim light it emitted devoured all the light around it, causing the centaurs who went to check to retreat in fear.

What was once a magnificent spectacle of holy light was transformed into a dark and gloomy realm in the blink of an eye.

"You go first!"

Aegwynn shouted:

"Don't stay here. Go to 'Dragon City, Valdraken' and wait for us. I'll handle the rest! Ysera, take those centaurs to a safe place and don't let them get near the Darkblade."

Diakum doesn't need 'sacrifices'; blood would only corrupt his 'divinity'.

The dragons spread their wings and flew away. They all sensed the terror of the saint Diakum in his shadow form, but this was truly just a "natural change of light and shadow," originating from the light-dark transformation of Anser's body within the earth's core.

The good news is that this darkness didn't last long.

To be precise, six hours later, Diakum returned to his Radiant Form.

Having learned from his first experience of "entering the night," he was in much better shape this time.

When he awoke from the endless darkness, Diakum's avatar of faith trembled like a homeless man frozen in the dead of winter, with the Twins, Nellie, Aegwynn, and a group of Lightforged guarding him.

Your attempt failed.

As Diakum opened his eyes, Aegwynn said to him regretfully:
"As it turns out, the avatar you created with the power of faith cannot escape the transformation of Anser's light and shadow either. This path of the true god cannot be avoided by trickery. If your true self falls into darkness, your avatar of faith will also be unable to remain pure."

We need to think of another way.

"There's a way! Isn't this the solution?"

Dick took Nelly's hand and took out the Dark Heart that he had been carrying with him.

To everyone's astonishment, the Dark Heart, which had been in an "inactive" state, was now filled with shadowy energy surging within it, as if it had been "ignited," like a jewel adorned with the light of fallen stars sealing an entire sea of ​​darkness.

With the twins' help, Dick rose, clutching the unfinished Dark Heart, and said:
"This night ended a little faster than before. I can't confirm whether it was because the Heart of Darkness absorbed some of the eclipse energy, but it definitely works! I must finish it immediately and truly awaken it to share some of the pressure from the eclipse."

Have those goblin masters arrived yet?

I need them to start working immediately!

"They've come."

Archbishop Nelly said with a great headache:
"They're 'negotiating' with Marad and Yrel. As payment for completing the Darkheart, those guys are asking for an outrageous price, which has Onyxia so angry she's about to punch someone."

"Hmm? What do they want?"

"A starship! Those proto-goblins say Deathwing is dead, so their labor contracts with their former master have ended. Now they're going to the Star Sea to make big money as 'interstellar goblins,' but they lack a vehicle and need our support to send one."

Isn't this asking for an exorbitant price?

"Give it to them! It's just a starship, demons have plenty of those! As long as they dare to ride it, what are we afraid of giving them! No wonder they're the progenitor goblins, they're really willing to risk their lives for money. Help me up, I'll go talk to them."

(End of this chapter)