20. Nuporton, sit down and listen to the Sage speak from the heart

The elemental lords of Draenor were hardly so empathetic as to gift a token of gratitude to the benefactor who had just spared their lives. A moment's thought using Dick’s big tail or Nari’s small tail would reveal that this was undoubtedly orchestrated through Ner'zhul's guidance.

Regardless of how it came about, receiving a reward commensurate with one's labor naturally put Dick in a pleasant mood and improved the draenei vindicators' perception of the elemental lords, largely because over the past two centuries, the elements of Draenor had rarely paid much heed to the draenei shamans.

That had left their hearts rather bruised.

Although draenei shamans could wield elemental powers just as well, both the difficulty of summoning that power and the magnitude of the elemental energy they could mobilize were far inferior to those of the orcish shamans. Even though the draenei had been forced by two millennia of exile to be perpetually optimistic, such blatant differential treatment was still rather grating.

Yet now, the Saint of the Watchers had forged a pact of power with Draenor's elemental lords, and elemental forces would henceforth favor the shamanistic priests of the draenei. This single fact was enough to showcase the virtue of the Saint.

Every action he had taken since his awakening was dedicated to the well-being of his people.

To summarize the vindicators' thoughts at that moment: Ah, the noble Saint, how we revere you!

Naturally, the revered Dick could not let down the morale of the warriors under his command. In his view, these elite vindicators were prime candidates to join the Hand of Argus, and he needed to train and lead them with utmost care.

Therefore, once the battle concluded, Dick personally healed the wounded.

His Light was distinct, especially when the Herald of the Sun transformed his Light symbol into the Dawn's Light. That warm and healing radiance allowed the warriors to receive a continuous healing effect simply by remaining within the Saint's light.

Though it closely resembled a shift in natural sunlight, in truth, Dick had figured out during his long slumber that the three-colored Light transformation of the Herald of the Sun was essentially a standard "enhanced aura effect."

The Dawn's Light symbolized healing and protection, representing an upgraded power combining the "Protection Aura" and the "Devotion Aura."

The Blazing Sun symbolized retribution and counterattack, its essence derived from the power of the "Retribution Aura," while the Dusk's Cold Light—which vastly amplified single-combat prowess and enhanced the destructive and healing capacities of various Light arts—was unquestionably the essence of "Concentration Aura."

These aura-type abilities required paladins and vindicators to explore and master them through the study of the Light. Proficient paladins could often command multiple auras designed to protect and empower their allies, but a technique like Dick's, which could manifest auras into a massive "combat domain," was naturally a trait of the Herald of the Sun hero class.

It retained the individual enhancements for the vindicators while focusing on group inspiration and motivation, making it a "strategic class" in the truest sense of the term.

Many vindicators were deeply interested in the Saint's radiant powers, and Dick did not hoard his knowledge. As he used the Dawn's Light to mend the warriors' injuries, he explained the techniques for wielding the Herald of the Sun's power.

Although destined only for a handful to truly tread this heroic path, if Dick were stingy with the imparting of knowledge, the Light would likely not be very pleased.

Knowing how to share was also a virtue of the Light!

While the Saint healed the wounded, High Prelate Nari remained on the spellcasting platform to observe the actions of the elemental lords and Ner'zhul. The old orc retrieved the broken spear that had pierced the cursed rune fragment and handed it to the Fire Elemental Lord, Esonlatus.

The master of flames summoned rolling magma to reshape the broken spear.

Meanwhile, the Earth Elemental Lord, Godau, raised his fists sculpted from black rock, causing various rare minerals buried deep beneath the shattered earth to rise to the surface. These were smelted by the searing heat of the magma, and then the Wind Elemental Lord, Caladius, harnessed a gentle gale to forge them into the core framework of a battle-spear, inscribing elemental incantations upon it to enhance its energy manipulation and elemental potency.

Once the reshaped broken spear completely fused with the smelted materials, the Water Elemental Lord, Ebrelius, summoned the pure waters of the world to quench it, granting this weapon—which bore the legendary wartime history of the world of Argus—yet another transformative rebirth.

Ner'zhul held a crystal-column battle-spear used by the draenei, using its shape as a reference for this new weapon.

However, just as it was nearing completion, Nari stepped forward to explain:

"You cannot truly forge it into a battle-spear. The essence of this 'Wrath of Kazzak' is actually a staff. Twenty-five thousand years ago, on the decisive battlefield of the War of Argus, Saint Diahkm forged this spellcasting weapon for himself so he could better channel the Light to heal souls."

"Ah? A spearhead this sharp could easily pierce an enemy's skull, yet it is actually a staff?"

Ner'zhul raised an eyebrow and finally said with a helpless shrug:

"You ancient Eredar sure are thoroughly 'militant'."

"It's just Dick. Other ancient Eredar, like Velen and myself, are quite normal."

Nari offered a strained explanation.

Yet she did fulfill her obligation. After pondering for a moment, the old orc consulted with the elemental lords and suitably modified the appearance of the newly forged weapon. When Dick stepped onto the platform, he beheld a long-handled staff suspended in the glow of elemental light.

This made his eyes light up. He stepped forward, grasped the elemental weapon, and inspected it closely.

Its main body was crafted from various rare minerals of the world of Draenor. The smelting of elemental power made it exceptionally sturdy and heavy, its weight alone far surpassing the standard for ordinary staves. The head of the staff possessed an elegant design, shaped by Ner'zhul with orcish romanticism into a non-standard structure of an outer cross enclosing an inner triangle.

It looked very much like the religious symbols frequently seen upon the draenei temples of the Light, yet the small cross embellishments on either side were razor-sharp. Even the tip of the staff was shaped into a blade-like edge akin to a crystal-forged battle-spear, giving the overall design the magnificent silhouette of a double-bladed halberd.

It closely resembled a ceremonial weapon of religious ritual.

Kazzak’s demonic horns were encased in metal to form the core of the staff-head, with elemental radiance intertwining around it, granting the staff an imposing aura worthy of a legendary weapon merely from its appearance.

Under Dick's gaze, the weapon's tooltip quickly popped up:

【
Weapon Name: Claws of Draenor: Kazzak's Endless Spite
Weapon Quality: Legendary - Elementally Forged
Weapon Traits: Energy Manipulation - Elemental Infusion - Mana-Efficient Casting - Permanently Enchanted - Indestructible
Weapon Effects:
I. Claws of the Elements:
This staff was forged by the four elemental lords of the world of Draenor, who poured their own power into the weapon's creation as gratitude to the Savior of the Elements.
When casting offensive spells with this staff, it will trigger the effect of [Esonlatus's High-Temperature Pyre], allowing you to more easily ignite and weaken your enemies.
When casting defensive spells with this staff, it will trigger the effect of [Godau's Bulwark of Living Stone], vastly strengthening yourself and the individual allies protected by you.
When casting healing spells with this staff, it will trigger the effect of [Ebrelius's Cleansing Waters of Mending], purging lingering corruption from the wounded and accelerating wound closure.
When casting enhancement spells with this staff, it will trigger the effect of [Caladius's Gale-Force Footsteps], granting the enhanced individual gale-like speed and short-term energy resistance.
Notice!
The four passive enhancement effects remain highly active within the world of Draenor; leaving this world will diminish their potency.

II. Kazzak's Endless Spite:
This weapon has witnessed the fall of the Doom Lord Kazzak twice. When its wielder struck down the Doom Lord for the second time, the greedy weapon bit off a fragment from the Doom Lord's soul and sealed it within itself, vastly increasing the weapon's aggressiveness.
When completing a melee execution using this weapon, Kazzak's wrath will consume surrounding enemies, afflicting them with [Greater Elemental Curse] and [Greater Corruption], while producing an area-of-effect fear from [Warchief's Roar].
When completing multiple executions in a short period of time (≥10) using this weapon, Kazzak's malice will be fully unleashed, projecting [Living Infernals] into a designated area under the wielder's control to strike and crush all enemies within range, creating constructs under the wielder's brief control to assist in combat.
Notice!
Both combat effects can only be triggered via melee executions, and these combat effects have no cooldown.

III. Greedy Craving:
This weapon has followed the "Watcher" Diahkm Justines in completing its secondary enhancement, yet it remains unsatisfied, knowing it still holds untapped potential.
Completing the third execution of the Doom Lord Kazzak using this weapon will elevate the quality of [Claws of Draenor: Kazzak's Endless Spite] once again.
Notice!
Because this weapon seals a fragment of Kazzak's soul, the Doom Lord can sense the weapon's existence. Once the wielder and the Doom Lord are in the same stellar region, the Doom Lord will make desperate attempts to reclaim his stolen soul.
On any battlefield where both the wielder and the Doom Lord exist, the wielder will be regarded as the primary target of hatred by the Doom Lord.
Warning!
Given the wielder's current strength tier, it is advised not to recklessly attempt to complete the final quality upgrade of this weapon for the time being.
Creator: Elemental Lords of Draenor / Diahkm Justines
Item Flavor Text:
[It's all right, just so-so, barely usable. To be honest, it's quite mediocre; the mop used by the maid cleaning the living room at my wizard neighbor's house is a bit better than this.
However, for your current awkward standing—neither high nor low—using it matches your identity quite well. But I must remind you that this thing is essentially still a staff. If you plan to crack open enemy skulls with greater joy, I suggest you find a real melee weapon.
For instance, I think Gorehowl, the Doomhammer, and the Blade of the Burning Thorn Suncourge look quite decent. Since we've made the trip to Draenor, we can't leave empty-handed! So, how about considering it?
You should seize the moment when relations are poor to get things done; otherwise, once the other party becomes a paragon of justice, it will be very hard to find an opportunity to deliver a fatal strike in the dark.]
】

"You! How can you utter such dark suggestions in front of a warrior of the Light?!"

Dick muttered frantically in his mind.

He ignored the damned thing that always tried to lead people astray in the item flavor text, focusing instead on his very first legendary weapon.

Must be said, this gift from the elemental lords met Dick's needs in every possible aspect.

He was not an unreasonable vindicator and well understood the outcome the elements desired to achieve through such a grand display. Therefore, upon receiving the weapon, he solemnly expressed his gratitude to the elemental lords and promised that as long as he remained on Draenor for even a single day, he would not allow demons to covet and corrupt the purity of this world's elements.

This promise from a "Warrior of the Light" brought a measure of reassurance to the currently weakened elemental lords.

They had witnessed Diahkm's hallowed forging powers firsthand. With the orcish clans now largely unreliable, the elements also hoped for more dependable protectors. The humiliating plight of having their curse-locked passwords exploited by scum like Gul'dan was something they truly wished never to endure a second time.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of Dick, Nari, and Ner'zhul, the four elemental lords vanished into the severely ravaged earth.

They left behind their respective minions to repair the terrain of Shadowmoon Valley damaged during the recent battle, though such repairs were mostly patches along the edges; the newly formed chasms and lava pools would be exceedingly difficult to undo.

"This place is no longer fit for mortals to dwell."

Regaining his elemental powers, Ner'zhul gazed at the fractured earth and sighed:

"Yet the Shadowmoon clan will not leave. It was our foolishness and shortsightedness that sparked all this. Even if it takes a thousand years, my descendants and I will surely appease the elemental turbulence here."

"Look on the bright side."

Dick strapped the Wrath of Kazzak to his back and said to Ner'zhul:

"The terrain shaped by the absolute outburst of the four elements is filled with the ancient power of creation, making this a shamanic sanctuary akin to the Throne of the Elements in Nagrand. As long as we pacify the still-agitated elemental energies here, Draenor will possess a second 'academy' capable of continuously training shamanistic priests. Better yet, this place sits close to both the Shadowmoon clan and Karabor Temple, meaning it will become a sacred ground of energy jointly maintained by orcs and draenei—a place of peace."

"Mh, indeed so."

Nari nodded as well:

"The highway leading to Karabor Temple has been severed by this terrain alteration, which means the orcs gathered by Gul'dan will no longer be able to launch a large-scale, all-out war against Karabor Temple.

Even if he refuses to give up, he can only attempt to assault the towering walls of Karabor Temple.

Yet such difficulty exceeds the current warfare standards of orcish civilization, Diahkm. The hidden danger of the Siege of Karabor has been unexpectedly unraveled by you."

"We cannot let down our guard!"

Ner'zhul warned:

"Gul'dan still holds a vicious trump card. Lord Diahkm confirmed that a shattered soul of Gul'dan escaped back into his wicked soulstone, meaning if he employs demonic sorcery, he might soon return to the mortal realm.

Under the current situation, if he remains unwilling to give up, bombarding your city with the dangerous Dark Star will become his only option.

Even the draenei lack the capability to launch preemptive strikes into the starry sea, do they not?"

"That is indeed a problem, which is why we must return to Karabor Temple immediately."

Dick nodded, gazing at the sparks of light intertwining around his hand, and said:

"It is time to meet with Velen!

It is also time, as a Watcher, to expose the traitors hiding among our people—just as we did on the eve of the coup woven by Sargeras. The draenei have also fallen victim to a vicious scheme, and traitors are always more destructive than enemies."

"Perhaps it is the will of fate, Dick."

Nari softly murmured:

"It was you who exposed the plots of Sargeras and Archimonde, and now, upon your awakening, you must fulfill that duty a second time. True to form, there are no misnamed titles; while others immerse themselves in the illusion of peace, the 'Watcher' who remains forever vigilant truly lives up to his name!"

"I think 'Holy Spear' is also quite fitting."

Dick cracked an obscene joke unbecoming of a vindicator, earning a fierce glare from Nari. Afterward, the High Prelate spoke sternly to Ner'zhul:

"You have now reclaimed the blessing of the elements, Chieftain Ner'zhul. You should also travel with us to Karabor Temple, meeting face-to-face with our prophet in your capacity as an orcish leader.

If both sides yearn for peace, we must set about accomplishing this immediately, before the war between the two races truly erupts.

Evil schemers are already plotting their assault, so the guardians of peace should unite as well."

"Of course, I was just about to do so."

Ner'zhul nodded:

"Even if Karabor Temple faces the danger of being bombarded by the Dark Star, I will remain there until I help you weather Gul'dan's conspiracy. I believe the vision of peace I have expressed through my actions can be accepted by the draenei.

To be honest, though, I worry quite a bit for my personal safety, especially given the direct ties between the draenei leadership and Gul'dan's Shadow Council."

That was said in jest.

A legendary shaman who had reclaimed the elemental blessings and ascended even further—if he couldn't handle trivial matters like assassination, the orcish civilization would have perished eight centuries ago.

However, Nari knew Ner'zhul was hinting to her that when dealing with traitors, she must never be soft-hearted and must closely follow the footsteps of the Watcher. The orcs producing a "once-in-eight-millennia peerless treasure" like Gul'dan was a heart-wrenching lesson, and the draenei must never repeat that mistake.

After Ner'zhul departed to check on the condition of the Shadowmoon warlocks who had drunk the demon blood, Nari whispered to Dick, who was summoning his holy battle-steed:

"Do you have any idea who that traitor is?"

"Let me tell you a secret, Nari."

Dick said softly:

"The moment I awoke, the Light declared the traitor's identity to me. But what worries me now is not the traitor, but the attitude of everyone else!

Among the current five high prelates, aside from you and Akama, the other three did not participate in the decisive battle of Argus.

You know, children born in an 'era of peace' often have too superficial an understanding of 'peace,' and I cannot replace all of them. Therefore, upon our return, I must first converse with Velen.

I am eager to know what sort of response our High Prophet intends to put forth in the current situation."

***

"Nobundo, the Saint wants to see you."

Early the next morning, while making camp on the journey toward Karabor Temple, the rookie Yrel ran over to tell the vindicator Nobundo, who was feeding a talbuk. She joked:

"Perhaps the Saint is going to reward you. After all, you performed so brilliantly in the previous battle; compared to you, I'm practically a rookie!"

"Well, you *are* a rookie, Yrel."

Nobundo replied with a smile:

"You haven't even completed your formal vindicator trials yet. Once we reach Karabor Temple, you'll have to make up for those, otherwise it will be hard to integrate into the vindicator ranks. Come, help me feed my talbuk, I'll go see what he wants."

Although he could still joke with his companion, Vindicator Nobundo's heart was in turmoil.

He roughly guessed what the Saint wanted to discuss with him. Ever since the four elemental lords of Draenor had "ordained" him as the spokesperson for the draenei shamanic priests yesterday, Nobundo had been caught in deep conflict.

On one hand, being recognized by the elemental lords for his talent in the elemental path proved he was no ordinary mortal.

On the other hand, his family had been worshippers of the Light for generations, and he himself was a devout believer. Forcing himself to suddenly abandon the pursuit of the Light was undeniably a difficult choice, one that could even be called an act of "betraying his faith."

At that moment, he only hoped the Saint wouldn't pressure him with the "greater good of the nation and people."

That wasn't entirely out of the question; he had heard from his friend Maraad about the true, non-mythological life of Saint Diahkm.

He knew the Saint had sacrificed nearly everything for his people and civilization back on the world of Argus. While such a person was undoubtedly worthy of absolute reverence, on a personal level, his directives sometimes leaned toward the autocratic.

Actually, Nobundo also felt a bit of resentment toward the elemental lords of Draenor at that moment. Why did they have to pull such an "ordination" stunt out of nowhere?!

Now it had forced him into this agonizing dilemma, which was truly maddening.

"You seem troubled, child."

As Nobundo arrived at the Saint's tent, Dick—who was polishing and oiling his new weapon—looked up. He smiled and invited Nobundo to sit beside him, speaking before the other could open his mouth:

"Don't worry, I won't force you to abandon the path of the vindicator. You are a warrior under my command, a recruit of the Hand of Argus legion. I will not permit anyone to impose their will upon you, demanding you sacrifice your personal pursuits under the banner of 'for the people' or 'for the nation.'

The Eredar race and civilization were never built upon the forced sacrifice of the righteous."

This statement instantly lifted the heavy pressure on Nobundo's heart. He looked at Dick with a trace of gratitude, then poured out his inner thoughts, finally summarizing:

"Perhaps I truly possess a talent for the elemental path, but my heart belongs solely to the Light!"

"Uh—"

Dick rubbed the sharp edge of his weapon with his thumb. With a peculiar look in his eyes, he gazed at the resolute Nobundo and said softly:

"But I think you've missed the point, child.

Clearly, your current understanding of the doctrine of the Light is too superficial and floats on the surface. Of course, considering we are vindicators, your understanding can already be considered the 'standard answer.' However, possessing a talent for pursuing wisdom means you shouldn't waste it.

Let me ask you, in your heart, what kind of existence is the Light?

Is it a religion?
Or is it a power?
Is it a tool, or the cornerstone that sustains one's personal convictions?"

These questions caused Nobundo to hesitate for a moment before he answered earnestly:

"I believe the Light is a guiding beacon that leads us as we trudge through the darkness. It cannot be simply explained as a religion or a code of conduct, especially for the draenei. Without the Light, we could never have arrived here; without the Light, we couldn't even have left Argus!"

"Well said! The Light is a guiding beacon; I think so too. For those fanatics who view the Light as absolute dogma, I find it difficult to truly and rationally discuss these doctrinal issues with them.

You are a wise draenei, Nobundo, so I hope you will ponder a question over the coming days."

Dick patted his shoulder and said:

"Should we harbor a fanatical worship of the Light, performing good deeds in its name, or should we follow our inner yearning for goodness and justice, letting the Light serve as our guiding beacon while we accomplish righteous deeds of our own accord?

To tell you the truth, this very same question once plagued me.

During the period when my understanding of the Light's morality shattered, I pondered this question repeatedly, until I finally found my own answer.

I believe it is first *we* who wish to do good, and thus the Light grants us the power to realize our self-worth as a tool for performing good deeds—not that I pray with absolute piety to the Light solely to gain its favor in order to do those good deeds.

Though the outward manifestation is the same—that I performed a good deed—the starting point is vastly different.

This may be a philosophical debate of 'judging by deeds' versus 'judging by intent,' but I believe the Light should not be elevated merely as a religious doctrine.

Child, its very existence is grander and more real than the narrow concept of 'faith.' The Light exists in the heart of every single person; even when a child wishes to protect a wounded little bird, the Light will respond just the same!

Having faith is a good thing.

But one must not let the tenets of faith blind their eyes, making them forget the initial aspiration that set them upon this path."

The Saint smiled, bringing out his priestly professional traits and preaching to Nobundo:

"If you carry the guidance of the Light in your heart, wishing to accomplish deeds of justice and goodness, as long as that internal radiance continually envelops you and prevents you from losing your way in the dark, does it really matter what methods you use to uphold justice, or what power you wield to protect goodness?

In my view, the Light does not need our prayers and worship; it wishes to see us use its power to accomplish protection, healing, and retribution.

To harbor the Light in one's heart and save a single soul far surpasses praying ten thousand times within a temple.

To borrow an old saying, if we can only become righteous and brave when holding the Light, perhaps we ought not to have possessed it from the very beginning.

Think on this, child.

You have plenty of time to solidify your resolve or convince yourself, but I only hope that whatever decision you ultimately make, it stems from the desires deep within your heart, rather than being influenced by external factors.

Just as my sharing of my enlightenment with you is not meant to persuade you to make a sacrifice.

I merely wish to use my experiences to tell you that everyone's understanding, comprehension, and practice of the Light can differ. As long as one's heart turns toward the light, the Light will answer us!

I firmly believe this.

Yet walking life's path is far harder than adhering to dogma. Because of this, do not pin your destiny solely upon faith or the opinions of others; your destiny should be held firmly within your own hands!"