Pain. That was the first thing I felt. A sharp, unbearable pain tearing through my entire body.

I gasped, my lungs burning as I inhaled the thick, damp air. My body felt… wrong. Small. Weak. Cold. I tried to move, but my limbs felt unfamiliar, my fingers too short, my skin rough and—

Green?

Panic surged through me as I lifted my trembling hand. It was small, clawed, and covered in dark green skin. My breath quickened. What the hell was happening? I scrambled to my feet—only to stumble, landing hard on the dirt floor beneath me.

That's when I saw them.

All around me, hunched figures with jagged teeth, beady yellow eyes, and grotesque grins were watching. Some gnawed on bones, others sharpened crude weapons, and a few simply glared in my direction.

Goblins.

My heart pounded. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't some delusion. I had been reborn as a goblin.

"Newborn wakes," one of the goblins sneered, revealing rotting teeth. "Weak. Won't last a day."

The others cackled.

I clenched my fists, my mind racing. The last thing I remembered… I had been walking home from work. A long, miserable shift. Rain pouring down. Then—pain. A blinding light. A truck's horn blaring.

So, I really did die. And now, I was here.

But before I could process anything further, something flashed before my eyes.

[System Initializing…]

[Welcome, Reincarnator.]

[Unique Skill Acquired: Devourer's Mark.]

[System Interface Unlocked.]

A system? My breath caught as strange translucent screens flickered into existence, floating just before my vision.

[Race: Goblin]

[Level: 1]

[Strength: 2] [Agility: 3] [Vitality: 2] [Intelligence: 5]

[Skills: None]

It was just like an RPG. Stats, levels, even skills. But the part that stood out the most…

[Unique Skill: Devourer's Mark]

(Allows the user to absorb the essence of defeated enemies, acquiring their abilities and attributes.)

I stared at the words, my mind spinning. I wasn't just an ordinary goblin. I had a skill—one that let me steal the power of anything I killed.

For the first time since waking up, something sparked within me.

Hope.

I wasn't going to die here. I wasn't going to be some nameless goblin at the bottom of the food chain.

I was going to survive.

And I was going to devour my fate.