Shadow Trails in Azeroth

Your Excellency the Warden is not here to cause trouble.

Although just now Black and his treasure ship killed at least two thousand Abyssworn warriors, and his violent sister smashed the border fortresses built by Zoval in the Maw into pieces within ten minutes of setting foot on their territory. ruins.

In the eyes of any aspiring king, such behavior is tantamount to provocation.

But Zoval said he didn't care. The gloomy King of the Abyss didn't even set his sights on the collapsed and still burning Temaculun Fortress.

It was clear that this outcast was a man of great things.

He doesn't care about the gains and losses of a city or a pool, and he has the ruthlessness that a person who does great things should have towards his subordinates. Anyway, as far as he is concerned, as long as the Torghast Tower of Sinful Souls is still there, ordinary Yuansworn As much as you want.

And the friendship of a very capable evil god is obviously not something that can be obtained casually.

Zoval stood on the bank of the devastated River Styx, politely and without losing any distance, inviting Black, his sister and his fishman pet to visit his dominion sanctuary.

He needed to talk to Blake, a friend from outside the realm whom he had never met but who had helped them a lot, and promised to help them arrange a way out of the Maw.

"The oldest legend in the Shadow Realm is that the Maw is an inescapable hell, but now it seems that this 'inescapable' is more like a way to scare the Night Fae goblins."

On the way to the Dominion Sanctuary, while admiring the heart-wrenching desolate scenery of the Maw, Black said to the silent warden who was leading the way:

"This is your territory. Whoever you want can leave, right?"

"Well, at least for now."

Zoval has a very boring character, like a roly-poly. You have to push him first before he will respond to you. He speaks in a leisurely manner, and even every word must be thought over and over again.

But this guy's voice is very distinctive.

Empty, each syllable seemed to be vibrating and resonating in a pipe, and it had an empty feeling when it was spoken, just like the big black hole in His chest.

It was as if not only his heart had been escaped, but all his emotions had been taken away in an ancient punishment.

His voice reflected a kind of exhaustion, like a traveler in the desert who had traveled tens of thousands of miles and had exhausted all his energy in boring progress day after day.

But there is a kind of hope in the exhaustion, just like hiding the hope and ideal deep in the heart and not talking about it, but firmly believing that it will eventually come true.

Blake was familiar with this way of speaking.

For a short time, this was how His Majesty Faol spoke, and for a long time, Velen, the draenei prophet, also liked to use this tone.

What they have in common is that they are all great souls, so judging from this point, the warden in front of you should also have a pure and great soul.

Zoval said a word and then fell silent again, just walking forward.

Stepping onto the earth of the Maw seemed to make him feel at ease, and even the long and short chains that shook with every step made a light and pleasant sound.

Blake noticed the chains.

Although they looked rusty, the deep red light in his eyes meant that these chains were extraordinary objects. Lord Evil God squinted his eyes and made a vague gesture to Fenna who was curious about everything around him, idiot. My sister picked up the little fish man and took a few steps back, pretending to be interested in the dark green death crystals on the roadside.

She knew that her brother was going to discuss some personal topics with the gloomy God of Hell.

"I heard that you were exiled to this gloomy and hopeless prison by your brothers and sisters?"

Blake said softly:

"Don't you have any resentment in your heart?"

"This does not appear to be a concern of yours, Lord Black."

The warden was somewhat reluctant to discuss the subject.

He glanced at Blake with his cold, ice-like blue eyes, and the blue runes on his egg-like cheeks flickered with light, representing Zoval's mood at this time.

He said with a straight face:

"If you are interested in these old stories, perhaps you should check with Denathrius, my collaborator who was a talkative character most of the time.

He would be happy to share these stories with you, but I don’t want to recall disappointing memories for the characters in the stories who endured pain and betrayal. "

"Ah, sorry, it seems I asked too many questions."

Blake grinned, but then changed the subject, glanced at the chain on Zoval's wrist, and said:

"I should stop talking here to avoid causing dissatisfaction with my collaborators, but I don't want to do that. I rarely see beautiful stories of people who rely only on themselves to turn the imprisoned objects and even the cage itself into their own power.

Based on my rough understanding of the power of death, I found at least four completely different remnants of the godhead on this chain. I'm really curious how you did it? "

"It's simple, I smelt the chains and the country that imprisoned me."

Zoval looked at Blake's interested eyes.

He knew that if He didn't say anything, this perverse evil god would keep asking.

Considering that he and Emperor Denathrius still needed Black Shaw as cannon fodder to explore the Holy Tomb of the First Born, he thought for a while and pointed to the gloomy and sharp towers that existed everywhere in the sky and on the ground and around those towers. The ubiquitous chain embellishment said:

"My brothers imprisoned and exiled me based on my past power. If I continue to retain the power given to me by the Firstborn, I will never be able to leave here.

But they underestimated my determination. While they were singing and dancing, I spent countless epochs reshaping the foundation of my power. "

The warden was not a good storyteller. He told a story that should have been powerful in a dry and very brief manner.

He said:

"I have united myself with the despised Maw. This cursed land longs to be accepted. Just like other death realms, it also longs to have an Eternal as its master. .

Being punished, I embraced the Abyss, which represents all darkness and evil, in pain, and the Abyss generously rewarded me.

These chains"

Zoval grabbed the chain hanging on his wrist and said with emotion:

"They were designed by my brother, the Master, to imprison an arbiter who can judge souls. They are like cages specially designed to imprison angry flames, but they cannot trap a ball of ice or a stream of water.

After my existence was completely merged with the Maw, the chains themselves became the weapons I used for revenge.

I no longer judge souls.

I accept them fairly

No matter good or evil, no matter good or evil, no matter great or humble, as long as they fall into the abyss, they will enter my command and serve me and even this earth. "

"What a great transformation. The prisoner bound by fate broke the prison of shame with his own efforts. Well, I want to record this story. One of my children will definitely like it."

Blake pretended to take out his notebook and wrote a few words, then said in a longer voice:

"However, you keep talking about 'revenge', but I don't feel any hatred in your empty heart. Instead, it is filled with a kind of pity that I don't understand.

You don't hate what your brothers and sisters did to you?

why? "

"There's not a heart here for hate."

Zoval tapped the hole in his chest.

He glanced at Blake, whose eyes were bright, and after being silent for several seconds, he said:

"Their betrayal was based solely on the narrow-mindedness of an inherently flawed system, and was not the result of an instinctive malice on the part of my brothers to banish a wise man who had glimpsed a flaw.

I really don't blame them.

Because they are also victims of this system, I have understood what I must do through pain and despair. The desire in my heart for reconstruction is far greater than destruction.

If possible, I would prefer that my brothers and sisters, like the cunning and ruthless Denathrius, realize the necessity of this action and participate in it with all their strength. "

"Oh? I'm starting to get interested in this."

Blake winked and asked:

"The 'flaws' you refer to refer to the world system of the Shadow Realm? Do you think the current order of these large and small death kingdoms is wrong?"

"No."

Zoval looked Black up and down with cold eyes.

After nearly ten seconds of silence, the warden said in a tired tone:

"What I mean by 'flaws' refers to the six forces and even the universe they extend, whether it is the kingdom of death, the material world, the lightless sea, or the twisted void.

They maintain a balance in opposition, seemingly perfect but actually causing endless troubles.

It only takes a trivial provocation to unbalance the Force, and it only takes an evil god with ulterior motives to secretly add fuel to the fire, causing the entire star sea to fall into an out-of-control dilemma.

You and I are both witnesses of this situation, Mr. Black.

All I can say is that this universe is too crudely designed!

It can never truly unite to unleash its infinite potential. In the face of real threats, our universe can only be like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

but me

My purpose is very pure, I just want to reshape it, correct this mistake, and truly unite the six forces. "

Blake seemed to be frightened. He took a deep breath, shook his thumb, and whispered:

"This is really a great ideal. I have to admit that my previous judgment of you was indeed biased. You are a true idealist, completely different from a monarch like Emperor Denathrius who is keen to create an era of death. .

But I'm more curious, how do you plan to fix what you see as a flaw in the universe?

Is it necessary to break the "destiny" that has been shaped and return freedom to every living being, so that they can truly control their own destiny? "

"Why do you have such childish thoughts?"

Zoval shook his head and looked at the looming Torghast Tower of Sinful Souls in the distance in the space between the Maw and other kingdoms. He said:

“Freedom has always been just an excuse used by weak beings to deceive themselves. They interpret their failures in the name of freedom and use the reasons of freedom to convince themselves to abandon their responsibilities.

Eight out of the ten souls in the Maw will shout this term to absolve themselves of their guilt, and the remaining two will be fools who believe in it.

That is a great and righteous but empty and boring word.

I don't want to give freedom back to every living being, because they are born with this thing, and no one can really take freedom away from them. Unfortunately, not everyone can reasonably understand it or use it.

What I want to create is a united group of stars, dedicated to the same ideal and the same goal under the leadership of one will.

I will become what others call a tyrant

But that's okay.

As for destiny

It is even more boring. The Firstborn hope to create the order under the "Destiny" so that the Shadow Realm can continue to run according to the perfect blueprint they designed.

Unfortunately, their designs are not perfect.

The kingdom of death is bound by this set of rules, and each kingdom has responsibilities. That is the purpose for which they were created, but this shaping itself suppresses the curiosity and creativity of the Eternals.

They became so ignorant and short-sighted that they panicked when I tried to break the rules that bound them.

They only see the stars in their eyes, but they cannot see anything further away."

Blake understood.

His eyes swayed and he whispered:

"You mean, outside the world? Do you see threats beyond these stars? I want to know what you see? Foreign enemies? Or some kind of sign of destruction?"

“I lifted the veil of destiny and glimpsed the future of all living beings.”

The warden looked at Blake seriously and said like a magician:

"This universe is not the only one. We are just one part of a grand system that is constantly growing. When you look down at the stars from a higher level, you will find that even the battle between evil energy and the void is the same. Ridiculous.

It's just internal friction. "

"Well, it looks like you did see something amazing."

Black nodded. Zoval's words reminded him of what the Bronze Dragon King said when he met Nozdormu ten thousand years ago.

If those guys who sent themselves to this world really exist, then their level must be much higher, because in their eyes, everything that happens in Azeroth and even these stars is just the "cradle". Tiny stories.

Thinking about these things, the evil god also lost the idea of ​​continuing the conversation with Zoval.

They walked one after another in the desolate Maw Abyss, and soon arrived at the largest palace on the land. It still had the gloomy and twisted dark style of the Maw Abyss, but the palace in front of them revealed a sense of aura everywhere. An momentum that cannot be underestimated.

This is the dominion sanctuary.

Zoval's palace was also the place where he was originally exiled and imprisoned by other Eternals. As Zoval said, he spent countless hours turning his cage into his own power.

"I will arrange for you to leave the Maw."

In front of the fortress gate that governs the sanctuary, Zoval lowered his head and said to Black:

"You are a distinguished guest and can freely walk in my palace. All the secrets here are open to you. The Titan Soul you sent is on the lower level of the Tower of Sinful Souls, and the entrance to Torghast is also in the Sanctuary. middle.

I don't like wasting time, so I won't show you around my palace.

Your weapons have also been forged and will be delivered to your room in a moment. "

"I have one more favor to ask."

When Black saw Zoval about to leave, he pointed to the chain on his wrist and said:

"Can you give me a 'Chain of Dominance'? I have always wanted to make my own evil god artifact. This thing may give me some inspiration.

You won't need them anyway. "

Faced with this slightly rude request, Zoval did not answer immediately, but just stared at Black, who took out the golden Arbiter Core from his bag and gestured to the King of the Abyss, saying:

"This should be your thing. We can exchange it. I have extracted the mark of the Eternal One. This thing is of no use to me."

"I don't need it just yet."

Zoval seemed to sense Black's sincerity. He reached out and touched the golden ball like a heart, which was once a part of his body.

He shook his head, casually pulled off a black chain from his wrist and handed it to Blake.

explain:

"Just think of this as Yan Yuan's gift to the distinguished guests. May our cooperation be happy, may the great cause be achieved, and may the Silent One come from afar."

"Of course, that's what I'm here for."

Blake held the black chain in his hand.

He showed a very iconic smile, bowed to the warden Zoval in front of him, and said in a humble tone:

"I am your loyal servant and will do my best to serve your great cause. Compared with you who have great ambitions, Emperor Denathrius, who is addicted to rule and power and is accustomed to using conspiracy to achieve things, will also fall into the inferior position. Woolen cloth."