Thorim hadn't expected Eonar's first sentence to be this question; the greetings and exclamations he had planned to utter were stuck in his throat.
"Sigh~"
Thorim sighed helplessly, spread his hands, and turned around once.
"Do I look like I've been corrupted by Yogg-Saron?"
Eonar was silent for a few seconds. "Yes! The old Thorim would never act so childishly."
Thorim: "..."
Andreas almost burst out laughing. He estimated that three M-starting words were currently cycling through Thorim's mind. Onyxia and Aurora were also red-faced from holding back their laughter, their shoulders twitching constantly.
"Cough~"
Using the cough to compose himself, Andreas explained, his face twitching slightly, "Lady Eonar, Thorim has indeed not been corrupted by Yogg-Saron. He broke ties with Loken 2,000 years ago."
After a round of explanations and tests, the overly nervous Eonar finally believed that Thorim was harmless.
Upon learning the current time from Andreas, Eonar's expression became somewhat blank.
"So, Hodir and I have been asleep for at least ten thousand years?"
Eonar couldn't remember when she had fallen into slumber, but she was certain it was before the birth of the Trolls.
The earliest Troll empire, Zul'Nazman, was established around sixteen thousand years before the Dark Portal, meaning it was over ten thousand years ago from now.
Thorim was eager to confirm the abnormality that had occurred in Ulduar back then.
After Eonar lamented the passage of time and reorganized her thoughts, he immediately and impatiently brought up his question.
"You still don't know?"
Eonar was full of questions. "Then why did you break ties with Loken?"
"Uh..."
Under Eonar's serious gaze, Thorim found it difficult to say that it was all because of a woman.
Under Thorim's pleading gaze, Andreas reluctantly stepped forward to act as the firefighter.
"Simply put, Yogg-Saron transformed into Sif's soul and repeatedly sowed discord between Loken and Thorim. During Thorim's tenure overseeing the Temple of Storms, he discovered the truth after years of investigation."
"Over 2,000 years ago, Thorim and Loken confronted each other in Grizzly Hills. The coward, knowing he was guilty, turned and fled in panic. Thorim finally confirmed that Loken was the true killer of Sif."
As a high-ranking member of the Keepers Legion, Eonar naturally knew about Sif's death.
After all, when Thorim heard the news of Sif's death, he furiously charged into the Frost Giants' dwelling place and killed their King indiscriminately, directly leading to the prolonged war between the Storm Giants and the Frost Giants.
"Loken killed Sif? Why?"
"Well..."
'How am I supposed to explain this messy love triangle drama involving the elite!'
"Cough!"
Thorim changed the subject. "That's not important. What's important is that Loken truly fell due to Yogg-Saron's temptation."
A flash of confusion and curiosity crossed Eonar's eyes; she instinctively sensed gossip here.
However, now was not the time to discuss it. Eonar told Thorim everything about the clues Tyr discovered regarding Loken's corruption and the subsequent series of events.
Thorim's spirits lifted. "So, the norgannons disc, which records Loken's crimes, is in your hands?"
"Yes, but given the current situation, the disc's existence is almost meaningless."
Eonar sighed. "Ten thousand years have passed. Even if the Keepers of Ulduar haven't completely fallen, it would likely be very difficult for them to maintain their sanity."
"The only use for the norgannons disc now is to hand it over to Observer Algalon, but once contact is established with him, that fellow will surely assess the disc's contents and immediately activate the Forge of Wills to destroy all life on the surface of Azeroth, making everything on the planet start anew."
Thorim frowned. Based on his understanding of Algalon, the situation Eonar described was very likely to happen.
"Right."
Speaking of the Forge of Wills, Thorim suddenly remembered something, and he turned to look at Andreas.
"Andreas, you know the current world better. What is the situation with the Forge of Wills now?"
Andreas rolled his eyes. "How should I know? According to the ancient records of Eversong, the Forge of Wills was activated once when it faced a desperate situation during the reign of the Mogu Emperor Lei Shen."
"Activated?"
Eonar and Thorim froze simultaneously, then both hurriedly shook their heads in denial.
"Impossible! If the Forge of Wills had been activated, there would be no life remaining on the entire planet of Azeroth."
Andreas said, "I don't know the specifics, but I speculate that the Forge of Wills was not running at full power."
"As a result, Uldum, along with the surrounding Tanaris and Silithus, was annihilated, and the previously lush southern jungle was transformed into a scorching hot desert."
Eonar rubbed her forehead, frustrated. "In other words, because the Forge of Wills activated at low power, wiping out all surrounding life, no one can determine the current status of the Forge of Wills?"
"Regrettably, that's about the situation. At the very least, we Night Elves cannot deactivate the Titan defensive facilities surrounding Uldum."
The Night Elves have completed surveillance of the entire continent of Kalimdor, with only the completely sealed Uldum and the perilous Silithus remaining temporarily unexplored.
If history had progressed normally, Uldum's intact defense system would not have been breached, revealing its true form to the outside world, until The Cataclysm.
Eonar and Thorim exchanged opinions. "Thorim, Hodir and I are thorns in Loken's side, so it's inconvenient for us to travel outside. We'll have to trouble you to take the time to go to Uldum."
"I understand." Thorim nodded solemnly. "The Forge of Wills absolutely cannot fall into Loken's hands. If he is cornered and acts recklessly, the brilliant civilization that Azeroth has developed up until now will be destroyed."
Thorim, Eonar, and other high-level Titan Constructs were different from Algalon, who was specifically tasked with pressing the world-destruction switch. They had already developed feelings for this world and couldn't bear to see everything on Azeroth return to nothing.
"Let's go. We should wake up Hodir first, so at least he knows we still have allies."
Tens of thousands of years of slumber had significantly weakened Eonar's power. After passing the most vulnerable period immediately following her awakening, she stood up, supported by Thorim, who had reverted to his original form.
Uldaman was designed by Eonar and Hodir together. Under the guidance of this local expert, the group proceeded smoothly into the depths of Uldaman.
Along the way, Eonar felt that the number of Earthen sleeping in Uldaman was wrong, and the disappearance of the Mechagnomes also greatly puzzled her.
"What exactly happened in Uldaman while we were asleep? Where did the Earthen and the Mechagnomes go?"
Andreas remained silent for the time being, knowing that he would definitely have to explain everything again once they met Hodir.
Seeing that no one answered, Eonar shifted her attention to the races of Andreas and the two others, asking questions incessantly like a curious baby who had just encountered the world.
Fortunately, the shortcut directly into the depths of Uldaman was not long. Upon reaching the outside of Hodir's slumbering hall, Eonar finally regained her seriousness.
"You had better prepare yourselves. I can't guarantee how Hodir will react after waking up from tens of thousands of years of sleep."
Hodir, standing in the center of the hall, had his eyes tightly closed, his body covered in a thick layer of fossilized rock.
Around him, numerous sleeping Earthen were clustered, roughly calculated to be over a thousand.
Hodir had fallen into slumber even earlier than Eonar, and ordinary methods of waking him would not suffice.
Eonar and Thorim began to cast spells together, using Titan-inherited magic to try and awaken Hodir's dormant soul.
Onyxia leaned close to Andreas and whispered, "Hodir is the Titan Keeper who granted that person the power of the Earth-Warder, right?"
Andreas nodded. "More or less. However, Hodir only served as a power conduit; the one who granted Deathwing his power was Khazgorite, the Shaper of the Pantheon."
"Then..."
Onyxia asked expectantly, "Do you think it's possible for this Titan Keeper to petition the Pantheon again, to bestow the power of the Earth-Warder upon Ebysian once more?"
Andreas and Aurora simultaneously turned to look at the Black Dragon Princess with strange expressions.
"...I didn't realize you cared for Ebysian so much."
Aurora also covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "I thought you only ever bullied and tricked your little brother."
Onyxia tossed her head haughtily. "Hmph! I just asked casually. If it's not possible, then so be it."
Patting the Black Dragon Princess' horn, Andreas sighed. "Your intentions are good, but unfortunately, it's likely that even the Titan Keepers can no longer contact the Pantheon."
'After all, the Pantheon was wiped out by Sargeras...'
However, Andreas dared not say this in front of the Keepers. Not to mention the source of the information, if they, too, lost the will to fight like Loken, Azeroth would be completely doomed.
The news of the Pantheon's fall should only have been sensed by Loken and Odyn.
Great Guardian Loken and chief administrator Odyn were the two highest-ranking figures among all the Keepers of Azeroth.
But Odyn's extreme actions brought disaster upon himself, and he was conspired against by his adopted daughter Helya and Loken, sealed within Valhalla and unable to escape.
He could only periodically send Valkyr, who could traverse both life and death, to the mortal realm to trick the souls of Vrykul champions into ascending to Valhalla, spending his days drinking and reveling in the Mead Hall, and hunting for amusement in the Eternal Hunting Grounds.
As for Loken, that stubborn old fish who no longer wanted to struggle should still be imprisoned beneath the Throne of Thunder.
Now, Pandaria is sealed by the mists formed by Emperor Shaohao, the last Pandaren emperor, making it impossible for anyone other than Pandaren familiar with the sea routes to reach this large island suspended overseas.
If one wishes to go to Pandaria, besides hoping for a Cataclysm whose location is unknown, the only hope might lie with certain reclusive Pandaren.
However, the Wandering Isle established by the Pandaren adventurer Liu Lang is also hard to find. Though called an island, the Pandaren of the Wandering Isle actually live on the back of a giant sea turtle, which is constantly swimming and has no fixed location.
At least, the Night Elf Republic has never discovered the whereabouts of the Wandering Isle in all the years it has operated its trans-oceanic routes across the Endless Sea.
"Crack!"
Under Eonar and Thorim's spellcasting, the grayish-black fossilized layer on Hodir's body began to peel off, and Hodir's body shook more and more violently.
"Boom!"
With a final deafening roar, the fossilized layer covering Hodir's body was finally completely shed.
"Who dares to awaken Hodir! Who dares to pry into the secrets of the Titans!"
Just as Eonar had said, the newly awakened Hodir was acting purely on instinct. There was no light in his eyes, only a chaotic haze, devoid of any spark of wisdom.
Eonar and Thorim exchanged glances.
"You or me?"
"I'll pass. My strength hasn't recovered, so I probably can't beat him."
"I don't want to fight either. What if Hodir seeks revenge later?"
The two giants simultaneously turned their gaze to Andreas and the two women at their feet.
"Uh..."
Andreas' mouth twitched. "Why are you looking at me? Can I just offend a Titan Keeper casually?"
Thorim, eager to pass the buck, patted his chest and guaranteed, "Don't worry, I'll explain for you afterward."
Eonar also interjected, "Hodir is a typical bully among friends. He can retaliate against acquaintances without restraint, but he'll be more polite to outsiders. You don't need to worry about him retaliating against you."
'Easier said than done...'
Andreas' eyes darted around. "Auni, you and Aurora go together."
"...Huh?"
Onyxia pointed to herself. "Are you sure? Me?"
Andreas gave a solemn thumbs-up. "Absolutely and positively. Go, I believe in you!"
"Aurora, Onyxia will be up front tanking damage. Use her massive dragon body for cover and safely cast spells to support from behind."
Aurora said with a wry smile, "Alright, I understand."
"But if we can't handle it, Dad, you absolutely have to help."
Eonar and Thorim retreated to the outer circle, also moving the sleeping Earthen away, leaving only Hodir in the center of the arena, continuously repeating those two sentences.
Seeing the space become much wider, Onyxia immediately transformed into a giant adult black dragon.
"Roar!"
Immediately after transforming, Onyxia unleashed a stream of corrosive breath. The grayish-black impurities left on Hodir's body from the peeling fossilized layer were blown away by Onyxia's dragon breath, revealing the Keeper's attire, primarily black and gold, underneath.
The material of these clothes was unknown, as they remained completely undamaged by the Black Dragon Princess' Shadowflame dragon breath.
The newly awakened Hodir was still very weak. Although his sturdy Keeper's body prevented him from being injured, he was still pushed back several steps by the dragon's breath.
"How dare you!"
Regaining his footing, Hodir swung his fists and engaged Onyxia in close combat.
Both were skilled in using the power of the earth to strengthen their bodies. Hodir's soft punches couldn't inflict any damage on Onyxia.
The reverse was also true; the Keeper's body, personally crafted by the Titans, was not easily destroyed. As Hodir engaged in this close-quarters combat, his reason and strength were gradually recovering.
Aurora raised the Staff of Disintegration, an artifact Celeste had recently pilfered from the Sunstrider Royal Vault and given to her, and tentatively unleashed a series of Arcane Missiles at Hodir.
The Keeper's body possessed excellent physical and magical defenses. Most of Aurora's Arcane Missiles bounced off Hodir's magic-resistant skin, with only a very small portion causing some insignificant damage.
"So tough..."
"Enough!"
Hodir was getting annoyed by the overwhelming Arcane Missiles and Onyxia's close-quarters entanglement.
His strength rapidly recovered during the fight. After taking another direct hit from the Black Dragon Princess' tail whip, he used the force to retreat.
Hodir, having regained his footing, slammed his fist onto the ground, and the floor of the Slumbering Hall began to pulsate.
Onyxia herself was an expert in using earthen power, so upon seeing this, she immediately heightened her vigilance and flapped her wings, flying through the spacious hall.
A series of earthy-yellow spikes shot out from the smooth floor of the hall. If Onyxia hadn't reacted in time, these spikes would likely have pierced her soft, scale-less underbelly.
Aurora was also startled by Hodir's sudden treacherous move. Her stacked Arcane Blasts became almost instantaneous, continuously exploding on Hodir's body.
The power of Arcane Blast was incomparable to Arcane Missiles. With the staff's enhancement, even Hodir could feel waves of pain.
Onyxia's ascent exposed Aurora, who was hiding behind her. Hodir sank into the ground, burying himself completely, and quickly approached Aurora using earth-escape.
But when Hodir burst out from underground with an impact, Aurora had already blinked away from her original spot. The Black Dragon Princess in the sky had just finished charging her Deep Breath, and a wild dragon's breath completely engulfed Hodir.
Onyxia's killing blow lasted for about five seconds, and some areas on the ground even crystallized under the high temperature.
However, Hodir still stood in place, seemingly unharmed, though his clothes were somewhat charred.
At this moment, Hodir looked at the giant dragon flying in the sky with a thoughtful expression. "Black Dragon? Why is she here?"
After a warm-up, Hodir regained his senses.
As the Keeper in charge of earth and shaping power, he was considered an honest and rather simple-minded individual among the Titan Keepers. This inexplicable battle made him feel that something was amiss as his reason gradually returned.
Ignoring the Black Dragon, who had landed again and was on guard, and the little one hiding behind her, Hodir looked around and finally spotted two familiar figures at the edge of the hall.
"Eonar, and... Thorim?!"
The moment he saw Thorim, Hodir made the same mistake as Eonar, presuming that Thorim was there to hunt them down on Loken's orders.
"Rumble!"
A large-scale earth spike attack erupted from the ground with a gentle stomp of Hodir's foot. Eonar didn't even have time to explain to him.
Thorim was also somewhat unprepared at this moment. Seeing the divine light return to Hodir's eyes and that he had stopped fighting, he knew his former colleague had regained his senses. He was about to step forward and greet him, not even having drawn his weapon.
The sudden earth spike attack launched Thorim into the air, slamming him heavily against the mountain wall at the edge of the hall.
"Wait..."
No sooner had Eonar's words left her mouth than Hodir's follow-up attack was unleashed.
The ground beneath Thorim's feet suddenly cracked open, and scalding lava, mixed with a large amount of superheated small rocks, gushed out.
"Hodir! Stop! Thorim hasn't been corrupted by Yogg-Saron!"
"Huh?"
Hodir's spell had already been cast, and it wasn't easy to retract it. He looked at the complaining Eonar with a bewildered expression.
The moment Hodir made his move, Andreas pulled out a necklace from his chest. Under his activation, the miniature pendant at the top of the necklace began to glow with a watery blue light.
The Barrens suffered from severe water scarcity, and no water sources could be found deep underground in Uldaman, which was one of the reasons the Gnomes and Dwarves left Uldaman.
But now, driven by Andreas, the free-flowing groundwater hidden around Uldaman's crypt gradually converged into the hall.
Just as Hodir was frantically trying to save Thorim, a dense water vapor suddenly emerged in the dry Slumbering Hall.
"Ah!"
The deliberately cooled underground water collided with the lava, and the drastic temperature difference filled the entire hall with steaming vapor.
These cooled water vapors still carried a considerable temperature. Aurora and Onyxia felt like they were in a sauna, and sweat soon began to seep from their bodies.
With Hodir's active efforts, the significantly cooled lava receded back into the ground, and Thorim, still hanging on the wall, was finally spared.
"Cough, cough!"
Thorim rubbed his stomach after falling from the wall, then unhappily took out his Lightning Hammer from his back.
"Hodir, are you declaring war on me? I was just looking to stretch my body a bit, how about a round?"
Eonar quickly stood between them, mediating with a bitter smile, "Calm down, both of you. It's all a misunderstanding."
At this moment, Hodir paid no attention to Thorim, instead turning his gaze to the Mortal who had intervened to Quel'l the lava.
Staring intently as Andreas put the pendant back into his robe, Hodir frowned and asked, "The Tidestone? Mortal, where did you get it from?"
Andreas shrugged and honestly replied, "Azsuna, beneath Nathrezim Academy, but even if I told you, you'd probably find it hard to understand."
When Hodir went into slumber, there were no intelligent species on Azeroth other than the Titan Constructs; even the oldest Trolls had not yet been born.
The world of Azeroth that Hodir knew was completely different from today's. Hearing the place name Azsuna, his mind was filled with questions.
Eonar interjected, "Hodir, the world now is completely different from before we fell into slumber. What good would asking about its origin do? Would you snatch it for yourself?"
"No, I was just asking."
Scratching his head, Hodir gave a simple-minded smile, "It's just a bit surprising, and nostalgic, to suddenly see a Pillar of Creation."
Not to mention Hodir and Eonar, even Thorim, who had known Andreas for a long time, looked at him in surprise.
However, Thorim did not take up the conversation to further question Andreas. He tried to move his body, and after confirming he was not injured, he put his warhammer back on his back.
"Hodir, we need to have a good chat and exchange information."
Thorim sat cross-legged in the messy hall, saying, "You need to understand the current situation outside, and I need to clearly learn the truth of what happened back then from norgannons disc. Let's cooperate."
Hodir looked at Eonar, and after she nodded, he also sat down. At the same time, he used his earthen power to restore the chaotic hall to its original state.
"norgannons disc is in the reading device behind me; you can review it yourself later. Let's first talk about the current world situation."
Hodir asked solemnly, "First question: What is the current time? What happened to Loken and Yogg-Saron, and have all the Old Gods been freed?"
Thorim: "...Did I misunderstand? Is that one question?!"
Taking advantage of the three Giants sitting in a row eating fruit, Andreas led the way toward the small door at the back of the Slumbering Hall.
Following a heavy sound of the door opening, a small room appeared before him. Aurora and Onyxia followed closely behind and entered.
Hodir glanced at them, then turned to Thorim and asked, "Are those two Mortals trustworthy?"
Hodir did not ask about the black dragon. As a friend of Tyr, he trusted Tyr's judgment, not to mention that the black dragons were the Guardian Dragonflight closest to him personally.
However, reality has such a dark sense of humor; the black dragon he believed to be the safest was actually the most dangerous.
Thorim clearly thought of this too, and his expression was somewhat strange.
"Andreas helped me recognize Loken's true face, and has since provided a lot of help to my kin. I believe he can be trusted. The little girl next to him is his daughter."
Hodir was stunned. "Your kin? Didn't the Storm Giants and Frost Giants perish together?"
Thorim shook his head bitterly. "Not the Storm Giants. They are a branch of the Frost Giants after their degeneration, the Frost Vrykul... though they should probably be called Humans now."
Hodir realized. "So you took in the last remaining descendants of the Frost Giants? Was it out of guilt?"
"That's roughly the case. Let's change the topic."
Eonar looked at the many missing Earthen Stasis Platforms in the Slumbering Hall and sighed softly. "Humans, are they also the result of the flesh curse? It seems slumber cannot lift the curse after all."
Thorim nodded. "Andreas told me on the way here that some of the Earthen and Mechagnomes guarding you were affected by the flesh curse over the long years and turned into Mortals, forgetting their missions."
"After these Dwarves and Gnomes left Uldaman, they headed north, settling in a snowy mountainous region similar in landscape to Storm Peaks, starting their own Mortal lives."
"Is that so..."
Eonar and Hodir remained silent for a while. Hodir waved his hand and said, "That's fine too. Since their life forms have changed and they've forgotten their past missions, let them start their new lives. There's no need to disturb them anymore."
...The norgannons disc reading device was not quite suited to the Titan Keepers' habits; its size was closer to the height of an Earthen.
Andreas bent down to carefully inspect the stone base, fumbling around and studying it for a while before finally activating the norgannons disc.
The norgannons disc recorded a massive amount of historical data about Azeroth, starting from the founding of Ulduar until Tyr escaped with the disc.
All languages in Azeroth basically originate from the Titan language. Understanding the content was not difficult for Andreas, who had specifically studied the Titan language.
The first thing he retrieved was the proof of Loken's crimes, from killing Sif to being seduced by Sif's "soul," and then using petty tricks to divide the Keepers—a constant stream of schemes.
After confirming that the norgannons disc was functioning normally, Andreas briefly browsed some of the historical data inside, then yielded his spot.
"Aurora, you try it. You understood my operation just now, right?"
"Mhm!"
Aurora nodded excitedly, then began searching for the information she wanted under Andreas' guidance.
Andreas' mouth twitched when he saw the data Aurora retrieved. The first thing the girl browsed was information about the early Wild Gods, and he immediately knew who had commissioned this.
'That dead girl Leticia, aren't four big cats enough to pet? Is she setting her sights on the Wild Gods now...'
However, this browsing allowed Andreas to discover quite a bit of interesting information.
The observation records regarding primitive animal spirits left by Life Keeper Freya did not only include the Wild Gods blessed by her, but also many individual animals familiar to Andreas.
Rezan the Mogushan Raptor, Paku the Pterodactyl, and Gonk the Raptor were all listed, and these primitive animal spirits are now revered by the Zandalari Trolls as loa spirits.
"Wait a moment!"
Andreas suddenly stopped Aurora's actions and, with a serious expression, switched the content on the Holographic Screen back to the previous page.
"...We extensively utilized native animal spirits and Titan Constructs to guard the three Sealing Pyramids."
"In order to research a method for completely annihilating the Old Gods, under the guidance of the Great Father, we conducted countless experiments, but ultimately created an uncontrollable monster, which Mimiron called the Artificial Old God."
"The experimental subject codenamed Ghuun was a painful lesson, but also an unexpected massive success. Perhaps its biological characteristics, similar to the Old Gods, can help us understand and eliminate the Old Gods more deeply."
"Before Mimiron had the inspiration for further research, we completely sealed the Uldir Laboratory, prohibiting anyone from entering, and installed a small annihilation and restructuring device inside, modeled after the Forge of Wills."
"Perhaps one day, Ghuun will become an important clue for us to truly eliminate the Old Gods. One day, we will return here."
"Great Elder Loken, recorded on the 23rd day of the 5th month of the 35297th year of the Azeroth Calendar."
"Ah~"
Andreas couldn't help but gasp. 'Damn it, these Keepers truly have no limits to how much they screw things up.'
Lei is Loken's birth name. Loken is the respectful title given to the Great Guardian by the Titan Constructs. This title gradually spread among all Mortal races, but only the Keepers call Loken by his true name.
Although Andreas already knew that Ghuun was a product unintentionally created by the Titan Keepers, he never understood why the Keepers didn't annihilate it immediately.
Now he had the answer. The Keepers hoped to find the Old Gods' weakness by studying Ghuun's biological characteristics.
Logically speaking, the Titan Keepers' method of disposal cannot be considered wrong. Not only did they install a self-destruct device inside Uldir, but they also arranged for a large number of Titan Constructs and animal deities to guard the three Sealing Pyramids.
Andreas had already guessed the reason why Ghuun (Ghuun) was able to gradually seep out later.
The fuse was Loken's corruption and Loken's decadence.
Loken's departure allowed the corrupted Loken to act increasingly recklessly. After he cooperated with Helya to seal Odyn, Ulduar completely became his plaything.
Against this backdrop, naturally, no one remembered the Uldir Laboratory, which the Keepers had once placed great hopes in.
The Titan Keepers underestimated Ghuun (Ghuun). Its blood contamination and spreading ability surpassed even that of the original Old Gods.
Any creature that came into contact with its blood would be infected and controlled, and even after death, they would rise again to fight. This was the truth behind the Blood Plague encountered by Zul'nazman back then.
Ghuun (Ghuun) spent tens of thousands of years planning its escape, finally extending its feelers out of Uldir. It first corrupted the Nazmani Trolls, controlling them to destroy Nazvasha, the First Seal located in the Nazmir Swamp.
Although Andreas did not experience it personally, he heard from the Zandalari Trolls in the Cenarion Circle that a massive, earth-shattering explosion suddenly occurred in the Vol'dun Jungle a dozen years ago.
The dense primeval rainforest was completely turned into a desert by the explosion. Sethraliss the Snake God detonated Atu'aman, the Second Seal, perishing together with a Faceless One general serving Ghuun named Mythrax the Unraveler, and Atu'aman, the Second Seal, subsequently fell.
Now, only the final barrier remains before Ghuun (Ghuun) can escape: Zuldazar, the Third Seal, located in the Zandalari Trolls' capital, Dazaralor.
Andreas frowned deeply and fell into contemplation. 'I should find a chance to mention this to Thorim and the others later, otherwise this Ghuun (Ghuun) will cause huge problems sooner or later.'
The conversation between Thorim and Hodir lasted for a long time, giving Andreas and the other two enough time to slowly look through the data on the norgannons disc.
The problem with Ghuun was just one of the more common crises in Azeroth recorded on the disc.
High Overseer Odyn also recorded in detail the war that annihilated the Dark Empire and crushed the Elemental Alliance. Aurora and Onyxia read this richly illustrated, holographic war report as if it were an ancient novel, and Andreas also gained much unknown information from it.
During the Dark Empire era, the four Old Gods were not unified.
YShaarj, the strongest among them, occupied the most central territory of Azeroth, and the remaining three Old Gods combined could not shake his position.
The four Elemental Lords also had their differences. Therazane the Stonemother was the most passive, often feigning compliance with the orders issued by the Old Gods.
Neptulon the Tidehunter and Ragnaros the Firelord were sworn enemies. If their respective territories hadn't been located on the west and east sides of Kalimdor, those two might have killed each other before the Titan Keepers even launched their attack.
Wind Lord Al'Akir was the most cunning. His personal strength ranked last among the four Elemental Lords, but due to the innate speed and flying advantage of the Wind Elemental, it was difficult for the other Elemental Lords to find an opportunity to fight him face-to-face.
According to Odyn's records, AlAkir was not exactly loyal to the Old Gods; he followed them purely for his own benefit.
After the four elementals were defeated, the Titan Keepers consulted and separated their domains from the Material World, sealing them into four unconnected Sub-spaces. These Sub-spaces were later called the Elemental Planes.
After the battle with the elementals ended, the Titan Keepers faced the AhnQiraj Empire at its peak.
Reading this section, Andreas finally understood why the Great Troll Empire was able to defeat the servants of the Old Gods with Mortal bodies.
As early as the end of the Dark Empire, the Titan Keepers had already broken the foundations of the AhnQiraj Empire. The Aqir encountered by the Trolls later were merely remnants of this massive empire.
The subsequent records were more familiar, mainly detailing the development of Azeroth after the end of the Dark Empire.
Notably, Titan laboratories such as Uldir and Ulduar, and even the prototype of the Uldaman Dungeon, were established during this era. The Wild Gods and many Titan Constructs also appeared successively during the peaceful age following the war.
Nourished by the Forge of Wills and the Forge of Wills, the titan soul of Azeroth received proper care and began to accelerate its growth. Seeing that everything was on the right track, the Titans finally left Azeroth with peace of mind and returned to the Pantheon.
Unlike Aurora and the other who were just watching the spectacle, Andreas recognized Odyn's meticulous and thorough work style from this detailed holographic record, which was very different from the impulsive and irritable Odyn he had in mind.
'What exactly changed Odyn?'
Andreas thoughtfully stroked his chin. 'Loken and Odyn are both leaders of all the Keepers of Azeroth. Could Odyn have also foreseen the fall of the Pantheon, and did anxiety and unease lead to a huge change in his personality?'
Odyn was jointly sealed in Valhalla by Helya and Loken, and Andreas had no way to verify the truth of his conjecture.
Just as Aurora and Onyxia were engrossed in reading the "novel," Eonar came over to greet the three, signaling the end of the three old friends' conversation.
"So?"
Andreas looked up at Thorim, "What do you plan to do next?"
Hodir calmly stated, "Loken still holds the Forge of Wills and the crafters engine. Eonar and I plan to continue staying in Uldaman, patiently waiting for the right moment."
Thorim said loudly, "I plan to first return to Hild Village to eliminate the weakened Zakaz and transport Tyr's Relic to Uldaman for safekeeping. After that, I will head to Uldum to check on the status of the Forge of Wills."
The Forge of Wills is an absolute superweapon, and no faction dares to use it carelessly.
To prevent this one-click reset system, capable of wiping out all life on the surface of Azeroth, from falling into Loken's hands, Thorim, Hodir, and the third person decided after consultation to strike first.
Although Loken has been missing for many years, his deterrent power as the Great Guardian still exists.
The Forge of Wills and the Forge of Wills were entrusted to Loken and Odyn, respectively. Loken feared that Loken was sleeping near the Forge of Wills and had always been hesitant to send people to explore Uldum.
Thorim did not have this concern. He actually hoped that Loken would be guarding the Forge of Wills. As long as they could gain the help of this Great Guardian with the highest authority, conquering Ulduar and killing the traitor Loken would no longer just be a dream.
'Unfortunately, Loken isn't in Uldum right now.'
Andreas shook his head inwardly, but he didn't say the words aloud.
Considering that many of Thorim's followers had degenerated into Mortals, Hodir had him take a group of Uldaman Earthen before Thorim departed.
These Earthen were fortunate enough to escape the flesh curse of the Old Gods and still maintained their stone bodies.
Earthen are the structural engineers of the Keepers' army. The status of the Forge of Wills is currently unknown, and they might even need to dig the entrance out of the desert. These Earthen might play a significant role in Thorim's exploration... Before leaving Uldaman, Andreas and Thorim each copied a record from the norgannons disc.
Thorim intended to use these platinum discs, which recorded Loken's crimes, to persuade the Tolvir guarding Uldum and the High Watchers inside the Forge of Wills.
Andreas' goal was similar to his, but his target was Utgarde Keep in Northrend.
At the time of parting, Onyxia finally couldn't hold back and posed her previous question directly to Hodir.
Hodir shook his head regretfully and said, "Black Dragon Princess, it's not that I don't want to, but that I can't."
"Azeroth lost contact with the Pantheon long ago. Without the infusion of the Titans' power, it is impossible for me to create new Keepers, unless..."
Hodir hesitated before saying, "Unless you can find a way to capture Neltharion and bring him to Uldaman, I can extract the Earth-Warder power that the Titans originally bestowed upon him."
"However, I advise you to abandon this idea. According to the intelligence you provided, Neltharion betrayed Azeroth long ago and became a minion of the Old Gods."
"Not to mention how difficult it would be to capture this former Earth-Warder alive, to complete this ritual, I would also need a powerful Artifact."
"One of the Pillars of Creation left behind by the Titans: the Shaper's hammer of Khazgoroth."
On the way back to Tirisfal Glades, Onyxia seemed preoccupied with worry.
Given Abyssin and the Highmountain tribe's relationship, the Holy Hammer, which was nothing but a hot potato for the Tauren, should be easily recovered once the truth was clarified to them.
The crucial part was how to capture Deathwing alive.
Even killing Deathwing was no easy feat, let alone capturing him alive, and currently, no one knew where in the world Deathwing was hiding.
Since the battle at Blackwing Lair, the corrupted Black Dragon King had not reappeared, and despite Malygos' frantic search, he had never found any trace.
Considering Zakajz's dangerous nature, and at Andria's instruction, Aurora and Onyxia stayed behind in Hyjal Village, while Andria and Torim's consort, Brunhild, accompanied the Storm King into Tyr's Tomb.
As Torim raised his warhammer, all residents of Tirisfal Glades could see a bright lightning bolt descend from the sky.
"Boom!"
The lightning struck the massive boulders piled near the tomb entrance by the Hyldnir warriors, and its powerful destructive force shattered a large number of rocks, revealing the tomb entrance once more.
A faint dark aura seeped out of the tomb, much weaker than before Thoradin entered it.
The impatient Torim transformed into a bolt of lightning and plunged into the water, while Andria and Brunhild quickly retreated a good distance.
The collapsed tomb entrance was underwater, and if they didn't dodge in time, Torim would give them a taste of what "electrifying" felt like.
Brunhild had changed into a practical set of leather armor today, and she said with a wry smile, "Lord Torim is still as fiery as ever."
Andria smiled noncommittally. "Let's follow him. We should make sure Zakajz is truly dead this time."
Brunhild seemed a little unsure. "Zakajz is one of the Old Gods' most powerful generals; he's not that easy to kill. As long as his soul isn't destroyed, he can slowly reconstruct his body over time."
'Heh heh~ Soul.'
Andria looked meaningfully at the Blade of the Black Empire hanging at his waist.
Ever since the tomb entrance opened, Xal'atath had entered a strange state of excitement, constantly urging Andria in his mind to quickly enter the tomb and plunge her blade into Zakajz's head.
"Splash!"
Confirming that the current in the water had dissipated, Andria was the first to transform into a clumsy orca and dive into the lake.
Waving his tail, he quickly swam through the entrance into Tyr's Tomb, where Torim stood in the solemn hall, staring blankly at the golden warhammer suspended in the center of the sealing magic circle.
"The Hammer of Silver Hand…"
Torim's expression was very complex. Tyr had come to him when he fled Ulduar, but at the time, Torim was immersed in the grief of losing Sif and the guilt of rashly starting a war, so he didn't take Tyr's words seriously.
He never expected that unpleasant meeting would be their last.
After Andria returned to human form, he shook the water from his hair, and Brunhild followed closely into the tomb.
Noticing the movement behind him, Torim's wandering thoughts were pulled back.
"Let's go. The void energy fluctuations are coming from the east side of the tomb. Zakajz should be there."
The sealing magic array, centered around the Hammer of Silver Hand, had already dimmed somewhat. Its power alone could no longer perfectly suppress the gradually recovering Zakajz, which was why a large amount of dark energy had previously overflowed from the tomb.
On their way to the East Hall, the three of them—Torim, Andria, and Brunhild—were attacked by numerous pure energy shadow creatures.
These shadow creatures were formed from the energy that Zakajz had spilled out years ago; they had no consciousness themselves and acted according to Zakajz's will.
But now that Zakajz was completely in slumber, these dark creatures could only act on instinct.
Dodging an enemy's lunge, Andria casually slashed with his sword, and the pure energy body was absorbed into Xal'atath's excited form.
"Not enough, not enough, not enough! Keep going, I want to absorb Zakajz's soul!"
Xal'atath, constantly chattering in his mind, made Andria quite helpless.
Thousands of years had passed, and Xal'atath had shown no signs of betraying him.
Perhaps Elune had deterred her, or perhaps Xal'atath saw something in Andria, believing that continuing to follow him would maximize her benefits.
Over the years, Andria had grown accustomed to fighting with the Blade of the Black Empire in his left hand; this not-so-sharp artifact often achieved miraculous effects when used for sneak attacks.
Torim gradually grew impatient with the endless stream of shadow creatures.
"Andria! Speed it up! If you can't deal with these weaklings in one minute, I'm going to step in!"
"Yes, yes~ I'll get it done as soon as possible."
After years of training, Andria's left-handed swordsmanship was very proficient, but relying solely on physical attacks to clear out hordes of small fry was indeed too inefficient.
Raising the ancient god's longsword, which glowed with dark light, and under the displeased gazes of Torim and Brunhild, the Blade of the Black Empire's range expanded, turning all shadow energy within a dozen meters into wisps of black smoke and absorbing them into itself.
"Hmph!" Torim grunted in displeasure. "I once heard that many Old Gods were devoured during the Black Empire's civil war. I never thought one of them would fall into your hands."
"Andria, I'll ask you again, are you sure you can control it?"
Having cleared all the nearby small fry in one go, Xal'atath let out a satisfied burp in Andria's mind.
Sheathing the longsword back into his weapon belt, Andria shrugged and said, "At least I can still control it for now. I do have someone watching over me, after all. Elune wouldn't let me be easily controlled by an Old God."
Elune, having used up her time limit to remain in the material world, had not communicated with Andria and Tyrande for over 2000 years.
However, Andria knew that the Moon Goddess always kept an eye on Azeroth, and whenever she had the chance, she would project her spirit back to her chosen ones.
With Torim's help, the three of them crossed a collapsed stone bridge and finally saw a giant humanoid monster half-kneeling on the ground.
This monster looked as if it were pieced together from lobsters, crabs, and numerous arthropods, then forcibly molded into a humanoid shape, making its overall structure appear very bizarre.
"Zakajz."
Torim looked at the motionless monster with a grim expression. It was he and Hecatix who had driven Tyr to his end.
A two-handed greatsword was plunged into Zakajz's head. Centuries had passed, and Thoradin's body, which should have been holding the sword, had long since vanished.
The faintly glowing sword still looked full of power, and in conjunction with the tomb's original seal, it had greatly delayed Zakajz's resurrection.
'Stromkar, the Warbreaker.'
Brunhild seemed very interested in this sword. This seemingly delicate beauty held a large round shield in one hand and a thick-bladed two-handed sword in the other, which seemed a bit out of place with her apparent demeanor.
Torim noticed his consort's eagerness and gestured to Brunhild with a raised chin.
"Go, pull out that sword. This time, I will utterly annihilate Zakajz's physical body."
Andreas curled his lip. He suspected that even if the monsters of the Old God System were annihilated to a level invisible to the naked eye, they would eventually resurrect through cell division; it would just take longer.
Brunhilde retracted her sword and shield behind her back, using multiple points on Zakaz's body for leverage, and leaped onto Zakaz's head like a nimble fawn.
Just as her hands gripped the hilt of stormcaller, Brunhilde's expression suddenly changed, and she hastily released her grip and retreated two steps.
Brunhilde, still shaken, cautiously glanced at the motionless Zakaz beneath her. "Lord Thorim, there is powerful Void Energy attached to this sword."
"No worries."
Thorim moved his finger slightly, and dazzling, faint blue electric light suddenly flashed around Brunhilde.
"Try again."
"Yes!"
This time, nothing went wrong. The lightning covering Brunhilde's body fiercely clashed with the Void Power on the sword, but Brunhilde finally managed to pull the longsword out forcefully.
As it left Zakaz's body, the dark aura attached to stormcaller immediately vanished, but at the same time, Zakaz's suppressed body began to move.
"Roar!"
"In the name of my master Yogg-Saron, the Dark Empire shall return!"
Thorim's expression remained unchanged. He gripped his warhammer tightly and said steadily, "Brunhilde, step back first."
Upon receiving the order, Brunhilde hoisted the treasured sword onto her shoulder and jumped off Zakaz's still sluggish body.
"Sizzle!"
Thorim swung his warhammer, wreathed in lightning, heavily smashing towards Zakaz's head, which was still oozing black blood.
"Clang!"
Instinctively crossing his pair of large pincers above his head, Zakaz was forced to crouch down again by Thorim's powerful strength.
The circulating lightning took the opportunity to surge into Zakaz's body. Soon, Andreas and Brunhilde smelled the scent of roasting meat mixed with a burnt stench.
The warhammer was blocked, but Thorim didn't stop. He pulled his left hand back from the stuck warhammer and, with a lightning-fast change of move, hammered his fist hard onto the insect carapace covering Zakaz's chest.
"Crack~"
A crisp cracking sound rang out, and Zakaz, unable to withstand the force, stumbled back several steps. Thorim, seizing the advantage, mercilessly headbutted Zakaz. The two giants, roughly the same height, collided head-on.
"Bang!"
One side was prepared, while the other was weak and hastily fighting back. Thorim's headbutt slammed Zakaz's head backward, causing his previously stable lower body to start losing balance.
"Get lost to the Shadowlands and repent to Tyr, monster!"
Thorim raised his warhammer and leaped high, using the combined force of the impact and his own weight to smash the hammer onto the pair of pincers Zakaz had raised again.
This time, Zakaz failed to block Thorim's attack. The arthropod-like arms supporting the pincers were both shattered, and the lightning warhammer slammed into Zakaz's head with undiminished force.
"Foolish Keeper."
With his head smashed to a pulp, Zakaz sent his final words into the minds of the three people present in an incomprehensible language.
"I will return again! I want to personally watch you fall into despair under the manipulation of my master!"
"Uh... I don't know if Yogg-Saron can return, but I know one thing: you won't get a chance to resurrect."
Following Xal'atath's own will, Andreas adopted a stance and forcefully hurled the sword of the dark empire. The longsword landed perfectly in the wound on Zakaz's head that Thorim had smashed open.
"You... No! This is impossible!"
"Hahahaha! General of the Kthir, your soul belongs to me!"
"No!"
As Xal'atath exerted its power, accompanied by Zakaz's desperate screams, the massive Kthir rapidly shrank.
Not only was his soul devoured by Xal'atath, but his body was also drained into a mummy.
"Poof~"
The soulless body lightly tipped backward onto the ground. Zakaz, the Great General of Yogg-Saron, had completely lost all signs of life and would never be resurrected again.
This sinister sight caused Thorim's brow to twitch wildly, while Brunhilde was immersed in studying stormcaller and temporarily failed to notice.
Perhaps wanting to give a warning, Thorim opened his mouth, but considering Andreas' status in the Mortal world and his own wisdom, he ultimately said nothing.
Turning to look at Brunhilde, who was holding the sword dearly, Thorim asked Andreas for his opinion.
"Should this sword be returned to that... Arathor Empire?"
Andreas saw through Thorim's intent and said cheerfully, "It would certainly be best if we could return it, but this sword is now our spoils of war. The Arathor Empire lost it long ago, so the decision of what to do with it should be ours."
The temptation of the divine sword caused Brunhilde to abandon her reserve. After encouragement from Thorim and Andreas' neutral statement, she decided to keep the treasured sword left by Thoradin for herself, treating it as compensation for Thoradin's unauthorized entry into the tomb.
Andreas had no objection. This King's Sword held extraordinary significance for humans, but it was genuinely useless to him. It was better to leave it for Brunhilde to use, serving as a hidden piece planted for the future.
As Zakaz vanished, the originally gloomy and dark aura in the tomb lost its source and began to dissipate. The Light Energy emanating from the silver hand hammer was also rapidly purifying the residual Shadow Energy in the tomb.
Thorim did not immediately leave the tomb. Only after the Silver Hand completed its final task did he instruct Andreas to retrieve Tyr's relic from the air.
"Uh..."
Andreas' mouth twitched. 'You want me, someone who manipulates Shadow Energy, to grab a Light Energy warhammer? Are you sure you're not trying to deliberately mess with me...'
Xal'atath was busy digesting Zakaz's soul and attempting to read memories from his fragmented spirit.
After thinking for a moment, Andreas moved the sword of the dark empire onto his back, preventing it from being illuminated by the Light Energy.
Taking a deep breath, Andreas used Nature Magic to summon wind, floated into the air, and gripped the handle of the silver hand hammer.
Stimulated by the completely opposing Light Energy, Xal'atath woke up from its semi-dormant state.
"Hey~ buddy, do you want your body to become a battlefield for Light and Shadow? Hurry up and put that hammer down!"
Even without Xal'atath's warning, Andreas felt waves of burning pain emanating from his hand.
"Ah~"
Sucking in a cold breath, Andreas persevered and handed the miniaturized warhammer to Thorim.
When he opened his hand again, the palm of Andreas' left hand, where he had held the warhammer, was already marked with a black, rod-shaped scorch mark.
'Is this Tyr's understanding of the Light?'
Closing his eyes to feel the impact the Light Energy contained within the warhammer had just dealt to his spirit, Andreas began to understand why he couldn't utilize the Light.
Brunhilde was happily performing maintenance on stormcaller's blade. Seeing Andreas' seemingly Zen-like expression, as if he understood everything, she secretly laughed and quipped, "Don't think about it too much. The only reason you can't use the Light is simply because your heart is too dirty and your conviction isn't pure enough. There's no other reason."
Andreas: "..."