Chapter 8: Survival Amidst the Snow and Blood

I calmed down, massaging my aching wrist, and carefully removed the goblin’s ear.

Beneath its dull green skin flowed crimson blood.

For a moment, I wondered if the different skin color meant its blood would be unusual, but that wasn’t the case.

After storing the severed ear, I examined the goblin’s appearance.

It had a bulging belly, thin limbs, sharp teeth, and claws that looked quite menacing.

Its nose jutted forward prominently, matching the image of goblins I had imagined.

Its height was around 100 cm.

Fortunately, it was acting alone; if it had been part of a group, I might have had no choice but to flee.

Seeing how it tried to camouflage itself with leaves and grass, it seemed to possess significant intelligence.

That’s when the realization hit me—I wasn’t in the world I once knew.

Although I had understood this fact mentally, facing a fantasy-like monster firsthand was something entirely new.

A strange sense of anticipation for the unknown adventures ahead began to stir within me.

“Hoo…”

I let out a deep breath, shaking off the lingering excitement.

There was no time to waste.

The request required a total of ten goblin ears, which meant I still had to deal with four more goblins.

I buried the goblin under the snow to erase any traces.

Since I had confirmed that these creatures were smarter than I initially thought, they might notice their comrade’s absence and track me.

It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.

With the cleanup done, I hoisted my bag onto my back and resumed my journey.

Walking through the snow, which swallowed my feet with every step, was far more exhausting than traversing flat ground.

Even though I had lived my entire life in the mountains and fields, the harshness of winter in these mountains was no joke.

The longer I walked, the heavier my breath became.

“Hoo…”

White breaths scattered like snowflakes in the cold air.

I glanced up at the sky to see the sun, which had once been high above, slowly sinking.

I leaned against a nearby rock, seeking temporary refuge.

The cold winter wind had begun to numb my hands.

When I tried to move my fingers, they felt sluggish and unresponsive.

At this rate, I feared I might develop frostbite and end up losing my hands.

I pulled out cloth and bandages from my bag, fashioning makeshift gloves.

They didn’t look great, but it was better than risking frostbite.

“Hoo…”

I exhaled deeply and forced myself to keep moving.

My ears were starting to feel blocked, a sign that I had climbed to a considerable height.

Looking around, all I could see was an endless expanse of white snowfields.

It was then that something strange caught my attention.

The snow shifted slightly, as if something was hiding beneath it.

Frowning, I observed more closely and realized that there wasn’t just one source of movement—there were at least two, maybe three.

And they were steadily moving toward me.

At that moment, I locked eyes with one of them as it raised its head from the snow.

Its long, narrow, slitted yellow eyes glared at me, radiating raw savagery.

The instant I sensed the hostility and intent to kill, my hair stood on end, and my hand instinctively reached for the sword on my back.

The goblins, buried under the snow, froze the moment they realized I had detected them.

They had been hunting—and I was their prey.

The goblin stabbed by my blade tumbled backward, rolling across the snow-covered ground.

Blood poured from its side—just a little off-target. It must have twisted its body at the last second to avoid a fatal blow.

I stepped back momentarily and checked my shoulder.

To my relief, there was no wound or pain.

The thick wolf hide I wore had absorbed the goblin’s attack.

I see… Even this roughly made wolf-fur hood serves as decent armor.

Adjusting my grip on the sword, I charged forward once more.

“Hyaah!”

The weight of the bag on my back limited my movements, but I stayed composed, shifting my center of gravity carefully to advance.

The goblins looked startled, but they didn’t retreat.

They seemed confident they could overpower me.

I couldn’t predict how this fight would end, but I knew my next target—the wounded goblin with the torn side.

Its slowed movements made it vulnerable, and I was determined to finish it off.

I lunged forward with a powerful step, shifting my balance ahead.

The snow scattered in all directions from the force of my movement.

Though the bag rattled on my back, throwing off my balance, it didn’t interfere with my swordsmanship.

I swung downward in a heavy, overhead slash.

The pale moonlight seemed to descend with the arc of my blade.

Slash!

My strike landed with full force, and the goblin’s shoulder crumbled as a spray of crimson burst forth.

Rather than slicing cleanly, it felt like I had shattered its shoulder bone with the impact.

“Kieeeek!”

At that moment, two goblins lunged at me from both sides.

Their claws tore at the wolf hide, scattering gray fur in every direction.

The leather was starting to rip, exposing the pale surface beneath, but its thickness held firm against their relentless attacks.

I twisted my waist instantly, shifting my center of gravity.

My body pivoted, turning as if to face behind me, and my sword naturally drew back in the process.

Suddenly, a green shadow slashed toward my face.

A sharp sting spread above my eye, and I instinctively pushed off the ground with my right leg.

The recoil surged from my leg, up through my waist, and into my hands.

The moonlight, falling from the sky, seemed to spiral around me before thrusting straight forward.

The silent flash pierced through the goblin’s chest without resistance.

My vision began to narrow. Every sound around me faded into the background.

Even the icy coldness of the wind vanished.

The ache in my wrist was gone too, overwhelmed by the intoxicating thrill of a life-or-death battle.

This rush blurred my thoughts.

Suddenly, my senses flickered—my body staggered as my balance faltered.

I tried to regain control, but then a green shadow filled my vision.

Thud!

A dull impact spread across my face, making my head reel.

That’s when I finally understood what had happened.

The last remaining goblin had landed a punch square on my face.

As I struggled to steady myself, the goblin lunged again, closing the gap between us.

But this time, I was ready.

It was aiming for my face—I could see that clearly.

The moment I realized its intent, I took a wide step forward and ducked my upper body.

Swish!

The goblin’s attack grazed just above my head.

I could feel its panic through its erratic movements.

Without hesitation, I reached out with both hands and grabbed its body.

The goblin tumbled backward under my sudden force.

A foul stench hit me, but I couldn’t afford to care about that right now.

Straddling the goblin, I swung my fist down.

I couldn’t see where my sword had gone, but it didn’t matter.

What needed to be done was clear—use whatever means necessary to eliminate the threat in front of me.

I raised my fist.

If I didn’t kill it, I would die.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

My fists pounded the goblin’s face, crushing it more with each blow.

Blood splattered, tearing the bandages wrapped around my hands.

The goblin squirmed and resisted sporadically, but it couldn’t stop the rain of punches.

Rage consumed me, leaving no room for mercy.

The thick, sticky blood spread across the snow, blooming like red flowers.

Suddenly, I realized I hadn’t taken a breath.

“Huff…!”

A deep gasp escaped me.

As my vision cleared, the numbness in my body faded, and I could feel everything again.

The goblin’s face beneath me was a gruesome mess.

I stared at my trembling hands, now stained red, the bandages clinging to my skin, soaked with sticky blood.

“Ha…”

I exhaled deeply, looking up at the sky.

The heat that had filled me drained away, leaving my body limp and exhausted.

Fatigue settled over me, but I was still standing amidst the lifeless goblin corpses.

A hollow laugh escaped my lips as the cold seeped into my bones.

Shivering in the biting cold, I tore the ears off the dead goblins and checked my condition.

I was in no shape to continue fighting.

The request required ten goblin ears, but I only had eight.

I wandered aimlessly through the mountain, pondering what to do next.

Then, half-buried in the snow, I found a frozen goblin corpse.

Its limbs and stomach were shredded, likely the victim of another monster.

“Lucky…”

I was lucky indeed.

I cut off the goblin’s ears and began my descent down the mountain.