Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

"Distinguished guests, while Honor Castle may be simple, it offers a safe place to rest. We...we have many things to know and many situations to report to you."

They had so much to say and so many questions to ask, but they didn't know how to begin. So, let's invite them in first!

At the very least, we can't let our guests who have come from afar talk to us at the entrance. Rhodes nodded and led the group into Honor Hold, while the others followed behind him.

The interior of the fortress was more spacious than it appeared from the outside, but it revealed the marks of time and the scarcity of resources. There were signs of repair on the walls, and the equipment in the armory was mostly old, but neatly arranged.

Although the soldiers looked weathered, their clothes were tattered, and some were even emaciated, their eyes remained sharp and their discipline was impeccable. They silently watched their compatriots from their homeland, especially casting wary and curious glances at Vashj and Mave's team, as they had never seen such creatures before.

The Naga are deep-sea creatures, documented in some aspects of Kul Tiras culture, but unknown to the people living on the mainland.

As for the night elves, I know even less, but they seem to resemble high elves somewhat.

“Don’t worry, these two are my friends, not enemies. Relax,” Rhodes said, turning to the others.

With Rhodes speaking up, the soldiers inside Honor Hold no longer paid attention to the oddly-looking Vasch and Maiev, but they were still not allowed to enter the main reception room.

The two women didn't seem to care too much, since neither of them was particularly interested in the place. Maiev was Rhodes's prisoner, and Vashj was Illidan's liaison; they wouldn't participate in the Alliance's high-level meetings.

As they walked, Danas described the situation at Glory Keep: "...When we first came here with General Turalyon and Lady Aurelia, there were tens of thousands of soldiers."

But years of fighting, harsh environment, and disease have left Honor Hold with less than 3,000 men who can take up arms, and more than 2000 men who are no longer able to fight and can only do logistical work.

We struggled to survive on the supplies we had brought with us and some barely edible plants and animals we found in the outer regions.

Demons, orcs, and those twisted monsters... they threaten us constantly.

Danas led the group to a relatively intact hall in the center of the fortress. This seemed to be the expeditionary force's command post. On the wall hung a hand-drawn, extremely rough map of the outer realms, marked with known danger zones and resource points.

After taking his seat, Danas asked impatiently, "Grand Marshal, what do you say about Azeroth... how is it now? Lordaeron... Stormwind... is everyone alright? We've been away for too long."

Rhodes gestured for him to calm down and slowly said, "General Danas, Azeroth has undergone tremendous changes."

Although the Allied forces were victorious after World War II, they were also severely weakened.

After you left, King Terenas of Lordaeron devoted himself to reconstruction, but about a year ago... the Scourge plague broke out... a catastrophe that swept across all of humanity..." Rhodes briefly but clearly recounted the Scourge invasion, the tragedy of Stratholme, Prince Arthas's fall and patricide, and the fall of Lordaeron.

And the fall of Silvermoon City in Quel'Thalas, the destruction of the mage city of Dalaran, and the final invasion of the Burning Legion.

It also mentions the rise of the new Horde, Princess Galia's journey to Kalimdor, the establishment of Theramore, and the current complex situation of confrontation and cooperation between the Alliance and the Horde.

Danas and several other veterans of the expeditionary force present turned pale, their breathing became rapid, and their bodies trembled.

They could not imagine that their homeland, which they had sworn to defend to the death, had suffered such a profound calamity after they left: the fall of Lordaeron, the murder of the king, the fall of the prince... Every piece of news struck their hearts like a heavy hammer.

They thought that by staying in this godforsaken place, they could become a bridgehead for humanity and be spared from disaster in their hometown, but they never expected that such a huge change would happen in their hometown.

“Your Majesty Terenas… he… how could Arthas do this?” Danas’s voice choked, and tears welled up in the eyes of this strong man.

Many veterans couldn't help but sob softly, their longing for their homeland intertwined with the devastating news they had just heard, creating immense grief.

It's important to know that humanity's victory in the Second World War was absolutely related to King Terenas. King Terenas reorganized the Alliance, established the Knights of the Silver Hand, appointed Marshal Lothar as the Alliance's commander, and defeated the once invincible Horde. But unexpectedly, this legendary king died, and at the hands of his own son.

This was unacceptable to many of the Alliance's expeditionary forces.

"Grand Marshal Rhodes, so how is Stormwind? What's the situation in our home city, Stormwind?" a soldier dressed in the armor of the Stormwind Kingdom asked.

Lord Rhodes only mentioned Stromgarde, Alterac, and Dalaran and Lordaeron, but he didn't mention Stormwind at all.

"Currently, Stormwind is relatively unaffected. The Scourge is occurring in the Eastern Kingdoms, and even Ironforge hasn't been significantly impacted."

"King Varian's Stormwind still exists, it remains safe, and your homes are intact." Rhodes relayed the news from Stormwind to the group.

Upon hearing this, a large number of expeditionary soldiers from Stormwind breathed a sigh of relief, as they had assumed that their homeland, like Lordaeron, had been invaded by the Scourge.

"This is truly a stroke of luck amidst misfortune! Marshal Rhodes, I also deeply regret what happened to Lordaeron; these days must have been very difficult for you all," Danas sighed.

"It was a tough time, but hope never died out. Princess Calia Menethil survived and, with our support, became the symbol of Lordaeron."

Although Lord Uther was once depressed, he has now recovered and is personally assisting Princess Calia.

We restored order and consolidated the power of the alliance.

"This trip to Outland to bring you home is a crucial step in the Alliance's revival. Azeroth needs experienced veterans like you, and it needs you to come home," Rhodes said.

The veterans in the Glory Pavilion lowered their heads and remained silent. Although there was bad news, there was also good news, wasn't there? At least they could go home.

“Danas, grief is useless. What matters is the future. We will definitely pull through. Your unwavering will and your belief in Outland for over a decade are the very embodiment of the Alliance spirit,” said Old Mograine.

"Why didn't I see Lady Aurellia? And General Turalyon?"

Our main purposes in coming here are twofold: first, to ascertain the situation of the expeditionary force and facilitate your evacuation; and second, to locate General Turalyon and Lady Aurelia.

"General Danas, do you know where they are now?" Archmage Rhonin asked.

He had a vague feeling of unease. With so many of them arriving, if Turalyon and Aurelius were there, they would surely have come to greet them, but neither of them showed up.

This time, he might disappoint Vereesa and fail to bring back his sister, and he might also disappoint his nephew by failing to bring back his parents.

Danas's face darkened, and he shook his head: "I'm sorry, General Turalyon and Lady Alleria... they went missing during an important operation against the main force of demons."

That was a few years ago, during our last large-scale proactive attack, aimed at destroying a demonic portal in Hellfire Citadel.

General Turalyon and Lady Alleria led their elite troops deep behind enemy lines, but then lost contact with them as they were swept into the void storm.

We dispatched multiple search teams, but all efforts yielded nothing; in fact, we suffered significant losses. We... we suspect they may have already disappeared.

He originally wanted to say "sacrificed," but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

His words were filled with grief and self-blame. Upon hearing this, Luo Ning's face also turned pale. Wenlesa's words of advice were still ringing in his ears, but he never expected to receive news of his elder sister's disappearance, or even possible death.

Rhodes understood; Turalyon and Alleria were indeed not here; they had already been taken away by the Holy Light Legion.

But he couldn't say it directly, as it would be too shocking. Rhodes pondered for a moment and said, "Disappearance does not mean sacrifice. The outer realms are in a state of chaos, so perhaps they are trapped somewhere."

I believe the Holy Light will protect them; these two heroes must still be alive.

Chapter 220 The Moment of Showing Off, Rhodes, the Incarnation of Holy Light

The news from Danas Trollbane about the disappearance of Turalyon and Aurelia caused the atmosphere in the hall to freeze abruptly.

No one expected this to happen. The two most important people in the Alliance Expeditionary Force were General Turalyon and Aurelius, but the result was that these two people disappeared.

“I think Grand Marshal Rhodes is right. We shouldn’t be so pessimistic. At least I haven’t found their bodies. They were just swept into the void. They might have a chance to survive in the storm,” Kael’thas said.

Of course, he was just saying it; everyone present knew perfectly well what the chances of survival were.

Even Luo Ning, who is a relative, has already planned to build a cenotaph for the two of them when they return.

"Then where is the other important person, Khadgar, who was once Maddywen's apprentice? Could he have also been caught up in the spacetime turbulence?" Archmage Rhonin asked after calming himself down.

Of all the heroes in the expeditionary force, besides those present, the only one whose fate remains uncertain is Khadgar, who was once Medivh's apprentice.

Furthermore, during the First Great War, he collaborated with Ser Lothar to assassinate Medivh, whose body was possessed by the demon Sargeras, thus tacitly determining the outcome of the First Great War.

The death of Blackhand, the first Warchief of the Horde, and Khadgar's numerous victories in the Second War, are all testaments to his achievements. Although he was only a mage apprentice when he went to Medivh's side, Medivh's magical skills were among the best in Azeroth, at least on par with Rhonin and Kael'thas.

“Mage Khadgar, like Lady Alleria and General Turalyon, was swept away by the void turbulence. I’m sorry, we couldn’t save him then,” Danas Trollbane sighed.

Of the heroes who stormed the Dark Portal back then, only he and the dwarf warrior Kurdran Wildhammer remain.

Khadgar's news once again silenced everyone. Everyone knew that the expeditionary force had paid a huge price to resist the old Horde, but no one expected that the news would be so devastating.

"Don't be sad, everyone. Just as I said, Khadgar will return. The Holy Light has given me a revelation. In six years at most, the mage Khadgar will be back with us," Rhodes said, standing up.

Khadgar did indeed disappear in the Netherstorm, but unlike Alleria and Turalyon, he was not rescued by the Legion of Light, but by the Naaru.

It will be another six years before he returns to the shattered world of Draenor with the Light creatures during the Burning Crusade, and then they will reunite in Shattrath City.

The three Naaru are currently still piloting their spaceships through the universe, and will not descend upon the shattered Outer Worlds until the future.

“Thank you for your comfort, Grand Marshal Rhodes, but the situation was far more serious than you imagine when these three went missing,” Danas said, nodding to Rhodes.

He didn't recognize the newly appointed Grand Marshal of the Alliance. This man looked very young, but seemed to have gained the approval of everyone. Moreover, judging from what everyone had just said, the Third World War that happened not long ago was precisely when this man rose to power.

He was curious whether this new Alliance Marshal had gained the approval of Stormwind, or perhaps only the approval of Lordaeron, Dalaran, and other nations.

"May the Holy Light bless Grand Marshal Rhodes, are you sure you saw the illusion of the Holy Light?" Old Mograine asked excitedly.

Unlike others, he knew some things about Rhodes; at least his adopted daughter and two sons had told him about Rhodes.

Rhodes possesses a certain ability to foresee the future, a fact that has been confirmed multiple times. Uther was able to obtain the Silver Hand Warhammer because of Rhodes' prophecy.

Before Arthas's betrayal, Rhodes had been vehemently advising King Terenas against building a magical ship and sailing west to the continent of Kalimdor.

According to the information his son brought back from Kalimdor, Rhodes also demonstrated the prophetic abilities of the Holy Light on several occasions after arriving in the world of Kalimdor.

If someone else had said it, it would likely have been meant to comfort someone, but if Rod said it, then things would be different.

"Grand Marshal Rhodes, I also believe what you say. I have personally witnessed your Holy Light Angels and your Holy Fire Phoenix. They are pure Holy Light beings, beautiful and powerful."

"It is the nemesis of all demons, undead, and shadow creatures. To receive such favor from the Holy Light, you must have felt the true meaning of the Holy Light and received its revelation." Dathorhan said from the other side.

He had personally witnessed the two Archangels of Light beside Rhodes, as well as the incredibly powerful Holy Fire Phoenix. These powerful creatures possessed physical bodies far beyond human imagination, and their might was enough to rival an army.

Moreover, Rhodes's mastery of Holy Light is definitely no less than theirs, and may even be more powerful.

"Believe me, both of you, I have received the revelation of the Holy Light. The Holy Light has favored me and sent powerful beings of the Holy Light to protect me," Rhodes said to the crowd, while summoning two archangels of the Holy Light and a Holy Fire Phoenix whose entire body was engulfed in terrifying holy fire.

The appearance of these three creatures greatly shocked Yuan Zhenjing, especially the Holy Fire Phoenix, whose terrifying size almost covered the sky above Glory Fortress.

The two archangels of holy light are about 5 meters tall and wield golden greatswords. One of them, in particular, has a very peculiar greatsword, and the holy light power emanating from it is no less than that of the Ashbringer. This is the Holy Light Judgment.

This weapon, in the hands of the Archangel of Light, is constantly purified by the pure power of holy light. Its core, the source of holy light, continuously absorbs this power. Recently, Rhode's acquisition of the Holy Phoenix has further accelerated the evolution of this core. Now, whenever possible, Rhode commands his two Archangels of Light, along with the Holy Phoenix, to infuse the sword with holy light, further enhancing its power.

“Great holy light, what a sacred life this is.”

"Is this the legendary angel? The legendary angel really exists."

"Is this... a phoenix? It's somewhat similar to the Sunchaser family, but different. What burns on its body isn't flames, but pure holy light," Danas exclaimed in admiration.

A large number of expeditionary soldiers knelt down to pay homage to the beautiful and holy beings of the Holy Light. Rhode also had three Holy Light creatures cooperate with the three Holy Light angels to spread their huge wings. Terrifying holy power emanated from their bodies, turning into two pillars of light that shone above the Glory Treasure.

The Holy Fire Phoenix was even more terrifying, soaring directly into the sky and letting out a cry.

A few specks of pale golden holy light shone from his body, carrying with them some of the phoenix's regenerative power and the healing effect of the holy light, making all the expeditionary soldiers present feel a sense of comfort.

The hidden injuries and fatigue from the cursed land within his body were completely swept away.

"I am the embodiment of the Holy Light. The great Holy Light has favored me and sent powerful angels, and the sacred phoenix has also lent me a helping hand."

"The power of holy light will also condense into true holy light elements, fighting alongside me." Rhode spread his arms, and a terrifying golden light surged from his body.

At this moment, Rhodes summoned the power of holy light to its maximum extent, making this cursed land, ruled by demons, appear incredibly sacred.

Maiev, the night elf standing to the side, was quite displeased with Rhodes's pretentious behavior. "Seriously? When did this guy become a messenger of the Holy Light? Aren't you a messenger of life? Aren't you an archdruid?"