BXBX NOVEL Chapter 75 Done With Earth
Dante shook his head as the helicopter landed on the island. He then took his captives and tossed them in a separate cavern, so that they could not communicate with the other group.
Even though they were just normal people, who knew what they could cook up? Dante had no interest in being the careless villain who underestimated human creativity.
Even now, he planned to check in on these guys everyday to feed them and stifle any clever ideas they had. Currently, he had no way to easily deal with them until he could level up his superpower to the D Rank.
Dante was hoping the size and number of things he could carry when he went back and forth would increase, allowing him to bring over some useful things.
Before he left the cavern, he created a new child AI on the mini quantum computer called the Sentinel AI. This one would actively scan the digital networks of the world for anything that could interest him or potentially harm him and block them from ever succeeding.
Satisfied, he took the helicopter back to the Beach and then left it there. He returned to his room in the Royal Oasis and actually slept this time, staying in bed up until 11 am. His flight back was at 3 pm, so he took a bath and then had an expensive lunch before heading to the airport.
Uh, in truth, he didn't need to do this. If he could block Ulysses from detecting his details, he could certainly fabricate something digitally to show he had taken the flight and even fix himself into camera footage if necessary.
However… why not? Just because he could teleport across half the world didn't mean he wanted to do it all the time. If it was urgent or necessary, sure. Since there was no urgency now, he could just live like a normal person and enjoy life.
In the lavish realm of first-class flights, Dante found himself wrapped up in a cocoon of comfort. The plush leather seats cradled his form, and the soft, warm blanket - nicknamed 'blankie' - cocooned him in its embrace.
With a gentle touch, he reclined his seat to a position of utmost relaxation, and a subtle hum filled the air as the aircraft soared through the skies.
And would you know it, that same tech enthusiast from his first flight was here too. He and Dante marveled at how similar their schedules were and chatted. Apparently, he was paid a huge commission by a top international company to come and install new mainframes for them, which he completed in a single days' work since they allocated nearly 50 skilled assistants to him - on the company's payroll - and prepared the equipment before he even landed.
This shocked Dante and he was silent. Guessing his thoughts, the fellow chuckled and explained that the reason the company hired him for so much and spent a lot to ship him over was not because his name was thunderous or he had some special techniques, but simply a matter of trust and privacy.
They'd rather spend more to bring him, who was the one who installed the mainframes during the company's founding 20 years ago - than hire a talented newbie who might leave a backdoor and cause the company to lose millions.
Even if they counted the flight, the stay, the assistant and the equipment, the total cost would not surpass a million. Spending a million to potentially save a billion, it was an easy choice.
As the hours drifted by, Dante's thoughts drifted to the destination that awaited him: home. The flight progress was smooth, and soon they approached their arrival. As the aircraft touched down, Dante felt a twinge of reluctance to leave the luxurious sanctuary of the first-class cabin.
But the VIP treatment didn't end there. Upon disembarking, Dante was escorted by airport staff who recognized him as a distinguished first-class traveler. They whisked him away through the VIP customs and immigration, sparing him from the long queues and meticulous inspections.
With efficiency and elegance, they guided him to the opulent arrival lounge, a sanctuary reserved for the privileged few. There, he was offered refreshing beverages and delectable snacks while he waited for his transportation.
A valet came over with a car key and respectfully handed them to Dante. "Sir, your Bentley is ready and parked at the designated point."
Dante nodded and smiled, taking the key and then walking down the steps to exit the airport and see his car parked neatly by the road while a few guards monitored it carefully. When they saw him unlock the car from a distance with the key, they nodded and opened the door for him.
Dante thanked them and entered the car. He sparked it and then slowly moved out of the airport before joining the main highway then speeding towards his rented apartment at home. On the way, his thoughts wandered.
It had been a fun little adventure, taking this break to come to earth. He won some money, bought flashy cars, satisfied his parents and uncle, then laid the foundation for his future base. Not to mention he beat up a team of hostile with ease and fully tasted the power the Eternal Universe brought him compared to earthlings.
However, his interest towards earth waned greatly in the process. He realized even more how overpowered he was on this planet and understood that conquering it could be as easy or as difficult as he wanted really.
If he was ruthless, he could head back to his armory and take a single nuclear rifle, then decimate major cities. The world would naturally kneel at his feet. If he was soft, he could continue current path of winning allegiance through progress and merit.
Whichever way, the initiative was always with him. Even if being a nice guy didn't work, he could be a cruel guy and still get the outcome he wanted.
Right now, his mind was more focused on the Zero Gate and the possibility of its existence within his home universe. The only problem was that he did not have a way to enter outer space.
Though his exosuit could travel in space, that was based on whether the one wearing it could also survive in space. Beatrice, with her monstrous SDI, probably could but Dante was far, far from it.
What he needed to do was get his spaceship over here, but even the best shrinking technology could only make it as large as a car. That was why Dante threatened Ulysses to surrender in a month, because he would have his third session with the Black Land at that time, so he could upgrade his superpower again.
However…
A glint flashed in Dante's eyes. He did not like it, being so passive. It was fine to wait for the 5 week interval between which he could be given a free week use of the place, but it was not enough.
As an earthling, Dante's greed was endless. He did not just want this one superpower, but he wanted them all! If he had his way, he would swallow all ten fruits produced every year and accumulate 1 million superpowers, unrealistic as it sounded.
To achieve that, he needed to upgrade his foundation superpower, Quantum Entanglement. To upgrade Quantum Entanglement, he needed Zero Energy. To get Zero Energy, he needed the Black Land. To get to the Black Land, he needed the permission of the school.
Luckily for him, there were two ways to get permission. Be a member of the Unique Batch and wait for your weekly assigned class there or accumulate Supercoin through the Etraverse world's belonging to the school and 'purchase' time in the Black Land, much like how one would pay for an internet cafe.
Obviously, Dante was favoring the second choice, but he had seen the prices. It was pay for per second, and one second cost 10,000 Supercoins. To give you a clear idea on how costly this was, the Pirate Incursion world which lasted 24 hours rewarded at most, 100 Supercoins for an EX grade score.
Assuming you were a legendary super genius not seen in ten thousand years who could clear the entire thing in an hour - its literally impossible to clear it shorter than that - that meant you would earn 100 Supercoins every hour.
Assuming you ran that world and grind day and night with sleeping, you would need over 4 days to pay for 1 second on the Black Land using this method.
This method wasn't really meant for first years, it was meant for students to grind throughout their five year stay and then cash out in your fifth year, so you can double your time in the Black Land and absorb more before you graduate.
A first year, if we're being nice, should already be grateful for the 5 week buffer and the one week of uninterrupted absorption. Only going from F to E was relatively quick, the duration increased with each Rank as your superpower got stronger and became hungrier.