A man strode in, wearing comfortable yet regal robes adorned with pristine jewelry, their orange and black hues blending seamlessly with the rich fabrics. His long, flowing white hair was tied back in a neat ponytail that reached his mid-back. The most striking feature, however, were his eyes—vivid orange irises and his lean, well-built physique.
Despite his commanding presence, his expression was almost childish as he pouted.
"I wanted to meet the girl who accompanied my son," he said, crossing his arms. "He's in bed now, fast asleep, looking absolutely adorable." His eyes glowed with fatherly doting before narrowing slightly. "I had to make sure that precious face of his wasn't being tricked by some villain."
Aurora rolled her eyes. She had long since grown used to this side of him—the overly protective father.
Vexion, however, felt something entirely different.
She had been quietly observing the man since his entrance, but as the seconds passed, she suddenly felt it—a weight pressing down on her shoulders, slow yet suffocating. The force compelled her to lower her gaze, to avert her eyes
Her ears rang. Her vision stung.
She instinctively clenched her fists and steadied herself, taking a slow, deep breath. Her mind buzzed as an unknown force swelled within her—resistance, raw and desperate. It gave her just enough mental fortitude to focus.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to look up again.
But before she could react, the was standing in front of her.
Vexion's breath hitched. A sharp, primal fear shot through her stomach and coursed through her body. Her limbs trembled, her instincts screaming at her to submit, to kneel. She fought against the overwhelming urge, pushing back the panic by thinking of Dante. The memory of him—his presence, his warmth—became her anchor, keeping her from drowning in the oppressive force.
"Hm?" His tone was filled with mild curiosity. "You're quite good… for someone with just a legendary-tier skill. Did someone reinforce your mind?" He stepped back, hands clasped behind his back as he examined her like a researcher studying a rare specimen. "Your mental strength is impressive. It's strong enough to resist suppression from even a maxed-out Sage. Not bad, not bad." His smirk widened. "Let's see how long you'll last."
His gaze locked onto her, and in that moment, Vexion felt as if the sky itself was collapsing upon her.
Her arms instinctively pressed against the bed for support, her body in an awkward halfbowing position—struggling between the urge to kneel and her own stubborn refusal to submit. She clenched her teeth, trying to fight it, but the pressure only intensified.
Her body began to bend against her will.
It was agonizing.
She cursed herself for her weakness. A deep, bitter frustration welled inside her, and she felt tears threatening to spill.
No.
I refuse.
She had made a promise—to herself and to her master.
She would bow to no one. Not even an Emperor. Not unless her master commanded her to. She would recognize no authority above him.
And yet, her body continued to bend.
Justin watched quietly. Truthfully, he wasn't even doing anything; his passive aura was merely leaking out around him. Yet the half-elf before him continued resisting. Most people would have collapsed already, but this girl refused. Interesting. Very interesting. Of course, he was only using a mere fraction of his ability—just one percent of his passive skill. Even so, it was more than enough to break the will of seasoned warriors. Yet this girl, this half-elf, was enduring far longer than most.
Justin had already gathered some insight into her from what he overheard earlier, though he hadn't caught everything. Getting information from Dante was notoriously difficult. His son was somewhat of an enigma. Even with all his experience, Justin found Dante's resistance to scrutiny similar to that of aMystical being—one who possessed a skill specifically designed to repel detection.
It confirmed his suspicions.
Dante was likely blessed with a powerful skill.
But the girl before him—she had potential.
Justin was about to release his skill when— Crack.
Bones broke.
A sharp gasp escaped Vexion's lips as her body contorted unnaturally. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, mingling with the silent tears streaming down her cheeks.
Yet even through the pain, through the sheer force crushing her, she lifted her head and glared at him with wide, burning eyes.
She looked at him with shock.
And Justin, for the first time in a long while, felt something stir within him.
Justin's eyes widened in shock.
He immediately withdrew his skill, moving with lightning speed to catch Vexion before she collapsed completely. She was coughing violently, her body trembling as pain wracked through her frame. Disjointed bones left her limbs in unnatural angles, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Aurora was already beside them, her hands glowing with a soft, golden light as she activated her healing skill. The energy surged through Vexion's broken body, rapidly mending the fractures and easing her pain.
They were panicking.
Justin, especially.
He had only used a mere fraction of his power—an insignificant one percent—and yet, the girl had broken. He wasn't reckless. He knew how to control his strength. But for this to happen, something had clearly gone wrong.
What he didn't realize was that the only reason Vexion had lasted so long against his oppressive aura was Dante's mental reinforcement.
These abilities allowed Dante to control those who succumbed to his mental influence. More importantly, when combined and optimized, they gave him an unnatural ability— one that even he hadn't fully understood yet. They allowed him to sense what his subordinates experienced.
It was the System that had taught him.
Thus, even as Dante lay sleeping in his room, Justin's overwhelming aura, it was as if a titanic beast had roared directly in his face.
The sheer force jolted him awake.
It felt as though a mountain had crashed down on him, forcing him to resist out of pure survival instinct. Fortunately, the pressure wasn't directly aimed at him—only through his connection to Vexion—but even so, it was as if he were trying to push back an unstoppable avalanche.
Dante gritted his teeth, his face contorting in agony.
'Father!? Is this fucking idiot trying to kill my subordinate?! Is he being fucking for real!?!'
"System, will she survive?" he demanded.
A brief silence.
[Master, I cannot analyze or comprehend if it's a skill or simple suppression being used here. I have no information regarding its full effects… I cannot say.]
Dante clenched his fists. "Fuck!! Based on what I remember from using my own skill, what could possibly happen? Even if it's just a one-percent chance, give me a damn guess!"
Another pause. Then, the System responded.
[...When Master used a skill tempered in the Mythical Tier to instill fear into someone, the target nearly lost their sanity. Had it continued, she would have either ceased to desire life—neglecting herself until she perished—or she would have outright committed suicide. If the same principle applies here, then similar effects could occur.
She may become mentally broken, losing all ability to think, speak, or respond.
Alternatively, she could fall into complete madness and become permanently unstable. If either of these happens, no amount of effort will be able to save her.]
Dante's breath hitched.
His fingers dug into his sheets as an overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over him.
He knew his father wasn't even trying. He knew that this was no more than Justin's aura lightly brushing against her. And yet, the consequences were devastating.
"This is probably just five or ten percent of his aura, right?" Dante muttered, trying to rationalize the sheer disparity in power. "Again, just guess. Use every ounce of data you have."
[Understood. Compiling all data… Analyzing… Probability of accuracy increased from 20% to 70%. Based on Master's knowledge from past-world novels, it is highly likely that Justin is using only one percent of his skill's strength.] Dante felt his stomach drop.
He laughed bitterly.
"…Life is fucking unfair."
A deep, suffocating frustration filled him.
This was his father's power? The gap was insurmountable. He had joked before that his parents were a hundred times stronger than him.
Now he realized—he had underestimated them.
For a brief moment, his thoughts blurred.
[Detecting corrosion in mental capacity. Passive skill activating. Boosting mental resistance. Optimizing.] A surge of clarity washed over him.
Dante took a deep breath, his mind stabilizing.
'Shit… I was seriously about to lose it. That was dangerous. His lips curled into a dark smirk.
'Yeah… Things didn't spiral out of control. Not yet.'
'Now… let's see what that old man did.'