The interior of the prison remained eerily silent in response to Galen's taunts.
"Highlord, Yogg-Saron is hiding!" Thorim, the de facto leader of the Titan Watchers, whispered to Galen, though his booming voice carried throughout the cavern.
"In the past five minutes, the barrier erected by the Will of the Forge has been struck two hundred and ninety-eight times!"
Thorim stared at Galen with a mixture of awe and bewilderment. This new master of theirs was truly a force of nature. His actions had actually frightened the arrogant Old God!
As a jailer, Thorim had guarded Yogg-Saron for millennia, and this was the first time he had witnessed the Old God assault the barriers of Ulduar with such frenzied desperation!
Even when the Titans themselves had cast Yogg-Saron into this prison, the Old God had shown no fear, acting as if he were returning to his own domain!
Galen chuckled inwardly at Thorim's words. How could Yogg-Saron not be afraid?
He was facing seven demi-god-level Light Naaru, led by the formidable A'dal. Even a Void Lord would likely suffer grievous wounds in such a confrontation!
"Yogg-Saron! I know you're in there, you cowardly beast! If you refuse to face us, we will drag you out ourselves!" Galen declared, his voice ringing with righteous fury.
He strode towards the gap in the Wall of the Ancient Guardians and stepped boldly into Yogg-Saron's prison!
Galen's entry sent a shockwave through the prison, agitating Yogg-Saron like a stone dropped into a still pool.
A colossal, malevolent yellow eye opened in the oppressive darkness above, fixating on Galen with predatory hunger, as if sizing up a helpless lamb.
"You have trespassed into my domain, insignificant mortal. Your soul is mine to devour!" Yogg-Saron roared, his voice a cacophony of whispers and screams.
The Old God recognized the creature before him.
It was a human, one of the flawed creations born from the Titans' Curse of Flesh. Yogg-Saron had manipulated the Will of the Forge, twisting the once-proud vrykul and corrupting them into the stunted and fragile forms of humans, dwarves, and gnomes.
Had A'dal and his naaru been the first to enter the prison, Yogg-Saron might have remained hidden, patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike. But the sight of the seemingly weakest of them all, this arrogant human, stepping into his lair alone... it was too tempting to resist.
Yogg-Saron also sensed the presence of the powerful Light beings waiting outside. He unleashed the full force of his corrupting power, a tidal wave of darkness, directed at Galen!
Perhaps his only chance lay in corrupting this human, turning him into a puppet. With Galen under his control, he might find a way to sow discord and shatter the alliance from within!
Galen was instantly assailed by a barrage of vile and debilitating effects. If he had possessed a combat log, it would have displayed a long list of negative debuffs, stretching across multiple lines!
Yogg-Saron's main body, a grotesque mass resembling a colossal, slimy fish head, pulsed with dark energy. Countless throat-like orifices writhed and pulsed across its surface, a testament to the Old God's indescribable horror!
The next moment, thick, writhing tentacles erupted from Yogg-Saron's form, lashing out at Galen with terrifying speed and force!
Fortunately, Galen had activated his Divine Shield at the first sign of danger. The impenetrable barrier of Light deflected the physical assault, leaving him unharmed.
"Feeble mortal! Taste my corrosive whispers! I am your lucid nightmare!" Yogg-Saron hissed, his voice a chorus of madness.
A jet-black beam of energy shot forth from Yogg-Saron's massive eye, piercing through the Divine Shield and striking Galen directly in the chest!
Galen was stunned.
This was the first time he had encountered a spell that his Divine Shield could not block!
After a moment, Galen stroked his chest, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
"What... what was that?" he muttered.
He felt no pain, no physical sensation at all.
Could it be the mental assault that the Old Gods were so infamous for?
Was Yogg-Saron merely... whispering in his ear?
It seemed... ineffective.
Perhaps?
Maybe?
No, the Heart of Origin!
The ancient Titan artifact was shielding him from the Old God's mental corruption!
Praise the Heart of Origin!
Praise the Light!
"Allies of the Scarlet Crusade! CHARGE!" Galen roared, his voice echoing through the chamber.
At his command, Tyr, leading the five Titan Watchers, escorted the seven Naaru into Yogg-Saron's prison!
A'dal faced the Old God directly, his form radiating with divine power, while the remaining six Naaru spread throughout the cavern, unleashing their Light to purify the chaotic energies that permeated the prison.
"ROAR! Damn the Light! Interfering!" Yogg-Saron bellowed in agony.
Bone spurs, covered in spiral-shaped teeth and fangs, erupted from the watery depths, lashing out at the Naaru with frenzied fury!
The Naaru floated gracefully in the air, deftly avoiding the bone spurs' attacks. But the ground trembled under the Old God's onslaught, cracks spreading rapidly across the cavern floor. The entire prison shook and groaned under the relentless assault!
"Attack those tentacles!" Galen commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos.
He unleashed his ultimate power!
Six golden wings unfolded from his back, their radiant light illuminating the chamber. He wielded the Ashbringer with divine purpose, striking at the writhing tentacles that sprouted from the ground. Each strike of the blade severed a tentacle, its corrupted flesh dissolving into dust.
The Titan Watchers joined the fray, unleashing their elemental powers. Lightning crackled, ice shattered, and life energy surged, pushing back the encroaching darkness. Mimiron's experimental bombs detonated in a series of deafening explosions, further hindering Yogg-Saron's assault.
Everyone fought to prevent the Old God from destroying his prison, knowing that if he escaped, all of Azeroth would be consumed by his madness.
"Brother Galen, hold on for just a moment longer!" A'dal's soothing telepathic voice resonated in Galen's mind.
Galen glanced around the chamber. The combined efforts of the seven Naaru had begun to take effect. The oppressive darkness was receding, replaced by a growing radiance.
Even the pools of water beneath Yogg-Saron's monstrous form were gradually turning to gold!
Galen had initially assumed it was stagnant water, but as his boots splashed through the liquid, he realized it was something far more sinister: a liquid form of Saronite!
Yogg-Saron was secretly exuding his essence through the cracks in his prison, using the Saronite as a conduit to spread his corruption to the outside world!
Among the Old Gods, Galen held a grudging respect for Yogg-Saron.
While N'Zoth was the most patient and insidious, Yogg-Saron was arguably the most cunning and resourceful.
He was the only Old God imprisoned within a Titan Guardian facility, personally incarcerated by the Titans themselves!
Compared to C'Thun, sealed in the ruins of Ahn'Qiraj, and N'Zoth, imprisoned in the deep-sea city of Ny'alotha, Yogg-Saron's prison was a fortress of unimaginable power. In theory, he had virtually no chance of escape.
Yet, he had managed to exploit Loken's weakness, slowly corrupting the Titan Watchers and turning his jailers into his loyal servants.
If it hadn't been for Galen's arrival, Yogg-Saron would have likely succeeded in his insidious plan.