Dante and the four arrived. Looking at them, he simply said,
"I'll take us there."
Jurian and the others nodded, curiosity evident on their faces. The next moment, the world disappeared. Without warning they were standing atop an enormous cliff, overlooking an endless sea of jagged mountains stretching far beyond the horizon.
Before any of them could even admire the scenery, space folded once more. The mountains vanished. Another location. Then another. Dante simply jumped through space as though travelling across dozens of kilometers was no different from taking a casual stroll. He didn't even notice.
But the expressions behind him were anything but calm. Jurian instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword. Aishwani folded her arms tightly around herself without even realizing she had done so. Even Eliosphere and Gorgon had gone unusually silent.
It wasn't excitement. It wasn't admiration. It was helplessness. An overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Spatial manipulation was terrifying. Not because Dante could teleport. But because nobody could perceive it. No mana fluctuations. No warning. No distortion. No build-up. One moment he stood before them, the next, reality itself simply decided he was somewhere else.
Jurian's heartbeat quickened. 'How? When? Why is it so fast? Why can't I sense anything?'
There isn't even enough time to react. A swordsman can't defend against something he cannot perceive.
Aishwani felt no better. Her fingers tightened around her sleeves. 'Spatial Manipulation. This isn't normal. Is this really Level Three? How is a first-year capable of something like this? Who exactly is Dante? If he wanted to kill me, I genuinely don't know if I'd even realize I'd died.'
For perhaps the first time, the princess who had stood confidently against countless prodigies felt completely powerless.
Dante remained blissfully unaware. His hands rested comfortably inside his pockets as his eyes landed on a familiar figure.
A beautiful dark elf.
Lexa.
The moment their eyes met, she smiled.
A genuine smile.
Not the calm smile she occasionally wore.
Not the polite smile reserved for strangers. A bright, warm, almost radiant smile. Even she hadn't realized how much she had missed seeing him.
'Why am I this happy? Why do I feel so relieved? Why does simply seeing this idiot make everything feel easier? He's reliable. Comforting. Like an older brother, and somehow an annoying younger brother at the same time.'
It made absolutely no sense. Yet standing before him, she couldn't stop smiling.
Dante chuckled. Without hesitation, his hand naturally reached towards her head — something he had developed the habit of doing over the past few years.
Ordinarily Lexa would simply step away. Today she didn't move. She simply stood there, allowing him to gently pat her head.
Dante grinned.
"I think this is the first time I've seen you smile this brightly."
He tilted his head.
"Are you finally falling for me?"
Lexa rolled her eyes. Without hesitation, she punched him squarely in the stomach.
Thud.
Not enough to hurt him. Just enough to remind him who she was. Then she gracefully lowered herself onto one knee.
"My Lord. It's been two days."
Dante smiled.
"It has."
His eyes shifted towards Amber. He immediately noticed the difference. Her level had only increased to seventeen, decent, but her mastery had improved enormously. The way her mana flowed was smoother, cleaner, far more disciplined.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"You've improved."
Amber's eyes brightened. She immediately knelt beside Lexa.
"My Lord, I truly cannot thank you enough."
Dante simply nodded. His gaze wandered.
"Where's Vexion?"
Lexa couldn't help laughing.
"She's grumpy. And unfortunately—" She glanced towards the distance. "—your poor new subordinate has been suffering because of it."