Dante strolled calmly through the hallways, his calm expression radiating confidence as if the entire estate belonged solely to him. The grandeur of the opulent floor mats, the glimmer of ornate chandeliers, and the lavish decor all combined to create an ambiance of undeniable magnificence. His white, gorgeous hair flowed gracefully around his delicate face—an exquisitely feminine visage accented by subtle hints of rugged handsomeness that only enhanced his allure. His martial robes, adorned with intricate blue and white gems along the seams, clung to him in a display of refined elegance.
Every so often, Dante would pass by a mirror and pause to admire his reflection. His concern being a simple one accompanied by a sly smile:
'I hope my dick stays big—what a shame if all this beauty were paired with a peanut-sized sword'.
Occasionally, he noticed a few patrolling guards. Of course, they wouldn't detect him— most were mere skill slot owners, their bodies naturally conditioned to harbor skills without injury, or they possessed only common-tier abilities. Dante found it remarkable how few high-level individuals roamed these halls. He had an idea of the underlying reason, but he preferred not to dwell on it; if the time ever came when he needed to know more, he would investigate.
For now, it was simply not worth the effort.
There was an odd, almost theatrical air to the way he moved—a blend of casual nonchalance and absolute confidence that made it seem as if he were the rightful owner of the entire mansion. In reality, the little 13-year old boy was simply a break-in criminal, and his cool demeanor made the situation a comical air. Even the System couldn't help but remark on the oddness of it all.
[Master]
"Hmm, what's wrong?"
[…Master, should we not be in a hurry? While I am aware that no one here could possibly be a match for you, there is an oddity about this situation.]
Dante chuckled lightly. "Relax, System. You'll get used to it. That oddity? It's just your own awkwardness about us breaking into someone's house—a noble's house, no less—and doing it with complete coolness. In novel terms, do you know what I'm doing right now?"
[Please enlighten me, Master.]
Dante grinned broadly. "Im aura farming, , something akin to a Edge Lord."
[I see. Are you comfortable being an edgelord, Master?]
For a brief moment, Dante paused as if struck by an unexpected insult, feeling oddly self-conscious—as if someone were making fun of him.
He knew the System wasn't truly capable of that sort of teasing, at least not yet, but the feeling of awkwardness lingered. Just as he was about to clear his throat, he noticed a small group of guards chatting as they walked together.
Dante's grin returned as he followed them. He wasn't wandering aimlessly; he was on a mission to locate something. He knew his target was nearby because the number of guards increased steadily as he followed their trail.
In every novel he had read, a ruthless scene would typically appear and evoke disgust in the readers—and admittedly, that disgusted him too.
At a corner, he turned right onto a staircase leading downward. Descending carefully, he soon found himself among a few guards, casually chatting and laughing. They were busily fixing their pants and zipping them up with an almost childlike glee.
"Fuck, that was so fun," one elven guard exclaimed to his companion.
"Yeah," the other replied with a nod, "I can't wait to get back here later when we switch patrol clocks with those guys."
Their laughter and lewd, malevolent smiles was loud enough for Dante to hear them. Suddenly, Dante materialized out of nowhere in front of the two guards, his presence startling them.
"You know, you guys just had one of the most NPC moments ever," he quipped. ". Man—I do miss my novels. Then again, it's not like I've forgotten anything."
The two patrol guards froze in confusion.
In their startled minds, they wondered:
Who the fuck is this little... boy?
Girl?
No, he's definitely a boy. But where did he come from? I didn't see him, nor did I sense him. Is he a captive slave?
It can't be—he looks far too good to be one. Moreover, his clothes are far too exquisite for a slave.
Could he be the child of Lord Phillip? It can't be; I've seen all of his children, and none are this gorgeous, nor this young. Something isn't right here…
The first guard was about to speak when his partner suddenly burst into raucous laughter. "HEY! You brat! Who are you, and what are you doing here? Are you an escaped slave, huh?" he continued. "I was planning on patrolling the other side, but it seems you want to entertain me. HEHEH! Kid, come and suck my dick— maybe I'll let you off with just that for escaping. Come on, get on your knees!"
Dante couldn't help but sigh as he listened to the individual elf he called "guard 1" 'Everyone wants a piece of my cheeks for some reason'
Guard 1 stood dumbfounded, his thoughts raging:
'This fool! Doesn't he see how absurd this situation is? Is he really that clueless or is he simply that stupid?'
Dante fixed his gaze on the second guard—whom he mentally labelled as Guard 2. Although his mood hadn't been entirely ruined by the crude words, a sense of déjà vu made him uneasy.
[Master, it seems your fate cannot be avoided. You appear destined to be—]
"System, you better shut the fuck up!" Dante snapped, his tone a mix of irritation and amusement. "no one is to try and fuck me!"
[Apologies, Master. I understand.]
Dante's internal sadness mingled with his exasperation; the System's tone reminded him too much of his friend Mike.
Mikehuh...
He shook his head as he fixed his eyes on the guard waiting with a leering smile.
"Shitface, I don't know if you're aware I'm just a little child—a boy, to be precise—but you don't seem like the type to care. I'll spare you the 'your scum' insults, but your life will not be spared. You've offended me too much. I won't give you a quick death today— you're number one on my list."
Before the guard could utter another word, a mysterious force yanked him upward. His eyes widened as he looked up at Dante, who stood there with his hands casually tucked into his pockets and a calm, slightly annoyed expression on his face.
"HEY! PUT ME—" the guard began, but his words were abruptly cut off.
With tremendous force, he was hurled against the cobblestone wall on his right. He slammed his right shoulder into the stone and before he could cry out, he was flung upward, crashing into the roof with a sickening thud that sent blood spewing from his mouth.
His body was slammed onto the floor face-first multiple times, and, as if for fairness, he was finally hurled against the wall on his left.
His face was a mangled mess, bleeding from his mouth, nose, and ears, with his features distorted as if rearranged.
His body lay in a crumpled heap, broken and exposed, ribs jutting painfully outward. Dante nodded in approval as he left the battered man dangling in the air. He had employed his skill, Mental Dominion, and its sub-skill Telekinetic Mastery—his coolest technique by far, though he could already sense his Mana draining, although negligible it was something he noted.
Turning to the guard beside him, Dante allowed himself a small, amused smile as the man yelped in fright. In a flash, he activated his skill that the System had appraised earlier.
[Master, the skill, Wind Control, is being used.]
Dante nodded silently as he watched the guard lift his hand, summoning a gust of wind that surged toward him. However, the wind met an invisible barrier—Dante had meticulously created it with his telekinetic mastery. He observed as the forceful gust failed to breach his shield and nodded at Guard 1 wind skill, a common one among elves.
On the other hand Guard 1 whose expression now conveyed sheer terror, both at the unknown skill of the child, and at the clearly dying if not already dead body of his comrade. He was no fool, a life of an elf provided much wisdom, and he could tell that the little boy was far beyond his capacity to defeat. With this understanding Guard 1 frantically attempted to retreat.
He positioned his hands under his body he activated his skill as a powerful gust of wind blew out, propelling him up before he short forward, trying desperately to propel himself past Dante's position over his head.
As he neared the child's right shoulder, Dante—anticipating the guard's move with the clarity of his thought acceleration skill—slowly lifted his right hand from his pocket. Imbuing it with telekinetic energy, he allowed a fleeting thought to cross his mind before shoving it aside.
Just as Guard 1's upper body sailed past him with his feet dangling behind, Dante's unseen grip seized the guard's foot as if it were a mere sheet of paper caught in the wind.
Then came the chilling voice of the young boy, snuffing out any hope of escape.
"No, no, no, no, no, no—NPC Number 1, like your friend there who…" Dante's voice came out with cold amusement as he glanced at the mangled form of NPC Number 2. "…is still somewhat alive, I think. You too have your purposes for later." Without hesitation, Dante swung his hand in a smooth, circular motion, rotating his shoulder as the guard— still clutched by his foot—was slammed down onto the floor. Dante watched with detached precision, confirming the man was thoroughly knocked out before casually slipping his hand back into his pocket.
"Tsk, I wanted a cool moment—hence why I grabbed his foot—but touching him makes me feel dirty," he muttered with a sigh.
"Well, let's move on to… what should be here. This is the part where he, or she, or they must appear. It's standard in every novel."
[The person you're looking for is to your left, Master—the dark corner to the left.]
Dante turned toward a shadowed corner of the corridor. Approaching slowly, his small body—still accompanied by the bodies of the somewhat dead or alive guards—came to a halt before what appeared to be empty space.
He raised his hand, channelling his telekinetic mastery to lift himself a few feet off the ground. His hand drifted forward, expecting to meet nothing at all, but instead, it made solid contact with a slim shoulder.
His eyes widened in quiet surprise, and a calm, beautiful grin spread across his face as he looked directly into what should have been empty space. "Hello, did you enjoy the fight?" he inquired softly.
At that moment, as if summoned by his words, a young, beautiful woman materialized from the darkness. She had warm brown eyes that widened with clear confusion and fear, and her skin was a rich shade of brown that glowed softly under the dim light.
Her hair, shiny and clean, was wrapped in a ponytail that reached her mid back, her hair was a deep beautiful black. Appearing to be in her mid-teens—around 16 or 17—she was dressed in a form-fitting, black martial robe that accentuated her graceful form, paired with matching black shoes.
With long, dark hair framing her face, she looked every bit as formidable as she was captivating. In Dantes simple description, a gorgeous curvy dark elf.