" Not this time." A menacing hiss, heralding imminent danger, left Caera's lips tightly pressed. The elfess gracefully dodged the ice spear and made a dagger swing.
The weapon's blade danced in the air, drawing a flawless straight line, leaving a thin streak of black matter behind it. Without the slightest problem, it cut in two the icy creations that paved his passage.
Asme shook her head, trying to concentrate. The specter of the cold dagger plunged into her neck acted effectively as a stimulant. In an effort to somehow salvage the situation, she created several walls of ice in front of her.
As with the previous creations, they were destroyed within seconds, but they served their purpose. They weren't meant to stop Caera's onslaught but to buy Asme a few necessary seconds.
When the last of the walls broke, Caera was hit by a cloud of pink dust.
Snif
Snif
" That's... why I feel... " For a brief moment, under the influence of the succubus' charm, her senses were dulled, and her nostrils were filled with the familiar scent of the elven forest.
For her, it was like being reunited with nature, sorely lacking in the cold and dreary dungeon.
" What am I doing here? " Caera experienced a real shock. Within a short moment, the bleak scenery turned into a lush wilderness filled with greenery and lush vegetation.
Her long and pointed ears perked up as she heard birds singing. Feeling at home, the elfess involuntarily relaxed, and her daggers silently fell to the ground.
Caera was stunned. Taking a deep breath, the crisp air filled her lungs, and the gentle and cool wind brushed her skin.
She could have stayed here forever if her instincts hadn't screamed of imminent danger.
A barely audible whisper looped up, telling her insistently that she was caught in a trap.
" What? But why...? " Just as Caera was about to ignore her instincts and immerse herself in a pleasant moment, an image of Ramiel suddenly appeared in her mind, scolding her for not listening to her senses.
" You cannot distrust yourself. Yes, sometimes our senses are misleading and can get us into trouble. For example, Asme's illusion can affect how you perceive the world around you, but it can't confuse what is deeply hidden inside you. You should never ignore your natural instincts. It is your strongest weapon that will always be with you. "
" Umm... natural instinct? I have never possessed such a thing... " The elfess' ears twitched in embarrassment.
Ramiel snorted with a light laugh.
" What - what is so funny about it? " Caera lowered her gaze, playing with her fingers.
" They say that ignorance is a true blessing. " Ramiel took a brief pause. Seeing that the woman wasn't pretending, he decided to reveal a shred of mystery to her.
" Hm... It is difficult to explain. After all, it manifests itself in a different way in everyone. But nothing is impossible. Think about it. Have you never heard something like a silent whisper in your head in critical situations? Or haven't you had something like a premonition before an impending attack or a surprise ambush? "
Caera pondered, analyzing Ramiel's words. After a moment, a slight look of surprise crept onto her face, and her pupils dilated in shock. Soon, the cogs in the elfess' head sprang into place, setting the intricately constructed machine in motion.
" I - I... it's true... but it's a little different from what you're talking about. " Caera was surprised again. Once again, Ramiel had made her aware of an item she had always used without realizing it.
" If you tell me what it is, I may be able to tell you more. " Although I know the result anyway. - Ramiel added in thought.
Caera saw no reason not to tell Ramiel. After all, he was the only one she could trust completely.
" Sometimes it's like you said, during a fight, a faint whisper appears in my head, conveying vital information or warning me of danger. "
Caera fell silent, putting everything together in her head. She tried to feel the specific feeling she had felt during the sparring again. Ramiel didn't rush her into it. He waited patiently until she was ready.
" Sometimes, when I'm engrossed in a fight, the whole world seems to slow down, and I know where to strike to do the most damage. I'm not always able to get to a certain point, but if I succeed, usually the opponent ends up dead. "
Taking a short breath, Caera continued. " During the period when I lived as an adventurer, I acted as a scout and guide for the group. Although it may seem absurd, I almost always knew when we approached wild monsters before they noticed us. The same was true for ambushing and hunting animals. "
Ramiel gently smiled under his breath. It was exactly as he had predicted.
" From today, instead of a perverted elfess, I will call you a flesh and blood monster. "
Caera blushed, and Ramiel's remark hit the nail on the head, touching her tender spot. Usually shy and withdrawn, Caera was turning into someone completely different in bed.
" What - What - do - do - yo-you- mean - mean (What do you mean). " A stream of barely intelligible words came out of the embarrassed elf's mouth.
With all his might, Ramiel restrained himself from bursting out laughing. Caeray's reactions aren't only charming but also amusing to him.
" You should be happy. What you call seeing weaknesses is actually the seed of a killer instinct. If you nurture it properly, you should be able to see the trajectories you should follow. I don't need to tell you where they lead, do I ? "
" Ye- sss"
Too bad I don't have a phone here... such a view is worth any price... - Feeling Caera's fixed gaze on him, Ramiel got rid of unnecessary thoughts and focused on the current topic.
Wanting best to satisfy the burning desire of the lovely elfess, Ramiel climbed to the heights of his factual abilities. Imitating the pose of a professor, he began a rousing lecture.
" But, this isn't the end of the bonuses you have drawn in the game called " life. " In addition to the killer instinct coveted by millions, you were born with a scouting instinct. However, I left the real cream for last. "
Ramiel sighed, frustrated by how much the goddess of fortune liked Caera.
" Truly, I envy you. The whisper I mentioned is one of the best qualities you can get. In the hunting community, we called it the seventh sense. "
" Seventh? Didn't you mean to say sixth? " A timid whisper reached Ramiel's ears, speeding up the blood flowing through his veins. The dose of sweetness he had received so far was an annual requirement.
" No, I didn't slip my tongue. The sixth sense is limited to hunches, but the seventh directly informs you of everything. I won't lie if I say that it is thanks to it that Grandpa is ranked first and Max fourth in the ranking of hunters. "
" You may not understand the power behind it for now, but if you can develop it properly... you will become an unstoppable monster. "
Caera innocently tapped her fingertips against each other. Her golden eyes shyly pawed in the man's direction.
Ramiel's throat became dry. Today, the elfess was surpassing herself, crushing all boundaries. He had a strange feeling that if this continued for a few more minutes, his heart wouldn't be able to stand it by getting a heart attack.
" If I do as you say... will I be able to beat you? "
Before Caera had any chance to react, Ramiel gave her a snap to the forehead with lightning speed.
" Ouch... " A subtle blush crept onto the elfess' face, coloring it pink. Caera's ears fluttered happily against the posture she wanted to show. Her slender hands covered a red spot that hid behind a veil of sky-blue hair.
" You are a thousand years too young to think about such things, let alone speak such heresies aloud. "
Caera's cheeks filled with air, becoming plump as a result. Ramiel could easily compare her to a squirrel gathering supplies for the winter. With all his strength, he restrained himself from grabbing them and mulling them over until she died.
The temptation he faced was immense. However, as one of the strongest hunters in the world, he couldn't succumb to such a trivial thing... Well, okay, maybe a little bit he could, but only a little bit.
A cold shiver ran through Caera's back. Lifting her head, her glistening eyes revealed the sight of a broadly smiling Ramiel. Contrary to all appearances he made, his smile didn't look friendly.
The elfess felt as if she had fallen into a hunter's snare, hunting wounded prey. Her instincts screamed of an approaching predator.
Caera retreated uncertainly. Finally, after several minutes, she felt her back touch something hard and cold. Swallowing the stress gathering in her throat, she panickedly waved her hands in an attempt to distance herself from Ramiel.
" Wa - Wait. What about you? " The squeaky voice of a terrified chicken resounded in the dungeon's throne room.
" Um? What do you mean? " Ramiel's face came dangerously close to the neck of the paralyzed woman. His hot breath muscled her sensitive skin, intensifying the fear she felt.
Ramiel laughed. He could clearly feel the excitement involved in the hunt. His prey's irregular breathing and the sound of its frantically pounding heart turned him on more than usual.
" You- Your instincts? What kind of you-have-you ? " Caera's breathing was breaking. Unable to bear his proximity, combined with the tension in the air, she fled with her eyes to the side.
" Mhm... " Feeling Ramiel's pressure, a tempting moan escaped from her small lips. Unwittingly, Caera's slender hand was over her younger sister, trying to get rid of the annoying itch. A rather peculiar kind of heat filled her entire body.
The man had mastered to perfection the method of manipulating the basic senses. By stimulating each of them with subtle gestures, he drove Caera crazy.
For a second, his gaze was caught by drops of sweat that paved their way between the breathtaking twin peaks.
The elfess closed her eyes, dreaming of the wild sensations Ramiel would provide. But contrary to her dull thoughts, nothing of the sort happened.
The man reluctantly moved away from the helpless victim. He wanted to lash out and torture the poor elfess for hours, but first, he had to fulfill his duty as a professor.
" My instincts... "
Caera's golden eyes filled with regret as she heard Ramiel's fading voice. Punishing herself for her foolishness, she bit her lower lip. She wanted to seduce him this way, but only disappointment awaited her. A stubborn man, he stood firmly by his resolve.
Undeterred by anything, Ramiel continued his lecture.
I'll make it up to her later. - He thought.
" My instincts, I would describe as quite specific. If I had to call it something... " Ramiel paused, thinking for a long moment how he should describe it.
" I would call it a mix of mage, all-around warrior with a touch of strategist and commander. "
" ?_? " - Caera
" Mage, warrior, commander, and strategist? "
Ramiel nodded gently.
" I'm not quite sure what to call it myself. It's a bit complicated. During combat, I can notice things that escape most people. You know, such small gestures as accelerated breathing, muscle tension, and the rate of blood circulation in the body. I don't even have to concentrate to feel such things.
If there is a gap or an opening, I can always notice it out of the corner of my eye. If there are none, I can usually create them for myself. In addition, handling any kind of weapon comes very easily to me. I don't have to train for years like some people to be able to use it at a decent level.
As for the commander and tactician. Optimal decisions and ideas come to me by themselves. Often, before I know it, I'm already standing in the most optimal position, depending on the current situation. Unit management and strategy come to me just as easily. Sometimes, in the dungeon, I could predict the future movements of monsters.
At first, I thought it was an experience, but Grandpa led me astray."
" And I'm supposed to be the monster... " Caera covered her mouth in panic. She didn't know why, but before she knew it, her lips moved.
" Don't judge a book by its cover alone. You haven't heard the best yet. " Ramiel was acting a bit narcissistic. But he had the right grounds for it. If the goddess of fortune liked Caera, she was madly in love with Ramiel.
" The best? "
" Mhm... You forgot about the mage's instinct. Why do you think my spells are several times stronger than yours? "
" At first I thought it was because of experience... but I guess I'm wrong, right? "
Ramiel's hand patted Caera on the head.
" Wise girl. "
The corners of Caera's mouth lifted, savoring Ramiel's pleasant caress. The elfess tickled like a cat, asking for more petting.
This is too easy - the man thought.
" Experience plays a big role here, but instinct is above that. Thanks to it, understanding spells, magical formations, elements, mana, and the mechanisms behind these things comes relatively easily to me. In addition, I can sense the subtle movement of stimulated mana in my environment. It's not something spectacular, but in a fight to the death, it definitely plays a key role. "
When the man's misty figure evaporated, Cara came back to reality. The scenery of the forest around her burst, shattering into thousands of pieces.
Although Caera had spent several hours there, a few seconds had passed in the outside world.
The previously dulled senses of the elfess returned to normal.
The woman's pupils constricted in shock. The situation she was in was bad.
Swoosh
At the last moment, Caera dodged the blade of the ice-coated sword. The weapon painted a beautiful transverse line in the air, leaving snowflakes behind.