Chapter 157 Idyllic Scouting
Dante himself appeared an indeterminate distance away, once again messing up spacetime traits in the area before leaving normally. He walked a short distance and observed the lush city that was coming to life around him.
The first thing that struck Dante was the vibrant colors that adorned Arcanum Haven. It was as if an artist had spilled their palette across the streets and buildings.
Crimson and azure banners fluttered from lampposts, and buildings were adorned with intricate mosaics of enchanted glass that shimmered in hues of emerald and amethyst.
The entire city seemed to be alive with colors, a stark contrast to the drab and lifeless streets of his home world where everyone seemed to have a hard-on for 'minimalism'.
As Dante strolled down the cobblestone streets, he couldn't help but notice the delightful chaos of Arcanum Haven. People of various races and backgrounds bustled about, going about their daily routines.
Wizards in flowing robes chatted slightly with knights clad in gleaming armor. Merchants peddled their wares from enchanted stalls that seemed to sprout from the very cobblestones.
The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices, arcane incense, and the tantalizing aroma of street food.
He wandered past a shop with a sign that read 'Mystic Curiosities'. Peering through the ornate window, Dante's eyes widened at the strange and fascinating artifacts on display.
Crystal orbs containing miniature thunderstorms crackled with energy, while delicate hourglasses measured the flow of time itself. A silver, mechanical raven perched on a stand and seemed to follow him with its gleaming sapphire eyes.
Dante made a mental note to return and explore the shop's treasures.
Further down the street, Dante encountered a street performer with skin as blue as the sky, juggling balls of fire with effortless grace. His performance drew a small crowd, and Dante joined them, amazed by the dancer's skill.
The flames danced in intricate patterns, casting warm and ever-shifting hues across the onlookers' faces. When the performance concluded, the crowd erupted in applause, and coins were tossed into the performer's hat.
As he continued his exploration, Dante's attention was drawn to a nearby stall with an elderly wizard hunched over a table covered in parchment scrolls and dusty tomes. A placard proclaimed, 'Fortune Teller: Past, Present, Future'.
Intrigued, Dante approached the stall, and the wizard looked up with piercing blue eyes that seemed to see through the veil of time itself. Without a word, the wizard gestured for Dante to choose a scroll.
Dante hesitated for a moment before selecting one at random. The wizard unfurled the scroll and began to read, his voice low and haunting. He spoke of past lives, hidden talents, and future challenges.
Dante couldn't help but be captivated, wondering if the wizard realized that he was spewing limitless bullshit. Nothing he said was related to Dante at all, but Dante truly felt that this guy believed what he said.
Then again, the quantum AI that powered this world could not calculate Dante's life since it was not allowed to access the Etranet outside of this world.
Arcanum Haven was a city of contrasts.
On one corner, elegant airships glided gracefully through the sky, propelled by humming magitech engines that defied gravity itself.
On another, a street bazaar was alive with the clang of blacksmiths forging enchanted weapons and the soft hum of potion makers concocting mysterious brews.
One particularly enchanting shop caught Dante's eye. A sign above the entrance read, 'Elysian Emporium: Aetherial Attire and Enchanted Elegance'.
Stepping inside, he found himself surrounded by racks of exquisite robes, cloaks, and accessories crafted from fabrics that seemed to shimmer like liquid moonlight.
The shopkeeper, a dignified elf with ageless beauty, approached with a knowing smile. She offered Dante a robe that seemed to shift colors with every step.
When he tried it on, he felt an immediate surge of energy, as if the very fabric resonated with his essence. He decided to purchase the robe, realizing that it wasn't just a piece of clothing but a conduit for magical abilities.
As for the source of his money, he naturally had more than a few Astral Crystals given to him by the faction for cultivation. Since he had the Quantum Aetherium Conduit, he did not need it, not even factoring his ability to raise his stats.
He mostly bought the robe not for himself, but for Beatrice. He wanted her to wear it so that when he reached the necessary stats, he could tear it off her and lay the wood down on her properly.
Leaving the shop, Dante found himself in the heart of the city's central square.
Here, a grand fountain dominated the scene, its waters sparkling with ethereal light. People gathered around the fountain, some tossing coins into the water while others simply enjoyed the serene ambiance.
At the center of the fountain, a sculpted figure of a majestic phoenix rose, its wings outstretched as if ready to take flight.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the city's magical illumination came to life. Enchanted street lamps bathed the streets in a soft, warm glow, while floating lanterns drifted gracefully above, casting patterns of light and shadow on the cobblestones below.
The night market came to life, with vendors selling everything from glowing crystals to magical trinkets that danced with inner light.
Dante couldn't help but smile as he soaked in the sights and sounds of Arcanum Haven. It was a city unlike any other, a place where magic and technology coexisted harmoniously, where every corner held a new wonder waiting to be discovered.
He admired the place for a while long and then teleported to one of the quantum markers he had placed in the city. You didn't think he walked up and down the whole day just to be a tourist, did you?
He was currently in front of a large manor that had people coming and going from it, a mixture of knights, wizards, and servants all at once. This manor belonged to the Arthur family, a powerful wizard family that was one of the sub-families under the control of the Underworld Magisters, the enemy faction of the Celestial Arcanists.
In this manor was someone Dante was going to select as one of his protagonists in this world. As he had walked through the city today, he had browsed through many things and enjoyed many sights, but more importantly, he was scouting many different types of people for his purposes.
He had checked over 50 people in just the span of a few hours, and only about 4 had entered his shortlist. Out of them, this fellow was his first choice because he fit the criteria Dante wanted and had some extra benefits that made him better than the others.
Dante's Spirit Sense spread into the estate wantonly as none of the magi in this world had the necessary power to detect this kind of power system's usage. He detected many magi in the manor, with the strongest being of the 4th rank.
Dante's mental power, despite only being in two cores, was around the potency of a 5th Rank mage. This was another reason he dared to come here and select this fellow, as a magus of a higher rank being around would be problematic.
Dante placed his quantum marker near the target and teleported over directly without a care. None of the magi in the area detected him, and they would not be able to detect him either, even if they were of a 9th Rank.
What happened at the alleyway near the territory of the Celestial Arcanists where someone rushed out only occurred because Dante entered the world directly with his real body using the superpower, which caused some slight fluctuations.
Even then, that unfamiliar 6th Rank mage was late to arrive and could not even tell exactly what happened, in part because Dante wantonly ruined the flow of time in that area so that even if that mage's space capabilities were higher than his, the fellow would not be able to restore it fully.
It was possible to restore data from a hard drive that had been wiped, but it was not possible to restore data from a hard drive that had been shredded into fine dust.
Dante cast his spirit sense into the room and was left speechless. He had to rub his forehead to calm his temper down and admit that despite this, the fellow was definitely suitable for his purposes so no matter what, he had to put up with it.
Dante waited until it was done and the outcome he expected occurred. Then he waited for about 2 minutes after before phasing into the room quietly using his 2nd Rank Phase Shift spell, his eyes scanning what he had already seen with his spirit sense.
He saw his target lying on the bed quietly, which made Dante nod his head with satisfaction. Everything was as it should be, and he could take over from here.
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