Goblin King: My Innate Skill Is OP

Without warning, a surge of energy erupted from the alpha wolf.

A powerful aura burst from its body and swept across the surroundings like a violent shockwave, causing the nearby ash and loose debris to scatter in every direction.

The beast threw back its remaining head and let out a deafening howl. Then its body began to change.

The transformation wasn’t instantaneous but happened rapidly enough to be visible.

Its frame tightened. The muscles beneath its scorched fur compressed and became denser. Its limbs grew firmer, the claws extending further as they darkened and sharpened into something that looked more suited for tearing through steel than flesh.

Even its posture changed.

The wounded, desperate creature from moments ago vanished, replaced by something far more savage. Its crimson eyes locked onto Eli. The hatred within them was unmistakable.

Ariel felt a chill run through her body. Even from where she stood, she could feel the pressure radiating from the transformed alpha wolf. The beast had become stronger. Much stronger.

Yet when her gaze shifted toward Eli, she found him standing exactly as before. Calm. Unbothered. The transformation hadn’t changed his expression in the slightest.

If anything, he looked mildly interested.

Losing two of its heads must have triggered some sort of berserk state. A final attempt to turn the battle around.

But despite the immense power now pouring from the alpha wolf, Eli still didn’t seem to regard it as a threat.

Elu dismissed the blood sword and drew Gravefang instead.

The dark blade appeared in his hand, and almost immediately, void energy began pouring into it. The weapon trembled faintly as the power flowed through its runes, the blade gradually darkening until it seemed to absorb the surrounding light itself.

Eli exhaled slowly. Then he settled into his stance.

Across from him, the alpha wolf continued to transform. The power radiating from its body grew increasingly violent, kicking up ash and dust around its feet as its remaining head fixed itself on him with murderous intent.

For a brief moment, neither side moved. They simply stared at one another. Then the hellhound lunged. At the same instant, Eli moved.

Ariel couldn’t tell which action came first.

Did Eli swing before he vanished? Or did he warp before the strike?

The two motions happened so quickly that they appeared as one.

And all she saw was the aftermath.

A crescent-shaped slash tore through the alpha wolf, and the beast’s charge came to an abrupt stop.

Its skull split apart, and the upper portion of its body followed a moment later.

The force carried through the creature entirely, ripping through it from head to torso before continuing forward.

A deafening boom echoed across the forest.

The delayed shockwave blasted ash from the ground and rattled the nearby trees.

For a second, the alpha wolf remained standing.

Then its massive corpse collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Ariel’s eyes widened.

The attack itself had been terrifying enough, but what caught her attention was what happened next.

The void slash continued forward for several more meters before abruptly fading away. It didn’t strike the trees. It didn’t carve through the landscape. It simply disappeared. As though its sole purpose had been to kill the alpha wolf. And having accomplished that, it had no reason to exist any longer.

A spray of blood erupted into the air, raining down across the battlefield and splattering Eli from head to toe. Yet despite being drenched in the creature’s blood, he remained completely unfazed.

The alpha wolf, meanwhile, was finished. Its body hit the ground with a heavy thud and didn’t move again.

Even after its transformation. Even after the sudden surge of power. It had still been unable to do anything.

Ariel remained perched on her branch, unmoving. She didn’t immediately jump down to celebrate the victory or tease him.

The sight she had just witnessed was... intimidating.

She had always known Eli was strong.

But knowing something and seeing it were two entirely different things.

That alpha wolf had been powerful enough to make even her instinctively wary.

Yet from beginning to end, the battle had never truly seemed within its control.

The creature had fought desperately to survive, but Eli had simply hunted it down.

Ariel felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

The forest had become strangely quiet now that the fighting was over.

Only the crackling of lingering flames and the rustling of disturbed ash could be heard.

Ariel remained perfectly still. The sight she had just witnessed was more intimidating than she cared to admit.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then he looked up at her with a grin.

And just like that, the terrifying image she had of shattered.

The heartbeat that had been pounding in her chest moments ago came to an abrupt stop.

*

[You have killed the creature ’Shadow Hellhound’]

[You have leveled up]

[You have received 500 Skill Points]

[You have received skill: Shadow Leap (Active) A]

[Shadow Leap (A-Rank)]

Description:

Allows the user to leap between connected shadows within sight or within a short radius. Upon entering a shadow, the user becomes briefly concealed before emerging from another shadow of their choosing. The transition is nearly instantaneous, making it difficult for enemies to track the user’s movements. Larger and denser shadows reduce mana consumption, while brightly lit areas limit the skill’s effectiveness.

I let out a sharp breath as I finished reading the skill description.

It was remarkably similar to the ability the regular wolves had been using.

The alpha hellhound had possessed a version of it as well, though its mastery had clearly been on an entirely different level. It hadn’t merely traveled through shadows. It had connected them to that bizarre realm of darkness it controlled, allowing it to attack, retreat, and reposition in ways that would’ve been a nightmare for most opponents.

There was no doubt this was a powerful skill.

In the hands of the right person, it could easily become the deciding factor in a battle, allowing them to strike unexpectedly, escape dangerous situations, or bypass defenses altogether. Against an opponent unfamiliar with it, the ability would be even more troublesome.

Unfortunately for the hellhound, it had run into me.

I glanced over the skill description again.

A thought crossed my mind.

If I continued to...