Chapter 121: Pathetic Weakling, Living in Strength Woven by Humans

Crack!

With a heavy groan, the massive gates opened.

Warlord Go Gin, standing over three meters tall, loomed like a green wall of flesh and muscle, casting a colossal shadow over Lyle. White, beard-like hair bristled with each breath he took.

Sharp tusks jutted from the corners of his mouth, and a pair of penetrating white eyes bore down, creating an indescribable pressure that surged forth like a tidal wave.

"Warlord Go Gin?"

Lyle was forced to look up. The being before him seemed bulky at a glance, but that was merely the appearance of overwhelming physical power.

Go Gin's sudden appearance left Lyle both surprised and wary. He had never had any interaction with this figure.

As for how Go Gin had found this new address—well, that wasn't anything worth questioning.

Boom!

The ground trembled.

Go Gin gave Lyle a dismissive glance, then stepped past him without a word, striding into the spacious courtyard.

Lyle frowned and turned toward the gates. At some point, a large crowd had gathered outside.

Clearly, Go Gin's presence had drawn them in. Among them, Lyle spotted several figures clad in standardized armor.

Expressionless, Lyle closed the gates, cutting off the prying eyes, and turned back toward Go Gin, who had already stepped deep into the courtyard.

Boom! Boom!

Each step shook the earth.

Go Gin didn't spare a moment for Lyle, the courtyard's owner. After surveying the area, he strode straight toward a particular spot in the center.

That spot—

Ah. So that's what you came for.

Lyle's gaze followed, and a flash of understanding passed through his eyes. "That's a valuable asset of mine, Lord Go Gin."

Hearing the voice behind him, Go Gin's red-marked nose twitched slightly. He didn't bother to turn around.

"I don't like small talk, human alchemist."

His voice was rough and heavy, laced with open disdain and cold indifference.

With that, he approached the creature bound in the center of the courtyard—a weak and emaciated ogre.

Compared to the towering Go Gin, the two-meter-tall ogre looked like a child.

"Mmmph—mmph—!"

The ogre's wild, fearful eyes fixed on Go Gin, and its feeble body tensed with dread. It tried to make sounds of protest, but with its mouth stuffed, it was unintelligible.

"Pathetic weakling."

There was no pity in Go Gin's pale eyes—only deeper disgust.

Swish!

A thick, green arm lifted. He grabbed the ogre by the head and yanked it up from the ground. The ropes binding the creature snapped under the sheer force.

"Mmm—!" the ogre whimpered in pain.

CRACK!

Go Gin's massive arm flexed—tightened—and the ogre's skull burst like an overripe fruit.

Blood and milky white brain matter splattered, coating Go Gin's body.

Thud!

The now headless body crashed to the ground with a dull thump. Its muscular frame still twitched, stubbornly clinging to life.

Boom!

Go Gin lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the ogre's chest, crushing its heart. The ground beneath cracked from the force.

Only then did he turn and head back toward the gate. Blood streaked across his body. His face was cold and merciless—no one dared to speak, let alone stop him.

Throughout it all, he had completely ignored Lyle, the courtyard's rightful master.

The stench of blood filled the air, overpowering the gentle floral fragrance drifting from the noble courtyard's small garden.

"I did say..."

Lyle sighed at the carnage. "That was a valuable asset of mine. Even if you're the Warlord of the Empire's arena, surely that doesn't give you the right to destroy someone else's property?"

"You're not afraid of me, human alchemist?"

The copper rings hanging from Go Gin's ears clinked softly as he lowered his head to look at Lyle. A mocking chuckle followed.

"Is it because you can refine unique alchemical potions using ogre blood?"

"You'll be compensated for that ogre. Someone will deliver it to you tomorrow. But as of now—you are banned from purchasing any ogres within the capital."

"Leaving this place would be in your best interest."

"You should be thankful, human alchemist. I have no interest in weaklings."

Go Gin shot Lyle a look of disgust and continued walking.

He didn't see ordinary ogres as kin. Their deaths didn't concern him. But what he couldn't tolerate was humans using ogre blood to craft potions.

To him, that was an insult.

The Empire had already been ordered by Osk to halt the trade of ogres. Yet this human alchemist hadn't stopped producing potions—on the contrary, he'd escalated.

A single vial now sold for over 500 gold coins.

Go Gin had lived among humans long enough—especially in the arena—to understand human greed all too well.

He wasn't just here to kill that ogre.

He was here to send a message.

The pain of your kind is your own to bear.

Lyle's pupils contracted slightly. Now he understood why Go Gin had come.

And in that moment, he saw something deeper about Go Gin.

Everything—the way he spoke, the way he acted—showed a level of intelligence and restraint utterly different from the other battle ogres from the Forest of Tob.

This was more than a difference in strength.

It was a difference in intellect.

"What a shame."

Lyle looked at the tall green figure and sighed. "A 'pathetic weakling'? Were you talking about yourself?"

His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Go Gin's steps paused for a beat, but he kept walking. What use was it to respond to the mocking of a weakling?

"Aren't you mistaken?"

"Do you think I'm angry because you killed the ogre?"

"Or do you think you're truly a strong one? Ah, I nearly forgot—you are, after all, the strongest Warlord the Empire's arena has ever seen."

Lyle emphasized the word "arena." His tone turned faintly mocking.

"In the Baharuth Empire, aside from the Strongest Wizard and Triad Magic Caster, Fluder Paradyne, you really are the strongest."

"In the realm of warriors, no one is your equal. Right?"

"You joined the arena six years ago. And for six years... you've fought nothing but weaklings."

"Is it to hone your martial skills, Go Gin? Or do you just enjoy the cheers of the human crowd as you crush helpless opponents?"

"Warlord—a glorious title indeed."

Lyle's voice turned cold and scornful. He folded his arms.

"Living in a strength woven by humans."

"You've long since stopped growing. You're no longer worthy of the title 'strong.' You've become exactly what you call others—weak. Lord Go Gin."

In Lyle's eyes, Go Gin was one of the most promising individuals he'd ever encountered.

Currently, Go Gin was around Level 30, but most of that strength came from his racial traits as a battle ogre.

In terms of class level, he wasn't actually that high—meaning his potential for growth was enormous.

Lyle believed Go Gin could reach Level 50—maybe more.

That's the biggest gap between demi-humans and humans—the limit of potential.

For humans, the upper boundary was far lower.