" Where are you going? " - Ramiel suddenly stepped out of the fleeing rat's shadow. With a single slash, his black blade stripped the rodent of both of its hind limbs. The rat wailed in pain. Seeing the massacre of its fellows, it gave in to its instincts and ran away, but the poor creature had to deal with Ramiel, one of the best hunters Mother Earth had produced.
He would sooner commit seppuku than let the monster it was hunting escape, especially when it was so pathetically weak. Despite the loss of two limbs, the rat still tried to save skin. Its two front paws panickedly scratched the rocky ground, dragging the inert body.
Ramiel cut off the rodent's remaining limbs and burned them with fire. The poor rat joined the noble ranks of five of its brethren who were incapacitated in one way or another. It's not that the former hunter is a cruel sadist... Well, okay, he's a sadist, but it's still not for that. He simply draws on Leach to the fullest, at least in this wave.
Ramiel reflexively cut horizontally with his sword, trying to get the blood off the blade, but there was nothing there. The weapon had absorbed every drop.
" I'll have to call you somehow. "
Ramiel fell in love with the new swords. The twin blades were simply great. The former hunter had always dreamed of having weapons of such caliber. Admittedly, he wasn't quite sure of their abilities yet, but he already had some suspicions. One peculiar correlation had caught his attention so far. The more the blades drank blood, the sharper they were.
" Maybe Blood Drain? "
The former hunter was met with an immediate response. Bloody spikes came out of the handles of the swords, wounding his hands. Apparently, someone didn't like the idiotic name.
" What is it!!!? " - Ramiel received a slight shock. Did the weapon react to his words?
" Blood... " - The spikes momentarily grew larger, piercing the skin.
" Okay, I understand, stop, I won't anymore. " - Ramiel had to give up idiotic names and names. He wanted something catchy and simple, matching the weapon, but someone didn't like his ideas.
" A simple no would have sufficed... " - The former hunter muttered grimly and threw himself into the fray. The sword's blade sliced through the monster's claws, sending him into a severe shock. His only and strongest weapon was destroyed in a rather brutal clash.
The mana around the fighting figures trembled, and the solid rock turned into quicksand. Rodent tried to trap Ramiel, but his actions were pointless. Before he had time to react, the man disappeared into the shadows, and the dark blade cut the creature in half. The sword sliced through the body like butter.
Blood gushed out as if from a fountain, staining Ramiel red. Within seconds, the bloodthirsty blades devoured the crimson liquid.
The former hunter looked at what might have been a rat corpse. He wasn't quite sure how many of them lay there. Unfortunately, he couldn't turn all the rats into engines. Some were smarter than others.
~~~~~~
Goblin number two raised his shield to face the incoming attacker. His sword was covered by a green light, after which the soldier slammed it into the ground. Thick vines sprouted from between the solid rock, immobilizing the rat.
The monster's instincts screamed, warning him of the impending danger. Unfortunately, the vines restrained its every movement. The rodent's only hope was to strengthen its armor by pouring more mana into it. However, even that didn't protect it from the ice spear that came out through the eye socket on the other side, spewing out the remnants of his brain.
Asme was panting heavily. Fighting and managing units at the same time was exhausting. She had to focus on many aspects simultaneously. Not to mention maintaining simple illusions. This was already consuming most of her mental strength.
Now, Asme's respect for Ramiel had risen to a new level. In all of their previous encounters, he had controlled the situation perfectly with minimal casualties. Everything seemed simple and easy when the horned beauty admired him from the sidelines. Standing in his shoes, the succubus collided with a brutal reality.
In the first ten minutes of the battle, Asme had already made serious mistakes, injuring one of the wolves. Now, she was giving it her all, trying to fill the gap created, but this was leading to a faster depletion of strength. The horned beauty had pinned her hopes on The Condemned Sloth, but she miscalculated thickly. The creature didn't cause as much terror as before. Of course, it still caused unrest in the enemy ranks, but it was far too little.
Fortunately, a goblin was always on guard, saving the situation with accurate arrows. The support of archers became an invaluable help, without which the Condemned Army would have fallen.
~~~~~~
Twenty minutes later, Ramiel killed the last rat of the first group. Something didn't suit him for some time. The creatures had low intelligence, yet they moved like an organized army. They even tried to perform simple battle maneuvers, but everything fell apart under the influence of fear.
The former hunter's amethyst eyes carefully scanned the battlefield, searching for any irregularities.
" I got you. " - Ramiel hissed with satisfaction. In the third rat team, in the corner near the left wall, stood a distorted shadow. One had to be really brazen or extremely stupid to try to hide in the former hunter's element. One doesn't exclude the other.
Ramiel felt touched and made an ice spear, replacing the spearhead with his precious sword. A solid layer of ice shimmered in the soft light of the abyss.
The hand with the new toy went to the back. Meanwhile, the spearhead was covered by raging lightning, catching the attention of everyone on the battlefield.
Ramiel wasted no time. He took a short breath and hurled the spear like a javelin. The deadly weapon gained terrifying speed with each passing second. Lightning flashed across the icy surface, giving it a stately appearance.
The weapon struck the target in the blink of an eye, causing a spectacular explosion. The lightning, combined with the element of space, wreaked havoc on the ranks of rodents, brutally tearing apart bodies. Chunks of charred flesh flew through the air, striking fear into the monsters' hearts. Their contained formation disintegrated, and the rats scattered in different directions, fleeing in panic.
" Tsk... You're tough. " - A sword appeared in Ramiel's empty hand. It was the same one that had just moments before caused large-scale destruction, annihilating three-quarters of the enemy troops. Remnants of lightning still danced on the surface of the blade, which only showed how powerful the previous attack had been.
The former hunter came up with the idea by accident, but he never had a strong enough weapon to withstand such output power. At least, that's how it's been until now... To be honest, Ramiel was risking a lot. If the weapon was destroyed, his heart would bleed to death from grief and stupidity. But everything ended well.
His previous words, as some may mistakenly think, were not directed at the weapon. When the cloud of dust and dust subsided, a humanoid figure emerged from it. His body was covered in gray fur, and his head was deformed. There was only one way Ramiel could name this thing. A rat turns into a human, or a human turns into a rat, depending on how one looks at it.
The monster hadn't come out of the previous attack unscathed; after all, Ramiel had used half the mana to create it. The half-rate's right hand dangled freely in the air, festering blood oozing from numerous wounds. The former hunter received a string of information about the curses imposed, but he didn't pay much attention to them. He was more interested in how the thing had survived his attack.
Before the impact, he could feel his mana being dissipated. Theoretically, negating existing mana particles and absorbing them to weaken the spell should be possible... But not at the current level?!!!! Ramiel pondered this for a while longer, and only one explanation came to his mind. A genius, only someone above average, could achieve something so unrealistic.
In theory, it looked simple and easy, but in practice, it was quite the opposite. Just getting into an already constructed spell required the same knowledge of the elements or even more, but the real stairs were just beginning. One not only had to know the structure of the spell but also understand it.
" Rascal, Asme, we retreat behind the barricade. " - The former hunter didn't want to fight this thing, at least not in a fair fight.
The confusion caused by Ramiel created a small window of time, which he had to use. The goblin chief thanked the heavens for the rescue, but his team's condition was deplorable.
One of the wolves had lost his eyesight, and The Condemned Sloth's arm had disappeared somewhere on the battlefield.
' Avi, cover us. '
The fairy's hand went up, ready to execute the order.
" Aim! Fire! "
Several series of arrows were fired one after another, creating an effective diversion. The projectiles looked beautiful, shimmering in the air.
Like one man, the condemned army moved toward the barricade. Ramiel's soldiers had a considerable advantage, but the rats were trampling on their heels. When it seemed that the rodents would get them, a hail of arrows fell on them, covering the battlefield with ice.
This bought them enough time to escape.
Ramiel landed behind the barricade with a thud.
" We are moving on to plan B. Don't let them get through at any cost. " - Ramiel wheezed while drinking Darwin's green concoction.
In the blink of an eye, all the creatures except the wolves were equipped with long wooden spears whose spearheads were made of infinity crystals. The grinders did a great job creating a deadly weapon. It wasn't among the most durable, but its effectiveness made up for it.
The spear fits well in the hands. The only thing Ramiel could complain about was the weight. It was far too light for him.
The first wave of rodents collided with the solid barricade. The rats gnawed and scratched at it but still couldn't break through. Over time, some pieces came loose, creating small holes. The rodents rejoiced at their success, but it didn't last long. An unpleasant surprise awaited them.
Dozens of spears came out of the holes, furiously stabbing the pests. Already, one accurate hit was enough to freeze the monster. The next ones accelerated the effect. The rock armor didn't help them much. The magic crystals went through the rock like butter.
The rats received the opposite of a quick and painless death. The sensation of freezing internal organs brought the rodents to a new level of pain and agony. The monsters struggled on the ground, hoping to save their lives, but it didn't have the intended effect, whatever it was.
~~~~~~~~
The moment the spear pierced the flesh, their fate was sealed. Pushing the mana out of the body could have stopped the process, but the creatures were too stupid for that.
" RAGGHHHH! " - The rat man let out a furious roar, bringing unrest to Ramiel's army. All the other rats launched a furious charge against the fortifications as if on cue. The monster emitted an unimaginable bloodlust. The measly man not only resisted but also destroyed most of his army. Common sense was replaced by an irrational desire to destroy the lousy insect.
At the sight of the charging monsters, horror crept onto the faces of the condemned army. However, Ramiel's reaction was quite the opposite. A wide smile graced his lips, and his amethyst eyes looked at the rodents with superiority.
Trembling with fear, Avi rose to her feet. The fairy knew that an inevitable end awaited them, but she wasn't about to give up without a fight. Before her trembling voice had time to leave her mouth, it was interrupted by Ramiel.
" Hold on, you don't have to do that. Just sit back and watch the show. "
Avi trusted Ramiel, even though he sounded like a madman... and quickly regretted it. He stood still, doing nothing. Fear gripped the fairy's heart.
Was he crazy? No, it isn't possible? Maybe he is sick? It's over... Should I do this? - An avalanche of thoughts flooded the fairy's mind like a tsunami. Faced with impending doom, Avi lost faith in Ramiel.
The dungeon fairies could seal the dungeon's core to protect it. This involved abandoning their current master and leaving him for certain death. Avi sincerely considered this option. After all, her main task is to protect the dungeon. Help and everything else take second place. The fairy may have had a special bond with Ramiel, but that's all. Her primary duty is to protect the Dungeon and its welfare.
She was very fortunate that the former hunter was too engrossed in the horde of monsters to feel her emotions or see into her thoughts. Otherwise, their relationship would never look the same again.
When the rats got close enough, Ramiel activated the penultimate of the magic circles. Indeed, no one but him knew about them. He took such drastic steps for a simple reason. If you want to deceive the enemy, you must first confuse your ally. The former hunter knew that his troops lacked experience. He didn't want his plan to go sour because of the soldiers' overconfidence and hubris. It carried risks, but the rewards were too tempting.
The ground shook, and tens of thousands of ice icicles shot from the walls and floor, making the rat army mince. Within seconds, the battlefield was filled with agonizing squeals.
The formation was effective but also costly. Ramiel was panting heavily. In this one move, he had used up nearly all of his supply of mined infirnyt, not to mention his dwindling mana.
After a few minutes, the agonal groans stopped, and the dust settled. Asme's stomach clenched at the sight of the carnage. Soon, the horned beauty returned its contents.
Such a sight didn't make much of an impression on Ramiel; he had witnessed far worse things. After all, a few hundred torn bodies can't compare to the pleading cries of people being eaten alive by monsters.
" Tsk... It's still live. " - The former hunter snorted a little angrily, although it was more like a groan.
A rat-like man emerged from the dust. He had lost an arm since the last time it was there, and ice picks protruded from body. His eyes blazed with murderous lust, and smoke rose from his nostrils.
Ramiel dreaded a clash with this monster. His mana reserves were scrubbing the bottom, at most enough for three simple spells. There was also the question of the mysterious guest's abilities. The former hunter knew as much as the esteemed Socrates... which was nothing.
" It... It's alive!!!?!!! " - Caera groaned in horror and surprise at the same time. She had seen with her own eyes how devastating Ramiel's trap was. If something survived... it meant only one thing. They are in serious trouble.