Ramiel didn't even recover from the shock the next day, not because of Rascal's change, but because of how his skill is baffled.
Yesterday, he ran some more tests. When he came into physical contact with the goblins, similar beams of light came out of their bodies. Unlike Rascal, Ramiel didn't have much of a choice here. Each of the goblins had only one development path, although it seemed that the monsters were unaware of their presence.
The light rays of the three were smaller than those of the chief, their diameter not exceeding 2 centimeters. Ramiel's special attention was caught by the goblin number 3. Its beam of light wasn't straight, but it tried to create something like a spiral.
The former hunter tried to do what he did last time but unfortunately couldn't. Unlike Rascal's situation, the goblin's light beams are hidden behind a gray mist. Closer contact with them causes no reaction.
The interesting thing was that Ramiel was able to get rid of future development paths before his eyes. It worked on a similar principle to the status displayed in his head. If he didn't want it, he couldn't see it.
After putting all the information and clues together, he came to a certain conclusion.
It must be my evolution skill. In order to activate it, the right raw materials seem to be necessary, or other predetermined conditions must be met. I am 90% sure that the end result would have been different if I had chosen the second ray of light.
There is a shortage of resources for other goblins. It could be monster cores or something else entirely. Any way you look at it, the core requirement is fairly logical, the stronger the monster, the better quality core it has inside.
Regarding the amount of luminous beams or rays, it may depend on the unit's potential, but I'm not quite sure. At the moment, I have too little data to say.
I'll stick with this for now. I need to do more research and experiments to deduce more. One thing is certain, I won't get far without resources. Well, I guess it's time to take care of the dungeon.
~~~~~~
A spatial crack appeared near the dungeon's core, from which three skeletons emerged. By now, Ramiel was disappointed; the units he had summoned before were only slightly stronger than the Suicide Brigade. When he touched them, the beam of light was tiny and frail. Not to mention that the man could have upgraded them right away. He didn't do so for one reason, it was a waste of resources.
However, today's batch was different and surprised him in a positive way. Compared to their predecessors, the skeletons had thicker bones and resembled graphite in color.
Looking at them, Ramiel was once again haunted by the same strange premonition as when in Asme or Caera's presence.
He couldn't stand it any longer and checked each new dungeon resident in turn. When he did so, his hair stood on end. The lowest of the skeletons had as many as four development paths. The largest of them was 8 centimeters in diameter. Its color resembled a rotten blue.
The tallest of them all had as many as five, of which the diameter of the widest radius was 10 centimeters. It wasn't like the rest. The ray appeared to be a mixture of green light with some kind of thick liquid.
It was the first time Ramiel had seen something similar, which further awakened his hunger for knowledge.
The last skeleton didn't disappoint him either. Ramiel felt something extremely familiar in its raven-black beam as if the beam of light was calling him to himself.
Unfortunately, the man's good mood ended here, all paths of development shrouded in a gray fog. Ramiel's head ached at the very thought of the resources needed for future growth. Worst of all, he knew none of them.
Ramiel leaned back on the throne and looked at the two women by the fire. He still had Asme and Caera left to check. Then, he would have a complete set of information. He didn't do it yesterday because the horned beauty had been tending to the elfess all night.
As for the fairy, Avi has no way to develop, at least for now. Ramiel didn't see any ray saying more, he couldn't even check the fairy's statistics. He suspects this is due to low familiarity with the skills or someone specifically blocking him from seeing certain information.
In any case, he will deal with this problem later. The time has come for a change with Asme. She needs some privacy as well.
~~~~~~
It wasn't long before Caera regained consciousness. There was only one tiny problem. She tried to open her eyes but discovered, to her horror, that she couldn't. Fortunately, other senses, such as touch or hearing, are functioning properly, although this is rather poor consolation.
All the while, the elfess felt someone combing her hair and washing body, which caused women to have silly thoughts.
Did...I die? Is this what the end looks like?
But why is someone touching about me!? Stop it, it's strange!
...
Am I in the castle?
But no one from there should care about me...
Wait...
I wasn't in the castle...
They...
They...
Caera couldn't finish. At the mere thought of unpleasant memories, she felt an unpleasant sting in heart...
Although noble blood ran through the elfess' veins, her life wasn't the easiest. It was certainly not strewn with roses.
Now that her memories were back where they belonged, Caera was able to think more logically. At least she stopped jumping to strange conclusions.
Is it Asme who takes care of me? Or is it the Master? No, it can't be M - Master. He can't touch me there!
A soft voice humming a song reached Caera's ears. The culprit of the commotion was Asme, who was slowly singing while working, which was becoming a succubus routine. Music has always been her best companion and helps a woman get through difficult times.
Hmf... - The elfess breathed a sigh of relief.
I was afraid it might be the master... How could I face him later?
But would it be so bad?
Caera frowned for a brief moment, followed by a sudden sobering.
NO! I can't think like that. He is a man! A cruel one. A bloodthirsty unscrupulous monster.
But wouldn't he have killed me by now?
" Asme, that's enough. You can rest, now I will take care of her. " - Caera's internal battle was interrupted by Ramiel's deep voice.
" But Master! You have already done so much. You should let me take care of Caera. " - The horned beauty vehemently denied it, but she underestimated the man's stubbornness. Besides, it wasn't the first time.
Ramiel looked at her meaningfully while rubbing the corners of his own eyes in consternation.
" Asme, look at yourself. " - The horned beauty jumped up, hearing the stern tone of the master's voice. It was only the beginning. " You haven't slept since yesterday. Your hair is in disarray, and the bags under your eyes speak for themselves. In such a state, you can, at best, dream of efficient training... Let alone improvement. "
Ramiel aptly pointed it out. Proper rest is an indispensable part of training. The body needs time to adapt to new knowledge, recover from muscle damage, or assimilate newly developed solutions.
Stories about heroes who work tirelessly day and night for a whole month or year without a single day of rest are children's tales. The human body cannot withstand such a heavy burden, even with the help of the divine energy commonly called mana.
" Hey, how are you? " - Asme wheezed in surprise, but she wasn't allowed to finish.
Ramiel sighed, and this conversation began to tire him.
" I'm not as simple as I look. "
" I don't claim to be a master! " - Asme quickly interjected and fell silent even faster under Ramiel's piercing gaze. He doesn't like to be interrupted.
" I was one of the strongest people on Earth before I came here. Besides, do you really think I won't notice your attempts to be better? " - Ramiel sounded indifferent, completely as if his words no longer had the slightest meaning.
" Leaving that aside, I'm giving you an official order: you are to rest and get yourself in order. " - Ramiel rubbed neck and momentarily looked away. " When Caera feels better, I will help you with your training. "
Asme didn't know what to say. She mouthed a simple " Thank you, master, " and lowered her head with sincere humility. Her green eyes glittered with a spectrum of complicated emotions, but Ramiel couldn't see that.
After the conversation, Caera experienced a sudden change. Her head shifted from delicate thighs to more muscular ones, and a spiral of chaotic thoughts once again haunted her mind, mainly because she couldn't believe what she had heard.
This cruel man is dealing with me?
But why!
He must have had some purpose in this.
Right?
It's always been like this...
Someone tries to take advantage of me...
This time, it's the same...
...
Maybe not, after all?
Caera felt someone's hand stroking her hair. Ramiel liked it. He had done that to Samantha many times before. Now, he simply seized the opportunity. It's not that the unconscious Caera felt anything. At least, that's what he thought.
Wh - why is he doing this!?!
Only my nanny did that.
This...
This is nice...
I...
I want more.
Ramiel didn't know that this gesture was very important to the elfess and would greatly affect their relationship. Unknowingly, he slowly won her loyalty.
Soon, after many attempts, Caera finally opened eyes. The first thing she saw was the face of a young man, absorbed in thought.
His cold eyes remained the same, but now he seemed less intimidating to her. The aura around him softened, or rather, slowly began to resemble that of her father, the ruler of the Elven Empire.
The woman tried to move, but she could only afford a pathetic shoulder movement.
Ramiel, feeling something wriggling in his lap, looked down. There, his gaze met with beautiful golden eyes. At the sight of them, a stone dropped from his heart. Now he could relax. Since Caera had regained consciousness, there was no need to perform a complicated procedure. To tell the truth, he was a little afraid to entrust such a responsible task to a succubus a second time.
The former hunter noticed the elfess' pathetic attempts and helped her sit up. Caera didn't have the strength to support herself, so she leaned back against Ramiel's chest.
The man held her just in case so that she wouldn't fall. This brought a different result. The elfess trembled like a jelly in his embrace.
" Ceara, calm down. If I wanted to do something to you, you would have been dead long ago. I didn't fight so much to bully you now. " Ramiel tried to be gentle, but there was little he could do with his cool tone. Besides, his choice of words was awful.
To some extent, the former hunter's words worked. At least Caera stopped shaking. Ramiel covered her with his jacket and took out a portion of mandrake soup from the space ring.
The elfess tried to say something, but an unpleasant squawk came out of her mouth instead. Ramiel quickly stopped her, putting a finger to her soft lips.
" Shi... You shouldn't strain yourself. Your vocal cords, most likely, have been damaged. If you try to speak, you will hurt yourself. " - Ramiel took a deep breath.
" Listen to me carefully. You have fallen ill with something you elves call the Black Plague. To get better, you have to eat it. This is mandrake soup. It is supposed to help. How? I have no idea, but as you can see, it helped. "
Caera turned green when she heard the name of the disease. Even with the help of the best healers, the Black Plague was difficult to cure. Countless elves died from it, suffering terrible torments. This was mainly due to the small number of healers and the high price of their services. The middle and poorest classes simply couldn't afford to hire a qualified person.
All they could hope for was a miracle... which they never experienced.
A lone tear ran down the elfess' cheek, and she began to shake. Caera didn't want to die. She had already experienced this nightmare once. She didn't want to repeat it.
The woman slowly descended into hysteria. Standing on the edge of sanity, she felt someone's arms embracing her from behind. Feeling sincere concern and warmth coming from the man, she calmed down. A small blush appeared on her face. She liked it.
Ramiel was no expert on women, but he knew something about them. Above all, he was no inexperienced amateur. He knew when to be tender and caring and when to be strict. He boasted a lot of popularity in his time.
The secret of success lies in taking advantage of the right time and situation. After all, women are most susceptible to manipulation when their mental state is impaired.
Of course, if you walk up to a crying woman on the street and suddenly hug her, you might be accused of harassment. It doesn't work that way. Unless you are some kind of model, a famous athlete, or a hunter, then all will be forgiven you.
Returning, when Caera calmed down, Ramiel fed her. The woman was embarrassed, but she ate everything obediently. Then the man helped her to drink water from a bottle. He was too lazy to create ice and melt it.
In the end, he told her the legends and myths from Earth. He simply considered it the best way to kill time. The stories mainly centered around Greek mythology since it was the most familiar to him.
Caera absorbed his every word like a sponge. The stories told by Ramiel fascinated her. The stories seemed amazing and had something appealing and addictive at the same time She could listen to them for hours, which she did.
Eventually, during one of Prometheus' adventures, the elfess's strength sank. Her eyelids became heavy, leading her directly into the embrace of Morpheus. This was somewhat ironic since she fell asleep in Ramiel's arms.
Feeling the woman's breathing become systematic, the former hunter finally stopped. There was no point in talking to a sleeping person.
He had already fulfilled the minimum plan anyway. Now it was only a matter of time before he gained Caera's full trust and loyalty.
Ramiel wasn't entirely comfortable playing with women's feelings. But hard times called for hard solutions. If he wanted to survive... he had to kill his former self. But it wasn't that easy... it took time...
Besides... isn't he doing the same thing to Asme and Caera that Samantha did to him?
Only now did he realize his hypocrisy.
Feeling the despondency sweep over Ramiel, the little fairy landed on his hair.
' Are you all right ? ' - Avi tenderly poked the man with the foot.
' And I look like everything is fine? I was betrayed by people I trusted with all my heart. My lover turned out to be a common whore who slept with my friends. '
And now ... to survive and not be betrayed. I am becoming the man I never wanted to be. '
' This isn't some fucking internet novel where the protagonist, within two chapters, gets act together and becomes unbreakable. This is Avi's real life... and it's not easy. '
Avi remained silent as she listened to the bond explosion. She didn't interrupt him. She just stood and listened. She knew that was what he needed most right now.
' I... I couldn't even die peacefully... Do you understand that fuck? Instead of peacefully getting rid of all my problems and worries... forfeit forever and fall into oblivion... I was brought here... to the dungeon. '
' After all, this is some kind of unfunny joke... A hunter who specializes in exterminating dungeons has become the master of one... '
Ramiel sighed deeply. What he had said to the fairy had been weighing on his heart for a long time. He was simply afraid of what he was becoming. He knew what a mark the events of the past had left on him.
Worst of all, Ramial would have acted the same way despite his current hesitation. The realization terrified him. He was slowly becoming someone he wasn't.
' I ... I just need time. Ramiel added after a long pause. ' I'm sorry Avi for yelling at you, but it's not easy for me ... I hope you understand. '
The rest of the night passed in silence. Ramiel stared at the campfire, occasionally humming some tune. Asme's habit began to work on him.
Avi took the man's words to heart. She knew he had a strong psyche, but even the strongest man would go through a crisis if he experienced what Ramiel had.
The fairy made herself comfortable in the bond's hair and fell asleep. Soon her footsteps were followed by the man.