Lexa and Vexion exchanged curious glances before looking back toward Dante.
"Master?"
Dante ignored them. His attention remained on the information the System had just provided.
Then does that mean some Beasts might possess a World Essence Core?
[Most likely, Master.]
'How do we differentiate them?'
[We have not yet confirmed every identifying characteristic. However, one reliable indication appears to be intelligence. If a Beast is capable of holding a human conversation, it possesses an unusually advanced level of intelligence. Some may also possess Skills, or, more accurately, abilities that function similarly to Skills.]
Dante frowned. He turned toward Lexa and Vexion.
"Have either of you ever encountered a Beast that could speak?"
Both women stared at him. Then frowned.
"Master, Beasts can't speak."
Lexa shook her head.
"That's common knowledge. Even the strongest Beasts aren't capable of human conversation."
Dante simply nodded.
"So that's a no?"
The two women exchanged another glance. There was something strange about the question. Dante was many things, but he wasn't stupid. If he was asking, there was probably a reason.
"Master—" Vexion's voice became more cautious. "—are you saying such Beasts actually exist?"
Dante raised a hand. Before answering, he spoke internally.
System. Not every powerful Beast possesses a World Essence Core, right?
[Correct, Master. Beasts are fundamentally different from intelligent races. They are, in a sense, natural manifestations of the world's mana. This is also why World Essences and Divine Essences cannot simply be manufactured. They are natural phenomena produced by the world itself. Some Beasts naturally develop World Essence Cores. Others may acquire one by consuming another creature or absorbing a World Essence directly. However, neither outcome is guaranteed. Luck plays a significant role.]
Dante nodded slowly.
'So it's essentially another natural mutation'.
He glanced toward Lexa and Vexion. 'No wonder the books didn't explain it.'
Most of the useful books they'd found had either been restricted to higher-year students or required enormous amounts of Academy Points to access.
[Indeed, Master.]
Dante had absorbed an enormous amount of information during his time in the library. But there was a problem.
The System had only recently obtained that information. It still needed time to sort through it.
Dante had specifically forced it to divide everything into two categories:
Useful Information, and Information Dumps.
The System had been steadily processing the former. This particular piece of information had only become relevant because of their current situation.
And there was another problem. The System was still only Legendary-tier. To properly analyze a Mythical-tier Beast, it would need to evolve first. That was why some of its calculations took longer than usual.
Dante sighed internally.
I need to get you to Mythical-tier as soon as possible. You're going to become another ridiculous skill, aren't you?
A brief silence followed. Then—
[Thank you, Master.]
Dante blinked. Hmm? The response almost felt happy. If the System possessed a face, he suspected it might have been blushing. Dante shook the thought away.
Whatever.
He returned his attention to his two subordinates and explained what he'd learned.
"If we encounter a Beast that can communicate like a human, pay attention." He raised a finger. "Especially if it possesses abilities resembling Skills." He raised another. "Those are the two biggest indicators. The rest—" He shrugged. "—comes down to luck."
Vexion's eyes softened.
"I see."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Master really is intelligent. You actually went into the library."
Dante immediately looked toward Lexa with a smug grin. Lexa sighed.
"Yeah, yeah. You're not as lazy as I thought you were."
Dante smiled proudly.
"Exactly."
Vexion laughed softly.
"Then, Master, when we find one, what do we do with the World Essence Core?"
Dante opened his mouth.
"..."
Silence.
System. What do we do again?
[That is part of the information we don't possess, Master. That was why I was initially uncertain whether to bring this subject to your attention. However, I believe we can determine the correct method once we encounter one.]
Dante's expression remained perfectly calm. Internally, fuck.
Lexa noticed the brief silence. A smug smile slowly appeared on her face.
"Oh? So you don't actually know?"
Dante chuckled.
"Of course I know."
He paused.
"Just not the exact details."
Lexa's eyebrow rose. Dante immediately continued before she could question him further.
"I was trying to determine whether the process would be safe for you two. Essentially—" He thought for a moment. "—you know how your body naturally absorbs mana?"
Lexa nodded cautiously.
"Yes?"
"The World Essence Core works on the same principle. It contains incredibly dense mana. Your body naturally draws that mana inward. From there, it gradually assimilates into your mana pathways."
Lexa considered the explanation. It sounded reasonable. Vexion was the next to speak.
"So we have to wait until our bodies finish absorbing it?"
Dante nodded.
"Exactly. It's not something you absorb in a few seconds. Think about how long it takes your body to recover after exhausting your mana. Your body needs time to rebuild. The same principle applies here. You'd need to be protected while the process occurs."
He shrugged.
"Life isn't a free-for-all. Apparently, the world doesn't like giving people a peaceful upgrade."
Vexion listened intently. Dante continued.
"It's basically the world's way of fucking you in the ass."
Lexa's expression twitched. Dante continued as though he hadn't noticed.
"As you climb higher, things become more difficult. It would be pretty unfair if you could simply sit down, absorb something that massively strengthens you, and remain completely safe while doing it. There have to be risks. In this case—" He raised a finger. "—the risk is interruption. You need to remain undisturbed while your body adapts to the new mana."
Vexion nodded slowly. Lexa, however, wasn't finished.
"So if we're interrupted, or stop the process halfway and continue another day, would there be consequences?"
Dante internally cursed. Why can't they just accept my bullshit and move on?
He cleared his throat.
"Of course."
He adopted what he hoped was the expression of a deeply knowledgeable scholar.
"World Essence is mana condensed to such an extreme degree that it changes how your body processes mana. If you interrupt that process—" He paused. "—it's like cleaning your house while leaving the front door wide open."
Lexa blinked. Dante continued.
"You clean everything. Then someone opens the door. All the dust blows back inside. So you have to start over."
Lexa slowly nodded. It actually sounded logical.
"...I really underestimated you, Master."
Dante smiled. Good. If I'm wrong, I'll just claim I was working from outdated information. Most likely I'm wrong anyway. But what else am I supposed to do?
Vexion looked at him with open admiration. Dante pretended not to notice.
Later, Dante opened his academy bracelet. He scanned through the current rankings. Names he recognized. Names he didn't.
Positions shifting as students accumulated points.
He closed the interface.
Then opened it again.
His eyes stopped. One particular name bothered him.
Not because he recognized it. Not because he'd heard rumors about the person. Not because the name itself sounded particularly threatening.
It simply bothered him.
Dante stared at the ranking.
'Fred.'
He frowned.
'Who the fuck is Fred?'