The dust settled in the clearing. The massive carcass of the Matriarch lay still, its chest cavity ruined by Ren's strike.
Jax walked over to the beast, kicking it tentatively with his boot. "It's... it's actually dead. A Level 15 Alpha. We cleared it in under three minutes."
He looked at Ren, fear and awe battling in his eyes. "How did you do that? That punch... that wasn't F-Rank mana. That was High-C, maybe B-Rank output."
Ren didn't answer immediately. He was busy wiping the violet gore off his gauntlets before willing them to vanish back into his inventory. He turned to Vanessa.
"President," Ren said calmly. "Extract the core."
Usually, this was a job for the Porter (Ren). Or the Scout. But Ren gave the order like a King addressing a servant.
Jax and Mila held their breath, expecting Vanessa to freeze Ren solid for his insolence.
Instead, Vanessa nodded immediately. "Right away."
She drew a skinning knife from her belt. Her hands were steady now, but she moved with a frantic urgency to please him. She knelt by the beast, carving into the chest with precision. Moments later, she pulled out a pulsating, fist-sized Mana Core. It glowed with a jagged, silver light.
"It's a high-quality drop," Vanessa said, standing up. She walked over to Ren, offering it to him with both hands. "Here."
Jax's jaw dropped. "Ness? That's... that's a Guild-grade core. It's worth ten thousand credits. You're just giving it to the porter?"
Vanessa turned to Jax. Her eyes were cold again—the Ice Queen was back—but only for him. "He killed it, Jax. It belongs to him. Do you have a problem with that?"
Jax swallowed hard, stepping back. "No. No problem."
Ren took the core. He felt the hum of energy inside it. He could drain it right now for XP, but he had a better idea. He tossed it back to Vanessa.
She caught it, confused.
"Keep it for me," Ren said, leaning in close so only she could hear. The smell of his pheromones hit her, making her knees weak. "Consider it a deposit. I'll come to collect... interest... later."
Vanessa flushed a deep crimson. She understood exactly what "collecting interest" meant. She clutched the core to her chest like a lifeline.
"Okay," she breathed.
"Let's go," Ren said, turning toward the exit portal. "I'm hungry."
The Return
The Staging Grounds were crowded. Dozens of teams were returning from their runs. Most looked battered, covered in mud and scratches. Some were being carried out on stretchers.
When the portal for Sector 4 flared, the crowd quieted down. Everyone wanted to see the Student Council team. They expected a record time.
What they didn't expect was the formation.
Ren walked out first.
He wasn't carrying the heavy duffel bag. He wasn't limping. He walked with his hands in his pockets, his uniform crisp, looking bored.
Behind him walked Vanessa, carrying the team's gear and the loot bag.
Instructor Varek blinked, his mechanical eye whirring as it zoomed in. "What is this formation? Where is the loot?"
Ren stopped in front of the Instructor.
"Mission complete," Ren said. "Alpha Matriarch neutralized."
Varek scoffed. "Neutralized? You mean you survived while President Vanessa killed it."
"Check the logs," Ren said simply.
Vanessa stepped up beside Ren. She was standing uncomfortably close to him—almost touching his shoulder. To the onlookers, it looked strange. The untouchable Ice Queen was practically hovering in the boy's orbit.
"Ren is correct," Vanessa announced, her voice projected clearly over the crowd. "The target is eliminated. Our performance... exceeded expectations."
"And the bags?" Varek asked, pointing to the heavy gear Vanessa was hauling. "Why is the President carrying the porter's load?"
Vanessa stiffened. She couldn't say, 'Because I want to serve him.'
Ren saved her. He reached out, casually taking the heavy bag from her shoulder. His fingers brushed her neck, and the crowd saw Vanessa visibly shudder at the touch.
"She insisted," Ren lied smoothly, hoisting the bag with one hand. "Leadership training. Leading from the front, carrying the weight from the back. Right, President?"
Vanessa looked at him, her eyes glassy with adoration. "Yes. Leadership."
Damon, who had just returned with his team, was watching from the sidelines. He narrowed his eyes. He saw the flush on Vanessa's cheeks. He saw the way she looked at Ren—like a starving dog looking at a steak.
Something happened in that jungle, Damon thought, his fists clenching. That trash didn't just carry bags.
Ren sensed the gaze. He turned his head, locking eyes with Damon across the plaza.
Ren smirked. He tapped his own neck, right where a vampire would bite.
Damon didn't understand the signal, but he felt the mockery.
"Dismissed," Varek grunted, still confused. "Upload your combat data for grading."
Ren started to walk toward the dorms. Vanessa took a step to follow him automatically.
"President," Ren said, not turning around. "You have Council duties. Go."
Vanessa froze. The Imprint screamed at her to follow him, to go back to his room, to finish what they started in the cave. But his command was absolute.
"I..." She clenched her fists, fighting the urge. "Yes. I have duties."
She watched him walk away until he disappeared around the corner. Only then did she let out a shaky breath, clutching the Mana Core he had given her.
Jax walked up to her, whispering. "Ness, seriously. What happened in there? You're acting... weird."
Vanessa turned on her heel, her face hardening into a mask of ice, though her cheeks were still burning.
"We cleared the dungeon, Jax. That's all that matters. Don't ask me again."
She stormed off toward the Administration building, her mind racing. She needed to get to a private bathroom. She needed to check the mark he had left between her legs.
And god help her, she needed to figure out when she could see him again.