<h4>Volume 2, Intermission: Gi Gi’s Beast Horde</h4>
Name: Gi Gi Orudo
Race: Goblin
Level: 14
ss: Noble
Possessed Skills: Track; Throw Projectile; Axe Mastery C-; Sloppy Eater; Jeer; Tacit Understanding; Ancient Beast Tamer; Beast Trainer; Cooperation; Friend of the Horde; Bug Eater
Divine Protection: None
Attributes: None
Subordinate Beasts: Triple Head
Since the king sent Gi Gi Orudo away, he has been going wherever he pleased, taking along any beast he found along his way. Gi Gi did not catch the beasts he found, however, and instead used the skill, Tacit Understanding, to make the beasts friendly and follow him on their own ord. Like this Gi Gi eventually managed to have a horde of beasts following behind him.
Thorn Dog, arge-sized beast with thorn-like fur. Big Eye, a bird with multi-colored feathers arranged in the shape of an eye. Mirage, a monkey that could fade into its surroundings. Thorn Fox, foxes whose fur would stand up like thorns when threatened. Dragon Turtle, a kind of turtle that could eventually be over 5 meters big, though currently, it was only 1 meter big.
Gi Gi took his horde of beast and headed toward a swamp.
Snow fell heavily on the distant mountains of the snow god. Gradually, the snow built up from the crossroads toward the foot of the mountains.
Damp clouds from the south crashed into the giant mountains of the snow god, showering rain over the foot of the mountains. Water permeated the ground, reaching deep under ground, as a great stream passed above ground, down toward the Forest of Darkness.
The bountiful rain and the warm climate has - for many millenia - shaped the great forests, causing much change to the beasts living in them.
After receiving the king’s orders, Gi Gi headed straight up to the north, where the humidity was high and the marsnds, which the beasts loved, were many.
When Gi Gi thought of all the beasts waiting for him, excitement filled him.
He shivered every time he thought back to the king’s words.
“We must be stronger. Henceforth, go to the north and increase your horde.
Gi Gi thought back to the king’s words as he looked around his surroundings.
“The king is truly great. He even allowed me to do as I please,” Gi Gi muttered.
Gi Gi interpreted the king’smand to increase his horde as taming more beasts. What a generous king indeed to allow his subordinate to happily tame more beasts.
Of course, the king actually intended for him to gather goblin subordinates, but Gi Gipletely missed that part.
Gi Gi looked around him as he happily hummed.
Meanwhile, the triple head he was riding on was whispering to itself.
What do you think? The leftmost head asked.
I think he’s got this whole thing wrong. The middle head said.
Isn’t there anything to eat? The rightmost head said as it searched its surroundings.
In the end, since they wouldn’t be disadvantaged in any way, the leftmost head and middle head stopped bothering about Gi Gi’s misunderstanding, and they searched the surroundings for some food just like the rightmost head.
“Is that…” Gi Gi muttered, causing all eyes to gather.
The area up ahead was a swamp. The grasses were moist and on the rotting woods were moss growing. Vines hung from the branches up above that blocked the light of the sun, wrapping themselves around trees, obstructing one’s vision. It was in such a ce that Gi Gi saw something mysterious, causing him to open his eyes wide in shock.
As the wind blew, a jellyfish floated aimlessly above the swamp.
Gi Gi carefully observed the jellyfish, while the beasts behind him gulped.
Half the jellyfish’s body was transparent as it floated over the center of the swamp.
After a while the jelly fish floated elsewhere, whereupon the grass underneath it quickly grew.
“Shall we go after it?” Gi Gi asked.
But the three heads shook their heads. Even the rightmost head, who was always eager to eat, refused. The beasts knew how dangerous getting stuck in a swamp was.
For some reason though, the jellyfish suddenly floated next to Gi Gi.
If Gi Gi just stretched out his hand, it seemed like he would be able to reach it, but there was still a chance to fall into the swamp.
Gi Gi’s patience was running thin as he waited, but the jellyfish just floated elsewhere again.
“Mmm…”
Unfortunately, the jellyfish was out of reach. The only way to reach it was to traverse the swamp, but Gi Gi had no way of doing so.
When Gi Gi looked down to the ground where the jellyfish had floated over before, he noticed there were some grass there. The
grass was young and lustrous. Picking it up, he ordered his beasts to go around the swamp, onwards to the north.
◆◆◇
Gi Gi’s beast horde gradually grew bigger as he proceeded to the north, but then they came across an unexpected but troublesome issue.
“GEGOo!” A newly added big eye cried, but behind that big eye were three other big eyes.
“GEGOo!” They cried.
When the big eye with a bigger eye pattern than the other big eyes cried, these three new big eyes cheered.
“Wait,” Gi Gi asked to the big eye that joined the earliest with his Tacit Understanding Skill. “Why are there more of you?”
Apparently, the female big eyes seemed troubled, so they wanted to bring them along.
“Even though I’m single… Sigh… I know you need them to reproduce, but still… Hmm? They were chased away, so they don’t have a ce? Hmm…”
Gi Gi was hesitant to agree, but when he saw the poor big eyes crying at the back, he couldn’t help but give in. Because of that, though, Gi Gi couldn’t say no when the mirages and the thorn foxes asked to take along some of their own females.
“No more! No more!” Gi Gi cried.
But…
“Ki ki ki!” “Fushu!”
The mirages and the thorn foxes cried foul.
The big eyes were allowed to take their female; not just one, but three too! So in the end, Gi Gi had no choice but to acquiesce.
“Hmm… Fine, but you’ll keep your females to just three then, alright?”
Gi Gi’s goal was to increase his horde’s strength. He had no intentions of running a charity; adopting every troubled beast along the way was out of the question.
In the next few days, the number of dragon turtles had increased to three. The only one without a partner was the thorn dog.
“Sigh… You’re the only one left who can understand me,” Gi Gi said to the thorn dog, though for some reason the thorn dog unnaturally avoided his gaze.
“Oh no…” Gi Gi said.
“Woof…” The thorn dog’s tail dropped as its ears drooped and its thorn-like fur softened like withered leaves.
“Sigh… Well go on. Call them,” Gi Gi said.
They’ve gotten this far already; what was there to fear? It’s not like three more dogs would be an issue.
“Woof…” The thorn dog barked.
“What’s the matter? I won’t get mad, so just call them already,” Gi Gi said.
But what happened next made Gi Gi drop his jaws.
The number of thorn dogs that appeared was 10.
“Didn’t I say just three?” Gi Gi asked.
When he looked closer, he noticed over half of them were pups.
“Don’t tell me…” Gi Gi braced himself.
“Woof!” The dog happily barked.
“What do you mean you couldn’t help it!? What are we going to do with all these pups!?” Gi Giined.
“Woof!” Like this, the thorn dog said.
The female thorn dogs were all big. They carried their pups and ced them over their back and approached Gi Gi.
“Kuun, kuun,”
“GUnunu…”
Then they made themselves as pathetic as they could as they begged Gi Gi to let them stay.
Sorry, boss. The male thorn dog said with a sorry appearance as its harem licked its face.
It’s alright, dear. I’m sure your boss won’t trouble you. Our children has no where else to go, so… The female thorn dogs said to the male thorn dog.
Normally, it wouldn’t be possible to hear their thoughts, but because of the Taciturn Understanding Skill that Gi Gi had, he unfortunately had to hear this pitiful exchange.
“Kuun, Kuun!” To make things worse, the pups kept on crying.
“Enough! I get it already! I hope you realize we’re going to war, though!” Gi Gi said.
The thorn dog happily barked back. “Woof!” Boss!
“Ki ki ki!” The mirages (invisible monkeys) pped their hands.
“GEGOo!” The big eyes pped their wings.
“FUSHuu!” The thorn foxes jumped up and down.
“…” The dragon turtles walked as slow as ever and gave only a sleepy nce, but regardless, all the members of Gi Gi’s beast horde gave their blessings to the thorn dogs.
Unfortunately, Gi Gi forgot one crucial thing.
To allow one was to allow all.
Because of that Gi Gi ended up having to build an enclosure on the backs of the dragon turtles for the newborn animals.
◆◆◇
As Gi Gi’s horde of beasts steadily grew in number, he finally managed to find some goblins. Gi Gi’s goal had always been to multiply his beasts, but he also understood that the king wished for him to gain more strength for the impending battle with the humans.
Having more goblins would only benefit them.
Unfortunately, the moment the goblins, who had left their horde to hunt, saw Gi Gi, they immediately ran. It was only a given though, since Gi Gi’s horde currently consisted of 24 thorn dogs, 13 big eyes, 6 dragon turtles, 10 thorn foxes, and 7 mirages (invisible monkeys).
“Shall we give chase?” Kicking on the triple head he rode upon, Gi Gi led his beast horde on a chase for the goblins.
When Gi Gi managed to catch some of the goblins, he found out where they lived. Gi Gi thought he would talk to these new goblins to convince them to join the king, but unfortunately for him, the goblins in the vige were scared out of their wits.
A giant goblin led a horde of beasts, many of which fed upon goblins.
When the goblins saw such a sight, it was only a given that they wouldn’t spare a word, and instead run for their lives.
“GI, GI GI!?” The foreign goblins ran back to their vige, crying, causing the rare goblin boss of their tribe to make an appearance. But when this rare goblin saw Gi Gi and his horde of beasts, he lost all feeling in his legs.
“What’s the matter?” Gi Gi asked.
The rare goblin was sat on his buttocks, his sword on the ground, as Gi Gi stopped in front of him.
Behind Gi Gi was his horde of beasts, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. The thorn dogs were salivating. The mirages (invisible monkeys) had armed themselves with sticks and giant rocks. The multi-colored birds - which the goblins here had never seen before - had spread their wings, making themselves look as threatening as possible. The thorn foxes’ thorns looked painful as they stood up. And on the back of the giant dragon turtles were enclosures, in which several small beasts howled.
I’m going to be eaten! The rare goblin thought.
“Be my subordinate, or else—” Gi Gi thought of threatening the goblin, but before he could even finish—
“Please! Let me be your subordinate! Just don’t eat me! I beg you!” The rare goblin cried.
Gi Gi hadn’t even unsheathed his axe, so he couldn’t help but raise his brows when he saw the enemy goblin offer himself.
“…You’re not going to resist?” Gi Gi suspiciously asked.
“I won’t! I absolutely won’t!” The enemy goblin cried desperately.
“Hmm.”
Well, I suppose there are days like this too. Gi Gi thought, then he conquered the vige.
“Take care of the beasts,” Gi Gi ordered. “Then I want to know whether there are other goblins and orcs around.”
Gi Gi’s trip had just begun.
◇◆◆◇◇◆◆◇
Gi Gi Orudo’s level has risen.
14 to 35
Track
Sess rate increased when pursing enemies.
Throw Projectile
Damage increased when throwing projectiles.
Sloppy Eater
Can eat even nts with poison.
Jeer
Attack power UP, defense power UP, speed DOWN.
Tacit Understanding
Canmunicate with beasts.
Ancient Beast Tamer
Can tame more beasts.
Beast Trainer
Can train even nonbat beasts.
Cooperation
Cooperation with allies gains a bonus.
Friend of the Horde
When fighting together with beasts, the strength of the surrounding horde is increased.
Bug Eater
Attack damage increased when fighting against bug-type monsters.