" You did well for a novice. There were a few shortcomings, but everything ended well. "
Thunderous cheers echoed throughout the Condemned Army camp. Ramiel praised the soldiers for a well-executed battle. The small act of manipulation was only meant to improve the morale of the units in the future. Anyone who has played strategy games knows the importance of the morale and spirit of the army. Neglecting them can lead to disaster...
Caera stood next to Ramiel and stared at him with puppy eyes, anticipating something. The former hunter felt a bit of amusement and stroked her head, although he was damn tired. At the same time, the elfess' ears fluttered merrily. The woman was satisfied and had already received the best possible reward.
Seeing their little interaction made Asme feel jealous. Pride didn't allow her to stand by and just watch. She stepped around Ramiel from behind and wrapped her slender arms around his torso.
" Don't you think he deserves some reward too? ~ " - The seductive whisper rang out over Ramiel's ear and quickened his heartbeat. He suddenly felt relaxed, and all the tension and stress accumulated during the battle had dissipated. One single whisper worked wonders.
" You need to do a little more."
Asme didn't like Ramiel's answer. She bit the lobe of his ear gently as punishment.
" And now? "
The woman's behavior amused Ramiel. She didn't even try to hide what she wanted, but now wasn't the time or place for that. With his free hand, he loosened his grip on the horned beauty.
I guarantee you'll get a reward later.
Asme didn't get what she wanted, but she was still satisfied. Ramiel always keeps his word.
" So what do we have to do? " - The horned beauty let go of the former hunter and stood before him, moving her hips ponderously. The woman knew very well what she was doing and what her goal was.
Caera, seeing what was going on, firmly denied it and caught Asme around the waist.
" No, y - you can't! Today is my turn! "
There was no trace left of the resolute and brutal elfess. The old and shy Caera replaced her. In a way, Ramiel found this charming.
" Tsk... you could share this with him once; it's not like I'm going to steal him from you. "
Asme's plan burned to the ground. She wanted to steal Ramiel for tonight, but Caera stopped her. The women made what they called a silent pact. They shared the former hunter for one night, but after the night's games, all three had to sleep together... with Avi and Sarron, it's a total of five... Anyway, the nights in the dungeon were really cold.
Ramiel, seeing the first signs of the coming storm, embraced both women, preventing the conflict from escalating.
" My ladies, what do you think about killing two birds with one stone? "
Ramiel's idea proved intriguing, especially to Asme. She wanted to hear what the man had to say.
" What do you have in mind? " - Caera preceded Asme.
A devious smile appeared on Ramiel's face, and his eyes lit up. He had wanted to try this since the innocent fun in the pool, but there was no good opportunity to do so.
" How do you feel about spending time together? Why fight when you can have me both to yourself at the same time? "
While Ramiel spoke, his hands stopped on the twin women's tops, caressing them. The man was crafty and knew how to play the game.
A broad blush appeared on Caera's face. The former hunter's proposal was tempting, she could spend intimate moments with him every day, but she would have to share with Asme.
This solution had its advantages and disadvantages. After a moment's thought, a soft whisper escaped Caera's lips.
" If Asme agrees... "
The succubus didn't have to think twice about the answer. It was yes from the beginning. However, it wouldn't hurt to tease the former hunter a little.
" Huh, how brave... do you think you can handle both of us? Nhm... "
The tunnel was suddenly filled with the juicy and loud moaning of the horned beauty. Responsible for everything was none other than Ramiel. Provoked by the horned beauty's words, he sneakily grabbed her nipple and teased it.
" The question isn't whether I can handle you, but will you be able to handle me? "
Asme's cheeks flushed with shame. One ambush was enough for her to suffer a humiliating defeat. At that moment, Asme cursed her body for its vulnerability.
Ramiel, receiving the women's approval, interrupted the caresses. They were disappointed but knew that if the former hunter insisted on something, he wouldn't let go easily.
Asme precautionarily moved away from him and corrected her ruffled underwear.
" So what do we have to deal with? "
Caera perked up her ears at her friend's question… The sooner they deal with the task, the sooner they get their hands on Ramiel... or between their legs. This is a debatable issue that depends on your point of view.
" We have to take care of the corpses. We can't leave them alone. If they rot... they will become a real pain in the ass. I don't even want to think about it. " - Ramiel sighed grimly. Just now, the scale of the problem had reached him.
" There are thousands of them here. It will take ages. Besides, what do you want to do with them? " - Asme frowned terribly. She didn't like the vision of rummaging through corpses, but she didn't have much choice.
" Do you have any ideas? " - Caera didn't like the plan either. She hoped Ramiel had come up with something brilliant.
" Mhm, When Avi comes with the skeletons, we'll remove the monster cores from the corpses. I'll hide the rest of the bodies in my ring and dump them in the forest of the Night Rippers. "
A sour expression appeared on the women's faces. One way or another, they would have to search the rat corpses anyway. Just the thought of it made Asme sick.
However, their future wasn't painted in such gloomy colors as they thought. Soon, Avi came to the rescue like a knight on a white horse with a host of skeletons. At first, Ramiel didn't pay much attention to them, but a rotten blue beam of light caught his eye.
The former hunter knew very well what it meant. With a firm hand gesture, he ordered the skeleton to come closer. He couldn't hide the excitement that filled his heart. A small thrill always accompanied the process of evolution. One never knew what the end result would be. So far, he has had no complaints. He always chose the best paths, which mostly satisfied him. The only downside was the huge cost of evolutions, but it paid off many times over...
After a few seconds, which seemed like an eternity, the skeleton finally bowed to the former hunter.
Ramiel wasted no time and immediately activated the skill. The effect was more spectacular than what he was prepared for.
A rotten blue light consumed the entire tunnel, blinding all the creatures inside. Ramiel could feel the wild mana particles rampaging through the cramped tunnel. Most of them aimed at the skeleton, permeating deep into its bones.
A few minutes later, Ramiel heard the unmistakable sound of breaking bones. Sadly, he knew it all too well. Dozens of scenarios ran through his mind. The best one was to rebuild the skeletal structure. The worst one was to destroy it completely. Mana could work wonders, but it was also the greatest danger.
A being exposed to the prolonged radiation effect of an intense concentration of mana could be irreparably damaged or even destroyed. The risk diminishes in proportion to the wide-ranging strength of the individual.
More or less for this Ramiel was constantly balancing on the edge of life and death. He incurred a lot of risk by dynamically increasing his mana reserves, but the game was worth the candle. The pace of his development... was simply insane...
The former hunter croaked. The distinctive stench of death irritated his nostrils. This smell couldn't be confused with anything else. Many people found it hideous, but Ramiel liked it. The smell of fresh blood, combined with exotic tea leaves, had a calming effect on him. There were times when the smell left a tart aftertaste.
After about ten minutes, the glaring beam of light began to dim and reduce in circumference. This meant only two things. The skeleton had absorbed all the mana and successfully evolved, or it had succumbed to the energy particles and disintegrated.
Ramiel, sensing the lower intensity of the light, opened his eyes uncertainly and almost suffered a heart attack.
The vast piles of rat corpses disappeared without a trace. They didn't even leave a trace of bloody sweat behind. It was as if they had never been there.
The former hunter's jaw dropped, and his heart contracted painfully.
" After all, there were thousands of them. " - Ramiel muttered to himself. He didn't cry over the loss of the rat bodies but over the cores in them... Such an amount... he would have had a supply for months... Somehow, I understand his pain.
Asme and Caera reacted similarly, but the reason was completely different. The women were glad they wouldn't have to clean up the mess or worse, rummage through the stinking carcasses.
" Caera pinch me. Do you see what I see? " - Asme wheezed violently. She still couldn't believe fate's little smile. Maybe the goddess of fortune had a hand in this? Who knows…
" This... I don't see anything. There is nothing here. " - Caera likewise horned beauty gasped stunned. She didn't know what kind of magic Ramiel had used, but she was insanely grateful to him. After all, no woman wanted to flip over dead rodent bodies.
" And that's exactly the point. Do you know what that means? "
The women looked into each other's eyes, reading each other's thoughts. Then they synchronously turned their gaze to Ramiel.
The man in question looked at the culprit of all the commotion. His eyes mirrored the newly formed entity from all sides with an icy gaze.
" I hope he was worth it. " - Ramiel's grim words acted as a catalyst, sending him into even more shock.
The skeleton knelt on one knee and bowed his head. Immoderately, he opened his mouth. A high and pleasant female voice escaped.
" She was worthy, master. In my previous life I was a woman. " - The skeleton unceremoniously corrected the former hunter. Of course, she maintained all the rules of etiquette.
" Huh, you talk? " - The former hunter said casually. His mouth moved before his brain thought. Only a few seconds later, a light bulb went on in Ramiel's head. Apart from the ever-present stench of death, he could smell unimaginable layers of potential from the skeleton. Even more than Asme and Caera had together.
" I don't understand why I wouldn't do that, Master. " - The skeleton raised its head, and the blue flames that replaced its eyes flared.
Without warning, Ramiel placed his hand on the skeleton's skull. Seeing the status window fully formed, his heart beat faster. This time, the former hunter smashed the casino.
| Status |
| Name |
| Race Skeleton of the Beginning Deuce |
| Direction of Evolution Necromancer |
| Age ? |
| Strength 30 |
| Stamina Infinity |
| Vitality 20 |
| Agility 28 |
| Defense 24 |
| Mana 80 |
| Enriched mana 0 |
| Intelligence 50 |
Ramiel's heart stopped for a split second... He managed to create a necromancer!
This...
The former hunter lacked words to describe his happiness. If a necromancer is at least half as good as those in computer games and fantasy works...
Ramiel took another look at his new subordinate. She was slimmer and shorter than the rest of the skeletons. Her graphite bones had turned a rotten blue color, and all sorts of symbols appeared on their surface. Most likely, they were some kind of language that Ramiel didn't understand.
On the necromancer's skull, he felt small protrusions forming a kind of crown. The rest of her body was covered in a cloak, the surface of which loomed hundreds, if not thousands, of human faces in agony.
Her feet were covered with rotten blue flames simulating shoes, but this was probably the least significant part of her appearance.
Meanwhile, Avi arrived on the scene. The fairy hovered over Ramiel's head, analyzing the current situation. Guilt prevented her from interacting with the man.
" You said you were a woman. Do you have any memories of when you were alive? "
Ramiel studied the necromancer carefully, looking for any sign of lying. With those statistics, she was a real monster. His paranoia was making itself known again. The former hunter needed to know if the skeleton would betray him in the future. He didn't fully trust the loyalty system the dungeon offered.
" Yes, Master, I was a powerful necromancer in my previous file. My empire stretched for tens of thousands of kilometers, ruling over the entire continent. " - The necromancer was silent for several minutes. Once she gathered her voice, she sounded as if someone or something was forcing her to do so.
It was quite difficult for Ramiel to sense any lies from her. She had no skin or muscles responsible for the various nervous tics. The only things he relied on were the tone of her voice and the stability of the flames imitating her eyes.
" Do you remember how you died? "
A dead silence hung in the air. Ramiel reflexively placed his hand on the weapon's hilt at his back.
The flames in the necromancer's eyes dimmed. The situation repeated itself. Again, she sounded compelled to respond.
" I don't remember, Master. The information on this subject was sealed, along with most of my knowledge of necromancy and the element of death. "
The atmosphere around them momentarily turned depressing. One could sense unimaginable pain and suffering in it.
At first, Ramiel reacted nervously by drawing his sword, but after a few deeper breaths, he regained his composure.
" Do you remember your name? "
The necromancer plunged into memories trying to recall anything. Most of them were incomplete or distorted. Such things as the faces of her children, the appearance of the castle or the region were shrouded in a dark and murky fog. All she knew was that such a thing once existed. Nothing more nothing less.
However, after several minutes, she managed to unearth one complete memory. She was sitting in a green meadow with a woman. Her silhouette was shrouded in a gray mist, but her voice remained intact despite the difficulties. Like a stripped record, the mysterious figure repeated only one word: Seraphine. After that, everything fell apart.
Seraphine, where her heart should have been, felt unimaginable pain as if she had lost something important. If she had a normal body, tears would surely be streaming from the corners of her eyes. Feeling Ramiel's gaze on her, she shook off her lethargy by raising her head.
" My name is Seraphine Master. "
Ramiel took another look at the necromancer's status window. It had been updated with new information. The name field now showed the word Seraphine.
'Do you know any necromancers with names like that? '
Avi shook her head negatively. The extent of her knowledge regarding the outside world was limited to general information. Any historical references were beyond her reach.
Ramiel wasn't disappointed because he didn't expect much. He knew that Avi wasn't omniscient.
If you don't want to be disappointed, always assume the worst. Ramiel had followed this rule his entire life, and it had saved him a great deal of pain and suffering.
The former hunter took a deep breath and, for a reason known only to himself, placed the blade of his sword under the necromancer's neck, putting her in an uncomfortable position.
After a moment, Ramiel's icy voice resounded in her head.
" Now tell me, Seraphine, why I shouldn't kill you? "