Dante scanned his surroundings, taking in the strange yet vibrant forest.
The air was thick with magic, the trees bore crimson, violet, and orange leaves, and the streams flowed with crystal-clear water that shimmered unnaturally. It was unlike any place he had seen before.
His eyes landed on some small, oddly colored berries scattered on the ground. Their unusual shades of blue, green, and purple stood out against the grass.
"What's this?" he muttered, crouching to pick one up.
[OBTAINED: Grassberries!]
|| GRASSBERRIES ||
>> Common
>> 1 gil
>> Tastes bland
>> Restores a minuscule amount of health
|| END ||
Dante frowned. "Grassberries?"
He inspected them further, rolling the tiny fruits between his fingers.
They didn't seem poisonous, but they weren't exactly special either.
"This is the first time I've seen something like this," he murmured. Despite traveling through countless worlds, these berries were unfamiliar to him. Perhaps this world had unique flora?
Curious, he gathered more, noting that they grew in different colors but had identical properties. They were utterly useless in their current form—just another common, forgettable item that didn't do much.
"But . . . what if I fuse them?"
With a flick of his hand, he activated his Fusion Master ability.
Grassberries + Grassberries >> Grassberries Lv.1
The change was minimal. A barely noticeable improvement. But Dante wasn't the type to give up easily. He continued the process, fusing multiple batches together.
Grassberries Lv.1 >> Lv.2 >> Lv.3 . . .
On and on, he combined them until finally—
Grassberries Lv.9 >> Grassberries Lv.10
That used to be his limit. Before his recent class upgrade, he could only fuse [FOOD] up to Level 10. The ranking system was different when it came to [EQUIPMENT]—classified as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Epic, Mythic, and Legendary.
But now . . .
Dante's eyes gleamed. SSS+ rank in both category.
His fingers twitched in excitement.
"Let's see what happens when I push it further."
Dante continued fusing, this time combining Lv.10 Grassberries together. The process took longer, and his SE drained slightly, but he could handle it.
Grassberries S >> Grassberries SS >> Grassberries SSS . . .
Then, the final step.
[Grassberries SSS+ Obtained!]
Dante eagerly pulled up the new item's details.
|| GRASSBERRIES ||
>> SSS+ Grade
>> 100,000 gil
>> Tastes sweet
>> Instantly heals all minor wounds within seconds
|| END ||
Dante blinked.
"Holy . . . This is basically a Super Healing Potion!"
A simple berry had transformed into something that could instantly heal any injury. If healing items could reach this level, what about weapons?
A shiver ran down Dante's spine at the thought.
Could he forge a weapon that could kill even the higher Gods?
For a moment, the old habits clawed at him—his mind automatically considering the potential of crafting such weapons, arming heroes, pushing the fight against demons.
But then, he shoved those thoughts aside.
NO!
He was done.
Years. Decades. He had spent an eternity in the shadows, forging weapons, crafting armor, and ensuring the so-called "heroes" had everything they needed to take all the glory.
They stood in the light, praised and cheered, while he and the other support classes were treated as nothing more than tools.
They never appreciated them.
Never realized that without them, there would be no swords, no armor, no enchanted equipment—no chance of winning at all.
Yet, the frontliners basked in admiration, while the ones who worked tirelessly behind the scenes remained forgotten. No acknowledgement. No compensation.
Dante clenched his fists, then exhaled, looking up at the sky through the fiery leaves of the trees.
He wasn't going back.
He wasn't going to reunite with the other heroes.
A single support-class character like him wouldn't even be missed. Nor would he impact this world much due to his absence.
He would leave the heroics to someone else. This time, he would live his life, his way.
Dante nodded to himself. Though his face remained serious, a newfound sense of freedom swelled within him.
"First things first . . . ," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "If I'm not going back to being a hero . . . then what am I gonna do?"
For the first time in forever, he had no mission, no orders, no divine quest.
He was just . . . Dante.
The thought was oddly thrilling.
All his life, he had been told what to do. Told where to go. Told what to craft, what to fuse, what to fight for. He had never truly chosen anything for himself.
And now, when given the chance . . . he had no idea what he actually wanted.
Dante thought for a moment, staring at the handful of SSS+ Grassberries in his palm.
Then, a slow grin spread across his face.
". . . Maybe I'll start a farm."
Come to think of it, he was just a simple farmer's son who finished culinary school in his original world before he got yanked into this madhouse of a fantasy realm.
Back then, all he wanted was a quiet life on the family farm—waking with the sun, tending the fields, running his small restaurant, complaining about the weather, and ending each day in peace.
He exhaled slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Enough of living for everyone else's sake. From now on, he'd live for his own.
He chuckled to himself. A Fusion Master farming god-tier fruits and vegetables?
Why the hell not?