Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 76: 31. Archbishops, why don’t you look back and see what you have protected? [Update 34/50]

(Additional update for brother "Chuck Wesley" [4/5])
Two days flew by.

After the crystal ironsmiths of the Aldor Temple, under Dick's "guidance", initially completed the general production plan of the "Lightforged Holy Blade" that he urgently needed, the Draenei Archbishop and their second-level archons finally arrived at the Karabor Temple.

The Archbishop in Shadowmoon Valley is not in a hurry, but those in the Talador region have to travel day and night.

They had to arrange their own affairs before they could set off, which invisibly put pressure on some people with guilty consciences. After the archbishops arrived at the Karabor Temple and checked their accounts, they found out.
Holy shit, four second-level consuls defected in just these two days!
There are two large cities, three small cities, and ten towns in Draenor's two draenei territories, and the number of second-level archons under the Council of Exarchs is less than thirty.
One in seven high-ranking officials are devil worshippers. This corruption ratio can be said to be extremely deadly. Therefore, before the grand meeting was held, these consuls were under terrible psychological pressure.

They all knew the tragic end of the great traitor Osar.

This filled them with an indescribable fear of Saint Diakum, the vigilant who presided over the "rectification" meeting today. They were afraid that they would be accused of "dereliction of duty" and then dragged out and hanged on the spot.

It's not impossible!

Over the past two days, Saint Diachem's order to summon the thousand-year-old veterans of the Hand of Argus has been delivered to the city of Telmor. Those thousand-year-old veterans are so excited that they want to rush out on the spot and kill a few demons hiding in Draenor to celebrate the commander's return.

If this really happens to them, ending up with an intact body would be a perfect outcome.

As we all know, the thousand-year-old veterans of the Hand of Argus are all classic "Holy Light Demons". Even in the eyes of fanatical believers, these warriors who have been dealing with demons for most of their lives are a bit too extreme.

This is why they have to guard Telmo City for more than two hundred years!
The Council of Bishops could not just throw these fanatical warriors among the civilian population. Although their number was small, trouble would definitely occur if they started making trouble. This was not even a personal decision of the archbishops. Even the "Old Ram" Hatton, who was previously in charge of military affairs, agreed with this resolution.

Of course, the thousand-year-old veterans of the Hand of Argus are not the same as "veterans" in the traditional sense.

After all, the Draenei have been exiled in the astral sea for 25,000 years. If you really want to be picky, every garrison officer among them is a ten-thousand-year veteran, but the glorious warriors of the Hand of Argus are another concept.

Most of them joined the Hand of Argus Legion during the decisive Battle of Argus. In the years of exile that followed, they would take the initiative to fight whenever they encountered a demon ambush. They were known for their extreme fanaticism and fierce bravery. They never missed any opportunity to confront demons and maintained their own military system with ancient traditions.

They are extremely xenophobic!

Any garrison officer who wants to join them has very strict selection criteria, namely the exaggerated "recruit trial" that Maraad and Yrel are now facing. They must harvest at least thirty demon heads in one battle before they can join the Hand of Argus as a recruit.

Internally they call this thing the "Demon Killing Index."

Every time a battle with the devil takes place, each veteran will be assigned his own KPI.

But the reason they were able to slaughter demons so easily in the world of Argus was because they had the blessing of the Star Soul. Now that they have lost the power of the Star Soul, it is almost impossible for the garrison to complete this challenge. Even the veterans have suffered heavy casualties in repeated conflicts.

When the Genedar first set out, the Hand of Argus Legion had 550 soldiers, but now there are only more than 30 people left, and they have not had any new recruits for thousands of years, which means they have basically been wiped out.

If Diak'um does not awaken, the demise of the Hand of Argus Legion is only a matter of time.

But now, fate has brought the "True Hand of Argus" back!
This alone is enough to make those fanatical "Holy Light Demons" ecstatic.

In addition, what the veterans of the Hand of Argus are most talked about is their unique Holy Light morality, or the "Demon Slayer Oath"!
These veterans swore an oath to devote all their enthusiasm and will to the great cause of fighting against demons. Therefore, the Holy Light strengthened their fighting power against demons. As a constraint, this oath power cannot be used in battles with non-evil creatures.

This results in the veterans of the Hand of Argus being at most a legendary or critical combat force in other wars. However, as soon as demons appear on the opposite side of the battlefield, these guys can instantly transform into "Holy Light Slashing Kings".

Fighting one against a hundred is no problem.

The Aldo priests have studied this unique phenomenon in depth. They generally believe that the birth of this unique Holy Light Principle is most likely inseparable from Saint Diakum Zastins, the founder of the Hand of Argus.

These fanatical veterans even ignored the orders of Velen and Hatun, but they fanatically worshipped their commander and regarded him as the only chosen one of the Holy Light in the field of punishment.

Therefore, after Dick issued the call, these veterans rushed to the Karabor Temple at almost the fastest speed. They even arrived faster than the bishops, and were now being inspected by their commander in the Aldo Temple area.

"I remember you, brave warrior, your name is Restalaan!"

Dick, carrying the Blade of Kazzak and wearing a set of ceremonial gem armor, reached out and patted the shoulder of a brave and strong veteran.

He smiled and said to the tough guy with three scars on his face, a black eye patch on his left eye, and both horns broken off in battle:
"You joined us on the fourth day of the Krokuun Campaign, replacing your cousin who died on the battlefield. In your first battle, you slew forty-eight demon guards in the name of revenge. Your most glorious achievement was during the Antoran Campaign.

You assisted Brigadier General Maldalan and me in slaying the High Fel Lord Zakuun, Kil'jaeden. Alas, the lord himself praised you as 'The Hunter' after the battle.

I'm so happy to see you're alive!"

"I am also honored to still fight with you after more than 20,000 years, Vigilant!"

Restalaan the Hunter was so excited that his entire body was shaking. This Eredar, who had experienced countless battles, saluted firmly and said loudly:

"Although I lost my superior and was eventually forced to temporarily serve as the commander of the Hand of Argus Legion at the suggestion of my comrades, we have always longed for your return. We believe that you will be able to wake up in the Age of Night and lead us again.

The Holy Light has bestowed upon us the duty of slaying demons, and we have finally waited for our only chosen leader!
Brigadier General Diakum, please give the order!"

The ten thousand year old veteran shouted loudly and enthusiastically:
"Even if we are left with only thirty-one men after ten thousand years of bitter fighting, we are still willing to follow you to the brink of hell."

"You are all good."

Diakum was also overwhelmed with emotion at this moment.

He looked at the thirty-one lonely people in front of him, his eyes sweeping over these veterans with thousands of years of glory. Each of them had terrible scars on their bodies, and some were even missing limbs.

But they still stood upright as firmly as they remembered, upholding the courage and backbone of the Draenei clan with their backbone.

He knew these warriors, and except for a few new recruits who joined after the decisive battle, he could call out each of their names and remember every achievement they had made in the battle.

The Sentinel stood in place and gave an ancient military salute to his most loyal and fanatical followers.

He said loudly:

"Warriors, the demons are coming! I have received clear information after multiple confirmations. The bastard called 'Defiler' has bewitched the orcs and used them as weapons to harm the Draenei.

Now that we have initially thwarted the demons' cunning schemes, the peace-loving orc leader is about to formally start talks with us.

But this is by no means weakness!

Because I will lead you to fight against those warmongering orcs who are willing to become minions of the devil. This is the tradition of the Eredar! We desire peace but we will not throw away the sword in our hands!

You and I are the holy swords of the Draenei, and we will mercilessly strike down those enemies who try to harm us.

Mercy has never been a virtue of the Hand of Argus, warriors! I ask you to be resolute. When the demons set foot on this world, we will teach them what despair is with the weapons in our hands, just as we did on the world of Argus!

"Hail to the Hand of Argus! Hail to our only commander!"

The roar of temporary commander Restalaan made the veterans all salute to Saint Diakum with their fists, which represented that they accepted Dick's task and mission.

"Our warriors have withered away in time, marking the end of the old era of the Hand of Argus. I will lead you to reshape the traditions of the Hand of Argus. I will restart the ancient organization of the Inquisition, and you will become the first inquisitors in the history of the Draenei clan.

I ask that you each take on apprentices, teach them, and train them to become warriors as brave as you are."

Dick pointed to the garrison recruits behind him and said:

"These are the new recruits I have selected. Most of them have not yet completed their recruit trials. However, I do not have much time to train these young warriors myself, so I can only entrust them to you.

Each person brings three apprentices!
After the first round of recruit training is completed, we will have a complete set of armaments structure, and then we will begin the real "second army building"!
In my vision, the Hand of Argus, the Inquisitor, must be expanded to at least 5,000 men in order to seize every opportunity in the battle against the demons. This means that every one of you will become a commander in the future."

Dick glanced at these veterans and said:

"This also means that you will face new challenges. Not only must you demonstrate your devotion to the saints and your duty to the people in battle, but you will also need to be leaders who lead by example in battle after battle, protecting your subordinates and followers and preserving their own lives as much as possible.

The flame of the Hand of Argus will be passed down like this until we truly return to our homeland in the future and use our own hands to create an eternal dawn for the world of Argus!

Now, disband, warriors.

When I return from this meeting we will begin our training program."

The veterans of the Hand of Argus immediately dispersed, as they had come a long way and needed to rest. Restalaan the Hunter gathered together the new recruits selected by their superiors and looked at them with a harsh and stern gaze.

The young garrisons and priests also have admiration and trepidation for these legendary and glorious warriors of the Draenei.

However, Maraad, Yrel, and Nobundo were spared the pain of training the veterans, as the Saint decided to train the three of them himself.

This is a rare honor!

Young people like Yrel and Nobundo were not aware of its value, but Maraad knew it.

He knew that the five warriors and two spellcasters who had been trained by the saint personally were now generals and war heroes of the Holy Light Legion. It could be said that the initial successful formation of the Holy Light Legion was due to the help of the Hand of Argus and Saint Diakum.

"Take one at a time."

Dick handed three small boxes to his three apprentices and said:
"The thing inside is the test given to you by the Holy Light. The day you can purify it with your own hands, you will be qualified to possess your own Lightforged Sacred Blade. That also means that you will become the commander and leader of the Hand of Argus.

But don't try it now, you all have talent but it still takes time to redeem it."

The three of them opened the box and saw the dark crystal inside. Yrel and Maraad were fine, but Nobundo said helplessly:
"Senitor, I am no longer a Holy Light Walker. I cannot use light to purify this dark thing."

"But the fragments of the Naaru have their own mysteries, Nobundo. They are adaptable to all energies. This means that even elemental power, as long as it is pure and passionate enough, can dispel the darkness in the crystal and bring you a sacred elemental crystal that belongs to you as the foundation of the holy relic."

Dick explained:
"The courage bestowed upon you by the Holy Light has allowed you to embark on a path of elements that is more suitable for you, but that is still a matter of salvation, child. The Holy Light will be proud of you."

After saying that, Dick left in a hurry.

He will preside over the upcoming meeting in the Grand Conference Hall of the Temple of Karabor, and if he doesn't go now, he will be late. In addition to the three new recruits, the veterans of the Hand of Argus also received their own dark crystals.

This was Diakum's praise for his "own men" who had persevered in the battle for ten thousand years, and it was also an encouragement and inspiration to them. Fortunately, His Majesty Kara had cut off enough fragments that night, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough to share. "New recruits!"

Just as Maraad and Yrel were about to leave, Restalaan the Hunter called out to them. The burly veteran stepped forward and looked at the two men. He said:

"I heard that you fought against demons together with the Vigilantes before?"

"Yes."

Yrel puffed out his chest and proudly said loudly as Maraad covered his eyes in despair:
"I killed a total of seventeen demons, including a fel elf commander! The saint said that elf commander was worth ten demon heads!"

"For a new soldier, achieving this kind of result in one battle is already quite good."

The hunter nodded in satisfaction and asked again:

"What about before?"

"what?"

"Wait! What does that silly expression of yours mean? Could it be that you've only slain seventeen demons in all the battles you've fought since joining the Sentinels? This is utterly shameful, a disgrace to the Hand of Argus, new recruit!
Head to the training ground immediately!
I need to make sure you understand the concept of the 'Hand of Argus'.

Alas, ten thousand years have made the Vigilant merciful, but as he said, mercy is not a virtue of the Hand of Argus. I hope you are mentally prepared to undergo the harsh training that is coming.

First, we must learn to distinguish between different types of demons and identify their weaknesses."

------

"How can the savage orcs appear in this sacred council hall? And in the presence of the guardian Naaru! This is simply blasphemy."

When a governor walked into the meeting hall of the Temple of Karabor, he saw Ner'zhul and his followers at a glance, which made the governor from Telmor look dissatisfied.

He said to his companions:
"At a time when they are already gearing up to launch harassment attacks against us across Draenor, why are they inviting the orcs to such an important meeting? Is it true, as the rumors say, that the Great Prophet is planning to appease the enemy?
Do not!
I can’t agree to that!”

"Shut up now."

The companion beside him pulled the guy's sleeve and whispered:

"You have no right to speak here today. You should think carefully about how you will face the questioning of the Vigilant Saint. The incident with Othar and the Sargerei has completely disgraced us. I heard that the pursuit in Shadowmoon Valley over the past two days alone has captured at least 300 demon worshippers, and many more with guilty consciences have escaped during the chaos.

But where can they run to?
Either they surrender to the orcs, or they can hide in the mountains of Talador and plot to summon demons to do evil things. Once the people receive this news, they will surely fall into panic.

Alas, we will have more troubles later."

"I'm not afraid of demons, but I'm afraid the Vigilantes are planning to persecute others. I heard that in their time, when they encountered such political incidents, they would conduct a very terrifying investigation, and there was an organization called the 'Inquisition' that was specifically responsible for this kind of thing.

When they encounter a difficult high-ranking official, they will send out the terrifying assassins from the "Assassin's Court" to lurk and assassinate them."

"Where did you hear that? I was born during the Second Co-rule and grew up surrounded by the glory of the seat of the ruling group. I've never heard of such an outrageous thing."

"Oh, I heard it from Governor Rathorn. He mentioned it a few times when we were fishing together before."

"Are you fucking crazy? Rathorn is a direct descendant of the great traitor Osar! You're so close to him? You even go fishing with him? Damn it, stay away from me! Don't let my blood splash all over you when those veterans hang you!"

"What's the noise about?"

A harsh rebuke came from behind, causing several second-level archons who were whispering to each other to shrink their necks. Turning around, they saw Archbishop Maladaar, wearing Soul Binder ceremonial armor, glaring at them. He walked in with two Soul Binder archons with a serious expression.

The archbishop, who had been stationed at the sacred cemetery of Auchindoun for years and dealt with the dead, had an icy aura. Under his chilling gaze, the second-level consuls immediately stopped their less serious discussions.

"Maladar, come here quickly."

Archbishop Akama, who was sitting at the head, called out to his companions. Maladaar gestured to his two apprentices and assistants, then went to his seat. As he sat down, he glanced at the empty seat.

That place belongs to Osar.

Curse that damned traitor!
The Speaker for the Dead snorted in his heart. To be honest, he had begun to doubt Osar a long time ago.

The Sha'tar scholars under that guy often tried to stay in the Auchindoun cemetery under his supervision for a long time under various strange pretexts, but were sternly rejected by Maladaar every time. Even thinking more, Maladaar believed that at least three accidents he had suffered in the past hundred years might be related to the secret activities of these traitors.

It's not that he's unlucky, it's that someone is targeting him!
Its purpose is to infiltrate the sanctuary of Auchindoun.

Fortunately, he was strict with his subordinates, and no similar traitors appeared among the Auchenai priests led by him, otherwise the Council of Bishops would have been disgraced.

Just a few minutes after Maladaar took his seat, Saint Diakum, who had hurried over, strode into the council hall under the guard of two Holy Light Chosen Ones. When he entered, Velen and the archbishops took the initiative to stand up to welcome him, and the second-level archons who filled the council hall also stood up to express their respect to the legendary saint.

Diakum's expression was serious at this moment. He came here today with a "killing stick".

He was very dissatisfied with the results of the Bishops' Council's governance over the past two hundred years. He knew very well that Archbishop Osar was the real traitor, but the other archbishops' subordinates were not clean either. There was no doubt that they "neglected their duties."

He was still thinking about how to start his reprimand and cooperate with old Viren in playing the political game of good cop and bad cop. As a result, when he walked into the meeting room, Dick's attention was immediately stimulated by some latent thoughts.

It was like a hidden needle, gently tapping his spirit.

The feeling was barely audible, but Dick's title of "Vigilant" came with anti-submarine and tracking capabilities!
He immediately caught the source of the hidden gaze, then stopped and turned to look at the seats of the second-level archons on the left side of the council hall. His eyes swept over the frightened young archons and finally stopped on a Draenei woman wearing Soulbinder robes.

Under the gaze of the entire conference hall, he took a few steps forward and asked:

"Child, what's your name? Why do you have a shadowy aura that you're deliberately hiding?"

"Ok?"

The Soulbinder Archon who was being questioned seemed startled and replied hastily:
"My name is Niami, Saint. I am a member of the Auchenai priests led by Archbishop Maladaar. We are responsible for comforting the souls of our people and sending them to the Sanctuary of Auchindoun. It is normal for me to have some shadow aura after spending so long with spirits.

But believe me, my heart is still with the Light."

"No!"

Dick shook his head seriously, pointed at the other Soul Binder Archon beside her, and said:

"It's normal for this child to have a lingering shadowy aura from contact with the dead, but the shadowy aura on you is too strong. Child, the Holy Light has given me sharp enough eyes. You don't have to try to hide the darkness in your heart from me.

You are a rare Shadow Priest
But unfortunately, your faith has shifted, the Holy Light no longer shines upon you, and you are sinking into the call of the void."

"Vigilant!"

Archbishop Maladaar, who was sitting at the head of the table, stood up and said solemnly:
"I can guarantee with my honor that my two apprentices and lieutenant are kind-hearted people who are devoted to the Holy Light!"

"Really?"

Dick held onto the Blade of Kazzak behind him. He looked at the Soulbinder Niami, who lowered her head in fear, with amusement. He said:
"Then could you please explain to me what the teleportation beacon your apprentice has hidden in his sleeve is going to be used for? If I'm not mistaken, it's a 'gift' for an unwelcome person like me, right?"

"Oh, die! May the void curse your soul, you lackey of the Holy Light!"

At the moment when the Chosen One beside Dick stepped forward, Niami raised her head and threw out the teleportation beacon hidden in her sleeve, then she transformed herself into a floating shadow, avoiding the rebuke and judgment of the Chosen One, and escaped into the shadows behind as if she had prepared in advance.

This strange shadow technique made Dick's eyes light up.

Oh, it’s been so long, and this is the first time I see a shadow priest use “Dissipate” to dodge attacks. This technique is really authentic!

But for a Void believer who hides his head and shows his tail, isn't it a bit too much for you to run away from the saint?
"The Holy Light condemns your rudeness!"

Dick threw out the Grudge of Kazzak in his hand, and the battle staff carrying the holy light fell to the ground, bursting out with golden light like lightning, and forcibly "blew" out the shadow priest hiding in it.

Dick didn't even need to continue taking action. The second-level consuls next to him immediately jumped up, and the "assassin" was then submerged in the waving fists and flying energy.

But the teleportation beacon she had thrown out earlier was finally activated.

As Velen and the others watched with complicated expressions, the teleportation beacon reflected the burning wasteland-like scenery of Argus. Accompanied by wild laughter, an evil demon that moved like a fel volcano flapped its dark green wings and strode into the material world with molten double blades in hand.

"Hmm? This isn't Auchindoun! What the hell are these feeble mortals up to? But it doesn't matter. Listen up!"

Its flaming crystal-like pupils stared intently at Velen before it, and it roared loudly:

"I am the Claw of Argus! I am the Herald of the Conqueror! I am Azakel the Burning Wing, Velen the Fugitive! I bring you the Conqueror's will! It would be best for you and this weak world to…"

"Noisy!"

The scorching rebuke interrupted the upper demon's arrogant declaration.

When it turned around, it saw the Sentinel who had retrieved the Grudge of Kazzak staring at it with a strange look. The meaning was complicated, but it was certain that there was a subtle "gratitude" in it.

Dick, Velen and Ner'zhul were just worrying about how to reconcile the conflict between the Draenei and the Orcs, when you, this "demon boy", appeared so magnificently. You are worthy of being the Burning Legion, the "No. 1 scapegoat in the starry sea".

There is really no problem in coming to you when I have trouble.

"During the Battle of Argus over 20,000 years ago, I didn't see a demon of your species. This means you are much younger than me."

Dick looked it up and down, flexed his wrist, and said:

"I hope you can please an old man like me, my boy."

(End of this chapter)