Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 699, Section 67: As long as the return on investment is high enough, Will Nelly can also call you master.

Today, the Maw is as desolate and eerie as ever.

This barren wasteland is filled with the steel fortresses of the Maw Oathkeepers. Zovar, the Lord of the Maw, clearly has a certain "order requirement" for the kingdom he rules, which makes this land, filled with despair and pain, surprisingly feel "vibrant".

The Oathsworn operating within those fortresses and strongholds followed strict instructions.

They have set up an airtight defense system for themselves, ensuring that Maw Oath warriors riding Shadowhounds patrol the Warden's land at all times, and that every soul thrown into the Maw will be drained of all its value in that soul filled with torment.

Mind power!

Anima is the foundation of the Shadowlands and naturally the very basis of the Maw. Although anima from Revendreth constantly flows into the Maw, ensuring that the Mawsworn army has no shortage of energy, perhaps to find some amusement in their lives that have long lost all hope and are left only with despair, the Mawsworn also have their own preferences, provided they do not violate the Warden's strict rules.

They would capture those helpless, broken spirits near the Gorgia River, the world that is said to flow through all the living and the dead.

Those were the pitiful creatures that were carried from the material world into the abyss by this river of death.

They don't even have complete souls that Kyrian can guide to the material world; after death, they can only reach their final resting place in this miserable way.

Torture of these shapeless remnants yields very little anima; most of the time, the Abyssal Oathsworn only obtain a cold mass of Nether Grief, but they do this not for any reward.

Torture and inflict pain can bring a sense of satisfaction to one's utterly lifeless mind, which is the best reward for doing evil.

However, the Maw's death warriors haven't been having a good time lately, because some unsettling "changes" have recently occurred on this seemingly unchanging land.

"boom"

The violent explosion shook the entire Maw, and as the Maw Oathsworn turned around in bewilderment, the central part of the "local landmark" Torgaster Tower of Sinful Souls, standing in the distance, was being engulfed in flames.

Something seemed to have just shattered the walls of the tower built by the Lord of Soldiers, a tower known as "inescapable." The burning flames indicated that the escapees were fighting the guards within the Tower of Sinful Souls.

Logically, the nearby Abyssal Oathsworn should have gone to provide support at this time, ensuring that nothing on this Mawland could escape the Warden's control, but no one did!
Not only did no high-ranking Abyssal Oathbreakers arrive at the Soul Steel Fortress near the Tower of Sin Souls, but even the elite army inside Torgaster was not mobilized.

They all knew that this was that damn arrogant woman "fishing".

damn it!
Again!
How many times has this happened this month?! When will this ever end?

The Oath-takers complained, cursed, and swore.

In the past, when similar chaos occurred in the Tower of Sinful Souls, a large number of high-ranking Abyssal Oathbreakers would step forward to stop them, only to be easily reaped by the woman wielding the Crimson Demon Sword. It was not as simple as just killing them.

The warden's warriors will not die in the Maw.

But the woman wielding the demonic sword used an even more terrifying "defeat humiliation" on those who stood in her way. She drained their anima, leaving their emaciated bodies, like candles flickering in the wind, to die, before turning and walking away.

Even the dumbest person would learn their lesson after being tricked like this twice, let alone, Lady Azshara, you've already done this three times this week alone.
Even the most skilled anglers need to bait the area occasionally to let the fish recover, right?

You've already captured dozens of the Abyss Lords under the Warden's command, so what exactly do you plan to do with their massive amount of hearts?
Do I need to use a Mythic Energy mask every night before bed? Or do I need to have a Mythic Energy with my breakfast every day?
No matter how fast we Abyssal Oathbreakers can forge, we can't withstand your rampage!

But the Oathsworn only complained a little, then went about their business as usual, letting the central area of ​​the Tower of Torgaster burn, like a lighthouse and torch lit up on the land of the Maw.

The Lord of the Abyss's great undertaking has reached its most critical moment.

It is said that His former power has returned, and perhaps it will not be long before the Tomb of the Firstborn is discovered, at which point nothing will be able to stop death from reigning over the world.

Let Azshara cause trouble if she wants to.

Since she couldn't break through the defenses of the Sanctuary, and since she couldn't disrupt the Lord of the Abyss's grand plan, she couldn't affect the overall situation at all.

The Oathsworn's reaction greatly disappointed Azshara, who was waiting by the broken walls of Torghast, the Tower of the Damned.

She deliberately caused a huge scene today, not only smashing the walls of the Tower of Sinful Souls, but also releasing all the precious souls imprisoned in this ossuary. Logically, at the very least, a Lord of the Abyss should have come to check.

"So they're resorting to ostrich and pigeon tactics because they can't win? How boring!"

Azshara shook her head expressionlessly and said:
"Let's go, time to wrap up and head home."

"Oh, just a moment, esteemed mistress."

The crimson demon sword Remonia, hovering beside Azshara, spoke in a docile voice:

"Let me put this ball of anima away first. It might be useful for your experiment. At the very least, I can give it to your greedy collaborator. Speaking of which, mistress, don't you think that broker named Wayne Nali has been far too rude to you?"
You need to requisition her research equipment, which is an unparalleled honor, but that guy actually dared to charge you a 'depreciation fee'.

This is too much!
Her money-grubbing mind simply cannot comprehend the supreme honor of serving you. I think we should teach her a lesson.

"Oh?"

Azshara hovered in the air, moving through the extremely dangerous Tower of the Damned with an "invincible" air, ignoring the trembling souls of the imprisoned prisoners hiding in the shadows, and the Abyssal Oathsworn lying there pretending to be dead.

The noble queen disdained to have anything to do with these guys. In any case, they had already cleared the way out of here, and whether or not they dared to leave was not Azshara's concern.

As she listened to the suggestion of the demonic sword she had "reasonably requisitioned" from the Great Emperor, she said in a languid tone:
"You mean, you want me to inflict the same series of 'lessons' you received on Will Nellie?"

Faced with the Queen's question, the Demon Sword Remonia shook its blade, seemingly recalling some unpleasant experiences, but after a moment, she whispered:
"Yes, Mistress! I beg you to punish the pathetic broker who has repeatedly offended you! I am willing to be your royal executioner; truly, it has been a long time since I have cut anything of reason."

These Abyssal Oaths don't even scream when you slaughter them, it's so boring!
That damned Emperor Denathrius has molded your loyal servant's bloodthirsty mind in His vile ways. I know it's disgraceful, but I really want to hear souls cry out as my blade cuts through them.

I want to feel the blood flowing through the blade; I want my sword to be soaked in the blood of your enemies.

Ah!
I'm going crazy thinking about it.

Mistress, how much longer must we remain in this damned Maw? When will we be able to break through Zova's ridiculous blockade? You clearly have the power to storm the Sanctuary of Domination.
"Are you... afraid?"

"Be bold!"

Azshara stopped and scolded.

The somewhat crazed demonic sword was struck as if by lightning. She crashed to the ground with a thud, and the sword spirit that had been shaped into Venthyr jumped out and knelt at the queen's feet, trembling.

"Please whip me, please punish me, my perfect mistress, it's all what I deserve."

She said it in a trembling voice.

But it's unclear whether it's fear or some kind of distorted "expectation".

The demonic sword craved to see pain inflicted.

She enjoyed the flow of pain, whether it was inflicted on others or on herself.

Azshara had clearly used some kind of arcane magic to reshape Remonia's mind, preserving the demonic sword's madness but shifting Remonia's allegiance from the Emperor to herself.

She had truly tamed the demonic sword completely; Remonia's current posture resembled that of a fierce puppy eagerly awaiting its master's pat on the head.

“Ah, your undignified appearance reminds me of the head ladies-in-waiting in my court.” Azshara was momentarily lost in a nostalgic reverie.

She said with some sadness:
“Like my loyal Vashj, she sometimes deliberately does something wrong to get my attention. She seems to take everything I give her as a reward, whether it's encouragement or reprimand. I don't like the feeling of disciplining you with the whip of my heart.”
I used to like it a lot.

But I have paid enough price for this pathetic indulgence, so rise, we will not linger in the Maw for long.

My research into psionic energy is complete; the fundamental elements of the Shadowlands hold no secrets for me.

"As expected of you, mistress."

Remonia, in her spirit form, carried her demonic sword and loyally followed her mistress.

She uttered some flattering and auspicious words, and followed Azshara into the portal personally set up by the Queen. To prevent being tracked back, the master and servant went through four "encrypted jumps" amidst flashes of light before finally returning to the Queen's current "palace".

Okay, it's actually just a cave hidden on the edge of the Maw.

This place was once the hideout of a spirit broker who had wandered here. When Azshara embarked on her journey to the Land of the Dead, she received some clues from the magical Diakum. Later, when she was at her weakest when she fell into the Maw, she contacted this equally magical spirit broker.

"Oh, Your Majesty, you've returned."

Via Nari, a former member of the Market Development Department of the Via Consortium who was taking inventory of goods, and currently the only free merchant on the Maw, and the Queen's "temporary roommate," turned around upon hearing the noise. She then tidied her mechanical construct's clothes with great poise and gracefully performed a flawless courtly greeting to the Queen as she strolled into the cave.

Outside the "garbage pile" at the deepest part of the cave, the broken "Warden's Eye" stands out conspicuously; it was also one of Azshara's "spoils of war" over the past period.

After satisfying the Queen's curiosity, the object was passed on to the devoted Winnie Narley as a "reward" and "rent".

At this moment, the Maw broker, like a typical merchant seeing the "fat sheep" being so eager, magically produced a silver tray from the side and served the noble queen a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with ice.

I have no idea how Wayne Nali managed to get all this stuff in that godforsaken place called the Maw.

But the fact that she could produce such a glass of juice in this real hell clearly demonstrates Venus's strength as a businesswoman, and she truly deserves the respect that Diakum has for this mysterious person.

"Hmm, the juice temperature is perfect today. It seems you've finally mastered the trick."

Azshara took a sip of juice, nodded in satisfaction, and waved her hand, saying:
"reward."

"Hmph, here you go, sir."

Remonia, clearly annoyed, tossed the anima orb she'd "hunted" with her mistress in the Tower of Torghast's Souls to the broker, threatening him:
"You must always remember to be loyal to your mistress! Otherwise, watch your neck every time you turn around."

"Excuse me, ma'am, I'm a broker, I don't have a neck."

The outstanding spirit broker, Wayne Nali, unceremoniously snatched the precious psionic orb, examined it briefly, and then tossed it into her already nearly full inventory.

She absolutely adored the stunning beauty who had suddenly appeared in front of her, now drinking juice.

Although she did take a risk when she first rescued her, what Azshara "rewarded" her during this time was enough for her to build her own conglomerate in the Shadowlands.

If this were an investment, then my return on investment would have already exceeded tens of thousands of percent.

Given the enormous profits, let alone addressing her as "Your Majesty," even if Azshara really needed Vy Nelly to call her "Master," a shrewd businessman would certainly comply.

“Your Majesty, while you were out hunting today, I cough cough, your humble servant received a letter from a friend of mine from long ago.”

As soon as Azshara put down the half-full glass of juice, Wayne Nali immediately stepped forward to report:

"That guy is called 'Dual Realm Walker.' He used the Socratic Consortium's secret equipment to send me a terminal message saying that your friend 'Diacom' will send an envoy to 'take you away.'"

They also said there's an important matter that requires your involvement.

But I think maybe the dual-realm traveler has lost their mind.

Will Nellie shrugged and said:

"There's no sure way to get you out of the Abyss safely right now. I've tried, but the methods the spirit brokers use are clearly unsuitable for a spirit like you. So I think this might be a trap?"

As my seventh principle of business says: betrayal is inevitable, even among our closest relatives; we must be especially wary of those around us.

“Very good business sense, but I think you’re worrying a bit too much.”

Azshara's gaze swept across the cave, and she said:

"Saint Diakum's 'messenger' has arrived. What a formidable fellow, managing to deceive the astute Venusley. Ugh, I'm finally getting out of this awful place."

But before that...

The Queen leaned back on her makeshift throne, crafted from the skull of a giant beast, and looked at Venus. Then she held out a finger and placed it in front of Venus's eyes.

she says:

"My court is still lacking an outstanding 'royal housekeeper' to handle the various chores for me during this trip."

I've been watching you, Wayne Nali.

Your money-grubbing words and overly pragmatic approach are merely cunning pretenses. I'm certain you're staying in the Abyss for some grander purpose.

I admire your outstanding soul.

So, would you be willing to condescend to serve me for a period of time?

"I"

Via Nari wanted to refuse immediately, as such personal loyalty was clearly not in line with her usual business principles, but when Azshara's gaze was fixed on her, the broker's will seemed to be plucked by an invisible hand.

The thought that his refusal would hurt Queen Azshara filled him with a damn sense of guilt.

This terrifying woman is too perfect.
She was so perfect that even a female broker who had long since lost her physical form felt an urge to "sacrifice herself for her." Winnie Narley knew this emotion was abnormal, but she just couldn't bring herself to refuse.

All I could do was nod and say:
"Of course, you are my most valued client, and I must uphold the business ethics of brokers to ensure the personal safety and travel experience of your high-net-worth client."

But I want to emphasize!
I won't stay by your side forever; I am a free bird.

“You may leave at any time, my Royal Household Officer.”

Azshara smiled and said:
"If you're willing to do it, if you can convince yourself to leave your queen voluntarily, now kiss my ring, then pack your things, we should be leaving."

Mr. Mushroom Head, how much longer will you remain hidden in the shadows?
Show yourself.

You seem like someone worth studying.

(End of this chapter)