Azeroth: Starting with Eagle Eye in the Necropolis

Page 110

But for some reason, even though the two Archangels of Light could have easily defeated her, they didn't end the battle. Instead, they kept her occupied, preventing her from attacking Rhodes or rescuing her subordinates, creating an extremely awkward situation.

“Enough! Stop! Rhodes! Tell your men to stop!” Maiev finally screamed, her voice trembling with a despair she herself didn’t even realize. “I order you to stop!”

"If you say stop, I'll stop. Wouldn't that make me lose face? I'll continue killing them all without leaving a trace," Rhodes said with a cold snort.

His command was carried out without hesitation. The flames of the fire phoenix became even more violent, engulfing the two Watchers who were trying to cover each other. The shrill screams came to an abrupt end, leaving only two charred remains.

The mental impact of the magical elements erupted once more, and a Watcher clutched his head, screaming in agony, before collapsing limply, bleeding from all seven orifices.

The heavy iron fist of the Golden Man slammed down, crushing a struggling Watcher to death along with her armor!

“You…you dare…” Maiev’s voice was hoarse with anger and pain, “You murdered my sister…the night elves will never forgive you! Tyrande and Malfurion will never forgive you!”

Every Watcher was her own sister, a child she had watched grow up, and now they were being slaughtered, which made her heart bleed and her body tremble.

"Forgive? Afraid of Malfurion and Tyrande's wrath? Do you think I care? Or rather, do you think they really care?" Rhodes' voice was full of sarcasm and undisguised malice.

“It’s all your fault, you crazy woman.” Rhodes paced slowly, his gaze piercing the trapped Maiev like an icicle.

“At the beginning, I already showed mercy. In fact, if you had just stopped and taken your men away, none of your precious subordinates would have died.”

"It was you! It was your stubborn choice to oppose me, to defy the explicit orders of the demigod Cenarius, that led them to their deaths!"

Rod paused, savoring the look of extreme pain contorted in Vivena's eyes (a pain palpable even through the mask), and continued to sever her soul with words:

"To tell you the truth, it was I who stopped Tyrande in the Watcher's Cavern."

Otherwise, do you think there would be a single survivor in your dilapidated bunker? The Watchers inside would all be corpses by now!

Tyrande's patience with you has long since run out, Maiev. You and your group of subordinates who only know how to obey your orders and have no sense of the big picture are an eyesore in the eyes of many 'big shots'!

Today, I've merely cleared away some unnecessary trouble for them! Malfurion and Tyrande won't blame me; on the contrary, they'll thank me for helping them resolve some minor issues.

"No! You're lying!!" Maiev screamed in despair. Every word Rhode said was like the most vicious dagger, piercing through her last psychological defense.

She desperately tried to break free from the Holy Light Angel's clutches, but the sacred barrier was unbreakable. Instead, her frantic advance left several burn marks on her body from the holy flames.

The slaughter continued. A Watcher, trying to protect Maiev, was punched in the back by a Diamond Man. Blood splattered all over Maiev, and she collapsed, her eyes quickly dimming.

The last few Watchers put up a last stand, back to back, but were quickly overwhelmed by flames, magical shocks, and heavy metal punches.

Finally, the last scream subsided.

On the shattered beach, only burning flames, the pervasive stench of burning flesh, and the scattered, oddly shaped corpses of the Watchers remained. The once-elite force was now utterly wiped out.

The two angels of holy light ceased their attack and hovered silently behind Rhode, their golden eyes indifferently observing everything.

Rhodes' army, whether magical elementals, phoenixes, golden men, or diamond men, were all rendered useless; not a single casualty was suffered.

This was a one-sided battle; the Watchers were no match for Rhodes' army.

I really can't understand why Illidan was being chased around by Maiev in the original timeline.

These Watchers weren't necessarily that strong; if Illidan were willing to kill them, it would be relatively easy for him to slaughter them.

With the restraints gone, Maiev Shadowsong felt as if all her strength had been drained away. She collapsed to her knees with a thud, her ring blade clattering to the ground beside her. Looking at the hellish scene around her, at the familiar yet lifeless faces, her body trembled violently.

She didn't cry, but let out a suppressed sob, like that of a wounded wild animal.

Despair, anger, regret, disbelief... a mix of emotions nearly tore her soul apart. She lost everything: her sisters, her troops, her pride... all utterly destroyed in that short time by the human man before her with overwhelming force.

Rhodes slowly walked up to her, looking down at the completely devastated First Watcher of the Night Elf.

"Now, do you feel it? The price of disobeying me." Rhodes' voice remained icy. "Take this despair and lesson and go back to your forest. If there is a next time, Maiev Shadowsong, I wouldn't mind replacing the Night Elves with a new Warden leader."

"Kill me! You bastard, kill me!" Maiev bit her lip until it bled, staring at Rhodes with a crazed expression.

All her subordinates were killed, and she had no face to go back and see her sisters. This humiliation was etched deep into her bones, and she had no face to live anymore.

Maiev Shadowsong, alone, kneels in the desolate ruins, accompanied by endless regret and burning hatred, tasting this unforgettable despair.

At this moment, her world completely collapsed.

Rod smiled slightly; this was exactly the effect he wanted. "So this is what you call arrogant? You think you're so tough? You won't listen to advice? You don't know what's good for you? Now you know you were wrong."

"What, now you know to beg me? But I'm not going to do what you want. I'm not going to kill you." Rod said, lifting Mave's neck.

“I assure you, if you don’t kill me today, I will hunt you down for the rest of my life until I take you down,” Maiev said, staring fiercely at Rhodes.

"Oh, I'm so scared! In that case, you can be my prisoner for now!" Rhodes winked at an archangel of holy light beside him, who immediately knocked Maiev Shadowsong unconscious with a chop to the neck.

“Rhodes, aren’t you going a little too far? She’s almost driven crazy by you,” Jaina said.

"That's what makes it interesting, isn't it? People need to learn to grow and pay the price for their actions. Impulsiveness is the devil, and I want her to understand the meaning of that sentence."

Otherwise, she wouldn't know what despair is, and when everything is regained, she will cherish it even more. "Rhodes said with a smile.

When Rhodes killed these Watchers, he specifically instructed that although the battle was fierce, the corpses should be mostly preserved.

“So you’re planning to resurrect these people now? I reckon they’ll probably continue hunting you down,” Jaina said.

"Don't worry, it's just a little over 100 people. After I revive them, they will be in a weakened state for a while. Then I will notify Tyrande to come and collect them."

"Let these Watchers follow the true leaders of the Night Elves first!" Rhodes said.

I remember in this battle, after Maiev Shadowsong escaped from the Tomb of Sargeras, she immediately sent someone to request Malfurion and Tyrande to come and help. They arrived in just a few days. I really don't know how they got there. This must be a bug.

Next, Rhode gathered all the Watcher corpses together and then cast Reincarnation, a ball of green life energy emerging from Rhode's palm.

Like the most dazzling fireworks, they exploded in the air, transforming into countless soft and vibrant green light rains that precisely fell upon every fallen guardian, even those who had already lost their breath.

A magical scene happened.

The charred wounds from the phoenix flames healed rapidly, giving way to smooth new skin.

The bones that had been broken by the golden and diamond figures made a crisp sound and automatically reconnected and restored themselves.

The eyelashes of those Watchers whose souls had been shattered by the magical elements and who had lost consciousness trembled, and they slowly opened their eyes.

Even the Watcher, who was burned to a crisp and seemed to have no chance of survival, had his charred shell peel off, revealing new skin underneath, and his chest began to rise and fall slightly!

In just over ten seconds, all the Watchers who had fallen and died stood up completely unharmed!

They examined their bodies in astonishment, as if the fierce battle and death they had just experienced were nothing but an illusion.

If it weren't for their tattered clothes and the lingering signs of a battle, they would hardly believe what had just happened. What was going on? Weren't they just killed?

"Watchers, I now command you, by the order of the demigod Cenarius, to immediately return to the continent of Kalimdor and report to Tyrande."

"I have just resurrected you with life magic. If you dare to disobey again, then true death awaits you," Rhodes said.

Bathed in the powerful life magic, Rhodes appeared incredibly holy, like an incarnation of the god of nature.

Chapter 178 Archdruid Rhodes, Releases the Warden, Subdues Maiev

The surviving watchers stood blankly on the beach, touching their intact yet painful bodies, their eyes filled with confusion, shock, and a hint of fear of surviving a catastrophe.

They clearly remember the cold touch of death, the burning pain of flames, the cracking sound of bones breaking, and the emptiness of fading consciousness... But at this moment, they truly "came back to life".

This dramatic shift between life and death left their minds almost unable to process it, leaving them only able to listen blankly to Rod's words.

The immense life energy and natural aura emanating from Rhodes were undeniable; they were even purer and more powerful than those of many druid elders. Combined with his mention of the demigod Cenarius and his miraculous ability to bring the dead back to life, the surviving Watchers felt a profound sense of unease and awe.

They instinctively looked at their mistress, Maiev, only to find their leader unconscious, being carried by an angel of light, appearing incredibly vulnerable.

For a moment, all the Watchers were at a loss for how to make amends, and they all turned their attention to Natasha, who was the highest-ranking among them besides Maiev.

Faced with the gazes of all her sisters, Natasha could only muster the courage to look at Rhodes.

"Won't you hurt us? And what is your purpose in doing this? To kill us and then resurrect us?"

"This is just a lesson. I hope you can deeply realize your mistakes. Many of you saw me at Watcher's Bunker. At that time, I had already met my end with Tyrande. The orders of the demigod Cenarius were all in compliance with the law. It was your mistress Maiev Shadowsong's actions that were illegal."

Rhodes's gaze swept over the still-shaken night elves, and he continued, his tone leaving no room for argument:

“I know you have doubts, and even resentment, but remember today’s lesson: your second life was given to you by me.”

To defy my will, to defy the joint decision of the demigods and the leaders, is to experience death again, and next time, there will be no chance of resurrection.

"The choice is yours: life or death."

"Sisters, what should we do?"

"His life force is undeniable, and he was indeed one of the leaders of the Allied forces during the Battle of Mount Hyjal."

"But the mistress is still in his hands."

"Sisters, we must get the mistress back no matter what," the group of guardians whispered, discussing their plan.

Finally, Natasha came before Rhodes, performed a traditional night elf greeting, and then spoke.

"Thank you for your forgiveness, great human archdruid Lord Rhodes. Could you please hand over the mistress to us so we can take her back to Kalimdor?"

After thinking for a long time, Natasha finally managed to come up with a clumsy word, referring to Rhodes as the Archdruid.

The life energy emanating from Rhodes was indeed at the Archdruid level, and he claimed to be a disciple of Cenarius.

There wasn't much of a problem with his identity as a Grand Druid, and Rhodes didn't deny it.

The Watchers are now desperate. They are completely outmatched in a fight, and trying to force their way out of this situation would only be asking for trouble, or even blaming someone for being disrespectful.

Now the Watchers just want their mistress back and bring her back to Kalimdor.

“You have no right to bargain with me. Your mistress, Mavis, has other important matters to attend to and will stay with me for the time being. I will personally educate her.”

"Make him realize his mistakes and stop behaving so recklessly." Rod's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling authority.

If I were to jokingly return this crazy woman, it would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, and all the deterrent effect I had just created would be lost.

Moreover, if Maiev were to gain her freedom, she would immediately resume her pursuit of Illidan, and even turn against him. This is unacceptable; she must be convinced of her authority.

Rhodes planned to keep Maiev Shadowsong by his side for a while, so that the Watcher would be completely convinced of his worth.

“But, Your Excellency Archdruid, this is clearly inappropriate. We can take good care of the mistress, and you have no right to imprison her.”

"Who says I don't have the right? Just because I'm a disciple of a demigod, I have that right, and I will personally write letters to Tyrande and Malfurion to explain."

Now, take your ships and return to the continent of Kalimdor immediately.

Tell High Priestess Tyrande and Archdruid Malfurion everything that happened here, and tell them that I am now in charge of Illidan's affairs. The duty of the Watchers is to protect the night elves, not to stubbornly hunt a 'monster' who has been pardoned by a demigod, much less to be my enemy.

"As for Watcher Maiev Shadowsong, I will personally stay by her side and influence her," Rhodes said.

Tyrande would absolutely agree with Maiev Shadowsong being detained; Maiev's only hobby on Night Elf territory was probably opposing Tyrande.

These two women were completely at odds and couldn't stand each other. Given the chance, Rhodes had no doubt that they would scheme to kill each other.