Goblin King: My Innate Skill Is OP-Chapter 47: Bloodtusk

We moved quickly through the forest, weaving between trees and stepping over roots with growing confidence.

It didn’t take long before we encountered our first monster.

Up ahead, just beyond a patch of brush, was a massive pig-like creature—easily the size of a calf—gnawing on the remains of what looked like a hare. Except the hare was the size of a small dog, and its body was already half-eaten.

I used analyze on it.

[Bloodtusk Boar - Level 3]

I frowned. Bloodtusk.

Blood?

I thought boars were supposed to be herbivores. Guess not in this world.

The sound of it tearing into the hare’s flesh—wet, crunching, almost gleeful—was deeply unsettling. Each bite came with a squelch that echoed too loudly in the silence.

Then I heard a soft clatter behind me.

Metal on metal. Or maybe bone. Someone’s weapon trembling in their grip.

I turned and saw it was Thok.

His blades were shaking slightly in his hands, and his breathing had turned shallow.

He was scared.

"You good, Thok?" I asked, my eyes still on the boar.

"I’m alright, Totem," he replied, though his voice wavered slightly.

But then, Narg hiccuped.

The boar froze mid-bite.

Then raised its head, its snout dripping with blood, and turned in our direction. Its beady eyes locked onto us with animal aggression. Blood coated its nose and tusks, a gruesome contrast against its dark, bristling hide. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Then it snorted—loud and guttural—stomping a hoof against the ground.

It had found us.

I sighed.

"Alright, boys," I said calmly, raising my hand and pointing toward the beast. "Time to show me what you can do."

They hesitated for a heartbeat.

Then they let out sharp goblin cries and charged forward.

The boar answered with a furious bellow of its own and thundered toward them like a freight train.

The goblins raised their voices, shouting louder as they ran—but it wasn’t battle fury. It was fear. Desperate and shaky. They were scared, but they had no choice. I’d given the order, and there was no turning back now.

Dribb, the one with the axe and shield, took the lead. He braced himself and planted his feet, raising his shield just in time.

The boar crashed into him like a battering ram.

Dribb flew back several feet, hitting the ground hard and rolling to a stop. He groaned but didn’t get up.

"Oof..." I muttered under my breath.

Gobbo was next in line. He froze as the boar barreled toward him. His shield was up, but his stance was shaky.

Another hit.

He, too, was launched off his feet, slamming into a tree with a sickening thud. His shield clattered to the ground beside him.

Zonk, Thok, and Narg, who had been just behind them, faltered.

I could see the fear in their eyes.

Two of the strongest had been tossed aside like twigs.

The boar snorted again—louder this time—and pawed at the ground.

Then it charged straight at the three remaining goblins.

They scattered in different directions, panic taking over formation.

Thok was the unlucky one—the boar locked onto him and charged. He let out a high-pitched scream and bolted through the underbrush, but it was gaining on him fast.

I sighed through my nose.

"Switch," I muttered, activating the skill.

In an instant, I swapped places with the boar. One moment it was mid-charge, the next it stumbled forward, confused by the sudden change.

I then blinked beside Thonk and grabbed him by the arm, using Warp to teleport both of us back to the others.

Dribb and Gobbo were just getting back on their feet, groaning and rubbing at their bruises.

Zonk and Narg also returned looking sheepish.

"You two alright?" I asked, scanning them for any obvious injuries.

"Yes, Chief," they replied in unison, but their eyes were downcast and their faces flushed with embarrassment.

They’d held the line—and been tossed like rag dolls.

I exhaled sharply, trying to stay calm despite the chaos.

"Listen up," I said, raising my voice so they could all hear. "You’re not going to beat that boar unless you work together. You’re all level one. That thing is a level three. If you try to take it on solo, it’ll flatten you."

The goblins stood a little straighter, listening now.

"Dribb, Gobbo—you’re up front. Your job is to take the hit and keep it distracted. Hold the line. Thok, Zonk—you flank it from the sides. Hit fast and move. And Narg..." I turned to him, and he shook, clutching the staff like a lifeline. "Use your fireball. Wait for the opening. Make it count."

They nodded, more focused this time, though their faces still showed fear.

So I reassured:

"Don’t worry about dying. I’ll step in if it gets out of hand."

Then there was a rustling from deeper in the brush.

The boar had returned. After searching in vain for us, it had gone back to its meal—but now, it stood over the mutilated hare carcass, sniffing the air.

"Let’s try this again," I muttered, then blinked back to a safe distance using Warp.

The boar snorted, turning its head toward the noise, just in time to take a fireball straight to the side of its face.

It squealed, stumbling back as smoke curled from its singed fur.

The boar screeched in pain and then charged, its rage locked onto Narg for the fireball.

It thundered forward, hooves pounding the earth.

But this time, Dribb and Gobbo were ready. They moved in sync—shoulder to shoulder—shields raised, bracing themselves for the impact.

CLASH!

The boar slammed into them with brutal force, its momentum driving both goblins back a few feet. Their boots scraped against the dirt, but they didn’t fall. They didn’t fly like ragdolls this time either.

They held the line.

The boar, stunned by the resistance, stumbled back a step.

It lowered its head again, preparing to charge once more—but before it could, a blade came spinning through the air, and struck the boar in the flank with a solid thunk, lodging just above its front leg.

The beast bellowed in pain, twisting its body.

Thok grinned from the side, already reaching for another.

It reared up to attack Thok, but before it could...