Vol'jin bit his lip until it bled, regaining his composure first. Looking at the coquettish Arakkoa woman before him, he felt an indescribable disgust.
"I'm sorry, but I already have someone I love. Trolls are known for their purity and self-respect," Vol'jin politely declined.
Cairne sighed deeply, "I'm sorry, my son is taller than me now, and I have a shrewish wife. I can't comply."
Griftah remained blunt. "I'm not interested in the opposite sex."
"Hmph!" Emperor Terokk gave a heavy, cold snort.
"What exactly do you mean? No one has ever dared to refuse me at my banquets, yet you have repeatedly challenged my bottom line. Guards, drag them out and kill them."
A large group of guards rushed in and, without saying a word, grabbed Vol'jin and his two companions, intending to throw them out.
"Wait."
Among the guests, one stepped forward—it was Sen'jin, the old chieftain of the Darkspear Tribe —and pointed at Vol'jin, saying:
"This Troll has a past with me. Could you spare him this time for my sake?"
Terokk's anger subsided slightly. "Alright, I'm not that cruel. As long as he apologizes to me, I'll forgive him."
Sen'jin gave him a series of meaningful glances, Vol'jin, with his head down, was about to kneel down when Griftah grabbed him.
"If you kneel down and beg for mercy, you're finished," Griftah warned in a low voice.
Vol'jin hesitated, but then he saw that Emperor Terokk's face was as cold as ice, and he had already decided to kill him.
Then another guest stepped forward; it was Cairne's father.
"Terokk, we are best friends, do you really intend to kill my son?"
Terokk's face was grim, and he remained silent for a long time before saying, "No, I must kill them to vent my anger."
Orgrim Doomhammer pointed at Vol'jin and Cairne, saying, "Terokk, these two cannot be killed, otherwise it would destroy the foundation of the Horde, and I will never allow it."
Grom Hellscream grinned. "I support you in killing them; they are destined to be the Arakkoa's greatest enemy."
Uther put down his glass and said loudly, "If I may say something, a qualified leader should be tolerant. These three have only slightly offended us. To take their lives like this would be too cruel and would damage our reputation."
King Terenas followed up, saying, "That makes sense. When I was King, the Orcs offended me countless times. An entire generation of young men in Lordaeron perished. After the war, some suggested killing all the Orcs, but I resolutely refused. To feed the Orcs, I would rather Lordaeron be filled with starving corpses, and countless people be torn apart from their families and die. This is the magnanimity of a true emperor."
Uther exclaimed, "The King of Lordaeron deserves this; among all the emperors of the ages, none can compare!"
Terokk was so moved that he stood up. "King Terenas's magnanimity is beyond my reach. Fine, I'll spare them this time."
King Terenas smiled faintly, "You three, why don't you quickly express your gratitude?"
Griftah stopped Vol'jin and Cairne again, stepping forward and saying, "Gentlemen, I have a question I'd like to ask King Terenas."
Terokk nodded. "Okay."
Griftah bowed deeply first. "King Terenas, if I remember correctly, it was Thrall who smashed your head."
"So what if it is?" King Terenas scoffed dismissively.
"Do you hate Thrall? Do you regret establishing the Orcs internment camp?" Griftah asked.
A fleeting, almost imperceptible look of pain crossed King Terenas's face, before he spoke with a firm and resolute voice:
"Being killed by Thrall was an honor for me; establishing the Orcs internment camp was the wisest decision of my life."
"If you say that, then I'm relieved."
With a suspicion in mind, Griftah strode toward King Terenas, trampling many people in the process and provoking protests.
As Griftah drew nearer, King Terenas asked in terror, "What are you going to do?"
The guests ate roasted meat teeming with maggots, drank poisonous wine that corroded their hearts and lungs, listened to seductive music that bewitched their minds, and were seduced by the Arakkoa maidens.
Even someone who has died once can't be in a very good state.
Griftah grabbed King Terenas and was astonished to find that his body was as light as a sheet of paper.
A powerful punch landed on Terenas's face, leaving his features unnaturally damaged, as if he had smashed into a lump of dough, twisted beyond recognition.
"Let go, you savage Troll, you're killing me!" King Terenas roared, struggling desperately, but his strength was pitifully weak.
As expected, Griftah breathed a sigh of relief and began throwing punch after punch at King Terenas.
The Arakkoa guards simply watched, no one stepping forward. Emperor Terokk's face remained ashen, seemingly with no intention of intervening.
Terenas's initial threats quickly turned into pleading for mercy, like a smashed clay sculpture, no longer recognizable as human.
Uther, standing to the side, quietly retreated, trying to disappear into the crowd.
Griftah rushed forward, grabbed Uther, and placed him alongside King Terenas.
Soon, Uther pleaded weakly, his voice growing softer and softer.
The guests were terrified and fled to the feet of Emperor Terokk.
That's enough.
Emperor Terokk roared, and Griftah immediately stopped.
"Very good, you have passed the test."
Emperor Terokk's expression brightened, revealing an appreciative look:
"The living are always filled with desires: delicious food, fine wine, and luxurious pleasures. These numb the mind and bewitch the spirit, ultimately leading to depravity and destruction. No one has ever passed my test except you. You are very honored to have won my reward and friendship."
Griftah asked calmly, "How are those who didn't pass the test?"
"We are not Demons," Emperor Terokk said with a smile.
"We, who have long since sunk into the Shadowlands, are not qualified to judge the living. They missed out on a rich reward, and after waking from a hangover, they fall seriously ill for days."
Vol'jin, not forgetting the warning from the Archivist Reshad, hesitated and said, "If the reward is gold or jewels, please forgive us for refusing."
"In the Shadowlands, gold and silver are meaningless," Emperor Terokk said mysteriously. "What I will reward you with is the Heart of the Three-headed Felhound."
"What is the function of the Heart of the Three-headed Felhound?" Griftah was very knowledgeable, but unfortunately he had never heard of such a thing.
"First, you will gain immortality," Emperor Terokk offered his most enticing advantage. "You will be able to freely travel between the world of life and death, wielding the power of life and death. The Troll has a Loa named Bwonsamdi, who long ago unintentionally consumed the Heart of the Three-headed Felhound."
Vol'jin's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this; becoming Loa was the dream of every Troll.
"This is by no means coercive; you can refuse, and there will be no consequences," Emperor Terokk said with a smile. "The only downside is that you might regret refusing today."
"I do!"
Cairne Bloodhoof was the first to raise his hand.
Vol'jin's eyes darted around, still hesitant.
Emperor Terokk looked at Griftah and asked:
What is your choice?
"I refuse." Griftah without hesitation.
"That's a real shame!" Emperor Terokk smiled as he looked at Vol'jin. "So, what's your answer?"
After careful consideration, Vol'jin said with certainty, "If I'm not mistaken, only one of the three of us will receive this authority."
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