Chapter 2

Three days later, after advancing to the fourth rank, Lara left the training room in the villa in high spirits. She returned to her room, took a quick shower, changed clothes, and drove her hover vehicle toward the Imperial Female Matching Center.

She had already received a system notice when she left the training room.

[System notice: Lara White, you turned 23 today. Please arrive at the Imperial Female Matching Center on Planet F268 before 5 p.m. to complete partner matching. Friendly reminder: Failure to arrive on time will result in a deduction of 10,000 star credits. The system will automatically deduct this amount from your account.]

She had timed her breakthrough perfectly.

‘A deduction of star credits?’ she thought. ‘Impossible! Absolutely not!’

Ten minutes later, the hover vehicle stopped at the entrance of the Imperial Female Matching Center. Lara got out, stored the vehicle in her ring, and walked inside briskly.

She owned three dimensional rings, one for preserving mutated beast materials, one for valuables, and one for her hover vehicle.

“Ma’am, your identity and rank information have been successfully recorded. The system will collect a drop of blood. Please place your finger here.”

Lara followed the instructions and placed her finger on the device that the staff member presented.

The process took only three seconds. She felt nothing at all, and there was not even a mark on her finger.

“Ma’am, you are now a fourth rank esper. The Beast God System will match you with nine suitable partners. Their ranks will generally be around the fifth, sixth, and seventh. In special cases, eighth, ninth, or even tenth rank partners may appear. Are you aware of this?”

“Can I even be matched with ninth or tenth-ranked males?” Lara asked in shock.

“That possibility exists, though it is rare,” the staff member said.

“What if I cannot soothe someone at that level?” Lara asked.

She did not mind higher ranks. A higher rank usually meant better-looking partners. She worried that the other party might object, though.

“There’s no need to worry,” the staff member said patiently. “After matching, you and your partners will have a three-month bonding period. During this time, if you cannot soothe them or if they don’t wish to form a bond with you, you may apply to the Beast God System to unbind. This arrangement is fair to both parties.”

Lara understood. The Beast God System provided a three-month trial period. If it worked, they stayed together. If not, they parted ways. It was surprisingly humane.

She usually spent her time hunting mutated beasts in the forest, extracting cores, advancing ranks, and earning star credits. She had never paid much attention to these rules.

“I understand,” she said.

The staff member continued, “After successful bonding within three months, you and your partners will receive the Beast God’s blessing. The system will grant you 1 million star credits. At the same time, all assets belonging to your partners will be transferred under your name.”

‘Such benefits existed?’ she thought.

If she matched with a wealthy partner, would that not mean instant riches?

Lara nodded calmly. “Understood.”

The staff member went on, “After bonding, you will have absolute authority over your partners. They will receive your soothing and benefit from the effort you put into helping them advance. In return, they must remain loyal, cherish you, prioritize you in all matters, and contribute to your growth. Betrayal is forbidden. If they harm or betray you, you only need to cut their beast mark, and the Beast God will deliver divine punishment.”

Lara nodded. She already knew this.

With a small smile, the staff member said, “We will begin matching you to your partners. The matching information will be sent to your photon computer in five minutes.

“All partners selected by the Beast God System have clean records. During the first three months, both sides can only see each other’s name, age, and contact information. Other permissions will unlock only after successful bonding.”

That meant no information about identity, profession, or assets would be displayed. Only name and age would be accessible. It felt like opening a mystery box.

Lara found it interesting.

[Ding!]

A notification sounded on her commlink. She opened it, and the message from the Matching Center appeared.

[Ma’am, your nine partners have been successfully matched. The Beast God System will add their commlink accounts to yours.]

The system added them directly.

Lara had only five contacts before this. Four were merchants she dealt with for equipment and mutated beast materials. The last was a neighbor who lived next door to her villa, a woman ten years older who already had twelve partners.

Soon, all nine accounts were added.

Seeing a row of question-mark avatars, Lara’s eyes widened. It turned out that even the avatars were a surprise.

She opened their profiles in the Matching Center lounge.

[Match One, Nick Vale, 28 years old.]

[Match Two, Elias Crowe, 32 years old.]

[Match Three, Julian Ashford, 31 years old.]

[Match Four, Silas Albin, 29 years old.]

[Match Five, Riven Blackflame, 29 years old.]

[Match Six, Marcus Hale, 26 years old.]

[Match Seven, Luke Gold, 30 years old.]

[Match Eight, Caleb Northwind, 33 years old.]

[Match Nine, Drake Abyss, 35 years old.]

Only names, ages, and commlink accounts were displayed.

Lara’s gaze lingered on Drake’s age. He was 35 years old, which was 12 years older than her.

For espers with lifespans exceeding 1,000 years, that was not old at all.

The staff member told her that over the next three months, the nine matches would arrive one after another. She could wait at home or chat with them on her commlink to get to know them.

At the same time, inside an upper-city hospital on Planet F268, Luke asked his assistant, John, with visible stress, “Have you found her?”

John shook his head. “This planet is too large. There are over 20 billion beastkin alone. Female espers in the third rank are rare, but there are still thousands here. Without any information, finding her within a day is extremely difficult.”

Since waking up that morning, Luke had been searching for the female esper who had taken him to the hospital three days ago.

He rubbed his aching temple as frustration filled his golden eyes.

“Why did I forget to ask for her name and commlink account?”

He could not forget the image of that petite female in the night, swiftly digging out beast cores. When she carried him into the hover vehicle, he had been severely injured but conscious. Her faint fragrance had lingered in the air, intoxicating him.

He could not describe the scent, only that it made him crave it more.

He wanted to see her again. He wanted to ask whether she already had a match. If she did, could he become her follower?

He wanted to bond with her. He wanted to protect her for life.

“Keep searching. You must find her,” Luke said firmly.

Female espers could accept followers. As long as a follower signed a blood pact with the female they loved, they could become her partner after five years.

Espers lived long lives. Five years meant nothing.

If it meant becoming her partner, he could even wait 50 years.

[Ding!]

While he was lost in thought, a message sounded on his commlink.

[Luke Gold, the Beast God System has matched you with a matriarch at 4:35 p.m. today. The matriarch’s information and address have been sent to your light brain. Please arrive within three months.

[Failure to comply will result in a fine of 5 million star credits and a 100-year ban on future matching.

[(The same penalty applies if the male applies to unbind.)]

“Why at a time like this?!” Luke stared at the message.

“What happened?” the assistant asked with concern after seeing his expression darken.

This incident had already left Luke severely injured and dropped his rank to the fourth rank. It was a humiliation he could not accept.

“The Beast God System matched me with a matriarch,” Luke said.

His golden eyes flickered, gloom settling in them.

[Lara White, 23 years old, fourth-ranked female esper.]

He did not care whether her name was Lara White or whatever. He only wanted the female who saved him.

Beastkin emotions were pure. Once they fell in love at first sight, even death could not change their devotion.

John froze, then said joyfully, “This is good news! Your mental energy is unstable after such severe injuries. With a matriarch to soothe you, you can recover faster!”

“I already have a matriarch I like,” Luke said.

Having made his decision, he sent Lara’s address to John.

“Handle this. Ask her what she wants in exchange so she’ll voluntarily unbind.”