Since the plan was now set, the only problem Alaric faced was how to find the four unfortunate Loa gods.
Loa gods do not truly die.
They are a different form of life from mortals—when their physical bodies perish, their souls return to the Shadowlands and gradually regenerate.
Of course, these four unlucky Loa gods had not yet perished, and Alaric had no means of traveling to the Shadowlands.
So where could he find them?
Alaric pondered for a moment and soon had an answer.
These Loa gods were born from Freya, which meant that their dominion over life and nature granted them a special connection to the Emerald Dream.
The night elf druids had learned their abilities from the Loa gods, and in addition, they had gained the ability to enter the Emerald Dream from a particular Loa god.
That special Loa god was Cenarius.
This confirmed that the Loa gods and the Emerald Dream were closely linked.
Furthermore, Alaric had not found the massive bodies of these four Loa gods near their temple, which led to an obvious conclusion.
Their physical forms were hidden in the Emerald Dream, yet they had still been unfortunate enough to be captured by Malakas.
There was no helping it—their deep connection with their followers had made them vulnerable.
Had it been any other mage present—even the mighty Antonidas of Dalaran or Anasterian of Quel'Thalas—they would have had no way to access the Emerald Dream.
This realm, intertwined with Azeroth, was clearly beyond their knowledge. Among mortals, only druids could enter it.
But Alaric was an exception.
Although he was also a mage, he had deep ties with the guardian dragon of the Emerald Dream, Ysera the Dreamer.
This female guardian dragon, in her efforts to secretly communicate with her "father," had imparted to him much knowledge about the Emerald Dream, enabling him to travel within it freely.
In fact, even in recent times, they would meet in the Emerald Dream every few months, along with Ysera's two sisters.
For mortals, two months might seem like a long time, but for dragons, it was merely a fleeting moment.
Back to the present—Alaric did indeed possess the ability to enter the Emerald Dream.
However, doing so required him to fall into a deep sleep, an action that was tantamount to suicide on the battlefield.
No, suicide at least allowed one to choose the manner of death.
Thus, he needed to take precautions.
First, he cast Mage Armor and Magic Shield.
Then, he set up a Deflection Barrier to ward off physical projectiles, a Spell Resistance Field to counter magic attacks, and a Shadow Resistance Barrier to guard against Malakas' shadow magic.
Finally, for the ultimate safeguard—
"Helena, while I am asleep, I will grant you control over my body. If any danger arises that my pre-set defenses cannot withstand, you must wake me immediately.
You know where I placed the 'Fleeting Time' scroll—my safety depends on you."
"Time Stop is just Time Stop—why must you call it something so poetic as 'Fleeting Time'?"
The spirit of his crown, Helena, muttered in a low voice but then affirmed, "Of course, esteemed Master (insert doge face here), you can rest assured that your body is in my hands."
"Why does it sound like you're being lewd?" Alaric quipped before closing his eyes, accompanied by Helena's playful laughter.
As a mage accustomed to deep meditation, Alaric swiftly cleared his mind of distractions, allowing his consciousness to enter a state of profound thought.
But unlike meditation, he did not control his consciousness—instead, he surrendered everything to his subconscious.
Guided by his subconscious, his thoughts drifted, and soon, through the haze, he saw a familiar green light.
He had entered the Emerald Dream once more.
What unfolded before him was not a dense forest—though the ruins of Zul'Aman were indeed located within one.
Under the verdant sky, there were no remnants of shattered ruins left by the passage of time, but rather a magnificent and awe-inspiring empire.
The land of this rectangular city was flat and orderly, with distinct districts designated for commoners, warriors, rulers, and priests.
Statues representing the four Loa gods were scattered throughout, everything clean and immaculate.
Zul'Aman, the capital of the Amani troll empire—aside from the absence of its original inhabitants, it remained as glorious as it had been thousands of years ago.
This was the power of the Emerald Dream.
It backed up the landscapes of Azeroth, ever ready to restore any potential damage that might befall the world.
Through countless updates, this backup continuously refreshed itself. Though it preferred to record the original state of nature, numerous scenes that had existed only in the passage of time remained here as well.
Standing alone in the troll capital, Alaric, as usual, saw no other living creatures in the Emerald Dream. Yet, unlike his previous visits, he felt something different this time.
Not just one presence, but four—strong, vibrant forces brimming with the essence of nature.
However, this once-thriving life force was now enfeebled by the influence of shadow magic.
There was no doubt—it was the four Loa gods.
With that, Alaric strode toward the grand temple ahead.
Unlike its counterpart in the material world, this temple had not been reduced to ruins by his transmutation magic. Instead, it stood even grander and more intact than before.
Though vines and moss adorned its structure, there were no broken walls, cracked bricks, or missing statues.
Golden patterns and green walls shimmered brightly before Alaric's eyes.
Entering the temple, Alaric saw four colossal beasts.
A massive blue eagle, a brown bear, a dragonhawk, and a lynx.
Their bodies were far larger than the creatures they resembled, even dwarfing the warriors who had stolen their divine power. Their eyes held a wisdom and divinity beyond any mere beast.
Yet these once-great demigods now appeared weak and dejected.
Dark chains bound them tightly, their fur and feathers disheveled, as though drained of their divine power and utterly exhausted.
Had the loss of their divine energy truly weakened them this much?
Alaric's heart grew heavy at the sight.
Nevertheless, he steadily approached the four demigods and respectfully nodded in greeting.
"Honored Wild Gods, I see that you are in trouble," Alaric smiled slightly. "Do you require my assistance?"
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