Third-person POV: The next morning, inside Darius's office. Darius looked at Thora, who stood in front of his desk as straight as a flagpole. He raised a brow. "Thora, you can sit down. If you keep standing there looking so intense, I might think you're about to do something to me." He usually acted laid-back and careless, but even he felt himself calm down a little under her serious presence. Hearing that, Thora frowned slightly and walked over to the couch. Once she sat down, the sharp lines on her face relaxed. She still looked cool and distant, but at least a little more approachable. Darius glanced at her, a smile flashing in his eyes, then went back to reading the file in his hand. "Can you do it?" Thora asked directly once he finished. Darius's lips curved. "Of course I can. But I want to know, what identity are you using to talk to me right now? Are you approaching me as part of the military or as my mate?" Thora blinked. "What's the difference?" Darius set the stack of documents aside and gave her a playful look. His tone was mischievous. "There's a big difference. If you're here as the military, then this is business. And business means we need to discuss money. But if you're coming as my mate, then this is simply something I should do for you." He smiled flirtatiously, yet somehow charmingly enough that no one could get mad at him. "And the thing you want? In this empire, only my team can build it. "A VR-based elite training system," he continued. "It includes a thousand combat scenarios, hand-to-hand fights, tactical teamwork, wolf-form attacks, wolf-power drills, and more. It recreates every movement down to the micro-level, so your brain and muscles learn instantly. Even with today's top VR tech, building this is still incredibly difficult." Thora knew exactly how difficult her request was. In an apocalypse, this would've been simple. But here, it was extremely advanced. She said with a straight face. "Fine. I'm asking you as your mate." She said it so seriously that Darius froze for a second. Then, remembering how Thora hated dealing with unnecessary trouble, he understood. He couldn't help but joyfully lift his eyebrow. See? She admitted it herself. She's my mate. Thora stood up and said, "I'll be staying in the military zone for a long time. Once the system is ready, contact me. I'll test it myself." Darius's expression shifted. "So you've already decided to join Wolffang?" Thora wasn't surprised he asked. She nodded. "Yes."She paused, then said each word clearly, "Becoming a soldier is my life's duty." No matter what she had gone through before, the choices she made now, or the promise she gave her grandfather, this was the path she had to walk. Darius frowned a little. Deep down, he didn't want Thora joining a high-risk special forces unit. But he respected her choice even more. He smiled faintly and said, "You know, in Astralis, if one mate passes away, the bond remains as long as the other person doesn't break it. Even if death separates them, the bond still exists." Thora thought for a moment before she understood what he meant. He was telling her that if something happened to her, she would still be his mate even after death. She stared at him and gave a cold, sharp smile. "You're overthinking. Three years from now, I'll break our bond."With that, Thora walked away. Her tall, lean figure wasn't that large, but she carried a strength that felt unshakable. Her back was straight, as if she would never grow tired. In that moment, Darius suddenly understood. She was born for the battlefield. Maybe ever since the day he first met her on that mountain race, her path had already been set. His mate was anything but ordinary. He didn't look away until her figure disappeared, then his gaze dropped to the documents on his desk. He hadn't told her the entire truth. The system she wanted to build—its functions and design—did not exist anywhere on this planet. To create something like this, someone would need a perfect understanding of the human body, advanced combat tactics, and the ability to analyze the wolf-shifting form, wolf power flow, and the physical changes during a werewolf shift. Without all that, designing such a complete and advanced system would be impossible. Such a device was clearly beyond what current military technology could achieve. Darius narrowed his eyes. His sharp, handsome profile looked almost unreal. His mate really did surprise him again and again.