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Chapter: 243

The evolution of orcs was quite slow.

Unlike goblins or hobgoblins, which evolved after gathering dozens, orcs needed to gather hundreds before evolving.

But the fact that they were that strong was undeniable.

Monsters, endowed with incredible power within their enormous bodies, were indeed called ogres.

“GRAAAAH!!!”

The giant lizard clashed with the ogre.

Drake. A dragon without wings. A monster considered one of the strongest land creatures.

That monster was engaging the ogre with full force.

BOOM!!!

The collision alone generated a strong shockwave, sending goblins and even hobgoblins tumbling back.

Yet, neither the ogre nor the drake budged an inch. It was a standoff with nearly equal power.

The drake pushed off the ground with its four legs while the ogre held its ground on two legs. Despite the difference in posture, the ogre was able to withstand the drake’s strength.

Could it be that the ogre’s raw muscular strength was greater? The drake was larger and had a lower center of gravity, so one would think it had the advantage if both were exerting the same amount of force…

As the intense struggle continued, the drake lifted its head high and spat out a fireball, causing the ogre to roll out of the way in a panic to avoid the fiery projectile.

While that misplaced fireball ignited a few orcs and goblins nearby, the ogre kept its eyes locked on the drake.

Unlike dragons, the drake’s breath attack had limited uses per day, and the ogre was on high alert, watching for it.

A fireball had just grazed by them, yet the ogre showed no signs of agony.

Had it gained resistance to fire during its evolution? Or was it simply that it didn’t want to reveal its discomfort in front of a strong foe? Either way, it certainly felt extraordinary.

The drake attacked with its teeth, claws, and tail while the ogre deftly evaded, countering with its fists. Each strike from both monsters carried the power to shatter rocks, resulting in a fierce contest.

Even if the ogre’s punches were strong enough to shatter rocks, they couldn’t penetrate the drake’s scales. No, even if it battered the drake’s scales, it would still be intact, making it hard to still see it as a normal creature.

The drake, on the other hand, also struggled to inflict any real damage on the ogre. The ogre, surprisingly nimble for its size, was reading and dodging the drake’s attacks effortlessly.

The battle where neither could land a hit continued until finally, the drake retreated slightly.

Here was a creature that could devastate an entire city, yet it couldn’t best a single ogre.

Of course, the ogre couldn’t capture the drake either… But from the ogre’s standpoint, forcing the drake to retreat felt like a victory.

As the ogre watched the drake distance itself, it let out a loud roar.

“GRAAAAH!!”

Like a monster from a movie, the ogre’s roar echoed. The orcs cheered, and the hobgoblins stumbled around.

Some goblins fainted at the ogre’s roar, but I sighed lightly at the scene of the greenskins.

Considering the damage that monster could cause… It would be wise for me to step in and handle this immediately.

However… after seeing the ogre battling the drake, a thought popped into my mind.

What if I used that ogre… to show the humans a strong warning?

This would clearly demonstrate that neglecting goblins could lead to such disasters.

Many would die.

Many villages and cities would be destroyed.

Yet, I couldn’t deny that it was an attractive option.

The deaths of many people. The destruction of countless villages and cities.

The sadness of an unfathomable depth. The pain of those who lost their families.

Could my empathy towards such things… have dulled a little? Regardless, the thought that marking the warning of the ogre was the right move filled my mind.

What should I do? My remaining shred of humanity screams against it, but my head says it’s a good plan.

What should I do? Should I follow the humanity within me? Or should I proceed while ignoring that humanity?

As I looked down at the greenskin kingdom, lost in thought, a voice from beside me broke my contemplation.

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

“Shamash.”

“Yes. That’s it.”

The golden-haired beauty who had suddenly appeared was Shamash, smiling brightly.

“Indeed, for something made from those little green fungi, it’s impressively strong. To think it could contest with that drake.”

“Hmm. It is strong.”

Excluding creatures that deviate from the norm like dragons, there truly were no land creatures stronger than a drake.

Since this ogre didn’t lose in its struggle against the drake, its strength was already evident.

“If it’s that strong… then might the humans be helpless against it?”

“It’s undeniable that it’s strong, but not utterly helpless.”

Humans wouldn’t collapse under such pressure. Sure, there would be heavy casualties, but they could surely defeat it somehow.

“That means those fungal beings need to be resolved by human hands.”

“Considering what you’re saying, you seem rather worried, don’t you?”

“Worried? Me?” I unconsciously touched my face.

Am I worried? About the humans? Even in this dulled emotional state, am I still concerned for them?

I don’t know. But if it’s Shamash, who has observed me for a long time… I can trust her words.

“If you’re that worried, wouldn’t a little help be in order?”

“A little help…?”

“Yes. Um… it’s just a matter of showcasing the ogre’s strength, right?”

I nodded slightly at Shamash’s words. What the humans needed now was a warning. Not all warnings have to result in a mass death.

“Then we just need to have a strong enough opponent challenge the ogre and have a tight contest before eventually taking it down, right?”

“A strong enough opponent…? It’s a bit tight to summon a new hero at this point…”

“You won’t even need a hero. There’s conveniently someone suitable roaming around the world right now.”

“Someone suitable?”

With a smile, Shamash said,

“That ogre is dwarfed by the giant of black rock.”

“You mean Talos.”

“Yes! I’ve heard he’s on vacation, traveling the world. We could give him a little task in exchange for extending his vacation!”

Talos. Hmm. If it’s Talos, he could certainly wipe out all those ogres even if they gathered in droves.

He might be a bit of an overpowered opponent… but if Talos, having intelligence, is told to hold back while fighting, he would surely oblige. Hmm.

Alright, let’s do that. If Talos can take on that ogre, I can leave the rest of the goblins and orcs to the humans. That way, more will survive.

“By the way, those fungal creatures… they have quite a few similarities to the humans living on the surface.”

“Similarities?”

“Yes.”

Shamash pointed a finger at the tiny goblins.

“Those little ones… they seem quite akin to the rat beastmen. Small, obsessed with food, and they give birth regularly.”

“Hmm… is that so? While they may be similar to rat beastmen, their individual strength is rather weak.”

“Next, hobgoblins resemble ordinary humans.”

I nodded at Shamash’s remark. Indeed, hobgoblins do resemble humans in stature, strength, and intelligence.

“The orcs… might be beastmen? No, they’re a bit stronger than that… they’re closer to lizardmen?”

“Comparing them to lizardmen is a bit of an insult, don’t you think?”

Comparing orcs and lizardmen? Apologize to the lizardmen!

It’s not that those things don’t have faith in me; it’s just that the difference is significant!

Lizardmen are way stronger. Way stronger.

“If we were to generalize, it would be more accurate to say they’re somewhere in between physically strong beastmen and lizardmen.”

A bit stronger than cow or wild boar beastmen? Of course, there’re individual differences, but that’s the average assessment.

“Last but not least, the ogre. That thing bears a resemblance to a giant.”

“I can admit that. Its physical strength might even surpass that of giants.”

Giants aren’t weak, but the ogre’s display of strength was incredibly impressive.

No giant could stand toe to toe with a drake like that.

“Under the protection of Yggdrasil, with the elves, and the dwarves living under Sagarmatha, those fungal beings bear significant resemblance to the rest of the humans… Is this really just coincidence?”

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

The being that created those greenskins… must have modeled them after the humans living above.

In other words, you could say they’re a hacked pirate version of humanity.

How infuriating indeed.

 

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