The Hunt Has Begun

Caera stood on the branch of a tall tree. Her sky-blue hair blew freely in the wind, falling on a quiver thrown over her shoulder, from which a subtle cool breeze blew. It was half-filled with arrows that Skeletons had put their hearts into creating, or what had once been their hearts.

The elfess' golden eyes, surrounded by a soft glow, carefully mirrored the surrounding wilderness. She had been haunted by a peculiar feeling she didn't associate with a pleasant memory for more than two hours.

Back in the days when she was still an adventurer, her team had fallen prey to stubby creatures. These monsters played at their best, stalking unsuspecting adventurers and constantly exerting mental pressure on them.

The memory suddenly came alive in Caera's mind, reminding her of the danger lurking in the Night Rippers' pristine forests.

No matter how long she searched, she found nothing out of the ordinary. However, she didn't stop there. Ramiel made it clear that she should fully trust her scouting instincts, and that instinct was bluntly making itself known.

" It won't hurt to try... " A barely audible voice left the elfess's tightly compressed lips. Her lungs were filled with a considerable amount of fresh air, lifting the hefty updrafts.

" How did it fly? Clear your head, imagine the mana as a river consisting of billions drops of ice, then saturate these drops with the element of darkness and redirect them to the eyes. "

A few days ago, Ramiel taught Caera how to break any spell that distorts perception easily. He simply considered it a necessary skill for someone of the elfess' stature.

It was nothing difficult or complicated. It was enough to saturate the eyes with the element of darkness temporarily. Simple, right? However, nothing is free. There was a small and very important detail.

If someone didn't have good control over the flow of his mana, one's eyesight could be irreparably damaged. This was due to the destructive nature of the element of darkness.

For good reason, Ramiel chose it as the basis of most spells. Although it excelled in every area of magic, it was one of the few leaders in terms of attack power. Even most barriers neutralized attacks in a style unique to the element of darkness.

Instead of focusing on protecting the target, the barrier emitted an attack of similar strength to counter it.

In comparison, the same barrier based on the ice element works the opposite way. It focuses one hundred percent on stopping the spell's force on its surface.

The goal is the same, to protect the spell caster, but the means to achieve it is a completely different path. It can be compared to the difference between a bright and warm day and a cold and dark night.

Caera's eyes, shining with a golden glow, were gradually covered with a dark liquid that turned her irises gray. It resembled spilled ink on a white sheet of paper, which greedily absorbed the fateful liquid.

Caera's concentration exceeded all limits. The tiny droplets of sweat covering her skin glistened in the soft light.

Controlling every single molecule of mana was far more difficult than she could have ever imagined. In activating the spell, it wasn't helped by the element of darkness, which wanted to break free from the woman's yoke at all costs.

Momentarily, her respect for Ramiel increased several times. When he did this, everything seemed like a child's play.

Finally, after a struggle that lasted fifteen minutes, Caera managed to cast a spell.

The change was visible to the naked eye. The world she had previously seen in colorful hues was now bathed in bleak shades of gray. Everything had a superimposed filter from the camera, amplifying the negative by several tens of percent.

" Wha- What ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "

Caera couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her pupils dilated in shock, and her lips twitched involuntarily. The elfess felt herself losing strength in her limbs, and her legs became like cotton wool.

A grim feeling of fear, a battering ram, tried to break down the door that was the last line of defense in Caera's mind.

Sarron was awakened from sleep by the irregular pulse of his deity, which slowly led the woman towards the treacherous river Styx.

" SSsss ? " ( Are you all right ? )

The woman was deaf to the words of Ramiel's bonds. All she could hear was a subtle hum that echoed in her pointed ears.

The little snake looked around carefully, trying to find the cause of Caera's condition, but everything looked normal.

Fearing for her condition, he decided to do something. He couldn't let his deity die by his side, not while he was standing guard.

Standing his ground, he rubbed his muzzle subtly against Caera's cheeks, pale with fear.

Sarron's rough skin acted as a sobering salt, bringing Caera down to earth.

" Tha- Thank you... " Caera howled in a trembling voice. If it hadn't been for the intervention of the white snake, who knows how it might have ended.

" SSSssss " (Something happened ?).

The elfess was greedily catching large gulps of air, but not much, and she would have choked on it.

" This... see for yourself... "

Saron tilted his head thirty degrees. His vertical pupils stared expectantly at the elfess.

Has my goddess lost her mind? I knew not to leave her alone with this pervert...

As Sarron challenged Ramiel in every possible way of the world, he suddenly had a flashback. He felt as if a true deity in his person had granted him grace.

Immediately, his eyes were filled with an element of darkness. Unlike Caera, it took him a few seconds. One of the many advantages of connecting with Ramiel.

His bad mood became even worse. He had hoped to rest peacefully in the arms of the goddess. Unfortunately, life is a whore that likes to mock the plans of living creatures. Instead of blissful rest, he will get a sudden call to work as a replacement for a sick colleague.

~~~~~~

" Asme... "Out of breath, Caera tried to warn Asme of the impending danger, but all she could muster after her frantic sprint was a sudden coughing fit. In order to make it in time, the elfess ran to the camp as fast as she could until she was out of breath. Every second was at a premium.

" Seraphine, bring Felix. He should still have some potions for accelerated recovery. "

The necromancer only cast an oblique glance in the Horned Beauty's direction. Asme was taking every possible opportunity to serve her. Worst of all, she couldn't oppose her.

Asme was smart. She didn't give any order that could hurt Seraphine's dignity. It was Ramiel's fault for not specifying the scope that the word respect encompasses. The woman respected Seraphine a lot, even too much.

Asme gave Caera a few minutes to rest, then proceeded with extensive questioning. She knew the elfess well. If it weren't something important, she wouldn't have run here at breakneck speed.

" So... Will you tell me what we got into this time? "

Caera struggled to catch her breath. Her breasts rose and fell rapidly. In part, it was a mesmerizing sight.

" We have... we have a problem... a big problem... "

Asme raised one of her eyebrows. The tired elfess' words didn't sound encouraging.

Her sharp eyes didn't miss the fact that Caera's pupils were trembling with fear. Yes, she often panicked in stressful situations with Ramiel, but never during a fight. In this aspect, she was irreplaceable. Her self-control made a good impression on Asme.

The horned beauty suspected that her friend might have a dual personality, but that's a story for another time. One should be able to distinguish between important and trivial matters, Asme thought.

" Caera, I understand you are tired, but if it is something important, I need specifics. We have a problem. It doesn't tell me too much. ~ "

Caera remained silent for a few more minutes, recuperating. At the same time, Sarron took over her role. His subtle hiss filled the empty space.

" Sssss,sss,sssssss " (We are surrounded from eight sides of the world by hordes of bloodthirsty monsters.)

Asme put her foot on her leg, revealing the seam of her thighs hidden under the black veil. Her head tilted gently, and her fingers went to her temples, supporting her.

" Any chance of escape? "

Saron shook his head negatively.

" Ssss, Sssss. " (There aren't any. There are too many. Even if by some miracle we succeeded, it won't take them long to catch up with us.)

An ugly grimace dawned on Asme's face. Up to now, everything was going like clockwork... But, as usual, everything hit a snag at the very end.

So all that's left is the fight... - thought the horned beauty

" How much... "

" Sss... " (About eight monsters, which Ramiel calls the Fright of the Night. Each of them leads roughly fifteen adult Night Rippers. I could be wrong about the exact number. The dense treetops obscured my view).

A real hurricane was unleashed in Asme's head. Thoughts were swirling chaotically, trying to work out the optimal battle plan.

She could feel the blood flowing through her veins heating up. The familiar feeling of excitement gradually filled her body.

Am I becoming a battle maniac like Ramiel is?

Asme didn't know that she was being influenced by the power of the lineage. The desire to fight a strong foe, over the eons had taken deep roots in her forgotten bloodline.

" Have you contacted him yet? "

" sss... " (Ramiel has his problems, he ordered to pass on: " If you keep your cool and don't get carried away, you should come out ahead. If it secures your victory, don't hesitate to sacrifice soldiers, but don't do it initially. Although I would prefer to avoid it, somehow get over the death of the goblins. On a more important note, watch out for Felix, and don't take too much on your shoulders. If you feel the situation is out of your control, give leadership to Seraphine. Otherwise, try to follow her advice. You may not like her, but she is currently a better commander than you. One more thing, remember that your safety and Caera's safety come first. )

" Is that all? " A hint of hope could be sensed in Asme's voice.

" SSS... " (Would you like a piece of cake with a cherry on top to go with it ?)

Asme's hope died even faster than it was born. She had hoped for something more concrete, such as an outline of general tactics or guidance on unit deployment.

Unfortunately, Ramiel had thrown her in at the deep end without any protection. In his view, it was a baptism of fire. After all, he couldn't babysit her for life. Asme must become independent.

After a few minutes, Seraphine returned along with the potion. The mood that greeted her was far from good. From the first second, she was struck by the gloomy atmosphere. The ugly grimace that replaced the usually pugnacious face of the succubus only confirmed her earlier predictions.

" How bad is it? "

Asme sighed heavily.

" It's worse than bad... "

Asme carefully explained the situation they were in. In doing so, she was careful not to leave out any details. After all, Seraphine is the one pulling the strings here.

Although she didn't want to admit it in front of the necromancer, she could only hide her head deep in the sand.

There was silence in the imitation of an improvised camp. Seraphine tried to find some positives to their hopeless situation, but there weren't many. But before she proceeds, she needs to know Asme's opinion. It is up to her to have the last word for now.

" Child, so what are you going to do? Will you swallow your pride and bend your neck before me? Will you exult in your pride and put the lives of all the creatures living here on the line? "

An invisible tension developed between Asme and Seraphine. Caera could have sworn she saw sparks flying joyously between them.

The elfess knew that what was happening was wrong. They are just wasting precious time that they could be using to consolidate their positions.

The lump in her throat grew as she felt the fixed gaze of the predators heading their way.

The first to break the deadlock was Asme. Her mesmerizing voice resounded through the forest grove.

" Ramiel trusted me, and I want to prove him right..."

" Fine. "

It will be fun to watch desperation and fear of death break you in half. I can't wait for you to come on your knees begging for help. Although Seraphine really wanted to say this, she kept this humble thought to herself.

" The plan is this... "

~~~~~~

" Wrr... " A figure emerged from the dense bush, shrouded in streaks of darkness stretching into infinity. Its two powerful tails wriggled like snakes, leaving a deep trail on the ground behind it. In stature, it resembled an adult tiger.

A brief flash passed through the monster's graphite eyes, filled with an outpouring of bloodlust. In irises as deep as the ocean, it reflected the sight of a makeshift camp in the middle of the forest.

His gaze was fixed on the unwanted intruders who had been causing his species a great deal of trouble for several months. Watching day after day, his younger comrades being slaughtered for a few red stones was driving him crazy.

Fortunately, today, they received a clear order to exterminate the annoying insects. The Boss male of the herd made it clear: slaughter them all in the stump, show no mercy, just as they showed no mercy to our brothers.

Show them why it is us. We are the masters of these lands. Let them experience true despair and fear.

 Not even a minute passed, and he received seven similar roars in response.

Silence reigned in the forest of the Night Rippers. The steady growl of the Night Rippers was the only sound that disturbed the blissful calm.

All the creatures that still had a glimmer of intelligence hid deep in their burrows. No one in their right mind would venture out when they heard the roar that heralded the beginning of the hunt...

At the same time, the man looked at the collection of roaring monsters with a fanatical smile on his face.

' Old bastard, I didn't think you survived my death... '