Lilian and Rose looked at Corven with confusion, but as they continued absorbing pieces of his memories, they only found his sudden outburst a little weird—nothing too out of the ordinary.

Corven blinked, realizing what he just did. He scratched the back of his neck and let out an awkward chuckle.

But awkward was far from what he truly felt. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He was riding an all-time high.

Without another word, he stepped forward and wrapped Lilian in a tight embrace. After all, she was the reason for his sudden surge in strength.

"You okay there...?" Lilian asked, clearly surprised by the gesture.

"I’m a hell of a lot more than just okay," Corven replied, voice firm, eyes bright with excitement.

Then he pulled back slightly and grabbed Lilian by the shoulders, staring directly into her eyes—filled with pure, unapologetic gratitude.

"Ask me anything! Whatever you want, I’ll do it—no hesitation," he said with conviction. At this point, he didn’t fear anything. Not after ascending far beyond what most vampires could dream of.

And it was all thanks to her—feeding on him for less than a few minutes, yet changing everything.

Lilian blinked, her body still burning from the aftereffects of the blood exchange. The heat pulsing through her now was unlike anything she’d felt before. And along with that, came something else—his memories. Intimate ones. Emotions, sensations... even pleasure.

She quickly looked away, clearly flustered. Something was on her mind, but she seemed too shy to say it outright.

"Well..." she muttered with a nervous laugh.

Rose, standing just a few steps away, sighed knowingly. She already had a good idea where this was going. With a small smirk, she walked over and leaned down to whisper something into Lilian’s ear.

Just girl talk—quiet and private.

Lilian’s eyes widened a bit, a flash of shock flickering in them. Not the bad kind. More like "Are you sure?"

Rose gave her a reassuring smile and shrugged.

"Well... it’s not like I’m losing anything here. We’re all bonded now anyway. So... go for it, I guess?" she said casually, as if it were no big deal.

Corven watched the exchange, completely in the dark about what they’d agreed on. But he was a man of his word. He had offered—and he meant it. No matter what the request was, he’d follow through.

He looked at Lilian again, brows raised in curiosity, clearly ready.

"Thought of something?" he asked.

Of course, right on cue—

[Minor Quest Triggered]

[Objective: Deepen bond with second progeny 0/100]

[Reward: Codex’s Lorebook]

’Deepen... bond? Seriously?’

’But that reward... as an archaeologist...’

’There’s no way I’m passing that up.’

He took a breath to calm his thoughts, then focused entirely on Lilian. Even from across the room, her body language said everything—small movements, subtle shifts in posture. Still seated on the bed in her camisole, she looked equal parts vulnerable and expectant.

The sire bond made everything clearer now. He could feel her needs and emotions almost directly, like an unspoken conversation happening under the surface.

But even with all that power, one question still clawed at the back of his mind—a sliver of caution refusing to vanish.

"Won’t the baroness—or your old clan—get mad at me for this?" Corven asked, genuinely confused.

Sure, he’d gotten stronger, but he wasn’t looking to start a war with the upper echelons of vampire society just yet. His goal was to climb the ranks smartly—through diplomacy, subtle influence, and maybe the occasional kill. Not by pissing off noble clans.

Rose paused and stroked her chin, clearly not having thought of that either. "You make a point there..."

Lilian looked between the two of them... then laughed outright.

"Wait—are you seriously asking that?" she said, amused.

Corven’s mouth opened slightly. It was a valid question, wasn’t it?

Now the three of them just looked kind of dumb.

"We’re vampires. Are we really talking about morality right now?" Lilian added, clearly enjoying the irony. "And for the record, I’m a fully mature vampire. I can make my own decisions."

’Good point,’ both Corven and Rose thought simultaneously.

But now came another issue—more personal.

Corven looked at Rose, silently asking the question with a glance.

Rose rolled her eyes and sighed. "I’ll leave you two to it. I’ll just... go sharpen my nails or something," she said with a lazy wave.

Lilian blinked. "Are you really okay with that?"

"You’re the one who said to forget morality, and now you’re asking me that?" Rose shot back, clearly amused.

"It’s different now that we’re in the same clan..." Lilian muttered.

That surprised Rose. For someone who was supposed to be leagues above them in power, Lilian clearly valued their opinions more than expected.

"Let’s just say this is... special, alright? Since it’s your first time and all," Rose replied with a shrug. She didn’t elaborate further, walking to a nearby corner and minding her own business.

She wasn’t shy about sexual topics. More like—she was just tired of having to explain every little reason for why she was fine with it.

As Rose turned away, their eyes met briefly—just long enough for something unspoken to pass between them. Respect? Uncertainty? Maybe both. Clanmates now, whether they liked it or not.

Their bond helped them understand parts of each other—but not everything.

Now, the bed belonged solely to Corven and Lilian. Rose was in the corner, fiddling with her nails and admiring the furniture instead.

’What in the world is this situation...’

Corven didn’t even know what to think anymore.

But if he was going to survive in this world—and thrive—then he’d better get used to one thing:

Vampires were very comfortable with indulging their desires.

Desire was dangerous in this world. It wasn’t just lust or hunger—it was ambition, instinct, dominance. The whole vampire society thrived on it, fed off it judging by how Underzen operated.

And now, he was part of that world—rising in it. He’d need to learn or accept the rules quickly.

If power came from blood... then desire might just be the key to everything alongside sheer strength.