Worthy Opponent

An interesting event took place a few hours before Ramiel arrived in the Night Ripper forest.

An adult Night Ripper roamed the dense forest in search of litter. From birth, his kittens were unruly, troublesome, and uncontrollable.

They caused a ton of problems in pursuit of their youthful instincts. Sometimes he felt like tearing them apart, but at the end of the day, he forgave them for their little antics. Nevertheless, they were his dear children. Even monsters with limited brains love their little ones and will do anything to keep them safe...

Finally, after hours of searching, the monster caught their scent. It was faint and half-weathered, but it was enough. The scent of the Night Rippers shouldn't be underestimated.

The farther the monster walked, the more anxiety grew in him. He was slowly approaching the forbidden land. The terrain beyond was hostile and belonged to terrifying creatures. At least that's what the pack leader said, and you don't argue with him.

Night Ripper gritted his teeth and sped up. He had no time to waste. If his litter crossed the forbidden boundary... he'd rather not know what would happen.

His persistence paid off. After several minutes, he reached the Tree of Ten Shadows, where the smell of kits was strongest.

Unfortunately, the overgrown cat didn't know if he had anything to be happy about. The smell confirmed his fears, leading to forbidden territory. This didn't bode well.

Suddenly, the monster's ears perked up. Hearing the sounds of battle and smelling the mixture of foreign smells, he rushed with his paws as much as he could. He momentarily forgot all the warnings and cautions. Parental instinct took precedence over reason. After all, these were his kits.

The Night Ripper climbed into the tunnel in a few leaps. As he did so, his heart was seized by pure rage. His litter lay dead. They had been killed by lowly insects.

Little green creatures laughed and desecrated the bodies by sitting on them.

Such an insult was unbearable. How could creatures deserving the name of food do something so disgusting and repulsive?

The Night Ripper ignited a lust for blood and found the perfect target to fulfill his desires. A horned, reckless woman with horns stood with her back turned to him. The monster couldn't have dreamed up a better opportunity. Almost immediately, he rushed at her with the intention of killing.

Being close enough, it used shadow resonance to strengthen its tail and attacked with full force...

~~~~~~~

Ramiel reacted quickly when he smelled the bloodlust. In the blink of an eye, he stepped out of Asme's shadow, drew her to him, and quickly retreated a few steps back.

Meanwhile, with the help of the other blade, his sword was shrouded in dark purple lightning. Ultimately, they should have been black, but his poor mana reserves only allowed him so much. He had to save particles whenever he could.

Further on, Ramiel let his instincts take control of the wheel. His moves were sure and deadly. 

He started with an elongated slash from left to right. The weapon blade met resistance halfway, deflecting the attack dripping with bloodlust.

The former hunter gritted his teeth, stopping a painful moan in his mouth. A burning pain appeared in his wrist, running through the bones of his forearm. The expansion only stopped near the shoulder.

Ramiel was lucky that he held the sword in an inverted position. Otherwise, his wrist would have been twisted. However, one swallow doesn't make a spring. He couldn't rest on his laurels. With a deft flick of the wrist, the former hunter turned the weapon's hilt 180 degrees and again drew an elongated line.

As before, the wedge met resistance, but this time the unpleasant consequences were a little lighter. This isn't to say that it was without complications. It still hurt like hell, and Ramiel's shoulder, as well as entire arm went numb.

Frankly speaking, the former hunter's hand should have been broken at the first exchange of arguments. But what are years of experience for? Ramiel used a small trick. Positioning the blade at the right angle, he parried the monster's attack by taking only part of the force. This is a popular tactic when fighting a stronger enemy.

However, improperly executed, it can lead to the loss of a limb. To be honest, Ramiel made a small bet. He didn't see the attack coming and reacted in advance. He bet on the Night Rippers' standard opening, and it paid off. He broke the bank and won the first prize.

The former hunter didn't let success go to his head. He prepared to retaliate but quickly abandoned the idea and went back to running. His instinct screamed of imminent danger. As is well known, instinct should be obeyed.

The decision turned out to be a hit...

Like Ramiel, the Night Ripper didn't give up. After a failed first attack, he went all the way. He tensed his flexible and hard-as-wood muscles and jumped forward, stretching paws.

The monster missed and landed two meters in front of the man, but Ramiel didn't lower his guard, which ultimately saved not only his life, but Asme's as well.

As the Night Ripper's first paw touched the ground, a perfect shadow copy leapt from the overgrown cat's body. Its red blinds stuck to poor Asme.

The rest happened quickly, even too quickly for the former hunter. The magical creation swung, leaving a terrible cut on Asme's shoulder blade.

Ramiel couldn't stop it, but that didn't mean he'd let the monster do as it pleased. As the saying goes, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

The former hunter loosened his grip around the woman's waist, tilted her body to the side, and used the kinetic energy from the double's attack to throw Asme as far away as possible.

This was merely a prelude to the real concert. Ramiel didn't let the opportunity pass him by and used the spikes of darkness in the meantime. In the blink of an eye, dozens of spikes massacred the front paw of the shadow creature.

The answer came almost immediately. Night Ripper wailed in pain, and the shadowy creature stood beside him. Its limb was back to normal, which couldn't be said of the monster's paw. It was perforated, and yellow, foul-smelling pus oozed from the holes instead of blood. A small memento left by the Cursed Condemnation.

Ramiel took advantage of the moment of respite to regain his balance and consolidate his position. A few seconds later, he let out a chilling aura from his body. He also didn't fail to look with superiority straight into the monster's eyes. He wanted to make it clear who the predator was here.

Besides, every second was precious. Leach had already started to act.

His little trick worked. The monster grew moody and growled threateningly but didn't do anything reckless. It respected the stranger and recognized him as a real threat. Although he didn't look strong, his gaze and posture told the monster a lot. This isn't someone easy.

Unfortunately, Ramiel shared the monster's stance.

Adult Night Ripper... As usual, life doesn't spoil me. - The former hunter stated in mind. From the first seconds, he knew who he was fighting. It was enough to look at the well-developed body or the tail. Instead of a spearhead, there was something like a serrated knife blade at the end.

Terribly painful and deadly. Wounds from it don't heal well.

The monster's magic is additionally a problem. From what Ramiel has noticed so far, he has hit a tough nut to crack.

First, the Night Ripper enhanced its tail with Shadow Resonance. This increased its penetration and cutting power. Later, he used Shadow Copy. A troublesome spell. It allows you to create a perfect copy of the thrower that perfectly reproduces the physical features.

Nevertheless, it wasn't without its drawbacks. Every second of maintaining the copy costs tons of mana, and the copy cannot cast spells. However, the most painful drawback is the phenomenon of damage resonance. All wounds are transferred to the thrower.

Thus, Ramiel activated Leach and imposed a couple of negative effects - bleeding, festering wounds, weakened defense, and two minor curses affecting dexterity.

How did the former hunter know about the activated effects? I'll leave that for another time. For now, it's better to focus on what's important.

The former hunter had to stop his subjects from interfering. They may have noble motives, but they will do more harm than good. They're not even fit to be cannon fodder.

" Stop. " - Only one word escaped Ramiel's mouth, stopping everyone in their tracks. Even Night Ripper felt cold shivers run down his spine.

Ramiel didn't raise voice. He didn't need to. He is the fortunate possessor of shouting without hovering. A trace of authoritative will can be found in his words, subjugating everyone. This kind of shouting is several times more dangerous than normal.

The former hunter didn't waste any time. He carefully took a vial of blood-red liquid from the space ring. It was a concoction to slow the bleeding and increase the body's natural regeneration. Then, with a deft flick of the wrist he threw it to Avi. The fairy read his thoughts and caught the precious concoction without much trouble.

" You are to take Asme out of here and retreat. No one, I repeat, no one can interfere in my fight. If anyone stays behind, I will personally break their neck. " - Ramiel didn't ask. He ordered, and the weight of his words struck everyone. " The exception is Goblin No. 1 - only he can stay with me and cast spells. You should focus on the front paw. When you run out of mana, you can join the rest. "

All the while, Ramiel maintained eye contact with the monster. This was insanely important. Otherwise, Night Ripper would attack.

' Avi, I don't think I need to explain to you what to do. When you take out Asme, spread out five lilies from the lake near the tunnel's exit. ' - Ramiel gave the fairy additional instructions.

' Ramiel... Take care... ' - Avi said goodbye, clenching her small fists out of helplessness. She was reluctant to leave the bond but had to do it. The former hunter trusted her. She did the same. Besides, he doesn't look like he is going to that world. Not to mention that he has already gotten out of far worse problems.

Avi took one last brief glance at the prisoner's back and got to work...

Ramiel did what he could to help the injured Asme. Now, he had to take care of his safety. Using free hand, he slowly unfastened the leather straps. Pieces of rusty sheet metal acting as " armor " fell to the floor with a bang. A similar fate befell the shin guards and other parts protecting the man's body.

Low-quality armor would be of no use to the former hunter against an opponent of such caliber. It would only get in the way and slow him down. Getting rid of it was a good decision.

Ramiel tilted his head slightly, drawing the Night Ripper's attention away from the hand where the ice sword was forming.

For the next five minutes, the situation remained stagnant. The apex predators exchanged nothing but threatening and intense glances during this time.

Usually, the one who takes the initiative has the advantage.

However, giving up the initiative appealed more to Ramiel. He exceptionally preferred to defend rather than attack. He feared retaliation in case of a miss. On the other hand, Night Ripper respected the stranger. An icy aura and a look that gave the sensation of death acted as an effective deterrent.

Besides, Ramiel was in no hurry. The longer the Night Ripper was passive, the more advantage the man would gain. Currently, Leach has stolen 1% of the statistics. Not much, but always something. The former hunter would be a sure winner if the status quo lasted for hours.

Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever. If Ramiel doesn't attack, the Night Ripper will. The monster was cautious for now, but even patience has limits.

Another five minutes passed, and Leach had already stolen 1.5% of the stats. But here, Ramiel's luck came to an end. The Night Ripper had enough of waiting. He clasped the mighty muscles on his paws, broke eye contact, and threw himself at the former hunter. His copy followed immediately.

Ramiel did likewise, leaning forward and moving toward the monster. With a swing, he hurled his sword like a spear at the Night Ripper.

Mocking the pitiful attack, the monster moved to the left, avoiding the ice creation. Then its tail, supported by the resonance of the shadow, tore through the air with the crack of the whip. However, to the monster's surprise, the tail destroyed the rock behind it instead of dismembering the stranger.

Moments before the collision, Ramiel used his favorite trick. Using Shadow Walk, he appeared in the shadow of the flying sword. Grabbing it in flight, he twisted body in midair, leaving two deep and nasty wounds on the shadow copy's back.

Night Ripper wailed in pain, and the cloth around the fresh wound was covered with ice. He was furious, which directly affected the shadow copy. The double, without thinking much, gathered to counterattack.

Nevertheless, Ramiel also prepared for it. An unpleasant surprise awaited the shadow copy. Before the deadly tail of the spell could reach its target, it was massacred by the Spikes of Darkness.

Ramiel took advantage of the moment of respite and landed safely, savoring the agonized screams of the Night Ripper. The monster was furious and distraught. Its pride and sign of status in the herd dangled on a flimsy piece of leather. Its tail was fit for kitten food at best.

As if that wasn't enough, the overgrown cat felt dizzy, his insides ached, and blood dripped from his nostrils. The opponent he faced wasn't easy.

So far, Ramiel has done a great job. The previous attack put on some useful curses and status effects, but unfortunately, it's still not enough. Apart from that, in the last courtesy exchange alone, the former hunter used up three-quarters of his mana reserves. At this rate, he will run out of mana before he kills the monster, becoming a walking sack of meat.

Ramiel's first plan was to run away and drive the Night Ripper towards Lilies, but after seeing the difference in speed, the former hunter quickly gave up on the silly idea. The monster would catch up to him halfway, and that's not an option.

By way of elimination, Ramiel was left with only two options. Fight a battle of attrition, which he is likely to lose, or go all the way and end the battle quickly. The choice is obvious.

Ramiel improved the grip by squeezing the handle. The situation wasn't as hopeless as he thought. The Night Ripper should run out of mana soon. Then, the fight will become much easier.

As it turned out, the former hunter was right. The monster withdrew the spell.

Ramiel took advantage and threw the sword again. Learning from mistakes, Night Ripper took a different approach. Instead of dodging, he destroyed the weapon. He raised a massive paw and swung.

However, blinded by aggression, the monster failed to anticipate one thing. Ramiel isn't stupid enough to use the same trick twice. Just before it made contact with the monster's paw, the weapon exploded into hundreds of shards, wounding the oversized cat.

Before the monster had time to make any sound, the blade of the second sword flashed before its eyes. Night Ripper wanted to save himself with his injured paw, but it was trapped between the green vines.

Having no other choice, he followed instincts and grabbed the weapon's blade with powerful jaws. Clenching his razor-sharp teeth on it, he immobilized it. The poor monster didn't realize the mistake it had made.

Seconds after he grabbed the weapon, a powerful electrical charge passed through his body, wreaking havoc inside it. At the same time, dozens of circles of Cursed Condemnation activated, imposing negative status effects.

Mobilizing meager slivers of strength, Night Ripper snatched the injured paw from between the green vines. As the razor-sharp claws were about to massacre Ramiel's shoulder, something happened that neither he nor the man expected.

A small white snake crawled out of the sleeve of Ramiel's jacket. The creature opened its jaws wide, releasing a cloud of poisonous smoke straight into the monster's mouth.

Momentarily, Night Ripper felt a burning sensation in his respiratory system, and his veins came to the surface. The blood oozing from his wounds turned purple, and his muscles trembled in painful spasms.

The former hunter's hanyard hissed menacingly, announcing its dominance over the flimsy cat.

Ramiel was the first to snap out of his stupor. In the blink of an eye, he and the snake disappeared into the shadows and appeared behind the Goblin. He looked at the hanyard with a small amount of gratitude. If it hadn't been for him, things would have been bad with the man.

As for Night Ripper, Ramiel didn't have to worry about him any longer. After a vicious attack, he was unable to stand. The monster's massive body collapsed to the ground, with purple foam oozing from its mouth.

The battle could be considered over. Not counting the snake's poison, the Cursed Condemnation applied the blood centipede's poison during its last attack. When the substance entered the bloodstream, it destroyed the body's cells at an alarming rate, leading to a quick but agonal death. 

Ramiel smiled under breath, dispelling the aura. Cursed Condemnation definitely ranks among his favorite skills. The worse the target's condition, the greater the chance of being poisoned and the stronger the curses and weaknesses.

Night Ripper created a spear from the shadows with his last breath, sending it towards Ramiel. Even in death, his rage was unquenched. Not only did he fail to avenge his offspring, but he was humiliated by the insect!

Ramiel stood still without moving from his seat. The spear created from the shadows dissipated before it reached him. The man let out a considerable amount of air. 

"It's over... " - A thin trickle of blood ran down the former hunter's forehead. Ramiel wiped it off with his hand crookedly.

So I didn't come out unscathed, too bad. - Ramiel muttered in thought while stroking the little snake's head. Meanwhile, he tucked the corpse of Night Ripper into the ring and headed toward the exit.

The white snake enjoyed the caresses and hissed with delight.

" You did a good job, little one. Maybe I should finally give you a name? " - Ramiel ended the training camp with this thought.