Goblin King: My Innate Skill Is OP-Chapter 266: Aftertaste

Seriously?

The side effect was the taste?

Not dizziness, not vomiting, not a temporary loss of vision, just the taste?

That alone told me it was going to be the kind of flavor that traumatizes a man.

I stared at the potion again, lifting it up to eye level like it was some sort of enemy trying to deceive me.

How bad could it possibly be?

I didn’t know why I even asked myself that question. Every time I thought something couldn’t get worse, this world always found a way to prove me wrong.

Slowly, and with the same caution I’d use when disarming a monster trap, I uncorked the potion.

A faint hiss escaped.

Then wisps of green steam slipped out, coiling upward like the breath of something that had no business being ingested by living creatures.

That alone told me everything I needed to know.

So... why the hell did I decide it was a good idea to take a sniff?

Some stupid part of my brain probably assumed that if it tasted bad, it wouldn’t smell that bad, right?

...Right?

Wrong.

The moment that scent hit my nose, it wasn’t just a bad smell.

It was like getting struck by lightning from the inside out.

My whole body jolted, every nerve firing at once.

I staggered back so fast I nearly blacked out, vision flashing white for a split second before I clamped down on myself and forced my legs to stay upright.

Catching myself didn’t save me from the aftershock.

My muscles twitched uncontrollably, my shoulders jerking like I’d been prodded with a live wire. My face twisted up on its own, every instinct screaming for me to drop the vial and run for my life.

But I didn’t drop it.

Mostly because the thought of Flogga seeing me shatter one of her potions sent an even sharper bolt of fear down my spine. So I held on, knuckles white, fingers trembling around the glass.

I slapped my free hand over my mouth as if that could stop the assault, breathing through the smallest gap in my fingers.

Each breath felt like I was dragging a poison cloud into my lungs.

And even though I hadn’t put a single drop on my tongue, I could already taste it.

Bitter.

Violently bitter.

The kind of bitterness that felt like it crawled up the back of my throat and clawed at my brainstem.

My eyes watered instantly, tears threatening to spill even as I blinked hard to keep them in.

The description had called the taste "unpleasant."

What a joke.

Unpleasant didn’t even graze the surface.

This was a sensory attack.

And I hadn’t even drunk the damn thing yet.

It was the worst thing I had ever perceived in my life.

And I once smelled a rotten egg that made me question whether my soul could rot, too. This was on a completely different level.

Honestly... this could replace the Evil Ball.

Forget choking gas.

Just uncork this thing in front of an enemy and watch them twitch, gag, and reconsider their entire existence.

I forced myself to breathe through the nausea, long, shaky breaths that did nothing to help. My forehead was damp with sweat, my nose felt scorched, and my heart was beating like I’d just sprinted the whole camp twice.

When I finally lifted my head, still blinking tears out of my eyes, I caught Mira staring at me.

Hand over her mouth to hide her laughter,

The moment our eyes met, she snapped her gaze away so fast she nearly dropped the herbs she was holding. Now she was standing ramrod straight, pretending to be a disciplined worker.

I narrowed my eyes.

Then I turned toward Flogga.

She, however, wasn’t hiding her amusement at all.

She was standing there with the most satisfied, smug little grin a goblin her age could muster, arms folded, chin up, eyes sparkling as she had just watched a comedy show made specifically for her.

And even though I had absolutely no proof...

I knew. I just knew she set me up.

She definitely knew how awful that thing smelled.

She definitely waited for me to open it.

And she definitely enjoyed every second of watching me die internally.

"Flogga... what kind of potion is this?" I managed to squeeze out, still blinking the sting out of my eyes. "Nothing meant for living beings should smell like that."

"Relax, young totem, it is not the final product," Flogga said, waving a hand as if I were being dramatic. She strolled over, plucked the vial from my trembling fingers, and held it up to the light like she was admiring some masterpiece. "I still need to refine it before it can be consumed."

I mean, it was great to know this was not the final product,

But....for what reason...

"Why," I said slowly, "did you not warn me before I uncorked it?"

Flogga tilted her head like she genuinely didn’t see the issue.

"I assumed your Analyze skill would. Did it not say it smells bad?"

"It did," I muttered, rubbing my nose hard enough to bruise. "But it didn’t say how bad."

"Then it’s not fault, young totem is it?"

How diabolical. I was going to argue but I knew there was no point, so I turned away in defeat, the lingering scent still coating the back of my throat.

It was so strong I could practically taste it every time I swallowed.

No matter how many times I breathed out, the bitterness clung to my mouth like a curse.

"Aargh..." I grunted, shaking my head as the ghost of the smell refused to leave.

"If it makes you feel any better, I do have one more item to show you," Flogga said, her tone suddenly shifting from smug to meaningful.

That pulled my attention straight out of my suffering.

She reached under the stone table and brought out a small clay flask, sealed with resin and wrapped in a tight cord. The way she handled it instantly made me more cautious. She held it like it was a sleeping infant with anger issues.

"What is this?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as she offered it toward me.

I didn’t grab it immediately.

Not after what happened last time.I wanted her to explain this one properly before I collected it, but she pretty much shoved it into my hands. Gently.

Then she said:

" Careful it is...