The silence that surrounded us felt charged, loaded..

I couldn’t answer that question, because I was too busy trying to understand what I’d just heard..

Truly, if anything of what valen had just said was true, then my old man should’ve been as unkillable as I was..

I didn’t need to be a genius to understand just how broken something with PRIMORDIAL in its name would be..

That didn’t feel like something that should even exist here, I know it sounds weird, considering I’d yet to even experience the world properly, but it just did.

Something like that didn’t sound like what anybody on terra should’ve had access too, yet my old man did and still he was killed..

I could now begin to understand why valen had said those words before..

"Even the strongest can still die."

It was starting to look more and more like my father’s death wasn’t merely an orchestration by an ancient family and demons, there was definitely more to it..

....

....

Neither of us spoke much after that, just letting the moment settle, valen had gone back to meditating, he didn’t seem ready to give me whatever it was he’d called me for, but I was done with the silence, it was too heavy, I needed to change it, to prevent myself from falling into thoughts I wasn’t ready for..

"So... how do you it?" I asked, somehow still unable to move properly..

"Do what?" Was his indifferent reply, gone was the old man that had smiled radiantly earlier, sigh...

"That thing you do, the one where it seems like you’re reading my thoughts, how do you do it? Is it mind reading?"

"Something like that.."

"Really? You don’t seem like the type to need such a bitchy skill though.."

"And why is that?"

"Because you look like the type to cut someone down before wondering what’s going on in their heads.."

"You make me sound like a violent person."

I paused at that reply, moving my head around, surveying the devastated landscape..

"Oh my, sorry old man, whatever could’ve gotten into me to ever think that.." I rolled my eyes..

"Stop that.."

"Stop what?"

"Calling me old.."

"Look, even if you beat me to death in disguise of training, it won’t change the fact that you’re old, so might as well deal with it. Methuselah!." I shrugged, or at least tried too..

"And who’s that?"

"Someone old enough to be my ancestor, you know, kinda like you."

The old man’s face twitched violently, a small satisfaction curling up my stomach.

"So, how do you do it?". I asked once again, truly curious..

"There’s a level of power you will attain that the thoughts of those lesser than you no longer belongs to them." He replied calmly.

"And you’re already there huh?"

"Indeed.."

"So does that mean you can read all my thoughts whenever you want?"

"Yes."

"Even...."

"Yes, even when you’re thinking about the breasts of those women..."

"Eeww.. old man, I didn’t think you were such a pervert, my opinion of you just got worse." I gagged visibly...

"What do you expect? When your thoughts are almost always mixed in with such vulgar things?" I could hear the frustration in the old man’s voice..

"Hey, it’s not my fault I have very beautiful and seductive women around me." I shrugged..

"That does not mean you should have three vulgar thoughts for every normal thought that crosses your mind."

"Yea, good luck with that. Have you seen the women around me?" I laughed...

"Sigh.... Forget it"

I seem to be on a roll, two wins already, go me..

"So, is it like every person more powerful than me that can pry into my thoughts?" I finally asked the true question, expression turning serious..

"Of course." Valen’s eyes opened as he finally faced me once more..

"You’re strong, Dante, unbelievably so, among your peers, there’re are none I can say that can contend with you at the same level, but you need to understand something."

His expression hardened..

"Let this be your first lesson from me. Before those who are truly strong, nothing of yours is ever yours, not your thoughts, not your will and not even your life." My expression turned extremely solemn.

I admit, I was an arrogant douchebag, but I’d be damned if I let arrogance be the end of me..

"So what? I just go around with my thoughts being free for any powerful foe out there to pry? I’ve got secrets I do not need people finding out about."

"Heh.. that’s a dumb question." The old man laughed.

"How else do you think you’ve been able to keep your thoughts to yourself in this place filled with monsters you can’t begin to imagine?" At his words, my eyes widened in realization..

He was right.

If he could do it, then surely others could’ve as well, so the only reason I didn’t have people coming after me like an angry mob..

"That’s right, I’ve been shielding your thoughts since the moment you stepped foot in academy city."

Damn.

What a reveal..

’System, is this true?’

[Affirmative. Host’s thoughts have been under mental shielding from the moment he arrived.]

’And you couldn’t have said something earlier? What if valen had nefarious intentions and tried to pry into my thoughts?

I was livid.

This stupid system knew.

It knew all this yet it kept shut all this while? I had half a mind to toss it into the bin..

[Host’s anger is unwarranted, as host’s mind is under the system’s supervision, had the subject, Valen Wildeheart been ever deemed a threat, host’s thoughts would’ve been shielded, besides, Host’s partner, Ravena Von Draken, had already taken ample preparations should hostile intent towards the host’s being be detected]

That last line surprised me a bit, but I really shouldn’t have been surprised should I? It was Aunt V after all, such a detail would never have escaped her notice.

Still!!!!

The system’s explanation didn’t calm my rage, not one bit.

Just the thought that I could’ve had all my secrets spilled was infuriating, then learning that my bitch ass sham system knew? Yea, I wasn’t having it..

’Don’t ever keep such vital information from me again. Got it?’

[..]

[Affirmative host].

"You don’t have to look like that, there’s a reason I called you here after all." Valen’s voice broke me out of my internal rage..

"Hmm? Yea, why did you call for me?" I decided to leave my scolding for later..

"One was to solve your open thoughts dilemma, like you, every other student here is susceptible to these same problems, so obviously, there were ways devised to prevent such things, nobody would want for their family secrets to be pried open easily now would they?"

Yea, I guess he was right, so even though according to my system, I didn’t need it, I still asked.

"So, I’ll be getting this technique from you huh?"

"Yes, but that’ll be after I’ve given you this." Saying so, he pulled out a plain book from his storage device..

"A book? In this day and age? Man I knew you was old but that old? Damn!" I couldn’t help it..

BONK!!

"Owww!!"

"Shut up and take it."

"Ugh.. fine." I took The book, flipping it over a few times, trying to glean anything from it..

"Umm, what even is this?" I gave up after my inspection came up empty..

"It’s an art, more specifically, it’s a nameless art."

"An art?"

"Yes, A nameless halberd art, it should pair perfectly with that halberd of yours, after all, I got it specifically for you."

"So although it is coming over almost two weeks late, I believe it’s better late than never."

"Happy birthday Dante."

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A/N: awww, the robot has feelings...

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Thanks for reading...