Thud!
Mailey's lifeless body collapsed to the ground, smile of victory still gracing her face.
Dante stared at his hands, Mailey's body, and the headless form of Lance. A peculiar emotion stirred within him.
In a way, he could understand Lance's perspective. Even though he couldn't be certain if what Lance had said was entirely true, it didn't matter to him. He was also indifferent to the notion of seeking vengeance.
He had the capacity to aid Lance back then, but he chose not to. Another thought crept into his mind.
"That feeling..." Dante mused, recalling the feeling of taking another's life. His introspection, however, was abruptly interrupted by a resounding shout.
"F*ck! Let's kill this guy and grab the treasure!" Dex roared, swiftly charging forward.
Sam and Gijah activated their Skills and sprinted towards Dante.
Dex's mind remained fixated on the potential 'treasure'. Where there was a treasure fly, there was bound to be valuable loot. Though he was uncertain of what it might be, he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
"Kill them too." This thought echoed in Dante's mind, as if whispered directly into his ears. It felt almost instinctual. After all, they had shown intent to kill him, so why not reciprocate?
This time, Dante chose not to activate his Skill, Concentration.
"As I level up, my mind becomes swifter and more resilient. I should be able to handle them without relying on Concentration," Dante surmised. He had used Concentration in their initial encounter out of habit, always preferring to engage with his Skill activated.
Suddenly, Dex stood before Dante in a matter of seconds, with Sam and Gijah flanking him.
Behind his mask, Dante couldn't help but smile.
Dex positioned at the forefront, while the other two flanked him. Dex's hands radiated a brilliant blue light, pulsating with lethal intent, as he threw a punch!
Simultaneously, Sam and Gijah launched their own assaults!
Boom!
An explosion erupted, forcing them to stagger back a few steps. Dust billowed, obscuring their vision.
"He couldn't have survived that!" Gijah asserted, while Sam merely smirked. This wasn't their first synchronized attack, and their timing was impeccable.
Dex spat on the ground, his frustration still not satisfied.
As Gijah contemplated whether to intervene, he suddenly heard the wind rush past behind him.
A fist hurtled towards his face!
Bang!
Gijah was sent flying, crashing hard into the ground. Gijah's Skill was aptly named "Air Burst." While it allowed him to manipulate the air explosively, it didn't directly enhance his physical defense. This is why Dante's punch, nearly on par with Sam's (post-Skill activation), was able to break his nose and jaw.
Fortunately for Gijah, the ritual that granted him his first Skill had augmented his physique to a level far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Dex and Sam's eyes widened in astonishment.
"His Skill is strange!" Dex called out to Sam. They were uncertain if Dante's Skill could enhance his strength and speed. The only clue they had was Dante's ability to summon weapons seemingly out of thin air.
Just as Sam was ready to charge at Dante, Dante moved, instantly appearing before him.
Witnessing this, Sam shouted and threw a punch!
Dante tilted his head to the side, evading the blow, and swiftly delivered a kick to Sam's stomach.
Bang!
Sam collided with the wall.
Dante lowered his foot.
'No cooldown? That's convenient,' Dante mused, noticing that his Skill, Hasten, didn't have a cooldown period after use. While the Skill was bound by a time limit, it could be reactivated as long as he had sufficient Energy. This pleased Dante.
Yes, Dante had employed Hasten.
'I never realized I could move this fast.'
Dante glanced at the remaining duration of his Hasten.
Three seconds.
Watching Dex engage him head-on, Dante surged forward.
He felt weightless, and every movement seemed to occur in slow motion.
As they closed the distance, Dante's and Dex's fists collided, sending shockwaves rippling out.
They rebounded and re-engaged. Dante promptly activated his Skill, Hasten, the moment it ended. Though it granted an additional 10 seconds of use, in Dante's perception, it felt like much more.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
They clashed repeatedly.
Bang!
Dex took a blow to the stomach, blood threatening to spill from his mouth. In a swift motion, Dante appeared at his side, delivering a kick to his face!
Blood sprayed onto the ground as Dante's kick landed, causing Dex's lips to burst.
"You bastard!" Dex bellowed, conjuring a surge of his Skill that pushed Dante back. Seizing the opportunity, Dex threw a punch, unleashing a blue shockwave.
With a resounding bang, the ground was upturned, but Dante had already vanished from that spot.
Suddenly, a peculiar assortment of 'objects' rained down, some of them landing on Dex's body.
Upon inspecting his shoulder, his eyes widened.
"A f-finger?"
Dex scrutinized the fallen 'objects' alongside the cracked ground.
"That's... Sam!" Dex shouted, realization hitting him like a thunderbolt. He hadn't noticed Sam standing behind Dante, obscured by Dante's presence. Even if he had, his anger had overridden any care he might have felt at that moment.
His forehead pulsed with rage, the grinding of his teeth echoing in the air. He searched for the perpetrator.
But it was too late.
Crack!
The sound of bones snapping reverberated, forcing Dex to turn towards the source of the noise. Tremors coursed through Dex's body. His hands radiated an even brighter light.
"Calm down, you'll wake him up," Dante cautioned, pointing at the unconscious form of Gijah before him. He effortlessly twisted Gijah's head, ensuring he remained out cold, forever.
"ARGH!!! DIEEE!!" Dex screamed. In truth, he wasn't as upset about his fallen comrades as he was seething with anger over the humiliation Dante had dealt him. His pride stung, and he refused to acknowledge the possibility of defeat.
Dante smiled behind his mask.
'I like this feeling,' Dante mused as he stepped over Gijah's prone body.
The haze surrounding Dex intensified. The radiance on his hands suddenly spread to envelop his entire form.
Abruptly, his speed increased!
Witnessing this, Dante triggered his Skill, Hasten.
'I'm playing too much. I could kill him even without Hasten,' he contemplated, glancing at his remaining Energy.
The battle against the statue had been far more intense than this encounter. The statue could easily kill their group. The only reason this skirmish had extended was because Dante had wanted to adapt to his enhanced physique and familiarize himself with his new Skill, Hasten.
Dante surveyed the area and spotted Lance's dead body. His eyes gleamed, and he swiftly darted toward it.
Boom!
The spot he had just occupied erupted, with faint wisps of blue energy lingering in the air.
Dex trailed closely behind Dante.
Approaching Lance's body, Dante crouched down and retrieved a dagger, the very one Lance had wielded. With only a bow and arrows left in his inventory, and deeming them ineffective against Dex, Dante opted for Lance's dagger.
With a swift turn, Dante saw Dex's enraged expression drawing nearer.
Without a moment's pause, Dante slashed with the dagger!