The Tauren of Mulgore were already used to life and death, and were accustomed to being eaten by Orcs.
Even so, not only was he able to survive, but he also became the Tauren Chieftain. Baine was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, and he could hardly believe his good fortune.
"Warchief!" Baine shouted from the bottom of his heart.
"Thank you for your honor. I, Baine Bloodhoof, hereby swear to serve Warchief Garrosh forever. If I break this oath, may the Earth Mother tear my soul apart."
Garrosh did not believe in oaths; Garrosh believed more in blood ties.
"Baine, I have high hopes for you. Go, sit with the leaders of the various races. You are qualified. The duel will begin soon."
Inside the heavily guarded basement, Cairne Bloodhoof lay on the floor, his body bound in heavy chains.
The gladiatorial arena overhead, the Thunder applause, and the wafting fragrance all failed to affect Cairne's mood.
Cairne knew perfectly well that he was doomed in this duel; the only thing he needed to think about was how to die gracefully like a warrior and preserve his reputation.
Nazgrim entered the basement and said sinisterly, "Cairne, the duel is about to begin. Are you ready?"
Cairne nodded, his gaze utterly calm.
Nazgrim waved his hand, and a large group of Orcs wielding various sharp daggers surrounded Cairne; they were Orgrimmar's most skilled interrogation experts.
Nazgrim whispered the order, "Leave no trace, and absolutely no bleeding."
The interrogation experts were highly professional; they used incredible techniques to destroy most of Cairne's muscles, yet it was completely undetectable from the outside.
Although he could run and wield weapons, he was powerless and as weak as an infant.
Cairne endured it all silently, like a piece of wood.
Nazgrim inspected the area carefully, then smiled with satisfaction, "Cairne Bloodhoof, you can pray to Earth Mother now. Rest assured, the Tauren have a new chieftain."
Who is it?
Cairne's calm was disturbed, like a stone thrown into a lake, leaving him unable to find peace for a long time before he felt the pain. But Nazgrim only smiled slightly and did not reveal the new chieftain's name.
Pushed and shoved by the soldiers, Cairne, wielding his Runed Spear, walked toward the arena.
According to ancient Orcs tradition, duels require the removal of armor and clothing, leaving only a cloth around the waist, and the use of weapons is permitted.
Cairne strained to look towards the stands and saw a young Tauren in the VIP section, chatting and laughing with Sylvanas and others.
What annoyed Cairne was that he didn't recognize the Tauren.
Cairne shook his head helplessly and focused his mind on preparing for battle.
Garrosh's entrance was met with cheers. After removing his armor, Garrosh revealed his well-built muscles and raised his Gorehowl to salute the audience.
Attendants applied ointments to the two duelists, making their bodies gleam. Garrosh grinned as he looked at his opponents.
"Cairne Bloodhoof, your Orcs allies are finished. It's time to end this."
Cairne remained silent, finding it extremely difficult simply to hold the Runed Spear; the tearing pain in his muscles forced him to grit his teeth and keep from crying out.
"I'm glad to see you die. I'll tear your flesh off piece by piece," Garrosh whispered to Cairne.
After applying the ointment, Garrosh stood up and shouted to the audience, "This will be a fair duel, aimed at upholding the Horde's fairness and Justice. Cairne Bloodhoof, may your spear strike straight and accurately!"
The large cauldron in the center of the Arena has been teleported away, and both sides have entered the arena.
The duel has officially begun.
Robbie and Vanessa hid at the edge of the Arena. Robbie's eyes took in Point, Line, and Plane, and planes as he looked Garrosh up and down.
"He harbors a strange power within him," Robbie stated confidently. "While not particularly strong, it is exceptionally mysterious. Interestingly, although it differs from the power within Uther and Lothar, it shares many similarities."
Vanessa whispered, "From this, we can infer that Thrall and Garrosh have supporters behind them. We just don't know if they're allies or mortal enemies."
Robbie pondered for a moment before saying, "Garrosh won't die. It seems we can only continue testing him. I will secretly empower Cairne to force the person behind Garrosh to reveal themselves."
Vanessa's eyes sparkled. "I have a better way to frame Thrall and the forces behind him."
Vanessa wore Elemental Gauntlets on her right hand and held a transparent sphere in her palm.
At Thrall's wedding, with Robbie's covert help, Vanessa stole Archimonde's Power of Destruction amidst the chaos, keeping even Fandral Staghelm completely in the dark.
Vanessa used her Elemental Gauntlets to carefully divert a small amount of Power of Destruction and secretly send it into Cairne's Runed Spear. This terrifying power quickly spread throughout Cairne's body through the Runed Spear.
What is this power that destroys everything?
The overwhelming Power of Destruction pushed Cairne's mind to the brink of collapse. Cairne quickly focused his mind to force himself to calm down, while secretly thanking Earth Mother for her blessings.
"Foolish old bull!" Garrosh roared mockingly. "Are you planning to stand there lost in thought all day? I thought you were here to kill me, not to stare at an old spear."
The battle-hardened Cairne was cunning; he deliberately appeared extremely weak, barely lifting his Runed Spear and bowing deeply in humility, like an old, frail tiger.
Garrosh, oblivious to Cairne's unusual behavior, glanced disdainfully at the old bull, and with practiced steps, unleashed a sharp, venomous Gorehowl.
This is a game of cat and mouse, and the mouse is already badly injured. Garrosh's goal is to torture him bit by bit, tearing away all the flesh from his body.
Cairne struggled backward, appearing exhausted. Gorehowl had left a wound on his abdomen, from which blood flowed freely.
"Good!"
"That was fantastic, a brilliant shot!"
"Truly worthy of being the Horde's Warchief."
Cheers erupted from the audience, many of whom were Tauren.
Garrosh was pleased with his first strike and continued to toy with Cairne with amusement.
Gorehowl swung its sword again and again, Cairne tried his best to dodge, but he was hit every time. Soon he was covered in wounds and blood.
Garrosh gradually lost his guard, and his steps became careless.
"Right now."
When Garrosh tried to cut off one of Cairne's ears and then humiliate him, Cairne suddenly launched a counterattack.
His strength was terrifying. The Runed Spear first struck Gorehowl unexpectedly slipped from his grasp. Then, the Runed Spear, accompanied by a terrifying whoosh, pierced Garrosh's chest.
Garrosh was terrified and begged for his life, but Cairne wouldn't give him the chance. Like a mad bull, Cairne bit down on Garrosh's neck and tore at it with all his might.
Garrosh's carotid artery was severed, and a large amount of blood gushed out. Due to excessive blood loss, he swayed, his eyes rolled back, and he quickly collapsed to the ground.
The arena was completely silent; everyone was stunned. Only Cairne, spitting out the rotten flesh in his mouth, roared with exhilarating ecstasy, his eyes bloodshot, like Thunder.