Interstellar Beast World: All My Husbands Are Powerful and Rich!

Ever since that day, he came to see me every single day, never once trying to hide how he felt. He’s handsome, his Rank is high... I found myself liking him quite a bit, so... that’s just how it happened."

Rory froze in shock.

Her older brother had taken advantage of the moment—while his younger brother was busy caring for the child—and swooped in. From blood brothers to something far more intimate?

That kind of move... was impressive. Kind of wrong, but still impressive.

"Alright, enough about me."

Gina said lightly, as if brushing away the subject. She reached into her belongings and took out an exquisitely crafted box, then placed it into Rory’s hands.

"I asked you to come today to give you this."

Rory accepted the box and slowly opened it. Inside lay a single black fruit, its surface smooth and faintly lustrous, as though it held something mysterious within.

"What is this?"

She studied the strange fruit, confusion flickering across her face. She had never seen anything like it before.

"Anis gave it to me," Gina explained. "He said it can help plant-type beastfolk advance in Rank. I’ve never come across anything like it either. I want you to have it."

She didn’t have a plant-type beastfolk partner, so the moment she received the fruit, she thought of Rory.

"Rory, your partner Yuel—the commander—is a plant-type beastfolk, right? I’m sure he needs this. It will help."

Something that could help Yuel advance in Rank. Rory wanted it—there was no denying that. But from the sound of it, the fruit was incredibly rare... far too valuable to accept lightly.

She hesitated, then looked back at Gina.

"Gina, this is too precious. I can’t just take it. Let me trade you high-Rank beast cores for it. Or just name the price––is there anything I can give you in return?"

As she spoke, Rory took out several tenth-Rank beast cores and set them carefully in front of Gina.

"Rory, put those away right now." Gina frowned, a hint of irritation surfacing as she looked at her.

"Or I really will get angry. We’re this close, and I give you a gift, yet you insist on trading me beast cores for it. Rory, am I still your bestie or not? I am not going to open a trade stall here."

In Gina’s heart, she had long since regarded Rory as family.

"Gina, don’t be upset," Rory said quickly, her voice softening. "It’s just... this fruit is too valuable, I—"

Gina cut her off. "It may be precious to you, but to me, it’s useless. Rory, if you still see me as your friend, then don’t stand on ceremony with me."

Every time Rory came to visit, she brought gifts—so many of them—and even cooked meals for her with her own hands.

And now, all Gina was giving in return was a single fruit she had no use for. How could that possibly compare?

Seeing that Gina truly meant it—and was on the verge of getting upset—Rory finally relented. She gathered the beast cores back into her storage.

"Alright, Gina, don’t be angry. I won’t argue anymore. I’ll accept the fruit."

After putting the fruit away, Rory wrapped her arms around Gina’s arm, her voice soft with emotion.

"You really do treat me the best, Gina."

Gina smiled at her expression and reached out, gently pinching her cheek.

"I consider you my sister. If I don’t spoil you, who will?"

The two of them chatted a while longer.

By the time Rory stepped outside, dusk had already settled in. The sky had darkened, heavy with the promise of rain. Only then did she take her leave.

She boarded her airship and returned to the estate.

Once back, Rory immediately took out the black fruit Gina had given her and placed it carefully on the table.

"Yuel, this is what Gina gave me today. She said it can help plant-type beastfolk advance in Rank. Take a look—do you recognize it?"

"...This is an Ebony Divine Fruit."

Yuel’s expression shifted instantly, shock flashing through his eyes.

"How could Gina possibly have something like this?"

Rory explained, "Her new partner, Anis, gave it to her."

Then she looked at him expectantly.

"Yuel, can this Ebony Divine Fruit really help you advance?"

Among plant-type beastfolk, the highest known Rank was ten.

It had been many years since anyone had broken through to Rank eleven.

Yuel himself was already at Rank ten. Rory had once heard Vincent mention that Yuel had been stuck at this level for years, unable to advance.

If this fruit truly worked... it might help him break through that long-standing bottleneck.

"The Ebony Divine Fruit can indeed help plant-type beastfolk advance in Rank."

Yuel gazed at the dark, unassuming fruit resting in the box, then let out a quiet sigh.

"But I’m not sure whether it would still be effective for someone already at Rank ten."

The fruit was exceedingly rare.

It grew only on the Beast God Mountain, and even there, it appeared in very small numbers.

Finding one was incredibly difficult.

Most wouldn’t even bother searching for it—after all, it only worked for plant-type beastfolk. To others, it was nothing more than an unpleasant-tasting, ordinary fruit.

No high-Rank beastfolk from other races would risk venturing into Beast God Mountain for something so useless to them.

From the side, Nix spoke up immediately, "Whether it works or not, you won’t know unless you try."

Yuel shook his head.

"I’m raising a child right now. My abilities can’t undergo any intense fluctuations. I’ll have to wait until the child grows older before I can take it."

After saying that, he smiled gently and took Rory’s hand.

"Rory, I’ve already been stuck at Rank ten for so many years. Waiting another year or two won’t make a difference."

Just as his words fell, the little one perched atop his head suddenly stirred awake.

"Daddy! Mama!"

The child’s eyes immediately locked onto the black fruit in the box.

"Awwooo... it smells so good!"

The moment those words left their mouth, the little one suddenly leapt down from Yuel’s head and swallowed the black fruit whole.

"Terry!"

The moment Rory saw the little one leap off Yuel’s head, she cried out—but it was already too late.

The Ebony Divine Fruit had been swallowed whole.

Terry had moved so fast that Rory hadn’t even seen how he did it.

"Hic—!"

A loud, deeply satisfied burp echoed from the box on the table. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Then, right before Rory’s stunned eyes, Terry’s tiny, grape-sized body began to swell—as if someone were inflating him.

In just a few breaths, he expanded from a "grape"... into a plump, round "passion fruit."

Rory’s heart leapt into her throat. She clutched Yuel’s arm tightly, her voice trembling.

"Y-Yuel... Terry... h-he’s not going to explode, is he?"

That was an Ebony Divine Fruit.

A miraculous treasure capable of helping even adult plant-type beastfolk advance in Rank.

And Terry... he was still just a fruit, unable to take human form.

How could he possibly withstand that kind of overwhelming energy?

The others in the room were equally alarmed.

All eyes fixed anxiously on the box.

Terry had been too fast—so fast that even Xarion, Vincent, and Paros, all Rank eleven, hadn’t been able to stop him in time.

Yuel himself had been startled.

He looked at the now passion-fruit-sized child in the box and carefully extended his vines, gently probing the energy fluctuations within Terry’s body.

Only after confirming there was nothing abnormal did he finally let out a breath of relief.

"Rory, don’t worry. Terry is fine."

He probably wasn’t going to explode.

...but now that Terry had grown this big, there was no way Yuel could let him perch on his head anymore.

It was far too undignified.

What if Rory saw and started to hate—no, disapprove of him?

Hearing that Terry was safe, Rory instantly relaxed.

She reached out and poked the plump little fruit lying in the box.

"Terry, you can’t do that again, alright? If you want to eat something, you have to tell your daddy and me first. Once we make sure it’s safe, then you can eat it. Okay?"

Terry usually existed in fruit form—he didn’t even have a visible mouth.

Rory still had no idea how he’d managed to swallow the fruit in the first place.

"Awwoo!"

Terry knew he had frightened his mother.

He had been playing dead in the box just now, too scared to make a sound.

But the moment he heard Rory’s gentle voice, he sprang up, hopping out of the box and landing lightly on her shoulder.

With his now enlarged, round body, he nuzzled softly against her cheek.

"Mommy, Terry didn’t know it would scare you. I’m sorry... I won’t do it again."

At least his apology came quickly.

Rory smiled, her heart softening as she gently stroked his larger, round body.

"Mommy believes you."

Then she asked, her tone full of concern,

"How do you feel now? Does anything hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"