While Thorim and the remaining Guardians desperately maintained Ulduar's defensive barrier, a relentless tide of Faceless Ones swarmed the Guardian's Sanctuary.
Galen, while acknowledging the immense power of Yogg-Saron, felt no fear facing the Old God's lesser minions. With a single, devastating "Holy Light Radiance," he obliterated the grotesque creatures, their forms dissolving into shimmering dust.
Immediately following the annihilation of the first wave, their leader, General Vezax, emerged from the shadows. He was a monstrous Qiraji General, a grotesque amalgamation of crab, lobster, and other bizarre insectoid features.
As he appeared, he roared in the guttural language of the Old Gods, his voice a chilling promise of destruction: "Your defiance is futile! Suffering is the only path!"
General Vezax lunged, his deformed claws crackling with dark energy, attempting to intercept Galen's attack. The claws clashed against the razor-sharp edge of Strom'kar, the Worldbreaker, producing a screeching sound of metal against chitin.
But the General's resistance was short-lived. Within moments, Galen, his movements a blur of righteous fury, had impaled him against the ancient walls of Ulduar with the Ashbringer.
Instead of delivering the killing blow, Galen, in a calculated act of defiance, allowed the Holy Light radiating from the Ashbringer to continuously sear the Qiraji General. Vezax's agonized wails echoed through the sanctuary, a tormented symphony that lasted for an entire night, until the Ashbringer's purifying light finally cleansed him, leaving behind only a husk of his former self.
Yogg-Saron reacted to Vezax's torment with unrestrained fury. Chaotic energy surged through Ulduar, battering the barrier erected by the six Guardians with relentless force.
Fortunately, Galen had already swayed the six Guardians to his cause, transforming them into his loyal allies. Had they remained loyal to their original purpose, his provocative actions would have likely resulted in his own demise.
The next day, a shimmering portal tore open in the fabric of reality, spanning the vast distances of the cosmos.
Golden Holy Light flooded the inner sanctuary of Ulduar, dispelling the oppressive darkness.
The Naaru leader, A'dal, emerged, followed by a host of his Holy Light Expedition's Naaru. Galen, his heart soaring at the sight, carefully counted them. Including A'dal, and his own Naaru allies, K'ure and D'ore, there were a total of seven Naaru!
"Brother Galen of the Crusade! Greetings." A'dal's telepathic voice resonated within Galen's mind, a soothing melody that washed over his soul.
"Greetings, A'dal," Galen replied, his own thoughts projecting a sense of profound gratitude and anticipation.
This was Galen's first encounter with the legendary A'dal, but their communication felt natural and harmonious, facilitated by the presence of the Draenei Prophet Velen.
A'dal's expedition had spanned centuries. Unlike the Burning Legion, which ravaged planets in a destructive rampage, the Holy Light Expedition traversed the cosmos, seeking out intelligent life, guiding them along the path of the Holy Light, and shielding them from the Legion's fiery wrath.
They had arrived in Ulduar, drawn by the combined distress signals of K'ure and D'ore.
Galen's heart swelled with exhilaration.
Seven Naaru!
He commanded a force of celestial beings!
He imagined the impending confrontation with Yogg-Saron, a triumphant cry forming in his mind: "What do you have to match this, Old God?!"
"Brother Galen, I sense an unparalleled darkness within this Titan city," A'dal's voice echoed in Galen's mind, filled with concern. "We are here to offer our aid. What is your need?"
Galen, accustomed to the Naaru's direct and forthright communication, wasted no time in explaining the dire situation. "Within this city, a creature of the Void is imprisoned by the Titans. We call him the Old God Yogg-Saron. We have summoned you here in the hope that you can completely purify him and save this world from his corruption."
"An Old God? A servant of the Void Lords!" A'dal's tone was filled with shock and grim determination. "In our travels, we have witnessed countless worlds consumed by these parasites. Without exception, they are all doomed. Your world is fortunate, either in its own resilience or in the timely intervention of your Titan allies!"
"We are ready to assist you in any way we can, Brother Galen!" A'dal declared, his voice resonating with unwavering resolve.
Heh, if you only knew that five Old Gods initially descended upon Azeroth, you would be even more astonished! Galen thought wryly.
The Light faction, embodied by the Holy Light, and the Order faction, represented by the Titans, were natural allies. Before Sargeras's fall and the rise of the Burning Legion as the embodiment of chaotic fel energy, the Holy Light legions and the Titans had fought side-by-side, resisting the Void's corruption of the universe.
Had Odyn or another of the more prideful Titan Watchers been in Galen's position, requesting aid from the Holy Light might have been met with resistance, seen as an admission of weakness.
But Galen was not one to cling to false pride. He understood the value of powerful allies, especially when facing a threat as dire as an Old God. And the selfless Naaru, like A'dal, were allies to be embraced.
"Brother A'dal! Brother Galen!"
A Naaru, slightly smaller than A'dal, spoke, his telepathic voice filled with a unique blend of serenity and purpose.
"Upon arriving at this city of Titan allies... or rather, upon arriving at this world, I felt a familiar resonance," he continued.
"I have foreseen my purpose, my destiny. I believed it lay on Draenor, but now it seems my path leads to Azeroth, to this world where Brother Galen resides!"
"Uh..." Galen hesitated, unsure how to respond. He knew that various factions had their own methods of divination. The Titans were the most direct, with Aman'Thul, the God of Time, possessing the ability to view the timeline with unparalleled accuracy.
The Holy Light Naaru could also glimpse the future, guiding their actions. The most prominent example was Prophet Velen, who, guided by the prophecies within the Naaru crystals, had led the Draenei in their escape from the Burning Legion for over twenty thousand years.
If their ship hadn't crashed on Draenor, and Velen hadn't been so grievously wounded while saving his people, losing his prophetic abilities, how could such an advanced interstellar civilization have fallen prey to the primitive Orcs?
However, Galen had no knowledge of this particular Naaru's visions, so he remained cautiously silent.
"M'uru, is your destiny intertwined with this world?" A'dal asked, addressing the smaller Naaru.
Galen's ears perked up. M'uru... the name held a strange resonance. He suddenly realized the profound connection this Naaru held with Azeroth.
"Yes, A'dal," M'uru confirmed. "My destiny lies here. It was once very clear, which is why I guided you to Draenor, intending to use that world as a stepping stone to reach Azeroth!"
M'uru paused, his form shimmering with uncertainty. "But in that instant, I sensed a shift in the currents of fate!"
"Originally, I was meant to save a people, but now they no longer require my salvation!"
M'uru turned his radiant gaze directly towards Galen. "Brother Galen, my purpose has been redirected to you. Perhaps I should forge a bond with you, as K'ure and D'ore have, to fulfill my destiny!"
What?
Galen was stunned. Was this truly happening? Was he about to gain the allegiance of a demigod-level Naaru without even trying?
"Brother Galen, this is the will of the Light!" A'dal affirmed, his voice filled with awe and wonder.
Oh, my God...
This was almost too good to be true!