Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 712, Chapter 80: They say I'm a fanatical Holy Light Butcher, but let me clarify: I'm not fanatical.

When the eternal night of the eclipse quietly descended, it did not immediately attract the attention of those engaged in fierce battle in Fort Nathria.

They were all so eager to kill their enemies that they didn't have much time to pay attention to whether the lights around the battlefield were changing. Only the most perceptive ones noticed the danger immediately, but they were not given any more chance to react. In just a few moments, all the lights in the entire Nathria Castle went out.

The flames were still burning, but they no longer emitted light or heat. The flames, now devoid of "life," were flickering and turning into black ashes. The shadows in the palace were growing, screaming, and expanding.

They were imbued with the ravenous hunger of a glutton, eager to punish and devour every creature that dared to venture into the darkness.

Those closest to the window looked out and were startled by the black sun in the sky. The blazing sun was reduced to a pale corona, looking like a black, merciless eye hanging in the sky, coldly scrutinizing the insects on the ground.

They saw the eclipse, and in the next second, their lives were taken away. They fell straight down like stones, the muffled thuds echoing all around.

The defiant Venthyr seemed unaware of the cold, indifferent power they were facing. Despite the Stoneborn's fierce attack, these guys continued to use the agile Crimson Gate to move back and forth in the shadows, trying to find an opportunity to win.

However, as the stonesmith rebuked the Stoneborn for ordering them to retreat immediately, the former God of War of the Moonlit Night looked at the darkness that had come to life around him with a horrified gaze.

She keenly observed that those Winsiers who flashed into the darkness were like those who jumped into the deep sea and never came out again.

They were as if they had returned to their "happy old home," immersed in the warm darkness, falling into a sweet, eternal sleep from which they were unwilling to wake up.

At the same time as the eclipse occurred, the stonesmith's body was shrouded in dim moonlight.

This was her last connection with the Moon Goddess after her death. Since she had decided to bury the past with death, she rarely used the power of the Moon Goddess anymore. But at this moment, the moonlight flew uncontrollably, as if warning the stonesmith to immediately withdraw from the place where the eclipse had fallen.

As the most powerful war god under the moon, the stone forger immediately heeded the warning conveyed by the moonlight.

She dared not delay and immediately ordered her children to retreat.

The good news is that they don't need to retreat too far.

The eclipse summoned by Diakum only covered Nathria Castle; safety would be assured once the palace was evacuated.

The bad news is that even escaping from behind this wall is not as simple as the Stoneborn have imagined.

A solar eclipse is clearly not a "smart concept".

It does not distinguish between friend and foe.

Perhaps it is possible, but the indifferent night refuses to let go of any food that steps into its abyss, just like those who know the dangers of the night but still walk alone in the darkness. When leaving the warm glow of candlelight, one should be prepared to face some risks.

Since we're already here, why are we in such a hurry to leave?

"Hurry up!!! Don't delay, don't look back, and don't look up! Go!"

The stonesmith discarded his weapon, and as he had once been alive, chanted Elune's prayers, invoking the moonlight to spread its dim yet real protective glow upon all the Stoneborn around him.

Even the Stoneborn, whose brains were carved from real stone and who were not very good at thinking, had by now realized where their "mother's" panic came from.

They also noticed the Wenthyrs who would immediately "disappear" once they slipped into the darkness.

These psionic vampires often boast of their good relationship with the darkness as "midnight hunters," but at least for this moment, the night has turned against them.

Their meager dark aptitude was utterly inadequate to even begin to resist the truly alive Taotie Yongye, let alone protect it.

If you jump in, you'll die.

It wasn't the kind of quick and clean death.
"Ah! Help me!"

A piercing scream rang out from above. Under the watchful eyes of the stonesmith who was presiding over the Moonlight Ritual to assist the Stoneborn's evacuation, a "dark" figure plummeted from the darkness high above the palace with a agonizing cry.

Unfortunately, it landed right in front of the stone forger.

The creature was still struggling to maintain its human form, but under the horrified gaze of the stone forger, the skin, blood, and bones of this Venthyr sin master had been transformed into a form composed of the black embers left behind after the flames had burned, through the extraction and reshaping in the darkness.

It's like "ashes coming to life".

Every struggle it made on the ground caused the ashes on its body to peel off and collapse. It was in pain. It wanted to get rid of this hideous and terrifying night, but it could not see any light to protect itself.

As it struggled to raise its head and reach out to the stonesmith shrouded in moonlight in the darkness, the Angry Reaper finally recognized who this unfortunate fellow was.

Lady Ineva Darkvein
This is the head of the Darkbringer family, who had already firmly pledged allegiance to Emperor Denathius's camp before Prince Renasol stepped in to consolidate the Venthyr nobles.

She was a rather radical opportunist, always proud of her vision and decisions, and clearly, in today's power transition, this lady believed that clinging to the coattails of Denathrius would allow her and her family to advance further.

Unfortunately, gamblers often lose everything in a high-stakes gamble that affects their entire fortune, and this has nothing to do with their gambling skills.

It was just fate.

"Save me, let your light surround me. Please!"

Ineva's eyes were already blind.

The moment the eclipse descended, she was deprived of all sight. In the darkness where all the light of life, energy, and will was extinguished and swallowed, she knew that she could only survive by returning to the light.

She crawled laboriously through the eerie, stretching night, each step stripping away a portion of the ashes from her body.

The stonesmith did not move, but simply watched as Lady Ineva approached him.

She was aloof and didn't know much about this guy. She hesitated whether to help him, not out of self-interest, but simply because of her own principles.

Killing someone is merely a matter of a head falling to the ground; why subject them to such indescribable suffering? Could such a cold-hearted soul truly be hidden beneath the radiant exterior of Saint Diakum?
The stonesmith hesitated.

Not wanting to provoke Diakum, who was inflicting "punishment," she chose to stand by and watch, but this was actually a form of "salvation."

The moment Lady Ineva raised her "Hand of Ashes" and it fell into the moonlight, every arm touched by the moonlight transformed from ashes back into a withered, fleshy, anima body.

If this lady can climb into the moonlight on her own, she will be saved!

However, in that instant, a swung Stoneborn Scepter slammed down on Lady Ineva's head, hurling the poor creature, who was only one step away from the light, back into the eternal night.

Then, piercing screams and curses echoed through the thick darkness.

The stonemason knew that the guy was finished; she had lost her last chance.

"Are you crazy?!"

Azshara's reprimand came from the side.

The supreme queen, bathed in arcane light, strode over, grabbed the stonemason by the collar, and pulled her towards herself.

The Queen was furious.

She scolded:

"How many lives do you have to defy an eclipse? How many guts do you have to face the dark sun? If those swallowed by eternal night were to rekindle their light through your hand, you would become their replacement! These hanged ghosts are looking for substitutes, you fool!"
Do you really think that just because Elune is protecting you, you can run rampant in the eternal night?

I think you're really tired of living!

Even I wouldn't dare... cough cough, my court advisors wouldn't use such methods on their queen either.

"I'm just... I'm just..."

The stonesmith was startled.

She had already noticed the ripples caused by her meddling. In the increasingly silent night, some "Angels of Death" dressed in eerie robes, wielding eternal night scythes, wearing triangular cone-shaped hoods, and adorned with ghostly blue wings had appeared from the ashes.

These lifeless, dark entities, representing the concept of an eclipse, are indifferently surrounding the stonemason, completely blocking her from all sides.

Clearly, Eternal Night's Desire was extremely dissatisfied with the Stonesmith's arbitrary disruption of the eclipse's arrival.

They want to punish this meddlesome person who is protected by the moonlight.

"Don't explain to me, explain to them! See?"

Azshara sighed and said:

“Diacombe has not yet fully mastered this power. The gluttonous beast of the eternal night has its own desires. It must have been the foolish Denathrius who angered him, otherwise my court advisor would never have unleashed this great power, which symbolizes ‘ultimate suffering,’ here.”

Since Elune has given you a way out, hurry up and leave!

Things have progressed to a point where it's beyond our control, but that's fine too. Once the eternal night of the eclipse is over, the entire Fort Nathria will undoubtedly be clean.

"I like clean palaces." As she spoke, Azshara took out a Shadowchaser's insignia from her bosom, which Diakum had given her before.

She held up the emblem to signal the stonemason to follow her.

The Queen held aloft the Shadow Badge of her court advisors, and the "Ash Angels" sculpted during the eternal night of the eclipse, after a brief standoff, finally collapsed into ashes and vanished in the darkness, just as they had appeared.

"Only this time!"

Azshara warned:

"Don't be foolish next time. Be humble in the face of great power. In the eternal night of the eclipse, you can only save yourself!"

The stonemason nodded firmly, then asked:
"The vigilant claims he will set the sun ablaze; if he fails to do so, then..."

"The material star sea and the six realms will be plunged into the eternal night of the eclipse you see, the Void Lords' conspiracy will be realized, and the fate of the universe will be tilted towards a stagnant future."

Azshara tossed her hair and said:

"Therefore, assisting Diakum in igniting the sun is not something we are willing to do. It is a great undertaking that is closely related to all living beings under the sun. You should dedicate your strength to this cause. Otherwise, having already been 'registered' in the Eternal Night of the Eclipse, you will definitely become the first victim when the Age of Calamity arrives."

This eclipse has taken over the power of the gluttonous beast, making the eternal night it casts greedily as well.

In its eyes, you, this overconfident 'ingredient,' are clearly 'delicious.'

The stonemason clenched her fists, whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell. But then she saw Azshara turn and walk back into the eternal night, and she called out:

"What are you going to do? Shouldn't you stay in this light?"

"Your Queen still has important matters to attend to."

Azshara waved her hand without turning her head and said:
"Moreover, how many times in my life will I have the opportunity to witness a solar eclipse? This is an excellent opportunity for research on eternal night and for obtaining samples."

Don't worry about me.

As the supreme queen, even in the eternal night, I still retain certain privileges that belong to me.

Azshara uttered a remarkably sophisticated statement before disappearing into the eternal night that had completely enveloped Nathria Castle.

What is she going to do?

Ashamed to say it.

As a "poor queen", Azshara felt that her treasury urgently needed a boost.

It just so happened that the Queen had already approved of Thénardiers' taste, so she decided to follow the example of the petty thieves in those stories and fleece the emperor to prepare treasures for "rewarding his ministers" in the future.

It would be too embarrassing for the queen to reward her loyal subjects with some treasures when they have done good deeds.

However, Queen Azshara was trying to navigate the perilous Eternal Night with grace, but the demonic sword in her hand was not so obedient. The sword that had pierced Denathrius's body was far from enough to make up for Remonia's pain and despair at being abandoned.

The Demon Sword Maiden's resentment will never dissipate unless she personally orchestrates Denathrius's downfall.

The foolish emperor has now angered the Vigilant, causing him to unleash this terrifying "ultimate move," which means Denathrius's life is now on a countdown.

Remonia was pleading with her mistress to give her a chance to witness the fall of her unfaithful lover.

Azshara decided to be a benevolent ruler in her second reign, and thus, the queen decided to fulfill her humble desire for a sword.

She released her grip, letting the Demon Sword Maiden fly into the dangerous Eclipse Night, and then used a graceful teleportation spell to enter the now chaotic yet desolate Nathria Castle.

The landing point was precise, right in the core area of ​​the castle where the Supreme Thief Rafaam was located.

Rafam is terrified!

"Don't come over!!!"

The Thief King let out a shrill scream, clutching a strange staff with a lantern at the top in a terrified posture, waving it repeatedly to fight against some heavy, invisible force, letting its increasingly dim light protect him in the eclipse.

But its hiding place is shrinking rapidly.

If Azshara doesn't come, Rafaam will fall into the same "ash-devouring" abyss as the other Venthyrs in five minutes at most.

"Oh, my supreme, savior of suffering Queen!"

Seeing Azshara appear with arcane radiance, Rafaam executed a perfect sliding knee, landing right at Azshara's feet. Shamelessly, it kowtowed repeatedly, allowing Azshara's radiance to envelop it and save it from being dragged into eternal night.

"Get up! How disgraceful, my Royal Thief Captain!"

Azshara kicked Rafaam and asked:
"Has the core of the law of Nasria Castle been found?"

Once you find it, take me to the place where the castle's energy converges. Don't just nod! We must transfer the ownership of this castle to a more worthy and noble person before Denathrius's defeat.

Well, may Thanasuus's generous soul receive a merciful judgment in the eclipse; good luck to him.

------

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Save us!"

A mournful cry echoed from the dark sky. The four sinful masters of the Nathria Choir, who had just been singing hymns of praise for Emperor Denathius's "pardoning ceremony," were now left only with wails.

As it turns out, even the most talented musicians don't always sound dignified when they utter a mournful cry.

As the "first echelon" facing the solar eclipse head-on, these four were dragged into the land of ashes without warning when the eternal night of the Taotie descended.

They had all their life, will, and mental energy extinguished, and even their bodies had turned into ashes, their mournful cries merely the lingering echoes of their unwillingness to dissipate in the face of annihilation.

Moreover, how could Emperor Denathius possibly have time to care about his subordinates at this moment?
He himself was already halfway to the ground.
That's no exaggeration.

Denathius looked at his left arm, which had been completely "ashed away," and an indescribable numbness was coming from his arm, which meant that the Eternal was about to lose a part of his body.

So, even the divine vessel created by the Firstborn could not withstand the extinguishing assimilation of the eclipse?

"You! What kind of monster are you?!"

The Emperor, somewhat disarmed, grabbed the mournful King's Sorrow with his right hand and pointed it forward.

He was quite resolute; even at this point, the absolution ceremony that had trapped Diakum had not been interrupted.

Surrounded by crimson light, Diakum, now fully in Eclipse form, maintained the posture of embracing the sun with his arms outstretched. He hovered in this blood-red absolution like a merciless god of darkness, needing not even to attack, but merely to maintain the eclipse's eternal night, enough to annihilate all things.

Those who were awakened and burdened with blood debts transformed into strangely shaped pillars of ash around him, clearly demonstrating that even sins have different levels of severity.

Denathius knew he had lost, not only in terms of power, but also in the struggle between concepts and paths.

But He was unwilling to admit defeat so easily.

And so, staggering, dragging his kingly sorrow, he strode into the ritual of forgiveness, intending to plunge the demonic sword into the heart of the "Black Sun" that had brought about the eternal night of the eclipse.

Diakum made no move.

He merely maintained his chanting of embracing the sun, coldly observing Denathrius's final struggle. Under the illumination of the "black sun" in the sky, which was now only a pale arc of light, the Forgiver raised his demonic sword, ready to deliver the final stab to the Vigilant.

"puff"

A sharp blade pierced the body, and blood splattered everywhere.

Under Diakum's indifferent gaze, Denathius, his face contorted with rage and rage, collapsed.

The King's Sorrow fell to the side, and the shattered demonic sword Remonia, filled with merciless resentment, pierced his heart from behind, then turned a corner and stabbed him again from the front.

This was repeated thirteen times until a bloody hole was pierced through the chest of Emperor Denathrius.

He knelt down in shock and despair, struggling to keep himself from falling. In his last moments of vision, he saw the Watcher's feet land lightly on the ground.

He looked up at Diakum, whose face was filled with pity, and heard him say:

"Go ahead."

"Your last words."

(End of this chapter)