"For man's greatest enemy is another man" - Vered Morgan.
Brrrr Brrrr Brrrr Brrrr Brrrr Brrrr....
"Ygh..." - Ramiel's heavy sigh broke through the annoying sound of the alarm clock. He found the rectangular object in the darkness and pressed the power button. Along with the barely audible click came a pleasant and blissful silence.
"Finally." - Ramiel groaned and rubbed sleepy eyes with the back of hand. When he finished, a subtle and tender smile appeared on his face.
Lying on top of him was a naked, white-haired beauty nestled against his chest. She had tangled her legs between the man's limbs, effectively restraining his movements.
Ramiel struggled to free left hand, which was trapped between her voluptuous breasts. Samantha's twin peaks were neither too small nor too large. He would describe them as perfect. He didn't like it when a woman's assets were too large. On the contrary, he preferred them to be a little smaller and fit well in hand.
He gently stroked sleeping beauty's back with fingertips, eliciting a pleasant murmur. The man accepted the quiet approval and lowered his hand, gently caressing the sensitive skin. The unruly hand stopped only at a firm buttock. Ramiel squeezed and kneaded it to his liking.
"I definitely love it." - A low murmur escaped Ramiel's throat. "I could even kill for it." He kept the last part to himself.
These were no empty words or meaningless threats. Ramiel had the strength to back them up. He has a very interesting but also very dangerous job.
Ramiel was the leader of the most powerful group of hunters in Europe. He mainly cleans dungeons and kills monsters that escape from them.
Officially, there are only nine people in the world who are stronger than him, the strongest of them all, who treat him like family. In conclusion, Ramiel could do whatever he liked, within reason, of course.
Power or strength never went to his head too much. He may have become a tad arrogant, but given his position, one can turn a blind eye to that. Throughout life, he tried to follow certain principles. He believed that a person goes wild and is simply an empty shell without them.
"Nhmmm..." - Samantha let out a muffled moan, reacting to her lover's teasing. Her eyelids moved lazily, showing her beery and sleepy eyes. Being still half asleep, Samantha hugged his naked torso tighter, purring quietly in the meantime.
Ramiel grunted. He liked it and wasn't the only one who wanted it. His most precious body part also awoke, expressing happiness. The man couldn't help himself. His hand, which had just caressed Samantha's alluring ass, changed its location.
Slowly but firmly, Ramiel's fingers spread her blissful buttocks, paving the way to a more pleasurable place. His fingers wandered seemingly aimlessly, performing a fine massage around Samantha's younger sister.
"Um... Rahmiel... stop." - Samantha moaned. Some hard object was rhythmically poking her leg. Her half-conscious mind took action. Otherwise, the morning wouldn't end with her partner's petty fun.
Ramiel adopted a sour face. His little companion also voiced his objection, but the men stood to lose in advance. If Samantha said no, they wouldn't win anything. Still, his hand remained proudly in the woman's private parts, protecting her from unwanted attention. At least he could afford that.
Samantha tilted her head and looked deep into Ramiel's amethyst eyes. She subconsciously bit her lower lip. No matter how often she saw the unfathomable abyss inside them, she was always extremely attracted to them.
"Ram..." - Samantha whispered over his ear, eliciting pleasant shivers. Her hot breath caressed his bare skin. " Yesterday you overreacted... This morning would have looked different if you hadn't been so aggressive.
A pink blush flooded Samantha's face. Last night was one of the crazy ones. Both of them got carried away more than usual, but Ramiel... got carried away with fantasy. That's probably the best term.
Ramiel let out a resigned sigh and pulled lover closer to him. Inevitably, his hand had to leave the post but quickly found comfort on one of her buttocks.
"Fine..." - Ramiel muttered in obvious displeasure. Anyway, we wouldn't have made it in time for the raid. You know best how long it takes us to get out of the bedroom when we start.
Samantha sensed a hint of irritation in Ramiel's tone. She didn't like it and wanted to teach him a little lesson. After all, her condition today was his fault. Her whole body ached, and little sister... had had enough of all the fun for a while.
"You know ... if I can't please you..." - Samantha laid her head on Ramiel's muscular chest and tenderly moved her finger across it.
The man's heart began to beat faster. Suddenly he was struck by the realization of what kind of shit he had gotten into. Before he had time to do anything, Samantha finished.
"Maybe I should invite that bitch Synthi. I think she'll be happy to let me spread her legs in front of you." - Samantha growled angrily. "I will say more. I will give her five minutes, and she will be at your door. Even now, when supposedly, she can't even get out of bed."
"Sam..." - Ramiel tried to alleviate the situation.
"There is no Sam, knight on a white horse. Why aren't you there yet to see how your little whore is doing?" - The last words were emphasized by Samantha. Her finger struck the man's chest rhythmically.
An innocent and sweet nineteen-year-old appeared before Ramiel's eyes. She wasn't one of the tallest people, standing only 166 centimeters. But she didn't need that to stand out from the crowd. Her unassuming appearance and heterochromia were enough to attract attention.
Synthi was a talented and indispensable member of Ramiel's team. In terms of destructive power, she was second only to the leader. Unfortunately, she was head over heels in love with him, all because of a certain event in the past.
The goddess of fortune fell in love with Ramiel and blessed him with an extraordinary gift. He was able to sense talented and extraordinary people. As you might guess, Synthi, along with the rest of the team, was one of them, but from the beginning.
Ramiel met Synthi when she was in real trouble. Her parents were in debt and had died under unexplained circumstances. A criminal organization that Ramiel had been eyeing for a long time approached the girl to pay off the debt.
Synthi didn't have the inflated sum at the time, but the organization did not care. All the criminals cared about was the money; they would do anything to get it back. And so Synthi would end up as a prostitute at the age of 14. A sad fate, but such was life.
Fortunately, then Ramiel appeared. At the time, he didn't have the present strength. He was only 21 years old, and quite recently, he made a name for himself in the world of hunters, but he still managed to annihilate one of the criminal organizations. After all, he took Synthi under his wing with Samantha and Arthur and formed a team together.
After the traumatic past and the support shown, Ramiel became the whole world to Synthi. At first, it was simple admiration, then it turned into affection until finally, it turned into true affection.
Synthi made no secret of this, and it was precisely because of this that it became a real problem. Samantha initially ignored the intrusive insect, but with time, she became jealous. After all, no woman likes someone trying to steal her man.
Unfortunately, Samantha couldn't get rid of her. Synthi brought too much to the team, and she was good. This fact upset her even more, which often made her recoil at Ramiel.
He liked Synthi, but the feelings he had for Samantha were stronger. He fell in love with her to death and was willing to do much for her. He tried to put some sense into the younger woman's head, but she said she could wait for him. If necessary, he would do it for life.
Ramiel pulled back the white covering of Samantha's face and began to play with it. He didn't know why, but he liked it.
"You knowwww..." - Ramiel dragged. "If you don't mind, I'm always for yes." - Ramiel joked. He might have just sentenced himself to death, but nothing could be further from the truth. Behind it all was a meticulously prepared plan.
Samantha rose violently. She was boiling with anger and was ready to unleash the brawl of the century. However, Ramiel was quicker and didn't give her such a chance. When all hell was about to break loose, he pulled the enraged woman close to him.
"What!!!?" - Samantha wanted to scream, but warm lips closed her mouth in a passionate kiss. The woman tried to break free, but the man was stronger than her. After several attempts, she gave up, going with the flow. In the end, she enjoyed it.
A passionate moment couldn't last forever. The lovers eventually ran out of breath. But Ramiel didn't stop. He knew his woman well and knew how to cool her passion. As soon as he caught his breath, he repeated everything from the beginning.
The intimate moment they shared conveyed Ramiel's sincere feelings. When it was all over, Samantha couldn't be angry with him. She even let go of the small pinch on her forehead.
"Samantha." - Ramiel turned serious, as did his gaze, which focused on the woman. Samantha knew Ramiel wasn't joking. He finally addressed her by her full name, not a caressing diminutive.
"You know that you are the most important thing to me. And no one or nothing will change that. So, stop doing what you're doing. It's not right." - Ramiel sighed painfully. He was tired of brawling every third day. "You question my sincerity and feelings while knowing how much I hate traitors and despise them."
Ramiel took a deep breath.
"You know very well that I will remain faithful to you... We both promised to support each other, at least as long as we live." - Ramiel confessed sincerely. His words came straight from the heart. Samantha was the most important thing to him.
As the Spartans used to say? You return with a shield or on a shield. - Ramiel thought and looked deep into the amber eyes of his lover.
 "Understand, Samantha, Synthi has no one in this world but us, and you know very well that she treats every team member like her own family. Even Arthur, despite what he's been doing over the past year. No matter what kind of trouble he gets into. I will always be ready to help him. Do you understand what he is trying to tell you by this?"
Samantha stared into his amethyst eyes as if mesmerized. After a long inspection, she saw in them a symphony of feelings such as nervousness, fear of rejection, anticipation, and, most importantly, sincerity.
However, she would not be herself if she did not have the last word. Samantha wanted to tease Ramiel for the last time, but she could not foresee that she was making a big mistake.
"So let's go back to the moment while we're still alive." - The woman emphasized the last words. "Do you want me to die so badly? Or can't you wait to meet this little vicious whore?"
When Samantha finished, she realized that she had exaggerated. How did she know? It didn't take a genius to figure it out. It was enough to see the look on Ramiel's face. The man was furious. His lower lip quivered with anger, and the temperature in the room suddenly dropped several degrees.
Before Samantha had time to say anything, she saw her world spinning. She was now lying on her back, pushed away by Ramiel. When she raised her head and started to say "Ramiel I..." the boy was already gone, and the sound of a slamming door could be heard in the house. A grimace of displeasure showed on the girl's face. If, through this, her plan fails, she will never forgive herself.
~~~~~~
After hearing what Samantha had to say to him, Ramiel was overwhelmed with immense rage. Before the woman had time to speak, he pushed her away and teleported under the bathroom using a spell based on the element of space. Had he stayed in the bedroom longer and heard another similar comment, he might have uttered some unpleasant words in Samantha's direction.
Ramiel opened the door and slammed it. Little by little, it would have blown to pieces. He stripped off his clothes and headed straight for the shower. A pleasant hum filled the room, and icy water ran down the drain.
He calmly breathed in and breathed out. She didn't mean it. He just wanted to upset me, which doesn't change the fact that SHE FUCKING HAD IT... - Ramiel roared in thought and slammed his fist against the wall.
"Sigh... You can't think about it. It will only get worse." - Along with a sigh, Ramiel let out the accumulated frustration and focused on the shower.
An hour later, the bathroom door opened, revealing a young man with dark amethyst eyes, black hair with white tips, and a muscular but athletic figure.
Small scars were visible in places, adding to his masculine appearance. The man was not one of the tallest, but he was not the shortest either, standing at 187 centimeters. That was enough for him. He never wanted to be taller or envied anyone else. After all, a real man starts at 180 centimeters.
A hint of a calm auraescaped from Ramiel's body. Usually, you could only feel it when he was fighting in a dungeon or running errands with people who didn't need to live. His wry smile from the morning was nowhere to be seen. It was replaced by lips drawn tight in a straight line.
Ramiel felt his stomach growl. After all, he hadn't eaten anything since the morning. He adjusted his towel and headed for the kitchen, wondering what he would eat.
Hmm... toast doesn't sound too bad... Wait, did I buy ketchup? Probably not... Toast without ketchup is not toast... - Ramiel groaned in thought.
Flakes with milk... - His enthusiasm quickly subsided. - Shit I don't see any milk. I drank the last bottle yesterday for coffee...
Hm... I'm left with pancakes. I should still have fruit and honey. - Ramiel compromised.
Many may not understand why someone takes so long to think about what to eat for breakfast... The answer was straightforward: besides sex, the other thing that provides him with the greatest amount of dopamine was good food. It was said that food exists for man.
However, it was Ramiel who exists for food. If someone offered him the most delicious dish in the world, he would sell even his sister without hesitation.
Ramiel teleported straight to the kitchen. To be honest, he can't imagine life now without the spells he possessed after achieving a proper understanding of the element of space. Their range may not be great, but they have made his life much easier and strengthened him on the battlefield.
He opened the cabinet to find the ingredients and stopped when he felt someone's hands around his waist. Moments later, something soft and delightful to the touch appeared on his back.
"Ram, I - I wanted to apologize." - His heart was heavy when he heard Samantha's broken voice. However, he knew that he had to be tough. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to deal with her in the future.
"I know I overreacted this morning... it won't happen again." - Samantha lowered her voice and rested chin on Ramiel's shoulder. "I know how much you love me, and I realize how much my words may have hurt you."
Samantha took a deep breath. - "I know we talked about what would happen if either of us died, and we both agreed that we would live on. I shouldn't have said what I said, and I sincerely wanted to apologize for that." Saying the last words, Samantha tightened her grip on Ramiel's back and hugged him tenderly. "I understood what you were trying to tell me, and ... I will stop."
Ramiel turned around and hugged Samantha. He was pleased and surprised. He didn't expect a sincere confession from the girl. He knew her very well and knew how proud she was. She must have realized how much she had messed up.
The chilly aura around him eased. He began to stroke Samantha's head.
 " Alright, let's go..."
Ramiel's stomach demanded food louder and louder. A small smile appeared on Samantha's face.
 "Let's make those pancakes, I'm hungry too."
~~~~~~
After a delicious breakfast, the couple sat on the couch. Samantha was reading a book, lying on Ramiel's lap while he played with a lock of her hair. He liked it, but he wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it allows him to relax and clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts.
Ramiel grunted to get her attention. Samantha took her eyes off the book and looked at him.
"Sam, let's take today off. This is just an abandoned dungeon. We'll get bored there. They are strong and should be able to handle it themselves. After all, it was Arthur who whined to take this job."
"You wanted to go to Venice so we can take a little vacation and relax." - Ramiel wrapped a loose strand of hair around his finger. He silently hoped for Samantha's approval.
"I haven't been feeling very well lately... Maybe it's that chronic fatigue they've been talking about lately." - Ramiel's enthusiasm faded when he saw the confused look on his woman's face.
It's bad... - Samantha cursed in thoughts and wondered how to get out of the current situation. Because of the mistake in the morning, the success of her plan hung in the balance, and now it faced a huge question mark again.
"Ram, we can't leave them alone..." - Samantha began uncertainly. "You are the leader and have certain responsibilities."
"They have managed without me in worse situations..." - Ramiel rolled his eyes. He had confidence in the team and knew their capabilities. A dead dungeon was nothing they couldn't handle.
Samantha rose and threw the man a serious look.
"Do you really want to leave Arthur so much free space? He might become even more unbearable."
Samantha's observation hit Ramiel's tender spot, but it wasn't enough to convince him.
"Ram, I have a bad feeling about the raid..." - Samantha pulled out her most dangerous weapon, her instinct. She finished the rest in a hushed voice. "You were the one who said they are like family to you... You probably don't want anything to happen to them."
Worried, Samantha pressed her right hand to her chest, in the meantime her left hand landed on Ramiel's palm.
"Without us and Synthi, they are nothing more than a bunch of lost adults. Who should be in charge? Arthur, who has muscles instead of brains? Or Kenny, who has as much to do with command as a pig has with flying." - Samantha pressed her lips together, trying to influence the man.
"There is also Alexia..." - Samantha interrupted Ramiel.
"Alexia is unsuitable for this, and you know it very well. At the first sign of failure, she will abandon the role and flee the battlefield." - Samantha shook hands with Ramiel. "This bunch is holding together thanks to you and me."
Resigned, Ramiel leaned back against the couch and tilted his head back. A quiet sigh escaped his lips. He, too, had a bad feeling about this expedition. His instincts subtly let him know it wasn't good for him. If he wasn't careful, he might regret it.
"You have won... we will go there." - Ramiel stood up and pulled Samantha by the hand. "Get up, I don't know about you, but I'm going to put on the armor."
"Oh... Someone is worried about me." - Samantha smiled, looking confidently into Ramiel's eyes.
"Pff, in dreams." - The man replied with a wry smile.
Samantha sent him an offended look. If she wanted to, she could be really persuasive.
"I think I need to eat all those creamers myself." - Samantha didn't even have to try. She was already sure of her victory.
"Creamers? You won't do it!" - A genuine fear dawned on Ramiel's face.
The woman smiled. She knew the road to victory led through Ramiel's stomach, especially when his favorite sweets were involved in everything.
"Maybe... if he carried me... then there would be a chance to share with you." - Before Samantha could finish her sentence, she found herself in Ramiel's arms.
"As you wish, Princess." - And with that, the two of them walked to the armory together.
Samantha was dressed in lightweight silver armor made from an alloy of newly discovered metals from the dungeon. The alloy was super light and robust, and people called it Adamantium.
This armor consisted of many hexagonal-shaped plates, which provided the woman with extraordinary mobility. The epaulets were made of the same material but consisted of only one piece.
The pants were a magical artifact found in the dungeon. They were better than any armor she could have equipped herself with. Samantha needed light armor that would allow her freedom of movement.
The reason is simple. The woman fights with a rapier and needs high mobility. Her fighting style is based on fast, piercing, and highly deadly attacks.
Ramiel's armor, like Samantha's, also needed to be lightweight and not restrict his movements. If the armor doesn't meet these requirements it isn't even considered.
This restrictive approach is due to Ramiel's preferred fighting style. He relies mainly on skill and avoiding attacks rather than blocking them. He relies on inflicting as much damage as possible in the shortest amount of time.
This is all thanks to Cursed Condemnation, one of his main skills primarily responsible for his success.
The armor that Ramiel has decided on consists of diamond-shaped elements with small crescent-shaped cutouts on each side. The elements were set on an enchanted fabric and even blended into it.
On top of this, he placed a magical artifact he found during a trip to the Nimbus Cloak dungeon. It was a black cloak with silver inserts that perfectly matched the black and ash armor.
After arming themselves 100%, they both cast summoning magic to hide all their equipment in the room, as riding fully equipped would be uncomfortable.
Summoning magic works on the principle of a storehouse, from which you can swap the items you carry with a special seal previously marked. The downside is that the seal lasts a maximum of six hours.
"Ram, do you think Arthur is still angry about the artifact?" - Samantha nervously took Ramiel's hand. From the tone of her voice, one could sense that she was worried.
"I don't know, Sam... It's not easy. " - Ramiel sped up, taking on a grave expression." Arthur has been unruly before, but recently he overreacted. He challenged my authority, then raised his hand against me... If it had been anyone else, his head would have served as my footstool long ago."
The atmosphere grew heavy, and Ramiel's gaze turned cold. The conversation with Samantha brought back an unpleasant memory involving his friend Arthur.
The men had quarreled over an artifact recently found in a dungeon. The Ring of Reversed Momentum was mentioned. The ring reduces the wearer's broadside speed by 25% but increases his strength by the same amount.
According to the group rules, the artifact should go to the person it suits best. In this case, the lucky one was Ramiel.
Unfortunately, Arthur coveted the artifact for himself. The men got into a disagreement and a fight broke out. The men's arguments were drawn out. He accused Ramiel of greed, even though everyone agreed that he should be the one to take the artifact.
Arthur could not control his emotions and attacked his friend. As you can imagine, Ramiel was a leader for a reason. He thoroughly deserved his position, which was supported by his abilities.
He beat Arthur severely, letting the man know where he belonged. In fact, it was a one-sided battle. Arthur, who mainly focused on strength, sacrificing mobility and agility, couldn't measure up to his friend's swift blows.
Ramiel did not want this to happen. After all, Arthur was one of his oldest friends. It was him, Ramiel, and Samantha who started it all. Together, they formed a legitimate band and started a new chapter in their lives.
After the incident, Arthur cooled down and didn't cause any more problems, but something was wrong. The atmosphere in the band became heavy, even suffocating. The man seemed to hold a grudge still, though he tried to hide it well.
The rest of the trip passed in silence. Ramiel tried to find a solution to the current conflict, and Samantha seemed preoccupied with something. The couple was there before she knew it.
A/N Hello everyone, at the beginning, I wanted to say hello and clarify a few things.
Firstly, this is my first novel. I started writing it due to an excess of free time. I am counting on your honest opinion and understanding if there are any plot holes or glaring errors.
Secondly, English is not my native language, so if some sentences contain a large number of grammatical errors, please forgive me and don't hesitate to point this out. I will try with all my heart to make the best of it.
Thirdly, as you have guessed, this will be an 18+ novel. I don't plan on making this a novel where the MC has an endless harem. I plan on keeping the number of women in close relationships with the MC to no more than 5. All of the MC's women will be important and help him in some capacity. I don't plan to abandon the characters as happens in most novels after the dream scene; on the contrary, you can count on many dream scenes with MC women but not to excess. I never planned for the novel to be based on dream-sleep scenes. It was meant to be a nice addition and a way to relieve Ramiel's steely temper. (Yes, I know the first chapter doesn't look like it, but rest assured, trust me).
Fourthly, this isn't a novel based on dungeon-clearing. Its theme will be the development of the dungeon and its management. About three-quarters of the way through, it will develop into something else, but it will still be based on the dungeon.
Fifthly and last, don't get attached to the characters, they will die. You will ask the question why? The answer is trivially simple: because in real life, not everything goes the way we think or predict.
If you enjoy the novel, I wouldn't be offended by your kind comments and support.
!!! Don't be scared off by the voluminous first chapters. They are so long because I rewrote them!!!