"Galen, brother!"
A'dal momentarily ceased his purification of Yogg-Saron's remains.
Despite the Old God's soul being obliterated, its colossal body still writhed with a semblance of life. Tentacles covered in bone spurs and grotesque suckers lashed out erratically, attacking any creature that dared to approach!
"Though this evil god's soul has been vanquished, my intuition tells me that he is not yet truly dead!" A'dal declared, his voice filled with concern.
The Old Gods were enigmatic beings of the Void. As evidenced by the preserved remains of the Old God's claws and teeth in Tyr's Tomb, even if their physical bodies perished, their immense souls could draw upon the dark energy permeating the world to regenerate.
Furthermore, the Old Gods possessed a unique resilience. Even if their souls were destroyed, if their massive bodies were not completely eradicated, a new, malevolent consciousness would eventually form within the decaying flesh. This was vividly demonstrated by the fate of Y'Shaarj. Even after Aman'Thul physically ripped him from Azeroth, causing him to explode, the residual Sha energy, exhaled in his death throes, gave birth to seven Sha demons, plunging the land of Pandaria into chaos.
Therefore, to truly vanquish an Old God, both its body and soul had to be destroyed simultaneously!
"I understand your concerns, Brother A'dal," Galen replied, his expression thoughtful. "I am well aware of the... unique characteristics of these light-dark parasites. To truly end the threat they pose, we must dedicate considerable time and effort to completely destroy their physical remains!"
Galen, too, was troubled by this prospect. The Old God's body was deeply intertwined with the very fabric of Azeroth, its tendrils reaching into the planet's core. No one knew the true extent of its influence!
When the Titans had ripped Y'Shaarj from the world, Azeroth had nearly been torn apart. Therefore, completely eliminating a mature Old God through conventional means was an immensely dangerous undertaking, far more complex than simply administering a medicine to eradicate a parasite without harming its host!
"M'uru, brother!" Galen addressed the naaru who had declared his destiny to be on Azeroth. "You wished to remain here, did you not? Now, the opportunity has presented itself!"
"Purifying Yogg-Saron's body will be a long and arduous task. Therefore, I request that you remain in Ulduar and use the power of the Holy Light to cleanse this evil creature. These Titan Watchers will assist you in this endeavor!"
"Galen! This is my purpose," M'uru declared, his form radiating with renewed determination. "I will remain in Ulduar, this city of the Titans, until the last vestiges of this evil creature have been purged!"
M'uru turned to A'dal, his light intensifying. "Indeed, A'dal, my destiny lies on this world, and more specifically, it lies before me. Please, grant me leave to stay here!"
"As you wish, Brother M'uru!" A'dal replied, his voice filled with understanding.
In the end, A'dal, along with the other three naaru and Velen, departed from Ulduar, returning to the sanctuary of Shattrath City. M'uru, K'ure, and D'ore remained behind, undertaking the monumental task of purifying Yogg-Saron's soulless remains.
To eradicate evil completely required unwavering dedication and sacrifice, qualities that M'uru, a paragon of the Light, possessed in abundance.
In truth, relying on the naaru was also a matter of necessity. Thorim, Hodir, Freya, Mimiron, and Archaedas, the Titan Watchers, were utterly drained of their power!
The nine guardians were like colossal storage batteries, initially charged by the Titans to their maximum capacity. Over the millennia, they had battled the Old Gods, the Elemental Lords, and engaged in the internecine Guardian Civil War. Their confrontation with Yogg-Saron had pushed them to their absolute limits, leaving them with barely enough energy to sustain themselves!
In the past, the Titans could have replenished their energy remotely, much like they had bestowed their power upon the five Dragon Aspects. But the Titans had vanished from Azeroth tens of thousands of years ago. The guardians, lacking this vital source of power, were barely able to defend themselves. Had it not been for Galen's intervention, they would have been utterly helpless against Yogg-Saron.
Even now, the prospect of purifying Yogg-Saron's immense, corrupted body filled them with dread. Reluctantly, they acquiesced to the naaru's presence, despite their initial reservations.
Galen, however, considered the war for Ulduar a resounding success.
The vast armies of Ice Vrykul, Frost Giants, and the dormant Iron Legion, hidden deep beneath the Titan city, represented a significant acquisition of power. But his greatest prize was the allegiance of the five Titan Watchers. Though weakened, they still possessed demigod-level power!
Most importantly, their loyalty granted him control over Ulduar itself!
The largest Titan city on Azeroth!
In the future, he could openly conduct his... grand designs in the name of the Titans.
In addition to the army and territory, Galen also acquired two powerful weapons!
The first was a one-handed hammer of immense power: Val'anyr, Hammer of Ancient Kings!
This weapon was personally crafted by the Titans, its first wielder being the Earth King, Urel Stoneheart.
Through this sacred hammer, the Earth King could shape new earthen and imbue them with life.
After the Titans departed, and Loken, as the highest administrator of Azeroth, fell under Yogg-Saron's sway, he used the Iron Legion to subjugate the other Titan creations, including the earthen. Loken shattered Val'anyr, scattering its thirty fragments throughout Ulduar, effectively crippling the earthen resistance and consolidating his control over the Titan city.
After Galen united the Storm Peaks, the Titan Watchers swiftly recovered these fragments, and the Earth King Archaedas reforged the hammer, using a unique binding agent: Yogg-Saron's gastric fluids!
The second weapon was a ranged firearm of unparalleled power: Titanstrike!
This weapon, a masterpiece of Titan engineering, was designed and crafted by Mimiron for Thorim, the Storm King. It represented the pinnacle of technological and magical innovation.
Titanstrike drew its power from a relic housed within its core: Thunderfire, a device that harnessed and focused the raw essence of storms, converting it into devastating energy projectiles.
Thorim had originally used Titanstrike for hunting in the Storm Peaks. But with Ulduar restored, the guardian had more pressing matters to attend to. Knowing Galen's penchant for collecting powerful artifacts and beings, he offered the hunting rifle as a tribute to his new master!
Galen, with a broad smile, accepted these gifts from his subordinates.
In addition to these tangible gains, Galen also sensed a subtle shift in the world around him. He felt the earth's cheers and the wind's gentle caress, as if the very elements were celebrating his victory. But when he shared this sensation with Archaedas and Thorim, the two guardians reported no such anomalies in the earth and air of the Storm Peaks.
This left Galen somewhat perplexed.