From Failure to SSS-Rank: The Demon Lords Rebirth

Kaela dropped to her knees. Her face was pale, and her hands trembled as she clutched her broken staff. "It's... over," she whispered. "We actually did it."

Morrath chuckled, though his legs felt like they might give out. "Yeah, we did," he said, glancing at her. "You're tougher than you look."

Kaela looked up at him, smiling faintly through her exhaustion. "And you?" she asked, her voice light. "You're not half-bad yourself. What does one call you?"

Morrath hesitated as the glowing mark on his chest caught his eye. The warmth from it reminded him of the god's words, his second chance. "The name's Frank," he said finally, his voice quieter. "Just Frank."

Kaela blinked, surprised by his name. Her smile softened as she nodded. "Thank you, Frank," she said quietly. "For saving me."

The system chimed, pulling Morrath's attention away from the moment.

[Loot available. Access Abyss Wyrm cache? Yes/No?]

Morrath grinned and stepped toward the glowing chest of the dead beast. "Always yes to loot," he muttered under his breath. He swiped his hand through the air to confirm, looking like he was swatting at nothing.

Kaela tilted her head, confused by his strange movements. "Are... you okay?" she asked, her brow furrowed. "You're acting a bit weird."

"Yeah," Morrath replied quickly. "Just thinking." He didn't look at her, keeping his focus on the glowing interface only he could see.

Energy surged through his body as the system displayed his rewards.

[Loot Acquired: Abyss Wyrm Core (Mid-Tier), Abyss Wyrm Scale (Rare).]

[Rank Progression: 25%. Significant progress made through defeating a High-level entity.]

Kaela tilted her head, her expression filled with curiosity. "You've been staring at that thing for ages," she said. "Did the fight rattle you?"

Morrath lowered his hand and shook his head. "Nothing like that," he said quickly. "Just thinking about how close we came to being wyrm food."

Kaela laughed softly, though exhaustion weighed down her voice. "You're an odd one, Frank," she said. "But whatever you did, it worked."

The system chimed again, this time displaying another notification. Morrath kept his gestures small to avoid drawing Kaela's attention.

[Rank Assessment Complete. Spells Unlocked During Combat Progression: Chill Touch, Eldritch Blast, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Disguise Self.]

Morrath scanned the glowing list, a smirk tugging at his lips. Each spell came with a brief description, lighting up before him.

Chill Touch: A spectral hand drains life from enemies and prevents them from healing.\nEldritch Blast: A blast of demonic energy that pushes enemies away and sets them ablaze with green flames.Minor Illusion: Creates small, deceptive illusions to disorient foes.Prestidigitation: Performs minor magical tricks to amuse, clean, or create small effects.\nDisguise Self: Alters Morrath's appearance to resemble any humanoid figure.

Morrath muttered to himself, reading the descriptions. "Some of these would've been useful earlier," he said under his breath. "Eldritch Blast alone could've saved us some trouble."

Kaela squinted at him, tilting her head. "What would've been useful?" she asked, her voice cautious. "Are you talking to yourself?"

"Just thinking out loud," Morrath said, waving his hand dismissively. "Helps me focus." He closed the interface, pretending nothing had happened.

The faint sound of clinking armor caught their attention. Morrath's body tensed as a lone figure stepped out of the shadows. The man wore silver armor scratched from battle, and he carried his helm under his arm.

"Another knight?" Morrath muttered, his disguised eyes narrowing. He shifted his grip on his gleaming blade, his body on edge. The man stopped a short distance away and knelt, lowering his head.

"My name is Sir Durak," the man said, his voice steady. "I am—was—one of the Knights of Elvaris. I fought against you, but I see now that my king's orders were wrong."

Kaela blinked, her grip tightening on her staff. "He's pledging himself to you?" she asked, glancing between Durak and Morrath. Her voice was filled with confusion and curiosity.

Durak nodded, his scarred face etched with resolve. "I saw how you spared my comrades when you could've killed them all," he said. "You fight with honor, even against overwhelming odds."

Morrath studied Durak carefully, his glowing blue eyes piercing. "And what do you think I fight for?" he asked calmly. "Why do you think I spared them?"

Durak hesitated for a moment but held Morrath's gaze. "Hope," he said simply. "For a better future."

Morrath's grip on his blade loosened slightly, and he let out a quiet chuckle. "Hope, huh?" he said softly. "That's a rare thing to believe in these days."

Kaela remained quiet, watching the exchange. She still didn't know much about Frank, or his reasons for helping her, but something about him felt genuine. Her fingers tightened on her staff, unsure if she trusted this knight.

Durak lifted his head, his tone steady. "I want to follow someone who fights for something greater," he said. "Not just for power or conquest."

Morrath let out a slow breath, his expression unreadable. "If you pledge yourself to me, there's no turning back," he said, his tone firm. "I'm not a king, and I won't promise peace. The road ahead will be hard, and there will be blood."

Durak bowed his head again, his voice unwavering. "I understand," he said. "And I accept."

Morrath nodded, extending his gauntleted hand. "Then rise, Sir Durak," he said, his tone lighter. "Welcome to the fight."

Durak stood, his armor clinking softly as he placed his helm under one arm. "You won't regret this, my lord," he said. His voice carried quiet conviction.

The system chimed once more, pulling Morrath's attention back.

[New Ally Acquired: Sir Durak. Bonus: Combat Expertise. Rank Progression: 45%.]

[New Objective: Expand Influence. Additional allies will accelerate progression.]

Kaela tilted her head, watching Morrath stare into space again. "Frank, you're doing it again," she said, her voice laced with exasperation. "What are you even looking at?"

Morrath snapped out of his focus, lowering his hand quickly. "I'm planning," he said smoothly. "Big plans."

Kaela raised an eyebrow but didn't push further. "Sure," she said with a shrug. "Whatever you say."

Morrath smirked, glancing between Kaela and Durak. "We're building something bigger than they can imagine," he said. "This is just the beginning."

The three of them stood together, the fallen wyrm's remains smoldering behind them as the moonlight bathed the valley