Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 760, Section 38: Old-fashioned friendships even involve a damned sense of ritual in death - Bonus Chapter [45]

(Bonus chapter for changes in word count [4/5])
The sun is flashing.

Like a faulty light bulb, the constant pulsation of shadows obscures part of the light, casting darkness upon the turbulent land.

But the shadow seemed not strong enough to completely extinguish the sun, and even temporarily extinguishing it would be difficult. So after a short while, the darkness was dispelled by the persistent sunlight, which once again shone its light and heat upon the world.

It wasn't just the sun in Azeroth that underwent this wondrous change.

Such changes occur in every galaxy with stars hanging in the sky, appearing and disappearing at the same time.

This is not Diakum's eclipse; his current path of evolution is not yet connected to the sun of the entire starry sea.

But this spectacular "solar eclipse" did not stop those who were risking their lives in the war from continuing to kill each other. They were too engrossed in it, whether they were demons, undead, or rebels of Azeroth.

They were all so preoccupied with the war that they had no energy left to pay attention to the changes in the celestial phenomena.

Logically, since Sargeras' avatar had been driven away, the demons should have collapsed in morale and retreated to the Twisting Nether, but Sargeras was clearly a dignified man.

Before He departed, He left final instructions to the demons who were in Azeroth at that time.

Those who advance will be rewarded with demonic ascension, while those who retreat will not have their evil energy absorbed!
In other words, advancing leads to blissful rebirth, while retreating leads to the deepest hell. It's fair to say that the rhetoric used by those in power to demand that their cannon fodder fight is pretty much the same throughout history. However, the biggest advantage the Dark Titan has over the Buddhas is that when He says there are rewards and punishments, He truly delivers on that promise.

As the Lord of Fel, although Sargeras does not overuse the authority of Fel in most situations, that does not mean he will not.

The ancient Eredar people all remember that during the Great Battle of Mac'Aree, Sargeras personally performed "manual ascension" on the demoralized demons, resulting in the birth of nearly a hundred great demons in that battle alone.

To unleash the full power of demons, who don't understand human language, you have to go all out.

With the decree of the Dark Titans, the demons, who had shown signs of retreating under the attacks of the Oathsworn of the Shadowlands, returned without warning.

The demons, as if possessed by a madman, pounced on the countless dead, like grains of sand in the Ganges.

A fel lord wielded a felsteel battleaxe, risking having his body torn apart by three necromancers, and managed to kill a Maldraxxus death lord. The instant the undead was ripped apart, a thick beam of fel energy appeared out of thin air, instantly granting the meritorious creature a fel boost.

A pure fel storm surrounded it, causing the fel lord to burst into joyful laughter and loudly praise the might of the dark titan.

When the storm of flames subsided, it transformed into an even more ferocious form. Its demonic horns and claws were forged by fel energy, and it had already acquired the power and authority of the Great Demon in this demonic ascension. The demon steel battle axe in its hand swung in a wide arc, unleashing a new massacre on the spot.

Although it was blown to the head by six ritual liches with a barrage of Death Finger three minutes later, its killing spree today had earned it enough credit.

Making a name for yourself in the Burning Legion is no easy feat. Every demon here is fearless and insane enough that unless you're a born monster like Kinggarus, a demon's life is spent on the battlefield.

Such a blessing from the Dark Titan, leading to demonic ascension, is a once-in-a-millennium occurrence.

Since demons are prepared to die on some battlefield and then return to the Twisting Nether to "line up for resurrection," they might as well use their lives to earn more merit.

Therefore, a few minutes after the Dark Titan's departure, large and small beams of felforged light appeared on battlefields throughout Azeroth. Each beam represented a demon that had performed an act beyond its life rank and was thus rewarded with the power of fel energy.

This "reward" signifies that their enemies are suffering unimaginable attacks and annihilation.

Especially in this already dilapidated desert where the Temple of the World Soul is located, the Burning Legion's most elite forces are here, and they were also the first demons to be commanded by Sargeras.

They know even more than ordinary demons.

The Dark Titans have lost faith in Kil'jaeden the Conqueror, and with the successive deaths of the Forgemaster and the Defiler, the Fel Lord needs to choose a new High Demon Lord to deal with the increasingly intense situation.

There are only a few positions available anyway, so you legion leaders can decide what to do!

Since Sa has made it so clear, if the great demons still hide and refuse to die, then they truly want to die.

Therefore, after the Vigilant drove back the Dark Titans, the battle in the Silithus desert did not subside; instead, it intensified.

Especially after the golden light burst forth from that land of divine battle, and the gates of the highest heavens roared open to welcome the vigilant back to the realm of holy light, the demons felt even less pressure.

what!
That damned Lightbringer was promoted to godhood because he brutally killed too many demons, and was taken away by that damned Force!

Congratulations.

Without that fearsome nemesis blocking their path, who in this ridiculous world can withstand the invincible Burning Legion?
For a moment, the great demons were overjoyed.

They roared and led their respective followers, displaying the same ferocity as the six major sects besieging Bright Peak, charging towards the Star Soul Secret Hall. Then they crashed headlong into the blades of the guards, and another bloody storm ensued.

However, demons are notoriously bad at thinking; once they get carried away, they act without regard for anything else.

In their pursuit of advancement through the Magic Forging, they must select opponents of sufficient value, but their flawed thinking makes it easy for them to choose the wrong "targets."

For example, in this desert that has long been reshaped beyond recognition by the conflict of various forces, on the edge of the "land of divine war", several great demons who were chased here by the Archangels of the High Heaven suddenly discovered an important target!
Velen!

The Draenei prophet, the spiritual leader of the ancient Eredar, that guy is always at the top of the Burning Legion's bounty list. Hey, as long as I kill this guy, ascending to magic power will be a piece of cake.

It could even directly lead to the glory of the Great Demon Lord in one step.

So, the few great demons casually discussed their plan and then prepared to take action.

They outnumbered each other, and if they swarmed at once, Velen would certainly not be able to kill them all.

The idea is good, and the execution is also very strong. If old Velen really did choose a bad time to go out for a stroll and then got ambushed by the great demons, he might actually have been killed by these guys.

Unfortunately, Viren is "doing serious business" right now.

The old prophet dragged a "body bag" as he walked wearily through the sand. Judging from the marks on his back, it was clearly a strange object he had dragged all the way from the battlefield of the gods. Around the body bag were also the circulating elemental power used for healing.

But the prophet was a first-rate priest in the Star Sea, and his healing efficiency with Holy Light far exceeded that of the chaotic elements at this moment.

The fact that he didn't use Holy Light to heal can only mean that the contents of the bag were "intolerant" to Holy Light.

As the great demons charged in, the old prophet sighed, rose, gripped the Redeemer's Staff tightly, and abandoned his usual gentle demeanor. Instead of maintaining his composure, he took the initiative to charge out, and a violent solar fist erupted in the war-torn land.

Among these demons who ganged up to kill old Velen was a cunning Shivara the Destroyer.

This female demon was notoriously cunning. While other great demons were being incited by her silver tongue to attack Velen, she became interested in the "body bag" that the old prophet had dragged out of the battlefield.

She was eager to know what valuable item Velen had left behind the main battlefield at the Star Soul Palace and sneaked here to "pick up bargains".
What if there's some great secret of holy light hidden inside? Wouldn't I have struck it rich?

Perhaps he might even be rewarded by the Dark Titan for uncovering the secrets.

Shivara stealthily circled around to the rear of the area where Velen and the great demons were fighting. She reached for the body sack surrounded by elemental power. Velen noticed this, and the old prophet punched away the fel lord in front of him, then turned around and shouted:

"Don't touch it!"

"what."

It would be a miracle if a demon obeyed.

A sinister smile appeared on Shivara's eerie face. He ripped open the layers of protection on the body bag with a backhand. As the elemental power burst forth and shattered, the "thing" inside was finally exposed to the great demon.

It startled her.

The baby is indeed a baby, but the problem is...
"puff"

With a ferocious swing of its claws, it ripped out the heart of the great demon in a casual tear, then crushed it into a pulp with its five fingers and absorbed all the dissipated evil energy.

A few seconds later, Kil'jaeden, now awake, coughed as he crawled out of the tattered body bag.

The Conqueror's body was no longer the same as before. Although the Dark Titan's Divine Descent spell completely destroyed its physique, Sargeras's previous fel energy shaping of it was tough enough to make it a vessel that could bear his will, allowing Kil'jaeden to survive the Vigilant's deadly blow.

It was Velen who dragged him out of the land of the gods; otherwise, given the lingering dangerous power of that place, Kil'jaeden wouldn't have survived more than two hours if he had been left there.

It was very weak and could only walk unsteadily.

But upon seeing several powerful demons besieging his "brothers," Kil'jaeden's lips curled into a sinister smile. With a single flap of his shattered wings, he propelled himself into battle. Sargeras's own forged claws tore and swung, and in coordination with Velen, they wiped out these foolish creatures in mere seconds. Of course, nothing could be wasted; therefore, Kil'jaeden devoured all the fel energy of these powerful demons.

I'm going to die.

Kil'jaeden sat weakly on the ground and said to Velen, who was looking at him with a complicated expression:
“My body is already broken and bruised. Sargeras abandoned me. He was certain that I wouldn’t live much longer. So why did he save me?”

"I'm not here to save you!"

Velen said seriously:

“You are a demon, and I am a Lightwalker! I wish you would be endlessly purified in the Light, but you must live!” Sachiel told Diakum, explaining that it protected those “repentant” in the world of Argus.

Those who embraced fel energy but still considered themselves Eredar's brethren.

There are many of them, aren't there?

"Yes, quite a lot."

As the high demon lord of the Burning Legion, Kil'jaeden knew all about these things.

It closed its eyes, desperately squeezing out the surrounding fel energy to mend its shattered body, and said in a hoarse voice:
“Sachir left them on Argus as local commanders, and in the edge of the Twisting Nether, there was also a group of penitents who never participated in Legion operations.”

Do you want to save them?
Why bother.

They've embraced fel energy, Velen. Whatever they see themselves as, they are demons now. They've become reproductively isolated from you; that power is no longer that of the Eredar.

"Demon Hunters in Azeroth also use fel energy, but no one says they aren't rebels!"

Velen didn't want to debate with Kil'jaeden; he said very seriously:

"Before returning to the High Heavens, Diakum told me through Nelly that Sachiel had trapped himself in the Shadowlands and would never leave, leaving the repentant with various ways to evade the Legion's reckoning."

But I don't think that's enough!

We are about to reclaim Argus, and we need all the Eredar to participate.

If those who have repented truly believe they are still one of their fellow citizens, then let them take action!

Kil'jaeden, Sargeras is disappointed in you, but He has not yet stripped you of your position as the High Demon Lord. You can still use the Legion's portal to return to Argus.

I saved you because I need you to return to our suffering homeland and use this last bit of time to make proper arrangements for the repentant ones.

Azeroth can accept Demon Hunters, and the Eredar can accept Repentant Ones, provided they make their own choice in the restoration of their homeland.

"I"

Kil'jaeden gazed upon the scorched earth.

It watched Philek soar through the sky, streaked with fire, as it and the Iceheart Dragon intertwined, unleashing terrifying elemental punishment upon the battlefield.

it says:

"I never intended to go back alive. When I saw with my own eyes that Diakum had grown to the point where he could fight Sargeras, I knew that my duty and my life had come to an end."

I once thought that perhaps dying at your hands would bring me peace, but you saved me from certain death. So, between the survival of the Star Soul Palace and my own life, you chose the latter.

维伦
As a leader, you are so selfish!

Faced with this accusation, the old prophet remained silent, only looking at Kil'jaeden with pleading eyes, and said:
"I'm begging you, the Eredar are few in number, and every one of them is important! Reclaiming our homeland is just the beginning, Kil'jaeden, our civilization must continue, and we, the ancient Eredar, should fulfill our final duty to the young."

Take those who repent over there!

"If I could die by your hand..."

Kil'jaeden struggled to his feet and said:

"Will you give me this chance? Perhaps it is my only chance to find peace. Will you forgive me with your own hands, my brother?"

"If you insist on using this as a condition."

Viren gritted his teeth and said:

“Fine! I promise you, on the day the Restoration Army sets foot on Argus, I will kill you with my own hands. If you call it ‘pardon,’ then I will grant your last wish.”

"good good good good!"

Kil'jaeden felt as if he had received the most precious promise.

The Great Demon Lord let out a painful laugh and made a gesture to Velen, which meant "Oathkeeper" in Eredar culture.

Then, under the old prophet's watchful eye, Kil'jaeden, clutching his gaping, unhealable chest, staggered and disappeared from the already chaotic edge of the desert.

It will always find a way back to Argus, and always find a way to fulfill the last request between its old brothers.

About ten seconds after Kil'jaeden left, Yrel and Marad, along with Velen's son Iredas and the great traveler Lyran, jumped off several griffons that descended from the sky.

"Great Prophet! You have made a terrible mistake!"

Yrel strode over, carrying the Holy Blade, and said sadly:

"After Nuboton told us what you had done, Ms. Verara was furious. She demanded that we take you back immediately and concluded that you must have been controlled by some kind of mental magic."

but."

Viren turned his head and looked at the young people gently.

His gaze swept over each young man, without blaming Nubdon, who was lagging behind with his head down.

He knew that the boy was only worried about his "reckless act" this time, which was almost the only time in Viren's life that he had made a mistake in public.

But he has no regrets.

"No need to say anything more, just do what you need to do, children."

The old prophet stretched out his hands.

Irelia exchanged glances with the others, and finally, with a sigh, she took out a small, symbolic shackle and fastened it to the old prophet's hands.

Velen saved and freed the Great Demon Lord Kil'jaeden the Conqueror, who was supposed to die, but whose "secret collusion" with demons as a leader was a truly horrific and appalling crime.

"We believe you must have your reasons for doing this."

Marlaad said in a deep voice:
We will defend you.

"No need."

Viren shook his head.

He smiled at his worried son, then looked in the direction Kil'jaeden had disappeared and said:

"I am acting out of selfishness, unable to bear seeing my brother die before my eyes without doing anything. Children, it means very differently to you and to me."

I will accept all judgments.

I am willing to do this.

(End of this chapter)