"The young female won’t have the heart to send him back once she sees the scale of what we’ve prepared."
The elder’s words rang clearly through the cavernous hall, his tone sharp with urgency and anticipation. The very air seed to tighten around them, heavy with expectation. Upon hearing this, Ray Tilian, the Wolf King, finally allowed himself a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Relief flooded his chest so suddenly that his knees nearly weakened beneath him.
"Praise the Beast God," Ray exclaid, his voice thick with gratitude and barely restrained desperation.
For years—far too many years—he had exhausted every possible ans to reach his son. Reasoning, threats, coaxing, even pleading had all failed.
But now... now there was hope. The image of finally delivering Xarion Tilian into the care of his destined female ignited sothing long-dormant in Ray’s heart. It was like spotting a single candle in an endless dark corridor.
He turned sharply, already issuing orders, his movents brisk and decisive. Every second mattered. Xarion had to be prepared, secured, and sent off without delay.
Yet before he could take more than a few steps, the elder cleared his throat nervously and hurried after him.
"Your Majesty... forgive , but have you forgotten?" the elder said carefully. "Prince Xarion has remained inside the crystal coffin ever since he leapt into the sacred lake last month. Though he was retrieved in ti... he has yet to awaken."
Ray froze.
The realization struck him like ice water down his spine.
"Right—he’s still unconscious!" Ray barked, slapping his forehead in frustration. "How could I forget sothing so critical?!"
It suddenly made sense why the young female had been unable to contact Xarion at all. Any other woman would have panicked. She must have been deeply unsettled by the silence.
Ray straightened almost imdiately, his eyes hardening with resolve.
"No matter," he growled. "Have the crystal coffin transported as it is. We send him today—awake or not."
He turned back toward the hall, voice rising with fierce determination. "Double the dowry. No—triple it! Offer her every treasure Frostveil possesses. As long as she doesn’t send my son back, nothing is off the table."
There was no price too steep. Not when it ca to Lex.
***
anwhile, far away at the Interstellar Hunter Alliance headquarters, Rory found herself unexpectedly alone.
With Jasper absent, the rare quiet gave her space to act on a lingering curiosity—one she had carefully suppressed until now.
She retrieved a slender needle from her personal effects, her movents deliberate and cautious. After a brief pause, she pricked her fingertip. A single crimson droplet welled up and fell onto a dark, wooden twig resting on the table.
The twig had been brought back earlier by Burnt Dumpling, seemingly insignificant at first glance.
Days ago, Nix had accidentally knocked over the flowerpot where Rory had planted it. In the process of cleaning up the shattered ceramic and spilled soil, she’d cut her finger. Back then, she hadn’t paid it much attention. She’d simply replanted the twig and gone about her day.
What happened the next morning, however, had left her shaken.
The once pitch-black twig had straightened on its own, its surface shifting into a deep, luminous blue. Tiny green buds had erged along its length, vibrant and alive. By nightfall, one bud unfurled into a crescent-shaped leaf—fresh green, edged with life, a glowing blue vein running through its center like a sacred mark.
Rory’s breath had caught in her throat when she saw it.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
It looked exactly like the leaves of the Crescent Divine Tree—the legendary twin root of the Beast God itself.
Since then, she had spent every spare mont combing through Alliance archives and light-brain records. With each source she cross-referenced, her certainty deepened. This branch was real. Authentic.
A fragnt of the Crescent Divine Tree.
No wonder Burnt Dumpling had guarded it so fiercely.
According to ancient records, the blossoms of that tree possessed miraculous healing properties. No matter how grievous the wound or dire the illness, as long as life still lingered, consuming even a single petal could restore the body completely.
The Empire had long made pilgrimages to Divinar for diluted nectar harvested from the tree, transforming it into dicine that saved countless Dragon Kind lives.
Rory stared at the branch now, heart pounding.
If this was real... the implications were staggering.
***
Elsewhere, inside the lavish guest lounge of Starlight Pri Tech, Mindy Lane sat surrounded by splendor.
Her eyes sparkled as attendants presented one luxury after another—exclusive nutrient fluids coveted by high-ranking females of the Central District, rare jewels gleaming with impossible clarity, advanced storage bands embedded with cutting-edge tech, and countless other treasures she had once only dared to imagine owning.
Her male companions stood nearby, equally stunned.
The sheer value of the gifts was astronomical—tens of billions of star coins, nearly rivaling Mindy’s entire accumulated fortune.
"Female Master Mindy," one of them asked hesitantly, awe thick in his voice, "all of this... it’s truly from the founder of Starlight Pri Tech?"
Mindy slipped one of the storage bands onto her wrist, admiring how effortlessly it synced to her light-brain. Pride curved her lips into a satisfied smile.
"Of course," she replied coolly. "I was reborn through the Beast God’s Divine Fla. I’m destined to beco a high-tier Etherian. Powerful males are already lining up—why wouldn’t he try to impress too?"
Since arriving in the Central District, she had mingled with elites—Rank 7s, Rank 8s, even the occasional Rank 9 noble. What once felt like an unreachable fantasy was now her daily reality.
And the mysterious founder of Starlight Pri Tech?
He wasn’t rely wealthy. He was the Empire’s golden benefactor.
"They say males of the Blood Moon Fox clan are masters of charm," Mindy mused aloud, a smug glint flashing in her eyes. "It seems the rumors are true."
She was already planning her next move.
Once she t him, she would mark him first—claiming him as a follower, then securing him as a mate. Wealth, power, influence... who wouldn’t want the richest man in the Empire bound to them?
"Female Master Mindy Lane," a smooth, lodic voice interrupted, carrying a warmth that sent a shiver down her spine. "My apologies for keeping you waiting."
She looked up.
Dax stepped into the room, his Blood Moon fox mask catching the light. His tall, refined silhouette radiated elegance and quiet confidence. Even without seeing his face, his presence alone was captivating.
They say every Blood Moon Fox is handso, she thought, heart fluttering. If his voice is this intoxicating, his looks must be devastating.
For the first ti in a long while, genuine nervousness crept into her chest.
Smiling sweetly, she t his gaze. "I didn’t wait long at all. Thank you for these gifts—I adore them."
Dax’s eyes swept over the glittering hoard, clearly unimpressed by the material value. Yet behind the mask, his foxlike gaze curved subtly, as though he were pleased all the sa.
The ga had begun.
User Comments
0 comments from readers