CHAPTER 34: MAKE SURE YOU’RE THERE

Dante made his way down Main Street only to see his monsters searching for any survivors as hordes of zombies tore through buildings, turning anyone they found into one of them, causing horrified screams to echo out across the city. Just then, he spotted the sails of fleeing ships in the distance and headed that way to see what was going on.

Raoul and Henry rejoined him as the two Death Knights were covered in blood, putting a grin on his face. ’’Seems like you two had fun,’’ he commented.

They walked through the destroyed city as screams, howls, and all kinds of other noises bounced off the walls. Dante noticed most streets were covered in blood, bodies of humans and undead alike. ’Looks like my surprise attack caught the soldiers off guard,’ he mused, eyes glowing.

The trio arrived at Dreadport’s docks, where a few ships fled, but a grin appeared on his face as Mary the Death Wraith appeared beside him. He looked at his herald and commanded. ’’Destroy those vessels, show no mercy if they’re human.’’

’’Of course, my lord,’’ she responded, grinning ear to ear.

Mary launched after the fleeing Darkmoore ships, destroying them. With an evil cackle, echoing across the docks, she shredded their wooden hulls, letting seawater surge in to claim the crews. He watched the carnage with satisfaction as the experience poured in thanks to all the death.

While basking in the feeling of leveling up, he noticed a lone ship still lingering in the port. ’What’s this? One brave soul still here?’ he mused, amused by the situation.

Dante headed toward the vessel only to notice Dark Elves rushing other races onto its decks, catching his attention as Raoul expressed. ’’Looks like they’re helping them escape. Should we stop them?’’

’’No. I want to talk to the captain,’’ he stated, heading down the dock, only to shock the sailors.

Following that, he stepped onto the ship, scaring everyone until a sultry voice reached his ears. ’’Oh, look who it is, the great Death Monarch and bane of the Darkmoore Kingdom, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, I’m Amara Darkwater, captain of this fine vessel.’’

Dante turned, his heart skipping at the Dark Elf woman. Her platinum blonde hair was tied into a high bun, strands framing her sharp features. The elf’s crimson eyes smoldered with a predatory glint, locking onto him as a knowing smile played across her full lips, catching his attention.

Amara’s sleek, dark grey skin shimmered under the afternoon sun, highlighting every curve of her body, which seemed to pulse with an otherworldly allure. She was wearing your typical pirate outfit, but that didn’t bother him in the slightest. He shook his head and interrogated the woman. ’’Who are you and why did you stay in Dreadport?’’

’’Coin,’’ she revealed. ’’These poor fools are paying me to ship them to Blackharbour down south.’’

’’Interesting,’’ he muttered before asking. ’’Aren’t you scared of me or my undead?’’

Amara cautiously advanced, her steps purposeful. Henry instinctively moved to block her path, but Dante raised a hand, signaling the Black Knight to stand down. ’’It’s fine,’’ he said calmly. ’’Let her come.’’

Her smile grew wider as she stopped just in front of him, and she replied. ’’No, I am not scared, I see your little beasties have only been killing humans and anyone who fights them. So to me it seems you don’t mind us Dark Elves?’’

’’You’re correct,’’ he responded. ’’Humans are vile and deserve to go extinct for their cruelty.’’

’’I agree, but what I’ve learned in my 200 years of life is that not all of them are bad,’’ Amara spoke.

Dante narrowed his eyes until Bella added from behind. ’’That’s right, I’ve met some kind humans, but most are rotten.’’

The Dark Elf captain looked at the blonde, and her eyes widened in surprise. ’’I see you’ve found my High Elf kin. Keeping you warm at night, I assume?’’

’’No. She helped me get into Dreadport.’’

’’Curious,’’ Amara muttered. ’’Well, what can I do for you, dead hero?’’

’’Can you take me to Dawnfen when the time is right?’’

’’And why do you want to go there?’’ she purred, her finger running down his chest.

Dante shivered but controlled himself. ’’Because I’ll kill you and your crew if not.’’

Amara giggled as she countered. ’’No, you won’t.’’

She then leaned in and continued, her lips brushing against his ear. ’’You don’t hate elves, otherwise, blondie would be dead. Instead, you keep her around when she’s not needed.’’

’’What else?’’

’’I see the way you’re looking at me, though this Dark Elf isn’t that easy,’’ she teased, a husky voice made his heart race.

Dante couldn’t help as a smile crossed his face. ’’Yes, you’re beautiful, but to answer your question. I want to attack the Darkmoore Kingdom; all they’ve done is show me how evil the people are.’’

Amara’s eyes sparkled before she finally gave him her answer. ’’Meet me in Blackharbor, I’ll take you there for one hundred gold coins and a guarantee your beasties won’t harm me or my crew?’’

’’Deal,’’ he said.

From the storage ring he stole from the adventurer’s corpse, a pouch appeared with the coin, and he dropped it in the Dark Elf’s hand. ’’Make sure you’re there in a month, if you don’t turn up, we’ll encounter each other again and I won’t be as friendly.’’

’’The thought never came to mind, Death,’’ she said, grinning. ’’I’m a woman of my word and won’t break it. But just know, the kingdom will come down hard on you while sending everything it can to stop you.’’

Dante waved her concerns away. ’’By the time I’m down with Blackharbour, the continent will be mine.’’

Following that, he said his goodbyes and stepped off the ship to watch a group of cat people rush on behind him. Dante didn’t move from the docks until Sulla appeared beside him and informed him. ’’My Monarch, the City Lord has barricaded himself behind his walls with the surviving Darkmoore soldiers.’’

’’How many are there and what are your hordes doing now?’’

’’Just under a thousand,’’ the Death Lich answered. ’’And looking for survivors, but I started sending them toward Port Veil to the West and Duskgate to the East. Most of the population of Dreadport our yours, my lord.’’

Once Dante heard that, his smile grew wide as he slapped the undead on the shoulder. ’’Very good, Sulla, now we can deal with the City Lord, then move south. I still have to fight that powerful wolf and need to level up on the way.’’

’’Yes, it will take all five of us to beat it, but what about extending it to the Bloodraven? He’s a powerful warrior who could benefit from becoming a Death Knight?’’ Sulla suggested.

[Increase Death Knight Capacity: 2000]

[Continue with making Bloodraven a Death Knight?]

[DP: 54003400]

Dante accepted the price and felt some change as the Bloodraven Knight appeared in front of him, as his mana seeped into the undead hero and began changing him; his blue armor changed into crimson red, and his eyes were even more intense. When the transformation was finished, the new Death Knight knelt in reverence.

’’Thank you Death Monarch,’’ his eerie voice echoed out. ’’I now understand the world and wish to change it alongside you, but how can we take down an entire kingdom?’’

’’Tell me, Gilbert, how do humans act?’’ he asked. ’’That’s your name by the way.’’

’’They are greedy, cowardly, and evil,’’ Gilbert responded.

’’No, you’re wrong.’’

Dante paced as he continued. ’’Humanity, for all its skill, is often trapped by its own irrationality. They fancy themselves rational, yet remain blind to the deeper currents of the world, tethered to emotions and fragile egos."

He paused. ’’I see it clearly: if I can stoke the king’s anger, provoke him with massacres across his realm, he will unravel. His emotions will betray him, delivering the mistake I await, a misstep that will hand us victory in this new war.’’

’’When did you become a scholar?’’ Sulla teased.

Henry, Raoul, Medea, and Gilbert chuckled at the Death Lich’s words, causing Dante to sigh. ’’I’m not, I just remember a lot of the stuff the humans taught me 200 years ago.’’

Following that, he continued toward the City Lord’s home and turned every corpse he saw into Zombies, shocking Sulla, causing the old Necromancer to mutter. ’’You’re transforming them on the go, without any spells or incantations. What has the Death Goddess created?’’.

’’A monster who’s out for revenge,’’ he answered, stepping in front of the giant metal gates, just as an alarm echoed out. ’’I’ll be the one who takes this down, you five follow me and clean up the stragglers.’’

Moments later, Dante took out his daggers that glowed with Death Magic, prompting him to jump up the wall only to decapitate a soldier who glanced over the edge. Blood flew everywhere, shocking the surrounding enemies, but they weren’t given a chance to even fight back.