Chapter: 247
There are various claims about the First Coalition War, also known as the Greenskin War.
One argument is that it was a war to showcase the power of the Kingdom of Romania – later the Romanian Empire – to other nations while simultaneously allowing other countries to flaunt their strengths… A so-called war for demonstrating national power.
Another claim suggests that several nations formed an alliance to rally against the warning of the endlessly evolving goblins.
Additionally, there’s an assertion that after displaying just how powerful the goblins—later dubbed ogres—could become, public sentiment shifted towards the need to exterminate them.
Then there’s the minority opinion: that God gathered countless beings to start a war in order to reveal His own strength.
While the last claim lacks significant credibility, everyone can agree on one point.
Talos, the black rock giant sent by the gods to defeat the ogres.
The overwhelming strength of that being is beyond human comprehension.
The Goddess of Life, who creates and commands such entities, knows no impossibility.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Kwaaaang!!!
Something black plummets between the ogre and the knight king… no, right in front of the ogre’s nose!
The shockwave from the crash of the pitch-black greatsword sends both the ogre and the knight king reeling backward, and something colossal follows after the greatsword.
Unlike the greatsword’s fall, which was noisy, this gigantic entity falls so quietly that it barely makes a sound.
A giant made of pitch-black rock. Talos, the guardian god of the underworld, stands silently before the ogre.
“Is that… the help the Goddess of Life spoke of…!”
The King of Knights couldn’t help but marvel at Talos’s imposing figure standing proudly before him.
A giant that could match the size of the massive ogre. A guardian entirely clad in black armor.
In that noble stance, one could sense a will that would not be bent by anything.
“Kurrrrrr…”
The ogre, feeling threatened by Talos’s sudden appearance, bristles defensively.
As Talos gazes at the ogre, he pulls out the greatsword embedded in the earth, slings it over his back, and locks eyes with the ogre.
Did Talos’s piercing red gaze leave the ogre feeling uneasy? The ogre lets out a low growl and makes a move.
Kwaaaaang!!
The ogre swipes a fist directly at Talos’s head. The impact booms out like thunder, reverberating through the area. It’s a forceful blow that seems utterly impossible for a living being.
Yet, Talos doesn’t budge an inch after taking such a hit.
He merely glares at the ogre as if to ask, “Is that all you’ve got?”
The ogre retreats a few steps, withdrawing the fist that had struck Talos’s head.
The fist that had withstood the scales of a drake is now tattered and dripping with blood.
With just one strike, Talos’s head had resulted in tearing the ogre’s skin.
“Kurrrrrr…”
The ogre growls again, clenches his fists, and charges at Talos.
Boom! Boom!!!
A fist packed with the power to shatter rocks and snap trees in two. A fist fueled by deep malice rains down upon Talos.
Such relentless blows, driven by the intent to destroy the enemy, hammer down on Talos, but he remains utterly still.
As if to convey that such light attacks cannot faze him, he simply endures the ogre’s flurry of punches without any movement.
“Oh my god…”
Those witnessing this spectacle are rendered speechless. The force behind each blow is palpable through the shockwaves that ripple through the air.
An assault that would reduce an ordinary creature to mere pulp. Talos absorbs it all without any defense.
They could only watch in wide-eyed astonishment.
“Is that… the power of a being crafted by God Himself?”
It felt utterly surreal.
The terror exhibited by the ogre unleashing such relentless strikes. And Talos, who takes those assaults without moving a muscle.
Graaahhhh!!!
After a brief moment, the ogre screams as if in agony and retreats.
Its fist, swinging wildly, has exploded into a mangled mess, losing all semblance of its original shape.
Bones are shattered, muscles torn; the ogre can no longer form a proper fist.
Hanging its battered hands down, the ogre simply stares at Talos with a look of hostility.
Talos regards the ogre in silence.
“….”
He clenches his fist without uttering a word.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Hmm… isn’t this fight a bit too one-sided?”
“Well, wouldn’t you say this is sufficient to demonstrate the ogre’s power?”
The King of Knights threw Talos down hastily, fearing for his safety. Hmm… is this okay?
“Yet, even the lizardmen failed to stop that ogre.”
“That’s due to the weight class difference. This ogre is in the same class as a giant but is far more agile. Its strength is incredible too; it’s stronger than giants.”
“Yeah. The humans were flung around like trash.”
“Sagarmatha. No need for such harsh language.”
As a deity, it can’t be helped that he looks down upon other beings, but there’s no need for foul words.
“Still, that level of strength was a bit unexpected. With that power, agility, and intelligence, we might be dealing with a really troublesome monster.”
“True. While there have been monsters with that degree of strength seen before, most resembled beasts.”
A monster with a monster’s physique and human-like intelligence… is truly a nuisance, you know.
Traps won’t work, and luring them won’t yield results either. If you’re sly enough to elude danger areas and target only the weak points, other humans will still struggle to endure it.
If that ogre had been like that, there’s no way humans could have dared to capture it.
Fortunately, they had a place known as the Greenskin Kingdom. The ogre didn’t escape.
“Why isn’t it fleeing, Mother?”
“Fleeing? Are you referring to the ogre?”
“Yes. With such an overwhelmingly mighty opponent before it, wouldn’t it be able to escape quickly?”
I nodded slightly at Yggdrasil’s query.
“If it runs, all the goblins and orcs would be exterminated in no time. That’s why it can’t run away.”
“Goblins and orcs? From the ogre’s viewpoint, aren’t they merely feeble subordinates? I doubt there’d be major issues if it abandoned them and fled.”
I shook my head in response to Yggdrasil’s statement.
“Indeed. It’s about supplies.”
And it was Sagarmatha who offered the answer to that question.
“Supplies?”
“Yep. Supplies.”
With that response, Sagarmatha looked at me as if seeking praise.
The expression on her face was practically unchanged from when she was younger, and I couldn’t help but smile as I patted her head gently.
“Yes, that’s right. Supplies are the key issue here.”
“Supplies? Is it a question of food? I’d think without goblins and orcs, the ogre could hunt at will.”
“It’s not a matter of food; it’s a question of magic.”
“Magic?”
Gradually, I began to clarify it for Yggdrasil, who still didn’t grasp the concept.
“You know that goblins require a massive amount of magical power to evolve, right?”
“Yes. You mentioned that by sharing the collective magical power, upon gathering enough, one individual evolves.”
“It does take magic power to evolve, but it also requires magic to sustain a goblin’s life. If all of its magic is drained, its body can’t survive.”
I was certain of it; having experimented with it myself.
Magic isn’t just essential for a goblin’s evolution; it’s also necessary for maintaining its physical form.
“The amount of magical power needed to sustain that physical body… tends to increase as it evolves. Separate from food.”
If food were the only requirement, an ogre wouldn’t need to manage such a large troop. With its strength and agility, it could easily hunt other creatures. It could easily survive alone.
However, the ogre did not do that. It reigned as king over a myriad of goblins.
“The ogre requires those numerous goblins to maintain its existence.”
The idea might resonate more easily if you liken it to the population concept in a real-time strategy simulation reminiscent of traditional games.
Picture one goblin taking up a population count of 1 while simultaneously increasing the maximum population by 2.
When 20 goblins gather, they occupy 20 of the population but contribute to a maximum limit of 40, leaving an excess population of 20… It’s somewhat like that. Using the extra population, one goblin can evolve into a hobgoblin.
An evolved hobgoblin… let’s approximate it as claiming 20 of the population while increasing the max population by 5.
The same calculation applies to orcs. And it’s the same for ogres.
In the case of the greenskins existing at the top, without subordinates, they would perish due to an inability to acquire the necessary magical power for survival.
“If they cannot muster a sufficient number of subordinates, they won’t be able to replenish the magical power they need and will wither away.”
“Um… I don’t have a complete grasp yet, but I think I understand the gist.”
Yggdrasil, now on board with the explanation, turns to observe the battle unfolding below.
The very moment Talos, fist clenched, obliterates the ogre’s head with a singular blow.
I witnessed the Greenskin kingdom’s collapse in an instant.
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