Truth

Galen rested in Ulduar for several days. Every night, he experienced a strange phenomenon: a faint whispering in his ear, yet he could never discern any actual words!

Initially, Galen suspected that Yogg-Saron might not be truly dead, its influence lingering even after the destruction of its physical form.

However, when he visited the Altar of Kings and saw Yogg-Saron's orange-quality soul spiraling within its confines, he knew beyond any doubt that the Old God was utterly destroyed.

Furthermore, M'uru, K'ure, and D'ore, the three naaru who remained in Ulduar, were tirelessly working to eradicate every trace of the Old God's physical corruption. Their purification project had already penetrated over a hundred meters into the bedrock beneath the prison!

Confused and perplexed, Galen found himself at a loss. During this time, he assisted Freya in the tedious task of cleaning up the vast collection of biological samples she had cultivated within the Conservatory of Life.

When Freya was under Yogg-Saron's control, she had been gripped by a profound fear: that the world might be destroyed and reborn. Driven by this fear, she had meticulously preserved samples of the creatures she had encountered across Azeroth, intending to safeguard them as the progenitors of a new ecosystem.

Unfortunately, her corrupted state had tainted the samples, imbuing them with Yogg-Saron's chaotic influence. If these corrupted creatures were to serve as the foundation of a new world, Azeroth would be doomed from the start.

Then, one day, after Forgemaster Ignis and the mechagnomes completed the extensive repairs to Ulduar, Archaedas and Mimiron collaborated to reactivate the Will of the Forge!

The Will of the Forge served a critical purpose: to shape the nascent senses of the world-soul and accelerate the growth of Azeroth's slumbering spirit.

That very night, a medallion-shaped pendant appeared on Galen's bedside!

Others might not have recognized its significance, but Galen knew instantly what it was: the Heart of Azeroth!

An artifact bestowed upon the champion of this world by Azeroth's world-soul herself!

Galen solemnly placed the pendant around his neck, a profound sense of awe washing over him.

"Was I just... rewarded by Azeroth itself?" he mused.

"Were those strange whispers I've been hearing for the past few days actually Azeroth's world-soul trying to communicate with me?"

"Is it possible that the shielding effect of the Origin Heart is too strong, preventing Azeroth from directly contacting me?"

It seemed plausible.

However, Galen knew he could not simply disable the Origin Heart's protection.

The shielding it provided was undoubtedly more beneficial than harmful. After all, A Sauce was still in her infancy, far from reaching maturity. Attempting to establish a connection with her in her current state was ill-advised. His priority was to eliminate the remaining Old Gods, C'Thun and N'Zoth, alleviating her suffering and allowing her to mature safely.

...

While Galen was engaged in his endeavors in the Storm Peaks, the Alliance's military campaign in Icecrown Glacier continued unabated.

While the Alliance ground forces launched a fierce assault on the Wrathgate, the city of Dalaran, under the leadership of Archmage Rhonin, successfully brought down the necropolis of Naxxanar!

The commander of Naxxramas, the cunning lich Kel'Thuzad, had chosen to hunker down behind the formidable defenses of the Wrathgate, providing fire support as a city defender and resolutely refusing to venture even a single step beyond its walls!

To control the Alliance's advance on the Wrathgate and draw attention away from Galen's activities, Dalaran, under Rhonin's strategic guidance, deliberately reduced its firepower output!

However, while Naxxramas was focused on Dalaran and the Alliance camp, a small group of Alliance heroes quietly infiltrated the necropolis!

"Hey, Jaina, how did you manage to find this passage?" Rhonin whispered, crawling through a narrow ventilation duct, addressing Jaina, who was behind him. "I've been observing this floating fortress from Dalaran for a long time. Those necromancers only use teleportation arrays to teleport in and out. I never expected Kel'Thuzad to leave such a glaring weakness!"

"Hehe!" Jaina Proudmoore smiled triumphantly. "While you were busy conducting experiments in your laboratory, I've been telling you to get out and enjoy the fresh air from time to time. I heard from a reliable source in Dalaran that Kel'Thuzad is quite fond of cats!"

"So, this passage is actually a secret entrance prepared for his feline companion by the great lich?" Stellagosa, the young blue dragon in her elven form, chimed in curiously from behind Jaina.

"That's right, Little Star, you're absolutely correct!" Jaina beamed, clearly pleased with herself. "I observed through a remote viewing spell in the Archmage's sanctum that Kel'Thuzad's cat is a living creature, a rare and magical feline. It wouldn't be able to survive for long in a fortress saturated with death energy!"

"Therefore," Jaina continued, "I deduced that Kel'Thuzad must have created a hidden ventilation shaft in Naxxramas, allowing his cat to breathe fresh air and maintain a semblance of a normal life!"

"To confirm my theory, I meticulously inspected the ruins of the fallen Thalramas Fortress, deducing the location of the ventilation shaft based on its structural layout!"

"It's all thanks to Little Star that we were able to fly up here! You're truly amazing!" Jaina added, offering a sincere compliment to her new friend.

Stellagosa blushed, her blue eyes sparkling. "I only did a little bit of flying. The truly amazing feat was Jaina's teleportation device. Besides the brief flash of white light, it doesn't leave behind any spatial residue. It's the perfect tool for infiltration!"

"That's a treasure that Galen-gege (older brother) gave me..." Jaina replied, her voice softening slightly.

"Shh!" The figure crawling in the lead hissed, issuing a warning: "Keep your voices down. We're almost there!"

"Okay, Varian-gege (older brother)!" Stellagosa whispered back.

At this moment, Varian Wrynn, King of Stormwind, was experiencing a pang of regret. He, along with Prince Liam Greymane of Gilneas and Danath Trollbane of Stromgarde, had been representing the Alliance army in northern Icecrown Glacier, attending a strategic meeting at the Wrathgate.

Although the northern part of Icecrown Glacier had fallen under Alliance control, the Scourge had constructed a series of formidable walls within the glacier, creating a labyrinthine defense that hindered the Alliance's advance.

Furthermore, the Wrathgate had proven to be a particularly difficult objective to capture, and Alliance morale was beginning to wane. In response, the Alliance high command was preparing to hold a Champion's Trial, hoping to inspire the troops and reignite their fighting spirit!

During a break in the meeting, Varian had inadvertently overheard Jaina's audacious plan to infiltrate Naxxramas...

As a concerned older brother, Varian had initially intended to dissuade Jaina from undertaking such a reckless mission. However, he had been subtly drawn into her scheme, eventually finding himself as an unwilling participant in the infiltration team!

Taking advantage of the Alliance's renewed assault on the Wrathgate, which drew the elite forces within Naxxramas to the ground and deployed frost wyrms to engage the Alliance's gryphon and red dragon riders, the infiltration team made their move.

With the interior of Naxxramas temporarily unguarded, the little blue dragon, under the cover of an invisibility spell, quietly approached the floating city and successfully located the hidden ventilation shaft!

Varian was the first to jump down the shaft, constantly breathing on his hands to warm them. The surface of the floating city was chillingly cold, and after crawling through the narrow passage, Varian felt an icy chill permeating his very bones.

The second person to drop down was Prince Liam Greymane of Gilneas!

Varian produced a flask from his pack and offered it to Liam. "Try this," he said, "Saffron Liquor, a special import from Galen Trading Company. Just one sip will warm you right up!"

At this moment, a third figure emerged from the shaft, a black and white creature with a mischievous glint in its eyes. "Wine? Did someone say wine? Give me a sip!"