The Chicken Soup is Gone, Why Should I Care About This?

Discomfort aside, Zul'ra fought with the Zandalari Greatsword with ruthless efficiency. Relying on his reach, strength, and nimble footwork, he wielded the heavy blade as if it were a straw. His swordsmanship was precise and rhythmic; he would often circle behind the male Naga to cleave them at the waist, or parry their weapons to run them through the chest or slash across their shoulders.

"Mepgira, the day of reckoning has arrived." Zul'ra cut down a Naga guard and roared at the female Naga standing a hundred paces away. Unlike the dragon-headed, snake-bodied males, she retained a more humanoid form with extra arms, her body shimmering with a faint light.

"Boom!" At the sound of Zul'ra's roar, Mepgira turned her gaze toward him. She pointed a webbed, clawed finger, and a bolt of lightning tore through the night sky. Zul'ra scrambled to dodge, but even though the bolt only grazed him, stray arcs of electricity still surged into his body.

"She uses magic!" Zul'ra felt his body go numb, his hair standing on end from the static charge.

"Here, you are a living being just like her. Your magic works too. Do not hesitate—kill her," G'nathus Elaka's voice echoed in his mind.

"You should have mentioned that sooner." Zul'ra backhanded a Naga guard to death, then took a deep breath. The rapid intake of oxygen mixed with his rage, causing his heart to hammer and his blood to race.

"Ah!" Feeling power surge through his entire body, Zul'ra let out a roar. He sliced three Naga guards in half with a single swing, then pushed off with both feet, charging toward Mepgira like a heavy locomotive.

"Use your magic!" G'nathus Elaka urged urgently. In the distance, Mepgira hissed with laughter, waving her webbed palms to send several ice shards flying toward him.

"Taz'dingo!" Zul'ra swung his broad Zandalari Greatsword in a wild flurry, shattering the ice shards one by one before leaping high into the air.

The remaining distance vanished in an instant, leaving Mepgira's sinister face frozen in shock. Zul'ra brought his greatsword down into her forehead, then landed on his knees, bouncing back instantly to leap aside as he dragged the blade away.

"Is she stupid? She didn't even cast a magic shield." Zul'ra scrambled to a safe spot as if his feet were on fire. He watched the female Naga, who stood motionless with her skull split open, not even bleeding, and began to doubt his own technique.

He had developed that move based on how Grommash Hellscream had struck down Mannoroth. He had practiced it many times, and because he remembered how Grommash had been blown up, he had added a jump-back maneuver to his strike. But what was wrong with this Naga? She hadn't even bothered to raise a barrier.

"Boom..." Just as Zul'ra finished speaking, Mepgira's body exploded. Flesh and blood splattered everywhere, releasing a surge of powerful energy. The resulting shockwave whipped his braids back, leaving Zul'ra with a bewildered expression.

"She was preparing to gather her energy to finish you in one blow, just like you intended. But you were luckier. Didn't I tell you to use magic?" G'nathus Elaka's voice sounded thoughtful.

"..." Zul'ra stared at the remains of Mepgira, his mouth slightly agape. That meant if he had been even a second slower, he would have been the one destroyed by her magic!

"Answer my question." G'nathus Elaka sounded slightly displeased.

"Ah, my offensive spells are all short-to-mid-range, and my other spells are purely for support and flanking. I didn't know if they would be useful." Zul'ra pulled his thoughts away from his brush with death to explain—it wasn't that he didn't want to use them, he just didn't have the right ones!

"..." G'nathus Elaka remained silent for a long time.

"King of Beasts, shouldn't you be getting me out of here?" Zul'ra turned to look at his surroundings. With Mepgira dead, the figures that had been fighting had vanished like mist. He was the only one left in the darkness, feeling a growing sense of cold and isolation.

"Remove the mask from your face." As G'nathus Elaka spoke, Zul'ra watched the endless darkness shimmer. The light shifted, and he felt himself pulled away from the illusory world, returning to the temple with the Voodoo Mask still on his face.

"Regardless, I thank you, Champion. You have liberated the souls of my followers and taught me that the tiger patrols the jungle, and the king bravely bears his burdens."

Zul'ra instinctively removed the mask. G'nathus Elaka stood before him, bowing his head while speaking.

"The tiger patrols the jungle, and the king bravely bears his burdens." Following the Loa's words, the synchronized voices of Kurtaki and Kupaka echoed from behind. Zul'ra turned abruptly to see that the magical barrier blocking the entrance was gone, and Kurtaki, Kupaka, and the others were standing just outside.

"N-not at all, King of Beasts." Zul'ra felt his face flush as he met the strange looks from the Zandalari Trolls and the Tortollan, and he turned to return the Tiger God's salute.

"You are worthy of the praise, Champion. Kurtaki." G'nathus Elaka's tiger face remained solemn as he called out to the entrance. The Zandalari scholar stepped inside cautiously.

"From this day forth, tell the people that the King of Beasts, the Bane of Prey, the Tiger God G'nathus Elaka has returned." As G'nathus Elaka spoke, a roar emanated from his body, making it feel as though he might pounce at any moment.

"I shall spread your true words and your teachings to the four corners of the world." A surge of overwhelming excitement washed over Kurtaki's face. From this moment on, he was no longer just a devout believer; he was an oracle, only one step away from becoming a chosen one.

"Kupaka." At G'nathus Elaka's call, the Tortollan outside hurried into the temple.

"I am deeply sorry that I could not rescue your tribe hundreds of years ago, and that I allowed the souls of my followers to remain trapped in a curse for centuries, leaving my people behind." G'nathus Elaka expressed his regret.

"Merciful G'nathus Elaka, the Tortaka have never... the Tortaka have been without your protection for centuries." Kupaka knelt and bowed, showing he dared not hold a grudge, though he was too afraid to voice his true feelings.

"From today on, your Tortaka tribe may dwell here. You are the subjects of the King of Beasts, under the protection of the Tiger God. Those who stand against me shall be hunted down." G'nathus Elaka looked at the humble Tortollan, threw his head back, and let out a tiger's roar as a promise.

"Thank you, merciful G'nathus Elaka. Your virtues shall be known far and wide." Hearing the great tiger's promise, Kupaka was overjoyed. Darkwood Beach was still unsafe, and invaders were frequent; if they could relocate here and receive the protection of a Loa, there would be no safer place.

"It is what you deserve." G'nathus Elaka nodded slightly, glanced at Zul'ra, and turned his body twice before leaping out of the temple. His four paws carried him into the mountains, and his roar sent countless birds scattering into the distance.

"..." Zul'ra watched the Tiger God depart with such flair and couldn't help but twitch his lip. He's just leaving? I did all the work for you—is it too much to ask for a reward?