Chapter 223 The Celestial Emperor's Troops
Dante stretched his neck and looked around calmly. He extended his spirit sense, which could still reach 2 kilometers despite his quantum clone having only 10% of his main body's stats, meaning 200 in each field.
However, all of his quantum powers were perfectly replicated onto the clone since they were attached to the superpower itself, so they were not weakened and functioned just as potently as they did on the real body currently at the Portinari Clan manor.
This included his Martial Master Realm Raging Blood Halberd Technique, his level 5 Greed's Ember Flow Inferno Ascension technique, his Peak Knight Realm Primal Ape technique, and his level 5 Void Speaker Chant, which made him a 4th Rank Elite Wizard.
Unfortunately, the Eyes of Illusion strictly functioned based on stats and did not source their power from the superpower itself. Still, even with Dante's limited stats, many would find it hard to escape the influence of the eyes since their stats did not surpass his by double or more.
Dante noticed that he was near a stream of water. Just like the trees, grass, and shrubs around him, the water, too, was a glowing black color with many strange aquatic species swimming within, eyeing him carefully.
Their eyes were full of intelligence and conveyed that they could understand his presence here but did not necessarily want to engage with him without being sure of his exact power. After all, unlike the students who were crippled without their Bionics and Psionics as well as AI chips in here, these natives could much more easily sense the range of power a person possessed beforehand.
Dante looked at the fish and then turned to leave but stopped suddenly. He then looked back at them and had a strange thought. This particular session would include his beloved classmates, and as much as he looked down on them and their capabilities compared to himself, they could prove to be problems at key moments.
After all, if he was locked in a battle with a group of beasts surrounding the trees and Slessor or Humphrey decided to launch a sneak attack at a crucial moment, it would be troublesome, though not enough to deal with him.
As such, Dante had an idea. He smiled at the fish in the lake, something which made them feel an inexplicable chill and want to flee. However, they soon found that movement was impossible as they were locked into those glowing yellow eyes that seemed to contain another world in them.
In the realm of the Celestial Empire, where the skies shimmered like a tapestry of stars and the mountains reached up to embrace the heavens, there lived a wise and benevolent Celestial Emperor.
His name was Dante, and he was known not for his unrivaled power but for his unwavering kindness and sense of duty.
I, Seraphin, was one of his loyal subordinates, blessed to serve under his radiant banner.
Our days were filled with rigorous training, yet we embraced it with joy, for the Celestial Emperor was not only our leader but our friend.
He taught us not just the art of war but the art of being, cultivating our hearts as he honed our skills.
Dante possessed eyes like twin suns, a luminous yellow that held wisdom and compassion beyond measure.
Those eyes were like beacons guiding us through the darkness, a symbol of hope and strength.
As we trained, I often found it difficult to look away from those radiant orbs, for they carried the weight of a thousand stars.
Under the Emperor's tutelage, we became a formidable force, not driven by fear or conquest, but by a deep sense of justice.
We defended our realm and protected the innocent, living up to the legacy of our beloved leader.
However, the fates are as cruel as the fires of hell.
One fateful day, a great darkness descended upon our lands.
A malevolent force sought to plunge our world into chaos, threatening everything we held dear.
Dante, without hesitation, led us into battle.
The clash was epic, a cataclysmic struggle between light and shadow.
Our enemy was relentless, and the battle raged on for days.
Dante fought with valor, his eyes blazing like twin suns and his expression thunderous.
With each swing of his celestial halberd, he struck down our foes, but the enemy was relentless.
As the final confrontation approached, our forces were dwindling.
Wounds were many, and hope was fading.
Dante, standing tall and resolute, gazed upon us with a tender smile.
"My loyal companions, do not fear. Though our mortal bodies may fall today, our spirits are eternal." He said cryptically, his voice like a bell that struck our hearts.
With those words, Dante unleashed his ultimate power, a radiant explosion of blackish-red fire that engulfed the battlefield.
I felt myself lifted into the heavens, surrounded by the brilliance of his essence.
In that moment, I understood the true nature of our Celestial Emperor.
As the light faded, I found myself in a tranquil place, a realm of serenity and warmth.
Dante stood before us, his eyes still glowing like twin suns. "My dear friends, we shall meet again in the next life, for our bonds are unbreakable. When you see these eyes glow once more, you awaken!"
Tears welled in my eyes as I realized the truth of his words.
Dante had not just been our leader; he had been our guiding star, our pillar of strength.
Even in death, his light would guide us, and his wisdom would shape our destinies.
With a final, radiant smile, Dante turned and ascended into a realm covered with blackish-red fire, 7 beings seated on colored seats at the summit as they bowed to him, leaving us with the promise of a reunion in the next life.
We, his loyal soldiers, were forever changed by his love and leadership, destined to carry his legacy forward, waiting for the day when we would meet our beloved Celestial Emperor once more.
The various aquatic creatures in the river emerged from their 'recollection' and immediately their auras changed. Despite being fish, they seemed to radiate the aura of humanoid warriors who had fought on the battlefield for many years.
They immediately swam over and formed an organized group, then gazed at Dante silently, their eyes filled with a myriad of emotions like joy for being reunited, determination to follow their eternal leader, and anguish at their limited forms.
"My dear brothers, you have awakened. However, there are many others still in this realm who are locked behind their reincarnated forms, unable to recollect their glorious days under our collective banner."
"As such, I must ask you to capture your brothers as best as you can, even if it's one by one, and bring them to me for them to awaken under the guidance of my brilliant gaze."
Dante looked at his 'troops' with a gentle smile. "Can I ask this of you?"
The water churned as the various species opened their mouths in a silent roar, attempting to shout their usual response but being unable to since they were underwater. Immediately, they all swam away in organized groups to fulfill Dante's commands.
As for Dante, he sat down in the spot and released his Gluttonous Inferno fire to devour all the trees nearby to replenish the energy he consumed while influencing so many species at once.
With their 'training' and coordination, it was easy enough for the groups of fish to either capture or lure land-based monsters that either came to drink or were passing by the bank, bringing them to Dante without drowning them.
Dante would then make them undergo the same illusion and then charge them to go out and bring more. During the first seven days, while the other students were finding shelter and creating bases and safe points to begin their exploration, Dante continued to influence superpowered monsters in this realm to do his bidding.
Seven days passed like this, with Dante's forces growing with each passing hour while the other students could only scratch their heads and wonder what was happening.
Of course, Dante had given his 'troops' the order to hide from the sight of his fellow classmates by any means necessary as he wanted to deal with the various monsters in the realm before dealing with them.
By the time he had everyone under his banner, even the monsters that hung around near the trees had been collected into his army. Dante had them pluck all ten fruits for him and bring them to him respectfully, which he observed casually.
While inspecting them, he waved a hand and delivered a moving speech about how his classmates were the reincarnations of their enemies and that they were to go and vanquish them.
As such, his huge monster army became red-eyed with hatred as they charged the students' various shelters and bases, slaughtering them while screeching incomprehensible things.
The students were naturally speechless as they were torn apart gruesomely.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺