Rise Of The Death Monarch

Dante stared at Luna, her wolf ears flopping down as her tail slowed to a crawl. She was waiting for his response, which came seconds later. ''Okay, but if you die like the others, I'll come down to the underworld and bring you back with me.''

When the older woman heard his words, her bright blue eyes sparkled. She lunged forward, enveloping him in a warm cuddle, only to feel him wince as pain coursed through his injured body. Startled, she quickly stepped back, her voice soft. ''Oh, Master, forgive me, I forgot your wounds.''

''Don't worry about it,'' he waved her away. ''Relax with me while I try to eat some noodles.''

The two sat in silence as he took out steaming food from his storage ring. He began eating slowly, savoring each bite as his strength gradually returned, only to be wiped out by the lingering light magic. Emboldened by the surge of energy, he devoured the meal with increasing gusto, pulling out more portions.

By the time he finished, his stomach was uncomfortably full, leaving him bloated and queasy, making Luna giggle as she teased. ''Looks like you've picked up a food habit along the way, master. I remember you used to eat like a field mouse.''

Dante chuckled. ''Well, if you had to eat survival rations for weeks, you'd want proper food after a while,'' he defended himself, laughing.

The two laughed as he pulled out more ale and began drinking until he was tipsy. Luna moved closer, laying her head on his shoulder with a warm smile on her face. ''I won't be dying like the other women. I made it to S-Rank after so many years of battling with all kinds of monsters.''

''I'm so glad you're here,'' he said warmly, reassuring the beautiful brown-skinned woman.

Her face lit up with a brilliant smile, and in a burst of joy, she leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, her expression brimming with happiness. He couldn't help but get happy at the gesture. She sat back down and took a swig of ale just as the howling started, echoing across the Dark Forest.

Dante's gaze flicked to the right, catching the glint of multiple yellow eyes peering at him from the shadows. Activating Death Eyes, he pierced through the darkness, and a notification flashed in front of him, revealing the monster's name.

[Shadow Ape - D Rank]

His eyebrow rose as the creatures surrounded the campsite, causing Luna to explain. ''They won't come close thanks to me and the lion. Shadow Apes are curious beasts who love to watch travelers before attacking them.''

''Interesting,'' he muttered, taking one last mouthful of ale and standing up.

''I'm going to get some sleep. Are you joining me?'' The older woman nodded. ''Of course, get comfortable and I'll be in shortly.''

Dante rose with a groan, a sharp jolt of pain coursing through him like an electric shock. Gritting his teeth, he hobbled into the tent, where a pile of pillows and blankets awaited. Slipping beneath the soft layers, he felt their comforting embrace pull him into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Sometime later, Luna slipped inside, letting out a quiet yawn after making sure everything was fine and the monsters were guarding the campsite. She settled beside Dante and nestled close, resting her head on his shoulder. The rhythm of his breathing relaxed her, and soon she fell asleep, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

When Dante woke up the next morning, a dull, throbbing ache pulsed through his body, each movement igniting sharp stabs of pain that felt almost unbearable. Grimacing, he clenched his teeth, fighting to steady himself against the overwhelming discomfort that seemed to radiate from every muscle and bone.

He quickly noticed Luna was still fast asleep, letting out an adorable snore as her tail swayed side to side. This put a smile on his face before standing up, causing a string of pops to echo out thanks to the light magic. Gritting his teeth, he stepped outside and felt the cold weather brushing against his skin.

A chill coursed through him, sending a shiver down his spine. He retrieved a cloak from his storage ring and draped it tightly around himself, just as his eyes caught the hulking form of a Death Bear and the Wendigos prowling at the edge of the camp. Their glowing eyes fixed on him, tracking his every move.

Letting out a yawn, Dante sank onto a nearby log, shaking off the remaining sleep as he steadied himself, fully waking up as he took out a water bottle and downed some, thanks to having a dry mouth. That's when he realized the Dark Forest and surrounding grasslands were covered in a thick layer of thick.

''Damn Nemaroth weather is horrible,'' he muttered, as he noticed the Wendigos stayed close.

Dante coaxed the fire back to life, its flames surging to life, casting a wave of warmth across the campsite. He let out a sigh, the heat easing the chill in his bones. Just then, Luna emerged from the tent, her movements slow yet captivating, drawing his gaze as her form shifted in all the right places.

A sudden spark flared inside, an intense, unfamiliar sensation that flickered in his chest, leaving him caught between curiosity and confusion. He shook his head, trying to clear the haze of his thoughts, just as the older woman approached, her face lighting up with a warm, welcoming smile.

''Morning, Master,'' she called out cheerfully. ''This damned fog's made the weather even worse today.''

''It has,'' Dante responded. ''But we can still travel toward Blackharbor, it's too far away now.''

The older woman nodded. ''You're right, there's a village in between us and the city, so we can have some fun along the way.''

Following that, the duo had breakfast before packing up the tent and putting out the fire. They continued traveling until reaching a dirt road, where he sent all the monsters back to the Domain to surprise the humans. Once there, Luna returned to her human form as he hobbled beside her.

''Are you sure you can walk?'' She asked, a worried glint in her eyes.

Dante waved her away. ''I'll be fine, I'm getting used to the pain. Plus, it's also a learning curve for me. I never realized how dangerous light magic is to beings like us,'' he explained.

''That's good, at least you're learning from it,'' Luna smiled.

They pressed on through the thickening fog until the outline of a village emerged in the distance, its name unknown to them both. The two exchanged a glance of shared excitement at the chaos that would be unleashed on it. Pausing their advance, Dante raised his hand, summoning a horde of Wendigos.

A crimson portal tore open the air before them, and the creatures poured forth, their eerie forms converging in the dim light as they awaited his command. ''Kill every human you can, I'll send the rest once the screaming begins,'' he ordered.

When the Wendigos heard this, they silently charged toward the village walls as the Death Trolls, Warden, and Lion appeared. Dante glanced at them, his grin growing more manic as he felt the experience pour in thanks to the creepy humanoid creatures taking out the enemy guards.

Minutes later, screams echoed out, prompting him to speak to the remaining monsters. ''Kill everything in that village and collect the bodies for me.''

Following that, every monster rushed toward the blood-covered settlement as Luna turned to him, a sparkle in her big blue eyes. ''I love this new side of you, master. It's more refreshing, and I've always disliked humans.''

Dante glanced at the mature beauty and smiled. ''Thank you, but I have a feeling Marzanna had her eyes on me way before the heroes betrayed me. There has always been this darkness inside me, I never knew what it was until waking up as the Death Monarch.''

As he spoke, screams, explosions, and other horrifying noises echoed out. People tried to flee, but the Death Lion tore them to shreds, and pools of blood ran through the village streets. They approached the place as Luna stared at him with wide eyes, wonder and amazement filled her gaze.

''So you've fully embraced the Death Goddess? Seeing as you're calling her by name,'' she muttered.

Dante nodded. ''Yes, and eventually she'll be mine,'' he declared, red eyes full of confidence.

Following that, an exhilarating rush of leveling up surged through him, knitting some of his wounds with the newfound power of his Death Form unlock. His eyes blazed with a vicious fire. With a feral snarl, he drew his daggers, their edges catching the faint light as he charged toward the village.

Pain seared through his body, but he cast it aside, driven by an unstoppable force that propelled him into the middle of battle. Dante cut several guards apart as the Wendigos and other monsters moved deeper into the settlement.