When Dante entered the Colosseum, he felt his consciousness being transported to another dimension as he passed through a thin barrier.

There was a cheering crowd in that Colosseum while someone stood opposite to him.

He had black hair and eyes, on his back, there were two swords one black the other white. When Dante looked at him he felt as if he were looking at a sword instead of a person.

Dio looked at him with a grin on his face as he said.

"I know what you are thinking, every single challenger asks me the same thing...

We are in some sort of 'Virtual space', don't ask me more. It's something from another world.

I'm just a copy of my true self-made by the Death Mark while you are only here with your consciousness.

If you die you will only lose some of your mental energy, no big deal.

From what that Theodore lad told me there should be something like 100% simulation here, which means that everything here is the same as in the real world."

Dante readied his Frost Dagger after he heard Dio's words, he only wanted to fight now.

Dante frowned when he saw Dante's actions.

"Are you sure that you want to challenge me? I advise you to fight some of the lower ranked holders to get some experience first."

Dante didn't pay any heed to Dio's advice as he kicked off the ground and attacked.

"Words aren't working... Well, I hope that death will clear your mind."

Dio's expression didn't change as he lifted his finger.

"Sword"

From Dio's fingertip, a ray of sword-light appeared. In that moment Dante heard a humming noise in his head as the dagger in his hand began to shake, but that didn't stop him.

However, he didn't even get the chance to land a single blow as a hole suddenly appeared in his forehead declaring the end of the battle.

The cheering crowd shouted madly as the winner was decided.

The last thing Dante saw was Dio's expressionless face.

Dante's vision turned dark as he returned to the inner-world.

His breathing was ragged, even if he didn't really die just now, the feeling was there.

"100% simulation... Is that what it means? Everything felt so real."

At the Commander level, demons wouldn't die immediately even with a hole in their head, that sword light had smashed half of his brain before dissipating.

That level of damage would kill anyone.

Dante calmed himself, after checking his mental energy he found that he had lost a fifth of it.

He could still go on.

"I won't surrender so easily."

...

...

"Fuck!"

Five hours and he had already died 30 times.

"I wasn't even able to make him draw his swords..."

Dante felt frustrated beyond all belief, he didn't even land a single blow on his opponent!

Every time he died in the same way with a hole in his forehead.

"Dio..."

The first ranked among Commander levels was a human called Dio.

Dante didn't understand how the Colosseum could copy that monster's abilities and techniques, but he was sure of one thing.

"He's on another whole level."

Dante felt it, it was like the distance between heaven and earth.

They had the same level of cultivation, Dante even had an advantage thanks to his bloodline abilities.

However, that didn't matter when faced with absolute power.

When he entered the Colosseum he had been arrogant due to his recent leap in strength, but that arrogance turned into frustration when he understood that it was still nowhere near enough.

"My techniques are far too lacking until now I've relied on my judgement and my cultivation but that will take me nowhere..."

Dante knew that it was time for him to have his own trump cards and techniques.

He felt lucky, those battles gave him the chance to realize this fatal flaw.

"I already have the golden bell and that lightning seal but they can't be considered as being part of my own strength.

Dio's surprise made it clear that it isn't normal for someone to have as much mental energy as I have, I should make use of this advantage and focus on mental energy techniques..."

It was true, normally in the span of five hours, one could at most battle fifteen times or so. Dante was well above that limit.

He couldn't buy anything from the Library with his current status as 'Student' and Rayleigh had told him to save his merit points for the future.

He had already tried everything he could against Dio, with his current abilities he wouldn't face him again.

Dante calmed himself before leaving the Colosseum.

"What?"

Near the Arc de Triomphe there was a pile of black skulls.

"Thirty skulls... Is this my death count?"

Dante looked at them for a long time before leaving.

...

...

Rayleigh was chatting with Roxelane when Dante arrived.

After waiting for their conversation to end, Dante asked.

"Master, can you teach me any good techniques you know?"

Rayleigh already expected Dante to ask him that question.

"You have fought the 1st ranker, didn't you?

Well, think about it for a moment.

Am I really going to teach you anything without any requirements?"

Dante only had some hope about this, until now everything he wanted had a price on it.

"What do I have to do?"

Rayleigh smiled seeing that Dante understood quickly.

After thinking for a moment he said.

"I want to see a map of the Five Continents.

I already asked you about it a few days ago...

However, it seems like I will have to add some benefits if I want to see it anytime soon."

Dante's cheeks reddened a bit of embarrassment.

He had promised to look for a map but he couldn't find any time to buy one, maps of the Five Continents weren't something you could buy anywhere.

"I will buy you one as soon as possible!"

Rayleigh was satisfied by Dante's answer.

After a bit of consideration, he pointed his finger between Dante's eyebrows.

"What I'm going to transmit you are the fundamentals of swordsmanship, I can't give you much because I'm only asking for a map.

It will be very useful to you, from what I can see you never had any systematic training in the way of the sword..."

Dante rolled his eyes, of course, he didn't. That course required 1000 dungeon points when he was a rookie, he couldn't afford it!

However, he didn't have the time to voice his thought as a beam of light entered his eyebrows.

In that moment Dante felt a sea of information and experiences take root in his head.

It was divine sense inheritance!

Dante was amazed, he thought that he would give him a manual or something...

After a while Dante's aura changed, now it had a hint of sharpness in it.

Still a bit dazed because of the new information, Dante bowed to his teacher.

Rayleigh smiled as he said.

"This should set your path for the sword, if you train diligently you will be able to attain great heights in it!"

Rayleigh paused for a moment before saying.

"It's almost time for you to leave the inner-world... Dante, you have to raise your status quickly! There are many locked features of the Death Mark which will help you greatly."

Dante nodded as he left the Death Mark.

The next time he entered it, he wouldn't be the same as now.