Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 607, Section 68: The Tale of the Two Dragons of Kul Tiras - Me and Another Me

"The messenger of the Storm God has failed, and Lothar's army is advancing on Boralus."

King Daelin stood on a ridge between the Tiragarde Strait and the Stokon Valley, leaning on his cane and gazing toward the city.

Although he was physically weak, his eyesight was still quite good.

From this vantage point, one can clearly see the surrounding city without needing binoculars.

The mournful cry of the dying war messenger echoed from Heatherfordshire, disturbing the peace of the land. This caused Dalene to halt her journey to Stormsong Valley and instead linger there to gaze upon the battlefield.

"Lord Ashvane, can you really handle a war of this scale?"

The king asked himself the question and received a pessimistic answer.

The Ashvane family is not only adept at business but also skilled at political maneuvering, especially at deceiving superiors and subordinates, planting their own people throughout the country, and being insatiably greedy.

Lord Ashvane did many inhuman things during his time as regent of the kingdom. He thought he had kept it well hidden, after all, Dalyn was now a "sickly woman" who was incapable of handling affairs. But as it turned out, he had underestimated Dalyn's keenness.

Dale doesn't like being king, but that doesn't mean he's not good at it.

At least through the Navy's network of informants comprised of retired officers and veterans spread throughout the national political system, Dalyn still had her own sources of information.

As the commander-in-chief of the nation's military forces, Lord Ashvane could not prevent Dalene from meeting with these veterans' representatives.

They can purge the kingdom's army, but they cannot purge the commoners who have lost their military rank.

Dale learned a lot from his informants, including that Lord Ashvane had allowed his fat wife to "privatize" the kingdom's most notorious state institution, Tol Dago, for a humiliating price.

It's hard to say what the Kingdom's Regent is planning with those heinous and extremely dangerous criminals, but it's certain that the Ashvane family is also secretly gathering its own power, and doing so in an extremely unseemly manner.

This is hardly the kind of thing a self-proclaimed "loyal subject" should do.

The veterans also told Dalene many other things, and although the king found himself unable to remember what they said or even their faces, he could sense his “abnormality.”

He could sense that, in the eyes of the officers and veterans who were very loyal to him, he seemed to have become "another person".

Dai Lin knew from a young age that self-perception is not something to be taken seriously; only how others see you is the real you.

Therefore, when others think you have changed, you have most likely undergone some unknown changes in some aspects.

"Should we go back?"

King Daelin said to the few silent but powerful guards beside him:
"Although I am weak at this moment, I can still hold the city in my place. I think when the warriors see me, their will to resist Lothar's invasion will be even stronger. If Boralus falls, Kul Tiras will be finished."

"No need, Your Majesty."

The captain of the guards, dressed in black, reached out to support the weakened king and said in a deep voice:

"You are of such high rank, and now you are in a weakened state. You cannot take any risks. Lord Ashvane is the regent of the kingdom whom you personally appointed. You should give him some confidence. Your loyal city of Boralus will not fall so easily!"

It is the largest and most magnificent city in the South China Sea. Even if the hateful and ambitious Lothar were to storm the city, he would face a 'street battle' that he absolutely could not win.

"But I didn't find many soldiers in the city."

Dai Lin said in surprise:

"Are there other armies I don't know about?"

“Hmm, Your Majesty, these words will hurt the feelings of your ‘subjects.’ Have you forgotten that Kul Tiras has never been just the land that mortals can see?”

The black-clad guard said in a hoarse voice:
"Where those fools cannot see, your loyal subjects await your summons. At your command, this land will obey your every command. Your slumbering people will awaken, your invincible warships will sail from the Sea of ​​No Light, and your armies will fight for you, to seize all lands under the light."

Yes!

"As long as you wear your crown, grasp your trident, and adorn yourself with your holy emblem..."

He coughed and advised Dai Lin:

"Your loyal Tide Sages have prepared all of this for you at the Storm Temple. Three Abyssal Relics await your grasp and acquisition. Our mission is to escort you to your 'coronation'."

The guests have arrived; we can't keep them waiting any longer.

Let's go, Your Majesty, set off as soon as possible. Don't keep the God of the Tides waiting. He regards you as family, and you will never let your family down.

Is it right? "

King Daelin rubbed his temples vigorously, and after a moment, he nodded and said:

"But there are no people in the city, no, the people aren't there. I haven't seen any civilians on the streets. There are no people in the city anymore."

“Your subjects are waiting for you on the ‘other side,’ Your Majesty. They will all attend your coronation ceremony, and once the ceremony is complete, they will be able to return to their own cities.”

The black-clad guards dragged Dalene toward the carriage parked nearby, shoving their seemingly confused king into the carriage in a very undignified manner, and then, escorted by several others, quickly headed toward Stormsong Valley.

The ceremony at the Temple of Storms cannot be delayed any longer.

Although the biggest "fish" is very likely not to be caught, N'Zoth will not abandon the entire fishing spot he has prepared just because he failed to catch the big fish he wanted.

Now that Lothar is here, he shouldn't leave. He should immerse himself in the lucid dream of Ny'alotha along with all the "heroes of justice" he brought!

Since the Supreme Star Soul has trained them very well, then I will accept it without hesitation.

Inside the speeding carriage, cries of pain could be heard from time to time. The frail king seemed to be trapped in some painful ritual, but the guards driving the carriage remained unmoved.

He knew this was normal.

The process of having one's mind twisted and one's cognition reshaped is always painful. If it weren't for the unique connection between the Proudmoore family, Kul Tiras, and this sea, Lord N'Zoth wouldn't have had to choose this resolute king as an "anchor." It would have been more in the interest of the Void faction to choose someone who was easier to be swayed and guided.

But having come this far, there's no time left for the Thousand-Bearded Demon to find a replacement, except to grit his teeth and keep going.

In the bumpy carriage, King Dalene looked around intently, then let out a painful cry. He was still very weak, but not as weak as others thought.

The king leaned against the carriage.

He maintained a frequency of speaking once every ten seconds or so, rubbing his forehead and thinking carefully. He felt that he was still trapped in a "fog", but he knew that he didn't have much time left.

He had to find some people who could help him before that "coronation" was completed.

Thinking of this, the king carefully took out the paper and pen hidden in his sleeve and wrote on it:
"are you still there?"

He stared intently at the paper, but relaxed his control of his body. After a moment, as if another person were guiding his hand, he wrote on the paper:
"Of course, ever since this poor guy got my contact information, I've been waiting for you to update me on your miserable life, you idiot. That's been a source of amusement in my boring flying career. Come on, continue telling me about your situation."

"It's too late! The coronation ceremony is starting in a few hours."

The king wrote quickly:

“You have to come and help me in Stormsong Valley. I can’t find anyone else.”

"I'll help you, you coward. Behave yourself properly, and while you're at it, point me in the right direction in the Storm Temple, at least let me know exactly where you are."

The guy grabbed King Daelin's hand again and replied, so the king wrote a sentence himself, cried out in pain, and then relaxed his body to let "the other guy" answer.

The whole process was terrifying, as if Dai Lin had suddenly decided to play the "Ouija board" game by herself and was having a great time with her "invisible friend".

His "friend," whom he had unexpectedly discovered just a few days ago, had shown him the right path, so the king asked:
How should I notify you?

"You've really stumped me. Wait a moment, let me consult a professional." After writing this, the paper and pen remained still for a long time, until King Daelin himself had given up, when suddenly his fingers started moving again.

"We've arrived, Your Majesty. Are you alright? It's time to get off the carriage."

The carriage stopped at that moment.

The voice of the black-clad guard rang out from outside, and the lock on the car door was turned.

Dead hand!

Move quickly!
King Dale urged him frantically, and finally, just as his heart was in his throat, he saw the contents of the paper. Without even having time to pretend, he opened his mouth and stuffed the paper and pen into his mouth.

Luckily, I used a small charcoal pencil that could be crushed, otherwise it really wouldn't have been able to be hidden.

"boom"

The carriage door opened, and the black-clad guards were astonished to see their emperor, who was in agony, his face pale as he covered his mouth. When the emperor opened his palm, a smear of blood startled the guards.

Wasn't this supposed to be just a mental spell? How could it have made Dale so weak that she vomited blood?!

The king was truly in pain.

The charcoal fragments I swallowed are making my throat sore.

This minor commotion immediately drew the attention of the crowd waiting for the king at the foot of the hillside steps of the Storm Temple. The king's "lover," Queen Fuyashi, the matriarch of the Bloodscale Naga, swayed her "true serpentine waist" and stepped forward, shoving aside the black-clad guards and gently helping Daelin out of the carriage.

The weakened king gazed at the alluring Naga before him.

The latter's scales, her feignedly gentle yet cold eyes, and her six hands all made King Daelin's heart tighten, but he smiled and kissed the cold, slightly slippery scales with a look of longing.

"I've come to be crowned."

He looked at the group of "guests" who had come to congratulate him and said loudly:

"Where are my crown, scepter, and holy emblem? Bring them here, I can't wait."

But in his heart, he was screaming "Sun!"

Yes.

This was the advice given to him by the unseen friend on the other side: to call upon the sun.

The king was unsure if this would be of any use, given that Stormsong Valley had been shrouded in rain for quite some time, and the sun hadn't been seen there for months.

But just as he was being escorted by his "lover" up the cold, dark stairs, and as he called upon the sun for the seventh time, a voice finally answered him.

"Your smile should be more genuine. This forced smile won't fool those astute 'guests' right now. Well, among your guests are seven legendary K'sil warlocks, three Faceless generals, and the Chaos Heralds under N'Zoth."

nice.

"Truly, a gathering of wise men."

The voice said jokingly:
"But don't worry, mice always think they have a big advantage when they're in a swarm, but as soon as a hungry cat appears, they'll scatter."

"Please tell me, are you the cat that's about to appear?"

The king asked a pleading question, and the voice chuckled in his heart, saying:
"No, I am the cat's litter box cleaner."

"In short, muster up the courage to play along with these demons and monsters; the best cats at catching mice are already on their way."

------

"What a poor fellow! He's probably going to be forced to stay with a bunch of monsters and wait for his fate in a palace full of monsters."

On a warship of the Arathi Empire, Admiral Daelin said rather sarcastically to the commanders surrounding her:
"Imagine the scene: you're the only 'person' at a banquet, and everyone else is eagerly welcoming you to become one of them, or worse! They'll treat you as food or a plaything."

"Uh, does this general, who's currently mocking the other unfortunate fellows, need me to remind you?"

General Stitek, fully armed and leaning on the Arathi's iconic flaming greatsword, said with a strange expression:
"The 'unlucky guy' you're laughing at is most likely another version of yourself. So, has your Kul Tiran self-deprecating humor really reached this level?"

"Tch, he is him, and I am me. We are clearly two different individuals, so why do you say we are the same person?"

The general, quite unconvinced, pulled out an orange, took a bite, and winced at the sourness. He then grinned and said:

"But this guy's predicament is the funniest joke I've heard all year. He was actually invited by a bunch of demons and monsters to be the 'King of the Void.' Tsk tsk, look at this treatment."

Even Terenas, who is now in heaven, never had one.

If that guy is another version of myself, then this fully demonstrates that the void creatures truly 'know their stuff'; they know who can lead them to victory.

Old Dai Lin got quite proud of himself.

Seeing his proud demeanor, the group of people around him were quite helpless. Why couldn't they reason with him?
If the other Dalene truly dons the crown, grasps the scepter, and wears the holy emblem, then when he falls into the void, he will surely "drag" Admiral Dalene down with him.

In fact, many people now suspect that N'Zoth split Daelin into "two" and stole "Tanred," the one that only Jaina could remember, in order to continuously weaken King Daelin's will to resist.

"But is the method we gave him really effective?"

The general, munching on an orange, glanced at the compass and nautical chart beside him and said:
"At our current flight speed, we will reach Stormsong Valley in another hour and a half. At that time, a storm blown by the 'Wind God' will cover our approach to the temple, but with such a small number of people, we are destined to be the main force in our attack."

I have no doubt about everyone's fighting ability. I'm just worried about whether that unlucky guy can hold out until we come to rescue him.
If his coronation truly means that the Sleeping City of Ny'alotha will rise in Kul Tiras, perhaps eliminating him directly would be a safer option.

After all, killing someone is much easier than saving someone.

"This is not a question of whether it's simple or not."

Reverend Chiron, the Exalted One, leaning on a shield engraved with holy flames, proclaimed:

“A group of cultists who worship the void are trying to devour a part of the material world right under our noses, and they are also members of the hateful ‘Eclipseists’.”

They were determined to extinguish the sun.

This is a group of enemies of faith, this is a war of faith, we must thoroughly and completely purify that temple!
If the Sleeping City of Ny'alotha is to open today, then we will step into the night bathed in sunlight, and fight a fierce battle against that damned evil god for the rekindling of Anser.

This fervent speech prompted General Stittek to sigh helplessly and say:

“As everyone has heard, our state priests have fully expressed the opinions of us Arathi. The Emperor said that the war in Kul Tiras is part of the ‘War of Light and Darkness,’ and we cannot be absent.”

"So you can't reason with believers like you! Fortunately, I'm not a reasonable person either."

Dai Lin stood up, put one foot on the chair, and threw the pistol from her waist onto the table.

He said to those around him:

"If there are any cowards among us, we should use this gun to shoot ourselves now. Once we enter the Void, it won't be so easy to die a quick death."

He looked around at the crowd, and seeing that no one was backing down at this moment, the general nodded in satisfaction.

Regarding the question the admiral had asked earlier—whether King Dalene could hold out until the "Sunwalkers" came to rescue him—well, that question was somewhat redundant.

Does this mean that if King Daelin doesn't last that long, everyone will have to give up the fight?
At this point, it's definitely not possible.

So, as for whether the "king" can live or die, all we can do is wish him good luck.

(End of this chapter)