When Graknar first set foot on Ponos, the world felt as though it had been made specially for him. Chaos reigned supreme—no rules, no oppressive commanders, no hierarchy to suppress the strong. Here, strength wasn’t just respected; it was worshipped. Graknar knew, in his very bones, that this was the place where he’d finally ascend.

  For years, he had dreamed of becoming king of the goblins, but his homeworld had shackled him. His skills were unparalleled—blades sang in his hands, and fire danced wherever he willed it. Yet his superiors saw not potential but a threat, keeping him buried beneath layers of bureaucracy and fear. No matter how many enemies fell before his might, they refused to let him rise.

  But Ponos? Ponos was freedom.

  Graknar tore through this new world like a storm, each victory a step closer to the throne he always believed was his. The creatures of this land were strange amalgamations of teeth, claws, and glowing eyes, but none could withstand the fury of his blood-streaked axe. The goblins who dared challenge him either fled, fell, or joined his growing ranks, and Graknar reveled in every triumph.

  Then, he appeared.

  It happened in the remnants of an old forest, where jagged trees loomed like skeletal sentinels, their branches clawing at the sky. Graknar had been hunting, tracking a rival goblin he had stalked for days. His prey led him to this desolate place, but when Graknar stepped into the clearing, he found not a desperate fugitive but someone waiting for him.

  A wiry, scrawny figure emerged from behind a shattered tree, surrounded by an arsenal of gleaming metal contraptions. At first glance, the goblin was laughable—thin arms, oversized goggles perched on his nose, and a hunched posture that spoke of countless hours spent bent over some tinkerer’s table.

  Graknar grinned. “Is this a joke? Did they send me a toy-maker to fight?”

  The goblin didn’t answer. A faint hum filled the air as one of his devices—a disk-like contraption—began to hover, spinning with a low, menacing whir.

  Graknar charged, his axe cutting through the air with deadly precision. But before he could close the distance, the disk shot forward, intercepting the blade with a deafening clang. Sparks flew as Graknar’s weapon was knocked off course, the force of the impact sending a jolt up his arm.

  He paused, stunned.

  “Impressive,” the scrawny goblin said, his voice calm and almost amused. “But predictable.”

  The battle that followed was unlike anything Graknar had experienced. Every strike, every tactic, every ounce of brute strength he brought to bear was met with a mechanical counter. A net of wires ensnared his feet. A flying drone unleashed a barrage of tiny, searing projectiles. By the end, Graknar was battered, bruised, and furious, forced to retreat while the little goblin stood untouched, his gadgets humming in victory.

  Graknar hated him. But he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

  This goblin, with his metal toys and unshakable confidence, had done something no one else had managed to do: he’d made Graknar feel weak.

  For days, the memory haunted him. But instead of discouraging Graknar, it ignited something new within him. If he wanted to be king, he couldn’t rely on brute strength alone. He’d have to evolve, adapt, and become something more.

  As he sharpened his axe beneath the twilight sky of Ponos, Graknar allowed himself a grim smile. The little goblin might have won the first round, but this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

  …

  Whoever those goblins were, I hope they are far from home, Lucas thought, a little worried they might find their way to Zoria.

  The city could easily defend itself against those three goblins no matter how strong they were, but if too many of them started appearing, it could stir up trouble with the locals. Judging by the way they spoke, they didn’t seem like the friendliest sort—and neither did the humans.

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  Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Lucas grabbed the map again and reassessed his position before continuing. He was making good progress—his speed many times faster than that of a normal human—but it would still take time to reach his first destination. Determined not to waste any more of it, he resumed running.

  Naturally, as he ran, his mind wandered back to the mental images of the hand seals. He started considering which movements he could shorten or exclude, his thoughts and body moving as one.

  …

  After dispatching a nasty-looking beast, Lucas found himself standing in front of a small pond. From the water below, he could hear an odd hum, almost like… electricity.

  Could it be an eel? he wondered, staring down at the dark surface.

  Soon, faint ripples broke the stillness, and a serpentine shape briefly surfaced before vanishing again.

  Electric Eel – lvl 17

  Arcs of electricity danced around the creature in the water, faint sparks illuminating the ripples with an ominous energy.

  Lucas frowned. He didn’t know much about eels beyond the fact that they could generate electricity, but he doubted any regular eel could produce such a visual display. This had to be the system at work, amplifying the creature’s natural abilities.

  As he stood there, watching the eel rule over the pond, his thoughts wandered. He had trained to control basic elements—fire, water, earth, and air—through mana exercises tied to emotions. It wasn’t easy, and mastering them was even harder. For advanced elements like dark mana, he had needed the help of a staff to use it properly.

  Electricity must be the same, he thought. It might be possible to access it through emotions alone, but he didn’t know where to start. However, with this powerful eel in front of him, maybe he didn’t need to start from scratch.

  It was a risk. The beast was higher level, and there was no telling if he’d be able to think straight while being electrocuted. But the potential payoff was too tempting to ignore.

  Lucas’ interest in electricity wasn’t just academic. He had been seeking ways to upgrade his Fire Shot skill. Electricity, with its stunning effects and speed, seemed like the perfect replacement. A skill that struck faster and disrupted his enemies could make all the difference in a fight.

  “Worth a shot,” he muttered, removing his clothes to keep them dry.

  Taking a deep breath, he waded into the cold water. He resisted the urge to use his sensory-numbing skill from the Tower—it would make things easier, but if he wanted to learn, he needed to feel.

  The eel reacted immediately, its movements ceasing as it registered his presence. Lucas stretched his arms in the water, ready to grab it. But instead of attacking head-on, the creature darted past his leg, delivering a shock so painful it nearly knocked him out. He stumbled, almost choking as he struggled to keep his head above water.

  Staggering upright, the burning sensation was so intense he glanced down, half-expecting to see his leg missing, but the dark water hid it from view. The attack hadn’t drained much of his health, so he chose to endure the pain rather than waste precious stamina on healing.

  He raised his arms again, bracing for the next strike. What followed was a series of attacks, each shock worse than the last. The eel was simply too fast, and Lucas couldn’t see anything in the murky water, by the time he reacted it was already too late.

  Finally, an opportunity came. He felt movement near his hand and lunged, grabbing something slimy and wriggling. This time, it wasn’t just water—he had the eel.

  The shock that followed was worse than anything before, his body convulsing as electricity surged through him. But Lucas held on, using every ounce of strength to drag the creature out of the pond.

  The creature thrashed wildly on the ground, its movements awkward without the water. Lucas watched it struggle, catching his breath. His body ached, and he could feel the searing pain of burns across his limbs and torso. Ignoring the pain, he used his life aura to heal himself since his health had dropped significantly.

  The eel tried to wriggle away, but Lucas dragged it back with a stick whenever it got too far. Finally, after putting his clothes back on, he seated himself near the creature, ready to continue.

  Grabbing the eel again, he felt a diminished jolt of electricity. Without the water to conduct, it isn’t nearly as powerful, he thought.

  Even so, the pain was still sharp, and Lucas forced himself to focus. Slowly, he began to study the energy coursing through his body, trying to connect with it. After several minutes, sparks began to flicker from his fingers.

  It worked. His theory had been correct—the eel’s power had accelerated his understanding of electric mana.

  Satisfied with his progress, Lucas ended the eel’s misery with a clean strike.

  As he sat inspecting the faint sparks still dancing across his hands, Lucas couldn’t help but marvel at the sensation. The electricity felt almost natural, as though it belonged in his body.

  Could I use it to make myself faster? Lucas wondered for a moment.

  He remembered that nerve impulses were electrical signals, traveling through the body to transmit information. If he could amplify those signals and use electricity to enhance muscle contractions, wouldn’t that drastically increase his speed?

  A sly grin spread across his face as the idea began to form.