Chapter 496: Demigods' Request

In his quest to find the true forms of the demigods, Alaric fell into a deep sleep, his consciousness entering the Emerald Dream. 

However, the battle outside showed no signs of stopping.

The Alliance forces continued their desperate struggle to stall the four powerful divine warriors, and for now, their efforts seemed to be holding up.

Yet, two rangers providing support from the rear quickly noticed something amiss.

"What happened to him?" Alleria, who had been keeping an eye on Alaric, saw him suddenly sit cross-legged on the ground, completely motionless. 

Anxiety immediately crept into her voice. "Is he injured? Or did that troll witch doctor curse him?"

The thought sent a shiver down her spine as memories of her younger days resurfaced—of battles against the trolls.

She had personally witnessed high elves, formidable warriors and rangers alike, reduced to helpless animals under the eerie power of troll voodoo curses. 

No matter how strong they were, they had been powerless against such bizarre magic.

Even more terrifying were the silent, insidious curses that claimed lives without warning. She had once lost a commanding officer who, having let his guard down, was suddenly struck by an inexplicable curse and coughed up blood until he perished.

Although Alaric's powerful magic made her confident in his abilities, the battlefield was ever unpredictable. Anything could happen.

Even Anasterian, a mage and warrior of extraordinary power, would still die if stabbed by an ordinary peasant's blade.

Her concern mounting, Alleria turned to Garona, who had just retreated to her side.

Compared to warriors known for their endurance and raw strength, rogues—though agile and capable of explosive attacks—lacked stamina.

Garona was no exception. After engaging in combat with Halazzi, the lynx loa, she found herself exhausted and had to retreat momentarily to recover.

Alleria seized the opportunity to question her.

"Miss Garona," she called out, loosing an arrow in haste before turning back to the half-orc assassin. "What happened to your master? Why is he sitting there motionless? Do you know anything?"

Garona, surprisingly, showed no signs of concern, which slightly eased Alleria's nerves.

"Yes, Lady Alleria," Garona responded calmly. "Lord Sangde just informed me that he is searching for the loa whose divine power was extracted. That is why he is in this state. He instructed us to hold off the enemy and ensure he is not disturbed."

"He's searching for the loa? He can do that?" Sylvanas interjected, intrigued. "And how exactly is he doing this? Through sleep?"

"I don't know," Garona admitted, shaking her head in confusion. "I'm just a rogue—I don't understand the ways of mages. 

But in our mental connection, I heard him say that he needs to enter a deep sleep to locate the loa on a spiritual level."

"Sleep? A spiritual level?" Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a mage's usual trick… Hmph, looks like our little one has more up his sleeve than we thought."

"He's my little one, not ours," Alleria quipped, now reassured of Alaric's safety. With her worry eased, she had the energy to bicker with her sister.

Garona, meanwhile, glanced at the two sisters with undisguised displeasure.

Now that they understood Alaric's situation, the ranger sisters and Garona redoubled their efforts to suppress the divine warriors' assault.

Meanwhile, within the Emerald Dream, Alaric successfully made contact with four demigods.

"So... someone actually came here?" The first to speak was the eagle demigod, his voice sharp and piercing. "I thought no one would even notice this place. After all, this isn't the territory of those druids across the sea."

Alaric immediately understood that he was referring to the night elf druids of Kalimdor.

While druidic beliefs still existed in the Eastern Kingdoms, no race other than the night elves had yet mastered the path of the druid on a large scale.

"No, this little one is no druid," the lynx demigod remarked, sniffing the air. Her voice, though soft like a cat's purr, carried an edge of primal wildness. "I know the scent of druids. He is different."

At her words, the other demigods regarded Alaric with newfound curiosity.

"That's right," Alaric affirmed. "I am a mage. However, my ability to enter the Emerald Dream comes from the guidance of a great being."

Though he often guided that great being in return, he chose to withhold that detail for now.

"He is not lying," the dragonhawk demigod spoke, his voice calm and wise. "I can sense a powerful presence within him—one that represents life and the very essence of the Emerald Dream. It is her presence."

The moment he spoke, the other demigods became visibly more serious. They carefully observed Alaric, even sniffing him—apparently, this was their way of verifying his authenticity.

At last, their expressions shifted from mild curiosity to excitement.

"There is no mistake. It is her... You carry the presence of the Dreamer, Lady Ysera."

"Of course I do," Alaric thought to himself. "If you were familiar with the other guardian dragons, you'd probably recognize the scent of the Lifebinder and the Sky Queen on me too."

However, the demigods had a different perspective entirely.

"Since you were personally guided into the Emerald Dream by the Dreamer, Lady Ysera, then you have our trust," the eagle demigod finally said, speaking on behalf of the others. "As you may have already guessed, we are in grave trouble, and we need your help."

The bear demigod spoke next, his voice deep and rumbling. "We have been betrayed by our own followers. They lured us with rituals, only to turn against us and trap us using the power of blood sacrifices."

"They have been draining our divine power," the dragonhawk demigod added. "That is why we are so weak now. And at this moment, I can sense them preparing for another ritual—another attempt to steal our strength."

"So, we ask you," the lynx demigod said in conclusion, "free us from this imprisonment. These treacherous betrayers must pay the price."

Their plea was exactly what Alaric had hoped for. He nodded in agreement and replied, "That won't be a problem. 

That is precisely why I am here. But before I can help you, I need to understand how the trolls accomplished this. Only then can I find the most effective way to break their hold over you."