Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 48

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Chapter 48 This Ope’s For You

Chapter 48 This One’s For You

The handsome yet brooding man standing before him triggered an instinctive unease in Milo, a gut–level reverence he couldn’t quite name. Still he couldn’t reconcile this figure with the legendary leader from the stories.

Clive recognized Milo the instant he laid eyes on him.

The man was one of the core operatives in Black flame’s intelligence network, responsible for intel gathering across seve fringe star sectors and special cargo transfers. He was capable and loyal.

He kept his expression perfectly neutral and didn’t spare Milo a second glance, treating him like any other neighbor. But that split–second hesitation, that searching look Milò had given him, hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Around the natural–wood table Elmer had built, Dora’s household of three sat alongside Lioren, the little cat who’d stayed out of sight all day, and their neighbor Mindy with her three beast mates. Everyone had gathered to celebrate the new ho Dora had pulled out all the stops for this dinner.

She and Elmer teamed up with a fresh mutant crocodile and a spike–tusked boar from their last Training Zone hunt, plus potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet potato greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes grown in her spatial domain.

Together they’d loaded the table with a full spread that looked every bit as good as it smelled.

Every dish had been cooked in oil she pressed herself from the first batch of peanuts harvested in her sandy–soil Spatial Realm.

To keep her unusual abilities under wraps, she seasoned everything with scallions, ginger, arid garlic from her own spac She left out any spices she’d acquired through the Universal Spacetime Barter System.

The moment the pan–seared mutant crocodile hit the table, golden–crusted and gleaming, alongside spike–tusked boar praised so tender it fell apart at the touch of a fork, a rich wave of caramelized, savory aroma conquered every nose at the :able.

Mindy said, “Oh my God. Dora, you’re unreal.”

She picked up a piece of crocodile, took one bite, and her eyes went wide. “How is this so good? There’s zero gaminess. The outside is crispy and the inside just melts in your mouth. I literally can’t stop eating.”

Her beast mates were no less impressed. Rock kept his head down and powered through plate after plate without comin Jp for air.

Jaxsen pushed his glasses up and chewed slowly, savoring every bite. “This is incredible. The natural flavor of the meat is completely sealed in, and the texture has been taken to a whole other level. I’ve never encountered cooking like this.”

Milo ate in silence, though surprise registered plainly on his face.

This blows any standard alien beast dish out of the water,’ he thought. ‘It’s better than what most high–end restaurants pu

out.‘

Yet for all its extraordinary flavor, neither Mindy’s family nor Elmer and Lioren detected even a trace of crystal energy in the food.

To them, what sat on the table was simply a phenomenal meal and nothing more.

Only Clive sensed something different. When he placed a piece of the braised meat on his tongue, what struck him wasn’t just the incomparable taste.

A gentle current of crystal energy threaded down his throat and quietly dispersed through his entire body.

Dora read the room and finally let herself breathe. What she saw on their faces confirmed that the crystal energy produced by a female’s Spatial Realm worked the same way across the entire interstellar world.

Only a bonded beast mate could absorb it. Without a formal mating bond, the energy was untouchable.

Lioren and Elmer could absorb crystal energy because everything they consumed came from the Universal Spacetime Barter System.

The pieces fell into place, and a familiar caution settled over her. Anything tied to the System had to stay hidden.

Two lifetimes had drilled one lesson into her bones that holding a treasure without the power to protect it only painted a target on one’s back.

Mindy took another bite, and her eyes lit up. “Dora, how’d you make this? I bet even a five–star chef in the interstellar world couldn’t pull this off.”

Dora smiled. “For the mutant crocodile, I rubbed the fillets down with garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest, then let them

Chapter 48 This Ope’s For You

marinate for about half an hour. After that, I seared them in a hot skillet until both sides turned golden brown Simple as

that

The spike–tusked boar took a little more work. I heated some olive oil in a Dutch oven with garlic, thyme, and bay leaves until the whole kitchen smelled amazing, then browned the meat on all sides.

“Once I had a good crust, poured in some broth and let it braise low and slow for about an hour. The liquid reduced dov into this thick glaze, and the meat practically fell apart on its own.”

Mindy couldn’t hold back a gasp. “Dora, is this the legendary ancient cooking technique people talk about?”

Dora scratched her head, a little flustered by the praise. ‘Ancient cooking technique?‘ she thought.

A few more rounds of drinks loosened the mood between them.

Dora noticed Mindy only had three beast mates and found herself curious enough to ask.

Mindy’s smile faded, and she let out a quiet sigh. “There used to be five. One of them ran into a pack of high–level alien beasts in the Training Zone a few years back. He never came home.”

She paused. “Another took an escort job to some remote mining planet three years ago and disappeared without a trace She shook her head. “My Spatial Realm is only at Level 2 right now, so the output is limited.

‘I can barely keep up with the crystal energy demands for Rock, Jaxsen, Milo, and myself as it is. I don’t want to match w anyone new and end up being a burden to them.”

The quiet resignation woven through her words, paired with that stubborn refusal to give up, tugged at something deep i Dora’s chest.

She thought for a moment, then pulled a small box from inside her coat. A dozen plump seeds sat nestled inside. “Mindy hese are for you.”

She slid the box across the table. “They’re called peanuts. An ancient Blue Planet crop I found referenced in some old tex ‘Take them home and try planting a few in your Spatial Realm. If they take root, I’ll teach you how to press oil from the harvest. My cooking method is only half the secret behind tonight’s meal. The oil is the other half.

‘And here’s the real advantage. If you grow peanuts in your Spatial Realm and use that oil to cook alien beast meat my wa he meat itself will carry crystal energy. That could offset what your Spatial Realm can’t produce on its own.”

Mindy took the box and lifted the lid. The unfamiliar seeds, each one marked with fine, distinctive ridges, stole the breath ight out of her.

‘Peanuts? An ancient Blue Planet species?” Her voice wavered. “Dora, these are… I can’t take something this valuable. I ‘eally can’t.”

Her hands trembled around the box.

Ancient Blue Planet species were the stuff of legend across the interstellar world.

Rumor had it that only the most powerful noble houses and top–tier research institutes held a handful of surviving sample and their worth was beyond anything one could put a number on.

‘Take them, Mindy.” Dora held her hand steady and looked her in the eye. “We’re neighbors, and we’rp iniends.”

Mindy took the seeds, wide–eyed, caught between shock and delight. She knew exactly how rare ancient species like these were, so she dropped her voice low and fixed Dora with a serious look.

She said, “Girl, you gotta keep these hidden. Don’t let anyone find out you have them. Most of the original species from the ancient Blue Planet are either extinct or mutated beyond recognition.

“Only the top noble families and mega–corporations might still have a few specimens tucked away, and those are basically symbols of status and legacy. If the wrong people catch wind that you’ve got these, it’ll bring nothing but trouble.” Dora nodded solemnly. “I know, Mindy That’s why I’m only sharing with you. We grow them in secret, eat them in secret, and make our lives a little better.”

Mindy squeezed her hand, moved beyond words.

As the real went on, the conversation turned to what came next.

The signs of the wet season were growing harder to ignore. Humidity had been steadily rising, and thin drizzles laced with corrosive particles had begun to fall.

Mindy’s household was scrambling to prepare.

Mindy said, “We’re planning to scout deeper into the Yellow Zone and along the edge of the Green Zone in the Team

Chapter 48 This One’s For You

“There should be Rubber Wood that’s more corrosion–resistant and Moisture–Absorbing Crystal Ore that can draw out the

damp if we’re lucky, we might even bag some alien beasts with specialized hides. Once treated, those hides make top–tier moisture–proofing material.”

She paused “The thing is, the alien beasts out there run a lot stronger. We could hit Level 5, and the terrain gets way more unpredictable. Going in with our family alone… honestly, it makes me nervous.