Advancement requirements - Defeating the Lord of the Forest of the Night Rippers
" WHAT IS THIS ?!? " - Ramiel rarely let his emotions get the best of him. Even more rarely did he shout, but now he roared, waking up all the creatures in the dungeon. He was so angry that he hurt his hands by clenching his fists. But he had good reason.
The flickering message took away all hope for him to living. Ramiel's biggest priority was growing the dungeon. With that, there was a slight chance of discovering something in the abyss that could help heal his soul. But now all was lost.
The blockade, in the form of an absurd demand, brought Ramiel to the brink of madness.
" HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO KILL IT!?!!?! "
With a loud bang, the man's clenched fist hit the stone armrest of the throne.
Equally, an uncontrollable bloodlust exploded from the former hunter, spreading through the dungeon at a dizzying pace. In a matter of seconds, all the creatures living there went to the throne room, ready to fend off the danger.
What was their surprise when it turned out that the source of the deadly intentions was their own master.
Afraid to do anything, all the creatures knelt on one knee with their heads bowed. The only exceptions were Asme and Caera. Fearing for Ramiel's health, the women threw themselves at him without regard for the possible consequences.
However, despite their earnest intentions and efforts, they were unable to approach the former hunter for more than ten steps. The suffocating and invisible pressure forced the women to stop. Small droplets of sweat appeared on their faces. They tried to overcome the restriction with all their strength, but they were too weak to do so. Further attempts risked serious injury.
Someone may wonder why Ramiel reacted this way. After all, it's just one opponent. It can't be that difficult. They couldn't be more wrong.
The former hunter knew very well what kind of problem he had to face, and it scared him. So far, he hadn't even explored the outer part of the forest, not to mention venturing deep into the wilderness...
Nevertheless, he has encountered Night Rippers and Night Terrors on the outskirts. Not to mention anything about the Dark Grizzlies. Even they had to bow down to the dominant species.
With almost all the puzzle pieces in place, the former hunter learned the presumed identity of the creature the Dungeon Core called the Boss. The mere thought of fighting this creature gave him a headache.
If only he had more time, there would be no problem. With his knowledge and experience, six months was more than enough to meet the challenge.
However, if there was anything the former hunter lacked, it was time. At best, Ramiel had less than three months left. That's half as much as he needed. That's assuming he trains continuously day and night, which was impossible.
How am I supposed to defeat the Night Deuce... - Ramiel wheezed desperately in his mind.
The Night Deuce is one of the most dangerous monsters that novice low-high hunters can face. Infernally fast, infernally strong, infernally deadly, and infernally dangerous. If the Night Rippers stand at the bottom of the food chain among low - low level predators, the Night Deuce proudly looks down on everyone below it.
As the chief predator of the low-high degree, he isn't afraid of anything. More than once, his three powerful tails have wreaked havoc on the ranks of novice hunters. With his powerful jaws, he was able to tear the plating of a tank without any problems.
However, all this wasn't the problem. The biggest threat was the Night Deuce's intelligence. The monster's train of reasoning rivaled that of an adult human.
Many times in the past, the Night Deuce moved from medium-low to low-high in the rankings. In the end, after much debate among the scientists, the Hunters' Association placed the monster in the low-high position.
This was due to the monster's low statistics. Despite its immense intelligence, it couldn't compete with other creatures of its rank. Moreover, it belonged to the Night Ripper species, being its ultimate form.
The Night Deuce efficiently ruled over countless monsters weaker than himself, especially those that belonged to his species. As if all this wasn't enough, the monster's spells were annoying. As a creature of the night, his knowledge of the element of darkness stands at a decent level.
But that wasn't the worst of it. Night Deuce wielded an ability that Ramiel considered a cheat.
Reference is made to Shadow Walk. Ramiel usually didn't mind how absurd this skill was. After all, he used it. However, things were different when he stood on the other side of the barricade…
At the same time that the bloodlust was slowly consuming the former hunter, the little fairy tried to pull the bond out of its dangerous state.
" Ramiel! Ramiel! RAMIEL! " - Avi shouted as much as her throat would allow, trying to revive the man. The fairy even bit him, pulled his hair, and squealed in his mind, but nothing helped.
In the big picture, the situation was hopeless. Ramiel had lost control of himself. His vicious and treacherous soul took advantage of an excellent opportunity and tried to gain independence at all costs.
Meanwhile, bloodlust became almost palpable, making it impossible for anyone to reach the former hunter. All hope lay in the hands of Avi, who fought to the last drop of sweat.
' RAMIEL! ' - Avi shouted the bond's name with all her might. She was desperate, but her efforts finally paid off. A glow returned to the empty eyes of the former hunter, and the suffocating bloodlust receded.
" Ramiel! " - Asme and Caera shouted, almost in sync. Nothing could hold the women back when the invisible pressure subsided. They appeared next to the former hunter in the blink of an eye.
" Huh? What happened to you? " - Ramiel gasped in surprise at the sight of the bloodied Asme and Caera. The last thing he remembers was an uncontrollable tantrum over the absurd dungeon requirement. After that, everything was a blur until the present moment. He was confused, especially when he discovered the feelings growing inside him.
Unfathomable anger and an irrational desire to kill everyone and everything still accompanied the former hunter, but these emotions were quickly replaced by concern.
" Asme... Caera…" - Ramiel whispered and embraced the trembling woman with a pained heart. The condition of the horned beauty was deplorable. Her beautiful white hair, clumped with blood, inevitably stuck to her face. Thin trickles of scarlet and viscous liquid flowed from her ears, the corners of eyes, and mouth.
She needed immediate attention, but Asme wasn't alone here.
Ramiel sighed and hugged Caera as well. The condition of the elfess was the same, if not worse, than that of the horned beauty. As it turned out, the attempt to resist the bloodlust proved to be very painful, which both women felt acutely.
" Ram... cough... " - The poor things tried to say something but instead spit out blood and lost consciousness.
The trail of fresh blood on his face sobered Ramiel and put his mind on track. He stopped wandering thoughts God knows where and began to act. The time for thinking would come later.
" Avi, bring Felix. Take Darwin with you and have him take all the potions he's made so far. He should have several by now. " - Ramiel almost growled, but the fairy was strangely calm.
" Um... Why don't you tell them yourself? "
Ramiel was about to scold Avi from top to bottom, but he followed the fairy's finger with his eyes and froze for a few seconds in a stupor. All the dungeon's inhabitants were kneeling before him, including the two coveted skeletons. Darwin even had healing potions with him.
" What happened here? " - The former hunter gasped, stupefied.
" It's a long story... " - Avi muttered grimly. Then she took a breath and outlined the course of events to Ramiel. In the meantime, he burned the two women and removed fresh blood from their bodies. Other than that and administering a questionable concoction, there was nothing more he could do. Healing magic wasn't within the former hunter's purview. In this regard, he had to trust Felix.
Afterwards, he was still sitting on the throne. Strangely enough, this was the most convenient solution. Asme and Caera were to blame for everything. Despite the loss of consciousness, they didn't loosen their grip on his neck even a millimeter. It was troublesome while washing them, but Ramiel somehow managed with the help of Seraphine.
" So I lost control of myself? "
Avi nodded her head.
" You could say that. You know... I tried to "wake you up," but you didn't respond to anything. I'm sorry if I bit you too much... if you want, you can do the same. "
Despite the grim humor, a slight smile appeared on Ramiel's face.
" Are you saying that I can munch you like a carrot? "
Avi blushed. Ramiel's words had a strange effect on her. Their relationship wasn't this type, but hearing such words from his mouth made her feel ashamed.
" Don't say such things! Some people may misunderstand you... " - " Don't say things like that! Some people might misunderstand you... " - The fairy added in a hushed voice.
In response, Ramiel only flashed his tongue contentedly. The sight of an embarrassed Avi always makes his day. But the time for jokes was over.
The former hunter took a deep breath and searched for the right words. He wasn't good at this and didn't want it to come out awkwardly.
" Thank you, Avi... "Ramiel choked it out by some miracle. " If it weren't you... what I'm trying to say is that I would feel bad if I did more harm to them... I'm really grateful that you stopped me. "
At the same time, the former hunter shifted his gaze to the plunging Asme. The horned beauty was sleeping, snuggled into his side.
" Um... You're welcome? I think so... " - Avi coughed. She felt a little uncomfortable. Ramiel was thanking her for something she didn't even mean. Saying more, she silently hoped that the women would die and she would have a monopoly on the man.
" You would have done the same for me. " - The fairy added, quickly hiding her embarrassment.
Before Avi changed the subject, she thought about her choice of words. What she wanted to bring up belonged to sensitive and touchy issues.
" How much longer are you going to avoid them? "
Ramiel shrugged, not knowing what to answer. The last week had been rather awkward. He had tried to keep contact with women to a minimum. Every day, under the pretext of training, he returned late at night and got up early in the morning before Asme and Caera woke up.
If, by some miracle, their paths crossed, Ramiel dismissed the women with short answers. Even their daily academic sessions were suspended until further notice. In short, their relationship was complicated.
" You know, you won't last that long. " - Avi began tentatively, but the next words were hard to get through her throat. " Since you have so little time... Maybe you should stop acting like a desperate teenager... After all, you're 26 and not 16... "
Ramiel sighed heavily. Avi was right in every aspect. He had acted foolishly, childishly, and irresponsibly. But it wasn't all that easy... especially when his own soul sabotaged him.
" Maybe... you know... You should stop running from the past. That way, you're only wasting precious time. " - Avi whispered but didn't get an answer.
Ramiel was silent, playing with a strand of Asme's hair. With his right hand, he literally did the same with Caera's hair, bringing a charming smile to her face. This way, he was trying to put some things together in his mind.
Finally, after a few hours, he broke the bottomless silence.
" Funny. One of the strongest men on Earth was afraid of two women... Isn't it pathetic? " - A sad smile crept onto Ramiel's face. For a brief moment, it may have seemed as if the pervasive coldness in his eyes had weakened.
" Stop running from the past?... "
Ramiel sighed heavily and paced, staring into nothingness.
"I hate it when you're right Avi... But since I won't live too long anyway, I guess I can try and be a little selfish right? After all... it's not like I'll have time to regret it. "
The fairy felt an unpleasant sting deep inside her heart.
" You can be selfish... " - Avi whispered quietly in a breaking voice. Then she pulled her nose, and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
" Yo - You can't leave me... I - I won't let you..."
Avi burst out crying. Subconsciously, she knew that Ramiel would soon leave this world, but until now, she had refused to accept the thought. But now she was faced with reality. She could no longer hold the looming emotions and let them surface.
" Ca - Can I leave with - with you? "
Avi raised her head, looking with glassy eyes at Ramiel. The fairy knew how much it would hurt to lose her bond, so she wanted to act like a coward and escape the pain.
But Ramiel had quite different plans. He hugged the shattered Avi and whispered as tenderly as his current state allowed.
" You let me be selfish, didn't you? "
Avi shook her head negatively. She guessed what Ramiel meant and didn't want to hear it.
" No - No! " - The fairy groaned desperately. The bond's emotions told her more than she needed to know.
" You have to live Avi. It's not your story that ends, but mine. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on Asme and Caera when I'm gone... "
Ramiel clenched his jaw involuntarily. Talking about his own death wasn't easy. He didn't really want to die, he damn well didn't want to die, but he just felt powerless in his current situation. He knew no way to heal his soul. His only hope, in the form of the abyss, had been violently snatched from his hands...