Goblin King: My Innate Skill Is OP

Chapter 398: Adoption

"I can extract it?"

That was excellent news.

If I could move the crystal, then I could place it in the new territory I intended to prepare for the wolves once they joined the clan. More importantly, if the description was accurate, the crystal would continue producing and enriching nearby mana deposits.

In other words, it could become our own crystal farm.

The thought alone was enough to make me grin. We would no longer need to scour forests and mountains in search of rare crystal veins or rely on luck to stumble across another location like this. Instead, we would have our own source.

However, the notification’s warning remained firmly in the back of my mind.

Removing the Manacore Heart Crystal too early could destabilize the entire vein.

That was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.

The obvious solution was to leave it where it was for now, harvest the surrounding crystals first, and only remove the Heart Crystal once there was nothing left to lose.

That way, we’d gain everything.

Satisfied with that plan, I turned away from the crystal and glanced toward the Matriarch.

She was lying comfortably near the center of the chamber.

The pups had gathered around her, pressing tightly against one another as they fed from the teats beneath her belly. The sight was oddly peaceful.

But it didn’t take long for me to notice the problem.

There weren’t enough.

Too many pups competed for the same source of milk, forcing the weaker and slower ones to the edges. A few kept trying to squeeze their way in, only to be shoved aside by their siblings.

My expression softened slightly.

The pack had suffered heavy losses, and now these pups were paying the price.

Part of me felt responsible for that. After all, I had killed many of the adults outside.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

As I looked at the litter, another thought kept resurfacing.

Potential.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The Inferno Wolves were already capable of shadow travel, a trait that made them far more valuable than ordinary beasts, and under the guidance of a Matriarch, they would continue to grow stronger instead of stagnating. Given enough time, some of them might even become powerful enough to serve as mounts.

The more I considered the possibilities, the more appealing the idea became, until eventually I found it impossible to dismiss.

I looked at the pups again as one of them finally managed to push its way through the crowd and secure a place beside its siblings. Then I let out a quiet sigh.

"Yeah..."

I’d made up my mind. I was adopting them.

One of the pups wandered over and pressed itself against my foot.

I glanced down at the little thing before bending over and picking it up. It barely weighed anything. The pup immediately settled in my hands without resistance, letting out a small sound as it curled up comfortably.

Holding it carefully, I made my way toward the cave entrance.

By the time I stepped outside, Ariel had already found a spot to rest. The fox lazily lifted her head when she sensed my approach. Then she noticed the pup.

She visibly flinched.

A moment later, a frown appeared on her face.

"So what exactly do you intend to do with these wolves?"

"Adopt them."

The answer came naturally. At this point, I couldn’t think of a reason not to.

"I don’t really have much choice," I said while looking down at the pup in my hands. "I’m their Alpha now, after all."

Ariel’s frown deepened. She clearly wasn’t fond of the idea.

"What use would they even be to the clan?" she asked. "They’re low-level creatures. They can’t contribute in combat."

I shook my head.

"Not now."

Ariel’s ears twitched.

"When I attacked Caius’ clan, they had mounts," I continued. "If these wolves grow up, they could become exactly that. And unlike ordinary mounts, these wolves can travel through shadows. Imagine a mounted force capable of moving through darkness, hiding inside shadows, and striking where enemies least expect it. They’d make their riders far deadlier. Especially at night."

That was the part that interested me most.

Nighttime naturally favored monsters. Most creatures became stronger, more active, and more dangerous after sunset. But a unit mounted on Inferno Wolves would be different. They wouldn’t just survive at night. They’d thrive in it.

The more I thought about it, the more potential I saw.

Ariel seemed unconvinced.

"The King’s Games are only a few weeks away. I doubt they’ll mature fast enough to become useful assets."

I nodded.

"That might be true."

Honestly, she wasn’t wrong.

Even with the Matriarch’s abilities accelerating their growth, expecting a litter of newborn pups to become battle-ready within such a short period was unrealistic.

"But I’m keeping them anyway."

My decision had already been made.

The moment I’d accepted the Matriarch and her pack, I’d also accepted responsibility for these little ones. There wasn’t really any point debating it further.

Ariel stared at me for a moment before shaking her head.

"You know what the problem is with you?"

"I don’t. But let’s hear it."

"The problem is that you’re too soft-hearted."

The fox said it as if she were pointing out a fatal flaw.

I smiled.

"That’s rich coming from you."

Ariel immediately frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

I looked down at the sleeping pup in my hands.

"When we first met, you were injured and barely hanging on. I could’ve left you alone. But I didn’t. And now look at you."

Ariel’s frown deepened.

"That has nothing to do with this."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"They weren’t forced on you like I was," Ariel argued. "You only want to take them in because you killed their parents and saw how vulnerable they were. That is what I am complaining about. I cannot understand that."

Her gaze drifted toward the cave entrance where the Matriarch and her pups remained.

"I cannot understand your actions. Wouldn’t it be better to get rid of them instead of burdening yourself with even more responsibility?"

I looked at her for a moment before answering.

"I’m a chief, Ariel. Being responsible is my job."

The fox let out a quiet scoff.

"There’s no point arguing with you."

She flicked her tail irritably.

"Just know this. If anything is going to be the end of you..." She paused briefly before continuing. "Of us. It will be behavior like this."