Interstellar Beast World: All My Husbands Are Powerful and Rich!-Chapter 97: Isn’t that a waste?

The Dragon Kind powerhouse was residing in the eastern city, secluded within a sprawling private estate that swallowed nearly half the hillside.

Even from a distance, the place radiated menace. Heavy wards shimmered faintly in the night air, layered atop reinforced barriers so dense they pressed against the senses. The unmistakable pressure of a Rank 10 presence lingered like a storm cloud—silent, oppressive, and waiting.

Jasper stood before the towering iron gates and lifted his hand.

Knock.Knock.Knock.

The sound echoed far too loudly in the stillness.

A moment passed. Then another.

Finally, an irritated voice barked from somewhere deep within the estate, rough as gravel and thick with sleep-fogged displeasure.

"Who in the void is pounding on my gate in the middle of the night?" the voice roared. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

Jasper straightened instinctively, spine stiffening as if under inspection. He kept his posture respectful, shoulders squared, and forced his expression into calm neutrality. He was keenly aware that he wasn’t making a request of an equal—he was standing before someone vastly stronger, someone who could end him on a whim.

"Elder," Jasper began carefully, "my name is Jasper. I—"

The gates swung open with startling speed, metal shrieking softly as wards peeled back in obedient layers.

A disheveled old man stood there in rumpled sleepwear, hair jutting out in every direction as though it had lost a personal battle. Despite the hour, his eyes were razor-sharp, alert and dangerous, scanning Jasper with open hostility.

It was Ethan Gabriel, infamous for his horrible temper.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" Ethan snapped, his gaze narrowing until it felt like a blade at Jasper’s throat. "You’d better give me a damn good reason—or I’ll kill you right where you stand."

So the rumors are true, Jasper thought dryly. Short fuse. Explosive personality.

He didn’t hesitate.

"I am one of Paros’s huntress’s suitors," he said evenly. "Her name is Roanna Smith."

The effect was instantaneous.

Ethan froze mid-motion.

"...You’re what?" The elder stared at Jasper as though the words had physically struck him, eyes wide with disbelief.

Jasper gave a single, firm nod. "Yes."

In the next breath, Ethan’s entire demeanor flipped. The scowl evaporated, replaced by a broad, delighted grin that split his face from ear to ear. He stepped forward and clapped Jasper on the shoulder with bone-rattling force, nearly knocking him off balance.

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?" Ethan boomed with laughter. "That makes us family!" He waved a hand expansively. "Next time, don’t bother knocking—kick the gate down and walk right in!"

Jasper blinked, momentarily stunned by the abrupt shift.

"Did Paros’s huntress send you?" Ethan continued enthusiastically, words tumbling over one another. "Is she missing him? He’s been tied up at the Aquadome, but that’s nothing—I can drag him back here right now if—"

So he has absolutely no idea about Rory and Paros’s real arrangement... Jasper realized, rubbing the back of his neck in awkward silence as the elder barreled on, oblivious to the truth.

"No, Elder, it’s not like that," Jasper said carefully. "I came to ask for your help."

Ethan waved dismissively. "Help? Say no more. Family helps family."

Are all of Gabriels this straightforward? Jasper wondered, genuinely surprised.

He quickly explained the situation—the Violet Obsidian Clan’s attack, the Rank 10 elders, and his plan to neutralize the threat without dragging the Empire into open conflict.

By the time he finished, Ethan was practically vibrating with fury.

"Those filthy snakes!" Ethan roared. "How dare they lay a claw on Paros’s huntress?! The audacity!" He cracked his knuckles, eyes blazing. "Kid, I’m in. Let’s go."

Without another word, he stormed back inside and activated his light-brain, connecting directly to Paros. There was no universe in which Paros could remain uninformed about harm coming anywhere near Rory.

The connection established instantly.

Ethan relayed Jasper’s account in blunt, unfiltered detail.

"Paros, this Jasper fellow plans to deal with the Violet Obsidian Clan. He wants my help eliminating their two Rank 10 elders and sending all males Rank 5 and above to the outer battlefield against the Chitinids. Your thoughts?"

Privately, Ethan snorted. Personally, I’d like to just wipe them all out.

On the other end, Paros’s voice sharpened—rarely stripped of its usual lazy amusement.

"Is Rory hurt?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"No," Ethan replied quickly. "I confirmed it myself. She’s fine. From what I hear, she even killed a Rank 5 female with her own hands."

Only then did Paros relax. If Rory had been harmed, there would be no one left to give him mental comfort—and worse, the consequences would have been catastrophic.

He leaned back against his jeweled throne, tone drifting back toward casual menace.

"Do as Jasper suggested. If they refuse... there’s no reason for them to keep living."

Spoken by anyone else, those words might have sounded like bravado. Spoken by Paros, they were a death sentence. His reputation for erasing clans had ensured no one dared test him.

***

By morning, Rory woke to find Jasper’s side of the bed cold and empty.

She dressed quickly and stepped outside—only to see Jasper returning just as the sun crested the horizon.

"You’re awake," he said softly, taking her hand. "Good. There’s something I need to tell you."

He explained everything: his decision to confront the Violet Obsidian Clan, his alliance with Matt Slade, and the support he had secured from Ethan Gabriel. When he finished, he dropped to one knee before her.

"Rory... I’m sorry," Jasper said quietly. "I’m not Rank 10 yet. I can’t kill them myself. I have to borrow power—pressure them, cripple their future strength. Please give me time. Once I reach Rank 10, I’ll end them."

Rory stared at him for a heartbeat—then tugged him upright and laughed.

"Kill them?" she said lightly. "Isn’t that a waste?"

She smiled, eyes sharp.

"Recycling the useless ones sounds far more efficient. Yuel’s plan is excellent—but killing those two Rank 10s outright? That seems... inefficient, don’t you think?"

Jasper paused.

And then—slowly—he smiled too.