Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 738, Section 16: Moths to a Flame, Yet Still a Path to Light - Bonus Chapter [55]

(Bonus chapter for the "5 Light-Years Per Second" brothers [5/5])
"Get out!"

A chilling rebuke echoed through the sacred land of the Firstborn. As the Primal Arbiter's warhammer slammed down, the prototype of the Pardon, who was still struggling to resist, had its cosmic weapon shattered by the hammer. It was then bound and grabbed by the Warden's cold chains, flung into the sky, and slammed to the ground.

The King's Sorrow, howling in like a fierce dog wagging its tail, pierced through the arm the first time and tore apart the Phosphorus Body, which served as the torso of the original form, the second time.

This was a truly "fatal" blow. The newborn prototype behind them wanted to use "Great Rejuvenation" to save them, but was instead struck on the head by the Winter Queen, who was wielding the Frost Whisper Staff.

This direct, forceful interruption proved effective, repelling the newborn prototype and causing it to stagger backward before being bound by the archangel in the air with the golden banner of light.

Having already been casting for several seconds, the War Lord raised his finger, and a chilling spiritual power swirled and circled around his fingertip, which was covered by a metal finger guard, before finally roaring out with the War Lord's death decree.

That's why the Lord of War is said to be the most destructive of all the Eternals. Even his ultimate move, "Divinity Death Finger," is an area-of-effect attack!

Six streams of dark green death energy roared out like flying meteors. Three of them accurately struck the newly formed prototype, while the remaining three were "gifted" to the other three prototypes that had already fallen to the ground.

The tearing sounds were incessant.

But the newborn prototype had a very thick "health bar," and she actually withstood the three-hit combo of the Death Finger. Just as she was about to breathe and recover her health, she saw her "predecessor" drop his cane and jump over, grabbing her neck with both hands.

In terms of destructive power, the Lord of War's flashy ultimate moves are just for fun. Only the "traditional techniques" of women fighting can cause real damage!
When the Queen of Winter pinches the newborn prototype, the concept of "winter for all things" bursts forth from her ten fingers.

A power mixed with decay, decay, and aging erupted like a gushing spring, constantly washing over the body of the newborn prototype and forcibly stripping away its exaggerated breathing and blood regeneration.

A chilling frost covered the creature's body. She struggled, but the Eternal One before her, who resembled her nine-tenths, clearly had no intention of letting go.

Not only did she not let go, the Queen of Winter was now glaring with fury.

Her usually dignified and mature face was now devoid of its former elegance, replaced by a ferocious look that seemed determined to fight to the death.

"You! Don't even think about replacing me! I want to be the 'only one,' I want to protect my 'self,' and you have no right to replace me! Not even the orders of the First Ones."

She spoke in a low voice, her fingers clenched tightly together, making her look even more ferocious. The cold moon surrounding her also transformed into a more destructive black moon under Elune's "encouragement".

At this moment, the newborn prototype is not only fighting against the rampaging Queen of Winter, but also her notoriously "restless" sister.

With the sisters united, who in this world can stand against them?

The Lord of War wanted to step forward to help, but as soon as he took a step, he heard the sound of a sword, and then the King's Sorrow whistled and plunged into the ground in front of him.

Emperor Denathus's cold gaze, aided by the surrounding sword intent of slaughter, fixed on the Lord of War. His unsettling voice echoed amidst the storm of sin:
"Mind your own business! Our most boring sister has chosen to rebel. She has torn away that cold and beautiful disguise and revealed the true face of the deadly winter. Look at her ferocious appearance, like a murderer. What a beautiful evil."

The Lord of War snorted, leaning on his battle staff, which was riddled with cracks and on the verge of shattering, and rebuked:

"You troublemaker! In the future, you will never have the chance to run around like this again."

"Ha, then pray, old viper! Pray that my 'warden' is responsible enough, and that he won't give me any chance."

Emperor Thásius laughed instead.

He shouted:

"I have spent my whole life fighting against people, judging all kinds of souls. I know all their weaknesses. I only need a moment of carelessness, a moment of weakness, and I will come back to fight back."

I, the immortal one, have endless patience to wait for my disloyal 'friends' to err, and one day you will face the 'forgiver' again.

Consider this a halftime break, my brother.

We should both let go of the past and learn to start anew, just like our once incompetent eldest sister!
look.

The holy light sculpted her into such a sacred state that it only intensifies my yearning to see her fall into the mire of shadow, shrouded in darkness, writhing in agony and depravity.

"boom"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the Queen of Winter finally tossed the lifeless prototype onto the hexagonal floor of the molding workshop.

The combined forces of the harsh winter and the dark moon of war extinguished it, leaving it covered in thick frost, lying on the ground like a sculpture in ice.

The Queen of Winter, panting heavily after having done all this herself, staggered backward.

She looked very weak and was about to fall when a warm light burst forth from behind her. Archangel Grace, who had folded her six pairs of wings, landed and helped up the Winter Queen, whose mind was clearly in turmoil.

They are free.

No, that's not accurate.

They destroyed the Eternal prototype that could have replaced them, and their next step is to completely and permanently destroy the manufacturing facility where they are located.

This is the only way to become "unique," but it's just the beginning.

The only existence is merely the foundation for truly seizing and harnessing great power. Given the Eternals' poor and lackluster combat abilities, if they wanted to truly obtain the power that a true god should possess, the time they would need to cultivate and ascend afterward would probably be measured in "ten thousand years".

However, this meant nothing to the Eternals.

Their immortality and eternity give them ample time to properly and perfectly acquire the power they deserve, provided that the realm of the dead does not erupt into another war of Force invasion.

The entire Eternal Forging Workshop was deathly silent.

The four individuals and a sword observed and sized each other up, but no one spoke first, especially after this battle in which they had fought together. The ancient camaraderie that once existed among the Eternals seemed to be briefly awakened.

However, each individual has their own unfinished mission, and not everyone is willing to "mend a broken mirror".

So a few minutes later, the warden picked up his Primal Arbiter warhammer and strode away, but was stopped by the Lord of War before he could take more than a few steps.

"do not go!"

The warlord said in a low voice:
"You are no match for him! You will die under the grand scheme of the Firstborn, die in your own unfulfilled ideals. Do you really think you can use the power left behind by the Firstborn to reshape a perfect reality?"
That's something even the Firstborn couldn't do!
You're like a moth drawn to a flame.

"Even a burning moth can bring a glimmer of light; how do you know that it only suffers when it is set ablaze?"

The warden waved his hand and said:

“You have gotten what you wanted, and you can’t understand what I want. In the end, after that trial, we were no longer on the same path.”

There will always be people who live for reality, and there will always be people who are willing to die for their ideals.

This has nothing to do with right or wrong.

Step aside! "

You know perfectly well that it's impossible.

The warlord still wanted to persuade him.

This is completely different from the ruthless way He plotted to push Zovar step by step into this situation. Maybe the old viper has had a change of heart?
Or perhaps, after they finally grasped the only one, the warlord felt that the ruthless plan they had once devised was no longer necessary.

He said in a low voice:
"Graceia returned to the Holy Light, Denathrius became a prisoner, and in the era after the collapse of Mandate of Heaven, only the Queen of Winter and I remained in the Shadowlands. But I was a schemer and she was a guardian of the status quo, and neither of us was suited to lead the dead."

Or rather, only when you return can we better lead the death camp that will gain freedom.

Instead of betting everything on the immense power left behind by the First Being, why not join us and spend ten thousand years shaping the order you desire?

The warden did not answer; he seemed unwilling to answer either.

He simply stepped forward and pushed aside the Lord of War, then walked unwaveringly toward the exit of the forging workshop. But after taking a few steps, he stopped and whispered:

"Perhaps 'perfection' does not exist, but that is not a reason for all beings to be trapped in 'imperfection'."

I've waited too long; I don't want to live another 100,000 years in a daze.

If you know the story of Diakum, you should know that even a brief flame can illuminate the darkness and the future ten feet away.

Never hate fire, nor prevent it from burning.

"Good luck to you all." Having said this, Zovar seemed to have cast aside his last hesitation, as if drinking a farewell toast, and strode away. Under the regretful and disappointed gaze of the Lord of War, the King's Mourning, planted in the ground, quietly resurfaced. The cunning Emperor Denathrius, in a strange, drawn-out tone, said:

“Behold, the death of a martyr! An idealist will die today, while those who live in His shadow will be able to use ‘reality’ as a reason to convince themselves to usurp the throne.”

However, are you really ready to step out of the 'cradle' that the First Creators have created for us and face the cruel storms of the material galaxy?
"Ha, I have serious doubts about that."

"Shut up!"

The warlord turned around and gave a harsh rebuke.

Then, He saw the astral mage Medivh and Marquis Sindarine sneak into the forge. Medivh was very calm, but Marquis Sindarine, being a lich, was trembling with excitement.

This is normal.

This is the moment when Medivh will fulfill his promise. Marquis Cindy, who has worked so hard for the "Grand Plan," will receive the highest reward and embark on her own path to godhood.

The warlord did not stop the two "thieves".

He knew perfectly well what those two were up to, but He chose to ignore it.

This is the result of rather complex "eye contact" and backroom deals among the elites, who must choose to turn a blind eye when necessary.

If the water is clear, there will be no fish.

The Lord of War approached the Queen of Winter. Clearly, as the only remaining Eternal Ones after the "Chang's Mandate," He and the Queen of Winter had to come up with a statement to announce to their servants before leaving Zaremotis, and they also had to come up with a proper and feasible "Shadow Kingdom Reform Plan."

It would be really difficult to accomplish all this before the collapse of Zaremotis. Fortunately, the Lord of War wasn't really slacking off during his years of imprisonment.

As a true old viper, He clearly already had a plan in mind; now He only needed to persuade the Queen of Winter, who would inevitably share the supreme power of death with Him in the future.

The conversations of the nobles were naturally not overheard.

Medivh had no interest in eavesdropping on the Death faction's "First Millennium Plan"; he was busy instructing the excited Marquis Cindy on how to acquire her "spoils of war."

“A portion of the immortal bodies of the four Eternals can be taken as your ‘Divine Life-Protecting Box’.”

The Astral Mage reminded him:
"Don't worry about being judged by the Vigilant for taking these things; this is a 'benefit' that was agreed upon beforehand. However, you can't be too greedy; you can only take a small portion, enough to make the container materials for your Life-Protecting Box!"

Taking too much will not only be useless to you, but will also bring trouble.

"But there are four 'true god vessels' here!"

Marquis Cindy was clearly somewhat displeased.

She said excitedly:
"Instead of letting them perish in the collapse of Zaremotis, wouldn't it be better to make reasonable 'use' of them? And don't you yearn for that, Medivh? This is the vessel of the true God!"
You are also a lich, and you can also take a portion to shape your phylactery.

Becoming a lesser god will be a piece of cake for you.

“I don’t need these external things to become a lesser god; this is the ‘privilege’ of geniuses.”

The astral mage waved his hand dismissively, saying:

"The important thing is not embarking on the path to godhood, but where you set the end point for this path. For the sake of our pleasant cooperation in the past, I must remind you, Cindy."

The immortal container of the eternal being is 'flawed'.

Although in theory these containers can all contain the cosmic radiance of the true god, there is always a difference between theory and reality. Once you take these containers, even if you can inherit the concept of death that each container governs, that inheritance will also 'bind' you from moving into new realms.

You shouldn't be bound to death forever.

Medivh glanced at the incredibly excited Cindy, sighed inwardly, knowing he could no longer persuade this ambitious soul, but still decided to fulfill his final obligation as a collaborator.

He said softly:

"If your goal is merely to become a lesser god, then this is a perfect ending. But if you want more, I advise you to think twice before putting on these 'shackles of power'!"

“I understand what you mean, but not all souls have the ‘choice’ they have in your hands, just like Azshara.”

Cindy snorted and said in a sour tone:
“I know very well where my talents and potential can lead me. In your words, ‘mere lesser god’ is already the limit that I can only reach by working hard all my life. I can only struggle to explore above this limit.”

However, so what if he is 'just' a lesser god?
Throughout the entire universe, lesser gods are already a throne that most Force practitioners can only dream of. I know you are right, and your opinions are insightful and valuable. However...
We need to be realistic sometimes!
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so give me some advice on which piece I should take.
All four concepts are so tempting that I'm finding it hard to choose.

"If you don't intend to seize power and authority from the Queen of Winter and the Lord of War, you'd better choose between duty and pardon."

Medivh had done his duty; as he opened the portal to the outside of the Tomb of the Firstborn, he reminded them:

"But if you don't intend to be trapped in the Shadowlands in the future, then I suggest you take it from the newly created vessel. Although the forging of King's Mourning was a conspiracy against Emperor Denathrius, its own concept of existence is correct."

The forces of life and death can coexist under certain circumstances, making this the only 'exception' in the Shadowlands.

Don't just think about strength, Cindy.

Diakum once said something very interesting, and I'd like to pass it on to you: The ideal situation is when stats and mechanics coexist; if you have to choose, being a 'mechanics monster' is much happier than becoming a 'stats monster.'

After saying that, the Star Mage left without looking back.

He had fulfilled all his promises to Sindarine, and the lich lady's life thereafter had nothing to do with him.

Cindy pondered for a while, and finally decided to take the advice of the "wise man".

The decision-making logic is also very simple and straightforward.

No matter how strong the numbers are, can they be stronger than Sargeras?
She's going to stir up trouble all over the world from now on!

To ensure survival even when "encountering" the Dark Titan, becoming a "mechanical monster" capable of navigating between life and death is clearly a safer future.

------

"You came?"

In the grand temple of the Creator, Diakum, who was sitting cross-legged in those strange hexagonal "energy wells," opened his eyes.

The pre-battle meditation has ended.

As he rose, the warden, who had stepped into this grand place behind him, said in a deep voice:
"Yes, I'm coming."

"You shouldn't have come. Didn't they manage to dissuade you?"

The vigilant sighed and said:

"That was your last chance to turn back, but you still chose to become a moth, flying into a flame you could only imagine."

"You're not a moth."

The warden slammed his warhammer into the ground and said calmly:
"How can you know the satisfaction a moth feels when it flies into a flame? I lived for an ideal, and now I will die for an ideal. What a perfect life that is."

You're a good man, Diakum.

Unfortunately, only one of us can survive.

Ps:

This bonus chapter has ended; currently, there are 25 chapters owed.

Next bonus chapter: August 8.1th
In addition, the bonus chapters for the patrons have completely ended today. If any patron finds that they have not received a bonus chapter, they can leave a message here, but my bonus chapter record should be correct.

The remaining 25 chapters are bonus chapters. Apart from the 20 chapters I mentioned before that were to apologize to readers for the significant change in the word count, the remaining 5 chapters are specifically for the readers who helped me correct the errors, as a token of my gratitude.

If my plans go smoothly, I should be able to finish this book by the end of next month.

Thank you all for your continued support, I love you all.

(End of this chapter)