Chapter 174: Infinite and Boundless Natural Energy

The instant the door swung open, a tall silhouette came hurtling straight inside.

"Kei!"

Kai barrel-poured straight into the kitchen, throwing his arms around him in a desperate embrace as though a single second of hesitation might cause Kei to vanish from his sight once more. The grip was so vice-tight Kei nearly dropped the spoon clutched in his hand.

"You’re finally back!" Kai exclaimed, his tone overflowing with joyous relief mirroring an excited child.

"Let go of me first."

Kai’s unruly mop of hair rubbed directly against Kei’s shoulder, shifting back and forth to convey his intense longing.

"No way! You went and vanished inside a dangerous Dungeon like that, I have to inspect whether you’re in one piece!" Kai muttered, scanning Kei from head to toe. "Why on earth did you wander in there on your own? Why didn’t you wait for me to protect you? What would you have done if something happened?"

The more he spoke, the angrier Kai grew, to the point where his eye rims reddened.

"You’re asking way too many questions."

Kei’s mouth twitched.

"Naturally I have to ask! I was worried sick about you!"

Kai wailed.

Heaven only knew how terrified Kai had been after receiving Do Ae Young’s message. While he was swamped with a mountain of damn guild assignments, Kei had waltzed right into a Dungeon, taken a leisurely stroll inside, and then abruptly vanished!

If Do Ae Young hadn’t waited until after everything was fully resolved to drop him a text, Kai probably would have lost his mind and thrown a tantrum right on the spot.

"Kei’s just a fragile human right now..."

Kai pouted and muttered under his breath.

"If I don’t keep a close eye on you, you might keel over and die out of nowhere without me even noticing, so don’t you dare go running off on your own like that ever again!"

Kei couldn’t help but laugh at Kai’s utterly sincere critique, raising a hand to flick Kai firmly across the forehead.

Do Ae Young stepped inside right behind Kai, pulling the door shut behind her. She surveyed the scene before her, looking entirely too accustomed to the fact that Kai habitually forgot to knock whenever he barged into the shop.

It took Kei quite a while of soothing before Kai finally agreed to loosen his grip. Yet the moment he was released, the black dragon instantly bounced back with a sly, lively grin.

"Can I crash here tonight? I missed Kei so much!"

"No." Kei rejected him flatly.

The smile on Kai’s face froze solid.

"But—"

"The Black Dragon Guild has already established its headquarters here in Dong-San City. You have your own quarters. There’s zero reason for you to stay over at the shop, my bed is far too cramped!"

Kai slumped, casting a mournful look at Kei as though he were on the verge of being thrown out onto the street, despite the fact that absolutely no one had invited him over in the first place.

Sora turned away, struggling to suppress a laugh. Do Ae Young stood cross-armed by the door, showing zero intention of interfering.

"Kei is so heartless..." Kai muttered, trudging sluggishly toward the exit. "I was only worried about you..."

Kei watched him retreating back. Just as Kai was about to step past the threshold, Kei abruptly recalled the matter he was still hunting for.

"Hold on, Kai."

Kai whipped around instantly. His eyes lit up at once, as though assuming Kei had changed his mind and decided to grant him permission to sleep over in the shop tonight.

"Did you change your mind about letting me stay?"

"No. I wanted to ask you something."

Kai’s expression deflated instantly, though he still obediently trotted back over.

Kei locked eyes with him.

"Do you know anything about natural energy?"

Kai tilted his head in thought. His expression turned so serious Kei felt a momentary flicker of hope ignite inside his chest.

"Sure do."

Kai stepped closer to Kei, extending an open palm. A pale green luminescence gradually materialized around his fingertips, weaving gracefully like a sprouting vine stretching toward the light. That radiant glow carried a gentle warmth, causing Kei to recognize it instantly.

*Natural energy, that’s precisely natural energy!*

Kei’s eyes lit up. "That’s it. Kai, could you elaborate a bit more on this type of energy?"

Kai scratched his head, staring down at the glowing light wrapping around his hand.

"Honestly, I don’t really know... Every living creature possesses natural energy, don’t they? It’s just that the larger the physical body, the greater the volume of natural energy it holds." He flicked his wrist, and the green radiance vanished instantly. "My true form is a massive dragon, so my natural energy reserves... are definitely way higher than an ordinary person’s."

Kei listened intently, then pressed immediately: "What happens if the natural energy inside your body depletes? How do you replenish it?"

Kai blinked in confusion.

"Depletes?" He stared at Kei as though he had just posed an absurd question. "Can natural energy even run out?"

"Of course it can."

Kei glared at him.

The Tree of Life served as the prime example, even if her situation was slightly unique.

"But it’s supposed to be infinite and boundless." Kai frowned, answering with absolute honesty. "I’ve never once had to worry about something like that."

The sliver of hope that had just flared in Kei’s eyes slowly flickered out and died.

He stared at Kai for a beat before letting out a soft sigh. Asking this dragon was apparently a complete dead end. To Kai, natural energy was so abundant he likely had never even pondered where it originated from, let alone bothered searching for a way to replenish it.

"Alright, you can head back now."

"Huh? But I just—"

"You’ve answered my question." Kei turned his back, calmly reaching for his unfinished bowl of soup. "The Black Dragon Guild is waiting for their guild master."

Kai opened his mouth to mount a protest, but Do Ae Young had already stepped forward to grip him by the shoulder.

"Let’s go, Guild Master."

"Kei, I didn’t even get to stay over yet!"

"That’s a separate issue."

Dragged toward the door by Do Ae Young, Kai cast a pitiful, lingering glance back at Kei over his shoulder. Sora tried her hardest to swallow her laughter, while Kei simply kept his gaze lowered toward his soup bowl, showing zero intention of rescinding his words.

The door clicked shut. Kai’s fading complaints gradually dissolved down the hallway outside.

Kei stirred his cooled soup gently, his brow furrowing slightly. Kai didn’t know how to replenish natural energy, but at the very least, he had confirmed one thing: that energy existed within all living creatures, and the volume of energy might be tied directly to physical mass.

Perhaps he should seek out Thunder. A Craftsman who had researched all sorts of raw materials and energies might know how to inspect this.

"Kei, what are you deep in thought about again?" Sora asked.

"The Tree of Life." He set his spoon down, his gaze turning serious. "If I want to save her, I must figure out a way to supply enough natural energy to that giant tree-shaped body."