CHAPTER 12: I SEE THE REAL YOU

(An hour previously)

Dante was relaxing in his tent as one of the Death Bats returned, informing him that they had found the Necromancers’ hideout. He jumped up, putting away the tent just as the Plague Maiden and Ghoul Warrior appeared back on the ledge. ’’My Lord,’’ the woman respectfully spoke. ’’We chased hordes of monsters north and ran into bands of human warriors.’’

’’Very good,’’ he answered before looking at the Maiden and thinking about turning her into a Death Knight.

[Turn the Plague Maiden into your second Death Knight?]

Dante nodded and observed as she let out a piercing scream, collapsing to her knees. His dark energy surged over her, initiating a transformation. Gradually, her form shifted, taking on a more humanlike appearance while retaining an unmistakable undead essence. Following that, a strange sensation washed over his body as Raoul killed a sneaky lizard beast that was climbing up the ledge.

[E Rank Mountain Lizard - 100 Experience]

’Did I just level up?’ he thought before checking the upgrades.

[Experience Gained: 1900]

[Level Up: 01]

[Experience: 250/10,000]

Seeing that, Dante decided to spend the rest of his Death Points on his status, deciding against upgrading the Domain just yet; he needed the points to grow stronger. Once that was done, he put ten on all attributes except Charisma, and it only got the one, as he didn’t care about it.

[MANA: 1828]

[HP: 2535]

[STR: 3242]

[DEX: 2535]

[INT: 717]

[CHA: 56]

[DP: 510]

Dante’s excitement surged as he sensed his power growing, a grin spreading across his face. He turned to the Plague Maiden, eager to inspect her C-Rank status. A screen popped into his sight as he looked at the Plague Maiden, only to be surprised by how high her attributes were.

[Name:]

[Plague Maiden]

[Rank: C]

[MANA: 200]

[HP: 106]

[STR: 129]

[DEX: 155]

[INT: 142]

’She’s strong,’ he thought, realizing he needed to give her a name.

In a flash of inspiration, Dante fixed his gaze on the undead woman and declared with a spark of authority. ’’From now on, you’ll be known as Medea!’’

The Plague Maiden knelt, speaking in her eerie voice that would send a chill down anyone else’s back. ’’Thank you, My Lord.’’

When hearing that, he summoned the Banshee and Revenant as the Ghoul Warrior joined them. Once they were in the real world, he revealed. ’’After some time, if you three prove yourselves. I’ll turn you into my Death Knights, I need to increase the numbers I can hold.’’

They all nodded before Dante sent them all back, apart from Raoul. The Death Scout silently followed him as the Death Bat led him to the Necromancer’s hideout. While walking through the jungle, another quest popped up.

[System Quest: Kill the B-Ranked Necromancer - Reward: + 1 Death Knight Capacity - 200 Death Points + New Skill]

’’Oh, this enemy’s strong,’’ he muttered as a wild excitement exploded inside. ’’I’ll use Raoul and Medea to help.’’

After an hour of walking, he spotted a cave in the distance just as the Death Bat slammed into the ground. Moments later, he saw someone he never expected to see, shocking him to the core. ’Velmorath!’ he thought as he became enraged.

Dante advanced, his presence making the Necromancer freeze upon noticing him. Tension snapped as he let out a sharp laugh, trading barbed insults with the old man. His anger flared hotter. After some time, his anger spiked as an army of zombies materialized around the enemy. Seconds later, the restraint holding his physique shattered as memories flowed back from their previous fight.

’’You believe you could fight me using this rabble of rotten flesh and old bones?’’ Dante cackled just as he spoke, his voice a jagged blade. ’’With the utmost respect, these two are my Death Knights, Velmorath, bound to my will! They’ll tear you apart, piece by screaming piece! These are truly undead.’’

With a flash, Roaul materialized at his side, joined by Medea, whose power pulsed just shy of the Necromancer’s dark might. His lips curled into a wicked grin as he caught the old man’s stunned expression, yanking Deathshadow from its sheath. ’’Time to carve you up!’’ he snarled, his aura erupting like a storm of raw energy.

In a heartbeat, Dante launched himself at Velmorath, who frantically wove his sinister spells, forcing him to dodge. Just then, a bone-chilling scream shattered his focus as his Banshee burst from a portal, shrieking in chaos. At that moment, the Ghoul Warrior and Revenant roared into the fray, ripping through the enemy horde. Raoul surged toward the enemy, only for a Skeleton Warrior to lunge from the shadows, its blade clashing against the Death Scouts in a shower of sparks.

When Dante saw this, he fired off a few Death Blasts, forcing Velmorath to block them using an Acid Shield, allowing the Necromancer to cast more deadly spells in his direction. This kept him on his toes, but he managed to close the distance on the enemy. He dodged a zombie’s clumsy lunge. The old man’s withered lips curled into a smirk as he unleashed a Necrotic Blast.

Too late to evade, he twisted to the side, but the dark energy seared his left arm, decay spreading instantly. Gritting his teeth, he surged forward, unleashed a primal roar, and plunged his blade through the enemy’s skull, pouring death magic into the body. Velmorath convulsed violently before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Dante crashed to the ground, agony washed over his body, and he started breathing heavily as a notification popped up, only increasing the pain he was feeling.

[HP: 3520]

[System Alert: Necrotic energy is eating you alive thanks to being hit by a stronger Necromancer’s magic; heal it using the Plague Maiden]

A burning pain tore through his shoulder as the rot spread, its infection triggering violent tremors. He gritted his teeth, glancing at Medea, who was already at his side, her hands glowing with necrotic healing energy. ’’Thanks,’’ he gasped, voice strained with agony.

’’For the Death Monarch, anything,’’ she said, devoid of warmth.

[HP: 2035]

He watched as his arm grew back while he gritted his teeth. Just then, a flicker in Dante’s peripheral vision snapped his attention to Velmorath, who aimed a hand at him, unleashing a crackling spell toward his face. Before it could strike, a portal tore open, and the Revenant emerged, its necrotic blade cleaving the spell in two. One half veered off, slamming into the Ghoul Warrior and hurling the creature backward with a sickening crash.

The other slammed into the nearby ground, causing a dust cloud to shoot into the air. Just then, Dante’s gaze snapped toward the Necromancer, and he raised his hand, but the Revenant was there within the blink of an eye. Its massive sword cleaved through the old man’s neck, sending his head flying toward the Ghoul. The ghastly projectile smacked the creature, making it fly back once again, causing him to laugh even more.

Moments later, Raoul returned from killing the remaining enemies. He was about to speak, but was interrupted when a stream of notifications popped up.

[B Rank Ancient Necromancer Velmorath - 800 Experience]

[Quest Complete: + 1 Death Knight Capacity - 200 Death Points - New Skill: SSS: Death Eyes]

[Death Knight Capicity Increased: 34]

[New Skill: Dagger Mastery]

[Death Knights Experience: 1500]

[Experience: 2502550]

[MANA: 2832]

[HP: 3541]

[STR: 4243]

[DEX: 3536]

[INT: 1721]

[Death Points Gained: 280]

When Dante checked out his new skills, he recognized Dagger Mastery as one of the scummy heroes had it, but was intrigued by the unfamiliar Death Eyes. Curious, he opened its description and was thrilled by the details it revealed.

[SSS: Death Eye’s: Allows the Death Monarch to see the ranks of monsters and humanoids]

’This will be useful,’ he thought, grinning like a madman. He turned toward the Death Revenant and scanned it using Death Eyes.

[D Rank]

Dante glanced at the Ghoul Warrior, Banshee, and Raoul using his new skill on the three beings.

[D Rank]

[D Rank]

[E Rank]

His wild smile grew wide, scaring the fuck out of the surrounding undead as he approached Velmorath, as Raoul moved to his side, questioning. ’’Do you intend to bring this fiend back? Even after he hurt you, My Lord?’’

’’Yes, I am,’’ he replied while glaring at the Death Scout. ’’This idiotic human may have hurt me, but he’s a B Rank and will help out a lot. Especially now, Hunters appeared on the continent.’’

’’Who are they?’’ Medea interupted.

Dante looked at the Plague Maiden, answering. ’’The Hunters Guild from the Eldoria, a group of powerful humans who hunt down monsters to clear an area for a kingdom or empire. If I remember correctly, the warriors were always friendly in my past life, but they hate anything that’s not humanoid.’’

’’Are you not human?’’ Raoul asked. ’’You look like one who is ill? Your skin is very white, like death.’’

His eyes narrowed, and he suddenly slapped the Death Scout around the back of the head, answering. ’’I’m the damn Death Monarch Raoul! And not a human, don’t insult me. They cannot be trusted and will backstab you at the first chance.’’

The Goblin nodded as the Ghoul Warrior, Banshee, and Revenant materialized beside the fallen Necromancer. Pointing at the old man’s corpse, he muttered with a smirk. ’’Arise.’’

As necrotic energy surged from his body, it seeped into Velmorath’s corpse. Moments later, the old man’s body trembled, a dark miasma swirling around it. Intrigued, he muttered. ’’What’s he transforming into now?’’

Dante’s eyes widened, his breath catching as skeletal hands clawed at the ground, bones grinding with an eerie resonance. Velmorath’s flesh withered, his skin tightening into a ghastly, ashen husk, while his eyes reignited with twin orbs of evil green fire. A jagged crown of bone sprouted from his skull, and tattered robes of shadow wove themselves around his frame. The air grew heavy with the stench of decay and power.

Velmorath rose, no longer a mere corpse but a Death Lich, his presence commanding dread and awe. Dante’s lips curled into a grin, his excitement barely contained as he whispered. ’’Magnificent... a Death Lich!’’

His pulse thundered, thrilled by the dark majesty of his creation, eager to unleash its devastating might, but he shook his head and turned the creature with a shit eating grin as he spoke. ’’Looks like you’re mine now. Let’s change your name to something better.’’