pertwk Page 121
Page 121
“If you’re going to deal with Illidan, then you should take me with you. I know that guy very well, and once I get close, Illidan can’t beat me,” Maiev said.
This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! That idiot Illidan actually wants to use a fel artifact to sink a continent; this is tantamount to making an enemy of all life on Azeroth.
“I’m going there to negotiate. I have a good relationship with Illidan, and I will try to persuade him to abandon this crazy idea. The Lich King has already suffered heavy losses, so there’s no need to do anything unnecessary,” Rhodes said, shaking his head.
Maiev was quite confident. Rhodes actually thought Illidan was stronger than Maiev, but Maiev was a good counter to him.
The first quest for the Blood Elves after entering Outland is to rescue Illidan, who escaped to Outland after rescuing Tyrande.
Maiev chased after Illidan and defeated and captured him. She even took Illidan with her, intending to go to Watchtower and make contact with the humans there.
But unexpectedly, Vashj and Kael'thas appeared halfway and rescued Illidan. The strength of the forces in Azeroth has always been a mystery!
Logically speaking, Maiev should be inferior to Illidan after he transforms into a full Demon Hunter, but strangely enough, Maiev subdued Illidan with only a few subordinates.
According to some speculations in the chronicles, many netizens suspected that Illidan used a fel artifact before his time travel, and then rushed to rescue Tyrande, which caused him to be over-exhausted and allowed Maiev to take advantage of the situation.
Otherwise, Illidan wouldn't have become the ruler of Outland and even destroyed a planet belonging to the Burning Legion.
“I’m definitely going with them,” Maiev said.
“Alright, whatever you say. Let’s set off now.” After a moment’s thought, Rhodes nodded in agreement.
Since Maiev isn't by my side, there aren't many people in the entire camp who can control her. Rather than letting her stay here and become a destabilizing factor, it's better for her to stay by my side.
“It’s a wise choice. I’ll help you,” Maiev said.
"Then let's not delay, let's set off immediately."
Soon, Rhodes, along with Kael'thas and Maiev, left the military camp and headed towards a hidden underground cave east of Dalaran.
Because there was an orc spy in the background, Rhodes knew Illidan's location clearly and could find him easily.
The three of them spent several hours successfully reaching the cave entrance, where a group of Naga were guarding it.
Upon seeing Rhodes and the others, they immediately became alert.
Chapter 195 Stop, Illidan, I'll help you.
"Stop! Who are you? Get out of here!" Several Naga guards immediately approached, and judging from their posture, they were ready to attack at the slightest provocation.
Rhodes snorted and casually unleashed an Arcane Blast, a move somewhat similar to Shinra Tensei from the Naruto world, releasing an arcane energy wave centered on himself.
It attacks all enemies within its range, but the power of this move is pitiful. However, it depends on who uses it. When Rhode uses this move, its power is extremely high.
The dozen or so Naga guards who had rushed forward were instantly blasted away. If Rhode hadn't shown mercy and slightly controlled the power of the spell, they would be corpses by now.
Such a terrifying attack immediately alerted the other Naga guards, and a large number of Naga guards rushed out and surrounded Rhodes, Kael'thas, and Maiev.
“I am a good friend of your master Illidan, or you can inform Lady Vashj that I met Illidan on the Broken Shore,” Rhodes said.
The Naga guards who had surrounded him immediately changed their expressions when they saw Rhodes.
The Naga guards at the cave entrance clearly recognized Rhodes—after all, their cooperation at the Tomb of Sargeras was still fresh in their minds. Although they remained wary of Kael'thas and Maiev, they made way for them and announced their arrival in hoarse Naga language.
Rhodes didn't have to wait long. A tall female Naga emerged from the cavern; it was Lady Vashj, Illidan's chief lieutenant.
"Stop! Don't offend our guest. If this guest had been angry, you would all be dead. I'm sorry, Lord Rhodes, Lord Illidan didn't know you were coming."
Vashj said to Rhodes, glancing at Kael'thas and Maiev beside Rhodes. It seemed that Lord Rhodes had taught this fierce woman what etiquette was.
Maiev glanced at Vasch and snorted without saying a word. At this moment, she was under Rhodes' control and dared not launch a verbal attack. Otherwise, if he called her a prisoner, she would be the one who would be speechless.
“Vashj, I have important business with Illidan, and I hope you can take me to see him,” Rhodes said.
“You are Lord Illidan’s friend, and naturally I am his friend as well. Come with me, Lord Rhodes, I will take you to meet Lord Illidan.” Vashj gestured for Rhodes to enter.
After leading the three into the cave, Vaschi looked at Rhodes and spoke.
“Lord Rhodes, the orc you sent to support Lord Illidan has been introduced to him by me. He is very strong, especially in fel magic, and can be of great help to Lord Illidan.”
Previously, these Naga mages couldn't help Lord Illidan wield the fel artifacts, but that old orc could.
"It's good that he can help, but I'm here for the Eye of Sargeras this time too," Rhodes nodded and said.
The cave's interior was far deeper and more expansive than it appeared from the outside. Fel energy flickered and danced on the walls, and the air was thick with the pungent stench of a mixture of arcane and fel energy. The path wound its way downwards, eventually leading to a massive underground grotto.
In the center of the cave, the Eye of Sargeras hovered in mid-air, radiating a terrifying energy that sent chills down one's spine. Illidan Stormrage hovered before the artifact, arms outstretched, channeling the energy with all his might. Numerous Naga guards protected him, while the newly joined Dar'Thul sat cross-legged beside him, helping to maintain the stability of the magic circle.
Several Naga witches were scattered around, chanting ancient incantations to assist Illidan in casting spells.
"Illidan! Stop right now, I need to talk to you." Rhodes' voice echoed in the cave, interrupting Illidan's continuous chanting.
Illidan paused slightly, his demonic wings folding as he slowly turned around, his blind eye, burning with malevolent flames, "looking" in Rhodes' direction. "Rhodes? You've come...and brought guests?"
His voice carried a hint of annoyance at being disturbed, but more so surprise, especially when he "saw" Kael'thas and Maiev.
Kael'thas, however, appeared much more cautious. He scrutinized the suspended Eye of Sargeras, a deep sense of apprehension and a barely perceptible desire flashing in his eyes—such a powerful energy source, if only it could be used to his advantage…
Their blood elf race will rise to power, and they will even be able to easily repair the Sun's Edge, obtain everything, and fulfill all their desires.
"Kael'thas! Calm your mind and don't be seduced by that weapon. Sargeras' will is within it. Don't fall for it!" Rhodes immediately noticed that something was wrong with Kael'thas beside him and hurriedly shouted, using his own holy light energy to dispel the influence of the fel artifact.
"I...I'm alright, my God, this weapon was actually bewitching me, it's an extremely evil thing." Kael'thas looked terrified.
How dangerous! No wonder it's Sargeras's stuff; just one glance almost made my mind succumb.
“Just be careful. I almost fell for his trick before, but that was when I was in contact with him. You need to stay calm, Kyle,” Rhodes said.
It seems there's a reason why Kael'thas fell into the path of practicing fel magic in the future. After experiencing the tragic loss of his kingdom and home, Kael'thas craved power.
He even forgot that Kil'jaeden, who had extended an olive branch to him, was actually the culprit behind the destruction of Quel'Thalas.
"I'm extremely busy right now, as you should know. If you have anything to say, you'd better speak quickly." For some reason, Illidan had a feeling that Rhodes' visit this time was not for anything good.
"Illidan Stormrage!" Maiev's voice was as cold as a knife. Her hand was already on the blade wheel behind her back, and she crouched slightly, assuming a battle stance.
Enemies meeting are bound to be furious, but Rod stopped them.
“Relax, Maiev.” Rhodes raised his hand to stop the Warden from going berserk, then looked at Illidan. “Illidan, old friend, I’m here to persuade you to stop.”
"Stop?" Illidan scoffed, the energy channeling not completely halted; the Eye of Sargeras was still trembling slightly. "Why? We're about to succeed! The Lich King's power is rapidly waning, and the Frozen Throne has cracked!"
"Give me just a little more time, and I can finally eliminate that traitor Ner'zhul, fulfill Kil'jaeden's orders, and rid all of us of a major threat!"
"Did you hear that? Rhodes has indeed betrayed us; he's actually serving Kil'jaeden." Maiev looked at Rhodes with excitement.
At this point, if Rhodes gives the order, she will immediately rush to deal with Illidan.
"Don't say things that could be misunderstood. Others may not know your true purpose, but do you think I don't? Your real goal is to destroy the Burning Legion."
"As for you, Maiev, I told you to relax a little, don't be so tense, you're making the atmosphere less pleasant," Rhodes said.
"The Lich King is a major threat to Azeroth. Getting rid of them is a good thing. Why are you stopping me?" Illidan asked.
"And then?" Rhodes asked calmly.
"Let the entire continent of Northrend perish for you? Do you know the consequences of doing so? Rising sea levels, tectonic shifts, and the resulting catastrophe will sweep across all of Azeroth!"
Quel'Thalas, Lordaeron, the coastlines of Kalimdor… countless lives will face annihilation! And something even more terrifying will be unleashed—is this the 'salvation' you sought?
“Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. If you want to destroy the Scourge, then you have to bear the consequences,” Illidan said with a cold snort.
“A necessary sacrifice? Lord Illidan, I understand your hatred for the Lich King, but we blood elves want to destroy him even more than you do.”
But Regent Rhodes is right, the cost of destroying a continent is too high. Kael'thas couldn't help but speak up.
"Furthermore, are you sure Kil'jaeden will let you and Azeroth go after you complete your mission?"
"Illidan, it doesn't matter if the Old Gods are released. You should know about Ulduar, right? Don't you know what's imprisoned under Ulduar?"
"We can attack the Lich King, and if you can precisely destroy the Frozen Throne, then I'll wholeheartedly support it. But if it's about destroying the entire continent of Northrend, then that's unacceptable," Rhodes said, shaking his head.
Illidan paused for a moment, seemingly weighing his options. He wasn't a completely reckless madman, but his pursuit of power and goals often made him overlook other things, and Kil'jaeden's orders weighed heavily on his mind.
Lady Vashj hissed, “Master, they have a point. The Legion’s promises are not to be trusted.”
Darkthul raised his head and echoed, "Powerful demon hunters, destroying the balance of the world is not the work of a wise man. We have severely damaged the Lich King, and our objective has been partially achieved."
“Illidan, if you are unwilling, then I will have to stop you. Are you sure you want to be my enemy?” Rhodes said.
Illidan looked at Rhodes, hesitated for a moment, then sighed helplessly. He then completely stopped channeling energy, and the light of the Eye of Sargeras gradually dimmed, along with the suffocating fel pressure. He slowly landed on the ground, his wings completely folded.
No conflict ultimately broke out between the two sides, and at Rhodes's urging, Illidan ceased his attack on the Frozen Throne.
“I understand, Rhodes. I will stop attacking the Frozen Throne, but you will have to work with me to destroy this evil weapon in a while, so that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”
"You must also help me deal with Kil'jaeden. I failed his mission, and he won't let me off the hook," Illidan said.
“No problem, that’s exactly why I’m here. I will help you destroy the Eye of Sargeras and we will face Kil’jaeden together.”
Chapter 196 Demanding the Water of the Well of Eternity, Outer Realms Plan
"If Kil'jaeden dares to come to Azeroth, I'll help you take him down."
Dealing with Kil'jaeden is no problem at all. To put it bluntly, if Kil'jaeden dared to show his true form in Azeroth right now, Rhodes would be more than willing to send him back to the Twisting Nether to resurrect him.
In version 7.0, Kil'jaeden was defeated by Illidan, Khadgar, Prophet Velen, and of course, a group of less important cannon fodder adventurers.
The power system in the world of Azeroth is severely broken! In the original Warcraft III game, Archimonde and Kil'jaeden were at the top level of power.
According to the established lore, these two beings are practically invincible after their true forms descend upon Azeroth; no one can defeat them.
As a result, Archimonde, an extremely important boss in Warcraft history, mysteriously disappeared in version 6.0, and the egg was also gone in version 7.0.
Later on, the adventurers of Azeroth seemed to have a cheat code. In version 8.0, they destroyed the Old Gods. In version 9.0, they stormed into the Shadowlands to fight Zova the Eternal. In version 10.0, they took a short break and then immediately fought the Voidlord Dimonxius.
It's really hard to explain! There's a saying that goes, "If you dare to show your health bar, I'll kill you in a heartbeat."
With Titans, Phoenixes, and Archangels of Light on Rhodes' side, plus their own hero-level strength, Kael'thas, Illidan, and Maiev seem to have no problem killing Kil'jaeden!
“Let’s destroy the Eye of Sargeras together first! This weapon is extremely dangerous,” Illidan said to Rhodes.
Rhodes nodded, and the two of them went to the center of the magic circle together.
“Lord Rhodes and Lord Illidan, I think we might be able to keep this artifact; he might find it very useful,” said Darkthul, an old acquaintance standing to the side.
Having worked with Illidan to activate the Eye of Sargeras these past few days, he clearly understands just how powerful this artifact from Sargeras, the lord of the Burning Legion, truly is.
He had never seen a weapon containing such powerful evil energy. Using this artifact, he could easily tear any enemy apart. It would be a shame to destroy it like this.
"Don't be seduced by this weapon. I told you long ago about Darkthul; he will only bewitch you. When you can't resist this seduction, you will become a slave to power," Illidan said meaningfully.
“That’s right. Back in the Tomb of Sargeras, even I almost fell victim to this weapon.” Rhodes was also quite wary of this weapon, the Eye of Sargeras.