Goblin King: My Innate Skill Is OP

What if Drugar's will clashed with mine? What if his "guidance" meant steering me down a path I'd never choose on my own?

That wasn't a gift. That was a leash.

And a conflict I had no intention of exploring.

I hurriedly moved on to the next option.

[Beastbound Sovereign].

Now that sounded like something worth paying attention to.

And rightfully so.

[Beastbound Sovereign] – Master of Beasts

The wild bends to your command. Forge bonds with monsters and command them as your pack.

Primal Bond (Active): Bind a beast as an ally. Power scales with loyalty and level.

Beast Tongue (Passive): Instinctively understand and communicate with creatures.

Packlord's Call (Unique): Summon all bound beasts at once for a limited duration.

A low whistle slipped past my lips as I reread the description. Forming bonds with beasts. On paper, it reminded me uncomfortably of what I already had with Ariel—except here, I would be the one making the choice. The bond would be mine to offer, not something shoved down my throat by a beast's parent who nearly tore me apart in the process.

Tch.

My eyes flicked to the fox. Ariel lay sprawled across the ground like she owned the place, her tails flickering lazily behind her as if mocking my train of thought. I scowled, then forced my attention back to the panel.

The first skill: Primal Bond (Active).

With it, I could form bonds with not just one beast, but many. Dire wolves, ember foxes, maybe even those massive Gnarlbeast deer that had nearly skewered me—if I could tame them, they could stand beside me. An army of wild, snarling monsters at my command, fighting under my will.

The image alone was enough to make my heart race.

From prey to predator. From a goblin scrabbling for survival to a sovereign with a pack at his back.

And the thought of walking into battle surrounded by beasts that would live and die at my command? That was power. Real power.

That alone created a vivid picture in my head—me standing at the center of a battlefield, beasts of every size and shape circling me like a living storm.

Then came the second skill: Beast Tongue.

With it, I could communicate with any beast. Sure, I could make sense of some creatures now, but that was only because they were Elite Bosses. They had the intellect and presence to force their intent across. The underlings, though—the rank-and-file beasts that made up the bulk of the wild? Nothing but growls and snarls to me.

This skill would change that.

With Beast Tongue, I could understand them all. Every snarl, every bark, every twitch of a tail would make sense, and more importantly, I could issue commands they'd actually follow. Not just one or two allies, but an entire legion of beasts answering to me.

And then there was the kicker—Packlord's Call. The ability to summon all bonded beasts at once, no matter where I was.

The possibilities were staggering.

I let out a long breath, rubbing the bridge of my nose as a tangle of emotions knotted in my chest. I wasn't the shepherd type. Leading animals, building armies—it wasn't the image I'd ever had for myself.

But then I remembered the raw power of the Mooncat. The crushing dominance of the Alpha Deer. The blistering terror of the Ember Fox.

And the thought of having that kind of power, not as enemies, but as subordinates—beasts bound to my will, fighting for me?

Yeah. That made this path hard to ignore.

But I forced myself to move on. Better to see the rest before getting attached.

The next path: [Void Strider].

This one was built for a single purpose—if I wanted to fully embrace the assassin's road.

[Void Strider] – Predator in the Gaps

Slip between realities, unseen and unstoppable. Strike from nowhere and vanish before the counter.

Void Rend (Active): Infuse weapons with void energy, dealing armor-ignoring damage.

Phase Silence (Passive): Teleport strikes silence enemy skills briefly.

Unbound Step (Passive): Ignore terrain, traps, and environmental effects while moving.

The first skill, Void Rend, caught my attention immediately. It worked almost like Rift Slash in that it ignored armor, but instead of cutting space itself, it infused the strike with void energy. I didn't know the exact mechanics of what "void damage" was, but judging from the name, it was no doubt nastier than regular wounds. Something deeper. Something that might eat away at more than just flesh.

And then there was the kicker. If I warped to an enemy and struck them, the attack would silence their skills for a brief moment.

That meant no counter. No escape technique. No desperate life-saving ability.

One heartbeat of helplessness—just long enough for me to drive the blade home and finish the job.

It wasn't flashy. It wasn't grand. But it was lethal.

Purely, efficiently lethal.

Then there was the last skill it offered: [Unbound Step].

With it, I could ignore traps, terrain, even environmental effects while moving. No more worrying about pits, snares, or bogs slowing me down. No more stumbling through poisonous swamps or tripping over roots while enemies closed in. I'd move like the world itself had no hold on me.

That… sounded incredible. Perfect for an assassin.

And yet, as attractive as it was, it didn't sway me from the first two contenders.

Sure, the Void Strider path was sleek, efficient, and deadly. But compared to the raw, reality-tearing madness of Dimensional Breaker or the beast-commanding dominance of Beastbound Sovereign, it just didn't feel as impactful. At least, not to me.

Besides, I had to admit something to myself. Maybe I wasn't cut out for the assassin role. Not completely. Assassins were supposed to be cold, detached, and able to strike without hesitation.

I couldn't even regulate my own emotions half the time.

Rage, fear, stubbornness—they all bled through in the middle of fights.

That wasn't assassin material.

And so, finally, I came to the last option [Goblin Tyrant].

Okay, maybe "last but not least" didn't quite apply here. As this one was...