The victory over the Daggerfen Lost Ones restored the Orcs' confidence.
But Gai Laya couldn't be happy at all; all her hard work and effort seemed like nothing more than a fragile bubble in the eyes of the Savior.
Perhaps this is the tragedy of the Orcs: no matter how hard you try, you can't change the will of the Warchief.
The next morning, the campsite was filled with the aroma of meat.
Unfortunately, there were too few Daggerfen Lost Ones; only generals and officers were entitled to eat meat.
Gai Laya hadn't slept all night and met Eitrigg with dark circles under his eyes and a haggard appearance.
"Have you made up your mind, Gai Laya?" Eitrigg asked with concern.
Gai Laya, panting wearily, said, "Lord Eitrigg, come for a walk with me."
The two walked through the Orcs camp, inspecting the condition of the Orcs soldiers.
Victory brings unparalleled glory to the leader, but for ordinary soldiers, it means only death and pain.
The wounded soldiers' camp was filled with the smell of decay.
Countless Orcs soldiers screamed in agony. There were no Shaman, no one knew herbal medicine, and they could only rely on their physical strength to endure the pain.
"I've admired Thrall since I was a child." Gai Laya couldn't bear to look at the wounded soldiers suffering and waiting to die, and looked up at the gloomy sky of Zangarmarsh.
"I once dreamed of how wonderful it would be to meet Thrall."
Gai Laya laughed foolishly, "The book says Thrall is 18,000 meters tall and can pluck stars from the sky. When I was a kid, some of my friends doubted it, saying that it was impossible for Orcs to be that tall. I even argued with him and beat him until he admitted Thrall's height before I let him go."
"Thinking back to how naive I was back then, it's a pity I didn't realize that even as an adult, I haven't shaken off that naivety and still believe Thrall is a great and noble person."
Eitrigg lamented, "The world is full of lies, human nature is greedy, and when power is unlimited, kindness becomes a luxury."
Gai Laya nodded in agreement:
"That's right. Believing lies is the biggest foolish thing to do. I should have thought of that sooner. After all, Orcs are so cruel that they eat their own kind. How could the chieftain possibly be an innocent victim?"
In the wounded soldiers' camp, wounded soldiers go missing every night, their fate unknown – who knows which officer's midnight snack they become.
Eitrigg murmured, "Orcs take pride in cruelty, and the chieftain is undoubtedly the cruelest of them all."
Gai Laya brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, her face beaming with a smile, "So I've made up my mind."
Eitrigg listened to her decision.
Gai Laya firmly stated, "Now that I know the rules, I can only follow them, not break them to do what the Savior likes."
Eitrigg was filled with a sense of loss; the former Gai Laya was gone, she had undergone a complete Metamorphosis:
"I'm so happy for you; this is the price of growing up."
Gai Laya laughed, "Isn't it just sacrificing your people? You said I was born with the qualities of a chieftain and could do it better than others."
The Orcs gathered at the Serpent Lake, a vast expanse of Orcs 500,000, all awaiting Gai Laya's command.
"My dear compatriots."
Gai Laya learned quickly, and her voice became captivating and resonant.
"Orcs are the finest race in Outland. Today, the Evil Swamp Hydra, in league with Vashj's Naga forces, plots to destroy Azeroth. The Savior has sent orders, commanding us to annihilate these remnants. Brave brothers and sisters, the great Savior is watching us. Will you disappoint Savior?"
Thrall Savior, enjoyed immense prestige among the Orcs soldiers, and they all shouted in unison:
"We will certainly live up to the expectations of our Savior."
Gai Laya roared, "Excellent! Courage is more precious than a thousand suns! Heroism is the glorious tradition of us Orcs! For the earnest expectations of our great Savior Thrall, vanquish the Evil Swamp Hydra, and eradicate the remnants of Vashj's Naga! Charge! They are underwater!"
All the Orcs present had grown up in the icy wilderness of Northrend, and none of them could swim.
Faced with the countless whirlpools of Serpent Lake, the Orcs were filled with fear, and Gai Laya seized the opportunity to sound the Horn of Courage.
Courage filled the Orcs' bodies; they roared, their eyes bloodshot, and bravely leaped into the Serpent Lake, sinking into the water like stones.
"Charge! For the great Savior Thrall! For light and Justice!" Gai Laya shouted hoarsely.
Soon, the lakeshore was piled high with Orcs corpses, and the Orcs behind stepped over the floating carcasses into the Serpent Lake.
Five hundred thousand Orcs, so fearless of death, perished in the Serpent Lake.
Not far away, Robbie and Krasus watched the Orcs rushing towards Serpent Lake.
Krasus lamented, "No wonder there's no record of the millions of Orcs attacking the Black Temple; all those who knew were dead."
Robbie shook his head and said regretfully, "This is history that cannot be changed."
Serpent Lake is teeming with floating Orcs corpses. Sporelings, Fungal Giants, Ogres, and the Draenei of Telredor have all heard the news and come to retrieve the corpses.
The corpses of these Orcs are the best food; if properly preserved and made into Tough Jerky, they can last for several years.
Gai Laya left only his elite commando unit and headed to Shattrath City with Eitrigg.
At night, the supervising troops camped at the edge of the swamp.
The pointless sacrifice of 500,000 Orcs dealt a severe blow to the morale of the supervising troops, creating a very oppressive atmosphere in the camp.
Unfortunately, Gai Laya already possessed absolute authority, and no one dared to question her.
At night, just when everyone was sleeping soundly, shouts of battle erupted in the camp.
Gai Laya rushed out of the tent and asked anxiously, "What happened?"
"It's the Sporelings, they're attacking!" a scout said in a panic.
"Damn it, when have we Orcs ever been bullied by Sporelings? Prepare for battle!" Gai Laya trembled with rage.
Eitrigg approached Gai Laya, only to hear shouts of battle all around him, the number of Sporelings unknown.
"These weak Sporelings dare to challenge the Orcs' authority."
Eitrigg had not forgotten that Elder Muxifi had treated him to Sporelings hotpot.
Gai Laya blew the Horn of Courage, but strangely, it had lost its Horn of Courage.
The demoralized troops hastily engaged the enemy and naturally fell into a disadvantageous position, suffering a brutal massacre.
The Sporelings were numerous and skilled in using poison. Before the Orcs could even reach them, they were wounded by their Sporelings, leaving them weak and powerless.
"Damn the Sporelings! If my army of 500,000 Orcs were still here, I would have wiped Sporelings out!"
Gai Laya's eyes widened as he led a group of trusted men to protect Eitrigg as he broke through the encirclement.
Although Gai Laya was powerful and brave in battle, there were simply too many Sporelings, and his comrades fell one by one.
"Am I going to die here?" Gai Laya was injured, especially by the Sporelings's toxins, which made her sway constantly.
Seeing the Sporelings charging in from all directions, Eitrigg shouted:
"Jaina, save me."
Jaina's phantom appeared behind Eitrigg questioned her:
"Was this your arrangement?"
The phantom shook its head. "If I wanted to deal with you, I wouldn't need the Sporelings' help. It's your lack of vigilance that's the problem."
Eitrigg felt slightly relieved and pointed at Gai Laya, saying, "Take us away quickly."
The illusory figure looked at the tall Gai Laya and asked doubtfully, "Are you sure you want to take her with you?"
Eitrigg said firmly, "I'm certain, she's the love of my life, and I'm willing to give anything for her."