The morning sun rose slowly over the large lake as the transport ship sailed very smoothly across the calm water, heading straight toward the capital.

Inside the spacious captain’s cabin, Eevy sat up slowly.

The cotton blankets fell away from her bare shoulders.

She looked down at her hands and flexed her fingers carefully. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The ugly poison lines that used to run under her pale skin were completely gone.

She touched her neck, then her stomach.

There was no pain left.

Kai sat in a chair across the small room.

He had his arms crossed over his chest, just watching her wake up.

"You are staring," she noted, her voice still a little raspy from sleep.

"I am just making sure the cure actually worked," Kai replied.

’And making sure she does not try to stab me first thing in the morning,’ he thought to himself.

’You never really know with scouts.’

Eevy closed her eyes.

She took a deep breath, trying to summon her internal mana like she always did.

A confused look crossed her face as her eyes snapped open and locked right onto him.

"My mana," she whispered, her voice trembling just a bit.

"It feels different. It is pulling directly towards you."

’Heh.’

When Kai cured her last night, the strange system did its thing.

It tied her energy directly to his own.

"It is a tether," Kai explained calmly.

A bond even he didn’t expect.

He leaned back in the sturdy chair.

"Your core is connected to mine now. It was the only way to burn that nasty poison out of your system without killing you in the process."

Eevy stared at him in silence.

The tension from last night filled the small cabin.

She was a very proud scout who had spent her entire life relying only on herself to survive in the wild.

Being permanently tied to a man like this should have made her completely furious.

It should have made her reach for her daggers.

Instead, she slowly pushed her hair out of her face and traced the spot on her stomach where the deepest poison wound used to be.

"I can feel your energy buzzing inside me," she said softly.

"It is warm. It is very different from my own cold mana."

"Does it bother you?" Kai asked, watching her reaction closely.

"No," she said honestly.

"It feels safe."

She swung her bare legs over the side of the bed.

"You proved your power last night," she continued, looking right into his eyes.

"You took complete control and broke a poison that should have killed me. I am a scout, Kai. I respect strength above everything else. I know when I am outmatched. If my mana has to belong to someone, I am glad it is someone who can actually protect what is his."

Kai smirked.

’Well, that went way better than expected,’ he thought, letting out a quiet breath of relief.

’I really thought I was going to have to dodge a flying knife this morning.’

"I am glad we are on the same page," Kai told her, uncrossing his arms.

"Because I really need someone who knows the lay of the land."

Eevy stood up and grabbed her clothes from the floor.

She dressed quickly, her movements sharp and precise and walked over to the round window and looked out at the bright water.

"We will reach the capital by tomorrow morning," she stated firmly.

"But here is the problem. You cannot just walk in there like you own the place. The capital is a complete mess right now."

"I thought the capital was supposed to be the safest place in the entire empire," Kai asked.

He walked over and stood next to her by the window.

Eevy let out a bitter laugh.

"It used to be," she corrected him.

"But the danger is not coming from an invading army outside the high walls. It is already inside the city."

She walked back over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Vampires," she said quietly, looking up at him.

Kai frowned.

"I thought vampires lived way up in the freezing mountains. Why would they come down to the human capital?"

’The game lore really helped me shape my questions as an NPC.’

"They do usually stay in the mountains," Eevy agreed.

"But they have been moving in the shadows for months now. They are not attacking the city directly. They are way too smart and patient for that. Their plan must be to infiltrate high society instead."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

Her voice dropped much lower, like someone might be listening outside the heavy door.

"They target the wealthy nobles and the high-ranking military officers," she explained.

"They turn them into loyal blood dolls, or they bribe them with the promise of endless life. Half the ruling council is already compromised. The vampires are slowly taking over the entire capital from the inside out. They control the trade routes, they buy off the judges, and the normal citizens have absolutely no idea it is even happening right under their noses."

"How do you know all this?" Kai asked, genuinely curious.

She wasn’t an original character from the game, yet she knew everything.

"Scouts hear everything," Eevy replied, her eyes narrowing.

"Before I got poisoned, I was tracking a missing person case. A young girl from a poor district vanished. I followed the trail right to a noble’s massive estate and sneaked inside, saw things I was not supposed to see. Rich men drinking from crystal glasses filled with fresh human blood. Pale women with glowing red eyes are laughing in the corners. They caught me spying and hit me with that poison dart. They thought I would just run off and die in the woods."

Kai’s eyes darkened.

"They made a big mistake leaving you alive."

"Yes, they did," Eevy agreed, her expression turning cold.

"And I plan on making them pay for it."

’So the big boss is already sitting comfortably in the main castle,’ Kai thought, rubbing his chin slowly.

’That definitely complicates things. I cannot just punch my way to the top if the whole system is rigged.’

"Are the guards at the main gates compromised too?" Kai asked, wanting to know exactly what they were walking into.

Eevy nodded slowly.

"Most of them are. The vampires set up a strict new screening process. The guards check everyone who comes off the transport ships. If they sense strong mana that does not belong to a registered noble, they throw you straight into the underground prison. They do not want anyone capable of fighting back entering the city and ruining their quiet takeover."

Kai let out a sigh.

"So they are going to scan us the second we step off this boat," he concluded.

"And since my mana is practically screaming right now, we are going to have a very big problem at the docks."

Eevy smiled.

"That is why you need me," she told him.

"I know the patrol routes, which guards are clean and which ones take dirty bribes from the bloodsuckers. I also know a blind spot in the eastern wall’s defensive barrier. It is an old smuggling tunnel that the vampires do not know about yet."

She stood up, walked right over to him, and placed her hand flat on his chest.

"You saved my life, Kai," she whispered.

Her tough exterior softened just a little bit.

"I know how to get around the vampires. I will help you get into the capital safely."

Kai looked down at her.

"Good," he replied.

"Because we have a lot of work to do."