With a shrug, Dante flicked his blade, blood flying from its edge, his gaze locking onto a slain Goblin clutching a rusted sword. A spark of brilliance ignited as he approached the corpse, and his pulse quickened. He extended his hand, dark energy crackling like a storm about to break, and invoked his SSS Ranked skill.
''Arise!'' His voice boomed, a command that tore through the fabric of mortality itself.
[Do you want to turn Goblin Scout into a Death Knight?]
'Yes,' he thought excitedly.
[First Death Knight selected: F Rank Goblin Scout]
A pulse of Death Energy surged from his core, a torrent of inky black tendrils that writhed and coiled, seeping into the corpse like venom through veins. The ground trembled faintly, leaves rustling as the goblin's body twitched violently. Its flesh, once sickly green and still, began to pulse thanks to the unnatural vigor. Dante's mana wove through sinew and bone, knitting them into something far beyond mortal.
The creature's eyes snapped open, no longer dull but blazing, twin embers of necrotic fire. Just then, the Goblins' form shifted, its scrawny frame swelling with an otherworldly strength, armor-like bone plates erupting across its chest and limbs. The rusted sword in its grip gleamed, now infused with a deathly aura. Moments later, it let out a guttural roar, it rose, no longer a mere corpse but a Death Scout, a harbinger of ruin bound to his will.
It knelt before him, its grey skin and dark eyes radiating loyalty, awaiting his command as the jungle quaked in dread of his might. ''Death Monarch, I am yours to command,'' an eerie voice echoed from the creature.
Dante was about to respond, but a screen popped up, forcing his eyes to widen in surprise.
[Name:]
[Goblin Death Scout]
[Rank: F]
[MANA: 10]
[HP: 2]
[STR: 3]
[DEX: 6]
[INT: 8]
[Upgrade To Rank E for 50 Death Points]
[Upgrade any attribute for 1 Death point]
Dante decided to upgrade the creature's Strength using the two points he had gained from the quest, and when the Goblin felt this, it growled as a dark glow washed over every part of the creature. ''Now for a good name,'' he muttered while thinking for a few seconds before coming up with something. ''Raoul!''
[Name: Raoul]
[Goblin Death Scout]
[Rank: F]
[MANA: 10]
[HP: 2]
[STR: 5]
[DEX: 6]
[INT: 8]
From the tangled underbrush, ten more Goblins erupted, their guttural snarls splitting the air. Raoul sprang to his feet and brandished his jagged sword. When he saw this, his grin widened, a spark of savage delight in his eyes. He prepared his spell as he barked a command to his new soldiers. ''Slaughter six of them, Raoul. The other four are mine!''
In an instant, chaos erupted. Dante surged forward as the Goblins charged. Raoul moved like a specter of death, his blade a blur of dark steel that cleaved through three creatures in a single arc, their bodies collapsing in sprays of ichor. Another swing, and three more fell, silenced under the Death Scouts' onslaught. Dante, undaunted, raised his hands, dark energy crackling like a brewing storm.
Four Death Blasts roared from his palms, necrotic power that slammed into the remaining Goblins. They shrieked as the blasts consumed them, their forms disintegrating into charred husks that crumpled lifelessly to the jungle floor. The clearing fell silent, save for the echo of his triumphant laughter and the faint hum of his unleashed power.
[F Rank Goblins - 500 Experience X 10]
[HP: 1>2]
[STR: 3>4
[DEX: 1>2]
[INT: 1>2]
[MP: 7>4]
[DP: 0>2]
Dante looked at the sixteen dead bodies and cast Arise, prompting the monsters to return as F Rank Death Goblins. They were as armored as Raoul, but it didn't matter, as he wanted to use their numbers against other beasts. Once the jungle fell silent, he turned to his small army that was formed up behind the Death Scout. He nodded before speaking. ''Raoul, let's take them into the Domain and get them situated. We'll be hunting loads of monsters.''
Just as those words left his lips, another quest popped up.
[System Quest: Kill 100 Monsters - Reward: 50 Death Points + 10 Capacity To The Death Monarch's Army + New Weapon]
'Death Army? Is that the Goblins?' he mused while looking at the small horde of monsters.
[Death Monarch's Army: 16/20]
[Can increase the number using Death Points - 100 for 10 Capacity]
Dante's eyes widened at the notification, causing his wicked grin to widen as he muttered. ''No Necromancer can do this; they have a limit. Thanks to the rewards and points, I can grow my army even bigger.''
He spun toward Raoul, his eyes blazing. With a sharp gesture, he activated Death's Domain, and the clearing shuddered as an evil aura surged forth, a suffocating wave of dread that choked the air. Reality itself screamed, splitting apart as a jagged portal yawned open, its edges pulsing with a red light and writhing shadows. Dante strode forward, unyielding, his cloak snapping in the unearthly wind.
Raoul followed while the fallen Goblins shuffled into formation behind him, their hollow eyes glowing with subservience as they crossed the threshold into the shadowed realm, where his power reigned supreme. When Dante appeared on the other side, he was standing in the middle of a flat grassland as the sixteen creatures materialized behind him. Just then, more notifications popped up, only to shock him once more.
[Death's Domain: A realm where the Death Monarch can rest and store your ever-growing army]
[Goblin Mountain: 100 Death Points]
[Death Scout Shack: 100 Death Points]
[Monarchs Treehouse: 100 Death Points]
Dante's eyes widened as he studied the Death Points, his mind racing. Only two points remained, but the path to power was clear.
[Death Points: Earned through completed quests, every ten kills yields two points. Wreak havoc, sow destruction, and spread death across the land as a relentless menace.]
A dark chuckle escaped his lips as he turned to the Death Scout, standing resolute, its eyes locked on him. ''Raoul,'' he declared. ''I'll create a shack for you and a towering mountain stronghold for the others. We'll forge an unstoppable army.''
Raoul seemed to straighten as it answered. ''Yes, Death Monarch. We will bathe in the hero's blood and dine in the ashes of Sunreach.''
When he heard this, his eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly nodded. ''That's right! I'm glad my hate for them has transferred to you, you need to understand why I will torture those betrayers until they beg for death.''
The Death Goblin Scout dipped its head as it stepped back into the jungle clearing, leaving the creatures behind. A biting breeze lashed against him, chilling his skin, prompting him to wrap his heavy cloak tighter as he started walking down a monster trail. Following that, he continued traveling through the jungle's underbrush until two more quests popped up.
[System Quest: Find a campsite to hunker down - Reward: Survival Gear + 2 Death Points]
[System Quest: Survive the encounter - Reward: 20 Death Points + New Skill]
Dante's brow arched, but he shrugged it off, leaping nimbly over a narrow stream as he thought. 'Marzanna is either spoiling me or enjoying herself up there.'
A sudden chorus of bone-chilling howls shattered the jungle's eerie calm, freezing him mid-step. His senses sharpened, eyes darting through the dense foliage as he detected the presence of two D-Rank Jungle Wolves closing in, their hunger-filled growls. Just then, one of the creatures, which was a bit bigger than the animals on Earth, lunged at him.
Without thinking, he cast Death Blast into the monster's chest, forcing it to drop dead as another crashed into him. He was taken to the ground while holding the wolf's snout away from his throat, prompting him to summon his creatures. ''Raoul! Now!''
The Death Scout rushed out of the portal and chopped down on the monster's neck, only for the blade to get stuck. Moments later, the other Death Goblins swamped the second beast while wildly stabbing, just as the first of his soldiers was killed.
[System Notification: Revive Death Goblins for 1 MP]
By the time Dante read the notification, three more died, causing him to bring them all back, leaving three mana left. He pointed his hand at the one Raoul was fighting and cast Death Blast, which tore the front legs off.
[D Rank Jungle Wolf - 200 Experience]
With a sickening thud, the beast crumpled to the ground, enraging the last wolf. It lunged at him, jaws snapping. Moments later, he unleashed another Death Blast, the dark energy beam striking the creature's face. The power seeped into its body, snuffing out its life instantly. Yet, he only one mana left, he staggered, the spell's cost ravaging his strength. He looked at the corpse just as two more notifications popped up.
[D Rank Jungle Wolf - 200 Experience]
[Quest Complete: 20 Death Points + New Skill - SS: Death's Harvest]
Seeing that he checked the skills information and was pleasantly surprised.
[SS: Death's Harvest – Syphon Mana and Life-force from a target]