Furthermore, since the military was stationed on Siren Star for development, it naturally attracted a large influx of immigrants from smaller, nearby planets.

Everyone was just trying to find a better life. Siren Star also had better educational resources than other planets. If you did well in school and earned enough money, you could even immigrate to one of the core planets.

"I get the feeling you didn’t immigrate just because of the better environment," Nathan Lockwood continued.

Julian Chambers shrugged. "Well, what can I say? Planet B36 didn’t have a Xenobeast Tide, so I had to leave to find work."

Nathan Lockwood and the others knew at once that this was a lie. Alphas had advantages over Betas that went beyond their superior spiritual power for fighting Xenobeasts. If Julian truly wanted to work hard, he could have certainly found a decent job.

It just meant Julian Chambers was holding something back.

Zoe Pierce asked, her curiosity piqued, "When did you leave Planet B36, and how many times have you been back since?"

Julian Chambers could clearly sense the group’s curiosity about his home planet, so he didn’t hesitate to answer. "I left about three years ago. I’ve been back a few times since then, here and there. My parents are both Betas; they can’t bring themselves to leave Planet B36."

"It’s changed quite a bit these past few years. The government brought in investments to build a lot of new infrastructure, and the quality of life for Betas has shot straight up."

Two Betas could also produce children who were Alphas or Omegas—the rarer secondary genders—but the odds were extremely low.

Julian Chambers was one such lucky child.

His family was overjoyed when they discovered at his birth that he was an Alpha. At that time, Planet B36 still suffered from Xenobeast Tides and needed the protection Alphas could provide.

From a young age, Julian Chambers was taught that his duty was to protect Betas, so he studied everything related to Mechas and spiritual power.

But as he grew older, he gradually began to sense the planet-wide discrimination against the rarer secondary genders.

That’s right.

It wasn’t just aimed at Alphas, but at Omegas as well. It was as if everyone found them to be a nuisance. They had their ruts and heats, their sensitive periods, and they received extra leave. Furthermore, an Alpha’s emotions were unstable after using their spirit sea, so everyone kept a wide berth.

As for the Xenobeast Tides, they became less and less frequent, until news of them disappeared completely.

His parents, who had once viewed him with pride, went on to have younger children who were Betas. Although they still loved him, their attention toward him clearly diminished. They would even forget basic facts about Alphas.

It was as if being born an Alpha or Omega on Planet B36 was a sin.

Julian Chambers noticed that every year, a considerable number of Alphas and Omegas who couldn’t stand the treatment chose to immigrate. Siren Star had a special policy for Alpha and Omega immigrants; as long as one applied, approval was nearly guaranteed.

After coming of age, Julian Chambers felt increasingly suffocated on Planet B36 and eventually joined the ranks of the immigrants.

When his parents heard he planned to immigrate, they fell silent but ultimately said nothing to stop him.

In reality, everyone sensed the discrimination against Alphas and Omegas. It was just an undercurrent that no one dared to bring to the surface.

Of course, Julian Chambers wouldn’t share these details with Miles Sherman and the others.

As a native, he had the growing sense that Planet B36 was heading down the wrong path, but there was nothing he could do about it.

After immigrating, he could clearly feel how welcoming Siren Star was to all secondary genders. Whether they were a Beta, an Alpha, or an Omega, anyone could find work to support themselves.

"We’re planning a trip to Planet B36 later. Would you consider being our guide?"

Nathan Lockwood extended the invitation.

Julian Chambers raised an eyebrow at him. ’A bit strange to bring me along on a vacation, isn’t it?’

But neither Nathan Lockwood nor the others seemed to have any objection to the proposal, which left Julian Chambers completely baffled.

"Of course, we’ll pay you a guide’s fee," Nathan Lockwood said, dangling the bait. "A fee equal to what you’ll earn from this Xenobeast hunt."

’Hesitating even a second longer would be an insult to money itself.’

Julian Chambers immediately accepted. "No problem."

’A bunch of rich suckers. It’d be a crime not to take their money.’

Julian Chambers glanced at his teammates, who had already finished eating, and nudged their legs with his foot. "Let’s go, let’s go. Time to kill more Xenobeasts."

His teammates had overheard the entire exchange, so they knew exactly why Julian Chambers was so fired up.

The profits from a single Xenobeast Tide could support their squad for half a year. For a group of S-Class Alphas to offer that kind of money so casually... how was that any different from cash falling from the sky?

The bigger their haul this time, the larger the guide fee would be.

’What a score.’

All of them got to their feet.

Julian Chambers added Nathan Lockwood as a contact and confirmed one last time, "Are you sure? Is that based on the total value of our hunt? Or just my personal cut?"

’If it’s just my personal cut, I’m sure the team wouldn’t mind letting me have all the kills.’

Nathan Lockwood, having a keen understanding of human nature, knew exactly what loophole Julian was trying to find. He chuckled. "Your entire squad’s earnings. I’ll use the total value you submit to the military as the reference point."

’Let’s fucking do this.’

Julian Chambers broke into a wide grin. "Alright then, it’s a deal."

With that, Julian’s group hurried away, full of excitement.

Once he was sure they were out of earshot of Nathan Lockwood and his friends, one of Julian’s companions spoke up. "There’s got to be a catch. Paying that much to hire you? Are you really going through with it? If it feels wrong, we can just bail now. Delete his contact info, and he’ll never be able to find you."

Julian Chambers rolled his eyes. "Of course I know there’s a catch. But he’s offering so much... Fortune favors the bold, you know? With this money, we won’t have to come out for the next Xenobeast Tide for a whole year and can still save up a good chunk."

That was true.

"Besides, there’s nothing on Planet B36 anyway, so it’s no big deal to take them there." Julian Chambers had his own angle. "If things really go south, it’ll be on my home turf. I can always make a run for it, right?"

His companion wanted to ask, ’But those are four S-Class Alphas. Can you really outrun them?’

But in the end, he kept the thought to himself.

The temptation was just too great. If he’d been the one offered the deal, he probably would have jumped at it too, even knowing it was a trap.

Nathan Lockwood paid no mind to what was happening with them.

All that mattered was securing Julian Chambers’s agreement.

’Every negotiation is the same,’ Nathan Lockwood mused. ’Offer the right bargaining chips, beat their psychological price, and if both sides are satisfied with the value, the negotiation is a success.’

He had done the same with Zoe Pierce.

The only problem was, he still hadn’t figured out what bargaining chips he could offer to make Zoe Pierce willingly share her secrets.

The firelight reflected on Nathan Lockwood’s face, making the shadows on his features flicker and shift.

As Erin Xavier tilted his head to rub his neck, he noticed Nathan Lockwood’s expression had grown overly grim. That look usually meant Nathan was plotting something that would spell misfortune for someone.

He was a little curious. There was no one around lately who should have provoked such a look from him. "Nathan, what’s on your mind?"

Nathan Lockwood snapped out of his thoughts. He first glanced around, noticing that Zoe Pierce, Miles Sherman, and Chase Shaw had disappeared again.

His eyes landed on Erin Xavier, his gaze lingering on him for a moment. "Just thinking about a few things."