Dante was thrilled with his newfound strength, but he had no intention of getting out of bed while Viviane was still asleep. So, he simply lay there, thinking.
Slay, the lion cub Dante had nicknamed Ravi, was in the beast area until the beast contract was ready — it was a rule!
In addition, using the materials from the slain beast, Dante had asked one of the village refiners to craft an exoskeleton-style armor for himself and a fur coat for Viviane made from its mane.
Still lost in thought, Viviane wrapped her arms around Dante's stomach, aligning herself against his chest. It seemed like a simple act of sleep, but it drew a genuine smile from Dante. He felt completely at peace — perhaps he didn't even wish to move away from her.
Time passed, and Dante eventually drifted back to sleep. By then, the sun was already at its peak, and the small house could no longer hide from its brilliance.
The rays streamed through the cracks, illuminating their faces, which were almost pressed together in a warm embrace.
This time, Viviane woke first. Her eyes opened and met Dante's face, sleeping peacefully, showing no signs of waking.
Without realizing it, her hands withdrew from his abdomen, and her usually composed and graceful face turned completely red, flooded by fragmented memories of the night before.
She then stood up quickly, and a spontaneous spell escaped from her fingers, deepening Dante's sleep.
As if she had committed a crime, Viviane waved her hand over him three times; a gentle gust of wind adjusted his posture on the bed, and she hurriedly pulled the bedsheet away.
While dispelling the magic, she dressed and grabbed the sheet before running toward the door — but as she reached it, she stopped...
She turned back to the bed, leaned down, and placed a soft kiss on Dante's forehead — then dashed out toward some unknown place.
While Dante still slept deeply, Viviane arrived at the Elders' Quarter and headed straight for her mother's house, where the woman was calmly sipping her morning coffee.
The moment she saw her daughter rush in and run to her room, the mother followed.
Viviane, already preparing to bathe, suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her:
— So... it finally happened, huh?
It was her mother, watching with a teasing smile.
— My little girl has become a woman? — she said, stepping closer. — How fast time flies... it feels like yesterday I gave birth to that beautiful little girl.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and continued,
— So, why don't you take a breath and sit here to tell me everything?
Hearing that, Viviane hesitated for a moment, then walked to the bed and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. With a shy smile on her lips, she began to speak.
...
About two hours later.
Dante opened his eyes with excitement and, with a sudden impulse, jumped out of bed. He quickly looked around but didn't see Viviane.
He decided to take a bath first and then visit his master.
He washed himself in a small wooden tub used to clean the body after training and then ran toward the hall where he usually met Tyler.
As soon as he started running, he noticed how much faster he had become, and how much better control he had over his body.
He could feel everything happening inside — the meridians, the blood flow, the bones, and muscles that now carried a faint golden hue.
Dante sprinted for about two minutes before reaching the training hall. As expected, Tyler was there, standing at the center, staring at the door with a knowing smile. His intentions were obvious.
As soon as Dante saw him, he understood — and charged without hesitation. His body moved swiftly, and as he approached, he spun and launched a kick toward the old man's head, which was easily blocked.
— Not bad, brat! HAHAHA! — Tyler roared with his eccentric laughter.
Right after, he threw a punch, which Dante blocked with his right arm. Without giving him a chance to react, Tyler leapt and spun midair, landing a kick that sent Dante sliding to the left side of the training field.
Since the old man had suppressed his strength, Dante only staggered back four steps before lunging forward again.
His fist shot out with unparalleled ferocity, slicing through the air. Dante's simple, aggressive, beast-like style made him an extremely troublesome opponent.
And he didn't stop at one attack — as soon as the old man blocked, Dante unleashed a flurry of blows, seeking any opening.
Unfortunately, Tyler's experience was immense, and he deflected every strike with masterful precision.
Yet, something became clear to the old master: Dante, at Level 1, was already stronger than Tyler had been at the same stage. Without the edge of experience, he would've been crushed.
He and the former leaders of the village had made bets on Dante's strength upon reaching Level 1.
Tyler and Tu Sheng had guessed somewhere between two stars — mid to high rank — while old Hai claimed it would be the peak of two stars.
But they were all wrong.
Dante's strength easily reached three stars, within the newly advanced class — an astonishing feat, considering how recently he had ascended.
— Little monster... — Tyler muttered with a mix of pride and awe.