Two days later, Rory exited the training chamber in high spirits.
The beast cores Joel had provided were exceptional. Using just one had fully stabilized her abilities and even pushed them to grow stronger.
If she consumed all fifty and added another dozen or so, she'd be able to advance into Rank 5 very soon.
After cleaning up, she planned to grab breakfast before heading to Moonfall Forest. She was nearly out of fruits and vegetables at home anyway.
She could gather some fresh produce and, while she was there, take on a few Rank 4 or Level 5 beasts for hands-on training.
Beast cores alone weren't enough—true strength came from real combat. She stepped out of the bathroom, a soft, white towel draped over her arm.
Just as she was about to enter the kitchen, the doorbell chimed. The smart robot rolled forward and instantly projected the security feed.
The image flared to life, and Rory's gaze collided with a pair of languid yet dangerous eyes that made her heart stutter. What kind of eyes were those—lazy, inscrutable, powerful, brimming with dominance? One glance alone carried an aura that could make anyone feel compelled to kneel.
The man outside was tall—easily over six-foot-two. Even through the screen, his presence felt crushing. His face was half-shrouded in shadow, as though sculpted by the Beast God himself—cold, flawless, untouchable.
Once seen, it was impossible to look away.
Outside, Paros swept his gaze lazily across the villa's emerald gate. Standing behind him, Seth, the Grand Elder, quickly stepped forward and pressed the bell. Originally, Paros hadn't wanted him tagging along, but Seth hadn't felt comfortable letting him come alone.
Ding-dong!
Sebastian stood at the gate and spoke courteously. "Honored Ms. Roanna Smith, your match, His Majesty Paros Gabriel, has arrived."
Emma froze. This man was her match? Paros Gabriel—the oldest name on her list? She hurriedly tapped the control panel to open the gate. "Please, come in!"
Watching Paros stride into the villa with two attendants in tow, Rory felt her nerves spike.
The pressure rolling off him was almost suffocating. His aura was terrifying.
As a partner? Forget sharing a bed—she wasn't sure she could even hold a casual conversation without trembling. Maybe she should bring it up herself and suggest dissolving the match. A man like this? She couldn't handle him.
Since entering the living room, Paros hadn't spoken a single word. His blue eyes swept over her with a trace of disdain before he casually dropped onto the couch.
Weak. Far too weak. A woman like this would only hinder my path to unifying the interstellar realm.
The couch stretched nearly seven feet long, yet once he sat down, the entire space seemed to shrink around him.
Rory had no idea what he was thinking, so she remained silent, scared to say something wrong.
Seth, standing beside Paros, gave Rory a brief once-over before offering a gentle smile.
"Ms. Roanna Smith, there's no need to feel nervous. His Majesty came today because he has something important to discuss with you."
Something important to discuss? Funny—that was exactly how Joel had opened last night. Rory's suspicion deepened. She looked at Seth, his wrinkled face curved into a kindly smile.
"You're here to dissolve the match too, aren't you?" she asked without a trace of emotion on her face.
Seth blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected her to guess their agenda so quickly. They hadn't even voiced it yet, and she'd already seen through them. He chuckled, his expression growing even gentler.
"That's correct. His Majesty isn't fond of females, you see, so he wishes to dissolve the match."
He worded it carefully, making it sound like the decision stemmed entirely from Paros' preference rather than any fault of Rory's. After all, a male requesting dissolution could be humiliating for a female. Other women might ridicule her over it.
"No problem," Rory replied without hesitation. "I'll submit the request right now. You can't force something that isn't meant to be. We both have the right to choose. Since you don't want it, dissolving the match is the proper choice."
This man frightened her far too much. Yes, beast law stated that males couldn't harm females, and a match absolutely couldn't harm his lady. But laws were just words, and people always found loopholes. There were countless stories of matches who had orchestrated 'accidents' to eliminate their lady. Rory understood her own circumstances and strength perfectly.
She wasn't this man's equal in any regard. If he chose to kill her, it would likely be effortless.
Paros' gaze drifted lazily toward her as he heard her response. He hadn't expected this fragile little female to be so levelheaded.
It was a pleasant surprise.