To be honest, Dante was entirely at fault. This had occurred due to a simple prejudice that was imperceptible, the fact that technology was superior to any other form of power progression one could conceive.
Especially in relation to this wuxia world, which was not even one with immortal cultivation, how could their backward society create something better than the Eternal Universe?
The energy bars he had eaten were the perfect source of nutrients needed for him to sustain such a high SDI, and it was not likely that anything in this world could easily achieve it, especially not with the same production value and affordability.
While that was true, they also had something better, which was blood energy soup of higher levels. Not only was it better, but it was also more tailored to the needs of the practice of martial arts than energy bars.
Energy bars were not just raw energy but enough nutrients to sustain your health and body. Blood energy soup was raw blood energy, so the efficiency when used for cultivation of external arts was vastly different.
Just like how there was no way for Dante to subsist on just blood energy soup every day to maintain his body assuming he was not cultivating and was just eating. He would lack other nutrients needed to keep his body functioning at tip-top shape.
This was a severe lesson for him, one he would never forget.
Dante noticed that it was about to be evening and returned to his residence with Jia Susu. He noticed that she had not called in extra servant disciples and gave her a meaningful look, which made the young girl lower her head with a bit of shame.
Anyway, Dante didn't care much. If Jia Susu wanted to monopolize him, she was free to do so as long as she could handle the pressure. In fact, Dante even patted her back and pointed into the distance.
"Go to the Resources Hall and collect a bowl of Level 1 Demon Beast Blood Energy Soup."
Jia Susu was stunned before her expression changed greatly. "After today, she definitely knew that Dante could not and would not use mere level 1 Demon Beast Blood Energy Soup since it would be no different from water to him.
The only one who could possibly benefit from it was her, who was a servant disciple not entitled to any benefits of the hall except their most basic External Art technique called the Supreme Fist.
As for resources, she had to fight for it through their contributions. However, apart from being weak and having low martial talent, how could she possibly gather enough contributions sweeping the floor?
Even outer disciples who had 3 months free and had to pay a fee every month only needed to pay that fee to get 1 free bowl each month related to their realm. Servant disciples didn't even get that basic amount and coupled with shitty talent, they would be lucky to even enter the entry level of Body Tempering before they died.
This was why it was a great struggle to be affiliated with either an inner or core disciple because if you served them well, they could casually use their authority to support you. The hall also knew this and tacitly supported it, so servant disciples tended to take this opportunity seriously.
Jia Susu only got the chance because she had been quick to approach Dante. If she had not been the closest and reacted the fastest, another servant disciple would have rushed over and taken the chance.
Not to mention that she was female, so the other males nearby didn't bother because why would a male take a male servant disciple under his wing when they were ripe young females?
Unless, of course, such male core disciples had... unique interests. In that case, there was still no need to rush over because he would shoo the female servant disciple and pick the male that suited his tastes.
Jia Susu did not think her chance would come anytime soon as Dante didn't even take her to pound town as she expected and prepared for. She was overwhelmed with favor and a little bit scared because she grew up in this dog-eat-dog world and knew that nothing was free.
If Dante took her virginity and used her in that regard, she would have paid her cost and would feel secure in her enjoyment of resources.
Dante once again read her thoughts and sighed. "You are simply not my type. I also have a fiancée who might not support polygamy, and her strength is higher than mine. If she finds out I partook of your forbidden fruit, she might punch me into meatpaste."
Jia Susu froze as her ears became red. She felt a hint of disappointment at being bluntly told that she was not sexually appealing, and also lost the chance to become the partner of such a talented core disciple.
However, she was also flattered that Dante bothered to explain to her and understood that there was nothing she could do. As such, she extinguished all such thoughts, and her demeanor seemed to become a lot more natural as well as relaxed.
"Yes, thank you, Master!" Jia Susu bowed respectfully before running off to get the free bowl of Blood Energy Soup.
Dante shook his head and entered the room, leaving his virtual body on the bed casually and logging out. Once back in the real world, he glanced at Beatrice, who was lounging around as usual.
When she saw Dante had returned, she smiled. "I can sense your happiness from here. Did you break through to the entry level?"
Dante laughed. "Not only that, but I have an Internal Art that is of the immortal grade as well as seemingly high talent!"
Beatrice's eyes lit up as she sat up immediately. "Really? That's amazing! I also had a strong talent for an Internal Art of the light element, which was also of the immortal grade, but it doesn't work when I try to cultivate it in reality."
Hearing this, Dante's heart skipped a beat as he remembered. "Also, have you heard of the Divine Comedy? Written by an ancient Italian poet?"
"Huh?" Beatrice seemed confused. She then searched for information using her AI chip and closed her eyes for a second or two before opening them with a strange light.
She simply stared at Dante speechlessly. In the end, she could only say with a wry smile: "I guess we really are fated."
ραndαsnοvεl.cοm Dante nodded. He then explained the nature of his Internal Art as well as his speculations while Beatrice also shared that her light element internal art was called the True Devotion Record, which granted her extra power based on the strength of her devotion and conviction.
"Well, I guess nothing happens for no reason. I have to enter the Apocalypse World to deal with my new gene breakthrough and gain more power," Dante said with a smile.
As Beatrice supportively nodded, he logged into the Apocalypse World and descended into his virtual body first to see if there was any danger.
When he opened his eyes, the room was still calm, and there was nothing wrong. He felt a deluge of weakness as the attributes of this body were at 1 point for each state, reducing him back to mortal status.
Dante descended with his real body and the usual inspection, error, and reluctant acceptance of the AI of this world occurred. He shook his head and took his belongings that he left the last time, forsaking the guns and using only the halberd and the light armor.
He didn't bother to buy any food or supplies as nothing they sold in these outposts could help, and you could be sure
that after his lesson in the True Martial World, he had his AI Chip scan the forums for any special items.
Even the last time he visited the armory with his real body, he had the AI chip scan all the items and keep it in his database.
However, Dante eventually hesitated and turned around. He rushed through each shop and outlet, even the black market, for anything that could help. There were some interesting items for sure that he bought, but they were useless because they couldn't be taken out of the world.
The only reason he even bought them was that he assumed that eventually, his superpower might allow him to carry things in and out of quantum worlds, so in that case, these items could prove somewhat useful.
Once done, Dante placed them in his room in the outpost then rushed out into the wilds like a storm. The guards at the gate were dumbfounded until they remembered this young ancestor who had been making noise about 2 days ago.
He seemed to have gone silent for a couple of days and was now back, eh? Why did the guards feel like when he came back, he might become even more monstrous than he already was?