Ramiel gasped quietly. Apparently, the mana hadn't only toyed with his left arm but also focused on other parts of his body. As the chaos subsided and the rushing rivers dissipated into the air, Ramiel felt a burning pain in the middle of his shoulder blades.
" Avi forgot to tell me something again... " - Ramiel took a quick, piercing look at the fairy flying toward him and straightened up. Muscles clenched in a futile attempt to resist the pain.
Ramiel had trained his body well, and reflexes were slowly returning to him. The body reacted on its own, sending mana to the injured areas. The energy spread along his arms and shoulder blades, temporarily relieving the pain and aiding recovery. It may not be anything spectacular or breathtaking, but it's always better than nothing.
The strangest thing was that no one in the dungeon noticed the change on Ramiel's bare back. A black tattoo of a figure hidden under a thick cloak appeared between his shoulder blades. It held a massive scythe in its right hand. A pair of enormous, damaged reptile wings from behind his back tentatively emerged.
The whole thing was dynamic, as was the mark that appeared on the top of the left hand. The wings occasionally moved up and down by a fine margin. The edges of the frayed cloak were torn by a gentle wind, leaving plumes of black smoke behind, and the chin of the scythe wobbled from side to side.
Ramiel didn't attempt to hide it, nor did he feel the need to. He was proud of the tattoos that adorned his back. It seemed strange to him, but he ignored this for the time being. He had a strange feeling that he had some deeper connection to the original Ramiel. If he remained silent, there was no reason to worry.
Ramiel's shoulders relaxed, and his face returned to indifference as the mana did its work. Now that the pain had subsided, he could attend to more important matters.
In truth, Ramiel could barely stand still. He tried to hide his growing excitement, but his eyes betrayed him. These nervously followed the stairs leading to the upper floors of the dungeon.
With each evolution of the dungeon, all floors went deeper into the ground, making room for new ones, which similarly took up space closer to the surface. At least that's how it's been so far. Everything will change with the latest evolution. From now on, Ramiel can choose where to place a new floor. There are no special requirements for this.
In the later stages of evolution, the dungeon master can freely swap floors with places. This requires an absurd amount of mana and dungeon core energy, which Ramiel doesn't have. For now, he has to be content with simply interfering with the structure of a given floor or tearing down a few walls.
" Ramiel, this is amazing, check this out... " - Ramiel's hand caught Avi in mid-flight, violently interrupting her enthusiastic performance.
" Avi, not now. " - The fairy was outraged. She was about to scold her bond already for her insolent and rude behavior, but the urgency in Ramiel's voice stopped her from doing so.
" This can wait. " - Ramiel whispered while walking away. He didn't even bother to share a brief glance with her.
Avi stared silently at Ramiel's departing figure. Only now did his intense feelings reach her. The voice stuck in the fairy's throat, and the petrified muscles refused to obey. Only once had Avi felt something so expressive, and that was when Ramiel begged her for help on his deathbed.
Like lightning, Ramiel dashed across the dungeon floors. He didn't spare his mana in the process. He emerged from the darkness every now and then, only to disappear into it and reappear several meters away.
The image blurred before his eyes, and his skin burned as a result of the friction created by air resistance. Ramiel abandoned all restraints, and his safety was momentarily at the bottom of the list of needs.
The intricate structure of the caves and corridors wasn't the slightest obstacle for him. After all, he had spent many hours carefully studying the new floors and their upgrades.
Ramiel took his role seriously. He considered it the bare minimum as Dungeon Master.
Normally, he would have checked out the new features and changes made to the interface first or at least listened to Avi. But not this time. Ramiel couldn't wait any longer, nor did he want to. The urgency to get out of the suffocating dungeon completely consumed his mind.
Such trivial matters could wait in the face of freedom. Even a new passage, hidden behind a massive boulder in a network of intricate tunnels, escaped his attention.
Ramiel was fast, free passage between floors took two hours, he covered the distance in half. He didn't even notice when the surrounding environment changed. He could feel the soft and cold ground under his feet, and the narrow tunnel and cave system merged into one.
Inside, there was a lot of open space. The resulting cave offered a huge amount of space. Ten fully armed men could stand side by side and still have enough space to fight freely. The same could be said of the vault. The distance separating the ceiling exceeded three meters.
The longer Ramiel ran, the more the free space diminished. The walls inevitably shrank, and the vault bowed downward.
With a swish, Ramiel fell out of the corner. The shield of condensed air that protected him crumbled under the fluctuations of an unstable mind. Thousands of thoughts and stimuli suddenly floated into his head, but Ramiel ignored them. Nothing, nothing could distract him from his goal. Not when he was so close. His attention was fully absorbed by the frail rays of pale light breaking through the dense thickets.
Ramiel was separated from his longed-for freedom by steps. He found himself so close and yet so far away from the fulfillment of his desires. Each step seemed like torture, stretched to the limit. The man didn't know if he was going crazy or if his senses were playing a cruel joke on him.
A sudden flash of pale light blinded Ramiel, forcing him to close his eyes. Despite his advanced preparation, he couldn't avoid the shock he experienced. A gentle breeze of cool spring wind gently caressed his skin, driving his senses wild. His ears trembled as he listened to the faint sounds of wildlife. His nostrils dilated, greedily absorbing the symphonies of forest scents.
Ramiel lost himself in the sensations. He almost went crazy smelling the scent of fresh plants, the subtle trace of a successful hunt left in the air, or hearing the sound of a flowing stream fading into the loud and annoying buzz of insects.
The mana outside was much different from that prevailing in the dungeon. This one was soft and subtle. It tenderly surrounded Ramiel, fearing that it might cause him harm. Her particles harmoniously penetrated the vortex, turning the angry monster into a docile lamb. This was quite a contrast with the heavy and violent energy provided by the dungeon. This one brought with it violence, bringing out the dark side of the man.
Closed eyes only heightened the other senses, clearly highlighting the differences. Ramiel drew in a breath, unable to stop the sincere smile that crept onto his face.
His heart beat calmly, savoring the pleasant shiver running along his spine.
At last, after more than a year, Ramiel had managed to break out of the cursed dungeon. He finally felt alive. Even the annoying mosquitoes made him happy.
Ramiel loved bathing in the pale moonlight as night brought darkness to the world. He also loved the rain and violent storms. He longed for them, and the unbearable separation only made him realize how much.
To some, Ramiel's reaction might be considered exaggerated. But nothing could be further from the truth. What about the fact that he is a hunter, belonging to the elite of the human species? Ramiel is a human being, first and foremost. And even his endurance has its limits.
Twice, he has survived certain death. By force, he was forced to live underground and live like a rat. Every day is a constant and endless struggle for survival. His only consolation in difficult moments are Asme and Caera, who, at least for a while, can replace his worries.
Ramiel didn't choose this life. He was forced into it. Although he didn't let it show, his psyche suffered. He had simply had enough. Asme and Caera knew this but kept quiet about it. They couldn't help him anyway... first of all, they didn't know how, and Ramiel didn't make it easy for them.
To help someone, someone must first want to.
Unfortunately, Ramiel wasn't one of the effusive people. He preferred to remain silent and find solutions to the problems concerning him on his own. He trusted the two women and tied his future to them, but something blocked him from opening up to them. He could give them his full support, take on some of their pain, and even go so far as to sacrifice himself for their safety, but he couldn't fully open up to them. Clearly, Samantha's betrayal hurt him more than he thought. He continued to experience the negative effects of her actions, and the relationship with Asme and Caera happened too quickly.
When things calmed down, Ramiel began to question his feelings. Sometimes, he felt that women were nothing more than a comfort in moments of weakness. Fortunately, with the smiles of Asme and Caera, he was able to quickly prove him wrong. Ramiel simply needed time to fully accept them. At least, he hoped so.
Ramiel opened his eyes, appreciating the sight of the forest bathed in pale moonlight. His senses hadn't failed him. He found himself exactly in the middle of the night. Ramiel looked around carefully, surveying his new environment.
" I got lucky. " - Ramiel concluded.
The dungeon's exit was in the middle of a dense forest. At least Ramiel could deduce as much from his initial inspection. The entrance to the dungeon was no more than a meter wide. It was hidden behind dense and lush ivy. At first glance, it could be mistaken for an ordinary cave. For now, Ramiel had no intention of changing that. Keeping a low profile seemed to be the most sensible option.
A pack of weaker monsters must have lived in the area. The uneaten vegetation and faint scent of blood spoke for themselves. In the distance, he could hear the fading sound of the river.
" It is good, even better than good. " - Ramiel couldn't hide the shadow of enthusiasm that appeared on his face. Maybe he's not in as hopeless a situation as he thought. The only thing he could complain about was the slightly higher gravity. The one in the dungeon corresponded to the Earth's, but outside, it felt heavy.
Ramiel lifted his head, then froze in awe. Above him, three moons were towering. Two azure mons and one huge one were slightly larger than the one on Earth. On its pale green surface, he could see numerous craters, indicative of a turbulent past. Saying more, Ramiel noticed a strange arrangement that couldn't be confused with anything else. Someone had made a magical formation that covered the entire moon.
" Crazy " - A quiet whisper escaped Ramiel's lips.
Ramiel had to admit: Three moons are amazing. He would never see something like this on Earth... but the planet's natural satellites formed only a poor background for the marvelous view he enjoyed with his eyes.
" Beautiful... " - Ramiel was able to coax anything more out of himself.
The unfathomable darkness of the night sky was illuminated by hundreds of thousands of brilliant stars. One outshone the other in competition for a scrap of space, but that was nothing compared to the countless cosmic nebulae reflected in the man's amethyst eyes.
Ramiel had never seen anything so beautiful. He stood stunned, just looking at the night sky. The only comparison he could think of was the collision of two galaxies he had seen in computer simulations. But what the program created wasn't comparable to reality.
A cacophony of colors flooded Ramiel's senses. The spectacle unfolding before his eyes overshadowed the worries plaguing his heart. As if all this weren't enough, the aurora borealis suddenly appeared, completely absorbing the man's attention. Cosmic radiation must be crazy, as must the planet's magnetic field. - Man whispered
Ramiel hadn't been so excited for a long time. The evolution of the dungeon at this is a drop of water in the sea.
" Is it a black hole? " - Ramiel wasn't sure. His knowledge of it was modest and limited, but he noticed an unnatural refraction of light at one point. He overlooked the fact that the mysterious spot in the night sky was attracting him. Not literally, but Ramiel felt a thin thread of understanding between himself and the patch of space.
'Do you like it? ' - Ramiel sobered up, hearing Avi's voice in his head. He reflexively looked around but didn't find her anywhere. In her words, Ramiel found an incomprehensible longing and desire to break free from the shackles that bound her, which knocked him off his guard. He didn't understand the feelings the fairy was conveying to him.
' Silly question... you must like it. I can feel it. But too well... you've wanted to get away for a long time... ' - Avi was clearly sad, which made Ramiel think even more. Her sudden request surprised him even more. ' Can you describe to me... you know... what you see? It must be wonderful since you reacted so intensely... '
' Stop fooling around and come to me. It can't be described. It's better if you see it with your own eyes. '
' Sigh... ' - A sad sigh struck Ramiel. Avi sensed his confusion and anticipated the questions to come.
' I wish Ramiel... but I'm a fairy. My life is tied to the dungeon. I can live in it and explore the abyss with you, but I can't leave it... Therefore, be so kind as to do me this small favor. '
Ramiel fell silent. Seriousness and Avi were two contradictions. It would be bad if the fairy hid her insolent nature and didn't joke. Waves of sadness and undefined feelings reached the man. There were too many to distinguish between them.
Ramiel climbed the nearest tree branch and looked longingly into the starry sky. A sad smile appeared on his face. He wished very much that Avi could see what he saw. Her captivity hurt him more than the fairy. This one didn't know what she was losing, but he did.
' Where to begin... '