Transmigrated As An SSS Ranked MILF Overlord-Chapter 131: Special

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The sound wasn’t just loud—it vibrated, deep and thunderous, like the earth itself had caught its breath and begun to shudder. Steve froze, muscles tensing as the noise rolled across the broken terrain like distant drums of war.

’They’re close...’

The thought dropped into his chest like a stone in a still pond—ripples of excitement and fear overlapping inside him.

’They’re close. Damn it, they’re here already.’

His grip on the bundle of firewood slackened. The dry branches tumbled from his arms and hit the dirt with a soft clatter that suddenly seemed far too loud. His breath hitched. Then—he bolted.

He turned on his heels and sprinted, kicking up dust and ash, darting between broken beams and half-toppled walls. His eyes were flicking left and right, scanning, searching, calculating, judging every shadow and silhouette as he raced back toward the safety of the old ruins—toward the crude shelter he had rigged up beneath the collapsed edge of what used to be a watchtower.

The sound was still there—thud, thud, thud—pounding into the air like some primitive war chant.

’Where are they coming from?’ he thought, eyes wide and darting, his breath ragged as he pressed his back against the moss-covered stone. ’I can’t see them... but I can feel it. The tension. It’s thick, it’s coming in heavy. Like it’s sitting on my shoulders.’

He squinted, searching. And then—

Something moved.

From the edge of the forest, thick with gnarled trees and twisted roots, a shape emerged. One shape. A goblin.

At first, it looked like the others—gnarled skin, too-large arms, hunched back, monstrous face. But this one... this one was fatter, bloated even. Its belly wobbled with each step, and blood—old and caked—clung to its jaw like a twisted beard. Its eyes gleamed a deep yellow, feral, as it clutched something in its fist. A stone-carved bat—primitive, jagged, stained.

It walked with purpose. Slow, deliberate strides.

Straight toward the Tower of Mirrors.

Steve’s heart hammered against his ribs.

’Only one goblin? Seriously? Just one?’

He exhaled slowly, steadying himself.

’Maybe this really is my lucky day.’

He crouched lower, pressing his hand flat against the ground. He let the pulse of his own energy stir within him, the hum of the Puppeteer’s Strength ability rising as he reached out—not physically, but mentally—for the goblin’s mind.

’Let’s see if I can grab the strings...’

Just as he was about to weave into the creature’s thoughts—

"Hello?"

A voice.

Steve froze.

"Hello?! Steve?"

He blinked rapidly, the voice cutting through the fog of concentration.

’No... no no no no no. That voice. That’s Tonya.’

He whipped his head around.

’What the hell is she doing here?! Did she track me?! Is she insane?!’

"Steve!" the voice called again, softer this time—but urgent.

He could feel the air shift, the panic rising in his throat.

’Damn it, damn it! If she keeps yelling, that goblin’s going to know we’re here!’

His fingers curled into fists as the realization slammed into him.

’Wait... why can’t I hear the goblin anymore?’

Just seconds ago, the creature’s mind had been pounding—heavy thoughts, primal and thick, crawling into his own. But now? Silence.

Nothing.

A void.

He focused harder, sweat beading on his brow.

Still nothing.

’No... no, this can’t be right. The only time I can’t hear a goblin is when—’

His chest tightened.

’Cloak. It’s cloaked.’

The blood drained from his face.

He turned back toward the goblin, but it was gone. The space where it had stood just moments ago now empty.

His heart dropped.

’Shit! I have to use the ability now just to see it—because I sure as hell can’t control it!’

And Tonya—Tonya was still out there, calling his name like a damn beacon in the night.

’She doesn’t even realize she’s walking into a death trap. Why the hell is she even calling me? This isn’t the time for a reunion!’

He bit down on his lip, weighing his options. Run? Hide? Silence her?

He hissed softly through clenched teeth and bolted from cover.

"Tonya!" he called, just loud enough to carry, just soft enough not to echo.

She didn’t hear.

She kept moving—shield raised, sword unsheathed, her eyes darting back and forth. She was scanning, cautious, but unaware. Steve waved his arms, signaling. Again, she missed him.

He cursed under his breath and darted closer.

Meanwhile, Tonya was frowning.

Her boots crunched over dry leaves, her breathing steady but tense.

"This doesn’t feel right..." she murmured under her breath.

"His tracks ended here. Where did he go?"

’Steve... you idiot. Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?’

"Steve," she called again. "It’s dangerous here. Come out! Please!"

Steve watched her from behind the rubble, heart thudding. He climbed up a fallen beam, balancing as he rose over the ruined barricade, finally seeing her clearly—just a few dozen meters ahead.

"Tonya!" he called.

She turned, eyes wide, lips parting in surprise and relief.

"Steve!" she exhaled, smiling slightly, beginning to move toward him.

"Tonya," he shouted again, louder this time. "There’s a goblin nearby! You need to—"

His words stopped.

His breath caught in his throat. freēwēbnovel.com

Something shifted in the air.

A chill swept across the rubble like a ghost’s whisper.

Tonya’s smile faded instantly. Her eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" she whispered.

Steve’s gaze drifted to the left—instinct, pure instinct.

And there it was.

At first, he thought it was nothing. Just a shimmer in the air. A flicker. But then the shimmer moved. The distortion rippled, just slightly, against the debris and light.

There was something there.

Something big.

And cloaked.

’No strings... there’s no damn strings...’

The Puppeteer’s Strength didn’t detect anything. No lines. No threads. Just that shimmer. And then—like peeling back a curtain—the cloaking magic faded.

There it was.

The goblin.

Only now, it wasn’t just bloated—it was towering, mutated. Warts blistered across its belly like boils, and its jaw hung too low, cracked on one side. Its eyes—one yellow, the other white and blind—locked on Steve.

And it was smiling.

That jagged stone bat—now glowing faintly with blood runes—rose in its hand.

Steve couldn’t move.

’I can’t control it. I can’t control it!’

The realization hit like a punch to the gut. This goblin—whatever it was—wasn’t just cloaked. It was immune. Something about its presence nullified his connection. He could see it—but he couldn’t feel it.

And that meant one thing:

It was hunting.

Free.

Wild.

Unleashed.

’Shit! Tonya!’

"Run!" he screamed. "Run, Tonya! It’s right here—!"

But it was too late.

The goblin lunged-

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on free(w)ebnovel(.)com