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2024-10-29 19:42:56The mountain wasn't what Dante expected it to be. For one, it looked larger than life, cutting an imposing figure in the backdrop of nature. But things weren't so simple.
"You didn't think I'd let you die now, did you?" Crystal laughed, her tone of derision annoying Dante to no end. Well, it was a mountain, and yet, it wasn't. That's right, the mountain was just sand piled up to the high heavens and solidified. "How did you—" Dante was struck dumb. He knew she was powerful, but he had no idea what level. Seeing the structure before him, he couldn't help but admit that she was a force to reckon with. "Don't sweat the little details. You might not know much, but there are hostile forces here. It's powerful enough to rip apart a seasoned mage. Illusions help keep them away. But if you're bothered by the turn of events, you can hold onto me. I don't bite, I promise." Dante looked at her quizzically, his heart racing. While they rode the bike, he concentrated more on her otherworldly scent and her hair that shimmered in the wind. Pressing his body against her, he momentarily closed his eyes, unable to believe how firm her body felt. And well, he paid for that by being thrown off the bike. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. "Don't worry, I can handle this much." He said, placing a taut rope around his waist. "Are these legs good enough for climbing?" Dante said, hitting his cybernetic leg. It made a clanging sound. "They are. But why bother? I can make the mountain formless again," Crystal said, arms folded. She looked a little bit cross, but he couldn't tell if she was serious or not; he hadn't known her for long enough to tell such things. "If I can't move forward here, when will I?" Dante stared at the obstacle before him, wondering if the real world was filled with people who could do ten times those things at the drop of a hat. The thought made him sweat a little. "Crystal, don't antagonise him further," Dante heard a voice above him. "Coming through," the voice sounded positively gleeful, and when Dante squinted, he could see a body falling from the sky. Woah. A boy who looked to be a few years older than Dante landed a few feet away from him, making a small crater on the ground. Dante had his mouth agape, unable to believe what he was staring at. "Show off," Crystal murmured under her breath, and the newcomer flashed a smile so bright it could have blinded the sun. "Hi, I am Gilgamesh. You must be Dante." The new arrival extended a hand, and Dante was a little slow to take it. Like him, Gilgamesh had been cybernetically altered, but he seemed even more formidable than Crystal. Can I really do that someday? "I don't know what to say; who are you people?" Dante asked confusion all over his face. He didn't like looking stupid, but this time, he didn't mind one bit. These people seemed to be the stuff of legends. They were doing things that most people in the lower strata could only dream of. "Renegades. That's who we are. The Renegades." The name sounded catchy, but Dante couldn't help but feel out of his depth. Was this what it felt like to be one blessed by the gods? He didn't even believe in those phonies, and yet, the two people standing in front of him made him wonder if he'd not been myopic in his view of the world. "Renegades," Dante said, rolling the word off his tongue. It had a catchy feel to it. "Yes, but before that, allow me to welcome you properly." Gilgamesh held out a mana stone, one that Dante didn't recognise. Well, it was better to say he only recognised one. But this one was a dark purple, and it felt like staring at a kaleidoscope, the purple colour, not sure what it was, and choosing to be something else. It seemed priceless. "You can discard the mama stone on your arm, and you've drained it anyway. Being a renegade means shunning magic and using technology to steal whatever magic we can. We're not the good guys. But I'm guessing you don't care either," Gilgamesh's smile was infectious, but this time, it held a hint of malice so powerful Dante wasn't sure whether to accept it. "You're scaring him," Crystal slapped Gilgamesh on the back, and it sounded like a thunderclap. Dante winced, wondering how Gilgamesh was still standing after such a hit. "Okay, okay. I apologise. Here," he tossed the mana stone at Dante as Crystal did. They seemed to be cut off the same cloth, not like Dante was complaining, though. He removed the first stone and cast it away. Nothing seemed to change. The stone was blackened and cracked in the middle. It was a dead mana stone. Dante gulped. He steadied his breath, muttered his thanks and placed the new mana stone in the empty slot where the circuits ran in a haphazard gesture. [CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE CONSUMED ONE MANA STONE!] [ALL STATS INCREASE BY FIVE] [REALITY BENDS TO YOUR WILL, YOU CAN RESTRUCTURE FATE] [NAME: DANTE(HUMAN)] [STRENGTH: 22] [AGILITY: 18] [DEXTERITY: 10] [INTELLIGENCE: 8] [CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR EVOLUTION FROM LOW-GRADE HUMAN TO HUMAN; ADDITIONAL STATS WILL BE ADDED!] [CALCULATING NEW POINTS] [INTELLIGENCE: 10] Dante let out a whoop of glee so loud it shocked him. His intelligence being so low bothered him a tad. But now, he had a new problem. The voice in his head was no longer just a voice; he could see a floating platform in front of him, like some hologram where his stats were displayed. "Uh, it's not going away," he pointed at it and tried to bat it away, but his fingers just passed through it like it was not even there. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. The illusion stone you consumed gave you the ability to see illusions. And create illusions too." Crystal explained, but it wasn't adding up in Dante's mind. But they'd been in it longer than he had, so they had more experience. "It takes your desired form. Nobody else can see it, so most people have a humanoid of their choice read to them instead. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it." Crystal smiled at him, and he smiled back. Then, she turned and punched Gilgamesh with all her strength. He flew off into the distance, a blip in the sky. "What? What happened? Why?" Dante asked, not sure whether the woman in front of him was just a psychopath or something else happened while he wasn't looking. "Oh, nothing. He just did something he shouldn't have." She sent a wry smile, but he wasn't ready to return it. He didn't know what Alan was scared of, but he had a vague idea just by seeing how she treated Gilgamesh. He hoped he wouldn't be the one punched into the sky next; the chance of him surviving was abysmally low. "Let's go see the others; they've been waiting for you," Crystal said conversationally, and Dante dragged his feet, wondering if Gilgamesh would appear as quickly as Crystal did when his force blew her away. A minute, two minutes, three. He still hadn't returned. "Are you waiting for him? He won't be back until tomorrow." Crystal replied flippantly, and Dante felt his blood run cold. The way she said it made him know that she wasn't kidding. "Why?" He asked tentatively. "Because I say so. Now, stop dawdling; we don't have all day." Crystal was a cyborg like him, but she had a dangerous feel, one that only the apex of predators carried. Being in proximity to her felt like courting disaster. Dante was foolish, but not enough to poke a hornet's nest. It was best to let sleeping dogs lie for his sanity and well-being. "You'd love it here." Crystal held out a hand to him. I doubt that. But he didn't say anything; he just gave a pained smile and grabbed her hand. The time to worry about his safety and the safety of Gilgamesh would come later. The sky suddenly darkened, and Crystal looked scared for the first time he'd seen her. "Fuck! When I say run, RUN!" She said to him. He didn't understand anything, but if something could scare Crystal, he wasn't safe. He nodded in the affirmative. "Run."
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Dante ran like hell itself was on his tail. And Crystal followed suit. He had no idea why they were running, but seeing that look on Crystal's face, he had a vague idea.Something was coming—something big, something terrible."Why are we running?" Dante asked after a while, and Crystal cocked her head to the side in a gesture of pure confusion."Because I said so?" She replied flippantly, and Dante shook his head, wondering who he'd somehow ended up entangled with.The dark skies seemed foreboding, even though Dante couldn't pinpoint what made it so. He ran through the rough terrain, his heart almost jumping out of his chest."It's here," Crystal said, her voice having a defeated feel to it. Dante wasn't sure he could get used to seeing her in such a light."It's just the darkness," Dante tried to say, but she grabbed his wrist and placed her hand on his mouth while ducking into a carven that seemed to have materialised from nowhere."What—" Dante tried to speak, but Crystal pressed h
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Dante held onto Crystal for dear life, the bike zooming forward without a moment's notice. He wondered what happened to Gilgamesh and why he'd looked so forlorn when leaving. What exactly is going on?Dante couldn't be sure. But he had nowhere else to go; he was over his head anyway. I wonder how you survived this world, Alan.But according to Crystal, Alan didn't even count as a survivor—more of cannon fodder. Dante wasn't sure what to think about that. He decided to stop thinking and take in the world he found himself in. The landscape was bleak, and the harshness of the sun felt alien from the sun Dante was used to; it felt malicious. If he was being honest, everything in that damned world felt like they were gunning for his head. In that sweltering heat, The Graveyard felt a long way off, and Dante was shocked to realise he missed it—just a tad. Since there were practically no sounds of insects or birds, Dante wondered how Alan survived that long. In Alan's words, "This world
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"One thing though, you can't spook them. You'll remain silent until they permit you to speak," Crystal laid down the ground rules, and Dante nodded, unsure what else he was supposed to say. It sounded like a military camp, but he didn't mind. "Good, you're learning," Crystal replied when Dante said nothing. He walked after her until they got to a clearing. Something felt different, but he couldn't place it. It was neither cold nor hot. I can hear the birds chirping.Dante laughed out loud then, unable to believe how much he'd missed them. The Graveyard felt dead, as the name implied."Everything here is alive," Dante whooped with glee, and Crystal didn't stop him; she just gave him a small smile, and he noticed a bunch of people huddled together, wearing the same jacket Crystal gave him earlier. "Hel—" he tried to speak but remembered what Crystal told him a few moments before. Crystal never did anything just for the sake of it; that's what made her stand apart from the people he'd
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"Clear all my schedule, Sarah." Fred tugged at the hem of his sleeves, his eyes gaining a steely look. "For how long, sir? And, you called me by my name." Sarah sounded positively shellshocked, but Fred wasn't in the mood for such buffoonery. "Yes, it's your name, is it not?. Clear it for the next year. I have a job to do." Sarah looked taken aback at first, but she maintained her composure, which he was grateful for."Okay, sir. May I come with you?" Fred wasn't sure what to reply to that. Sarah had been with him for over seven years, and she was the best assistant he'd ever had. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that she made everything easier on him. But he couldn't bring her where he was going unless she could manage independently. He was going to miss her, though, but he'd survive."Can you hold your own in a fight?" He asked to mess with her."Yes, sir, I've been practicing for years. And I'm a black belt in aikido, karate, taekwondo, and others." Fred wondered if she was pullin
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They needed each other and the sooner they realised it, the better for everyone involved. It didn't seem that way though, especially since Crystal was meant to be pissed off at Dante for killing her half-sister. But what Dante needed to learn, Crystal had already perfected. The ability to pick her fights with clarity and avoid senseless mistakes that would jeopardize the lives of others.Dante was young and needed to be guided. She felt like she was watching Mark all over again, and he was giving her a second chance. Darkus was… complex. He played both sides, and she didn't know if it was because Crystal ordered him to, or because he wanted to.A lot of things were going on, and she wished she had someone to talk about these things with. Dante was bashful and acted unsure of himself, and she wanted to pat his head and tell him everything was fine but she didn't know how he'd take it. He acted like he was sure of himself, even though his inner child was confused and scared, trying to
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Cincinnati was hungry. And doing her best to look out for Dante too. At first, she didn't see anything worth mentioning in him, his broodiness was starting to irk her. But she got to know him more and she could see that he was just someone who needed love.A lot of it.He didn't know because he acted self-sufficient, but she could see through the bullshit. He reminded her of Mark, the way he put on a brave front even when he knew nothing about what he was doing. She found it endearing, and maybe a little bit sad.That was the problem with people like Dante, they didn't know when to ask for help and when to be independent. She could see that he wasn't comfortable in his skin, and she didn't blame him, she once wasn't comfortable here. But things had changed, and now she was someone who could face the inevitability of a future and smile through it all.What Dante didn't know though, was that the world that'd been revealed to him was little compared to the truth. Gilgamesh wasn't the sec
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The room smelt damp, and Fred felt like his mouth had turned sandpaper, so dry from thirst, it felt like he hadn't had a drink in days.He tried to speak, but the words didn't come.Pathetic.He couldn't move, his arms shackled to something. It felt ice cold on his wrist, and he could feel the cold seeping into his skin like a virus, shutting down his body system."That is to keep you from having any ideas," Alistair was framed in the bars of the cell, his pearly white teeth shining in the dim light of the cell."Don't bother to talk, you'd just progressively get weaker. I wouldn't mind that in the least. But, I wouldn't want you passing out on me." Fred could make out a figure close to Alistair, a figure dripping with blood. "This is your pet, eh, boy? Doesn't look like much," Fred could vaguely make out the shape of Saphrana, and he tugged at his chains but they didn't budge in the slightest."I wouldn't do that if I were you. Those are mana-restrictive chains. The more you fight,
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Chapter Fifty Two
Zero didn't like calling people assholes, but Terry was downright insufferable. If only he listened, but no. There were many things wrong with the Enforcers, but Terry was one of those things that irked Zero to no end. Which is why he decided to talk to Terry. He came out of his room and saw the military base looking deserted and lifeless. It was early in the day, at least 2 A.M, and he never really bothered to check. He made his way soundlessly down the hallway and took a right turn, where he climbed a flight of stairs. He was downstairs, whereas Terry was on the upper floor. Third floor, if he remembered correctly. The stupid place's elevators weren't even working.But Zero wasn't deterred, he had always lived in uncommon odds. And a flight of stairs were the least of his worries if he was being honest. He made his way to the landing, spotting Terry's room. The numbers didn't lie, it was 1,990-1200. He heaved a breath of annoyance. Terry was being a child, and Zero needed to sho
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"Terry hates you," Valerie spoke in a singsong voice, ignoring the glaring looks of disdain sent their way."Get used to it, it's part of the trade," Zero deadpanned, stabbing his fork into the tough piece of meat he had rolling around his plate."If looks could kill, you'd be six feet under by now. With the way they're staring, you'd think we killed their favourite pet," Valerie was having a field day with the new development, and Zero lost his chance to tell her he was asexual. Although, who could blame him? The kiss was something. But he didn't want to repeat it. It served no purpose."You get used to things like this," Zero paid it no heed, he was just being hassled by the number 1000-1500. They weren't even enough as a warmup. "You've made an enemy of virtually everyone. From a legend to a villain. How does it feel?" Valerie was giddy, for reasons Zero did not understand. But he tucked the information away in the recesses of his mind. There were more important things to watch o
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Dante's fists couldn't reach. Even though S warned him about exerting himself, he never listened. And his fists still didn't reach. He felt exhaustion creep in on him, and Gilgamesh wasn't slightly fazed."This isn't a joke, and you need to stop thinking you'd suddenly power up like those books you read. Nothing is that convenient here. Have you ever taken a good look at Crystal? At her fingers?"Dante wondered what Gilgamesh meant. He knew Crystal was an okay person; he just didn't understand what she had to do with anything."Why should I look at her fingers?" He asked, momentarily stalled."You don't see what's before you, even with binoculars. When Crystal came here for the first time, she was alone in the world. No food, no means to procure some. She fought tooth and nail to survive an enemy she couldn't see, one that takes from you without giving anything back."Gilgamesh had a look in his eyes that Dante knew he had to stay his hand. "She toiled as a child. Nobody was there to
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You've failed only because you never understood victory. Why do you want to win so bad?"Sometimes, Gilgamesh was someone Dante couldn't decipher. He'd gotten to know the guy, and there was always something to be learned if he was calm enough.Even though Gilgamesh was meant to be the idiot of The Renegades, he couldn't be boxed in, and the last time Dante fought with Gilgamesh, he had his ass handed to him on a platter. "You can only talk like that because you're strong. I'm not as strong as you yet," Dante grumbled, his arm throbbing. Even though he technically didn't have human arms anymore, the prosthetics were connected to his nerve endings, and well… they felt like normal arms. Just more powerful.Way more powerful.[NOTICE: YOUR MORALE DECREASES BY 1][DANTE STORMBORN: PASSABLY HUMAN][STRENGTH: 55][AGILITY: 28][DEXTERITY: 20][INTELLIGENCE: 15]The humanoid Hologram, S, was cheekier than usual. And that was weird since it was acting more humanoid by the day.My intelligence
