Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 612, Section 73: The King and the Sailor - Two Daelins, One Life

"So, that saint Diakum sent you here to kill N'Zoth, but didn't even give you his legendary 'Ashbringer' holy blade? Isn't that just sending you to your death?"

In Boralus, shrouded in terrifying hallucinations, King Daelin, wearing the Stormcaller's Crown and the Voidstone Emblem, stood leaning on a cane at the entrance to Proudmoore Fortress, grumbling to Marshal Lothar who was leading a contingent of Imperial troops:
"The one you're going on a long expedition against is an ancient god! And the most treacherous and cunning one among the ancient gods. I'm not even asking you to organize dozens of demigods to come and besiege it. You should at least have a group of ten demigods to deal with it, right?"

But look at the warriors still fighting in this city, where are the demigods?
"Only a few legendary figures have come to join the fun. You're not planning to gather a bunch of mortals to challenge N'Zoth, are you?"

"Uh, you talk a lot."

Lothar, leaning on the Emperor's Sword, looked at King Daelin with a strange expression.

This guy is definitely not like Admiral Dai Lin. That old sailor is shameless and carefree, while Dai Lin has a dignified face, solemn demeanor, and an imposing presence in every gesture.

It seems that N'Zoth did not randomly split Daelin Proudmoore in two; he did not cut her off haphazardly. The Old God really put a lot of effort into "pieced together" the half that was suitable to be the ruler into the "king" before us.

The remaining scraps were pieced together to form the character of Sailor Dale.

Hmm, it seems that guy is quite complicated.

Lothar had no time to respond to King Daelin's complaints. He pointed to the Proudmoore Fortress before him and said to King Daelin:
“I want to requisition this place. My warriors have repelled several sieges by those cultists and void creatures. They are exhausted and need a safe fortress to rest. This castle is the best defensive structure in Boralus Port.”

Since you said you're from "our side," then please do me a favor.

In response to Lothar's request, King Daelin shrugged and said:

“I really want to help you, but the castle is already occupied, and it’s full.”

"Ok?"

The marshal looked at the "King in Black" in surprise. Dale stepped aside to make way and looked inside the castle through the entrance. The marshal soon saw some "people" peeking out from the darkness and whispering among themselves.

Those creatures still had human forms, but each of them was shrouded in shadows, as if they could perfectly blend into the pitch-black night when they were still.

The castle passage was so dark that Lothar couldn't see how many "people" were crammed inside. But in the strange glow of the dark light overhead, the marshal could clearly see that each of the guys hiding in the castle had very pale skin and was sickly thin.

This is clearly not a "normal human being".

These are no longer "humans," but rather resemble the "white ghost" orcs that Durotan once told him about living on the Nagrand plains.

No, they are human beings!
They were residents who hadn't managed to escape the city when the pirates attacked. They didn't have the courage to disobey the kingdom's regent's orders, so they could only hide in their homes and pray in vain to the tides or the holy light.

But as the days went by, no miracles occurred.

They were so afraid that they chose to disappear into the shadows, and the shadows embraced them.

It wasn't until I was falling into this lucid dream, until I was seeing these 'Shadow People', that I realized why the Vigilant wanted me to complete the coronation ceremony.

"If I do not become the master of this lucid dream, I cannot protect my people."

King Daelin pointed to the staff in her hand, adorned with a jet-black light, and said solemnly:
"These are the inhabitants of Boralus and even Kul Tiras. Marshal Lothar, I am the King of Kul Tiras and Ny'alotha, and it is my duty to protect them."

I know you need rest, so I will allow you to enter the castle, but I hope you will not disturb my subjects, will not wander into those dark places where they may move, will not frighten them, and I hope you will not be frightened by these poor people.”

This explanation made Losa's expression serious.

He drew a triangular emblem on his chest and asked in a low voice:

"Are there many people like that in the city? I mean, these 'Shadow People'?"

"Those Kul Tirans who failed to escape to the Drustvar Mountains, the most cowardly souls were the first to be sought out by the shadows. Originally, this process would have proceeded slowly, until, after years or even decades, it dragged all life in Kul Tiran into the dream of the Old Gods."

King Dale explained:
"There are only tens of thousands of Shadow People in this dream now, but N'Zoth has transformed the projection of the Dark Empire into the material world, and all the mortals of Kul Tiras have been dragged into a lucid dream in a short period of time."

If you and I can't come up with a solution, then perhaps in a few days, you and all your soldiers will become one of them!
This is not something that willpower can change, Marshal Losa.

This is the forced erosion of flesh and spirit by void energy. Such changes and alienation do not take your feelings into account, nor will they stop just because you don't like it. That's why I said Diakum sent you here to die!

The Holy Light has little reach into N'Zoth's lucid dream; your faith cannot help you here.

You'd better have other reinforcements, otherwise I'll have to welcome you to my 'territory' as 'King'.

Lothar nodded.

He didn't offer much explanation, but the holy light on his and his iron-clad knights' armor, though dimmed, was still undeniably present, which was enough to show that King Daelin had exaggerated the power of the void here.

The Holy Light could obviously still reach them. More importantly, even if the Holy Light was truly obscured by darkness, could Lothar really lead the Imperial army to retreat now?

That's obviously impossible.

They have a complete war plan, and they will definitely stick to the plan until the very last moment.

However, Lothar quickly realized a problem he hadn't had time to consider before. He glanced at the "Shadow People" walking in the shadows within Proudmoore Castle and said:
"You say you are the king of Kul Tiras and Ny'alotha?"

"Yes, N'Zoth needs a node for 'transformation' between the real and the virtual, and I am that symbolic node. I suggest you don't get too hung up on this."

You are not a being of the void, nor do you walk the path of dreams. To rashly ponder these 'symbolic' questions will only blow your mind, especially in this place brimming with void energy, where any unnecessary thought might attract 'strange things.'

King Daelin shrugged and said to Lothar:
“I know what you’re thinking. You want to ask, if we’ve come to a lucid dream, where did Nyalosa, the last city of the Dark Empire that originally existed here, go?”
The answer is the material world.

The dark empire of the Void creatures now stands on the lands of Kul Tiras, and the Faceless Ones, K'sil, Ghouls, Dark Elementals, and other monsters within it have entered the material world along with their empire.

It's a chaotic mess.

In an instant, a Void power emerged in Azeroth, and they will soon launch a frenzied invasion of every part of the world, and wherever they go, they will become the territory of the Dark Empire.

Do you know what the most tragic thing is?

Lothar nodded.

他 说:

"I have invited the elite troops from all the world's forces to fight against the world's enemy. Now they are all tied up with N'Zoth's forces, and the countries that should have been protected by them are in extreme weakness."

"Yes, you have fallen into N'Zoth's trap, although this trap was not made for you."

King Daelin pushed up her majestic and mysterious dark crown and said:
"N'Zoth failed to catch the biggest fish, but it certainly made a fortune with this net. Although it failed to lure the Vigilant over to be ambushed and killed by the Void Lords, it did capture all of you whom Diakum had carefully protected."

The saviors must all be involved in this operation, right?

Imagine what would happen if you weren't in this world.

“It’s not afraid of breaking its teeth from having too big an appetite,” Lothar cursed, but then he saw King Daelin preparing to leave. Lothar, surprised, waved to stop him, pointing to the chaotic, terrifying vision of the city, and said to Daelin:
"There's chaos and war here, where are you going?"

"Go save my son."

The king said:
“I was facing a choice between these Shadow People and Tanred, but now that you have come, Emperor of the Empire, I can entrust my people to you for the time being and go to fulfill my duties as a father.”

Another Dai Lin is on her way.

That child was trapped in this dream by N'Zoth. It originally used Tanrid as a medium to lure me into the darkness, but by some twist of fate I broke free of its restraints, so it has now fallen from an Old God to the level of a 'kidnapper'.

It demands that I obey it, but I have no intention of doing so.

Seeing that Lothar still had doubts, Dale sighed and said:

“I have been emphasizing that I am the King of Kul Tiras and Ny'alotha, which means that I have the right to roam and rule in both the ‘reality’ and the ‘dream’ shaped by N'Zoth.”

All the Void creatures fighting you in this city are my subordinates, and N'Zoth's orders to me are to entangle you and hold you back until you are corrupted by the Void and become 'one of us'.

They are leaderless because I did not intend to carry out that order; otherwise, how would you have had the opportunity to walk up to me with your warriors?

To the outside world, you are an emperor and a hero.

But here, you are merely a commoner and prey.
So go hunting, and kill every void creature you see!

King Daelin raised his staff, and as the staff, wreathed in the dark light of the void, swept across the defensive line, the energy of the void suddenly weakened to a point where it would no longer cause the warriors splitting headaches or unleashing illusions.

Lothar could still hear N'Zoth's rebuke, a rebuke for an arrogant servant who dared to defy the Creator.

"It's going to send its 'watchdogs' to kill you."

King Dalene pouted and said:
"But what's done is done. Unless it doesn't want to maintain this 'transformation between reality and illusion,' it won't destroy me, this node, by its own hands."

Hold on here, Lothar. I don’t know how you plan to deal with N’Zoth, but if you can truly push the war to the end with your faith, even if N’Zoth is unwilling, it will have to show itself here to kill you.

In short, I wish you all the best, and I wish myself the best too.

Having said that, King Daelin leaned on her cane, perfectly placed the Void Stone emblem on her chest, and strode into the city shrouded in the Void Sky.

As he disappeared, the Shadow People hiding in Proudmoore Fortress suddenly became agitated. To the astonishment of the Imperial soldiers, those sickly "shadows" roared and rushed out of their hiding place, turning into streaks of chaotic shadows and rushing into the city, so fast that the soldiers had no time to stop them.

"marshal!"

General Blackmore, in his werewolf form, charged forward and shouted:

"Didn't you promise Her Majesty Daelin that you would protect these Shadow People for her? Now they've all run away, and with all this chaos, how are we supposed to bring them back?"

Why bring them back?

Lothar looked at General Blackmore and said seriously:
"The people of Lucid Dream simply chose to follow their king to the battlefield. Clearly, Daelin's previous 'coronation' was not just about being given a title. These Shadow People truly regard him as their leader. So, wish them good luck."

General, send a message to our soldiers, instructing them to advance and assemble at Proudmore Fortress.

We must build a defensive line here to withstand N'Zoth's nightmarish creations.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a black void vortex burst forth in the ruined city of this terrifying illusion. Accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps and the tremors of the earth, a "black-skinned dog" with two large heads and countless small heads stepped into this lucid dream.

It roared as it charged toward Lothar, ferocious and invincible, leaving behind a trail of filthy saliva that filled the already desolate ruins with the corrosive power of the void.

This guy must be the "watchdog" that Dale was talking about.

But Losa was not afraid of it.

The marshal stepped forward, activated the Heart of Azeroth, and imbued himself with the power of the Savior as he charged toward the large black dog.

King Daelin made it very clear that if he didn't cooperate, N'Zoth would have to take matters into his own hands and send these supreme star-soul saviors into the void. The Thousand-Bearded Demon would definitely appear on the battlefield!
Then, it will be time for Mother World to convey her "greetings" to N'Zoth.

------

The docks of Boralus.

This place was once called Huifan Market, the most prosperous and huge trading area in the entire South China Sea. The daily commercial turnover here was a figure that would make other kings drool with envy.

Kul Tiras’s power has never relied solely on the Tide Sages or their invincible fleet; the key to its rise lies in the unparalleled scale of its trade and its geographical location in the middle of the South China Sea shipping lanes.

Unfortunately, the chaos in the South China Sea and the disaster in Kul Tiras completely destroyed all of this.

The Huifan Market, which had been replaced in this lucid dream, was desolate and lifeless, as silent as a graveyard. But on the black, lightless water, a ferocious "living warship" was sailing with its sails fully open, even though there was not a breath of wind on the water.

Admiral Dalin, wearing a pirate hat, stood triumphantly at the bow of the ship, leaning on his Abyss Trident. His face was bruised and swollen as he gazed at his city.

Ashamed to say it.

This was his first time in Boralus since his soul was split apart.

He saw in the distance the man in the black robe, wearing a crown and leaning on a cane standing by the dock. He was alone there. No, the general felt as if he was seeing things.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the sea again. There was indeed only King Daelin there, but for a moment just now, he clearly saw a whole army of ragged citizens standing behind King Daelin.

Those guys filled the desolate Huifan Market like ghosts, as if they were silently guarding their king.

As the powerful and violent Sea King slowly approached the shore and anchored, its fleshy gangway, like tentacles, flipped downwards and finally touched the shore.

The general strode down from above.

He was followed by the Arathi priests, who took the opportunity to rest briefly in the cabin along the way.

It was thought that resting inside a "living" warship would be extremely dangerous, but it turned out that Dalene and her ship had a good relationship. After the admiral gave instructions, the Sea King did not "eat" these guys.

They even had a nice dream.

"Emperor Lothar is holding off N'Zoth's army at Proudmoore Fortress, where the Thousand-Bearded Demon will eventually appear."

King Dale waved his hand with great pomp and circumstance and said:

“Go on, leave the old sailor here. I have something else to do with him.”

(End of this chapter)