"Ah!!"
"They're dead!"
In the Cardinal World, at the central square of the village, one goblin after another awoke from their immersive experience.
"That was too quick!"
"Damn it!"
"Those Heroic Spirit warriors are too underhanded, ganging up on us!"
"..."
For a moment, the village buzzed with noisy chatter.
This was because Iskandar's personally led legion had clashed with the goblins.
As for the outcome...
The Hobgoblins' strength was not weak, comparable to the average Heroic Spirits under Iskandar.
But the enemy numbered over 20,000.
Their sheer numbers were four times that of the goblins.
Combined with the Heroic Spirits' excellent coordination, the goblins struggled briefly before showing clear signs of defeat.
While not collapsing instantly, it was close.
"Well, no matter."
Damien hadn't placed high expectations on the goblins. "At least they didn't flee in disgrace, preserving our side's honor."
Goblins were the lowest-tier Majins in the Cardinal World.
Even with Damien's blessings enhancing their racial traits, they were unlikely to become elite warriors.
Moreover, Damien's purpose in subduing the goblins was to make them citizens of his Monster Kingdom.
His only expectation was that they not be cowards.
In this, Damien had confidence.
From the original novel, it was clear that goblins were loyal to Rimuru.
Unlike the vile, cowardly goblins of other fantasy worlds, these were intelligent, honorable majins with a strong sense of belonging to the Monster Kingdom.
"However..."
Damien looked at the Hobgoblins and goblinas still in meditation. "No matter the race, even the weakest goblins can produce exceptional warriors."
"Huh?"
"Look, Gobwa's still fighting!"
"As expected of Gobwa!"
Gobwa, a female goblina, was an exceptionally talented goblin girl with the potential to evolve further.
"Eh?"
"What's up with Gobta?"
"Hey, Gobta, why are you still sitting there?"
"Wake up and watch Gobwa and the others fight with us!"
To facilitate the goblins' participation, those in the war were gathered in the square.
They sat cross-legged, using meditation to better control their other bodies.
"Don't touch him!!"
As someone moved to nudge Gobta, a cool voice rang out nearby.
"Ah! It's Lady Snow Empress!"
"What did you say, Lady Snow Empress?"
"Don't disturb him... he's still fighting the enemy."
Snow Empress ordered the crowd to disperse, then looked at the small figure still seated.
As the village's overseer of Majins, Snow Empress had shifted from her icy demeanor in the far north, now focusing on unlocking their potential and talents.
This battle was meant to temper the Majins.
In such training, some were bound to stand out.
"Let's see which goblins can hold their ground against the Heroic Spirits' onslaught."
As the crowd parted, Snow Empress scanned them, spotting several she had already considered promising.
She didn't underestimate the goblins.
The Cardinal World's magical beings had an evolution mechanism.
Even the weakest goblin, with enough potential, could grow to the level of a Demon Lord Seed.
Snow Empress had few hobbies.
One was helping Damien unearth talent.
It was like sculpting ice, revealing dazzling brilliance through careful crafting.
This was a rare pastime Snow Empress had found to pass the time.
"Uh..."
But when she saw Gobta, even the usually composed Snow Empress faltered.
"This one..."
Snow Empress scrutinized Gobta. "Are you sure he's a Hobgoblin?"
Hobgoblins and regular goblins were vastly different.
The latter were deformed little monsters.
Hobgoblins, however, were barely distinguishable from humans.
The females, aside from slightly green skin, were nearly identical to humans.
But this one...
How to put it?
Snow Empress could only say he had the classic goblin look, with a foolish expression.
"This..."
Snow Empress decided her standards for nurturing talent might need to be raised.
She didn't want one of her "works" To be such an outlier in the future.
"No wonder you were skeptical."
Snow Empress nodded inwardly, understanding. "Alright, don't disturb the meditating goblins. Let them keep fighting."
"Yes!"
"Understood, Lady Snow Empress."
Following her orders, the goblins instinctively shielded their still-fighting kin.
Meanwhile, those who had left the battlefield looked up.
They watched the projection, where the battle had reached its final stage.
The shattered earth, deserts crystallized by heat, and countless elite Heroic Spirits bound by spatial threads.
The 20,000-strong army had crushed the 5,000 goblins.
Without a moment to mourn the goblins' deaths, nearly a hundred kijin elites rushed to the battlefield.
Initially, Iskandar thought the kijin were merely B+ rank Servants like the wolves.
Only a few, like Shion, reached or surpassed A-rank.
But reality was far crueler than he imagined.
Each of the hundred kijin was equivalent to an A-rank Heroic Spirit.
Among them were powerhouses rivaling Shion and Souei.
Take Hakurou, for instance... his strength was on par with Souei's.
Only due to Damien's appointment did he act discreetly as part of the Shadow Squad.
If singled out, at least fifty top-tier warriors could be found among the two hundred kijin.
And so...
Without suspense, the 20,000 Heroic Spirit legion was slaughtered by a mere hundred.
"Monsters..."
Iskandar and Waver were unharmed.
Due to Damien's orders, the kijin deliberately spared them, allowing their passage.
Waver stared blankly at the kijin.
In that moment, their displayed power shattered his understanding of Heroic Spirits.
Too strong... unimaginably so.
It was hard to fathom that there were a hundred such terrifying beings.
And Damien, commanding such a force, seemed like an insurmountable chasm between the Masters and the Holy Grail.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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