CHAPTER 30: YOU’RE STRONG, BLOODRAVEN

Dante looked at Bella with narrowed eyes before nodding. ’’Alright, stop the screaming. It seems like some of the Thornebrooke survivors reached Dreadport; they sent one of their heroes, who proved to be useless.’’

When the blonde elf heard this winced and answered. ’’That’s to be expected. The king hates being challenged, and losing his settlements here on Nemaroth would attract his attention; he loves conquest, you see.’’

’’Brilliant!’’ he exclaimed. ’’Now I can piss off the king and bring down his little kingdom at the same time.’’

Following that, Dante continued through the Dark Forest heading for Dreadport as Raoul appeared beside him. ’’Are we strong enough to attack a city, my lord?’’

’’Yes, I’m certain, especially if we lay some traps for the soldiers and adventurers,’’ he answered, his anticipation skyrocketing. ’’I’ll summon an army of Zombies or Ghouls into the city center and catch them off guard.’’

When the Death Goblin heard this, he let out a menacing chuckle as Bella shivered in fear, but didn’t make a noise. After walking for hours, the Death Bear Leader growled from the Domain and brought the massive creature out just in time for even more of its kind to step out of the nearby brush.

A larger one appeared, but he didn’t give it a chance as he summoned the Bloodraven Knight, who readied its sword. ’’I’m ready to prove myself, my lord. I’ll show you how strong your power has made me.’’

Dante’s red eyes burned with a fire, their eerie glow cutting through the chaos as he fixed his gaze on the snarling bears encircling them. With a flick of his wrist, dark energy crackled at his fingertips, fusing into jagged Death Bolts that arced through the air. The bolts struck their targets in unison, each one finding its mark among the beasts just as Raoul surged forward.

The Death Knight’s blade was a blur of cold steel that left trails of gore in its wake. The ground beneath him grew slick with the remains of the dead bears, their guttural roars silenced in an instant. He couldn’t help but feel excitement thanks to getting more Death Bears.

As the last beasts crumpled, the Bloodraven Knight in dark-blue plate that shimmered under the moonlight, launched himself toward the towering leader of the pack, a massive scarred bear. Dante stepped back, his cloak billowing in the chill wind, with Bella shadowing his every move.

The undead hero drew his greatsword with a rasp of metal that echoed. With a single move, he drove the blade deep into the bear leader’s side, carving through flesh and bone. Blood erupted in a wave, painting the ground and splattering across the knight’s armor, where it seemed to vanish into the dark mist that clung to him like a second skin.

Just then, the monstrous bear roared, its sanity unraveling in the face of such wounds. It thrashed wildly, its massive paws swiping at the Bloodraven with enough force to shatter stone. Yet the knight danced through the onslaught, his movements a blur. Most strikes missed their mark, and those that connected were met with an ethereal barrier.

Dante was shocked, causing him to think. ’Wow, this hero is stronger as an undead.’

A swirling dark mist that rose from the armor, absorbing the blows with an almost mocking ease. Each clash fueled Dante’s growing excitement, his heart pounding as he watched the bear’s raw power collide with the knight’s unyielding resilience. A predatory grin spread across his face, his thoughts alight with a single, intoxicating certainty. ’This beast will rise again as my next Death Knight.’

The fight continued with the Bloodraven dancing around the bear leader, who was trying to swipe at the undead, but every attack was dodged before the knight sliced the back of the creature’s legs, bringing it down with a crash. He watched as the undead moved to the front so fast he barely saw it,

That’s when the Bloodraven cut off the beast’s head with a quick slice, causing it to fly across the clearing. When Dante saw this, a wicked grin spread across his face as he exclaimed. ’’Brilliant! You’re strong, Bloodraven. It was good that I decided to turn you into the undead.’’

The blue knight knelt respectfully. ’’Yes, my lord. My old human body was weak compared to this one.’’

Dante nodded in agreement and sent him back to the Domain before turning toward the seven dead bears and their leader. He raised a hand, casting Arise to bring them back to life as soldiers in his army. His magic seeped into their bodies, returning the monsters as Death Bears, replacing the ones he lost.

Seven Death Bears rose and lowered their heads, causing him to smile as he summoned the leader he already had, who was a rank stronger than the one he had just killed. This allowed his original one to take command. Once this was done, he jumped onto the biggest one’s back alongside Raoul.

As they ventured deeper into the forest. Every rustle in the underbrush or snap of a twig drew their attention, and they met each emerging creature, be it snarling beast or ethereal wraith, with force. Blades flashed, spells crackled, and the air grew heavy with the scent of blood and magic.

Dante claimed the fallen monsters using his skill, binding their soul to his will. One by one, he recruited the defeated creatures into the ranks of his Death Army, increasing it to the maximum limit he could have, and he didn’t want to spend any more points on upgrading the amount, as it would cost too much.

’I need to do more quests, but none have popped up,’ he mused just as two notifications popped up.

[System Quest: Destroy Dreadport, lure the Darkmoore army into the city, and annihilate them - Reward: 2000 Death Points and New Skill]

[System Quest: Slay all the humans in Dreadport - Reward: 1000 Death points]

Dante’s eyebrow rose in surprise as a cruel smile appeared. ’’Good, that will spur me forward.’’

Following that, he urged the Death Bear Leader forward as the group of Wendigos trailed behind and scouted ahead. The humanoid creatures gave him the shivers, forcing him to get used them them thanks to being his monsters. ’’Damn things were already scary when we fought them previously, but these seem stronger thanks to my magic,’’ he mused.

Days passed so fast; now they were a few miles away from the city, and Dante jumped off the creature’s back and landed with a thud before setting up his tent as the bear got comfortable outside and stayed on guard. The Death Giant Big John exited the Domain to his shock, causing him to question the creature. ’’What are you doing?’’

Big John pointed at the spot next to the Death Bear, as if telling him that he wanted to guard while he slept. He chuckled in amusement and agreed. ’’Go on then, just don’t make too much noise.’’

Dante slumped down in the tent only to realize he was hungry, prompting him to go outside and start a fire before taking out some monster meat that came from a deer-like creature he had hunted days ago. He started cooking it by putting it over the flames, only for his stomach to rumble.

’’I should eat more than the survival rations the system gave me,’’ he muttered.

While sitting there, Big John suddenly roared, making him jump before looking at the giant gorilla who was standing up, beating his chest. Dante growled and scolded the creature. ’’What are you doing! Those fucking monsters won’t come near me with you guys lying outside.’’

The beast plopped back onto its haunches, nodding with an almost like a child that drew a hearty laugh from him. With a casual wave. ’’That was unexpected,’’ he mused aloud, a wry smile tugging at his lips. ’’I can sense them keeping their distance. Probably smart, they don’t seem too keen on joining the Death Army.’’

Following that, Dante waited for the food to cook while checking out his upgrades from all the fighting he’d done.

[Level Up: 8687]

[Experience: 9000/15000]

[Experience Gained: 24000]

[MANA: 286287]

[STR: 304305]

[DEX: 313314]

[INT: 245247]

[CHA: 132136]

[DP: 32005400]

’Oh they’ra going up slower but I can feel the power each point gives me,’ he thought, curious. ’This system is better than having nothing like my previous life.’

Just then, the aroma of cooked meat wafted through the air, catching Dante’s attention. He swiftly pulled the sizzling roast from the fire, its juices hissing as they dripped onto the embers below. Settling against a gnarled tree root that his tent was set up under, he tore into the tender meat with gusto, the rich flavors bursting on his tongue.

From his pack, he retrieved a bottle of ale swiped from Thornebrooke, popping the cork with a flick. He tilted the bottle back, downing half its contents in a few deep gulps, the bitter warmth spreading through his chest.