Dante was returning to the small house where he had spent his days in that village. As soon as he entered, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
The house had little furniture — just a bed, a table with three chairs, and a small area for cooking — yet it was a pleasant place.
The house looked different from when he had left: neatly arranged and clean, giving off a relaxing atmosphere.
And most importantly, in front of Dante sat Viviane, at the table, saying nothing. She seemed calm, yet wore a graceful smile on her face.
Dante didn't quite understand what he was feeling, but he bravely approached Viviane, sat in front of her, and took her hand.
— You know... it's strange...
But when I was fighting the lion, I truly thought I was going to die. Even with the seven mana threads from the spear, I wasn't sure of victory.
But... a memory came to me — and that memory was you. Every moment we've had so far, even if they were few.
Viviane showed surprise, accompanied by a gentle and warm smile. She only imagined the reason, with no certainty, but she liked knowing that.
That day, Dante and Viviane spent almost all their time together, talking, laughing, and getting to know each other.
Unfortunately, time waits for no one — and this is a world ruled by the strongest. There was no room for rest; Dante had to complete his foundation soon, to advance to level one.
At that moment, he was in that small underground space, accompanied by Tyler, Tu Sheng, and the ancestral Hai.
His goal today was twofold: to absorb the lion's heart and improve his personal qualifications. Dante had discovered that most people possessed the same talents — meaning everyone started from the same point.
And that's where the Technique of the Latent Spiritual Heart came in — it consisted of absorbing the heart, turning it into a second, much smaller one, positioned below the original.
With that, a network of veins would be created to allow mana to flow more easily. By using the heart of the Golden-Fanged Lion, Dante would likely be able to receive and refine mana 20% faster.
That was simply incredible, considering the time needed for cultivation — even if it was only a 20% increase at level one, it could save five or six years easily before reaching the nine stars.
Dante stood within a circle, holding the lion's heart in his hands, while the ancestral Hai finished explaining the process.
Since Dante was still at level 0.5, the ancestral Hai would be responsible for most of it.
Meanwhile, Tyler and Tu Sheng were drawing symbols with the beast's blood they had kept. They were essential village characters — symbols of courage, pain, survival, strength, and others.
They served to calm the destructive instinct within the beast's heart, making it easier to suppress once inside Dante's body.
— Are you ready? — asked the old ancestor, with his morning-like smile.
Dante just looked at him and nodded firmly.
Tyler and Tu Sheng stepped back, and then the ancestor's aura began to grow and surge toward the lion's heart.
From where Dante stood, it looked as though a storm was descending upon that organ.
The wind seemed to make it translucent; water ran over the veins, causing the blood to pump once more, and lightning twisted the connections as if forcing them to seek a new master.
The heart began to shrink slowly, until it reached the size of a small apple.
Seeing that, Tyler used a knife to open a hole in Dante's chest, just below his main heart. The opening seemed to be exactly the size of the lion's heart.
As soon as the ancestor began guiding the heart into Dante's chest, it moved swiftly — and, the moment it entered his body, a burning sensation spread through him.
The lion's heart was adapting to Dante's veins and arteries, establishing a connection.
The threads within Dante's body seemed to understand, but to reach the desired connection, every residue of the lion had to be erased.
The Crimson Lotus spun intensely within him, while Dante's blood vessels broke any lingering bonds from the former owner, taking their place.
A sharp pain ran across Dante's chest — it felt as though threads were dancing inside him.
The lion's heart seemed to adapt quickly, while Dante's veins and arteries suppressed it, almost as if its fate had already been decided.
Tur TUK Tam Tum Tum Tum
Once established, the heart began to synchronize its beats with the mother heart, slow and steady.
Tum Tumm Tuum
Without Dante even realizing, it had turned red, doubled in size, and begun to pound furiously. This was the most complicated part.
The heart released the beast's ability — and it was using that blood ability, accelerating metabolism and attempting to increase the rotation of the blood, something still impossible.
With every beat, Dante's chest seemed to burn more and more. With each uncontrolled pulse, it pushed only wind through Dante's veins and arteries, speeding up the circulation and distribution of blood.
Until finally, the organ stabilized, returning to its original size — and a thread formed between the mother heart and the spiritual heart.
Thus, the connection was complete.