CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: UNSTABLE BONDS

The cafeteria seemed to freeze as their lips met. One moment Zaeryn had been talking to Kira and Daphne, then she started leaning in. She clearly wanted it, and he could feel that spark building between them—and the next, his lips were on Daphne’s. Bold. Impulsive. Completely public.

While lost in the kiss, Zaeryn thought about the system and immediately a screen appeared in front of him.

[Emotional Input Detected: +0.8% Charge]

[Source: Intimate Contact (Daphne)]

[New Bond Forming: Processing...]

A soft moan escaped her. "Mmm..." Her lips pressed harder into his to deepen the kiss.

The moment their lips connected, Zaeryn felt something electric surge through him—not just attraction, but something deeper. The Eros Engine pulsed to life, feeding off the intimate contact. His senses sharpened, awareness heightened, and for a split second he could almost feel the rapid-fire calculations happening in Daphne’s brilliant mind.

She initially wanted to break it off. Hadn’t meant to melt into it. But something about that kiss unraveled her. It wasn’t just the heat of it—it was the way her body responded, as if a dormant hunger had suddenly awakened. Her Hyper-Cognition, usually so controlled and analytical, scattered into fragments as sensation overwhelmed logic. And stranger still, she could sense something unusual about his energy signature—something that made her Vitae tingle with recognition, though she couldn’t identify what.

Her thoughts scattered, pleasure flaring through her like a live current. For a moment, she forgot where they were. Forgot who might be watching. ’Oh my, it’s just a kiss, but.... Why do I want him to never stop?’

[Bond Established: Daphne potential mimicry abilities(Hyper-Cognition/Vitae Weaving - Preliminary)]

[Intimacy Charge: 1.1% → 1.9%]

[Stat Boost Acquired: Analytical Thinking +2%]

[Pattern Recognition +1%]

[Warning: Bond unstable due to conflicted emotions]

Zaeryn could see all these notifications appearing in his vision, and although he was deeply invested in the kiss, part of his mind was paying attention to the system updates. He could see that Daphne’s abilities were now visible to him. An ability called Hyper-Cognition, which probably was connected to why she was the chief scientist in the first place, and another one called Vitae Weaving, which he could guess was more of an offensive ability—but he understood from the "Preliminary" designation that he couldn’t actually mimic them yet. Their bond wasn’t strong enough for that level of power sharing.

Meanwhile, to Daphne there was no cafeteria anymore. It was just him. Just this. And the overwhelming sensation of wanting more. She never wanted it to stop.

"Uh... wow. This is a cafeteria, not your private quarters," an unimpressed voice cut through the moment from across the room.

Daphne’s eyes flew open as that voice made her snap out of it. Reality came crashing back like a tidal wave. Her Hyper-Cognition ability kicked back into overdrive, instantly analyzing every aspect of what had just happened—the public setting, the professional implications, the way her body had responded, and most puzzling of all, that strange energy signature she’d detected from him as they were kissing. But wait, that was not all, when their lips were locked together, she felt like she was in a pleasurable trance.

She pulled back abruptly, her hand flying up to cover her lips. "Son of... Zaeryn, what the hell—" Her voice was low but laced with irritation; it felt like Zaeryn had crossed a boundary. At the same time, warmth flushed her cheeks, whether from embarrassment or anger, she wasn’t sure.

Zaeryn’s confidence evaporated instantly, though the lingering effects of his enhanced analytical thinking helped him read the situation more clearly. He’d been so certain—the way she’d leaned in, the look in her eyes, like she was waiting for him to take the initiative. But her anger cut through his assumptions like a blade. The realization of what he’d just done, kissing the chief scientist in the middle of the cafeteria, hit him like a cold wave. "I.....shit. I thought—" He stumbled over his words, running a hand through his hair. "I seem to have misread the situation. I’m sorry, Daphne."

"Misread the situation?!" Daphne’s pulse raced, her lips tingling with the memory of his. She wanted to be furious, how dare he assume she wanted to be kissed by him?—but a traitorous part of her knew what he meant. Deep down, when she was leaning over the table, looking at his lips? She hadn’t consciously thought about kissing him, but she’d definitely wanted the contact—hell, that’s why she’d touched him playfully at every opportunity.

Her Hyper-Cognition was working overtime, replaying every micro-expression, every subtle cue that had led to this moment. And beneath that analytical storm, her Vitae Weaving sensitivity kept nagging at her—there was something different about his life energy, something she’d never encountered before. ’It felt like.... I can’t even explain it. Pleasure?’

She wondered what might have happened if they’d been alone. Her thoughts run wild for a second. No. She shut that thought down. She was the chief scientist, not some lovesick cadet.

Meanwhile, Kira’s jaw had dropped somewhere around the time their lips met. "Wow," she said, clearly fighting back a laugh. She hadn’t seen this coming - were Zaeryn and Daphne already that close?

By now, whispers had spread through the cafeteria like wildfire—equal parts scandal, awe, and thinly veiled admiration.

"Did you see that? The male they brought in yesterday just kissed her." A hushed gasp.

"He’s got balls, I’ll give him that."

A brunette, drumming her fingers on the table, leaned in with a sultry smirk. "I’d say the chief scientist’s got herself a new toy... but that kiss? Nah. He claimed her lips like he’s the one in charge." She sensually traced her fingers over her own lips, eyes glinting.

[Emotional Input Detected: +0.1% Charge]

[Source: Ambient Attraction/Admiration (Multiple Sources – Admiration for host, Envy]

Others exchanged looks—half scandalized, half impressed—while covert glances flicked toward Daphne and Zaeryn like they were live entertainment.

Those comments made it feel worse for Daphne. Not because she cared about their gossip, but because they were a reminder that she’d just lost control to Zaeryn. ’Who does he think he is?’ But even as the thought formed, she knew it wasn’t fair. She’d leaned in.

She’d wanted it. And that made it so much worse. Daphne straightened, her professional mask snapping back into place. "I accept your apology. Just don’t let it happen again."

"Understood. It won’t," Zaeryn said, still mortified. This was not how he thought it would play out. This was one of the rare occasions were Zaeryn felt like he’d done something out of place. Though the enhanced pattern recognition from his preliminary bond with Daphne was already helping him understand the complex web of emotions and social dynamics at play. So, it was worth it after all.

Kira, sensing the tension, jumped in to defuse it. "Okay, let’s all take a breath." She flashed a grin at the chief scientist. "Daphne, I think you’re partly to blame here. You led him on. I honestly thought you wanted to kiss him—way before he took the initiative."

"And I’m not even into girls, but if you looked at me like that? I’d probably do the same damn thing." She pointed casually at Daphne. "I mean, that subtle glance at his lips? You were basically begging to be kissed."

"She’s not wrong," Zaeryn chimed in, defending himself. "You were leaning toward me." Although he did feel bad deep down.

Before Daphne could fire back, Kira swiftly redirected the conversation. "But hey, let’s talk about something less... explosive. Like this place. You asked about the outpost, right? It’s a fortress, a research hub, and a warzone all rolled into one. The star beasts have been hitting harder lately, and we’re on the front lines trying to figure out why."

Grateful for the lifeline, Zaeryn latched onto the shift. "The Vorthaks—everyone keeps saying they’re humanity’s greatest threat. What exactly are we dealing with?"

Daphne, too, looked relieved. Her shoulders eased, and her tone shifted into lecture mode—though her Hyper-Cognition continued processing the mystery of Zaeryn’s unusual energy signature in the background.

"Right. The Vorthaks." She leaned forward, her earlier frustration overridden by scientific focus. "Unlike the Fade—which is just a virus, one we might actually cure soon—the Vorthaks are a physical enemy. Tangible. Violent. Intelligent."

Her voice tightened. "We’ve been at war with them for a long time, and we still know embarrassingly little. For too long, our strategy was ’kill first, study later.’ And it hasn’t worked. If anything, they’re evolving. Each wave is larger, more coordinated. Like there’s... something pulling the strings behind the scenes."

She gestured vaguely. "It’s not my field, and it’s not Kira’s either, but from what I’ve heard—there’s been no major breakthrough. Nothing that’ll end the invasion anytime soon. There’s even speculation that, within a few years, our outer defenses in space could be breached. If that happens, we’ll be pushed back, and the planet itself could become a battle zone.So far, the warladies have kept the fighting far from the surface—but that might not last."

Zaeryn nodded, but his mind had already drifted—pulled back to Astraea’s warning.

According to her, the Dragon King was the architect behind it all: the Fade curse, the star beasts, the endless waves of Vorthaks. None of it random. All of it part of a long game—a slow bleed designed to wear this world down until it was too weak to resist.

She’d asked him to fight. To stand against the Dragon King and save this world. And he’d said no. Was that a mistake?

He glanced at Daphne, then Kira. Warriors, scientists, commanders. This world wasn’t helpless. It had defenders. It didn’t need some half-baked hero from another life charging into its war like he mattered.

Right?

Zaeryn exhaled, forcing the thought away. Let them handle it. He would much rather survive and watch them defeat the dragon king, than play hero only to fail and lose everything he was going to work for.

At that same moment, despite their efforts to move the conversation forward from that kissing moment, Daphne could feel eyes still on them, whispers still circulating. Her cheeks burned, not because she was embarrassed by the attention, no she couldn’t care less about that, but because she couldn’t get the pleasant taste of his lips out of her mind.

And the most infuriating part? She’d... liked it. The surprise of it, yes, but also something else. Something she couldn’t quite name. Her Vitae Weaving ability kept tingling whenever she looked at him, as if trying to analyze an energy pattern it had never encountered before. ’Zaeryn, that wasn’t just a kiss, was it?’ Daphne thought to herself as a realization hit her.

Zaeryns system could sense all this and a screen popped up in front of him.

[Eros Engine Update]

Bond Status: Daphne – Unstable but Growing (Curiosity Detected)

Note: Daphne senses Host’s unique energy signature

Recommendation: Sustained proximity to strengthen bond

"Mind your own business," she said curtly to a nearby table whose occupants were still staring.

The cafeteria immediately quieted as everyone went back to minding their own business. Daphne was practically their boss, so of course they would quiet down at her order.

Daphne turned back to Kira with deliberate casualness. "Alright, I think I’d better get back to work."

She stood, smoothed her coat, then added without looking at him, "Zaeryn, you’re coming with me."

Zaeryn paused mid-chew, raising an eyebrow. She wanted to get back to work... and drag him along? That was confusing. But then again, it wasn’t like he had much else going on. His life was painfully uneventful most of the times. And the enhanced analytical thinking he’d gained from their preliminary bond suggested there might be more to her request than simple work duties.

He swallowed, shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Lead the way, boss lady."

[Proximity opportunity detected]

[Bond strengthening potential: High]