"I understand, Rhodes. I'll do my best to deter those Night Elves without taking their lives. Don't worry—I also wish to maintain peace with them," the sorceress said.
The relationship between the Night Elves and the Alliance was simply too critical. If it weren't for Rhodes' request, she wouldn't have participated in this battle at all, but since he had asked, she had to brace herself and follow through. According to Rhodes' memories, this elite Night Elf unit did not answer to Tyrande or Malfurion; they obeyed only their Mistress.
"I trust your judgment. If things truly get out of hand, just withdraw. Just don't let them discover your identity," Rhodes added.
After finalizing the arrangements, Rhodes and Illidan entered the Tomb of Sargeras together.
The Tomb was a highly peculiar domain. Hundreds of years ago, Aegwynn buried the Avatar of Sargeras here and sank the temple into the ocean, where it remained until Gul'dan raised it back to the surface a little over a decade ago
. (The game campaigns say twenty years, but that's chronologically inaccurate, as the Second War ended because of Gul'dan's betrayal, and the Dark Portal had only been open for a few years then).
As the two entered the shattered, ancient Night Elf architecture, a pervasive, eerie aura filled the air—a mix of Fel energy and the stench of death. Scattered around were the remains of Orcs—the warlocks Gul'dan had brought with him. Sensing the living presence of Rhodes and Illidan, these Orcish undead began to stir, skeletal remains rattling as they rose to attack.
Rhodes snorted coldly. Golden light flared in his palms as he unleashed Holy magic. Holy Bolt and Divine Storm rippled outward, instantly disintegrating the surrounding skeletal Orcs.
"Holy magic is indeed effective against Orcs. You should summon some Light Elementals," Illidan suggested, glancing at Rhodes.
"Exactly what I was thinking." Rhodes equipped his Fire Magic Scroll and summoned fourteen Light Elementals. They drifted around him, their bodies shimmering in radiant gold with flowing, luminous hair. Their female forms appeared more solidified now that Rhodes had attained Intermediate Air Magic, though their numbers remained the same. Perhaps once he mastered Expert Air Magic, the count would increase.
The moment they appeared, the Light Elementals dispelled the gloom of the Tomb. Divine radiance illuminated the pitch-black corridors. Demonic entities corrupted by Fel energy perished the moment they touched this concentrated Holy light.
Illidan felt a distinct wave of discomfort. Having fully transformed into a demon, he felt an instinctive revulsion toward these beings of pure Light. However, as an ally, he said nothing. He remembered that when he was born, his eyes had glowed with a golden light similar to the energy these creatures emitted.
Sargeras had extinguished that light personally, replacing it with spectral Fel sight. It was a shame, perhaps, but Illidan sought absolute power, and the Light didn't quite suit his methods—even if he was born as the prophesied "Child of Light."
"Keep those things away from me. Let's move," Illidan muttered. The two delved deeper into the Tomb.
They encountered waves of Orcish undead who still retained some of their mortal abilities, such as casting Fel spells. These were members of the Shadow Council. Rhodes vaguely recalled that one elderly Orc warlock had actually survived the initial slaughter in the lore, but he couldn't remember his name or exact location.
After clearing the outer skeletons, they ran into lower-tier demons: Imps, Felguards, and Felhunters. Rhodes didn't hesitate; he commanded the Light Elementals to charge while he rained down Holy spells. He was essentially steamrolling the dungeon, refusing to leave a single demon alive. He also summoned several Gold and Diamond Golems for protection, along with his Archangel.
When the Archangel appeared, the demons were met with utter devastation. None could withstand the celestial being's blade. This was a creature whose raw power was capable of decapitating even a weakened Archimonde.
Illidan's original plan was to bypass the demons using his Demon Hunter stealth, but Rhodes insisted on a frontal assault. "I can't just let these fourteen Light Elementals sit on the sidelines, can I? And the Archangel needs exercise."
"We should conserve our strength. There are powerful demons deeper in this tomb. You don't actually plan on exterminating all of them, do you?" Illidan asked, frowning.
"Why not? If we leave them, they'll just crawl out later to plague Azeroth. We have the power to end them now," Rhodes said nonchalantly.
"It will waste too much time."
"Nonsense. With these Light Elementals and my magic, they won't last a minute." Rhodes was brimming with confidence. His Magic Arrow alone now dealt over 200 damage thanks to his artifacts and Expert Earth and Fire magic, all for the measly cost of 4 Mana. Most demons in this tomb didn't have 200 HP, especially the mindless grunts.
"You're a magnet for trouble. Fine—you stay here and play janitor; I'm going for the Eye of Sargeras," Illidan said. His primary goal was the artifact, not a crusade against minor demons. He was already sick of the Light Elementals' presence; the Archangel was even worse. Standing near it made his demonic skin sting with a burning sensation.
Without waiting for a reply, Illidan vanished into a blur of stealth, darting toward the depths of the tomb as a flickering shadow.
"Hey! Wait! We should stick together!" Rhodes called out, but the Demon Hunter was gone. Dammit! Illidan clearly doesn't want to play 'clear the map' with me. But is this just a game? No, this is a raid with loot!
Regardless, Rhodes continued alone. Flanked by Light Elementals, Golems, and his Archangel, he swept through the demonic ranks. The deeper he went, the higher the rank of the demons became. Felhunters tried to pounce and drain his mana, only to be turned into pincushions by Light bolts. A group of Shivarra assassins tried to slip past his summons to strike at Rhodes directly.
"Protect the Master!" the Archangel intoned with an ethereal, majestic voice. Her wings flared, and a Holy Nova erupted from Rhodes, knocking the demons back as holy fire seared their flesh.
Rhodes calmly raised his hand and fired a Magic Arrow, vaporizing the lead Shivarra. Eager to test his boosted Fire magic, he then launched a barrage of Fireballs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Enhanced by his artifacts and Expert skills, the explosions were cataclysmic. Fel limbs and scorched armor scattered everywhere. Any survivors were quickly purified by the Light Elementals. It was a one-sided slaughter; Rhodes barely had to use high-level magic.
While Rhodes was busy "farming" the Tomb of Sargeras, a fleet of Night Elf ships finally reached the Broken Shore.
Maiev Shadowsong and her Wardens had arrived.