As Dante gazed at his reflection in the train's floating mirror, he couldn't help but notice the corners of his lips twitching.
It dawned on him that his pursuit of strength was precisely for moments like these. With greater strength, he wouldn't have been at the mercy of Atlas, and his hair might have survived unscathed.
Dante let out a deep sigh and picked up the shaving machine. He was determined to undo all of Atlas's work, and so he began to shave off all of his hair.
As he did, his bald head gleamed in the chamber's lighting. However, it only took a matter of minutes before his hair grew back to its usual spiky length. Dante quickly styled it back to its familiar form.
Thanks to his mastery over his own body, which allowed him the ability to perform high-speed maneuvers and manipulate his muscle strength, growing back his hair was a trivial matter for Dante.
Exiting his chamber, Dante made his way to Atlas's quarters to discuss their plans.
Upon seeing Dante with his spiky hair, Atlas was surprised that he could grow it back so quickly. He had thought he had forced Dante to choose between going bald or keeping the style he had given him. However, the young man had created a third option.
Atlas gritted his teeth dramatically, holding himself back from wreaking havoc again. Nonetheless, a faint curiosity lingered in his mind about how Dante had managed to regrow his hair so effortlessly.
Dante ignored Atlas as he sat opposite him. "So, what are the finer details of the plan?" Dante asked, cutting to the chase.
Atlas responded with a serious tone, "Based on where the trails are leading, there is only one place that comes to mind: the Oxford Institute."
Dante immediately recognized the shift in the atmosphere and sat up straight, his previously laid-back expression now replaced with a serious one.
"The Oxford Institute, the greatest educational institution in Britannia, has caused a lot of problems for Port Academy Island because of its outstanding women," Atlas rambled on, his serious facade shattered by his nonsensical remarks.
Observing Dante's expression, Atlas cleared his throat and returned to the topic at hand.
"Sorry about that. But in all seriousness, Oxford has its place among the hierarchy of institutions and could stand its ground with the State Academy Island," Atlas said in a serious tone.
Dante nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. He had learned earlier from Atlas that there were other academic institutions on the State Academy Island, just like the Port Island Academy, and the fierce competition among them had made each institution better.
The Port Island Academy was able to claim the title of "best in the world" due to its high number of wins in the annual competition among the island's academic institutions.
Thus, for Oxford to be considered in the same league as the entirety of the island, which could be described as five Port Island Academies combined, its position on the educational hierarchy was certainly justified.
And that was precisely where the problem lay now.
"So, how do you expect me to survive in that case? Infiltrating will be considered a tall task," Dante remarked.
As someone who prided himself on having a good head on his shoulders, Dante's thought processes ran through multiple simulations to ensure that his actions would yield the desired results.
Moreover, in a situation where the lives of others were at stake, even though he couldn't exactly say he cared, he didn't want a blemish on his record. As someone who aspired to become the greatest swordsman, he couldn't afford to fail his first mission.
Therefore, he needed to approach the infiltration of the Oxford Institute with caution, planning every step of the way to ensure that he achieved his objectives and emerged victorious.
After running multiple simulations, it became apparent to Dante that he would likely be at a disadvantage compared to most people in his original academy.
Furthermore, since Oxford was considered to be on par with the Port Island Academy in terms of academic quality, it was almost certain that he would be facing formidable students and possibly even teachers, some of whom might be as powerful as Arthur.
Despite his mana signature level being low, he had managed to survive thus far due to the enhancements granted by his Cursed Brands and his expertise in swordsmanship.
Atlas interrupted Dante's thoughts and said, "Well, that's where I come in. But first, let's establish some ground rules for this infiltration."
"Firstly, we need to change your appearance," Atlas continued. "Secondly, you won't use your fire element during on-ground recon."
Dante interjected, "But is that even possible? I only have the flame element, and how will my appearance affect the mission? Nobody knows me, after all. And where will you be while I'm risking my neck?"
"I know you have the earth element, I discovered it during our first meeting," Atlas said with an "I knew already" expression.
"Huh?..how?" This statement puzzled Dante, as he had been assured by Theia that no one could detect the elements she had helped him awaken.
The explanation was something like "The Abs race Abs race was incapable of engraving mana sigils while employing magical abilities due to their antagonistic relationship with nature...blah blah blah".
This occurred during their training, and Dante's attention was entirely consumed by trying to prevent the Void Edge from draining him. As a result, he did not hear the rest of Theia's explanation.
"I understand your astonishment, though it may not be apparent to others, I possess the ability to perceive it due to my special connection with the earth element," Atlas explained.
"If it were a different element, I would not have been able to detect it. However, I suspect that you are keeping more from me. I find it hard to believe that you don't have faith in me," Atlas said with feigned tears, but he soon realized that Dante was not falling for his emotional manipulation.
Dante rolled his eyes. He didn't like the idea of Atlas knowing something that he wasn't supposed to. But he couldn't deny the fact that having another element factored into the plan would be a huge advantage.
"Hmph. As for your second question, even though you are not well-known, our goal is to ensure that there is minimal evidence linking our actions to us, should we succeed. We cannot risk the academy's neutral position, as involving ourselves in another nation's conflict could have disastrous consequences
"Lastly, the reason why I am not going is that I will be providing support from the outside, and given my fame, I believe this is the best approach," Atlas concluded with a proud tone, as evidenced by the wide grin on his face.
Dante took in everything, shaking his head as he prepared to depart. Although he had gleaned valuable information, there were still minor details that eluded him.
He suspected that Atlas would eventually explain, but perhaps not at present.
As he was about to take his leave, Atlas handed him two crystals. "This is the extent of my assistance. I hope your talents are sufficient," he said.
Dante examined the crystal with appreciation evident in his eyes. Before he turned to leave, he had one last question for Atlas.
"I thought magical skills were a scarce resource. Even the most powerful mages possess only a few. So why would you give me one? Despite our proximity and the fact that I oddly consider you a friend, it doesn't explain why you would bestow two skills upon someone you barely know," Dante said, his tone laced with confusion.
Even though he had dropped his guard around Atlas, Dante still maintained his pragmatic nature and didn't attribute everything to emotions or trust only.
In truth, one of the reasons Dante had quickly formed a bond with Atlas was due to his lighthearted and playful demeanor, which seemed to radiate from his lean but imposing frame.
Dante couldn't help but draw a comparison between Atlas and Magnus, as the two shared a common trait in their affinity towards women.
Magnus had a habit of telling dirty jokes to Dante every day, insisting that it would enhance his concentration during his swordsmanship training.
Meanwhile, Atlas seemed to make a point of flirting with every woman they encountered on their journey, though he would restrain himself when the situation called for it.
"Just take it. I don't need it. I could give you more, but that would be more than you can handle. To be honest, I don't need them. My path to becoming stronger leans more towards traditional methods."
Atlas concluded in a mysterious tone. Dante could sense that Atlas was being genuine this time, rather than exaggerating or being dramatic in his speech.
He accepted the crystal with gratitude nodding absentmindedly, not entirely grasping what Atlas meant. He made a mental note to repay Atlas for his kindness.
As Dante turned to leave, Atlas smiled to himself, satisfied that he had been able to help. He began to go over the finer details of their plan, eager to ensure that they were prepared for whatever lay ahead.
With only three days until the next phase of their plan, Atlas knew that he couldn't afford to waste time on pranks or distractions.
Their lives, and the lives of his friends, were at stake.
Meanwhile, Dante secured the door of his chamber and sat down on his bed. He was eager to learn the two skills that Atlas had bestowed upon him, knowing that they could prove invaluable in their upcoming mission.
He bounced on the bed absentmindedly, relishing its comfort before quickly snapping out of his daze.
It seemed his time with Atlas was infectious as a bit of goofiness showed momentarily when he decided to have some fun something that was a stark contrast to his usual self.
With a wry smile, he decided to mostly steer clear of Atlas something that seemed impossible at the moment. He didn't want to turn into a silly idiot who chased after women's skirts.
He took a deep breath and focused his mind on the task at hand - mastering the two skills that Atlas had given him.
As Dante cracked open the first crystal, a bright light emanated from within, revealing a brown book covered in ancient runes. However, before he could even begin to examine its contents, he heard a notification sound.
[Ding!!! The host has completed a requirement for the activation of the unique skill "Immersive Editor"]
As Dante was about to delve into the details of the system alert, a sudden burst of resplendent light filled the room, illuminating everything around him.
Amid the blinding brightness, he noticed three shadowy figures slowly materializing before him, visible only to his own eyes.
As Dante's eyes adjusted to the sudden light, he could make out the three shadowy figures in more detail.
The first two were incorporeal and seemed to float, their dark auras suggesting that they were entities from the Abyss.
The third figure was corporeal, and its appearance was a stark contrast to the other two. It was small in size, with dark, smoky grey fur that had flecks of black and silver that glinted in the light.
The fur was adorned with dark flame markings that spread linearly, creating an illusion of black bolt designs on its soft fur.
It's piercing, fiery dark orange eyes seemed to glow in the darkness that surrounded them, and its paws were large and sturdy with sharp claws that appeared capable of ripping through almost anything.
But what truly stood out was the silver flaming aura that blazed around the figure, making it look almost otherworldly.
The posture it held, with its nose pointing up towards the sky and a proud disposition emanating from it, only added to its majestic appearance.
Naturally, these three figures were Elrid, Theia, and Damien the little wolf. Dante shook his head realizing that maybe he wasn't the only one who was affected by the personalities of the company around him.
His gaze met Damien's dark orange eyes, his dual eyes fixed on them.