Chapter: 248
One strike.
Talos’ single punch landed squarely on the ogre’s head.
Phew!!
Unlike the ogre’s barrage of attacks, there was no shockwave or anything of the sort.
All that could be heard was the sound of something exploding.
“Oh my God….”
Those who witnessed the scene could only stand in shock.
Because the head of the once-mighty ogre had vanished with a single blow.
Where the ogre’s head had been, only Talos’ fist remained.
The headless ogre simply toppled backwards, utterly helpless, like a tall tree felled by an axe.
“I can’t believe it…”
The King of Knights could only mutter in astonishment. Forgotten were his commands to others as he watched the titanic clash unfold before him.
The frozen atmosphere shattered when Talos moved after vanquishing the ogre’s head.
Talos picked up the ogre’s corpse from the ground and quietly gazed up at the sky.
Suddenly, a dazzling light cascaded from above, enveloping Talos, who held the ogre’s lifeless body.
After a brief moment, the brilliant pillar of light slowly dissipated, leaving nothing behind.
Only the splattered blood and remnants of the ogres remained to confirm that the battle had indeed taken place.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A body without a head is destined to perish. This held true even for a massive horde.
When the ogre, the king of goblins and orcs, was killed, the goblins noticed that one of the invisible chains binding them had loosened.
With the powerful overlord known as the ogre gone, their control over the goblins weakened.
Of course, even in the ogre’s absence, the ruling classes of orcs and hobgoblins still loomed, and the goblin chieftains tried to rein in the chaos-stricken goblins…
Phew!
“Kyiekk!”
An arrow flew in from somewhere, piercing through my head.
At least the orcs managed to survive by blocking the elves’ arrows, but the lizardmen charged at the remaining orcs, eyes ablaze with ferocity.
After some time passed, there were hardly any leaders left to control the goblins.
The goblin kingdom, stripped of its powerful head—the ogre—and its backbone—the orc and goblin chieftains, began to crumble in an instant.
Freed from control, countless goblins scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives.
Thus, the war with the Greenskins came to an end.
Of course, that wasn’t the end of everything.
In war, there’s always the mess to clean up.
Especially those who had seen firsthand what happens when goblins are left unchecked moved about feverishly, determined to catch every last one.
The most active among them were the elves and the beastfolk from Vistia, whose keen senses made them perfect for sniffing out hidden goblins.
Elf hunters, using their sharp hearing to discern the sounds of fleeing goblins, shot arrows with pinpoint accuracy, often enhanced by the wind spirit itself.
Though slower than mounted knights, the Vistian beastfolk sprinted far faster than regular foot soldiers, utilizing their acute senses, including smell, to track down goblins.
As for the ratfolk of Ratkinia, they excelled in keen senses too… unfortunately, burdened by enormous shields, they weren’t that nimble; at best, they scoured narrow caves to hunt down and subdue goblins.
Only after numerous stray goblins had been hunted could the war finally be declared over.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The first war fought by a coalition of various races and nations. After the conflict known later as the First Alliance War ended, a wave of changes swept through.
First came the shift in perception towards goblins.
Previously deemed nothing more than bothersome beasts akin to wild dogs, the war changed all of that.
Goblins. Hobgoblins. Orcs. Ogres.
Who would have predicted that goblins, once brushed off as insignificant, could grow stronger when united like that?
From then on, goblins began to be regarded as dangerous beings to be hunted immediately if spotted or even if their traces were detected.
Of course, some goblins continued to breed their herds in places untouched by human hands…
Whenever hobgoblins or even orcs appeared nearby, local lords would rally troops to personally eliminate the goblin hordes.
Another change came to the wizards.
For magic users who manipulated mana to conjure spells, goblins were now considered invaluable subjects of study.
Monsters that shift and evolve through magical influence.
After such transformations, special goblins emerged, wielding magic tailored to their adapted environments.
Goblin shamans in particular piqued the interest of wizards.
“Isn’t mana only used for basic elements like fire and ice?”
“How did that goblin shaman control the essence of death through magic and reanimate the slain goblins?”
“Could it be that mana holds more potential than we ever imagined?”
Such discussions sparked a flurry of debates among the wizards of Procyon.
What feats can mana achieve?
Isn’t magic a realm filled with infinite possibilities?
Thus, the wizards would band together, then part again based on their interpretations, ultimately leading to the formation of various factions.
Some claimed that the core essence of magic lies in controlling and manipulating the myriad elements that exist in the world.
Others argued that, like Arcadia’s founding king of old, one could tame monsters using magical power.
Some believed that since all living beings have mana coursing through their bodies, it could strengthen them physically.
Others were convinced that healing through magical powers was possible, akin to the miracles of the Church of Life that mend wounds.
And there were those who believed that through magic and scrolls, everyone could wield magic.
Then, some believed they could manipulate other objects to move as they pleased using magic.
There were even those who thought they too could orchestrate the movements of the dead, just like the goblin shamans.
Finally, some believed they could grasp the flow of mana through the world and predict how it rolls out.
Thus, those who diverged into various pathways united in their pursuits, prompting wizards, who previously only used the talents bestowed upon them, to embark on fundamental studies of mana.
This marked the beginning of theorizing the concept of magic, moving away from what was known as primitive magic.
The next change… Let’s discuss the transformations among the knights.
Knights. To be precise, they’re more aptly referred to as cavalry.
The vassals following the King of Knights and the lords ruling over territories and their people.
Such knights didn’t fit the immediate image one might conjure when thinking of knights. They weren’t clad in heavy armor.
They didn’t encase themselves in uncomfortable armor while riding their horses.
But they had seen it. They saw it all.
The black knight. The knight forged from black rock.
An unwavering guardian undeterred by anything.
The Indomitable Talos.
That’s how sturdy armor started trending among knights.
Of course, fully protecting one’s body with complete armor was no easy feat; thus, only vital areas were reinforced with metal.
As for the changes affecting other races… well, there weren’t any particularly notable shifts.
It was just a matter of deepening hostilities towards goblins, leading them to whack any goblins in sight.
And slowly, interest in other races surged, prompting gradual, albeit slight, attempts to establish ties with various races and nations.
As they could communicate and shared a belief in the same pantheon, they began to address each other like distant neighbors living nearby.
Finally, let’s touch on the changes occurring within the Church of Life.
After the war, a revelation descended upon the Church of Life.
“With this aid, there will be no further direct assistance to the mortal realm.
The upcoming era belongs to those living in this world, for the age of the gods has long passed.
A god will not directly tread upon this earth.”
To be honest, it was an incredible nuisance.
I mean, after all that warning about goblins! It’s humanity’s fault for not catching them properly!
Now I’m withdrawing my presence from the realms! I’ll only observe!
No more gods roaming the land! Oh, except for Talos, who isn’t a god anyway. He’s on vacation.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll be entirely idle. I’ll certainly attend to prayers. That’s what Asherath is for.
The underworld is running smoothly, and the Church of Life is functioning well without any issues.
There aren’t any troublesome gods around, and most maintain their influence over mortals indirectly to gather faith.
The problem posed by the sudden emergence of goblins has been resolved! Now I’m serious about stepping back! Just watching! Watching leisurely!!!
Honestly, it’s exhausting! I won’t do a thing! Just know that!!
Despite the commotion among the Church of Life following the revelation, who cares? I’m resting. I’m playing. I’m doing nothing. From now on, just call me the Hikikomori Goddess!
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