The cavern was silent except for the hiss of cooling magma and ragged breathing.
Drip. Drip.
The massive corpse of the Infernal Juggernaut lay broken and dark.
Its brutal defeat had cracked open its chest. Just enough to expose the prize within.
A fist-sized multi-faceted black gem. Pulsing with orange light.
An S-rank mana core. A star of condensed volcanic power.
And Dante wanted it.
The hunger was physical. A gnawing emptiness in his soul screaming to be filled.
The power he'd devoured from the Gorgon-Hydra had shown him what true strength felt like. This core was the next step on that path.
'Taking it is logical. I'm the leader. My strength is their strength. Simple. Undeniable.'
But as he looked at his team, he saw the flaw in that logic.
They weren't just tools anymore. They were intelligent weapons. And they were getting tired of his absolute rule.
