Chapter 239
Chapter: 239
Certain goblins, when meeting specific conditions, undergo even more special transformations, altering their very bodies.
Unlike the usual goblins, which are about the size of a child when fully grown, these goblins can grow to be nearly the size of adult humans. They are physically evolved goblins.
Commonly referred to as hobgoblins, these entities were thought to be fully developed adult goblins when they were first discovered, but extensive research later proved they are not.
By examining and dissecting captured hobgoblins and comparing them to regular goblins, it was determined that their skeletal structure, muscle positions, and overall bodily composition are distinctively different from standard goblins.
If we were to be precise, the relationship between hobgoblins and goblins resembles that of a monster transformed wolf to a regular wolf.
Just as animals become monsters by absorbing vast amounts of magical power, goblins can be seen as having mutated due to an excess of magical power.
Various hypotheses have been proposed regarding the cause of these changes, but through studying their ecology, it was revealed that hobgoblins require an abundant food supply and a group of more than twenty goblins to manifest.
If there’s not enough food, goblins will simply expel the newly matured individuals from the group before it can grow larger. Conversely, even if food is abundant, if the goblin population is too small, hobgoblins won’t appear.
When a certain number of goblins maintain their population for a set period, one of them suddenly mutates and evolves into a hobgoblin.
But why does this change occur? While its cause remained elusive, I was able to catch a clue thanks to a proposal from the mage who aided my research over time.
The mage suggested creating a massive magic circle surrounding the goblin group to visually depict the flow of magical power.
Since the common cause of creatures transforming into monsters is the excess of magical power, it was believed that the transformation of goblins into hobgoblins was also the result of this power.
I accepted this seemingly reasonable theory and decided to go along with the mage’s suggestion.
After spending a significant amount of time and money to establish the magic circle and observe the ecology of goblins, I was able to uncover the cause of this evolution.
Surprisingly, there existed a connection via magical power between goblins living closely together.
Though their bodies were separate, they were connected as if they were one single organism. Each goblin had its magical power linked to one another.
Of course, the concentration of this magical power was notably lower than that flowing through a creature’s body, but the connection itself was undeniable.
Through this connection, as goblin groups grow in size, the amount of shared magical power increases for everyone, and when it reaches a certain threshold, one goblin will transform due to this shared power.
It was as if, upon reaching a sufficiently abundant environment, hobgoblins appear naturally as part of a meticulous structure.
If these goblins were artificially created by someone, then that person must be extraordinary.
…
Once the conditions for hobgoblin evolution were clarified, it was proposed that even further evolution could be elucidated.
It’s natural for a larger group to yield stronger subspecies of goblins.
In a group where dozens of hobgoblins appeared, it was likely that even more evolved subspecies would emerge.
Amidst this contemplation, a question arose.
If the appearance of hobgoblins is conditioned by the gathering of multiple goblins, how many goblins were needed to summon that legendary giant greenskin known to have battled the King of Knights?
– Encyclopedia of Monsters. (1). On Goblins.
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Goblins, as a new type of monster, were merely a minor nuisance to humans.
They caused a ruckus appearing all over the world but, perhaps due to their small size, didn’t result in serious issues. At most, they disrupted crops or caused the occasional livestock to go missing.
Of course, if hobgoblins emerged, it could pose a problem… but even then, one or two hobgoblins could easily be dealt with by the village guards or adventurers.
It was somewhat annoying that they adapted quickly and multiplied, but… wait, what’s with this familiarity…
Small, quick-moving, and capable of hiding well; when you find one, you could bet there are at least ten more around… hmm…
Cockroaches?
That thought strangely unsettled me. Ugh. Cockroaches.
No matter how much you exterminate them, they pop up from somewhere and ruin your day… Yuk. Really not a fan.
If only they looked at least somewhat decent. With their big heads, spindly legs, and bulging bellies, goblins are just downright gross. Ugh.
Anyway, these goblins caused minor troubles all over the world and were eradicated by countless people.
The goblins dispatched in these efforts… well, they weren’t much of a help economically.
Their skins are weak and greasy, and as for their meat… no one in their right mind would actually want to eat that.
Supposedly, bones and meat could be ground down to make fertilizer, but even that was hardly worth the effort.
It was said that using different materials would be much more effective for fertilizer.
Anyway, goblins, which adventurers shy away from as prey and are merely pests that ruin crops for villagers… are just a nuisance to many.
Even if hobgoblins showed up, two or three could be taken down with ease.
Thus, humans may have grown complacent.
Unaware of what becomes of the increasing numbers of goblins.
What kind of monstrosity might emerge from the goblins sprouting like mold all over the place?
If goblins are the mold, could the monster be considered a mushroom?
Well, ecologically speaking, they’re not too different, but…
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Goblins were animals.
At the same time, they also had plant-like qualities.
The basic green skin of goblins… while less efficient than plants, they could engage in photosynthesis.
In environments lacking food, as long as they had water and light, they could sustain at least minimal life activities, similar to plants.
Of course, their photosynthesis was only enough to keep them barely alive… but thanks to this, they could survive even in extreme conditions where food was nonexistent.
They could adapt to both heat and cold, enduring even without food… in other words, they were organisms optimized for survival.
And they also instinctively formed groups.
I captured one of these goblins, creating an isolated environment to observe it.
A mix of tree fruits, insects, and herbivores could coexist in a sort of terrarium-like habitat.
What kind of life would a solitary goblin lead in such a place?
Without other goblins or predators around, if it’s a peaceful environment… could a goblin suppress its monstrous nature?
Just like the bee-like monsters tamed by the king of Arcadia. Just like Killer Queen. Could a goblin with intelligence suppress its monstrous nature?
These expectations were shattered in the most absurd manner.
There was clearly only one goblin confined in the terrarium, and yet, out of nowhere, a small baby goblin started following the original goblin as if it had sprouted out of the ground.
What kind of bizarre creature is this that it suddenly appears? Is it spontaneously generating?
I could resolve that question after retracing time and tracking the baby goblin down.
This tiny baby goblin… appeared quietly in a corner of the cave where the goblin I had confined was living.
Like mold blooming in a suitable environment, much like how mold conglomerates to form mushrooms.
It was as if a goblin had been replicated from the one living in the terrarium.
The moment I saw that, I was rendered speechless by the incomprehensible sight before me.
Goblins are… neither animals nor plants, but rather a fungal organism? Engaging in photosynthesis? Possessing intelligence? Giving birth too??
Are you kidding me? What kind of ridiculous creature is this!! It’s like something a child thought up without any restraint!!!
Suppressing my bubbling anger, I examined the area around where the baby goblin was born, enhancing my sight to scrutinize it closely.
Then, I saw some peculiar things.
Little mold-like substances scattering around where the goblin roamed. Some sort of fungus that continued living through the magical power oozing from the goblin.
This congregation of mold… seemed to resemble goblins in some way.
In other words, goblins can be said to possess both animal and plant qualities… they are fungi.
Seriously… what is this? No, there are certainly orc-like creatures that resemble mushrooms in board games, but those don’t reproduce!!!
Yet these guys reproduce between males and females? What the heck!?
Even more absurd was what happened next.
The baby goblin born looked almost identical to the original goblin, but… at some point, its body began to change.
While its appearance itself didn’t differ greatly, the… well… the most essential part of its body transformed into that of a female. Somehow, it seems to have changed gender to balance out the population.
What on earth is this goblin creature?
I know that there are actually creatures that can change gender according to conditions. Like in some anime, when the largest female clownfish dies, one male will change its gender.
But this is going too far, isn’t it? There was only one goblin I had kept in the terrarium! Out of nowhere, it started replicating like mold! And it even changes gender!!!
What the hell are these goblins?! They can do photosynthesis for minimal life activities! They have the ability to adapt! Given sufficient time, they could cover the entire ground!!!
If this goblin-born mold isn’t completely eradicated… it means goblins could keep sprouting up from anywhere! This is a disaster!!!
Honestly, each goblin isn’t particularly strong. Thank goodness for that. If these goblins were the size of adults or even stronger…
The land might have become a goblin world. Seriously.
Ah! Hobgoblins!!
Oh dear. We’ve messed up big time.
