Rise Of The Death Monarch

Dante was lying in bed, staring out the window as the waves battered the side of the Celeste. The name of Amara's ship, Luna, had been asked by the Dark Elf before coming back to bed, carrying more ale. She handed it to him with a smile. ''Here you go, master. It should help the pain.''

''Thank you,'' he said, taking the mug.

While drinking, Dante checked his upgrades from the Blackharbor slaughter only for his smirk to grow wider.

[Level Up: 115>121]

[Experience: 150/20,000]

[MANA: 320>350]

[HP: 284>310]

[STR: 338>371]

[DEX: 347>390]

[INT: 280>310]

[CHA: 156>175]

[Death Points: 11,000>23,000]

'Oh wow, that's a big boost,' he mused, resting even more. 'It seem's the S-Rank took down a few strong humans.'

Following that, the journey to Dawnfen was uneventful until the last week, when they came across a Terror of the Deep, as the Dark Elves called them. Dante was standing on the top deck with Luna and Amara as the creature breached the surface. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of a massive dark blue shark.

Its massive yellow eye landed on him before it dived back under as the Dark Elf commented. ''It might attack. The runes only reach a certain rank, and that thing is a primordial.''

Dante shivered at those words. He shook his head and used Death Eyes on the monster just below the surface.

[Terror of the Deep - Primordial - Do not fight!]

'Huh?'

He was baffled by the warning but took it to heart and didn't want anything to do with the creature. Dante slumped on a nearby chair that Amara had set up as he revealed. ''It won't attack unless we make the first move; it's a smart monster.''

Luna looked at him like he was stupid. ''How do you know that?''

''Look at the intelligence in its eyes,'' he said, pointing at the shark. ''It was seeing if something or someone was on board, and now it will go away.''

Just as those words left his lips, the Terror dived even further into the murky depths, surprising the women. Amara turned to him, a curious glint in her eyes. ''How did you do that?'' She asked.

Dante shrugged. ''I got used to reading monsters thanks to Luna here, she was my companion and I learned during our journey,'' he answered.

When the wolf woman heard this, her face lit up and she lunged at him. Wrapping her slender arms around his shoulder. She shoved his head into her cleavage, speaking. ''Thank you for being so caring of me back then, master. It makes me happy.''

Following this, the three continued talking on the deck while the storm finally calmed down, allowing him to see all the fish surrounding the ship thanks to the sailors dumping stuff overboard. Dante was busy watching the crew go about their work as the women gossiped about Dawnfen.

He learned they would be dropped off in a fishing village on the border of Darkmoore and the Western Wilds thanks to the kingdom's navy patrolling the coast. Luna was confused, but Amara went on to explain that she didn't want them to get caught by the humans, which the wolf woman understood and was grateful for.

''This isn't going to cost me more, is it?'' Dante asked the grinning Dark Elf.

Amara turned to him with a mock offended expression and replied. ''Of course not, why would I charge Death even more than I already have? I'd love to be owed a favor by a being as yourself.''

Dante stared at the blonde-haired woman and nodded. ''Good point, the journey has been peaceful, unlike I thought.''

The dark elf woman threw her head back in laughter, downing a swig of ale before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her red eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in. ''Don't fret, we've got a few days left at sea yet. If chaos comes knocking, as it always does, that's when I'll show you just how brilliant a captain I truly am.''

Following that, everyone laughed as Dante made his way back to his room, thanks to the pain washing over his body due to the constant rocking. When he slumped down in the chair, Luna appeared and spoke. ''You look like you've swallowed a storm cloud, master.''

She didn't turn, but her ears twitched toward him, attuned to the subtle shift in his breathing. ''Or is it the ale from last night still churning in your belly? I told you not to match her drink for drink.''

Dante chuckled at that and waved her away. ''It dulls the pain and helps with the headaches that hit me. We need to find this witch soon.''

The wolf woman laughed at this and nodded as she slumped down on the bed. ''Well, it will take us a week to reach the mountain she lives on, then we need to find her.''

After that, the duo began relaxing as Luna appeared behind and started rubbing his shoulder, sending a wave of bliss across him. Her hands did wonders for the pain plaguing him. When she realized the effect she was having, she continued and got into it, her blue eyes so focused she didn't see him doze off.

Dante ended up falling asleep thanks to the massage, his eyes felt heavy, and his body ached, but thanks to Luna, he felt better, allowing him to get some much-needed sleep as the storm had caused chaos thanks to the swaying side to side. By the time they arrived at the fishing village, he was sick of ships.

Amara was in the smaller boat they were taking to shore, her red eyes full of curiosity as she asked. ''When can we meet again? I'm guessing you'll need a ride to another continent once you destroy this one?''

''I don't know,'' Dante answered. ''Maybe we can meet up at the Darkmoore Capital in a few months? I need to get healed and relax for some time?''

''How about the end of winter?'' The Dark Elf suggested. ''I need to go see my parents and siblings. Sailing the oceans is tiring work. It calls for a break every once in a while.''

''Where do they live?'' Luna asked.

''The north edge of Dawnfen, a little cove where we Dark Elves reside in safety from the outside world,'' Amara answered, smiling. ''Maybe you can visit on your journey? I know an enemy of the Darkmoore is a friend of our small town.''

Dante's eyes widened in shock at the news, but he nodded slowly, forcing a wry smile. ''I'll visit her, no doubt. But after all this fighting, I'm taking it easy on the road to the witch, letting my monsters handle the heavy lifting.''

The trio fell into easy chatter after that, the words flowing like a balm against the sea's sway, until at last they reached the shore. As he hobbled down and his boots met dry land, a wave of relief crashed over him. He didn't want to set foot on another boat if he could help it, not after the cursed thing had rocked ceaselessly, churning his stomach at every lurch.

Moments later, Dante knelt on the sun-warmed sand, palms pressing into the earth as if to anchor himself against the phantom roll of the waves. The air here was thick with the scent of salt and wild greenery, far kinder than the boat's reek of bilge and despair. He glanced back at the vessel, its sails limp in the breeze, and muttered a curse under his breath.

''Never again,'' he promised the indifferent sea.

Beside him, Amara stretched her arms overhead, her lithe frame uncoiling like a cat after a nap. She was the picture of untroubled grace, her blonde hair catching the light in threads of molten moonlight. ''Oh, come now, Death. It wasn't that bad. Just a bit... invigorating.''

Her laugh was a ripple of bells, lightening the air even as she teased him. Dante glanced at the Dark Elf woman with narrowed eyes. ''Shut it, woman, it wasn't you being sick for days once we got underway.''

Luna and Amara giggled even more, causing him to groan as he took out a water pouch and started drinking. As the two of them started messing around, the Darl Elf woman stood up, her smile widening. "Anyway, Death, I have to go. You've got your monsters, your quest. I've mine.''

She leaned in, pressing a cool kiss to his cheek, her scent of night-bloom and spice clinging like a promise. ''Find me when you've finished with your chaos. Or sooner, if you miss the teasing.''

Following that, Amara got back on the boat as her crew started rowing toward the Celeste. Dante watched as the Dark Elf beauty waved at him, a big smile stretching across her face until she was gone. Once the duo couldn't see them, Luna commented. ''Why don't we go to this cove once we've battled the kingdom?''