Ramiel cleaned the body of the roots that covered it, placing the mysterious rose blossom on the water's surface. Despite his obvious desire to separate, the rose stubbornly settled on his hand and sprouted a series of new roots.
Ramiel repeated the action three times but always ended the same way. The flower tried to stay with the man at all costs, and the man saw nothing wrong with it. It was quite the opposite. Ramiel felt the mana generated by the lake spirit affect the energy inside his body.
The individual mana particles became paler and more caloric, carrying with them more power. The process was extremely slow and barely noticeable. Ramiel would have overlooked the change if the single particle had not drifted on the surface of the orderly sea of mana.
This was the hunter's first encounter with this phenomenon, but he didn't consider it a bad thing. His instincts were silent, and his new companion was silent. So, it couldn't possibly be a bad thing? Otherwise, his double would have warned him.
Ramiel stretched, meantime checking the passage of time on the hourglass.
" Six hours... Avi should be able to manage without me. Another six should be enough. "
Ramiel sent a short mental message to the fairy with his current location and the situation he was in. He didn't want Avi to worry or bother him. The fairy took the separation badly after his death. And so he hurt her by spending time with Asme and Caera. An additional separation would negatively affect their relationship.
In response, he got a few shouts and unpleasant words regarding him, after which the mental connection went silent. Avi let him know bluntly what she thought of him, which brought a slight smile to his face. Nothing makes him feel as good as upsetting an insolent fairy.
Let's get to work. - Ramiel thought.
The hunter was tired, but he didn't let up. He had little time before the expedition's set date, and he wanted to have everything buttoned up before it arrived.
The prolonged stagnation in the development of the dungeon was killing him. He wanted to move forward as soon as possible and face an unknown future.
Ramiel took one last brief glance at the closed rose bud sleeping on his hand.
" Maybe you can help me with this too? " - Ramiel remained silent but received no answer. He even felt like a fool for a moment, expecting it from the plant.
" Never mind... " - A few words summed up the embarrassment he felt. It was a good thing no one saw it. Otherwise, he would have sunk to the ground. He still had to care about how his subordinates saw him. After the changes his original had instilled in him, he began to increase his attention to this. It was still far from perfection, but it was definitely better.
Ramiel drew more air into his lungs, closing his eyes meantime. His attention revolved around the vortex-driven mana particles. The difference between him and his predecessors was not colossal. It only fluctuated around three percent, but that was enough for the hunter.
Moreover, a huge vortex was more stable than its smaller and inferior counterparts. This opened a path for Ramiel, a new way to improve his body.
It had its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages certainly included the huge amount of time he had to spend on improvement, but the following advantages compensated for the time spent three times over.
Ramiel pulled individual mana particles out of orderly motion, pushing them aside, or at least tried to do so. The hardest part was getting started. Once the vortex was formed, the mana became less flexible and susceptible to suggestion.
The man had to demonstrate iron willpower to force the energy into the desired movement. Minutes passed, and Ramiel made little progress. He had only collected about two hundred specks of pesky energy in the navel area. This was far too little. If he wanted to succeed, he had to try harder.
Ramiel was completely lost in thought. He didn't know how much time had passed and didn't care. When his concentration dropped, or his mind became cloudy, there was a sulfurous frost in his head that immediately restored his concentration and gave him new strength.
Ramiel's words could not express how grateful he was for the lake. Not for the first and most likely not the last time, it helped him in the arduous and tiring process of self-improvement.
After about three hours, Ramiel had accumulated the right amount of mana molecules residing outside the orderly circulation. It corresponded to roughly half of his reserves.
Now that the pleasant part was over, it was the inexorable turn of the worse part. Ramiel meditated for a while, clearing his head of unnecessary thoughts and preparing for what would come.
Mana particles spread evenly over his internal organs, sticking to their surfaces.
Ramiel gritted his teeth, preparing himself for the torture to come.
He started with the organ that would hurt the most to make it easier. At the thought, his hair stood up, and the contents of his stomach rose to his throat.
Ramiel groaned quietly as a single molecule of mana penetrated his heart, succumbing to spontaneous combustion. His skin turned pale, his lips twisted in an ugly grimace, and trickles of sweat ran down his cheeks.
Ramiel prepared himself for the coming pain, but it was worse than he remembered. The hunter wanted to howl and scream in terror, but his iron willpower kept short on the leash of desire.
His condition worsened as the mana burn melted the cells, only for another molecule to sacrifice itself, rebuilding it even stronger.
This was only the beginning of the torture, and Ramiel had had enough. They were only two molecules out of tens of thousands...
Ramiel gritted his teeth, bombarding his heart with another wave. With each attack, he doubled the number of energy particles used.
A quiet and uncontrollable groan escaped his dry lips as the mana bombarded one of his most important internal organs.
" Enough... " - Ramiel groaned, stopping the whole process. His heart trembled at the limit of its endurance. The man used the remaining mana particles circulating around the organ to restore efficiency.
The mana penetrated the heart, but unlike the previous actions, it dissolved into it, relieving the pain. A cool and crisp feeling spread through Ramiel's body. For a brief moment, he felt relaxed, but it was nothing more than a brief and fleeting feeling.
Ramiel knew that this was only the beginning; the rest of his internal organs still awaited him. In his right mind, he was comforted by only one thought.
It will hurt less...
Hours passed, and many times, Ramiel found himself on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Yet, all the while, his determination did not falter. The hunter was relentless in his actions. Pain could not hinder his steadfast desire to become stronger. He was just an annoying enemy, and he had to overpower at all costs.
Ramiel's torture had two positive aspects. First, it strengthened his internal organs. Once damaged and rebuilt, the cells became stronger. Mana accelerated this process but also became an integral part of the organ. This led to the second positive aspect. Organs became stronger, tougher, and less susceptible to injury, but most importantly, they could store more life-giving energy.
Ramiel killed two birds with one stone. The price he had to pay, in the form of unbearable pain, was small compared to the benefits he received.
Unfortunately, all good things come with unpleasant consequences. The burden Ramiel was subjected to was enormous. At the very least, he had to rest for two weeks before deciding to rejoin the torture. Given the lifestyle he leads, that time will extend to a month.
Until then, he will have to make do with the traditional methods he has used so far.
The method of burning mana in cells was not limited to internal organs. Ramiel could apply it to bones, tendons, muscles, nerves, skin, and even hair.
His choice fell on organs because they were the weakest part of the human body. So what if the blow doesn't pierce the skin, but its force destroys the organs? Ramiel was not among the amateurs and knew very well how to increase the chances of survival. It only required small sacrifices.
" Finally... " - Ramiel groaned and fell onto his back. He didn't even notice Avi sleeping on top of his head.
" KHAAAAAAAA!!!! " - The fairy squealed in fear as she plunged into the icy water. She launched herself into the air like a rocket, throwing blisters at Ramiel in the process.
" STUPID, IDIOT, A MAN WHO THINKS ONLY WITH HIS DICK, A PERVERT, DIE, DIE, BE LOST, I HATE YOU. "
The bundle of pleasantries sent toward the man was much longer, but Avi ran out of breath halfway through. His lack of stamina was making its presence known.
Exhausted and confused, Ramiel looked at the fairy, red with anger. Her drenched hair stuck to her wings, making flight difficult.
Apparently, she must have appeared here while I was engrossed in training. That's sweet. - Ramiel thought, then straightened up and leaned his back against the lake shore.
' Aren't you exaggerating a little? I understand the part about the fool and the idiot, but hey, I don't just think with my dick. If that were the case, I wouldn't be sitting here now. '
Avi wanted to say something, but only a frightened scream escaped from her throat.
" Save me!!! " The fairy lost her balance in the air and dove towards the seated Ramiel. Wet wings proved to be more of a problem than she thought. Heavy drops of water made it impossible for her to stay aloft.
Pure fear was painted in Avi's eyes as the sheet of water grew inexorably in her sight. This was the first time her wings refused to obey her.
" It's over! " - The fairy groaned, losing all hope of survival. She trusted Ramiel, but even he could not work a miracle... or could he? After all, not many people can boast of being brought back to life twice.
" Aren't you exaggerating? It's just water," he said. "
Avi reluctantly opened her tightly closed eyes. A massive hammer struck her heart, causing her petite body to tremble. Even so, she could jump with happiness at the sight of Ramiel's outstretched hand.
As she fell, the fairy became hysterical. Her situation was not as dire as she had described. All Ramiel had to do was hold out his hand in front of her to resolve the crisis.
" I - I, snif... I could have died. Snif... " - Avi blew her nose desperately, on the verge of tears.
The behavior of the fairy made Ramiel laugh, but he restrained himself, maintaining full seriousness.
Who would have thought that water could be so scary? - Ramiel laughed in his mind, giving vent to his accumulated fatigue.
" Come here. "
Ramiel moved his hand closer to his shoulder, allowing Avi to jump on it. The fairy didn't need to be told twice. She immediately clung to the hunter's neck, letting out quiet sobs.
Ramiel gently caressed her hair while trying to calm her down. His touch was magical. It took him some time to achieve his goal, but he finally succeeded.
' You are terrible... I could have died because of you. ' - Ramiel's mind echoed with the angry fairy's presumptuous tone. As the despair faded, anger took its place.
" Don't overdo it. It's just a little water. Besides, how was I supposed to know you were sleeping on me? "
Ramiel's arguments were logical, but no logic stood a chance with an upset woman, especially when she shared some of Ramiel's character traits.
' I always sleep there! ' - Along with an indignant shout, Ramiel felt fine teeth digging into his exposed neck.
Well, yes... what else could I expect from a small monster...
Ramiel's musings were interrupted by a startled screech inside his head.
' What have you done! This is delicious! No, it's better than delicious. You are tastier than before. '
" What? " Ramiel mouthed a single word, reflecting the shock and disbelief that dawned on his face.
Have I just been compared to ordinary food? This is... - Ramiel didn't even know how he should properly describe his own feelings. Fatigue troubling his head effectively made it difficult for him.
" What do you mean by this? "
Avi devoured Ramiel's mana like crazy, fluttering her wings joyfully at the same time, not a trace left of the despair and fear of a few minutes ago. The fairy suddenly found herself in seventh heaven.
' This... it's hard to describe. Your mana is cool and crisp but, at the same time, infernally tasty. Can I have some more? '
That didn't say much to Ramiel. He didn't know the taste of mana, but he could relate it to the changes that had taken place in some of his energy molecules. Apparently, Avi must have eaten one of them.
The fairy didn't wait for permission. She immediately moved on to consuming dinner and future lunch. The hours of abstinence only intensified her unfathomable appetite.
' By the way, what have you been doing all this time? I tried everything to wake you up, but you continued to sit and meditate. It seemed boring... '
Ramiel snorted. He couldn't blame Avi for her ignorance. The fairy may have insight into his memories, but that's only so much. He would never be able to understand the desire to become stronger or the satisfaction that comes from a small step on the winding path of strength.
Ramiel was patient and explained everything to Avi, but her reaction, was just as he expected. The fairy looked at him as if he were crazy, adding brief comments about how stupid he was, giving in to the pain. Ramiel had a different opinion on the subject but kept quiet about it.