Dante stood high above Midvest Academy. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he stood upon the sky itself. Beneath his feet, space had been solidified into an invisible platform, allowing him to stand comfortably as though he were upon ordinary ground.
A gentle breeze drifted past him while the sea of clouds rolled beneath his feet. He quietly looked down over the academy.
The library visit had finally come to an end. To be honest, there had simply been too many books. Even with the System reading alongside him, there was no chance he would finish everything within a single day.
Fortunately, that had never been his goal. The System was currently organizing everything it had scanned into manageable pieces of information.
Rather than flooding his mind with countless facts all at once, it would only present the knowledge that became relevant whenever he needed it.
Exactly how Dante preferred.
He hated info dumps.
Still, the trip had not been a waste. Everything the instructor had explained during Skill Theory suddenly made much more sense. The books had expanded upon the lecture, filling in countless missing details.
In fact, Dante had already reached a conclusion. "I probably don't need to attend Skill Theory anymore."
The System answered almost immediately.
[I agree, Master. The remaining lessons will likely follow the same progression as the books we have already finished.]
Dante nodded.
"I'll still attend occasionally. Mostly if I'm bored. Or if I feel like sleeping somewhere other than my house."
The System wisely chose not to comment.
His attention returned to the academy below.
He wasn't sightseeing.
He was searching.
More specifically, he was searching for one particular individual. Thousands of students moved throughout Midvest Academy. To an ordinary person, finding a single individual would have been impossible.
Fortunately, he wasn't alone. The System continuously swept over the academy, filtering person after person. Then it suddenly spoke.
[Master. I've located him.]
Dante's gaze immediately sharpened. Far below, a young man calmly walked along one of the academy's stone pathways. Black hair. Black gloves. A perfectly tailored gentleman's suit. Nothing about him appeared extraordinary. If anything, he looked almost painfully ordinary. Dante glanced at the details about him, smiling.
[Name: Elric Cellars
Origin: Northwestern Continent, Cellar's Empire
Race: Half Human, Half Black Frost Panther Tribe
Age: 21 Years Old
Moral Alignment: Morally Corrupt, Neutral
Legendary Skill: Shadow Realm
Tier: Legendary
Slot Cost: 1
Description
A Legendary assassin skill that allows the user to merge with shadows, manipulate them, and travel between them. Perfect at stealth, infiltration, and hit-and-run combat but becomes less effective in brightly lit environments.
Abilities
Shadowmeld (Active)
- Merge into shadows, becoming invisible, intangible, and difficult to detect.
- Time inside shadows is limited. 1–2 minute cooldown after exiting.
- Bright or holy areas greatly weaken this ability.
Shadow Clone: Wraith (Active)
- Creates a shadow clone with 30% of the user's strength.
- Can fight, defend, or distract enemies.
- Cannot use skills.
- Can sacrifice itself to block one lethal attack. 5-minute cooldown if destroyed.
Shadow Leap (Active)
-Instantly travel between two shadows within 50 meters.
- 10-second cooldown.
-Requires the destination shadow to be seen or sensed. Ideal for rapid assassinations and repositioning.
Shadow Forge (Active)
- Solidifies shadows into temporary weapons, shields, tendrils, or needles.
- Can enhance existing weapons with shadow, causing bleeding or silence.
-Constructs last 10–20 seconds before dissipating.
Shadow Vault (Passive / Active)
- Stores up to 10 targets inside the user's shadow: 5 living beings, 5 objects.
- Stored beings remain conscious and experience the passage of time.
-Items and targets can be summoned instantly, making it ideal for stealth operations, extractions, and ambushes.]
He was exactly the kind of person one would overlook.
Walking beside him was a young woman clinging comfortably to his arm. Dante tilted his head.
"Sister? Cousin? Girlfriend?"
The System answered.
[Cousin.]
Dante shrugged.
"Not really my problem."
His interest remained entirely focused on the young man. Until the System interrupted once more.
[Master. I believe you may also find the young woman beside him worthy of your attention.]
Dante blinked.
"...Her?"
Without another word, the System displayed her status:
[Name: Amber Brant
Origin: The Northwestern Continent, Cellars Empire
Race: Human
Age: 21 Years Old
Moral Alignment: Morally Corrupt, Neutral
Legendary Skill: Archive
Skill Tier: Legendary
Slot Cost: 1 Slot
Description
A mysterious skill that passively absorbs and stores ambient mana throughout the user's entire life. Unlike ordinary mages, the user cannot naturally circulate or release this accumulated mana. Instead, it remains dormant within the body as an ever-growing reserve. The skill also grants extraordinary sensitivity to mana structures, allowing the user to perceive the "threads" that compose spells and skills after prolonged observation. Although the skill possesses immense growth potential, it offers almost no immediate combat ability and requires exceptional understanding to utilize effectively.
Abilities
Mana Archive (Passive) — Constantly absorbs and stores ambient mana without limit. The mana cannot normally be used for combat or spellcasting.
Mana Loom (Passive) — Allows the user to perceive the intricate mana threads that form spells, techniques, and skill abilities after sufficient exposure.
Calibration (Passive) — Provides unparalleled control over mana, allowing the user to separate, organize, and stabilize mana threads with extreme precision.
Weaknesses
Cannot directly copy skills or spells. Requires prolonged observation before understanding a mana structure. Complex abilities may take days, months, or even years to fully analyze. Higher-level skills possess exponentially more complicated mana thread structures. Attempting to analyze abilities beyond the user's comprehension risks severe mental backlash, unconsciousness, or permanent damage. By itself, the skill grants almost no offensive power.]
Her skills. Her talent. Her potential. Dante's eyes widened.
"...What a find."
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"They're both mine."
The System remained silent.
"I absolutely need subordinates like these. What a wonderful day. You forced me to attend class. You forced me into the library. But—" He nodded approvingly. "—good work. This was worth it."
His gaze returned to the young woman.
Truthfully, her current strength wasn't what interested him.
It was her potential.
The skills she possessed had room to grow into something terrifying. She was exactly the kind of person he wanted under him. Still, there was no need to rush. Recruitment was easier when one understood their target first.
Patience.
The pair eventually arrived at the Legendary Residence District. As expected, they separated. The young man entered the male residence. The young woman walked toward the female section.
Dante scratched his cheek.
"...They're separated?"
He blinked.
"They're not even allowed to sleep together?"
He sighed dramatically.
"That's rough. Really rough."
A few moments later, the young woman exited the female residence carrying a small bag before entering the young man's residence instead. Dante nodded in understanding.
"Ah. So she just went to collect something. Good. Now I know exactly where he lives."
He rubbed his chin.
"I'll send Vexion after him."
Then he shook his head.
"Actually, I'll decide later. Either Vexion or Lexa. I did recruit subordinates for this exact kind of work. And—" A grin spread across his face. "—it'll also be a nice opportunity to show everyone how capable my subordnates are."
His attention shifted once more. Far below, he spotted two familiar figures leaving one of the lecture halls. Lexa. Vexion. With a single step, his figure vanished.
Lexa and Vexion had barely taken a few steps before Dante suddenly appeared beside them. Neither of them showed the slightest surprise. Lexa immediately smiled before giving a respectful bow.
It was noticeably deeper than usual.
Dante blinked.
"...?"
Something felt different. Before he could ask, Vexion stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around him. Dante naturally returned the embrace, one hand casually squeezing her backside.Vexion merely laughed softly, entirely accustomed to his shameless behavior. Lexa rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Dante looked between the two of them.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat."
Both women nodded.
A short while later, the three sat inside one of Midvest Academy's restaurants. Food had already been placed before them. Before Dante could take his first bite, Lexa suddenly spoke.
"Master... how much do you actually know about your family?"
Dante paused. Then realization crossed his face.
"...Ah. The Great Continental War?"
Both women stared at him.
"You know about it?"
Dante placed a hand over his chest as though deeply wounded.
"Of course I know."
Lexa blinked.
"You... read it?"
Dante looked offended.
"Just because I'm lazy doesn't mean I never read. I simply don't like reading."
Lexa raised an eyebrow.
"...Master. I'm fairly certain that's exactly what being lazy means."
Dante immediately shook his head.
"No. There's an important difference."
He raised a finger.
"I don't mind putting effort into things. I just don't like putting effort into boring things."
Lexa silently waited. Dante searched for an example.
"...For instance, I don't mind killing people."
He froze.
"So... you're saying killing people isn't boring?"
Lexa asked with a completely straight face.
"...Wait. No. That came out wrong."
He waved both hands.
"I'm not some serial killer. I mean, if killing someone serves a greater purpose, then I don't mind putting in the effort. But reading?"
He looked genuinely disgusted.
"I've never once finished a history book and thought, 'Wow, that was exciting.'"
Vexion covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Lexa simply shook her head. Only their Master could somehow compare reading books to murder, and make complete sense to himself while doing it.
Dante sighed dramatically before picking up his spoon.
"My point is simple. If reading makes me stronger, I'll read. If it doesn't, I'd rather take a nap."
Lexa finally gave up trying to suppress her laughter.
"As expected, our Master is completely hopeless."
Dante proudly nodded.
"Exactly. Now you're beginning to understand me."
The System quietly observed the conversation. After several seconds, it reached a familiar conclusion
. Its Master was shameless beyond repair.