Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

Chapter 364 Rhodes: Deciding to Deceive Sargeras

“No need for formalities, Rhodes,” Azshara said, taking a few steps closer and scrutinizing Rhodes with her golden eyes.

"It seems your six-month journey has been quite fruitful. I heard you went to Cenarius's territory."

It's truly astonishing that the nature demigod didn't expel you! Are you aware of recent events? It's said a new wilderness demigod has been born. Since you're residing with Lord Cenarius, have you received any news of this?

Azshara intended to ask Rhodes if he knew of the newly born Wild Demigod. Wild Demigods are generally ancient beings born in the distant past. For a new Wild Demigod to appear, it would require either the union of two Wild Demigods, or the union of a powerful Wild Demigod with a god-like being, such as the union of the Deerclops demigod and the moon goddess Elune.

Many people speculate that a female demigod gave birth to this new Wilderness Demigod, but it has only recently appeared. Wilderness Demigods also need to grow.

No one could have imagined that the person who was promoted to a demigod of the wilderness was actually Rhodes, and that Edolas had directly bestowed upon him the power of origin.

“Lord Cenarius is open to the exchange of knowledge. I have learned a great deal from the great demigod, especially about life magic,” Rhodes smiled slightly, choosing to avoid the main point in his answer.

Just kidding, the demigod of the wilderness you're looking for is me, okay?

“You should have some information, at least, considering you’ve studied magic with Cenarius for so long.” Azshara looked at me with disbelief.

"I did learn some interesting nature spells, which gave me a deeper understanding of the diversity of power in Azeroth."

As for the matter of that demigod of the wilderness, I really know nothing about it, except that Lord Cenarius went out mysteriously.

"The night the Wilderness Demigod appeared, I saw a colossal dragon in the sky with a green and gold body. It was incredibly long; judging by sight alone, it was at least a hundred meters long," Rhodes said.

"Alright, it seems that the information you know is about the same as what I know. It doesn't matter. That Wilderness Demigod will definitely appear in the race in the future. After all, every Wilderness Demigod has been good to our Night Elf race."

Next, let's talk about something else. Rhodes, you are a rare traveler who can wield the Holy Light, a power that is... on the 'order side'.

You should know that the spectrum of power in the universe is far broader than you realize, and the power you wield is insignificant compared to it.

Here it comes. Rhodes felt a chill run down his spine, knowing the real show was about to begin.

"What does Your Majesty mean?" Rhodes asked with a smile.

“I have come into contact with a greater being, Rhodes, a true god.” Azshara leaned forward slightly, her voice low, carrying an alluring quality as if sharing a secret.

This was a task personally assigned by Sargeras, and she had to complete it. She might not be able to persuade Rhodes, but Sargeras certainly could.

"When I left, you told me about this powerful god Sargeras, but to be honest, his reputation in the universe isn't very good. Queen Azshara, are you really going to hand over your empire to him?" Rhodes asked.

It seems that Azshara has already established deep contact with Sargeras, and the entire upper echelon of the night elves has decided to pledge allegiance to the Burning Legion, while the common people below know nothing. It's quite tragic that someone as proud as Azshara could have moments of fear, and that she would have to hand over her empire to the destroyer of this world.

"The existence that transcends the limits of mortal imagination, the great true god Sargeras, made me understand that the arcane arts, nature, and even the Holy Light you use are merely tributaries in the vast ocean of power, not particularly powerful at all. In particular, the Holy Light you use, Lord Sargeras told me, is nothing more than the other side of shadow, a lackey of the Void army. The ultimate form of Holy Light is the Void, and Lord Sargeras has already shown me this."

"But there is a power that represents change, destruction, and rebirth; it is the true driving force propelling the universe forward—that is fel energy," Azshara said, opening her arms.

“I do not deny this, Your Majesty. The ultimate form of Holy Light is indeed Shadow, while the ultimate form of loving you is Holy Light. I once used a gem that emitted powerful Shadow power and infused it with powerful Holy Light to transform it into a crystal that emitted divine light.”

"The most sacred beings in the universe, once they exhaust their holy light, will transform into the most evil shadow demons," Rhodes said.

Azshara's eyes lit up. It seemed she didn't need to say much. Rhodes understood the nature of the Holy Light. Sargeras had shown her a Naaru whose power had been drained, which would eventually turn into a disgusting shadow monster. The essence of the Holy Light was actually the lackey of the shadow, and the shadow was the greatest enemy of this world. Sargeras was there to fight against the shadow.

"That great being is different! He is the master of evil power, the embodiment of chaos and change."

He saw your potential, Rhodes. Now that you have discovered the truth of the Holy Light, you should understand what a great gift this is.

He believes that with your understanding and control of the Holy Light, if you could instead embrace the truth of evil energy, you would reach unprecedented heights!

"Imagine it, Rhodes! You will surpass all demigods, even... approaching the realm of true gods!"

"That great being is willing to personally guide you and bestow this honor upon you! Transform your Holy Light into Fel energy, and he will grant you immense power," Azshara said.

"Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty, but you mean you want to take me to be introduced, is that right? To introduce me to this great true god, are you sure he will accept me?" Rhodes asked.

It would be interesting to see Sargeras for myself. Suddenly, a crazy idea popped into Rhodes' mind: Azeroth needed to gather all six Forces, and Fel energy was the most difficult to obtain.

Because what Azeroth needs is not ordinary fel energy; the closer it is to the source, the more terrifying it is, the better. The source of fel energy gives birth to demons, but among all demons, Sargeras is the most powerful.

If I can gain Sargeras' trust and obtain enough fel power from him, things will become much simpler.

Perhaps this matter could be planned. Going undercover would be a good option, and if I don't agree today, Azshara might gather all the Highborne mages to attack me.

Rhodes could clearly sense dozens of powerful beings around him, including night elves and demons from the Burning Legion.

Azshara didn't believe in the idea of ​​"a day's marriage brings a hundred days of grace." Although she had had an intimate relationship with the Queen, Sargeras would definitely take action against her if he gave the order.

“Your caution is wise, Rhodes. That great being is an extremely generous god, but you must maintain the proper respect. I will take you to see him and let you witness his power for yourself.” Azshara smiled slightly.

It seems I have successfully persuaded Rhodes. After all, no one can refuse such powerful strength. Rhodes is not from the planet Azeroth. He travels in the astral plane and knows better than I do how strong Sargeras is.

"That being wishes to speak with you personally, in the deepest secret chamber of the palace."

There, you will feel real power and make choices.

"Rhodes, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Will you become a 'hero' in the eyes of mortals, or will you join me on the path to godhood?"

Rhodes looked up and met Azshara's gaze. A few seconds later, he stood up as well.

“Your Majesty, your words have stirred my heart. To be able to converse with such a great being is an unparalleled opportunity. I wish to see him and hear his teachings.”

Let's infiltrate Sa's house first. This time we can get a free ride on the fel energy. Why not?

Mr. Sa, look what I've done to you, I've even managed to swindle you out of your underwear.

Azshara's smile grew even brighter as she reached out her hand.

“A wise choice, Rhodes. Trust me, this will be the most important meeting of your life. Now, come with me.”

Azshara led Rod out of the Moonlight Garden, through heavily guarded corridors, and into the depths of the palace's underground.

As you descend, the arcane fragrance in the air is gradually replaced by a stifling heat carrying the scent of sulfur and ash, and the lighting on the walls changes from soft magical orbs to fel torches flickering with green flames.

Rhodes could sense the increasingly dense fel energy pollution around him. He secretly mobilized the life energy within his body, suppressing it to its deepest point, while simultaneously simulating a slight "adaptation" and "curiosity" to the surrounding fel energy environment.

Finally, they arrived at a huge, heavy black metal door. The door was engraved with intricate and eerie runes, and green energy constantly flowed within it.

Four guards stood on either side of the door—they were not night elves, but tall, dark red-skinned, horned, and green-flaming doom guards!

The demons nodded slightly to Azshara, their cold gazes falling on Rhodes with scrutiny and undisguised malice.

Ignoring the presence of the demon guards, Azshara placed her hand on a groove in the center of the door and channeled arcane energy into it.

Rumble...

The heavy metal door slowly opened inward, and a blast of scorching heat mixed with the smell of sulfur rushed out. Behind the door was an extremely vast underground hall, the floor and walls of which were made of a strange, dark red material that seemed to have been cast in metal. In the center of the hall was a huge, boiling pool of green fel energy, with bubbles constantly rising from it and hissing as they burst.

“This is it, Rhodes. Next, I will summon that great true god and have him speak with you personally,” Azshara said.

"It is an honor."

Chapter 365 Meeting the Dark Titan

The fel energy pool churned, and distorted faces occasionally surfaced in the thick green liquid—the wailing remnants of souls devoured by fel energy.

Beside the pool stood an altar made of obsidian and some kind of dark metal, the runes engraved on it emitting an ominous glow.

Azshara walked to the altar, raised her hands, and began to chant in a language. The voice was initially low and whispered, but gradually rose, echoing in the vast underground hall and intertwining with the boiling sound of the fel pool to create a strange and chaotic symphony.

Rhodes stood quietly to the side, outwardly maintaining a moderate level of awe and curiosity, but inwardly he was calculating rapidly.

Sargeras cannot descend in his true form; at most, it will be a projection of his power or an avatar... Even so, we must be extremely careful.

The corrupting influence of fel energy on the mind is pervasive, especially when facing this dark titan directly. Life energy must be deeply concealed, but a slight opening must be left, so he believes I am indeed being drawn to the power…

As Azshara's chant reached its climax, the runes on the altar suddenly glowed with a blinding green light. The center of the fel energy pool began to churn violently, forming a vortex from which a ball of fel energy flame, almost solidified, slowly rose. The flame twisted and shaped, eventually transforming into a being over ten meters tall with a vague humanoid silhouette—a monster with a demonic head, flames seemingly burning on its feet and body, and a ferocious face.

—Although it was much smaller than the legendary Dark Titan phantom, the pressure it exuded made the air seem to freeze.

Azshara stopped chanting and knelt down: "Great Sargeras, your faithful servant Azshara has brought Rod to you."

The "avatar" formed from fel flames nodded to Azshara.

Azshara immediately understood and withdrew, leaving only Sargeras's phantom and Rhodes in the room. Sargeras's phantom slowly "turned" towards Rhodes.

"Messenger of the Holy Light." Sargeras's voice echoed directly in Rhodes's mind and soul, grand, deep, and filled with endless majesty and allure.

Rhodes felt a tremor in his mind, but this time even without the two Archangels of Light by his side, Rhodes could withstand it.

Back in the Broken Isles, Rhodes had been attacked by the remnant soul of Sargeras after coming into contact with the Eye of Sargeras. He was well aware of the Dark Titan's power, but now he was a completely different person, several times stronger than he had been in the Broken Isles.

More importantly, his life level has been elevated, and he is now a true demigod, not some legendary human mage.

Rhodes himself could use fel energy, and with the addition of powerful holy light and life energy, he could naturally resist Sargeras's seduction.

The fact that his voice had failed to subdue Rhodes surprised the Dark Titan, but he quickly understood. This being was more powerful than he had imagined, having reached the level of a demigod. No wonder Savis and his two incompetent subordinates hadn't killed him.

To kill a demigod-level being, either Archimonde or Kil'jaeden would have to do it personally, or several Legion commanders would have to attack together.

Azshara did not tell Sargeras the specifics of Rhodes' situation. However, because Rhodes possessed powerful Holy Light, Sargeras naturally assumed that Rhodes was a demigod of the Holy Light. It was indeed rare for someone who had never come into contact with the Legion of the Holy Light or the Naaru to comprehend the Holy Light on his own and become a demigod.

This led to a clever misunderstanding. Sargeras would never explain anything to his subordinates. If Sargeras had specifically mentioned that Rhodes was a demigod at this moment, Azshara would definitely have associated the demigod of life with Rhodes.

"Traveler from beyond Azeroth, wielder of the Holy Light... I have heard of your deeds."

"It's quite interesting that a mere mortal could defeat one of my generals."

Rhodes steadied himself and, following the rehearsed posture, bowed slightly—not kneeling, but expressing sufficient respect: "Homage to you, great Sargeras. I have heard of your great name when I traveled through the universe, the Titan of Creation, the greatest warrior of the Pantheon, and the commander of the Burning Legion."

"Honored?" Sargeras' avatar chuckled softly.

"Most creatures feel fear and despair when they see me, but you are different... You are not afraid of me."

Even if you have heard of my reputation and know about the Burning Legion, the same applies to the Titans.

Tell me which planet you were born on, and where your civilization is located.

"I don't know the exact location, Lord Sargeras. If you want to find it, you can look for a place called the Milky Way Galaxy, the Solar System, Earth. That's my homeland," Rhodes said with a smile.

If you're so capable, why don't you travel through time and space, cross the barriers between worlds, and find Earth? Kid, you don't actually think you can break the fourth wall, do you? You're not there yet!

"The Milky Way, is that what you call your galaxy? You're quite clever; you haven't revealed the exact location of your civilization."

To be able to cultivate an existence like you, your civilization has considerable potential. Perhaps your civilization could join the Burning Legion and become my subordinate.

To contribute to the entire universe, to serve the Burning Legion, and to stop the invasion of the Void.

"I will grant you unimaginable power, enabling your entire civilization to ascend," Sargeras said.

“You’re joking, Lord Sargeras. Since I know about the Burning Legion, you should know that I will not reveal the exact coordinates of my homeland. I don’t want my world to be burned to ashes, just like this miserable world, which is about to burn for you,” Rhodes said with a smile.

"Hehehe! It seems you've been misled by those rumors too. I'm not destroying everything in the absolute sense; I'm saving this universe, saving this universe that's on the verge of death."

You have no idea about the truth of the universe. Since you are a demigod, I can tell you some things.

"This universe is facing a great crisis. Evil forces intend to invade it, and I, the defenders of the Titan Order, have decided to protect this world." Sargeras spoke with righteous indignation.