CHAPTER 441: HELL WING

I woke up after what felt like ages of deep, dreamless sleep.

For the first time in a long while, my body felt lighter, rested, almost like the weight of constant battle had been pulled away. The bed was too comfortable, I could have stayed there for hours but the thought of what awaited me didn’t let me.

I stretched, exhaled, and rolled out, dragging myself toward the washroom.

After rinsing my face and letting the cold water wash away the heaviness of sleep, I cleaned myself up properly. The reflection staring back at me looked sharper than yesterday, runes faintly glowing across my body before settling back down.

The clothes Lyrate had conjured yesterday still rested neatly folded. I pulled them on again. They fit perfectly, as if tailored from thought itself. I gave myself one last look, adjusted the coat’s collar, and stepped out of my quarters.

The palace was silent in the morning air, halls stretching endlessly with light pouring in through tall windows. I didn’t bother wandering. My steps carried me directly toward the Emperor’s study, the one place I knew both answers and responsibilities would be waiting.

I pushed open the massive doors. Inside, the Emperor sat as calm and composed as ever, screens flickering around him, his sharp eyes flicking toward me with their usual unreadable calm. But what drew my attention instantly wasn’t him, it was Dante.

He was once again wearing that same disguise: the frail old man with bent shoulders and silver hair flowing down like a waterfall of age. But my eyes weren’t fooled, and even if I wanted to pretend otherwise, his aura betrayed him. It was faint, scattered, like embers dying out after a storm. I frowned.

"Are you injured?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Dante’s lips curved in a thin smile. He shook his head slowly. "Not injured. Only weakened. The spatial channel I created yesterday cost me a great deal. It will take time to recover."

That explained the cracks I felt in his presence. He wasn’t someone who could be broken so easily, but even someone like him couldn’t cheat the cost of tearing open space.

I nodded, stepping further into the room. "The Emperor told me you want to go alone for the first day," Dante said after a pause, his eyes narrowing as he studied me.

"Yes," I answered without hesitation. "I want to go and prepare some things myself. Set up for our forces before they land. If you want, I can handle the groundwork."

Dante exhaled through his nose, almost like a laugh, but not quite. "But we already have spies there who can do that. They’ve been planted for years. Why risk yourself?"

"I know," I said firmly. "But I’m not them. You know I’m different. There are things I can do they can’t, preparations I can make that only I can see through. You understand that, don’t you?"

For a moment, silence stretched. His gaze bore into me, and I could feel him weighing my words. Then, finally, he gave a slow, simple nod. "I do."

The Emperor, who had been quietly watching, leaned forward slightly. "Then it is decided. You will go. But remember, the day after tomorrow, the channel will be widened for the rest of our forces. Do not take unnecessary risks."

I bowed my head in acknowledgment. "Understood."

Without another word, Dante extended his hand and let a small metallic device drop onto the floor. It pulsed faintly with runes, essence patterns glowing across its surface. A low hum filled the room, and a ripple spread through the air. In front of us, space itself split open into a portal.

"Come," Dante said simply, stepping through. I followed without hesitation.

The world twisted and bent for an instant, and then my feet touched solid ground again.

The first thing I noticed was the sharp chill of mountain air, crisp and biting against my skin. We stood on a flat plateau nestled deep within a vast mountain range, jagged peaks stretching endlessly on all sides.

And there, dominating the entire hidden valley in front of us, was a sight that froze me in place.

A massive aircraft, no, not just an aircraft. A vessel.

Sleek lines of metal and rune-etched plating stretched across its enormous frame. Wings folded into its sides, humming faintly with restrained power. Its body gleamed with a mix of steel and essence-light, a strange combination of technology and pure will. It hovered just above the ground, an untouchable colossus hidden away from the world.

My jaw slackened slightly. "Is that?"

Dante stepped forward, his eyes glinting. "This," he said with the faintest trace of pride, "is my personal ship. A vessel I’ve kept hidden from most eyes. Its nickname is the ’Hell Wing.’ It has carried me across boundless space. Helped me escape through many near death experiences."

"Hell Wing..." I repeated under my breath, taking in the sight.

"It runs on Essence. Every part of it is designed to channel and weave Essence into propulsion and shielding. It can travel where ordinary ships would crumble, glide through storms of void and space, and keep its passengers alive even when the stars themselves turn hostile."

I stepped closer, awe filling me. The runes carved into its body resonated faintly with my own channels, as though recognizing the presence of someone tied to Essence itself.

Dante gave a low chuckle at my expression. "Amazed?"

"More than that," I admitted. "I didn’t think something like this even existed here."

He nodded once. "Few do in this part of the universe. And fewer still deserve to set foot inside. Come."

The vessel’s ramp extended smoothly, a line of light marking our path.

I followed Dante up, the sound of my boots echoing faintly as we stepped into the interior. The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt it, a subtle pressure, a scanning wave that passed through my body, trying to peel away my essence, my aura, my very identity.

"Security system," Dante said calmly. "It scans everyone who enters. No one unrecognized survives the attempt."

The pressure faded as quickly as it came, and I exhaled. The interior opened up into a vast command deck, lined with glowing panels, crystalline conduits carrying streams of Essence like rivers of light.

The central chair stood tall, made for command, while the surrounding consoles hummed quietly.

I did not understand any of it. But it did look cool though.

Dante walked straight to the command seat, placed his hand on the armrest, and let the ship recognize him. Runes flared across the deck in acknowledgment. The entire vessel seemed to awaken, its hum deepening as if it had taken a breath.

"Destination?" a calm, mechanical voice asked.

Dante leaned back slightly. "Asteroid PE-X13," he commanded.

The ship responded instantly, coordinates flashing across the displays.

Then with barely a hum it lifted off the ground and zoomed toward the sky. I looked out through the viewing glass at the mountains fading in the distance. Soon, they would vanish entirely, swallowed by the void between worlds.