A sharp gasp shattered the quiet of the cavern as Vala shot up. She looked around the dim space with wide, panicked eyes, pulling in ragged breaths as though she were waking up from a suffocating nightmare before her crimson gaze snapped right to me.
"Luca!" she choked out, her face turning deathly pale.
I just sat there cross-legged on the cold floor with half a jam bun in my hand, watching her gaze drop to the dark purple bruising already swelling around my left wrist. She tracked the torn edges of my shirt before her eyes finally locked onto the bleeding bite marks staining the side of my neck.
The feral haze vanished from her expression, instantly replaced by absolute, crushing horror as the reality of the situation hit her. In this world, she was a Rank-A veteran who had just violently assaulted the physically weaker male she had literally just promised to keep safe.
The terrifying Tier 4 werewolf completely crumbled, pinning her wolf ears flat against her skull while she scrambled off the ground and dropped heavily to her knees right in front of me.
"I'm sorry!" Vala whispered, her voice cracking with genuine self-loathing. "Gods, Luca, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to... I lost control. I almost..."
I looked down at the massive, guilt-ridden werewolf, knowing I could easily play the victim here. I could yell, demand a massive payout from the Guild, or just weaponize her trauma to make her a slave, but my conscience instantly vetoed the idea.
[I fucked around and found out…] I admitted to myself, letting out a slow sigh.
I was the one who initiated the kiss without knowing the actual rules of her biology, so using her guilt to manipulate her right now would just be incredibly cheap.
I set my piece of bread aside, shifting forward onto my knees to meet her at eye level before reaching out to place a firm hand on her trembling shoulder.
Vala flinched at the contact, squeezing her eyes shut as a single tear cut through the dried blood smeared across her cheek.
"Vala, breathe," I said smoothly, waiting for her to pull in a shaky breath with her head bowed.
"Look at me," I ordered softly.
She hesitantly opened her eyes to look up at me through her fiery red bangs.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," I said, making sure my voice carried absolute certainty. " It wasn't entirely your fault. I initiated the contact and pushed your instincts without understanding how they worked. We are good."
Vala stared at me, completely stunned as the suffocating self-hatred paused, slowly replaced by an overwhelming sense of awe.
She leaned slightly into my hand, her crimson eyes shining with a deep, unbreakable loyalty.
"I swear…" she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "I will never let anything hurt you. Ever."
"I'm not as dainty as you think I am…," I chuckled faintly, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before pulling back.
A few feet away, Elise watched the entire interaction play out in complete silence, taking the last precise bite of her jam bun while keeping her calculating blue eyes locked onto me.
I could practically see the gears turning behind her emotionless mask as she processed the fact that most males in this society would be traumatized, screaming, or demanding a Guild tribunal after an assault like that.
But I had just calmly accepted my share of the blame and completely stabilized the party dynamic in under two minutes.
Elise swallowed her food without letting her gaze leave my face, realizing my earlier, arrogant claim about making her feel suddenly didn't seem like empty boasting anymore.
I was a massive psychological anomaly, and she knew it.
"Pack up," Elise stated, her voice cutting through the quiet cavern. "We are leaving."
We gathered the monster cores to head back toward the surface, though the physical dynamic between Vala and me had entirely shifted.
She no longer walked aggressively close to my side to mark her territory, instead staying a respectful half-step behind my right shoulder to give me space while her crimson eyes constantly scanned the dark tunnels with hyper-vigilance.
Her protective instincts were dialed into absolute overdrive, driven by genuine care rather than possessive lust.
We emerged from the Crying Caves and stepped out of the damp dark, stopping directly at the Guild checkpoint branch built into the cavern entrance.
The female guards clearly noticed the blood-soaked state of Vala's armor, but Elise simply dumped our heavy sack of monster cores onto the wooden counter so we could exchange the dungeon loot for the day's payout right there, completely bypassing the need to walk back to the crowded main Guild hall.
Elise pocketed her share of the currency before turning to us with a casual adjustment of her longsword's strap.
"That is it for today," she stated smoothly, throwing two coin pouches toward both Vala and me. "… Be back at these gates tomorrow at nine in the morning, sharp. The culling is a three-day quest. Tomorrow, we will be pushing past floor fifty."
"I know…" Vala nodded, turning her attention toward me as she rubbed the back of her neck bashfully. "Where are you staying tonight?"
I casually adjusted the leather strap of my quiver across my chest and shrugged. "Just going to find the closest inn, I guess."
It was a complete lie since I was actually supposed to head to the specific address Hana had given me.
"Don't do that!" Vala said quickly, her ears twitching with genuine concern. "… The ones right by the gate are overpriced, and they get too loud with the low-tier adventurers. I know a good place a few streets down. It's safe, and the food is great. I can... walk you there, if you want?"
I looked at the massive, deadly werewolf, blushing with pure sincerity, as an idea began to form in my head.
"Sure," I nodded. "Lead the way."
Vala's tail gave a quick, happy wag before she turned to Elise. "You go on ahead without me."
Elise just gave me one last analytical look and, without saying a word, she simply turned on her heel to walk away toward the upper district.
Vala fell into step beside me as we walked away from the dungeon gates and headed into the evening streets of the city.
I kept my face perfectly neutral, but I felt my heart rate slowly start to climb since I knew exactly what I was doing.
I was actively choosing to play with fire a second time.
Last time, I was caught completely unprepared by her feral state, but this time, I knew the rules.
And I knew that if I fumbled even once when Vala lost her mind, she was going to rip me apart without Elise there to bail me out.
I let out a slow breath and stepped into the warm glow of the streetlamps, feeling like I had just signed up for the craziest extreme adventure sport of my life.