The Fel pool churned violently. Within the thick green liquid, distorted faces surfaced intermittently—wailing remnants of souls consumed by Fel energy.
Beside the pool stood an altar crafted from obsidian and a dark, unidentified metal, its inscribed runes glowing with an ominous, faint light. Azshara approached the altar, her hands raised high as she began to chant in an alien tongue. Her voice started as a low whisper but gradually rose, echoing through the vast subterranean hall and weaving into a bizarre, frantic symphony with the seething sounds of the Fel pool.
Rhodes stood silently to the side. On the surface, he maintained an appropriate mix of awe and curiosity, but his mind was racing.
Sargeras cannot manifest his true body here; at most, this is a power projection or an avatar... even so, I must be extremely careful. Fel corruption is insidious, especially when facing the Dark Titan directly. My life energy must be buried deep, but I need to leave a tiny "crack" in my defense, letting him believe I am truly being enticed by this power...
As Azshara's chant reached its crescendo, the runes on the altar flared with a blinding green light. The center of the Fel pool erupted. A vortex formed, and from it rose a mass of Fel flame so dense it was nearly solid. The flames twisted and shaped themselves into a figure over ten meters tall—a monstrous silhouette with demonic horns, feet and body wreathed in fire, and a terrifying countenance.
Though far smaller than the legendary spectral image of the Dark Titan, the sheer pressure it radiated seemed to turn the air into stone.
Azshara ceased her chanting and prostrated herself. "Great Sargeras, your loyal servant Azshara has brought Rhodes before you."
The "avatar" of condensed Fel flame nodded to her. Understanding the cue, Azshara immediately withdrew, leaving only Rhodes and the phantom of Sargeras in the chamber. The phantom slowly "turned" toward Rhodes.
"Messenger of the Light." Sargeras's voice resonated directly within Rhodes's mind and the depths of his soul—vast, low, and filled with infinite authority and allure.
Rhodes felt his mind tremble, but this time, even without the two Holy Archangels by his side, he could hold his ground. Back in the Broken Isles, Rhodes had been struck by a fragment of Sargeras's soul through the Eye of Sargeras; he knew the Dark Titan's power well. But he was no longer the man he was then. His strength had increased severalfold, and more importantly, his life-level had ascended. He was now a true demigod, not merely a legendary human mage.
Rhodes could already wield Fel, and combined with his powerful Holy Light and life energy, he was naturally resistant to Sargeras's whispers.
The Dark Titan was somewhat surprised that his voice alone hadn't conquered Rhodes. However, he quickly rationalized it: this lifeform was more formidable than he had imagined. His life-level had already reached that of a demigod. No wonder Xavius and his two incompetent subordinates had failed to kill him. To slay a demigod, one would need Archimonde or Kil'jaeden themselves, or an ambush by several Legion commanders.
Azshara had not told Sargeras the specific details of Rhodes's nature. Because Rhodes possessed such potent Holy Light, Sargeras naturally assumed he was a "Demigod of the Light"—one who had mastered the Light and ascended without the guidance of the Army of the Light or the Naaru. Such an occurrence was rare indeed.
It was a perfect misunderstanding. Sargeras was not the type to explain himself to subordinates; if he were to explicitly name Rhodes a "demigod" now, Azshara would surely connect Rhodes to the mysterious "Life Demigod" she was investigating.
"Traveler from beyond Azeroth, master of the Holy Light... I have heard of your deeds. To defeat my generals with a mortal frame—it is intriguing."
Rhodes steadied his spirit. Following his rehearsed plan, he bowed slightly—not a prostration, but a gesture of sufficient respect. "My greetings to you, Great Sargeras. During my travels through the cosmos, I have heard of your name: the Titan of Creation, the greatest warrior of the Pantheon, and the Commander of the Burning Legion."
"Honor?" Sargeras's avatar let out a low, rumbling laugh. "Most beings feel only terror and despair upon seeing me. You are different... you do not fear me. Even knowing my name, the Legion, and the Titans, you remain steadfast. Tell me, upon which planet were you born? Where is your civilization?"
"I do not know its specific coordinates, Lord Sargeras," Rhodes said with a smile. "But if you wish to look, you can search for a place called the Milky Way, the Solar System, Earth. That is my home."
Go ahead, try to cross space-time and world barriers to find Earth, kid, Rhodes thought. You think you can break the fourth wall? You're not there yet!
"The Milky Way... is that what you call your galaxy? You are clever, hiding the location of your civilization. For a world to produce a being like you, it must have decent potential. Perhaps your civilization could join the Burning Legion and become my subordinates. Contribute to the universe, serve the Legion, and stop the invasion of the Void. I shall grant you unimaginable power and let your entire civilization ascend."
"You must be joking, Lord Sargeras," Rhodes chuckled. "Since I know of the Burning Legion, you must realize I would never reveal my home's coordinates. I have no desire to see my world burned to ash—just like this tragic world, which is about to burn for you."
"Hahaha! It seems you have been misled by rumors. I am not 'destruction' in the absolute sense. I am saving this universe—saving a universe on the brink of death. You do not understand the truth of the cosmos. Since you are a demigod-level being, I can share some things with you." Sargeras spoke with an air of righteous indignation. "This universe faces a colossal crisis. Evil forces intend to invade, and I, the protector of the Titan's Order, have decided to defend this world."
"Wait a moment, Lord Sargeras," Rhodes interjected immediately. "As far as I know, you are the greatest invader and destroyer. Every civilization that knows of the Legion views you as the ultimate threat. And yet, you say the universe is being invaded, and the invader isn't you?"
To earn Sargeras's respect, one had to be strong and unyielding. If you cowered, he would only look down on you. Rhodes released his Holy Light, allowing it to condense around his body like a brilliant golden barrier, making him appear radiant.
"Powerful Light... stronger than many Naaru I have encountered. Impressive. At your level, you should know that the six primal forces of the universe have corresponding deities. For instance, the Pantheon of Order corresponds to us Titans. But the other side of Order is Chaos; thus, I am both a god of Order and a god of Chaos. There are other pantheons—those of Life, Death, Light, and Shadow. But the physical universe is a firm barrier. We of the Order were born as World-Souls within this reality. We brought order and peace, but the gods of Shadow and Light seek to invade our realm. They wear the mask of mercy while committing atrocities. Have you heard of the Old Gods? They are but seeds cast out by the Void Lords. They parasite upon planets, siphoning their power to summon the Void Lords to consume the world. The extreme of Light is Shadow; you have realized this. The Shadow is the greatest threat to this universe. I created the Burning Legion to purge this Shadow and protect existence."
Sargeras sounded heroic, but Rhodes felt like rolling his eyes. You're no better than the Void, you old bastard. If you wanted to protect the world, you'd be hunting Void Lords, not slaughtering common life.
However, on the surface, Rhodes feigned a look of profound shock, as if hearing this for the first time. "Lord Sargeras... you mean your Burning Crusade is meant to protect the universe, not destroy it? You are dealing with the threat of the Void?"
"Exactly. The Void is cunning. Some worlds have been completely infected—on the surface, they look fine, but their core is corrupted. On Azeroth, there are five Old Gods. Two are effectively dead, and three were imprisoned by my brothers, yet they still harm this world. I descend not to destroy Azeroth's World-Soul, but to save a pitiful sister. She is being corrupted by the Void. If I do not act, this world is finished, and you will all become slaves to the Shadow. Join the Legion, and I will give you the rank of Commander—equal to Archimonde and Kil'jaeden. You are worth the investment."
Sargeras continued his verbal seduction, painting himself as a savior god trying to stop a Void conspiracy. Rhodes sneered inwardly. If I hadn't met Azeroth herself, and if I weren't a traveler, I might actually believe this crap.
"So... the Burning Legion's crusade is not simple destruction, but... an extreme and grand form of redemption?"
"Precisely. Join this journey of salvation!"