It took five days for Rhodes and his army to reach the perimeter of the Black Temple. Standing before them were four massive Void Portals.
The towering silhouette of the Black Temple loomed on the distant horizon, radiating unsettling pulses of fel energy. On the desolate plains surrounding it, the four gargantuan green gateways sat like festering sores on the world, continuously spewing fel energy from the Twisting Nether. Diverse ranks of demons poured forth, filling the air with profane roars.
These portals were constructed by the Burning Legion's subordinates. While they couldn't yet transport high-ranking commanders, they allowed a steady stream of low-to-mid-tier demons to flood into the shattered remains of Outland.
Illidan and Rhodes had one primary objective: destroy these gateways.
"Do you see them, Rhodes? Those are our targets," Illidan said, turning to him. "I need to seal these portals. You must help me seize each location; I will need ten minutes at each site to close them permanently."
The portals flickered as imps, felhunters, succubi, observers, and felguards swarmed out in chaotic waves.
"Leave it to me! This will be quick and painless," Rhodes said with a confident smile. It really wasn't that difficult—clearing these ranks only required his Archangels, Light Elementals, Paladins, and Priests. As for the mages, the Blood Elves and Dalaran specialists would provide long-range fire support.
"Then let the mission begin," Illidan nodded.
"For the glory of the Light! Brave warriors, eliminate these demons and purge them!" Old Mograine hoisted the Ashbringer high. Its searing radiance acted like a lighthouse, burning away the fel mists. He was the first to charge.
Behind him, the Paladins followed suit. Their summoned warhorses neighed as holy shields shimmered and Divine Storms lit up the demonic territory. They formed an unstoppable golden tide, crashing violently into the demon hoard surrounding the first portal.
Before the charge, Rhodes had applied buffing spells from the Heroes of Might and Magic system. These enchantments were incredibly potent; once reinforced, the Paladins' combat effectiveness reached terrifying heights. They became living fortresses, their Holy Light acting as a perfect counter to the demonic filth.
The Ashbringer carved a brilliant golden arc through the air, instantly igniting a Felguard and turning it to ash. Dathrohan stood like a boulder at the vanguard, his warhammer shattering felhunters with bursts of Holy Shock.
"Feel the wrath of the Light, demons! Witness the power of humanity!"
The Paladin unit acted as a golden wall, while Rhodes's Light Elementals rained down holy spells from the sky, incinerating demons the moment they stepped through the gate.
"Mage units, suppressive fire! Target the casters!" Prince Kael'thas commanded calmly. A Flame Strike materialized instantly under his hand, and a rain of fire descended, engulfing a group of Eredar warlocks channeling fel bolts.
The Blood Elf mages synchronized their casting with their prince. A terrifying barrage of Arcane Missiles, Flamestrikes, Fireballs, and Fire Dragons bombarded the demonic ranks. Not to be outdone, Rhonin joined several senior Dalaran mages to cast a massive Blizzard. Chilled shards of ice infused with arcane energy not only slowed the demons but tore through their fragile forms.
The support from the mage units was incredibly effective, drawing an approving nod from Illidan. Rhodes's troops were few, but every single one was an elite.
"Lord Rhodes, the stage is yours!" Kael'thas shouted.
Rhodes stood at the center of the formation, looking solemn. He raised his hands, gathering intense Arcane and Holy energy. It was time to test his modified spell.
"In the name of the Light, purge the corrupt!"—[Holy Magic Arrow: Light Variant]!
A brilliant spear of pure Light coalesced and shot toward a distant Eredar warlock who was summoning an Infernal. The spear pierced the warlock's chest with a piercing shriek, and the energy exploded like a miniature sun, vaporizing all the imps in the vicinity.
This was Rhodes's new development: infusing Magic Arrow with Holy Light. Theoretically, Magic Arrow was a non-elemental spell, as it could be boosted by all four schools of magic. If that's the case, Rhodes had thought, why can't it carry the Light?
With his current mastery of Holy Light reaching new heights, Rhodes had successfully injected it into the Heroes system spell. The result was a masterpiece: at least 10 extra points of damage, a Holy attribute that dealt bonus damage to Undead and Demons, and—crucially—no increase in mana cost compared to the standard version.
"Praise the Light, Rhodes! You've merged Magic Arrow with Holy energy!" Jaina exclaimed beside him. Because of her Basic Scholar skill, she had learned several Tier 1 spells, including Magic Arrow, which she found incredibly versatile. Its power grew with her intellect, yet its cost remained low.
"If Rhodes can use the Light, can I try adding Frost to create a Frost Magic Arrow?" Jaina, the most brilliant mage of Dalaran, immediately grasped the potential. She shared the idea with Rhodes excitedly.
"Haha, that's my wife! Great thinking, Jaina. Give it a try," Rhodes said, giving her a thumbs-up.
Deep blue arcane energy flared around her as terrifying frost magic condensed. She loosed a shimmering Frost Magic Arrow into the demon swarm. It instantly obliterated a dozen demons, and the freezing secondary effect turned several survivors into solid ice statues. While its raw damage against demons was slightly lower than the Light version, its utility against other targets was unmatched.
"I knew it! This is amazing, Rhodes! I've developed a new frost spell!" Jaina beamed.
Seeing this, Rhonin and Kael'thas were intrigued. They realized that by adding Fire or pure Arcane, they could create their own variations. They hadn't expected that a routine mission to destroy portals would lead to the birth of a new, customizable magic system that could be taught to Mages, Paladins, and even Priests.
Rhodes spent the next few moments sharing his deep understanding of the Magic Arrow structure with Rhonin and Kael'thas, while Jaina helped refine the theories. As top-tier magical geniuses, they quickly mastered the modified versions, developing Fire and Arcane variants.
Rhodes planned to spread this spell to his entire army after the battle. A Priest with a "Holy Magic Arrow" wouldn't have to switch to Shadowform just to deal damage, and Paladins would gain a reliable ranged strike.
Magic Arrow was proving to be a spell with infinite potential.