As Dante processed Death's words, new prompts showed up in his vision.
[Character 'Death' data resonation has reached 1%]
[Achieved Level 1 Resonance with Character 'Death']
[New abilities can be acquired through Resonance Link (9)]
[Would you like to establish a Resonance Link?]
He blinked once. Twice. Was he actually getting a portion of Death's power through this system—the Null Repository? And it seemed related to his understanding of Death through those visions.
'That's just busted.'
Just a percent of Death's power could annihilate nearly everyone in the MCU, and still put him at a respectable level on Earth-616. This was too great of a starting gift.
Death noticed his dazed expression. "Did you feel something?"
He unconsciously nodded at her somewhat concerned question. The easy lie "No" sat on his tongue, but it felt wrong. She would have never revived him if she wanted to seize his ability. The reality was that she gave him a body, even a hint of her cosmic power, and just saved him from torment. From his comics knowledge, he knew Death typically craved more power nor did she have any ambitions. She was a sucker for maintaining the cosmic balance.
As such, Dante decided to be honest with her and himself. "Well, you see… there is something called a Null Repository inside my mind. It shows me… things."
He described his very little experience with the Null Repository to the best of his ability.
Death's eyes shimmered with a hint of intrigue. "The Null Repository… such an unfathomable name. It's very unexpected that this has some means to communicate with you."
Dante didn't agree with her since he had grown accustomed to reading such stories. It was quite an experience to be part of one.
'Uh… I'm not part of some story, right?'
Death touched his chest, only for her hand to phase through him.
"Woah, what the—"
"Shhh. Close your eyes and feel it."
He might have blushed if not for the sensation in his chest. Something rippled, quite foreign yet familiar to his senses.
"What you felt is the cosmic energy I used to bridge you and the Null Repository. It acts as a limiter to stop you from overdrawing strength in your fragile body. I used it to save your mind earlier."
"Thanks for that." His mind might have collapsed without her help. He was a bit grateful for her help. "Do you want to see how the link works?"
"What I gave is not enough to bring out its full power. Still, I'd love to see what it can do with what it's been given. Would you show me?"
He cleared his throat, averting his eyes from the childlike anticipation on her face. Death manifested differently for everyone—that was what he had learned from comics. For Deadpool, Death appeared as a playful lover, always teasing him for what he could never have. For Thanos, Death took on the form of an untouchable queen, one who made him worship her.
The Death in front of him was curious and supportive? He didn't understand her enough to pinpoint her personality.
"Promise to save me if something goes wrong."
Death giggled softly. "I promise."
He took a deep breath and focused, the way he usually did before a heavy lift.
"Null Repo—I'll just call you Null," he thought out loud. "Establish Resonance Link with Death."
[Permission acquired.]
[Level 1 Resonance Link created.]
[New abilities added to Administrator's Archive (9)]
The change rolled over him in an absolute manner. His senses opened to a new level. He could see subtle textures on the bones. He could hear a faint hum in the air he hadn't noticed before. His heartbeat slowed in a steady but powerful rhythm.
His arms felt full of power like he could double or triple all of his personal bests.
"Wow… I feel different."
Death stepped closer and touched his cheek. Her skin wasn't warm, but the gesture was.
"It is real," she said softly. "Your existence has completely shifted at its base. In the Prime Universe you might be mistaken for a minor death god."
"Prime Universe?"
He already knew what she meant, and he wasn't ready to admit it. She might not believe it even if he told her.
"Another universe," she said dismissively. "I'll have you know that a single percent of my strength is enough to annihilate stars. You clearly can't achieve that in this state, which indicates that this vessel can't handle your power."
"That's fair," he said. "Can't be too greedy for power, or it'll bite me in the ass."
Dante was plenty thankful for being the sole survivor, which still made his heart ache. Moving forward, he just had to put in the effort to reach Null Repository's maximum potential.
"Null, can you analyze my current status and quantify it?"
The answer arrived in neat rows of text.
[Core attributes under Resonance Link (Death)]
Intelligence: 25
Class: Gifted
Effects: Above average in creativity, adaptability, and applying knowledge between fields with insight. Able to intuitively comprehend knowledge related to death manipulation. Pattern recognition and strategic planning operate at accelerated rates.
Vitality: Cannot be measured
Class: Unknown
Effects: Body sustains "existence state" rather than life state. Unable to perish without Death's Permission.
Strength: Varies from 12 to 75
Class: Normal to mid-class superhuman
Effects: Normal, can be enhanced by Death Aura to higher tiers.
Agility: Varies from 10 to 50
Class: Normal to peak speed of sound
Effects: Normal, can be enhanced by Death Aura, and can reach extreme levels under the effect of "Death Denial".
Endurance: 100
Class: Virtually Indestructible
Effects: You will endlessly regenerate until "Death Denial" ability continues working. This allows you to function in extreme environments.
Willpower: 25
Class: Iron Will
Effects: As a byproduct of glimpsing what mortals should never, your willpower has reached greater heights. You can stare down terror, fight through severe pain and exhaustion, shrug off standard fear/compulsion effects, and resist mind corruption.
Energy Capacity: 35
Class: Advanced
Effects: You can unleash a large amount of Death Aura.
[Abilities acquired through Resonance]
Physical Resistance
Abnormal Resistance
Death Arbiter
Universal Terror
Death Denial
Borrowed Scythe
Death Aura
Soothing Visage
Transcend
Dante scanned the status report, trying not to laugh. "Am I a raid boss or what?"
It felt hard to believe these crazy stats and seemingly-powerful abilities belonged to him. The gap between numbers and reality would take time to bridge.
"Null," he said. "Can you provide details on abilities?"
Death's smile returned, small and polite. "You still owe me an answer. There will be no point to it if I don't find your answer satisfactory."
He silently looked up at her. The safe route would be to bargain, to offer his service, to promise her entertainment, essentially serving as her dog. But the images from the Repository still remained bright in his mind. He remembered the loneliness in her memories, the emptiness that stretched longer than stars, and most importantly, the responsibility of being necessary but never wanted by anyone.
Taking a deep breath, he made a bold decision.
"You should let me live," he said, and then stepped forward. He placed one hand behind his back and gave a small bow, extending his other hand to her, as if requesting a dance. "Because I'll be your companion. Death's only companion."
Was it reckless? Of course. Foolish, even. It could be read as a joke, or it could get him erased from existence. The choice was reckless. But it was honest. He knew Death needed something else more than entertainment.
A companion.
Someone who understood her without fearing her on an instinctive level. Could he look death in the eye and say he wasn't afraid of it? The answer would've been a deafening 'No!' until yesterday. But not today, not in his current form at least.
Death watched his hand for a long minute. The wait was excruciating. The anticipation wasn't any different from what he felt after his terrible confession in high school, except his very life hinged on nailing this performance. There was no fear on his face, however. Only confidence.
Death covered her mouth and laughed as her fingers rested in his open palm. "Not the answer I expected, but an answer I'm willing to accept."
He breathed out a deep sigh before revealing a smile. "I won't let you down."
"You certainly have the qualifications to walk by my side." Death nodded slowly. There was a distinct glow in his eyes as she gazed at their clasped hands. "Then we have an accord."
"Yeah," Dante replied, still unsure about what he had signed up for. "Do you want to dance?"
"We'll save that for another day," she said with a soft giggle. "You don't have much time, I'm afraid."
"Huh?" He suddenly felt light-headed, strength draining from his body like a torrent. Barely holding onto her hand, he finally fell forward in Death's embrace. "What's… going on?"
She lowered him to the ground and let him lay on her lap. Her left hand reached for his chest, caressing it with a gentle touch. "Your vessel is still weak to hold my power."
[Resonance Link severed due to an external factor.]
"Shit…"
He recalled seeing 'Abnormal Resistance' under his abilities section. The ability completely warped his mind into believing that everything was right. When in reality, his strength was rapidly being drained. His body wasn't strong enough.
Death caressed his face. "I regret spending very little time on your vessel. Then again, you're the man who glimpsed at the Primordial Chaos and lived. You'll surpass your limits and reach my level even in this weak vessel."
Receiving a lap pillow and hearing such encouraging words from Death herself wasn't on his wishlist, but he wasn't complaining. It might be the greatest moment of his life.
"Have some rest. You'll be in a new world when you wake up with a new identity."
Those were the last words he heard before losing consciousness.