Chapter Seventy-Nine: Family Planning

When they discovered a new member within the planet Azeroth, they descended directly upon it, establishing a series of Titan facilities to assist Elune, then still in her infancy, to mature into an adult Titan as soon as possible.

Yet the Titans had never anticipated that the Old Gods would intervene, corrupting Azeroth, their incubation chamber. When the Pantheon returned to Azeroth, they found the laboratory severely tainted by the Old Gods. After a fierce war, the Pantheon barely managed to defeat the warring legions of the Old Gods. The chaotic elementals were banished to the Elemental Plane, while the Old Gods themselves were sealed deep beneath the planet’s surface.

Patrick still believed that the Titans were relatively benevolent deities. In the beginning, Azeroth already harbored life—ancient beings such as insects and trolls. If the Titans had wished to secure the stability of this world and ensure Elune’s growth untainted by any living thing, they could have eradicated all life on Azeroth without effort. For the Titans, annihilating all life was simplicity itself, but for the native beings, it would have been the apocalypse.

First, Harves could have controlled all of Azeroth by seizing Ysera’s Emerald Dream. Second, the Blue Dragon King Malygos could have unleashed a massive purge through manipulation of the arcane ley lines. Third, the Black Dragon King could have simply triggered the Cataclysm, destroying the world in an instant...

For the Aspect dragons blessed by the Titans, ending the world would be trivial; for their creators, the Titans, it would be even more effortless. And as experimenters, it was wholly reasonable to eliminate all variables except the experimental factor (the independent variable) to ensure pure results. In biology, do we not sterilize with high temperatures for the same reason? By comparison, the Titans’ restraint was indeed merciful.

The fundamental energy facility erected by the Titans on Azeroth—the Well of Eternity—could ceaselessly absorb arcane and natural energies from the Twisting Nether. Arcane magic, after all, was one of the basic energy forms employed by the Titans (alongside the forces of nature). With the Well of Eternity sustaining Elune, and the ley line system’s protection, all that was needed for her to mature was the passage of enough time.

Reflecting on the concept of energy level transitions, Patrick was reminded of certain “Puzzle Box” lifeforms. The Naaru, for instance, were likely beings of Light who employed energy level reduction. Tasks performed atop the orcish holy mountain Oshu’gun in later eras hinted at this: the Naaru could absorb soul energy and, through energy level reduction, transform soul power originally at the zero level into second-level Holy Light. The loss in energy during this process would generate vast quantities of Holy Light to maintain the Naaru’s form.

But where could one find souls so pure and orderly? Ordinary souls naturally contained negative emotions and states. The positive energies would be transmuted into pure Holy Light, while the corrupt, negative energies would surely become pure Shadow. Once the Naaru had exhausted the Light within them, they would undergo a transformation, becoming entropy demons comprised of Shadow energy.

In Shattrath, the mightiest Naaru, A’dal, possessed a formidable soul-piercing force that could awe any being approaching the city. Yet despite the Naaru’s strength, they rarely took to the field, instead being relentlessly hunted across the cosmos by the Burning Legion.

It was not that the Naaru could not fight, but that they dared not. If, in the midst of battle, they found themselves pressed and their reserves of Light depleted, they would no longer be able to suppress the Shadow within. At that moment, the Legion’s attack would be unnecessary—the Naaru would gradually transform into entropy demons on their own.

Whether this hypothesis held true was yet unknown; the Dark Portal had not opened, and Patrick had no way to verify the theory. In this light, however, the Eredar truly seemed a pitiable people—Archimonde and Kil’jaeden deceived by Sargeras, while Velen, the Draenei leader, was misled by the Naaru.

Pitiful, lamentable indeed.

...

The stories within the Platinum Disc continued to stream into Patrick’s mind—the hidden lore of Azeroth, the secrets of arcane energy, and even a rudimentary arcane sigil of Norgannon. Patrick was deeply grateful for the generosity of the bearded Platinum Titan.

The arcane sigil, in particular, was a boon. Norgannon explained that it was a preliminary energy-gathering sigil. When he had left the four Platinum Discs in Uldaman, one of their functions had been to concentrate energy and provide power for the Earthen and the Titan constructs.

Later, Lorn Songrunner’s team had led Patrick and Alleria to Uldaman, where they successfully retrieved the innermost Platinum Disc. Now, with the new Titan sigil granted by Norgannon, Patrick essentially possessed a simple energy source.

Shortly after, Norgannon’s apparition faded, the Platinum Disc flew back into Patrick’s body, the spatial constraints vanished, and all around him returned to normal.

“I wonder how much time has passed? The harvest from this visit to the Grand Magister’s Sanctuary is immense. There’s so much core knowledge to digest and absorb before I can put it into practice,” Patrick thought.

Stepping out of the hall, he found a retainer already waiting. Patrick followed him to a teleportation array and was instantly sent to Sunstrider Court.

“Your talent is truly astonishing, Councillor Patrick,” said King Anasterian, with a respectful title that left Patrick momentarily ill at ease.

...

“No need to be nervous, Councillor Patrick. Your standard formal robes and the documents of authority have already been delivered to the Cabron family. Should there be any disputes regarding your fief, you may submit them to the council for adjudication.” The king’s expression revealed nothing, and Patrick could not discern his intentions; he simply outlined the traditional proceedings of the councilor’s ceremony.

Patrick nodded respectfully, expressing his gratitude: “Thank you for your gracious favor, Your Majesty.”

After bidding farewell to King Anasterian, Patrick teleported instantly to his father Phil Cabron’s tower. The grand banquet being hosted by the Cabron family was still in full swing, with many renowned elves and nobles in attendance, and even some commoners eager to enjoy the feast.

Yet at this moment, all core members of the Cabron family were gathered in the tower’s council chamber, surrounded by a soundproof barrier. Only those responsible for the clan’s affairs could attend, for before Patrick assumed his post as councilor, the future of the family required thorough discussion.

“All, our clan has weathered more than 6,800 years. Let us dispense with formalities—every one of you here is a cornerstone of the Cabron lineage. Today, we will discuss the future development of our house,” declared the clan head, Phil Cabron, his words concise and to the point.