A world bathed in blood

" Ramiel... Ramiel... Ramiel! We have to go! Right now. "Avi did everything he could to shake Ramiel out of his lethargy. Ever since he had killed the Dark Grizzly, he had been unresponsive, staring blankly into space.

The situation they found themselves in was far from comfortable. Immediately after the death of the overgrown teddy bear, the barrier separating them from the rest of the world disappeared. From the information Avi had, it was meant to keep living beings from escaping, but there was no way to isolate sound. This meant that the entire forest of Night Rippers could hear their wild antics.

The fairy could put her life on the line, and the place would soon be swarming with deadly monsters. For this reason, she tried to move Ramiel, but it wasn't so easy.

' Of all the worst moments, you had to choose just this one! I hate you! Die! Disappear! Pervert! '

Avi had to somehow give vent to her accumulating emotions. Bad luck that the provocateur of her hopeless mental health was standing next to her and doing nothing.

Of the positives of their hopeless situation, Ramiel's health can be mentioned. The weapon he found in the Infirnyt mine was far more useful than anyone expected. One might be tempted to say that Ramiel found a needle in a haystack.

The weapon not only repaired itself but also received something on par with Nenneke's grace. Avi considered it a level increase in the game. But the red bag of prizes, an elderly man with a white beard, didn't end there.

As it turned out, the real jackpot was an improved version of the mana steal skill. 1

In addition to the obvious mana-related effects, it restored a small amount of stamina and regenerated the damage done to the body to a small extent. The last effect carried a huge price tag, but that's Ramiel's problem if he manages to survive. For now, it doesn't look promising.

' Ramiel, please... ' As if by the touch of a magic wand, Ramiel snapped out of his lethargy, panting heavily. Within a second, he was paralyzed by excruciating pain coming from every part of his body. The worst outbreak was in his left hand, the bones of which were in pieces.

I am alive??? But how??? What happened? - Ramiel had no clue how he was alive. By all his calculations, he should have bled out long ago. He overlooked the fact that the events of the last few minutes had been erased from his mind. Lately, he had gotten used to it.

" I... flew away again... ? " - Ramiel immediately regretted trying to say anything. Along with something akin to the seagull squawking, streaks of rare blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.

I shouldn't be doing this. - thought the man.

Before anyone could react, Ramiel felt the world spinning before his eyes and his legs going soft. Dizziness hit him at the speed of a super train in Japan.

Seeing Ramiel fall, Avi trembled with fear. Her heart was filled with two extreme emotions: on the one hand, she was glad that the sleeping prince had finally deigned to wake up, and on the other hand, she feared that he wouldn't survive the journey.

Despite appearances, not all injuries could be healed with low-level skills. His weapon may have been above Chaos rank, but it was still incredibly weak. If something that regenerates itself can be called weak...

With all her strength, Avi panickedly pulled Ramiel by the hair. If he regained consciousness, she couldn't let him lose it again. Her tiny heart was beating like crazy, pumping dizzying amounts of adrenaline. But even while doping up, she could not get him to move.

' Ramiel, please, we have to move. I'll tell you everything. I'll even stop biting you, but for the love of God, get up and come with me! '

Ygh fuck... that hurts. With pain tearing his head in two, Ramiel rose with difficulty. He wanted to lie down and fall asleep with all his strength, but he knew he couldn't.

' Lead the way... ' A fading voice resounded in the fairy's mind, giving her another worry. Ramiel was unable to even open his eyes. Every attempt ended in his collapse. In this case, he had to rely completely on her judgment of the situation.

Avi nodded and took Ramiel's finger. " Sarron, you are responsible for our protection if you must poison everything in our path. Ramiel will not be able to defend himself. Our safety depends on you," she said.

A small snake magically emerged from the shadows of the men, menacingly gulping at the area around them. It had been hiding in Ramiel's shadow since he set off a series of explosions. It wasn't manly behavior, but such were the orders of his bindings.

" sss. SSS " (You can count on me, focus on guiding him.)

Sarron, like Avi, was concerned about Ramiel's condition but showed it slightly differently. Screaming loudly and worrying constantly wasn't his style.

Fighting against the time running out, Avi moved forward, traversing the dense forest.

' Hang on... '

~~~~~~

Escaping the forest was hard, although looking at it from another perspective, calling it hard is definitely not enough.

Sarron had his hands full, killing every Night Ripper that came within five meters. As if all this wasn't enough, the stigma of impending death had a big impact on their psyche.

Ramiel's hopeless condition didn't help their escape. Avi had stopped counting the man's falls after a hundred. There was also a situation when they had to take a break because Ramiel was unable to continue.

Despite everything, he never gave up and kept pushing forward. Sometimes, when he was close to a breakdown, depressive thoughts would pop up in his head, but they were quickly dispelled by Avi's standing guard.

Finally, after several hours of ordeal, they were able to rest. Bathed in his blood, Ramiel, unable to continue any longer, fell with a bang to the hard ground next to the lake.

The man lost consciousness before Avi could say anything. Her tired eyes looked with concern toward the massacred man. Her small fists clenched, and her mouth twisted into a grimace of pain.

If one had looked closely at the fairy's violet eyes, would have noticed signs of fatigue and mental exhaustion. Contrary to appearances, the expedition turned out to be much harder for her than for Ramiel.

" Sarron, keep an eye on him. I'm going to get help... " - A tired Avi barely rose.

" Ssss... sssasss " (Stay with him, I'll get help, you need more rest than me).

Avi knitted her eyebrows. She wasn't used to anyone other than Ramiel showing concern for her. In a peculiar way, it was nice.

" Are you sure they will understand you? "

" Sssssssss, SSSSSssss " (Everyone here knows the language of snakes... just not him...).

Avi sighed heavily. It was true that she was tired as hell, but she had duties to fulfill for Ramiel. On the other hand... Sarron should be able to cope.

After a short moment of thought, the fairy replied. 

" Fine... just hurry up... "

" SSS " (I'll be right back, keep him alive until then).

Avi led the white snake away with tired eyes. Her previously vivid purple eyes underwent a metamorphosis, transforming into two matte orbs. With sadness painted on her face, the fairy rubbed Ramiel's cold cheek, trying to wash away the dried blood.

If Asme's mood could be read by her wagging tail, Caera would be to her ears, and with Avi, it was her eyes. No matter what she did, she could not hide the emotions bubbling up in them.

"Idiot... I told you it was a bad idea to go on an expedition alone... " A whisper filled with a mixture of suffocating feelings that loomed inside the little heart left Avi's dry and cracked lips.

Closing her eyes, she snuggled into Ramiel's sleeping face. Hearing his peaceful heartbeat, Avi could relax for a brief moment.

~~~~~~

" Hmm... I need more monster cores. Without them, my research will grind to a halt. "

With desire etched in her smoldering flames, Seraphine looked at the unfinished skeleton of the humanoid creature. In height, it resembled an adult human, and that was the only thing it had in common with the human species. Its hands had been replaced by bony sword segments, connected by something resembling a rope. If one were to compare it to the tail of the Night Fear, there would be no difference. The legs of the bony creation had been transplanted from the Night Ripper after a few adjustments. 

All over the skeleton's body could be found intricately carved runes using infirnyt crystals. Seraphine had to admit, the raw material that Ramiel had discovered was far more useful than the man had anticipated.

Seraphine gazed appreciatively at her work. For a long time, she had been secretly working on this project. Without a doubt, it was her strongest creation since she appeared in the dungeon. To be completely happy, she was only missing a few monster cores.

 Slowly but effectively, she prepared to leave Ramiel and free herself from the influence of the Nenneke. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't even dream of it. But by taking advantage of the slave bond and how vulnerable Ramiel had become to manipulation, she was able to use him in her plans. All she needed was his order to protect Asme and Caera. Then, she would have a free hand.

" Hmm... I guess I should ask him for permission to hunt... " The words fought their way through her throat. Her pride as a man who ruled the entire continent could no longer bear to be under someone.

Despite the fact that she had previously considered Ramiel worthy, he was now acting like an imbecile. In part, Seraphine knew she couldn't blame him for this. The state his soul was in had a huge effect on him, handicapping him. But the fact of cloaking himself to someone hurt immensely.

As Seraphine was about to leave her workshop, her attention was drawn to Sarron, who was slithering around her robe. The necromancer didn't like snakes. At first, she wanted to squash him, but she remembered a very important fact. Sarron is Ramiel's hanyard, which gives him immunity in the dungeon...

Trying to sound indifferent, Seraphine began. " Are you lost? "

Saron shook his head negatively. His small eyes stared hard at the bony face of the necromancer. He felt the same resentment towards her as she felt towards him. Unfortunately, she was immune to his poison. Otherwise, she would have died long ago.

Seraphine, sensing the tense atmosphere, furrowed her non-existent eyebrows.

Maybe I will teach him a little lesson? Ramiel shouldn't be angry...

Before the necromancer had time to do anything, a soft hiss came to her ears.

" Sssssssss... " (We have a problem...).

Sarron summarized the events of the last hours in a few minutes.

Seraphine, knowing the general outline of the situation, sighed with resignation.

" You want to tell me this idiot went on a solo expedition in such a condition? Couldn't you tell me about it? Do you know how much time I spent to make his plan A work out? "

" Sss... " (It's not like I could have said anything...).

" Never mind... drive before his condition worsens. " Feeling a headache coming on, Seraphine moved toward the abyss.

~~~~~~

Somewhere in an unknown dimension, there was a place the sight of which would make even a petrified heart quiver with fear.

Ethereal rivers filled to the brim with scarlet liquid merged at one point, flowing into a vast ocean of blood. The rushing stream was accompanied by the soul-shattering screams of tormented souls caught in the never-ending current.

Gusty winds swept through the wilderness with a noise, snatching the blood-red sand with them. In places, destructive elemental waves met each other to form raging tornadoes.

Looking above, two blood-red suns rose in the dark red sky, waging an eternal battle with each other for supremacy. Although it was a beautiful sight, one shouldn't be fooled by it. A moment's inattention is enough, and a curious creature will be sucked dry by the insatiable appetite of the blood-red orbs.

High in the sky, beneath the majestic splendor of the two beings that should be the source of all life in the cosmos, stretched billions of monstrous chains holding the entire universe in their grasp. Despite its years, the structure was still holding strong, perfectly fulfilling the task entrusted to it.

Rustle

Rustle

Rapture

Rapture

Squeak

Crackle

Suddenly, the massive links tightened. The entire world shook to its foundations in response to the unexpected stimulus. Rivers overflowed, mountains eroded, and the earth cracked in half to form an unfathomable chasm.

Booooooooooooooommmmmmmm!!!!!

With blinding brilliance, one of the chains that should have lasted for decades broke, dissolving into thin air.

At the same time, in a world where no life should exist, a cloud of blood-red mist appeared over the surface of the agitated ocean of blood.

Under the influence of magic lost eons ago, it formed into the form of a tall woman. Her shapely figure was perfectly formed into an hourglass shape, and the curves that made up her body were enticing in their appearance.

Even though she was completely formed from a cloud of gas, it seemed as if hundreds of talented sculptors were working on her day and night in the sweat of their brows.

No, even then, they wouldn't have been able to achieve such a stunning effect.

A gentle smile appeared on the woman's face, and her chest moved her modest breasts in imitation of breathing.

In a seductive manner, the mysterious figure bit her lower lip, looking high into the blood-red sky " Mmm... I hope you feed me well, comrade. ~ " A melodious voice, filled with a hint of laughter, emphasized the last word.

" Or... you will become my meal ~ but for now, let me take care of the mess you have created.2