"Then how exactly are you supposed to fulfill your duties as my subordinate?"
Vexion brushed her nose against his.
"I'm Master's Number One."
"Your right hand."
"I should remain by your side."
Her expression became unusually serious.
"In return..."
"I'll become strong enough to finish missions within a single day."
"I'll stay reliable."
"I'll remain a woman worthy of standing beside you."
"And..."
"I trained Elric."
"I also helped train Lexa."
Dante looked toward the three with a trace of sympathy.
"And?"
Vexion answered without hesitation.
"Master simply needs stronger subordinates."
"I'll break them."
"Lexa will polish them."
"I'll continue becoming stronger."
"I'll never fail you."
"And..."
A faint blush appeared.
"I'll continue fulfilling my role as..."
"...your woman."
Dante couldn't help smiling.
He gently squeezed both of her cheeks.
"You still blush every time you say 'your woman.'"
Vexion immediately cleared her throat.
"Master."
"Focus."
Dante laughed.
"So..."
He became serious.
"Unless it's absolutely necessary..."
"I won't send you away from my side for long again."
She looked at him nervously.
This was the first time...
She had ever asked Master for something.
Part of her feared she had overstepped.
Part of her feared he would refuse.
Or worse...
Become annoyed.
Instead...
Dante simply nodded.
"Okay."
Vexion blinked.
Then...
Her entire face brightened.
"Really?"
"You'll let this be my reward?"
Dante shrugged.
"It doesn't interfere with my plans."
"You stay beside me."
"You become stronger."
"You continue training everyone."
"I don't have to deal with every little nuisance myself."
"Sounds efficient."
Vexion smiled so brightly that even Lexa couldn't help smiling along with her.
...
Finally, Dante let go.
Vexion reluctantly released him as well.
Although...
She still held onto his arm, pressing it comfortably against her chest as they walked toward Elric.
Dante looked at the battered young man.
"So."
"How was it?"
Elric released a long sigh.
"My Lord..."
He looked toward Vexion before asking,
"Did you really train her like this?"
Dante shook his head.
"More or less."
"Actually..."
"I think my training was worse."
"For both Lexa and V."
Elric stared toward Vexion.
It was surreal.
Only moments ago...
She had looked like a terrifying monster.
Every movement carried killing intent.
Every word threatened another beating.
Now...
She looked like an ordinary young woman hopelessly in love.
It was difficult to believe they were the same person.
"How..."
"How did the two of you survive that?"
Vexion smiled.
"More or less the same way you did."
She looked toward Dante.
"But above all..."
"I wanted..."
"The role of Master's Number One."
Before she could finish...
The others finally arrived.
Lexa folded her arms.
"What she means..."
"...is that she refused to fail him."
Dante smiled as everyone gathered together.
His eyes carefully examined both Lexa and Vexion.
Finally, he nodded in satisfaction.
"You've both improved."
Lexa smiled.
"Master really can notice the smallest details."
Dante shook his head.
"Mana control is the hardest thing to improve."
"The fact that neither of you allowed your mana reserves to fall below eighty percent..."
"...while training continuously for two days..."
"...is genuinely impressive."
Amber and Elric froze.
Their eyes widened simultaneously.
Below eighty percent...?
They fought us...
Trained us...
For two entire days...
...and they never even used twenty percent of their mana?
Amber couldn't help lowering her head.
I'm still nowhere near those two...
Comparing myself to them...
...would only destroy my own confidence.
Instead...
She silently made another promise to herself.
One day...
She would become someone worthy of standing beside them.
Dante sat upon a makeshift throne, one he had casually sculpted by manipulating the surrounding stone into a sturdy seat. His arms rested comfortably around Vexion as she sat quietly on his lap, enjoying the firm warmth pressing against her. S
omehow, she looked completely in her element. At the same time... she looked utterly at peace.
To Dante's left sat his subordinates, Elric and Amber, finally enjoying the rest they had desperately wanted. Beside them sat the fairy, Eliosphere.
To his right sat Jurian, with the curvaceous demoness, Aishwa, seated further beside him.
Dante really had no desire to spend another day out here. He was, after all, a lazy man who valued sleep above most things. Tonight also happened to be the day he intended to satisfy both Vexion's growing hunger... and his own.
Food certainly wasn't lacking.
Unfortunately, this particular hunger could only be solved by embracing each other.
He chuckled to himself.
That's one way of describing sex.
His attention shifted toward the towering barbarian.
Name: Gorgon
Age: 24
Race: Barbarian
Moral Affinity: Morally Grey, Anti-Hero
Titan's Wrath
Legendary Tier – Level 17
A legendary skill that transforms the user into an unstoppable engine of destruction. Every wound, every impact, and every moment spent in battle fuels greater strength, resilience, and bloodlust.
Abilities
Warborn Physique (Passive) — Greatly enhances physical strength, durability, endurance, and recovery, creating an incredibly resilient body capable of enduring prolonged combat.
Pain Devourer (Passive) — Pain no longer weakens the user. Instead, injuries fuel greater physical strength, aggression, and combat efficiency. The more punishment endured, the more terrifying the user becomes.
Relentless Momentum — Every successful strike or received attack temporarily increases the user's physical strength, movement speed, and combat momentum. Continuous combat allows these bonuses to stack.
War Cry — Releases a devastating roar infused with mana. The soundwave can shatter eardrums, crack stone, destroy weaker barriers, disrupt concentration, instill fear in weaker opponents, and violently hurl nearby enemies backwards through sheer force.
Battle Mate — Summons a humanoid clone composed entirely of mana. The clone possesses the user's immense physical strength and durability and may wield its own conjured weapon. However, it cannot use any of the user's skills and continuously consumes mana to remain active, making prolonged use impractical.
Colossal Impact — Every punch, weapon swing, and stomp generates tremendous shockwaves capable of damaging multiple enemies, destabilizing terrain, and breaking enemy formations.
Unyielding Will (Passive) — Greatly reduces the effects of fear, intimidation, pain, mental interference, and exhaustion, allowing the user to continue fighting under overwhelming pressure.