Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 678, Section 46: Let's Get a Job, Eldest Daughter - Bonus Chapter [55]

(Bonus chapter for the "Hand in Hand" brothers [5/5])
The power of the void is condensing.

At Diakum's fingertips, dark shadows replaced the shimmering light, like the convergence of dark matter, quickly transforming Dick's left hand, which was performing the "head pat," into a "gloomy ghost claw."

The accumulation of entropy energy shaped dark crystals on his fingers, transforming his entire palm into the claws of a monster.

Upon closer inspection, its shape does bear some resemblance to the "antimatter claws" previously used by the Devourer of Worlds. Considering that Diakum is the larva of the Devourer of Worlds, theoretically, Diakum can learn any power that Dimensius can wield.

After truly clashing with the Devourers of All Realms, the Vigilant undoubtedly learned many advanced mysteries of the Void Power in the Path of Devouring from his "predecessor".

Perhaps if he wanted to, he could conjure up a miniature black hole that could devour everything around it in the next second and crush his eldest daughter's dog head.

But clearly, Dick had no need to use such dangerous power in Fortress Ascension, where the will to fight had been completely lost.

Under the watchful eyes of onlookers, the antimatter claws that were enough to terrify even the boldest Kyrian angels were gently stroking the top of the eldest daughter's head, which had been completely transformed into a "mechanical body."

Honestly, compared to the appearance that the eldest daughter had created for herself, this primitive mechanical body looked too ugly.

It was designed and manufactured almost entirely according to the standard of "usability," just like the "evil god" creations of tech geeks who only focus on function and ignore appearance.

This angular, gold-gray mechanical face does have everything it should have: eyes, nose, and mouth, and even somewhat inconspicuous ears, but they are merely decorative elements for "functional purposes."

The design concept of the other parts of its torso is completely consistent.

Perhaps the eldest daughter herself felt that her original form was too "abstract", so she created a new appearance for herself before the first Kyrian was born.

That sounds a bit pretentious.

However, according to the eldest daughter's logic, maintaining a perfect appearance at work is just like putting on makeup for work every day, which is obviously part of "professional ethics." Don't forget, she is a "duty-conscious person."

Therefore, any change that helps improve the quality of her work is absolutely necessary for her.

"Don't resist."

Diakum whispered:
"I will extract your consciousness and self from the collapsing power of the 'Duty-Bearers,' and any resistance you offer will cause a conflict between the Death Force and the Void Force."

Considering your exaggerated status in the Shadowlands system, once this confrontation takes place, I might be fine, but your already fragile consciousness will vanish in an instant, along with the entire Bastion and all the life within it.

You are the foundation of the Fortress of Ascension, and this land is the manifestation of your external will.

So, eldest daughter, you don't want to see the 'paradise' you've placed your hopes on crumble before your eyes, do you?

The Truth Surgery procedure will be a little painful, so I hope you can be strong.

"It's no use."

Graceia's consciousness should have dissipated when she abandoned the concept of "duty," and although Diakum's intervention saved it from extinction, the devastated eldest daughter clearly understood what was about to happen.

In a weak, sorrowful, and helpless tone, she spoke during the connection of consciousness:
"This is how Destiny is designed and operates. When the Eternals are unable to fulfill their duties, it means that a part of Destiny will collapse. As a symbol of the end of the perfect order set up by the First One, the obliterated Eternals will perish along with all their creations."

That's how they designed it.

Strength represents responsibility, and strength represents reward.

When I choose to relinquish my duties, the praise I've received will naturally be taken back. No need to try anymore, kind outsider, but the collapse of the fortress of advancement is only a matter of time.

"The Temple of Saint Courage has collapsed."

DeVos said something, trembling, from the side.

The black-winged angel supported Saint Sandria of Courage, who was clutching her heart. Her aerial temple, built in the southwest corner of Bastion, collapsed silently like a sandcastle washed away by flowing water. Also collapsing was the Loyalty Fortress of Devos, whose temple was also located in the border region of Bastion.

This seems to indicate that the eldest daughter's "prophecy of doom" has come true, with the entire Ascension Fortress falling into self-destruction along with the Creator's shutdown.

But Diakum, who was performing the intricate "Surgery of Truth," turned his head, extended another golden finger to his lips, and made a solemn gesture of "silence" to the saints around him.

What he needs least right now is disturbance and meaningless pressure.

“Let useless things collapse; this paradise needs to be stripped of its ‘formalistic’ extravagance to get closer to what you want it to be.”

My High Heaven is very open and inclusive in this regard. Perhaps you should learn from me and not try to assimilate the souls of every good person who arrives here with your own understanding of 'truth, goodness, and beauty.'

Diakum didn't forget to boast about his project.

He then continued on this most difficult challenge he had encountered on his journey to "Saint Tony," and said to his eldest daughter, who was in a state of "life and death intertwined":
“I admit you’re right. I can’t fight against the rules of the Firstborn right now, but perhaps I don’t need to.”

You say that power represents responsibility, and power also represents reward. Just because you gave up that responsibility doesn't mean that no one will inherit it.

You need to understand that the power the Firstborn gave you is entrusted to this 'divine vessel'. Perhaps in their design, the five Eternals don't need to have a mind, ego, or emotions.

You only need to perform your respective maintenance of the Destiny system in a robotic manner.

Ultimately, the five Eternals chose to become the unique individuals they are today. Since that's the case, why not let this responsibility return to its 'pure' form?

"Ok?"

The eldest daughter made a questioning nasal sound; she indeed felt the pain.

It was as if a cold scalpel had precisely and swiftly sliced ​​through her consciousness; she could clearly feel a part of herself being "cut off."

This is the profound mystery of the void.

Those beings from the Sea of ​​No Light are most adept at exploiting those with wavering minds.

The eldest daughter had witnessed such methods before; she lost her original Saint during the invasion of the Ascension Fortress by the Sea of ​​No Light.

The disaster took away some of her compassion and made her realize that excessive emotions could interfere with the performance of her duties.

But she still couldn't understand Diakum's opinion.

she says:

What does "purer" mean?

"literal meaning."

Diakum's antimatter claws gently detached his eldest daughter's ego from the immense power of the "Duty Bearer," and he explained in a gentle tone:
"To perfectly perform a job, what is needed is not the self-sacrifice of cattle and horses. When the work cycle is extended to infinity, the only way to ensure that the job is performed well at any time is to create a complete performance system that can be continuously inherited and optimized."

Just like the system of destiny that the Firstborn set up in the Shadowlands.

They expect all individuals to perform their respective duties within the system, with each gear operating perfectly. However, they overlook the fact that for a system to maintain perfect operation in the long term, it needs continuous self-optimization and growth.

Their biggest mistake was not to provide a 'redundancy' for the self-evolution of the system of destiny.

So let us use your 'fall' to give the Destiny system a 'patch' that's been delayed for countless epochs, and incidentally free your weary soul from the shackles of duty.

The vigilant paused, then slashed again with its claws, freeing the eldest daughter's consciousness from the pull of the guardian's might.

His other hand reached into the mechanical body of the "Duty-Bearer" that was rapidly losing its "vitality" and gripped its left arm as it rolled around under the scorching sun.

This container, made from the "phantom scales" that create rules, is almost indestructible when the will is firm, but as the will it carries collapses, its own material form also transforms into a lump of shattering rock.

It is stripping away all divinity.

Therefore, in the burst of Diakum's power, the eldest daughter's "arms" were torn off, one in front and one behind, and then, with a swing of Diakum's throwing motion, they fell towards Devos. "Loyal Saint Devos! You have overcome the trial of doubt, been the first to discover the problem of the Fortress of Ascension and bravely stood up to try to correct it. You are undoubtedly the guardian of this paradise and the backbone of morality."

These arms of the 'Duty Bearer' are given to you, granting you the foundation of 'loyalty' to govern the paradise of the virtuous.

You must use your own hands to uphold the 'heaven' in your heart that rewards good and punishes evil!

As Diakum proclaimed, DeVos stared in disbelief at the divine mechanical arms she held in her hands, her mind a complete blank for a moment.

She couldn't understand at all what this Saint of Light, who was passing by the Fortress of Ascension, was planning to do.

But the wise Saint Jessenius beside her quickly turned around, lunged forward, grabbed DeVos's arm, and screamed:

"Quickly! Embrace this responsibility! Use it to rebuild the 'foundation' of one-sixth of the Ascension Fortress. Don't stand there dumbfounded! The collapse of our eldest daughter will cause our nation to crumble unless we transfer the concept of 'duty' she embodied to other individuals before she is completely gone."

However, we are not capable of embracing the full concept of 'duty'.

A single Saint Jehovah may be overwhelmed, but when we unite, we can temporarily stand in place of our leader to support this paradise!

Embrace it!

As the wise saint cried out, Devos took a deep breath and embraced the divine arms. The mechanical arms melted into Devos's arms, making her "merge" with the collapsing Fortress of Ascension at that moment.

When DeVos braced herself on the ground, and as she shouted, the rate at which Bastion "collapsed" slowed considerably.

"it works!"

The other saints cheered.

Then it was Diakum's turn to perform.

"Saint Jessandra, the Courageous One! You are the spear of the fortress of ascension, daring to face the invincible foe for the sake of the righteousness in your heart. You will shed your last drop of holy blood for the eternal existence of the paradise in your heart."

You are the power of the good in heaven, and the shining wings of the dutiful belong to you!

Fly forever with courage.

Golden-gray mechanical wings flew out from the light before her eyes and were grasped in the hands of the weakened Saint of Courage. Without hesitation, she, like Devos, integrated a part of this divine machine into her own body.

But the "granting ceremony" continued.

"Saint Jessenius of Wisdom, you will become the ever-burning flame of wisdom in the Paradise of the Good. You should learn enough lessons from today's tragedy and use your wisdom to guide your brothers and sisters so that they will not follow the same folly."

The head of a dutiful servant is yours; use this blessing wisely.

The angular, abstract mechanical head was thrown out and held in the arms of the wise Saint, making the gentle Senius feel for a moment that he had become an accomplice of the "corpse-crushing maniac".

But he could not refuse this gift.

He didn't want to see the fortress of advancement he had worked so hard to maintain crumble today.

More importantly, although he did have his own views on "destiny," Senius could not bear to watch his eldest daughter be dragged into eternal desolation as his power dissipated.

As the wisest among the Saints, he saw it very clearly.

Diakum's distribution of the divine machinery and the concept of "duty" to them at this time was not only to preserve the Fortress of Ascension, but also to completely separate the eldest daughter's consciousness from the power of the duty.

"For your eternal freedom!"

Senius shouted, raised the mechanical head, and merged it into his body in the dim light.

With time running out, Diakum didn't have much room for elaborate rituals, so the remaining three "grants" became increasingly concise:
"Humble Saint Jachelos, take the torso! You shall let the Paradise of the Good perceive the suffering of the mortal world, dispel the resentment of the dead, never slacken, never be arrogant!"

"Holy Adrestes, the legs are yours! Walk the world with the spirit of dedication, inspire goodness and guide virtue in the name of Paradise of the Good, so that all beings may embark on the path of dedication."

"Pure Saint Jessephne, keep your heart safe!"
You must cleanse the dust from the souls that enter this paradise, so they will no longer grieve for death; you must prepare the baggage for every newborn entering the great cycle, so they can embrace the new beginning without regret.

When the divine machine was divided into six and bestowed upon the six saints, the concept of duty, which was on the verge of collapse and renunciation due to the eldest daughter, was miraculously reunited once again through the resonance of the secondary derivative powers they already possessed.

Together, the six of them shouldered the heavy responsibility that the eldest daughter could no longer bear; the power they possessed stemmed from the concept of duty.

As the creations of the eldest daughter, their compatibility in terms of power is absolutely not an issue.

Of course, it's not as stable for six people to share a great power as it was when the eldest daughter was still alive. Once disagreements and conflicts arise among them, the Ascension Fortress will also collapse due to the lack of a solid foundation.

“DeVos told me that she no longer wanted to fulfill the rigid and outdated duties of destiny. She hoped that the tragedy of the Fortress of Ascension would never happen again, and that this paradise would truly become a place of refuge for all good people.”

Diakum's voice rang out from the increasingly bright light before his eyes.

他 说:

"DeVos doesn't know how to create the paradise she wants. In fact, she may not even know what kind of afterlife she wants."

I cannot offer you advice on this matter, but I believe that you, who have followed the eldest daughter the longest, are capable of discussing and proposing a new order for the Fortress of Ascension, while remaining united.

This is not an expectation, but a demand.

If you cannot arrive at a new order, if you cannot reshape it, then the destruction of Bastion will be your own doing.

Don't feel pressured.

The vigilant, supporting a phantom shadow, waved goodbye in the light, saying:
"I have done what I needed to do, and I'll leave this mess to you all."

I said I wanted to patch up the Destiny system, which was no longer suitable for this era, and the Kyrians of Bastion bear the most important responsibilities in the Destiny system. Therefore, this 'patch' must begin with your changes.

If you feel that the 'past' wasn't good enough, then use your own hands to create a better 'present' and look forward to a perfect future.

Goodbye, everyone.

I will bless you in the light.

After saying that, Diakum's light suddenly shot into the sky, then turned into a golden, dazzling firework and disappeared into the clear sky of Elysium Castle.

At the same time, a golden meteor streaked across the sky above the highest heavens, and as it crumbled and plummeted toward the land of holy light, the weak and weary eldest daughter—no, Graceia—whistled:

"You actually didn't intend to destroy Destiny?"

"When did I ever tell you that I was going to destroy the order left behind by the Firstborn?"

Diakum said softly:
“Until I can come up with a better system, rash destruction will only bring more terrifying chaos, which is exactly what the ambitious people who ‘invited’ me to the Shadowlands want me to do.”

I am not wise enough, but how can I please Him?

Most importantly, as a Warrior of Light passing through this place, I have no right to make decisions for the beings of the Force of Death. I can only return the power of choice to you. Whether the outcome is good or bad is not my concern.

Finally, welcome to the High Heaven, to the lady who is accustomed to fulfilling her duties.

I don't want to be a bad boss, but considering the current terrible construction progress of Supreme Heaven, please take a few minutes to rest, and then get back to work.

Ps:

This bonus chapter is now complete. Current backlog: 40 chapters.
Next bonus chapter: August 7.16th
(End of this chapter)