Chapter 31: This is 10 percent of my total power.

Dante's vision was blurry, everything around him was shrouded in a haze. He couldn't see anything clearly, except for a dark silhouette standing in front of him. And that silhouette... it radiated malice toward him. But what exactly was malice?

Instinctively gripped by fear, he staggered backward.

That small retreat caused Kara's thrust to miss its mark. But she didn't give up. She stepped closer, determination flaring in her eyes, and channeled her strength into the next strike.

Meanwhile, Dante slowly began to regain his senses. Yet his body was exhausted, screaming for rest. What am I doing? he realized a moment later, his thoughts sluggish.

He swung his bat at the dark figure before him. But the strike missed completely.

Kara, preparing to advance, caught the sudden motion of her opponent raising his weapon. Startled, she instinctively pulled back to avoid the swing. But as she looked at Dante's vacant, lifeless expression, she realized she could have dodged the attack and simply pressed forward, driving her rapier into him. She had missed a perfect oppotunity.

'Was that just... instinct? A reflex?' Kara clicked her tongue softly in frustration, then pressed forward again. This time, she wouldn't hesitate. This time, she wouldn't let the chance slip away.

With all her willpower focused, Kara poured her strength into the thrust. No more second-guessing. No more retreating. Just a clean strike that would end it.

All around them, the crowd of thousands held their breath. Ever since Kara had unleashed her Discharge Overload, the entire arena had been silent, hanging on the edge of anticipation, watching the battle unfold.

By some stroke of fortune, Dante regained just enough awareness in time. His face remained blank, hollow — saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. He stared at Kara, his mind foggy, and without much thought raised his bat high. He sidestepped Kara's lunge — no Mindstep needed — but the rapier still grazed the bone of his hip before sliding past.

Kara's eyes widened in shock as her attack missed its vital mark. In that instant, Dante brought his bat crashing down on her head.

The metallic bat struck true, producing a sharp clang, like the crack of a baseball being hit cleanly. And just like that — the match ended in the first round.

It hadn't dragged into a second round because Dante had intended, from the very start, to finish it quickly. Partly because he was afraid — afraid of Kara's terrifying lightning abilities. That had been his plan all along.

But Kara... perhaps she'd had a similar plan herself. She had pushed herself to the limit, overcharging her Discharge component again and again, to the point where she'd been forced to use it before it was fully charged, hurting herself in the process.

Her technique had been excellent — polished and disciplined. But against someone like Dante, someone who always stayed one step ahead, it wasn't enough.

He had dodged her strikes, pressured her into releasing a massive discharge to drive him back, and when she switched to her left hand, her speed and precision faltered. Combined with the self-inflicted injuries from her own component, it allowed him to evade her attacks without even using Mindstep — and settle the match in one decisive blow.

Dante claimed ultimate victory, along with a prize of 5,000 AD$. With that money, he could finally complete the foundation phase of his growth.

But he was far too exhausted to celebrate. The battle had drained him, leaving him with barely 10% of his mental capacity intact. The little strength he had left was just enough to carry him to a rest area, where, thankfully, someone helped him on the way.

The next day, he awoke, realizing he had won. A surge of joy filled him — he wanted to celebrate. He messaged Kaela and Solène, inviting them out for a meal. No — not just one meal. A few meals. Let's make it a proper celebration!

But... Kaela was busy. And Solène? She couldn't make it either.

'Damn it. How awkward can this get?' Dante felt like he could die of embarrassment on the spot. 'I invited girls out and they both turned me down'. The thought sent his mind spiraling. Maybe I should just destroy the world while I'm at it. He shook his head to clear the ridiculous idea. No, no — this is going nowhere.

With no better plan, he headed for the academy to see if there was anything new to learn.

In the classroom, only about half of the students remained. Where did the others go? he wondered.

His arrival was met with warm applause — word had spread that he was the champion of the novice tournament. Among the new faces, he met Orrian — a fresh acquaintance, brimming with admiration. Orrian thought Dante was incredible, and wanted to learn from him.

Dante agreed to help, though his heart wasn't entirely in it. Maybe I won't reach out to people so easily again, he thought bitterly. The sting of his recent disappointment still lingered. Is this my fate? My destiny, O lord?

Just thinking about it made him want to crawl into the depths of Tessarune and bury himself under the city. Or better yet — maybe just wipe the whole world clean.

If Orrian really wants to learn and shows some initiative, I'll help him... I guess.

The following days were uneventful — monotonous, even — as he focused on strengthening his foundation. With his prize money, he'd bought a good stock of gear bars and devoured them daily. Little by little, his foundation expanded, its capacity growing from 2.4GB to 3GB. Soon, it would reach the 10GB limit. And the process became easier with time, partly thanks to the flawless design of the gear for a foundation material, and partly because he was simply getting better at it.

He planned to install a new component: Genetic Unleasher — designed to enhance his body's growth potential. It didn't take up much space, but it would cost him dearly in supplements and essentium crystals.

Sometimes, he found himself daydreaming: When will I ever have enough to buy a house on the surface of Tessarune? He'd heard how valuable those beautiful, old-style homes were — how they were coveted by all, their prices inflated beyond belief. Maybe if I win a few hundred more tournaments... The thought of living in the underground city didn't appeal to him. It's all fake. That endless expanse, the skyscrapers — all illusions.

Days passed. Each time he came to the academy, that classroom still had only half the students. No sign of Kaela. No sign of Solène. And that guy who always declared, "I'm the man who'll become a Champion!" — he was gone too. Well, they've got their own lives and their own goals, somewhere out there.

The day is calm and going on oneday after another day, until.

One day, about a week after the tournament ended, Solène came back and met with Dante. She said to him: