Interspecies War

"Goblin find chicken, chicken far over there, many chicken big and a big one but dangerous." The scout said dramatically to the goblin boss who nodded in response.

Alex was baffled the scout could talk as well.

The absurdity of it all left him speechless.

He wondered if it was because the goblins being human-like in some ways, was why they were capable of speech. Which made sense as he hadn't heard any intelligent speech come out of the cockatrice's mouth.

It seemed like the regular goblin troop couldn't talk as well which meant only creatures with a title could speak.

Suddenly, the boss goblin rose to his feet, its demeanor more serious as it announced with vigor:

"Today we hunt down chicken. Territory is ours. And when we kill them. And after, we have feast!" he declared balling his feast and his words were met with enthusiastic cheers from his troops.

'Wow, what a motivating speech.'

"You lead the way." The goblin boss commanded the scout and took its weapon--A crude oversized axe that fits its size.

Alex decided to flee before he got spotted. As he sneaked away he couldn't help but ponder how strange his life had suddenly gotten

Just a day ago he was working in his office with computers now he was watching goblins fight over territories with cockatrices.

It was a show he wouldn't miss.

And as for picking a side, he was rooting for the cockatrice. Though the goblins were the underdog, they didn't stand any chance. Judging from the fight he saw earlier.

Unless the goblin boss was strong enough to cause an upset.

Either way, he wasn't too concerned about the outcome, as he was simply thinking of how he could take advantage of the chaos that would ensue, and become the winner of it all.

'That's right. I'm the 'upset' hehe.'

The scout goblin navigated, and the boss and the rest of the packs toward the cockatrice.

While distancing himself from the goblins, Alex was suddenly assailed by the distinctive sounds of cockatrices in the distance. 

It seemed that the cockatrices, too, had decided to take the fight to the goblins.

He hurriedly climbed a nearby tree to watch how the chaos would play out from above. 

The two groups, goblins, and cockatrices, met in a standoff, glaring menacingly at each other.

In a provocative display, the goblin boss hurled the severed head of a cockatrice toward the herd, eliciting angry screeches that reverberated through the forest.

Despite their visible agitation, the cockatrices remained cool, unwilling to be provoked.

Amidst the flock of cockatrices, Alex spotted one that stood out – larger, leaner, and exuding an air of undeniable authority.

Its feathers gleamed like blades, its eyes radiated intelligence, and its every movement was regal.

It was unmistakably the leader of the cockatrices, the reason the birds hadn't made their move, and the system identification confirmed his suspicions:

[Cockatrice Boss: Dread Feather (Rank D)]

[Proceed with caution]

Alex was surprised. This was the first time the system had issued a warning, which meant this cockatrice was the real deal.

"Great, we don't have to walk so far to find chicken. We kill the bird here and party here!" The goblin boss yelled. 

"Stupid goblin, you dare hunt one of our own in cockatrice territory. Today, you pay with your life." the cockatrice declared threateningly.

Alex double blinked. 

"The cockatrice could speak as well?" 

His shock didn't linger much as he had earlier deduced that monsters with titles were capable of speech.

He had to admit, that hearing monsters talk was weird, but it wasn't too bad, as it could make things more interesting.

The goblins had killed one of their own, and the cockatrice was here for revenge. He got the plot and was ready for the action.

"Chicken talk now, chicken in my belly later," The boss goblin chuckled, undeterred by the cockatrice's warnings, and raised his axe defiantly. "Troops attack!" 

The boss charged forth and the rest of the goblins followed.

If it were just the regular goblin troop, they would have been terrified by the cockatrice's size, but their boss's presence gave them confidence.

They clashed with the cockatrice and began to fight.

Weapons clanging against beak and talon.

Tail stabbing into green toddlers.

The skirmish erupted in a frenzy of chaos and fury.

Alex sat cross-legged on the tree, as he watched the battle. It was going exactly as he had imagined. 

A single cockatrice was able to take out about three goblins, and when one of the cockatrices was about to be surrounded, another came to its rescue. 

They covered each other back and gave the goblin no chance to utilize their numbers--which was the only way the green creature would ever be able to defeat one. 

One after another, the goblins fell, including the scout from earlier, lying motionless with a fatal wound to its head.

Like Alex had predicted, they didn't stand a chance.

Alex shook his head at the one-sided onslaught.

He had to admit, the goblin fought bravely for some cockatrice meat, but it was foolish bravery.

Only the boss goblin was able to hold its own, killing two cockatrice but it was now engaged in a fierce duel with the cockatrice leader. 

Dreadfeather was fast using its blade for feathers, and scorpion tail, to rain deadly assaults on the boss goblin. 

The goblin, battered and bloodied, continued to fight relentlessly, but it was only a matter of time before he too would succumb to his injuries. Enough time for Alex to carry out his plan.

'Hehe.'

He opened his inventory, which was filled with [Blastshards] made of the stones he had collected earlier, in his search for cockatrices. He had stopped the timer all at one, so they would explode a second after he resumed them.

One by one, he took them out and swiftly hurled them onto the battlefield

Since the cockatrice and goblin were busy fighting, they didn't notice the stones dropping.

It one had even struck a goblin on its head, but it was too busy trying to survive, to take it seriously.

Once Alex had tossed enough to the battlefield, he seized a fistful of [Blastshards] and aimed them at the battling bosses.

Dreadfeather saw some projectiles hitting the ground, causing it to stop and glance around, wary of danger.

But before it could make sense of the situation, the goblin boss charged at it, forcing the cockatrice to defend itself.

With a swift move, Dreadfeather shoved the goblin backward, using the brief opening to glance upward.

Something didn't feel right.

Its sharp eyes quickly locked onto Alex, who was casually perched on a tree branch above, and it squinted its eyes in suspicion.

Alex, unfazed by the piercing gaze, simply waved at Dreadfeather with a mischievous grin on his face.

Then, he snapped his fingers.

And in an instant, the air erupted with the thunderous roar of explosions.

The battlefield consumed in a storm of fiery blasts as the [Blastshards] detonated, sending shockwaves that shook the ground.