A horn blared in the distance as the sun shined through the clouds overhead causing the snow to be almost blinding as the world seemed to light up a bit. Meanwhile Miyu was currently curled up at the entrance to the lair as she meditated to try and gather her magic power quickly. Her soul channeling in mana from her surroundings and converting it to magic that was part of her affinities. The process was a complex one and as much as he wanted to study Miyu as she meditated, he had to prepare for the hoard of goblins coming. He then started to run towards the trees, quickly hacking smaller trees down as fast as he could. The hatchet easily cleaving through the wood as he snapped branches off with ease. His movements were quick and desperate as he hurriedly and crudely made spear after spear, just long enough to throw from the branches while the main trunks of the trees he started to drag to the lairs entrance.

Another horn blared, closer now as he kept hurriedly cutting trees down and throwing them towards the lair, trying to cut as many as possible. He then stopped as another small tree fell as he dragged the tree to the entrance. He then gathered the three trees, hauling them by the trunks as he dragged them into the entrance while the abundance of leaves and branches covered the lairs entrance. he then ran out the side going to two other trees he had cut down and as he had already removed the branches from these. His arms were hurting from the exertion as he hurriedly splint the wood over and over into more crude spears. He then laid them all out, stacking them while sharpening the tips of the spears best her could quickly.

A third horn blared as it was even closer now as he heard lots and lots of shrieks and cackles from goblins running through the forest in the distance. He then bolted towards Peril's corpse and slamming the hatchet into her flesh in a spot where scales had fallen off. He then started to hack away pieces of flesh before having a sizable chunk cut off before grabbing it. Immediately upon touching it, his hand starting to become a sickly brown and green color, his skin having a intense burning sensation while the skin slowly peeled away while steam started to come off his skin. The sensation was slowly going up his arm as he quickly ran over to the spears and stabbing the spear tips into the flesh until all of them were coated.

He then huffed as the poison was going past his elbow now as he then hurriedly ran towards the lairs entrance. He had left the axe behind with the spears as he ran and grabbed the short sword. He firmly then grit his teeth placing his hand against the wall before bringing the short sword down onto his own arm below the shoulder, the blade easily cleaving through flesh and bone as his arm fell off. Hot blood started to pour and gush from the wound as he felt felt the pain fully this time, no frostbite numbing him, and no regeneration healing the wounds to stumps. He growled in pain as the bleeding stopped thankfully and scabbed over but he purposely kept his regeneration from fully kicking in as his arm wouldn't heal fully by the time the goblins arrived and only be in the way.

Speaking of goblins, the shrieks and cackling had only grown nearer as multiples horns started to blare over and over again as they found there prey while he sprints from the lairs entrance towards the crudely made spears. He could see the goblins now as there were so many of them swarming the area and less then 100 feet away at this point. The feet were thudding into the snow as they ran towards him with renewed fervor, jumping over each other and wildly swinging crudely made weapons. He quickly slid to a stop by the spears as he started to grab them one by one, hurling them into the ones closest to reaching him. He hit the first two luckily as the goblins tumbled, screeching in pain as there skin turned a sickly shade of green and brown as poison started to spread through there bodies slowly. They were quickly silenced though as they were quickly trampled on underfoot the horde. He hit three more goblins before putting the hatchets handle between his teeth while his arm looped around the bundle of spears as he booked for it towards the lairs entrance quickly. Every 20 feet or so, he quickly stopped and jammed a spear into the snow, pointed towards the hoard hoping it would do something while throwing another spear behind him. He did that 3 times before running through the small gap left open into the lair as he hurled spear after spear towards the opening and the swarming mass. Goblins fell, screeching and squirming before being crushed as more goblins ran over or jumped over the bodies. The blood being splattered everywhere as spears kept flying out quickly. The goblins then managed to crowd the entrance as two by two then ran in, thrusting there spears at him or slashing wildly with a knife.

He managed to block one hit with his hatchet while kicking another back into the passageway as the goblin was sent flying into others and sending them tumbling. He then slammed the hatchet down into the goblins skull he had blocked before kicking its body as well to the entrance as Miyu had gotten up. She then started to cast a spell, magic radiating from her small body before sending a burst of ice out the passageway, little shards of ice cutting into the skin of goblins especially there eyes as quite a few quickly became blinded, swinging wildly and hitting each other as the passageway clogged up briefly. The passage though was slowly widening as the goblins were hacking the trees branches out of the way as more blood splattered everywhere from the blinded goblins hitting there comrades trying to push by.

Slowly though, more shrieks of pain started to spread behind the clogged passageway as the poison in the blood started to spread to every goblin that made contact with the dead corpses that were killed and trampled on earlier. The poison causing the goblins to spasm in pain or swing wildly as the poison spread further more and more. The goblins at the edges starting to retreat afraid seeing hundreds of goblins suddenly get sick while blood poured from there eyes and mouths. There magic was becoming unstable from the poison as they literally started to freeze inside out now as well collapsing into lifeless corpses one by one rapidly.

Miyu's ears perked up in surprise as she saw the goblins start either freezing in place, inside out in various positions or collapse in a writhing pile as there bodies skin peeled off there muscles and fall off now, slowly bleeding out. The main thing that killed Peril was blood lose as the poison thins blood and makes blood leak easily from large wounds as Peril died before the other symptoms of the poison took full effect. She flick her tails in horror as she backed away from the entrance, warily watching the spreading pool of blood.

Meanwhile, he also avoided the spread of blood, taking a trunk of three and slowly rolling and forcing the tree over the corpses. He then moved the other two trees in the same manner slowly forcing them to the other side and making a new exit out of the cave on the opposite end from the old corpse filled exit. He sighed as the remaining 50 or so goblins stayed back from the small field of corpses. There eyes wide in fear as a few goblins even dropped there weapons before running into the forest and back where they came. Soon the rest of the goblins followed not wanting to stay and become like there brethren. From there point of view, they saw one easy to kill hybrid but then goblins left and right suddenly started to freeze or have there skin peel away as blood poured everywhere and spread easily through the snow. They didn't even hear a spell get cast while hundreds of goblins started to drop dead, shrieking in pain.

Miyu hurriedly hopped up onto her Master's shoulders to stay away from the ground as she got a better look at the carnage. the field of bodies having started from when her master first threw a spear, to where he braced them in the snow while running to the lair and then the mound of corpses at the entrance covered in branches from felled trees. The first goblin to have been killed by the poison became a domino effect as there body got trampled on, the poison blood splashing onto others, killing them and spreading the poison further rapidly. The pool of blood from the corpses was still spreading even now as blood kept pouring from the mouths and eyes of dead goblins slowly. Thankfully though the blood was becoming slower and thicker as the cold was freezing the blood to ice.

She laid across his shoulders now while she started to curiously count the corpses while her master stood there and made sure the goblins and fully retreated and weren't coming back. A few minutes passed by as he stared at the hatchet and carefully used some snow to clean the blade of the hatchet away as he then started to walk out the new entrance and backing away from the carnage and taking the long way around it to follow the retreating goblins. He still needed food and the goblins were running and quite scared so he thought it was a good opportunity.

Miyu had finished counting as she paused softly, her mind going blank as she shuddered a bit as she looked at the poisoned corpses fearfully again. 429. There were 429 corpses and probably more piled underneath or hidden in the deep snow. The effectiveness and lethality of the poison sending shudders down Miyu's back as she looked at her masters cut off arm and then at her master. -What a crazy bastard-

Meanwhile, her master in question was starting to walk along the now cleared snow path back towards the goblins home as he started to jog before fully sprinting, wanting to catch up to the retreating goblins and kill a few. Miyu on the other hand quickly hopped off of his shoulders before running alongside him as her ears perked up hearing the goblins ahead. The path of snow was cleared and quite flattened now and easy to traverse for Miyu as the two eventually left the forest, seeing the burnt wasteland now and seeing goblins disappearing over the top of the hill ahead. The two quickly gave chase as he flicked his tails while reaching the top. The goblins were just below as a few looked back, hearing footsteps behind before shrieking and trying to run even faster now away from him. A few of the goblins even started using spears or knives to stab the goblins next to them or in front of them to throw them down and try to buy some time while running for there lives. There shrieks of fear echoing through the clearing. Miyu just tilted her head confused as she watched while her master suddenly bolted down the hill, swinging the hatchet side to side and cutting down the goblins one by one.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The goblins that were stabbed and bleeding out from wounds were quickly killed and could barely resist properly. He even grabbed a few of the fallen spears while putting the hatchets handle in his mouth, hurling them from over the shoulder at the running goblins as the wind whistled around the spears as a few thudded into there targets while a few thudded into the ground. He had hit 3 out of 7 spear throws before finally catching up to the main bulk of the retreating group, hacking into the goblins one by one. A few turned and rushed him straight on as he cleaved through there retreating ranks while others kept running. Blood sprayed into the air and onto the snow as limbs and heads went rolling. Each swing had his full arm power behind it as the steel edge was starting to chip and experience wear but still cleaved through flesh and bone easily enough.

A few of the goblins spears and even one crudely made sword which quite surprised him in seeing, managed to stab his body as he gained 4 new wounds across his legs and belly. He even ducked under as one spear throw went over his head while his hatchet was buried in a goblins skull stuck, he then promptly headbutted a goblin with a knife. The goblins head snapped backwards from the blow as he suddenly lunged forward, sinking his fangs and teeth into the goblins throat and ripping it out viciously. He then yanked the hatchet free from the other goblins skull while the goblin that threw the spear started to run and shriek in fear after watching his comrades jugular get bit into and ripped out.

He growled as he swallowed the raw flesh as the minuscule amount of energy slowed the bleeding from his wounds a little while he chased the goblin that was running and gaining rapidly onto the poor creature. He then swung the hatchet low and cleaved into the goblins side while biting into the back of the goblins neck and ripping flesh off of the creature and swallowing quickly for more energy for his wounds. A few goblins turned and watched in horror as he started to rapidly bite into the goblins neck, ripping the goblin apart while he repeatedly brought the hatchet down onto the dying goblin. The goblin could only make garbled sounds as it died, being eaten alive while another chunk of flesh was ripped from its neck and shoulder now.

He huffed as his wounds had stopped bleeding and were healing slowly as he looked at the other goblins. His mind had changed earlier from killing a few to just extinguishing the entire nest nearby and getting rid of future potential issues as the goblins watching could only freeze in terror as there eyes met his. One of the goblins then flinched an started to turn to run before suddenly a hatchet went flying through the air and landing solidly into the side of the goblins skull and into its brain killing it. He then felt his body change just a tad as his fangs extended as he felt pain from his jaw and his fingernails hardened and extended into sharp claws, pain coming from his hand as well. He felt like her could shift his body even further but strangely felt as if there was a wall completely stopping him. He just shook his head, dismissing it for now before lunging suddenly at the closest goblin and raking his claws across the goblins face and into the goblins eye sockets to blind it before rushing to the next nearest goblin.

Miyu was still at the hill just sitting and watching the carnage as a spear of ice hovered above her. She was concentrating on her master and the spell just in case anything happened as she had already killed two goblins that had managed to run away from the main group. She was making sure none of the goblins escaped or managed to leave her masters view. She was also watching him, curious to see what abilities or fighting prowess he could display. She knew a tad about it but besides that she assumed he was a good fighter, just rough with it and a bit wild. She felt a bit disgusted though watching as he ate raw flesh and meat with no hesitation as she got a little queasy, her spell faltering as she hurriedly focused on it more to keep it stable. She could barely handle eating it cooked if you could call his cooking earlier even edible.

She then launched the spear as another goblin was running away as the spear nailed the goblin through the spine and out its chest as the goblin fell, dying almost instantly. She then flopped onto the ground tiredly as she yawned, tired from using all her mana as she then paused. -How is he not tired yet? How is he even able to heal that quickly and I can't even sense mana from him.-

She paused as she sunk into her thoughts as she became confused on how he was able to bring mana to his hand and yet made a soul contract happen. She could understand the regeneration as some species could naturally turn ambient mana through there souls into healing energy that is automatically sent to there wounds. Yet he doesn't have mana and he shouldn't be able to heal anymore as she couldn't even sense his body bringing in ambient mana. She didn't realize as she was lost in her thoughts that the person in question slowly approached her and set the hatchet to the side before scooping her up into his arms and lifting her to his shoulders. The sudden lifting sensation causing her to yip and squirm about cutely as she tried to bite him for touching her. She then growled a bit, nipping at him but climbing and laying across his shoulders tiredly as she huffed grumpily.

He chuckled as he tried to avoid the nip from her. "My bad yeesh. You seemed tuckered out anyways and I was trying to be niceee. My fault grumpy, I should've named you grumpy or growly instead of Miyu. Fits you better."

Miyu narrowed her eyes on him as her snout scrunched up a bit. She saw the goblins all dead, a few of them ripped apart and having been eaten as she then looked back to him, his chest and jaw soaked in blood. Blood splatters covered his arms an face a bit but was smeared as he had used the snow to clean his hands and his appearance a tad.

"What? Don't like the name grumpy? or even growly?" He crouched, picking the hatchet back up as he checked and examined the blade a bit.

Miyu just swatted at his face a bit and growled softly before suddenly stopping as she looked away ignoring him. Her tails flicked as she didn't give him the reaction he wanted.

"Hmmmmm fine we will stick with Miyu then. I'll call you grumpy tomorrow though." He teases as he started to walk down the hill back to the goblin corpses as he started to harvest meat from a few of the goblins and stacking it. Miyu just watched before plopping her head onto her paws and falling asleep tiredly as she was tuckered out mentally from the days events. A few hours pass for the day as she woke up to find herself still on her master's shoulders. Her now being prodded gently by a skewer were cooked goblin meat that was actually cooked decently. She gave him a bit of side eye carefully before slowly and reluctantly taking the cooked meat hungrily and devouring it as her stomach growled. The cooked goblin meat seemed to taste quite decent as she was so hungry while her master was already munching on a few other skewers of cooked meat.

He was sitting there with his back against the fall as he then leaned his head back against Miyu as he used her like a pillow. He earned himself a growl from Miyu as she glared at him but then stopped before eating another skewer and deciding to ignore her annoying master for now. He then sighed deeply while closing his eyes and just letting his body completely relax a tad while he ate another skewer more slowly. The sun was getting quite low in the sky, the bottom of the sun touching the horizon as orange colored the clouds and the temperature rapidly started to drop again. The wind was picking up a little as the trees swayed and groaned while flurries of snow drifted to the wind here and there.

Another day done surviving as he looked at the field of goblin corpses, sighing softly at all the wasted meat he could've had as he eyes the frozen poisonous blood in the snow. He was quite curious about how long the poison stayed so effective and potent but it wasn't his issue as long as he stayed clear away from the mess in the future in the lair. He then lifted his head off of Miyu's side as she nipped his ear, making her displeasure known as she ran out of cooked meat to eat. He gave her his last bit of cooked goblin meat he was eating as she flicked her tails before hungrily snatching it and eating it while he got up. She stayed balanced on his shoulders, getting more used to his movements as he smothered the fire and before heading back down to the dragons egg for the night.