Chapter Forty-Nine: This... Isn't Reasonable.

As the four Stone Guardians fell, the gate leading to the Lower Chamber—Kazgros's Seat—slowly opened.

After clearing the battlefield, the group advanced to the passage below. On either side of the stone gate were bas-reliefs of the Creator Titans, carved in white marble, flanked by Gothic-style stone walls and domes. Each sculpture seemed to come alive beneath the flickering arcane light, their shadows dancing across the floor.

Pressing deeper, they traversed the corridor to Kazgros's Seat, footsteps echoing in the quiet depths. The underground silence was profound, offering a unique experience this time.

They halted before the statue of Azadas, the towering giant standing at the heart of the temple—majestic and imposing, inspiring awe and reverence. Before Azadas lay his awakening altar, encircled by his attendants. Behind him, beyond a stone door, rested the Platinum Disc of Norgannon.

“This must be the stone platform,” said Redur, examining it closely. “It's just like the one above, though I don't know how to activate it.”

“It only seems similar,” Aurelia observed, scrutinizing the platform. “The patterns are completely different, and this one can't be rotated.”

Success was just a step away; to falter now would mean all prior efforts were wasted. For Patrick, only a single door separated him from Norgannon's Platinum Disc.

“This platform radiates powerful arcane energy. It likely needs an infusion of arcane to awaken,” came the long-unheard voice in Patrick’s mind.

He felt a sudden clarity at Alan Moon-Sanctuary’s reminder. Wasn’t the treasure guarded here Norgannon’s Disc? Norgannon was the Titan of Arcane; using arcane as the key to this mechanism made perfect sense.

“Let me try—perhaps arcane magic will work?”

The five dwarves stared blankly at Patrick, their eyes saying, “Go ahead,” “Do as you like,” “Big shot, whatever you wish.”

Patrick stepped up to the platform, slowly channeling pale blue arcane energy. Aurelia noticed a purple gem emerging from beneath the platform, shimmering brightly. The entire Azadas altar began to radiate blue-violet light; the Craftsman’s Hall trembled, and dust fell from the statue of Azadas at the center.

A powerful aura surged from the statue, carrying the primal strength of a Titan, overwhelming them.

Just as in the classic dungeon storyline, the scene played out before Patrick’s eyes.

“Who… is it?”

Redur and Olaf gripped their warhammers tightly, their fingers whitening where they pressed the handles.

“Who dares… awaken Azadas…”

Around them, the petrified earth spirits and stone wardens began to stir, the stone guardians flexing their limbs, the scraping of stone loud and jarring, causing Patrick and Aurelia’s elven ears to ache.

“Wait, isn’t it supposed to be that only after Azadas loses a certain amount of health, he awakens the earth spirits and stone wardens? Why are the earth spirits moving already? Azadas isn’t following the script,” Patrick muttered inwardly.

Seeing the situation turn dire—with so many earth spirits and two large stone wardens—Patrick, Aurelia, and the five dwarves were clearly no match, especially with the giant Titan guardian still present.

“Who… is it…” Azadas roared again. The group tried to flee the temple, only to find the rear gate had somehow closed. Aurelia drew a short dagger from her ranger’s leggings, pressed her back to Patrick, and prepared to defend.

“Dare you… offend the God of Creation…”

The group’s nerves were taut, ready to snap. The five dwarves gripped their hammers and axes with all their strength, while Patrick gathered his arcane energy.

Azadas’s eyes turned blue-violet; he swung his mighty hammer, sending centuries of accumulated dust flying, beams of blue-violet light shooting toward Patrick and the others.

And then—

And then—

Azadas reverted to stone.

The surrounding earth spirits and stone wardens also became statues once more.

This made no sense.

Aurelia: “………………”

Five dwarves: “………………”

Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. Moments before, tensions were high, battle imminent; then, in an instant, everything was calm, as if nothing had happened.

The five dwarves were so surprised they didn’t notice their axes had dropped to the floor.

After a moment, they raised their weapons and cheered, “Ha ha ha! The brave dwarves fear nothing!”

Such was their nature; Patrick paid it no mind, though Aurelia was exasperated, shaking her head at the dwarves.

Creak…

The door behind Azadas slowly opened, flooding the chamber with brilliant golden light, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

They entered what was once the treasure room in the dungeon; piles of gold coins covered the floor, but what truly captivated Patrick was the Platinum Disc at the center.

Simply standing before the disc, he could sense the deep and boundless arcane power within.

Drawn as if by an invisible force, Patrick’s consciousness was ensnared by Norgannon’s Platinum Disc. He approached, placed his hand gently upon it.

“Greetings, little life of Azeroth,” a deep, resolute voice echoed in his mind, speaking the formal Thalassian tongue, which unsettled Patrick. Aside from the Kingdom of Quel’Thalas, only the naga and the reclusive upper elves of Eresalas used Thalassian. To hear it here was unnerving.

“Who’s speaking?” Patrick found himself within his own mental realm. For someone to enter and converse with him here, their power must be at least that of a demigod.

“You are the first intelligent being to visit this place. I am Norgannon the Wise.”

Before Patrick appeared a platinum Titan, radiant with arcane energy, clad in a hooded cloak and a belted coat, his long beard flowing.

“A Titan? Are you the Creator of Azeroth?”

“You may call us that. Long ago, we created the earth spirits here. The earliest of them mutated in their matrix under environmental influences, becoming stone-jawed aberrations—a savage, failed creation. We locked them away, then began a second experiment in Uldaman, where the perfected earth spirits were born. In time, they were cursed by the Old Gods, transforming into the resilient dwarven race!”