Chapter 7

“Really?”

The Grand Elder, who was more than 600 years old, practically bounced on the spot from sheer joy at Drake’s answer.

“That’s wonderful! That means Lara’s soothing is effective for you, my lord.”

As he spoke, the Grand Elder immediately opened his photon computer and transferred 50 million star credits to Lara.

“Thank you, Beast God, for guiding my lord to the matriarch who can soothe him.”

…

Upstairs, Lara returned to her bedroom. She did not have the strength to make breakfast, so she took out a nutrient agent and drank it, then climbed into bed and fell asleep.

Because her mental energy had been overused, she slept deeply.

Her photon computer rang several times, but she did not hear any of it.

…

Beyond the domain, on an unknown barren planet, Elias’ violet eyes locked onto the signal icon on his photon computer as it flickered out again.

His brows were knitted in frustration.

He had been on this desolate planet for a full month, hunting an eighth-ranked mutated beast.

This damned place had almost no signal at all. Even when he stumbled into a spot that could receive a connection, it lasted only a few seconds.

Today, he had finally found a signal long enough for him to see the notifications and reminders sent by the Matching Center’s Beast God System.

Because cold-blooded beastkin had terrifying beast forms, female espers disliked them. Many cold-blooded beastkin got unbound the moment their matriarch learned what they were.

It was hard for a cold-blooded beastkin to be accepted by a matriarch.

So after matching, they usually rushed to their matriarch immediately and tried their hardest to perform well so she would keep them.

But what about him?

Three days had passed since the match.

Not only had he failed to go meet his matriarch, but he had not sent her a single message.

It was over. She must be very angry at him.

While there was still a signal, Elias stared at Lara’s contact info and hurriedly started a light-projection video call.

[Beep…]

[Beep…]

It rang several times, but nobody answered.

Elias panicked.

It was really over for him.

His matriarch must be furious.

He tried to call again, but the signal vanished.

Elias was speechless.

He jumped up from the treetop and dropped down fast.

To his companions, who were still searching for the eighth-ranked mutated beast, he said, “Mission paused. Pack up. We’re heading back in an hour.”

Traveling to her planet from this barren planet would take at least twenty days.

Cold-blooded beastkin were already not welcome. Would his matriarch still want him by then?

…

Lara slept all through the next morning. She finally woke up.

With her mental energy restored, she felt full of energy again. She felt refreshed and lively.

She got up, washed up, and changed her clothes.

Before heading downstairs, she opened her photon computer and checked it. Her previously quiet list of matches had finally stirred into action.

Aside from Nick, who kept finding new ways to ask her for money, there was someone else.

Elias had actually called her with a light-projection video.

She had just slept too deeply to hear it.

Nine matches…

One had already unbound and was gone from her contacts.

Another had turned into a paid arrangement.

And one kept trying to wring star credits out of her.

Surely, the fourth could not possibly be weirder than the rest.

Staring at the three missed light-projection calls, Lara hesitated, then called him back.

The next second, a system prompt appeared:

[Photon computer reminder: The account you dialed is currently out of service range.]

Lara was at a loss for words.

The photon computer network covered more than ten thousand planets across the interstellar empire, yet this guy was out of service range!

Was he beyond the domain?

That was an absurd distance.

It was no wonder he had not contacted her at all.

She probably would not be able to reach him anytime soon.

When she closed Elias’ chat window, Lara saw Nick’s messages.

[Matriarch, I miss you so much.]

[I really want to see you soon, but I have no star credits on me, so I cannot take the Star Rail to see you.]

[I feel so heartbroken.]

Then, a few seconds later, there was another barrage of messages.

[Matriarch, why are you not replying? Don’t you like me anymore?]

[Matriarch, I thought of a good way to earn star credits. I am going to the Dark Forest south of Central Star to hunt mutated beasts.]

[Once I kill mutated beasts and earn enough star credits, I can come see you.]

[Matriarch, just wait for me!]

After that, Nick waited more than ten hours before sending another message.

Nick had uploaded a picture of a third-ranked mutated beast.

[Matriarch, look! I killed it!]

[But I am injured right now. I cannot handle high-ranked mutated beasts, so I hunt only third-ranked ones.]

[Matriarch, wait for me. If I kill a few more third-ranked mutated beasts, I can finally come see you!]

There were more messages this morning from him with two more pictures.

The background was a hospital ward.

It was a selfie of him sitting on the hospital bed with his injury.

Lara stared at the 6D light-projection image. It was so lifelike it felt as if Nick were right in front of her.

The man had long white hair and wore a loose white hospital gown. He leaned against the bed with a pale face.

Two shallow blood streaks ran across his strikingly beautiful face. Those foxlike crimson eyes shimmered with wetness. He looked vulnerable and weak.

His white hair fell messily over the gown, and the red at the tips of his hair looked like blood. The thin strands only made him seem more vulnerable and worn down.

He was truly beautiful.

He was so pretty that he blurred the lines between the two genders, but he was not feminine in the slightest in his presence.

If he was not trying to swindle her and if those eyes did not look cunning and calculating, who knew what would have happened?

Lara would have fallen for him at first sight.

Star credits were just fleeting. She would have given him whatever he wanted.

Unfortunately, his acting was terrible. Lara had been injured too many times. One glance and she knew he was faking it.

Sometimes, Lara hated herself for being too clear-headed.

But she hated being lied to.

After sending the photos, Nick waited, but he did not get a reply. So, he messaged her again.

[Matriarch, don’t worry about me.]

[Last night, when I was hunting mutated beasts, I was impulsive. That’s why I got hurt.]

[Thankfully, someone saved me and brought me here. The hospital already treated me. I’ll be discharged soon.]

[But all the star credits I earned this time went for the hospital fees, so I still can’t come to see you.]

[Matriarch… what should I do?]

Not even a single line from him mentioned money explicitly, but every word begged for it.

Lara pretended she did not understand the implications of his words.

She messaged him.

[How did you get hurt so badly? I feel awful for you.]

[You don’t have to rush to come see me. Since the Beast God already made you my match, we’ll meet sooner or later.]

[Focus on recovering for now. Come to me after you’re healed. Don’t worry. I won’t unbind from you just because you come here a little late to meet me. It’s alright.]

Since he refused to be honest about it, she would play along.

Either way, she would not be the one who would lose.