"No, no, no!"
Seth hurriedly stopped Rory. "Ms. Roanna Smith, this is the situation. His Majesty currently requires mental soothing. We hope that over the next three months, you can provide this comfort for His Majesty. Once his mental power stabilizes, you may then apply to dissolve the match."
What the hell? He doesn't want me, but he expects me to work for free?
Rory remained silent. So what if Paros was tall and intimidating—did that give him the right to order her around like a servant? Did he think she was that easy?
Just yesterday, that blond man—Joel—had requested a match dissolution and paid her fifty beast cores plus five million star coins on top of it.
Seth caught sight of her sour expression and quickly added more explanation.
"Female Master Roanna Smith, we aren't asking you to work without compensation, of course. You will be paid. How many star coins would you like per mental comfort session? Name your price."
Not every female was capable of offering mental comfort to a male beast.
Only a woman matched through the Beast God System could provide such comfort to her partner. Otherwise, they would have already sought out a high-ranking female elsewhere.
Rory glanced at Seth's warm, grandfatherly smile, then at Paros reclining lazily on the couch. She didn't want to do this. But the man was far too powerful; refusing outright didn't feel like a real choice. Gritting her teeth, she extended a hand.
"Fine, I'll do it. But you'll need to pay me five—"
"Fifty million star coins per session. Agreed," Seth said without the slightest hesitation.
Rory froze. The word "million" that had been about to leave her mouth died instantly.
Folks, it's not that I'm trying to fleece them—they're the ones overpaying!
Still, she laid out her terms.
"I'll do it. But I don't know His Majesty's rank. I'm only Rank 4, so I can't guarantee my mental comfort will work on him. If you don't mind, I'll try it now. If it works, we'll proceed as discussed. If it doesn't, I won't take a single star coin and will immediately apply to dissolve the match."
She refused to accept payment without results. Seth nodded, clearly pleased. What a kind-hearted female this Roanna Smith was—willing to help His Majesty for such a modest fee.
If only His Majesty could recognize her worth. Perhaps she might even become a suitable lady for him someday.
Rory had no idea she'd just earned brownie points. Seth and the other subordinate stepped aside into the courtyard.
Rory approached Paros, who was still sprawled lazily across the couch, and stiffly asked, "Are you ready? I'm going to begin the mental comfort session now."
There were two ways to provide mental comfort. The first was allowing her mental power to enter his mind and calm the violent turbulence within.
The second involved intimacy—letting the female's mental power intertwine directly with the male's, fully releasing his unstable energy.
In theory, the second method was far more effective and could permanently eliminate the risk of collapse, but it was only permitted after a formal bond.
For now, Rory could only use the first method.
She raised her hand and lightly pressed her fingertips against Paros' brow. Gentle waves of mental power flowed out, slowly seeping into his consciousness.
Within Paros' mental world, his mental power raged like molten magma—boiling, erupting, each surge packed with destructive force.
His mental consciousness was scorched and warped. In this state, he lived as though submerged in lava, every second burning through flesh, nerves, and soul alike.
So this is mental power turbulence? Rory had never encountered anything like it. She had no idea what rank his ability was—only that his mental consciousness was terrifying beyond reason. She wasn't confident she could calm it.
Her green mental power drifted into the chaos like fireflies before a volcano. Each spark resembled snow falling on a blazing summer day—cool threads spreading through the molten current, like mountain spring water wrapping around intense heat.
Paros felt as though he were tearing free from lava and plunging into icy waters. The chill engulfed him completely.
"Mm…"
The overwhelming relief forced an involuntary sound from his throat. Inside his mental consciousness, countless tiny whirlpools formed, ravenous, devouring Rory's mental power at a frightening speed.
Within five minutes, she was completely drained. Her face turned pale, strength gone, body trembling. Still, she noticed his mental consciousness had calmed—the violent turbulence subdued.
Looks like it worked, she thought, though she couldn't continue any longer.
Exhaling unsteadily, she lifted her hand from his forehead—only for him to grab her wrist in a firm grip. Paros opened his eyes, ocean-blue, locking onto hers.
"Continue."
It had been years since he'd felt this kind of relief. As if his entire dragon body were soaking in cool water, every scale loosening, his whole being weightless. The sensation was intoxicating.
"I'm out," Rory muttered weakly. "Mister, you drained my mental power completely. I don't have a single drop left. If you want more, you'll have to wait until tomorrow."
Unlike abilities, which could be restored by absorbing beast core energy, mental power only recovered through rest.
Given the scale and violence of Paros' mental consciousness, lasting five minutes was already miraculous. At least she hadn't collapsed immediately.
Rory pulled her wrist free. "I need to rest. Please make sure my payment is transferred to my Lightbrain star coin account. Thanks."
Without sparing another glance, she staggered upstairs.
The moment she left, Seth rushed back inside with the others. "Your Majesty, why did Female Roanna Smith go upstairs? Has she finished providing comfort?"
Paros leaned back on the couch, appearing even more relaxed than before, eyes half-lidded. "Mm."
Seth frowned uneasily. "Your Majesty, how do you feel now?" Was her mental comfort truly effective?
From Rank 1 to Rank 15—that was the Interstellar Beastly scale. It was said Rank 15 could rival the Beast God himself, yet none had appeared in millions of years.
Currently, the strongest in the Beast Empire were four Rank 11s—Paros among them, along with the Wolf King of Frostveil and two others in the Central Region.
By all logic, someone of Paros' level should never have been matched with a Rank 4 female. But the Beast God System never made mistakes. Seth had always believed this was the Beast God's will, which was why he had urged Paros to try.
Paros cracked his eyes open slightly, meeting Seth's anxious gaze. His voice was slow, languid.
"I've never felt this relaxed in my life."
The sensation was so unfamiliar, so freeing, it nearly mesmerized him.