319

( A/N Hi, I leave an excerpt from the 319th chapter here to show you how the quality has changed. You can take it as an advertisement. If you want to avoid spoilers, don't read it. )

"I got you, son of a bitch." - Ramiel whispered with satisfaction, thrusting his spear into Naga's heart. He was the last of the archers left alive on this dungeon's floor.

He pulled out his spear and pierced the monster's dead body several times, just in case, although it was a flimsy excuse to get rid of the grudge. This particular Nagas had gotten under his skin.

The two had been playing cat and mouse for several hours. Despite appearances, it was not a pleasant game. The simple task of eliminating archers and more spell-oriented monsters turned out to be annoying. All because of this one particular Naga. It would somehow escape whenever Ramiel managed to sneak up on a monster. Once, it almost managed to injure the former hunter. He was careless, and an arrow exploded under his feet. Fortunately, he had Dark Spectrum mana prepared in advance, which smothered the mana contained in the infirnyt's cave.

But that all belonged to the past. The last of the troublesome Nagas had fallen dead. Now, Ramiel, along with Nyla, were able to leave the embrace of blissful darkness and return to the rest of the hunters, where an intense battle was still going on. He could easily deduce this from the fading sounds and screams in the distance.

I wonder if someone died this time. - Ramiel thought.

About ten hours had passed since they left the camp. During that time, the hunters fought two small-scale battles and survived one hastily prepared ambush. They were very lucky, as there were no fatalities or serious injuries, which wasn't too dissimilar in their current position.

But this time, it was a little different. A large-scale battle ensued. The monsters defending the passage to the next floor mobilized all available forces. The hunters faced at least fifty heavily armed Nagas, not counting the archers. With such a distribution of troops, the outcome could have varied.

"Shall we help the others, Master?"

Ramiel looked at Nyla, who appeared beside him. Yes, he could have done so, but it would have involved the expenditure of mana and additional effort. Instead, he preferred to wait quietly and set aside time for regeneration. After all, he and Nyla had already done their part, the rest was up to Lily and the other hunters.

"No. Let's let the others... how to say it nicely "shine on the battlefield." Try to rest for now. We'll join them when everything is over."

Nyla didn't discuss, and obediently followed the master's order. She sat down on the ground and tried to relax, which was difficult when she heard the sounds of the intense battle.

At the same time, Ramiel took a convenient position on the destroyed stone Naga's sculpture, from which he had a good view of the ongoing battle. The fact that he didn't want to help the hunters for selfish reasons didn't mean that he wouldn't help Lily if she got into trouble.

But from what he could see, his sister didn't need a rescue from her older brother. She was doing fine. She still made minor mistakes, but they were acceptable at her current rank. Ramiel could even venture to say that she was independent, although, in his eyes, she would never be so. There, she would forever remain a little girl in need of protection.

~~~~~~

After another hour, the last of the Nagas fell dead under Lily's blade. This was also the moment when Ramiel decided to join the rest of the hunters.

His sudden appearance just after the dust of the battle had settled drew many sharp and hostile stares, but the hunters could only afford so much. No one had the strength or courage to say anything about it.

Ramiel found it pathetic and went straight to Lily, where three healers and a few onlookers had gathered. Judging by their grim faces, there were only two possibilities. Someone had died or been seriously injured.

Oh... so it was the latter option after all. - The former hunter muttered in thought as he looked at the man lying on the ground. The man's name was Morty. Ramiel only remembered his name because he worked directly with Lily and shone during the first fight with Nagas.

The man gave the impression of being strong and talented, he only had one problem. Morty's legs had escaped somewhere. He had two stumps, sloppily cut in the thigh area. This wouldn't have been much of a problem in an ordinary dungeon. The raid would have been interrupted, and the hunter would have been escorted back to Earth, where he would have received specialized treatment. For a high-ranked healer, the regeneration of limbs should take a week at the most.

But...

Morty was extremely unlucky and ended up in an irregular dungeon. Things are a bit different here. He can't be sent back to the surface, nor can he be cured entirely. In a nutshell, he has become a burden that threatens the safety of others. He needs constant care, which, in turn, involves human resources that are needed on the front lines. In their delicate situation, spending the healers' mana on someone who couldn't take an active role in combat was a waste.

Ramiel knew what needed to be done, but before speaking with Lily, he decided to consult his tongue. He pulled one of the hunters aside and questioned her. The woman was horrified but roughly recounted how the unpleasant incident occurred.

At the early stages of the battle, when Ramiel went hunting, several of the Nagas broke through the front line. They targeted the units stationed in the rear. Morty was simply unlucky. He was a good archer but hopeless at close combat. The Nagas caught up to him in the blink of an eye, and before the man realized it, he had lost both limbs.

After hearing the story, the former hunter let the woman go and approached Lily, who knelt by the archer and held his hand to give him some encouragement. At least, that's the best she could do.

At the same time, the three healers were constantly working on treating the stumps, but Ramiel stopped them from wasting any more mana.

"What are you doing? Why are you telling them to stop!!!?" - One of the present hunters shouted and pointed the tip of his sword at Ramiel. He clearly didn't like his actions and had something to say about it.

By the way, it was a very stupid decision that he quickly regretted.

"You think you can do whatever you want!!!? Don't ignore...Ygh..."

The adventurer fell to his knees before he could shout out the rest of his rationale. The former hunter didn't hurt him. He didn't even look in his direction. Ramiel simply focused aura on him, forcing the man to shut up. He could have dealt with it in another way, but he didn't have the slightest desire to do so. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.

Apparently, the hunters just needed a simple reminder of who they were talking to. After that, neither of them interfered with the former hunter's actions. Instead, he put the incident behind him and calmly accosted his sister as if the commotion of a few seconds ago hadn't happened at all.

"Lily, can we talk?"

The woman nodded but didn't leave the wounded archer even for a step. She continued to kneel by his side and tried to comfort him.

"Are you sure you don't want to step aside?"

Ramiel took the silence as agreement and sighed slightly.

"Leave us alone."

The hunters looked at each other meaningfully. They hesitated for a moment, but a little perspiration in the form of a modest dose of aura was enough for reason to return to their minds. The only ones left standing were the healers who came directly from the former Alpha team, but after a nod from the woman, they left them too.

"Nyla, this concerns you as well."

The woman nodded and followed the rest of the hunters, leaving Ramiel, Lily, and Morty alone.

"What are you going to do now?" - The former hunter didn't play with affectionate words or play nice but went straight to the point.

"What do you have in mind?" - Lily whispered quietly, wiping a lone tear from the corner of her eyes. He inferred from the emotional way she reacted that they shared some kind of common history, but the former hunter seemed unfazed by this. He could sympathize with his sister's loss, but that was all.