Anyone would hate to be spoken to so haughtily, especially about a job that involved risking one’s life. I wanted to demand that they show us some sincerity, or at least some humility. But I knew it was futile.
As it happened, only a few seconds after I rejected the offer, the male elf’s face froze in a dumbfounded expression. It seemed he hadn’t anticipated being turned down. Perhaps he thought an Ogre would be too dim-witted to catch on to the veiled insults he had thrown at us. It was typical prejudice against my kind, who are often considered to be nothing but big meatheads.
I continued to glare down at him until his delay, which would have been fatal on the battlefield, finally ended. Understanding the meaning behind my words and gaze, the elf’s face turned crimson with anger. But just as he was about to lash out, I silenced him with a glare. The combined activation of Evil Eye, Intimidating Gaze, and Aura of Domination was more than enough to do the job.
I hadn’t expected that he would be rendered incapable of breathing.
Satisfied, I deactivated Aura of Domination, allowing him to breathe again. His face transitioned from red with anger to pale with fear, and the sight made me chuckle, which only served to frighten him more. An ogre’s face can be terrifying, I thought to myself.
Satisfied with having scared him sufficiently, I swiftly grabbed the male elf by the neck with my silver arm and pulled him close. The two female elf guards tried to move to intervene, but I stopped them with another glance. Holding the male elf by the ear, I ordered him to tell his hidden guards to lower their bows—just as an arrow flew toward my face. I caught it between my teeth, biting down with a loud crunch.
While chewing on the arrow, I conveyed with my gaze that if there were any further reaction, the male elf’s neck would be the next thing caught in my jaws. Well, really, I only smiled. But that seemed to get the point across.
The male elf muttered something under his breath, which I ignored. I tightened my grip, signaling for him to hurry up. Panicked, he shouted the order to his guards. I smiled at him again and, using Visual Field Boost and Precognition, confirmed that the hidden guards had complied before whispering in his ear again.
“And now I refuse because I’m not in the mood,” I said. “However, if humans do try to disrupt our home, I don’t mind lending a hand. As fellow inhabitants of the forest, I’ll help you take the necessary measures. I have at least that much decency.”
With Aura of Dominance activated again, I continued. “But if you even think about retaliating and harming my subordinates because of this,” I said, making sure the threat in my tone was clear, “I will come for you. And I will eat you and slaughter every one of your allies.”
To drive my point home, I pulled out my crimson spear, Kazikli Bey, from the Item Box and stabbed it into the ground. I activated one of its unique skills: Tepes, the Bloodstained Crimson Spear Legion. Crimson spears appeared in front of each and every elf, even the hidden ones. The eyes of the ones standing in front of me widened in fear.
After a tense standoff as the blood drained from the elves’ faces, they finally turned and fled. I watched them go, then looked down at the spear in my hand. The mechanism behind it was a mystery, but this weapon could make other spears appear infinitely from anything within a hundred-meter radius, as long as there was an indirect connection—me stabbing the ground, for example. This was the second time I’d used it, and the sight of countless crimson spears sprouting from the ground and trees around me was still surreal.
The spear’s cutting edge, length, and ability to pin down any targets with its sharp tip made it the perfect match for my tactics as an ogre. I’ve got no complaints. But there are many magical items of equal or greater power in this world, which I find perplexing. Based on my discussions with Redhead Shorty, it seems like we live in a stereotypical fantasy world with some idiosyncratic advancements and modifications here and there. But the presence of these overpowered technologies and absurdities shows how twisted things really are. Artifacts are often referred to as “relics of the gods,” and they genuinely do seem too advanced for this civilization.
Setting that aside for now, back to the elf situation. I believe I had done enough to deter any possibility of retaliation. There’s always the chance they might try something, but it’s hard to eliminate that risk entirely. If anything does happen, I’ll deal with it then.
Oh, and I should add something else too. Apparently, the elf I threatened was a candidate for the next clan leader, so he’s pretty important. The elven village, or whatever they call it, is located deeper into the unexplored area around our home base. It might be interesting to check it out sometime.
Incidentally, I’ve gained a better understanding of the effectiveness of the various Language Comprehension abilities, like Orcish Language Comprehension and Human Language Comprehension. It’s handy for communicating with species like forest lizards, which have a significantly different way of speaking from us goblin-types. But for humanoid species like orcs, goblins, and humans, who have somewhat similar languages, it’s possible to manage a conversation without it, albeit imperfectly.
This became evident when I talked to the elves. I haven’t eaten an elf yet, so I didn’t have their Language Comprehension ability, but we managed to understand each other anyway. Having the ability definitely makes communication smoother, as it allows comprehension of unique phrases or dialects. For instance, in goblin language, depending on where the speaker is from, either “erai” or “kowai” can mean “tired.” So, the ability helps to avoid confusion caused by regional differences.
After chasing the elves away, I went about my usual routine of hunting and had another night that was just as intense as the last.