Patrick and his party followed the map provided by the three dwarf brothers. After they passed along a rugged trail, Olaf stopped them.
"Master mage," Olaf said, "if we go any farther, we'll reach the entrance to the Hall of the Makers. A large number of Troggs have gathered there-Cave Flameweavers and Cave Torturers, a rank above ordinary Troggs. We should make a new plan before heading into the Hall of the Makers."
Alleria unconsciously raised her slender eyebrows. "Are they much stronger than the Troggs outside?" Since entering Uldaman, Alleria had barely done anything, merely following quietly beside Patrick. In her eyes, apart from Patrick, none of the five dwarves fell within the scope of her attention.
Redul laughed and tugged at Olaf. "Brother, the man ahead of us is a high-ranking Arcanist from Silvermoon City. With him here, those Troggs aren't a threat." After all, the three brothers-Erik, Olaf, and Balrog-had not taken part in the earlier battles and did not know how powerful this party was.
Surveyor Redul and Prospector Thelsamar had absolute faith in Patrick's magic. Even after entering Uldaman, they strolled along as leisurely as if they were out shopping.
Seeing that his two kinsmen had no objections, Olaf returned to the party, and they continued following the map toward the Hall of the Makers.
The Cave Flameweavers and Cave Torturers appearing around them were clearly higher-ranking than the earlier Troggs, and larger as well. Their treatment, however, was no different: once they drew near, Rose Vines formed from arcane magic entangled them.
The Troggs here were far more aggressive than those outside. Even when Patrick's Arcane Rose bound them tight, they still shuffled slowly toward the party.
Faced with this, Patrick could only detonate Super Arcane Magic-Flames Enveloping the Body directly. The surrounding Cave Flameweavers and Cave Torturers were instantly engulfed in roaring flames. At the sight, the Troggs farther out scattered in every direction, terrified of being swallowed by the fire.
The three dwarves were now dumbfounded. They had never imagined that the Troggs that had left them at their wits' end could be dealt with like this-and in an instant, no less. There were no mages among the dwarves, while the power of the Titans in high-ranking dwarves' blood made them immune to magic. It was only natural that dwarves knew little about magic.
It was a sight often seen in Warcraft III: a dwarf's short body would swell in size, shrouded in the white power of the Titans. Avatar, a blessing from the ancient creators, granted dwarves temporary immunity to magic once activated.
(Previously, dwarves could only choose Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warrior, or Death Knight as their class. Only in the World of Warcraft expansion "Cataclysm" were Shaman and Mage added to their available classes. Later, with the release of the World of Warcraft expansion "Mists of Pandaria," Monk was added as well.)
At last, they arrived before the Hall of the Makers. Towering stone doors stood on either side of the hall's front, their reliefs depicting the Titans solemn and majestic. Several exquisitely carved reliefs stood out vividly upon the doors. They also bore small, intricate patterns, delicate and lifelike, with graceful lines, masterful craftsmanship, and splendid ornamentation. Within their elegance lay the accumulated weight of the ages, profound and far-reaching.
The Titans' stone architecture radiated an immeasurable grandeur. A word as lackluster as "masterpiece" could not do justice to such a magnificent architectural sight.
The Hall of the Makers surpassed the outer Hall of the Keepers in grandeur. Its carvings and decorations were simply works of uncanny craftsmanship, imposing in their majesty.
As they entered the hall's outer chamber, four Stone Keepers came into view, surrounded by eight massive stone pillars. A Guardian Altar stood in the center of the hall, and directly opposite Patrick was another tightly closed stone door. Several dwarves ran over, hoping to force it open from inside, but energy hidden within the carved patterns held the door firmly shut.
Redul and Thelsamar shouted,
and struck the stone door with their hammers with all their strength... only to be sent flying by the rebounding force. The two dwarves sat on the floor looking utterly dejected, gazing helplessly at the stone door.
Patrick remembered that they had to activate the central Guardian Altar to bring the four Stone Keepers to life. Only after defeating them could they proceed deeper into the Seat of Khaz'goroth.
But how to activate the Guardian Altar had now become a problem. After all, this was reality, not a game where clicking the altar would do the job.
"Do you think this might be the mechanism that opens the door?" Patrick pointed at the stone platform before him-the Guardian Altar.
A hexagonal stone slab rested on the platform. Patrick could sense the astonishing energy contained within it.
Everyone gathered around, carefully examining the stone platform in the center.
Redul's eyes immediately widened. "Let me test what this thing's made of." With that, he raised his great hammer and slammed it into the platform. History repeated itself, however, and the rebounding force sent him flying again.
The corner of Alleria's mouth twitched. These two dwarves are a real pair of clowns. With the way they behave, it's simply unbelievable that they survived being caught between the Troggs and the Dark Iron Dwarves after discovering the ruins.
Compared with Redul, Olaf was clearly much more levelheaded. After carefully examining the patterns on the platform and slab, he slowly rotated the slab to align them.
In an instant, purple light burst from the Guardian Altar. The surrounding Stone Keepers, still in statue form, began shaking the dust from their bodies before advancing toward Patrick's party. The giant stone statues made the ground thud with every step.
Patrick immediately fashioned several vines from arcane magic to bind it, stopping the stone statue in its tracks. He then used Super Arcane Magic-Flames Enveloping the Body. Several cracks appeared across the statue, and a chunk was blasted out of its left shoulder. But as the vines on its body disappeared, it began advancing toward Patrick's party again. Patrick's fire magic had done little damage to it.
"Fire does limited damage to the stone statue. Pat, restrict its movements. Redul, the rest of you, find its joints and destroy it with physical attacks." As a Ranger Marshal, Alleria quickly came up with a countermeasure.
Patrick nodded, releasing his Spiritual Power and arcane magic once more. Pale blue Arcane Rose vines instantly bound the Stone Keeper. The five burly dwarves had long been itching for action. Raising their axes and warhammers, they hammered furiously at its joints, venting their embarrassment at having been sent flying by the rebound twice in succession.
What followed was much simpler. The four Stone Keepers awakened one after another. Each time one awoke, Patrick bound it with arcane magic, robbing it of movement, and the five dwarves simply destroyed them one by one with brute force.
With the deaths of all four Stone Keepers, the great door leading to the Seat of Khaz'goroth on the lowest level slowly opened.
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