The sun dipped beyond the far horizon, the last bit of light peeked out from above the mountains while smoke filled the air. Winds carried the scent of ashes and burnt flesh with it as it snaked its way through the valley. On one of these mountains, the scent of blood grew thicker with each frantic swing as a green creature fought for its life. A mountain of corpses stood near him, mangled and beaten by the creature's bare fists and sharp claws. It clawed at the last Giant Rat that still clung to life, its immense size and the musky scent made it clear that this is one of the many alpha males that dominated the large brood that tried to escape the dungeon.

It hissed at the Goblin one last time as he quickly snapped its neck. He kicked it down the stairs that led down into the now ruined dungeon while he fell backwards onto the large pile of corpses. He panted heavily while he heard the slurping sounds of the Slime as it sucked up the liquids that oozed out of the bodies that lay around them. The Goblin looked at the dusty rooms around him, all of them offered no means of protection other than an unstable ceiling over his head to shield him from the elements.

"Miu?"

The Slime squeaked loudly as the Goblin stood up slowly, his face a portrait of exhaustion and weariness. He wanted to sleep somewhere soft or warm enough to prevent chills brought by the harsh winter winds that ravaged the region during the winter.

For a moment, he wondered if it would be alright if he used the dirty pelts of the Giant Rats as a makeshift blanket while he used their bodies as a bed. The smell thankfully made him reconsider his options, but he didn't put it off the list just yet. He looked out beyond the dungeon's massive doors and towards the trees and the grass and the stones that called to him. How many years had it been since he first entered the dungeon? Two years? Five? It couldn't have been a decade since he was still 13 years old, so six would be a safer bet for him.

His ears drooped at the sudden realization. He left his tribe when he was four years old, and he wandered around dense woodlands and swamps for three years before he chanced upon the dungeon during a harsh storm. He looked out at the dark sky and at the orange hues that rose and fell in the distant city. He let out a heavy sigh as he slumped against the walls at the top of the stairs. Deep, rumbling sounds reverberated through the stone as the deeper parts of the dungeon caved in beneath his feet.

He will need to find another home. Preferably, one that poses no risk of collapsing on him while he slept. He dragged himself up from the floor before he limped towards the dungeon's entrance. For the first time in years, he stepped out of the cold, hard, and rough floor of the dungeon and onto the soft earth that lay outside of its dark doors. The tingling sensation of pebbles, dirt, and grass underneath his feet felt nice though he still wished he was wearing the makeshift shoes he made from the scraps of leather he picked up inside the dungeon. It was still a shame that the soles of the shoes were torn off while the rest of it was ruined in the fight with the Lich.

The Slime stayed behind as it gorged itself on the last remaining corpse of a Giant Rat while it watched the Goblin pick up small twigs and dry grass that lay around the edge of the many trees. She did not know what the Goblin is doing, but she could use some warmth right now. The cold weather and dry air made it hard for the Slime to move around and function properly, and its acid slowed in the cold temperature. It felt annoyed as a cold gust threw dead leaves at her while she melted the bones and fur of a Giant Rat inside of her body.

"Move, please."

Sticks and dry twigs fell to the floor while the Goblin knelt beside the mess he made.

The wind that blew inside the dungeon echoed like a deep howl as the two of them sat behind the doors. The sticks were piled together with dead leaves on top of it serving as kindling for the fire. The Slime watched him silently as he struggled to control the mana in his hand. Sweat trailed down his forehead as he delicately controlled the flow of mana in his finger, his yellow eyes slowly turning into a dark shade of crimson as the night slowly sets in outside the dungeon.

"[Flame]!"

Orange flame burst out his finger and set alight the pile of wood in front of them. He smiled to himself as he watched the fire slowly spread across the kindling and onto the wood.

His control of mana had improved, but it was still hard for him to properly cast delicate spells or adjusting the power of the few spells that he knew.  The fire crackled slightly as the two of them sat in front of it with a content look on their faces. It was still cold, but the Goblin enjoyed the slight comfort and warmth of the small fire while he thought about mana.

What is it? Where does it come from? Why is it everywhere in the world? Those kinds of questions raced through his mind while he sat as still as a statue. His features contorted into that of a person deep inside his own thoughts while his clawed finger tapped at his temple. The Slime simply warmed its now enormous body beside the flames. She did not care about such questions posed to her by life, only sleep. Slimes didn't need to sleep, but she liked thinking of nothing and pretending to be a puddle on the ground so she copied the Goblin every time he slept.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The scent of blood as it wafted through the air made the Goblin jolt up from his sleep. His crimson eyes looked at the fading cinders inside the ashes of their campfire while his ears twitched at the sound of leaves cracking underfoot. He looked at Miu with a worried expression, only to find her sleeping like a puddle on the cold floor. Still, the noises continued and they grew closer as his eyes saw the bright pillar of smoke and flame that illuminated the entire valley. It was deep into the night, yet his ears could still pick up the distant sounds of a city being burnt to the ground and the unmistakable panting of someone as they ran through the forest.

He grabbed his dagger and slowly stood up, his feet ready to spring into action the moment he saw signs of trouble. Violence wasn't his only option, but he knew that scared people are as dangerous to Goblins as any other wild beasts that roamed the forest. And so he stood still in the shadows of the dungeon, his eyes a bright crimson that glowed like rubies in the light of the moon. 

Trees swayed, and he held his breath in silence as the distant shapes of people appeared through the tree line. They reeked of blood, ashes, and sweat and he could see the glimmer of steel as they chased after something. He heard the painful yelp of a child, followed by the snapping of twigs and branches as a young girl with tanned skin tumbled out of the brushes and onto the clearing that surrounded the dungeon. She crawled away desperately as the dark shapes that chased after her stepped into the light of the silver moon.

Four men, all of them covered in blood and scratches, brandished their axes and daggers at the young girl as she crawled away from them. She had an iron collar wrapped around her neck and she had scratches all over her body that didn't come from the twigs that grabbed at her as she ran through the woods. Her hands touched a small rock near her and she did not hesitate to throw it at one of her pursuers. It missed him, but it gave her enough time to pick herself up and run towards the dungeon.

"You ain't getting away that easily!"

One of the men threw his daggers towards her only to miss her feet by a few inches. Still, it was enough to trip over the girl, who was running through the pain of her sprained ankle.

"Lei! Get the girl and let's get out of here!"

The man who threw the dagger shouted as he looked at the distant fire behind them.

"Bloody hell, he actually did it..."

"I thought he was mad. Well, you do have to be mad to think up of something like this. But to actually do it, he's as insane as a rabid Kobold."

The girl let out a whimper as the quiet man grabbed her by her short, brown hair. She let out a loud cry in the hopes of having someone hear her. 

"Give it a rest. No one here can hear-"

Crack

All of them immediately drew their weapons as the rustling of leaves around them made everyone turn their attentions towards the many pairs of eyes that stared at them from within the woods. Whatever was happening with the girl wasn't the Goblin's business, but what followed them to his temporary home was the thing that pulled him out of his dream. He could smell the scent of vermin as they came to exact vengeance upon the creature that barred their way to the surface. His brows were scrunched up together as he saw their numbers.

Their many eyes stared at the green shape that hid behind the stone doors of the dungeon and the morsels of flesh that stood outside of the dungeon. Slowly and cautiously, they made their way out of the woods silently while their eyes turned towards the four Humans that raised their weapons at them. They snarled viciously at the grunts as they streamed out of the forest.

The Goblin snarled at them, but his eyes turned towards the four men as they backed away from the tide of Giant Rats that slowly closed the distance between them. Their long snouts twitched and sniffed at the air while the nameless thugs waved their weapons frantically. He was about to leave them be when he saw the bald man's hand blur. His head snapped at the shape as it fell to the ground, and he felt time slow as the treeline erupted and a wave of Giant Rats emerged out of it from the darkness.

"[Shadow Step]"

Giant Rats stormed through the ground, their loud hiss and chittering made the trees around them shake as they surged forwards like a river. The screams people being torn to shreds echoed out as they frantically flailed their weapons around them in an effort to stay alive. But soon, their bodies were being chewed open by the sharp teeth of the rats. But at the center of the massive wave stood the Goblin, surrounded by roaring flames as he burned the dry grass around them.

Singed fur and thick smoke made it hard for him to breathe, but he knew that the oily fur of the vermin made it easy for them to catch on fire. The girl trembled behind him as the tide circled them endlessly, perhaps as a way of cutting him off from the dungeon. But he grew worried with the way the wind moved as they ran circles around them. It made the flames spread towards them, something that he knew might happen if he was careless.

The vermin continued to circle them in an effort to fan the flames, but an ear-piercing squeal made them halt immediately. A grin formed on the Goblin's face as a large shape loomed over the horde with its bright yellow eyes. Its body glowed an eerie shade of blue as the light passed through it while one of its tendrils ate a Giant Rat.

"Mrrrrruuuuuuuuuu...."

The ominous sound came from the now giant Slime as the flesh of the Giant Rat melted into its body. After a moment of tense silence, the Giant Rats erupted into a chorus of hisses as they tore at the Slime's body. And as the Slime ate its way towards the Goblin, he looked at the crying girl as she stood behind him.

And he saw two ears perk up from beneath her messy hair.