Rise Of The Death Monarch

Dante was standing by the entrance of Luna's hideout. The wolf woman was confused as to why he wanted to collect monsters, but accepted it either way. While there, he thought about Bella and Mary, only to shake his head. 'I shouldn't have got attached,' he scolded himself.

He shifted his focus back to the Mana Storm that had erupted with relentless fury, its howling winds tearing ancient trees from their roots and hurling creatures through the air like leaves. The sheer spectacle of it captivated him, filling him with a mix of awe and exhilaration.

The raw power pulsing through the storm, an electrifying force that seemed to hum with otherworldly energy. Each gust carried a strange, shimmering light, and the air crackled with arcane sparks that danced chaotically, illuminating the chaos in fleeting bursts. He stood transfixed, heart pounding, as the wind surged around him.

''Master, would you like something to eat?'' Luna's soft voice reached his ears from behind. ''I have many delicious monsters we could share.''

Dante turned around to see the beautiful brown-skinned woman and nodded. ''Yes, please, I need to keep my strength up or my body will break down even more.''

[HP: 60/280]

A low growl echoed from his throat when he noticed he wasn't healing, and it annoyed him once again. The old man popped into his mind, causing his aura to explode outwards. Luna suddenly hugged his body, calming him down before gently nudging him toward the nearby fire.

''Calm down, master. We can get out of here, and I'll make sure you're healed,'' Luna reassured. ''The Death Witch is skilled and has healed many from the Light Bitches magic.''

She had handed him a sturdy stick, a crutch to ease the burden on his injured left leg, which throbbed whenever he dared to put weight on it. ''Damn light magic, I hate the stuff!'' He moaned to himself.

''Shows you how far you've fallen,'' the woman revealed, frowning. ''I never expected you to be...''

''Evil?''

A guilty expression appeared, but Dante waved it away and continued walking. ''It is what it is. I was the hero, the one who slew the Demon King; despite all my deeds, I was cast away. Burned alive and betrayed. You cannot blame me for becoming this story's villain.''

Moments later, he took one step only for the limb to protest, forcing him to lean on the wood as he hobbled, slowly falling behind Luna as she was in a daze, thinking. By the time he sank into a chair, the pain had surged back with a vengeance, an ache turning into a searing burn that gnawed at his focus.

'Damn, pain is getting too much,' he mused.

Dante gritted his teeth, trying to push the discomfort to the back of his mind. The arrival of food seconds later, steaming monster meat without any spices. His stomach growled in anticipation as he reached into the storage ring at his side and retrieved a bowl of hot noodles he bought back in the village.

With care, he added the strips to the noodle bowl, the aroma rising to meet him, mingling with the broth's warmth. The act of preparing the meal was a simple pleasure. As he stirred the meat into the noodles, the rich scents wove together, offering a distraction from the pain that terrorized him.

Luna came out of her daze and looked at the bowl in his hand, questioning. ''Where did you get that from?''

''Huh?'' Dante replied, looking at the noodles. ''Oh.''

He shook his head and answered. ''I bought it from a human village. I needed some food apart from monster meat.''

''That makes sense,'' she nodded. ''I hate those curs, but their food is some of the best, after the Demi Humans, the cooked meat they make is delicious.''

Dante began laughing and handed the wolf woman a bowl of spicy noodles, warning. ''Add meat, but be careful it's hot.''

Luna's blue eyes gleamed with hunger as she snatched the bowl of spicy noodles, her tail wagging furiously. Without hesitation, she piled on a generous heap of monster meat, barely giving the steaming dish a second glance before diving in. Her sharp teeth tore through the noodles, slurping and chomping, bits of sauce splattering across her face.

He leaned back, arms crossed, watching with a growing grin. Luna's cheeks, already a rich brown, darkened to a near-crimson shade as the spice hit. Her eyes widened, but she kept shoveling food in, determined to eat everything. A muffled whimper escaped her as she swallowed a particularly large bite, her tail stiffening.

''Too hot for you, huh?'' Dante teased, his laughter bubbling up as her face contorted.

She slammed the bowl down, fanning her mouth with both hands. ''Hot? This isn't hot, it's hotter than dragon fire!'' she growled, her voice hoarse. ''You trying to kill me, master? What kinda cursed spices are these?!''

Her complaints only made Dante laugh harder, clutching his sides as she glared, cheeks still flushed, licking her lips defiantly before reaching for another bite. He calmed down and revealed. ''Now you have this form, it's so much better. At least we can speak now.''

Luna beamed, a bright smile appearing on her face as she eagerly nodded. ''Yes, I was excited when Marzanna came to me and offered this opportunity. I'm just shocked with how we reunited.''

''Plans of higher powers,'' he replied. ''It's how I came to this world many years ago now.''

''Two hundred and ten years it's been,'' the older woman corrected.

His eyes widened before laughing. ''It's been that long, I wonder how Earth has changed.''

'It doesn't matter,' he internally answered himself. 'I won't be going back there, and anything I knew would be dust by now.'

Following that, Dante handed Luna a less spicy bowl, but the older woman eyed it like it was planning on shaving her tail, causing him to chuckle as he reassured her. ''It's fine, this one will go better with the meat and won't burn you.''

''Okay master,'' she muttered.

Soon, Luna started eating only to be surprised and began scoffing everything down. Dante couldn't help but smile as he continued eating. By the time he finished, thunder boomed overhead. The cave shook, shocking the wolfwoman who glanced at the entrance and growled.

A chilling A-Rank aura surged from the entrance, sending a shiver down his spine. An enormous Cave Bear lumbered into view, its hulking form filling the doorway with a menacing growl. Luna reacted instantly, her body shimmering as she shifted into her powerful wolf form.

[Cave Bear - A Rank]

Dante sprang to his feet, dark energy surging through his hands as he unleashed a Death Blast. The air crackled with raw power, the blast slamming into the Cave Bear and forcing it back. The beast roared in fury, its skin sizzling as the corrosive mana ate away at its hide, forcing it back.

Luna moved like a blur, lunging for the creature's throat. Her powerful jaws clamped down, claws raking through its thick flesh, sending blood spraying across the cave floor. The bear thrashed, its massive claws swiping desperately, but her S-Rank strength made the attacks useless, its strikes glancing harmlessly off her fur.

The beast's eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend her strength. With a final twist, she snapped its neck, the sound echoing like a thunderclap. The Cave Bear collapsed, its massive body hitting the ground with such force that the cave trembled, dust falling from the ceiling.

Dante sighed in relief as Luna transformed into her human form, complaining. ''Damn thing wanted to die, I kicked it out years ago. It used to come around, but all I had to do was growl, and it would run.''

He didn't answer her but raised a hand, pointing it at the corpse, and whispered. ''Arise.''

Death magic surged out of him and rushed into the Cave Bear before transforming, making its body stronger, its once dead eyes opened, glowing a deep shade of red that locked onto him. Luna let out a growl and jumped in front of him, but he explained. ''It's my monster now, watch what happens.''

Moments later, the monster rose and let out a roar that shook the cave once again, prompting Dante to shout. ''Shut up! We're in a small space, there's no need for that shit!''

Luna giggled at the but the bear instantly shut up and bowed its head in his direction as a notification popped up.

[Death Cave Bear - Rank A]

''Nice, a powerful monster to help us travel over the mountains,'' he muttered, red eyes glowing due to the excitement. ''We can collect even more creatures, then attack the humans to raise an undead army.''

As Dante said that, he remembered the Death Camp.

[Death Camp Capacity: 6000/6000]

His eyes widened as he suddenly hugged Luna, catching the wolf woman off guard, but she didn't stop him. Following that, Dante hobbled back into the cave to sit down as he ordered the bear to guard the entrance. The brown-skinned beauty didn't know what to say or do, so she sat down to get comfortable.