To the southwest of Northshire stretched a vast mountain range, so immense it could have been called the Hundred Thousand Mountains without exaggeration. Later, Deathwing's Cataclysm shattered these peaks, creating the landscape where Grim Batol would eventually stand.
Galen had chosen this desolate location for their ambush due to its isolation. The nearest town, Dunwald, was a half-day's flight to the east.
Galen and the others flew ahead, with the Black Dragon King in hot pursuit, creating a thrilling chase.
"We're almost there! Prepare to descend!" Galen called out.
Sylvanas, observing the undulating mountains and dense forests below, was puzzled.
"It's alright, just follow Aragorn. We'll descend when he does," Galen quickly explained.
Aragorn's griffin plummeted earthward. As the griffin's belly neared the treetops, Aragorn and Aegwynn leaped down, crashing through the branches. The abrupt descent startled Aegwynn, forcing her to cast Slow Fall on herself.
The others followed closely, descending through gaps in the foliage. Once the riders dismounted, the five griffins flew eastward.
As they landed, Galen's allies were prepared, but Sylvanas and Alleria were stunned by what they saw.
Beneath the towering trees, some tens of meters tall, nearly a hundred red-roofed, white-walled arrow towers lay hidden. From the firing slits at the top, crossbow bolts as thick as a man's thigh protruded, their metallic tips gleaming with deadly sharpness.
These were no ordinary bolts. They were armor-piercing projectiles, specifically crafted to pierce Deathwing's formidable defenses. Forged from high-grade elementium ore mined from the Northon highlands, their strength surpassed even the ancient eternium plates that protected the Black Dragon King.
And these arrow towers were just one element of Galen's plan. He had committed a significant portion of his resources to this elaborate trap, all in an attempt to capture Neltharion.
The wind howled as the Black Dragon King, his wings spanning over a hundred meters, arrived at the location where Galen and his group had vanished. The dense forest obscured his vision, but he sensed the presence of prey below.
The Black Dragon King inhaled deeply, his abdomen swelling as he prepared to unleash a devastating blast of dragon breath!
"Fire!" Galen roared.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The Black Dragon King recoiled in surprise, his dragon breath abruptly cut short!
Hundreds of crossbow bolts erupted from the forest, flying directly towards him. At such close range, he had little time to react. A dozen bolts pierced his armor.
The elementium tips plunged deep into the eternium plates, causing the Black Dragon King searing pain. Before more bolts could strike, he ascended rapidly.
"Wings of Freedom! Wings of the Storm! Attack!" Galen commanded telepathically.
From high above, the Stormwing Gryphon Riders dove from the clouds, having remained concealed within the thick cover.
From the distant mountains, the Freedom Wing Gryphon Riders emerged from the treeline, surrounding the area from all directions!
The two gryphon rider legions, numbering six thousand strong, filled the sky, cutting off all escape. Instead of Stormhammers, they wielded sturdy javelins attached to chains.
The innermost circle of gryphon riders hurled their javelins, embedding them into the Black Dragon King's massive form. Once they struck, these hundreds of gryphons strained with all their might, attempting to drag him down.
Their goal was to pull the Black Dragon King within range of the armor-piercing bolts from the arrow towers, hoping to shatter his armor.
The Black Dragon King thrashed violently. The first wave of gryphon attacks failed as he swatted away the javelins with his powerful wings. The gryphon riders didn't linger. They peeled away, retrieved a second javelin from their packs, and circled, searching for another opening.
The sheer number of gryphon riders, combined with the piercing power of the crossbow bolts and javelins, astonished the Black Dragon King. He began to understand the true nature of their trap.
He unleashed his dragon breath again, a torrent of scorching black flames erupting in all directions!
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation! Galen mentally added, providing his own sound effects for the Black Dragon King's attack. The sky, once darkened by the gryphons, was now ablaze with fire.
Many of the gryphon riders in the inner circle were too close to the Black Dragon King to evade the widespread flames. They were incinerated instantly and plummeted from the sky.
Galen's heart sank as he watched his gryphon riders fall. These six thousand gryphons represented four or five years of accumulated resources! He had believed they could dominate the human kingdoms, but now they were being slaughtered by the Black Dragon King.
Endure! Endure!
He and Aragorn were still alive. As long as they weren't consumed by the flames, they could resurrect some of their forces after the battle.
Despite the heavy losses, the gryphon riders continued their relentless attacks, gradually forcing the Black Dragon King lower. Finally, he descended within range of the hidden arrow towers.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Awoo!
This time, the arrow towers found their mark. The Black Dragon King's abdomen was riddled with bolts, and many pierced his wings. The immense pain triggered a deafening howl!
The Black Dragon King plummeted, his massive body crashing heavily to the ground. He rolled across the earth, destroying many of the arrow towers in his path!
As Neltharion tried to take flight again, a powerful arcane blast struck his chest armor, creating a deep crater. Another blast hit his wing, causing him to lose his balance!
Medivh and Aegwynn had attacked. Alleria and Sylvanas, armed with Galen's armor-piercing arrows, had also found firing positions. Garona, meanwhile, remained cloaked in stealth, waiting for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
The Black Dragon King's giant claws lashed out towards Medivh, but Durin, transformed into the Mountain King, intercepted them with the Saffron Hammer.
Just as the Black Dragon King's other claw was about to strike, Galen made his move!
"Summoning of the King!"
"Might of Ursoc! Transform!"
Galen had considered shouting the names of other powerful figures, like He-Man, Gaia, or even Hercules Mike O'Hearn. But realizing his teammates wouldn't recognize them, he settled on a more familiar name: a renowned Wild God of Azeroth!
A colossal blue bear materialized, standing between Galen and the Black Dragon King!
Galen swung, his right bear paw colliding fiercely with the Black Dragon King's dragon claw.
The giant bear stumbled back three steps, while the Black Dragon King only moved half a step!
It was clear that while Galen, empowered by Ursoc, had briefly reached a demigod-like state, the Black Dragon King, an ancient guardian, was far more powerful.
Fortunately, the Black Dragon King fought alone, while Galen had nine allies providing support.
"Damn mortal, how did you gain the strength of a wilderness demigod!" The Black Dragon King's dragon eyes narrowed into slits, focusing on the giant bear.
"Come on, whatever you are, I'm going to swallow you whole today!" Galen roared.
Neltharion eyed Galen's transformed bear with suspicion, his dragon tail lashing back and forth. With a deafening crash, he struck the ground, leaving a deep fissure.
Roar!
With a mighty roar, the Black Dragon King launched a new assault. Magma began to flow from the damaged sections of his adamantium armor, melting the embedded crossbow bolts.
Galen hadn't anticipated this. The crossbow bolts, made with tree branches, turned to ash and fell away in the heat. The elementium tips had likely melted from within the Black Dragon King's molten body.
However, this gave Galen an opportunity. The Black Dragon King's armor was already compromised. If they could destroy more of it—not all, but at least half—the armor would fail to contain his form, forcing him to retreat.
This was a closely guarded secret. Ten thousand years ago, the Black Dragon King had used the Dragon Soul to slaughter countless demons. But the artifact's power was too great, causing his body to tear apart and reveal his molten heart, surrounded by magma and flames. Without the armor to hold him together, the Black Dragon King's body would be consumed by the chaotic energy and transform into a monstrous aberration.
The ground beneath the Black Dragon King's feet melted, and he unleashed another torrent of dragon breath. Galen dodged by shifting the giant bear's massive bulk.
Galen struck, his paw connecting with the Black Dragon King's armored jaw, interrupting the fiery blast. Flames erupted from the Black Dragon King's nostrils.
Beautiful! A critical hit! Galen thought.
The Black Dragon King, refusing to yield, retaliated with a sweep of his powerful tail, knocking Galen's transformed bear aside.
Then, he beat his wings, creating a hurricane that dispersed the armor-piercing arrows aimed at his eyes.
"Ah ha, you are persistent."
The Black Dragon King roared, "Weak mortals, you are the only creatures to have harmed me in millennia. You will be remembered in history, but only briefly, before you die. Remember my name! I am Deathwing! I am the nemesis of life, the darkness of history, the master of death, the king of destruction!"
"Now, die! This world is mine!" He lunged, his massive jaws snapping at Galen!
Blah blah blah. All that talking. Doesn't he know the villain always loses when he monologues? He's doomed!
Galen blocked with his left arm, his bear paw nearly severed. Fortunately, the Black Dragon King was forced to retreat to avoid a new barrage of arcane blasts and shots.
The Black Dragon King's teeth left gaping wounds in Galen's bear paw, and blood poured from the injuries. Finally, Aragorn and Liadrin were able to act. Their holy light spells washed over Galen, but Liadrin soon reached for a mana potion, her reserves depleted.
I knew I couldn't rely on second-hand healers! Galen thought.
"Annoying insects!"
The Black Dragon King attempted to bypass Galen and attack the mages and rangers, but Galen roared in defiance and charged, holding him back.
As a meat shield, Galen considered himself an expert.
He leaped, his bear paw slamming into a joint in the Black Dragon King's armor. The rivets trembled, but the effect was minimal. He had to keep attacking!
While Galen and the others fought, the Red Dragon Queen and Paltiasstraz had finished erecting the protective wards. But the Queen discovered that half of her dragon eggs were missing!
"Damn it! That ugly goblin must be responsible! Or Neltharion stole them! My children!" Alexstrasza said bitterly.
"What did you say? That monster is here! Where is he!"
A male voice echoed from behind them, sharp, harsh, and tinged with madness.
Paltiasstraz and the Red Dragon Queen turned to see a portal open behind them. A blue figure emerged first, with wild blue hair and a gaunt frame. But Paltiasstraz sensed a powerful presence emanating from him.
Then, a green figure appeared: Alexstrasza's sister, the Green Dragon Queen Ysera!
"Thank the Titans, you're here." Although her request for aid had been sent only half an hour ago, it felt like an eternity to Alexstrasza. "Quickly, we must help Tiranastrasz!"
"Where is Neltharion? I will kill him!"
The Blue Dragon King Malygos could no longer contain his hatred. He was eager to tear apart the Black Dragon King, his former friend.
"Your Majesties, please follow me!" Paltiasstraz said, taking the lead.
"Why isn't Nozdormu here?" The Red Dragon Queen asked worriedly. They had poured much of their power into the Dragon Soul ten thousand years ago, and the Black Dragon King, who had not, was stronger than the four of them combined. Without the Bronze Dragon King, they would be hard-pressed to defeat him!
"We cannot reach him. He is always so elusive. But his absence suggests the situation is not beyond hope," the Green Dragon Queen Ysera reassured her sister.
"I hope so," Alexstrasza said.
Soon, they found Tiranastrasz' broken body. The Red Dragon Queen gazed upon her mate of ten thousand years, and a wave of sorrow washed over her.
Paltiasstraz stepped forward to collect the remains, placing them in a magical container.
The dragon kings did not notice the faint, translucent red dragon soul that emerged from the corpse, slowly ascending and fading away.
"We have lost track of the traitor! He has left Grim Batol!" Ysera and Malygos searched, but found no trace of Neltharion.
"Your Majesty Malygos, please open a portal to two hundred kilometers southeast of this fortress!" Paltiasstraz said.
"I have arranged to meet the human guardian Aegwynn and Chromie there. The Black Dragon King will surely pursue them!"
When the three Dragon Aspects emerged from the portal, they saw a massive blue bear slamming its paw fiercely onto the chest of the Black Dragon. Immediately after, the bear was struck hard by the Black Dragon King's thick tail, tumbling several times on the ground!
"Ursoc!" the Red Dragon Queen exclaimed in surprise!
It was too similar. Whether it was the appearance or the energy fluctuations, it was too much like Ursoc, one of the giant bear demigod brothers who sacrificed themselves to fight against the Burning Legion ten thousand years ago.
"No, he is not Ursoc. Ursoc and his brother Ursol are still sleeping in the Emerald Dream and haven't awakened for nearly a thousand years!" The Green Dragon Queen, who oversees the Emerald Dream, was very familiar with the situation of those fallen Wild Gods!
As mentioned before, the Titans made significant changes to Azeroth. The Emerald Dream is Azeroth's original form, equivalent to a reflection of Azeroth's appearance before it was modified by intelligent beings.
The Emerald Dream, a world full of wildness, is like Azeroth's shadow overlapping with Azeroth. In simple terms, it's somewhat similar to a parallel Azeroth.
The Wild Gods are like defense cells on Azeroth's body. They resist the evil that invades Azeroth. After death, their souls enter the Emerald Dream to 'recharge' and wait for resurrection. Of course, the resurrection time depends on how much effort their followers put in.
"However, it cannot be ruled out that he is Ursoc's Chosen!" Ysera was not too sure. She had never seen a Chosen borrowing the power of a god to be so comparable to, or even stronger than, the god himself.
"Your Majesties, that giant bear is almost unable to hold on. Are we sure we don't want to intervene in their battle now?" Paltiastraz timidly reminded them.
On the field, Galen's bear head was firmly pinned down by one of the Black Dragon King's front claws. No matter how Galen tried to pry it open with his paws, he couldn't. He struggled with all his might, and the giant bear's butt wiggled in a rather comical way.
"Is this all your strength?" The Black Dragon King looked down at the giant bear and sneered. He waved his other hand, swatting away two arrows shot by top rangers trying to provide assistance, and then he tanked an Arcane Blast.
This feeling of being rubbed on the ground was terrible. He couldn't die, but it was just frustrating to be unable to win. Galen was wondering if he should cancel the transformation and try a stronger demigod?
This was Galen's first time using the Druid's Feral power, and he wasn't very proficient. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so passive. Should he try Rezan?
At least Rezan's power system was very similar to the Holy Light, so he would be more comfortable using it.
Tyrannosaurus Rex versus Black Dragon King, a dragon with wings fighting a big dinosaur without wings, it would be quite exciting to think about.
But he was almost successful. The adamantite armor on the Black Dragon King's chest had been struck several times by him. The rivets were just a little bit away from being removed. When that happened, the armor on the Black Dragon King's upper body could be torn off by him. That was the location close to the heart, the Black Dragon King's vital spot.
Bang!
A huge magic missile slammed into the Black Dragon King's face, staggering him. Galen took the opportunity to break free from the Black Dragon's claws.
"Who was that again? What fool who isn't afraid of death wants to end their life prematurely!" The Black Dragon King roared as he searched for the target.
"Oh, Alexstrasza, you came out of Grim Batol." The Black Dragon King sneered. "And Ysera, look who else is here, my dearest friend Malygos is here too!"
"Neltharion, it's time to pay for your sins!" The two Dragon Queens transformed into dragons at the same time, one red and one green, ready to pincer attack the Black Dragon King.
"Based on you? Don't you know who is the strongest here? Even if the three of you come at me together, you can't beat me." The Black Dragon King roared to the sky. "No one can stop me from establishing a new era for the Dragonflight!"
"Die!"
Filled with hatred, the Blue Dragon King Malygos, remembering his beloved who died tragically and the children of the entire Blue Dragonflight, stopped talking nonsense and opened his mouth to shoot a stream of ice emitting a white mist towards the Black Dragon King.
The Black Dragon King didn't have time to dodge, and the ice attached to his body, turning into worms that tore at the Black Dragon King's scales!
However, it didn't have much effect. Magma erupted from the Black Dragon King's body, and a large number of worms were directly killed. The few remaining ones were grabbed by the Black Dragon King with his claws and thrown into his mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed.
Accompanied by a deafening roar, three dragons, one black, one red, and one green, suddenly lunged forward, directly engaging in a chaotic battle. Malygos cast spells from the periphery to attack and assist the two Dragon Aspects.
However, the situation was exactly as the Black Dragon King said. The three Dragon Aspects could not defeat one Black Dragon King. The Red Dragon Queen and the Green Dragon Queen used all their skills, fighting with all their might against Neltharion, tearing with claws, biting with dragon heads. They advanced again and again, only to be easily repelled by the Black Dragon.
Compared to the Red Dragon Queen's weakness, the Green Dragon Queen Ysera's attacks were much more effective. She engaged in close combat while using her Dreamweaver abilities to pull the Black Dragon King into the dream, making the Black Dragon King feel irritable and sleepy in broad daylight.
The Blue Dragon King, known as the Spellweaver, also unleashed crazy output, casting various lightning bolts, ice pillars, flames, and arcane missiles from all directions, but all kinds of powerful magic were blocked by the Black Dragon King's armor.
As the Black Dragon King gained control of the rhythm, he flapped his wings, took a few steps back, and began to condense energy between his claws. A huge energy ball began to appear, full of primal and violent energy!
"Die! You are all good-for-nothings! Your attacks are useless. I am the embodiment of power, you are nothing!"
Then the black energy was unleashed by him and shot towards the two Dragon Aspects.
Just as the magic ball was about to hit the Red Dragon Queen, Galen appeared. He opened the giant bear's big mouth, and green natural energy began to condense, and then was spat out by him.
According to the ancient principle that the right side wins in a beam struggle, Galen felt that this wave was stable.
What a load of crap!
Galen's green beam offset a lot of the black beam's power, but the difference in power level was a bit too big. The remaining power of the black beam exploded in front of them, and two dragons and a bear were blasted away, their bodies rolling backward non-stop.
"What other tricks do you have? Use them all! But even if you try your best, you can't defeat me in this battle!"
The Black Dragon King looked at everyone present with disdain!
Galen knew that continuing like this would inevitably lead to defeat in the battle. Although the Dragon Aspects were united, they had greatly reduced their strength by transferring a large amount of their source power to the Dragon Soul, while the power of the Black Dragon Aspect had not been lost at all, but had instead improved a lot.
Now there were only two ways: the first was to use the Dragon Soul to deal with the Black Dragon Aspect, and the second was to destroy the Dragon Soul, releasing the power of the four Dragon Aspects inside and returning it to them.
Only children make choices; Galen said that he was an adult, and he would choose C!
"Cover me!"
In the rolling dust, the blue giant bear rolled over, stuffed a black object into its mouth, and then launched a new round of attacks!
The Red Dragon Aspect was not to be outdone, and followed up with a new round of attacks. This mother dragon didn't know what had stimulated her, and was quite crazy. She was willing to trade injuries for injuries in order to tear apart the Black Dragon Aspect's armor. Soon, the Green Dragon Aspect also joined the ranks of melee combat.
After discovering that magic was not very useful, the Blue Dragon Aspect also transformed into a blue giant dragon hundreds of meters long and joined the melee.
Galen was in the front, with the Red Dragon Aspect and the Green Dragon Aspect flanking him on the left and right, and the Blue Dragon Aspect, Malygos, lurking behind to try to grab the Black Dragon Aspect's tail.
This rogue-like siege, like a children's brawl, made the Black Dragon Aspect a little uncomfortable. They abandoned magic and their respective strengths, and fought with punches and claws.
Whether it was the giant bear or the four giant dragons, they were all scarred, but the Black Dragon Aspect still didn't fall behind, which made him a little complacent.
It was time. Galen found that the Black Dragon Aspect had been in the upper hand for a long time and was a little cocky, and that he and the other three Dragon Aspects could not beat him in cooperation.
However, this was the effect Galen deliberately wanted, in order to make the Black Dragon Aspect underestimate the enemy and divert his attention, relaxing the protection of his chest.
"Black Dragon, look at my Special Beam Cannon!"
Energy gathered in front of the giant bear's mouth!
The Black Dragon Aspect felt the magical fluctuations and sneered: "Still trying to attack me with magic? Ants, haven't you discovered that your so-called powerful magic hasn't hurt me in the slightest!"
The way demigods used this magic cannon gave Galen a lot of inspiration. He felt that even if he didn't pay to win, with this experience, he could use his own strength to fire energy waves after he became proficient.
Well, what should the energy cannon composed of Holy Light energy be called?
Dynamic light wave?
It's not as good as Kamehameha.
Galen opened his mouth wide, and the seemingly huge energy magic suddenly dissipated in the giant bear's blood basin, but the magic fluctuations did not disappear, which made the dragons present feel strange.
Suddenly, a figure stood up from under Galen's tongue, Medivh!
He pushed his staff forward, and a spell was released.
This was the simplest spell learned by Dalaran apprentices when they first started!
"Mage Hand!"
A hand composed of mental power appeared on the badly damaged rivet on the Black Dragon Aspect's chest. As Medivh exerted force, the light blue Mage Hand directly pulled the rivet out!
The Black Dragon Aspect opened his eyes wide in horror, and his voice changed: "What have you done! No!"
A loud noise came from his armor. The armor on his body began to produce a chain reaction. The mithril alloy plate began to shake, and the rivets began to pop out one by one!
Galen imagined the scene of Wolverine's muscles wriggling to force the bullets out of his body. He relaxed his expression. This battle had already been won by more than half. With the three Dragon Aspects present, Galen didn't think the Black Dragon Aspect would continue to fight.
As a large number of rivets fell off, the connections of the mithril armor began to break. Several complete armor plates under the ribs fell off directly, and then the largest one on the chest also fell off, revealing the Black Dragon Aspect's burst chest and the huge heart beating in the magma.
The Black Dragon Aspect's blood sprayed all over the ground, and the remaining armor on his body made a creaking sound of being overwhelmed. This situation frightened him, and he struggled to escape the encirclement of the three Dragon Aspects.
"You won this time, I admit it!" The Black Dragon Aspect was almost pissed off. He lost the good windward situation himself. It was too aggrieved!
"I remember you, mortals!" The Black Dragon Aspect continued to utter harsh words, "I will imprint your faces into my memory, and I will be back!"
After saying that, the Black Dragon Aspect struggled to spit out the last dragon breath to force back the Dragon Aspects who wanted to step forward, and then endured the severe pain and opened his huge wings to fly into the air.
The Black Dragon Aspect's speed was very fast and he flew far away. Suddenly, he heard a loud roar from behind: "Quick, don't let him run away, your Dragon Soul is still on him!"
The Black Dragon Aspect in mid-air staggered, almost falling down.
He stretched his neck and looked back, staring at the giant bear who said this, as if he really wanted to engrave his figure in his mind.
Galen shrank his neck in fright, quickly pick out Medivh from his mouth, held him in his hands and placed him in front of him, trying to divert the hatred. Medivh looked back at Galen's innocent bear eyes and sighed helplessly.
"He is already at a disadvantage, his body is about to lose cohesion and is about to fall apart, we must not let him escape!" The Blue Dragon Aspect came back to his senses and shouted loudly.
"Agreed, let's chase after him and completely defeat him!" The Green Dragon Aspect, Ysera, agreed.
"I agree too!" Alexstrasza nodded. "Let's chase after him quickly and forever end the terrifying power of this traitor!"
"Palthiasstraz, take care of our warriors, find a chance to transfer our dragon eggs, and wait for me to come back!"
Then the three Dragon Aspects opened their dragon wings and a whirlwind blew past. They ascended into the sky and accelerated towards the Black Dragon Aspect's position!
When the dust settled, Galen released the power he had borrowed by paying to win.
In the next second, he changed from a giant bear to a small one, and regained his human form. At the same time, Galen felt a powerful force being drawn from his body, which made him feel empty for a moment.
No wonder so many people pursue powerful power. This feeling of being so powerful that you can do whatever you want is too addictive.
"Palthiasstraz, you should go back to Grim Batol first, to deal with the affairs of the Red Dragon clan and gather your clan members."
After Galen finished speaking, he lay on the ground without any image. The other members of the ten-man team quickly stepped forward and transferred Galen to a turret on the edge of the battlefield that had not been damaged by the Black Dragon Aspect.
Galen pretended to be exhausted and rested his head in Sylvanas's arms. In this team, in addition to Galen's subordinates and the Guardian lineage, there was of course the hidden Chromie, leaving only the Windrunner sisters and Liadrin, these three high elves.
This battle that transcended the mortal level shocked their hearts, and for a time, Sylvanas was speechless.
"Don't worry, Sylvanas, I have a way to increase your strength."