Whatever the case, Dante could rest slightly easier. As long as he stayed away from obvious traps, he was mostly fine.
The show went on as other students went up to have their SDI scanned, but how could anyone be proud even if the numbers were quite high? Compared to Dante, they felt like trash.
However, as more and more students went up, the initial hype and excitement died down as the students became grim, realizing something their young minds failed to account for while they were making noise about Dante's ability.
And that was the simple fact that Dante was not someone they should idolize, but fear! He was their direct competitor in the Zero Gate, a place where technology and weapons did not work, only one's SDI, special characteristic, and superpower!
They should not be cheering or exclaiming but rather be plotting how to deal with him. After all, precisely because technology did not work behind the Zero Gate. What went on within was unknown to the school or outside forces minus what those who came out verbally shared.
So if they met Dante within, their outcome could be imagined. It didn't matter if they had ultra superpowers that were super amazing, because there was no point if your head was crushed to paste before you could even think of using it.
This was also Beatrice's confidence in defeating the seemingly overpowered headmistress of the Eternal Academy. She could have a hundred or more superpowers if she wanted, but unless those superpowers could raise her stats to the same level as Beatrice or grant her some form of invincibility as well as immunity to death, Beatrice could just walk over at a speed that Lara's mind could not follow and twist her neck off her head.
By the time the test came to an end, the atmosphere was oppressive. The stats of his classmates had come out and coupled with their superpowers, Dante marked the top 5 competitors he would face in the Zero Gate.
**｢Student: Slessor Mckailen**
**Age: 18 (Converted to Earth years)**
**Race: Lamia**
**Strength Index: 76**
**Agility Index: 34**
**Dexterity Index: 43**
**Intelligence Index: 122**
**Constitution Index: 55**
**Vitality Index: 102**
**Bionic Level: Unknown**
**Psionic level: Unknown**
**AI Chip level: Unknown**
**Superpowers: Spatial Folding (Rank: E, Potency: SS, Potential: SSS.)｣**
**｢Student: Humphrey Lottin**
**Age: 19 (Converted to Earth years)**
**Race: Elf**
**Strength Index: 33**
**Agility Index: 89**
**Dexterity Index: 109**
**Intelligence Index: 128**
**Constitution Index: 15**
**Vitality Index: 77**
**Bionic Level: Unknown**
**Psionic level: Unknown**
**AI Chip level: Unknown**
**Superpowers: Aerogenesis (Rank: E, Potency: SS, Potential: SSS.)｣**
**｢Student: Zara'el Ziran**
**Age: 22 (Converted to Earth years)**
**Race: D'Rak'Shi**
**Strength Index: 94**
**Agility Index: 112**
**Dexterity Index: 65**
**Intelligence Index: 166**
**Constitution Index: 121**
**Vitality Index: 98**
**Bionic Level: Unknown**
**Psionic level: Unknown**
**AI Chip level: Unknown**
**Superpowers: Psionic Control (Rank: E, Potency: A, Potential: S.)｣**
**｢Student: Grak'tar Thal**
**Age: 25 (Converted to Earth years)**
**Race: Xylothian**
**Strength Index: 134**
**Agility Index: 23**
**Dexterity Index: 88**
**Intelligence Index: 72**
**Constitution Index: 112**
**Vitality Index: 145**
**Bionic Level: Unknown**
**Psionic level: Unknown**
**AI Chip level: Unknown**
**Superpowers: Energy Absorption (Rank: E, Potency: S, Potential: SS.)｣**
**｢Student: Frella Rovik**
**Age: 20 (Converted to Earth years)**
**Race: Vortarian**
**Strength Index: 78**
**Agility Index: 92**
**Dexterity Index: 64**
**Intelligence Index: 105**
**Constitution Index: 97**
**Vitality Index: 84**
**Bionic Level: Unknown**
**Psionic level: Unknown**
**AI Chip level: Unknown**
**Superpowers: Phase Shifting (Rank: E, Potency: A, Potential: S.)｣**
Apart from Humphrey and Slessor, there were obviously some talented fellows among Dante's batch. It was just that he did not have time nor energy to care about them before because they were not as 'exemplary' as the top 3.
However, to others, they were titans of their field. When Dante saw that most of the students had such high stats - converted into the average for pure humans, of course - his expression became serious.
Imagine if he never unlocked the power to enter Quantum Worlds and never got the Absorption superpower from the Apocalypse World. How was he supposed to compete in terms of SDI when he only had 10.5 points back then and his genes had yet to stabilize?
Even if he managed to squeeze in another injection before the actual event started, he would at most reach 30 points in all fields, which would make him easy pickings for these other students.
And thinking like this, Dante could understand how his fellow students felt in regards to his existence since he was a monster. The gap he would have had between them would have pressured him day and night to come up with strategies to deal with his stronger competitors, but now they were the ones having to draw up strategies to deal with him!
This difference in perspective and situation made him understand the importance of power deeply.
In truth, as a young man from peaceful little Earth, Dante had loved watching shows and reading novels with deep power systems and power-focused main characters, but he had never been able to truly understand their craving for power.
Yeah, they had a big bad to defeat at the end of the season/series, but then what comes after? What comes when you reach the top, when no one can say no to you and no one can challenge you nor get your blood pumping?
But now, looking at the faces of despair on his classmates at the thought of dealing with him, and thinking about the despair he would have been feeling had he not forged forward with determination due to his own personal ambition, Dante somewhat understood.
He still did not agree to the idea of becoming limitlessly powerful or having eternal life, but he understood that for his goals to be achieved, he needed to be sufficiently stronger than the biggest obstacle in his path.
And that would be his way forward.
"Well, you fellows look like you've seen a ghost haha. Is Dante that scary? I don't think so," Xue Bing said with a smile.
It couldn't be helped, although Dante was her student, she couldn't just ignore the rest and leave them in the pits of despair. She was generally in charge of this entire batch because of her mentorship of Dante so if they had poor results, even if Dante succeeded she might face repercussions.
Hearing what Xue Bing said, the other students glanced at her with skepticism. Even Dante looked over with amusement, wondering what lie she was going to tell them in order to lift their spirits.
"In truth, Dante cannot easily be beaten, so you are right to be scared. However, just because he cannot be beat directly doesn't mean that you have to fight him."
Xue Bing smiled pointedly. "If you cannot beat him, why not join him? Not only do you guarantee your life and safety, but he may even give you some benefits on the side."
The students were thoroughly stunned by what she said and even Dante himself was stupefied. The other teachers though, had their expressions change greatly as they flew into a thunderous rage.
"XUE BING, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"HOW DARE YOU?!"
"REPORT HER! REPORT HER FOR MANIPULATION!"
"DAMN YOU XUE BING!!"
They roared with fury and indignation, but Xue Bing seemed unbothered. After all, what she said, while a bit unethical, was not wrong. Why should she care that these teachers and the factions behind them hated to hear that their 'workers' would all serve one person unaffiliated to them?
However, the students didn't see it that way. Those in the top 10 naturally felt resistant to this and had their own plans, Slessor and Humphrey especially throwing the very notion out of their heads.
Although, the normal students were more inclined to this as their eyes flashed with a deep light. Many were sponsored to come here by various factions, much like Dante, and those factions were not like the Portinari clan who did not dare make demands of Dante because of Beatrice.
Their clans or factions had put various restrictions and methods on them to ensure that they got what they wanted after sponsoring you. In the eyes of the clans and factions, you are already a natural-born superpower holder, what do you need a second one for?
You would struggle to even raise your main superpower to the A grade in this life, so why have two and be mediocre in both? Rather, was it not more logical that you get to cultivate in the Eternal Academy with our sponsorship and then fight for more Fruits of Condensation so the faction can produce other superpowered members?
This was the arrangement for nearly all the students, from the first year to the fifth year. This was also what all the factions assumed Dante was under, so they glanced at the Portinari clan enviously and sourly, but how could they know that the Portinari clan was basically a simp for Dante, paying the bills without getting even a single kiss back?
Sigh, the Portinari clan was so sad!
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