They both got up slowly. As they straightened, their appearances began to change.

As they had entered the human body, their monstrous features faded, replaced by human forms, yet they looked far from ordinary. Their bodies were broader, their muscles thicker, and their skin gleamed faintly, as if it were made of metal.

"I think we did it right, Gazel," said the one who had merged with Rodriguez's body.

"Yes," replied Gazel, who had fused with the other hunter who had accompanied Rodriguez. "The merging went well. But should we report it to the boss first, or try breaking out of this dungeon as he instructed? What do you think, Sirus?"

Sirus thought for a moment before answering. "Let's talk to the boss first. We still have at least three or four days before these bodies start deteriorating anyway."

Gazel nodded and took out a dark sphere. The orb pulsed once, and a spatial rift tore open before them, expanding into a swirling gate. Without another word, both Gazel and Sirus stepped through it and vanished.

Meanwhile, at Smith Villa, Logan, Rowan, and Daliah continued their training until dusk. They finally stopped when the sky turned dark. Each of them was drenched in sweat but satisfied with the day's progress.

Afterward, they returned inside to wash up and rest. By the time they gathered again, it was dinner hour.

Alice had arranged their meal in a smaller dining hall so that Logan, Rowan, and Daliah could eat and talk comfortably. Since Rowan and Daliah planned to stay for a few days, both Rudeous and Alice thought it would be better this way. After all, having royal siblings dine with the entire family every day would only make the others uneasy. One or two meals were fine, but royalty at every meal? No one's heart could take that kind of pressure. After all, the royal family represented the peak of the kingdom, absolute authority.

As soon as dinner began, Daliah's face lit up with excitement. "Wow! This soup tastes amazing! Logan, your servants here are really talented cooks!" she said, savoring each spoonful with delight.

Logan chuckled. "Actually, my mother made this."

"What? But your mother shouldn't trouble herself like that!" Daliah said quickly, almost scandalized.

"Trouble?" Logan smiled faintly. "Why would it be trouble? In most homes, even those with servants, family members still cook. Besides, my mother enjoys it when I like her food."

"Really?! She cooks regularly?!" Daliah asked again, her eyes wide in disbelief.

Logan blinked, slightly confused by her reaction. "What's so strange about that? Did I say something wrong?"

Rowan gave a small laugh and explained, "Actually, in our palace, the servants always do the cooking. A queen would never take such effort herself, right?"

"Oh, that makes sense now," Logan said with a small nod, finally understanding. "But during my time, even queens used to cook occasionally. They took it as a hobby," Logan thought.

"Then that means we can taste Aunt Alice's cooking every day, right?" Daliah asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

"Huh! You shouldn't say that, Daliah," Rowan quickly interjected. "We're already lucky enough that she went through the trouble of cooking for us today. Making her do it every day would be too much for her. So..."

Before he could finish, Logan interrupted with a small laugh. "Relax, you two. Mother wouldn't mind at all. In fact, she enjoys cooking for me. She'd be happy to do it."

"Still… we shouldn't let her cook every day," Rowan insisted.

"Don't worry about it. Now stop fussing and enjoy the food," Logan said, grinning.

With that, the three of them continued their meal, chatting and laughing together as the night grew deeper.

When dinner was finally over, Logan asked, "So, shall we start cultivating now?"

Daliah stretched her arms and replied, "Can we rest for tonight? After the journey, I'm feeling a little tired."

"Of course. Take the night off then... we'll begin early in the morning."

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

With that, dinner came to an end. Logan walked them back to their rooms, chatting casually along the way.

And after that, as he was returning, he met Alice in the corridor.

"Honey, did your guests enjoy the food?" Alice asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes, Mother," Logan replied warmly. "They loved it. Daliah even said it would be wonderful if you cooked for us every day."

"Then I'll cook for you all every day," Alice said softly, her smile warm but tinged with emotion. "After all, in the past few years when you weren't home, I didn't get the chance to take care of you. Now that I finally can, I want to make the most of it. And you said you'll be leaving again soo..."

She stopped mid-sentence, her voice faltering. The brightness in her eyes dimmed slightly as her mood sank.

Seeing her expression, Logan stepped forward and gently clasped her hands. "Mother, I'll have to leave, yes. But only for a while. And there's still plenty of time before that even happens, so please don't be sad."

Alice looked at him for a long moment before nodding with a tender smile. She reached up and softly ruffled his hair. "Go get some rest, dear. Good night."

"Good night, Mother," Logan replied, his voice gentle as warmth filled his chest.

After that, Logan returned to his room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Audrey appeared, hovering lightly in the air before him.

"Are you planning to rest too, or start cultivating?" she asked curiously.

"Too?" Logan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by too?"

"Well, that cute little girl wanted to rest," Audrey replied teasingly.

"Oh, Daliah," Logan said with a faint smile. "No, I think I'll train. I don't have much time left, and while a bit of practice tonight won't bring any immediate results, it'll make a huge difference in the long run."

"Oh! Alright then," Audrey said with a mischievous tone. "By the way, that girl seems to like you quite a lot. I just hope you're not so thickheaded that you haven't ever noticed it till now."

Logan, who was walking toward the washroom to answer nature's call, stopped mid-step and turned to glance at the sword floating lazily in midair.

"You seem to be in quite a playful mood tonight, coming up with nonsense like that," he said flatly.

"So you are thickheaded," Audrey chuckled.

"I'm not," Logan replied calmly. "You're just too lightheaded. We're only fifteen, and she barely even knows me. If anything, she probably sees me as an older brother."

"Older brother? Aren't you both the same age?" Audrey asked, tilting her spectral head.

"How could we be the same age?" Logan replied with complete seriousness. "If I count my previous life, I'm probably even older than her father for sure."

Audrey burst out laughing, her voice echoing inside the room. "I didn't know you could be this funny! Who cares about your past life anymore, Logan? This is your life now. The people in our lives are what truly matter. You can deny what's right in front of you all you want, but things will unfold their own way regardless."

Logan sighed and shook his head. "I think you're just mistaken," he said simply, then turned and walked into the washroom.

Meanwhile, in the Starwind State, Lilith was busy packing her belongings. "I'll need this… and this… oh, and definitely this," she muttered to herself, carefully organizing her items for the journey ahead.

While she was talking to herself, Emily entered the room with a knowing smile on her face.

"Well, someone seems quite eager to visit Smith Villa," she said playfully.

"Of course I am!" Lilith replied without hesitation. "I want to learn cultivation properly. I want to grow stronger, and soon, I'll challenge Logan to a duel and beat him." She clenched her fists with determination.

"What?" Emily said with a sigh. "Lilith, darling, do you ever think about anything other than training and getting stronger?"

"What else should I think about?!" Lilith asked, blinking in confusion. But after a moment, she tilted her head thoughtfully. "Actually… there are lots of other things," she said innocently.

"Oh, really? Like what?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow with a teasing smile.

"Like…" Lilith began confidently, but then paused, her mind coming up completely blank. "Well… I'll tell you later. I'm busy right now, Mom. We'll talk afterward."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned her attention back to packing, humming softly as she continued.

Emily could only shake her head with an affectionate sigh. "Oh, Lilith, darling… when will you start acting like the normal, sweet girl you actually are?" she murmured to herself.

Somewhere at the same time, deep inside a dungeon…

Gazel and Sirus were standing before the dungeon boss of Solmyr.

"We did it," Sirus reported. "Though humans have stopped entering the dungeons, two hunters entered the dungeon today, and we successfully merged with them."

"Good," the boss said in a low, rumbling voice. "Have you tried going outside yet?"

"Not yet," Sirus replied.

"Then do it now," the boss ordered.

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