Changes

Swimming in the lava, being hit by thunder a couple of times, oxygen suffocation, and other atrocious training methods for the whole two months which inside the Dream World was equivalent to 2 years, were just some of the many torturous experiences Dante underwent in his training.

After three months of coma, Dante's eyes finally fluttered open.

The nurse who was on duty that day widened her eyes.

"You have finally regained your consciousness! Hey! Can you hear me?!"

Dante blinked his eyes a couple of times before he nodded.

"Good! Please wait here, I'll call the doctor immediately!" The nurse then hastily went outside.

Sometime later, after a quick checkup on his body, the doctor and nurses looked dumbfounded. They expected him to look skinny. But Dante's body looked like he underwent rigorous training in the mountains.

Although he looked lean when in clothes, his body was actually well-toned when he took off his clothes.

"How is that possible?" One of the nurses, slightly younger and cutie, asked in disbelief.

The doctor raised his fingers in front of Dante's face. "Can you tell me how many fingers you see?"

Dante grinned inwardly. He could see it. His eyesight was sharper than the eagles' eyes. Even if Dante closed his eyes, he could still tell the number of fingers the doctor raised. After those torturous days inside the Dream World, he acquired many titles and raised his stats higher.

"Six."

Dante replied, his voice was calm and manly.

"Good. How about this?"

"Nine."

"Good, good. I think you're finally better. Congratulations on waking up. It's not always that a coma patient would wake up again. You're one of the lucky ones."

"Thank you, doc, for taking care of me."

"As long as you're fine, we're happy for you."

When the doctor and nurses left, one of the nurses returned and handed him a calling card.

"What is this for?" Dante asked calmly. His voice sounds innocent.

Blushing slightly, she whispered into his ear, "For daily checkup."

"Uh, I see. Thank you in advance." 

With a flick of his fingers, the card disappeared.

The nurse looked dumbfounded. She searched left and right of Dante but couldn't find it.

Dante flicked his hand once again and the calling card appeared in his hand.

"It's a little magic trick," he said, smiling a little.

"Wow. Cool." 

After leaving the hospital, Dante headed directly to his apartment. Thankfully, he didn't need to pay for the hospital bills. The organization took over all the expenses.

It seems the manager hadn't forgotten him. He must thank her later, Dante thought as he was walking on the street.

Suddenly something caught his attention.

"Wait… why are Kyzer's posters everywhere? Is he running for senator?"

The poster had a caption of "Young Hero" and "Knight In Shining Armor".

What the hell! That's so embarrassing! Hahaha!

If it was him on those posters, he would probably not get out on the street, or maybe he would secretly take down those posters one by one.

'Hm? Who is that girl in front of one of Kyzer's posters? My god, she's pretty. She looked like a celebrity.' Noticing the faint blush on her face, 'What the heck, I know that kind of gaze. If she's not his relative, probably someone with a crush on him. Damn you, Kyzer! Is Neneth not enough for you?!'

Dante could only sigh deeply as he clenched his fist secretly.

Suddenly, three girls approached the pretty girl. They greeted each other with happy faces. They seemed like they knew each other pretty well.

'Eh? Those three look familiar. Aren't those girls my classmates? I'd rather not approach them.' They are one of those disdainful towards him.

Dante left immediately.

On the street, he noticed some changes. It was the street he often crossed, so he was familiar with it like the back of his hand.

This time, some of the old buildings disappeared and there were new buildings as well. Some thug-looking guys coming out from one of those buildings. Smoking cigarettes, they laughed at each other as if sharing funny stories. With them were seductive women with revealing outfits.

Who are they? And what are those buildings?

Dante asked in mind. 'Uh, never mind. It's none of my business.' He then continued without minding the rest of the eye-catching changes around him.

Being alive is a wonderful thing.

Nearing his apartment, he heard a commotion coming from there. He slowed down his pace and listened carefully.

"You bastard! You're here again?! How many times do I need to tell you that this is not for sale!"

'Wait… isn't that the landlady's voice? Is she quarreling with someone?'

But that sounds weird because ever since he started renting in that apartment, he never had once heard the landlady quarreling with someone.

She's a kind landlord who would not pressure him whenever he was late paying his rent.

"Shut up b*tch! We are not asking you to sell this unit, but ordering you to surrender it to us!" Said an unfamiliar voice.

"Over my dead body!" The landlady said angrily.

She took a broom and started waving at the three people.

"Go away and don't come back!"

"Fuck! Annoying! Let's just kill this hag!" The person in the middle said in an annoyed voice. Then he pulled out a knife.

Seeing it, the landlady's face turned pale. 

"H-How dare you?! Do you think you can threaten me with that? I'll make sure to jail you after this!"

"Heh. Do you think we are threatening you? No, today is your death anniversary next year!"

The man then lunged forward, aiming the knife at the landlady's stomach. 

Fear crept on the landlady's face. She reflexively stepped back.

However, before the knife could reach her, the man with the knife stopped moving. A figure appeared and grabbed the assailant's wrist, then raised it in the air. Everyone looked dumbfounded, even the landlady. At that moment, they noticed someone beside the person who had a knife.

Eh?

The landlady blinked her eyes in disbelief. The person who came to help her looked like someone she knew but also looked like someone she didn't know.

"Who are you and what are you doing?" In a chilling voice, he asked.

Grimacing in pain, the man with a knife replied. "Bastard! I should be the one asking you that!"

"Oh? But you're blocking the door of my room."

"What? You're a tenant here?"

"I am."

"Wait. Dante? Is that you? You're finally out of the hospital?!"