So C'Thun's misfortune was actually all because his "teammates" miscalculated.
If it had a chance to revive and understand everything, it would definitely regret choosing to cooperate with N'Zoth—it should have known tens of thousands of years ago how cunning N'Zoth was!
Back then, C'Thun and Yogg-Saron could only barely contend with him when they joined forces.
Now that it has come to such an end, it was still "schemed against" by N'Zoth.
Aiden didn't fully understand the intricacies involved.
Anyway, all the Old Gods of Azeroth are twisted evil gods, and it's never wrong to catch one and destroy it.
He strode towards the direction where the Dragon Aspects were, and they were waiting for him.
Seeing Aiden coming over, the four Dragon Aspects stopped communicating and turned to look at him.
This matter was all caused by Malygos, and he knew he had to set an example.
Now, the Dragon Aspects had long since turned into human forms.
He transformed into a High Elf, with long blue hair tied up on top of his head, and wearing a blue and white mage robe.
He looked like an adult High Elf and didn't appear old.
In fact, time doesn't make the Guardian Dragons age.
As long as they have a good attitude, they can always think they are still young.
Seeing Aiden coming over, he greeted him, lowered his head, and said with some shame: "I am very ashamed about this matter—I almost made a big mistake, and you saved me, and also saved this world.
I…"
This Guardian Dragon, who had lived for tens of thousands of years and experienced countless things, blushed, almost feeling ashamed beyond words.
After truly regaining his senses, he recalled the things he had done, and felt that it was like the behavior of a madman.
He couldn't even believe that in the months he had been carefully planning the Nexus War, he had still insisted that what he was doing was absolutely correct and just…
Aiden comforted him: "It's not entirely your fault.
The important thing is that it didn't really cause a catastrophe, but instead achieved unexpected results."
He didn't know the specific situation of Silithus, Icecrown Glacier, and Twilight Highlands now, but enough power to destroy the planet ten times over had been unleashed, which would definitely give C'Thun and the Qiraji, the Lich King Arthas, and the Twilight's Hammer cultists a profound lesson.
Thinking of this, he felt secretly pleased.
"But I still made a mistake.
I am a derelict Guardian Dragon."
Malygos shook his head painfully and remorsefully, even doubting himself—was he suitable to continue to bear the responsibility of a Guardian Dragon?
"Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.
It's great to correct them when you know you're wrong."
Aiden Wei comforted the other party again, but he didn't come to enlighten this Dragon Aspect; he had more important things to do.
Aiden looked at the other Dragon Aspects and said: "This matter is inseparable from the bewitchment of the Old Gods—this is a huge threat that deserves our vigilance.
Deathwing fell because of this, and I think none of us want to see such a scene again—turning from a Guardian Dragon into a Destroyer."
His words left all the Guardian Dragons speechless.
The Dragon Aspects all possess powerful power, which is not usually manifested, because they are always secretly protecting this world.
But if this power is used for destruction, it will be an unimaginable disaster—the terror of the Nightmare Invasion is still fresh in everyone's memory, and it only ended not long ago.
If a great catastrophe happens again in the future, then the terror of Deathwing will also refresh people's understanding of the Guardian Dragons.
How to avoid being bewitched by the Old Gods?
I'm afraid even the Titans don't have an effective solution.
Otherwise, their laboratories wouldn't have been repeatedly invaded and polluted by the Old Gods.
Now, the guardians of Ulduar, except for Tyr, who is missing, have all fallen.
The prison guarding Yogg-Saron has instead become the base camp of this Old God—it has to be said that this is a great irony.
Aiden is right, who would be willing to become a lackey of the Old Gods except for a madman?
"Then, do you have any way to prevent it from happening?
We are willing to try."
Alexstrasza turned her gaze to Aiden.
Although she didn't think she would become one of the Destroyers, who can say for sure about the future?
Just like ten thousand years ago, no one would have believed that Neltharion would betray his brothers and sisters.
But it happened.
"If I had one, I would definitely tell you as soon as possible."
Aiden spread his hands.
He knew how powerful the Old Gods were.
For the current Azeroth, the Old Gods are just evil gods parasitizing this planet, but from a perspective beyond this world, the Old Gods have become dark forces that shroud the entire universe—you must know that they have also invaded the real world in the past, which is far beyond the power they should possess.
This is already a power beyond the "setting"!
Aiden guessed that the way to solve the Old Gods, or rather, to solve the ever-increasing "power of destruction" mentioned by Varnell, should be outside the World of Warcraft.
He probably won't be able to find a way to completely defeat the Old Gods in this world.
He couldn't explain these thoughts to the Dragon Aspects, or even to anyone here.
Due to the different understanding, his explanation would not lead to any results.
He shook off such thoughts and instead took out the octagonal artifact on his body.
The four Dragon Aspects all turned their gazes over.
Could the solution be here?
"This thing… looks a bit familiar."
Ysera stared at it for a few times, then said somewhat uncertainly.
"I also feel like I've seen it somewhere… where is it?"
Alexstrasza also had a familiar feeling.
She looked at Nozdormu, the Dragon Aspect who controls the secrets of time, who must know its origin.
"This is the artifact of the guardian Tyr when we fought Galakrond."
Nozdormu lived up to expectations and blurted out the source of this octagonal artifact in one breath.
"Yes, that's it!
No wonder I feel familiar!"
"Is this the solution?"
Ysera and the other Dragon Aspects all looked at Aiden and asked.
Although they knew the origin of this octagonal artifact, they didn't know what it was used for.
Back then, Tyr didn't have time to exert its effect before Galakrond bit off one of his hands, and this artifact also fell into Galakrond's stomach at that time.
It came from a guardian, and its power must be very powerful.
The Dragon Aspects were somewhat looking forward to what kind of effect it would have.
Could it really allow them to avoid being bewitched by the Old Gods?
However, Aiden's next answer made them a little disappointed.
"This is a special artifact.
It can't completely prevent you from being bewitched by the Old Gods, but at least it can make you more determined in your responsibilities.
Presumably, this is also a benefit!"
After Aiden finished speaking, he looked at the place where the Valoran heroes were gathered and waved to Onyxia.
The Black Dragon Princess didn't react for a moment.
She looked left and right, and found that Aiden was indeed staring at her, so she pointed to herself: "Me?"
"Yes, come over!"
Aiden waved.
Onyxia didn't know what was going on.
She didn't like dealing with the Dragon Aspects, because these four Dragon Aspects had a very deep hatred for Deathwing, so Onyxia also didn't have much affection for these Dragon Aspects for most of her life.
Although she now represents the Black Dragonflight and has rejoined the Wyrmrest Accord, the inherent concepts cannot be changed back so quickly.
However, at her master's summons, she quickly rushed over.
"What are your orders, my master?"
Onyxia came to Aiden's side and asked cautiously.
The aura of the four Dragon Aspects was very strong, and Onyxia was a little afraid to look them in the eye.
"Look at it!"
Aiden raised his hand and revealed the octagonal artifact in his hand.
The four Dragon Aspects and the Black Dragon Princess all looked over, and then Aiden activated its power.
The five dragons all felt their spirits in a trance, and they immediately felt a shift in perspective, returning to the great battle tens of thousands of years ago.
Malygos, Nozdormu, and the other four Dragon Aspects were, of course, experiencing the first-person perspective of their time as proto-dragons, a very distant memory. As for Onyxia, she entered the perspective of her father, Neltharion. Her impression of her father as a Guardian Dragon was very limited because she was too young at the time, but her memories of him after he became Deathwing were very vivid—because after that, the fate of the black dragonflight changed with him.
Now, re-entering her father's perspective, she felt that her father tens of thousands of years ago was not as insidious and cunning as he later became. He was somewhat arrogant, looking down on those of his kind who were too weak or too stupid, but he was very enthusiastic towards true friends, even entrusting his life to Malygos, whom he had just met at that time; he was very brave, even a little reckless, believing that few among the proto-dragons possessed power like his, and this power gave him the courage to challenge the Father of Dragons; he valued friendship and loyalty, treating Malygos, Nozdormu, and the Alexstrasza sisters as family, never abandoning them, and even risking his own life to save them…
This was completely different from the father in Onyxia's memory. Now Deathwing possessed power unimaginable during his time as a proto-dragon, even surpassing Galakrond at his peak. But he had lost his humanity, becoming incredibly insane and full of destructive desires. She even thought that her father was essentially a big villain, just one who had been hiding it deeply…
But now it seemed that it wasn't that he was inherently evil, but that the temptation of the Old Gods was simply too strong.
How strong?
When the Titans' Keepers were praying for the Titans' blessing for the five proto-dragon heroes, Onyxia, from her father's perspective, felt the power from the Old Gods: she heard countless mysterious voices in her ears. The voices whispered and told stories, showing Neltharion their powerful strength and promising to grant all his requests, as long as he pledged his loyalty to them…
The owner of this voice claimed to be an Old God—N'Zoth. It came from the deepest part of the Endless Ocean, a city called Ny'alotha, a city flowing with terror and sin.
As early as when Neltharion became a Guardian Dragon, the power from the Old Gods had already been influencing him—but at that time, he did not succumb to N'Zoth, and even for the next tens of thousands of years, he did not. It wasn't until the War of the Ancients broke out that N'Zoth's tens of thousands of years of effort finally paid off.
Onyxia was still a little dazed after breaking free from the illusion. Those bewitchments that were originally targeted at her father were also stirring in her mind, but there was also another mysterious power that kept her awake, making her clearly aware that this was the evil power trying to make her fall. She remembered that this was the same power she felt when she received the fusion of the Conversion Stone.
In just a moment, they broke free from the illusion. Re-experiencing that great battle reminded them of things they had long forgotten, and these precious memories reminded them not to forget their original intentions.
Onyxia still heard the Titans' last words of advice when she received the power of the Guardians, and she whispered them out: "What is given to each of you is a blessing."
Ysera naturally continued: "What is given to all of you is a responsibility."
Malygos and Nozdormu looked at each other at the same time, feeling somewhat ashamed of the troubles they had brought to others, to the innocent, and to the world when they had lost their way.
"Responsibility," this simple word made them feel incredibly heavy.
"Thank you for your kindness, Aiden," Alexstrasza was the first to react, thanking Aiden. "This experience has benefited me greatly."
Nozdormu said with emotion: "I don't think I will easily lose myself again."
In the past two or three years, the chaotic timeline had brought him countless huge confusions, because he had used the power of time without restraint but had not understood its essence. As the Guardian of Time, this was a shameful mistake.
Malygos raised his head, his gaze becoming firm again.
"I will make up for the mistakes I have made. Next, the blue dragonflight will truly fulfill its responsibilities, repairing the damaged magic webs and collapsed ley lines, and guiding mortals to use magical energy correctly."
Ysera looked at the three of them, thought for a moment, and then said: "Then—perhaps I should return to the Emerald Dream and continue to be my 'Sleeper'?"
The Emerald Dream was a strange place, where Ysera could get some vague revelations about the fate and future of the world while sleeping. Aiden didn't know whether this kind of "revelation" was also a manifestation of deducing future results from past causes, but these revelations were mostly vague and might even be contrary to the truth. Perhaps the Emerald Dream itself did have some special secrets that he hadn't yet understood.
As the Guardian of the Emerald Dream, Ysera's title while sleeping was "the Sleeper." And if she woke up because of some shocking changes, it meant that drastic changes would occur in the real world, and she would receive some revelations in the Emerald Dream, and her title would also become "the Awakened." Among the five Dragon Aspects, she was the most mysterious one because her appearance always meant that something bad was about to happen.
For example, the Nightmare Invasion last time, the Nexus War this time, and in the future, there would be more troubles waiting for them.
The corruption of Ulduar, Deathwing, the Chromatic Dragon… each one was a huge threat that could destroy Azeroth!
Ysera was obviously joking. At this time, there was no way she would have a chance to sleep, and it would be like this for a long time.
Aiden saw that Onyxia was still in a daze, so he patted her. The black dragon princess suddenly woke up as if she had been electrocuted, with a flustered expression on her face.
"What's wrong with you, Onyxia?" Aiden asked strangely.
Only then did Onyxia realize that she was still in the Eye of Eternity. Recalling the whispers from N'Zoth she had just heard, she was still a little scared.
"I…" She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but when she thought of how absurd this request was, she swallowed the words that had reached her lips.
"What is it? Just say it. It's not like you to be so hesitant," Aiden was a little surprised by her reaction.
Onyxia glanced at Aiden cautiously, and then said in a low voice: "M-Master… I think…" She bit her lip, still saying the thought that had just occurred to her: "I experienced that memory—you must know, from my father's perspective. He heard the mad whispers from N'Zoth tens of thousands of years ago. Such voices have plagued him for tens of thousands of years—I think I must have misunderstood him. He is not a born conspirator, he is…"
Speaking of this, Onyxia couldn't help but choke up a little.
If a person is constantly tempted by a voice in his ear for tens of thousands of years, can he persevere?
Onyxia had felt the power of that whisper. Not to mention tens of thousands of years, if she didn't have the power of the Conversion Stone to protect her, she might succumb to N'Zoth's power after only three or five times.
Tens of thousands of years—what pain and torment that was!
No matter how others viewed her father, at least at this moment, Onyxia, who understood the truth, was deeply proud of her father!
After listening, Aiden was silent for a while, and comforted in a low voice: "If this is the truth, then he is indeed worthy of respect."
Everything must have a comparison to highlight its preciousness—Nozdormu was only slightly bewitched, and he caused so much trouble. Malygos was not much better, he thought he was awake, but unknowingly fell into N'Zoth's trap. Even Ysera, the Nightmare Crisis happened because she was affected by N'Zoth's power and did not notice Harveys's growth.
Neltharion was able to persevere for tens of thousands of years, and he was indeed a good man!
But even if Aiden sympathized, he couldn't guarantee anything to the black dragon princess. Deathwing had already accepted the transformation of N'Zoth's power. He could no longer be regarded as a pure dragon, but a combination of a parasitic monster and a fallen dragon.
Strictly speaking, he was not a bewitched dragon, but a monster who had completely fallen to the Old Gods' camp!