Goblin King: My Innate Skill Is OP

"We heard it from the former chief. It is a forest predator. Deer-shaped, but it's not prey. It feeds on blood. Marks its territory by goring trees. And its eyes—if you meet them, you forget how to walk."

My brows drew together.

"You're saying it can mess with minds?"

Narg nodded.

I hesitated. I didn't want to have them deal with something so troublesome.

I had no idea what level this thing might be. If it was too strong, sending the goblins after it would be like tossing them into a meat grinder.

If I were alone, I'd take the risk. But this wasn't just about me anymore.

Narg, as if sensing my hesitation, stepped forward.

"It's a young one, Chief. That's why it's easy to track," he said, voice calm and steady. "The older ones hide deeper. And young ones—they haven't mastered their powers yet. We have a chance."

He met my gaze."I say we hunt it."

There was no fear in Narg's voice—just quiet conviction. He believed in this fight. In their strength. And in me. No pressure.

I exhaled slowly.

If things went south, I could always step in.

So I made a decision.

"Okay, let's hunt the Gnarlbeast."

Time was ticking.

I wanted everyone to hit level 10 before nightfall.

And this seemed like the best option.

So we followed Narg, who tracked the creature through scent and signs.

And eventually, we found it.

And yeah. It looked hella intimidating.

I used [Analyze]

[Gnarlbeast Stag — Level 15]

The hulking creature stood in a shaded grove. It looked like a deer—if deer were built like powerlifters and had antlers sharp enough to gut a tank. Its brown-black fur bristled with barely contained energy. Every step it took cracked the earth beneath its hooves.

And its eyes… they were swirling. Red. Glowing.

There was something deeply wrong about them—wrong in a way I couldn't explain. Even from our hiding spot, I felt it. A chill that crept under my skin.

"Alright, boys," I whispered, keeping my gaze locked on the monster. "Team effort. I want all of you in on this—Narg, you're on support. Don't steal the spotlight."

He had a habit of doing that after he evolved.

Not out of ego—just because he could.

I didn't want him landing all the finishing blows again. The others needed the experience if we were going to level them up before nightfall.

Narg gave a firm nod. "Understood, Totem."

I raised an eyebrow. Narg really had changed.

Gone was the jittery, wide-eyed goblin who froze up in danger. This version was composed. Focused. Almost… noble?

It was weirdly inspiring—and slightly unsettling.

"Okay… you know what to do," I said and gestured for them to get to steppin.

The goblins nodded and began to move.

Thok and Zonk slipped off to the flanks, circling wide. Dribb and Gobbo crept forward, sticking low to the ground. Narg stayed at the rear, staff in hand, murmuring softly—probably prepping a buff or hex.

But just like with the Python earlier, subtlety wasn't exactly our strong suit.

Despite the slow approach, the creature picked up on them almost immediately.

The beast jerked its head in their direction. Its antlers glinted under the canopy light—sharp, curved like scimitars. The muscles beneath its fur twitched with tension.

Then it spoke.

"Puny goblins… do you even know what you're messing with?"

Its voice was deep, rough—like grinding stone.

The goblins didn't flinch. They held their ground, weapons gripped tight.

They were ready for anything.

That seemed to enrage the Gnarlbeast. Its thick limbs flexed, hooves stomping once as if to show off the sheer mass behind them.

And then it charged.

Fast.

It moved with a speed that kicked up dust and leaves in its wake, the ground shaking beneath its hooves.

Dribb and Gobbo reacted just in time—shields up—thanks to their [Danger Sense].

Then the Gnarlbeast struck.

Clang!

Its hoof slammed into their shields with bone-rattling force, sending both goblins staggering sideways in opposite directions. Their feet carved shallow trenches in the dirt as they fought to stay upright.

But the beast didn't pause.

Before either of them could recover, it pivoted with surprising agility—antlers whipping through the air—and lunged again.

This time, it targeted Gobbo.

The smaller goblin's footing was off, his shield still raised but tilted. He looked slower, less balanced than Dribb. So the Gnarlbeast chose him as the target.

But...

FWOOM!

Narg interrupted the attack, launching a quick burst of flame, not aimed at the beast itself, but at the ground directly in front of Gobbo.

BOOM!

The fireball exploded with a sharp whoosh, charring the earth and sending a shockwave of heat outward.

The Gnarlbeast skidded to a halt, hooves scraping as it recoiled from the sudden burst, its charge breaking just inches from impact.

Nice save, Narg.

Narg hadn't just fired randomly—he'd predicted the beast's path and reacted on instinct. A direct hit might not have done much, but cutting off its momentum? That saved Gobbo's life.

Not like his life was at any risk, as I would've saved him either way.

The beast turned, eyes locking onto Narg with something close to rage.

But before it could act—

A spear whistled out of the treeline, from Zonk, about to strike the beast in the shoulder. But the gnarlbeast lunged away from it, the spear hitting the ground.

THUNK!

Thok emerged from cover with both daggers drawn, rushing in for a backstab.

But then, the Gnarlbeast spun faster than Thok had expected.

And its eerie eyes flared bright red.

WHIING!

Mid-run, Thok suddenly froze.

His eyes were locked with the Gnarlbeast's—and something changed. His arms dropped to his sides, daggers slipping from his grip. And he began to tremble.

I stared, stunned.

The damn thing was using some kind of fear effect. And it was working.

Thok couldn't move.

The Gnarlbeast lowered its head, antlers gleaming, and then charged, aiming to skewer him clean through.

I tensed, ready to warp forward and swap places with him.

But Narg was faster.

BOOM!

A fireball roared in from the side and smashed into the beast's flank. And the explosion sent it stumbling mid-charge, its hooves digging trenches into the ground as it fought to stay upright.

The impact broke whatever grip the fear had on Thok.

And Thok collapsed to his knees, gasping, drenched in sweat.

Narg then spun his staff in a tight arc, muttering a chant in a deep, guttural tongue. Dark purple energy...