Chapter 229 Great Knight
Dante checked in with his base AI on Earth to find that his parents still had around 14 days left to undergo the full-scale genetic upgrade. As for Aisha, she had already captured over 15 superpowered users on Earth of varying nationalities and backgrounds, but she began exhibiting signs of sickness.
Dante's expression became serious when he received the report that Aisha had occasional dips in her vitals, especially when she used her superpower strongly. It could either be that the rapid growth of her superpower using the mutant cores naturally had that effect or that, as Dante feared, there was a problem with using quantum items directly without something to 'cleanse' them like Quantum Compatibility.
However, it was too soon to tell. In as much as he did not fully trust her and viewed her as a subordinate, Dante could not rightly watch her die in cold blood after working for him wholeheartedly. He still had that last bit of humanity in him even though he decided to walk the path of a conqueror.
As such, he recalled her to the base to begin receiving in-depth treatment and diagnosis. He would see if it was something he could cure, and if not, he could only wait until his superpower advanced and he acquired something akin to Quantum Healing.
Speaking of his superpower, now that Dante was at the B Rank, he was probably ready to graduate from the Eternal Academy. At his current level of ability, he could finally make a name for himself in the Eternal Universe and build his own faction, but not yet.
He wanted to take this time to increase his strength even further. His body had loosened once more, and he could take in another quantum power system, meaning that Dante now had two slots free.
However, he was currently addicted to the feeling of raising his free.
However, he was currently addicted to the feeling of raising his superpower and getting to choose awesome upgrades. He checked with his quantum clone to see that the fellow was idling about in the Black Land due to Dante's 'obligations.'
As such, he dove right back into his soul space and began sorting out the next batch of threads. To get to the B Rank, he had spent so much time sorting out 3% of it, which meant that his current total progress was 5%.
However, the moment Dante touched the new threads, his face changed greatly. The amount of Zero Energy and effort required to get the work done was more than ten times!
One should know that whenever he meditated, he activated his Psionics at full power, which meant that he was at 20,000 Intelligence right now!
Yet he could only exert this much force going from B to A Rank? Then what about those other superpowered users, was that why the highest they could reach in 5 years was the C Rank, with great talents reaching the B Rank and only Lara ever reaching the A Rank?
Dante could tell that even if he worked hard, he would need at least 180 days to reach the A Rank, and the more likely time frame would be 300 days. As he had other things to do in this time, he could only stop his seclusion and rub his forehead.
Just as well, he had neglected his sub-power systems due to his craving for increasing Quantum Entanglement as a whole. It was time to raise his two physical methods up to loosen his genes, raise his stats even more, and then raise his two magical methods.
As for new sub-power systems, Dante had a few in mind, but he was not in a rush to activate them. As a wise man would say, find the food on your plate before reaching out for extras.
Dante did not need much time to raise his various methods to their max grade at the moment, so it was best to max them out before going for new sub-power systems. With the increased power, he could fight for a better starting point with regards to his next power system.
Well, the grind never stops, huh…
Dante slapped his thighs and stood up, proceeding to begin the practice for the Primal Ape Technique's Peak Knight Realm. This technique's version of this realm focused on Endurance and enhancing it, with only 3 moves unlike the usual ten.
He popped the Quantum Vitality Serum and went through the motions.
The first move was called Stonefist Grasp.
It required Dante to stand in the center of the training room, his muscles tensed and ready. The training room on the Stellar Vanguard II had a holographic display, with which Dante projected the image of an enormous, solid stone pillar.
Obviously, a move called 'Stonefist Grasp' required Dante to channel his thick life essence into his fists, condensing it to an incredible density and strike a stone pillar.
However, as he was currently in the void of space, he obviously did not have any conventional stone pillars around. Luckily, the holographic technology of the Eternal Universe included quantum real-time printing, which meant that holographs could be touched and interacted with as if they were real matter, because they were… technically.
Anyways, Dante performed the actions necessary and struck out with the condensed life energy in his fist, causing the room to shake with the force of his blow as cracks spread across the holographic stone.
Unfortunately, as stated earlier, the essence of the Primal Ape technique at the Peak Knight realm was to increase endurance, so Dante was required to 'train his fists durability' and life essence by rapidly punching the stone pillar before him like a real silverback ape.
With Dante's current speed and ability, you could be sure that he was practically jojo-punching the heck out of that pillar. Each impact sent shockwaves through his body, but he persisted because he could feel the tempering in real-time.
As he continued to strike the stone pillar, Dante's endurance was put to the test. His arms trembled, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Wait a minute, with his level of strength, how could he possibly not have shattered that stone pillar into atoms using the first wind of his first punch?
Well, the obvious answer was that this was a 'stone pillar' but it wasn't a "stone pillar". The aesthetics and makeup were that of stone, but the actual matter was far more resilient and powerful than the stone that humans on Earth knew about.
After all, the stone in other parts of the universe would not have the same properties as the stone on Earth.
The second move was the Vitality Surge.
After exhausting himself with the Stonefist Grasp as the technique intended, Dante transitioned to the current move which now required him to channel his life essence into his body, focusing on rejuvenation and healing.
The holographic display was here to help again as - upon command from his AI chip - showed a lifelike image of Dante's body, with various regions highlighted. Closing his eyes, Dante meditated as he circulated his life essence through his body as if he was cultivating.
He directed it to areas that needed healing, mending any micro-injuries from the previous exercise. The sensation was both soothing and invigorating, like a surge of vitality coursing through his veins.
After a few hours passed, Dante could feel his fatigue and pain receding. His muscles regained their strength, and his body felt reinvigorated. This move was crucial for maintaining peak performance during extended battles, ensuring he could endure even the most grueling encounters.
Not just the Primal Ape technique, but the entireKnight Breathing power system emphasized healing, endurance, and teamwork as opposed to the Martial Artist's solidarity, violence, explosive power, and killing.
The third and final move was the Eternal Ape Resonance.
For this particular sequence, he moved to stand at the center of the room, focusing his attention on a newly generated holographic image of a magnificent, ancient silverback ape which was the very embodiment of endurance and resilience.
It was absolutely life-like and visceral, the ape glancing down at Dante with a hint of coldness and testing. It was like an ancestor looking at a relatively capable descendant but wondering if they were truly worthy of taking on the mantle.
Dante calmed down and synchronized his heartbeat with the Ancestral Silverback Ape's hologram, aligning his life essence with the essence of the Eternal Ape. This was something that was only described in the technique and required one to continually visit the Painting of Monsters and Things in the Celestial Arcanists' library to get a feeling for it, but Dante skipped it using technology.
It was also because of his great memory and the fact that the AI chip took a snapshot of the entire painting when he looked at it. While it couldn't mimic the magical effect, technology already knew the entire biology and genetic structure of the Silverback Ape, so producing a hologram according to the technique's instructions was easy to follow.
Usually, it was a challenging mental and spiritual exercise, requiring immense concentration, but he reduced the difficulty from 'very hard' to 'easy' using his current method.
With every second, the resonance deepened, and he could feel his life essence harmonizing with the inexhaustible vitality of the ape.
This move was about pushing his limits to the absolute extreme, achieving a state of near-limitless endurance. With the blueprint Eternal Ape as his inspiration and the Ancestral Silverback Ape as his visual guide, Dante was able to achieve perfection with ease.
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