An inscription appeared in Ramiel's mind.
| Condemned Dungeon Welcomes New Master. |
Some might wonder how an inscription could appear in his mind. He could see it in front of his eyes at most, but nothing could be further from the truth.
I will correct a few things to lead them out of their error. No, he didn't hear it. Literally, the writing appeared in his head. He was unable to get rid of it no matter what he did. He closed his eyes, bit his tongue, and sent dizzying amounts of mana toward his head. Nothing worked.
After a while, the inscription was updated.
| Time To Fully Assimilate With the Dungeon of Condemnation. : 72:00:00 - Three days. |
Ramiel took his hand away from the core, and the inscription disappeared.
Huh? So that's how it works. - The man thought.
Ramiel looked around the dungeon. Five green creatures knelt in the corner of the room. Their posture was very different from the one he had observed the first time. The monsters seemed docile and ready to do his bidding.
Now that it was getting a little brighter, he could see more details. The goblins seemed even uglier than before. But what caught his attention was the abundant pile of bones behind the green creatures.
Disgusting... They must have eaten each other. - Ramiel thought, then took the dagger from the young woman's neck.
Caera, feeling the movement of the cold blade, closed her eyes and lost strength in her legs. As soon as Ramiel stopped supporting her, she fell to the ground. A wave of relief washed over the elfess. Finally able to let her emotions out, Caera began to sob softly.
The past weeks had been stressful for her. She found herself in a new place where she had to fight for her life from the first minute. The recent event of Ramiel's awakening had poured a spell of bitterness and acted as a stimulus.
Now that Ramiel no longer felt threatened by the goblins, he could take care of other important things in peace. The first thing he did was to pay attention to the weeping woman. It might not have been the most important thing, but his curiosity could no longer be contained.
Ramiel was curious about Caera's origin and species. Although she looked human, her golden eyes and pointed ears didn't indicate that. She reminded him of the elves often found in works of fantasy.
There was also a second reason for Ramiel's interest in Caera. During his career as a hunter, he had heard of encounters with intelligent species of monsters, in no way inferior to humans. Although he had destroyed thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dungeons, he had never met a monster intelligent enough to hold a conversation with him.
Now that he had one at his fingertips, he found it hard to resist. Although, Caera didn't look like a monster. Closer to his familiar definition of a monster stood Asme. After all, she had horns and a tail.
Looking at Asme, Ramiel recalled her words.
So she wasn't lying. Caera really could have saved me. I'll have to look into that later. - Ramiel muttered to himself and looked at the sloppily tied bandages. He could find them literally everywhere.
However, the worst observation came with a photo of one of them. His physique and muscles, which he had spent a considerable amount of time working out, were gone. They were replaced by an emaciated and frail figure.
Suddenly, Ramiel felt pathetically weak. It was even worse than before he started his mana adventure. At least then, he had some muscle... but now? His biceps didn't even exist, not to mention other parts.
I have a long way to go... - Ramiel stated with a slight regret.
Coming back to reality, Ramiel handed one of Caera's bloody bandages. He wasn't quite sure what was going on here, but it was better to be on friendly terms with a woman than to have them as enemies, if such is still possible, after his blockbuster performance.
Ramiel wasn't one of the stupid people. He was aware of the advantage the two women had. First of all, they know what's going on here, and as you know, knowledge is priceless. If he wants to survive, he must cooperate with them. Besides, he had a strange feeling that he would spend a really long time with them.
Caera noticed Ramiel kneeling and abruptly moved away from him. She wasn't sure of his intentions and still panicked about him.
" Take this and wipe off the blood. " - Ramiel handed Caera one of the bandages. Although he tried to be kind, his voice sounded cold.
When he saw the frightened girl, he knew what the problem was. Most likely, the woman wasn't one of the bravest. Let's face it, Ramiel didn't treat her well from the beginning. His actions must have scared her.
There was also a second and more important problem. Ramiel sounded frigid, his gaze left much to be desired. Maintaining eye contact for a longer period of time, gave a strange all-encompassing feeling, quite as if one stood eye to eye with death.
Moreover, the aura he radiated wasn't the most pleasant. It was harsh, cold, and unpleasant. If one stayed in the presence of the former hunter for any length of time, one could feel a subtle hint of anger permeating the atmosphere.
The state Ramiel found himself in was understandable. He had broken down mentally several times in a short interval of time. He had experienced death in its cruelest and most brutal form thousands of times. It would be strange if no changes occurred in him.
If he manages to return at all, it might take him a long time to return to normal. Sometimes, it might prove impossible.
Caera hesitantly accepted the bandages from her new Master. She could feel his sincere intentions, but she couldn't wince. Everything else about him honestly scared her to the marrow.
" Tha - Thank... " - Ceara stammered. She lowered her head and quickly picked up the bandage. Looking straight into Ramiel's eyes, she found it impossible, at least for now.
Ramiel stood up and sat on a stone chair. It wasn't the most comfortable piece of furniture. On the contrary, it was horrible, but it would have to do for now. At least it wasn't as cold as on the floor. Unfortunately, he didn't know how wrong he could be.
" You can turn around. " - Ramiel turned to Asme. " The goblins won't hurt you anymore. "
Asme shuddered upon hearing the cool voice. She complied with the order and stood eye-to-eye with Ramiel. The man looked young. Asme didn't give him more than 21 years old. He was terribly thin and lacked muscle. Nevertheless, she noticed sharp and pleasing-to-the-eye facial features.
When he gains some weight, he can become handsome. - Asme concluded.
The horned beauty pointed out one more detail. Ramiel had something about him that attracted her. Perhaps it was his aura or his commanding manner. Asme wasn't sure. This was the first time she had experienced a similar feeling.
Asme wouldn't have minded a more extended inspection, but Ramiel's urgent gaze reminded her that this wasn't the time for such things. First and foremost, she had to prove her usefulness to the new dungeon master. Otherwise, she preferred not to think how she would end up.
In the past, Asme had often heard stories about how cruel and insensitive dungeon masters were. Besides, she wasn't naive and knew what principles the world was based on. The strong ruled over the weak.
Asme wanted to be in the first group.
" Asme, do I remember correctly? " - Ramiel asked and calmly assessed the woman. She was indeed beautiful. Her proportions seemed perfect. Although a beard covered much of her body, Ramiel could still see her beauty. All in all, she was his type.
He also liked her demeanor. Asme seemed intelligent. She didn't panic in a critical situation, kept her cool, and adapted quickly to new variables. Ramiel enjoyed working with intelligent people. It makes life a lot easier.
There is another reason why Ramiel became interested in Asme and Caera. Both women caused a strange tingling in the back of his neck. It was the same familiar feeling he felt when he found Synthi and other talented people.
" Yes, Master. " - Asme replied calmly.
For a brief moment, Ramiel put his fingers to his eyes and rubbed them.
" Let's start from the beginning. My name is Ramiel, and I believe I am someone the dungeon has called a ruler or Master. Whatever that means." - The man kept the last part to himself. "
Asme made an exaggerated bow.
" Great Master of the dungeon ... ". - Asme cloaked herself from Ramiel. However, she didn't know that she had made a terrible mistake. The man hated it when someone lied to him. Over the years, he had become good at spotting the lies of others. It wasn't as hard as it might seem. It takes a little time and effort, and life gets easier.
" Stop. " - Ramiel interrupted Asme aggressively. " I hate liars and false people. We both know you have no respect for me. Stop pretending and act normal. "
" Huh? How you...? " - A surprised groan escaped from the lips of the horned beauty.
" Does it matter? " - Ramiel replied nonchalantly.
Asme quickly made the necessary adjustments. She didn't know how Ramiel saw through her, but it was even better for her. She could stop pretending and just be herself.
No trace remained of her humble attitude. A false confidence replaced it. The previously slightly hunched woman stood fully erect. There was a characteristic shrewd glint in her eyes, and her tail swung mesmerizingly from side to side.
Ramiel knew that Asme's portrayed self-confidence could collapse like a house of cards at any moment, but he was silent on this detail.
There was a brief moment of silence, during which the horned beauty carefully chose her future words. If she wanted to live, she couldn't afford another failure.
" Master, forgive my arrogance, but wouldn't it be better if we started with an oath~? " - Asme's tempting voice echoed through the space.
" Oaths? " - One of Ramiel's eyebrows raised. It was the first time he had heard of such a thing. Yes, he had heard of a slave contract but not of an oath.
" Don't you know what an oath is, master? " - Asme was surprised by Ramiel's question. She was sure he knew the basics. After all, they are common. Unfortunately, the woman was wrong, very wrong.
Ramiel shook his head negatively.
" Oh... " - Asme gasped. She hadn't expected this.
" Master, thanks to the ritual, we will become full dungeon members. Our fate will be tied to the existence of the dungeon. If the dungeon falls, we will die with it. It will also involve our devotion to you. "
" Technically, we will be forced to follow your orders. We will be able to put up minimal resistance, but it will be painful, and in the worst-case scenario, it could end in our death. "
" Do you need something special? My blood or mana? " - Ramiel agreed almost immediately. He saw only positives in this. So far, Asme had not lied to him. If she did, she was better than him. Besides, he was needed for the survival of both women. Otherwise, they wouldn't have saved him.
Currently, Ramiel didn't have much to lose. He had lost the strength and power he had worked for many years anyway. If he died again, he would somehow get over it.
" No master, we just need the name of the dungeon ~. " - There was a doubt in Asme's mind, which she hid behind a charming smile. After all, she entrusts her life to someone who doesn't even know the obvious basics. "
" Condemned Dungeon or Dungeon of Damnation. " - Ramiel replied disinterestedly. " These two names occur interchangeably. I don't know why.
Asme didn't go into detail; it wasn't part of her concern. She knelt on one knee. Her right hand stopped on her heart, and her left hand rested on the floor.
" I, Asme von Estar, swear allegiance and devotion to the Dungeon of Condemnation and its Master Ramiel. So help me, oh a great Nenneke. "Asme recited each word carefully.
A fine thread of mana emerged from the woman's body. The thread split into two identical parts. One of them was absorbed by Ramiel's heart. The other disappeared into the core of the dungeon.
Ramiel was overwhelmed by a strange feeling. It was as if someone was forcefully burrowing into his insides. It wasn't pleasant, but it had its advantages.
At least now he knew he wouldn't be strangled in his sleep. He felt a superior power over women. Although it was weaker than the one, he exercised over the goblins. If he ordered the green creatures to jump into the fire, they would do it. As for the women, he wasn't sure.
A second trembling voice distracted him from his thoughts. Unlike Asme, Caera was still afraid of Ramiel.
" I, Ceara Aster Leafon, swear allegiance and devotion to the Dungeon of Damnation and its Master Ramiel. So help me, oh great Nenneke. "
The whole thing was no different from Asme's oath. The same awkward feeling even accompanied Ramiel.
After it was all over, the two women continued to kneel, looking back at Ramiel from time to time with anticipation. He quickly guessed what they might be referring to.
Apparently, I can actually wield some kind of power over them. - Ramiel thought.
" You can stand up. " - Ramiel said briefly. The women took advantage of the privilege almost immediately. Afterward, Asme resumed eye contact with Ramiel. In a way, the man intrigued her.
The same couldn't be said of Caera. The woman stuck her gaze to the ground.
" Now that we have the formalities behind us, introduce yourselves. " - Ramiel replied dispassionately and fixed his gaze on Asme. " I guess you want to get started. "
" Thank you, Master. " - Asme pressed her hand to her chest and bowed gracefully. Ramiel didn't like the clowning, but this one time, he made an exception. He liked the woman's refined movements.
" As you may have heard before, my name is Asme Von Estar, and I am half succubus, half ice elemental ~ " - The slender hand of the horned beauty pointed at Caera.
" Allow me, Master, to speak for my friend? Caera is shy by nature... " - Asme bit her lip nervously. Ramiel seemed even-tempered, but would he misunderstand her next words? "Your actions, Master, must have frightened her. I'm afraid you won't get much information out of her. "
Ramiel nodded, to which Asme breathed a sigh of relief.
" Meet master Caera Aster Leafon. Caera is a pure-blood elf, and she is responsible for your well-being. ~ "
" Go on. " - Asme managed to make Ramiel curious, especially about the latter part. Unfortunately, it was met with a wall of bitterness.
" Sorry, Master, I can't tell you too much about it. The ritual and the spell are only for noble elves. " - Asme said sadly. " I'm sure Caera will explain everything to you when she feels better. "
" Ye - Yes, Mas-Master. " - A muffled whisper escaped from Caera's trembling lips.
Temporarily, Ramiel had to let the subject go. But he didn't come out of it so badly. For two hours, he had a fruitful conversation with Asme. Even Caera occasionally plucked up the courage to interject a few words.
Ramiel's main goal was to gain knowledge about the dungeon. Unfortunately, he was disappointed. The women didn't know much. Asme gave him only the basics. The second goal was to learn about the abilities of the two women.
As it turned out, Caera wasn't as useless as he thought. She is a skilled scout and hunter. She specializes in dagger combat and archery. As for magic, she thrives on the elements of darkness and lightning.
Ramiel found her valuable. In his eyes, she was an uncut diamond. All he had to do was put in a little effort and wait for a return on his investment. The only thing that worried him was her mental and physical state. Caera seemed ill and weakened.
Next in line was Asme. As befits a succubus, her specialty is all kinds of mental spells and small illusions. In battles, she wreaked havoc on enemy ranks by keeping her distance. She used a short sword if there was a frontal clash, but she wasn't the best at it. As a half-elemental, her understanding of the element of ice was at a decent level. At least, that's what Asme thought.
It was only because of her that the women survived this long. Asme created blocks of ice, which she then melted for drinking water. If not for her, the women would have died of thirst long ago.
" You mean to tell me that you have been here with the goblins for more than three weeks? " - Asked an intrigued Ramiel. It was the last point that he wanted to bring up today.
" Yes, Master. ~ " Asme replied in a melodious voice.
" Alright. " - Ramiel sighed. " You can rest for now and take care of yourselves. "
The women nodded their heads together and moved away to the center of the room. Ramiel led them away with his eyes, focusing mainly on the succubus. Asme was sensually moving her hips, which caught his attention. He didn't know whether the vicious demon was doing it on purpose or not, but he liked her behavior.
Ramiel admired the beautiful views for a while longer, then sighed in thought. - Don't think cockily, just focus on what's important.
Clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts, Ramiel inspected his left forearm. With determination, he pressed on different parts of his arm, searching for a distinctive point. Finally, after a few minutes, he was successful. About ten centimeters from the wrist, he managed to find a barely perceptible bulge.
" So you are all right. " - Ramiel whispered, clearly satisfied.
What he found was an emergency space ring. Once there, he had prepared it for emergencies should he be kidnapped or, worse, stuck alone in a dungeon.
It contained a supply of dry food and drinking water, several pairs of clothes, a few recovery-enhancing concoctions that cost a lot to make, and finally, there was the real icing on the cake: spare weapons and armor.
Unfortunately, much, if not most, of it was unusable for Ramiel. It had become terribly weak. 95% of the weapons that lie there are intended for use by at least middle - intermediate rank hunters
Of course, these aren't the only things Ramiel has smuggled into the ring. But we'll find out about the rest in due course.
Ramiel had several theories as to why, all of a sudden, he was no different from an ordinary person. All of them sounded absurd. It was a pity to even waste time on them.
Going back, most weapons and armor were made of rare materials. The rarer they were, the greater their weight. This was due to their density relative to volume.
He wasn't quite sure if he would find any junk in there. No, correction, these things were now priceless to him. A sword for a beginner could be compared to a treasure, and armor that he could put on without fear of being crushed had become priceless.
Ramiel picked up the dagger and sterilized it with a flame created with the help of the fire element. From afar, curious Caera and Asme watched the Master's actions.
When Ramiel was ready, he incised the inner part of his forearm and sank two fingers into the wound, looking for the ring. Feeling the round metal under his fingers, he grabbed it and pulled it out.
The man's actions horrified both women. It was the first time they had seen someone so crazy. They averted their eyes and pretended not to see anything for their own safety.
The rest happened quickly. Ramiel heated the blade to red and burned the fresh wound. He didn't even moan in pain. In fact, he only felt an irritating burning sensation after being torn to pieces, having his bones crushed, and much more, his pain tolerance had risen to abnormal limits.
Of course, such an absurd condition was only temporary. It would last a few weeks, a month at most, before weakening.
Ramiel could wait no longer. He placed the ring on his forefinger and injected mana into it. A broad smile graced his lips.
There weren't many provisions, but enough to get through the month. One of the more important things that caught his eye were three leather scout jackets and an hourglass measuring exactly 24 hours.
Ramiel pulled the first set of clothes from the shore and changed. Finally, he felt some warmth. The dungeon was freezing. Now that he was at the bottom of the food chain, he felt the drop in temperature even more painfully.
Ramiel got up from his throne and walked towards the two women. Meanwhile, he pulled two more jackets from the ring. One of them he placed on Caera's shoulders. The elfess wasn't expecting this and let out a terrified squeal.
Asme, as an eyewitness, laughed. She found it quite funny.
Ramiel sat down beside the women. Meanwhile, he gave Asme a second jacket.
Asme sincerely expressed her gratitude and accepted the gift. It was damn cold in the dungeon. Any pair of clothes would come in handy.
Ramiel took out a large pot and three bags of instant soup.
" Asme, you mentioned creating ice and turning it into water. Create a block in this pot. " - Ramiel pointed to the pot. After a while, microscopic ice particles appeared in the air. Finally, after several seconds, they became the size of ice cubes and stopped growing.
Afterward, Asme showed interest in plastic bags. It was the first time she had seen such an oddity. -" Master, what is this? "
" This, my dear Asme, is the greatest work of my civilization. Instant soup. " - Ramiel replied proudly. Not once in the past, soup from a bag saved him from a hangover. If such an invention doesn't deserve praise, nothing does.
Seeing the confused expressions on both women's faces, Ramiel sighed. - " Heat the water in the pot, and you will see what I am talking about. "
Ramiel also helped. He concentrated the mana in his fingers, creating a small but intense flame. After a few minutes, the water in the pot began to boil. Nevertheless, he wasn't satisfied. At first, he deluded himself that it was just a bad dream. Unfortunately, his fears weren't a dream.
With his high knowledge of the element of fire, simply creating a flame strong enough to heat water shouldn't require mana.
However, the situation was quite different. After such a simple act, he felt his reserves scrubbing the bottoms.
Not only had Ramiel lost his entire mana supply, but his understanding of the element in question had also plummeted. Although, that wasn't the right term. He still had the necessary knowledge but was unable to use it. It was as if he had some kind of blockage.
Putting aside his gloomy thoughts, Ramiel poured boiling water to three mugs, brewing green tea.
Without prolonging, he poured the contents of the three bags into the pot, stirred everything, and covered it.
After five minutes, everything was ready. Ramiel removed the plate, and the smell of cooking soup spread through the room.
The women, who hadn't eaten anything warm in three weeks, couldn't hide their excitement. Asme wagged her tail adorably, devouring the pot with her eyes. Caera's ears fluttered joyfully. The elfess temporarily forgot even the fear she felt towards Ramiel.
The man stopped torturing the women and poured a portion for each of them. After tasting the miracle of technology, Asme and Caera threw themselves at the plate of food as if it were a real treasure.
No surprise there. They probably hadn't eaten anything for a long time. - Ramiel thought, looking at the two greedy beasts.
After finishing their meal, he handed them cups of brewed tea. - " Caution, it will be tart in taste. "
" Thank you, Master, it... it was delicious. " - Caera gathered her courage and whispered as she sipped her tea.
" You don't have to thank me. It's just food. " - Ramiel replied as if it didn't make much difference to him. " As a Dungeon Master, I should take care of my people. From today, we will eat one such meal a day. It may not be much, but it must suffice for now. "
" We - will we really eat something warm every day ? " - Caera howled with difficulty. A few happy tears gathered in the corners of her golden eyes.
" Thank you, Master ... We haven't eaten anything for a long time. " - Asme's confession didn't surprise Ramiel. He had already anticipated a similar possibility.
He could have acted like a tyrant and kept everything to himself. After all, he didn't know when he would get new food. Nevertheless, it missed his point. To simplify.
What does one do with tools to make them last longer? One takes care of them and cleans them regularly. If they break down, one gives them away for repair or repairs them himself.
Ramiel did the same thing, just instead of tools, he had Asme and Caera. In order for them to serve him well in the future, they had to be healthy and functional. It is important to remember that women aren't objects. They have their feelings and can think. It wouldn't hurt to show them a little affection. It certainly won't hurt him, on the contrary, it might help.
Ramiel talked with Asme for another hour, but fatigue got to him.
Before going to sleep, he told the goblins not to leave the corner of the room where they were temporarily officiating. Ramiel lay down near the dungeon's core, turned over the hourglass, and went to the blissful land of sleep.