Chapter: 242
From a human perspective, goblins were merely seen as annoying pests, somewhat akin to troublesome marine life.
With their small stature, weak strength, and capabilities limited to swinging a branch, they were nothing more than feeble monsters.
They hid in the grass, stealing crops and livestock, and that was their entire existence—a pathetic excuse for a monster.
The hobgoblins that evolved from such goblins possessed the strength of an adult, but they were not strong enough to seriously harm a village. Thanks to their slight intelligence, they managed to live in hiding to avoid detection by humans.
Thus, it seemed that humans didn’t particularly concern themselves about the hordes of hobgoblins.
Despite the warnings from the Church of Life about the dangers posed by gathering goblins, people didn’t take the threats seriously.
At worst, it was simply a bunch of annoying goblins gathered together. Nothing more. Just trivial monsters that could be dealt with in an instant if one truly put their mind to it.
That was the human perception. Utterly complacent.
The consequence of such complacency arrived swiftly.
“It’s turned into a ruin.”
A small village left devastated. The remnants, resembling a newly settled pioneer town, were filled with corpses.
Human corpses. Goblin corpses. A horrific scene of crows feasting on the remains of both sides.
I clicked my tongue softly before igniting a magical flame on the goblin’s corpse. The crows hurriedly took flight to escape the flames, cawing caw-caw in panic.
The human corpses were shoved into a large pit for cremation. The sacred flame that humans believe in… the flame of Ifrit will purify their souls.
Amid the burning corpses, a few were the remains of young children.
Children whose lives were extinguished before they even had the chance to bloom… I felt a faint sorrow for the demise of such small lives.
It wasn’t that I didn’t feel any emotions, but they felt less intense than they once did.
Why is that? Are my feelings growing dull? Is my spirit withering away after all this time?
No, my mind should be in good shape. If it were simply a matter of being dulled by age, that would have happened long ago. Experiencing it suddenly now indicates there’s likely some other cause.
If there is a problem, it’s an emotional one.
I don’t know what the cause is… but it’s not an urgent issue at the moment, so let’s move on.
I ensured that the bodies of the deceased humans were reduced to mere bones, filled the pit with dirt, and raised a small stone to mark the grave.
Honestly, I could have done anything to revive the dead… I could even rewind time… But I steeled myself against those thoughts.
Bringing them back to life means denying death.
It means denying the death that I am responsible for and govern along with life.
Well, unless there’s a special purpose behind it, it wouldn’t matter in that case. Resurrecting those merely sacrificed by monsters like these wouldn’t be the right thing to do.
Unless there’s a clear purpose… reviving lives or turning back time to pretend it never happened would be better left undone.
So.
“I entrust their souls to you.”
I spoke softly to the small reapers who had gathered to collect the souls of the deceased humans. The tiny reapers bowed and started guiding the souls away.
Still, even if I don’t resurrect the dead… I will ensure I avenge their grievances appropriately.
I made my way toward the location where the goblin horde that attacked the village resided.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
About 80 goblins, eight hobgoblins, and one strangely unique goblin that wasn’t an orc…
One hobgoblin, slightly taller than the others, was giving commands to the goblins.
That’s… not an orc. It seems to be a hobgoblin that evolved into a different form.
It appears that the evolution route of hobgoblins is not limited to just orcs.
Upon closer examination, this goblin seemed to have considerable magical power but was physically weaker than an orc. Maybe it failed its evolution?
No, that could be misleading. This peculiar goblin may have some hidden ability.
The unusual goblin commanded the others with surprising consistency, moving them with practiced skill… Let’s for now call it Goblin Chieftain.
Well, it’s still just a goblin, so a grand title like king doesn’t suit it—more like a tribal chief.
The goblins led by the Goblin Chieftain were hauling their food into a cave in the nearby mountain that they had made their nest.
Once all the goblins entered the cave, the Goblin Chieftain deftly concealed the entrance with nearby bushes and branches, glanced around, nodded, and slightly pushed the branches aside before entering. He then tidied up the bushes that covered the entrance to ensure there was no trace of where he had gone.
Does that Goblin Chieftain… understand the concept of camouflage?
Despite being physically weaker than orcs, their intelligence might actually be superior. Did it undergo a type of evolution that sacrificed physical prowess to enhance intelligence?
This could indeed pose a significant threat to humans.
So.
“Let’s resolve this quickly.”
I approached the entrance of the cave and peered inside carefully.
The cave itself wasn’t very deep. It could hold about a hundred goblins comfortably.
There were no other creatures, no alternate entrances, and no issues would arise even if all the goblins inside were obliterated.
Perhaps the goblins sought a safe nest in these caves, but… ironically, that made it a prime opportunity for their complete extermination.
I conjured a flammable gas using my magic and pushed it into the depths of the cave.
Only goblins were inside the cave. The livestock they had gathered as food were all lifeless.
No one crucial to save was present. Therefore.
As the combustible gas filled the cave, I created flames using my magic and tossed them inside.
At the same time.
Kaboom!!!
A large explosion resounded within the sealed cave.
The explosion was so fierce that it shook the surrounding ground, and with that single blast, flames ignited, consuming the goblins as kindling.
The frail goblins were reduced to ashes in an instant.
Hobgoblins met the same fate. Even with their sturdy bodies, they weren’t capable of withstanding such an explosion.
And the Goblin Chieftain… was either somehow surviving the explosion’s impact or was currently burning to death amidst the flames.
Hmm… Perfect. If he died, I could simply wash my hands of it and forget, but if he’s alive, that changes things a bit.
I teleported the burning Goblin Chieftain out and extinguished the flames.
The Goblin Chieftain lay there, hardly clinging to life. Let’s inspect his body, slightly bigger than a hobgoblin.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Well… I dissected the Goblin Chieftain until he breathed his last, but I gained no remarkable findings.
His brain was larger and more complex than that of a hobgoblin, but that was about it. His body was only slightly bigger than a hobgoblin’s.
Still, the magic stone attached to his heart was slightly smaller than that of an orc… but larger than that of a hobgoblin. Interesting.
After collecting the magic stone from the dead Goblin Chieftain, I burned what remained of him and tidied up the area.
The flames that had raged within the cave seemed to have extinguished, and it looked like the goblin remains had been properly dealt with.
Even at this moment, more goblin hordes like these are likely emerging everywhere, so it’s time to give humans a more direct warning.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The Church of Life reiterated their warnings to the humans.
They shouldn’t leave the goblins be. A gathering of hobgoblins could lead to disaster.
And as word spread that those evolved from hobgoblins were potent enough to lead goblin hordes attacking small villages, many people began hunting them down.
Adventurers were mandated to hunt goblins, quotas were established, and villages organized vigilante groups to patrol and eliminate them.
The lord overseeing the territory deployed soldiers to maintain public order and dedicated efforts to eradicate the hobgoblins.
Yet, it was already too late.
While humans turned a blind eye to the goblins, significant numbers of hobgoblins banded together, merging into organized bands, and orcs or equally formidable goblins emerged.
Goblin factions led by orcs plundered small towns, ambushed merchants, and gradually increased their numbers with the riches harvested from their raids.
Thus, as the orc population surged, they kept absorbing other goblin factions, growing larger and more menacing.
A colossal kingdom was on the verge of taking shape, commanded by hundreds of orcs.
A kingdom led by the formidable orc. A kingdom of goblins… no, a kingdom of greenskins.
The orc king directing that kingdom… only started to transform after amassing hundreds of orc followers.
In stark contrast to other hobgoblins or orcs transforming, this orc king morphed into a massive pupa, remaining immobile for several days.
A great influx of magical energy surged toward the Orc King. The magical powers liberated from the goblins and orcs under the Green Skin Kingdom were concentrated on their king.
After several days had passed, the Orc King began to emerge from the chrysalis.
Standing tall as a giant, he possessed the strength to crush boulders with his bare hands.
A formidable monster that could cause frail goblins to faint with a mere roar.
Ogre.
That was the name of the monster.
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