Ramiel sat in a tree and watched the battle calmly. In the forest, forces of the Dungeon of Damnation clashed with the Night Rippers.
The battle could be divided into three parts. In the middle one, a pack of Condemned Wolves toyed with a group of seven Night Rippers. There was no other way to call it. The young monsters posed no threat to the dungeon's loyal subjects.
On the left, goblins one, two, and three stood opposite two oversized cats. The green creatures handled them calmly, their hard training bearing fruit.
The teamwork displayed by the three was impeccable. The spear-wielding goblin proudly repelled the attacks of the two monsters. A goblin with a shield supported him from behind, creating all sorts of vegetation to restrict movement. Over time, the conjured vines became as hard as steel. With rich imagination, they were more than just a tool to restrict movement.
A goblin with a bow watched over everything in the back, his deadly arrows piercing the Night Rippers to the core. It wreaked havoc on the troops of the monsters.
To the right of Asme, Rascal, and Caera stood, facing the adult Night Ripper. This was a real test for the women, whom Ramiel had been training and improving their skills for weeks.
Now, they had to show the fruits of their hard training.
The former hunter had no intention of interfering in the battle unless they faced certain death. Otherwise, there was no point. No one had yet died from a few broken bones. Moreover, the dungeon has recently been graced with the presence of a healer. He has to develop skills on someone, too.
Ramiel tried to focus on the battle, but his thoughts still revolved around the conversation of a few days ago.
~~~~~~
" What are you talking about? How can I understand an element without even knowing it? Besides, I don't see anything like that in the dungeon interface. " - Ramiel tried to refute the fairy's words, but Avi was prepared for it.
" Think about it. There have never been skills like yours before. Even their names have the member Condemned in them. If you need more proof, then go ahead. You are the first master of this dungeon, which, for goodness sake, is called the Dungeon of Condemnation. Does that tell you something?"
Ramiel looked at the fairy as if she were a mad woman. Her words made sense, but something like that was impossible! How could one have knowledge of an element without knowing it? This theory shattered the human's entire worldview.
All along, Leach and Cursed Condemnation were based on the element of darkness. A spell doesn't change the underlying element, much less the skill. Unless I am a hopeless case of reincarnation without a system... but such things happen only in books and Internet novels. To whom normal would this happen? Certainly not to me. - Ramiel fell into a flurry of confused and chaotic thoughts. Absurdity chased absurdity. Understanding the intricate mechanisms and processes behind which the solution to the riddle awaited, he was overwhelmed. Hence came the rantings about reincarnation and the system taken from Internet novels.
" Let's assume that this is the case. Do you have any more evidence? " - Ramiel's question drove the fairy crazy. She was angry, stomping her feet and kicking in the air.
Ugh, why does he have to be so difficult to use?!? Where is the instruction manual for it?!? Why didn't I get something like this... - Avi groaned in her mind and pointed her finger at Ramiel's face, or more precisely, at his eyes.
" This is my proof. Your Sight of the Condemned. "
Ramiel looked at the fairy as if he were a mentally ill person. This triggered another fit of irritation, this time a bit lighter.
" Ygh, just open your status. I don't know why you skipped it the first time. "
Ramiel decided to do as the fairy said. A moment later the full status appeared in front of him. His attention was drawn to two headings.
| Master's innate and acquired skills |
| Sight of the Condemned - !"@#!@%!^@#!@%^@#!@#!@% |
| Leader of the Condemned - All allies within 500m feel a general status increase of 5%, and their mental state and will to fight is stronger. |
" Huh? How come I didn't see this... " Ramiel gasped in surprise. He couldn't even imagine the possibility of missing two columns. He usually tried to be meticulous and thorough to avoid similar omissions.
" Hmpf, now do you believe me ? " - The fairy sat in the former hunter's hair. The corners of her mouth lifted in joy. She finally managed to win over Ramiel! Such a situation doesn't happen often.
" Be that as it may... " - Ramiel muttered grimly. " Do you know what the Sight of the Condemned is used for? "
Unfortunately, the former hunter couldn't read the description of the skill. Instead, he saw a series of runes and strange incomprehensible signs. Avi was his last hope, which doesn't sound very optimistic.
" How come you haven't noticed this yet? During a fight, you see the effects of your opponent's status. Unfortunately, that is all I know. You'll have to figure out the rest for yourself, and now I'll ask for a reward. "
~~~~~~
How is it possible that I have knowledge of an element without even knowing it? - This question never left Ramiel's mind. He tried to find an answer, but nothing came to mind.
The former hunter felt like a five-year-old trying to interpret a quantum physics question... Without a solid foundation and elementary knowledge of the subject, he might as well just bang his head against the wall instead of wasting his time.
In this case, it was literally the same…
While the former hunter was thinking about the riddle, Rascal had difficulty fending off the Night Ripper. The monster's savage attack shattered to pieces the rock wall separating him from his fresh lunch. Seeing his spell shatter into a fine poppy, the goblin tense his muscles, preparing to take the blow.
Rascal's hand found its way to the broken blade of the sword, forming something resembling a makeshift shield. The goblin didn't have Ramiel's knowledge or reflexes, he had to combine and deal differently.
Night Ripper's tail struck the green monster with fury. However, this time, too, its attack was blocked. The tool of murder and destruction bounced off the weapon's blade with a loud crack.
Night Ripper wanted to end the goblin's life with a quick thrust but was prevented by two ice picks. Without thinking, he stopped the attack and jumped aside.
The ice spears passed him by a few centimeters. However, this wasn't the end of the problems. To the right of the monster, a sky-blue-haired beauty appeared.
Her daggers, covered with blue lightning, were aimed at the beast's stomach. The crackling sound emanating from them split the air. One was even tempted to say that space surrendered to their destructive power.
Night Ripper's eyes widened in shock. From his perspective, that woman wasn't there a second ago. This happened because of Asme. She used an illusion to hide Caera in the monster's mind, allowing for a surprise attack.
The monster, wanting to save his life, used the Shadow Slide. In an instant, its body moved half a meter backward. Night Ripper's quick reaction allowed him to get out of his predicament temporarily. However, he paid a heavy price for his moment of inattention.
Four shadow spikes sprouted from beneath his forepaws. They pierced the overgrown cat's limbs, bringing an ear-splitting roar to the forest. The poor monster didn't even have time to express his suffering. A goblin charged at it from the front with its sword blade lowered low. As a precaution, two ice shields whirled around Rascal, ready to block any attack.
Night Ripper growled furiously as he prepared to defend himself. As is widely known, the best defense is attack, so the monster gathered an alarming amount of mana in its mouth. When the goblin got close enough, the monster roared. A gray beam shot from its wide open mouth.
It was one of the most painful ways to cast a spell. But better pain is a small price to pay for survival.
Rascal growled and stopped abruptly. The sudden attack caught him off guard. Luckily, Asme's shields reacted in time to block the deadly spell. Otherwise, Rascal could have boasted an extensive hole in his chest.
" Attack ! " - the Goblin issued a battle cry. He grabbed one of the ice shields and pushed forward vigorously, distracting Night Ripper. With each step, footprints formed in the ground, and sweat flowed in streams.
At the back, Asme did her best to channel the remaining mana into ice creations. Her reserves were shrinking at an alarming rate. The horned beauty's breathing became erratic, and hands trembled with exertion. Tiny drops of sweat appeared on the woman's forehead, and in time, they joined together to form thin trickles running down her face.
Now that Night Ripper was busy breaking through the defenses, Caera had a huge window of opportunity. Rascal and Asme created the perfect conditions for her. She used dark magic to erase their presence from her surroundings. She took a vial of dark purple liquid from her back pocket and carefully applied it to one of her daggers. In doing so, she had to be extremely careful not to touch the toxin accidentally.
With this particular substance, a moment's inattention meant certain and painful death.
The poison used by Caera came from Sarron. Even the slightest contact with the skin leads to infection. Ramiel called it the Last Breath. This is a very apt name, by the way. The substance spreads through the victim's body in a maximum of two minutes.
After that time, the internal organs rot and disintegrate. Blood turns black, and wounds instead of bleeding pus.
Ramiel didn't wish such a death on anyone. He had seen the victims of the white serpent many times, writhing in agony, begging for mercy. Even he found his hair standing on end.
The effect was compounded by the Cursed Condemnation. It wasn't as effective as Ramiel's, but it still wreaked havoc. Imagine dozens of circles activated from within a minute. If the poison didn't kill the target, the negative effects of the status would certainly do the trick.
Caera didn't want to risk getting too close to the Night Ripper. Despite the successful diversion, his eyes kept a close watch on the surroundings, and tail waited at the ready. A surprise attack might have been successful, but its consequences could have been mournful. Unfortunately for Caera, the monster they are fighting is old and has a lot of experience behind it.
Immediately after the first attack carried out by the elfess, he sharpened senses, waiting for the vicious insect to reappear. From his perspective, it was only a matter of time.
Caera took a deep breath. Stealthily, she got as close as she could. She kept a safe distance from the Night Ripper's tail. Then, with a nimble flick of the wrist, the elfess released the dagger from hand.
The monster tensed up and hurriedly mirrored the immediate surroundings. Although it couldn't see anything, it didn't trivialize its instincts. Its tail thumped the air furiously, trying to capture the invisible enemy. However, it was pointless.
Caera stood beyond the Night Ripper's reach and watched as the poisoned dagger slammed into its forepaw. The fight could now be considered over.
The monster's pupils dilated in shock. An old and worn dagger was stuck in its right paw. Night Ripper dispersed the spell and jumped back. Although it enfranchised the warrior's pride, he wanted to escape. However, the poison had already attacked the nervous system of his right paw, paralyzing it. The limb became stiff.
Night Ripper knew he had been poisoned, and to save life, he resorted to brutal solutions. In less than a second, black blood gushed from the monster's severed limb. Chunks of rotting flesh dangled from the stump.
In fear of death, Night Ripper cut off the infected limb. Instinct told him that this was the best option. And indeed it was. But he should have done it when the dagger pierced the skin. Unfortunately, the toxin managed to penetrate further.
Yellow pus poured out of the wound on the stump, and the monster's body shook with convulsions.
Ramiel's attention shifted to another battlefield. He knew that there was no more rescue for the Night Ripper. In the dungeon, only he and Sarron are immune to the Last Breath.
Just as the white snake had inherited some of Ramiel's abilities, the man in return received immunity to the creature's toxin.
If not for that, he would have been lying dead long ago.
" I didn't think your hanyard would like her so much. " - Unconsciously, Avi plunged another dagger into Ramiel's heart. He looked skeptically at the white snake that lounged around the elfess' neck.
" Sometimes I wonder if it is definitely my hanyard and not hers... " - The former hunter muttered, offended.
On the other battlefield, a real slaughter was taking place. Wolves toyed with the last living monster, tearing it apart. Their powerful jaws clamped down on its limbs. Ignoring the monster's agonized screams, the wolves tore at it with all their might.
The Night Ripper's skin and flesh strained to the limit, then burst with a loud crack. The monster's body was torn in two. A huge stain of blood and cat urine appeared beneath it.
The wolves, smelling the fresh meat, rushed at it. Their tails wagged merrily in the air.
" This is cruel... but also incredibly cute in its way. Just look at their tails wagging gleefully. Our little sadists. ~ " - The little fairy tilted her head in embarrassment.
" And apparently, of the two of us, I am the abnormal one. " - Ramiel couldn't let go of the opportunity to tease Avi. It had become their daily routine.
" Hmpf, as if you didn't like it ! " - Avi pointed an accusatory finger at the bond.
" Oh? How can you be so sure. " - The former hunter smiled cocky. Avi threw him a meaningful type look - Are you lying to me or to yourself?
" Have you forgotten? I can sense your emotions. "
Ramiel fumed. He had completely forgotten the bond between them.
" Hahahaha!" - The little fairy recoiled in laughter at the sight of the man's face. After many defeats, she achieved victory.
Ramiel had already prepared a counterattack, but he kept it to himself. After all, he couldn't win all the time. Sometimes, he suffered a controlled defeat so Avi wouldn't be sorry.
He could be a cold-hearted asshole, but he liked the little fairy. If she didn't exaggerate, he didn't have to stir her up with mud for fun. Besides a walking encyclopedia, she was very useful.
The former hunter ignored Avi's laughter and shifted his gaze to the last battlefield. It looked like the battle there was long over. Unlike the Condemned Wolves, the goblins had no sadistic tendencies. They killed the Night Rippers quickly and painlessly.
Unbreakable vines immobilized the monsters. The rest went smoothly. The corpses were preserved in good condition. Ramiel could store them in the pantry if he wished.
The meat of the Night Rippers isn't suitable for consumption by humans, elves, succubi, and the like, but it's a delicacy for goblins and damned wolves. The green monsters don't even need to roast it over a campfire. They'll eat literally anything.
The former hunter was about to give the order to retreat, but his attention was drawn to Rascal. An abundant amount of external mana was gathering around the goblin.
Curious, Ramiel used Shadow Walk to get to the spot. Three jumps later, he emerged from Rascal's shadow and, ignoring everyone else took a closer look at the phenomenon.
The mummy enveloped the goblin's body like fresh winter fluff, turning white. Energy particles suddenly began to emit a bright and glaring light...