Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis.

"Are you leaving?" Cenarius asked at that moment.

They already knew that Rhodes was not from this era. Although he had become a demigod brother, he would eventually return to his own time.

The ancient war has ended, and history has moved on its predetermined course.

“It seems you all know I should leave.” Rhodes stepped forward and said calmly.

“Rhodes… or rather, ‘Azure Scale’. No matter where you come from, no matter whether we will remember these years of fighting side by side in the future, at this moment, in the hearts of the Kaldorei, you will always be a dwarf god worthy of respect, a hero who saved Azeroth.” She bowed slightly, performing a solemn priestly salute.

Rhodes quickly helped her up. "High Priestess Tyrande, you flatter me."

Protecting this world is the responsibility of everyone who loves it. You are the true guardians of this land. The future... will be difficult, but you will lead your people to find a new path.

Follow the voice of your heart, trust in the moon goddess… and the guidance of this land itself. The great soul of the planet, Azeroth, will guide you.”

Tyrande seemed to sense something and nodded slightly.

Cenarius walked over, extended his hand—rough as tree bark yet warm—and patted Rhodes on the shoulder—a gesture he had made many times, but this time, it was full of farewell.

“My disciple… Although we only have a brief master-disciple relationship in name, the wisdom, courage, and exploration of the nature of power you have shown have far exceeded my expectations. The Emerald Dreamland will always welcome you, and the path of life will always be open to you.”

Next, Rhode bid farewell to everyone in the Wilderness, and even took the time to visit the Green Dragon Queen's spiritual realm. At this time, the Green Dragon Queen was busy nurturing a new demigod, belonging to Rhode's bloodline. The two had a brief exchange before Rhode left.

Finally, the person Rhodes wanted to see was Illidan, who was imprisoned in the dungeon. Led by Tyrande and Malfurion, Rhodes entered the dungeon.

“Illidan,” Rhodes said as he walked up to him.

“You’re going back, back to that ‘future’.” Illidan’s voice was a little hoarse.

“What was I like there? A complete traitor? A madman imprisoned? Or…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but his taut jawline betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Rhodes was silent for a moment. He knew that some history could not be changed. Illidan was destined to walk that lonely and controversial path, enduring ten thousand years of imprisonment, until he was needed again and then abandoned.

But at this moment, facing this "sinner" who had just destroyed the magical source of his fellow countrymen in order to save the world, he could not say anything lightly.

"In the future, some will fear you, some will hate you, and some... will understand your choices, even if they cannot agree with them," Rhodes said slowly.

"Really? That sounds good. I will definitely not regret my choice."

“I understand, you are walking a path that no one can understand, Illidan.”

You will lose a lot and suffer even more.

But remember everything you've done today, remember your determination to save the world. That determination may, in some darkest hour of the future, become your only light. Take care.

"Stop being so wishy-washy, Rhodes. We'll meet again in 1 years. I'd love to see you then, still a naive mortal," Illidan said.

After their final farewell, Rhodes led the three transmigrators—Ronin, Krasus, and the orc Broxigar—to their destination.

Together they arrived before the Bronze Dragon King, and with a dazzling golden light, the dead man's figure was completely enveloped and departed from this era ten thousand years ago.

As Rhodes departed, a green light erupted from the Emerald Dream, erasing all memories of Rhodes and the transmigrator from everyone present.

Loward seemed to have never existed in this era, though only a few people knew that a demigod had once fought there.

Chapter 388 Offspring, the Closed Loop of Time, Rhodes' Return

Under the guidance of Nozdormu, the Bronze Dragon Aspect, the turbulent currents of time gradually subsided, and Rhodes spent more than a year in the timeline of the War of the Ancients.

When Rhodes opened his eyes again, he was standing on the grass in the Royal Garden of Lordaeron.

The afternoon sun was warm and gentle, and the air was filled with the scent of roses mixed with earth—so ordinary, yet so real.

Rhonin, Krasus, and the orc veteran Broxigar, who returned with him, also appeared one after another.

The four exchanged glances, each seeing a sense of profound感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, often including nostalgia or wistfulness) in the other's eyes. This journey had profoundly changed everyone's lives, leading them to participate in the ancient war and become legendary heroes.

“We…we’re really back.” Luo Ning’s voice trembled slightly as he crouched down and touched the grass at his feet.

“Azeroth…this is the Azeroth we know,” Rhodes sighed.

This time, his journey through time to the ancient war was a bit rushed; he left without even saying goodbye to the women in his family.

He also had two sons, a daughter, two humans, and a half-elf, which was something Rhode hadn't expected.

Perhaps there will be another dragon child in the future. No, no, according to the timeline, 1 years have passed. This child has already grown up, or even been an adult for a long time.

"How could there be orc guards here? Guards, come quick!" Just as the three were still marveling at this, a voice rang out, and more than a dozen Rodanron guards, wielding iron spears, rushed in and surrounded the group.

Seeing this, Brox was about to take out his item symbol, but then he looked at Rhodes beside him and put his hand back.

“Warriors of Lordaeron, there’s no need to be alarmed. This orc is my friend,” Rhodes said, standing up.

At this moment, the soldiers realized that the man standing in front of them was the legendary Regent, the great prince who enjoyed the same rights as Her Majesty the Queen.

The regent had been missing for more than three years, and it was unexpected that he would return.

"You, you really are the Regent! That's wonderful! You're finally back! I'll go and inform Her Majesty the Queen right away." A veteran who had fought alongside Rhodes immediately recognized the person in front of him, stopped the soldiers who had come with him, and then ran away.

Hurried footsteps came from the garden path. Rhodes looked up and saw a familiar golden figure—Calia Menethil, the Queen of Lordaeron. She was running towards him, lifting her skirt, followed by a group of hurried royal guards and a little boy who looked to be a little over three years old.

The child had black hair and black pupils like his own, with a slight Western feature, making him a typical mixed-race child.

Three years hadn't left many marks on her face, but it had made her eyes more mature and resolute. But at this moment, those eyes were filled with unbelievable, ecstatic joy and tears.

"Rhodes...is it really you?" Calia's voice trembled as she stopped a few steps away from Rhodes, as if afraid that what she was seeing was just an illusion.

Countless times, she had dreamt of her man returning, and she never imagined that this moment would finally become a reality.

“It’s me, Calia.” Rhodes gave a gentle smile.

The next moment, Calia threw herself into his arms without hesitation, her tears soaking his clothes. Rhodes gently embraced her, feeling the real warmth and trembling in his arms.

“I’m back. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you again this time,” Rhodes said.

“Three years…you’ve been gone for three whole years,” Calia said, her voice choked with emotion.

“Nozdormu said you would come back, but I worry every day… I worry that I will never see you again. I have tried all sorts of ways to save you, but the guardian dragons and even the demigods of the wilderness say that you have a mission, a mission that is hard to accept.”

"You, you are my father!"

A clear, childlike voice rang out. Rhodes looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dark-haired boy of about three years old running into the garden accompanied by a maid.

The boy was dressed in an exquisite Little Prince outfit, with delicate features, especially his eyes, which resembled Calia's. However, the expression between his brows reminded Rhodes of his own childhood self.

It was clear that he was somewhat unfamiliar with this father. His mother only said that his father had gone to a very far place and would come back to see him one day.

“Altos, this is our child, Rod. He is now over three years old. Luckily you came back early, otherwise you might have missed his childhood.”

Calia wiped away her tears, took Rhodes's hand, and walked towards the boy. "Come, meet your father. Don't be afraid."

Prince Arthos Menethil looked at Rhodes with childlike curiosity in his eyes. He stepped forward and bowed to Rhodes according to royal etiquette: "Father, welcome, welcome home."

Rod squatted down, looking at his son with deep emotion. Could this be considered an unexpected fatherhood?

"Altos, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry that your father missed the time after your birth, but I will be by your side from now on and watch you grow up."

"That's wonderful, Father. Mother misses you terribly."

“Yes, our whole family will be together,” Rod said with a smile.

“My mother said you fought to protect Azeroth,” Altos said earnestly.

“Teacher Uther said that true heroes sometimes need to leave their families to protect a larger family. I don’t blame you, Father.”

You are a hero of the League, and we extend our highest respect to you!

A warm feeling welled up in Rhodes' heart, and he picked up his son: "You are very sensible, Altos, but at this age, we shouldn't talk about honors or anything like that. Perhaps you should play the rocking horse game or learn to dance the bear dance."

“I also have a younger brother and sister, and we often go to play on the rocking horse,” Altos added.

Rhodes was taken aback and looked at Calia. The Queen smiled and nodded: "Jaina and Caponeya's child is also here."

Jaina is with Arthur in Theramore, but they can return at any time using teleportation magic. I've already sent someone to inform them, and they should be here soon.

Caponia and Iris remained in Lordaeron—she wanted her child to be exposed to both human and elven cultures.

As they were speaking, more footsteps could be heard.

"Lord Rhodes! You're finally back!" Anvina said as she walked in.

The incarnation of the Sunwell is now far more powerful than the surging holy light and magical abilities that Rhodes possessed when he left. Upon seeing Rhodes, Anvina could clearly sense that he was different; his life level had increased, even reaching the same level as hers, making him a demigod as well.

Following closely behind was Caponia Morrowind, the elegant blood elf mage who held a little girl's hand. The girl was about two and a half years old, with the pointed ears and delicate features typical of elves, but her hair was the deep black of Rhodes's, and her eyes were the emerald green inherited from her mother. Her appearance was that of a typical half-elf, and she was much more beautiful than a human.

“Rhodes, welcome back.” Caponia’s voice was calm, but the glint in her eyes betrayed her excitement.

The little girl, Alice, looked at Rhodes curiously, then timidly hid behind her mother. Rhodes walked towards them and stopped in front of Caponia: "Thank you, Caponia. Thank you for taking care of our child."

“She is my daughter too,” Carbonia said softly. In fact, after becoming pregnant, she had planned to raise the child alone.

The reason he chose to live in Lordaeron was that, even though Rhodes had a very high reputation among the blood elves and was even a friend of the prince, half-elves were not well-liked. He chose this place so that his children could have a perfect environment to grow up in.

Then he looked down at Alice and said, "My dear, this is your father."

Rhodes crouched down and reached out his hand to the little girl. Alice hesitated for a moment, then finally placed her small hand in his palm.

“Hello, Alice,” Rod said gently.

“Father,” Alice responded softly, then suddenly asked, “Did you really defeat the demon? Mother said you went to a place long ago to fight the demon.”

“Yes, I defeated many demons,” Rhodes said with a smile, casually patting his daughter’s head. His little girl was always cuter when she was young.

"If you want to hear it, I can tell you a story later."

Soon, a blue teleportation light shone from within the palace, and Jaina, with her golden hair, waved her staff and rushed back with her son.

The child also inherited Rod's black hair, but his eyes were blue, and like his mother, he was more than half a year younger than his eldest son.

"Oh my god, Rhodes, you bastard, you're finally back! You bastard, you left without even saying goodbye." Although she cultivated the frost attribute, the female mage had a rather fiery temper. After all, motherhood makes one strong, and one's temper changes after having a child.

“Me too. Suddenly, it was all the Bronze Dragon King’s fault, but everything has been resolved perfectly. I’ve put the timeline back on track,” Rhodes said with a smile.

“If you had come back a few years later, I promise I would never have seen my son again.” Jaina rushed forward and gave Rhodes a big hug.

“That won’t do. I have to tell my children my legendary stories. I’m the one who dared to deceive the Titans of Creation.”

"I want to hear it!" Altos said excitedly in Rhodes' arms.

“Haha, no problem. Does anyone else want to hear my legendary epic stories?” Rhodes said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, several children immediately raised their hands.

Looking at the scene before him, Rhodes felt a mix of emotions.

These three children—Arthos, Arthur (born to Jaina), and Iris—are his deepest bond with this era. Azeroth once said that eternal life means learning to say goodbye to mortals, but at this moment, Rhodes is determined: whatever the future holds, he will create the best possible future for his family.