The cavern collapsed behind Dante in a deafening roar, sending a storm of dust and debris billowing through the tunnel. He sprinted forward, instincts guiding him through the darkness. His new body moved with unnatural speed, each step effortlessly covering more ground than his human self ever could.
Finally, he burst into the open air.
The world beyond the cave was vast and unforgiving. Jagged mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks shrouded in thick storm clouds. A sprawling, desolate forest stretched beneath them, its trees twisted and gnarled, their bark blackened as if scorched by something unnatural.
And the sky—
A sickly shade of red, swirling with faint embers of violet light.
Dante exhaled sharply. This wasn't just another world. It was a dying one.
He had no time to dwell on it. A deep, guttural growl echoed from behind.
Dante turned, body tensed.
Something huge emerged from the collapsing cavern—a hulking beast with crimson eyes and obsidian armor plating its monstrous frame. It was at least twelve feet tall, standing on four muscular legs, a long, serrated tail slashing through the air like a living whip.
A Hellmaw Stalker.
Dante didn't know how he recognized the name, but the knowledge was just there, burned into his mind like instinct.
And he knew one thing for certain—this thing was way above his level.
The Stalker's eyes locked onto him, its lips peeling back to reveal rows of serrated fangs. Dante didn't wait. He ran.
The beast roared and charged. Trees splintered as it crashed through them, closing the distance in mere seconds. Dante barely dodged as a massive claw slammed into the ground beside him, shattering stone and dirt.
Too fast. Too strong. I can't fight this thing.
Dante ducked beneath a second swipe, rolled forward, and pushed himself into a dead sprint. He needed to lose it.
Then—a notification flashed across his vision.
Title Effect Activated: Forsaken One
Marked by the Abyss—Greater Beasts will seek your death.
Dante's stomach twisted.
That's why it's hunting me.
He hadn't just refused his demonic nature—he had defied it, and the world itself wasn't going to let that go unpunished.
The Stalker roared again, closing in. He had to do something—now.
His eyes flicked to the terrain. The forest. The cliffs beyond. The uneven terrain could slow the creature down.
Without hesitation, Dante veered toward the rocks, his claws digging into the stone as he scrambled up. The Stalker lunged, but the ledge crumbled beneath its weight, sending it crashing backward with an enraged snarl.
Dante didn't stop. He climbed higher, reaching the peak of the ridge, where the land sloped into a sheer drop. The wind howled, carrying the scent of something distant—water. A river.
Then, behind him—a sound like an explosion.
He turned just in time to see the Hellmaw Stalker leap.
It had jumped the entire cliffside, its armored body twisting mid-air, claws reaching for him.
Dante didn't think. He did the only thing he could.
He jumped, too.
The wind tore at him as he plummeted. The beast howled above him, missing its mark by inches, its body slamming against the jagged cliffside with a monstrous crash.
Dante twisted, angling himself toward the rushing river below. He braced for impact—
Then everything went black.