Not REAL

Chapter 1 The Last Female Died

"Lexie, sign your name here and give up the inheritance your dad left you. I'll let you go. Deal?" A cold voice threatened.

At the edge of the cliff, Lexie Goodwin, in a plain school uniform, was forced to the ground as someone gripped her shoulders tightly.

Standing across from her were two women dressed in fancy clothes.

One was her stepmother, Melody Goodwin, and the other was her stepsister, Jaqueline Goodwin.

Lexie lost her birth mother when she was young. After her father remarried, Melody moved into their house with her own daughter, Jaqueline. Now that Lexie's father was gone, every bit of his inheritance had ended up in Lexie's hands.

When Melody and Jaqueline got wind of this, they were bitter as hell. They had Lexie snatched and dragged out here, trying to force her to give up everything her father had left her.

Lexie, battered and bruised from their torment, looked up at the twisted expressions of Melody and Jaqueline. She shot them a cold smile. In a split second when they weren't watching, she spun around and threw herself off the cliff.

Even if she had to donate everything after she was gone, she'd never let those two snakes get their hands on her inheritance.

Lexie's father hadn't died by accident but was murdered by Melody and Jaqueline. After she was kidnapped, Lexie triggered the tracker she'd hidden on herself, and it sent out a distress signal on its own.

And with that alert, the evidence of Melody and Jaqueline's crime had already been sent out too.

She had no family left in this world. Besides, she was stuck with an incurable disease. If she kept living, her days would just be more agony.

Honestly, if life was going to be this miserable, she'd rather just end it herself.

She was going to use her own death to make sure Melody and Jaqueline paid an even heavier price for what they'd done.

As her consciousness faded, Lexie couldn't help but wonder if she could see her father again in her next life.

She murmured, "Dad, I miss you."

*****

[In the Aetalaea Era, Lilith Graham, the very last female in the Aetherion Interstellar Zone, lived to be 1,072 years old. At 6:45 this morning, she died from the Clyssia Virus.]

[From today on, there won't be a single female left in the entire Aetherion Interstellar Zone.]

[The bitter winter of the Aetalaea Era is coming.]

In the living room, Marshal Austin Drake listened to the obituary on his Optic Brain, a communication device widely used in this world. His heart ached, and his face was grim.

The very last female in the Aetherion Interstellar Zone had truly passed away.

With no females left, the genetic chain was doomed to collapse. Doomsday had finally come for everyone.

"Marshal Drake, Dr. Cole is here," the butler reported.

Hearing the butler's report, Austin spoke with a cold edge to his voice, "Let him in."

Seeing that Austin was clearly in a bad mood, the butler didn't dare say another word. He simply slipped out to bring Arthur Cole inside.

When Arthur finally walked in, Austin turned around and took a good look at him.

Arthur's face looked tired, but there was still a stubborn strength in his features. His eyes betrayed a grief he couldn't quite hide. He was the best doctor in the Aetherion Interstellar Zone, but even he hadn't been able to save Lilith.

"Marshal Drake, I..." Arthur began to say, his voice hoarse and heavy with emotion.

He hesitated, not sure what to say to Austin, the man who was more than just his boss, but the guardian of the entire Aetherion Interstellar Zone.

After all, just a month ago, Arthur had sworn to Austin that he'd definitely find a way to save Lilith.

"Arthur, tell me, is there really no cure for the Clyssia Virus? It's stolen the people we care about most. And now, it's taken Ms. Graham from us.

"Ms. Graham was the last glimmer of hope for all of us in the Aetherion Interstellar Zone. Now that she's gone, it feels like every bit of hope we had just vanished with her."

Arthur replied, "I'm sorry, Marshal Drake. The Clyssia Virus is just too strong. It only hurts females. We've tried everything, but nothing worked.

"I'm really sorry. I-I really can't do anything about it.

"But we've already developed artificial female bots. Even just a bit of contact with them can really help calm down the beastmen's genetic issues.

"And on top of that, we've rolled out a new generation of Genesis Pods that can cut down on gene disorders in newborn beastmen."

Austin asked, "Is it really impossible to bring a female to life in the Genesis Pods?"

Arthur replied, "Yeah. The Clyssia Virus is everywhere and too strong to fight. Even if we keep them in isolation from the moment they're created, they still don't survive once they're out.

"Not a single female has ever made it out of the Genesis Pods alive, no matter what we tried."

"I'm sorry, Marshal. I let you down."

Hearing that, the young marshal shut his eyes, feeling completely hopeless.

Ever since the Clyssia Virus ravaged the Aetherion Interstellar Zone two thousand years ago, it had been wiping out every last female.

They tried everything, but nothing ever worked.

Now, the Genesis Pods help keep the numbers up, but the beastmen born from them all lack female genes. From the moment they were born, they were stuck with genetic disorders that would doom them to a lifetime of pain.

With Lilith gone, it felt like the last shred of hope had been ripped away. Everyone was drowning in despair.

With no females left, the Aetherion Interstellar Zone was doomed for real now.

"Marshal, Ms. Graham's funeral is set for Dora Planet. Her last wish was to feel the fresh air after she was gone, so her spirit could be set free," Arthur said.

"Alright, we'll do it on Dora Planet then. I'll be there in three days for Ms. Graham's funeral," Austin replied.

"Alright," Arthur answered with a nod.

*****

Three days later, on the blossom-filled Dora Planet, after everyone had paid their last respects to Lilith, they all boarded the starcruiser for the journey home.

On the way back, all the beastmen were silent.

At a moment like this, nothing anyone said could change a thing.

The last female in the Aetherion Interstellar Zone was gone. With her passing, the beastmen's doomsday was slowly but surely approaching.

Just as the starcruiser was about to take off, Arthur hurried over, looking anxious.

"Wait. This is Ms. Graham's favorite piece of jewelry. I have to place it at her grave myself," he said urgently.

"Alright, let's wait a bit longer." Austin glanced at the beautiful jewelry in Arthur's hand, his voice heavy.

As he watched Arthur hurry off the starcruiser, Austin, who hadn't slept well in days, could only head back to his quarters to rest for a while.

But the moment he stepped inside, something felt off. He frowned, sensing something was wrong.

'Did someone come into my room?' he wondered.

Chapter 2 Intrusion

Noticing the imperceptible changes in the room, Austin let his gaze follow the trail straight to the corner.

Someone seemed to be curled up in the corner, trying to stay hidden.

'Who dares to break into my room? Do they have a death wish?' Austin thought, his anger flaring.

Already in a foul mood from Lilith's death, Austin fixed a cold stare at the figure hiding in the shadows.

Unable to contain his rage, he grabbed the intruder and dragged them out of the shadows.

As he dragged the person out, a stifled cry of pain made Austin's brows furrow.

He glanced down and saw an artificial female bot, dressed in rags.

She looked completely disheveled—her face smeared with dirt, hair a tangled mess—but her eyes were shockingly bright. She was staring at him, her eyes wide with fear.

Her body trembled, clearly terrified from being yanked out so suddenly. A chill ran down Austin's spine. He never imagined an artificial female bot would sneak into his room.

Artificial female bots might not be as treasured as true females, but creating one was no easy task.

To beastmen, every artificial female bot was a rare prize—something they just couldn't afford to lose.

Realizing he'd dragged out an artificial female bot, Austin instinctively loosened his grip, worried he might hurt her.

After all, artificial female bots were delicate. He couldn't let a careless mistake on his part end up injuring her.

When Austin let go, the artificial female bot fell to the ground, wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes wary and guarded.

The moment their eyes met, Austin caught the caution in her gaze and was taken aback for a second.

'Since when did artificial female bots have such vivid, almost human eyes?' he wondered.

Seeing her so disheveled, with fear shining in her eyes, Austin, who'd been single for more than nine centuries, couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pity for her.

'This artificial female bot is eerily realistic. Honestly, she could easily pass for a real female,' he thought. 'But who on earth would leave an artificial female bot in my room at a time like this?'

"Someone, get in here," Austin called out.

"What can I do for you, Marshal?" a guard answered.

"Find out exactly who put this artificial female bot in my room," Austin ordered.

He snapped, "Is this really the time for this? Ms. Graham has just passed away, and instead of grieving, they're trying to please me with cheap tricks like this?

"What do you think I am? Some emotionless beast who only cares about satisfying his own urges when he's down?"

Faced with Austin's fury, the guard on duty didn't dare hesitate. He bowed respectfully and hurried out of the room.

After the guard left, Austin glanced at the artificial female bot curled up in the corner. Almost instinctively, he walked over and crouched down in front of her.

He spoke up with rare patience, "What's your name? Who sent you here? And why did you choose to hide in my room?"

Lexie, who had barely survived tumbling off a cliff, looked up at him, her expression utterly baffled.

The man standing before her wore a black and gold military uniform. He looked impossibly handsome and radiated such power, as if he were a general walking straight out of an ancient painting.

Just one glance at him made people instinctively want to submit.

He looked amazing, but Lexie didn't catch a single word he was saying.

When she tumbled off that cliff, Lexie thought she was a goner for sure. But when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a completely unfamiliar world.

At first glance, it looked like a fairy tale—flowers blooming everywhere, birds singing, scenery so beautiful that it almost didn't seem real. But after just a few days, Lexie realized firsthand how deadly this place truly was.

The wild temperature swings from day to night were bad enough. Worse still, even the caterpillars here were bigger than her body.

With a single chomp, those creatures could bite through tree trunks thicker than her waist. And that was only the beginning. On this strange planet, Lexie encountered all sorts of bizarre plants and terrifying creatures.

Surrounded by the alien things, Lexie knew there was no doubt she'd ended up somewhere completely foreign after that fall from the cliff.

But as for where she actually was, she hadn't had a second to figure it out. For the past days, she'd been scrambling just to stay alive.

After barely scraping by for a few days, Lexie was convinced she'd never make it out alive.

But what really blew Lexie's mind was when, out of the blue, a gigantic starcruiser descended from the sky.

As soon as it landed, a bunch of good-looking guys in military uniforms walked out.

They hauled out a fancy chest and headed off into the forest, vanishing from sight.

Desperate to stay alive, Lexie clung to the hope that those creatures were also human beings, and they probably wouldn't hurt her.

With no one watching, she mustered up all her courage and snuck onto the starcruiser.

By chance, she ended up stumbling into the only room that happened to be unlocked.

Lexie was starving, so when she spotted food and water laid out on the table, she couldn't help herself. She grabbed some and started wolfing it down.

She barely had time to swallow before she heard footsteps approaching.

Realizing she'd crashed into someone's private space, Lexie panicked. The moment Austin walked in, she scrambled to hide herself in the corner.

Now, faced with Austin's questions, Lexie could only stare at him, because she didn't understand a single word he was saying.

While the awkward silence lingered between them, the guard who'd left earlier came back.

He reported, "Marshal, we've checked it out. This artificial female bot sneaked onto our starcruiser all by herself and has been hiding in your room."

"Really? How did an artificial female bot just show up on Dora Planet? This planet is remote and deserted," Austin asked.

The guard was sweating nervously, completely at a loss for words. He thought, 'How the hell would I know how an artificial female bot ended up on a deserted planet like this?'

After all, artificial female bots cost a fortune, and beastmen treated them like rare treasures.

Now, with one popping up out of nowhere on a deserted planet, no one was supposed to know where she'd come from.

Just as the guard was thinking of how to reply, Arthur, who had left earlier, came back.

Chapter 3 Serial Number

Arthur said, "Austin, I just heard someone say an artificial female bot showed up in your room.

"Let me take a look at her and see what kind of bot she is. Let me check the serial number on the back of her neck and figure out who her original master was."

As Arthur finished speaking, he stepped into Austin's room and immediately spotted Lexie huddled in the corner.

When their eyes met, Arthur was stunned for a second.

He saw sparks in this artificial female bot's eyes, almost like she was a real female.

'Wait, could she actually be a real female?' Arthur couldn't help but wonder.

At that thought, Arthur shook his head, thinking, 'No way she's a real female. Thanks to that damn Clyssia Virus, females have been kept in sterile pods since the day they were born.

'Now that Ms. Graham is gone, there's no way any females are left in this world.

'Even if there were any out there, they'd be living in sterile pods, not showing up right in front of me.'

Suppressing those unrealistic thoughts, Arthur walked up to Lexie and took a closer look at her face.

In Arthur's eyes, this artificial female bot was incredibly well-made. She looked almost like she was truly alive.

Her skin was smoother and more perfect than any female Arthur had ever seen.

He couldn't figure out how her master pulled this off. In the sunlight, every tiny hair on her face was clearly visible.

He could even see the tiny veins beneath her skin, and they seemed to be moving.

Looking at her, Arthur felt like he was staring at a real female, not an artificial female bot.

'Seriously, this is just way too realistic,' Arthur thought.

Pushing aside the weird feeling inside, Arthur looked at Lexie.

He asked in a gentle tone, "Little bot, would you mind telling me your name? Who's your master? And what's your serial number?"

Lexie stared blankly at Arthur, totally confused by his questions. She could only shake her head, clearly having no clue what he was talking about.

"Can't you speak?" Arthur asked, pointing at his throat with a puzzled look.

Seeing Arthur do that, Lexie pointed at his lips, then shook her head, making it clear she didn't understand him.

Lexie's soft finger brushed Arthur's lips, and the gentle touch made him pause, caught him completely off guard.

He couldn't help but scream inwardly, 'Geeze! Her skin feels unbelievably soft. She smells so sweet and fresh.'

Arthur lowered his head and met Lexie's uncertain, anxious eyes. Just that one look, and his heart turned to mush.

He couldn't even explain why. He just knew that seeing Lexie made him instantly like her, more than he could say. She was just way too adorable.

When Arthur fell silent, Lexie pointed at his lips once more and shook her head.

Seeing Lexie's gesture, Arthur hurriedly asked, "Hey, are you really unable to speak?"

Lexie stared at Arthur, still clueless about what he was saying. But then a thought popped into her head. Maybe he could understand her.

Nervously, she cleared her throat and spoke, her voice soft and a little raspy, "Hi, I'm Lexie Goodwin. I wandered in here by accident. Sorry for my forwardness. Please forgive me."

Hearing Lexie's sweet voice, Arthur and Austin exchanged a glance, both totally baffled.

Clearly, whatever Lexie said was just gibberish to them.

"Austin, can you understand what she's saying?" Arthur asked.

"Not at all. I've never heard a language like that anywhere in the Aetherion Interstellar Zone. Maybe her language converter's broken? Is that why we can't understand her?" Austin replied.

Arthur said, "Maybe. But that's not really a problem. Wait a sec. I've got the latest language converter in my lab.

"It can handle any language. I never had a chance to use it before. It's finally going to come in handy."

With that, Arthur flashed Lexie a reassuring smile before hurrying off to his lab.

As Arthur left, Lexie, still totally confused, caught Austin's scrutinizing look. She instinctively curled up a little, not daring to meet his eyes.

After all, Austin's was just too intimidating. She was an uninvited intruder, and with the language barrier between them, she had no clue what kind of guy he really was.

So when Austin looked her over like that, Lexie felt nervous and guilty.

Seeing Lexie flinch under his gaze, Austin furrowed his brows, thinking, 'This artificial female bot is actually scared of me?'

For some reason, that left Austin feeling strangely uneasy.

'Come on, I'm not a monster. What is she so scared of?' Austin grumbled inwardly.

Trying to make Lexie feel more at ease, Austin dug out a high-grade energy crystal from his storage space and handed it to her, motioning for her to eat it.

When Austin handed her the crystal, Lexie could hardly believe her luck. She accepted it with both hands, her eyes wide in surprise.

She asked, "Is this really for me? Thank you so much."

Austin couldn't understand a word Lexie said. When he saw her just holding the energy crystal instead of eating it, he reached over, took the crystal from her hand, and tried to feed it to her himself.

Austin's sudden move startled Lexie.

'Is he trying to choke me with this rock-hard crystal?' she thought. 'Even if he's mad at me for barging into his room, he can't possibly kill me in such a vicious way.'

Scared out of her wits, Lexie instinctively backed away, dodging Austin's hand while staring at him, her eyes wide and wary.

Seeing Lexie react like that, Austin was left scratching his head. He wondered, 'Did I mess up somehow? Aren't all artificial female bots supposed to eat energy crystals?

'I just gave her a high-grade energy crystal, but instead of being excited, she is eyeing me warily, like I'm up to something.

'Seriously, where did I go wrong? Why is this artificial female bot acting so guarded around me?'

Just as Austin was still scratching his head, Arthur came back.

Chapter 4 Communication

Arthur pulled out a tiny, see-through patch and quickly pressed it behind Lexie's ear under her puzzled look.

As soon as the patch touched her skin, it seemed to merge seamlessly with her.

"Hey, kiddo, can you hear what I'm saying now?" Arthur asked.

Lexie suddenly heard his voice right in her ear. She froze for a split second, then her eyes lit up. She nodded at Arthur, excitement written all over her face.

"Yeah, I can understand you now. Thanks, sir," Lexie replied.

Hearing Lexie's excited answer, Arthur flashed a grin.

He couldn't help asking, "Hey, what's your name? And how did you end up on the deserted Dora Planet?"

"My name's Lexie Goodwin. After I fell off a cliff, I ended up on that planet," Lexie replied.

"Fell off a cliff?" Arthur echoed, frowning.

After exchanging a glance with Austin, Arthur looked back at Lexie and asked, "Who's your master?"

"Master? I don't have a master," Lexie frowned and said.

She thought to herself, 'I'm a human. Why would I need a master? Is this guy running some kind of slave ring or black market operation?'

Just as Lexie was still lost in thought, Arthur pulled out a device and scanned the back of her neck.

While Lexie was still confused, Arthur spoke up, "Marshal Drake, I'm not seeing any code on the back of this female bot's neck. I can't track down which lab created her, and I can't tell who her master is.'

"Could this artificial female bot have come from some underground lab?" Arthur asked.

Suddenly, a thought struck Austin. He turned to the guard beside him and said in a commanding voice, "Get someone to check if there were any secret labs on Dora Planet in the past."

"Yes, Marshal," the guard replied and left.

Lexie immediately sensed something was off after overhearing Austin and Arthur's conversation.

'Wait, what? Artificial female bot? These two insanely handsome guys actually think I'm some kind of bot? And they're saying I was manufactured in a lab?' Lexie thought.

She instantly sensed that something was definitely wrong.

Lexie wondered, 'Female? Seriously? Shouldn't they just call me a lady or a woman?

'Is tech really that crazy now? They can actually make bots so vividly?'

She thought back to the weird place she'd woken up in, and the giant spaceship she was stuck on now.

Her mind had been in a fog for days, but suddenly, everything clicked.

'Wait, did I actually end up in another world after falling off that cliff? Just like in those webnovels?' Lexie thought, her heart racing.

Just thinking about it made Lexie press her lips together, too freaked out to say another word.

With everything so unfamiliar, she wouldn't be dumb enough to spill her whole story to these people.

If they were bad guys and tried to hurt her, she'd be in real trouble.

Since these two men thought she was an artificial female bot, Lexie figured she'd just go with it and act like one for now.

With everything so unclear, she'd just have to take things one step at a time.

While Lexie was still deep in thought, Austin stepped up and held the high-grade energy crystal right up to her mouth. "Come on, eat it."

Lexie glanced down at the rainbow-hued crystal being offered again, thinking, 'Well, if they think I'm a robot, it makes sense they try to feed me a crystal.

'But I'm a human. Seriously, how can I even eat a crystal like this?'

Lexie accepted the crystal, catching Austin's expectant look. After hesitating for a second, she awkwardly slipped the gem into her pocket.

Lexie mumbled awkwardly, "Uh, I just ate something. I'll save this for later."

Hearing that, Austin looked over at the empty plate on the table.

There had been snacks and fruit on it before, but now, everything was gone.

Seeing the crumbs on Lexie's lips, Austin looked confused and asked, "Kiddo, besides energy crystals, can you eat regular human food too?"

"Yeah, I can eat energy crystals, but I mainly rely on human food to keep my body functioning," Lexie replied.

"Really?" Austin was confused.

He turned to Arthur with a puzzled look and asked, "Can artificial female bots really eat organic food?"

"The latest models are designed to be excellent companions. They can definitely join their masters for meals," Arthur replied.

"Is that so?" Austin said, still sounding doubtful.

He looked Lexie up and down, and for some reason, he couldn't help but feel there was something weird about this so-called artificial female bot.

But he just couldn't figure out exactly what it was.

He just smelled the familiar scent on her, the same one he sensed from Lilith.

Austin's scrutinizing gaze made Lexie's heart skip a beat.

She was scared that Austin would catch her lying and do something harsh to her.

Just as Lexie was about to drop her eyes, unable to handle Austin's stare, a guard's voice rang out from the hallway.

He reported, "Marshal, we just found it out. Three years ago, the Viper Legion did destroy an underground lab on Dora Planet.

"According to the records, when they raided the lab, they discovered some of the test subjects had managed to escape.

"They couldn't track them down, and since Dora Planet is uninhabited, they eventually gave up the search."

Hearing the guard's report, Austin and Arthur fixed their intense gazes on Lexie.

Feeling the pressure from their stares, Lexie quickly shook her head and denied. "I don't know. I really can't remember anything. When I woke up, all I knew was I'd ended up there after falling off a cliff. I honestly don't remember anything else."

"Really?" Austin asked, his tone full of doubt.

"Yes. I'm telling the truth, I swear," Lexie blurted out.

Seeing Lexie nod frantically, her eyes wide with fear, Austin thought to himself, 'Even if there's something suspicious about her, she's just a bot anyway.

'I'll keep her around for now. If her identity turns out to be a problem, I can always deal with her.'

Chapter 5 Get Her A Room

With that thought, Austin turned to the guards behind him and spoke in a low tone, "Take her away. Get her a room and some clean clothes.

"Keep an eye on her. Don't let her roam the interstellar battleship. We can't have her spilling any secrets about the Aetherion Empire."

"Yes, Marshal," the guards replied in unison.

Hearing Austin's words, Lexie felt a wave of relief wash over her.

She begged inwardly, 'Please, just stop asking me questions.'

She knew nothing about this world, and she was terrified that if they kept questioning her, she'd give herself away.

The worst part was her terminal disease. After days without her meds, the pain in her body was almost unbearable.

If she had to stay here any longer, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

When she heard Austin was getting a room ready for her, Lexie hurried to stand up, ready to go with the guards.

But she got up too quickly, and her vision went dark. She almost lost her balance and nearly hit the floor.

"Watch out," Austin called out.

As Lexie was about to fall, Austin reached out without thinking and steadied her.

Austin instinctively caught Lexie in his arms, his brows knitting together in surprise.

'How is this artificial female bot so light?' he thought to himself. 'And besides that, her scent is unexpectedly pleasant.'

Austin was always busy and had never really interacted with other artificial female bots before.

'Are all artificial female bots as soft as this little bot? And do they all smell so good?' he couldn't help but wonder.

Flustered by Austin's intense stare, Lexie scrambled out of his arms, her heart pounding.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," she blurted out.

"It's fine. Just head to your room and clean yourself up. You really need it," Austin said.

Hearing Austin's comment, Lexie couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

She'd spent days surviving in that wild forest. Just making it out alive was a miracle.

Honestly, worrying about her image wasn't even on her radar now.

Now that Austin said she really needed to clean herself up, all Lexie could feel was embarrassment.

Still, Lexie nodded politely to both Austin and Arthur before turning to leave with the guards.

As Lexie left, Arthur watched her retreating figure, his eyes darkening with curiosity.

For some reason, his gut kept telling him that there was a huge secret about this artificial female bot. He had no clue what it could be.

But that didn't bother him. With Lexie living right under his nose now, Arthur figured he'd have plenty of time to dig into whatever she was hiding.

*****

Meanwhile, as soon as Lexie got back to her room, she slammed the door shut and leaned against it, trying to steady herself.

She thought, 'OMG, what kind of crazy world have I landed in?'

The guard who brought her back said this place was called an interstellar battleship, and that dangerous planet she'd escaped from was Dora Planet.

The guy running the whole military of the Aetherion Empire was Austin Drake, the one they called Marshal.

And that soft-spoken guy, Arthur Cole, was the empire's top genius doctor.

But with so little time, Lexie hadn't had the chance to learn much else yet.

Still, even those few details were enough to freak her out.

Lexie wondered, 'Seriously, where did I end up? All the guys here are insanely tall and stupidly handsome. I didn't see a single ugly one in sight.'

Barely able to stand, Lexie dragged herself over to the window. The interstellar battleship was now drifting through the endless void of space.

She gazed out at the beautiful stars, each one sparkling like a gem. They were so stunning that it almost stole her breath away.

Lexie was terrified that even the tiniest sound might shatter the beauty before her, leaving nothing but emptiness.

The place was just too beautiful. But with all this beauty came a lurking sense of danger, something unknown, waiting in the shadows.

"What kind of place was I dumped in?" Lexie stared out at the glittering stars, murmuring to herself.

As she gazed out at the stunning scene beyond the window, lost in her thoughts, she felt completely drained. Her body was at its absolute limit.

She thought bitterly, 'So what if I've ended up in another world? I'm still stuck with this incurable disease. Even if I'm alive, all I feel is pain.'

Back when her stepmother kidnapped her, she'd finally found the courage to put an end to her suffering.

But now, after barely surviving, she realized she just didn't have the strength to choose death again.

She clutched her aching stomach, the pain stabbing through her, and just as she felt herself about to collapse, a knock sounded at her door.

Reminding herself she was just an artificial female bot now, not even human anymore, Lexie gritted her teeth, did her best to act normal, and opened the door like nothing was wrong.

It was the guard who'd brought her here earlier—Ryker Griffin.

Ryker had delicate features, with pale blue eyes as deep as the ocean, radiating unwavering loyalty and determination.

He stood straight, holding a delicate box in his hand, his eyes filled with concern.

"Ryker, what's up?" Lexie asked.

Ryker said, "Little bot..."

"Ryker, can you just call me by my name? I'm Lexie Goodwin, but you can just call me Lex," Lexie said with a smile.

After Lexie said that, Ryker couldn't help but stare at her beautiful face. Looking down at her, he smelled the sweet scent coming from her. Ryker felt his cheeks heat up before he even realized it.

'Man, this artificial female bot is just ridiculously pretty,' Ryker thought.

"Well then, Lex," Ryker said, his voice a little softer.

"Is there something you need?" Lexie asked.

"Lex, are you still feeling hungry? I brought you some mid-grade nutrient fluid. Would you like to try some now?" Ryker said.

"Nutrient fluid?" Lex blinked.

She peered into the box Ryker held out, spotting several clear tubes filled with liquid.

'So this is what people here use to fill up. Must be some kind of local specialty,' Lex thought.

Honestly, she'd never seen anything like it before, so she was dying to know if it actually tasted good.

With that thought, Lexie looked up and met Ryker's hopeful gaze. She pointed at the tubes of nutrient fluid inside the box.

Chapter 6 Nutrient Fluid

"Um, Ryker, can I have a taste of the nutrient fluid you're holding? Just one is enough," Lexie said softly.

When Ryker saw how careful Lexie was being, his heart ached for her.

Artificial female bots might not be as precious as the females, but since they were so hard to create, every single one was treated like treasure by the beastmen.

And now, watching this female ask for just one of mid-grade nutrient fluids so timidly, Ryker felt distressed about her.

With that thought, Ryker handed the entire box over to Lex, his voice deliberately soft and gentle. "These are all yours. I have plenty more. If you want to try any other flavors, I'll get them for you.

"I'll bring you a few high-grade nutrient fluids to taste tomorrow, alright?"

Hearing Ryker say that, Lexie looked down at the box in her hands.

Surprised and delighted, she nodded eagerly at Ryker. "Ryker, thank you so much. You're seriously the nicest."

Ryker was stunned by Lexie's praise. He froze for a moment, then met her bright eyes.

The next second, a genuine smile lit up his face.

Ryker was Austin's personal guard, used to fighting alongside him across countless battlefields. To everyone else, he was far from nice.

He'd always been known as the cold-faced reaper. Honestly, he never imagined that one day, a sweet artificial female would call him a nice guy.

The praise made Ryker so happy that he could barely contain himself.

Because of that, Ryker's gaze softened even more as he looked at Lexie.

Ryker said, "By the way, I set aside a couple of outfits for you in the closet on your right.

"After you clean up, just make do with those for now. When we get back to Dophi Planet, I'll get you some cute dresses.

"You might not be a real female, but you have the same instincts as they do.

"Liking pretty clothes and jewelry is just part of who you are."

Hearing Ryker say that, Lexie was so touched that she didn't even know what else to say. She could only keep thanking him.

After saying goodbye to Ryker, Lexie sat down on the bed and opened the box in her hands. She picked up a vial and checked it out under the light. Inside, the clear liquid shimmered with tiny sparkles, looking almost magical.

'Can something so pretty be edible?' Lex thought to herself.

But then she shrugged, thinking, 'I'm basically a goner anyway, so what does it matter if I drink it?'

With that thought, Lexie twisted off the cap and took a small sip. To her surprise, it tasted so sweet.

She pressed her lips together, then finished off the rest of the nutrient fluid in one go. Instantly, a gentle warmth spread through her, and the pain in her stomach eased up way more than she'd expected.

'Wait, can this nutrient fluid actually help with my pain?' Lex wondered, surprised.

Thinking that, she twisted open another vial and chugged it down.

As that mysterious energy slowly spread through her, Lexie felt her body relax more than it ever had before after being tormented by sickness for so long.

'Wow, this feels so good,' Lex thought.

She didn't know if this nutrient fluid could actually cure her, but as long as it eased her pain, for someone with not much time left, that was honestly a blessing.

Staring at the few vials left in the box, Lexie thought, 'As long as I'm not hurting, maybe the days I have left won't be so tough after all.'

With the pain gone, she picked out some clean clothes and headed to the bathroom for a long, soothing shower.

After she was all cleaned up and lying in bed, the soft mattress and her body finally free of pain let her fall into the best sleep she'd had in ages.

She still had no clue where she'd ended up, but at least she didn't feel hurt anymore.

'This feels amazing,' Lexie thought.

When Lex woke up again, she peeked out the window. The galaxy was still sparkling. With no way to tell what time it was, she didn't hesitate to finish the rest of the nutrient fluid as soon as the pain started creeping back.

After a few vials, Lex felt like she'd just discovered some kind of magic potion.

Every time she drank it, the pain would be gone in a flash.

Thinking about it, Lex stared at the empty box, feeling a wave of worry wash over her.

She'd polished off the whole box in just one night.

If the pain came back, where was she supposed to get more nutrient fluid? Honestly, she'd feel super awkward asking Ryker for more.

They barely even knew each other, and hitting him up for more nutrient fluid would be seriously embarrassing.

Just as Lexie was lost in thought, staring at the empty box, someone knocked on the door. She hurried over and opened it, only to find Austin standing there.

The moment she saw Austin's serious face, Lexie's smile vanished in a flash.

Seeing her smile fade so quickly, Austin unconsciously furrowed his brows.

Austin mused, 'Am I really that hard to like? Every time this artificial female bot sees me, she just looks so annoyed. Did I do something to piss her off or what?'

Even with all those thoughts swirling in his head, he kept reminding himself that she was his guest.

Plus, he still had no clue where this artificial female bot had come from, so keeping her right under his nose was just the safest bet.

Thinking that, Austin just frowned. He looked at Lex and spoke in a low, serious tone, "You're Lexie Goodwin, right?"

Surrounded by Austin's overwhelming vibe, Lexie nervously straightened up and responded, "Yes, Marshal Drake."

"Follow me. We're going to eat," Austin said.

"Okay," Lexie immediately replied.

She didn't dare to refuse. She quietly trailed after Austin toward the dining hall.

As they walked, Lexie was totally blown away by the sheer size of the warship's interior. She just couldn't stop herself from gawking.

This warship was massive, ridiculously fancy, and everywhere she looked, it screamed high-tech. Lexie's eyes darted around, soaking in all the futuristic stuff she'd never even dreamed of.

Chapter 7 High Technology

Lexie sighed inwardly, 'How many years would it take for human technology to get this advanced? As a total tech newbie, this kind of high-tech stuff is just something I can't even imagine.'

Right now, Lexie felt like a beggar stumbling into some ultra-luxurious mansion. If it weren't for the awkward timing and her current status, she would've just yelled, "Holy crap!"

Austin could clearly see the shock written all over Lexie's face. His battleship was definitely fancy, but folks in this era weren't exactly clueless hicks who'd never seen luxury before.

Even if people would admire his ship, nobody would be as blown away as Lexie was.

Austin wondered, 'Where did this artificial female bot even come from? Everything about her just screams out of place.'

However, he couldn't make a move on her until he had some real evidence.

So, with both Lexie and Austin wrapped up in their own thoughts, they headed to the mess hall together.

As soon as they walked into the mess hall, Lexie was totally stunned. The place was massive, and it was packed wall-to-wall with all sorts of gorgeous guys.

Lexie couldn't help but blurt out, "Wow!"

There were so many hotties around that it felt like she'd stumbled straight into a romance comic. Every single one was built like a superhero, had a perfect face, and carried himself with that irresistible dream-guy energy.

Even though they all wore the same uniform, each guy had his own unique style. Some had that cool, minimalist vibe, others looked like actual royalty, but every one of them oozed their own brand of charm.

Lexie felt like she was drowning in a sea of eye candy. Every glance and smile made her heart skip a beat.

She couldn't help sneaking a peek at Austin, only to find him giving her that cool stare. The moment their eyes met, Lexie whipped her gaze away, not daring to look around anymore.

She refused to let herself get swept up by all these handsome faces. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She reminded herself, 'It's just a meal, Lexie. Don't let all this eye candy mess with your head.'

However, her heart kept pounding, and that rush just wouldn't fade.

Lexie yelped inwardly, 'Oh my goodness, I've totally landed in a nest of super hunks. I've never seen so many absolute stunners all in one place.'

Just as Lexie was spacing out, totally lost in all the hot guys, Austin finally spoke up, "Lexie, just go get whatever you want from the food counter up there."

"Oh, okay. Marshal Drake, how about I grab something for you?" Lexie asked.

"Nah, I'll get my own," Austin replied.

Seeing how scrawny Lexie was, Austin couldn't help but think, 'With her skinny frame, how could I possibly ask her to do anything for me?'

After Austin shot her down with that icy reply, Lexie didn't dare say another word. She just followed behind him, making her way to the food counter.

When they got to the food counter, Lexie took a look and saw that the menu was super basic. There were basin-sized slabs of meat and a bunch of veggies she couldn't even recognize.

Lexie wasn't about to touch any of that. Instead, her eyes drifted to a big box off to the side, stacked with vials of nutrient fluid that everyone else seemed to be ignoring.

Seeing the nutrient fluid, Lexie glanced nervously at Austin and asked cautiously, "Marshal Drake, can I have some nutrient fluid?"

"You're not going to eat any real food? Just going for that?" Austin asked, his voice low and a bit incredulous as he glanced at the mid-grade nutrient fluid off to the side.

After all, in the Aetherion Interstellar Zone, natural food was way more precious than nutrient fluid. Even here on the battleship, the crew hardly ever got to enjoy anything fresh.

With all these mouthwatering dishes laid out, she actually chose the basic nutrient fluid over real, delicious food. Honestly, Austin just couldn't figure her out.

Under Austin's probing gaze, Lexie could only mumble, "Um, I just want some nutrient fluid. Can I?"

"Take as much as you want, but don't waste it," Austin said coolly.

"Got it. I won't waste a drop," Lexie replied.

With that in mind, Lexie poured herself a glass of water, then marched right up and piled her plate high with more than a dozen vials of nutrient fluid.

Seeing that stack of nutrient fluid on Lexie's tray, Austin couldn't help but frown.

Just one bottle of mid-grade nutrient fluid was enough to cover all the energy a beastman needed for an entire day. Normally, a beastman would never drink more than one in a day.

But seeing Lexie grab a whole bunch of mid-grade nutrient fluid at once, Austin wondered, 'Can such a petite female really handle all that?'

But then Austin remembered that Lexie was an artificial female bot. She'd probably burn through more energy than most in a day, and that was just normal for her kind.

Thus, Austin didn't bother to say anything more. He picked out his food, grabbed his tray, and headed straight for a table off to the side.

Seeing Austin walk away, Lexie didn't dare stick around. She trailed right behind.

But as she walked past one of the beastmen, Lexie's eyes went wide when she spotted the huge, fluffy tail swaying behind him.

'Holy crap, is this guy doing some cosplay or what?' Lexie thought, totally stunned. 'That tail looks insanely real, and it actually moves.'

Honestly, Lexie was itching to reach out and grab that tail, just to see what it felt like.

But then she remembered she didn't even know the guy. She didn't want the guy to get mad.

Lexie forced herself to resist the urge, quickly turning away and heading over to where Austin was sitting.

Austin had noticed Lexie's odd reaction earlier, but he just figured it was the artificial female bot's built-in soothing function kicking in.

Whenever they spotted a beastman who was going out of control, their companion and soothing functions would automatically activate, trying to calm the beastman down.

So Austin didn't pay Lexie's strange behavior any mind. He just focused on his meal and kept eating.

Seeing that Austin ignored her, Lexie started drinking the mid-grade nutrient fluid from her tray.

Honestly, this nutrient fluid was seriously delicious. Every sip left her feeling super comfy all over.

And since it didn't cost her a dime, Lexie just chugged them down one after another. In no time at all, she'd wiped out more than a dozen vials of mid-grade nutrient fluid.

After chugging down all the nutrient fluid she got, Lexie felt totally refreshed. She licked her lips, staring at her empty tray.

She hesitated for a second, then peeked up at Austin sitting across from her, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Marshal Drake, is it cool if I grab a few more nutrient fluid?" Lexie asked.

"You still aren't full?" Austin couldn't help blurting out, his voice tinged with disbelief.

He stared at the row of empty vials lining the table, then looked at Lexie, his eyes wide with genuine shock.

Chapter 8 Amazing Appetite

"I'm a little full, but I think I can still drink a little more. Can I?" Lexie said, holding up her fingers to show just how much she meant.

Seeing Lexie's cautious gesture, Austin met her eyes and let out a quiet sigh in his heart. He gave her a look, signaling her to help herself.

Getting Austin's permission, Lexie couldn't help but feel happy.

She decided to push her luck a little further. "Um, Marshal Drake, after we finish eating, can I take some nutrient fluid back to my room to drink?"

Austin didn't answer her question. He just gave her a slight nod.

Lexie's face instantly lit up with joy upon seeing him nod.

'This is perfect. With all this nutrient fluid, I can sleep soundly tonight,' Lexie thought to herself.

As Lexie eagerly went to grab more nutrient fluid, Austin lowered his head and spoke in a low voice to Arthur through his Optic Brain, "Arthur, does it seem normal to you the way Lexie eats?

"The nutrient fluid she had would be enough for a dozen beastmen, but she's just an artificial female bot."

Arthur replied, "I'm not sure either. Maybe this little bot is the latest model of soothing bot.

"She might need to eat a lot to really work as intended. How about this, Marshal? Find a soldier with a genetic disorder and let him interact with Lexie. See if she can help calm his condition."

"Alright. I'll let you know once I have the results," Austin said.

After glancing at his Optic Brain again, Austin set it aside and continued eating.

Since he was a beastman, if he skipped the nutrient fluid, he'd have to eat a ton at every meal just to feel full.

While Austin was busy demolishing a mountain of food, Lexie returned with nutrient fluid.

She walked over, chugged down a few more vials before finally calling it quits. As for the rest, it was pretty clear she meant to stash them in her room for later.

As if something had just occurred to him, Austin set down his fork and knife and glanced over to the other side.

"Ezra, come here," he called out.

The next second, a soldier sporting nine bushy fox tails and a pair of perky fox ears strode over.

He was strikingly beautiful, his fox-like eyes glinting with a mischievous charm. His form-fitting combat suit showed off his physique perfectly, and those nine big tails swished behind him, making him look wild and irresistibly alluring.

Ezra Wynn walked up to Austin, snapped off a sharp salute, and said, "Marshal Drake, is there anything I can do for you?"

Austin gestured toward Lexie, signaling Ezra to head over.

Ezra caught on instantly and moved to stand beside Lexie.

"Ezra, sit down and eat with us," Austin said.

Ezra wasn't sure what the order was about, but as a soldier, he just did as he was told and took the empty seat next to Lexie. He started eating without a word.

Out of nowhere, this insanely handsome guy with nine fluffy tails sat down right next to her, and Lexie just couldn't stop staring at him.

How could she resist that? He looked like he'd stepped straight out of a cosplay convention, with those plush tails swishing behind him. Sometimes, his tails even brushed against her.

Feeling the soft, fuzzy sensation on her arm, Lexie's eyes went wide when she caught sight of Ezra's big ears.

She had no clue what those ears were made of, but they looked so soft and flexible. Honestly, they were way too cute to handle.

'Geeze, I just wanna reach out and touch them,' Lexie thought.

Lexie's gaze was so intense that Ezra paused, turned to her, and said, "Hey there, I'm Ezra Wynn."

"Hey, Ezra. I'm Lexie Goodwin. Just call me Lex," she replied with a grin.

"Good, Lex. Can you touch my ears and tails?" Ezra asked.

"Wait, really? Can I?" Lexie asked, her eyes instantly lighting up.

'OMG! He's actually letting me touch his ears and tails. He's so chill,' Lex thought, her heart racing. 'Well, since he's so friendly, I can't say no.'

With that thought, Lexie reached out and hugged one of the big, fluffy tails that had been brushing against her arm.

It was even softer and fluffier than she had imagined.

After she finished with one tail, Lexie immediately went for another. She made sure every tail got its fair share of attention.

'Oh my goodness, these tails are unreal. I have no clue what kind of high-tech material they're made of, but they're so sleek and glossy, just like the real deal. Hugging them is so comfortable,' Lexie thought, practically swooning.

She was totally absorbed in hugging and stroking the fluffy tails, completely missing the fact that Ezra's ears had suddenly vanished from his head.

Ezra suddenly felt a weird sensation in his tails and froze. He wondered, 'Whoa, what is this sensation? Why does it feel so freaking good?'

Whatever Lexie was doing made his ears tingle. The next second, Ezra reached up to his head, only to find that his beastified ears were actually gone.

Ezra spun around to stare at Lexie, totally stunned and confused. But Lexie was way too busy getting her fill of tail fluff to notice anything weird going on with him.

"Marshal Drake, did you see that? My ears just vanished," Ezra said, his voice shaking with disbelief. He couldn't believe his ears had just vanished into thin air.

Ezra thought, still reeling, 'This bot's soothing skills are unreal. Not even a real female could pull this off, but she actually pulled it off.

'Seriously, where did they even build this bot? What kind of lab could make something this wild? She's seriously amazing.'

Lexie was still lost in the fluffy tails when Ezra spoke up, so she glanced up at his head.

With just one look, she instantly noticed that the fox ears that had been perched on Ezra's head were suddenly gone.

"Ezra, where did your ears go? They vanished in a blink. Did you hide them? Is that some kind of magic? How do they disappear so smoothly?" Lexie blurted out, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Ezra didn't say a word. He could feel his tails, which had been going out of control due to his genetic disorder, suddenly pulling themselves back in.

It was all because of the gorgeous artificial female bot sitting right next to him.