The next morning, Raven woke her early. He didn't bother knocking. The door swung open, and he switched the lights on.
"Up. We leave in ten minutes."
Amelia blinked, causing her unprepared eyes to be scorched by the light.
"F**k... just five more minutes."
She hurriedly shut her eyes, even more tightly this time.
"And the damn light, off... please..."
Using his magic, Raven lifted her off the bed and dropped her onto the floor from about half a meter above.
'She is still quite fragile, so I guess I'll protect her head.'
Raven, evidently not wanting to kill her, made sure that she didn't sustain any injuries, though as a result, most of the force from the fall ended up on her butt.
"Ouch," she yelped while finally coming to her senses.
"What was that for!?"
Completely ignoring her, Raven left the room with the word, "If you are up, then get ready to go out."
"There is also a new brush you can use in the toilet, which is two rooms down on your left."
Amelia gave his leaving back a death glare, all the while rubbing her rear due to the pain that she was still feeling.
"Jerk."
...
She dressed quickly, teeth clenched. This was her chance to get stronger. She was not going to waste it, even if it meant following him.
The walk to the dungeon was quiet. Raven moved at an easy pace, hands in his pockets as if he had nothing to worry about.
Amelia followed behind him, glaring at his back every few seconds. 'What, too good to even walk like a normal person? Must be nice, thinking nothing can touch you.'
As they entered through the rift, the dungeon inside was like a jagged wound in the ground. The air felt heavy, pressing down on her chest.
Raven glanced at her. "Stay close. Watch carefully. You learn faster when you pay attention."
Inside, the stone corridors glowed faint blue. The air was damp and metallic, and the far-off sound of something scraping along the walls never stopped.
The first monster appeared within minutes. It was huge and disgusting, its skin pale and stretched over jutting bones. Four arms ended in claws long enough to cut her in half.
Raven didn't even pause. The thing lunged, but his hand shot out, caught it by the throat, and slammed it into the wall so hard the stone cracked. It went limp instantly.
He stepped over it without looking down. "That is what most of these will be like. Watch the way they move."
Amelia watched, but it was infuriating.
'How is he this strong, already?' He killed everything in seconds. No effort. No hesitation. It was like he was swatting flies.
Then he stopped. Three smaller creatures prowled ahead, low to the ground, their glowing eyes fixed on them.
"Your turn," Raven said.
"What?"
"You want to get stronger. You fight."
Before she could answer, he was already moving. Two of the creatures were smashed into the walls in a blur of motion. The third froze as Raven cut off its escape.
"It is yours," he said, stepping back. "Do not die."
The monster snarled and charged, realising who was clearly the weaker opponent.
Amelia's heart was hammering, but she threw herself forward, magic sparking in her hands. She dodged the first swipe, though it still grazed her arm.
It stung, but she refused to cry out.
She hit it back, knocking it off balance, but it kept coming. Every dodge made her chest tighter, her legs heavier.
'I can do this. I can. I just have to—'
She didn't finish the thought. The next blow sent her sliding across the ground, hands burning from the impact. The monster was on her before she could get up.
Raven grabbed it by the neck and ripped it away like it was weightless. He threw it into the wall.
"That is enough."
"No," she spat, forcing herself up. Her legs shook, but she glared at him anyway.
"Again. I can do it."
He stared at her for a long second. Then he nodded. "Fine."
The next fight was better. She dodged more cleanly, hit harder. But in the end, she still lost. The monster had her pinned, teeth snapping close enough to feel the heat of its breath, when Raven pulled it off.
This time, he held it still. "Kill it."
Her hands shook. She hated that she needed him to hold it for her. But she still sent her magic into its chest until it stopped moving.
"Better," he said.
She didn't feel better. Her stomach twisted with frustration. 'I still couldn't do it. I am useless.'
After that, Raven stopped waiting for her. He tore through every monster they came across, moving faster now, almost impatient.
When they reached the dungeon's heart, the boss monster was massive, its body covered in armour-like chitin. Barbed spines lined its arms, and its roar made her ears ring.
Raven did not slow. He hit it so fast she barely saw the movements, and soon it was on its knees, broken. He glanced at her.
"Yours."
She stared at the thing. It felt like a pity kill. She did not want it. But her magic still flew from her hands, tearing through its skull.
It hit the floor with a heavy thud.
Raven was already walking away. "You will get more chances. Just remember, today you needed me to survive."
She wanted to scream at him. Instead, she followed, hating the way her chest burned.
He killed a few more on the way out, leaving some almost dead for her to finish. She wanted to walk past them, but her hands moved anyway.
Every kill felt like swallowing something sour. 'Scraps. He is giving me scraps like I am a child.'
By the time they stepped out of the dungeon, the daylight stabbed at her eyes. She kept her head down so he could not see how red her face was from the mix of anger, embarrassment, and humiliation boiling inside her.
'Raven, on the other hand, was checking her level to see her progress.
{Name: Amelia Ivanov
Class: Mage
Level:16
Exp:500/2100}
'Not bad.'
'She could level up much faster if I just fed her everything on a platter… But then she'd just be a dead weight to carry around.'
'Anyways, I'll speed things up, so we can leave as soon as possible.'
Raven stretched like he had just finished a light workout. "Tomorrow will be harder."