Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Chapter 16 69%

The room went dead silent, and everyone’s mind raced. ‘Beyond S–level... Could she really be SS–level? No wonder she can get out–of–control beastmen to settle down.”

In the history of the empire, no SS–level female had ever been recorded.

There were a few SS–level males in every age–like the current Crown Prince and the famous War God Felix. But because there was no female capable of soothing them, they were always at risk of losing control completely.

Even the Crown Prince’s position was starting to waver, with some people whispering about backing other princes to take the throne. Besides, Felix hadn’t been on the battlefield for years.

But if Nyx could awaken SS–level mental power, she would become the empire’s only hope. She would be the destined spouse for these powerful males and become their only salvation Zayne glanced at Nyx, surrounded by so many admiring eyes, and felt a pang of bitterness in his chest.

But it It was good for Nyx to awaken such high–level mental power, and he was genuinely happy for her. But it also meant that not only Theon, but all the powerful figures in the empire would become his rivals.

He had once scorned those males who always fought to win favor and attention from females, but now, he accepted that he also had become part of that competition.

Zayne’s gaze darkened as the thoughts crossed his mind.

He had fought his way out of the Desolate Planet, from nothing to where he was today. He had done things that others thought impossible, and he had never feared competing against the strong.

Taking a deep breath, Zayne spoke, “You had a checkup just yesterday, and at the time, your mental fluctuations were still pretty faint. The fact that they’ve spiked so high so quickly means you’re about to fully awaken.”

He explained that when a female officially awakened, her mental power would go into a kind of eruption, and all the males nearby would sense it. The higher the mental power level, the farther the range of influence.

An E–level female awakening would affect only 3.3 feet or so around her.

An A–level would affect an entire building.

An S–level would affect an entire city’s males.

If a female with SS–level power awakened, no one knew just how far her influence could reach. But one thing was for sure- it would be earth–shattering.

During this kind of eruption, the female would be sent to the Holy Ground to receive blessings from the Divine Tree. Only once the eruption settled down would the awakening be complete The Holy Ground was said to be the origin place of beastmen. The Divine Tree, a relic from ancient times, was said to have stood for billions of years, long before the rise of the empire.

In the era of widespread atheism in the empire, most people didn’t believe in the blessings of the Sacred Tree anymore, but the tradition was still carried on as a ceremonial rite.

A tree that has lived for billions of years... Nyx was stunned when she heard Zayne’s explanation. She was trying to process 1/3 34 Sat, Feb 8 BBB Chapter 16 everything, but before she knew it, she realized she was surrounded by intense, almost fanatical gazes.

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“Seems like you don’t have a spouse yet, right?” one of the officers asked. “If you’re not satisfied with the males around you, we can recommend some excellent ones. We have lots of types for you to choose...”

After all, Nyx was about to be an S–level female. Everyone wanted to be close to her. Just being around her and serving her would be an honor. And considering how sweet and approachable she was, with none of the typical airs other females had, no male could stay indifferent.

Nyx quickly shook her head, signaling a firm no. “I’m satisfied with the males around me now. It’s my issue. I don’t want to get married yet.”

Nyx thought, “Zayne is perfect. He is top–tier handsome, thoughtful, and capable of both handling work stuff and cooking a perfect meal. On Earth, I would never meet a man as exceptional as him. It’s my own problem. The emotional scars from my past made me hesitant about marriage.

‘Besides, Beastmen live up to 500 years, while I’m just a human who would be lucky to live a few decades. I’m not sure how long I can live, so I won’t tie myself to someone permanently.

Although Nyx took all the blame on herself, Zayne still ended up getting the full brunt of the disapproving glares, with everyone blaming him for not winning Nyx’s heart.

Nyx felt sorry about it.

On the way home, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Suddenly, she realized how selfish she had been. She kept Zayne and Theon by her side as her guardians without intending to bond with them. She was holding them back from finding their own partners.

“What’s on your mind?” Zayne asked, his gray–blue eyes reflecting Nyx’s image. “Can I help with anything?

His gentle tone only made Nyx feel worse. Nyx lowered her head and mumbled, “Being my guardian doesn’t really seem like it’s doing you any favors. Maybe we should call it off.”

Zayne froze for a moment and then forced a smile, trying to stay calm. “No, I don’t need any favors. You said we’re family, and that’s all I want. You’ve already done more than enough for me.”

His voice dropped slightly, taking on a more vulnerable tone. “You know, I’m an orphan. I’ve never had a family...”

Nyx felt a pang in her chest. Hearing him say that was like hearing someone say they were abandoned by the world, and it made her feel like the worst person alive.

She had essentially taken him in like a stray dog, pampered him for a while, and then suddenly wanted to throw him away because she thought he wasn’t free enough.

Thinking of all that, Nyx felt terrible about herself. But then, out of nowhere, Zayne suddenly crouched down and transformed into a giant snow wolf!

Nyx didn’t expect Zayne’s beast form to be a huge, white wolf! Thank goodness the spaceship had enough space, or this massive beast wouldn’t even have fit inside.

The snow wolf was enormous, yet it somehow managed to look pitiful. It tilted its head up to look at Nyx, its eyes full of longing.

The effect of its fluffy fur and sad–eyed gaze was ten times stronger than in human form. Nyx’s heart practically melted, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Okay, okay, I’m still your family! We’re not breaking up the bond!”

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12:32 Sat, Feb 8 GB B Chapter 16 No sooner had she spoken than the wolf’s tail began to wag happily, almost slapping her in the face a few times. Nyx couldn’t resist that anymore. Her hand itched with the irresistible urge to pet him.

Zayne’s beast form was by far the most handsome wolf she’d ever seen. His fur was as white as snow, without a single spot or imperfection. His body was long, lean, and strong, an impeccable blend of wildness and grace. His gray–blue eyes locked onto her with intense focus.

Nyx tried to resist but eventually gave in. She reached out to touch the soft fur, then did it again, unable to stop herself.

She didn’t notice the mischievous and satisfied glint in Zayne’s eyes.

Their spaceship landed near their villa, and it wasn’t until Nyx stepped out and realized what had happened that she felt a little guilty. She’d basically spent the entire ride playing with a wolf.

“If it were an actual wolf, it might be fine, but this was Zayne...

She quickly pulled her hand back, embarrassed, and cleared her throat awkwardly. “Sorry about that.”

She felt like she’d just acted like a total creep.

Zayne shook out his fur and lay down, looking up at her. “No problem. Want to hop on my back?”

It was the first time Nyx had seen a beastman speak in his beast form, and he was nothing like the lion or the black mamba. He didn’t feel like a wild animal at all.

Males would only let their partners ride them, and it was a kind of unspoken tradition among the beastmen.

But Nyx didn’t know that, just like she didn’t realize that petting a male’s beast form was an unspoken invitation for mating.

Her curiosity got the best of her. She told herself, ‘It’s fine. We’re family. It’s nothing to hop on him for a ride. She then climbed onto Zayne’s strong back, and they leaped off the spaceship steadily.

Suddenly, a thought hit Nyx that she had ridden on a lion before without knowing it was a beastman.

“You said you knew that lion, right? Who is that?” she asked, glancing down at the wolf beneath her.

Zayne’s entire body stiffened when he heard the question.