An hour later, inside the Central District's First Mech Building, Nix finally finished his work in the laboratory.
Stretching his stiff shoulders, he reached for his light-brain to send a message to Roanna Smith—only to realize he had been removed from the group chat and could no longer text her.
A glaring red exclamation mark flashed on the screen. He stared at it, completely dumbfounded. Wasn't it common knowledge that females loved star coins?
Then why would she delete him right after he transferred so much? Did she think he was being cheap, or was this some kind of test he'd failed without realizing it?
Meanwhile, after severing yet another match, Rory felt no sadness at all.
Out with the old, in with the new—there were plenty of males in the interstellar beast realm. If one didn't work out, she would simply replace him with someone else.
With that settled, she slept peacefully through the night.
The next morning, awoken in high spirits, Rory went downstairs to prepare breakfast. Her light-brain chimed with incoming messages from Dax.
Dax: Female Master, I'll be arriving at Veridan City very soon.
Dax: Just thinking about seeing you makes me so excited.
Dax: I'm not very smart, and I don't have much. You won't abandon me, right? Teary eyes.jpg
Seated inside his private starrail, Dax typed the messages with a sly, cruel smile curling his lips. He'd assumed a few soft words would prompt Roanna to dissolve the match herself.
Yet she hadn't fallen for it. Now he had no choice but to waste time traveling all the way to Veridan City.
Fine. If that was how it had to be, he wouldn't hold back. Since he was already going, he fully intended to scam her—and every match she had—until not a single credit remained.
Rory skimmed through his messages and replied casually.
Rory: "Alright. I'll be waiting at home."
She closed her light-brain and headed into the kitchen. Breakfast was simple but comforting: a bowl of oatmeal, homemade pickles on the side, and a small basket of dumplings.
Nothing fancy, yet warm and inviting. Paros didn't need to be called.
The moment the food was ready, he appeared, as if guided by the aroma alone.
His lazy gaze brightened when he saw the spread laid out on the table. "You're truly good at cooking," he said. With skills like that, she could work anywhere—and earn well, too. "Have you ever thought about becoming a chef?"
Rory handed him a fork and a spoon. "I thought about it once," she replied, "but chefs follow too many rules. Not my style."
She had considered the path when she first arrived in the interstellar realm, but after learning how brutal the workload was, she'd quickly given up.
Food lovers were everywhere, but chefs were rare for a reason. They worked from dawn until midnight, often worse than endless overtime, and opening a restaurant usually required powerful family backing—something Rory lacked.
After breakfast, her light-brain chimed again. The Level 5 beast cores she had ordered yesterday had arrived.
She sent the smart robot to retrieve them from the delivery locker. The interstellar courier system was astonishingly efficient; no matter where the item originated, parcels reached their destination within three hours.
Ten Level 5 beast cores, all excellent quality. She stored them in her storage band and immediately posted another purchase request.
Just as she hit send, the villa's doorbell rang urgently, the sound frantic, like someone pounding on the door for their life.
Rory pulled up the holo-monitor. Standing at the gate was a striking man in a pink suit, long white hair tipped in red, his androgynous features almost unreal in their beauty. Pale fingers pressed insistently against the bell. Dax—he really came.
She unlocked the door. A blur of pink rushed inside, and in the next instant, Rory was pulled into a tight embrace carrying a faint, unfamiliar scent.
"Female Master, I finally get to see you!" Dax held her close, burying his face against her neck. "You smell amazing—better than anyone I've ever known." He inhaled deeply, his restless energy settling almost instantly.
Rory stiffened, barely able to breathe. He nuzzled her neck again and again until she couldn't take it anymore. It took several hard pushes before she finally broke free.
Pushed away, Dax looked like a puppy abandoned in the rain. His red eyes shimmered with hurt as he bit his lip pitifully. "Female Master… don't you like me?" he asked softly.
What in the name of Beast God was this guy about?