" 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. "
Avi's pupils dilated. Ramiel's not-so-subtle revelation gave her food for thought.
" This is absurd. Such a thing shouldn't be possible. Over the millennia of the universe's existence, the rules of the abyss haven't changed... Adjusting the strength of monsters to the master's abilities... "
Avi froze in mid-sentence. Looking at past events and anomalies, Ramiel's thesis made sense.
" No matter how you look at it, there is no written rule anywhere that precludes it. If you're right... I don't even want to think about what the future holds for us. If any future awaits us at all... " - Avi muttered. She partially accepted the fact of living with a degenerate like Ramiel.
Partly is a good term because the greater part of her existence still couldn't accept the events around her.
" Do you already understand what kind of shit we are in? At worst, we get a monster akin to a mutant scorpion. I don't think I need to explain how bad that would be." - Ramiel bluntly made Avi aware of their shared yet bleak future.
" Why is it only you that such twisted things happen to you... "
Ramiel smiled under his breath.
" I've been asking myself that question for a good month... "
~~~~~~
When Ramiel's troops recovered, he killed the last rat and started a new wave.
This time, bear-sized rodents emerged from the darkness, their massive bodies protected by a thin layer of rocks. Sharp, snow-white teeth protruded from their mouths. The only normal thing about them was the tail. Surprisingly, it looked ordinary, without any eccentricities.
Ramiel felt a headache coming on. He could feel the mana accumulating around the creatures. As if that wasn't enough, they showed residual tactics. The monsters formed small groups and moved forward. Apparently, the rodents had learned lessons from previous waves.
" Tsk... the stairs are beginning. " - Ramiel mumbled. As always, his luck gave out in the most cruel of ways. " Caera, how many arrows are left? "
The woman counted the arrows in her quiver with her free hand. Her clever fingers moved nimbly over the darts.
" We should have about 66 left, of which I have 33. The rest belong to the goblin. "
The former hunter thought for a moment and gave orders.
" From now on, we'll go all the way, but don't do anything reckless. You should save your mana. We have a long and arduous battle ahead of us. Focus on supporting other groups. If you can't do that, try to stop the rats from joining the battle. "
Ramiel felt a dangerous thrill of excitement. With each passing second, adrenaline bubbled more and more in his veins. The cursed battle maniac was slowly waking up from his sleep. But that's good. At least the former hunter wouldn't run out of strength.
" Avi, until further notice, you are in command of the archers. You are responsible for setting appropriate targets and passing on my instructions. " - The former hunter gave further orders.
" Order, I will give my best ! " - In a few seconds, the little fairy was behind the barricade, watching the battlefield from above. Ramiel had given her a new task, and she couldn't fail him! And that is the determination expected of soldiers on the battlefield.
Avi was excited, but that didn't stop her from keeping her temper in check. Despite her scatterbrained behavior in everyday life, she acted like an excellent leader on the battlefield. She had awakened a tactical genius, one of the qualities she had inherited from Ramiel.
" Rascal, you are in charge of two wolves, the Goblin Swordfish and The Condemned Sloth. You take over the left flank. From now on, I authorize the use of mana. " - Ramiel said, not taking his eyes off the first groups of approaching rodents.
" Rascal, don't disappoint the master. I will bring heads! " - The goblin leader patted his chest, showing motivation.
" Asme, you command the remaining units. Take over the right flank. Position goblin No. 1 at the front. The wolves will support him on the flanks, and The Condemned Sloth will apply pressure from behind and launch surprise attacks. You should be at the back of your team, supporting them with spells and distracting enemies. Don't forget to take advantage of opportunities to kill them. "
Asme moved forward uncertainly. Aside from sparring, she didn't have much combat experience. She had fought the Night Rippers a few times, but commanding an entire squad was something else entirely. She didn't know if she could handle it. Being entrusted with such an important task by Ramiel lifted her spirits, but she was still afraid. Her hands shook with nerves, and blood suddenly drained from her fingers.
These are standard symptoms of fear among novice hunters. Nothing new.
" Asme "- A man's calm voice reached the woman's ears. Momentarily, her heart stopped beating like crazy. " I know I'm throwing you in at the deep end, but I believe you can handle it. You need to trust your abilities and above all not panic. If you lose control on the battlefield, you will be no different than cannon meat. If you are seriously injured, let me know and I will try to come as soon as possible.
Asme felt much better. Ramiel's words lifted her spirits and improved her morale broadly.
" Oh... I think you should worry about yourself. What will I do if this pretty face I see every day is disfigured? " - Asme flirted with Ramiel. It was her way of dealing with stress. It just made her feel more confident. The horned beauty definitely had a twisted personality.
" I think you will continue to moan every night while pulling my hair. " - Ramiel laughed.
" Huh, how confident... We'll see if you can stand it this time... " Asme didn't want to give up, but she stood at a loss in advance. Despite her pedigree, it was Ramiel who dominated in bed.
The horned beauty didn't pursue the matter further for her safety. Instead, Asme turned around and began giving orders to her subordinate units.
Ramiel shook his head as he walked away. It was up to him to maintain the center of the formation. It was difficult but not impossible. He still had traps prepared for unforeseen situations, but he preferred to keep them until the end.
In fact, Ramiel was walking in the dark. He had no information about the incoming opponents, nor did he know what to expect. He had to tread carefully, trying to gain as much advantage as possible.
The horde of monsters consisted of about a hundred rodents. They divided into three groups, and each group formed teams of three rats. This was the optimal number to avoid disturbing each other in the corridor leading to the dungeon.
However, such a division made life difficult for Ramiel. It eliminated the possibility of taking out all the targets at once.
" Are you ready to show the rats who are the real victims here? "
" Sssss. " - A young snake hissed as it escaped from Ramiel's sleeve. Sarron was excited about hunting natural prey and looked forward to the upcoming battle. He didn't even need encouragement from his bond. Even without it, he was ready to cause real carnage.
' Avi, ride through the rat lines. Have the archers aim at the second and third lines of the first group. The first contact should be an area spell. After that, I leave you free. '
The former hunter's voice rang out in Avi's head. The fairy was a little surprised, as she had already laid out a similar plan of action. Without hesitation, she passed the instructions on to the soldiers.
Caera tightened the bowstring while holding her breath. The mana in her body went to her hand and gathered there. The elfess then redirected some of the stored energy to the arrow, activating the spell.
" Shoot! " - Avi, like the worst executioner, had just sentenced several rodents to death.
At the fairy's command, Caera released the string from her hand. The arms of her bow straightened, sending the projectile off at a dizzying speed. About halfway to the target, the arrow transformed into a lightning bolt, heading inexorably for the group of rats.
The monsters were unable to react in time. Before they knew it, half of the third row of the first group had been killed. The effect of the combination of crystal and lightning magic was better than Ramiel expected. Not only was a huge electrical charge released upon impact, but the attack also froze the enemies. More precisely, it was the lightning that froze them, turning everything it touched into blocks of ice. This created a rather peculiar sight of charred bodies trapped in ice.
Goblin No. 1 didn't stay any worse. Although its arrow didn't have such spectacular effects, it still got rid of a quarter of the rats in the row. Combining the element of ice with the element of wind resulted in a blast of air, freezing everything in its path.
Ramiel was pleased with the effects, but unfortunately, he couldn't carry out a similar offensive indefinitely. Just one series consumed about 1/4 of Caera and the goblin's mana reserves. At best, Ramiel could have conducted two more similar salvos. He tried to assess the situation soberly. There was no question that his archers wouldn't use mana for simpler spells. That's why the limit is so low…
Opposite the former hunter stood three huge rats. These monsters showed respect to the man, sensing from him the aura of a dominant predator. The beasts' instincts screamed, ordering them to flee, but they couldn't do so. If they disregarded their leader's order, they would face a very painful death at best... Since they would die anyway, they preferred to do it in battle.
The stalemate didn't last too long. Ramiel broke it with a sword thrust aimed at a rodent on the right side of the formation. The rat easily dodged the attack, stepping aside. His muscles tensed, but then he was met with an unpleasant surprise.
A snake crawled out of Ramiel's sleeve, biting into the creature's limb. The rodent panicked, throwing itself to the side, but its actions were pointless. Sarron had long ago used the Shadow Walk and appeared in the hood of the former hunter.
Ramiel ensured Sarron's poison worked and dealt with the rest of the rodents. There was no point in wasting time on the walking corpse.
The enraged rat tried to attack the man dealing with its fellows from the flank, but lost feeling in its limbs. The monster fell to the ground, its body tossing under spasmodic shocks.
Ramiel cut through the air with a flying boulder.
Those damn rats have an affinity for earth magic... Maybe some should give them metal element... The former hunter cursed in his mind while blocking the attack aimed with claws. He often did this during combat. In a strange and only known to him way, it helped him better assess the situation.
With dizzying speed, Ramiel's sword sawed through the monster. Usually, it should have been bathed in blood after such a spectacular move, but the twin blades devoured the bloody afterglow.
At the beginning of the fight, Ramiel feared for the rodent's armor. However, he underestimated the weapon he was wielding. Fortunately, his fears were proven wrong. The blade's edge didn't stutter as it sliced through the hard rock.
The former hunter made excellent use of the two-blade advantage. Combined with his specially developed fighting style, he wreaked havoc on the rats' ranks, if this thing can still be called rats.
Unfortunately, Rascal and Asme didn't have such good weapons with them. While Ramiel was having fun massacring another team, they were experiencing a bit of hell.
" Wrr " - The dark wolf circled his current victim while maintaining uninterrupted eye contact. By doing so, he activated an innate ability, instilling fear in his opponent.
Sensing the threat enveloping it from everywhere, the rodent began to dart into line, injuring its companions. The wolves ruthlessly seized the opportunity and leaped on their prey. With their powerful jaws and claws, they had considerable trouble tearing through the armor, but once they succeeded, the rat's fate was sealed...
At the same time, Rascal's broken sword bounced once again off the creature's neck. The lack of proper equipment caused problems. The goblin specialized in earth and fire elements. He could have cooked the rodent inside the stone armor but couldn't afford the mana consumption. Ramiel made it clear to them that this wouldn't be a short battle, and depriving them of the best opportunities at the very beginning was sheer stupidity.
The goblin had another companion, but it was forced to retreat. It was badly wounded in the first ten seconds of the fight. Rodent threw a stone at him, breaking his bones. From then on, it was a one-on-one battle.
Rascal now had two options. Attack unarmored areas, and there were few of them, or buy enough time for someone to help him.
Dodging a paw, the goblin looked around the battlefield. The wolves were dealing with a group of two rodents, and The Condemned Sloth was facing one. The situation wasn't improved by the fact of another group of three monsters approached towards them. When everything seemed hopeless, two arrows fell on the oncoming reinforcements, freezing the monsters in place. Rascal thanked the beautiful elfess and his companion in spirit.
" Wraaa!!! " - The goblin leader roared furiously, adding to his courage. Using mana and the element of fire, he created a crimson flame on the blade's edge, increasing the sharpness. The goblin kicked vigorously at the ground and, in a second, was behind his opponent. Taking advantage of the gap in the defense, he thrust the sword into the rodent's anus, releasing the crimson flame.
The rat wailed in horror. The pain it felt by grilling its insides alive was unbearable. Rascal clasped his feet on the ground, drawing strength from it. Using his newfound reserves of energy, he pushed the sword to the side, severing the whole rat from the inside. The monster's innards spilled out, staining the ground red.
Rascal ensured the creature was dead and moved on with the fight. Unfortunately, he had no time to relax. There were many more opponents waiting for him!
The goblin could only move so fast because of spells. Some time ago, he discovered a spell that was perfect for warriors of his kind. By drawing energy from rocks for a short period, he became stronger. Using his new energy reserves to increase the strength of his legs, Rascal bounced off the ground, shortening the distance between him and the next enemy.
The battle continued at its best. Dead units were replaced by fresh blood, and so many lines were massacred by the accurate arrows of the archers. Avi's team did a great job relieving the main force. Who knows how this would have ended if it hadn't been for them?
Caera released another precise arrow. It slammed into the target, covering it with frost that turned into ice. The elfess gave it her all, helping allies. At first, she was worried about Ramiel because he was alone, but ironically, he was doing well.