Dante felt conflicted as he processed the information Elyndra had given him.
The revelation that he had absorbed part of Tiamat's power, the legendary Beast of the End, was both terrifying and intriguing.
He had already suspected something was wrong with the hybrids he encountered, but this? This was new. Especially knowing the powers of the Cain lineage, which could absorb the essence of beings and their powers.
Dante had absorbed so much demonic essence that he had long become more demon than vampire. He just hadn't realized that this Blood was something so powerful.
"So you're saying I now carry the essence of a chaotic dragon within me?" he asked, his tone mixing incredulity and skepticism, with a hint of disbelief clearly visible in his eyes.
"Yes, and that's not something that can be ignored," Elyndra replied, her voice firm. "Tiamat's power is vast and complex, even though she is still sealed away somewhere, or about to be unleashed. I don't know what you absorbed yet, but it could be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how you choose to use it."
Dante shook his head, struggling against the growing panic. "Does this mean I'm at risk of becoming a... I don't know, some sort of receptacle for destruction? I'm not sure how you characterize that in this field."
"That depends," Elyndra said, her tone oddly light given the gravity of the situation. "You're already a powerful being, Dante. What you do with this new strength is what really matters. You can channel it to protect those you love or let it consume you.
Well, I say this because I don't know what you absorbed, so I won't jump to conclusions, but judging by your physique, it's hard to imagine you being consumed by it."
Dante took a deep breath, trying to center himself. He couldn't allow uncertainty to dominate him. Whatever was happening, he needed to maintain control. "And what about these hybrids? What are they exactly? Do they have any direct connection to Tiamat?"
"Yes and no," Elyndra explained. "They are the result of corruption caused by someone. Someone used science to create a fusion. The werewolves were manipulated in some way, and now they are just enormous walls of disgusting flesh and energy. They are servants of the person who created them, but they don't have Tiamat's same power. They are flesh and blood, but without a will of their own."
Dante clenched his fists, anger beginning to boil within him. "And if I defeat them? What happens to the essence of Tiamat that I absorbed?"
"Each one you defeat may provide you with more clues about the origin of this corruption. You need to learn to understand these memories. They are practically a guide, considering your absorption ability. And, if all goes well, you might be able to use this connection to face Tiamat directly," Elyndra replied, her gaze fixed on Dante as if trying to penetrate his mind.
"I can't just ignore this," Dante murmured as his mind spun with the implications. "I've absorbed Tiamat's essence, and now I'm a target. If that Beast of Chaos finds out I'm here, I'll be her next target."
"D-Dante!! Are you okay?" Lilith asked, helping him to his feet. "Yes, but we have bigger problems." Dante replied, looking at the bodies of the monsters.
"Eat them all." He commanded, and several miasmic hounds emerged from his body, devouring all the hybrids. "Hey, wait! You just—" "It's fine. Besides, this isn't the work of the King's Faction." Dante said, watching the remnants being absorbed.
The shadows danced as the miasmic hounds consumed the remains of the hybrids, the grotesque sound of teeth tearing flesh echoing in the arid desert. Dante observed with a mix of disdain and satisfaction. The power he absorbed made him feel stronger, more in control, but it also carried a bitter taste of despair and tragedy.
"What do you mean 'it's not the work of the King's Faction'?" Siren insisted, her voice serious but tinged with concern. She took a step back, fearing what she was about to hear.
"It's simple. The corruption of these hybrids is the work of something much larger than some idiot goddess who invaded our world. This wasn't Fenrir's doing; it's something more insidious. Someone is manipulating the very force of Tiamat herself, just like before...
Those people keep tampering with Tiamat's Blood, and we need to find out who they are before they find us again," Dante replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if he could already see the next challenge.
Valentina, who had been watching, said, "You absorbed something from them, didn't you?" She asked, noticing the change in Dante's aura. "Can you feel any clues about the origin of these monsters?"
Dante closed his eyes for a moment, trying to tune in to the memories he had absorbed. A wave of tumultuous visions hit him again: fragmented memories of pain, rage, and amidst the chaos, a dark figure that seemed to be pulling the strings of creation. He shook his head, pulling away from the confusion.
"There's someone behind this. Someone who feeds on chaos and pain, but I couldn't see clearly who," Dante replied, his voice grave. "The only thing I know is that this won't stop here."
Siren, standing beside him, crossed her arms, her expression stern. "Then we have to act quickly. If we're already at a disadvantage, we can't give them time to regroup or become more powerful."
"I agree," Valentina said, nodding her head. "We need to track down this entity and its servants. Each one we defeat could provide us with more answers. We have to act as a unit. Our combined abilities could give us an advantage."
Dante looked at his wives and Siren. "Whoever this is, they are truly dedicated to destroying me. This isn't the first time I've been attacked by something involving Tiamat, and now even hybrids have been sent my way in such a mundane manner. It feels almost like they want me to chase after them." Dante commented before closing his eyes.
"Let's go back. We'll conquer the werewolf kingdom by the end of this week." Dante said, turning to his first wife. "Darling, can you kill another god?" he asked with a smile.
"For you? I could take down two..." She smiled as Gungnir glimmered in gold.