A full day passed. Dante sat comfortably inside his residence while Lexa and Vexion sat across from him. Neither woman attempted to hide her excitement. It was written all over their faces. After all, today was the day — the day Dante had promised to bestow new skills upon them.
Even Vexion, who normally maintained a calm demeanor whenever Dante was present, couldn't completely suppress the anticipation in her eyes. Lexa wasn't much better.
Dante himself, however, was deep in thought. Truthfully, he wasn't entirely certain what kind of skills he would give them. He had several ideas, but he ultimately decided to leave part of the decision to fate. Sometimes luck produced combinations that careful planning never could.
Before doing that, however, there was something else occupying his thoughts. Amber and Elric. Lexa had already reported everything that had transpired during their meeting. After listening to her account, Dante had a much clearer understanding of the situation.
Forcing them into becoming his subordinates wasn't something he particularly wanted to do. Of course, there were probably several indirect methods he could use.
He could manipulate circumstances. Apply pressure. Corner them until they had little choice. But he doubted he could deceive both his own skill and Midvest Academy itself.
After all, Loyal Skill Bestowal had a strict requirement. A subordinate needed to possess a minimum amount of Loyalty before a skill could be bestowed upon them. The System had already confirmed there was no loophole. No exploits. No shortcuts. Loyalty was absolute. If they lacked it, the skill simply wouldn't activate.
Dante had clicked his tongue after hearing that.
"What a troublesome restriction."
The System had remained completely unmoved.
[It is intended to prevent abuse, Master.]
Dante merely sighed.
"...Figures."
Still, the meeting with Lexa hadn't been without results. The most important piece of information was simple. Amber and Elric had agreed to meet him. Although — not today. Tomorrow.
That annoyed him slightly. He would've preferred to settle everything immediately. Still, one extra day wasn't enough to change anything. Today, his attention belonged elsewhere. His two retainers.
Dante leaned back in his chair. A translucent panel appeared before him.
Loyal Skill Bestowal.
Rows upon rows of skills scrolled past his vision. Legendary. Epic. Rare. Each one possessed different effects, different growth potential, and different costs. Dante slowly browsed through them, occasionally pausing whenever something caught his interest.
Both Lexa and Vexion watched him in complete silence. Neither dared interrupt him. Considering the amount of Loyalty they had accumulated, he wasn't particularly concerned about finding suitable skills.
There were more than enough choices available. The only question remaining was which ones suited them best.
After some time, Dante finally reached a decision. Rather than endlessly searching for the perfect skills, he chose the ones he believed would serve them best — not only now, but far into the future.
His objective was simple: to make his subordinates as close to invincible as possible. How he achieved that depended on his own judgment.
Naturally, he didn't make the decision alone. The System assisted him throughout the process.
Unfortunately, even it admitted there was no such thing as a perfect answer. There were simply too many skills. An endless number of possible combinations. No one could confidently claim that a single choice was the absolute best.
In the end, Dante spent nearly forty thousand Loyalty Points purchasing the two skills. Neither was designed to replace their existing abilities. Instead, they acted as support — buff-type skills, abilities that would amplify what they already possessed rather than overwrite their specialties. Especially Vexion's.
Once everything had been prepared, Dante looked toward the two women.
"You ready?"
Both nodded. Without another word, Dante activated Loyal Skill Bestowal.
Lexa and Vexion slowly closed their eyes. Almost immediately, both felt their bodies grow strangely light.
A foreign sensation spread throughout their souls. It wasn't painful. Nor was it pleasant. It simply felt different. Something unfamiliar was entering them. Yet at the same time, it already felt like it belonged there. As though it had always been a part of them.
Vexion immediately recognized the sensation. It was almost identical to the previous time. Then a familiar voice echoed within her consciousness. A calm, mechanical, female voice.
[You're doing well, Vexion. Continue supporting Master as you always have.]
Vexion's heart skipped a beat.
That voice again...
"You're doing well... Lexa—"
Before she could react, the same voice echoed within Lexa's mind. She froze.
'...What...?'
Neither woman understood what they were hearing. The voice sounded mechanical. Yet oddly warm.
Even stranger, it felt familiar. Very familiar. Almost like Dante. Not his voice. Not exactly. But something about it felt almost identical. Neither woman could explain why.
Naturally, neither of them knew the answer. The one guiding the transfer wasn't Dante himself. It was Second Mind, the true name of System — Dante had merely chosen to refer to it that way.
Or more precisely, the feminine consciousness created by that skill. While the System carefully managed the transfer, it also synchronized every step, ensuring the foreign skills merged perfectly with their souls.
Moments later, the first transfer completed. A new skill settled within Lexa's soul.
Lexa
Legendary Skill: Nothing Lost in Blood Battles
A legendary support skill that ensures no blood spilled on the battlefield is ever wasted.
Abilities
- Blood Harvest — Automatically collects nearby spilled blood into the user's Blood Bank.
-Never Again — Refines stored blood into Blood Mana, which restores mana and heals minor injuries.
-Diamond Blood — Compresses blood into incredibly durable weapons or defensive constructs.
-Knighted Swords — Creates autonomous blood-forged swords that fight using the user's swordsmanship.
Then Vexion received hers.
Vexion
Legendary Skill: Parasitic Evolution
A legendary support skill that permanently strengthens another skill by accelerating its growth and efficiency.
Abilities
-Adaptation — Learns and perfects one martial art or combat style through repeated exposure.
-Mana Recovery — Doubles mana recovery while gradually restoring mental and physical fatigue.
-Parasitic Growth — Passively increases the power, efficiency, and stability of a chosen primary skill.
-Enlightenment — Greatly improves mastery gain and reduces the time required to understand techniques.
Everything proceeded flawlessly. Until something unexpected happened.
The instant both skills fully synchronized, Lexa's body swayed. Vexion staggered. Neither woman managed to remain standing. Their eyes rolled back before both quietly collapsed into a deep sleep.
Dante immediately stood.
"...System? What happened?"
The System answered almost instantly.
[Fortunately, our visit to Midvest Academy's library allowed us to identify the cause. The answer was contained within several Skill Theory texts.]
Dante waited. The System continued.
[Master. Their Skill Slots have reached their maximum capacity.]
Understanding immediately dawned on him.
"...Ah."
He had forgotten. Because his own abilities occupied multiple Skill Slots, he rarely thought about ordinary limitations anymore. Skills weren't simply granted because someone possessed enough Loyalty. Every individual possessed a limited number of Skill Slots. A limited amount of spiritual capacity. If that capacity became completely occupied, the soul required time to stabilize before it could properly adapt.
The System continued its explanation.
[Vexion appears to possess approximately three to four Skill Slots. Lexa possesses a similar capacity. The skills you selected, while categorized as support abilities, still occupy a considerable amount of space. Their souls are currently adapting to the increased burden.]
Dante folded his arms.
"So — they're not injured?"
[Correct. They are merely recovering. Their souls, minds, and bodies are adjusting to their new state.]
Dante looked at the two sleeping women. Both appeared completely peaceful. Almost as though they were enjoying an ordinary nap. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"I really should've remembered that."
The System remained silent.
Dante sighed before gently lifting Vexion into his arms. Then, with his Spatial Body skill, he carefully carried Lexa alongside him.
"Looks like my first lesson as a generous Master ended with both of my subordinates unconscious."
He shook his head with a smile.
"Not exactly the image I was hoping for."