Ramiel woke up in a terrible mood. It was because of the recurring nightmares. Of course, the former hunter couldn't dream about something nice like a vacation, carefree lazing around all day, a fast car ride, or delicious food, no, no, no, and again NO.
At first, he was indifferent to it, after 10,000 times, one more time did not impress him. Then came a stage of boredom, followed by irritation, until finally, it turned into an endless spiral of annoyance. Ramiel tried everything to get rid of the night terrors.
He even went so far as to tell the creations of his mind that they were living in his dream. Which was stupid and crazy. He was very lucky that it only ended in empty mockery... Better not try this at home.
After this daring display of stupidity, everything returned to normal for a few days. To say more, Ramiel didn't even have any dreams and enjoyed a peaceful sleep. It could stay that way forever, with the emphasis it could...
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end someday.
Tonight had overtaken the bar. Ramiel got the strange impression that the Samantha he was talking to, or rather talking to because it's hard to call it a constructive conversation, was more than a poor figment of his imagination. Her facial expressions and vivid eyes were no match for the empty shells from the land of Morpheus.
One thing, by the way, did not give him pause. Since his spectacular death, he had full awareness and control over his dreams. Perhaps not quite so complete. For example, he could not leave or significantly change the terrain of a given scenario. If the action took place in an amusement park, Ramiel could not leave its boundaries. In that case, he had to stay there until the end.
He often wondered about this, but instead of answers, he got even more questions. Unfortunately, Avi... hmm... was helpful as always... Besides, the former hunter did not want to talk to her.
Lately, the fairy had caught a pit by falling into a whirlwind of work. For the past few days, she kept her interaction with Ramiel to a minimum, only reporting to him. She wanted to give him time to stop being angry with her, but it didn't work very well.
Ordinarily, Ramiel would have stopped being angry after a few days, but this time, he wanted to teach Avi something and set clear boundaries. He might have liked her and had a loose relationship, but an incident like the recent one couldn't happen again. What if he had been poisoned and the fairy had made a scene? Of course, he would have died...
Ramiel took down the two women, then stretched. Fortunately, Felix's skills were at a decent level. In just two days, the skeleton worked real miracles. Unfortunately, he was not able to fully heal the former hunter.
Ramiel couldn't go all the way, otherwise he would have spent a long month in bed. Currently, a month for him is quite a lot, considering that he has less than a year left to live.
The former hunter got up and did some exercises that were good for muscle flexibility. He needed to be in the best shape possible today. After all, the noble test of the Dungeon Core awaits him.
Hence, for the past few days, Ramiel took care of everything as best he could. Construction work was in full swing. The slaves even made out ahead of schedule. The corridor leading to the abyssal gate, or rather the dungeon on that side, became a tunnel of death. The number of traps was frightening, and the barricade looked solid. Ramiel also devised a plan B but hoped he wouldn't have to use it.
As the saying goes: "Hope is the mother of fools."
The evolution of skeletons into grinders turned out to be a hit. The crystals they processed brought with them even more destruction than before. Ramiel even created a simple formation that was a surprise for future attackers. It was nothing spectacular, but it sure hurt.
Some may say, but how does this formation not need his mana? Well, they could not be more wrong.
Each magical formation requires a corresponding activation circle, which requires the initiator's mana to create. Unfortunately, this must be done in one go; otherwise, everything will become unstable and lead to an explosion. Once the formation is activated, you can use external mana sources, such as Infirnyt crystals.
This problem can be circumvented with a small trick, but like most shortcuts, it is only available to stronger hunters...
The former hunter finished his morning gymnastics session and went for a final inspection. Everything was in the best possible shape. Then, he made a nutritious but light breakfast. After all, there were only two hours left before the battle.
~~~~~~
Ramiel, along with his small army, stood behind the barricade in full readiness. The countdown clock chimed the final minutes. The former hunter took his place at the head of the formation. On the left wall was Caera with a supply of arrows on steroids. The second archer on Ramiel's team, Goblin No. 3, flanked the opposite wall.
Next to the dungeon master stood two The Condemned Sloths. Their goal was simple, to terrify the enemy's first line, wreaking havoc in their ranks. Behind them stood three green goblins headed by Rascal. Clad in scrap... I mean armor. They looked even decent. The last line consisted of four Wolves placed in pairs on either flank. Paw stayed in camp. Ramiel wanted to avoid losing the young wolves, especially since they don't count towards the summoned creatures.
Directly behind Ramiel's back was Asme. He wanted to keep her close to him in case of any unforeseen situations. The woman pulled him slightly by the sleeve.
" What is the matter, Asme? "
" Nothing of the sort, I just wanted to give you something for luck. " - The woman's sweet voice reached Ramiel's ears. Then he felt something wet and, at the same time, extremely soft on his cheek, leaving a mark on it.
" And what do you think of my good luck amulet? ~ " - Asme smiled cockily.
" Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot, but loosening up right before a battle is not the best way to spend time. Flirting couples on the battlefield end up dead the fastest. " - The former hunter sighed. Working with amateurs was difficult. " Remember this once and for all. Before a fight, you should only be interested in two things. First, how to survive, and second, how to kill the enemy. Everything else doesn't matter. At least not at your current level. "
Ramiel was stern without mincing words, but he had to be that way. Women were amateurs making basic mistakes. He didn't want them to die foolishly.
Asme's humor broke down in a split second. She wanted to flirt with Ramiel by loosening him up before the battle, but all she was met with were chastising words.
I don't understand... what's wrong with innocent flirting? - Her thoughts only emphasized the gulf that separated her from Ramiel.
" One more thing, never lower your guard in front of your opponent, even if he is dead. Underestimating the enemy is the fastest way to the grim reaper's embrace... I can't count how many people have died because of this... Even if you're facing an infant on the battlefield, assume it's a hidden monster capable of uprooting an entire city… Beli me, It will save your life someday. " - Ramiel sounded a tad oversensitive, but he was simply trying to increase Asme's chances of survival.
" Mhm... " - The horned beauty muttered. Her gloomy mood quickly subsided. She knew that Ramiel, in his twisted way, cared about her. That's why he was so strict. Although, she felt offended for a moment. She couldn't shake the feeling that the former hunter was explaining everything to her like to an idiot...
The couple's conversation was interrupted by the loud sound of a broken mirror. Suddenly, Ramiel could no longer see the end of the corridor. It was now shrouded in impenetrable darkness.
The former hunter needed no better stimulus. Almost immediately, he prepared to activate the traps with simple magic formations. However, as it turned out, nothing could prepare him for the coming terror and danger...
The man's face was written with shock and disbelief. The powerful opponents he faced were the most ordinary rats… not any overgrown or mutated ones, but ordinary rats… There were thousands of them, but still ordinary rats.
" ... " - Avi
" ... " - Caera
" ... " - Asme
" ... " - Ramiel
" ... " - All the rest
" Asme, create a thin sheet across the width of the tunnel to where the light refracts. "
The horned beauty took the former hunter's previous words to heart. She wanted to show her best side.
In a few seconds, a thin layer of water covered the entire ground. Nevertheless, the rodents ignored the small inconvenience and pushed bravely forward.
Ramiel thrust a sword into the rock, activating the Spark. The dark blue lightning instantly electrocuted the horde of rodents, killing them on the spot.
He took advantage of the high conductivity of the electric charge through the water, increasing the range of the attack many times over. In a nutshell, this is how one spell worked as an instrument of mass murder.
The execution didn't even take five seconds. Soon, the stench of burning was in the air. But this is not surprising. After all, thousands of dead and burned rodents lay in front of Ramiel.
Sarron wanted to eat one of them, but the stench successfully deterred him.
" I told you that the attack is nothing demanding, it is designed for the FIRST dungeon masters. The test must not be too difficult. " - Avi was wallowing in the sweet taste of victory. But was she sure she had the right to do so?
" Are you sure you are right? " - Ramiel was skeptical of the fairy's optimism. The black void, which should have disappeared after the attack, had no intention of moving from even a millimeter.
Avi looked at Ramiel with consternation, then at the impenetrable veil of darkness, and bit her tongue.
Why do I always speak before I think? - The fairy scolded herself. Her impetuous nature often compromised her.
" Do not lose your vigilance. The fun is not over yet. "
A loud screech accompanied the grim tone of Ramiel's voice... What a strange coincidence...
A new wave of rodents was growing in sight. This time, the monsters were bigger and more massive. At size, they resembled adult cats.
Ramiel snapped his fingers, and two The Condemned Sloths stepped forward. In response, the creatures let out a piercing moan, freezing the horde of monsters in place. The overwhelming fear paralyzed the rodents. Some of them even died of heart attacks.
" Rascal, kill them all, but don't overdo it. You have to save your strength. " - Ramiel gave the order while squinting his eyebrows. Something told him that the attack would not end in two waves.
" As the master commands." - Rascal let out a battle cry, and the goblins followed suit.
Within seconds, the bloody slaughter began. Blood poured in hectoliters, and dismembered remains flew through the air. The Condemned Sloths were not left behind. They joined the carnage, tearing helpless victims to pieces. Their razor-sharp claws dismembered the rodents, turning them into meat mince.
Along with the death of the last rodent, rats the size of a lion in a zoo emerged from the darkness. This time, Ramiel took a more serious approach. He ordered everyone to retreat behind the barricade and prepared to activate the traps.
He waited for the monsters to get as close as possible. When they were within 100 meters, he poured his mana into a magic formation, causing the rocks to be removed from under the rodents' feet.
Squealing in panic, the rats fell into a huge pit. A sad surprise awaited them in the form of sharpened wooden stakes at the bottom. Most of the rodents died instantly, the rest slowly bleeding to death. The lucky ones who survived ended up under the cold steel of the goblins.
The fourth wave proved to be problematic. Ramiel fought an incomparably smaller number of monsters, but they made up for it in quality. Most of the rats survived the second trap. The wooden pegs falling from the ceiling did not have the intended effect. The rodents' tough and thick skin proved to be a hard nut to crack. However, there is no problem that cannot be solved. Where cleverness fails, brute force will suffice. It will always manage.
At Ramiel's command, the archers and Asme created ice walls that split the monster horde into smaller groups. The spearheads with infinity crystals proved extremely effective. One of them was enough to cover almost half of the tunnel space. The rest already belonged to Asme, whose job was to hold the wall together until the extermination team finished its work.
They are doing quite well, by the way. One need only look at the battlefield.
Ramiel's sword separated the rodent's head from the rest of its body with dizzying speed. The new weapon performed admirably during the protracted battle. Saying more he noticed a strange phenomenon. His new toy was devouring the blood of its victims. Ramiel had no idea what this could mean or what it was caused by, but he didn't care. He considered it a problem of the type: I'll figure it out someday. If it works, I don't move it because I'll mess it up...
Besides, he had better things to do than worry about why swords devour enemies' blood. For example, he could have been busy exterminating monsters. A horde of rats kept pushing against the barricade Asme had set up.
Numerous cracks appeared on the ice track under the rats' pressure. After killing the last rat on this side, Ramiel turned toward the ice wall. His hand came in contact with the cold surface. Using his hand as a medium, he poured his mana into it. Moments later, hundreds of ice spikes shot out, perforating the rodents like Swiss cheese.
Ramiel did not like the current situation. Each successive wave was heavier and heavier, and the opponents were smarter and more tenacious. As if that wasn't enough, some of the rodents manifested magical abilities, which in itself was a pain in the ass.
" Rascal retreats together with the Monsters. You are to take a short break. During this time, I will keep the last rat alive to delay the arrival of the last wave. "
" Wraaa! " - The green goblin made throaty sounds, ordering his subordinates to retreat.
At this time, Ramiel bundled the last of the surviving rats with Dark Chains. He had come up with this in the previous wave. Sometimes, it's good to have a head on shoulders and observe surroundings...
Next to the former hunter, Avi hovered, surveying the vast battlefield. Rat carcasses were everywhere, filling the wolf pits.
" You have nothing to worry about. The dungeon test will be easy and pleasant. It should not be a problem. " - Ramiel parried, making fun of the fairy. It improved his mood slightly.
Unlike Avi, who was already feeling unwell, the former hunter now not only kicked the lying person, but even jumped over it, breaking all the bones.
" It shouldn't look like this... It doesn't make sense... " - Avi mumbled something unintelligible under her breath. Being honest, the fairy couldn't believe what she was seeing. For all she knew, the trial should have been a pleasant formality... but clearly, something went wrong. Anyway, it wasn't the first time.
" Tell me, has anything made sense since I got here? There are absurd monsters waiting for me around every corner, and the resources I find should not even exist at the current level of the dungeon. I do not mention the ice ghost and my mysterious abilities. - Ramiel took a short pause, giving Avi time to process the information. " Just one thing puzzles me. What if it's the abyss that adapts to the dungeon master's abilities... If that's the case, then we're screwed. "