Rhodes listened to the reports, falling into a brief silence. The fireplace in the council chamber flickered across the faces of the leaders, reflecting their individual anxieties and expectations.
"I understand your concerns," Rhodes finally spoke, his voice steady and clear. "But let me say this first—the threat of the Burning Legion has never truly faded. During the War of the Ancients, I witnessed the wrath of Sargeras firsthand. He will never abandon his designs on Azeroth. Our true enemy has always been him and his Legion."
Rhodes chose not to mention the details regarding the Void and the Shadows. To some extent, Shadow was part of the cosmic balance. While it consumed planets, it didn't disrupt the balance of the universe in the way Sargeras did by systematically destroying worlds. To Rhodes, Sargeras was a typical case of someone who, after losing his own sanity, chose to blame the entire world.
Magni Bronzebeard slammed his fist on the table. "Damned demons! Dwarves don't fear 'em! But the problem now is those green-skinned orcs loitering at our borders—"
"King Magni," Rhodes raised a hand. "I know there are radicals in the Horde, but Warchief Thrall is a reasonable leader. We fought side-by-side at Mount Hyjal. Soon, I will personally travel to Orgrimmar to speak with him about the current situation."
With Rhodes's overwhelming prestige, the council was temporarily pacified. The Alliance's immediate priority shifted to securing Blackrock Mountain, clearing out the orc remnants, and bringing the Dark Iron Dwarves into the fold.
Rhodes traveled to the summit of Blackrock Spire accompanied by Onyxia. As they ascended, Onyxia looked at Rhodes with a complex gaze. She could feel a draconic pressure radiating from him that was no weaker than her father, Deathwing. This "Dragon King" aura was so potent it acted almost like a primal aphrodisiac to her, making her realize that her brother, Nefarian, was likely doomed.
"My brother is proud... and mad," Onyxia whispered. "He inherited our father's twisted intellect and uses it to create horrific abominations."
They reached the core of Blackwing Lair. Nefarian, in his human guise, mocked them from a high platform. "Ah, my dear sister, you've brought a human 'pet' to see me?"
Rhodes stepped forward. "Nefarian, I'm not here to ask for your surrender. I'm here to offer a choice. Option one: I kill you here and turn your corpse into a Dragon Lich. Option two: You leave Blackrock Mountain and work for me. In exchange, I will provide you with knowledge you could never find elsewhere."
"Knowledge? From a human?" Nefarian laughed.
Rhodes didn't answer with words. Instead, he held up a finger. On his fingertip, a flame of Fel flickered, then transformed into Holy Light, then Emerald Life energy, Blue Arcane power, Shadow mists, and finally, the gray chill of Death.
"The essence of the cosmic forces," Rhodes said. "You fail in your experiments because they lack balance. Perfect creation requires the harmony of all six forces."
Nefarian tried to resist, but Rhodes released the full weight of a Dragon King's majesty. The Black Prince was forced to his knees. "Who... what are you? You aren't one of the five Aspects!"
"I am an existence beyond your understanding," Rhodes replied. Nefarian finally bowed his head in submission.
With the Black Dragon Prince subdued, Rhodes cleared out Ragnaros the Firelord from the depths of the mountain and secured a peace treaty with Emperor Thaurissan, bringing the Dark Iron Dwarves back into the Alliance.
He then met with Thrall, showing his absolute power. He proposed a future where, once Draenor was repaired, the Orcs would return to their original home, leaving Azeroth to its native races. Under Rhodes's indomitable will, Thrall had no choice but to agree.
In the months that followed, Rhodes accelerated the history of Azeroth:
The Sands of Silithus: Rhodes led the coalition to slay C'Thun, feeding the Old God's shadow essence to the World-Soul as nourishment.
The Deep Sea: He confronted Queen Azshara and N'Zoth in their underwater realm, ending their corruption prematurely.
The Frozen North: He marched on Ulduar, waking the Titanic Watchers and slaying Yogg-Saron. Finally, atop the Icecrown Glacier, he faced the fallen Prince Arthas. With a strike of Holy Judgement, he shattered Frostmourne and ended the reign of the Lich King.
Cataclysm: When Deathwing attempted to emerge, he was met not by Rhodes, but by Gudry, the new Green Dragon King and the son of Rhodes and Ysera. Carrying Rhodes's bloodline, the young Dragon King's power surpassed all other Aspects, forcing the Cataclysm to an abrupt end.
A century later, the shell of the planet finally cracked. Azeroth emerged not just as a Titan, but as a True God of the Universe, having absorbed all six Primal Forces thanks to Rhodes's efforts. Upon her birth, she used her divine essence to elevate her partner, Rhodes, to the rank of an Eternal True God.
TL/N: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Author's Note: Since returning from the War of the Ancients, the protagonist's power reached a level where he could effectively steamroll any opposition. With the readership declining, I decided to conclude the story at 1.15 million words rather than padding the plot. Thank you for following Rhodes's journey. New book coming soon.