Can I just not tell you?

Alex chuckled. "Why were you so worried?" He leaned back with a smirk. "Didn't you hear? I'm immortal now, so you don't have to stress over me. Look, I can even regenerate from this." 

To prove his point, Alex pulled out a knife and was about to slash his finger—just a small cut to demonstrate. But before the blade even touched his skin— Emily grabbed his wrist. Her grip was firm, unyielding. Her eyes hardened. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Alex blinked, caught off guard. Emily's tone left no room for argument. "I believe you. There's no need to prove anything." 

Alex scratched his head, trying to play it off. "Oh… uh… can I just… not tell you?" Seeing the silly grin on his face, Emily felt an overwhelming urge to smack him.

Instead, a sarcastic smile curled her lips. "Sure, brother."Then— She tightened her grip. Hard.

"Gah—!" Alex winced. Even after all the pain he had endured, he still wasn't immune to this kind of suffering.

Emily's fingers dug in mercilessly. "Let's stay like this until you answer, then."

Alex groaned. "Ouch, fine! I'll tell you!"

Emily didn't let go. Her gaze stayed sharp. She wasn't done. Knowing she wouldn't stop until she got everything, Alex sighed and continued. "As you heard, it's the vampire race… but it's not like the movies where we burn in the sun or sleep in coffins. We need to consume life force energy. And I… may have neglected that part. So… I went a little berserk from hunger."*

Emily's expression darkened. Her voice rose. "You—! How could you be so careless!? What if that had happened when you were alone with Mom!?"

Alex looked down, guilt settling in. "I know… I'm sorry. I screwed up."

Emily scoffed. "You're always like this. How can you be so clumsy despite your abilities? Isn't it weird!?" She sighed, shaking her head. "Forget it… what happened next? Did you consume my life force? Was it enough?"

Alex froze for a moment. Hearing her ask about him—instead of worrying about herself—made his chest tighten. "Aren't you afraid?" His voice was low. "I absorbed so much of your life energy… You could've died, Emily."

Emily met his eyes without hesitation. "I know. But it's just temporary. It's not like you would let me die." Her voice was calm. Certain. "I trust you, Alex. I know you'll find a way. Isn't that why I have this rune now?"

Alex felt a warmth spread through him. For a moment, he just stared at her. Then, with a determined nod, he said— "Yeah. I'll make sure to recover all your life force." His voice held no doubt. No hesitation. Only certainty. Then he continued. "Try to control your energy usage. When it starts getting low—don't push yourself. Don't take missions. Find me first so I can refill it for you."

Emily fell silent. Her grip loosened slightly. When she finally spoke, her tone was different—serious. "What did you pay for it?"

Alex's breath hitched. Emily's gaze pierced through him. "You told me Vesa is recovering. If this was free, you would've used it on Mom and me even before your hunger took over. And I can feel it, Alex—this rune doesn't just extend my life. It enhances my strength. And… it lets me regenerate."

Alex's eyes widened slightly.*'Vesa, is that true?

Can it help her regenerate?'

[Yes, King. The rune allows her to use life force for regeneration, just like you do. But—she isn't a real vampire. If her brain is destroyed or if she's reduced to ashes, she won't be able to recover. As long as part of her body remains, though, she'll survive.]

Alex exhaled slowly. Then, he met Emily's gaze. "You're right. It wasn't free. But it was worth it."

Emily studied him for a long moment. Then, she let go of his wrist, took another sip of water— And nodded. Alex felt a wave of relief wash over him as he read Vesa's explanation. This would at least ease his worries when Emily went on missions. But before he could process it fully—Emily's grip tightened again. "Answer me."

Alex winced, looking up at her.But instead of panic, his lips curled into a smirk. "Nothing much. Just something I need to do anyway."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "And that is…?"

Alex let out a deep sigh before answering. "I need to kill a Category Five dungeon boss."

CRACK!

Alex swore he could feel his bones breaking. Emily's fingers dug in even harder, her sapphire blue eyes glistening—not with anger, but with tears. He knew exactly why. The words "Category Five" always reminded them of their father. Alex gently wiped her tears away and patted her head. "You're already a two-star hunter, and you're still crying like this?" His voice was soft, teasing—but filled with brotherly warmth. "Don't worry. I'll build an army before I go in. And you know I can regenerate from any wound now."

Emily snapped her head up, glaring.

"Do you think I'm a child?" Her voice shook with frustration. "Your regeneration consumes life force. If it runs out, you're dead, Alex! And that doesn't mean you can just keep throwing yourself into fights, taking all the damage and regenerating over and over!" Then—her voice faltered. Her breath hitched. A realization hit her. Her hands slowly loosened. Her mind pieced it together— Alex's lack of combat experience. His desperate need for life force. His willingness to endure pain.

The only way he could have gathered all this lifeforce was through sheer suffering. Emily knew— Alex would never kill someone innocent for power. Which meant, He had put himself through hell for her. Her fingers curled into fists. Her eyes burned with determination. "I'm going with you."

Alex frowned. "But—"

"No buts. To enter a Category Five dungeon, you need to be at least a three-star hunter, with a four-star hunter leading the expedition. You need me, Alex. And I'm bringing the guild with us." She crossed her arms. "Since we're doing this, you should already know which dungeon we're heading to."

Alex met her gaze. He saw it— That unyielding fire. She wasn't backing down. So he sighed and changed tactics. "I don't plan on telling the Association, Emily. I'm sneaking in."

Emily's eyes widened. "Sneak in? That's impossible, Alex!" Her voice rose. "The border is heavily guarded. You need a team to enter the area. No one just walks into a Category Five dungeon!"

Alex's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "There are plenty of reasons for people to head outside the border. Resource gathering. Scouting. Escort missions." He leaned back, arms crossed. "As long as it's just a few people, getting permission won't be hard. The guards won't suspect that a small group would be insane enough to go into a Category Five dungeon."

Emily stared at him, speechless. Then, slowly, her lips parted. "You are insane."

Alex grinned. "I prefer 'efficiently reckless.'"