The opportunity was simply too valuable to pass up—Rory wouldn't dream of letting it slip through her fingers. Gina wasn't surprised in the slightest by her response.
A small, knowing smile curved her lips. "I knew you'd say yes."
In the past, if Gina had known that Chitinids were lurking anywhere nearby, she would never have breathed a word of it to Rory.
Back then, Rory had been alone, scraping by on sheer grit and caution. But now, things were different. Rory had a partner—well, partners, at least on paper. Even if she ran into Chitinids, someone should be there to protect her. She wasn't facing the interstellar beast world alone anymore.
Thinking of Rory's current situation, Gina tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "So," she asked lightly, "all your matches should've arrived by now. How's that going?"
Rory let out a slow sigh. "If I'm being honest? Terribly. Only two showed up. Two broke things off outright. The rest…" She shook her head. "Not a single word."
She paused, then added with a wry smile, "Looks like I can only bring one Rank 5 match this time."
Paros was definitely not coming—there was no chance of that. As for Dax, he was still in the dark about the real situation. Judging by his behavior so far, Rory suspected she'd be relying on herself more than anyone else anyway.
"What?" Gina stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief. "They broke it off and didn't even bother contacting you first? Are those men out of their minds?"
Rory nodded, disappointment shadowing her expression. "Maybe they think I'm too weak. Just a Rank 4 human."
That did it. Gina's face darkened with anger. "Unbelievable. The Beast God must've spoiled them rotten. How dare they treat you like this?"
She leaned forward, gripping Rory's hand firmly. "Listen to me. If they don't contact you, you break it off yourself. In three months, the Beast God will match you with nine better males."
The Beastmate System's rules were strict but fair. If a female successfully matched with more than five males on her first attempt, she'd have to wait three years to match again. But if the initial match failed—and she broke off five or more out of nine—she could reapply in as little as one month.
Rory wasn't in a rush though. If this attempt fell apart, she'd simply wait until she reached Rank 5 before trying again. Higher ranks meant stronger, more capable matches—and usually far better-looking ones too.
"Don't worry, Gina," Rory said calmly. "I'm fine. If they lose someone like me, that's their loss."
Once they finalized departure times and reviewed necessary gear, Rory didn't linger.
She handed Gina a few bottles of homemade fruit wine as thanks, then hurried on her way. Instead of heading straight home, she stopped downtown to purchase additional equipment. By the time she finally returned to the villa, the clock had crept past four in the afternoon.
Paros hadn't left his room all day. Dax, on the other hand, was sprawled across the living room couch, scrolling aimlessly through his device with boredom written all over his face.
Ding dong!
The front door slid open, and Dax shot to his feet. He rushed toward her, grinning brightly, looking for all the world like a devoted husband greeting his wife after a long day.
"Female Master—you're finally back!" he exclaimed. "I've been waiting forever!"
"Do you need something?" Rory asked, arching a brow. Hadn't she told him to rest in his room?
Dax scratched his stomach awkwardly, eyes darting away. "Well… I'm starving. I spent all my star coins getting here. I don't even have enough left to buy nutrient fluid."
It was no longer a simple light-brain chat. Now that he was here, Rory couldn't exactly ignore him. If he started pestering her for nutrient fluid every single day, she'd grow tired of it fast—and might just break the match herself.
With a quiet sigh, Rory reached into her storage band and pulled out five packs of nutrient fluid, handing them over. "Here."
They were the cheapest variety available in the Interstellar Beast World—twenty star coins a pack. She didn't mind giving them away. Dax could drink as many as he wanted.
Dax stared at the packs as if she'd just handed him poison. "Female Master… you actually drink these?"
She nodded matter-of-factly. "When I first arrived in the interstellar, I had no money too. Every star coin I earned went toward beast cores. This was all I could afford."
His mouth twitched.
These packs were manufactured by Starlight Prime Tech using the most undesirable beast organs imaginable—waste materials no one else wanted. Cheap, abundant, and foul-tasting, they were common fare among the poorest Subtherians.
He couldn't believe Rory had once been so broke that this was her daily sustenance.
Seeing his conflicted expression, she urged him gently, "Aren't you hungry? Drink up. I know it tastes awful, but I'm still broke. You'll just have to make do for now."