CHAPTER 28: BIG, BUT NOT BRIGHT

Dante moved through the Dark Forest, annoyed because Bella kept tripping over, making loads of noise, which got on his nerves. He looked at the Black Knight and gave the order. ’’Carry her, Henry, she’s lucky I can’t turn her into a frog, otherwise I would’ve by now.’’

The blonde elf’s terrified yelp echoed through the air as Mary materialized behind her in her chilling Death Wraith form, shadows swirling like a storm. ’’My lord has chosen you to join the ranks of his heralds,’’ she purred. ’’What a glorious honor for you, elf, embrace the power that awaits.’’

Bella shivered and jumped in fright, letting out a scream, causing Dante to snap. ’’Stop screaming, woman! You’ll attract the wrong types of monster, and if they come, I’m feeding you to them!’’

When the elf heard this, she went quiet before he looked at Mary. ’’And you stop with the games! We’re out here hunting, not scaring a fucking elf, either stop it or I’ll send you to the Domain to be a guard over the Death Pits!’’

The Death Wraith clamped her mouth shut as Henry’s booming laugh echoed through the twisted trees. Dante spun toward the Black Knight, his eyes blazing with malice. ’’Silence!’’ he snarled, his voice a venomous lash. ’’The next one of you who dares make a sound will be erased from existence!’’

Mary, Bella, and the three Death Knights froze, their bravado crumbling. They shrank back, the weight of his threat sinking in; they’d pushed their cruel master too far, and the air crackled with the promise of his wrath. Following that, the group continued through the forest as Henry picked up the silent Elf.

After an hour of slogging through the forest, an eerie chorus of whispers floated through the air, coming from every direction. Mary hissed, but he raised a hand, his eyes glinting with anticipation. ’’Let them get closer,’’ he murmured. ’’These aren’t mindless beasts.’’

The voices grew louder, their tone shifting into bone-chilling guttural moans and high-pitched wails that seemed to claw at the edges of a normal person’s sanity. Roaul and the Black Knight pressed closer to him, their weapons drawn, while Medea’s form flickered, half-vanishing into the shadows.

Above, Mary circled, waiting for the coming attack. Then, the Wendigos emerged from the darkness. Gaunt and towering, their skeletal bodies stretched impossibly tall, bones jutting beneath grayish skin. Their hollow eyes glowed with a sickly yellow light, burning with hunger.

Their mouths, unnaturally wide, gaped to reveal rows of needle-like teeth, dripping with saliva that hissed faintly as it hit the ground. Each step they took was silent, their claw-tipped limbs twitching, as if the very forest bent to their will. The air grew colder, the stench of decay rolling off them, and the group felt the weight of their cruel gaze, promising a fate worse than death.

His smile grew wide as he took out his daggers. ’’Stay back and watch me kill these monsters!’’ He ordered, charging toward the snarling Wendigos with fire in his eyes.

In a heartbeat, all hell broke loose. The beasts lunged, their razor-sharp claws slashing through the air, but he was a blur. He dodged strikes with lightning speed, his blade flashing faster than the eye could follow. Four Wendigos crumpled to the ground in an instant, their blood soaking the forest floor.

Dante danced through the chaos, weaving between their furious swipes, his every move a death sentence. The Wendigos howled in rage, but the fury only fueled their doom as more fell beneath his onslaught. Minutes later, he had slew the entire group and glanced at his undead. ’’Collect the dead and bring them to me.’’

[Experience Gained: 4800]

Following that, the Black Knight, Raoul, Medea, and Mary began bringing him the twelve bodies. He stood in front of the lifeless creatures, raising his hand and casting. ’’Arise.’’

Moments later, Dante’s death magic rushed out of his body and washed over the Wendigos, transforming them into something even worse. Their bodies turned black, their eyes became red, just like the other undead monsters, but the aura they gave off even made the Death Knights back off.

[Death Wendigo - Rank C]

’’Brilliant!’’ he exclaimed.

Eleven more Wendigos stood up, looking even more deadly than they previously did. The nightmare-inducing creatures all stood watching him before the biggest, who seemed to be the leader, knelt in respect. ’’Deathhhh Monarchhhhh. We’re ready to serve you,’’ an eerie voice echoed out.

When Bella heard this, she screeched in the Black Knight’s arms, causing Dante to spin around. ’’The next time she makes a noise, throw her to the Wendigo’s as food. She’s becoming annoying.’’

The blonde elf froze, trembling in silence, but he paid no heed and dispatched the new monsters to the Domain, along with Medea, Mary, Henry, and Bella. Once they departed, only Raoul, his first Death Knight, remained by his side. Following that, they moved through the shadowed forest, the dense canopy above filtering the moonlight into thin silver threads.

Dante noticed the air was thick with the scent of moss and damp earth, and the distant calls of night creatures echoed faintly. Raoul’s steps were nearly silent, while his movements were fluid, almost predatory, his dark cloak blending seamlessly with the night. As they pressed deeper, the trees began to thin, giving way to a wide clearing bathed in pale light.

At its center lay a trio of massive gorillas, their hulking forms sprawled across the grass, snoring deeply in their slumber. Their fur was matted with dirt, and their slow, rhythmic breaths sent faint ripples through the surrounding air. Each beast was easily twice Dante’s height, their muscular limbs splayed carelessly, oblivious to the intruders.

He quickly used Death Eyes on them.

[Forest Giants - Rank C]

A sly smirk curled across Dante’s face. His fingers tightened around the hilts of his daggers, their blackened blades glinting faintly as he drew them from their sheaths with a soft, metallic whisper. Raoul tilted his helmeted head slightly, awaiting his master’s command.

’’Big, but not bright,’’ he murmured.

Dante crouched, studying the sleeping giants, his mind already calculating their weak points. The gorilla’s sheer size was intimidating, but he thrived on challenges like these, ones that tested his cunning as much as his blades. He glanced at Raoul, his smirk widening. ’’Let’s wake them up, shall we?’’

Following that, Dante vanished thanks to his speed and appeared right above the biggest Forest Giant. He fell toward the monster just as his daggers slammed into its eyes, waking the massive beast, but it was already too late as he cast Death Bolts. Two bright red bolts burrowed through its head.

The remaining two woke up, but Raoul was there, his sword slicing into one. Blood flew everywhere as it was brought down when the Goblin Death Knight sliced through its tendons. When this happened, he glanced over and noticed his monster’s sword plunging into the monster’s head.

Seconds later, the final gorilla landed a crushing swipe, reducing the Goblin to a burst of bloodmist, sending it back to the Domain. Stunned but undeterred, he vanished into the shadows, reappearing in a blur. His daggers unleashed a storm of slashes, a thousand cuts erupting across the Forest Giant’s massive frame.

Dante finished off the last one and resummoned Raoul, who looked baffled but shrugged at the Forest Giant’s body folded in on itself. Once the fight was finished, he checked his status, feeling a little boost thanks to levelling up.

[Level Up: 8586]

[Experience: 000 /15,000]

[Experience Gained: 6000]

[MANA: 285286]

[STR: 303304]

[DEX: 312313]

[INT: 244245]

[DP: 31003200]

[Death Bolt: 01]

’’Very good,’’ he mused, rubbing his chin. ’’Maybe the status will change once I reach 100, like the game? It would make keeping track of the attributes.’’

Following that, Dante shook his head and cast Arise on the three Forest Giants, causing a storm to erupt all around him. Leaves flew everywhere, and trees started swaying just as his death magic entered the massive beasts. It started changing them from within, making them even stronger.

Their previous forms were nothing compared to the trio who stood in front of him now. Glowing red eyes locked onto him before the biggest one crouched down in submission as a creepy voice echoed out. ’’Death Lord, we’re here to serve you.’’

Dante nodded and ordered the male to come forward as he used Death Eyes on the monster.

[Death Giant - Rank C]

’Strong and will be useful to take down Dreadports gates,’ he thought, a sadistic smile crossing his face.

Following that, Dante, Raoul, and Big John, the name he gave to the male Death Giant, continued through the forest collecting all kinds of horrifying and powerful monsters to use in his Death Army, which was growing to its limit, but he kept an eye on it.

[Death Army Total: 123/150]

By the time they came to a stop, days had passed and now he was standing in a darkness covered forest, forcing Dante to set up camp for the night.