Goblins were, from the perspective of humans, nothing more than troublesome pests.
Small in size, weak in strength, and wielding nothing but tree branches, they were pitiful monsters.
Hiding in tall grass to sneakily steal crops and livestock—insignificant monsters unworthy of note.
Even the evolved hobgoblins, with strength comparable to an adult human, weren’t enough to pose a real threat to villages. Thanks to their slightly higher intelligence, they lived stealthily to avoid detection by humans.
Because of this, humans didn’t seem to give much thought to groups of hobgoblins.
Even after the Church of Life warned about the dangers of goblin gatherings, people failed to take it seriously.
After all, what was there to fear? Just a bunch of annoying goblins gathered together. They were nothing more than minor nuisances that could be dealt with instantly if necessary.
That was how humans perceived them—an overly complacent view.
And the price of such complacency came swiftly.
“Turned into ruins, huh.”
A devastated small village, seemingly a newly settled frontier town, now littered with corpses.
Human corpses. Goblin corpses. Crows feasting indiscriminately on both sides’ remains—a desolate sight.
I clicked my tongue softly before igniting magical flames over the goblin corpses, causing the crows to hastily flee the fire.
The human corpses were placed into a large pit, then cremated with fire. The sacred flames…ifrit flames, would purify the souls of these departed beings.
Among the burning bodies were the lifeless forms of young children, who had perished before their lives could truly bloom. I felt a faint pang of sorrow for the loss of such innocent lives.
Though I wasn’t devoid of emotion, it didn’t feel as strong as it once did.
Why was that? Was my emotional response growing duller over time? Had my spirit dried up after enduring countless years?
No, my mind is fine. If prolonged exposure had caused this numbness, it would have happened much earlier. This sudden change suggests something else must be at play.
If anything, the issue lies within my emotions themselves.
Whatever the cause may be…this isn’t an immediate concern, so let’s move on.
Once the human corpses burned down to bones, I covered them with soil, marked the grave with a small stone, and left a sign indicating its presence.
Honestly, reviving the dead or turning back time was well within my power—but I dismissed the notion.
Reviving these people would mean denying death.
Denying death goes against my duty—to govern life and death itself.
Of course, under special circumstances, it might not matter. But bringing back victims of monster attacks like these feels…wrong.
Without a clear purpose, resurrecting the dead or reversing time simply isn’t advisable.
Thus…
“I entrust you with their souls.”
Speaking softly to the small Grim Reapers gathering to guide the souls of the deceased, they bowed respectfully before leading the spirits away.
Still…even if I won’t revive them, rest assured I’ll ensure justice is served.
With that, I headed toward the location where the goblins responsible for attacking this village were hiding.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Around eighty goblins, eight hobgoblins, and one peculiar goblin—not an orc.
This particular hobgoblin stood taller than the others and appeared to be giving orders to the group.
So…not an orc. Could this be another evolutionary path for hobgoblins?
Apparently, evolving into an orc isn’t the only route for hobgoblins. Judging by its considerable magical power but weaker physical form compared to an orc, perhaps this evolution failed?
Or maybe not. There could still be hidden abilities within this unusual goblin.
Given how skillfully it commands the other goblins, this unique individual seems experienced in leadership. For now, I’ll call it “Goblin Chieftain.”
Even so, just a chieftain—not some grand king. Likely just the leader of a tribe.
Under the chieftain’s direction, the goblins carried food supplies into a cave nestled deep within the mountains.
After all the goblins entered, the chieftain cleverly concealed the cave entrance with bushes and branches, carefully ensuring no traces of entry remained visible.
This goblin chieftain…does it understand the concept of camouflage?
It seems its intelligence surpasses that of an orc, despite its weaker physical capabilities. Perhaps this represents an evolution prioritizing intellect over brute strength.
Such a development could indeed pose a significant threat to humanity.
Therefore…
“Let’s resolve this quickly.”
Approaching the cave entrance, I carefully scanned the interior.
The cave wasn’t very deep, barely accommodating around a hundred goblins comfortably.
No other creatures resided here, nor alternate exits. A perfect setup for exterminating every last goblin inside without repercussions.
Ironically, their search for safety led them straight into a trap.
Using magic, I generated flammable gas and pushed it deep into the cave.
Inside, there were only goblins. Any livestock brought as food had already perished.
No need to rescue anyone, so…
Once the cave filled with flammable gas, I ignited a magical flame and hurled it inside.
Simultaneously…
KWAANG!!!
A massive explosion rocked the sealed cave, shaking the surrounding ground.
The initial blast didn’t consume everything; the goblins’ bodies fueled the ensuing inferno.
The frail goblins burned to ashes instantly.
Hobgoblins too, despite being physically stronger, couldn’t survive such an explosion.
As for the goblin chieftain…it lay dying amidst the flames, having somehow survived the initial blast.
Hmm…had it been dead, I’d have wiped my hands clean and forgotten about it. But since it’s alive, things get interesting.
Summoning the injured goblin chieftain via spatial movement, I extinguished the flames.
Its body, slightly larger than a typical hobgoblin, clung to life by a thread. Let’s inspect it briefly.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Hmm…after dissecting the goblin chieftain until its final moments, results were minimal.
Its brain was larger and more complex than a hobgoblin’s, but that was about it. Physically, it was merely a bit bigger than a hobgoblin.
Still, the mana stone attached to its heart was slightly smaller than an orc’s but larger than a hobgoblin’s. Interesting.
Collecting the deceased goblin chieftain’s mana stone, I incinerated the remaining corpse and tidied up the area.
With the flames inside the cave extinguished and all traces of goblin fungus dealt with…
Somewhere out there, similar goblin groups continue to grow. Time to issue a more direct warning to humanity.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The Church of Life repeatedly warned humanity.
“Don’t ignore the goblins. When hobgoblins gather, disaster will strike.”
Eventually, when news spread that evolved hobgoblins were leading goblin raids on small villages, many began hunting goblins.
Adventurers were tasked with mandatory quotas for goblin hunts, while villages formed vigilante groups to patrol and eliminate threats.
Local lords deployed soldiers to maintain public order and focus on eradicating hobgoblins.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
While humans ignored the goblins, numerous hobgoblin tribes united, birthing orcs and similar creatures.
Orc-led goblin hordes pillaged small villages, ambushed merchants, and amassed abundant food supplies, allowing their numbers to swell even further.
As the number of orcs increased, they absorbed other goblin factions, growing ever larger.
Finally, a colossal kingdom emerged, ruled by mighty orcs.
A kingdom of orcs—not just goblins, but greenskins as a whole.
The orc king, after commanding hundreds of his kin, began to transform.
Unlike regular hobgoblin or orc transformations, this orc king encased himself in a giant cocoon and remained motionless for several days.
Massive amounts of magical energy surged toward him, siphoned from the goblins and orcs of his kingdom.
After several days passed, the orc king broke free of his cocoon, revealing his new form.
A towering figure capable of crushing rocks barehanded, whose roar alone could knock out weaker goblins.
A monstrous behemoth known as…
An Ogre.
That was its name.
