Dante's grin widened as he spun toward the rustling brush, where another Jungle Wolf emerged, its eyes glinting. ''Pin it down,'' he commanded sharply. ''Keep it still.''
Raoul and the Death Goblins surged forward, piling onto the startled wolf in a chaotic heap, pinning its thrashing form. He approached, unfazed by its snarling maw, and pressed his hand to its head, whispering. ''Death's Harvest.''
Moments later, a surge of MP flowed back into him as the wolf's strength faded, its body weakening under his touch. Revitalized, Dante stepped back and unleashed a final Death Blast, which erupted, coating his minions in a grisly spray of brain matter.
[D Rank Jungle Wolf - 100 Experience]
With the wolf dead, Dante dragged the three bodies into a pile, deciding this trio would suffice until a stronger beast emerged. He pointed his hand at them, saying. ''Arise.''
As the words left his lips, death mana surged from his body, seeping into the corpses. The beasts stirred, reborn as Death Wolves, their dark brown fur now a deep, inky black, with eyes glowing a fierce crimson.
Dante's hand grazed the nearest wolf's head, a faint smile crossing his face. A sudden thought struck him; he hadn't seen his reflection since the change. His gaze swept the surroundings, landing on a nearby lake, its still waters beckoning.
He approached the edge, the still water reflecting the faint light piercing the jungle's dense canopy. His heart thudded as he leaned over the surface, anticipation mingling with unease. The face that greeted him was not his own, or at least, not the one he remembered.
His hair, once a warm brown, now fell in snow-white strands. Dante noticed his skin had turned unnaturally pale, and his eyes were no longer blue. Instead, they glowed a deep, unsettling crimson, like pools of fresh blood, their intensity both mesmerizing and unnerving.
He froze, his breath hitching as he traced the unfamiliar features. The boyish charm, the soft cheeks, the easy smile that had once defined him were gone, replaced by a sharp, chiselled jaw and an otherworldly charm.
'This is me now,' he thought, the realization sinking in. 'No more brown hair, no more blue eyes, no more baby face.'
A faint smirk curved his lips as he considered the change. But I'm not complaining. This face… It's handsome. Striking, even.'
Dante reached up, fingers gliding through his white hair, its silky texture surprising him. His reflection rippled slightly as a breeze stirred the lake, but those crimson eyes held steady, locking onto his gaze.
For a moment, he felt a surge of pride. This new form carried a weight, a presence that commanded attention, far removed from the unassuming boy he'd once been. With a final glance, he straightened while mumbling. ''Now it's time to get to work.''
He turned to the three Jungle Wolves standing there, staring at him like they were lost puppies. This put a smile on his face before giving them an order. ''Go find me more monsters, I need to kill ninety-seven more.''
At Dante's command, the Death Wolves vanished into the underbrush, their black forms swallowed by the jungle's dense foliage. He dismissed Raoul and the Goblins with a wave, sending them back to the Domain in a flicker of dark mana.
Alone now, he settled against a gnarled tree, pulling a crusty piece of bread from his pack. He tore off a piece, chewing thoughtfully as the sounds of the jungle hummed around him, his crimson eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.
Some time passed until the wolves returned, telling him about a giant Goblin camp at the base of a mountain a few miles away. Dante stood up and checked his status to see how close he was to leveling up.
[Name: Dante Ashbourne]
[Class: Death Monarch]
[Level: 0]
[Experience: 1450/10,000]
[Rank: F]
[MP: 7]
[HP: 2]
[STR: 4]
[DEX: 2]
[INT: 2]
[CHA: 1]
[DP: 22]
[Skills: SSS: Arise (0) SS: Death Blast (0) SSS: Death's Domain (0) SS: Death's Harvest (0)]
When Dante saw that he had twenty-two Death Points, he spent them all. Two of all, apart from Strength and MP, which got seven each, and he felt the power instantly as it washed over his body.
[MP: 7>14]
[HP: 2>4]
[STR: 4>11]
[DEX: 2>4]
[INT: 2>4]
[CHA: 1>3]
[DP: 22>0]
''That feels better,'' he muttered while following the wolves who protectively circled him as they walked.
Dante was crouched outside the Goblin camp, that full of the creatures going about their business without knowing their death was around the corner. His red eyes gleamed excitedly as he summoned his small army.
Sixteen Death Goblins poured out alongside the Death Wolves that crouched low as he shushed them all. ''Be quiet, I have a plan to deal with all these creatures.''
Just then, one of the wolves lowered itself and started making weird noises, forcing Dante to bop it on the head. ''Stop with that shit, you're not a puppy. You are a vicious D Rank monster, now act like it.''
The three beasts crouched lower, as if chastised by stern parents, prompting a weary sigh from him. ''Fine, do whatever you want, just follow my orders.''
At his words, the Death Wolves perked up, their quiet yips of excitement earning a sharp glare before he turned back toward the camp and counted over one hundred Goblins waiting to be killed.
Raoul crouched next to him, the Death Scouts' armor clinking as he spoke. ''What's the plan, My Lord?''
''You take the other Goblins and circle while waiting for my signal to begin the attack,'' he pointed toward the other side of the camp. ''I'll hit them with the Death Wolves. Once we do this I should get a weapon to help out instead of this shitty knife.''
When Raoul heard that, he offered him his sword, making Dante laugh as he shook his head. ''I'm fine, you'll need it with the amount of creatures lurking in the camp.''
Following that, he turned to the camp and noticed six E Rank Goblin Warriors and two Shamans lingering around. Then there was a D Rank Goblin Lord sitting in the middle of the camp, laughing at a group of four captured humans.
Just as Dante saw this, his eyes widened, and an evil smile appeared as he turned to Raoul. ''Leave the humans to me.''
The Death Scout nodded and melted into the underbrush. Once the Goblin was out of sight, he turned to the wolves. ''You three flank right. Spread out, stay mobile, and don't let them corner you. I'll take the left, using my magic to eliminate the stronger foes while you handle the weaker ones.''
The wolves growled in acknowledgment and darted into the underbrush. He readied his knife, stepping out from the bush, only to be spotted by two Goblin Warriors. They emitted a strange, guttural noise, but he unleashed a Death Blast, obliterating one in an instant.
Dante sprinted toward the Goblin Lord, its hulking form looming. Dark energy crackled around him as he unleashed a barrage of spells, each pulse of necrotic power slamming into the beast's armored hide.
The Lord roared, staggering but defiant, its massive cleaver raised to strike as it let out a fierce roar. Goblin Warriors swarmed toward Dante, their rusted blades glinting. Before they could reach him, the wolves exploded from the shadows.
One wolf tore a warrior's arm clean off, while another tackled a pair to the ground, savaging them. From the rear, Raoul and his Death Goblins launched a merciless ambush. Blades flashed in the moonlight as they carved through the wild goblins' ranks.
His first Death Knights' precise strikes killed one foe after another, while his comrades sowed chaos, their assault shattering the enemy. A wild Goblin turned to flee, only to be impaled by a dagger.
They descended into pandemonium, their crude formation collapsing under the triple onslaught as Dante basked in the surrounding Death. He pressed his attack, dodging the Goblin Lord's wild swing and retaliating with a point-blank blast that scorched its flesh.
The wolves howled, tearing through the remaining warriors, while Raoul methodically slaughtered the stragglers. As the Goblin Lord lunged in desperation, Dante sidestepped and drove his blade into its heart, a final Death Blast erupting from the wound.
Seconds later, the beast collapsed with a thunderous crash. Its death cry was drowned by the panicked screams of the enemy as the wolves and Death Goblins annihilated them in a relentless, blood-soaked massacre.
Dante started laughing, which echoed across the battlefield as he felt all the experience pouring into him. Moments later, notifications popped up that excited him even further as they proved he was growing stronger.
[Quest Total: 100/100]
[98 x F Rank Goblins - 4,900 Experience]
[6 x E Rank Goblin Warriors - 400 Experience]
[2 x E Rank Goblin Shamans - 200 Experience]
[D Rank Goblin Lord - 400 Experience]
[Quest Complete: 50 Death Points - 10 Capacity - Deathshadow]
[Death Army Capacity: 20>30]
[53 Death Points Gained From Kills]
[Experience Gained: 5,900]
[MP: 14>15]
[STR: 11>12]
[DEX: 4>5]
[INT: 4>6]
[CHA: 3>4]
[DP: 0>103]