Dante sat relaxed, munching on his food with relish. As he felt a slight movement from the sofa, he turned his head just in time to see Vexion groaning as she slowly woke up. Blinking blearily, she focused on her master, who looked surprisingly adorable as he ate, savoring every bite.
A soft giggle escaped her lips before she slowly stood, stretching her limbs. She wasn't surprised that Dante had healed her. Despite his vicious nature, he had always been kind to her. If nothing else, he had always meant it when he said he cared she knew that was because he found her useful, nonetheless she still liked his care and attention.
Lowering her gaze, she bowed before kneeling on the floor in front of him. "May I feed you, Master?" she asked, her voice gentle and reverent.
Dante paused mid-chew, without a word, he nodded and handed her his plate, watching as she carefully lifted a sandwich to his mouth. He took a bite, chewing slowly, his sharp eyes never left her face.
"Your love and allegiance toward me it's… strange," he murmured between bites.
Vexion offered a shy smile, continuing to feed him with delicate precision. "I have long made peace with my love for you, moreover I can't help it, that's why I try my best to make it known. If you are asking why that is… it's something I simply cannot put into words."
Dante hummed, savoring the food, which—oddly—tasted far better than when he fed himself.
Between bites, he gestured toward a plate beside the drink. "You should eat as well. You lost blood and energy, and you've been asleep for a few days."
Her eyes widened slightly. "A few days?" she echoed in surprise. Nevertheless, she nodded, glancing at his sandwich before blushing slightly. With a small, bashful smile, she took a bite exactly where he had. Then, as if nothing had happened, she lifted it back up for him to take another.
They ate in companionable silence, repeating this quiet exchange until every dish was finished. Vexion chose to sit on the floor beside him, but Dante—without a word— forced her to sit next to him instead. He leaned back, stretching, then let out a quiet yawn before speaking again.
"You know why you lost?"
Vexion, who had been enjoying the warm atmosphere, needed a few moments to reorient herself. She nodded. "I lack combat experience. Master didn't do anything but adapt to what I was doing, then used moments of my weakness against me."
Dante nodded in approval. "Mhmm. For the sake of time, I'll explain. Normally, people think their skills can only do what their intuitive understanding of them allows, essentially what the "definitions" say they can do. That's wrong. The reason I call experience points for leveling up mastery experience points is because you need to master your skill. Learn how it can be used—and in what ways it can't be used. This can only occur in battle, and sometimes through heavy, repeated usage."
Vexion listened with rapt attention, her focus unwavering. If one were to look at them, they might think she was a disciple before an ancient sage rather than a young woman listening to a thirteen-year-old boy.
Dante, pleased with her attentiveness. "You're aware that I have a telekinetic skill," he continued, "but you've also seen me fight with my hands in my pockets quite often, right?"
Vexion blinked, tilting her head in confusion before nodding her head.
Dante raised a finger, pointing at the table. Instantly, it levitated, hovering slightly above the ground. "Normally, those with similar skills do this," he explained, "because their bodies unconsciously tell them to. The mind needs a focal point, something to link the ability to. In your case, that's your hand." He lowered his finger. "This is a big problem. Do you understand why?"
Vexion frowned in thought before answering, "If I don't point at my target, my focal point ceases to exist, and I fail to control my skill properly?"
Dante nodded. "Yes. But more importantly, you let others know that you can't properly control your ability without using your hands. What do you think someone with a brain will do then?"
Realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. She recalled how Dante had focused his attacks on her hand after failing to take her head off in their battle. A wry, embarrassed smile formed on her lips "Take a hand".
Dante chuckled at her reaction. "Moreover," he continued, "it exposes the nature of your skill. Your opponent immediately knows it's a long-range type, giving them the opportunity to counter you right from the start. But if you can learn to focus on a target without using your limbs, you'll cause far more problems for your enemies."
Vexion nodded in understanding, her admiration for her master growing. He was not only tactical but also hyper-aware of every advantage and disadvantage in a battle. She briefly wondered how a thirteen-year-old could possess such wisdom but quickly dismissed it—Dante was simply a genius.
"Now, let's put this to practice."
Dante led her back into the training area, where he wasted no time drilling her on everything they had discussed. First, he had her use her skills to block his attacks purely on instinct.
Then, she had to utilize Push and Pull without her hands, training her body to react automatically. Soon, she was learning how to move faster, turning left and right midair as if she were flying, using Push and Pull on herself as propulsion.
Each time she instinctively reached for her hand to guide her skill—slash.
Dante's sword would sever her hands without hesitation. Only his partial healing prevented blood loss, but the pain remained. It was brutal, merciless, and unrelenting.
And yet… Vexion had never been happier.
And like that, years passed
...........................…..
Only a few more months remained before Dante had to leave for the Central Continent and enroll in Midvest Academy.
As he stepped out of the training room, Vexion followed humbly behind him. Their relentless training had borne significant results for both of them.
In that time, Dante had come to terms with his parents. He had forgiven them, or at least, he made it seem like he had. He allowed his mother and father to dote on him, to embrace him as they wished, but his expression remained cool and detached.
He indulged them just enough to keep them content but never let them forget that their betrayal had consequences.
His interactions with his younger sister were rare. To him, she was utterly useless—at least for now. Despite possessing 1 epic-tier skills and a legendary skill, the longevity of elves meant that they would reach the legendary tier… in time. That was far too slow for his standards. He had greater expectations for his older siblings, and unlike before, he had abandoned the idea of using his youngest sister as a stepping stone for them. Strangely enough, he did hold some genuine affection for her, and besides, there was no need to make an enemy of his own family. The world was far too vast for him to rely on only ten allies.
More importantly…. his eldest brother had apparently managed to advance his Mythical skill to Level 4. When Dante heard this he almost swore in front of his parents. After all
That was utter bullshit.
Dante had been stuck, unable to even touch the threshold of level 2. He suspected that it had something to do with his stacked skills, making it exponentially harder to gain the required Mastery Experience Points. If his siblings had already reached such heights, then wherever they were, those monstrous prodigies were no doubt causing a storm.
Dante entered his room and paused to look at himself in the mirror.
He had grown taller—his head now reached around Vexion's height. His facial features remained nearly identical, still overwhelmingly androgynous, with a delicate beauty that was ninety percent feminine and only ten percent masculine. One had to scrutinize him closely to even realize he was male. His long, silver-white hair cascaded down his back, now reaching his mid-back. His robes remained the same—a regal combination of white and deep blue, adorned with gemstones that shimmered under the light.
Vexion, too, had changed. She had matured slightly, now appearing around twenty years old. Her figure had only grown more striking—curvaceous thick and sexy yet slender at the waist. Her thighs were supple , her ass was a perfect round and large sized , no matter how she stood it popped out chowing her figure and curvy waist, her red eyes burning with quiet intensity, her crimson yet at times dark brown hair falling in soft waves around her face. Her lips, full and naturally pink, held an allure that was difficult to ignore.
Dante felt an uncomfortable itch every time he looked at her, an annoyance that only worsened when she blushed under his gaze. She seemed to be aware of it, yet neither of them acknowledged it beyond subtle glances and quiet moments.
But Dante only had one thought in mind '2 more years , just two more years"
Her loyalty had increased from 120% to 125%. He assumed it had something to do with her love for him, that now he could only regard as obsession as well. That devotion granted him extra loyalty points, a resource he could make use of in the future. However, he decided that he would only reward her once he turned eighteen—after he determined exactly what she needed most.
For now, he had other matters to attend to.