Interstellar Beast World: All My Husbands Are Powerful and Rich!-Chapter 67: Chaos

The moment Matt Slade finished speaking, he was gone—vanishing so abruptly that it was as though he had never existed at all. One blink, one breath, and the space where he had stood was empty.

Rory remained frozen for a heartbeat, the silence ringing in her ears. Then she lowered her gaze to the small liger cub curled at her feet. The little creature let out a soft, pitiful mewl, thin and uncertain, no different from the cry of a newborn kitten left searching for warmth. Something in her chest tightened painfully.

She bent down and gathered him into her arms with careful hands, cradling him close.

Nix had lost everything.

His abilities were gone. His human form had vanished. Even his power of speech—once sharp and unmistakably his—had been stripped away, leaving nothing behind but this fragile, pale-blue cub.

For once, Rory truly didn’t know what to say. Words felt inadequate, useless in the face of such complete loss.

Pressed against her chest, the cub wriggled with sudden enthusiasm, tiny paws kneading instinctively as he rubbed his head against her collarbone.

He burrowed closer, clearly pleased, as though the simple act of being held was the greatest comfort he’d known in days. His small body radiated warmth, his movements clumsy yet eager, brimming with a quiet, innocent delight.

Rory stared down at him—at this kitten-sized liger, soft and vulnerable, who was somehow supposed to be her future mate. The thought felt unreal, almost surreal.

Slowly, she turned her head toward Jasper.

"Jasper," she asked, hesitation threading through her voice, "if someone’s abilities are completely drained..." She paused, then finished softly, "could a beast core help restore them?"

She paused, worry evident in her eyes.

"Would it help Nix recover faster?"

Jasper had just opened his mouth to answer when a familiar voice drifted in from outside the cabin, far too close for comfort.

"Female Master, Nix’s abilities can’t be restored with a beast core," Matt Slade called out calmly. "He’ll have to recover on his own."

Rory stiffened, startled.

Is he actually gone... or just lurking nearby?

Before she could dwell on it, Nix hooked his tiny claws over her shoulder and nuzzled at her neck, clearly pleased with himself. At the sound of movement, Burnt Dumpling—who had been dozing beside Jasper—suddenly perked up, fluttering his stubby wings with mild curiosity.

That was all it took.

The instant Nix spotted Kather, his instincts took over.

With a sharp little leap, he launched himself out of Rory’s arms, landed on the couch—and swallowed Burnt Dumpling whole.

"Nix! Spit him out!"

Rory and Jasper shouted in unison.

Jasper reacted instantly, lunging forward and forcing Nix’s jaws open with brute strength. He barely managed to yank Burnt dumpling free. Several blackened feathers drifted down as the poor bird lay sprawled on the couch, half-conscious, letting out a weak, indignant chirp.

Why is it always me?

Burnt dumpling’s thoughts were filled with despair. That idiot Nix eats me the moment we lock eyes. Once I recover, I swear I’ll commission ten thousand warships from the First Mech Facility and work him to death.

"Burnt dumpling, are you okay?" Rory rushed over, pouring a high-tier healing potion carefully down his beak.

His luck was truly abysmal. First Dax had kicked him. Then Jasper had dropped him. And now Nix had nearly eaten him alive. Rory’s suitors seemed downright cursed when it came to Burnt dumpling.

Kather shut his eyes, refusing to chirp, pretending valiantly to be dead on the couch.

Nix, finally realizing he’d crossed a line, flattened himself against the floor, belly pressed low, not daring to move. Still, his wide eyes kept sneaking glances toward Burnt dumpling, temptation flickering unmistakably.

Rory flicked him lightly on the head.

"He’s mine," she warned. "Try that again, and I’ll throw you out."

Nix immediately snapped his gaze away. He nudged her palm with his forehead, pale-blue eyes round and pleading.

Rory’s resolve melted instantly. She sighed and stroked his soft head.

"Behave, and I won’t toss you out."

Jasper ignored Nix’s jealous theatrics entirely, his attention fixed instead on the grime-smeared Burnt Dumpling perched nearby. He leaned in slightly, eyes narrowing, his expression shifting into one of open disgust.

"Rory," he said flatly, "that thing is filthy now. I’ll wash him."

She followed his gaze and winced. Burnt Dumpling was, indeed, a disaster—his once-fluffy feathers were matted and slicked black with dried saliva, clinging together in damp, uneven clumps. He looked less like a respectable beast and more like something that had survived a minor swamp incident.

Then her eyes dropped to the small weight in her arms.

Nix wasn’t faring much better.

His pale-blue fur was rumpled and smudged, dulled by travel and stress, and he carried the faint, unmistakable scent of sweat and dust. Compared to Burnt Dumpling, he might have been marginally cleaner—but only marginally.

"Might as well wash him too," Rory said after a beat.

Nix reacted instantly.

He squirmed in protest, letting out a small, indignant sound, clearly offended by the suggestion. His tiny paws pressed against Rory as he twisted away, making his feelings abundantly clear: he did not want Jasper. He wanted Rory, and only Rory.

Jasper chuckled softly and reached out anyway, fingers closing around the scruff of Nix’s neck with effortless precision.

"No problem," he said, lifting the cub without the slightest resistance. "I’ll get him spotless."

Nix whimpered in protest—sounds Rory couldn’t understand, though Jasper clearly could. He said nothing, merely tossing both the liger cub and the bedraggled bird into the sink.

At that moment, a robot rolled forward and chimed politely, "Sir, your brother, Mr. Bron Mandian, has arrived to see you."

Jasper frowned. What is he doing here now?

He glanced back at the sink just in time to see Nix attempting to press Burnt dumpling underwater with a tiny paw. One sharp look from Jasper froze him instantly, paw snapping back as if burned.

Jasper stared at the scene in silence.

How utterly childish.

Turning away, he addressed Rory. "My brother’s here. I’ll go meet him. Nix and Burnt Dumpling are in your care."

Rory, who had been about to start cooking, nodded. "Go ahead. I’ve got it."

"I won’t be long. If anything happens, ping me on the light-brain."

With that, Jasper left reluctantly. Rory moved to the sink to finish bathing them.

Nix behaved surprisingly well, even scrubbing his own fur with earnest concentration.

Burnt dumpling, however, panicked the moment Rory approached. He flapped wildly, attempting to escape—but his round body made flight impossible. All he managed to do was splash water everywhere, soaking Rory’s clothes from collar to hem.

She sighed, dripping wet, while Burnt Dumpling flailed dramatically.

Chaos, it seemed, was very much alive in her household.