Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 709, Section 77: Corruption and Darkening - The philandering emperor will inevitably face his own axe and good ship.

Revendreth's situation has become so dire that it's as if the world has fallen into chaos.

The fierce rebels had already surrounded Nathria Castle. With the Stonesmith personally overseeing the battle at the front lines, the Venthyr and Nathrezim under the Emperor's command were suffering successive defeats. Meanwhile, various "loyal armies" arrived one after another, only to be stopped halfway by the "rebels" who had been prepared in advance.

Even in Revendres, a place teeming with schemers, some Venthyr commoners disliked getting involved in these political agendas. However, this time, the Sin Lord's Keeper, who oversees all the Sin Monuments, also joined the ranks of the "rebels."

This cunning and sinful lord issued a decree that all the Wenthyr commoners who participated in the uprising could reclaim their sin monuments that had been "kept" in her hands.

Every Winshire deeply understands just how important this thing is.

Once the Sinstone is controlled by someone else, it means that one's life and death are in the hands of that person, and one cannot even resist any orders issued by the holder of the Sinstone. The Venthyrs may not care about power and wealth, but every single one of them absolutely wants to have their own Sinstone in their own hands.

After all, in Revendreth, only those who can hold their own monument of sin are considered "human".

Therefore, when the caretaker's orders were relayed throughout Revendreth, even the wandering knights who usually stayed outside the mainstream of Venthyr society flocked to join in the grand event.

This instantly multiplied the number of rebels under Prince Renasor several times over. Instead of participating in the siege of Nathria Castle, they set up ambushes around the royal city to prevent the "loyal army" from entering the battlefield.

Both sides had reasons why they could not give up, so the intensity of the coup battle quickly escalated to an exaggerated level.

However, all of this has nothing to do with Diakum, who orchestrated this "coup"; he has only just reached the edge of the Crimson Abyss's treasure vault. Zlari, the "Platinum Naaru" rescued from the abyss of suffering, spins following the avatar of the sun, saying:
"The Venthyrs have collected the remains of their fellow Naaru and hidden them here. They have studied those remains for many years and that is how they obtained the evil method to manipulate me. We cannot allow their research data to be leaked, otherwise all the Naaru in the universe will suffer the same crisis as me."

We should also take all the fragments of holy light hidden here with us.

As you just said, our compatriots who have died can still retain their last dignity. If the children of the Holy Light who were buried forever in foreign lands during that expedition could use themselves as fuel to ignite the sun, then I think every compatriot would be smiling and draped in glory when they ascend to the highest heaven.

Perhaps the execution of that expedition back then was all for the sake of this moment!

“I don’t believe in fate, Zlari, but you’re right, bringing my fellow countrymen home and giving them their final dignity is what brought me here.”

Dick raised the Sunstrider's Hammer high, summoning the fragments of holy light hidden in the Crimson Abyss. Rays of light emerged from all directions, swirling and converging around him and Zillari at Dick's call.

Compared to the Naaru fragments left in the Ash Wasteland, the energy of these sacred remains hidden in the Crimson Abyss is far superior.

Designed as a "fuel storage" torch, it continuously absorbed the holy light and energy left behind by the ancient Naaru, but it soon became overwhelmed.

After Diakum noticed that the torches around the Sunstrider Warhammer were showing signs of melting, he realized that even the prototype artifact, forged by the Lord of War himself, was powerless to withstand so much lost ancient light and heat.

The mere remnants of the holy remains were enough to melt a divine artifact of the War God, demonstrating just how terrifying the scale of that Holy Light invasion was back then.

So Diakum slung the Sunstrider's Hammer over his back, no longer allowing the already overloaded artifact to continue receiving the glorious infusion. He took a deep breath, and amidst the echoing hymns surrounded by ancient radiance, he opened his arms and called upon these "ancient radiances" forgotten by the outside world to gather around him.

Golden rays of light merged into Diakum's corona, like swallows returning to their nests.

Even later, Platinum Naruz Lari could not withstand the intense heat emanating from Diakum's ridiculously hot corona, and she kept retreating to avoid having her body melted again.

But Diakum continues to call, absorb, and preserve.

When the last point of light returned to his spirit, the corona, which had originally served as an energy decoration, had completely transformed into the flames of a star, continuously spewing out solar storms that, like dazzling fire dragons, swirled around Diakum, filling every move of the vigilant with the majesty of the sun god.

"How many Naru did you actually send back then?"

In the light that was no longer visible, Dick's voice drifted from afar, and Zlarly spun around in response:

“5000? 6000? I can no longer give you the exact number, Vigilant, but it is certainly a number that would shake the Shadowlands. When we first noticed the Nathrezim’s provocation of the Holy Light, it was an intolerable blasphemy.”

That wasn't just our first time dealing with demons, it was our first time dealing with the power of death.

We were scammed.

We were led to the Shadowlands by the cunning Nathrezim. When the first Naaru were trapped, more of our brethren came to our aid, which intensified the war between the two sides. Although some Naaru eventually retreated back to the material world, at least half of the Naaru were left forever on this land that did not belong to us in the battle against the Stoneborn Legion.

We initially believed this was just a cunning plot by the Dreadlord to sow discord between the Light and Death, but our fellow humans probably find it hard to believe that the Nathrezim, with their demonic appearance, are truly native to this land.

This was a conspiracy, and it only came to an end today.

However, it's truly unimaginable that you could perfectly withstand the return of so much Naaru power.

“I am Anser’s successor, and you are Anser’s children. I have my duty to send the wanderers back to the embrace of the High Heaven.”

Diakum said softly:
"The bodies of the Naaru are dead, but their spirits will endure in the realm of light. They will take on a more magnificent form, just as they did on their expedition to Revendres. They will ultimately guard the majesty of the highest heavens. Let me rest for a while."

There's just too much of this light and heat.

Let me adjust, let me catch my breath.

As he spoke, with each heavy breath, a portion of the radiant spirit within Diakum receded from his body.

Platinum Naruz Lari watched with a mixture of curiosity and surprise as the Vigilant "converted" some of his light and heat into shadow, thus balancing his presence within his body and allowing it to return to its previous state of "harmonious coexistence and effortless transformation."

Conservatively estimated, the ancient Naaru has been imprisoned in Revendreth for at least 50,000 years. She is like a "primitive person" and has never seen such a fancy doctrine of light and shadow in this era.
Although Zhlari was one of those "extremist" Naru, otherwise she wouldn't have followed the raging Naru brothers to storm the Holy Land of Death, years of imprisonment had smoothed out her rough edges, allowing her to view everything she saw with a more gentle attitude.

Instead of rebuking Diakum's absurd doctrine of "symbiosis of light and shadow," Platinum Naru floated to the outer edge as Dick tried to harmonize his light and shadow.

She unleashed her light, weaving a protective aura around Diakum to keep those with ill intentions at bay.

She had already learned from Diakum about the relationship between Naru and Anser, as well as Dick's ambition to ignite the sun.

As a Naru, she felt it was her duty.

As a believer in the Holy Light, she had to give it her all.

As a prisoner tormented by suffering, she had forgotten the torture and abuse, and only wanted to see a future where there would be no more tragedies.

And all of this can only be done by the vigilant in front of us.

Loyalty?

No.

As an old-school Naaru, Z'Lali wouldn't use such "streetwise" words to describe her current following. She would say that she is willing to be draped in the glory of the pioneers of the blazing sun and embark on this great path that benefits all living beings.

Respect without worship, follow without blindly obey, be devout without fanaticism.

This is the choice that believers in Holy Light should make.

As for the dark memories brought to him by Denathrius and Revendreth, they no longer need to be remembered in the face of truly glorious achievements. Moreover, in today's chaos, there are plenty of others who will become the executioners to carry out the punishment.

So, good luck to the abusers.

------

"boom"

In the Reaper's Court, the proud one who wields the "Sin of Pride," the Sin Lord Accuser, stumbles and falls awkwardly onto the square of Darkbay.

Her powerful anima magic for self-protection should theoretically be invincible, since it is directly connected to her Sinstone. If the Sinstone cannot be broken, the enemy should be unable to harm her at all.

This is one of Revendres' ironclad rules.

To harm someone, you must first find or obtain their sin tablet, decipher its obscure contents, and learn of their sins. Only then can you break their connection to the tablet and even use special rituals to recite judgments that render them completely incapable of fighting.

In Revendreth, the Sinstone is far more than just an identification; it occupies a fundamental position in the entire "Sinful Spell Sequence."

However, today, this ironclad rule has been broken.

The accuser, with his own inscription intact, was easily defeated by the queen from the material world. The queen didn't even use the familiar magic sword beside her; she simply used a spell he couldn't understand to dismantle all his defenses.

But the Accuser is, after all, the most powerful sin lord of the Reaper's Court.

After being knocked down, she wasted no time. She got up, teleported away to create distance, and her sinful ritual was already in the starting position. She was about to retaliate!
Even if no one knows where Azshara's sin monument is hidden, the Accuser, wielding arcane magic, can forcibly drag this soul, which does not belong to Revendreth, into the "judgment."

Faced with the accuser's counterattack, Azshara scoffed. The radiant queen even reached out to stop the demon sword Remonia's counterattack, standing there as the accuser's judgment ritual locked onto her.

"I hereby pronounce the verdict!"

Amidst the chaos of the sky and earth, the accuser, blood still trickling from her lips, pointed authoritatively at the bound Azshara like a judge, and shouted:

"You have committed the sin of pride, sinner! Prepare to be punished."

“I know what crime I’ve committed; I don’t need you to remind me so loudly.”

Azshara's expression was gentle. With a casual wave of her hand, a black chain appeared in her grasp. She stroked it and said:
“But I already have the Sin Tablet, Your Excellency. You cannot punish me beyond the protection of the Sin Tablet.”

“But you are not Venthyr! The caretaker will not protect and hide the sin monument for you, so I will do this!”

The accuser laughed and used arcane magic to summon the monument of sins that Azshara had hidden into his hands.

The reason why Venthyr is not afraid of others learning sin magic and creating sin monuments is this: if someone is not a native of Revendreth, their sin monument will not be protected by the rules of forgiveness. As long as the sin lord calls out, the sin monument will fall into her hands on its own.

When confronted by the accuser's call to the monument of sin, Azshara gave him a look that said, "Watching a fool perform," before making an elven gesture that meant, "Peace be with you."

This scene caused the accuser's expression to change slightly.

She sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

But she couldn't stop now, so she steeled herself and, through the ritual, pulled hard, trying to drag Azshara's monument of sin into her own hands.
"boom"

The black and red floating island that suddenly appeared in the sky above Dark Bay cast a fearsome shadow over the bustling battlefield. The Venthyr, Nathrezim, and Stoneborn who were fighting fiercely in the sky and on the ground looked up in bewilderment and saw the "floating island," which was a quarter the size of Revendreth, hurtling down like a meteorite.

They were all stupid.

They stopped fighting and ran outside yelling, as if they wished their parents had given them two more legs.

Meanwhile, the Accuser, located at the center of the "meteorite bombardment," stared blankly at the massive floating island crashing down from above. She couldn't understand how a meteorite could have fallen when she had summoned Azshara's monument of sin.
and many more!

hiss.
Could this be...?

What the hell!

What heinous things have you done in the material world, Queen? Even the monument to the sins of Denathrius the Great, the "King of Sin," isn't as big as yours!
Before the accuser could finish his internal monologue, Azshara's floating monument of sins crashed down upon him.

With a deafening roar, two-thirds of Dark Bay Town was leveled. This was only because the Queen didn't want to create too much "bloodshed," so she deliberately controlled the force of the Sin Monument's descent.

Even the accuser wasn't crushed to death, though two-thirds of his bones were broken. Azshara threw him out of the chains of dominion and dragged him out of the giant crater like a dead dog.

This was not entirely the result of the bombardment by the Sin Monument meteorite; part of it also came from the backlash of the power of the Sin Ritual.

Clearly, even though she had captured Azshara's sins, she could not conduct the trial independently. To put it simply, Azshara was guilty and willing to confess, but the accuser was not qualified to judge her. Perhaps only a "forgiver" appointed by the Firstborn, such as Emperor Denathrius, was qualified to judge a minor god of the material world.

"I'll accept this badge."

Azshara removed the Arrogant Reaper Medal from the neck of the half-dead Accuser.

This thing is part of the very foundation of Revendreth's existence, and Azshara is very interested in it. She knows she can unlock all the secrets of sinful magic from this Sin Medallion.

As for the fate of the accuser, that is for Prince Renasol to decide.

After all, she was a key figure in Revendres' power structure, and she had her own faction.

However, just as Queen Azshara was easily victorious and preparing to go to Nathria Castle to witness the collapse of Emperor Denathius's reign, the demon sword Remonia, who had been silently guarding the queen, suddenly began to convulse.

She screamed, and for a moment she couldn't even levitate anymore, falling weakly to the ground with a crisp sound.

Azshara stopped and looked at the demon sword lying beside her. At this moment, Remonia was like a fish in the sun, twitching and struggling, but her power was collapsing and draining away.

"what happened to you?"

The Queen asked, feigning ignorance:

“You look like you’re in pain, child.”

"Denasius. He... He withdrew his power. He severed his connection with me completely. He took away the concept that was linked to my soul and gave it to another sword."

The demonic sword struggled and whimpered.

She was in pain.

But compared to the pain of the sword shattering, the despair at the level of the demonic sword's consciousness was more real.

She had previously encountered "King's Mourning" in the floating city of the Spirit Brokers, and heard Sachiel's rebukes and slanders against her, but under the Queen's persuasion, she reaffirmed her resolve.

She believes it was all a misunderstanding.

She believed that as long as she returned to Denathrius's side, the emperor would accept her as before, and they would return to their former state of soulmates who had shared joys and sorrows.

That was her last bit of persistence and fantasy during those dark and hopeless days.

Queen Azshara gave her this opportunity, and she shamelessly followed the queen here in an almost "shameless" manner. Her trust and expectation of Denathrius was her last line of defense.

However.
The deliberate withdrawal of power and the dissipation of concepts ruthlessly shattered all of Remonia's resolve at this moment, making her feel, amidst her painful cries, that she had been a ridiculous clown for some time.
What am I even expecting?!

Doesn't he know what kind of person Thenas is?

Why would I have any expectations of such a shameless eternal being?
Ming
He clearly had a more trustworthy mistress by his side all along.
"How pitiful, the abandoned puppy, trembling in the blood rain of Revendreth."

Azshara raised a finger, using her magic to suspend Remonia above her eyes, and whispered:

"Lies don't hurt, but the truth is the sharpest knife. My poor Remonia, you've finally experienced firsthand what it feels like to be betrayed by the person closest to you."

"I'm willing to follow Him only so that He may suffer!"

Remonia's weakened response was tinged with a chilling, bloody stench.

This is a sign of him turning evil.

However, Azshara shook her head.

she says:

“I’ve said it more than once: I don’t like using things that other people have touched.”

"boom"

The blade, hilt, and all external decorations of the demonic sword were shattered and discarded by her at this moment, leaving only a small section of the sword core wrapped in crimson light and a broken hilt.

The shattered blades hovered around the demonic sword, exuding a desolate sense of brokenness.

"Now... I'm clean."

Remonia said softly:
"Grant me the glory of following you, for I crave the blood of those treacherous dogs; only their blood can bring peace to my past self."

"That's right, that's the reasonable attitude."

The Queen's mood brightened.

Azshara reached out and stroked the tattered sword core, as if grasping a less-than-respectable "wood-chopping knife." As she poured her power into the weakened demonic sword, she said:

"Faithless men and women deserve to die! I have always been fair, so let me learn the sword of sorrow and taste the blood of sinners."

(End of this chapter)