Jasper had actually advanced.
Yuel had just stepped out of the conference room—finally alive and free from endless reports—when he saw Nix’s ssage. His eyes lit up instantly.
Yuel: [Jasper advanced? How did that happen so suddenly?]
He had estimated it would take at least another two months.
Nix replied imdiately: [A Rank Ten beast suddenly appeared in the forest tonight. Jasper broke through during the fight.]
The mont they read that, both Vincent and Yuel’s expressions changed.
Vincent: [How could a Rank Ten beast appear on A3?]
The closer a planet was to the Central District, the more females resided there. To ensure their safety, the Empire had long since cleared out all beasts above Rank Eight from those planets.
Nix: [I don’t know. It just appeared out of nowhere.]
Yuel: [I’ll have soone investigate imdiately. @Nix, make sure Xarion stays close to Rory.]
Nix: [I will.]
After discussing the Rank Ten beast, Vincent suddenly asked:
Vincent: [Nix, why didn’t you add Xarion to the group?]
The reason was simple.
Nix: [Xarion doesn’t compete for favor. Does he need to be here?]
Xarion was different from the rest of them.
They intended to stay with Rory for life.
Xarion... only wanted to die.
Vincent: [Add him anyway.]
After all, they were all Rory’s people. It wouldn’t be appropriate to exclude him.
Nix promptly pulled Xarion into the group.
Xarion: [?]
Why had he suddenly been added to a new chat?
Before anyone could explain, Nix eagerly tagged Yuel.
Nix: [@Yuel Once Jasper wakes up, we can finally bond with Rory.]
[I’m second in line. Yuel, hurry and teach —what should I do during the bonding to make Rory satisfied?]
Vincent stared at the screen in silence.
Was that... sothing that could even be taught?
He didn’t type anything, but he was clearly waiting. He also wanted to see how Yuel would answer.
They waited.
And waited.
But Yuel didn’t respond in the group at all.
Vincent leaned back in his office chair, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingers.
"Did Yuel take this to a private chat with Nix?"
***
anwhile, inside the rest cabin on A3.
Xarion was lying in his ice crystal coffin, also waiting for Yuel’s reply.
He waited so long his eyelids began to droop.
Still nothing.
In the cabin’s living area, a pale-blue lion-tiger beast lay sprawled across the sofa, small claws rapidly tapping against his light-brain.
Beside him lay a tiny pink rabbit, its round eyes fixed unblinkingly on the screen.
Silent as a shadow, Xarion approached and looked down at Nix’s light-brain.
Yuel: [Bonding isn’t sothing you’ll necessarily understand just because I explain it.]
[I’ll recomnd two books. Read them yourself.]
A second later, he sent over two links.
Xarion, who had silently approached behind the sofa, took out two Rank Ten insect cores and held them out toward Nix.
"Send them to ."
Nix nearly jumped out of his fur.
"Xarion?! Weren’t you outside lying in your crystal coffin? When did you co in?"
"Just now," Xarion replied calmly, pushing the insect cores closer. "Send the links."
Nix: "..."
So he had been spying on his chat with Yuel?
He was annoyed—but couldn’t win in a fight.
With a huff, he snatched the insect cores and quickly forwarded the links.
"Fine. But don’t tell Yuel I sent them to you. He specifically said not to spread them around."
Xarion nodded. "I won’t."
Once he received the links, he quietly left the rest cabin.
What Nix didn’t notice was that while he and Xarion were talking, the pink rabbit lying beside him had sneakily morized the two book titles on his screen.
Aren slipped off the sofa and crept into a corner, quietly opening his own light-brain. Within monts, he found the sa two books Yuel had recomnded.
Nix was already engrossed in reading and paid him no attention.
Aren opened one of them.
After only a few pages, his eyes widened in shock.
"So that cunning commander reads this sort of thing in private?"
He truly hadn’t expected it.
So knowledge, it seed, one would never discover without studying.
...It could actually be done like that?
His ears flushed faintly pink.
How... stimulating.
***
Inside the bedroom, Rory slept beside Jasper, completely unaware of the chaos of late-night research happening outside.
Jasper didn’t wake all night.
Rory stirred several tis to check his breathing. Each ti she confird it was steady, she allowed herself to drift back to sleep.
It wasn’t until morning that she was jolted awake by Lola Brandon’s excited voice.
"Sister! Are you up yet? Co out quickly—look what I brought back!"
Lola and her companions had hunted on the other side of the forest the previous night and had no idea what had happened here.
Rory stepped out of the rest cabin to find Lola standing outside, beaming, holding a large bundle of bright red fruit.
"What kind of wild fruit is that?" Rory asked.
The fruit was round and plump, about the size of apples, glowing with a tempting sheen.
They looked delicious.
Then she noticed sothing else.
"Lola... you advanced?"
Lola nodded happily. "I ran into a pack of beasts last night and fought until dawn. I finally broke through."
She thrust the fruit into Rory’s hands. "I found these on the way back. I tried one—it’s incredibly sweet."
She had tested them for toxins before eating, just in case. "Sis, hurry and taste one! I picked almost all of them."
Rory laughed. "Wait here. I’ll make breakfast for us."
She turned the fruit into a fresh fruit salad and pressed so into juice. She ward bread she had prepared earlier and brought out homade peanut paste and fruit jam.
Soon she returned with a tray of breakfast.
She had prepared only for herself and Lola; the others could make their own. The ingredients were laid out, and Nix had already shown them the basics.
"Wow, this is amazing!" Lola exclaid, biting into bread thickly spread with peanut paste. "This is my favorite!"
Rory smiled.
She had always wanted to make chocolate spread—but in all her years in the interstellar era, she had never found the raw materials to make chocolate.
"And this jam is delicious too!"
They ate happily together.
Nearby, Nix stood with two thick dark circles under his eyes, half-recalling the book’s contents while simultaneously teaching Lola’s companions how to prepare breakfast.
In the corner, Xarion lay in his crystal coffin.
He hadn’t slept at all.
He had finished both books overnight—but certain sections left him puzzled.
His handso brows were drawn together in confusion.
"Is that really possible?"
Wouldn’t it... break?
Just then, Cotton Candy suddenly darted out of the rest cabin and ran to Rory, rubbing his head against her calf.
"Cotton Candy, you’re awake."
Rory bent and scooped him up, showing him to Lola.
"Look at this little rabbit I found yesterday. His na is Cotton Candy. I’m taking him ho as a pet."
Lola’s eyes sparkled.
"What breed is that? It’s too cute! Where did you find it? I want one too!"
She reached forward eagerly.
Aren sensed he had inadvertently chard her as well.
Before she could do anything excessive, he wriggled free from Rory’s arms and bolted—straight toward Xarion’s crystal coffin.
Rank Eleven Xarion was the safest place to hide.
Xarion, still contemplating certain... techniques... from the books, looked down when the rabbit hopped in.
He casually reached out and grabbed it.
"Perfect timing."
Cotton Candy froze.
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