Rise Of The Death Monarch

Dante glanced at the wolf woman and agreed with an amused nod. ''Yes, we will. I want to get my revenge on the Darkmoore King, cause chaos for him, and vanish before they could find us.''

''Good!'' Luna exclaimed, pointing at something in the north. ''Now we're alone, let's head toward that mountain over there. It leads to the Death Witch, I can lead the way do don't worry about getting lost.''

''Alright,'' he answered.

Following that, they started walking toward a nearby dirt road that would take them to the main trade route that circles Dawnfen. While the duo did this, he scanned their surroundings only to spot a cart in the distance. It was blocking an old stone bridge, causing his eyes to narrow.

Dante scanned the people with Death Eyes only to be shocked.

[Flesh Weaver - B Rank - Ambush Hunters, good for hunting humans]

''Luna,'' he suddenly said. ''When things go crazy, don't react and let me do the talking.''

When the older woman heard this, her blue eyes narrowed as she sniffed the air, only for her tail to go stiff. She let out a low growl and turned to him. ''They're not humans, master. They are foul creatures from the Underworld.''

Dante's interest was piqued. ''Is this the Underworld tunnels or a world below the surface?''

Luna turned to him like he was an idiot, but he explained. ''I never paid attention to history or whenever the human mages waffled on.''

She giggled but went on to inform about everything and enjoyed doing, thanks to him listening this time around. Dante learned that the Underworld was a realm discovered by the Dwarves decades ago, and an untold number of monsters poured out, destroying a small kingdom.

The horde was beaten back, but whenever an entrance popped up, whichever realm it was in, the others would react thanks to how dangerous they were. When Dante heard this, his red eyes glowed with greed. ''So is there an entrance on Dawnfen?''

Luna nodded. ''Several, but most down here are controlled by the Darkmoore Kingdom, but there are many up north,'' she revealed.

''We could go down there after im healed to capture more monsters, the ones I've got now are good, but I always need more.''

As those words left his lips, the list for the Death Army popped up, taking him by surprise.

[Death Army Total: 37/250]

[Death Cave Bear – A Rank]

[Death Creepers – D Rank x 4]

[Death Lion – S Rank]

[Death Trolls – A Rank x 15]

[Death Panther – S Rank]

[Hide Behind Hunter – A Rank x 4]

[Death Forest Giant – A Rank]

[Death Gorgon – S Rank]

[Death Giant – A Rank x 10]

'I was right,' he mused, rubbing his chin. 'I need more S-Rank monsters to stand up against the kingdom, they must have hundreds if not thousands if I remember what Bella told me.'

When he thought that a notification popped up, it shocked him to the core.

[Bring back Belle the Death Mistress - 250,000 Death Points]

[Bring back Mary the Death Wraith/Herald - 250,000 Death Points]

[Bring back Raoul the Goblin Death Knight - 250,000 Death Points]

[Bring back Sulla the Death Lich - 250,000 Death Points]

[Bring back Henry the Black Knight - 250,000 Death Points]

[Bring back Marianne the Death White Lady/Herald- 250,000 Death Points]

Dante was shocked to the core when he saw that, but one last notification popped up.

[This is the best I can do, my Chosen. Now you have to save up]

'This is good, but it'll take some time to get that many points,' he thought as they closed in on the bridge.

''Master, stop daydreaming, the creatures have seen us and are getting ready to spring their trap,'' Luna's voice brought him back to reality.

Dante pointed a finger at the leader, who was slowly approaching, a creepy, inhuman smile stretching across the man's face. He cast Death Bolt and summoned the powerful Death Giants that rushed through the portal and crushed the Flesh Weavers, their giant bodies pummeling the unsuspecting creatures.

The wolf woman was shocked; she shook her head and started laughing as the Bigfoot-like monsters threw ten bodies at his feet. He raised his hand and cast Arise, bringing the Flesh Weavers to his side. His magic seeped into their body like a mist, transforming them into something far stronger.

They were a mess of flesh and bone, but transformed into ten knights, previous victims of theirs that his power allowed them to use. Once that was done, they knelt in respect, but Dante just sent them to the Domain alongside the Death Giants, adding to his ever-growing army.

After all that drama was settled, they continued walking, leaving Luna baffled by how quickly everything had happened. Following that, the journey was quiet as no more monsters tried to attack, after hours The air grew heavy with the clean scent of water over stone. In front of them, the river unfurled, a wide expanse of slate-gray water.

It carved through the valley like a blade, its banks a narrow ribbon of gravel and tangled roots. The moon hung low, a crescent blade slicing through the indigo sky, its pale light casting long shadows that merged with the river. Exhaustion tugged at their limbs, a silent agreement passing between them that this was the place to rest.

Dante scanned the terrain, noting the high ground to their left and the dense thicket shielding their flank. ''Here,'' he said simply.

Luna nodded, her blue eyes gleaming, already sniffing the air for any lingering traces of danger. They set to work with the rhythm of people long accustomed to being on the road in both lives. Dante unfurled a magic tent that popped up, he got it from a shop in Blackharbor thanks to the Wendigos.

The tent rose, a low, sturdy silhouette against the river, its flaps secured with knotted cords that whispered of countless nights under the stars. Luna, meanwhile, prowled the bank as she gathered driftwood for the fire. She stacked them into a neat pyramid at the center of a cleared patch.

Using magic she struck sparks that caught the kindling in a hungry flare, the fire crackling to life with a warmth that pushed back the encroaching chill. The flames leaped high, painting their faces in shifting hues of gold and amber, and the smoke curled upward, mingling with the mist rising from the water.

They settled by the fire, the river's thunder a constant undercurrent to their quiet preparations. Dante rummaged through the storage rings, producing loads of delicous monster meat. Luna contributed a handful of wild berries she'd plucked earlier, their deep purple skins tart and bursting with juice.

They ate in silence, passing a battered tin canteen back and forth, the water inside cool and faintly metallic from the river's distant springs. Each bite was savored, not for its flavor but for the strength it promised, fuel for the road ahead. As the fire settled into glowing coals, he leaned back against a smooth boulder, his eyes tracing the river.

The system's earlier notifications lingered in his mind, a spectral ledger of potential and price. '250,000 Death Points per soul,' he mused

The numbers a taunt and a goal. Belle, Mary, Raoul, Sulla, Henry, Marianne, names that meant something to him even if it was as a servan. To bring them back would be to wield an army not just of beasts, but of legends, a force to make the Darkmoore King choke on his own arrogance.

Yet the points required were a mountain to climb, each one earned through blood, cunning, or sacrifice. He glanced at Luna, her silhouette sharp against the firelight, and wondered what she'd make of such ambition. Luna, sensing his introspection, broke the silence with a low hum, her voice carrying a playful edge.''You're scheming again, master. I can smell it, something dark and delicious brewing in that head of yours.''

She stretched, her silver fur rippling as she lounged on a bed of moss, one clawed hand idly tracing patterns in the dirt. ''Care to share, or is it another of your I'll tell you when it's done plans?''

Dante chuckled, the sound rough but warm, like gravel stirred by a gentle tide. ''Just dreaming of an army to end all armies, Luna. The kind that'd make kings beg and monsters kneel. But it'll take time, and a few more bridges like the last one.''

His gaze flicked to the river, its churn a mirror to his own hunger. ''Tell me, what do you know of this Death Witch we're chasing? Any chance she's got a hoard of Underworld beasts tucked away, ripe for the taking?''

Luna's ears perked, her grin flashing fangs that caught the fire's glow. ''Oh, she's a tricky one, that Witch. Lives in a cave spun from shadows, they say, where the mountain's heart beats with old magic. Some claim she's half-dead herself, bound to the Underworld's edge, trading secrets with things that don't breathe. If anyone's got a leash on its monsters, it's her, but she doesn't part with power lightly. You'll need more than charm and a sharp sword to sway her.''