Chapter 243

The evolution of orcs was incredibly slow. Unlike goblins or hobgoblins that evolved by gathering in groups of several dozen, orcs only evolved after hundreds gathered.

But there was no denying how strong they were as a result. The monstrous brute possessed a giant body like that of a giant, brimming with tremendous power.

The monster named Ogre was unrestrainedly showcasing its strength.

“ROOOAAARR!!!”

A massive clash between a huge lizard and the ogre! Drake – a dragon without wings, considered one of the strongest land creatures. This beast collided head-on with the ogre at full force.

KWAANG!!!

Just their collision sent out a powerful shockwave, causing not only goblins but also hobgoblins to tumble backward. Yet neither the ogre nor the drake budged an inch, locked in a standoff of nearly equal strength. While the drake pushed off the ground on all fours, the ogre stood firm on two legs, still managing to hold its own against the drake’s might.

Was the pure muscle power of the ogre stronger? Though the drake was larger and had a lower center of gravity, it seemed the ogre could sufficiently counteract it. In the middle of this tense struggle, the drake suddenly reared its head high and spat out a fireball. Panicking, the ogre quickly rolled away to dodge the fiery projectile.

Though the narrowly missed fireball ended up burning some nearby orcs and goblins—just a minor incident—the ogre never took its eyes off the drake. Cautiously watching out for the drake’s limited breath attacks, which could only be used a few times a day unlike a true dragon’s.

Even though the scorching fireball had passed so close, the ogre showed no sign of great distress. Did its evolution grant it enhanced resistance to flames? Or was it simply refusing to show weakness before a formidable foe? Either way, it was undeniably impressive.

The drake attacked with teeth, claws, and tail, while the ogre calmly and nimbly evaded these assaults, retaliating with mighty punches. Each blow carried enough power to shatter boulders, yet the fight remained evenly matched.

No matter how rock-shattering the ogre’s punches were, they couldn’t pierce through the drake’s scales. And even when the ogre hammered away at the drake with its fists, it was already clear this wasn’t your average creature anymore.

Likewise, the drake couldn’t deal any significant damage to the ogre. Despite its large size, the ogre was surprisingly agile, dodging all of the drake’s attacks with composure.

After exchanging blows multiple times, the drake eventually stepped back slightly, ending the skirmish.

So the drake, capable of leveling entire cities and devouring them whole, retreated after failing to defeat just one ogre. Of course, the ogre couldn’t capture the drake either—but from the ogre’s perspective, driving off the drake was as good as victory.

As the drake moved further away, the ogre kept watch until it disappeared, then let out a thunderous roar.

“ROOOAAARR!!!”

Like some kind of movie monster, the ogre screamed, accompanied by cheers from the orcs and wobbly hobgoblins.

Meanwhile, the goblins who fainted from the ogre’s roar were left aside. Watching this scene of greenskins, I sighed quietly.

Considering the destruction this monster could cause… It would be right to eliminate it now. But after witnessing the ogre’s battle with the drake, another thought crept into my mind.

What if we could use this ogre to send a powerful warning to humans? To clearly demonstrate what happens when goblins aren’t dealt with promptly.

Many would die. Many villages and towns would be destroyed. Still, I couldn’t deny the allure of this option.

Countless lives lost. Countless places razed. A sea of sorrow. The pain of those who’ve lost their families. Somehow, my empathy toward such suffering has dulled. Even so, I felt compelled to brand this warning into their minds using the ogre.

What should I do? My remaining shred of humanity urges me not to, but my rational mind insists this is the best course.

What choice should I make? Follow the humaneness left in my heart? Or proceed with disregard for it?

While contemplating this as I overlooked the kingdom of greenskins, another voice came from beside me.

“That’s the notorious monster, isn’t it?”

“Shamash.”

“Yes, that’s me.”

Suddenly appearing, Shamash smiled—a beautiful blonde. Shamash.

“Indeed, quite a strong one for something made up of those tiny green molds. Being able to match strength with a drake is no small feat.”

“Hmm. Strong indeed.”

If we exclude dragons and other extraordinary beings, among terrestrial creatures, none surpass the drake in strength. Since the ogre held its own against the drake, its power was evident enough.

“Is it strong enough to leave humans completely helpless?”

“Its strength cannot be denied, but ‘completely helpless’ might be an exaggeration.”

Humans wouldn’t crumble so easily. There will certainly be great sacrifices, but somehow they’ll manage to repel it.

“So this mold problem is something humans must solve themselves.”

“You say that, but you look worried.”

Worried expression? Without realizing it, I had been stroking my face.

Am I worried? About humans? Even with my emotions dulled, am I concerned about them?

I don’t know. But considering this comes from Shamash, one of the children who’ve observed me for a long time… Perhaps it’s trustworthy.

“If you’re so worried, why not offer a little help?”

“A little help…?”

“Yes. All we need to do is show how strong this ogre is, right?”

At Shamash’s words, I nodded slightly. What humans need now is a warning—not necessarily one that involves countless deaths.

“Then, perhaps we could have a fairly strong individual take on this ogre, put up a good fight, and then finish it off?”

“Fairly strong individual…? Selecting a new hero might be too rushed…”

“We don’t need a hero. There happens to be someone suitable wandering around.”

“Someone suitable?”

Shamash grinned and said,

“Bigger and stronger than this ogre… How about the giant made of black rock?”

“You mean Talos.”

“Yes! I heard he’s currently traveling the world on vacation. Extending his leave in exchange for doing a bit of work sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?”

Talos, hmm. If it’s Talos, even if countless ogres gather, he’d crush them all effortlessly. He may be excessively strong, but given Talos’ intelligence, I can trust him to hold back appropriately during the fight.

Alright. Let’s go with that. If Talos handles the ogre, we can leave the rest of the goblins and orcs to the humans. More survivors would remain that way.

“But these mold creatures… They share many similarities with various humans living on the surface.”

“Similarities?”

“Yes.”

Shamash pointed at the small goblins with her finger.

“These little ones resemble jwi beastmen quite a bit. Small, obsessed with food, and prolific breeders.”

“Hmm… Are they similar enough to jwi beastmen despite their weaker individual power?”

“The hobgoblins are akin to common humans.”

At Shamash’s statement, I nodded. Indeed, hobgoblins do resemble humans—in build, strength, and intelligence.

“As for these orcs… They’re somewhat like beastmen, though stronger. Maybe closer to lizardmen?”

“That comparison insults lizardmen!”

Orcs and lizardmen compared? Apologize to the lizardmen!

It’s not because they’re trusted children saying this; it’s simply due to the glaring differences!

Lizardmen are far superior. Far.

“Roughly speaking, they’re somewhere between physically strong beastmen and lizardmen.”

Slightly stronger than lesser beastmen or boar beastmen? Of course, there’s considerable variation among individuals, but on average…

“And finally, the ogre. Similar in size to giants.”

“I agree. Its physical strength might even surpass giants.”

Giants aren’t weak, but the ogre’s demonstrated power was deeply impressive. No giant could engage in direct combat with a drake like that.

“The greenskins resembling everyone except elves under Yggdrasil’s protection and dwarves beneath Sagarmatha… Could this be mere coincidence?”

At Shamash’s words, I shook my head slightly.

The creator of these greenskins likely modeled them after the humans living on the surface.

In short, they’re like pirated copies.

How irritating.

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