Interstellar Beast Master

Chapter 57: Change II

[And go. The more you mix with Beast Masters, the better. If you can sink your claws into their world, know everything about them—you’ll be better prepared. After all, just by going to that party, you saw the Drunken Butcher again.]

It was a long message. He replied that he was okay, eyes flashing as he turned to Lyra and the Blue Slime bouncing on her lap.

He gave a nod.

"Let’s go."

...!

A smile bloomed on her face.

And her Little Blue Slime bounced excitedly.

Damian’s mind held far too much right now.

He was trying to simmer down his rage, trying to control his actions.

Reflecting on how everything had unfolded today, he couldn’t shake the thought—if Kitsuul hadn’t acted to veil him, everything he’d been working toward might have come crumbling down.

He needed to be more methodical.

He couldn’t let rage dictate his emotions.

He needed to truly understand the Interstellar Beast Masters living in Skyglass Heights. He was beginning to form a plan, a glimpse of a path to take down one of the more powerful ones.

His thoughts also lingered on Anastasia.

Something he shouldn’t have been dwelling on.

But what she’d told him earlier today echoed in his mind.

She’d reminded him that they were family.

His sister-in-law to the wife he never got to share the rest of his life with as they dreamed.

Thoughts of her buzzed around his mind, fueling the storm already swirling inside him.

It reached the point where he barely noticed when a private ZENTHRA vessel arrived to pick him and Lyra up, nor when it glided through the skies, the Blue Slime bouncing onto his left shoulder to be nearer to Kitsuul who continued to ignore the bouncy creature.

Damian simply stared out at the skyline, at the endless towers of Ebonreach Metropolis rising into the clouds, their blinking lights hinting at the overabundance of life packed within.

He didn’t notice Lyra smiling at the sight of her Blue Slime playing, nor how she stole glances at him as he continued gazing through the vessel’s transparent walls.

It wasn’t until the vessel floated alongside the 135th floor of another skyscraper—by a sprawling balcony with a pool—that he blinked out of his daze. Lyra Veyrin was already beckoning him, thanking the Cybernetic Navigator with a wave.

"Let’s go!"

He leapt from the floating vessel alongside her and landed on the massive balcony—easily twenty times larger than his entire apartment in the Hollow Stacks.

The pool water shimmered in luminous blue hues, soft lights casting gentle rays across its surface. Inside, tall glass walls revealed an exquisite living room: sleek white-blue furniture, plushies, a massive television, and so many luxuries Damian had never imagined being close to in his life.

"I don’t normally bring anyone over to my place... so please go easy on me!"

Lyra Veyrin rushed into the living room as the sliding glass doors parted, scooping up massive white plushies—slimes and other cute stuffed creatures—and tossing them through an open door into another room.

On the balcony, the Blue Slime bounced across the pool’s surface as Kitsuul joined him, gazing curiously at her own reflection—alongside the image of two distant moons hanging in the night sky.

The moons seemed real and fake at the same time as their silver light gushed down an already brightly lit city.

Damian took it all in, stepping into what Lyra called an "apartment," though everything screamed opulence. A single chair or table probably cost more than he could earn in a year. The television alone looked like something from a galactic theater.

He let Lyra fuss with her plushies and clean up as he picked up the sleek glass remote and turned on the TV.

The screen came alive—massive, vivid, as if he were looking through a window into another world.

A news channel was playing. A sharply dressed woman spoke with fervor as a man waved from a stadium stage, tens of thousands of people cheering in the background.

[In other news, the Hope of Ebonreach Metropolis, the Transcendent Guardian whose power keeps us safe across this Star System... he actually paid a visit during the ceremony honoring him! Here is a brief video...]

...!

Damian’s eyes lit up as Lyra returned, out of breath, her gaze drawn to the screen as well.

The Hope of Ebonreach Metropolis.

The Transcendent Guardian.

Only one man held that title. The strongest Guardian on their world of Vael’nir.

The Planetbreaker.

The Supreme Interstellar Beast Master—Rael Voss.

Every human, whether from the Hollow Stacks or Skyglass Heights, knew his name.

He alone acted as a deterrent, keeping even neighboring planets’ militaries in check.

Even Lyra’s eyes glittered with awe as she watched the golden-haired man waving to a sea of people.

"He was my hero growing up. The Planetbreaker, they called him. He brought peace to the Starborn System. There hasn’t been a single war since. I want to be like him someday..."

Her voice sparkled with admiration as she watched the heroic Beast Master on screen.

"Did you know his Interstellar Beast is of unknown origin? To this day, almost no one’s seen it. We only know its name... Aezyrion, the World Consuming Wyrm!"

She said it with breathless excitement. Damian turned off the TV before replying.

"No, I didn’t know that."

Lyra blinked, startled at the sudden silence. She pouted, turning toward Damian—only to find his eyes locked on her, intense and smoldering.

He needed to clear his mind of so many things.

And this Beast Master in front of him might be the key tonight—a connection, a bridge, a source of firsthand insight.

But as he looked at her, she genuinely seemed shy, stepping back slightly before speaking.

"You... I didn’t just bring you here to get in your pants! Talk to me. Tell me more about you. If I find you interesting enough... maybe..."

...!

The Trial Guardian said such bold words.

But Damian already knew how the rest of the night was going to unfold.