The First Coalition War (3): Talos the Black Rock Giant
There are many theories surrounding the First Coalition War—also known as the First Coalition Great War or the Greenskin War.
Some claim it was a display of national might by the Kingdom of Romania—later the Romanian Empire—to showcase its power to other nations, while those nations in turn demonstrated their own resolve... a so-called war of posturing.
Others argue it was a warning about the endlessly evolving goblins, uniting multiple countries into a coalition army.
Still more insist that by revealing just how strong the goblins—later dubbed ogres—had become, it stirred public opinion toward their total extermination.
And then there are the fringe theories: that a god gathered countless souls into war simply to reveal his own power.
The last claim lacks credibility, but one thing everyone agrees on: the black rock giant sent by the gods to vanquish the ogre. Talos. His overwhelming might lay beyond human comprehension. For the Life Goddess who created and commanded such a being, impossibility did not exist.
BOOM!!!
Something black crashes down right between the ogre and the Knight King... no, right in front of the ogre's nose.
The shockwave from the massive sword forged of pitch-black rock sends both the ogre and the Knight King reeling backward. Following the greatsword, an enormous something descends.
Unlike the sword's thunderous impact, this giant lands in utter silence. A colossus of sheer black stone. The underworld guardian god, Talos, stands wordlessly before the ogre.
"That... that must be the aid the Life Goddess spoke of...!"
The Knight King couldn't help but gasp in awe at the figure standing boldly before him. A giant matching the massive ogre in size. A protector clad head to toe in black armor. An unyielding will emanated from his imposing stance, one that would not bend to anything.
"Grrrrr..."
The ogre bristled warily before Talos. It must have sensed the sudden arrival as a threat.
Talos, gazing at the ogre, yanked the greatsword from the ground, slung it over his back, and fixed his eyes on the beast. Perhaps those crimson eyes—Talos's eyes—didn't sit well with it. The ogre let out a low growl and lunged.
BOOM!!
The ogre swung a fist straight at Talos's head without warning. The impact exploded outward in a deafening roar. It was a strike of unimaginable power, defying belief for any living creature.
Yet Talos didn't budge an inch, even after taking the blow. He merely glared at the ogre, as if asking, Is that all you've got?
The ogre retracted its fist and staggered back a few steps. The hand that had battered drake scales unscathed was now mangled, blood streaming from torn flesh. A single blow. Just clipping Talos's head had shredded its skin.
"Grrrrr..."
With a low rumble, the ogre regripped its fist and charged Talos again.
Thud! BOOMMMM!!!
Fists that could shatter boulders and snap ancient trees rained down. Punches laced with deep killing intent poured onto Talos.
Yet through the barrage—the relentless assault bent on pulverizing its foe—Talos remained utterly still. As if such light taps couldn't touch him. He simply stood there, taking the ogre's flurry on his body without a twitch.
"By the gods..."
Onlookers could only watch in stunned silence. They felt the power in each strike through the bursting shockwaves. Blows that would turn any ordinary creature to minced meat in one hit. And Talos took them bare, without guard or evasion.
They stared in wide-eyed horror.
"That... the might of a being handcrafted by a god himself..."
It was simply terrifying. The ogre unleashing such devastation. Talos enduring it without a flicker.
"GRRAAAAAHHH!!!"
After a brief exchange, the ogre roared and leaped back. The fists it had swung in frenzy were now a ruined mess, losing their shape. Bones shattered, muscles torn—it couldn't even clench properly.
Dangling its shredded hand, the ogre glared at Talos with eyes full of enmity.
Talos, seeing this...
"......"
Silently clenched his fist.
"Hmm... Isn't this fight a bit too one-sided?"
"Even so, hasn't it shown off the ogre's strength plenty?"
I'd hurled Talos in because the Knight King looked in real danger.
Hmm... but is this okay?
"The lizardmen couldn't stop that ogre either, though."
"Difference in class. Same build as a giant but even more agile. Insanely strong too. Stronger than giants."
"Yeah. Humans went flying like trash."
"Sagarmata. No badmouthing."
She's a god, so looking down on other creatures is inevitable, but still—no rude words.
"Even so, that level of power was a bit unexpected. With that strength, agility, and intelligence combined... it really turns into a headache of a monster."
"Mm. We've had monsters with that much raw power before, but most were beast-like."
A monster with a beast's body and human-level smarts...
Those are a real pain. Traps don't work, lures fail. They're cunning enough to avoid danger and poke at weak spots—and tough enough that other humans couldn't hold out.
If that ogre was like that, humans wouldn't have dreamed of taking it down. Good thing it had its "Greenskin Kingdom" nest. That's why it didn't run.
"Why isn't it running, Mother?"
"Running? You mean the ogre?"
"Yes. With an overwhelming foe like that in front, couldn't it just bolt?"
I nodded slightly at Yggdrasil's question.
"If it runs, all the goblins and orcs get wiped out. So it can't."
"Goblins and orcs? From the ogre's view, aren't they just weak underlings? Ditching them and fleeing shouldn't cause much issue."
I shook my head at Yggdrasil's words.
"Yeah. Supply issues."
And the answer to that question...
"Supplies?"
"Yeah. Supplies."
Sagarmata said it with a look like she expected praise. She looked just like she did as a kid, so I chuckled softly and patted her head.
"Right. Spot on. Supplies are the problem."
"Supplies... you mean food? Without goblins and orcs, the ogre could hunt freely, no?"
"Not food. Mana."
"Mana?"
I began explaining patiently to Yggdrasil, who still didn't get it.
"You know goblins need massive mana to evolve, right?"
"Yes. They share the group's mana, and when enough builds up, one evolves."
"Evolution needs mana, but so does just keeping their bodies alive. Drain it all, and they can't maintain their flesh."
I'd tested it myself. It's certain. Mana fuels goblin evolution and sustains their bodies.
"The mana needed to sustain that body... grows with every evolution. Separate from food needs."
If it was just food, the ogre wouldn't need a horde this size. With its power and speed, it could hunt anything solo. It could survive alone.
But it didn't. It reigned as king over countless goblins.
"To sustain itself, the ogre needs all those goblins."
Think of it like population caps in some old-school real-time strategy game.
One goblin takes 1 pop, but boosts max pop by 2. Twenty goblins: 20 pop used, but +40 max, netting 20 spare.
Use that spare for one to evolve to hobgoblin. The hob takes ~20 pop but boosts max by 5. Same for orcs. And ogres.
Higher greenskins can't survive without enough underlings to supply the mana they need.
"Without enough minions, they can't replenish mana and wither away."
"Mm... not crystal clear, but I get the gist."
Yggdrasil nodded, peering down at the battle.
At Talos clenching his fist and blowing the ogre's head clean off in one strike.
At the Greenskin Kingdom crumbling in a single blow.
