After a full day of relentless running, they were already halfway to their destination.
For an ordinary goblin on foot, the journey between the Goblin Village and the Dwargon would take nearly three months. Gobta knew that painfully well—he had once made the trip himself, back when he was still just another nameless goblin trying to survive.
But things were different now.
The Tempest wolves were creatures built for endurance. Their powerful limbs devoured distance without pause, their breathing steady, their pace unwavering. They didn't need breaks the way goblins did. With them, days shrank into hours.
By nightfall, they chose to camp beside a quiet river. Moonlight spilled across the water's surface, turning it into a ribbon of silver that whispered softly against smooth stones. The air carried the cool scent of wet earth and pine.
They carried little luggage. Thanks to Rimurus stomach skill, there was no need for heavy packs. Some goblins chewed on dried meat they had brought for the journey. Others were already asleep, huddled together in small groups, snoring loudly and peacefully.
A little farther away, Rimuru, Captain Rigurd, and Kaijin were deep in discussion about magic
Gobta listened for a few seconds.
"…Magic ores, this, magic ores, that…"
He quickly lost interest
Instead, he slipped away from the campfire and walked toward the edge of the clearing. Ranga was asleep, his massive body rising and falling slowly. Gobta didn't want to bother his partner.
Tonight, he would try out his skills.
The skill he had gained in the prison cell of Dwargon.
Extra Skill: Adaptive Instinct
Sub-skills:
•Minor Resistance Growth
After taking damage from the same source: small resistance increase (stacking slowly).
•Pattern Familiarity
After witnessing a repeated attack: slight boost to reaction speed. Small increase in evasion against that specific move. Doesn't predict—just reacts faster the second time.
•Stress Adaptation
When pushed near defeat: brief boost to endurance. Reduced pain sensation.
•Minor Environmental Tolerance
Gradually adjusts to heat, cold, pressure, poison (very slow).
All four of its sub-skills were passive—nothing flashy, like the black lightning Rimuru-sama had used before.
But Gobta wasn't disappointed.
That skill had helped him survive a moment that still sent shivers down his spine.
Still… that wasn't what he wanted to test tonight.
There was another ability.
When he had escaped the prison, his wolf partner had used a skill called [Shadow Motion].
For some reason, he couldn't explain why, Gobta felt as though he could do it too.
Moonlight cast his shadow long across the grass. It stretched thin and dark, merging with the trees' deeper shade.
Gobta took a deep breath.
"Okay… lets give it a try," he muttered.
Then he leaped forward—straight into his own shadow.
For a split second, it felt like diving into cold water.
Then—
Darkness.
Not the soft darkness of night.
Not the dim glow goblin eyes were used to.
This was complete. Absolute. A void without shape or depth.
Gobta opened his eyes wide.
He saw nothing.
He tried to inhale—
Nothing entered his lungs.
There was no air.
His chest tightened instantly. His body reacted before his mind did. Panic burst through him like fire.
Then his lungs burned.
'There's no air—!'
His heart pounded wildly. He couldn't tell which direction was forward or backward. There was no ground beneath his feet. No sky above. Just endless black.
He kicked blindly.
Forced himself to move.
Then—
He stumbled forward and burst out of the darkness.
Moonlight hit his eyes.
Fresh air rushed into his lungs.
Gobta collapsed onto the grass, gasping loudly.
"Gah—haaa—!"
He clutched his chest, sucking in air like a drowning man pulled from a river. His legs trembled. His backside dropped heavily onto the ground.
"That was… dangerous…" he muttered.
It seemed he couldn't see anything inside the shadow space.
And worse—he had to hold his breath.
After a while, his breathing slowed. The river continued to flow calmly nearby, as if nothing strange had happened. Crickets chirped in the forest.
Gobta stared at his shadow.
Despite the danger… curiosity burned in his chest.
He stood up.
This time, he prepared properly.
A long, deep breath.
Hold it.
Focus.
He leaped.
Again, the world dissolved into the abyss. This time, he didn't panic immediately. He pushed forward, imagining a straight line.
His lungs began to ache.
Just before the pressure became unbearable—
He burst out again several meters ahead.
He landed on his feet this time, though he still bent forward, breathing roughly for almost a full minute.
It wasn't as bad.
He looked back at where he had started.
"It seems… I can only move straight."
After succeeding twice, his fear slowly began to fade.
He tried again.
And again.
Each time he disappeared into the shadow, he reappeared somewhere else in the moonlit forest—sometimes behind a tree, sometimes near the riverbank.
Once, he popped out so suddenly that a small wild animal shrieked and ran away in terror.
Another time—
Thud.
He walked straight into a tree trunk and fell backward, rubbing his forehead.
"Ow…"
However he didn't stop.
Soon, what had begun as dangerous experimentation turned into something else.
It felt like a game.
Disappear.
Reappear.
Disappear.
Reappear.
...
The campfire crackled softly as Kaijin spoke with steady pride about forging techniques and weapon balance. His deep dwarven voice carried across the clearing, mixing with the sound of the river.
As he explained the difference between refined magic ore and common steel, Rimuru Tempest's Magic Sense suddenly picked up something unusual.
A disturbance.
Not far from the camp.
Rimuru paused mid-thought.
'Hey, Great Sage… what is he up to?' he asked silently.
The familiar, calm voice answered immediately.
<< The individual named Gobta is executing skill [Shadow Motion]. >>
Rimuru blinked.
'What? He already learned Shadow Motion?!'
That actually surprised him.
He glanced sideways at Rigurd, who was sitting straight-backed beside Kaijin, listening carefully and nodding at every piece of blacksmith wisdom as if it were sacred scripture.
"Rigurd," Rimuru said casually, "have you ever successfully summoned one of the black wolves before?"
Rigurd stiffened slightly.
"…I have not, Sir Rimuru. It embarrasses me to admit."
His tone was calm, but there was clear frustration underneath.
Rimuru hummed thoughtfully. The bond between goblins and Tempest Wolves required strong will and magic control—something most of them still struggled with.
Hmm. So even Rigurd hadn't managed it yet.
Then how in the world—
"So how did Gobta learn that skill?" Rimuru muttered under his breath. "Is he some kind of genius or something?"
"What?" Rigurd turned quickly. "Gobta already did it?"
There was clear surprise in his eyes.
Rimuru nodded slowly, still watching the distant distortions in the moonlight.
Rigurd frowned, thinking deeply.
"…It is not impossible," he said at last. "Gobta once completed the journey to the Dwarven Kingdom and back on foot. Alone."
Rimuru paused.
"Oh. Right."
He had almost forgotten that.
Back when Gobta had still been a regular goblin, he had traveled that brutal road alone—a journey that normally took months. Surviving meant hunting, foraging, hiding from monsters, and enduring harsh weather. Even weak monsters were deadly to an unprepared goblin.
I always thought he was just a slobbering idiot…
Well.
He was an idiot.
But not useless.
Surviving four months in the wilderness wasn't luck. It required resilience. Awareness.
Rimuru glanced again toward the forest.
At that exact moment, Gobta vanished into a shadow—
—and reappeared several meters away before slamming straight into a tree trunk.
A faint "Ow!" echoed through the trees.
Rimuru stared silently for a moment.
"…Still an idiot," he muttered.
But this time, there was a faint smile in his voice.
Inside his mind, he quietly adjusted placed Gobta a few rungs higher in his placed Gobta a few rungs higher in my internal totem pole. He'd probably tumble right back down soon enough. totem pole.
'He'd probably tumble right back down soon enough.' Rimuru thought with an amusing smile.
A/N: I will probably go for a big harem for Gobta. If you have any suggestions you can write in the comments.