Rhodes' pupils contracted. Not good—this guy is going to self-destruct! Killing a Pit Lord was satisfying, but their tendency to take everyone with them in a final explosion was a nightmare.
BOOM—!!!!
With Mannoroth as the epicenter, a Fel explosion erupted. This was the ultimate release of pure demonic energy! A destructive, dark green sphere of energy over a hundred meters in diameter expanded instantly. Everything in its path—rocks, ancient trees, tangled roots, and unfortunate Orc or Night Elf warriors—was disintegrated or vaporized, leaving not even ash behind.
"Everyone, together! Block it!!!" Cenarius and Uther roared in unison.
Ignoring his own exhaustion, Cenarius poured the last of his natural energy into the earth and forest. Fel energy was extremely dangerous; if allowed to spread, it would devastate the entirety of Ashenvale.
Such energy was a blight that had to be purged. Countless massive roots shimmering with emerald divine light burst from the ground, weaving into a gargantuan arc-shaped barrier in front of the shockwave.
Ancient runes on the barrier flashed frantically—the final defense of the Heart of the Forest. Other Keepers of the Grove joined the Demigod, casting spells to reinforce the shield.
Rhodes used his remaining strength to summon eight Light Elementals to assist in the defense. Uther thrust the Hammer of the Silver Hand deep into the ground and began to pray.
His Holy Light erupted like a burning flame of life. A thick, nearly physical barrier of Light unfolded behind the root wall, shimmering with sacred runes and radiating a warm, resolute glow. This was the ultimate Bastion of Light. Jaina and Capurnia rushed over as well, casting Arcane Shields to contribute what they could.
CRASH—!!!!
The destructive Fel shockwave slammed into the triple defense. The barriers of life (green), light (gold), and arcane (blue) successfully held back the Pit Lord's self-destruction. The explosion caused minimal injury to the group.
As the aftermath finally subsided, only a terrifying, bottomless crater hundreds of meters wide remained at the center of the battlefield. The walls of the pit were as smooth as glass, scarred by high-temperature melting and Fel corrosion.
Mannoroth's mountain-like demonic corpse and his terrifying spear had vanished without a trace. Only the heavy scent of sulfur, char, and lingering Fel energy proved the cataclysmic event had occurred.
At the edge of the crater, Holy Judgment stood silently thrust into the scorched earth. The blade still flowed with pure Holy Light, appearing even brighter and more sacred than before.
Having slain the Pit Lord, it was not corrupted; instead, the Light seemed to favor the weapon. It had been tempered through the destruction, and the strange gem at the hilt was now slowly absorbing the refined Fel essence from the air, converting it into a more brilliant golden radiance.
The battlefield fell into a dead silence before erupting into earth-shattering cheers. Every gaze focused on the crater and the holy sword standing beside it.
Cenarius' power and Uther's barrier had prevented the Fel from spreading, sparing the surrounding land from permanent damage. Only the center was corrupted, which Cenarius could heal over time.
Amidst the ruins, Grommash Hellscream struggled to lift his head. His cloudy crimson eyes reflected the total annihilation of Mannoroth and the shining holy sword.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, but only an unintelligible grunt escaped his throat. The frenzied red glow of Fel in his eyes flickered like a candle in the wind before finally going out, leaving only an empty void of relief. His head slumped forward.
He had finally seen it—the culprit who had lured the Orcs into corruption. But the Orcs had no right to complain; it was their chieftains who had led them to drink the demon blood, packaging their entire race for the Burning Legion.
Thrall believed they had been deceived and forced, but the truth was that they had handed themselves over. The only good news was that the Pit Lord was finally dead, even if not by his own hand.
In his final moments, the old Orc reminisced about his life—a life dedicated to battle and the joy of slaughter. Thrall, perhaps you can lead the Orcs to a true future... but I will not see it.
Grommash closed his eyes, bidding a final farewell to the world. He did not know that a new existence awaited him in the Shadowlands. (According to the lore of Version 9.0, Hellscream was sent to the Maw, judged as an irredeemable soul; he had slain the Pit Lord, but he had also slaughtered many innocents.)
The forest protectors, Night Elves, and the surviving Alliance soldiers looked upon Holy Judgment with awe and reverence. Mannoroth, the vanguard general of the Burning Legion, had fallen! A human mage had seized a fleeting opportunity and, with a sword infused with Light and conviction, delivered the world-shaking killing blow.
"That big guy's self-destruct was no joke," Rhodes muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. The battle had been perilous. He had lost several Golems, three Dendroid Guards, and his biggest loss—an Angel.
His mana had been depleted twice; without the pre-prepared mana potions, he would have run dry mid-fight. The spells from the Heroes of Might and Magic world were truly impressive—especially the debuffs. Blind, Misfortune, Slayer, and Fortune had been critical. Without them, he wouldn't have had such luck, and Mannoroth's luck wouldn't have been so abysmal.
However, he realized he had been a bit overconfident. He had thought that with Uther, two Angels, and a Demigod, they could handle Mannoroth easily. He hadn't expected the demon's combat power to be so overwhelming. He vowed never to be so reckless again.
"You did well, Rhodes. This victory is ours," Cenarius said, approaching with a weary body. He knew that if Rhodes hadn't arrived with reinforcements, his chances of winning alone against Mannoroth would have been near zero. (He didn't know that without Rhodes, he wouldn't even have met Mannoroth; Grommash would have killed him first.)
"Victory at last. Well done, Rhodes. That last strike was perfect," Uther said, staggering over and sitting on the ground, leaning on his hammer.
"You have slain a Pit Lord. From this moment on, you are a hero," Capurnia added. Despite the help from the Lightbringer and the Demigod, Rhodes' contribution was undeniable.
"Thank you," Rhodes nodded. After chatting briefly with the group, they accepted Cenarius' invitation to the Night Elf settlement, leaving the cleanup to the Sentinels.
As the battle concluded, Rhodes finally heard the long-awaited system notification: A glorious victory! You have gained XXX experience points. Your level has increased to 9... Your level has increased to 10.
Having leveled up twice, Rhodes gained 2 attribute points, which he assigned to Power and Knowledge. His Power reached 9 and Knowledge reached 11. With his Intelligence skill, his mana pool now sat at 150. He also gained new skills. For the first choice, he ignored a useless "Ballistics" skill and chose "Advanced Earth Magic"—he was committed to the mage path and needed the four elemental schools. For his second choice, he picked "Intermediate Air Magic."
After managing his skills, Rhodes looked at the "Main Event" rewards for killing two powerful targets: Grommash and Mannoroth.
Congratulations, Host! You have obtained a world structure: Hill Fort.
This was an incredible facility that allowed for free upgrades of Level 1 units and discounted upgrades for higher-tier units. It's a pity one of my Angels died, otherwise I'd have two Archangels now, Rhodes thought. This structure was a perfect match for a Refugee Camp.
But the next reward was the real surprise:
Congratulations! For your first kill of a Demigod-level entity, you have been rewarded with a random City!