Dax moved closer to Rory and gently hooked one finger around hers, the gesture subtle yet firm, as if grounding both of them and promising that everything would be alright. His voice lowered, steady and sincere as he said, "Don’t worry, Female Master, I’ll protect you too."
As a Rank Eight male of the powerful Blood Moon lineage, he would never allow his huntress to suffer even the smallest injury. That was not pride speaking—it was an inborn instinct, carved into his very bones.
Seeing that he had fully regained his composure, Rory turned to him and offered a faint smile. She nodded once, her trust sincere and reassuring. "I believe you."
This was not the mont for anyone to hesitate. On a battlefield, a single lapse could cost lives—and if soone had to bear the consequences, it would inevitably fall on her.
But she was ready for that.
Not long after, another team arrived. Three male Etherians stepped out of their vehicle: two at mid–Rank Seven and one already at late Rank Seven. They were acquaintances of Gina’s mate and mbers of the Interstellar Hunter Alliance, seasoned and clearly very competent.
Mindy Lane, ever obsessed with strength and status, spotted them imdiately, a wide grin stretching her pink lips. Her eyes lit up as she dragged her mate over, eager to ingratiate herself with those she deed worthy. Within minutes, animated conversation broke out on her side.
I can see why males can be drawn to soone like her, Rory thought to herself without any bitterness. She is very sociable.
Five minutes later, preparations were complete. Everyone climbed into their respective Gravicars, engines humming to life as the convoy prepared to depart for the mission.
Dax’s gaze drifted toward the Gravicar Rory summoned, frowning. The vehicle was battered, its exterior scarred with old marks of damage and wear. His lips twitched despite himself.
"Female Master," he said carefully, "you’re really planning to drive... this?"
Hadn’t this model been phased out ages ago across the interstellar zones? He was surprised it even worked.
Rory rely nodded, unfazed. "Relax. I fixed and modified it. The speed is fine."
She didn’t bother ntioning the aggressive bounce, though. Let it be a pleasant surprise.
Dax fell silent for a mont.
Fine. After what she had done earlier—standing in front of him without hesitation—he would make sure this situation never repeated itself. Once they returned from this hunt, he’d buy her the newest Gravicar from Starlight Pri Tech, the kind that rivaled warships in performance.
For a low-tier Etherian huntress, safety mattered more than appearances. He should probably secure a few advanced tactical chs too.
After the mission, he’d drop by Nix’s place. That man always had access to top-tier equipnt.
The mont Dax buckled in, the Gravicar shot forward like a bullet, tearing through the air and leaving behind a streak of white smoke.
As expected, it was fast—absurdly so. Unfortunately, it jolted violently, like an amusent-park ride designed for reckless children.
"Female Master—s-slow down... p-please!" Dax clutched his stomach, face pale as the relentless shaking assaulted his equilibrium.
Rory eased up slightly, then reached her hand into her pocket and tossed him a small vial. "Drink this. It’s a motion-sickness potion. You’ll be fine in no ti."
Dax stared at the cheap-looking vial in his hand, his mouth twitching again. He usually traveled by private starrail and had never once experienced carsickness in his life. dication had never been necessary.
Still, with no better alternative, he swallowed it down in one big gulp. The taste was horrible—but at least the nausea faded surprisingly quickly.
Once he recovered, he finally asked, confusion edging into his tone. "Female Master, you received all those star coins from Paros. Why are you still using... trashy things like this?"
How did a female end up living rougher than a male? It was unacceptable.
"I just haven’t had ti," Rory replied calmly with a dismissive shrug. It wasn’t exactly a lie. She hadn’t touched this old gear in ages—back when she’d been broke and had no other options.
Dax huffed silently. Whatever. He’d replace all of it when they got back—every last piece. Her combat suit alone was bottom-tier. Completely unacceptable.
While Rory focused on steering, Dax opened his light-brain and began browsing high-end equipnt.
This one. That one. And this too.
He tapped Pay without hesitation, completely forgetting his earlier vow not to spend a single star coin on her.
Rory noticed nothing.
Their destination lay far ahead. After an entire day of flight, they finally arrived at their target zone—Veridan City’s northern forest, an area dense with rare herbs. Rory had been here before. The forest was infamous: beasts lurked everywhere, carnivorous plants lay in wait, and toxic herbs saturated the soil.
Once they landed, Rory and Dax stepped out. After storing the Gravicar, she pulled out two detox potions and handed one to him.
"I’ve been here before. There are a lot of poisonous herbs inside. Drink this before we go in."
Dax accepted it. With his Rank Eight strength, ordinary toxins posed no real threat—but he drank it anyway. If it was sothing Rory prepared for him, he wouldn’t refuse, bitter taste or not.
When he finished, Rory handed him a pair of night-vision glasses.
"So areas distort vision. You’ll need these to see clearly."
The forest ahead was pitch-black and unnervingly silent.
Dax put the glasses on without complaint.
Gina and her team had arrived earlier and were already scanning the area for nearby beast packs. By the ti Rory and Dax joined them, Gina’s mate had finished tuning the detection device.
Mindy shot Rory a disdainful glance and deliberately kept her distance. For Gina’s sake, she kept her mouth shut—but there was no chance she’d cover for a "useless" female.
Rory ignored the petty attitude entirely and led Dax toward Gina.
"Gina," she asked calmly, "did you bring detox potions and night-vision gear?"
Gina smiled and nodded.
"Of course. We’re fully prepared. Don’t worry."
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