Sluice. App Store research for builders.

SecretRomance-cloudn17

Started 1d ago

Chapter 1 Call Off the Engagement "Violette, even if I die or get exiled to the Wasteland, I'll never bond with you," Walter Wade barked. Violette Yates was still getting her bearings when she heard those words. She stayed quiet. Walter was the original Violette's fiancé. The original Violette was a female from Planet X-92. With a male-to-female ratio of 100,000 to 1, she'd basically been the center of attention everywhere she went. Females were so rare that the Federation had even set up the Federal Marriage Bureau just to find males good enough for them. Violette and Walter hadn't been matched by the Bureau, though. Their mothers had arranged a childhood betrothal years ago. In a Interstellar Realm where females were scarce, most males would kill just to get noticed by one. But Walter never had that problem. He'd been matched with Violette since they were kids. It was too bad that he never realized how lucky he was. Instead, he kept whining that Violette was ruining his shot at true love, making a fuss all the time about breaking off their engagement. The Federal Marriage Bureau was totally biased toward females. As long as Violette didn't agree, the engagement was locked. So the only thing Walter could do was show up now and then, pestering her to let him out of it. Girls here were spoiled from birth, and the original Violette had cruised through her twenty-plus years without ever meeting a guy who dared defy her. She thought Walter wasn't like those flashy, desperate men out there. To keep him from leaving, she'd even promised that he'd be her one and only partner. 'Violette is out of her mind,' the new Violette thought. 'Giving up a whole galaxy of eligible bachelors just to cling to this man.' 'Violette, you are so stupid,' Violette muttered to herself internally. Then she finally opened her eyes to get a look at the guy the original Violette had found so special. After giving him a glance, she rolled her eyes. Walter wasn't ugly, maybe even a notch above average, and he had a top-tier physique. But that wasn't saying much. A killer body was basically a required skill for any male hoping to impress a female in the Federation, and it was the main subject at Interstellar Male Academy. So Walter didn't stand out physically, and his looks were nothing compared to the top-tier guys Violette remembered. Not only did he not appreciate his luck, but he even had the nerve to act like he was too good for her. Violette just didn't get it. She tilted her head and asked, "Walter, are you seriously crazy?" Single guys were a dime a dozen in the Federation. He was just another Average Joe, yet here he was thinking he was some rare gem. Walter had no idea why Violette had snapped at him, but he could tell he'd just been roasted. Priding himself on being a gentleman, he didn't bother arguing. Instead, he pressed on, "You'd better hurry up and apply to break off the engagement with the Federal Marriage Bureau. Otherwise, even if you get my body, you'll never have my heart." Violette was speechless. She let out a short laugh, half in disbelief, half in annoyance, and pulled out her NeuroPad right in front of him. "Alright, since you're begging me so earnestly, I'm okay with calling off the engagement." Walter was about to say something else. But when he heard Violette's words, he froze. He was totally stunned. Every other time he'd tried to break it off, Violette had shot him down. She'd even promised to make him her one and only partner, just to keep him around. He'd heard it all so many times. He honestly couldn't figure out why Violette was so obsessed with him. Before coming over today, he'd braced himself for another rejection. He'd even prepared a whole list of arguments. But now, before he could get a single word out, Violette had just agreed. Walter stood there, stunned, staring at Violette, completely at a loss. It wasn't until his NeuroPad pinged on his wrist that he snapped back to reality. A holographic screen materialized in front of his eyes. [Federal Marriage Bureau: Walter Wade, your engagement to Ms. Violette Yates has been unilaterally terminated.] That short message was the one Walter had been trying to get for years, but it always slipped through his fingers. And now, just like that, it had finally happened. He was completely stunned. On Violette's end, it hadn't even been two minutes since she submitted her request before the Federal Marriage Bureau replied with three messages in a row. Federal Marriage Bureau: [Dear Ms. Violette Yates, your engagement has been successfully terminated. You are now single.] [Dear Ms. Violette Yates, there are plenty of eligible men in the Federation. Lose one, and there's always another lined up. Don't let some guy with zero taste mess with your mood.] [Dear Ms. Violette Yates, just say the word and we'll match you with a brand new partner anytime you want.] Violette let out a laugh. The Federal Marriage Bureau was laying it on thick—almost embarrassingly so—just to keep her happy. She'd just called off her engagement, and they were already offering to set her up with someone new. Clearly, they had so many single guys on their hands that it was giving them a headache. Honestly, the whole matching process sounded pretty entertaining. Violette was about to check it out when she noticed Walter staring at her like she'd grown a second head. She rolled her eyes and ordered, "NO.1, show him out." The robot butler, which had been waiting quietly in the corner, immediately sprang into action. It escorted Walter out of Violette's villa and closed the door behind him. Violette settled back on the couch, feeling pretty pleased with herself, and started looking into how the matchmaking actually worked. The Federation ran on a polyandrous marriage system. If a girl wanted, the Marriage Bureau would immediately start lining up suitable partners for her. She could have as few as two or three, or as many as she wanted. Literally, there was no cap. Violette's eyes went wide. 'No cap? Wait. Does that really mean what I think it means?' She sucked in a breath. 'Man, the original Violette really didn't know how good she had it. What a waste.' Curious, Violette started poking around the holographic screen, digging for more information. Partner matchmaking was all about genetic compatibility. The Federal Marriage Bureau always lined up the Shifter with the highest genetic match first. After that, they'd check other factors, including age, looks, and even grades from the academy. If a male was too old, too ugly, or clueless about how to treat a female right, the Marriage Bureau would toss him straight into the reject pile. No way was a rare female settling for anything less than the best. "This is actually pretty interesting," Violette mused. After she turned eighteen, her mother had gone off on a Federation tour with her eight partners, leaving Violette with the whole place to herself. The Federation always made sure every female got the best digs. Violette's villa was five stories tall, each floor massive. It was pure luxury. 'Living alone in a place this huge just feels off,' Violette thought. 'Not that I'm about to admit I'm curious about this whole polyandry thing, though.' She couldn't help but get a little excited. She opened the Federal Marriage Bureau's website and started submitting her information for a match. [Name: Violette Yates] [Age: 21] [Gender: Female] [Marital Status: Single] As for her genetic information, her NeuroPad uploaded everything automatically. Violette didn't even have to lift a finger. Then Violette spotted something funny. The marital status field didn't just have "single." It also had "married." It meant that even if a girl was already married, if she wanted more partners, she could just apply for them. 'Man, the Federation really goes all out for its females,' Violette thought. 'After reading so many reverse harem and polyandry stories in my previous life, I finally get to be the star of my own for once.' Chapter 2 S Rank Mental Aptitude The Federal Marriage Bureau's official website was open to everyone. People could see all the profiles up for matching. The moment Violette's profile went live, before the staff could even react, the swarm of single males camping on Starnet for a chance at a female totally lost their minds. [Wake up, guys. Someone big just dropped their matching profile.] [Ms. Violette Yates, 21 years old, single, zero partners so far. Damn, is this for real? I'm applying right now. God bless me. Let me be one of Ms. Violette Yates's partners.] [Ms. Yates, are you on Starnet? Check me out. I'm 22, no bad habits, B-rank Shifter, and I've got over a million Star Credits stashed.] [Get outta here. You call that pocket change? Ms. Yates, look at me. I'm A-rank Shifter, and I've got over five million Star Credits to my name.] Violette was scrolling through Starnet when she stumbled across the word "Shifter." She quickly dug into the memories she'd inherited from the original Violette. This world was pretty much like those interstellar novels she used to read. Males could beast out and wield crazy abilities, making them the main force fighting the Insectoids. But every time they used their abilities, it built up corruption. Once a guy's Corruption Point hit 100, he'd go full beast mode and be totally mindless. Females couldn't beast out, but they had powerful Mental Aptitude that could purge corruption from the males. Super-talented females could awaken abilities, too, but the chance of that happening was less than one in ten thousand. Abilities, just like Mental Aptitude, were ranked F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. Anything below F meant that people basically had no ability or Mental Aptitude. And as for anything above SSS, in the Federation's three-thousand-year history, that had never happened. Violette tried to recall what the original Violette's Mental Aptitude rank was, only to realize that she'd wasted all her time pining after Walter and never even bothered to get tested. 'For real, what was so special about that loser?' she griped, totally not getting it. Just then, her NeuroPad buzzed. It was a message from the Federal Marriage Bureau: [Ms. Violette Yates, did you forget to fill in your Mental Aptitude rank?] Violette hesitated for a bit before replying: [I've never actually had it tested. How do I even do that?] The staff member handling notifications was honestly floored. In the Federation, females usually awakened their Mental Aptitude once they hit adulthood, so most parents would take their daughters to the Mental Aptitude Center for testing as soon as they came of age. Violette was already 21. Not only was this her first time looking for partners, but she'd never even had her Mental Aptitude checked. 'Wait, could Ms. Violette Yates actually be an orphan or something?' the staff member thought, a bit bewildered. He snapped out of it, quickly messaged the Federation Female Protection Center, and then replied to Violette: [Ms. Violette Yates, if it's convenient for you, we can send someone to escort you to the Mental Aptitude Center.] Violette replied: [Thanks.] As soon as the staff member saw her message, he reached out to the Planet X-92 branch. In less than fifteen minutes, a luxury starship, which was as fast as light, pulled up right outside Violette's villa. A line of tall, imposing guys stepped out of the ship. As they stared at the villa door, nerves started to get the better of them. "I don't dare knock," one of the guys muttered. "Me neither," another added quickly. "Don't look at me. I've barely said three words to ladies in my whole life," a third guy whined. The group kept nudging each other, but no one was brave enough to actually go up and knock. It was the robot butler who finally notified Violette. She turned off her holographic screen, and the butler gently hoisted her up onto its shoulder before heading to open the door. Federation robot butlers were programmed so a lady never had to lift a finger. In her previous life, Violette had been just about five feet tall, but these robot butlers all stood at six-foot-one. It was her first time seeing the world from so high up. She got used to it pretty fast, though. As soon as the robot butler opened the door, she greeted the men outside, "Hello, are you with the Federal Marriage Bureau?" To the males standing outside, when the villa's grand doors swung open, a breathtakingly beautiful female suddenly appeared in their line of sight out of nowhere, perched on the robot butler's shoulder. They were stunned. They stared at Violette in a daze, faces flushing red. 'Oh my god. This gorgeous female is actually talking to us,' each of them thought, totally overwhelmed. When nobody answered, Violette cocked her head to the side. "Hello?" she called out. The line of guys snapped back to reality, realizing they'd totally spaced and left her hanging. The leader mentally cursed himself, scrambled to compose himself, and quickly replied, "Yes, Ms. Violette Yates, we're staff from the Planet X-92 Marriage Bureau. We're here to escort you to the X-92 Mental Aptitude Center." Violette blinked in surprise, thinking, 'All this just to get my Mental Aptitude checked? Ten dudes, all at least six-foot-three and not bad-looking, just to escort me? Federation girls really have it way too good.' She gave the robot butler a pat on the head, signaling for it to set her down. Then she turned to the group and said, "Thanks for going out of your way." "You're welcome," the ten guys all chimed in, and then escorted Violette onto the starship. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the X-92 Mental Aptitude Center. The Mental Aptitude Center had already gotten the heads-up. As soon as Violette stepped off the starship, she spotted ten tall, handsome guys waiting at the entrance, clearly there just for her. "Ms. Violette Yates, please follow us to the testing room," one of them said. Violette nodded and followed the ten guys inside. The Mental Aptitude Center was truly the Federation's pride and joy, decked out in pure luxury. Every testing room sprawled across almost a thousand square feet. Violette couldn't help but notice just how much the Federation pampered its ladies. All she had to do was sit back in the testing room, sip the fruit juice brought by the staff member, and let the scanners do their thing. Not only would they check her Mental Aptitude rank, but they'd also run a full checkup at the same time. She didn't have to lift a finger the whole way through. Once the test was over, the same ten men came to escort her. "Ms. Violette Yates, your results will be sent to your NeuroPad in ten minutes. Do you have any other requests?" one of them inquired politely. 'Ten minutes? That's way faster than any checkup result I ever got in my previous life. The interstellar world really is on another level,' Violette marveled inwardly. She shook her head. "No. I don't need anything else. Please just take me back home." "Of course," the ten men responded in unison. With a grand procession, they escorted her out of the Mental Aptitude Center and onto the center's starship. Not far off, by the Marriage Bureau's starship, ten guys stared in shock. "Damn, the Mental Aptitude Center totally played us. We were the ones who brought Ms. Yates here, and they just snatched her away." "What a bunch of schemers, seriously shameless," another guy snorted. "We should've just followed Ms. Yates inside," a third guy groaned. While the ten guys were still fuming, the Mental Aptitude Center's starship was already long gone. Both starships were lightning fast, so by the time Violette got back to her villa and settled in, the Mental Aptitude test results still hadn't come in. She scrolled through Starnet for a bit longer before finally getting three messages from the Mental Aptitude Center. X-92 Mental Aptitude Center: [Ms. Violette Yates, your Mental Aptitude rank is S, and your physical condition is excellent.] [Ms. Violette Yates, congratulations. You are now the third female in the Federation with S-rank Mental Aptitude. We are truly thrilled for you.] [Ms. Violette Yates, the Planet X-92 Marriage Bureau is full of brutes. If you need help finding partners, Mental Aptitude Center can handle it for you.] Chapter 3 Five Partners Violette couldn't help but laugh when she saw the messages. The Mental Aptitude Center was throwing shade so hard that they weren't even trying to hide it. She replied: [Thanks, but I'm good.] After that, she opened up the Federal Marriage Bureau's website again, ready to enter her Mental Aptitude level. But before she could even get started, she saw that the Mental Aptitude field in her match profile had already been filled in with "S-Rank" in an eye-searing, gaudy gold font. At the same time, a hashtag shot straight to the top of Starnet's trending list: "Ms. Violette Yates, the Federation's third S-Rank Mental Aptitude user." Violette scrolled through the comments to see what everyone was saying. [Wait, Ms. Yates is only 21 and already S-Rank in Mental Aptitude?] [How is someone like her still single? Seriously, please let me be her partner. If that's too much to ask, I'll even settle for being her kept man.] [I second that.] [And me.] In this galaxy where women were rare, and guys were everywhere, nobody would even blink if a lady wanted to keep a whole lineup of boyfriends or husbands. And with Violette being the Federation's third S-Rank Mental Aptitude user, the scramble to win her favor was absolutely wild. Almost instantly, the Federal Marriage Bureau's website was flooded with tens of thousands of match requests. The staff member took it super seriously. An S-Rank Mental Aptitude holder like Violette was a national treasure. Her future partners had to be cherry-picked from the absolute best. Genetic Compatibility was the first thing on the list. But that was just the beginning. If the Shifter's ability wasn't S-Rank, he was out. He couldn't even hope to protect Violette. Age was another deal-breaker. If the male was too old and there'd be a generation gap. The Shifter must had been six-foot-one high, or else it'd be embarrassing for Violette to take him out. And he had to be eye candy so Violette would be happy looking at him. After all those rounds of screening, the Federal Marriage Bureau finally narrowed it down to five outstanding Shifters and sent Violette the complete dossiers on all of them. Federal Marriage Bureau: [Ms. Violette Yates, here are the profiles of your five partners. If you have no objections, we'll get the marriage contracts rolling for you and these five.] 'That was insanely fast,' Violette thought as she checked the time. It had barely been an hour since she got home. 'Galaxia efficiency really is next-level.' She tapped the holographic screen and pulled up the profiles from the Federal Marriage Bureau. There were five in total, each packed with every bit of information about the Shifters, including their graduation pictures and casual photos from everyday life. Violette skimmed through the profiles, and honestly, these five guys made Walter look pretty average by comparison. Not even counting the genetic compatibility, which was all above 95%, they were in a whole different league. On top of that, all five were drop-dead gorgeous, with the kind of bodies she loved. Every single one had rock-hard eight-pack abs, their abilities were all S-Rank, and their family backgrounds were nothing short of impressive. Violette didn't even hesitate and replied: [No objections. Go ahead and set up the marriage contracts.] As soon as the Federal Marriage Bureau got her reply, they jumped into action. Ten minutes later, the five outstanding Shifters scattered across the Federation all received the same message. Federal Marriage Bureau: [Mason Quinn, your match request has been approved. Congratulations on your engagement to Ms. Violette Yates. Make sure to head over to her side as soon as you can. [And remember: protecting females is the number one mission for every male in the Federation. Best wishes on your new marriage.] Mason Quinn had just finished a tough training session when he saw the message. He was totally confused. 'Match request? Since when did I ever submit one?' he wondered, scratching his head. Then it hit him. He opened up his contacts and sent his father, Warren Quinn, a message: [Did you submit a match request for me?] Warren took a while to reply. [How did you know? Wait. Don't tell me you actually got matched with Ms. Violette Yates?] Mason just forwarded the Federal Marriage Bureau's notification to his father. Warren: [Holy crap. Kiddo, you seriously lucked out. That's an S-Rank Mental Aptitude user we're talking about. You hit the jackpot. I gotta go tell your mom right now. And you? Forget about training. Come home and start packing. You're about to get married.] Mason was speechless. 'Did anyone even bother to ask what I think?' he sighed. 'I don't even know what this Ms. Violette Yates looks like.' Just then, it hit him that the Bureau did send over Violette's profile. Mason wiped the sweat from his forehead after that intense training session and pulled up the file they'd attached. Besides the basic information, there were also some recent snapshots of Violette. Maybe it was that insane 96% genetic compatibility, or maybe the photo was just so vivid, but for a split second, Mason could actually hear his own heart pounding. He'd never seen a woman this gorgeous before. 'She's going to be my future lady,' he thought. Something deep inside him was hit hard. He quickly shut off the holographic screen, popped open his Space Capsule, hopped in for a shower and a change of clothes, and then headed straight to his boss to request marriage leave. ***** Meanwhile, on Planet X-35 at Quinn Manor, Warren came rushing in, practically bursting at the seams. "My lady, huge news. Absolutely massive." Sloane Quinn glanced at her favorite partner, one perfectly shaped eyebrow arching. "What kind of news has you this excited?" Warren elbowed his rival, who was peeling grapes for Sloane, out of the way, whipped out his NeuroPad, and pulled up the message Mason had sent. The rival shot Warren a death glare and then quietly slipped behind Sloane. He'd seen the message, too. As soon as Sloane read the message, she jumped up. She exclaimed, "Mason got matched with Ms. Yates? Our Quinn family has truly made it. Warren, hurry and bring out the gifts I set aside for Mason. I want to check everything myself. This is an S-Rank Mental Aptitude user we're talking about." Warren replied, "Right away, my lady." The whole Quinn family started scrambling to get Mason's wedding gifts ready. Meanwhile, as soon as the other families got the news, they went all out, pulling every trick in the book to get the best wedding gifts ready for their ridiculously lucky sons. Even if they were their own kids, every woman in those families agreed that their boys had just lucked out big time. S-Rank Mental Aptitude holders were rare in the Federation, and the other two already had a whole squad of partners. But Violette was still single. If their son got chosen, he might even be her favorite. ***** Meanwhile, on Planet X-92, after Violette agreed to the marriage contracts with the five Shifters, she suddenly remembered something important she'd almost forgotten. She found her mother in her contacts and sent her the full set of profiles for all five partners. Violette texted: [Mom, I just went to the Mental Aptitude Center and got my results. Turns out I'm S-Rank. These are the five partners the Federal Marriage Bureau matched me with.] Violette's mother was Blanche Yates, and she absolutely doted on her only daughter. Before Violette came of age, Blanche never let her out of her sight. After Violette became an adult, with the Federation treating females like royalty, Blanche realized that she hadn't spent any real quality time with her partners in forever. So she left Violette on Planet X-92 to do her own thing. Still, every month, Blanche made sure to send Violette a fat allowance, right on schedule. So when it came to something as major as getting married, Violette knew she had to give Blanche a heads-up. Blanche didn't reply right away, but Violette wasn't worried. That was just how Blanche always was, according to the original Violette's memories. Chapter 4 White Tiger Violette kept scrolling through Starnet. The original Violette's life had been pretty dull. Other than obsessing over Walter, she'd just stayed cooped up in the villa, without a single close friend. But for Violette, that was actually a good thing. Since the original Violette had no friends, no one would notice she was different, and her time-travel secret would stay safe. Sure, there were no ghosts or spirits in this world, but if anyone found out, she'd probably end up getting dissected for research. Most importantly, Violette had been a homebody in her previous life, too. Back then, she'd stay home and scroll through her phone; now, she was just scrolling through Starnet instead. She was adapting to this life like a pro. Starnet's algorithm was seriously on point. Violette's feed was packed with stuff she actually liked. She got so caught up that before she knew it, evening had already rolled around. Robot Butler Three had dinner ready, but calling it "dinner" was a stretch. It was just a bunch of fruity-flavored nutrient gel, all different colors. Space wasn't exactly friendly to farming. The Federation had managed to grow veggies without soil, but the harvests were pathetic. An old-world cabbage could cost 10 thousand Star Credits. Meat was another story. With so many Shifters around, all the real animals had been eaten ages ago. The stuff people found in stores was all lab-grown, barely tasted like anything, and cooking it was a hassle. So, unless they were treating themselves, most people in the Federation just went for the cheap and easy Nutrient Gels. Like the original owner, Violette couldn't cook to save her life, so she wasn't picky about food. She took a sip of the Nutrient Gel. It was sweet, with a strong strawberry flavor. If she ignored the texture, it was pretty much like eating strawberries. 'Not gonna lie, it's actually pretty tasty,' Violette thought. She was about to pop another spoonful into her mouth when Butler One announced, "Ms. Yates, you have a visitor." The robot butler's system was hooked up to the villa's security, keeping tabs on every little thing around the house. Not even a mosquito could slip by unnoticed, though, honestly, mosquitoes were ancient history in the interstellar age. Violette looked up. "NO.1, any idea who it is?" A string of code flashed across Butler One's electronic eyes before it answered, "Genetic scan complete. Visitor: Mason Quinn, from Planet X-35. S-Rank Metal Ability User. Danger level: high. Should I turn on the defense system?" Hearing the name, Violette swallowed her second spoonful of Nutrient Gel. She pulled up her NeuroPad and brought up his profile. [Name: Mason Quinn] [Age: 24] [Height: 6'3"] [Beast Form: White Tiger] [Ability: Metal-type] [Ability Rank: S-rank] [Occupation: Deputy Commander of the 23rd Army, Federation Forces] [Genetic Compatibility: 96%] 'So he's one of the five partners the Federal Marriage Bureau matched me with. Already here? The Federation sure works fast,' Violette thought. She set down her spoon. "NO.1, he's one of the partners the Federation matched me with. Let him in." Butler One entered the key information into the system, disarmed the security, and unlocked the door with the villa's smart system. Mason was feeling pretty nervous. It was his first time visiting a female's home, and he had no clue what he was supposed to say once the door opened. He stood there, tangled up in his own worries, when, out of nowhere, the door swung open. His body jolted, and he immediately bowed his head, not daring to glance inside the villa. "M-Ma'am, I'm Mason, the partner the Federal Marriage Bureau matched to you." Violette sat on the couch and gave the guy at the door a once-over. Mason's short, silver-white hair was probably a side effect of his beast form, and he was even taller than her robot butler. He really was every bit of 6'3". His physique was straight-up perfect, and as for his face, Violette had already checked out his photos. Even with all the prime males running around in the Federation, Mason was top-shelf, no doubt. 'But why is he keeping his head down like that?' Violette wondered. Then she asked, "Do I look that bad?" Mason snapped his head up. "No, not at all. Ma'am, you're the most beautiful female I've ever seen." Violette was pleased by his words and let out a soft laugh. "Then why were you keeping your head down just now?" Mason's ears turned red. "I-I've never visited a female's home before. I'm a little nervous. Ma'am, may I come in?" "Come in." Violette nodded and then went back to sipping her fruity Nutrient Gel. Mason carefully stepped into the villa, letting the three robot butlers scan him from head to toe. Only then did he dare to approach Violette. He pulled out a Space Capsule and placed it in front of Violette. "Ma'am, this is a wedding gift my mother prepared for you. I hope you like it." As he spoke, Mason hesitantly took a seat beside Violette. The moment he sat down, an unfamiliar scent washed over him, sending a shiver down his spine. It reminded him of old-world orchids, with a slightly bitter orange note, and something else he just couldn't name. Mason couldn't describe it. He just sat there, dazed, his amber eyes locked on Violette. "Ma'am, your scent is amazing." Violette sniffed her wrist and then glanced at Mason, puzzled. "Really? Funny. I can't smell anything myself." Mason nodded, totally sure. Violette recalled a saying from her old world. If one could catch a unique scent from someone of the opposite sex and nobody else could, it meant their genes had picked them as their match. 'Maybe that's how it works in the interstellar world, too,' she mused. With a 96% genetic match to Mason, she was willing to buy it and didn't think any further. There was just a bit of the Nutrient Gel left in her bowl, so Violette decided to finish it off before worrying about anything else. It was only now that Mason realized Violette was actually having Nutrient Gel for dinner. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Wait. Is that all you're having for dinner?" he blurted out, totally stunned. To Mason, females were supposed to be pampered and spoiled. His mother wouldn't touch Nutrient Gel with a ten-foot pole. Every single meal was cooked by her Shifters, with the freshest veggies and top-grade meat they could find. And now his lady, an S-rank female, the Federation's rarest gem, was just having a small bowl of fruity Nutrient Gel for dinner. Mason just couldn't accept it. He shot to his feet. "Ma'am, let me make you a proper dinner." Cooking was a required course at the Interstellar Male Academy. Mason might not be a master chef, but he could handle a few basic dishes. He grabbed some ingredients from his Space Capsule and, with the robot butler showing him the way, made his way to the kitchen. Now that someone was actually cooking, Violette immediately abandoned the Nutrient Gel she'd thought tasted pretty good just a moment ago. Shifters' stomachs were tough enough to handle Nutrient Gel just fine, but Violette had grown up on Earth. Nothing beat a hot, home-cooked meal in her book. She tagged along to the kitchen, curious to watch Mason cook. But as soon as she got close, Violette finally realized what 6'3" actually looked like in person. She'd always considered herself tall at 5'8", but next to Mason, she felt downright tiny. She pouted, thinking, 'So this is the Shifter advantage, huh? I'm kinda jealous.' Mason was putting the veggies into the auto-washer when he realized Violette had come in after him. He hurriedly said, "Ma'am, the kitchen isn't really the best place for you. Why don't you go sit down and let me take care of dinner?" Chapter 5 First Purge Violette turned and left the kitchen. Some people didn't like being bothered while they cooked, so she figured that she'd stay out of Mason's way. Mason worked fast. In under half an hour, he had three dishes on the table. Once everything was set, he was about to call Violette, only to find her totally glued to the holographic screen. From the shifting colors on the screen, she was probably watching something fun. Mason didn't want to interrupt, but he was worried Violette might be hungry. After a brief hesitation, he walked over and, just like his dad used to do, scooped her right up into his arms. Violette jolted at the sudden lift and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Blinking in confusion, she stared at the guy right in front of her. "What are you doing?" Her scent drifted over. Mason cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. "Dinner's ready. Food loses its flavor when it gets cold." He felt a little guilty saying that. He'd just checked. The dining table had a smart temperature control. The food would stay warm for another hour. Violette knew it, too. But ever since arriving in this world, she'd only had three spoonfuls of Nutrient Gel. She was pretty hungry, so she let his little white lie slide. She glanced toward the dining table, which was a bit of a walk from the couch, and said with complete confidence, "Mason, carry me over." She thought, 'I'm a rare female now. If I don't let a handsome guy pamper me, what's the point? Besides, he's my legal partner. Why not?' Violette in his arms was incredibly soft, and just holding her made Mason feel a little dizzy. He'd happily keep her there forever. But making sure she ate came first. Gently, he set her down in a chair, and then took the seat beside her and started loading her plate with food. Violette took a bite of the stir-fried vegetables and her eyes lit up. "Wow, this is amazing." It tasted way better than any takeout from her previous life. Mason couldn't help smiling at her reaction. "If you like it, I'll cook for you every day from now on." Violette paused, feeling surprised. "Don't you have to be on the battlefield?" She remembered he was a soldier. Mason kept serving her more food. "I'm on honeymoon leave. Besides, the Insectoids have been pretty quiet lately." 'They actually get marriage leave in the interstellar world?' Violette's eyes sparkled with interest. "How many days do you get?" "134 days," Mason replied. "And with the annual leave I've saved up, I can take half a year off." Violette was stunned and marveled at her heart, '134 days? Back in my previous life, every office worker would be green with envy.' As a former wage slave herself, she felt a sharp twinge of jealousy and stuffed a big piece of meat into her mouth, pretending it was her evil old boss. Mason thought he'd said something wrong and tensed up. Luckily, Violette snapped out of it and happily kept eating. After dinner, Mason loaded the dishes into the auto-washer and dryer and then joined Violette on the couch to browse the Starnet together. Violette felt full, warm, and content. She shot Mason a cheerful look. "Hey Mason, what's your Corruption Point?" Since he'd cooked for her, she figured she'd return the favor and help purge some of that corruption. Plus, she was pretty curious how purging with Mental Aptitude actually worked. "Eighty-nine," Mason said, like it was no big deal. Violette's eyes went wide. That figure was extremely high. From the original Violette's memories, she knew that once a man's Corruption Point hit 70, it started messing with his body. If it went over 80, he'd go full beast mode, and there was no turning back unless a female purged him or he used an inhibitor. Once it went over 90, inhibitors stopped working completely, and a guy could snap and hurt someone at any moment. Only a female could fix it then. Mason wasn't showing any signs of turning beastly, so he must've been taking inhibitor shots. But those things were hell. The side effects usually made guys moody and short-tempered. Yet looking at Mason, she'd never guess he'd been through that. Remembering what she'd read on the Starnet earlier, Violette offered, "Mason, let me help purge your corruption." It sounded totally normal. But Mason's ears turned bright red. "M-Ma'am, you just finished eating. It's not really the right time for that..." He couldn't even finish the sentence. Violette froze for a second, and then realized what he meant, and her face flushed hot. There were two methods to purge Corruption Points. One was to dive into a guy's Mental Landscape and use Mental Aptitude to pull out the corruption. But this method could only lower his Corruption Point to around 30. There was another method Mason couldn't even voice. It could erase all his Corruption Points, but only through sexual intimacy with the female. And since Mason and Violette had the engagement now, of course, he thought she meant the second method. Violette rubbed her nose, a little embarrassed. "Uh, I meant the other way." She was curious about the second method, too, but today was definitely not the day. After all, she barely knew Mason. Sure, he seemed great so far, but she was not sure if he was like Walter, acting all agreeable about the bond, but secretly wishing he could bail. The second method should only happen if both people were really into it. "Oh, I see," Mason said, his blush fading as he realized he'd totally misunderstood. He pushed down a flicker of disappointment and opened up his Mental Landscape for her. Violette took a quick look, reached out with her Mental Aptitude, and slipped right in. Mason's Mental Landscape was a forest, but the trees were withered and bare from the corruption. His beast form, a white tiger, lay sprawled weakly on the forest floor, wrapped in a nasty black fog. 'That must be the corruption,' Violette thought. As her Mental Aptitude moved toward the tiger, the black fog seemed to sense a threat and scattered wildly. Violette reacted fast, wrapping her energy around one patch and devouring it. The fog faded bit by bit under her power. At the same time, she felt a strange burst of energy rising inside her. But she was too busy purging to check it out. She just kept going, clearing the fog the same way. Her Mental Aptitude was draining quickly. After just fifteen minutes, she'd burned through more than half. She remembered reading on the Starnet that overdoing it could leave a female totally wiped out, so after taking out two more patches, Violette decided to wrap things up. Just before leaving Mason's Mental Landscape, she caught the white tiger opening its eyes, which were amber, just like Mason's, shining with gratitude. Violette's NeuroPad blinked with a warning: [Warning: Your Mental Aptitude is below 30%. Take a break.] 'I burned through over 70% already. How much corruption did I actually clear?' Violette wondered. She took a moment to steady herself and then glanced at Mason. "Mason, how do you feel?" Mason didn't say anything. The stronger a guy's ability, the worse the corruption he gets from using it. Ever since he became an adult, except for that first year after his powers awakened, he'd always depended on inhibitors to keep his corruption in check. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to go without them. But today, it was like going back to how things used to be. Honestly, he'd never felt this light and free before. "Ma'am, I feel fantastic," Mason said. Without missing a beat, he pulled up the Corruption Point scanner on his NeuroPad. He was dying to see his new score. Chapter 6 The Primal Desire A male's Corruption Points could fluctuate, so the NeuroPad measured the average over ten minutes. Mason didn't ask Violette to wait around with him. Instead, he smiled and said, "My lady, let me take you out for a walk." Warren used to say that taking a stroll with his lady after dinner was supposed to help them get closer. Violette had definitely eaten a bit too much. She nodded, got up, and followed Mason out of the villa. The villa was located in one of the most luxurious neighborhoods on Planet X-92, Residential Zone 3. There were only two villas in the whole area. The other belonged to Violette's mother, Blanche, but it was currently unoccupied. Between the two villas stretched a sprawling garden, filled with artificial trees and flowers. There was no scent of grass or blossoms, but the colors matched those in the ancient photos perfectly. It was the kind of view that could brighten anyone's mood. With Mason by her side, Violette strolled leisurely through the garden. Her Mental Aptitude was below 30%, but she didn't feel any discomfort yet, so her mood was still great. Taking a walk after a good meal was one of her favorite things to do. But her good mood didn't last long. Out of nowhere, a shadowy figure suddenly darted into view. Even though Violette quickly saw what it was, she still got a fright and instinctively stepped back. With Mason right behind her, she ended up in his arms. Mason instinctively reached out to shield her, pulling her close until there was no space left between them. They fit together as if they were made to be with each other. Mason smelled her scent again. His amber eyes darkened as he fought to suppress the surge of primal desire. He forced himself to focus on the man who had intruded, his brows knitting together. This guy had just startled his lady. Mason's presence enveloped Violette, and maybe it was something in their genes, but she suddenly felt a lot more at ease. She let out a breath and shot Walter a look. She snapped, "Seriously, Walter, are you nuts? Jumping out at me in the middle of the night. Do you have any idea you could scare me to death?" Walter just stared at her, his eyes full of complicated emotions. After a long pause, he finally asked, "Violette, why didn't you tell me your Mental Aptitude is S-rank?" Walter had only seen the news on Starnet that afternoon. At first, he just couldn't believe it. He and Violette had basically grown up together. Not once did she ever say she was S-rank. Plus, Violette's mother only had B-rank Mental Aptitude, and her father's ability level was just A-rank. With genes like that, the chance of Violette manifesting S-rank Mental Aptitude was pretty much zero. But when he checked the topic, he saw the post was from the X-92 Mental Aptitude Center. The Center never posted anything fake, and Federation law strictly forbade it. He had no choice but to believe that Violette really was S-rank. Walter felt a twinge of regret. Violette was the third S-rank female in the entire Federation. If he bonded with Violette, he'd never have to worry about his Corruption Points again, and he could finally stop taking those damn inhibitors. None of love and freedom meant anything when Corruption Points were a constant threat. That was exactly why he came to find Violette. As for the sudden male by Violette's side, Walter didn't care at all. Violette had always said Walter would be her only partner. He guessed that the unknown guy was probably just another eager suitor, hoping to get close to her now that her S-rank status was out. "Why should I tell you?" Violette rolled her eyes. 'Wow, he actually thinks he's a big deal,' she thought with a snort. "If you'd told me, I never would've broken off our engagement," Walter said, putting on his most sincere face, as if he wasn't the same man who'd proudly refused to bond with her earlier that day. He continued, "Violette, I can form a bond with you right now." Violette almost laughed. "Walter, who do you think you are, anyway? Back then, you were desperate for me to break off the engagement, swearing you'd rather die or get exiled to the Wasteland than ever form a bond with me. "Now the engagement is off, and suddenly you're all over me, wanting to form a bond? Walter, have you no shame? What makes you think you can just snap your fingers and I'll come running, and then kick me to the curb whenever you please?" If she wasn't worried about getting her hands dirty, Violette would've loved to slap Walter across the face. He'd totally ruined her good mood. Mason didn't know Walter, but from the way Violette and Walter talked, he could piece together their past. Walter used to be engaged to Violette, but he didn't want to form a bond with her and kept pushing for a breakup. Now that the engagement was off and news broke about Violette's S-rank Mental Aptitude, Walter came crawling back, begging for another chance. Mason narrowed his eyes. 'Unbelievable. The Federation really has guys this shameless,' he thought. Mason's gaze grew cold and predatory. He glanced down at Violette, who was still nestled in his arms. He held back for now, not making a move. Warren always said to act like a gentleman in front of females; otherwise, he'd just leave a bad impression. Mason planned to get Violette safely back to the villa first and then come back and teach Walter a lesson. Walter had no clue he was about to get his ass kicked. He kept up his act, all lovey-dovey. "Violette, I know you're mad. Go ahead. Yell at me all you want. If that still doesn't make you feel better, just hit me." Violette was speechless. 'Can this idiot stop being so disgusting? I almost threw up my dinner,' she thought. 'Is he seriously messed up? If only I had an ability, I'd totally wipe the floor with him. 'Maybe I should just have my robots come out and give Walter a good thrashing.' She felt pretty pleased with her thought. Robot butlers came with built-in combat modules to protect their mistresses, and the pricier they were, the tougher they got. Blanche had splurged on Violette's three butlers. Each one was packed as much punch as an A-Rank Shifter. Walter was A-rank, too, but in the face of three robots, he'd get wrecked for sure. Violette spun around, totally ignoring Walter's creepy, pathetic face, grabbed Mason's hand, and headed straight for the villa. Walter strode after them, reaching out to grab Violette's hand and only to lock eyes with Mason's dark, menacing glare. His instincts screamed danger, sending chills down his spine. He jerked his hand back on reflex. Violette didn't pay Walter any mind and quickened her pace toward the villa. When they reached the door, Mason paused and said, "My lady, I've got something to handle. You head inside first." Violette nodded, and the moment she stepped into the villa, she told the three robots exactly what she wanted them to do. Meanwhile, Walter was still rattled. 'Who the hell is that guy? Just a single look from him sent a chill down my spine like nothing I've ever felt before. Could he be an S-Rank Shifter?' he wondered. Suddenly, everything went black before his eyes. "Who's there?" he snapped, instantly on alert. But before he could even unleash his ability, a fist, hard as steel, crashed into him out of nowhere.

🔞HOT! HOT!Do not read in public！👉

website.novelbars.com

facebook · instagram · messenger · threads

GB DE FR BR

SecretRomance-cloudn17

Started 1d ago

What competitors are running.