Dante moved through the dungeon like a shadow, silent and unseen. The Phantom Blade flickered in his grip, weightless and deadly, as he navigated the twisting tunnels. He had one task left—tie up the loose ends.
In the distance, the sounds of battle had dimmed, replaced by ragged breathing and the occasional scrape of boots against stone. The surviving students had managed to regroup, their numbers whittled down from twelve to five. They were battered, wounded, and most importantly—they were afraid.
Dante stayed out of sight, watching them from the darkness.
Lucien Vortan. The self-proclaimed second-in-command of Gareth's little clique. His family wasn't as powerful as the Valsteins, but he carried himself like he was royalty. He was injured, one arm hanging limp, his enchanted gauntlet shattered.
Elaine Draymoor. She had always been quiet, the type to follow orders rather than give them. But she was smart. Too smart. She would be the first to suspect something was off about Gareth's death.
The other two were nobodies. Disposable. They wouldn't question anything—they just wanted to survive.
Dante made his decision.
He stepped into the dim torchlight.
Lucien spun around, raising his remaining weapon—a bloodstained short sword. The others flinched, their nerves frayed from the battle.
"Dante?" Elaine narrowed her eyes. "How the hell are you still alive?"
Dante met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I was lucky. Unlike Gareth."
Silence.
Lucien's grip tightened on his sword. "Where is he?"
Dante hesitated for only a moment—just enough to sell the act. He let out a slow, weary breath. "Dead. Torn apart by the Crawlers. There was nothing left."
Silence.
Elaine's expression didn't change, but Lucien took a step back. "That's not possible," he muttered. "He was stronger than all of us—"
"And yet, he's dead. You saw what those monsters did. Do you think any of us were untouchable?" Dante's voice was cold, even. Controlled.
The weight of his words settled over them. Doubt. Uncertainty. Fear.
Elaine was still watching him, suspicion flickering in her eyes, but she didn't challenge him. Not yet.
Lucien, however, wasn't so restrained.
"Bullshit! You're telling me Gareth got torn apart, and you—" he jabbed a finger at Dante "—some useless rat, survived?"
Dante sighed. He had been hoping they would simply accept the lie.
But Lucien just had to push.
That sealed his fate.
Before anyone could react, Dante moved. His Phantom Blade flickered into existence, a ghostly whisper of steel, and he slashed across Lucien's throat.
Lucien gurgled, staggering back, his hands clutching the wound as blood poured between his fingers. His sword clattered to the stone floor. The others barely had time to process what had happened before he collapsed, choking on his own blood.
A prompt appeared in Dante's vision.
You have slain Lucien Vortan.
Select your reward:
[1] Mana Reinforcement – Temporarily enhance strength and durability with mana.
[2] Shadow Step – Move short distances instantaneously.
[3] Combat Intuition – Increased battle awareness and reaction time.
[4] +5 Years Lifespan.
Dante barely glanced at the options before selecting Shadow Step.
A sudden chill ran through him. His body felt lighter, his movements sharper. He could feel the ability coursing through his veins.
The remaining students stared at him in horror.
Elaine was the first to react, her hand moving toward the dagger at her waist. Too slow.
Dante vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind her, his Phantom Blade already thrusting forward. The blade phased through her armor, piercing her heart. Instant death.
The last two students dropped their weapons, falling to their knees.
"P-please—" one of them stammered, tears streaming down his face.
Dante stepped forward, wiping the blood from his blade. "You never saw me. Gareth died to the monsters. Lucien panicked and got himself killed. That's the story you'll tell when we get out of here."
They nodded frantically, desperate to cling to life.
Dante smiled faintly. "But I don't fully trust you yet. So let's make sure you have no reason to betray me."
With that, he crouched down and took a bloodied dagger from Elaine's corpse. He pressed the blade into the palm of the trembling survivor, smearing Gareth's blood onto their hands.
"Congratulations," Dante said smoothly. "You just became part of a murder cover-up. If anyone ever finds out what happened, they won't just come after me. They'll come after you, too. The academy. The Valstein family. Maybe even the World Association. If you think about talking—think about what they'll do to you first."
The students paled, realizing he had trapped them in his lie.
Dante stepped back, watching their expressions shift from fear to resignation. Good. They were broken enough now.
But that didn't mean they would live.
As he turned toward the dungeon exit, he made sure not to look at them like survivors.
They were already dead. They just didn't know it yet.