Phillip, Samson, and Ollie were all powerful. Yet in the current moment Dante stood apart. Armed with two Mythical skills that served him both offensively and defensively, he was a force few dared to challenge. In truth, no one in this room could harm him.
Landing lightly on his feet with the confidence of someone born to command, Dante casually raised a hand to scratch the itch in his long ears. But his attention was quickly diverted when he noticed that Vixeon had gone unusually quiet. With a slight arch of his eyebrow, he turned toward her.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his tone both amused and expectant.
Vixeon paused, steadying her breath as her gaze fixed on one of the dukes. "My lord, these people are all of noble caliber," she began in a measured tone. "They must have connections. I know for a fact they do , to be more specific, that one…"
Her finger pointed to an elf adorned in a tight, luxurious outfit that highlighted her mature figure. The woman was breathtaking—her hair astonishingly clean and shimmering in a golden blonde cascade that caught every glimmer of light.
"I don't know what connection she has with the elf who took my parents' lives," Vixeon continued, her voice soft yet laced with bitterness, "but that man—he's said to be close to evolving his skill into the middle levels of the Legendary Tier, my lord. They call him an Ascended Saint. Its said He's about to become a true elder of the Gaia Sect." Dante nodded, though internally he seethed.
Tsk. How am I already about to offend a powerhouse? And what the hell is an Ascended Saint? For fuck's sake, can't a man exact revenge in peace without stepping on a damn landmine?
A system prompt tried to interject:
[Master, I believe an A—]
"No need, system," Dante snapped, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Like I said, Midvest Academy first. Until I reach then, don't bother me about power systems or any of that nonsense. Tsk—why did I have to pick up such a troublesome subordinate?"
A quieter query followed:
[…Master, if I cannot gather information about these systems, may I at least confirm the location and strengths of the Gaia Sect?]
Dante considered the request for a split second. "Yes, su—" he began, but before he could finish, a figure blurred into motion. A powerful punch, loaded with raw force, hurtled straight toward Vixeon.
Dante's eyes narrowed as he observed the attack. He wasn't in the habit of babysitting his subordinate, so he allowed the scene to unfold.
The attacker—an inconsequential male elf whom Dante mentally labeled Duke 1—was dressed in a blend of noble finery and combat readiness. His robe, was both noble and clean like , while indicating that he was a combat specialist too
While the other nobles exchanged disapproving glances yet remained inert, Duke 1 saw his moment: a decisive strike could earn him even more favor with the Archdukes.
Drawing on his skill Flurry Strikes, Duke 1 channeled kinetic energy into his punch. The air around his fist rippled and compressed, boosting his speed in a lethal two-phase attack—first, a concussive blast of wind that could shatter bones and body, followed by the devastating impact of his fist.
Confidently, he smirked, convinced his strike would land.
Instead, his fist collided with nothing but empty air.
Caught off guard, his momentum carried him past where Vixeon had stood. In a desperate bid to regain control, he invoked his skill further—the very wind that had accelerated him now acted as a buffer, cushioning his errant flight as he whirled around to locate his target. There, mere feet away, Vixeon stood calm and composed, completely unscathed.
Duke 1's confusion deepened as a measured voice reached his ears from behind.
"It was a mirage, Oliver," another Duke commented, "Right before impact, she took a few precise steps and reappeared exactly where she stands now."
Oliver—Duke 1—nodded, grudgingly acknowledging that while mirage skills were notoriously tricky, a high enough level made them manageable. He was about to resume his assault when, yet another voice broke through the tension.
.......
Date walked slowly toward the centre of the room where the Archdukes had assembled. His eyes were clear and his demeanor calm, almost disinterested as he addressed the gathered nobles:
"You seven—the Archdukes and Dukes—you're going to be my opponents."
He paused, a slight frown creasing his youthful features as though he had recalled something. "Hmm. Actually…" he mused, then turned his piercing gaze to Vexion. His white hair caught the light as it swayed, adding an almost ethereal quality to his presence.
"Do you want to fight the dukes?" he asked, tilting his head "They'd be a better test for you. Your Legendary skill is far superior—if you use it now, there would be no real contest. For now, rely only on your Epic skill."
Glancing over the assembled nobles, he continued with calm precision:
"I'm aware some of their skills are higher level than yours in that tier, but the experience will benefit you. Besides, you possess stacked skills while they can only optimize theirs together. In the worst-case scenario, you'll be evenly matched; in the best-case, you hold the advantage. Their only hope is to overwhelm you with sheer numbers."
With a dismissive shrug and casual disinterest, he added, "Five minutes should be enough for me to sort out my grudge."
"If things get dicey, feel free to unleash your Legendary skill. You have—let's say—twenty minutes. I'll clean up these Archdukes, exact a bit of revenge, and then enjoy your battle. Understood?"
A simple yet kind smile was flashed at her as he concluded, "Let's get started."
Vexion nodded at her lord's orders. Deep down, she would have preferred to simply bully and toy with these little weaklings, but when her master spoke, she obeyed without question. Her loyalty came with a price, and from what she was gathering about Dante. He would surely be able to pay that price.
She could tell he truly meant every word—a golden opportunity to test her abilities or rather this could be regarded as her first training session. She was eager to speak again, to ask her own questions, but her master continued before she could.
"If you're able to defeat them easily, without much struggle, I'll reward you with some answers later—and the head of the man backing that woman," Dante declared.
"Ascended Saint or whatever that is, it's clear that her master, lover, or father isn't anything special. If he were, he wouldn't have given you that pathetic artifact that can barely withstand a higher Legendary-tier attack. So, no need to fear him. While I won't baby you—no one can bully you, from now on your mine. Understand?"
Vexion's heartbeat quickened, and she blushed unconsciously. No one had ever claimed her so publicly before at the same time, because he was such a young looking kid she felt off by such declarations. Vexion cursed how little experience she had, especially when it came to being seen or regarded as a woman, or even friend or subordinate. Never had anyone dared to promise her protection in such a direct manner. Her smile brightened as she nodded. "Yes, my Lord."
Dante couldn't help but chuckle silently to himself. Those novels weren't entirely wrong—save a girl with a terrified past, and you get free pussy. Life here is good. Now then, revenge time.
He fixed his gaze on the weaklings. Just as he was about to speak, the Archdukes around them began to chuckle.
Samson broke the uneasy silence, eyeing the young boy with a mix of amusement and scorn. "Boy, you seem to forget we're here. And yet you dare claim you'll take care of us in five minutes? What impudence!" He sneered. "And you continue prattling about Lady Esela's husband—a genuine Ascended Saint—as if you're worthy of mentioning him. You really are ignorant of how the world works. Hahaha, you've made my day".
"However I'm no fool. Since you've managed to barge in here, you must have some ability. I was hoping to—"
Before Samson could finish his mocking tirade, Dante appeared at an unnatural speed by his side, casually picking up the documents, laid out on a table, system giving them a quick read .as he said, his eyes not bothering with them.
"Dude, you talk too much. I just came to kill that guy,". Looking up after he skimmed them over Dante spoke out, "Based on this info, it seems you lot are already aware of who I am. That's good for you—and not so much for me." He then locked eyes with the young boy, noticing the creeping fear that danced in his gaze.
The boy squared his shoulders, dropping into a refined martial stance with deliberate precision. He planted his right foot firmly in front, the left behind for balance, his legs spread apart in a martial like stance and slowly drew back his right arm. In one fluid, powerful motion, he launched a devastating punch aimed squarely at Samson.
Startled, Samson activated his skill. In a flash, a shield of malleable water materialized before him and solidified into a protective barrier. The boy's punch crashed against the water shield with tremendous force. The impact rippled through the barrier like a shockwave, and with a final burst, the shield shattered—its remnants scattering as Samson was violently thrown backward, sending nearby furniture tumbling in its wake.
Samson's eyes widened in shock as he struggled to steady himself. The boy's punch had carried power far beyond what his fragile body should have been capable of. Around them, the Archdukes recoiled in fear and retreated, every eye in the room now fixed warily on the boy.
"Tsk, I have to face reality— even cheats have their limits, I wanted to see is 10 % qould be enough, maybe not" Dante muttered. In response to his explosive power the nobles looked at him with a mix of awe and begrudging respect. "I was hoping for a one-punch knocker, but… it's fine."
Without missing a beat, Dante invoked his skill pulling the three floating, half-dead bodies—Xavier and two lifeless guards appeared—closer. Then, turning to Phillip with a tone reminiscent of an old-time friend, he said, "Phillip, long time no see. I'm here to enact justice— eh, no, wait, revenge. Yes, that's it. "Dante followed this declaration of a threat "To do that, you need to die,"
Phillip's eyes narrowed as he tried to recall when he had ever offended someone capable of making Samson lose his footing and blow him back with just a simple punch. He stared hard at the young boy, and a creeping realization sent goosebumps over his skin as his brain worked overtime to finally help him realise who the little boy was. Before he could speak—and before Dante could step forward to follow through with his threat —a sharp aura and an unnatural, freezing chill suddenly enveloped the room. "You dare attack me and try to ignore me?!"
The cold blast cut through the tension like a knife, sending shivers down the spines of all who felt it. Even allies and enemies alike could not ignore its piercing intensity. Vexion shivered visibly. In response, she activated her skill—Tyrant's Decree—to release an aura that repelled any invading cold. Combined with Sovereign's Wrath, she created a push barrier that drove back the freezing aura with resolute force.
Dante observed her technique and nodded appreciatively. She's got real combat experience—no one would expect a non-direct physical attack to be countered so effectively, not even me. He then turned his attention back to his adversary and shook his head. "Dude, you're aware you almost died from that punch, right? how dare I? You only say that to gain ego only if the attack barely sustained damage." he remarked casually.
The remark drew confused glances as all eyes turned toward Samson. He looked down at his body, his expression a mix of shock and fury, he had indeed sustained a clear wound, though not visible, he felt an excruciating pain from his rib cage.
Dante continued with a slight chuckle as he remembered something. "Now listen—do you see these three bodies over my head?"
For a moment, the assembled foes mentally cursed, their desire to stomp the little boy's face palpable. Yet, with reluctant focus, all attention shifted to the floating corpses. Then, from somewhere in the crowd, someone shouted,
"Xavier!?"