A chill swept through the sands and Vata froze. Dante saw her breath mist out as she turned.

"They're here."

Pillars of gray sand rose and fell, revealing a Kobold that lacked flesh and blood. It was a spirit of some kind, twisted in its image, with barbed tails and hooked talons. One wraith had a sword that replaced both its hands. And another had bladed fingers with scars along its face.

Dante shot a Fireball that blasted a hole through the wraith's chest, only to reform seconds later. He had dealt a decent amount of damage, but the recovery was unbelievably fast. It wasn't something he could take on, as hundreds more rose from the grave.

"How much further to the tunnels?"

"There's no time we won't–"

Dante dashed forward, grabbing Vata by the waist. She had been slowing him down anyway, now was the best time to pick up the pace.

Fire exploded from his feet, propelling him forward, eating up distance that would have taken him minutes to traverse.

Dante darted amongst the sands, dodging the undead sentinels. Vata screamed from the sudden movement, and he winced, pinching her tail. "You're hurting my ears."

"S-sorry."

"So about this underground tunnel system of yours. It's sectioned into three quadrants, with the egg nest at the center, correct?"

"Yes."

"And the Wardens, they draw power from the dungeon core?

"Yes."

And you aren't lying to me, right?"

"Yes. No. I-I'm… I'm speaking truth."

"That doesn't sound very convincing. Even if I discount the fact that it's been very hard for me to trust people in this world. I hope I can trust you Vata."

There was a silence as Dante continued down the trail. Vata, as he understood it, was stuck between two types of freedom. One to leave the dungeon and lead a new life, a dream if there ever was one from her perspective. And the second was to continue her barren life in the tunnels, rarely venturing up to the sands, which gifted death if she failed to return– by selling out Dante.

He knew what the easiest choice to make was, he just hoped she would make the correct one. If he could ally with her, then taking on Ghost and Helen may not seem like such a daunting task. But they both needed levels, and here they would get them.

You have slain Kobold wraith Lvl 10

Flame Conjuration has reached level 3

Dual Casting has reached level 2

The last fire wolf died, and he summoned another pair from its fading embers.

~

Track has reach level 4

When they reached the mouth of a tunnel, Dante put Vata down. And they ambushed a group of guards, however Dante did most of the work, stabbing into them with the sword he had obtained. With sheer might the sword broke on impact, snapping off after caving through a Kobold's chest armour.

Unimpressed, Dante tossed the weapon aside, and quickly ended the fight. His claws were significantly better, besides all he cared for were the arrows he had collected. They were enchanted with what Vata told him was a gaseous form of Death mana, made to decay and rot living and inorganic tissue. What he was most interested in was the Force users, that guarded the dungeon core along with the three Wardens.

"Let's wait a few minutes at the entrance, I have to recover my mana and stamina."

When he sat in meditation, closing his eyes he heard her get up and walk away. She wasn't as sneaky as she thought. Absolutely nothing when compared to Helen or Ghost, even J'zaxx had her beat.

Dante sighed, focusing inwards. The Burning Path Legacy was currently locked to him. He had opened two locks so far by increasing Fire Manipulation to level ten, and also creating his own version of the skill Flame Conjuration.

"Maybe I need to level that up to ten? But what are the other locks?"

The answer evaded him, but he did have one thing he wanted to try, and that was why he currently sat in meditation. Not only using his meditation skill, but easing his mind, emptying it of all thoughts and worries.

It allowed him to recall his first battle with J'zaxx. The fire suffused his being, burning away his pain. But it was something that he had done without thought, and didn't realize it started until it stopped.

All of ten minutes passed with no luck, as Dante cracked an eye, seeing Vata return–and she wasn't alone.

With her walked a scrawny white Kobold whose eyes were filled with hate. It tried it's best to hide the glare, but Dante wasn't fooled.

"This-s is Yren'v. He wants to come as well."

Whatever it was he saw in Vata's face, this Yren'v character surely didn't have it.

Cursed Kobold Lvl 6

It was hunched with an old tired cast to its youthful age.

"You don't have a class?" Dante said, but it was clear he was addressing Vata, and the hateful mask slipped.

"I don't deserve one, Outworlder. My apo-logies." Yren'v spat.

"How'd you get back so fast?" Dante asked.

"Assassins are given our own tunnels. Less traffic."

Dante watched Yren'v as Vata spoke, his jaw grinding away enamel.

"Okay." Dante said, standing up on his feet. "We've wasted enough time. Let's go."

Vata led Dante into a side tunnel that opened down into an immense cavern. They leapt across the pit, jumping from walls and stalagmites that hung from the ceiling.

Below Dante witnessed the procession of Kobolds. There were more than fifty likely a hundred. Vata told him of the undesirables, beings similar to Yren'v who would process the centipedes for food and armor. Yren'v was one such Craftsman who handled waste, when he wasn't ordered to fix armor.

"And you trust him?" Dante said, looking back to where they had come. Yren'v stayed back, unable to keep pace.

"He hates this place more than I do. You should understand how they treat him."

Dante nodded, now readying himself for the fight.

"Wait." Vata interrupted. "You haven't actually agreed to take me out of here. I've brought you to this place to prove myself, now it's your turn."

In truth Dante would help her escape if he could, but he didn't know how to even begin such a thing. If they could walk out, like he simply walked in, that would have occurred already. Plus there was something Helen said about this being a crime. Already on thin ice with a Dryad, he wasn't keen on placing the authorities on his tail. But if there was a way…

"I'll do what I can." Dante said. "If it's possible, we'll both leave here."

Below, the cavern was lit by fire. There were a handful of exits, but even more up top where he was perched at.

Majority of the mages were huddled together near the back, laughing as they burned the undesirables with a mixture of Death and Fire aspects of mana.

From just one look Dante was aware that fire wasn't under their control. It was the same with his skill Wolf's Edge. Powerful, though lacking tenacity and grit, of a spell casted by one who obtained the aspect.

Dante placed a hand on Vata. "Guard the exits, kill any who attempt to flee. The rest is mine."

Spreading his awareness, tendrils of Fire Manipulation moved, reaching out for the source of his desires.

Grasping the flames, Dante breathed slowly, halfway in and out of meditation. For better or for worse, he held the Legacies of Kell, Ruler of the Ashen Plateau, and because of that, fire was his to control.

"Ignite."

Torchlight flared as a hundred sources of fire rose to great heights, flash burning all within ten meters. Then they exploded out with a bang, blanketing the cavern in darkness.

Fire Manipulation has reached level 14, 15, 16

Flame Burst has reached level 12, 13, 14

You have slain Kobold Swordsman Lvl 10

You have slain Kobold Swordsman Lvl 9

You have slain Kobold Archer Lvl 12

You have slain Kobold Brigadier Lvl 15

You have slain Cursed Kobold Lvl 6

You have slain Cursed Kobold Lvl 10

You have slain Cursed Kobold Lvl 5

…

Conditions met!

Congratulations! For dealing more than 35,000 points of fire damage, you have unlocked a new Mark!

Mark of the Fire Lord!

Ash blows in the wind, as cities burn under his touch. 

Passive Skill bestowed!

Flame Touched Lvl 1 (Rare)

All attacking skills are laced with fire.

• +5% DMG

• +10% to lingering Burn DMG

• +10% to Fire DMG

Conditions met!

Congratulations! For killing over 60 enemies you have been granted 1 dance with the Reaper. Don't keep her waiting.

Mark granted! Disciple of the Reaper!

+6 to all base attributes!

Active Skill bestowed!

Hidden Hand Lvl 1 (Rare)

Damage doubled to all foes unaware of your presence, with an increased chance of both critical hit damage and status affects.

For a brief second all was silent except a quick intake of air. Dante looked over to Vata, seeing shock and awe on her face through the use of Dark Vision. "Looks like I blew my load too early."

On all fours, he leapt down, tooth and claw reaping the remaining lives. His mana was completely spent, but in that one blow he had disoriented them and crippled whatever skill they had to see in the dark.

Pouncing on the mages, Dante pushed his physical skills to the limit. The new boost to his Luck attribute had increased his critical hit chance and damage.

Claw Slash has reached level 6

Paw Strike has reached level 5

A flurry of strikes mirroring his brief fight with Vata, sought vitals and weak points, burning organs with his new skill Flame Touched. And after he had killed around twenty more Kobolds, he switched places with Vata, letting her finish his left overs.

~

Sleepy Hollow

Essence remaining: 18,996

Ghost had told him that instead of gaining essence points, the rate your essence points decreased, would fall or stop entirely the more you kill in the dungeon. Currently Dante had a bit over six hours remaining, as his points dropped by three thousand every hour.

'Right now I've stopped the timer, but I should also kill more before I step to the bosses. They should also buy me more time.'

Dante fed while Vata made quick work of her old teammates, supported by his fire wolves. He wondered if she would gain a sort of mark that labeled her as a betrayer, but learned that dungeon spawns are denied such acclimates. Instead given roles that boost their attributes and skills by the dungeon core, after completing their enrollment.

"Is the Dungeon sentient?" Dante asked.

"Possibly. When we reach level ten our minds are infiltrated with a voice... No, an instinct is how I would describe it. It breaks down our will, forcing us to obey it's desires. And–"

"Stop." Dante whispered. "There's a troupe up ahead. Maybe three or four Kobolds."

"It's a patrol, they guard the nest and the Dryad." Vata said.

"What!? How is that possible?"

"This dungeon was gifted the Fraxinus Dryad Noelle, to level up our soldiers. That's why the nest is in the center. Experience is boosted while we remain in the dungeon and after we return from the outside, we can restart the boon again."

"Who gave you the Dryad?"

"An Outworlder, that's how I've come to learn about your kind."

Dante paused at this. 'Helen? No impossible, Ghost would have mentioned something. It's safe to say he wouldn't play around with such a life form… But if–'

Vata sheathed her swords, falling to her knees, grimacing with her head in the palm of her hands. "It's in my head!!"

"Damn Helen! How many strings are you pulling!?" He walked up to Vata, noticing the dilation in her slitted pupils, and bulging veins that marred her forehead.

At that moment Dante heard the Kobold patrol outside the tunnel charge in. "Shit!" He turned to Vata, "Don't let it control you. Focus your mind on leaving this place." Then he rushed towards the guards.

Kobold Mage Lvl 16, Kobold Brigadier Lvl 15, Kobold Assassin Lvl 17, Kobold Black Knight Lvl 20

Blood rushed into his ears and his nostrils flared, as Dante came face to face with the Kobold donned in black armor. It sneered flourishing a rapier towards it's team. The assassin had a wicked dagger, while the mage held a mix between a wand and a scythe. With the brigadier coming in last with a halberd and shield.

The fools thought numbers would take him, yet he struck first, Death's Corona rotating into a bladed disk of fire. Dual Casting another shield, Dante exploded the plasma while the flaming blades slashed.

The first enemy he pounced on was the assassin, tearing out the Kobolds throat. Then he rushed forward, dodging a blast of green fire from the mage, planting claw and dagger in its spinal column.

Death Corona once again stacked, blocking an overhead swing from the halberd. It pushed Dante back, and he flowed with the attack, managing to dodge a rapier that sought to pierce his heart.

But then Dante's toes wiggled on the stone floor, his tail wagging back and forth with excitement, as Crystal Gaze notified him of sword aura.

The hunger of the wolf stirred, and Dante acknowledged their craving as his own. For once there was no difference. No man or beast. They were one.

Dante walked past the halberds range, his eyes tracking every motion. Then he struck with Paw Strike and froze, dumbfounded.

"Huh? Did I– just…"

Crystal Gaze has reached level 4

The steel halberd clattered to the floor, as the brigadier's arms were sliced off.

The racial ability Paw Strike had blended with the scythe in his grip, while the ability Track had blended with his skill Crystal Gaze.

Dante's grin stretched, and then he swung the scythe, striking with blinding speed.

You have slain Kobold Brigadier Lvl 15 

All that remained was the Black Knight, its sneer now replaced on Dante's face.

"You don't know how fucked you are."

The halberd extended, exploding with a Flame Burst and Claw Slash. Ripping through armour, burning flesh and severing the Knights jugular. This was the thrill he sought ever since coming to this land. The thrill that ushered him to stalk the wolves on that first day. Now he was one of them, and his hunt would continue.

With blood racing through his veins, heart pumping, excited for the next fight. Dante let out a wolfish grin, as the headless Knight rose.