Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 665, Section 33: The Vigilant is the Best Prophet in the World
"What are you doing? Why are you smiling like that? Has something good happened?"

The Twinwalker's signature trembling electronic voice rang out behind Diakum, prompting the Vigilant to nod and reply softly:
"Yes, just now, something great has just begun."

I entrusted a 'precious sword' to one of my most trusted warriors, and he has embarked on the right path. At the end of this long journey, he will finally plunge that blade into the heart of his enemy, thus ending this long-lasting catastrophe.

Of course, this has nothing to do with what we're going to do next.

At least not at this moment.

Diakum turned around and looked at the peculiar "drink" that the Twin Walker had brought over on a tray.

In the ornately carved water glass with a broker's style, a pale light floats, like the shimmering light of liquid, exuding a certain "viscous" texture.

At first glance, it looks like the magic essence "squeezed" out by troll priests using evil methods, but it is different.

The "liquid" in the cup is not a physical substance, but merely an external manifestation of a special power.

"Mind Power."

Diakum picked up the glass and examined it closely.

This is a power unique to the Shadowlands, and it also represents a high-level application of the Force of Death. Among the six Forces, the morality of death is not necessarily the most obscure and difficult to understand, but it is certainly the most deceptive.

In the eyes of those fools, the core of the path of the Death Force must be "death," a fact that can be judged from the straightforward name. Therefore, there are many cults similar to "Death Worship" in the dark areas of the material world.

They worship death as believers worship the Holy Light, trying to draw strength from it, and claim that their worship of death is no different from others' worship of the Holy Light.

But the fact that it was identified as a cult by a "metaphysical genius" like Diakum shows that the true nature of death is far more complex than that.

"Death" is a complex concept, with its branches of power so intricate that they are comparable to the tree-like system of arcane truth.

The Death faction currently possesses six top-level power concepts.

These include the paths of the Eternals of the four covenants of the Shadowlands, representing forgiveness, conquest, duty (order/transcendence), and rebirth, plus the arbitration (judgment) presided over by the Eternal Arbitrator.

In addition, the "Fallen Eternal One," whose name and existence were erased, unexpectedly acquired the power of "Domination" during his tragic experiences.

These six power concepts basically encompass the cyclical changes of the Force of Death, and are the foundation of the Shadowlands' existence. Under these highest power concepts, different subordinate concepts can be derived, such as punishment, torture, and conspiracy within the realm of forgiveness.

Another example is the Plague, Ascension, Undead Shaping, Spying, and Conquest in the Conquest domain.

As for the rebirth path of the Winter Queen, there are even more derivatives. There is a strange bond and symbiosis between the Azure Fairyland and the Force of Life. Theoretically speaking, the strongmen of the Night Royal Court under the Winter Queen can walk on both the Force of Death and the Force of Life at the same time.

Moreover, their mastery of these two forces will not result in the "conflict of light and shadow" that occurs with Diakum, because the great cycle of life and death is the foundation of the entire material world.

Of course, the concept of "duty-bound" in the six superior powers is somewhat of a "filler" or "pretender".

It's estimated that the creators who shaped the Shadowlands were a group of perfectionists and obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferers who insisted on creating a less powerful entity outside of the other powerful forces to form the "Five Eternals" debut.

In short, the concept of the Death Force is not just about "death." Walking the path of death with this idea in mind will only lead to setbacks at every turn. The "anima" that Diakum holds in his hands at this moment is the real-world manifestation of the concept of power in the Shadowlands.

In the world of the dead, "power" is something that can be seen and quantified.

After experiencing various accidents, the existence of those who wield power will collapse, but the power will remain in the form of "psychic spheres" and be collected and used by others.

While life forms in the material world can also utilize psionic orbs, unfortunately, this visible power conflicts with the rules of the material cosmos and is rarely seen in the material world. Therefore, the transfer of power through psionic energy is a privilege reserved for beings of the Shadowlands.

Archbishop Nelly used Cenarius's anima power because the Corruptor was already under the control of the Death Force at the time; it was an accident that could not be replicated.

The process of obtaining this thing is also very simple: just grab the energy ball, crush it, and "eat" it.

As long as the compatibility is right, the power of others will be transformed into the power of the user in a short time with virtually no side effects. However, the "container" determines how many energy orbs an individual can use.

Given Diakum's container strength, he estimated he could drink thousands of energy balls without feeling full.

But the problem is.
"No need."

Dick returned the precious anima orb from the cup to the Twin Walker, waving his hand and saying:

“I walk the path of light and shadow, and am not suited to the power of death. This cup of ‘Mythical Anima’ should be given to someone who needs it more, or it can be sold in this Veil Market. I believe there are plenty of discerning spirit brokers willing to pay a high price for it.”

The Watcher shrugged, giving the faintly reddish glow of the psionic orb a subtle look, and said:

"As long as the compatibility is right, even an ordinary person can gain demigod power by drinking it. The power transfer in the Shadow Kingdom is somewhat unreasonable."

"It may seem unreasonable, but the flow and use of mental energy in the Shadowlands has its own set of complete, even 'harsh' rules, just like the 'fateful constraints' that permeate every aspect of the Shadowlands."

To paraphrase Rafaam, the Shadowlands are a place where even farting has its rules.

The dual-realm traveler, however, did not think so.

It put away the mythical anima orb and explained:
"In this world of the dead, it is taboo to take away psionic orbs of unknown origin at will, especially for those who are bound by the four covenants. They can only choose between their duties and their power."

The problem is that the Eternals are generous leaders; as long as you do things diligently, power will always be bestowed upon you at will.

As a resource unique to the Shadowlands, each Anima Orb withers rapidly after leaving the Dead World. Even the most powerful spirit brokers have failed to find a way to take the Anima Orb out of the Dead World in tens of thousands of years of attempts.

But you're right, the existence of the Mind Sphere has resulted in an astonishing number of powerful beings in the Shadowlands.

Especially those who indulge in extravagance and eternalism.

If they so desired, and given sufficient mental energy, creating demigods would be a trivial matter entirely.

At this point, the Twin Realms Traveler paused for a moment, then sighed and said:
"I cannot understand your purpose in coming to the Shadowlands, but I urge you to proceed with caution."

Before seeing those Mawsworn in person, I was too foolish to understand your past concerns. But after going to the Maw with the miraculous abilities of my fellow brokers, I finally realized the true meaning of the saying, "Death is the greatest enemy of life."

Those who swore an oath.
They were forged into fighting spirit with powerful mental energy, and their bodies were forged into invincible forms by Warden Zovar using cold, dark steel. Each Abyss Oathsworn possessed power far exceeding that of ordinary life at birth.

Every squad leader is a legendary individual, and every commander of the Abyss Oath is a demigod.

The Tower of Torghast, used to extract powerful anima, produces powerful anima every minute, while Zova's evil minions forge even more warriors with the flames of the Maw.

I once thought the Burning Legion was the most dangerous army in the entire universe, but now I know that when the Mawsworn venture into the stars in the future, even the demons may have to seek help from others.

Diakum was neither surprised nor afraid; he patiently explained:

"That is, after all, the power of death accumulated from the Great Order of Light and Darkness to the present day. It is understandable that the amount is astonishing, since the power of death has been accumulating power while the other five elements are consuming each other."

In the past, through the great cycle of life and death, accumulated death would return to the material world in a new form, creating a beautiful balance between life and death. However, after the connection between life and death was severed, the rapidly expanding primal force of death gained the power to overturn the table.

One of the purposes of my trip here is to find out why the great cycle of life and death has been disrupted. I think it's not just a result of the Queen of Winter and her sisters having a tantrum.

But before that, I need to ask you, my dear friend, have you kept your promise to me?

Under Diakum's gaze, the Twin-World Walker straightened his back, nodded, and said:
"Of course, I have fulfilled my mission!"

It made a "please" gesture, indicating that Diakum should follow it.

Dick left his magnificent and comfortable rest room and followed the Twin Walker into the bustling and prosperous Spirit Broker Market.

As former Kalecgos, the Brokers possess secret methods that allow them to transcend the boundaries of life and death, but such a leap always comes at a price. Therefore, their business in the Shadowlands and the business of other Voidwalkers in the material world can only intersect to a limited extent. Previously, at the Twinwalkers' headquarters, Diakum had witnessed the Astral Consortium preparing a series of "smuggled goods" for the Broker Corporation.

This includes precious items from various worlds within the material star system, and even samples of living life.

Walking through this "Tazarwish Veil Market," Diakum could see smuggled goods from the material world being sorted and categorized by brokers.

Some spirit brokers wait nearby, and after taking their goods, they leave on their peculiar "energy discs".

Along the streets of this magnificent place, diligent spirit brokers were tidying up their stalls, arranging their goods, and waiting for the Veil Market to land again in some land of the dead, so that it could start a lively "market day" sale.

The brokers looked at Diakum with curiosity, seemingly wondering how an Eredar soul could be allowed to set foot in the Veil Market, which the demanding boss, Solia, cherished.

This guy was even personally led by a mysterious dual-realm traveler, which shows he has a high status.

Diakum was also observing these brokers.

They were once Kalecgos, and like the Voidlings, they were transformed into energy forms during the Kalecgos catastrophe. However, the spirit-patterned bandages used in the material world are ineffective in the Shadowlands. Therefore, the spirit brokers need to use special decorations and devices to maintain their stable form in the world of the dead.

Therefore, the brokers here all wear peculiar masks and uniform "constructs" made of metal and cloth. They even dress their constructs in patterned lantern pants to highlight their identity as merchants.

However, there are always strange blue or red sparks around the masks of the brokers. These energy sparks will transform into different forms depending on the brokers' mood, making these guys look rather "endearing".

Especially when they are confused, the tip of their energy spark head turns into a "question mark", which makes Diakum both amused and exasperated.

Hey!
If you express your feelings like this, then you can't lie to anyone, right?
The inability to profit from lies is a huge disaster for businessmen.

"The brokers have a very large business in the Shadowlands, and there are cooperative relationships between different broker consortia and various covenants."

The Twin Realms Traveler explained:

"This place is filled with the dead from all over the world. Although most of them have accepted death and said goodbye to the past, there are always some who miss their homeland. Therefore, the spirit brokers are responsible for finding all kinds of souvenirs from their former worlds and selling them to customers at high prices to make a huge profit."

The deceased's obsession with the past often allows lucky spirit brokers to make a fortune, and the Shadowlands are full of stubborn individuals who would give up their entire fortune for a single dried flower from their 'homeland'.

This is really a good business.

However, my fellow citizens clearly realized that they were outsiders to the Shadowlands, so although there was some competition among the various brokerage conglomerates here, they generally maintained a relaxed and cooperative relationship.

For example, the owner of this veil market, Soria, is one of my fellow countrymen.

To persuade her to accept Rafam and me as temporary passengers, I had to give her a valuable shipment of smuggled goods, but Solia is an ambitious broker.”

The dual-realm traveler hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said:
"Although they are well hidden, I have discovered that some brokers are collaborating with evil beings to spy on the secrets of the Firstborn."

Initially, this quest to uncover the secrets of the Great Power was an effort to save Karesh.

As you know, we cannot defeat a Void Lesser God on our own, but as the exploration deepens, the brokers become obsessed, frantically searching for all the secrets related to the Firstborn.

This makes me very uneasy.

I feel like they're 'cursed' by knowledge.

Diakum nodded, then reminded him:

"As long as that 'door' remains closed, the knowledge left behind by the First Creators will never see the light of day again. But we must admit that the knowledge of the Creator is exaggerated, and the mysteries left behind are not necessarily correct."

That's terrifying.

“Some people will go astray and bring about even greater disasters.”

The Twin Realms Traveler sighed and said:

“I know you instructed us to search for the marks of the Eternals in order to ensure that the creation mysteries left by the First Ones are not misused, but to be honest, after witnessing the various anomalies in the Shadowlands, I believe that as long as that knowledge remains there, it will inevitably attract covetousness.”

If you don't give it to them, they will steal it.

To paraphrase Rafaam, there's no such thing as a thousand days of guarding against thieves if you're a thief who's been stealing for a thousand days.
Therefore, I think you might really need to go to the place where the First Ones left behind their secrets. I mean, if you think that knowledge is wrong and misleading, then it is your responsibility to destroy it!
To prevent these lingering poisons from remaining in the Shadowlands, or even attracting the attention of other realms—as far as I know, the Void Lords of the Sea of ​​No Light once invaded Bastion.
Perhaps those Void Lords who pursue truth also came for the mysteries of these Creators.

Diakum did not answer.

The Twin Realms Traveler meant to persuade him to go to the sacred site of creation left behind by the First Being.

But Diakum was very resistant to that place, especially as he got closer to the heart of the Holy Light, the more resistant he became to any information related to the Firstborn.

Anser and Musa were creations of the Firstborn, just like the Eternals of the Shadowlands. The Sun God and the Moon God both came from those creators, and the power they were using was also left behind by those creators.

"Okay, I'll think about it."

Diakum didn't rule it out completely, rubbing his forehead and sighing as he said:
“If that place can help us ignite the sun, then I will seriously consider it.”

The dual-realm traveler breathed a sigh of relief.

It carried Dick through the bustling streets of the Veil Market, eventually arriving at a treasure vault guarded by a strange "Titan-made giant".

it says:

"This is a 'trophy' that Soria found by chance while she was secretly pursuing the knowledge of the Firstborn. As you can see, this powerful Titan Guardian named 'Hilbrand' comes from Azeroth."

It guards a Titan artifact.

In fact, it was a fragment of the Firstborn's relic, which fully demonstrates that the Supreme Star-Soul of Azeroth was also related to the Firstborn.

Of course, this vault has now become Soria's own treasure vault, and Rafaam and I have temporarily rented it to store the treasures we found in the mists of the Maw's borders.

That 'battle mark'.

The Twin Realms Traveler emphasized:

"That is the mark of the 'Warlord,' the master of Maldraxxus, who wields all the power of conquest. We found it in a place called 'Cercia.'"

It was a dangerous journey, as Warden Zovar's henchmen were close behind.

Clearly, our supposedly secret expedition was betrayed by some brokers to their 'new friends,' and if it weren't for Rafaam's expertise in picking locks and escaping with the treasure, we would have been stuck in that dangerous place and never made it back.

But as I said before, I have fulfilled my mission and served as a warning to others.

We have fulfilled our promise; we have brought you a mark.

"There are two!"

With a look of horror, Diakum reached into his spirit body's chest, retrieved the sphere that had been kicked from the Arbitrator's chest, and tossed it up and down in his hand.

他 说:

"The Arbitration Mark. I got it too. Now, whether all the ambitious people who want to collect these things can achieve their goals and desires depends on my mood! Hmm, is this what it feels like to be the bad guy?"
That's really great.

Ps:

The concept art for the broker is as follows:
(End of this chapter)