Chapter 238

Goblins.

One of the most commonly found monsters in the world, often seen alongside slimes.

However, unlike the typically harmless slimes, goblins are hostile towards other creatures.

With their characteristic green skin, goblins and their related monster types are referred to as ‘Green Skins,’ and they continue to cause numerous problems across the world even now.

Standing about the height and strength of a pre-teen child, individual goblins aren’t particularly strong. However, due to their habit of forming groups and their hostility toward other beings, they must be exterminated whenever encountered.

The most notable feature of goblins is their reckless evolution and adaptability.

Adapting to their surroundings and evolving, goblins acquire various abilities, showing an almost incomprehensible variety of changes and evolutions.

For instance, goblins living near the seashore.

While basic goblins have green skin for camouflage in forests, sea-dwelling goblins possess deep blue skin and move between land and sea, likely to evade predators from both environments.

Besides these ecological adaptations, physical changes such as webbed fingers and toes for swimming or enhanced lung capacity for staying underwater occur.

Such adaptations aren’t limited to coastal goblins; those in cold snowfields develop thicker fur or grow larger to conserve body heat.

Despite these diverse adaptations, one aspect remains unchanged: their tendency to form primitive villages and attack other creatures.

Clearing out goblins, much like dealing with large numbers of slimes, is an essential first step for adventurers, teaching them the weight of life.

Certain goblins meeting specific conditions undergo special evolution…

– Encyclopedia of Legendary Weapons (1): Goblins Edition.

—

Covered in thick fur with greenish skin, thin limbs, and ugly appearances, these monsters perfectly embody the name “goblin.”

At this point, can we remove the “(Estimated)” from “Goblin (Estimated)”?

Small in size, with intelligence just advanced enough to use primitive tools, and a habit of forming groups.

Completely different from typical monsters, which either don’t group or do so in ways akin to wolves rather than humans.

But where do these goblins come from? Are they mutated animals like other monsters?

Since they appear simultaneously worldwide, it seems unlikely they arise from mutations of other creatures. Perhaps they’re born from the earth itself?

Living in groups of dozens, cooperating to hunt, and sharing food, goblins seem almost human at first glance—but they remain monsters.

Their intense hostility toward other beings, small stature, and tendency to charge with crude weapons remind us they’re still monsters despite some semblance of intelligence.

Hmm… maybe leaving them alone wouldn’t be too bad? Individually, they’re as weak as children, and their tools don’t seem very threatening.

To people battle-hardened by war, these goblin primitives don’t seem like much of a threat.

So let’s leave them be. Right?

—

That thought changed soon enough.

As time passed, goblins began to evolve—perhaps not evolution, but more like rapid adaptation.

Collecting fruits, hunting animals, and rapidly increasing in number.

Thanks to their low food requirements, goblins multiply quickly even with minimal resources.

Growing into adults within days of birth and expanding their groups.

Once groups reach a certain size, they expel some members to maintain balance.

Due to their fast generational cycles, new mutations frequently appear among newborn goblins.

Adapting to their environment and predators, goblins show more aggressive evolution than normal creatures.

Though if they didn’t evolve this way, they might not survive.

Interestingly, some goblins undergo sudden evolution rather than gradual change over generations.

Similar to how regular animals mutate into monsters.

A previously unremarkable goblin suddenly growing far larger.

An initially child-sized goblin swelling to nearly adult proportions in an instant.

Much like anime-style monster evolution, difficult to comprehend.

Though rare—appearing once per group of dozens—the evolved goblins, temporarily named hobgoblins, differ greatly from regular ones.

First, strength—they develop power comparable to average adults.

Second, intelligence—unlike primitive goblins, hobgoblins use advanced tools.

Especially when encountering human tools, they examine and skillfully wield them, which is quite shocking.

Another change: hobgoblins assess situations.

Whereas regular goblins blindly attack any creature they see, hobgoblins observe and hide if they realize they can’t win.

Unlike slightly smarter goblins, hobgoblins fully utilize their developed intelligence.

This means they could become dangerous foes to humans.

—

“Mom. So you’ve come to me?”

Sagarmatha slowly stroked my worried head.

The room where I used to live with Sagarmatha remains spotless after all these years.

Does she clean it often? Or does she use some special method to prevent dust?

“Hmm. Yes. I have many concerns.”

Nowadays, I don’t worry much about humans. Thanks to the stable rule of the Knight King and the improvement of Romania into a livable country.

Relations with neighboring countries are also friendly.

“What’s troubling you?”

“These newly appearing monsters.”

If it were only goblins, I wouldn’t worry so much.

Hobgoblins. That’s the problem.

Though hobgoblins aren’t common—one appears per group of dozens—it’s concerning since goblin groups form quickly.

Perhaps the condition for goblins evolving into hobgoblins involves group size?

This is intriguing. If true, how does the number of goblins in a group influence their evolution?

Definitely worth investigating later.

“Those green-skinned dwarves?”

“Yeah, those guys.”

“You’re troubled by them?”

“They keep evolving unlike other monsters.”

“Evolving?”

When I mentioned this, Sagarmatha tilted her head.

“Is that evolution threatening?”

“Not yet, but who knows what will happen as time passes?”

“As time passes…?”

“Yeah.”

Right now, even evolved hobgoblins are only about as strong as an adult human.

But if, hypothetically, hobgoblins evolve again, they might truly threaten humanity.

That’s what worries me.

“Hmm… Do you really need to worry about this, Mom?”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t have to handle everything like before. In the old days, humans couldn’t deal with strong monsters, but surely they can handle those green-skinned dwarves?”

Sagarmatha’s words make sense.

Even though goblins multiply quickly, each individual is only as strong as a child.

A few armed adults could easily wipe out an entire group.

“Leave it to others. It’s a waste of your precious time to concern yourself with such minor nuisances.”

“Hmm… Is that alright?”

“Of course. You should cherish your time more, especially with us and me.”

Confidently saying this, I couldn’t help but smile.

You’re right. I can’t keep doing everything forever.

Let’s leave the goblins to the humans.

I’ll pass on some knowledge about goblins through the Church of Life, but detailed handling should be left to the humans.