ã€ŠThe World of Beasts: She&#x27;s Got Their Heartsã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Analise Chamber groaned in pain and mumbled, "I can''t believe I survived."

    She held her throbbing head and slowly opened her eyes. "Looks like that fortune teller wasn''t wrong... I really am hard to kill."

    She was supposed to be on a business trip that day. Since she was short on time, she booked the earliest flight avable. However, the ne malfunctioned less than 20 minutes after takeoff and started plummeting uncontrobly.

    The violent drop knocked her out, and when she finally woke up, she was already here wherever she was.

    Analise shifted slightly, trying to get up. However, she realized there was something soft beneath her. She had just woken up, and her head was still spinning. So, she had not noticed anything earlier.

    As she looked down, her eyes widened in shock. "Is that... a tail? Like an actual animal tail? Oh, no! Did I fall out of the sky andnd on some endangered animal or something?"

    Analise wondered if this would count as an involuntary killing of an endangered species. The wildlife crime podcaster Zayn Lambert did not mention whether one would be jailed for this, and she could not help but scold herself for not tuning into more of Zayn''s podcasts.

    "Lady, you need to run. I can barely hold myself back," a hoarse voice growled.

    Analise instinctively turned around and saw Fiy Knight wearing one of those animal-ear headbands. Moreover, he was injured, too. Then, it hit her-she had passed out during the fall, but somewhere in the middle of it, she briefly regained consciousness.

    She remembered being up in the sky, her heart already sinking, thinking she was done for. The wind had been so strong that she could barely keep her eyes open, but just before she hit the ground, she vaguely saw someone sprinting through the forest below. After that, everything went dark again.

    She thought to herself, "Did I actually crashnd on him? I had fallen from that high up, and I weighed about 110 pounds! How is he even alive? He must be just as unkible as I am..."

    Analise was relieved that she had notnded on an endangered species. Instead, it was just a random dude running around the woods in a costume with fake wolf ears and a tail.

    Analise figured she should probably apologize first and then get Fiy to a hospital, just in case he had internal bleeding or something. She said, "Hey, um

    But before she could finish, Fiy shoved her forward with surprising gentleness. Then, he suddenly roared and transformed right in front of her.

    One second, he was a man. The next, he was a massive, snarling wolf twice the size of any she had seen on nature documentaries.

    Analise''s eyes widened, her mind goingpletely nk. "What the actual hell? How did he just turn from a human into a wolf just like that? So, those ears and tail were real?"

    Her instincts screamed at her to run, but her body refused to move. She was frozen in ce, paralyzed by fear.

    Her mind buzzed. "What the hell? What''s happening? How does one just randomly shapeshift into a wolf?"

    "Lady..." The wolf''s growl snapped her back to reality¡ªespecially when it locked eyes with her like she was its next meal.

    Maybe it was the survival instinct kicking in or the adrenaline flooding her system, but somehow she bolted. If she did not run now, she was as good as dead.

    The wolf howled and immediately gave chase, barreling through the trees and knocking them over like twigs. Luckily, Analise was petite and agile. Even with the wolf right on her heels, he could not quite catch her.

    Just then, she heard the chime of a bell. "This system has detected a highlypatible host. Dear Analise Chamber, would you like to bind with me? Complete the assigned tasks, and you''ll be rewarded handsomely."

    Still dodging branches and sprinting as fast as she could, Analise answered without hesitation, "Yes!"

    She couldn''t care less what the system was. Right now, she would bargain with the devil if it meant survival.

    "Wow, you''re surprisingly polite for a system! All the ones in novels just bind without asking!" Analise teased while weaving through the forest.

    The system said, "Consent confirmed. Initiating binding sequence."

    Secondster, it added, "Bindingplete. Hello, Analise. I am Purification System Unit 0612, but you may call me Echo. I''ll now be issuing your starter pack. Please stand by."

    Analise was gasping for air as she kept running, and the giant wolf behind her was still hot on her trail. It had already crashed into several trees along the way. If she had not been quick enough to dodge, she probably would have been crushed by one of the falling trunks by now.

    Suddenly, a transparent screen appeared in front of her in midair, and a gift box wrapped with a big bow was bouncing on the screen.

    Without even thinking, Analise reached out and tapped the bouncing box.

    [Congrattions, Analise! You''ve received Level-1 Purification Heart, Level-1 Purification Bow, Purification Potion, Dual Daggers, and F-grade Mind Essence.]

    As soon as the box opened, a white orbbeled Purification Heart and a blue orbbeled Mind Essence shot toward her chest and vanished into her body like beams of light.

    Analise felt a strange mix of burning heat and icy coldness swirl around her heart. The sensations collided all at once, and the shock made her stumble.

    She dropped to her knees, her strength drained by the overwhelming feeling¡ªbut that sudden drop just so happened to help her dodge the wolf''s next strike.

    Echo said, "Analise, you can try using your Purification Power now."

    "How do I use it?" Analise asked quickly, twisting halfway around as she looked up at the massive wolf looming over her.

    Echo replied, "Simply touch any part of the wolf therian''s body. The Purification Heart has fully fused with you, giving you ess to your basic purification power."

    Seeing her frozen in ce, the wolf immediately raised its paw to strike again. But before it couldnd, Analise lifted her hand and pped it against the soft pad of the wolf''s paw.

    Everything froze in that instant, and her hand was pressed firmly against the wolf''s paw pad, almost like they were locked together.

    Analise could see a stream of ck mist slither from the wolf''s body into her hand and flow into her chest. That strange burning sensation returned, and her hand began to tremble from the intensity.

    As the ck mist kept pouring out of him and into her, the wolf slowly began to shift back into his human form. However, its ears and tail were still there. She finally realized that they were actually real.

    "Littledy?" Fiy, the wolf therian, blinked down at their interlocked hands, visibly confused as if he had not fully regained consciousness yet.

    The moment thest wisp of dark energy vanished, Analise pulled her hand back and finally got a proper look at the guy in front of her. When she first woke up, everything had happened too fast-he pushed her away, then chased her through the woods like a rabid beast. She had not even seen his face.

    Now that things had calmed, she could see Fiy was tall, probably around six feet three inches. He also looked slightly mixed-race, with sharp features.

    He had normal human ears, but on top of his head sat a pair of animal ears that looked suspiciously like dog ears. Nheless, since he was a wolf therian, those had to be wolf ears.

    Noticing her stare, his tail gave a sudden twitch, wagging nervously behind him. "Um... Lady, was it you who calmed me down? Are you hurt at all?"

    Fiy''s gaze darted anxiously over her body, as if making sure she had not broken a bone or something. When he confirmed she was fine, his shoulders rxed just slightly. If she had gotten hurt, he would have been in serious trouble.

    No matter which alliance a female belonged to, if a male caused her harm, he would be severely punished. Females were meant to be protected-no exceptions.

    "I''m fine. But what made you lose control like that?" Analise asked carefully, trying to understand the situation.

    However, her eyes could not stop drifting toward that wagging tail. It looked so soft, and she kind of wanted to pet it.

    When she saw him shift into a full-blown wolf earlier, she already suspected she was not in her original world anymore. But since her body was still her own, she figured she had somehow body-crossed rather than soul-crossed like in those fantasy novels.

    "I was attacked by a Vexoth therian. I got infected with its venom," Fiy said bluntly. His tail slowed down as his tone turned serious. "Either way, littledy, we should leave this forest. It''s not safe here."

    Analise mumbled, "Vexoth?"

 Chapter 2

    Analise frowned, wondering if Fiy was referring to those Vexoth from those interster novels. If so, would that mean she had crossed into an interster novel world, or was this just a real interster universe?

    Either way, it did not really matter, as one thing was for sure¡ªshe was not in her original world anymore.

    "Lady, which alliance are you from? What were you doing out here alone in the forest? Where''s your guardian?" Fiy asked, rattling off his questions without pause.

    He remembered being attacked by the Vexoth and running through the woods, trying to make it back to his alliance for medical help. But out of nowhere, something fell from the sky and knocked him unconscious.

    When he came to, Analise had been lying on top of him,pletely passed out. He had not dared to move, afraid of disturbing her. So, he waited until she woke

    up.

    Nheless, Fiy never expected to lose control like that. Fortunately, Analise did not get hurt.

    "Me?" Analise was just about to respond when Fiy suddenly tilted his head and said, surprised, "Wait... Are you a pure human?"

    "Yeah." Analise nodded a little hesitantly.

    She was human, after all. Unlike Fiy, who had wolf ears and a tail, she figured he was referring to her being a normal human, and she was probably what he meant by a pure human.

    When she nodded, Fiy''s eyes softened with what looked like sympathy. He asked, "Did other females bully you?"

    Then, he lowered his gaze, his animal ears twitching a little. "If it were a male who hurt you or upset you, I could just beat him up for you. But if it was a female-"

    "What about females?" Analise asked.

    "Females are born with a higher status than males-even a pure-human female ranks above any male. Don''t you know that?" he asked, surprised by her reaction.

    Fiy was weaving through the forest paths as he spoke, making sure she stayed close as they headed toward his alliance. He continued, "It''s probably because you''re a pure-human female without a male guardian. Maybe no one ever exined the basics to you."

    His tone had softened even more, and there was a clear note of pity in it. "I''m guessing you''re from Shadowhawk Alliance, right? They''re notorious for picking on the weak. But if you''re willing, you cane with me to Stormw Alliance."

    "Mm..." Analise gave a small, uncertain nod.

    "You keep saying pure-human like it''s such a big deal," she said, trying to probe. "Were you really that shocked to see a pure human female?"

    "Pure-human females don''t have mind essence like other females, so they can''t soothe males," he exined, his pace slowing just slightly. "But because females are so rare, even pure-human women are still treated well by the alliances.

    "That''s why I asked if another female had bullied you. If a male harmed a female, he''d be punished without question. Pure humans exist on the interster continent, but we''ve never had one in Stormw Alliance, so yeah... I was a little shocked."

    He slowed even more, making sure she could keep up.

    "I see," Analise said with a thoughtful nod.

    Fiy nced sideways at her again, and a look of concern shed in his eyes. She honestly seemed like she did not know anything. He wondered if she had been bullied so badly that it messed with her memory.

    He suddenly stopped walking and looked at Analise again, full of sympathy. He spected that Shadowhawk Alliance did not want to raise a pure-human girl who did not have mind essence and thought she was useless. So, they secretly dumped her out here in the forest.

    Fiy let out a soft sigh. Now that he had found her, she belonged to Stormw Alliance. They would protect her from now on. Still, once they got back, he would have to get her checked out by a doctor-both physically and mentally.

    "Littledy, do you have a guardian?" Fiy asked again, sounding like he just wanted to confirm it onest time.

    He could not be totally sure if she were from Shadowhawk Alliance. She looked kind of dazed¡ªmaybe she did not even remember which alliance she belonged to. Moreover, there were at least a dozen alliances out there besides Stormw and Shadowhawk, so it was not impossible.

    Worried Analise might not understand, Fiy added, "I mean the male who lives with you, takes care of your daily needs, and is assigned to protect you." "Nope." Analise shook her head.

    She had literally just fallen out of the sky and crashnded in this weird ce. There was no way she had a guardian.

    Hearing her answer only made Fiy more determined to bring Analise back to Stormw Alliance with him.

    "By the way, I''m Fiy Knight. What''s your name, littledy?" he asked, finally realizing that calling her dy" nonstop felt kind of impersonal.

    "Analise Chamber."

    "Analise Chamber..." Fiy repeated softly. "That''s a beautiful name."

    Then, his expression shifted, and he suddenly blinked like something just urred to him. "Wait... Pure-human females don''t have mind essence. So, how did you calm me down earlier?"

    Mind essence? Analise immediately thought of the starter pack from the system earlier, and it seemed to have included something called mind essence.

    She focused on the heat that had surged in her chest earlier. As she tapped into it, her hair lifted slightly from the energy, and even the nts around them gave a small, trembling response.

    "This?" she asked, ncing at Fiy and giving him a quick blink.

    "Y-You actually have mind essence?" Fiy stared at her, eyes wide with shock. "Even if it''s just the lowest grade, that''s insane! I''ve never seen a pure-human female with mind essence before!"

    "Yeah, I only noticed it just now when you were chasing me, and everything got crazy." Analise made something up on the spot, keeping her voice casual. "You''ve never felt it before?" Fiy pressed.

    "No, not really. Maybe because everyone always said pure humans didn''t have it... And since mine is weak, I never noticed it myself," she replied.

    "That could be it," Fiy said thoughtfully. "Still, you''re the first pure human I''ve ever met with actual mind essence."

    He shed a bright grin, and there was something boyish about how he smiled.

    Analise nced at him and tilted her head, wondering, "Are all therian guys this simple? He wasn''t even suspicious."

    They walked for a while longer, but soon, Analise started tog behind. Back in her original world, she either drove or caught a ride to get around¡ªshe had not walked this long in years.

    "Lady¡ªI mean, Ms. Chamber... If you don''t mind, I could carry you on my back?" Fiy offered, looking at her hopefully.

    A pure-human female, with actual mind essence and none of the arrogant attitude that came with most females-Fiy honestly thought she was adorable. "Okay." Analise nodded.

    After all, she really could not keep going. Her whole body still ached from falling out of the sky, and she had been walking for over half an hour since. She was at her limit.

    The second she agreed, Fiy crouched down in front of her without hesitation.

    Analise did not waste time, either-she climbed right onto his back. With her weight on him, Fiy picked up the pace and moved much faster through the forest.

    At first, Analise just rested her eyes while holding onto his shoulders¡ªbut before she knew it, she had drifted offpletely. When she woke again, she found herself in a clean, well-lit room that looked much like a private hospital suite.

    Just as she sat up, the door opened, and a man with a whiteb coat-and animal ears like Fiy-stepped inside. He asked, "You''re awake? Are you feeling any difort?"

    "Where am I?" Analise watched him nervously.

 Chapter 3

    Thinking back to how excited Fiy had gotten when he found out she was a

    pure human with mind essence, Analise could not help but suspect she was being treated like some kind ofb rat. She had wondered why he never questioned her, and now, it made a little too much sense.

    Nheless, since she did not belong to any alliance, and she had already learned from Fiy how rare and valuable females were in this world, she figured going with him to Stormw Alliance was better than wandering around alone.

    "Ms. Chamber, there''s no need to be nervous. You''re in Stormw Alliance''s hospital," the man in the white coat said gently. "I''m a doctor-you''repletely safe here. Major Knight brought you in."

    He continued, "ording to him, you were found alone in the forest. He was worried you might have been hurt, so we''re just checking to make sure you don''t have any internal injuries.

    "Would you mind telling us which alliance you''re from? I couldn''t find any chip imnt or ID records for you, Ms. Chamber."

    The male doctor, whose name tag read Kyle Davies, was holding something like a tablet. His long fingers swiped across the screen as if trying to locate something.

    Analise stayed silent and just stared at him without answering. Meanwhile, Kyle noticed she was not in the mood to talk, so he did not push. Instead, he walked to the door and called for another male, whispering something to him before sending him off.

    Once that was done, Kyle returned to the room and quietly resumed monitoring Analise''s vitals, typing notes into his device as he observed the readouts. A little whileter, Fiy burst into the room, practically dragging another male behind him.

    "Scott, this is the one I told you about-the pure-human girl who actually has mind essence," Fiy said excitedly. "It''s just F-grade, the lowest level, but still... Can

    you believe it?"

    "Major Knight, Admiral Hopkins," Kyle greeted both of them with respectful nods.

    "How''s Ms. Chamber doing?" Scott Hopkins asked casually, his sharp gaze scanning Analise lying on the bed.

    "Physically, she''s stable. Nothing serious-just seems a little tense, likely from the stress," Kyle said as he handed over her readings. "And as Major Knight mentioned, there is indeed a faint trace of mind essence activity. She''s the first pure-human female we''ve ever recorded with measurable mind essence."

    Analise listened from the bed, feeling her anxiety rise again. Scott definitely seemed way smarter than Fiy. Something about the way he observed her made her feel scrutinized.

    Right on cue, the monitor next to her let out a series of beeps. Kyle nced at the numbers and realized her heart rate had spiked again.

    He figured maybe she was not used to being around unfamiliar males, and the presence of high-ranking strangers had triggered her difort. After all, some females were just naturally more introverted, and fear could easily kick in when they were ced in unfamiliar environments.

    "Ms. Chamber, you don''t have to be afraid," Kyle said gently, trying to calm her. "He means you no harm. This is Admiral Scott Hopkins, the Commander of Stormw Alliance. He''s also the only known SS-grade mind essence bearer we''ve ever had."

    Analise was shocked to hear that Scott was the only SS-grade mind essence bearer. She quietly studied him, saying nothing. Nheless, it dawned on her that Scott was the top dog around here.

    "Yeah, Ms. Chamber! Scott''s totally cool-you really don''t have to be scared!" Fiy chimed in with a big, goofy smile, his white teeth practically gleaming.

    Before they came in, Fiy had already talked to Scott about wanting to be Analise''s guardian, and Scott had given the okay. But of course, it still depended on whether Analise agreed.

    Even so, Fiy felt pretty confident. After all, she had fallen asleep on his back and let him carry her the whole way here-surely that meant she trusted him and would agree to it.

    "Ms. Chamber, there''s no need to be afraid," Scott said as he stepped forward slightly, offering a calm smile that barely reached his eyes.

    He added, "You''re wee to stay here in Stormw Alliance. Since you don''t have a guardian, I''ll arrange both housing and a suitable guardian for you shortly.

    "Here in Stormw, females receive the same benefits and privileges as any other citizen, including financial support. We don''t just talk the talk-we walk it."

    Scott reached into his coat and pulled out a small case containing a pale blue microchip. He continued politely, "However, I believe it would be best for you to have a chip imnted. It''s the safest way to record your identity and ensure your protection within Stormw Alliance."

    Analise stared at his smile, but something about it made her uneasy-it felt too polished and too calcted. She suspected he was skeptical about her background, even if he had not said it aloud.

    Still, she did need a ce to stay, and based on what Fiy had told her earlier about female status and protection, she had no better option.

    So, Analise nodded and pointed to Fiy without saying a word. Moreover, the system had already scanned the chip earlier-it was clean, just standard for this world, so she was not worried about that.

    If anything, it only confirmed that while Scott might have doubts about her, he was not nning to hurt her¡ªat least not directly. Plus, Fiy mentioned before that males were not allowed to harm females.

    Fiy grinned from ear to ear, beaming with pride. He knew Analise would pick him.

    "You''d like Fiy to be your guardian?" Scott asked smoothly, still smiling as he looked at her.

    Analise blinked once, then nodded again. She chose Fiy purely because he seemed harmless-simple, easy to read, and, most importantly, easy to deal with.

    "In Stormw Alliance, each female is allowed up to five guardians," Scott added casually, handing the chip case to Kyle.

    Kyle remained expressionless, but inwardly, he was stunned because the chip Scott had just handed him was Stormw''s highest-grade imnt.

    After all, only one person had ever received the pale blue chip-Vera Khielson, an SS-grade mind essence bearer. Everyone had assumed Scott would eventually mate with Vera. However, with what had just happened, that did not seem so certain anymore.

    "Five?" Analise blurted, her expression finally cracking in shock.

    "Yes," Scott said evenly. "Stormw has far fewer females than other alliances across the interster universe, so we take extra measures to protect the ones we have. You, Ms. Chamber, are unique a pure human with mind essence. That makes you even more vulnerable and more valuable."

    Then, his eyes locked onto hers, calm andposed, as he added, "If you''d allow it, I can be one of your guardians as well."

    Both Kyle and Fiy turned to look at him, surprised by the sudden offer. Kyle raised an eyebrow slightly, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward in quiet amusement.

    Internally, he was buzzing. "Is Admiral Hopkins finally being more interested in more than just war strategy? How exciting!"

    And honestly, who could me him? Scott had always been polite and respectful toward females, but he had never once offered to be a guardian-not even when Vera herself asked him directly.

    "Scott? You want to be Ms. Chamber''s guardian, too?" Fiy''s grin faltered, and he blinked a few times.

    There was something weird and uncertain in his eyes now-maybe even a hint of panic. For the first time, Fiy felt an unfamiliar sense ofpetition stirring in his chest.

 Chapter 4

    Analise was just as surprised as everyone else, but for a different reason¡ªshe was starting to suspect that Scott wanted to monitor her personally. After all, a pure-human female with mind essence was rare enough to raise questions.

    Moreover, she had no guardian or chip and randomly appeared in the middle of a forest. Not only that, but she had also somehow ended up calming down one of his people.

    If she were in Scott''s shoes, Analise knew she would be suspicious, too¡ªeven if the person in question was a female. Still, it felt like a little overkill for the topmander of the alliance to do the monitoring himself.

    What she did not know, however, was that Scott had an entirely different thought process. To him, the fact that a pure-human female actually possessed mind essence¡ªeven if it was the lowest tier, F-grade-was already unheard of.

    But the real kicker? Analise had managed to soothe Fiy, a therian with an S- grade mind essence. That meant one thing.

    Pure-human females who awakened their mind essence could have a calming effect far stronger than any therian female, and mind essence would not stay stagnant. It could grow.

    In other words, Analise could eventually be someone capable of soothing anyone, no matter how powerful. And Scott? He was the strongest in all of Stormw. He was on the verge of breaking past SS-grade, aiming to be the world''s first SSS-grade mind essence bearer.

    Only someone like her would be strong enough to calm him, and only she would be a match worthy of standing by his side. Besides, she was beautiful, too. The moment heid eyes on her, his heart skipped a beat¡ªsomething that had never happened before.

    So yes, he had already made up his mind. He had to be her guardian. He thought surely, after everything he had said, she would agree.

    "Uh... sure," Analise replied with a slight nod.

    She was not entirelyfortable with it, but she figured Scott would eventually lose interest once he realized she was not hiding anything. And honestly, having the strongest guy in the alliance as her protector was not the worst idea.

    "Then, let''s get the chip imnted. After that, get some rest. I''ll leave Fiy here with you while I update your information at Hopkins Gxy Lodge," Scott said with a warm smile.

    "Can I just have you and Fiy as my guardians?" Analise asked suddenly, shing a polite smile of her own.

    She could not handle the thought of five people watching her every move, as that would drive her insane, even if Fiy did not exactly scream "spy" material.

    "Of course." Scott almost could not hide his smile.

    The chip imntation process was surprisingly quick, and Analise did not feel any pain. Despite being called an imnt, it did not require surgery-Kyle simply ced the chip at the center of her forehead. It felt cold for a moment, and then it vanished.

    "Ms. Chamber, the chip will fully sync with your gic code in about five minutes. After that, everything will be activated. I''ll leave you to rest now," Kyle said gently, then turned and left the room.

    "It just disappeared..." Analise whispered under her breath.

    "Huh?" Fiy, who had been peeling an apple nearby, did not catch what she said.

    "Nothing. I''m just a little hungry. But I don''t really want an apple. Would you mind grabbing me something else to eat?" Analise smiled sweetly at him.

    "Oh... Yeah! Be right back!" Fiy''s hand paused mid-peel, and he instantly put the apple down and hustled out of the room. As he left, he made a mental note that Analise did not like apples.

    Once the door clicked shut behind him, Analise rxed a little and spoke inwardly to the system. "Did Ind in a novel or something? And what''s the mission I''m supposed to do?"

    The system responded with a firm denial, "Nope. Analise, you''ve entered a parallel dimension. There are countless parallel dimensions across the universe, each with its own timeline and history-all developing differently."

    The system began exining the situation to Analise, "Right now, you''re in a dimension known as the Interster therian world, which has been invaded by a race called the Vexoth.

    "It used to be just like any regr human world, but after the invasion, most humans were infected by Vexoth venom and became food or nutrients for the Vexoth.

    "A small number of humans, however, had their dormant beastial DNA triggered by the infection and transformed into therians-beings with both human and beast traits.

    "Eventually, the therians discovered they could mentally control an invisible force to fight back against the Vexoth. They named this ability ''mind essence.'' And yes, these therians are also capable of cross-species reproduction."

    Analise was skeptical. "Cross-species reproduction? Do you mean hybrid breeding? But is that even possible? I mean, a horse and a donkey can have a mule, but mules can''t reproduce, right?"

    Even though she had read about it in fantasy novels, being thrown into the Interster therian world made her question everything.

    The system answered, "It''s possible. The gic base of these therians is still fundamentally human. The beastial DNA is just previously hidden genes that got activated, so reproduction still works."

    "Oh, I see." Analise nodded in understanding. Then, she asked, "So what''s my mission here?"

    "You only have one mission to purify the Vexoth venom and collect something called Purification Value. As your Purification Value increases, you''ll earn rewards based on your purification level."

    "Will I be able to return to my original world?" she asked again.

    "Yes. Once youplete all the purification tasks, you can choose to stay in the Interster therian world or return home."

    "Wait. I thought I only had one mission?" Analise frowned, clearly confused.

    "Yes, that''s correct. The ''all purification tasks'' simply mean you have to purify everyst trace of the Vexoth venom in this world."

    Analise fell silent at the mention that she needed to purify everyst trace of the Vexoth venom. After all, it could only mean that this was going to be a long haul.

    About ten minutester, Fiy returned to the hospital room carrying several shopping bags, each filled with neatly packed meal containers. "Ms. Chamber, I''m back! I wasn''t sure what you liked, so I grabbed a little bit of everything, plus some nutrient packs, too!"

    "That''s a lot of food!" Analise was stunned by the sight of the mountain of bags, half amused and half overwhelmed.

    "Yeah, I wasn''t sure what you''d want, so I just grabbed a bunch." Fiy scratched his head sheepishly as he opened up the containers and handed her a spoon and a fork.

    Just then, Analise had just taken a few bites when she heard a notification sound, and a robotic male voice echoed in the room. "Updateplete!"

    It did not sound like the usual system voice, so she instinctively looked up, only to see a light-blue transparent panel floating in midair just like her system screen.

    [Please confirm the following personal information and authorize ess: Name: Analise Chamber

    Gender: Female

    Species: Pure-human

    Mind Essence: F-grade

    Guardians: Scott Hopkins, Fiy Knight

    Alliance: Stormw Alliance

    Alliance ID: 03-999612

    Do you confirm and authorize?]

    "Whoa, Scott works fast! It''s only been half an hour, and he already got this set up," Fiymented, leaning in to look at the panel hovering in front of Analise.

    "But seriously? He put his name before mine in the guardian list?" Fiy grumbled, biting his lip with a dramatic sigh. "That''s a total abuse of power!"

    "You can see this, too?" Analise asked, a little surprised.

    "Yeah, you didn''t turn on the privacy setting for your chip, so anyone nearby can see it, too," Fiy chuckled again.

    He suddenly remembered this was probably Analise''s first time using an embedded chip, so it made sense she did not know. He leaned closer, reached out, and tapped the panel to confirm authorization, saying, "Ms. Chamber, let me show you how to set all this up."

 Chapter 5

    As soon as Fiy tapped the screen, the panel immediately flipped to the next page.

    [Ms. Chamber, please proceed with iris verification.]

    Fiy stepped back and motioned for Analise to focus on the red dot in the center of the screen. Once the scan confirmed her identity, Fiy began walking her through everything-how to check her funds, browse the online marketce, use the social tform, add friends, and more.

    With Fiy guiding her step by step, Analise gradually got the hang of the system.

    The so-called chip was basically a digital ID-but way more advanced. It was tied to everything she needed a bank-style ount, an online marketce, social media, and more. It was like someone had fused an ID and a smartphone into one sleek imnt.

    She nced at the bnce in her ount and raised her hand to count the number of zeroes. "I-Is this stipend a one-time payment?"

    Analise stared at the screen, a little dizzy from the number-one million Cosmocoins. If she were earning the usual way, it would take her nearly ten years to make that much.

    "Nope. That''s just your monthly allowance." Fiy gave her a cheeky wink.

    "Every month, I get one million Cosmocoins?" she asked, wide-eyed. "Yep."

    "And what exactly does a female have to do?" Analise raised a brow, clearly suspicious.

    Finley replied, "Just eat, rx, enjoy life... and when a male gets injured, helpfort him."

    "Comfort how?"

    "Like how youforted me back in the forest," Fiy replied patiently.

    "That''s it?" Analise looked genuinely shocked.

    He nodded. "That''s it! Males are in charge of fighting, protecting females, and raising the young. Females just need to be there to soothe the males and carry the next generation. Every alliance works the same way."

    Meanwhile, inside a luxury estate elsewhere in the city.

    "What? Scott actually agreed to be the guardian of a pure-human female?" A tall, fair-skinned woman in heels stormed down the hallway, heels clicking sharply as she overheard her mother, Lily Khielson, talking with her father, Jamari Sellers.

    It was Vera Khielson. In the Interster therian world, children would take their mother''s surname.

    "That''s right. I heard that pure-human girl has mind essence, too, but it''s only F- grade," Lily replied with a frown. She looked clearly irritated, and honestly, even more upset than Vera.

    "Vera is SS-grade! What the hell is Scott thinking?" she added, her face tight with frustration.

    "Mom,e on. If Scott didn''t choose me, then he didn''t choose me. Why are you getting mad over it?" Vera flipped her hair, pretending she did not care.

    But deep down, she did. It stung knowing that, in Scott''s eyes, she lost to a pure human girl with the lowest possible mind essence.

    Lily snapped, "Vera, this is exactly the problem! You never fight for what''s yours. If you had just been a little more assertive, I don''t believe Scott would''ve dared break Interster Alliance protocol.

    "Now look. He''s taken on a pure human. He''s obviously making a fool out of you! Everyone in Stormw knows you''re the only female with an SS-grade mind essence."

    Vera rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to do? Force him? I don''t do that. Besides, Scott''s the type who never backs down once he''s made a decision.

    "Even if I had pushed him to be my guardian based on mind essence alone, he wouldn''t have agreed. He''d probably rather face prison time than be forced into

    it."

    She paused, then added quietly, "Sure, females have higher status than males, but that doesn''t mean we get to trample over their free will. Interster Law says if a male refuses to be a female''s guardian or partner, that choice has to be respected."

    With that, Vera turned and walked back toward her own ce, her expression faintly bitter. She had onlye to Lily''s estate to confirm the rumors about Scott.

    Now that she knew the truth, which was not the answer she wanted, she saw no reason to stick around. After all, she needed time to sit with her disappointment and process it alone.

    ...

    "I''m feeling fine now. Can I be discharged?" Analise asked the moment Kyle walked into the room.

    Earlier, she had already added Scott''s contact info with Fiy''s help. Scott had told her he had an extra house she could stay in after leaving the hospital and mentioned that someone was already cleaning it up for her. Once she was discharged, she just needed Fiy to drive her over.

    Analise figured that as long as she had a ce to stay, that would be good enough. Besides, Scott was amander and was probably too busy to keep tabs on her all the time.

    Kyle nodded. "Yeah, everything looks good. You''re clear to go. Just make sure your guardian takes proper care of you ande back right away if anything feels

    off."

    Once the paperwork was finished, Fiy drove Analise to the house Scott mentioned.

    It was about a ten-minute drive from the city, and the area was surprisingly scenic and peaceful. Analise guessed Scott probably preferred quiet surroundings.

    "Alright, Ms. Chamber. We''re here," Fiy announced as he stepped out of the car and opened the passenger door for her.

    As Analise got out, she noticed Scott walking out of the house at that exact moment.

    This time, he was dressed casually in a rxed outfit,pletely different from how he looked back in the hospital. There, he had been wearing a uniform- probably a military suit from this interster world that screamed authority, even when he smiled.

    But now, the soft tones of his clothes, paired with his messy dark hair falling over his forehead, gave him a totally different air-like the charming guy next door. And that perfectly timed smile on his face? Yeah, it definitely added to the effect. Well, except for those animal ears, which looked like he was actually role-ying. Analise absentmindedly wiped at the corner of her mouth even though there was no drool and said to the system in her head, "I don''t think he''s watching me... I think he''s flirting with me."

    The system replied, "There''s nothing to doubt he is flirting. In the animal kingdom, the males usuallypete for mates. Now that humanity''s beastial DNA is activated and people have be therians, malepetition is just part of nature again.

    "The whole ''female rivalry'' thing in human society was a result of thousands of years of conditioning. But once instinctse back into y, females naturally seek out strong,forting, and protective males to bond with.

    "So, males end up evolving-visibly and emotionally-toward what females like, whether it''s strength, looks, or personality. Of course, some males are drawn to powerful females, too."

    "Scott, didn''t you always wear ck?" Fiy asked, scratching his head with a confused look.

    "Dr. Davies said ck feels too harsh. I didn''t want to make Ms. Chamber feel uneasy or intimidated, so I bought clothes with softer tones," Scott replied casually, though his eyes never left Analise.

    "Is that so? Then, I guess I''ll buy some new outfits, too," Fiy said thoughtfully.

    Analise noticed that the corner of Scott''s mouth was not curled up nearly as much after Fiy said that. She thought, "Well, well... Is this the start of some good old- fashioned male rivalry?"

    So, maybe she was wrong-Scott was not watching her like a soldier. Instead, he was watching her like a man interested in her.

    She nced over at Fiy, who was still smiling like a happy golden retriever, and thought that being a little clueless might not be such a bad thing, after all.

    "Ms. Chamber, Scott''s house is in a great spot. There''s a naturalke right at the base of that hill, just a few minutes from the backyard trail," Fiy said excitedly, pointing behind the house.

    "It''s spring now, so the trees back there are probably in full bloom, too. It''s a perfect ce to get some fresh air and clear your head. You want to go check it out with me?"

    Analise saw Scott''s brow twitch slightly at Fiy''s enthusiasm, and it somehow made her happy. She replied, "It''s getting dark. Let''s go tomorrow."

    Maybe this really was not about surveince, after all. She looked at Scott again and wondered if amander like him would actually lose his cool during male rivalry-she was kind of hoping he would.

 Chapter 6

    Fiy replied, "Alright, then."

    Once they stepped inside the house, Scott led Analise upstairs to the room he had prepared for her. As he casually brushed a lock of his hair, he said, "Ms. Chamber, take a look and see if you like it. If not, I''ll have someone redecorate it right away."

    Analise walked in and looked around the room. It was clearly the main bedroom on the second floor-spacious, bright, and with a perfect view of theke across the way, which she figured must be the one Fiy had mentioned earlier.

    The trees around the water were already blooming with soft pink and white flowers.

    The setup of the room was cozy and pleasant, but maybe just a little too pink- pink bedding, pink curtains, pink slippers, pink clothes, pink cushions. Basically, if it could be pink, it was pink. Thankfully, the desk and wardrobe had been spared.

    Analise blinked a few times, hesitated, then gave a small smile. "It''s nice. I really like it."

    "Scott, did you set up a room for me, too? I''m also Ms. Chamber''s guardian, so of course, I need to stay close and take care of her," Fiy''s voice suddenly came from the hallway as he peeked into the room.

    "Oh, and Ms. Chamber," he added quickly, ncing shyly to the side, ears turning red as he held out a small bouquet of wildflowers. "I saw these blooming on the hill behind the house. Most females really like flowers, so I thought... maybe you''d like them, too."

    At first, Analise was surprised. Then, she smiled warmly, reaching out to ept the bouquet and gently sniffing it. "Thank you, Fiy. I really do like them."

    And that smile waspletely genuine. She never imagined the first time a guy would give her flowers would be like this-so unexpected but sweet.

    The bouquet was a mix of soft colors-pinks, blues, pale yellows, and whites-all different shapes and sizes. The scent was light and fresh, and despite the variety, none of the flowers were overpowering. It was just a calming, gentle kind of fragrance that instantly lifted her mood.

    "I''m d you like them," Fiy said with a shy grin, scratching at his ear as his tail wagged furiously.

    "There are plenty of rooms in the house. Just pick one and make yourself at home," Scott said quietly, his gaze locked on the bouquet in Analise''s arms and Fiy''s ridiculous wagging tail.

    Watching her smile like that while holding those flowers made something in Scott twist, and he cursed himself for not thinking of it first. He could have picked some fresh flowers, too, and left them in her room, but he had not.

    "Alright. Go pick your room," Scott said, forcing a calm smile as his hand clenched tightly behind his back and then slowly rxed. "I''ll show Ms. Chamber around the house."

    "Cool." Fiy nodded. "I''ll take the room right next to Ms. Chamber''s, then."

    "That one''s mine," Scott said, his voice slightly colder.

    "Yours? I thought you usually stayed in the room downstairs?" Fiy looked confused. He remembered Scott asionally staying at this ce, and it was always in the downstairs master suite.

    "I''ve moved upstairs," Scott replied with a tight smile that did not reach his eyes.

    "Oh, then I''ll take the one next to yours. That way, if Ms. Chamber needs anything, I''ll be close by since you''re probably going to be super busy," Fiy said easily before turning away to settle in.

    Analise nced at Scott, whose jaw looked like it was about to snap in half. That man looked like he could chew through concrete right now.

    To defuse the tension, she said, "Admiral Hopkins, why don''t you give me the grand tour of the ce?"

    Something about the way she addressed him clearly hit a nerve. He replied, "You can call me Scott-or Scotty, like Fiy does."

    He knew the formal tone meant she still did not fully trust him, and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit¡ªespecially since he was trying his best to be gentle with her.

    "Alright, then. Thank you," Analise said with a smile.

    After giving her the house tour, Scott returned with her to find that Fiy had already unpacked and settled into his room. Not only that, but he had somehow found a vase, filled it with water in the kitchen, and was just about to carry it up to Analise''s room.

    "What are you doing?" Scott asked, brows tightening.

    "Oh, fresh flowers wilt by morning if you just leave them out. So, I got a vase, filled it up, and now, I''m putting them in water so they''llst a few more days," Fiy replied casually.

    Without missing a beat, he gently ced the bouquet Analise had left on the table into the vase.

    Then, he turned to her with a big, bright grin and asked, "What do you think? Doesn''t it look great?"

    Scott was exasperated. He could not help but think that sometimes, there was just no winning.

    Meanwhile, Fiy was silently patting himself on the back. One of his best friends had told him this exact move would earn points with females-and judging by the smile on Analise''s face, his friend had been absolutely right.

    As for Analise, she was grinning not because of the flowers, but because she had just witnessed amander get upstaged. Not only that, but he also could not do a damn thing about it. Without a word, she gave Fiy a subtle thumbs-up.

    Scott caught the gesture, and the friendly smile on his face instantly twisted into something that looked suspiciously like wounded pride. Then, he turned and walked down the stairs without a word.

    "What''s with him?" Fiy was shocked, thinking he had just seen Scott pouting. However, that was a ridiculous idea to entertain, and he wondered if he was mistaken.

    "I have no idea," Analise said, shaking her head. But of course, she knew-she just was not going to say it.

    "Ms. Chamber, you''re trending on Cosmoseek!" Fiy called out as she started down the stairs, hurrying to follow her.

    "Me? I''m trending on Cosmoseek?" Analise stopped mid-step, pointing at herself in disbelief.

    "Yup! You''ve got to see this," Fiy said, tapping his wrist to open his interface.

    He had previously kept all his data private, but now that he was officially one of Analise''s guardians, he had changed the settings to let her view it, too.

    Analise leaned in as the floating screen appeared between them.

    Then, she read through the trending topics. "#Stormw Alliance Commander Scott Hopkins, SS-grade Mind Essence Bearer, Is Now the Guardian of a Pure- Human Female!" and "#Analise Chamber: Possibly the First Pure-Human in Interster History With Mind Essence!"

    There were also, "#Pure-Human Confirmed With Grade-F Mind Essence!", "#Even Pure-Humans Can Soothe Male Therians Now?", and "#F-grade Mind Essence Could Actually Calm an S-grade Male?"

    Analise and Fiy stood shoulder-to-shoulder, reading the trending headlines together. However, the further they scrolled, the more her expression tightened. Thements were overwhelmingly negative-full of skepticism and insults. Some used Stormw Alliance of stooping too low in a desperate attempt to gain power, iming there was no way a pure human could possess mind essence. Others were clearly jealous fans of Scott, furious that he was a guardian of someone like her, a lowly F-grade pure human.

    And then, there were the enemies-people out to drag Scott''s name through the mud, calling him a fool or worse.

    When they finally reached thest headline, Analise looked at Fiy and asked, "How did my info leak this fast?"

    "All data in Interster Alliances is shared. Of course, only high-ranking members can ess it, so someone from another alliance must''ve leaked it."

    He nced at her and added, "To be honest, Ms. Chamber, you being a pure human with mind essence is already a shocker. Then, the fact that you were able to soothe someone like me¡ªan S-grade male¡ªthat just made it even bigger."

    He added, "So, yeah, being the hot topic was kind of inevitable. They''re only doubting you right now because they haven''t actually seen you in action. But once you''re rested, we''ll film you calming down another male. Preferably an S-grade who''s already losing control."

    Fiy closed the interface and guided her down the stairs. "Let them doubt you for now. Once they see what you''re capable of, they''ll regret every word they said especially your old alliance."

 Chapter 7

    Analise thought about it and agreed. Her task was to purify the Vexoth venom, and sooner orter, she would have to reveal her abilities.

    Once the Vexoth venom within Stormw Alliance was purified, she would undoubtedly seek opportunities to help other alliances as well.

    But now, with this trending topic, as soon as she showcased her abilities, everyone would naturallye to her instead of her having to seek them out.

    Since she had eaten not long ago, Analise only had a small portion for dinner. Fiy and Scott noticed this and had their own thoughts.

    After Analise returned to her room to rest, the two of them huddled together to discuss her diet.

    "I''ve heard that pure human females don''t really like nutrient packs. They prefer the kind of food humans ate before the Vexoths invaded.

    "Food existed 500 years ago things like carrots, potatoes, celery, pork, beef... These ingredients are avable, but I don''t know how to cook them. The top floor of the library should have books with recipes for these ingredients. I have ess to the top floor, so I''ll copy the recipes and bring them back."

    Without Analise around, Scott''s expression was noticeably more serious. Even though he found Fiy irritating, taking care of Analise wasn''t something he could do alone¡ªespecially since he couldn''t cook at all. He was aplete disaster in the kitchen.

    "You know I''m no good at cooking, so this will have to be on you, Fiy." Scott pressed his lips together.

    "I was just about to tell you the same thing. It seemed like Ms. Chamber didn''t really enjoy the food just now, so I want to learn how to cook something humans like." Fiy nodded in agreement.

    "Your vi has a huge backyard, right? Most of the ingredients we buy take several days to arrive from Nouris. Why not grow fresh ones ourselves?

    "I was thinking of hiring a male from Nouris who knows how to farm and bringing back some seeds. If we grow vegetables and fruits in your backyard, Ms. Chamber will probably love it."

    Fiy and Scott had grown up together, so even though Scott was now themander, their personal conversations remained as casual as ever. Unlike others, Fiy wasn''t afraid of him.

    "Where do you get all these ideas? Why doesn''t your brain work this fast when we''re fighting the Vexoths?" Scott raised an eyebrow at him.

    "I asked a good buddy of mine-he''s really popr with his mate. He knows all about them, including pure human females!" Fiy scratched his head and grinned.

    "Alright. Tomorrow, you stay home and take care of Ms. Chamber. I''ll take care of this." Scott got up and headed upstairs.

    The next morning, sunlight was already streaming through the sheer curtains onto the floor when Analise woke up.

    She stretchedzily, then opened the window, taking a deep breath of the fresh air infused with floral scents. The crisp morning air instantly lifted her spirits.

    When she went downstairs, she found that only Fiy was home. On the dining table, there were neatly packed food boxes containing the same dishes she had tasted yesterday¡ªprobably something Fiy had gone out early to buy.

    "Ms. Chamber, you''re up! Come have breakfast." Fiy beamed as he opened the food boxes, setting the dishes on the table and gesturing for Analise to join him.

    "Ms. Chamber, the items you ordered have been delivered. Would you like me to bring them to your room?"

    A robot, about three feet tall, approached while carrying a stack of boxes in its mechanical arms. Its fingers were hooked around several exquisite-looking bags, which contained the new clothes Analise had ordered online before going to bed. The boxes likely held shoes.

    "Yes, thank you." Analise nodded and reached out to pat the robot''s head.

    The little bot had decorative animal ears on top, resembling the ones on Scott''s head.

    "Scott isn''t home?" Analise asked casually as she sat down.

    "Nope. He went to the library-and also to buy seeds and hire someone," Fiy, never one to keep secrets, blurted it out immediately.

    "We figured you probably don''t like nutrient packs or the food therians eat, so we wanted to buy fresh ingredients and cook for you. But since the ingredients from Nouris take several days to arrive, and you''re a pure human, we thought you''d prefer fresher vegetables and fruits.

    "Scott has a huge backyard, so we decided to grow them ourselves. It''ll be fresher and more convenient. What do you think, Ms. Chamber?" Fiy asked earnestly, grinning.

    "That sounds great. It''s a really good idea." Analise nodded in approval. She truly wasn''t used to the food here-it always tasted a little off to her.

    Seeing her agree, Fiy was thrilled. He thought to himself that Scott really knew his stuff. Even when it came to pure human females, he was spot on.

    "Fiy, are you busy today?" Analise asked after finishing her meal.

    "Not at all! I''m staying home to take care of you today," Fiy responded immediately.

    "Then, let''s go find a berserk male and film a video of me calming him down. We can show it to the other alliances-I want to go viral again."

    Analise''s eyes curved into a yful smile. After speaking, she registered an ount on Cosmoseek, keeping the name simple and straightforward¡ªF-grade Pure Human.

    "Can you teach me how to start a live stream? A live broadcast is more immediate and impactful than a recorded video." Analise fiddled with the app as she sat down next to Fiy.

    "Are we really doing this today? Don''t you need to rest a bit?" Fiy was a little surprised.

    "Yes. Today." She nodded.

    After setting up her ount, she sent a message to Scott, asking him to verify her ount as a StarV user. Then, she posted her first update.

    "Hello, everyone! I''m Analise, a F-grade pure human female. I saw some of you are doubting me, so I''ll be livestreaming today at 10:00 am to calm a berserk male. Looking forward to your views!"

    "You''re really going live?" Fiy heard the notification tone from his interface and immediately opened it, only to see Analise''s post.

    "Yes! You should stream, too-one from a first-person perspective and another from a third-person view. That way, no one can im we faked it. I don''t like being misunderstood, so I''m going to prove myself."

    Analise went upstairs to change into one of her newly purchased outfits. She casually tied up her hair, leaving a few loose strands curled around her ears. Even

    in an unfamiliar ce, she still wanted to look her best.

    She paired a lightweight off-shoulder sweater with fitted wide-leg pants, entuating her slender and graceful figure. With her faint, enigmatic smile, she looked like an aloof, elegant beauty.

    At least, that was how she saw herself. To Fiy, however, she was just an adorable female who loved to dress up.

    "Ms. Chamber..." Fiy''s ears turned red involuntarily, and his tail swayed slightly.

    "Let''s go." Analise walked past him.

    Fiy felt as if a gentle breeze carrying her sweet scent had brushed past him.

    "Okay!" He quickly followed and opened the car door for Analise to take the passenger seat before getting into the driver''s seat himself.

    "We''re heading to the containment facility, right?" Fiy confirmed as he started the car.

    "Aren''t we going to the hospital?" Analise asked.

    "The males in the hospital have either been sessfully calmed or are in recovery. The ones who lost control and couldn''t be calmed are kept in the containment facility." Fiy shook his head with a sigh.

    "The containment facility?"

 Chapter 8

    The containment facility is specially designed for detaining males who have lost control and haven''t been calmed in time, or those who can''t be calmed

    temporarily," Fiy exined.

    "What grades are the males detained there?" Analise asked.

    "There are S-grade, A-grade, and B-grade ones, and even some on the verge of breaking through to SS-grade."

    As the traffic light ahead turned red, Fiy stepped on the brake and stared at the signal.

    In the city, they traveled by car, but if they needed to go to another gxy or alliance, they would take an Interster Starship.

    "Isn''t Scott supposed to be the only SS-grade?" Analise found something off about the statement.

    "Yes, but there are several males in the containment facility who are still

    technically S-grade in mind essence, yet they''re already on the verge of breaking through.

    "And while Scott is currently SS-grade, he''s also close to advancing soon. Soon, he''ll surpass SS-grade and be an SSS-grade mind essence wielder. That''s why he''s considered the only one."

    The light turned green, and Fiy stepped on the elerator.

    "Oh, I get it. So, they appear to be S- or SS-grade, but they''re just one step away from breaking through? And some of those S-grade males in the containment facility might have already broken through while losing control, but since they''re locked up, no one can confirm it yet?" Analise voiced her understanding.

    "Exactly. That''s why, Ms. Chamber, if you''re going to calm them, you should start with A-grades or those who just recently broke through to S-grade."

    Fiy turned the steering wheel, making a turn as he answered.

    "Fiy, I have a question." Analise frowned slightly before continuing, "I saw somements on Cosmoseek from those in Stormw Alliance. They mentioned a female named Vera Khielson, an SS-grade mind essence wielder. Why didn''t they have her calm the rest?"

    Logically speaking, if it was just S-grade males, Vera should have been able to handle them. So, why were they still being locked up in the containment facility?

    Most of thements on Cosmoseek were expressing regret for Vera, saying it was unfair to her, which was why Analise remembered her name.

    "They did. Several SS-grade females went in to calm them. But there were too many males affected by the Vexoth venom, and even with their abilities, they couldn''t handle all of them at once.

    "Besides, after calming a male, a female''s mind essence bes drained, and they need time to recover before they can go at it again. Otherwise, we''d have far fewer out-of-control males. As for A-grade and lower-ranked females, they only need to calm their own partners or designated guardians."

    Fiy parked the car but didn''t immediately unbuckle his seatbelt. Instead, he looked at Analise seriously and answered her questions.

    "I see." Noticing they had arrived, Analise nced at the building beside them.

    "That''s why I asked if you wanted to rest a bit longer. You just calmed me yesterday, so you must have used up a lot of mind essence." Fiy looked at her with concern.

    "Ms. Chamber, are you really sure you want to go in and calm those males?"

    "Of course. I already posted about it, so now that I''m here, I have to go through with it." Analise responded casually as she reached for her seatbelt.

    "Alright. Should we start the live stream now?" Fiy asked again.

    "Yeah." Analise paused mid-motion. "Ugh, I totally forgot! I should''ve started it when we left!"

    She made a hand gesture, and an interface appeared before her. After adjusting a few settings, sheunched the live stream and set it to a first-person perspective.

    Analise sighed in admiration-high-tech really was co nient. Finding the interface floating in front of her a bit annoying, she adjusted the settings so that it would remain hidden unless she performed a specific gesture.

    As soon as the stream went live, a flood of viewers rushed in, filling the chat with messages.

    Starfiremented, "Is this really that pure human with mind essence? She actually started streaming!"

    Ethereal Beauty added, "Wasn''t she supposed to start at 10:00 am? She''ste! Also, why isn''t she showing her face? Is she ugly or something?"

    Malo chimed in, "I agree! She''s hiding something for sure!"

    Logicity responded, "If she pointed the camera at herself, how would you guys see her calming the males? You''d just be staring at her face."

    Hopping Clown added, "If you want to see her face, go check out Stormw Alliance Major Knight''s stream. He''s live, too. This pure human is actually really pretty. Just go look for yourselves."

    Analise scrolled through thements without reacting and followed Fiy into the containment facility.

    "Ms. Chamber, Major Knight," Travis Greenhill, the facility director, greeted them with a forced smile.

    He didn''t have high expectations for this so-called "pure human". The only reason he was being polite was that Scott had given the order¡ªand because Analise was a female.

    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have

    bothered putting on a friendly face. Dealing with berserk males every day was exhausting enough. Now, he hadto waste time entertaining a so-called "calming show" fora female with F-grade mind essence?

    He thought Fiy was simply deluded, and he had no idea what Scott was thinking. But since Scott was themander, all he could do was follow orders.

    "Take me straight to the S-grade containment floor." Even though Analise could tell the director was being insincere, she remained polite.

    "Are you sure, Ms. Chamber?" The director hesitated, frowning. It seemed like she had no idea how weak she was. An F-grade trying to calm an S-grade berserk male?

    For a moment, both Fiy''s and Analise''s live stream chats went silent before exploding withments.

    Cute Bunnymented, "I think she got too excited about discovering her mind essence and went nuts."

    Crispy Chips added, "I''m not going to say anything mean. I''ll just enjoy the show."

    Strong Bear typed, "Did she just say she was going to calm an S-grade male? But isn''t she only F-grade?"

    Big Benmanded, "Less talking, more action. If you actually pull this off, I''ll send you the most expensive starship gift!"

    "I''m sure." Analise smiled, ignoring thements.

    The director furrowed his brows but turned to lead them to the underground levels where the S-grade males were held.

    The facility had four floors above ground. The first and second housed B-grade and some A-grade males, while the third and fourth floors were medical wards.

    Below ground, there were two more levels with stricter security, where S-grade and high A-grade berserk males were confined.

    After being calmed, the males would be given medication and undergo a full medical examination. From what Analise understood, when males were infected with Vexoth venom and fost control, they entered a strange state where they wouldn''t die even if injured.

    The process of calming was essentially a female using mind essence to detoxify

    them and restore their normal therian state.

    As they stepped out of the elevator onto the second underground floor, Analise

    was immediately met with the sound of furious, animalistic roars.

    "Mr. Greenhill, we have a problem!" A male the?an came rushing over, bis face filled with urgency. "Cell No. 37-Derek Lloyd-he''s about to break through! The suppressant is no longer working!"

 Chapter 9

    Before the male therian could continue reporting, the door to Cell No. 37 was suddenly smashed open. A massive lion, covered in pure white fur, charged out.

    The impact of its escape shattered the doors of the adjacent Cell No. 36 and 38, releasing two more rampaging males.

    Without hesitation, Fiy immediately shifted into his wolf form and leaped in front of Analise. Facing an SS-graded white lion and two S-grade tigers, Fiy wasn''t confident he could win.

    Analise was startled by the sudden appearance of the white lion. She felt every hair on her body stand on end.

    To say she wasn''t scared would be a lie. She had only ever seen ordinary tigers and lions on TV, and now, she was facing ones several timesrger than those. Who wouldn''t be terrified?

    Fortunately, after experiencing Fiy''s transformation into a wolf and chasing her the previous day, she had somewhat adjusted to the shock.

    Seeing Fiy in his wolf form standing protectively in front of her, Analise quickly assessed the white lion and the tiger.

    "Fiy, let me climb onto your back! I''ll calm the white lion first! Just charge at it. You don''t need to fight-just get me close enough to touch it!" Analise shouted without hesitation.

    "Mr. Greenhill! Get some males to restrain the two tigers! And find two S-grade females¡ªI can only handle calming the SS-grade white lion!"

    Without waiting for a response, Analise grabbed onto the thick fur on Fiy''s back. The moment he crouched down, she quickly climbed onto his back.

    "Ms. Chamber, Derek has just broken through-he now possesses SS-grade mind essence. Are you sure you can handle this?"

    Fiy''s legs trembled under the overwhelming mind essence of Derek''s

    newfound strength. If Derek had broken through earlier, Fiy might have already been forced to his knees.

    Among therians, battles relied on the mind essence to overpower enemies, followed by closebat with weapons and raw physical strength.

    "No problem." Analise''s gaze was locked onto the white lion.

    She had just checked with Echo, and it confirmed that she could do it. The only issue was that calming an SS-grade beast consumed twice as much mind essence as an S-grade one. This meant she might suffer from exhaustion or even pass out afterward.

    But Echo also said that if she sessfully calmed the white lionbined with her previous sess in calming Fiy¡ªshe would gain enough Purification Value to level up.

    "Alright."

    The situation was urgent, and although Travis was surprised by howposed Analise remained under pressure, he knew there was no time to hesitate.

    He hadn''t ced much faith in Analise, but he hadn''t expected Derek to suddenly break through, either. If something happened to Analise, he wouldn''t know how to exin it to Scott.

    Everything was unfolding too fast.

    At Hopkins Gxy Lodge, Scott was also watching the live stream. Initially, he had been enjoying the sight of Analise in Fiy''s live stream.

    But when Derek unexpectedly broke through and burst out of his cell, Scott immediately jumped to his feet, called for several therians with strengthparable to Fiy, and set off for the containment facility without dy.

    Halfway there, he ran into Vera, who was also on her way.

    "Scott! You''re heading there, too? You saw the live stream?" Vera rolled down her car window, looking surprised.

    "Yeah." Scott cast a brief nce at Vera, but his focus remained locked on the furious white lion in the stream. Right now, both Fiy''s and Analise''s live streams only showed the white lion and the other therians.

    "Faster," he ordered his driver. His urgency stemmed from two reasons. First, for Analise''s safety, and second, because Derek had now reached SS-grade, which meant Fiy and the others had no chance of defeating him.

    failed to

    If Analise failed to calm him or if

    Scott didn''t arrive in time, Derek could break open more cells and release additional rampaging males. If that happened, the entire facility would descend into chaos, putting the city''s residents at risk

    "Go faster! Catch up with Scott''s car-we need to get there as fast as possible! If

    Ms. Chamber can''t calm that white lion, we''ll all be in danger!"

    Vera, seeing Scott''s car elerating, immediately instructed his driver to speed up.

    "Understood!"

    With two loud engine roars, the vehicles on the road automatically made way. Many of the drivers had been watching the live stream and understood the urgency of the situation.

    But most of them didn''t believe Analise could actually calm those rampaging males.

    They suspected that she was using a clever tactic-saying she would handle the white lion while asking Travis to bring in two S-grade

    females for the tigers. This wool ne

    when those females assisted her,

    she could im partial credit if the calming seeded.

    To them, Analise was just a scheming, pure human.

    ...

    Fiy lunged toward the white lion, but the closer he got, the stronger the mind essence suppression became. Yet, Analise felt nothing.

    Noticing Fiy''s movements falter under the pressure, yet still stubbornly refusing to back down, she didn''t hesitate-she climbed onto Fiy''s head and leaped straight toward the white lion.

    The white lion let out a deafening roar and swung its massive paw at her. Scott witnessed this moment through the live stream, and his heart clenched.

    But in the next second, he froze. The expected scene-Analise being swatted away never happened. Instead, she had grabbed hold of the lion''s thick mane. The white lion instantly fell still, frozen in the exact position it had been in. Analise hung on tightly, her legs still dangling slightly in the air.

    Seeing the rity return to the lion''s eyes, Analise spoke up, "Could you crouch down a little? Thanks."

    The white lion tilted its head before obediently sitting down, carefully lowering the paw that had just been poised to strike.

    Once Analise was safely on the ground, the white liony down, gazing at her with wide, blinking eyes, curiously studying her.

    Its rationality was returning. It understood that the female was calming it, yet it had

    no recollection of ever seeing her in Stormw Alliance. Hadn''t it just run back to

    its own territory?

    The live stream chat had gone silent-viewers were too shocked to type. With the white lion calmed, its mind essence suppression

    disappeared. Travis and Final ne

    immediately led a team to restrain the two tigers, injecting them with sedatives.

    Now sedated, the tigersy limp on the ground, their ears and tails drooping.

    Analise watched as dark energy continuously flowed into her, causing a burning sensation in her chest. Her face was already turning pale.

    It felt like her soul was being torn apart or as if something was forcefully being poured into her. She felt dizzy and nauseous.

    As the white lion reverted to its therian form, the live stream chat finally exploded withments.

    Starfiremented, "No way... Did she really just calm an SS-grade male?"

 Chapter 10

    Logicitymented, "Isn''t that obvious? Besides, this therian was poisoned by Vexoth venom a month ago, and none of Stormw Alliance''s other females could calm him at the time. That''s why he was held at the containment facility all this time."

    Cute Bunny said, "Doesn''t the Stormw Alliance have a female named Vera who''s SS-grade? Didn''t she try to calm the male? I saw some of them on Cosmoseek expressing regret that Scott didn''t be her guardian."

    Vera''s Loyal Fan protested, "Vera did go! But back then, she hadn''t broken through to SS-grade yet-she was just the best among S-grades. Plus, she had already exhausted a lot of her mind essence calming other males, so she wasn''t able to calm Derek."

    Star Troll spoke disdainfully, "Tsk tsk... If she couldn''t do it, she just couldn''t. Why make excuses?"

    Vera''s Loyal Fan retorted, "What are you barking about? I''m telling the truth. Besides, Derek was on the verge of breaking through. Isn''t it normal that Vera couldn''t calm him?"

    Star Troll further spoke, "Tsk tsk... And yet an F-grade pure human managed to do it."

    Logicity interrupted, "Enough arguing. Doesn''t this prove that once pure humans awaken their mind essence, they''re incredibly strong? Think about it-if an F- grade can soothe an SS-grade, imagine how powerful she''d be if she reached S- or SS-grade!"

    As soon as this was said, everyone watching the stream fell silent. Even Scott, who had juste out of the car, was no exception.

    Because this meant that Analise was powerful. And she had immense potential. With Analise, Stormw Alliance would no longer have to bow to the other alliances.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Derek, his expression visibly tense, looked at Analise''s pale face. "Are you alright?"

    "I''m not dying yet." Thest wisp of ck energy-the Vexoth venom-was finally absorbed, and only then did Analise release Derek''s wrist.

    "Ms. Chamber, why do you look so pale? Are you okay? Did you overexert your mind essence?" Fiy quickly stepped forward, catching her as she swayed unsteadily.

    Completely drained, Analise had no choice but to lean against Fiy. "Calming a male isn''t an easy task. Do you have any food?"

    "I don''t..." Fiy pressed his lips together. "The containment facility should have nutrient packs. You''ll have to make do with one for now to regain some strength, then I''ll take you to a restaurant."

    "Sounds good. Survivales first." Analise chuckled, allowing Fiy to support her as he picked her up.

    The live chat exploded.

    Big Benmented, "Lady, I''ll keep my word! The most expensive starship is on its way!"

    shing special effects flooded the screen. Some marveled at Big Ben''s wealth, while others worried about Analise''s condition.

    Logicity spoke with concern, "She looks really pale. She must have pushed her mind essence to the limit. So, does this mean that the limit for an F-grade human female is calming an SS-grade male?"

    The chat erupted in discussion, but Analise had no energy to pay attention.

    Just then, Scott entered the room-right as Fiy carried Analise a few steps forward.

    "I grabbed a nutrient pack on my way in. Let Ms. Chamber drink it first, then you can take her out to eat." Scott, for once, wore a serious expression.

    "Thank you." Analise took the pack and drank it immediately.

    The taste was awful. It was like a mix of cucumber juice and bitter melon juice. After finishing it, she noticed that Scott wasn''t alone. Two other females stood behind him.

    "Oh, my God, Ms. Chamber, you look so pale! Are you okay?" a wavy-haired female asked with concern as she stepped forward.

    Vera''s Loyal Fanmented excitedly, "Wow! Vera came, too! She must''ve seen the live stream and rushed over out of worry. She''s so kind! She looks like a doll¡ª so cute!"

    Star Troll retorted, "Huh, convenient timing! Was absent before and after-only shows up after everything''s over."

    Analise nced at the chat but didn''t care. Instead, she studied Vera.

    Her curls looked naturally wavy, adorned with two cute essory clips. Her outfit was equally adorable. She hadn''t expected Vera to be such a cutesy, doll-like female.

    "I''m fine. Just mentally drained." Analise forced a smile.

    "Alright, then. Since Vera and the other two females are here, please assist in calming the two tiger therians."

    Scott''s face remained cold as ever, though his tone softened slightly when addressing the females.

    "Ana, go rest with Fiy first." He reached out and ruffled Analise''s hair with a gentle smile.

    Analise raised a brow but yed along, deliberately softening her voice. "Got it, Scott."

    As Fiy carried Analise into the elevator, Scott''s expression

    happened? Weren''t the males

    alway@given proper sedatives

    inhibitors? How did Derek suddenly

    break through?"

    His sharp gaze locked onto Travis, his icy presence making it hard for others to breathe.

    "Scott, don''t me Mr. Greenhill. It''s my fault for not arriving sooner. If I had, Ms. Chamber wouldn''t have overexerted herself."

    Vera reached out to grab Scott''s wrist, her voice soft. "They''ve already been through enough. Don''t release more mind essence on them."

    "Ms. Khielson, please have some self-respect." Scott coldly shook off her hand.

    "I don''t believe this was just an ident. If we don''t get to the bottom of this, you''ll

    be reced." His gaze swept over Travis beforending on Derek.

    "Go to the fourth floor to get your wounds treated. Once you''re done, report to Hopkins Gxy Lodge."

    With that, Scott turned and left.

    ...

    A restaurant in the city, Analise asked, "Fiy, what''s the deal with Scott and

    Vera?"

    After resting for a bit, Analise felt

    much better. Echo had even notified her that her Purification Value had reached 2,000, upgrading her Purification Heart and allowing her to im a rank-up reward.

    But with Fiy here, she decided to wait until she was alone to check it.

    "Oh, them? Back when the Vexoths attacked the city, Scott saved her After that, she kept following him around. Later, she even asked him to be her guardian, but he rejected her," Fiy answered honestly.

    "Huh? I thought they''d be childhood sweethearts or something," Analise mused.

    "No way. The Khielson family is one of the major families in Stormw Alliance, while Scott climbed his way up from an ordinary background to be themander purely on his own strength."

    Fiy waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "But Ana, you made the right call to stream today. Cosmoseek is going crazy over you now. They are realizing pure human females shouldn''t be underestimated."

    He scooted closer with a grin, closing the distance with Analise. From the moment Scott called Analise "Ana", Fiy started using the same nickname.

    Analise didn''t mind¡ªit made things more casual. Fiy had the energy of a bright, cheerful young man, but it was different for Scott.

    His choice of words felt intentional, almost like he was deliberately provoking Vera. Maybe he wanted her to give up on him?

    Fiy pulled up his interface, grinning as he scrolled through the trending topics andments. "Someone even recorded the stream-it''s gonepletely viral!"

 Chapter 11

    "You''ve used up a lot of mind essence today. Make sure to rest well for the next few days," Fiy said.

    "I''ll swing by my ceter to grab some Ster Ambers that can help replenish your energy. It''ll make you feel better," he added while closing his interface.

    "Scott probably has plenty of Ster Ambers, too. Don''t be shy-just ask him. We''re your guardians, and we''ll do our best to take care of you."

    For some reason, Fiy''s ears turned slightly red as he spoke.

    "Alright. We''ve finished eating. Let''s head back," Analise said. She stood up,pletely unaware of Fiy''s momentary embarrassment.

    She really did need some rest. Plus, she had to lock herself in and im her rank- up rewards. She was curious about what we would get this time, but since it came from Echo, it was guaranteed to be good stuff.

    Just thinking about it lifted her mood, and she walked out of the restaurant feeling cheerful.

    Fiy followed behind, smiling as he saw how happy she was, assuming she was excited about her improved reputation online.

    They stopped by Fiy''s apartment, where he grabbed some Ster Ambers, nutrient packs, a change of clothes, and daily essentials.

    Since he nned on taking care of Analise, he decided to move into Scott''s vi for the time being. After all, he wasn''t out fighting the Vexoths. He had a lot of free time.

    Usually, he trained at Hopkins Gxy Lodge''s training grounds, but now, with Analise to look after, he would love to train at Scott''s ce instead.

    As they drove, Analise sat in the passenger seat, holding a purple Astral Amber in her hand.

    "Fiy, how do you use this?" she asked. To her, it looked just like a regr crystal, but since Fiy said it could replenish mind essence, it must contain some special energy source.

    "Just crush it and absorb the energy inside," Fiy said, ncing at her briefly before focusing back on the road.

    Analise gave it a gentle squeeze, and to her surprise, the crystal shattered easily. A wisp of pure white mist seeped into her body, followed by a familiar chilling sensation in her chest.

    So, absorbing purified Vexoth venom felt burning hot, while absorbing mind essence was icy cold. That exined why, when those two glowing orbs entered her body yesterday, her heart had felt both freezing and scorching at the same time.

    If not for Echo, she would have thought she was dying.

    "How do you feel? Your mind essence should be replenished now. Much better, right?" Fiy grinned. "Astral Ambers are the best ones!"

    "There are other colors?" Analise perked up, tucking a strand of hair behind her

    ear.

    "Yeah. Besides purple, there are also green Verdatral Amber and yellow Auretral Ambers, but their energy concentration isn''t as high." Fiy nodded, casually turning the steering wheel.

    "Are Astral Ambersmon?" Analise asked, studying the crushed remains of the one in her hand before ncing at Fiy.

    Fiy shook his head as he pulled into the garage. "Not really. Verdatral and Auretral Ambers are much moremon. Ethereal Fang Alliance produces a lot of Ster Ambers, and most of Astral Amberse from them. But as for Verdatral and Auretral Ambers, our alliance has its own supply."

    "But you gave me all your Astral Ambers. What about you? I don''t see you carrying any Verdatral or Auretral Ambers, either," Analise said, blinking at him. A warm feeling spread in her heart.

    "Me? I''ll just buy moreter. Besides, every time we kill Vexoths, the alliance rewards us with resources. So, don''t worry about me, Ana."

    Fiy chuckled, shing a toothy grin as he reached over to unbuckle her seatbelt. After they got out of the car, he pressed a button on the garage wall. A minuteter, a robot approached them.

    "Major Knight, Ms. Chamber, how may I assist you?" the robot asked politely.

    "Take these things upstairs to my room on the second floor." Fiy picked up the cute bag holding the Ster Ambers and led Analise out of the garage.

    "Fiy." Analise suddenly stopped after walking a few steps.

    Fiy immediately halted and turned to look at her. "What''s wrong, Ana?"

    "Can I touch your therian ears?" she asked, rubbing her hands together.

    The wind was blowing, making Fiy''s ears twitch slightly. Watching them move made her fingers itch with curiosity.

    "Huh... R-Right now?" Fiy''s eyes widened slightly, his face and ears turning visibly red.

    Within ten seconds, he was as red as a tomato. Seeing his reaction, Analise''s desire to touch them only grew stronger.

    "Can I?" she asked again, rubbing her

    hands together excitedly. Fiy nced around quickly to make sure no other therians were watching. Then, in a voice as soft as a whisper, he answered, "O-Okay..."

    As soon as he gave permission, Analise eagerly reached out. She lightly pinched

    his ear between her thumb and forefinger-soft.

    Since Fiy didn''t resist, she grew bolder, using both hands to rub his ears gently.

    At first, Fiy felt shy that his ears twitched involuntarily.

    But after a while, he started acting like a content cat, even letting out a low, satisfied purr. Surrounded by Analise''s scent and the cool touch of her fingertips, Fiy felt his body grow unexpectedly warm.

    Something inside him stirred uncontrobly-he wanted to stand up and hug her, but he was afraid she would be upset if he moved too suddenly. After all, she was still happily rubbing her ears.

    "What are you two doing?" A familiar voice,ced with icy undertones, shattered the moment.

    Analise looked up and blinked innocently, her hands still holding Fiy''s ears. "Just as you see-I''m touching his ears," she answered without hesitation.

    Scott was momentarily speechless.

    "The wind is strong, and you''ve used a lot of mind essence today. Be careful not to catch a cold," he said, softening his tone slightly before turning to Fiy with a sharp re.

    "Couldn''t you have at least taken her inside first?" Scott''s voice had a slight edge to it. He was practically grinding his teeth. He was going crazy with jealousy.

    They had only met yesterday-Fiy had barely known Analise for an hour longer than he had. Yet Fiy had already carried her, hugged her, and now even let her touch his therian ears?

    If he had known, he would have insisted on staying by her side the whole time. "Hmm, that''s true." Analise nodded and let go of Fiy''s ears.

    Fiy instantly felt a wave of disappointment as the warmth disappeared. Still, he got up, feeling a little reluctant, and led Analise toward the vi. "Let''s go, Ana."

    "Okay. Oh, by the way, once we''re inside... Can I touch your tail, too?" Analise pointed at the faintly swaying tail behind him. Some things just felt iplete if left unfinished.

    "U-Uh... Okay..." Fiy''s voice was barely audible, and he quickened his pace. Behind them, Scott, who had been thoroughly ignored, stood frozen in ce. He pressed his lips together tightly.

    Opportunities had to be fought for. Just as he was about to call her "Ms. Chamber", he hesitated. He recalled how Fiy had been calling her "Ana".

    So, he changed his words. "Ana," Scott said, his eyes curving into a charming smile. "I have therian ears and a tail, too. Do you want to touch mer?" His gaze filled with anticipation as he looked at Analise.

 Chapter 12

    The reason Scott became Analise''s guardian was twofold. On one hand, she was a pure human who possessed the ability to heal S-grade males with her mind essence. On the other, there was something about her that felt different from other females-though he couldn''t quite put his finger on what it was.

    From the moment he firstid eyes on her, he instinctively wanted to be her guardian. When Fiy and Kyle had first mentioned Analise, he hadn''t had much of a reaction. But the moment he saw her at the hospital, the thought immediately took root in his mind¡ªhe had to be her guardian.

    After all, being a female''s guardian significantly increased the chances of bing her mate. With females being scarce and males abundant, it wasmon for a female to have multiple male partners.

    "Your ears... Are they tiger ears?"

    Analise''s gaze fell on Scott''s tail. It looked sturdier than a regr cat''s tail, and its coloration closely resembled that of a tiger. As for his ears, his hair was slightly longer than most males, so she could only see their faint outline.

    "Yes. I''m a tiger therian." Scott nodded, sensing an opportunity. His smile deepened.

    "Then, I can''t touch them." Analise shook her head.

    "Why not?" Scott froze, his smile stiffening as a wave of disappointment washed over him.

    "Because they say you should never touch a tiger''s tail," Analise replied matter-of- factly before quickly entering the vi.

    What she didn''t notice, however, was that Fiy was nowhere in sight. Scott, slightly thrown off, followed her inside, though he kept a warm smile on his face.

    Analise searched around until she finally spotted Fiy emerging from the butler''s room on the first floor-wrapped in nothing but a bath towel.

    She waspletely stunned. Scott was also momentarily dumbfounded. He suddenly felt as if he had already lost to Fiy by a long shot.

    This was probably all thanks to that friend Fiy had mentioned earlier-the one who gave him advice. Should he find someone to ask for tips on how to win a female''s favor, too?

    But he was themander. If he asked about something like this, wouldn''t the othersugh at him?

    Avoiding looking directly at Fiy, Scott went straight to his room and shut the door.

    Analise, however, didn''t even notice. Her gaze was still locked onto Fiy,pletely oblivious to the fact that Scott had already left.

    Meanwhile, Fiy was blushing furiously. He only noticed Scott heading upstairs and didn''t realize that his mood had soured.

    Analise grinned mischievously as

    she approached Fiy. His strong arms, his neck, and the water droplets sliding from the tips of his damp hair onto his toned

    ver

    chest-before trailing down his

    defined abs and disappearing

    beneath the towel. Cont¨¦nt belongs

    His tail, which must have been dried beforehand, now looked extra clean and fluffypared to earlier.

    Fiy noticed the way Analise was eyeing him-her expression a little too eager, almost ravenous. He hesitated for a moment, then took two steps forward and stopped right in front of her.

    His face, ears, and even the skin along his neck were tinged with pink. Fiy took a deep breath, recalling his friend''s advice. He decided test the waters and asked

    ovelone

    cautiously, "Ana, can you help me dry my hair?"

    His pale gray eyes, shining like the moon, fixed intently on Analise.

    "Sure! Of course! But... I''ll have to charge a little fee for it." Analise grinned yfully, making no effort to hide the way she was checking him out.

    Fiy grew even more flustered under her heated gaze. But his buddy''s strategy definitely worked!

    Look at herpletely mesmerized! Just one step away from reaching out and...

    Analise was already touching him. Before he could even process it, Analise had grabbed his wrist and was leading him upstairs without hesitation.

 Chapter 13

    Fiy couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed by Analise''s enthusiasm. He was honestly a little worried that she might decide to form a contract with him tonight.

    Once she had tugged him into the room, Analise quickly found a hairdryer and began drying his hair. Well, drying his hair was just an excuse-what she really wanted was to take the opportunity to touch his therian ears.

    The moment Analise''s warm fingertips pinched his ear, Fiy shuddered involuntarily, a pleasant warmth coursing through his body.

    "Ana, maybe I should dry my hair myself... You can just focus on touching my ears?" Fiy''s tail swayed slightly, brushing against Analise''s leg.

    Even though there was fabric between them, the sensation was like being tickled by a feather duster-light and teasing.

    Analise instinctively reached out to grab Fiy''s tail, intending to move it aside, but the moment she did, she heard a soft, breathy gasp escape his lips.

    That sound froze her. "Your tail..."

    Her fingers still wrapped around his tail, she suddenly found herself in a dilemma should she continue or let go?

    No wonder when she had asked if she could touch his tail earlier, Fiy had blushed so hard that it looked like his face was about to burst. His voice had been barely more than a whisper.

    Had she just identally asked him in public if she could touch his sensitive part?

    "Ana... Didn''t you want to touch my tail?" Fiy turned to look at her, his eyes slightly red at the corners, his earspletely flushed.

    To Analise, he looked just like a pitiful little wolf pup, holding back his emotions. She swallowed unconsciously, and she lightly stroked the fur of his tail.

    "Mmm..." Almost as if he had received some kind of signal, Fiy instinctively wrapped his tail around Analise''s wrist. The soft fur coiled around her skin, tightening ever so slightly.

    "Fiy, if you hold my wrist like this, how am I supposed to dry your hair?" Analise looked down at the tail around her arm, then chuckled.

    Fiy remained fixated on her, but after a brief pause, he reluctantly loosened his grip. However, instead of moving away, he nuzzled his head against Analise''s waist in a subtle, almost pleading gesture.

    His tail still flicked against her leg every now and then. As Analise continued drying his hair, she absentmindedly rubbed his therian ears, clearly enjoying herself.

    At this moment, in her eyes, Fiy was just like an obedient little puppy. Even though she had stopped touching his tail, he still looked. content-maybe because she already understood what his tail meant.  s?novel

    And the fact that she hadn''t reacted negatively earlier gave him hope. If he yed

    his cards right, maybe he could be her first mate.

    Still, Fiy couldn''t deny a lingering sense of insecurity. Being a female''s

    guardian did give him an advantage over other males, but in the end, females were naturally drawn to strength.

    Fiy was well aware that he wasn''t as powerful as Scott, so his only option was to seek advice from his friends and rely on a few tricks.

    "What are you thinking about?" Analise set down the hairdryer and gently ran her fingers through his now-dry hair.

    Fiy instinctively leaned into her touch, rubbing his head lightly against her palm.

    "Ana, you never told me if you''ve reached adulthood yet." Analise blinked in surprise before answering, "I''m 25 years old."

    Originally, she had nned to finish her work, take a break, and celebrate her birthday with friends. That was why she had booked that flight. She never expected to end up in this parallel dimension instead.

    "Really? Ana, you''re already an adult!" Fiy''s smile deepened, his tail gently brushing against her wrist and palm.

    "Have you ever thought about finding a mate?" He looked up at her, those pale gray eyes filled with hopeful anticipation.

    "Does being an adult automatically mean I need to find a mate?" Analise raised a brow, her wrist still trapped in the light ticklish strokes of his tail. On instinct, she grabbed it again.

 Chapter 14

    Fiy''s tail remained wrapped around Analise''s wrist, the tip lightly brushing against her arm. His breathing had grown noticeably heavier.

    "That depends on the female''s wishes," Fiy said softly, lifting his gaze to meet hers. His pale gray eyes shimmered faintly, as if on the verge of tears.

    Analise nced down at her hand, which was still gripping his tail, and quickly let go with a smile. "Did I hurt you?" she asked.

    "No." Fiy shook his head, his voice earnest. "Ana, can I be your mate?"

    In the Interster therian world, therians were much more instinct-driven. Unlike the pure humans from centuries ago, they expressed their emotions directly.

    Once a male decided to form a contract with a female, the Interster Alliance''s strict regtions ensured that he could never waver. A male was bound to protect his chosen female for life.

    When Analise didn''t respond immediately, Fiy felt his nerves tightening. Maybe he was being too hasty? After all, she was a pure human. Perhaps she preferred a more reserved confession? Or maybe she needed more time to develop

    feelings?

    But Fiy wasn''t the only one feeling tense. So were Analise and Scott.

    Scott had been pacing inside his room, wrestling with his thoughts for quite a while. But the moment he left his room and reached Analise''s door, he heard Fiy''s words "Ana, can I be your mate?"

    His footsteps halted immediately. He stood there, waiting for her answer, unsure why he felt so unsettled. Shouldn''t it be Fiy who was the nervous one right now?

    Analise''s fingers, which had been idly rubbing Fiy''s ears, suddenly froze. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. This was a bit too thrilling.

    A wolfie she had only met two days ago, standing before her in nothing but a bath towel and exposing his toned upper body, was earnestly asking her to marry him?

    In this world, if he became her mate, he would bepletely devoted to her. No cheating. No domestic violence. And even if there were, he would be the one suffering for it.

    Females could have multiple mates, and they had absolute authority over them. After a brief pause, Analise''s fingers twitched slightly. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow lingering at the doorway. She continued rubbing Fiy''s ears but remained silent.

    "Ana?" Fiy''s heartbeat quickened at the sight of her smile. Did this mean she agreed?

    "Hmm?" Analise''s warm smile remained, yet she still didn''t answer.

    "Can I-" Before she could finish, hurried footsteps sounded from the stairs.

    Paul Thompson, the butler, rushed over and announced, "Mr. Hopkins, Ms. Khielson is here. She says she''s here to visit Ms. Chamber."

    Scott took a step forward, knocking on the door and cutting off Fiy''s words.

    "Ana, Vera is here. Do you want to meet her?"

    Analise raised an eyebrow, her fingers still lightly rubbing Fiy''s ears. "Of course." She had already heard Paul''s words.

    Scott turned and instructed Paul to prepare tea for Vera, telling her to wait. Then, his gaze shifted back to Fiy his face still flushed, ears still red. If it were him in Fiy''s ce.

    "Ana... you still haven''t answered me," Finally murmured, his voice carrying a hint

    of grievance. His tail stubbornly refused to let go.

    Scott was about to scold him when Analise suddenly leaned in and whispered something in Fiy''s ear.

    "Alright... I understand."

    Whatever she had said, it made Fiy''s face and ears turn an even deeper shade of red-so red that it looked like it might catch fire.

    Without hesitation, he quickly uncoiled his tail, lowered his head, and hurried back to his room.

    "Let''s go meet Ms. Khielson." Analise casually flicked her hair over her shoulder and strolled toward the stairs.

    Scott followed behind her. "You don''t

    need to overly polite. If she says that upsets you, you can he

    anythi

    tell her to leave immediately

    spoke in a low voice.

    the

    In the living room, Vera sat on the couch, fingers tightening around coffee cup as she watched the two figures descending the stairs, one after the other.

 Chapter 15

    "Ms. Chamber, you seemed mentally exhausted today. It so happened that my brother, Alvaro Khielson, has just returned from Ethereal Fang Alliance and brought back arge supply of Ster Ambers," Vera said as she took out an elegant gift bag.

    Inside was a transparent box filled with severalrge, lustrous purple Astral Ambers.

    "Astral Ambers contain a high concentration of energy. Since you expended a great deal of mind essence while healing Derek, I thought you could use them." Vera extended the box toward Analise.

    However, Analise didn''t take it. "Fiy already gave me some when we returned. I''m feeling much better now. You should keep them for yourself, Ms. Khielson."

    As soon as she finished speaking, Scott lowered his gaze, making a mental note that he, too, had plenty of Ster Ambers to offer her.

    "We have plenty at home. Please, just take them, Ms. Chamber. I''d really like to be friends with you-consider this a gift to mark our acquaintance." Wearing a yful smile on her face, Vera insisted and pushed the box directly into Analise''sp.

    Vera was cute, Analise thought to herself. If not for her inevitable rivalry between females, they might actually be friends.

    "Alright." Analise smiled and ced the box on the couch beside her.

    "Ms. Chamber, which alliance were you originally from? I heard you only had a chip imnted after arriving in Stormw Alliance. Did you have a guardian before that?" Vera asked, her tone still light and friendly.

    Analise met Vera''s gaze, but her expression was unreadable. "I don''t remember."

    "You don''t remember?" Vera frowned slightly and subtly scanned Analise. Pure humans didn''t possess any beast-like traits, so just by looking, it was impossible to tell.

    "The doctors at Stormw Hospital are fairly skilled. Didn''t they offer any exnation? Did you lose your memory due to an injury?" Vera pressed, but her tone had shifted ever so slightly.

    "What are you implying?" Scott''s expression darkened. He sensed a hidden agenda behind Vera''s words.

    "No chip, found alone in the forest, no guardian, and no memories... yet possessing mind essence-Scott, don''t you think that''s suspicious?"

    Vera stood up and moved beside Scott. "What if she''s a Vexoth spy?"

    "Impossible," Seott replied coldly. "The hospital ran a full

    examination-there''s nothing abnormal about Ana''s body. You''re overthinking things, Ms. Khielson." His displeasure was somehow evident.

    "How is it impossible?" Vera''s voice rose.

    "Alvaro just returned from Ethereal Fang Alliance, and he said the same kind of situation appeared there¡ªa female with no chip and no guardian suddenly appeared.

    "At first, that female also had the ability to calm males. Butter, the males she had ''calmed'' suddenly lost control and went berserk, injuring numerous residents of the alliance.

    "And worse-those injured started showing signs of infection from the Vexoth venom. Previously, Vexoth-infected males couldn''t

    spread the infection to others, el

    through their attacks, but now they can!

    Vera turned sharply to Analise and pointed at her. "If she really is a Vexoth spy,

    then Stormw Alliance could be in serious danger."

    "If Ethereal Fang Alliance truly discovered a pure human female with mind essence, they would''ve made sure everyone knew about it." Scott sneered.

    "Alvaro said a low-ranking male with a weak mind essence was the one who found her." Vera hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Since no females wanted him, he clung to the one he found and kept her hidden, never reporting it.

    "Later, that very same male was injured by the female he had tried to protect. Only after he lost control and attacked the residents did he confess everything.

    "Ethereal Fang Alliance confirmed that his body contained an even more potent strain of Vexoth venom than before, proving that the infection originated from her. "That female has since escaped and remains atrge. It''s too much of a coincidence¡ªthere''s a real possibility that Analise was sent here by the Vexoths." Vera''s gaze locked onto Analise, her voice firm and deliberate.

    "That''s impossible," Scott cut in. "If something like this had really happened, I, as the Stormw Alliance''smander, would have been notified immediately.

    Just then, a crisp chime rang out, "Commander Hopkins, you have an iing call from Ethereal Fang Alliance. Would you like to answer the call?"

 Chapter 16

    The notification from Scott''s chip sounded, and his body tensed. Without a word, he turned toward the window and answered the call.

    As the conversation dragged on, his expression grew increasingly grim. From time to time, he nced at Analise, his gaze dark and unreadable.

    A bad feeling settled in Analise''s chest. There was a high chance that Vera was telling the truth. But she knew, without a doubt, that she was not a Vexoth spy.

    Yet, favor was not on her side.

    "What''s going on? Why do you all look so serious?" Fiy''s voice came from the stairs as he walked down from the second floor.

    Vera instinctively took a step back, her guard up. If Analise really was a Vexoth infiltrator, then Fiy-having been calmed by her-could very well be at risk of losing control.

    "Ana, Ms. Khielson, what''s wrong?"

    Seeing Analise remain silent while Vera eyed him warily, Fiy scratched his head in confusion.

    "Nothing much," Analise finally spoke, her voice light and clear. "She just said I''m a Vexoth spy."

    "You? A Vexoth spy?" Fiy burst intoughter, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke of the century. Hisughter echoed through the room.

    But as soon as Scott ended the call and walked over with a dark expression, Fiy quickly shut his mouth.

    Scott stopped in front of Analise, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Ana... Are you..."

    "No," Analise responded immediately and took a sip of water casually.

    Scott nodded. "Alright. Fiy, you''ll be temporarily held in the underground prison at Hopkins Gxy Lodge."

    "What?" Fiy was taken aback.

    Equally shocked, Analise shouted, "What do you mean by that?"

    Fiy was baffled, while Analise''s expression turned icy with anger. She wasn''t stupid. She knew exactly what Scott was implying.

    "If you suspect me, just say it outright," she said coldly. "I''ll go to the prison if that''s what it takes. There''s no need for this indirect approach."

    "That''s not what I meant." Scott sighed. "But right now, everyone is suspicious of you... I can''t just lock you up-I believe in you."

    Analise''s expression didn''t waver. "It''s just a few days in prison. I''ll go with Fiy." Her voice was steady, but the warmth had disappeared from her face.

    "But you''re a female-"

    "The moment you decided to imprison Fiy, I stopped being your ward. I''m nothing more than a suspect now."

    Analise reached for Fiy''s hand. "Let''s go. You know the way to Hopkins Gxy Lodge''s underground prison, don''t you?"

    Before leaving, she nced at Vera. "Ms. Khielson, will you still want to be friends with me after I clear my name?"

    For a brief moment, Vera''s face stiffened in awkwardness. But she quickly

    regained herposure, shing a smile. "Of course."

    Scott opened his mouth as if to say something but, in the end, remained silent. Because the truth was, he had doubted her, too.

    How could he not? A pure human

    female with no known alliance, no identification chip, no guardian, and possessing mind essence-no matter how you looked at it, it was suspicious.

    And yet, the moment he firstid eyes on her, he had wanted to be her guardian. Now, even though he chose to believe her, his belief alone wasn''t enough.

    The Vexoths were the greatest threat to the entire Interster Alliance Any connection to them,

    whether male or female, had to be investigated with the utmost security.

    "Ms. Khielson, do you have any other business here? If not, you may leave," Scott said coldly, dismissing her.

    Then, he followed them out, got into his car, and drove after Fiy''s vehicle toward Hopkins Gxy Lodge.

    Once they arrived, Analise walked alongside Fiy into the underground prison.

    The dimly lit space was filled with

    prisoners. Most barely reacted t

    Fiy''s presence. But the moment they saw Analise, their eyes lit up with shock and intrigue.

    "A female? There''s actually a female in the underground prison?"

    "What''s a female doing here?"

    "She''s locked up? And with a male, no less?"

 Chapter 17

    "Wouldn''t a simple scolding suffice if a female makes a mistake? What happened?"

    "She probably has something to do with the Vexoths," uttered a disheveled male while munching on a piece of dry grass.

    Suddenly, silence nketed the dungeon.

    "Ana, it''s ready. Have a seat," said Fiy. He had gathered the hay in the corner

    of the cell and created a moderate-sized bed. Worried that Analise would feel ufortable, he ced his tail on it to let her sit on it.

    "Hey, man. What did you do to get in here? Why is your girl here as well?" The male from the next cell assumed Analise was Fiy''s partner when he saw how Fiy took care of her.

    However, Fiy did not answer the male.

    The male munching on the dry grass scoffed. "Like I said, it must have something to do with the Vexoths."

    "How do you know that?" Analise walked to the cell door and stared at the male.

    He had a tail, but his hair was too messy for Analise to identify what animal ears he had.

    "The females are ced on pedestals. They''ll never get locked up, even if they beat a male to death. All they''ll get is a scolding and then be given another male

    to beat up.

    "Hence, you must be connected to the Vexoths. After all, they are the enemy of the entire Interster Alliance. Gender is not a factor when dealing with them."

    Analise nodded. "That makes sense. Why are you here?"

    "I killed a male," said the male inly as if it were a normal thing.

    Analise was stunned and chose not to ask further when she thought of what he said earlier.

    Seeing Analise turning around and moving toward the pile of hay, the male hurriedly grabbed the metal.

    "I''m guessing she hit you or your family member," answered Analise softly.

    In the human world, domestic violence was normal-men were the ones who abused women. Simr to the current situation, the mild punishment left women in no position to seek justice.

    However, the roles had switched in the Interster therian world-the men were the helpless ones. That was why Analise felt nothing. Sure, she pitied him, but there was

    nothing she could do.

    In the human world, only some men could refrain from hitting their wives. Simrly, only some females could do the same in the Interster therian world.

    World peace and love between men and women had always been a myth.

    Analise could only promise not to be one of the abusers, but she could never discipline others. She was also powerless and could not help many people.

    Besides, the male had killed a female and was locked away in prison. The oue was already decided and could not be changed.

    The male with the dry grass snickered. "You''re right. But you sound quite calm. The fact that you''re not afraid of the male in front of you proves that you''re a good female.

    "I''m just curious¡ªif you''re a good female, why would you be involved with the Vexoths?"

    The male returned to his pile of hay and dozed off without waiting for Analise''s answer. Meanwhile, Analise was silent for a moment before sitting on the hay in the corner.

    "Fiy, can you turn into your beast

    form and let me lean against you while I sleep?" Analise asked,

    ncing at Fiy. She had not imed the level-up reward thanks

    to everything that happened that

    day.  s?novel

    "Okay," replied Fiy, transforming into his wolf form and lying on the pile of hay.

    Analise found a suitable spot andy on Fiy, pretending to sleep while iming her level-up reward.

    [Congrattions! You have obtained ten Purification Heart Shards, five Purification Bow Shards, five Purification Arrows, five Purification Potions, and E- grade mind essence.]

    [Would you like to use ten Purification Heart Shards to upgrade to Purified Heart Level 2?]

 Chapter 18

    "Yes," said Analise in her heart.

    As the Grade-E mind essence was being granted, it turned into a ball of blue light and entered her body. She felt a slight coldness and pain in her heart.

    Without realizing it, Analise curled up in Fiy''s fur. Meanwhile, he thought she was feeling cold. After all, they were in the dungeons-the temperature was lower in there.

    Thus, Fiy adjusted his posture, wrapping himself around Analise and gently cing his tail on her waist.

    [Level-up in progress.]

    [Level-uppleted!]

    As the system''s notification rang, a ball of white light entered Analise''s body. After leveling up, the mind essence and purification power seemed to have spread to other parts of her body instead of staying at the heart.

    [Do you want to use five Purification Bow Shards to level up to Purification Bow Level 2?]

    "Yes," answered Analise.

    [Level-up in progress. Level-uppleted!]

    [Your information is being updated.]

    [Updatepleted!]

    [Host: Analise Chambers.

    Purification Level (Purified Heart): Level 2

    Weapon Level (Purified Bow): Level 2

    Mind Essence Level: E-grade

    Purification Arrow: Five

    Note: Purification Arrows arepatible with all levels of Purification Bows. The higher the bow''s level, the greater the purification power and damage output.]

    Analise thought the Purification Bow was valuable as it was both a weapon and a purification tool. However, it was not the right time to use it. She needed to find the opportunity.

    She felt a little bored and sleepy after iming the reward. Fiy''s fur was sofortable that she could barely keep her eyes open.

    Just as she was about to fall asleep, someone entered the dungeon. She opened her eyes a little and spotted Scott and Derek.

    "I was the one who calmed Derek. It''s only normal for him to be here, and he''ll probably be locked up for a few days," thought Analise.

    At that thought, Analise shut her eyes and continued sleeping. Meanwhile, Fiy lifted his head and stared at Scott and Derek outside the cell without saying anything.

    If Fiy had not seen the trending news on Cosmoseek, he never would have known what had happened. He did not think Analise was the Vexoths'' spy, even though he did not know what made him

    trust her so much.

    Scott approached the door and opened it with a custom-made key, asking, "Is Ana asleep?"

    He lowered his gaze to look at Analise asleep in Fiy''s arms like a cute bunny.

    Nodding, Fiy answered, "Yes. I saw the news, but I don''t think Ana is the Vexoths'' spy."

    Derek said I don''t know how they

    created a female that''s almost

    identical to pure humans. It''s like the

    robots created by the humans

    hundreds of years ago. However, the

    material used is very unique.

    "These females... No. These robots'' bodies are the same as normal females.

    They can even have intercourse.

    "But they have a special

    characteristic-they have a red mole that''s the size of a fingernail on the back of their shoulder des. So, all we need to do is look for the red mote on Ms. Chamber''s back."

    "How did you know about it?" asked two voices at the same time.

 Chapter 19

    The voices belonged to Fiy and Analise. Since Scott stepped into the cell, Analise had awakened and only pretended to be asleep.

    Now that they have brought up the main point, Analise decided to stop pretending.

    "I was injured because of this..." Derek rolled his eyes at Fiy before shifting his gaze to Analise. "Ms. Chamber, thank you for calming me yesterday."

    "You can thank meter. Get back to the main point first." Analise waved dismissively and got up from Fiy''s furry body.

    Meanwhile, Fiy shifted to his human form and stood beside Analise.

    When Derek heard Analise''s words, he decided to save his speech and recounted the main points, "A month ago, someone discovered traces of The Reimers on a lower-ss.

    "Commander Hopkins sent me on a secret mission to investigate their base so we could take them down in one go. When I arrived, I found out by ident that someone from Stormw Alliance was working with The Reimers.

    "I followed them secretly¡ªthat''s how I knew about this. Apparently, the materials used to make these robots aren''t easy to find. So far, there are only five of them.

    "I destroyed one of them. The other four might''ve been taken to the base of those working with The Reimers. At that time, there were many people there. I didn''t want to alert them, so I kept following them secretly.

    "When I reached Stormw Alliance''s turf, I captured the traitor. The traitor and I were evenly matched in strength, but I never expected him to activate the robot to protect himself.

    "For Stormw Alliance''s safety, I had no choice but to destroy the robot. In the end, the traitor escaped."

    Derek sighed before continuing, "Ms. Chamber, I''m not suspecting you. The reason I want to check your back is that I want to prove your innocence. After all, words prove nothing."

    "Okay." Analise frowned for a moment before rxing her brows. "But there are strangers here. At least, get me something to cover myself."

    Derek pursed his lips. He said, "The interrogation room is enclosed. It''s just that you''ll need to bear with it."

    Just as they were about to leave, the male munching on the dry grass approached the metal bars and asked, "Hey, Derek. That guy who worked with The Reimers is the youngest son of the Khielson family, right?"

    Derek turned around and studied the male in the cell. His eyes widened as if he recognized the prisoner. "Are you Mark Sutton?"

    "Yup. That''s me." Mark spat out the dry grass and grabbed the hairs in front of his face to reveal his grimy face.

    "Why are you-"

    "Oh. Two weeks after you left, I killed that evil female. That''s probably three months ago." Mark pinched his chin as he pondered the timeline.

    Three months ago, Derek was

    ordered to purchase Astral Amber at Ethereal Fang Alliance''s mining

    Even with the fastest starship, it would take around 20 days to reach the mining, making the round trip over a month.

    Moreover, negotiating prices with Ethereal Fang Alliance was a part of purchasing Astral Amber. Hence, it took Derek around two months.

    When Derek returned, he was instantly summoned to Hopkins Gxy Lodge by Scott and dispatched to the lower-ss to look into The Reimers'' base.

    However, Derek never expected to see his cheerful neighbor in the dungeon after being away for only three months. "You-"

    Before Derek could continue, Mark exined, "Because my brother''s dead. She beat him to death. My only brother is gone. She''s amevil female, and she deserved to die."

    Derek pursed his lips, his expression bing grim.

    "You could''ve gotten help from Hopkins Gxy Lodge instead of killing the female." No one noticed the slight change in Scott''s expression.

    Mark scoffed, "Help? Once a male bonds with a female, he is hers for life. That

    so-called help is nothing but a meaninglesspromise.

    "My brother''s dead, but she was not given a single punishment. What kind of punishment is scolding? A

    female might be important, but we shouldn''t ignore the males

    "An unmated male only needs to take care of his assigned guardian. He won''t even be randomly abused.

    "But once he''s mated, it''s no different from signing a lifelong ve contract-no freedom, constant abuse, and with no one to care even if he dies."

    Analise asked, "Perhaps they can dissolve the bond? Just like humans hundreds

    of years ago, they can get a divorce after getting married."

    Suddenly, everyone''s gaze fell on Analise. A silence hung in the air.

    "That''s impossible," said Scott without hesitation.

 Chapter 20

    "Why not?" Analise did not understand why Scott disagreed. After all, it was an idea that would benefit the males.

    Scott turned around to gaze at her seriously. "Once a bond is dissolvable, the females will be the ones who will suffer. The females are significantly smaller and weakerpared to the males.

    "Besides, the females are fewer in number. Without the bonds, many males will abandon their females.

    "This was mentioned in Interster History before. When the Vexoths first invaded us, many elders and females died. The survivors were mostly males and children.

    "In the following century, their beastial DNA awakened, causing certain instincts to be more primal. It became moremon for males to abandon their partners after finding a desirable female and bearing a child with her.

    "This was a widespread urrence in the past. Later, the scientists who survived discovered that males and females with awakened beastial DNA exhibited certain primal traits.

    "For example, females tend to choose stronger males, while males be particrly attentive during their mating period. However, their enthusiasm would fade once the phase passed.

    "That was how Interster Law came about. That''s why your suggestion won''t work, Ana."

    After giving his exnation, Scott turned to Mark, who was still in the cell. "What made you say the youngest son of the Khielson family is the one who worked with The Reimers?"

    "Exactly. Mark, how did you know it''s him?" Derek asked after just catching on.

    "I met him once by ident. I think one of Lily''s males was also there. His name starts with a J. What was it again?" Mark scratched his head, unable to recall the person''s name.

    "Jamari Sellers?" asked Derek.

    Mark nodded. "Oh! Yes! That''s him. I remember I was out buying some medication for my brother."

    "Do you remember the details? What did they say?" asked Analise.

    Mark pondered briefly before saying, "During that time, the Khielson family''s youngest son and Jamari were present. The other two were dressed in ck and wore masks that only revealed their mouths and chins.

    "I don''t know what they said, but I think the masks belong to The Reimers. Whenever I find The Reimers on Cosmoseek, they''ll be wearing this mask.

    "But I only realized thister. When I first saw them, I thought they were discussing business with another alliance."

    "The timeline matches, then. The person you followed a month ago was Jamari. But without evidence, he''ll never admit," said Scott solemnly to Derek.

    "Everyone on Cosmoseek knows I calmed Derek yesterday. I''m sure Jamari and that guy from the Khielson family know about it.

    "But like Scott said, we can''t arrest them if they refuse to admit it. After all, we don''t have evidence," said Analise, looking at the others.

    "Anyway, we should prove Ana''s innocence first. The dungeons can cold. We mustn''t let fall

    be

    thin clothing with concern.

    Said Fiy, studying A

    Immediately, everyone left for the interrogation room. Only Derek turned around to

    give Mark a look before hurrying after Scott.

    "I know what you want to say. If we find evidence in the future, he could be one of our witnesses.

    "Mark has contributed to confirming the fact that The Reimers and the Vexoths have a close rtionship. When the timees, we can help reduce his sentence and release him," said Scott, turning around to look at Mark in the cell.

    "You guys were talking about The Reimers earlier. Are they a race or an organization?" questioned Analise after walking a few steps.

    "An organization. They have a tight rtionship with the Vexoths. Those who joined The Reimers are males.

    "ording to investigations, they seem to be males who are disliked by females," answered Fiy. He had beaten Scott to it.

    "Oh." Analise nodded.

    Derek chimed in with an uncertain

    tone, "They seem to believe that the Vexoths have the power to restore the world to how it was before their

    invasion. It''s as if they want to coexist with the Vexoths.

    "This organization appears quite inconsistent. There''s also a lot of internal

    conflict."

    Scott raised his brow, puzzled by Derek''s behavior.

 Chapter 21

    Scott wondered, "Doesn''t Derek already have a female he fancies?"

    Soon, they arrived in front of the interrogation room. Analise went in while the others waited at the door.

    Analise quickly removed her shirt, revealing her wless back. "I''m ready."

    Derek took a step back sensibly, leaning against the wall and staring at his feet. "You guys just need to check Ms. Chamber''s shoulder de for a red birthmark. "Those guys said they only created five robots because of the limited materials. The activation button is the red birthmark on the shoulder de. It''s the same for all of them.

    "Moreover, the material is so unique that it''s difficult to find. Hence, they can''t create other robots in such a short amount of time. Apparently, it took them six months to create five robots."

    Derek fixed his gaze on his feet, too shy to lift his head. Fiy and Scott nced at Analise''s back shyly.

    Soon, the duo''s ears turned red. Fiy''s, however, was more obvious. Scott''s ears were hidden under his long hair. Thus, the only sign of his shyness was his flushed cheeks.

    "Ana, can I take a picture? I''ll need to prove to the other alliances that you''re not the Vexoths'' robot in the future," said Scott.

    Analise hesitated momentarily but still nodded. "Okay."

    "Ahem... Alright. It''s done. You can get dressed now," informed Scott gently, quickly averting his gaze as soon as he was done taking the picture.

    "It''s cold down here. You should get dressed quickly so you don''t catch a cold," said Fiy.

    Fiy had also averted his gaze, his voice trembling, as if his teeth were chattering. Perhaps he was so shy that he could not speak properly.

    With flushed cheeks, Analise got dressed. Although she kept telling herself that they were just tigers and wolves, she could not help but feel nervous and shy.

    Analise took a deep breath to rpose herself before exiting the interrogation room. The group then returned to the surface.

    Scott immediately sent the picture to the other alliances to prove Analise''s innocence. At the same time, he also posted it on Cosmoseek.

    Scott also shared the test results of Derek''s bodily fluids, which were normal The reason Scott shared the results was that males who got beaten up by the robots had toxins in their bodies.

    If Analise were a robot, Derek''s body would contain toxins after being calmed by her.

    "Fiy, you should get tested and share the results on Cosmoseek as well," said Scott.

    "Alright." Fiy nodded.

    "Ana, now that you''re at Hopkins Gxy Lodge, do you want toe with me to look around?" asked Scott.

    "Sure," responded Analise, nodding.

    Since Analise epted Scott''s offer

    to look around Hopkins Gxy

    Lodge, Fiy drove to the hospital to get his bodily fluids tested. As Analise walked, she casuallyunched Cosmoseek and went through thements about her.

    At first, the people suspected her of not having mind essence. Then, they were impressed by her ability tofort SS-grade males. Finally, thements contained hatred and suspicion that she might be a Vexoth spy.

    Now that Scott had cleared her name, they were speaking up for her again. Of course, she seemed to have gained many fans from the live stream of herforting Derek.

    Analise went through her followers'' list and friend requests. Suddenly, a new notification popped up.

    It wrote, "Vera Khielson requested to add you as a friend."

 Chapter 22

    Analise hesitated but finally epted the friend request.

    Vera, with the username SugarBunny, texted, "Hello, Ms. Chamber. I suspected you for the sake of Stormw Alliance''s safety. I hope you''re not offended."

    Vera also added an emoji that had a pitiful expression.

    When the text popped up as soon as Analise epted the friend request, she wondered if she should reply to it. After thinking about it, she finally replied under her username, F-grade Pure Human, "I''m not."

    Vera immediately sent another text. It read, "That''s great. My birthday is in a few days, and I''m throwing a party. Can youe?"

    Realizing Analise had not been listening to him, Scott raised his voice a little. "Ana, is it too boring? Do you want me to send you back to the vi?"

    "Huh?" Analise looked up at Scott in confusion. When she finally realized what was going on, she answered, "Okay."

    After taking a few steps, Analise suddenly asked, "Scott, can weapons be custom- made?"

    Scott nodded. "Of course. Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

    "I saw a bow when you brought me to the training room. It looked kind of cool." Analise smiled.

    Actually, Analise only caught a tiny glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye. However, to openly wield the Purification Bow, she needed to possess it herself.

    The females on the Interster therian world more or less used weapons as well, despite theirbat strength being weaker than the males. Now that they were on that topic, Analise wondered if she should learn how to operate starships and minibat-type starships.

    After all, Analise could not stay in Stormw Alliance forever, even though her chip identified her as one of their females.

    "Do you want one?" asked Scott instantly.

    It was a perfect opportunity to get close to Analise. Scott wanted her to touch his ears and tail as well. Only the heavens knew how much he envied Fiy.

    Now that Scott had found something Analise liked, he would do anything to make her happy.

    "Yup. Can you create one for me? I''ll need some bows, too," responded Analise with a nod.

    Analise was not shy when she asked him for a favor. After all, Scott was now her guardian, and making custom weapons was a piece of cake for him.

    "Okay," said Scott.

    As Analise walked, she described the Purification Bow and Purification Arrows while staring at them in the system.

    After that, she got into the passenger seat and rested her chin on her hand, watching the scenery pass by. In reality, she was speaking to the system, Echo.

    Analise asked, "Echo, once the

    custom bow and arrows arepleted, can the Purification

    Bows merge with the bow directly?

    That way, no one will notice anything unusual.

    "After all, Scott can''t possibly create an identical Purification Bow. He might notice

    it when the timees."

    Echo said, "There''s no need to

    merge it. The Purification Bow has not been fully activated. When you tivate it, you can control its shape and appearance using your mind.

    "However, you only have one chance. Once the Purification Bow is activated, it

    will remain activated and will not be changed by your mind."

    "Got it. What about the Purification Bows?" asked Analise.

    "It''s the same as well," replied Echo.

    "That reminds me. I''ve seen in novels that systems usually grant points forpleting tasks and even unlocking an online

    ver

    marketce. Why don''t I have it?" asked Analise.

 Chapter 23

    "You do. However, the point system and Reward Store will only be unlocked once you reach Purification Level 3," said Echo.

    Withdrawing her arm, Analise said, "I see. How much Purification Value do I need to reach Level 3?"

    The system said, "5,000 Purification Value. After each upgrade, your Purification Points will reset to zero.

    "Once the Reward Store and point system are unlocked, the Purification Value will be converted into points at a 1 to 100 ratio. That means 5,000 Purification Value can be exchanged for 50 points."

    "What about other rewards?"

    "Other than Purification Heart Shards, Purification Bow Shards, Purification Arrows, and mind essence, the basic rewards from the rookie package and Level- 2 upgrade have been awarded to you.

    "From now on, each level-up will only grant the corresponding level of Purification Heart Shards, Purification Bow Shards, Purification Arrows, and mind essence. You will need to purchase other items at the Reward Store."

    "Okay," Analise answered, making a gesture to activate the interface. In the past, she had only been buying clothes and shoes.

    This time, Analise searched Interster Mall for a while before finally finding a medium-capacity pocket drive. With it, she can store things more conveniently.

    However, the pocket drive was not cheap. It cost 68 Cosmocoins. The pocket drive was merely the size of a watch, but the best part about it was that its appearance and color could be customized.

    Analise found the pocket drive''s in color unappealing, so she thought of engraving mini versions of Fiy''s and Scott''s beast forms on it. However, she had not seen Scott in his beast form yet.

    "Scott, could you show me your beast form when we arrive?" asked Analise, turning her head.

    Scott simply nodded without saying anything, but Analise caught a glimpse of his flushed cheeks. She said nothing and continued watching the scenery, resting her chin on her hand.

    When they arrived at the vi, Scott shifted into his beast form and quietly day on the living room floor. Aside from beingrger in size, he was not much different from the tigers of the human world.

    "Scott, you''re clearly a striped tiger. Why do you call yourselves Stormw Alliance? Besides, I noticed there are all sorts of therians in the alliance.

    "Fiy''s a gray wolf, Derek''s an albino lion, and judging by Kyle''s ears, he''s a bear. I think I even saw serpent therians in the city."

    Serpent therians were too easily spotted. They had human upper bodies and a serpent''s tail for the lower half.

    Scott was stunned, and his gaze toward Analise was filled with more confusion. However, his beast form prevented Analise from noticing his emotions.

    Still, Scott answered, "The alliance''s name was given after the first-generation therian leader and has stuck ever since.

    "Stormw Alliance''s firstmander was a white tiger, and Etherial Fang Alliance''s was a green serpent. The names of the other alliances have simr origins."

    "Oh, alright. You can return to your human form now." Analise smiled and patted Scott''s head, but she quickly withdrew her hand.

    The warm touch onlysted for a short while. Scott moved his head, hoping to feel Analise''s hand again. s, she had already made her way upstairs.

    Analise found a piece of paper and drew mini versions of Fiy''s and Scott''s beast forms. Then, she took a picture using the interface and sent it to the pocket drive seller.

    Afterpleting the payment, Analise stared at the bnce in her ount andmented how quickly her money disappeared.

    As soon as Fiy returned to the vi, Scott stopped him from going upstairs and demanded, "Tell me again how you met Ana, and don''t leave out any details."

 Chapter 24

    "What''s the meaning of this? Are you suspecting Ana of being the Vexoths'' spy?" asked Fiy with a frown, tightening the grip around the bag.

    Scott''s expression grew stern, and he led Fiy to the couch to continue the conversation.

    "I''m sure you felt it, too. Ana''s not like what we thought. She isn''t suffering from amnesia or intellectual impairment.

    "If it''s just amnesia, people from her alliance should be looking for her. After all, she''s a pure female human who has an F-grade mind essence that canfort SS-grade therians.

    "However, no alliances have contacted me so far," uttered Scott.

    "But Derek''s bodily fluid test results came out normal. So did mine. That proves Ana''s not the Vexoths'' spy!" Fiy shot to his feet, clearly upset.

    "That''s not why I''m suspecting Ana." Scott felt a little helpless, for he knew Fiy''s temperament.

    "When you returned that day, you said something hit you while you were running. And when you woke up, Ana was sleeping on top of you, right?" questioned Scott, softening his tone.

    Fiy silently recalled that day. He had followed Scott''s orders to eliminate a therian from The Reimer, but he was beaten up by the Vexoth who infiltrated Stormw Alliance.

    On the bright side, Fiy eliminated the Vexoths as well. Unfortunately, he passed out when he was rushing back. At that moment, he did not sense any danger.

    By the time he regained consciousness, he found Analise sleeping on top of him. Sheforted him when his toxins red up.

    Thinking there was nothing unusual about the events, Fiy recounted the story to Scott again.

    After pondering for a moment, Scott finally spoke what was on his mind, "Fiy, did it ever cross your mind that Ana was the one who knocked you out?

    "Instead of sleeping on you, she fell from the sky and fainted. I suspect Ana''s from another like the Vexoths. She could be a fated nemesis of the Vexoths that hasn''t been awakened."

    Fiy froze. Although he was usually not that bright, he understood what Scott said. He would be an idiot for notprehending it.

    The fact that Analise couldfort an SS-grade male with the lowest level of mind essence was the strongest proof to support Scott''s hypothesis.

    "In that case, we need to protect Ana more," announced Fiy, looking serious for once.

    "Yup. In the future, you''ll need to tell Ana more about Interster History after the Vexoths'' invasion. As for her identity, I will speak to themanders of the other alliances about it face-to-face."

    Since The Reimers have infiltrated various alliances, there were surely some

    on Cosmoseek. Thus, video calls and interstermunication had a high chance of being monitored by them.

    Scott could only personally visit the other alliances to conduct the discussion. Just then, footsteps could be heard from the stairs, and the two males looked over to see Analise downstairs.

    Analise approached the couch. "I thought about it for a long time and thought I should ask you guys. Should I attend Vera''s birthday party?"

    "How did you know Ms. Khielson is having her birthday soon?" Fiy returned to his cowardly self now that Analise was around.

    At first, Scott was worried Fiy would slip up, but it turned out that he was worried over nothing. Ever since Scott considered the

    1.n

    possibility of Analise being t

    from beyond interster space, he understood why she had always been somewhat distant foward him.

    With Fiy''s carefree spirit, he might not have noticed that Analise was not a female from Interster Alliance. However, Scott was amander-a position that required someone to be smart.

    Hence, Scott should be worried about himself instead.

    "She sent me a friend request on Cosmoseek when we left the dungeon. Then, she texted me, inviting me to the party.

    "I didn''t reply, but she sent another text just now. I can''t keep ignoring her, can I?" Analise asked, spreading out her hands helplessly.

    Scott said solemnly, "You''re right. Tell her you''ll go. The Khielson family is a powerful n in Stormw Alliance. I''ll go to the party with you.

    "If you don''t want to stay, we can leave as soon as we give her the present. I''ll get

    my assistant officer to pick a giftter. I''m your guardian now, so what I give will also be from you."

 Chapter 25

    "So, you don''t have to go out of your way to pick a birthday gift for her," said Scott

    with a smile so gentle that it could make a person rx.

    Analise grinned. "Okay. What are we having for dinner? Do we have any groceries? Why don''t I cook?"

    She thought it had been a fruitful day. Early that morning, she had calmed a male and went out for a meal when she was mentally exhausted.

    After that, she went to Fiy''s house to pick up something, only to return and face usations of being a spy. Finally, she was sent to the dungeons.

    In less than two hours, Analise''s name was cleared. When everything was settled, she even got to explore Hopkins Gxy Lodge. She had gotten enough rest since she returned to the vi.

    It was simr to the busy and fulfilling feeling Analise felt in the human world. Hence, she instinctively wanted to prepare a meal before the sun set. That way, she would feel as though she was still in the human world.

    "Females in Interster Alliance don''t need to cook. You can just ask Fiy to prepare whatever you want to eat. As your guardians, we need to take good care of you," said Scott before Fiy could nod his head.

    Fiy was aplete fool who would agree to whatever Analise said. But if news of Analise preparing a meal spread, both Scott and Fiy would be in trouble.

    "Why Fiy? Can''t you cook?" asked Analise out of curiosity.

    "It''s not that I can''t. It''s just "

    Before Scott could finish, Analise said, "I''ll leave it to you, then. I want to touch Fiy''s therian ears."

    Analise thought Scott looked like someone who could cook. He was clean and warm-the qualities of a husband.

    After watching Scott smiling and entering the kitchen, Analise began stroking Fiy''s therian ears. After some time, she wanted more and told Fiy to shift into his wolf form.

    Analise stroked Fiy''s head, rubbed his belly, and yed with his paws. It felt great, just like petting a dog.

    An hourter, just as Analise was about to doze off on Fiy''s warm body, Scott ced the dishes on the table She sat at the table happily, only to get up grumbling and cursing.

    The table contained several tes of ck, unrecognizable creations. It was impossible to tell what they were originally supposed to be.

    Analise recalled Scott''s hesitation and smirk earlier. "So, Scott''s no husband material but a chef from hell!" she thought, quietly making her way to the kitchen.

    The pan was ck, the bowls were broken, and the walls were covered in ck, grimy stuff. Analise could not tell what it was.

    Her first guess was that there was an explosion. Scott probably did not expect she would enter the kitchen, so he did not clean it up.

    However, Analise did not hear any

    noise earlier. Thus, she figured Scott might have used some high-tech gadget to block out the sounds in the kitchen. Either that, or she had just been too absorbed in petting Fiy.

    Quietly, Analise walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Thankfully, there were some potatoes and beef left.

    s, Analise preferred beef that was

    cooked longer. She decided to pass on the protein. Sighing deeply, she took four potatoes and quickly peeled them. Then, she washed and cut them into thin strips.

 Chapter 26

    The fries came sizzling out of the fryer, filling the kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma. Scott and Fiy both hovered cautiously at the doorway and instinctively leaned forward.

    After ting the fries, Analise moved on to make some pasta for three.

    Scott''s gaze was unreadable, while Fiy lookedpletely starstruck. His eyes were shining with awe and a hint of anticipation.

    Analise''s cooking already smelled amazing. It had to taste just as good.

    Still, Fiy knew they couldn''t always let her be the one to cook. He made a silent vow to step up more in the future.

    Today had been one big misunderstanding.

    However, Fiy nced toward the dining table where a few charred, unrecognizable dishes still sat. After tonight, Analise probably wouldn''t let Scott cook again. Which meant he might have more chances to impress her himself.

    "Don''t just stand there. Come on. Grab a te and eat," Analise called out as she ted the pasta.

    "It smells amazing, Ana! You''re seriously talented!" Fiy trotted over, taking a long whiff of the pasta and fries.

    Scott pursed his lips, quietly picked up the fries, and carried them to the table. On the way, he dumped his own burnt mess straight into the trash, quickly recing the trash bag without a word.

    "Come on. Dig in. I''m really just barely passable in the kitchen," Analise said as she sat down with her te, before taking small, careful bites of her pasta.

    She wasn''t being modest. To humans, her cooking was nothing special.

    But to Scott and Fiy, who''d lived off nutrient packs for who knew how long, this was gourmet-level stuff.

    Scott silently slurped his pasta, more determined than ever.

    In Interster Alliance, most females were pampered and protected. Most of them weren''t expected to learn how to cook. It was practically unheard of.

    After the meal, both Scott and Fiy volunteered to clean up and wash the dishes.

    Analise thanked them and headed upstairs to wash up and go to bed.

    In the days that followed, she asked Scott for a temporary ess pass to the Stormw Alliance''s library. With it, she could now explore every floor freely.

    Each book in the library was locked and required a personal clearance card to ess. Analise didn''t have her card yet. Since the ce functioned as both a library and an archive, that meant strict clearance checks before anyone could apply for a permanent pass.

    Still, she''d spent the past few days digging into the history of the beast ns and learning more about

    Interster Alliance. She now understood the origins of the

    vel

    alliances, their political web, and the bnce of power between them.

    Through the records Analise had essed, Scott was able to confirm that she wasn''t from Interster Alliance at all. He had spent days mulling this over in private.

    Interster Alliance was made up of more than ten major alliances. Some of them were closely allied with Stormw Alliance, while others were rivals.

    Analise''s unique identity was already causing a stir in Cosmoseek.

    These alliances probably knew that Analise was the first pure-blooded human woman to yield mind essence. Her calming ability also far surpassed any of the local females.

    Hence, Analise''s origin as an outsider had to be kept a secret.

    This was a problem for Scott. He now had to decide who could be trusted and

    pick his allies. This wasn''t something that could be rushed.

    Yet, one thought bothered him. Should he be the one to break the silence and tell Analise that he''d already figured out that she wasn''t really from Interster Alliance?

    Because he had a feeling the reason she kept him at arm''s length-unlike how naturally she interacted with Fiy was her fear of being exposed.

    Would Analise believe him if he came clean and promised to protect her no matter what? Would she start to trust him?

    Late one night, just as Analise was drifting off in bed, she heard a knock at the door.

    Analise sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes before opening the door. "Who is it? What''s going on?"

 Chapter 27

    The only ones in the vi were Fiy, Scott, the butler, and a few household service bots.

    Since this was Scott''s private home, there was no way someone could''ve sneaked in, so the knock on the door had to be from either Fiy or Scott. Which was why Analise didn''t feel the need to be on guard.

    "Ana..."

    As soon as she opened the door, she was met with the sight of Fiy in his wolf form. He gently nudged her waist and hands with his head.

    "What''s this about? Acting like a spoiled little pup now?" Analise reached down and scratched behind his ears, letting him nuzzle into her palm.

    A soft, pitiful whine escaped him. Fiy didn''t speak and just looked up at her with bloodshot eyes full of frustration and something deeper, something more

    vulnerable.

    "What''s wrong?" Scott opened his door, drawn by the noise.

    "Are you feeling sick?" Analise asked, suddenly realizing something was off. She tried using her calming ability to soothe Fiy''s distress. But it didn''t seem to be working this time.

    "Mm... Ana..." Fiy leaned closer, drawn to theforting energy she emitted. Then, without warning, he wrapped his tail around her and pulled her against the soft warmth of his belly.

    "Fiy! What are you doing? Let go of me!" Analise gasped, startled as she was suddenly yanked down into him. Her voice rose in shock.

    But Fiy didn''t react much. He simply loosened his tail slightly, making sure not to hurt her.

    Scott stood frozen, staring at the sight of Analise curled up against Fiy''s chest, wrapped in his tail. Jealousy red violently in his chest. His eyes were filled with envy.

    But this wasn''t the time to let emotions run wild. He took a step forward, only to be met with a low warning growl from Fiy. It was his territorial instinct ring up.

    Scott paused, studying Fiy''s stance. Then, he finally spoke, his voice calm but firm, "He''s probably going into heat."

    Analise was speechless.

    She looked down at the tail still wrapped snugly around her. "So... I''m supposed to soothe him now?"

    Scott nodded. "Male heat cycles typicallyst three to five days. During that time, they be extremely aggressive toward anyone except their mate."

    "Physical touch can help ease the agitation. But mating with the female directly works best," he added, lowering his eyes like the words weighed heavily on him.

    "Unmated males usually don''t enter heat until they''re around 30 years old. Fiy is only 28 years old. You two. His voice faltered. His@yes seemed to glisten faintly.

    "No!" Analise blurted without hesitation.

    Scott stared at her. "But you touched his tail."

    He sounded wounded when he said those words.

    "Males usually have a second sexual organ. Its location depends on the species. For those with tails, the tail is that second organ. And it''s deeply tied to their heat cycle."

    Fiy let out another warning growl, sensing that Analise''s attention was drifting toward another male. His body tensed, shielding her from Scott even more fiercely.

    "Maybe you should go back to your room for now?" Analise could feel how tense Fiy was. His grip on her was so tight that she felt suffocated.

    Fiy''s mind essence wasn''t as refined as Scott''s. So, his instincts were more

    reactive, using growls and bodynguage to mark territory and drive out intruders.

    "Alright." Scott pursed his lips and returned to his room.

    "Fiy, be good, okay? Let me go. Let''s head into the room first."

    Analise rubbed one of his ears gently, then wrapped her arms around his furry neck and whispered into his ear.

 Chapter 28

    Fiy let out a soft whimper and finally loosened his tail around Analise.

    "Can you shift back now?" Analise chuckled, picking up one of his massive paws and giving the soft pads a yful squeeze.

    He let out another whine, and then Fiy shifted back into his human form, but there was a dazed look in his eyes.

    "Ana....." he murmured, his voice full of longing. He pulled her into his arms, clinging to her like she was the only thing keeping him grounded. "I feel awful."

    That soft, pitiful tone hit Analise right in the heart. She couldn''t possibly say no to that.

    "Alright. Let''s get you inside first," she coaxed gently, her chin resting lightly against his corbone.

    "Mhm..." Fiy released her, letting her take his hand and guide him into the

    room.

    "So, how exactly do I help you?" Analise teased, eyes gleaming as she reached down and tugged on his tail.

    She couldn''t help herself at all.

    Earlier, she had tried soothing him using her mind essence when Scott mentioned that Fiy was in heat. But she had purification power. Her mind essence didn''t seem to work on Fiy at all.

    Fiy was in heat. It wasn''t a toxin or parasite. Her purification power was useless here.

    Besides, her E-grade mind essence didn''te close to calming Fiy, who was in S-grade.

    Even if she were S-grade, she would have had to stay by his side constantly to help him maintain control throughout the heat.

    Right now, the amount of her mind essence was like offering a drop of water to someone dying of thirst when what he needed was a full bottle.

    However, Echo had told her that while her mind essence couldn''t help much, she could at least brew a Purification Potion to ease his pain and help him stay partially rational. Still, that physical ache would remain until the cycle passed.

    Just like Scott said, Echo mentioned that mating was the most effective solution. He was in heat, after all, and there was only one method to resolve this.

    However, Fiy was a therian. His stamina and endurance were several times that of a normal man Echo had specifically warned Analise not to even consider it. Her current body simply wasn''t built to handle it.

    Echo advised her to wait until she reached Purification Level 3. Then, she could purchase some

    permanent strength-boosting items from the reward store. These items would continue to work even if she returned to the human world someday.

    Analise wouldn''t mate with Fiy. After all, she''d only been here for ten days.

    Although she might scroll through videos of hot guys and let her imagination run wild, when it came to the real thing, she still got nervous.

    Especially after what Echo said. Itpletely killed any crazy thoughts she might have had.

    Not that she wasn''t totally tempted by Fiy''s body.

    "Ana... let me be your mate, please," Fiy whispered, his lips brushing against the curve of her neck as he nuzzled her, breathing her in like she was the only thing grounding him.

    "You said if I proved myself and I made you happy, you''d bond with me, and you''d let me be your mate."

    Fiy might act carefree, but when it came to this, he meant every word.

    "I want to prove myself. Will you let me?" His lips hovered near hers, brushing her mouth in a hesitant kiss.

    Analise ced a firm hand on his chest, stopping him, but she didn''t let go of his tail. "No."

    "Why not?" Fiy''s voice trembled in disappointment.

    He could feel her interest since she didn''t pull away. She even liked his tail, so why was she rejecting him?

    "I''m starting my period tomorrow,"

    she said. Then, she remembered the terminology was different here. "I

    mean, my blood cycle starts

    tomorrow. During that time, a.

    bif

    female''s body is more fragile. If we

    were to mate now, it could make me

    sick."

    Fiy hung his head, utterly dejected, and let out a tiny murmur. He nuzzled his

    chin against the top of her head, making a note of Analise''s blood cycle date.

 Chapter 29

    Males were raised from childhood to care for their mates thoroughly. In Therians,

    the beast came first, meaning their instincts ruled above all.

    So, when it came to matters like this, they didn''t react with the kind of embarrassment that humans did.

    "Okay," Analise said with a lightugh, letting go of Fiy''s tail and giving him a gentle pat. "Let me go. I''ll get you something to drink."

    Fiy obediently released her, watching as she left with the cup. Then, without hesitation, he followed after her.

    "Alright. Just wait for me at the top of the stairs."

    With Fiy following close behind, Analise couldn''t risk pulling out the Purification Potion. She needed him to stay put.

    "I don''t want to."

    "Come on. You can still see me from here." Analise stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his lips. "Just wait here."

    That soft, warm touch made Fiy freeze in ce. By the time he snapped out of it, Analise had already turned and gone downstairs.

    Once out of sight, she stopped at thending, poured the Purification Potion into the water cup using the angle of the staircase to shield her, and then walked to the water dispenser bot.

    "Ms. Chamber, how may I assist you?" the robot asked politely.

    "I need some warm water," Analise replied.

    "Understood." The robot took the cup and then asked again, "Would you like me to rece the remaining water?"

    "No, just add the warm water, please."

    "Okay."

    Once the warm water was added, the robot handed the cup back to her.

    Analise hurried back upstairs and handed the cup to Fiy. "Here. Drink this."

    Fiy took the cup and chugged it in one go.

    "Ana, can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked softly, his eyes red with tears.

    "Mm... Fine. Just this once. Only because you''re not feeling well," Analise said, turning and heading to her room. Fiy followed close behind.

    Once she was in bed, she scooted over and left space for him.

    Originally, she thought she''d be the one feeling embarrassed, but looking at him now, Fiy Sed

    even more shy when in heat than she was.

    "Come on. Get in," Analise said with an exasperated little smile. "Otherwise, go back to your own room."

    Fiy''s ears turned bright red. He obediently climbed into bed andy down as stiff as a board.

    His body still ached, but the potion had helped. His mind was clearer now, and he no longer acted on pure instinct.

    Analise turned to look at his side profile, wondering if she''d given him the potion a little too early.

    Feeling her gaze, Fiy finally shifted to face her. His cheeks were flushed, and heat radiated from his skin.

    Since Analise had been woken up earlier, now that she was back in bed, drowsiness took over her quickly. She drifted off fast.

    In her dream, she was shamelessly teasing a gorgeous man with eight-pack abs -running her hands all over his hard stomach and perfect butt.

    Honestly, it felt way too real.

    When she woke the next morning, she realized she was wrapped around Fiy tightly.

    "You''re up?" Fiy asked in a hoarse voice.

    Analise stretched her fingers, and it hit her why that dream had felt so realst night.

    From the look on Fiy''s face, it

    seeme sed all night. His e

    like he was sleepless

    being

    bloodshot, and he had dark circles.

    Just as she opened her mouth to say something, she felt it. A warm rush between

    her legs, flowing down her thigh.

    Her eyes flew wide in panic. Her face turned bright red.

    "What''s wrong?" Fiy immediately sat up, noticing the shift in her expression.

    "It''s my blood cycle. Do you have any pads?" Analise mumbled from under the nket, hiding her face as heat flushed up her neck.

    She knew periods weren''t something to be ashamed of, but still, she couldn''t help feeling a little embarrassed.

 Chapter 30

    Fiy immediately got up, found a clean set of clothes for Analise, and ordered sanitary pads for her from the mall. He even specifically marked the order as urgent.

    "During your blood cycle, you need to stay warm. Ana, just lie down for now. I''ll turn on the heater. You can change clothes in a bit. Don''t worry about the sheets. I''ll clean themter."

    His ears were red from embarrassment.

    "Okay," Analise murmured from under the covers.

    Fiy went downstairs to the water dispenser, filled a container with hot water, and kept checking the delivery status. Thankfully, the store was located only about ten minutes from Scott''s vi, so the pads arrived pretty quickly.

    Scott happened to open the front door just as Fiy wasing up the stairs carrying arge bag.

    "You..."

    He wanted to ask if he had mated with Ana. Scott hesitated but couldn''t bring himself to ask.

    Scott noticed Fiy seemed to be back to himself. He looked clear-minded, unlike the dazed and confused self he was yesterday. The dark circles under his eyes indicated that he hadn''t slept all night.

    Scott wondered if Analise had be Fiy''s first mate.

    "Scott, do you need something? If not, I need to get these to Ana. Her blood cycle started."

    Fiy moved past him, ready to head upstairs.

    "Blood cycle?" Scott blinked.

    "Yeah, it began this morning," Fiy said and headed up.

    "You didn''t sleep with herst night, right?" Scott called after him.

    "You can''t mate with a female on the first two days of her blood cycle and the three days after it ends. She''s too vulnerable for that. You could seriously hurt her."

    Scott knew Analise wasn''t from their world, but Analise was still a female, so her blood cycle must work the same.

    "No, I didn''t," Fiy said as he knocked on Analise''s door and stepped inside.

    "Good to know." Scott sighed a breath of relief. His mood felt oddly better.

    That meant he still had a shot at being Analise''s first mate. Fiy hadn''t taken that from him.

    "I didn''t know what kind you preferred, so I bought a bunch of different types," Fiy said, blushing as he set the pads on the bed.

    "Scott''s here, too, so go ahead and change. We''ll remake the bed for you," he added.

    "I''ll handle," Scott offered. "You need to stay nourished during your cycle. The fridge was empty this morning, but the fresh produce and meat I ordered earlier should''ve arrived. I''ll go cook."

    Just mentioning food made Scott grimace as he recalled the disaster in the kitchenst night.

    After Analise had gone upstairs, he''d gotten the housekeeper and a cleaning bot to help him scrub the ce down.

    "Alright," Fiy said, ncing at Analise. "You just rest. Don''te downstairs today. I''ll bring your meal up."

    But instead of heading to the kitchen, he detoured into his room and pulled out the recipe book Scott had copied from the top floor of the library. He''d skimmed through t before, so he knew there were some dishes in there good for restoring health.

    After reading a bit, Fiy went down to the kitchen to see what was in the fridge.

    The housekeeper had already unpacked the groceries. Fiy picked out a few ingredients, washed them, and started cooking. He even asked the housekeeper to help prep the vegetables. In just over half an hour, he had a feast ready to g¨®.

    He prepared a te of food for Analise and added a bowl of soup, cing everything neatly on a tray before heading up to her room.

    Analise was surprised when she saw the food Fiy brought in. His cooking looked way better than Scott''s.

    And the dishes resembled meals from the human world. There was seared steak, scrambled eggs, and a sd.

    "Fiy, you made all this by yourself?" Analise blinked at him, finding him more and more charming by the second.

    "The housekeeper helped, too. He seasoned the steak and washed the veggies. I just did the cooking," Fiy said, scratching his head with a sheepish smile. "Ana, try it. See if it tastes okay."

 Chapter 31

    Scott quietly gathered the soiled sheets and clothes, then slipped out of the room without a word.

    He nced at the table where Fiy had carefully ted the food, then looked toward the kitchen. A strange surge ofpetitiveness stirred in him.

    Without thinking, Scott stepped into the kitchen, pulled out a b of beef, and asked the housekeeper to help clean and marinate it. He was determined to cook a perfectly seared steak for Analise.

    Ten minutester, the kitchen caught fire. The cleaning bot was speechless.

    Scott was forced to face reality. He calmed hispetitive heart and went back to silently washing sheets and dirty clothes.

    The vi''s doorbell rang. The housekeeper promptly went to check, though he didn''t open the door immediately.

    Outside stood a tall male with a massive set of horns. They were thick, and so was he, with muscr arms, broad shoulders, and a lean waist. He was easily six feet taller than Fiy.

    "Hello, is Commander Hopkins or Ms. Chambers avable?" the male said, pulling a business card from his coat. "I''m Jay Arnold from Ironhorn Alliance. I''m here to request Ms. Chambers'' help."

    "Please wait here. I''ll fetch Ms. Chambers and Mr. Hopkins." The housekeeper gave a polite nod, taking the card.

    "Mr. Hopkins, there''s a male at the door. Says he''s from Ironhorn Alliance and wants to speak with Ms. Chambers," the housekeeper informed Scott, who was doing theundry.

    Scott paused. "Ironhorn Alliance is technically neutral, though they''ve been under pressuretely. As for helping them, that''s up to Ana. Let him in. Have him wait in the living room, then go ask Analise if she''s willing. I''ll finish up here."

    Scott continued to wash the clothes.

    Once the bloodstained clothes were washed, Scott tossed them in the machine and instructed the cleaning bot to hang them out when they were done.

    "Ironhorn Alliance is asking for my help?" Analise looked up from where she was ying with the wolf pup-Fiy. She considered it for a moment. "Alright. I''ll go meet him."

    She gave Fiy''s wolf a pat, signaling him to get up, then changed into something simple and followed the housekeeper and Fiy downstairs.

    "Ms. Chambers," Jay said, rising the moment she entered. "I''m Jay Arnold from Ironhorn Alliance. You''re even more stunning in person than in the Cosmoseek videos."

    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Arnold," Analise said with a soft smile. "Please, have a seat."

    No sooner had she sat down than Scott entered the room as well.

    Jay stood again and greeted him. "I''ve seen you before at the Interster Alliance''s Apex Tournament. You were impressive. A shame that injury kept you out of the top 20."

    Scott shook his hand with his usual calm, collected demeanor.

    Analise had read about the Apex Tournament in the library archives. Males were to battle without mind essence or any enhancements, just raw strength and wit. The goal was to knock your opponent out of the ring. It was designed to spotlight males who were the best of the best.

    "Ms. Chambers, Commander Hopkins, I''ll get straight to the point," Jay said, wasting no time. "Our city''s Young Lord, Karl, was ambushed by his own people recently-set up and wounded by the Vexoths. He''s infected with Vexoth venom.

    "From the outside, Ironhorn Alliance looks neutral. But the truth is, we''re full of internal conflict. If it weren''t for Lord Hansen holding things. together, half our faction would''ve already pledged themselves to Colossus Alliance.

    "To seize power, they orchestrated this ambush. And now, without a female to stabilize him, Karl''s mental state is spiraling. Lord Hansen''s too weak to intervene, so we''ve been keeping everything under wraps."

    Jay''s expression was grim. "But the pressure''s building. That''s why I''m here. I''m asking Ms. Chambers to help soothe Karl."

    He exhaled, turning to look at Scott. "If Ms. Chambers agrees, Ironhorn Alliance will formally ally with Stormw Alliance and offer 30,000 Astral Ambers as a gesture of goodwill."

    "30,000 Astral Ambers isn''t a small offer," Analise and Scott said at the same time.

 Chapter 32

    "Ironhorn Alliance isn''tcking in resources. It only seems that way because of the internal power struggle. But if Ms. Chambers and Commander Hopkins are willing to help, I promise you-we''ll honor every word of our deal," Jay said, sitting up straighter, his tone serious.

    He was clearly worried that Analise and Scott would turn him down.

    "Alright. What grade is Karl''s mind essence?" Analise asked.

    "He''s the same as Commander Hopkins. An SS-grade," Jay said quickly, visibly relieved.

    "How can I take your word for it?" Analise said, resting her chin in her hand.

    "You don''t have to worry, Ms. Chambers. To prove our sincerity, I''ve brought 10,000 Astral Ambers today as a down payment," Jay said, jumping to his feet. He reached into his pocket drive and pulled out fiverge bags of Astral Ambers, setting them neatly in front of her.

    "You''re wee to have someone count them."

    Analise blinked, a little surprised at how fast and serious Jay was.

    Fiy stepped in smoothly and checked the contents of each bag. "It''s real Astral Amber."

    "Good. Then, we have a deal." Analise stood and extended her hand.

    Jay looked stunned for a second.

    Analise was surprisingly easy to deal with. Not only that, but there was a shrewdness to her in the way she handled negotiations, too.

    "Thank you, Ms. Chambers." Jay reached out, but with Scott ring ice daggers at him from across the room, he barely touched her hand before quickly pulling his own back.

    "The journey to Ironhorn Alliance requires five straight days on the Interster Starship. Why don''t we leave now?" Jay asked Analise cautiously, still avoiding Scott''s eyes.

    "Alright."

    "No!"

    Three voices rang out at once.

    Analise was the one who agreed. Scott and Fiy were the ones who shut it down immediately.

    Jay awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and slowly sat back down, cing both hands on his knees and fidgeting.

    "Why not?" Analise turned to look at the two of them, confused.

    Fiy gently pulled her aside and leaned in close. "Even if you''re helping someone else, you have to think about your own health first. Your body is fragile now."

    Analise didn''t know what to say but decided to ask Echo just in case.

    "Echo, does being on my period affect the Purification Heart?" she asked the system mentally after rolling her eyes at Fiy.

    "It doesn''t affect it at all. Even other females in this world can calm males during their cycle. The only difference is that it might leave them feeling a bit more tired, but the mind essence used is exactly the same," Echo replied.

    With that confirmed, Analise turned back to Fiy and said, "I''ll be fine. I''m a pure human, so I''m different from the females here. Besides, in five days, my cycle will be over anyway. Nothing to worry about."

    She walked back to the couch and said, "I just need to pack a few clothes and supplies. Then, we can head out."

    Scott turned toward Fiy, as if to ask why Analise decided to leave.

    He shot Fiy a look, then turned to remind Analise, "Ms. Khielson''s birthday is in

    three days. Didn''t you promise to go?"

    He didn''t care about Vera''s birthday. It was just a good excuse. He

    wanted Analise to wait until bol ne

    cyclewas over so her body would be fully recovered before the trip.

    "Hmm..." Analise frowned, thinking. "But saving someone''s life is more important.

    We can have the housekeeper send her a gift."

    Honestly, she hadn''t wanted to go in the first ce.

    After the face Vera pulled that day when she dropped by the house, Analise had a

    hard time believing she was just some sweet, innocent girl.

 Chapter 33

    Analise thought it was better to keep her distance from Vera. She figured she''d just message Verater-say something urgent came up and she couldn''t make it. Easy enough.

    "Thank you, Ms. Chambers. You''re truly too kind," Jay said, standing and thanking Analise enthusiastically, cutting off whatever it was Scott had been about to say.

    Since Analise''s pocket drive hadn''t arrived yet, she stored her things in Scott''s.

    Fiy''s pocket drive had been destroyed by the Vexoth on the day Analise first arrived. His recement was still in production, too, so all his stuff went into Scott''s pocket drive as well.

    "Just leave me one bag of the Astral Ambers. Give two bags to the other females

    in the alliance. Give the rest of it to the males," Analise said to Scott as he gathered the Astral Ambers.

    Scott had nned to give all the Astral Ambers to her. As far as he was concerned, helping Karl Hansen reim power was worth the alliance alone. The resources were just a bonus.

    "Astral Ambers are rare. You should keep more for yourself," he said with a smile.

    "Rare or not, it''s still a consumable. Males use a lot of mental energy protecting us. They need the Ambers, too," Analise replied seriously.

    Scott sighed and handed two bags to the housekeeper with instructions to distribute them among Stormw''s females based on their mental power levels. The rest would be given to the males as needed, either as rewards or for recovery.

    Once they boarded the Interster Starship, Analise lit up like a curious kid. Everything on board fascinated her. That was until the starshipunched.

    Her mind went nk as it felt like she was sitting in a crashing elevator. Her whole body swayed, and she was barely able to stay upright in the starship. Her stomach lurched, and her chest felt tight, like she couldn''t breathe.

    Fiy and Scott began to panic when they saw how pale Analise''s face was.

    Scott moved first, catching her just before she copsed. He figured the starship''s eleration must have been too much for her, even though he''d already set it to the lowest speed possible.

    "Ana! Ana! Can you hear me?" Fiy called, watching her eyes lose focus.

    Analise couldn''t make out a word. Her ears were ringing. All she could see was Fiy''s lips moving.

    "System detected the host''s physical and neurological state is not

    currently adapted to interstel ne

    ons

    gravitational flux. Initiating beginner protection protocol."

    A crisp, robotic voice rang through her mind, and just like that, the nausea vanished. Analise took a deep breath.

    "Ana? Are you okay?" Fiy somehow acquired a whole pile of oddly colored liquids. This might be the starship''s version of energy or recovery supplements.

    "You''ve got motion sickness from the starship, right? Do you want some rity tonic?"

    He held up a green vial. "This one''s the strongest. Tastes awful, but it works the best."

    "No... No, thanks," Analise said, instantly recalling the awful vor of the nutrient packs she''d had back at the intake facility.

    "I''m alright. I''m just not used to the Interster Starship yet," she added with a weak smile, gently pushing the vial away.

    "Okay," Fiy said, relieved to see her color returning. He tucked the rity tonic back into the storagepartment.

    "Ana, you should lie down in the

    resting cabin. You''re already ufortable because of your cycle, and now you''ve got motion sickness," Fiy said, looking at Analise heart-wrenchingly

    "Yeah, good idea." Analise nodded. While she felt better, her body still felt tired due to her period.

    She curled up in the bed inside the resting cabin, then muttered to Echo in her mind, "Why didn''t you activate the beginner protection protocol earlier? I thought I was going to die out there."

 Chapter 34

    "I forgot," Echo responded after a long pause.

    Analise rolled her eyes at the space in front of her.

    The nkets were warm and cozy, and it didn''t take long for her to drift off. When

    she finally woke up, it was already past 7:00 pm.

    "You''re up?" Scott stood just outside the resting cabin, holding a bowl of hot

    chicken soup.

    "Yeah."

    "Fiy made it a little while ago. It''s already past 7:00 pm. You''ve probably worked up an appetite," he said, handing her the bowl.

    "We didn''t bring much food on the starship, so it''s a bit basic. Sorry about that," Scott added with a hint of guilt.

    They usually eat nutrient packs on the Interster Starship. Nutrient packs were efficient, filling, easy to store, and decent for replenishing mind essence.

    "This chicken soup is great!" Analise smiled, taking the bowl into the resting cabin and digging in eagerly.

    Her period always made her extra sleepy, and she tended to sleep longer than usual. She hadn''t had lunch earlier, so the hunger hit hard.

    Back in the human world, Analise had to cook for herself. Now, she woke up to someone handing her a warm bowl of food, so this chicken soup wasn''t basic at all.

    "Feeling any better? Still nauseous from the flight?" Scott asked once she''d finished eating.

    "If you''re still ufortable, I brought some rity tonic," he said, setting a vial of it down on the small table inside the cabin.

    "I''m a lot better now. Where''s Fiy?" Analise raised her brow.

    Knowing Fiy''s usual clingy behavior, it was strange he hadn''t shown up yet.

    "He''s piloting the starship," Scott answered as if he''d been expecting that question.

    "Flying at night can be risky. Fiy and I take turns monitoring the systems and crew status. If anything goes wrong, we can jump in and fly it ourselves," Scott continued.

    "You seem upset," Analise suddenly said.

    Scott blinked. "What makes you say that?"

    "Just a feeling," she murmured, propping her chin in her hand.

    "A few days from now is the

    anniversary of my mother''s death softly. The war death

    Scott said

    his

    slowly slipped t

    The cabin lights cast soft shadows across his face. Hisshes flickered with every blink.

    Right now, Scott looked heartbreakingly fragile.

    "She must''ve been a kind, gentle person," Analise said, sitting up straighter and meeting his eyes.

    "She was. But sometimes, being too kind isn''t always a good thing." His hands curled into fists.

    Analise noticed the motion but didn''t pry.

    Grief was personal. If the grieving weren''t ready to open up, pushing would only make them hurt more.

    "If you ever feel like talking, I''m here," she said gently.

    "Can I hold you for a bit?" Scott asked quietly. "Like how Fiy does. Maybe you could pet my head, too?"

    He kept his head down, and his voice was barely a whisper. He was afraid he would be rejected again.

    He''d seen advice under his

    anonymous post on Cosmoseek.

    Onement told him to be brave

    Rejection from a female wasn''t

    shameful. Thatmenter even said to fix any misunderstandings before they lost someone they cared about.

    "Of course you can."

    Analise stepped forward, wrapped

    gently pulled his head

    her arms around his and

    pulled his head against her

    chest.

    "The dead don''te back, Scott," she whispered. "Don''t let yourself get trapped

    in the past."

 Chapter 35

    Analise reached up and gently pinched one of Scott''s therian ears. They were warm-different from Fiy''s, but still soft and familiar. Fiy''s ears were sharp and pointed. Scott''s, on the other hand, were more rounded.

    "Why did you reject me the first time?" Scott''s voice was tight, uncertain.

    This should''ve been a happy moment, but remembering how Analise rejected him made him feel strangely upset.

    He was clearly better than Fiy and his brother. He felt like he was reliving the same incident again. Scott couldn''t help but feel anxious.

    And yet, the warmth of Analise''s arms and the soft heat of her hand on his ear made him wonder if this moment wasn''t quite the same, after all.

    Analise nced down just in time to meet Scott''s gaze as he tilted his head upward. His eyes were filled with helplessness.

    It was the first time she had seen Scott like this. He had alwayse across as calm,posed, polite, and rational. But right now, he looked so fragile.

    "Humans aren''t allowed to have multiple partners. Even if the women in this world were allowed multiple mates, it still takes bnce. And back then..."

    Analise trailed off as she stared at Scott''s good-looking features. She just blurted out the words before she could stop herself.

    Realizing what she''d just said, she quickly turned her gaze away and refocused on softly massaging his ear.

    Scott got the message but still pushed gently. "Back then what?"

    She smiled and said, "Vera was right. I showed up out of nowhere. You must''ve had your doubts about me."

    "I did," Scott admitted, nuzzling his head deeper into her arms. "But from the first time I saw you, I wanted to protect you."

    "The day Fiy first mentioned you your first day in Stormw Alliance-I was suspicious. I thought maybe another alliance had left you in the forest on purpose.

    "The Apex Tournament wasing up. So, I suspected maybe you were nted to slow down Fiy or someone else in the alliance. It wouldn''t be the first time a female was used to distract strong males, to stop them frompeting."

    Scott honestly told her everything andughed bitterly. "But the moment I saw you, my heart jumped crazily. All I could think was, I want to be your guardian. I want to be with you.

    "Even after I became your guardian, I still questioned things. You''re powerful. You have real mind essence. Why would any alliance just let someone like you go?

    "But I wanted to get to know you and get closer to you. My heart was so confused.

    "I began to read the books you read. The thought that you were from outside the Interster therian world filled me with excitement."

    Scott gently took her hand, the one she was using to tug at his ear, and looked up at her.

    "Ana, I want to be your mate, too," he said quietly.

    "I''ve been thinking about the books you read in Stormw Alliance''s library, the way you appeared out of nowhere, your mind essence. All of it proves that you''re not from here.

    "And honestly, Fiy''s probably the only one clueless enough to just ept you as some ordinary pure-human female with mind essence."

    Scott locked eyes with her, his gaze steady and sincere. "Ana, I''ll protect you with Fiy. I don''t care where you came from. I just want to stand beside you. Like him. As your mate."

    Analise''s heart skipped a beat when Scott said he knew she wasn''t from this world. She knew that Scott wouldn''t be easy to fool.

    "You haven''t told anyone else, have you?" she asked cautiously.

    Fiy had told her that information shared between Interster Alliance could easily spread.

    "Just Fiy. No one else," Scott said with a shake of his head.

    "Ana, I think our enemy mighte from the same ce you do. Interster Alliance is split, with some factions siding with the Vexoths. We can only tell people wepletely trust about this.

    "The Vexoths have been getting bolder and more aggressive. They''ve already started making robots that look like pure human females. Things are only going to escte from here.

    "I''m almost at SS-grade now, and

    maybe I''ll hit SSS-grade soon. But even then, I can''t protect you alone Fiy''s still a ways off from reaching S-grade. That''s why I''ve been thinking that we need more trustworthy people around you. People strong enough to keep you safe," Scott continued.

 Chapter 36

    I''m technically the first pure-human female in this world to possess mind essence. And with equal mind essence levels, I can soothe better than any female therian.

    "That alone is enough to make people want to protect me and other female pure humans. So, there''s no need to disclose to them that I''m not from this world," Analise said.

    She could see Scott still had some lingering fear.

    If Scott hadn''t been drawn to her at first sight, she probably would''ve ended up in some underground holding cell by now.

    Even if they hadn''t tortured her, they might''ve still tried to turn her into some living tool to purify Vexoth venom.

    At the end of the day, even therians were still partly human, and humans were the hardest to predict.

    Scott frowned, thoughtful, then slowly nodded. "You''re right. I was overthinking it. You haven''t answered my question. Can I be your mate, too?"

    The room fell into a brief silence.

    "It depends on your performance," Analise replied with a teasing smile, leaning in close.

    Her warm breath brushed against his ear, and Scott gave a slight shiver.

    "Alright," he murmured. "I''ll make sure I''ll excel."

    Analise just grinned and said nothing more, slipping out of the rest pod in search of Fiy.

    Scott watched her walk away, feeling warm on the inside. He would try his best to let Analise see his worth and ept him wholeheartedly.

    A momentter, he followed her out.

    Since they were helping Karl reim power, Scott had brought a squad of trusted male fighters with him. With nothing else to do, Analise passed the time chatting with them.

    The first two days, Analise was filled with excitement as she stared into interster space. For the first time, she felt like a true astronaut. But even space got boring after a while, as it was just an endless piece of darkness.

    During the day, sunlight filtered in just enough to illuminate the dark vacuum of space, revealing a few gxies. But at night, nothing but the faintest shimmer of starlight remained.

    After five long days drifting through interster space, Analise finally arrived at Ironhorn Alliance.

    Once theynded, Jay led Analise

    and the others into the main cityet

    They weaved through a few tight alleys before entering what looked like an ordinary home.

    Jay guided them into the basement. Then, he turned a specific decorative item on

    the shelf, and a hidden stone door slowly creaked open.

    It was a secret tunnel. They walked through the dark, narrow passage for over ten minutes before Analise finally saw a glimpse of light.

    She was silently grateful she didn''t have ustrophobia. If she had, there was no way she could''ve made it through that pitch-ck tunnel.

    "This is Lord Hansen''s estate, right?" she asked, ncing around. They were clearly at a much higher ce than where they''d started.

    "Yeah. I had to sneak out to find you, so this was the only way in," Jay said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepishugh.

    They passed through a few more quiet, deserted paths before stopping at a guarded door.

    "Mr. Arnold," the two therians on watch immediately stepped aside. They also stared at Analise in shock.

    As Analise entered the room, she saw a massive steel cage inside.

    Inside the cage was a dark brown bull. His fong horns were jammed through the bars as he struggled against the metal. His bloodshot eyes were wild with rage.

    "This is our city''s young lord, Karl," Jay introduced the bull to Analise with worry etched across his face.

    "He''s quieter than I expected." Analise was quite surprised.

    When Fiy or Derek went berserk, they were roaring and wing around.

    "He''s inbat mode right now. He doesn''t roar. Bulls only roar before charging

    or when signaling danger to others," Jay exined.

    "Really?" Analise blinked. "I figured you''d be roaring during the fight."

    "I mean, some people definitely scream when they go wild chasing me through

    the woods," she added, shooting a sharp look at Fiy.

    Fiy couldn''t help but tremble. He recalled that day in the forest. If

    Analise hadn''t awakened her mind essence at that moment, she

    .n

    would''ve died. He would probably be

    rotting in an Interster Prison for killing a female.

 Chapter 37

    Injuring or killing a female while in a berserk state wouldn''t result in a death sentence, but it would mean spending the rest of your life locked up in Interster Prison.

    "Ana, are you mad at me?" Fiy asked softly, tugging on the sleeve of her shirt like a needy puppy. And just like that, the clingy, wolf side of him came out in full force.

    "No, I''m not," Analise replied, shaking her head. "Just remembered something. That''s all."

    A loud ng echoed through the room as Karl mmed his horns into the bars of the cage again. His eyes were even redder than before, and he was now violently ramming the metal with his head.

    "It''s probably time to administer another sedative and suppressant," Jay said, ncing at Analise.

    "We bulls need higher doses than most therians because of our size. But even then, sedatives and suppressants aren''t ideal, so we always use them sparingly. "Karl''s willpower is unusually strong, so we don''t need to use much more than we would for others."

    Analise looked at Karl''s horn, stuck awkwardly between the cage bars. It almost seemed like he was trying to pull it free. She stepped forward and ced her hand gently on the horn.

    Jay opened his mouth, like he wanted to stop her, but hesitated. Scott and Fiy froze, too, clearly unsure what to do.

    The moment Analise made contact, dark energy began to rise from Karl''s body and flowed straight into her chest. She was the only one who could see the dark energy.

    From the outside, it just looked like she was holding onto his horn.

    "You guys look like you want to say something," Analise said, noticing the shift in their expressions.

    "It''s nothing." Jay wanted to say something but quickly shook his head when he saw Scott''s warning look.

    As the Vexoth venom slowly left Karl''s system, his eyes cleared, and he slowly turned back into his therian form.

    Karl''s ears turned red, and his horns burnt up when he noticed the strange, beautiful woman holding onto his horns.

    "Huh?" Analise blinked, feeling the temperature shift. She looked up at him, confused.

    Karl was still avoiding her gaze, but since he was so much taller, she got a good look at his face when she tilted her head back. He had round eyes, a slightly fuller lower lip, and overall pretty decent features. There was a small scar near his right ear-about the length of her pinky finger.

    "Thank you for calming me down," Karl stammered, his horns burning hotter by the second.

    "No problem. Your father paid 30,000 Astral Ambers for it," Analise said bluntly.

    Analise had to continue the

    purification process, so she couldn''t

    let go

    o even if the horns were

    yel

    burning. Instead, she adjusted her hand slightly.

    She thought his horn felt warm due to her grip and the purification of the Vexoth Venom.

    "Umm... Please don''t move your hand," Karl said, his voice barely more than a whisper as he quickly turned his head away and bit his lip.

    Analise was dumbfounded. Now she knew why the others had looked like they wanted to say something but didn''t.

    She nced over at Scott, Fiy, and Jay. All of them were studiously pretending to be focused on

    anything but what was happening. Sighing inwardly, she refocused on

    purifying thest of the Vexoth Venom.

    When the process was finallyplete, Analise let go of the horn.

    But suddenly, everything went ck, and she copsed.

    "Ana!"

    "Ms. Chambers!"

    "Hey!"

    Three voices shouted at once.

    Fiy caught her before she hit the ground. Scott immediately pulled Astral Ambers and nutrient packs from his pocket drive.

    He crushed a few of the Ambers in front of her, letting the pure, glowing energy rush into her body. Then, he toreopen a nutrient pack and gently began feeding it to her, drip by drip.

    Karl stayed close to the cage bars, his expression tense as he watched her.

    He could feel his body healing, all thanks to Analise. But he would never forgive

    himself if something happened to her because of this.

    The bitter, metallic taste of the nutrient fluid hit Analise''s tongue. Her face scrunched up, and her eyes fluttered open.

    "I can drink it myself. You''re torturing me like this!"

    She took the pack from Scott, pinched her nose, and chugged it all in one go.

 Chapter 38

    Analise blinked. Her vision was finally starting to clear.

    Nutrient packs might taste terrible, but there was no denying they worked. The effects were already kicking in. She figured the ckout had been caused by abination of her period just ending and the sudden strain of purifying so much venom at once.

    She hadn''t felt a thing during that minute or so of unconsciousness-until the awful bitterness of the nutrient pack hit her tongue and pulled her back to the surface.

    "Are there any avable rooms? Fiy can stay with Ana while she rests," Scott said, ncing at Jay, then toward Karl. "I''ll speak with the Young Lord and Lord Hansen about the Ironhorn Alliance matters."

    "Yes. Major Knight, please carry Ms. Chambers, and I''ll show you the way," Jay responded quickly and headed out to lead the way.

    Analise was too exhausted to respond. Shey down and quickly fell asleep.

    By the time she woke, Scott had already wrapped up the meeting with Karl and Wayne Hansen.

    "Ms. Chambers, Major Knight, Lord Hansen invites you to dine with us in the Hall of Warriors," Jay informed them after a knock on the door.

    Analise and Fiy followed Jay to the grand hall. By the time they arrived, Scott and the others were already seated.

    Because of her status as a female, and more importantly, as the one who had saved Karl, she was given a seat of honor at Wayne''s right side. Karl sat on Wayne''s left. Scott and Fiy took seats beside her.

    "So, you''re Ms. Chambers?" Wayne asked with a friendly smile.

    "Yes. Good evening, Lord Hansen," Analise said politely, offering a polite smile. Back in the human era, Analise''s job required a lot of rtionship building, so she always smiled out of habit whenever someone greeted her.

    "Ms. Chambers, you''re so kind and thoughtful. My son is lucky to have caught your eye." Wayne looked at Analise with satisfaction. He felt relieved for Karl.

    By now, everyone in Interster Alliance knew Analise was the first pure-human female discovered to possess mind essence-and not only that, her calming ability was stronger than most therian females.

    It was clear, she would attract attention. Just like females were drawn to powerful males with strong mind essence, males also admired strength in their partners-especially when it came to calming abilities.

    At the moment, Analise was probably the most sought-after female in the entire system.

    Wayne seemed convinced that Karl was lucky to be chosen by her. But Analise was still trying to figure out when exactly that had happened.

    Analise noticed Karl''s reddened ears, and he kept sneaking nces at her. She wondered if it was because she held Karl''s horns during the purification process.

    In the Interster therian world, it

    was normal for females to make the

    first move in rtionships. That would exin why Jay, Scott, and Fiy had looked like they were holding something back earlier. They probably weren''t sure if she had already chosen Karl without realizing it herself.

    "Karl is a strong fighter, but he''s always been a bit too kindhearted. This Vexoth Venom attack might finally teach him to be more careful," Wayne said, casting Karl a knowing nce.

    vel

    "Dad, Ms. Chambers came straight here to help me. She hasn''t eaten yet. Maybe we should give her a break from all the talking," Karl nced at Analise and said, stopping Wayne from taking the conversation further.

    "You''re right. I''m just getting carried away." Wayne gave her an apologetic smile. "You must be hungry. Jay, bring in the food."

    "Yes, my lord," Jay said before stepping outside to alert the staff.

    "I hope you find the dishes to your liking, Ms. Chambers. Admiral Hopkins mentioned a few meals you enjoy-pure-human recipes. This is the kitchen''s first

    time making them, but I hope they turned out well."

    Wayne ordered the staff to serve Analise the dishes.

    She looked over the dishes and immediately recognized them as the ones Fiy had cooked for her just a few days ago.

 Chapter 39

    Scott probably noticed that Analise had finished everything on her te earlier, which made him think she liked the dishes, so he must''ve asked the kitchen to prepare them again. In his own way, Scott was definitely making an effort.

    Unlike Fiy''s bold and obvious attempts to impress her, Scott''s style was subtle.

    Analise had started noticing it back on the starship. Scott would always set out clothes for her in advance, make sure her toiletries were ready when she woke up, clean up the rest pod''s trash without a word, and quietly refill her water without being asked.

    "Well, well. You''re busy entertaining guests today?" A male slightly younger than Wayne walked in.

    Wayne''s expression immediately shifted. His eyes darkened as he looked at the neer with a questioning look.

    Karl didn''t look too pleased, either. He dropped his gaze, clearly lost in thought.

    At first, the male''s attention waspletely focused on Analise-stunned by the presence of a striking, unfamiliar female. He didn''t even notice Karl sitting nearby. But when his eyes finally swept across the room andnded on Karl''s familiar face, he froze before recovering and putting on aposed expression.

    "You''re back, too, Karl. I never knew you had so many friends," the male said, his voiceced with sarcasm.

    Since Scott and Fiy weren''t wearing their usual uniforms on this trip, the neer hadn''t recognized them right away.

    Scott stayed silent, deliberately. He didn''t want to reveal anything too early. Instead, he calmly started cing food on Analise''s te.

    While Fiy was usually easygoing, he was particrlypetitive. So, when he noticed Scott trying to win over Analise''s attention, he quickly felt the need to fight for her. He quickly started adding food to Analise''s te, too, refusing to be outdone.

    Wayne, watching the scene unfold, turned to Karl and waited for him to respond.

    But Karl wasn''t paying attention to the meal. His eyes were fixed on the man at the door.

    "If you don''t have anything urgent to say,e backter," Wayne said coolly. "Karl''s friends are visiting, and I''d rather not make Ironhorn Alliance look rude."

    His tone was t and formal, a far cry from the warmth he''d shown Analise earlier. The male at the door looked at Karl again, then at Analise. His lips pressed into a tight line, and he gave a coldugh before walking out of the hall.

    As he left, he nced over his shoulder, frowning at Analise inside the hall. Something about her felt familiar. Had he seen her somewhere before?

    And more importantly, how was Karl still alive? Wasn''t he supposed to be dead? Did these so-called "friends" rescue him?

    "Thankfully, he hasn''t recognized any of you," Wayne said with a sigh of relief. "But Ms. Chamber''s reputation has already spread across Interster Alliance. He''ll figure it out soon."

    "Don''t worry, Lord Hansen. After dinner, we''ll set a diversion," Scott said calmly, back to his usual gentle tone.

    "Fiy will lead a group out, making

    it look like we''ve left Ironhorn

    Alliance. I''m an SS-grade mind

    essence strength wielder, and Ana is currently the most talked-about female in the system. He''ll assume

    we''ve already left.

    "When you hand over the remaining 20,000 Astral Ambers, make it very public. Let him think we just happened to rescue Karl. If your assumptions about him are right, then the moment he confirms we''ve

    left, he''ll try to make another move on Karl," Scott analyzed the situation.

    "We''re leaving? But I thought-" Fiy started to speak but was immediately

    silenced by a single look from Scott.

    Clearly, another mission was already in motion.

    He quietly returned to eating, asionally cing more food on Analise''s te. He didn''t understand most of what Scott and Wayne were discussing, but he didn''t need to. His job was to follow Scott''s orders when the time came.

    "Who was that just now?" Analise had noticed the shift in Karl''s expression.

    The normally shy Karl had gonepletely still and alert the moment that other male walked in.

 Chapter 40

    "That was my younger brother, Sawyer Hansen. He''s also Karl''s uncle, and the one who''s been trying to kill him," Wayne said, his gazeplicated.

    "His actual uncle? And he''s trying to kill his own nephew?" Analise asked, clearly surprised. "Is it because of the lordship position?"

    "More or less," Wayne replied after a pause. "Sawyer used to be a lot like Karl when he was younger-kind, brave, and a little shy around females. In that way, they were actually pretty simr."

    Wayne gave a small smile, but it quickly faded into something more serious.

    "But that all changed when he met his mate. Sawyer''s mate was also a pure- human female. They had a peaceful, happy life together-until one day, the Vexothsunched a massive assault on the cities.

    "The attack hit every alliance. Several pure-human females were captured by them. Sawyer''s mate was one of them."

    Wayne paused and nced at everyone around the table.

    Analise made the connection instantly. That must have been the same siege where Scott had rescued Vera. Scott remembered it was one of the bloodiest battles they''d faced.

    "After that, Sawyer changed. He became angry and unstable. All he wanted was to find the Vexoths and get her back. But their base is incredibly well-hidden. To this day, no alliance has ever sessfully located it.

    "Eventually, I don''t know how, but Sawyer came into contact with people from Colossus Alliance. He even brought back a female who looked strikingly simr to his mate.

    "And from that moment on, he kept pushing me to form an alliance with Colossus Alliance. But Colossus Alliance has been deeply tied to The Reimers for a long time.

    "Everyone in Interster Alliance knows that. So, I refused," Wayne continued, but the moment he mentioned that Sawyer had brought back a pure-human female, both Analise and Scott exchanged a nce.

    Fiy, meanwhile, was still busy eating.

    "Lord Hansen, have you heard about what happened with Ethereal Fang Alliance? And do you know where that female Sawyer brought back is now?" Analise asked.

    "She disappeared."

    Wayne''s expression turned grim. "The moment Sawyer came back with her, I felt like something was wrong. I just couldn''t put my finger on it.

    "A few days ago, after we heard what happened with Ethereal Fang Alliance, I decided to send troops to track her down. But by the time they arrived, she was already gone.

    "Sawyer was convinced we took her. No matter how we tried to exin, he wouldn''t believe it. He even tried to use Karl''s life as leverage against me."

    Tears welled up in Wayne''s eyes as he spoke, "If I hadn''t sensed something was off and sent Jay to check on them, my son might not be alive today.

    "Thank the stars, Karl''s mind is strong. He held on long enough to make it back. And now, his own uncle would rather trust some mysterious female and The

    Reimer than believe in hiel

    blood."

    own

    "That female was probably one of the five robots created by the Vexoths," Analise

    said, ncing at Scott and Wayne.

    "But I wonder... Has she calmed anyone in Ironhorn Alliance?" she added, frowning.

    "Probably not," Wayne answered. "If she had, she''d be as famous as you by now."

    He quickly caught himself and gave a sheepish smile. "I mean... what I meant was-"

    "You don''t have to exin, Lord

    Hansen. fm not offended. If I hadn''t happened to yield mind essence, who knows how long those

    synthetic imposters would have kept hiding in in sight in the alliances?

    "Honestly, I think helping to uncover them is a huge win. I''m proud of that and not ashamed."

    Analise thought Wayne was quite charming when he panicked to exin himself. "Lord Hansen, how old are you now?"

    Back when she''d been reading in Stormw Alliance''s library, she''d learned that once beastial DNA was activated, a person''s lifespan stretched far beyond that of humans.

    Normal humans rarely lived past 80 or 90 years old. A few rare cases reached a hundred years old.

    But therians were different. The average lifespan of a therian was about 300 years

    old based on recorded data from thest 500 years.

    The longest-living therian on record had reached 368 years old, holding the current record for the oldest living therian in history.

 Chapter 41

    Analise guessed Wayne had to be at least 270 years old by now.

    "I just turned 300 this year," Wayne said with a grin.

    "But your brother looks really young," Analise said, surprised.

    Even though she had read about this in the Therian Reproductive Studies book, it still caught her off guard.

    The book exined that therians aged simrly to humans for the first 30 years. But between the ages of 30 and 230, their appearance barely changed as they remained in their prime.

    After 240 years old, their aging would begin again, slowly mirroring how humans looked past 30 years old. Their control over mind essence would also start to decline.

    "Sawyer and I share the same parents, but he was born more than 50 years after me. So of course he looks a lot younger," Wayne exined.

    Analise had just recently turned of age and didn''t yet bear any markings or have children. So, he figured she probably hadn''t been taught much about the deeper biology of their kind since she was unmated. That wasmon for unmated females.

    "I see." Analise nodded.

    That reproduction manual had been way too detailed when it came to the structure and physiology of therians. She had mostly skimmed through, but she did remember the lifespan breakdown.

    She figured female therians probably had long reproductive lifespans, too.

    "Ms. Chambers, what do you think¡ªany chance my son might end up being your first mate?" Wayne asked with a heartyugh. His tone was yful, but there was still a hint of hope as he tried to vouch for the shy Karl.

    Even if deep down, he knew Karl likely wouldn''t be Analise''s first.

    Wayne knew Karl wasn''t usually so shy around other females, only toward the ones he liked.

    "Dad, why would you say that to Ms. Chambers?" Karl muttered, sneaking a nce at Analise as his cheeks turned red-hot.

    Fiy had stopped eating by then. He watched Karl quietly for a second, his brows furrowed, then opened his interface and messaged a trusted friend.

    Fiy: "Dude, do you think quiet, pretty-boy types are popr with females?"

    Smarty: "Of course they are. You got newpetition?"

    Fiy: "Yeah, but he stutters and acts all nervous around females."

    Smarty: "Oh? He''s a threat?"

    Fiy: "What does that mean?"

    Smarty: "You wouldn''t get it. You''re in trouble. I''ll check him outter. Or better yet, secretly record a video of him with the female. I''ll analyze it for you."

    Fiy: "I can''t do it right now."

    Smarty: "Fine. We''ll talkter. It''s spring now. I''m busy making babies with my

    mate. Don''t bother me for the next three to five days. Bye."

    Fiy was speechless. Babies? He nced at Analise and immediately started daydreaming about what their baby would look like. Would the kid take after her more or him?

    While Fiy was grinning foolishly at Analise, Scott pped the back of his head. "What are you grinning about? We''re talking about serious business here. Listen up!"

    Scott didn''t like Fiy''s smile or his gaze toward Analise. He knew Fiy had to be up to no good.

    Knowing Fiy''s straightforward personality, Scott had a horrible thought. Even though his heat cycle had ended, Fiy might still walk right up to Analise and just ask if she wanted to mate.

    He recalled the day Fiy came out of the shower half-dressed, clearly trying to show off his body, and Analise even watched him with admiration. Just the memory made Scott feel sour.

    "Alright. Now that we''ve all eaten, let''s get moving with the n." Wayne smiled and looked at the ones gathered around the table, thinking it was good to be young.

 Chapter 42

    In the city center of Ironhorn Alliance, Jay drove a small transport vehicle loaded

    with Astral Ambers through the city toward its highest point.

    "Are they distributing rewards or something? That looks like a ton of Astral Ambers."

    "More than 10,000, at least."

    "Really? Didn''t they just hand some out a few days ago?"

    "You didn''t hear? The young lord got into trouble while he was out, and someone saved him. These Astral Ambers are part of the reward."

    "Rumor says there are 30,000 in total. Ironhorn Alliance is really generous."

    "Of course. Saving the young lord is definitely worth that much."

    "Word is, he was ambushed on a mission..."

    The streets buzzed with gossip as therians traded bits and pieces of the story.

    At one street corner, a male crept silently off to the side, listening intently to the chatter about Karl''s rescue. After a few minutes, he heard nothing useful and quietly slipped away.

    "Lord Hansen, the word''s out. One of Lieutenant Hansen''s men was seen snooping around," Jay said, activating his interface and calling Wayne through voicemand.

    "Understood. Ms. Chambers and the others have already left. Once you''ve delivered the Astral Ambers, take the hidden passage and meet up with the rest of the team. Keep a close watch on Sawyer''s men. Be careful and make sure Ms. Chambers is kept safe," Wayne ordered coldly.

    "Even if he''s my brother, I won''t tolerate him threatening my son''s life! How dare he try to kill my son?"

    "Yes, Lord Hansen."

    After ending the call, Wayne stood at the window, looking out over the bustling city below, worry etched across his face.

    "When did Sawy change so much?" he murmured.

    Analise was about to step on the starship docked at Ironhorn Alliance starship

    station when she heard a male calling out to her.

    "Ms. Chambers, wait!"

    "Do I know you?" Analise turned around.

    Scott and Fiy paused as well, watching him closely.

    "No, you don''t the man said with a sycophantic smile. "But in today''s Interster Alliance, who doesn''t know Ms. Chambers? I had the honor of watching your live stream when you calmed an SS- male."

    s?novi

    "So, what do you want?" Analise asked coolly.

    "Our lieutenant would like to meet with you," the man said quickly. "He also invited

    Admiral Hopkins and Major Knight to join."

    Analise raised an eyebrow. "Your lieutenant?"

    "Yes, Lieutenant Sawyer Hansen, Lord Hansen''s younger brother," the man replied politely.

    Analise nced at Scott and Fiy. Then, she nodded. "Alright. I''ll meet him."

    The three of them followed the man to the starship station''s VIP room, where Sawyer was already waiting.

    "I thought Ms. Chambers and Admiral Hopkins would turn down my invite," Sawyer said with a smile as they entered.

    "You''re the gentleman who walked into Hall of Warriors earlier, aren''t you?"

    Analise shot back with a polite smile of her own.

    "Yes," Sawyer nodded. "I assume my brother has mentioned me. I wonder how he described me to you."

    "Kind, brave, and a little shy," Analise replied

    Sawyer blinked. "He really said that?"

    "Sure. He also said you nearly got Karl killed," Analise added, her

    lips

    curling slightly as if discuss

    cus entirely trivial.

    something entirely trivial.

    "You don''t care?" Sawyer looked at her, his eyes scanning her expression for any reaction.

    "Care about what?" Analise asked tly.

    "Never mind," Sawyer muttered, shaking his head.

    "They refused to hear my exnations and kidnapped my mate. They even lied about it. I asked the neighbors around. They were the only ones that visited my home that day. When I left, she was resting at home. And... And my mate''s pregnant."

 Chapter 43

    Sawyer nced at Analise and then shifted his gaze elsewhere.

    "What?"

    Fiy reacted instantly, like an NPC triggered by a keyword or specific action.

    A few days ago, he had just gone through his heat cycle. Earlier, a friend had also told him not to disturb them for the next few days, iming they were focusing on having a child with their mate. Since then, Fiy''s mind kept drifting toward children.

    More than anything, he couldn''t help but imagine what it would be like if he and Analise had children of their own.

    Sawyer flinched at Fiy''s sudden reaction. Analise and Scott were also startled. Analise turned to look at Fiy. "Why are you so surprised?"

    "Didn''t he just say his mate was pregnant? And Lord Hansen still took her? Isn''t that a vition of Interster Law?"

    Fiy blinked, and his slow-witted mind was filled with confusion.

    Analise was speechless.

    She realized just how easy Fiy was to fool. Without Scott, he would probably have been manipted by others countless times.

    But then, Analise lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment. If she hadn''t noticed Sawyer''s evasive gaze and the subtle movement of his fingers earlier, she might have been just as shocked as Fiy.

    Wayne had described Sawyer as kind, brave, and somewhat shy. Yet, that didn''t seem urate.

    Analise felt that Sawyer wasn''t as Wayne had described. Instead, she sensed a hint of scheming in him.

    Since there waspetition among males, it was only natural for them to be calcting. In fact, it was always the men who were more scheming.

    In the human era, there were many men who manipted and deceived women. Some even admitted on social tforms that they would pretend to love a woman, but only until she reached mid-pregnancy.

    That was why so many women felt their partners no longer loved them after giving birth. They often assumed it was because their bodies had changed, but that wasn''t the real reason.

    These men knew exactly what they wanted from the start. Maybe they had loved once, but they loved themselves more. Women, on the other hand, always put themselvesst.

    If Wayne had been as

    simple-minded as Fiy, it would''ve been easy for Sawyer to deceive him. But from today''s interaction, Wayne was definitely more O perceptive than Fiy.

    This led Analise to an even bolder theory.

    Perhaps, in the beginning, Sawyer had truly been as kind and brave as Wayne had described. But deep down, he was ambitious.

    The Vexoth''s attack had been too much of a coincidence. Every alliance''s city had been attacked, and in those with pure-human poptions, pure-humans had been taken.

    Analise recalled Fiy''s opinion of pure-humans when they first met in the forest.

    The thought lingered in her mind that there might be a spy in every alliance. Pure-human females held a higher status than males, but among other females, they were still at a disadvantage.

    If some of them believed in the

    ve

    words of the Reimers, they might have been sent to turn the alliance''s males against their own. An ambitious man like Sawyer would be the perfect choice for such ¨¤ n.

    "What do you think, Ms. Chamber?"

    Sawyer called out to Analise when he saw her lost in thought. He stared directly

    into her eyes as he spoke.

    "As a female, you should be able to empathize more. My mate is still missing. Maybe they realized they took the wrong person but didn''t want to be embarrassed, so they''ve hidden her somewhere."

    Perhaps afraid Analise would see through him, Sawyer finally showed a trace of

    sorrow.

    "I just hope they didn''t mistreat her. However, I have no evidence that they took her."

    "Would you like me to report it to the Interster Alliance''s security force for you?" Scott, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. His expression was calm, even carrying a hint of sympathy.

    Sawyer''s lips twitched in a faint smile at the sight.

    "You''re right. We should definitely report this to the security force!" Fiy added angrily. "I never thought Lord Hansen would do something like this..."

    "I think-"

    Before Analise could finish speaking, her body suddenly swayed, copsing against Fiy.

 Chapter 44

    "Ana, what''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"

    Fiy immediately pulled Analise into his arms and dropped the conversation they had been having. His face was filled with worry.

    "Fiy... I feel a little dizzy. I want to rest for a bit."

    Analise replied in a deliberately weak voice.

    "Lieutenant Hansen, about what you just mentioned, I''ll inform the security force for you. Our female isn''t feeling well, so we''ll be leaving now."

    Scott, who was usuallyposed, spoke faster than before. A trace of concern flickered across his face.

    "Alright... Yes, of course."

    Sawyer hadn''t expected Analise''s sudden difort, and now he could only nod repeatedly.

    Analise was highly valuable to everyone at the moment.

    If something happened to her while she was here, it wouldn''t just be the Stormw Allianceing after him-other alliances would too. Especially those lunatics from Shadowhawk Alliance. They were notorious for stirring up trouble. After all, she was the first discovered pure-human female with mind essence.

    A smile crept onto Sawyer''s lips as a new idea formed in his mind.

    Once Scott and the others were out of sight, Sawyer immediately called over a male and whispered in his ear. "You,e here. Find a way to notify Nelson Carter from Shadowhawk Alliance and tell him..."

    The male hesitated.

    "Just do it! And be quick about it."

    Sawyer''s expression darkened at his hesitation.

    As soon as they boarded the starship, Fiy was about to carry Analise to the resting cabin, but she stopped him.

    "Put me down, I''m fine," Analise said.

    Fiy wasn''t convinced. "Fine? Are you sure?"

    "Yes, really."

    Analise shot him a re. "Your being carefree is one thing, but it''s not always a good thing. You almost fell for Sawyer''s trick."

    "Tricked by Sawyer?"

    Fiy scratched his head. "But he''s in such a bad situation. His mate is pregnant and got taken away. I don''t think he''d lie. He just wants help."

    "The security force allows anonymous reports. That means if Sawyer had any suspicions about his brother but didn''t want to make a scene, he could''ve just reported it anonymously.

    "But he didn''t. Instead, he came to us, the ones who saved Karl, and just met Lord Hansen. Why do you think that is?" Analise asked.

    She tugged Fiy''s ear as she questioned him.

    "Because we''re the good guys."

    Fiy blurted out without thinking.

    Scott''s expression darkened. "Because you''re an idiot."

    Feeling wronged, Fiy turned to Analise for support.

    Yet, Analise nodded in agreement with Scott without hesitation. "Yeah, you''re kind of dumb."

    Scott voiced his assumptions. "Sawyer is probably working with the Reimers. That ''female'' he mentioned might never have been his mate in the first ce."

    "Lord Hansen probably realized something was off, which is why he sent Jay to follow Karl. Otherwise, Karl would''ve been dead by now."

    "But he said his mate was pregnant..."

    Fiy was still stuck on that point.

    "That was a lie. He wanted to trick us into calling the security force. I''m guessing there are already therians in this city who have been calmed by that robot female."

    f.n

    "If Sawyer doesn''t get rid of Karl, he can''t rightfully im the lordship or gain real power over the Ironhorn Alliance. But what if the security force runs into berserk therians from the fronhorn Alliance? And what if that robot female is still inside the Lordship Estate?"

    Scott nced at Fiy before breaking down the situation.

    "Why do you think the robot female is hiding in the Lordship Estate?"

    Analise frowned, looking at Scott in confusion.

    "Karl was in the estate. If that robot female was there too, then Sawyer shouldn''t have been so surprised when he saw Karl. If she were truly in the estate, she would''ve kept Sawyer informed.

    UT

    "That means Sawyer wouldn''t have reacted with such shock when he saw Karl, who was fully recovered But his expression was pure disbelief, like he was certain Karl was dead and never expected to see him alive."

    Before Scott could respond, Analise began analyzing the situation herself.

    "It''s exactly because the robot female was in the estate, yet she never noticed Karl was still alive, that Sawyer was so shocked," Scott said with absolute certainty.

    The situation was already tooplicated for Fiy to untangle, so he just stood quietly to the side.

    "If Sawyer tracked us all the way to the starship station, he''s definitely not going to stop now. Where are the people we prepared to impersonate us?"

 Chapter 45

    Analise nced around as the starship was about to take off.

    "They''re on the adjacent starship," Scott replied.

    He found the people Jay had arranged and followed them toward the rear of the starship.

    "Fiy, your job is to take the starship and leave. Once you''ve confirmed they''re no longer following you, you can return," Scott said.

    After quickly changing clothes, Scott and Analise prepared to follow the other crew members onto the other starship.

    Fiy nodded. "Got it. Scott, make sure to keep Analise safe."

    When carrying out a mission, he looked especially serious, which made him seem

    a little smarter than usual. But of course, it was just an illusion.

    Once everything was set, Fiy piloted the starship away from the Ironhorn Alliance.

    As Scott and Wayne had predicted, a few starships immediately tailed Fiy.

    Once he hadpletely left Ironhorn Alliance''s territory, the pursuing starships turned back. He hovered in the space surrounding Ironhorn Alliance for a while before leisurely steering the starship back.

    Elsewhere in interster space, another massive starship sped forward. Inside, most of the therians aboard were males with several tufts of feathers on their heads, and there were only a small number of other species among them.

    ...

    "Ms. Chamber, Admiral Hopkins."

    In the city center, Karl was delighted to see Analise again at Jay''s house. Even though he knew she wasn''t leaving today, he still couldn''t shake his worry.

    "How''s the situation in the city?" Scott asked.

    Meanwhile, Analise rested her chin on her hand as she studied Karl.

    She found it strange. Males with tails were supposed to have their tails as their secondary sexual characteristic, yet Karl''s was a horn instead.

    "Ms... Ms. Chamber, why are you staring at me like that?"

    Karl''s gaze darted around nervously, too shy to meet hers. Analise''s stare was so intense that he couldn''t handle it.

    "It''s nothing. Let''s get back to business."

    Analise looked away, figuring that if she kept staring, Karl would start stuttering even worse.

    "Sure."

    Karl''s expression was grim when he met Scott''s gaze. "He''s making his move." Everyone in the room knew exactly who "he" was.

    "His people are gathering in the city and slowly surrounding the Lordship Estate," Karl said seriously. "But my father and I have deployed our own forces as well. When the timees, we''ll coordinate from inside and out."

    "Jay, take the secret tunnel to the Lordship Estate and have Lord Hansen conduct

    a thorough search. We suspect the robot female never left. She''s probably still inside."

    Analise nced at Jay. Right now, he was the only one fit for the task and the only one they could trust.

    "Got it, I''m going now."

    Jay quickly opened the hidden door and left.

    Once Jay was gone, Karl continued, "My father always said Ironhorn Alliancecked unity. I used to think it was because of what happened after the Vexoth''s invasion that led to the ideological differences between my father and his brother.

    "But now I see I was too naive. My father had suspected him all along, but couldn''t bring himself to confront his own brother outright. He even gave him a chance to change.

    "Just a few days ago, he lured me out, and I nearly died at the hands of the

    Vexoths. If Jay hadn''t arrived in time..."

    Karl let out a bitter chuckle.

    Just then, a sharp notification tone rang out.

    A bad feeling surged through Karl as he immediately opened his interface to

    check.

 Chapter 46

    Karl received a text from Stanley Roman, with the username MightyMoo.

    "Young Lord, the therians from Shadowhawk Alliance suddenly appeared in our territory. I have no idea why they''re here, but they''ve already arrived at the starship station."

    Another message came in. "Also, Lieutenant Hansen met with Ms. Chamber and her group earlier. Not sure what they discussed in the VIP lounge."

    Yet another one came in. "After Ms. Chamber left, Lieutenant Hansen called in a male. No clue what they talked about, but I suspect it might be rted to the Shadowhawk Alliance."

    Karl frowned as he read the messages.

    He trusted Analisepletely. After all, she was his savior. There was no reason for her to rescue him only to turn against him.

    That left only one possibility. Sawyer must have told the Shadowhawk Alliance something.

    His gaze shifted to Analise. Maybe it was because of her.

    The therians of Shadowhawk Alliance were notorious for their madness. Rumor had it their alliance housed an exceptionally brilliant mind who was obsessed with bizarre experiments, much like the scientists of old.

    As a pure-human female with mind essence, Analise would be the perfect subject for such a lunatic.

    Karl shot to his feet. "Oh no!"

    "Admiral Hopkins, since you and Ms. Chamber haven''t changed out of these clothes, you guys need to leave immediately. The Shadowhawk Alliance is here, and I think they''re after Ms. Chamber."

    Scott''s expression turned serious. "They''ve arrived?"

    Karl nodded. "One of my men just sent word. I''ll hold them off. Without a solid reason, they won''t dare make a move against Ironhorn Alliance just yet."

    "And what about you?" Analise asked.

    She felt the situation growing moreplicated. She suspected this had all been a setup from the start.

    Analise had no one to me but herself. Her livestream was far too high-profile, and not everyone had good intentions. As a pure-human female with mind essence, she was bound to attract attention,

    "But that won''t work either. If they were really after me, then even if we run, they''ll still chase us to the Stormw Alliance."

    Analise shook her head, thinking Karl''s n wasn''t practical.

    Scott had brought a team to help Karl deal with Sawyer. By now, they should have already infiltrated the city center, lying in wait for Scott''s signal.

    Karl lowered his head and tried to figure out a solution. "Then what do we do?"

    Scott remained calm as he analyzed the situation. "We still don''t know why they''re here, and there''s no proof that Sawyer is working with them."

    "The people of Shadowhawk Alliance are arrogant, whether male or female-they all carry that same pride Sawyer holds no real power right now, so it''s unlikely they''d cooperate with him.

    "The only possibility is that he leaked some information they wanted, which is

    what brought them here," Scott continued.

    Analise''s eyes lit up as if she had figured out Sawyer''s n. "It''s a diversion, right?"

    "Since Sawyer saw Scott and Fiy, he''d suspect that they''ve made some sort of deal with Lord Hansen. Naturally, he''d try to lure them away."

    "When I pretended to faint in the VIP lounge at the starship station earlier, it must have convinced Sawyer that 1 was extremely important to Scott and Fiy. It''s possible that, just as you said, their real target is me," Analise continued.

    "Sawyer wants to use this opportunity to pressure us into leaving the Ironhorn Alliance. That way, he''d stand a better chance against you and Lord Hansen."

    Analiseid out her theory.

    "If that''s the case, why don''t we make my whereabouts public and let every therian in the Interster Alliance know that I''m here in the Ironhorn Alliance''s territory?"

 Chapter 47

    Analise suddenly came up with the idea of exposing her location.

    Scott was skeptical of the n. "Luring every alliance here?"

    "It''ll work! They''lle for sure," Analise said with confidence.

    Karl was puzzled. "Why?"

    Scott also thought Analise was being overly confident.

    Analise pulled up her interface and began typing a message on Cosmoseek.

    "Two exciting things happened today! First, my mind essence has advanced to E- grade. Maybe now I can even calm an SSS-grade male. Too bad there aren''t any males in Stormw Alliance for me to test my theory on.

    "Second, I heard that Ironhorn Alliance also has a fake pure-human female, just like Ethereal Fang Alliance. Just thinking about how I was once mistaken for one infuriates me!

    "But if anyone or any alliance can capture that fake pure-human female for me, I''ll help them to calm an SS-grade or higher male for free! And if any males from that alliance get injured during the capture, I''ll calm them too.

    "So hurry up, everyone! I heard these fake pure-human females are sly and great at running away. P.S. I''ll be arriving at Ironhorn Alliance very soon!"

    With that, she posted it on Cosmoseek.

    Within a minute, the post had been shared tens of thousands of times.

    Many had witnessed Analise''s calming ability before. With her mind essence now

    at E-grade, there was no doubt she could calm even an SSS-grade male.

    Normally, if a therian from the

    Interster Alliance wanted a female from another alliance to calm their males, they had to offer something valuable in return. Just like how Ironhorn Alliance had to offer30 thousand Astral Ambers.

    Now, all they had to do was catch that fake female, and Analise would do it for free. It was an offer too tempting to resist. Even if they. failed as long as they showed enough sincerity, she''d probably

    help them anyway.

    In fact, ever since Analise left Stormw Alliance, therians from other alliances

    had been seeking her out for help.

    bet

    Scott''s butler, Paul Thompson, reported this to him every day. And Scott

    repoould ry the information to

    her, along with details about the alliances those therians belonged to.

    "Ana... Isn''t this too risky?"

    The moment a special notification sounded, Scott immediately opened his interface. As he read the long message Analise had posted, his brows twitched. This n was feasible but dangerous. The Interster Alliance was filled with all kinds of people, and Scott''s biggest concern was Analise''s safety.

    SSS-grade was the highest rank, and currently, only three existed in the entire Interster Alliance. The chances of any of them getting injured were slim.

    Analise was different from ordinary females, so Scott couldn''t shake the worry that some might see this as an opportunity to im her as their mate.

    Karl also thought the risk was too high. "Exactly, Ms. Chamber. Won''t this just bring even more people after you?"

    "Of course! That''s exactly the point. Whoever is stronger, that''s who I''ll choose." Analise leaned backfortably, crossing her legs and swinging one footzily.

    Scott and Karl were both unsettled by her words, but there was nothing they could

    do.

    After all, this was how things worked in the Interster Alliance¡ªthe stronger you were, the more desirable you became.

 Chapter 48

    Fiy was browsing for earrings in a shop within the Ironhorn Alliance when he heard the special notification sound.

    Obviously, he was choosing them for Analise. He had heard these were thetest designs in the Ironhorn Alliance, which were highly popr among females.

    Scott had ordered Fiy to protect Analise at all times if a fight broke out. Because of this, he was staying near Jay''s house in a nearby alley.

    When Fiy overheard a salesperson rmending the earrings to other females and males, he couldn''t resist taking a look himself.

    The designs were all beautiful and mostly featured tassels, which made it difficult for him to choose. Without his strategist, Fiy had to rely purely on his own instincts.

    Yet, he was sure that if Analise saw he had bought her earrings, she would be delighted.

    After reading Analise''stest post, Fiy found himself puzzled.

    She was supposed to be helping Ironhorn Alliance, but now she had suddenly decided to help others too. And judging by her tone, the issue of the fake pure- human female truly enraged her.

    Fiy thought to himself that it was all Scott''s fault for not believing Analise earlier, but after reconsidering, he decided not to interfere. This was Analise''s choice, and she must have her reasons. His only responsibility was to ensure her safety.

    "Alright, I''ve decided. I''ll take the silver leaf design in the middle," Fiy said as he pointed at the tassel earrings on the counter.

    He tucked the small gift box into his pocket. Then, he continued wandering the streets within this particr district cheerfully with the people from Stormw Alliance, blending in like ordinary Ironhorn locals.

    ...

    "Huh? Why did she suddenly post on Cosmoseek? And she''s inviting other alliances over, even offering them free calming services!"

    Sawyer mmed his coffee cup onto the ground. Fury was written all over his face as he red at his interface. "I knew it! They were never nning to leave the Ironhorn Alliance."

    A male standing beside him asked, "Lieutenant, what do we do now? A spy from the Lordship Estate reported that Jay is leading a search party for something."

    "A search?" Sawyer''s brows furrowed. "Could that old fool have figured it out?"

    After a brief pause, his expression rxed. "Even if he did, it doesn''t matter if that thing appears in his estate and a berserk male also happens to show up, then the entire city will be thrown into panic."

    A smug smile crept onto his lips. "The lordship is destined to be mine. That old

    fool and Karl must die."

    He waved dismissively. "That''s enough. Let''s stick to the original n."

    It didn''t matter that Analise had

    called for reinforcements. From the very beginning, Sawyer''s n had been to use the Shadowhawk Alliance to keep Analise''s group upied. Now, with even more people arriving, there would simply be more witnesses.

    In the end, this was just helping him in a roundabout way.

    Females were simply raised under the constant protection of males and never considering the bigger picture.

    "Seems like Scott isn''t all that clever either," Sawyer said.

    He casually poured himself another cup of coffee before taking a sip.

    Sawyer had timed his departure perfectly.

    Now that night had fallen, it was the ideal moment to sneak into the Lordship Estate and set "her" free.

    Meanwhile, Analise was resting in a room at the Lordship Estate with Scott and Fiy.

    Leaning against the window, she peeked outside. "Are you sure Sawyer wille?"

    "He will," Scott confirmed. "Lord Hansen hasn''t found the fake

    female, which means Sawyer

    ove

    have hidden her somewhereo unusual."

    Earlier that afternoon, Wayne had contacted Scott, saying that Jay hadn''t found the fake female.

    Without hesitation, Scott and Analise had called Fiy back and sneaked into the Lordship Estate through the secret tunnel.

 Chapter 49

    Sawyer had surely figured out that Analise and the others were still in the city center, but he would never expect them to be at the Lordship Estate.

    "But even if Sawyer didn''t hide the fake female here, he''ll definitely bring her over tonight," Scott said with certainty.

    "The message you posted this afternoon has already drawn members from a few alliances here. At the very least, the ones closest to Ironhorn Alliance have sent people over.

    "In fact, this is both a problem and an opportunity for Sawyer. As long as the fake female appears in the Lordship Estate, he can stage an ''idental'' discovery of her and then provide some fabricated evidence..."

    Scott didn''t finish his sentence, but Analise already understood what he meant. Meanwhile, Fiy was grinning like an idiot at Analise''s ears.

    "If you keep standing there smiling like a fool, I''ll take off these tassel earrings," Analise threatened.

    She reached up as if she were about to remove them.

    When they had called Fiy back earlier, he pulled a small gift box from his pocket and handed it to her.

    Analise was pleasantly surprised when she opened it and found a pair of earrings. She had browsed for earrings on shopping tforms before, but none of the designs had felt quite right, so she never bought any. She hadn''t expected Fiy to buy her a pair today.

    Even though the style wasn''t exactly her taste, it was a gift from Fiy, so she put them on.

    Scott even wore a cold expression toward Fiy for a while because of it.

    "Ana, don''t take them off! I''ll stop grinning, alright?"

    Fiy shut his mouth immediately and looked out the window.

    "Listen more, watch more, learn more." Analise pinched Fiy''s ear. "What if someone tricked you when Scott and I weren''t around? You need to be more careful!"

    "Okay..."

    Fiy lowered his head and wondered if Analise was saying he was dumb.

    Well, maybe she had a point. There were plenty of times when he didn''t understand why Scott thought so much about every discussion with other therians. But every time Scott predicted something right, Fiy had to admit that he was impressive.

    "He''s here."

    Fiy''s ears twitched as he whispered.

    Therians had much sharper hearing than regr humans.

    Scott heard it too. The three of them stood quietly by the window, like hunters ready to pounce on their prey.

    Sawyer climbed over the wall and scanned his surroundings cautiously, then he hurried off in a specific direction.

    "I''ll follow him first. You protect Ana," Scott said.

    As a tiger therian, he had a natural advantage in stalking and hunting Tigers were felines, and they were built for silent movement, which was perfect for tracking someone.

    As for Fiy, he was a wolf therian, and his hearing was exceptional. Keeping

    track of Scott wouldn''t be an issue for him.

    The three of them moved in silence, trailing Sawyer one by one.

    Sawyer soon arrived at Wayne''s private courtyard. He moved arge stone in the courtyard, revealing a hidden door near a statue.

    A momentter, an attractive female stepped out and followed Sawyer.

    If Derek were here, he would recognize her instantly because she looked exactly like the robot female he had killed.

    Analise and Scott had already suspected it, but they were still taken aback by how realistic she appeared.

    "No wonder we searched every corner of the Lordship Estate and

    founding. You hid her in the

    darkroom," Wayne said as he stepped out from behind the statue.

    "You! How did you..."

    Sawyer turned around, and his eyes locked onto Wayne in shock.

 Chapter 50

    "When I couldn''t find that thing in the Lordship Estate, I started suspecting that you had hidden it in the darkroom. But the therians from Ethereal Fang Alliance said it was cursed, so I didn''t dare act recklessly. And yet, here you are, bringing her out on your own."

    Wayne walked toward Sawyer at a measured pace.

    "Sawy, I''ve never treated you unfairly. If you wanted the lordship, you could have just told me. I would''ve discussed it with Karl and even considered stepping down

    for you.

    "But you''re too ruthless and unable to tell right from wrong. Maybe before, you were deceived and didn''t realize how dangerous this thing was.

    "Now, after what happened with the Ethereal Fang Alliance, are you still going to be this stubborn? Are you really willing to risk the lives of Ironhorn Alliance''s people?" Wayne asked.

    He stopped just three feet away from Sawyer.

    Meanwhile, Analise and the others casually stepped forward as they watched the scene unfold.

    "Lieutenant Hansen, didn''t you ask for my opinion earlier?" Analise said with a smirk. "Your story is well-crafted, but your emotions are off, and you''re fidgeting too much."

    "We did help you contact the security force, but since you''ve colluded with the Vexoths, I''m afraid you''ll be spending the rest of your life in Interster Prison." Analise crossed her arms, and her gaze kept drifting toward the robot female. "You''re lying! I never colluded with the Vexoths!"

    Sawyer''s expression changed instantly.

    "They took my mate! Why would I work with them? I hate them more than anything!" he roared.

    "This robot female is all the proof we need," Analise said as she pointed at it.

    Sawyer gritted his teeth as he spoke. "This is just a fake female with Vexoth venom imnted in it! I didn''t collude with them!"

    Scott sneered. "When you made a deal with the Reimers, did they not tell you that this robot female was a new Vexoth creation designed to destroy therians?"

    "Even if you didn''t realize it before, after what happened with the Ethereal Fang Alliance, do you still not see it?" he pressed.

    "No, they wouldn''t lie to me. She looks just like her, and she wouldn''t betray me." Sawyer mumbled as his head hung low. Then, he suddenly burst intoughter. "Hahaha....... And how exactly can you prove anything? I found this thing in Wayne''s darkroom, so now I suspect he''s the one working with the Vexoths!

    "Finding this fake female in his darkroom is the best evidence. With so many

    alliance members outside, who can say for sure?"

    Wayne trembled in rage as Sawyer shamelessly tried to twist the situation. "You!"

    "I... I can... prove... it..."

    head suddenly

    They. Her mouth

    jerked

    as she forced out the

    . no

    Everyone turned to her in shock.

    In an instant, she lunged toward

    Analise Scott and Fiy

    Ely stepped forward

    shield Analise.

    "I... I... mean... no... harm... Help... me..."

    The robot female kept stammering.

    "Warning! Original consciousness detected. Initiating erasure..."

    Suddenly, the robot female''s voice smoothed out, and sheunched an attack on Scott and Fiy.

    But just as she lifted her arm, it froze in mid-air.

    "Analise... help... me... calm..."

    "Warning... Erasing..."

    "Help... me..."

    "Warning... Erasing..."

    "Calm... me..."

    Everyone remained on high alert. Even Sawyer looked stunned.

    This

    nou always functioned

    off.

    but today, something

    e even mentioned "help''s

    "calm".

    Analise examined the robot female warily.

    "She''s asking for your help," Echo suddenly said.

    Analise pondered. "I heard her, but isn''t she just a robot? How can she..."

    "No, she''s an unfinished model. She''s notpletely a robot," Echo replied.

 Chapter 51

    "Help... me... please..." the robot female said.

    "An unfinished model? What do you mean? Is she still a therian?" Analise asked.

    "You''ll know once you save her. Besides, you''re not at Level 3 yet, so the beginner''s protection is still in effect," Echo responded.

    "This robot female seems strange. You should save her first. This situation is unusual. If anything unexpected happens, I''ll use some points in advance to buy items to assist you."

    With Echo''s reassurance, Analise gathered her courage and took a step forward. She had already died once, so there was nothing left to fear.

    "Help... me..."

    As Analise approached, the robot female reached out her hand.

    Analise pressed her lips together before grasping the female''s hand. Dark energy started to spread around her, and it was denser than anything Analise had seen before.

    "Ana!"

    Scott and Fiy watched her anxiously.

    The robot female slowly closed her eyes. As the purification continued, a subtle warmth returned to her face.

    Analise had no idea how to describe it, but she no longer looked artificial.

    Before, the robot female''splexion hadn''t beenpletely pale, yet it still looked different from an ordinary female. But now, warmth bloomed beneath her skin.

    Analise couldn''t help but wonder if a robot was even supposed to look like this. The robot female''s eyshes fluttered. Her brows furrowed and rxed in turn.

    It took a while before she finally opened her eyes, and this time, they were different. Now, they held real human emotion.

    The robot female smiled faintly. "Thank you, Ms. Chamber."

    "Are you... human?" Analise asked hesitantly.

    The robot female shook her head. "Not anymore. That''s a long story. Right now, we should focus on the current situation."

    She turned to Sawyer. "I can prove your collusion with the Vexoths, and I can also prove that you''re dealing with the Reimers to seize the Lordship."

    "Number 3, what''s wrong with you? Are you betraying me now?"

    Sawyer''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Have you forgotten who created you?"

    "Of course, I remember!"

    Her gaze turned ice-cold. "Forget? I will never forget those monsters. Not in this life. Not even in death!"

    Once all the dark energy had been absorbed, Analise let go of her hand.

    "Number 3! Is there something wrong with your programming?"

    Sawyer finally realized something was wrong. He hurriedly opened his interface to contact the Reimers.

    The robot female suddenly tensed up. "We can''t let him contact them!"

    "Fiy, protect Ana. I''ll stop him."

    Scott shifted into his beast form and released his mind essence as he swung a powerful strike at Sawyer.

    Sawyer reacted swiftly. He dodged back a step and shifted into a bull.

    Though Sawyer was also an SS-grade male, he was slightly weaker than Scott. Even so, he fought back with all his might.

    Scott''s mind essence couldn''t

    Besides, those males should be close to going berserk. He just had to hold out a little longer.

    With that thought, he spun around and reached for his interface to call his subordinates.

    Before he could dial, his subordinate

    called

    led him

    instead. He epted the

    call immediately and snapped, "Tell them to take action now!"

 Chapter 52

    Outside the Lordship Estate, arge group of therians stirred in unrest.

    "Move aside!"

    "Hurry and open the gates! Lieutenant Hansen said he found a fake pure-human female, possibly created by the Vexoths, inside the Lordship Estate!"

    "No wonder we haven''t been able to find her all this time! Lord Hansen is just using others to cover himself. He''s probably the one colluding with the Vexoths!"

    "What are we waiting for? Let''s capture that fake female!"

    The therians gathered outside the estate each had their own motives, and Sawyer''s subordinates were inciting them further.

    In fact, the therians didn''t care who had hidden the fake female. That was supposed to be a job for Interster''s security force.

    But they were determined to capture her because Analise had promised that whoever captured the fake female would receive her help in calming an SS-grade male, whether it was for an alliance or an individual.

    "Guys! What are you waiting for? Let''s capture the fake female!"

    In an instant, therians of all kinds shifted into their beast forms and prepared to break through the estate''s gates.

    The winged therians took to the skies and soared over the estate.

    "She''s there!"

    "Damn it! The fake female seems to have taken Ms. Chamber hostage!"

    Analise didn''t know much about bird species, only that the ones overhead were bird therians.

    After a sudden shadow cast over her, she looked up and found severalrge birds circling above the estate. The sounds of various roars echoed into her ears.

    Analise''s lips twitched upon hearing the therian above im she was a hostage. At that moment, she was merely standing side by side with the robot female. She wondered how they even came to that conclusion.

    Scott suddenly threw his head back and let out a fierce roar while he was locked in battle with Sawyer. A surge of mind essence rippled through the estate.

    The birds above were overwhelmed by his mind essence. They lost their bnce and fell into the estate one after another.

    "Scott is breaking through!" Fiy gasped.

    He was suppressed by the mind essence and dropped to one knee beside Analise.

    "Damn it! Why now, of all times?"

    Sawyer also struggled under Scott''s mind essence, like Fiy. His forelegs trembled violently, and he was on the verge of copsing.

    Karl had been guarding the estate''s gates, but upon sensing the surge of mind essence, he had no choice but to rush toward Wayne''s courtyard.

    The therians outside took advantage of the chaos and stormed in, plunging the estate into utter disarray.

    "Guys, search quickly! The fake female has to be inside!"

    "Yeah! Let''s split up and search!"

    Good things were rare, but trouble arrived in droves.

    Among the invading males, a few suddenly shifted into their beast forms and went berserk. They started to attack other males.

    These males were Sawyer''s subordinates. They had once been infected by

    Vexoth venom and had been calmed by the fake female.

    From the very beginning, they had been pawns in a scheme. Even after realizing they had been used, were powerless to change.

    fates. They were ordinary

    while

    Sawyer was a lieutenant and Wayne''s brother.

    Their only hope was that Analise would calm them once they went berserk, so they couldter testify

    against Sawyer and have him

    on

    imprisoned in Interster Prison.

    During a breakthrough, the pain was like being struck by a thousand-pound hammer.

    Scott''s face contorted in agony, and his usual gentle demeanor was reced by sheer torment. Painful memories shed through his mind, and he struggled to contain is overwhelming mind essence.

    "Scott!"

    Analise saw that Fiy had beenpletely ttened, and blood was trickling from his nose onto the ground.

    "Scott!"

 Chapter 53

    The robot female clutched her chest as though in pain. "Ms. Chamber, you can calm him. It will help him gain control over his mind essence."

    In the courtyard, there was only Analise and the robot female who remained standing. Everyone else had been forced to their knees under Scott''s overwhelming mind essence, including Wayne.

    Karl, who had just arrived at the entrance, was frozen in ce. He waspletely restrained by the mind essence.

    Analise seemed to be shielded by the beginner''s protection, leaving her unaffected.

    She moved toward Scott, who was roaring in agony. The massive tiger shook his head violently, and his voice was filled with torment.

    "Mother... Why am I never enoughpared to my brother? Why would you rather die to protect him... when he betrayed us..."

    "Scott! Wake up!"

    Analise halted just three feet away.

    Just like when Fiy was going through his heat cycle, her mind essence couldn''t calm him. Her strength was in purification, not calming.

    Scott''s gaze fixated on her. His mind was a whirlwind of chaotic, flickering images.

    "Ana..."

    "Mother... Why did you turn me away? Why do you always choose him over me..."

    Scott let out a deafening roar.

    Analise frowned as she looked at Scott. This felt just like the inner demons described in cultivation tales. She wondered if breaking through one''s mind

    essence was always this agonizing.

    "Ana... Why did you turn me away?"

    "Why did you always think my brother was better... when I was the stronger one?"

    "I was stronger than all of them..."

    Scott''s growls quieted as his vision blurred.

    In his hazy sight, he saw his mother and Analise.

    Listening to his fragmented, pain-filled murmurs, Analise whispered softly, "Do you want to be someone''s unwavering choice?"

    She stepped closer, cradling his fur-covered face in her hands, and released her E-grade mind essence. Slowly, she lowered her head.

    Her lips pressed against his-not a passionate kiss, but a gentle touch. The soft fur tickled her skin in a delicate, fleeting sensation At least that''s how it felt to An¨¢lise.

    As for Scott, it was something else entirely. His heart pounded with a mix of exhration and nervous tension. Even through the pain, he had been waiting for her, hoping she would choose him.

    Yet, he was also afraid that he would hurt her, so he fought to keep himself under control.

    His entire body tensed the moment she cupped his face, straining against his instincts. But when her warm lips touched his, his mind went utterly nk.

    Maybe she had released some of her mind essence, but to Scott, it felt faint and almost insignificant.

    "Feeling better now?" Analise asked as she stepped back.

    Seeing the change in his state, she smiled slightly at the tiger before her.

    "Yeah. Thank you, Ana."

    Scott''s head still throbbed, but his mind cleared, allowing him to gradually take control of his overwhelming mind essence.

    As his mind settled, a thought crossed him. Analise''s mind essence was weak, yet

    she had managed to calm those infected with Vexoth venom.

    It had to be the natural ipatibility that made her

    calming ability effective only against Vexoth venom. In every other way, she was no different from any other female of her rank. ''

    "Fiy!"

    Analise turned around just in time to see Fiy cough up a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 54

    Analise immediately rushed to Fiy''s side.

    "I''m fine, Ana."

    Fiy shook his head, pressing a hand against his chest. "Is Scott okay now? Did he break through sessfully?"

    Analise replied, "He''s conscious, but it''ll take some time for him to fully control his mind essence. Can you hold on?"

    Crouching beside Fiy, she pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips.

    She came to the conclusion that Fiy was truly a devoted friend, still worrying about Scott even after being crushed by his mind essence.

    A loud bellow suddenly echoed through the air.

    Analise turned to see Sawyer attempting to escape while Scott was still struggling to regain control. Fortunately, Karl arrived just in time to block his path.

    Karl''s eyes burned with rage as he locked his gaze onto Sawyer. "Uncle Sawyer, are you really going to stay this stubborn forever?

    "Do you think you can just walk away from these responsibilities? The entire Interster Alliance knows you colluded with the Vexoths and the Reimers, do you understand that?"

    Pain filled Karl''s expression as he nced at Sawyer before shifting his gaze to Wayne, who was standing at a distance.

    Since the moment Wayne hid behind the statue, he had been livestreaming everything. As he had predicted, Sawyer had hidden the fake female here. That was why he had waited and streamed the moment live.

    At first, the stream only drew little attention. However, the moment Sawyer walked out of the darkroom with the fake female, the audience count doubled. Later, when the fake female pleaded for Analise to save her, it doubled again.

    Sawyer scoffed, tilting his horned head. "I have no idea what you''re talking about."

    Karl sighed heavily. "That robot female hacked into Cosmoseek and live-streamed everything that just happened. The entire Interster Alliance has seen it.

    "My father was also waiting for you to show yourself. From the moment you stepped into the courtyard to the moment you brought out the fake female, it was all live-streamed. The security force is already on its way.

    "Uncle Sawyer, you weren''t always like this. Why? If you wanted the lordship, you could have just told me. I would have given it to you!"

    Karl''s eyes burned with sorrow. The

    kind and fighteous uncle he once knew was gone. Now, all that remained was a man who had colluded with the Vexoths and the Reimers.

    Sawyer stiffened, and his head snapped toward the robot female in shock. "What?"

    His mind reeled as he struggled to grasp how she still had self-awareness.

    "Why? Aren''t you just a robot? They said you werepletely under control!"

    Sawyer''s eyes darted as he tried to make sense of it. "Why is your programming malfunctioning? Something must have gone wrong. Right Analise touched her earlier... But no, she was already showing signs of malfunction before that."

    Sawyer had no idea what had caused the error. He wasn''t the one who built her, so he had no way of figuring out the question.

    "You don''t have to worry about that. Just sit back and enjoy the rest of your life in Interster Prison," Scott said.

    He shifted back to his therian form, radiating apletely different energy. He had broken through and be an SSS-grade mind essence wielder.

    Sawyer immediately shouted, "What are you all waiting for? That fake female is right there! If you don''t capture her now¡ª"

    His words were cut off by a violent cough as Scott''s mind essence crushed down on him, making it impossible to breathe.

    "Everyone, this robot female is a

    special case. Ana has already calmed her, and Interster''s security force will handle the rest. If any of you want Ana''s help, wait for your turn and show some sincerity," Scott said.

    Outrage erupted among the therians.

    "Why should we listen to you? We rushed all the way here, and now you''re telling

    us we can''t capture the robot female? Are you treating us like fools?"

    "Exactly! Ms. Chamber hasn''t said anything yet. Who do you think you are to decide for her?"

    The person next to him tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "He''s themander of Stormw Alliance."

    The therian''s confidence visibly faltered. He muttered, "That still doesn''t make this right."

 Chapter 55

    The crowd grumbled in dissatisfaction.

    "Ms. Chamber is the one who called us here, yet now that the fake female is right in front of us, we''re suddenly not allowed to capture it?" someone protested.

    Another voice shouted in urgency. "Enough arguing! There are still berserk males outside! What are we going to do? Several of ourrades are already injured!"

    "Our mind essence isn''t strong enough to suppress those three males. Anyone SS-grade or higher? Hurry up and help!"

    Two males squeezed through the courtyard gate, panting as they called out.

    "Those three males must have been calmed by the fake female earlier. Now, the ones who were injured have also been infected by the Vexoth venom. If we don''t act now, we won''t be able to stop them!"

    "What are you all waiting for?"

    Analise immediately took charge after hearing what the male said. "Karl, take some men and restrain Sawyer, then wait for the security force to handle him."

    "Scott, take me over there. Use your mind essence to suppress the berserk ones. The rest of you, help subdue them. I''ll handle the calming."

    The crowd instinctively made way for Analise. Meanwhile, Karl and his men also quickly captured Sawyer.

    "Scott, when I start calming them, crush the Astral Ambers. Remember to crush the biggest ones. It''ll help me replenish my mind essence faster," Analise instructed.

    She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she could use and replenish her mind essence at the same time.

    "Ana." Fiy stepped forward.

    "Fiy, get some rest. Stay here."

    Seeing him trailing behind, Analise immediately stopped him.

    Fiy shook his head. "I''m fine."

    "You were coughing up blood, and you call that fine? Listen to me, or no more ear and tail rubs for you."

    Her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

    "Alright."

    Fiy pouted, and he lowered his head. But the moment Analise stepped out of the courtyard, he silently followed.

    The surrounding therians exchanged bewildered looks.

    "What did Ms. Chamber just say?"

    "Did she mean she''s already touched his tail?"

    "Does that mean he''s her first mate?"

    "But his mind essence doesn''t seem to be as strong as Scott''s."

    The crowd buzzed with discussion.

    Some of the males hade with the intention of courting Analise, hoping to be one of her mates. Most of them were SS-grade and had assumed their main rival would be Scott. But to their surprise, it was Fiy, whose mind essence was only S-grade.

    This revtion gave many other S-grade males newfound

    confidence. They had previously

    believed that Analise would only

    choose exceptionally powerful mates-someone like Scott, who was above SS-grade. But now, it seemed that being S-grade wasn''t a lost cause after all.

    "What are you all waiting for? Get moving! The more we help, the more she''ll

    notice us. Or do you just want to stand here and daydream?"

    A quick-witted male wasted no time charging ahead.

    In the garden of the Lordship Estate, the tension was palpable.

    "Have all the berserk males been lured here?" Analise called out loudly.

    "They''re all here, Ms. Chamber!" a male responded.

    "Do we have inhibitors and sedatives ready? Once I release my mind essence,

    the SS-grade males need to administer them immediately," Scott said.

    Jay, who had appeared at some point, answered, "I did. As soon as we noticed

    the berserk males showing up, I had someone fetch them."

    Scott replied, "Good."

    As Scott unleashed his SSS-grade mind essence, the sheer pressure of it forced the gathered males to bend under its weight. Only those at SS-grade or higher could move, though with great difficulty

    Analise randomly selected a berserk male and began purifying the Vexoth venom from his body.

    Once all the berserk males had been injected with sedatives and inhibitors, the others could finally hold them down.

    "Fiy, help me crush the Astral Ambers. Pick the big ones. I need to replenish my mind essence."

    Spotting Fiy in the crowd, Analise let out a weary sigh before calling him over.

 Chapter 56

    "Everyone else, back off a little. Don''t absorb the Astral Amber meant for Ms.

    Chamber. There are many berserk males to calm this time, and Ms. Chamber will expend a great deal of mind essence."

    Jay gestured for the males surrounding Analise to step back.

    The males instinctively stepped back three feet and formed a circle around Analise to shield her. Meanwhile, Scott kept a watchful eye on the injured therians.

    "Alright, leave some people here with Ms. Chamber. The rest,e with me to capture Sawyer''s remaining forces!"

    At Jay''smand, a group of males instantly followed him out of the garden and began sweeping through the Lordship Estate.

    "Thank you, Ms. Chamber."

    The bull before her had regained rity and immediately expressed his gratitude to Analise.

    "You''re wee," Analise said as she continued purifying him. "Were you injured by a berserk male, or were you one yourself?"

    "I was just injured. Those three were previously calmed by that fake female."

    The male extended his hand, pointing at the males who had been injected with sedatives and inhibitors.

    "I see. No wonder pur¡ªI mean, calming you didn''t drain much of my mind essence."

    Analise pondered for a moment. After purging the Vexoth venom from the male before her, she moved on to one of the males he had pointed out.

    With Fiy crushing Astral Ambers beside her, she was replenishing her mind essence as she spent it. Analise figured this was likely why she hadn''t felt much depletion.

    However, as she worked on this particr male, she could clearly feel the drain on her mind essence elerate noticeably.

    "So, direct infections are more severe, while secondary infections result in weaker toxicity. Are these robot females the actual source of the venom? Could a male''s own mind essence also affect the severity of infection?"

    Analise considered the possibilities as she continued purifying him.

    "It''s possible," Scott said.

    He had somehow appeared beside her and was helping to crush the Astral Ambers.

    "When you calmed Karl earlier, you passed out from overusing your mind essence. Now you''re doing it again. Can your body handle it?"

    Scott watched Analise with concern while continuing to break the Astral Ambers.

    "It''s probably because of my blood cycle. You don''t need to worry. Besides, I''m replenishing my mind essence while calming them, so it shouldn''t be a problem." Analise gestured for Scott to rx.

    "I know passing out earlier was likely due to your blood cycle. But even so, there''s no way you''ve fully recovered in just one afternoon. Unless your mind essence regenerates exceptionally fast, but still, your

    ve

    healthes first.

    "The Ironhorn Alliance has S-grade and SS-grade females. I''ve already asked Lord Hansen to send for them. You just need to focus on calming these three who had direct contact with the robot female."

    Scott gained an even deeper understanding of Analise''s abilities, and he was certain she would grow even stronger. But right now, he was more concerned about her physical condition.

    Overusing mind essence was dangerous, and Astral Amber was merely a temporary solution. Mind essence needed to be nurtured over time.

    Scott still didn''t understand why Analise''s calming abilities worked specifically against Vexoth venom But since she was a pure human and an outsider to Interster, perhaps her very nature was simply different from the other females.

    "But the source still needs to be dealt with."

    Analise sighed and muttered to herself, "I''m still too weak."

    Analise figured that if this really was like the Vexoth in those Interster novels,

    there had to be a Vexoth Queen.

    They needed to take down the

    Vexoth Queen first, then purify the

    other mates and females who were infected with Vexoth venom. Only then could they put an end to the infection. Otherwise, this cycle

    would never end.

    "Analise, you''re already incredible."

    Scott froze for a moment. A familiar memory suddenly resurfaced, and his mind essence nearly slipped out of control.

    The surrounding males felt a brief wave of pressure from his mind essence, but it disappeared within seconds.

    "Analise, you''re stronger than any other female. You''re just an E-grade, yet you can calm an SSS-grade male."

    Fiy agreed with Scott and reassured Analise from the side. To him, Analise was already the most exceptional female.

 Chapter 57

    "Oh no, where''s that robot female?"

    Analise suddenly remembered she hadpletely forgotten about the robot female that was still in Wayne''s courtyard because she had been so focused on purifying the males here.

    She worried that those males might do something to her.

    "Ms. Chamber, that robot female refuses to leave with the security force. She said she''d only go if she saw you first."

    Before she could think further, a group of uniformed males arrived with the robot female. Their uniforms bore a spherical emblem, with symbols inside that Analise couldn''t understand.

    "Do you still have human consciousness?" Analise asked tentatively.

    Those around them found her question rather strange. The idea of a robot female having human consciousness was impossible.

    Robots operated on programmed intelligence and weren''t capable of self- awareness. Every therian in the Interster Alliance knew this well, as nearly every household had at least a few robots.

    The Vexoth''s invasion not only brought Vexoth venom but also introduced advanced technology. As a result, daily tasks like cooking,undry, and cleaning were now handled by robots, freeing the therians from these burdens.

    The robot female nodded. "Yes. I am not entirely a robot."

    A bitter expression crossed her face.

    "My name is rice Hayes. I was once a pure-human female from the Bravepaw Alliance. Over six months ago, when the Vexoth suddenly attacked my city, I was captured by their therians.

    "At first, I thought it was just my bad luck. After all, pure-human females have no mind essence, so most males wouldn''t choose us as mates.

    "Other females had some level of protection from males. In a moment of crisis, no one would spare a thought for a pure-human female. So, in the end, my capture was only to be expected," rice said.

    "rice? Are you really rice? She didn''t look like this at all."

    A male from the Bravepaw Alliance spoke up from the crowd.

    "I know you. You''re Barrett Collins. A year ago, you tried to court Sheena Riley but failed, so you drowned your sorrows at a bar.

    "But that embarrassed Sheena, so she had her mate beat you up. I was the one who bought you painkillers afterward," rice replied.

    She turned to look at the male who had spoken.

    Barrett was shocked. "It''s really you?"

    Everyone in the Bravepaw Alliance knew about his failed courtship, but only he and rice knew about the painkillers.

    "It''s me."

    rice gave a bitter smile. "The Vexoths captured more than ten pure-human females. Five of us survived. Now, only four remain."

    "How do you know there are only four left?"

    Analise pressed for an answer immediately.

    This was crucial.

    rice didn''t just have her own consciousness. She might even share a consciousness with the other robot females as well. If that were the case, locating the remaining three would be much easier.

    "Our consciousness is connected."

    rice''s words confirmed Analise''s suspicion.

    "The ones who modified us first erased our original consciousness using a special method, then they imnted a material that connected our minds.

    "They installed a self-destruct program inside us. If one of us is captured, we can activate it in a crisis to spread Vexoth venom. The others would then trigger their own self-destruct programs as well.

    "And if one of us is killed before activating the program, the others will still know immediately," she said.

    rice didn''t hide anything from Analise. She could feel one of theponents inside her body resisting Analise''s presence, perhaps out of fear.

    That was exactly why she sought Analise''s help. Maybe this female could find a way to save her.

 Chapter 58

    Analise quickly asked another question. "Can you still sense the locations of the other three robot females? Do they also retain part of their human consciousness like you?"

    "Yes, but I''m not sure whether they still have their own consciousness."

    rice nodded, then immediately shook her head.

    Suddenly, she clutched her chest and let out a sharp hiss of pain. Her expression twisted as if she were in agony.

    The crowd instinctively stepped back in fear.

    Only Analise stepped forward and asked, "Are you okay?"

    The security force had already raised their sters, aiming at rice.

    "I''m fine."

    rice seemed to be in great pain. She struggled to take a few deep breaths before continuing.

    "It''s the Creator. He can control theponents inside our bodies. He must have realized by now that you removed the Vexoth venom from me.

    "Be careful of him, Ms. Chamber. My body has been modified, so I can''t die. If you can find a recement for theponent he imnted in my body, I canpletely free myself from his control.

    "I no longer have my artificial calming ability. The only function left is my built-inbat programming, but it''s weak, so you don''t need to worry about it," she said.

    rice''s body suddenly lost strength, and she copsed backward. The light in her eyes faded as her eyelids slowly closed.

    With the sters still in hand, the security force cautiously approached to check on her condition.

    "Captain, what do we do now? This fake pure-human female looks dead."

    One of the guards nudged rice''s motionless body with his foot.

    "Didn''t she just say she can''t die?"

    Analise was speechless. It felt like this guy hadn''t listened to anything she said.

    "Right now, we need to find theponent rice mentioned and rece it," Analise said.

    "I think what she meant is that once we rece theponent, she can continue living as a half-robot. And she''ll still be linked to the other robots, right?" Scott asked uncertainly.

    Analise agreed with Scott''s theory. "That''s what it sounds like to me too. But do we let the security force take her, or find an expert to examine whatponents were inside her first?"

    "The mad scientist from

    et el

    Shadowhawk Alliance might be able

    to help but those people have always been arrogant. There''s no guarantee they''ll agree," Scott said.

    Just as Scott finished speaking, someone in the crowd suddenly let out a sharp cough.

    Everyone turned toward the source of the sound. A male therian with several tufts of feathers on his head stepped forward, casting an annoyed nce at Scott.

    Gideon rke batted his eyes at Analise and spoke softly. "Ms. Chamber, you''re even more beautiful in person. Do you have a mate? Is this annoying guy your mate?"

    Analise shook her head.

    "So, he''s not your mate."

    With a swift push of his hip, Gideon bumped Scott aside.

    Scott was caughtpletely off guard by his move.

    ''Ms. Chamber, what do you think of me? My mind essence is also SS-grade, and I''ll be breaking through soon."

    Gideon casually grabbed Analise''s hands, running his fingers over the back of hers.

    Analise was speechless. Scott was stunned. Fiy waspletely baffled.

    Seeing that Analise remained silent, Gideon kept talking. "Ms. Chamber, don''t listen to him. We males from Shadowhawk Alliance are easy to get along with. We''re just confident, not arrogant. That''s pure nder!"

    "Uh... Is that so?"

    Analise had to use some effort to pull her hands free.

    Gideon tilted his head and winked at her. "Yes. And by the way, I''m the so-called ''mad scientist'' they were talking about."

    Analise was visibly confused.

    "What? Do I not look the part?"

    He clutched his chest, pretending to be heartbroken. "Really? I don''t look like one?"

    "...Fine, you do. Now can you check on rice?"

    The corner of Analise''s lips twitched. She grabbed Gideon''s arm and turned him toward rice. Then, she gave him a gentle nudge.

    "Oh... How heartbreaking! You''re pushing me toward another female. Has your love for me already faded?"

    Gideon turned back dramatically, covering half his face with his hand, looking as if he were about to burst into tears.

 Chapter 59

    Gideon still crouched down to examine rice despite his yful words.

    Just then, rice''s eyes snapped open, and a deep male voice that wasn''t hers suddenly came from her lips.

    "Analise Chamber, is it? I''ll remember you."

    "Oh my, still capable of speech?" Gideon responded.

    He leaned back slightly and took out a thin, sharp knife from nowhere. Then, he sliced into rice''s chest. As the de cut through her skin, blood gushed out.

    "What is this? Looks like a heart substitute," Gideon murmured.

    He stared at the irregr silver object at the opening of the wound.

    "Analise, go take a look. I need your vision. I''m sensing something familiar."

    Analise had been watching from a distance when Echo suddenly spoke. With no other choice, she stepped forward, crouching beside Gideon to examine rice''s wounded chest.

    "Ophir."

    Echo''s voice was faint.

    Analise frowned and asked in her mind, "What is Ophir?"

    Yet, Echo didn''t respond.

    Analise felt her connection with Echo growing distant-not weaker, but farther away. It felt as if the system had temporarily left her, and she still hadn''t figured out what exactly this "Ophir" was.

    "Why don''t you close up the wound first?"

    Analise felt queasy watching the steady trickle of blood. "She might not die, but letting her bleed out like this doesn''t seem right."

    Gideon had been fixated on the object in rice''s chest. It was only when Analise spoke that he finally turned to nce at her.

    "I only brought a knife..."

    Analise was speechless.

    "Alright, I need to take this robot-no, Ms. Riley-back to Shadowhawk Alliance to examine her further."

    Gideon stood up and offered a hand to help Analise up.

    Analise smiled but got up on her own. Then, she offered her hand for a shake and said, "I''ll leave her in your hands. Since she still has self-awareness, maybe she can truly be saved."

    "Ms. Chamber, how abouting along to Shadowhawk Alliance for a visit?"

    Gideon raised an eyebrow. His fingers idly stroked the back of her hand.

    The surrounding males were practically seething with jealousy. Of course, Scott and Fiy were the most jealous of all.

    "Maybe another time."

    Analise gave her hand a firm tug and finally pulled free from his grasp.

    "Alright then."

    Gideon spread his hands and shed her a smile before walking over to one of the security force members.

    "Captain Lloyd, I''ll be taking Ms. Riley back to Shadowhawk Alliance.

    you''re concerned, you can affe

    few officers to apany

    When facing Nathan Lloyd, captain of the security force, Gideon''s expression

    grew much more serious. It was practically unreadable.

    Analise couldn''t help but think he was a master of changing expressions.

    As if on cue, just as she finished her thought, Gideon turned back and threw her a flirtatious wink.

    Analise was once again at a loss for

    words. She hadn''t caught his

    l.ne

    conversation with Nathan, but in the end, he sessfully took rice with him.

    "Are you really noting to Shadowhawk Alliance?"

    After walking a few steps, Gideon turned back, giving her a pitiful look.

    Analise''s brow twitched. "No."

    Gideon kept ncing back as he walked away. Then, he suddenly called out,

    "Female, aren''t you even going to ask my name?"

    Analise sighed. "Alright... What do they call you?"

    Gideon stopped and blinked at her. "I don''t know. No one''s calling me right now."

    Analise found herself speechless yet again.

    Gideon chuckled softly, then he turned back and casually pulled Analise into his arms without hesitation. "My name is Gideon rke."

 Chapter 60

    A cool sensation spread across Analise''s wrist. She looked down to find a silver bracelet that Gideon had slipped onto her.

    It appeared to be woven from a unique material, adorned with several small beads in different colors like emerald green, ice blue, and light yellow. Coincidentally, they were all her favorite shades.

    Analise counted them. There were five emerald green beads, two ice blue ones, and one light yellow one. Inside each bead, delicate threads of light shimmered, like tiny, vibrant fments.

    "It''s for you."

    Gideon took a small step back, creating some distance between them, and spoke softly. "Touch the bead you want to explore. After it scans your iris, there''s a surprise inside. Each one holds something special." He smiled brightly, the bird feathers on his head swaying in the breeze.

    "Huh? Why are you giving me this?" Analise asked, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at him.

    Gideon just smiled and didn''t answer her question.

    Analise frowned, but her fingers instinctively brushed against one of the beads.

    At once, it emitted a soft, radiant glow, and Gideon''s voice echoed. It was not from him directly but from within the bead itself.

    "Ana, iris recognition will unlock a surprise."

    His voice was different from his usual light and deliberate tone, carrying a calm and gentle sincerity.

    Blinking in surprise, Analise lifted her gaze to Gideon, only to find him upied, listening to a male voice reporting something to him.

    "Iris recognition sessful. Your eyes are as beautiful as ever, Ana."

    The voice spoke again, and in the next instant, a virtual space unfolded before her.

    The first thing Analise saw was the aurora, its colors shifting and dancing across the sky.

    Her heart skipped a beat. She was caught between surprise and confusion.

    The aurora...

    Back in the human era, it had only been visible in Northcrest or, if you were lucky, in certain provinces of Velmora.

    She had always longed to see it, but never had the chance.

    How did Gideon know?

    As she turned, the virtual space dissolved, retracting back into the bead.

    "This looks just like a real aurora. Gideon, how did you do that?" Analise asked, her eyes still wide with surprise.

    "Can I tell you next time we meet? I need to head back and take care of something first."

    Gideon stepped closer and pulled Analise into a hug.

    This time, his voice was soft as he whispered in her ear, "Ana, I''ve missed you so much."

    Analise froze. What did he mean by that?

    Before she could ask, Gideon had already turned and walked away.

    "Mate, if you miss me,e find me at the Shadowhawk Alliance."

    Gideon waved a hand, his toneel.!

    slipping back into its usual nonchnce.

    This time, he truly left.

    "He called me Ana? Did he say he misses me? And give me a bracelet?"

    Analise watched his retreating figure, lifting her hand to examine the bracelet on her wrist. Her thoughts swirled in confusion.

    Had Gideon mistaken her for one of his sisters?

    "Ana, since when did you start hanging around that lunatic from the Shadowhawk Alliance?" Fiy asked, as blunt as ever.

    "I don''t know him. Today was the first time we met," Analise said, still ncing in the direction Gideon had disappeared.

    "He doesn''t seem crazy, so don''t call him a lunatic. And his name is Gideon," Analise said, pinching Fiy''s therian ears.

    "Okay, okay, I got it." Fiy tilted his head, his gaze shifting to Analise''s wrist with a peculiar expression. "So he''s deliberately trying to get close to you? Hmph!"

    Without bothering to hide his frustration, Fiy opened his core screen and began bombarding his good brothers with messages.

    He gained two more rivals in a single day. How could he not be anxious? And to

    make matters worse, they were both stronger than him!

    Unlike Fiy, Scott remained much calmer.

    Though he was just as jealous that Gideon had hugged Analise, she hadn''t pushed him away and had epted his gift. So, in the

    end, Scott chose to hold his tongue.

 Chapter 61

    Meanwhile, Scott had secretly turned on the interface and anonymously posted a plea for help.

    The post read, "The female I like has a new suitor. What can I do to stand out?"

    "Oh well, never mind. Can''t figure it out. I''d better appease these males first." Analise didn''t pay any special attention to what Fiy and Scott were doing.

    She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of anything rted to Gideon. After crushing more Ster Amber to absorb mental energy, she continued to appease the other males.

    Each time she appeased someone, Analise would receive a notification from Echo. This time, there was nothing.

    Analise then appeased another male who had direct contact with rice, but there was still no Echo notification.

    This left her feeling uneasy.

    Who exactly had created this half-robot, rice, and why was Echo so concerned?

    And this bracelet...

    Things were gettingplicated.

    "Ana, how can you absorb Ster Amber''s mental energy and appease males at the same time?"

    At some point, Scott had approached her. His eyes were fixed on her.

    Including rice, Analise had appeased five therians from the beginning.

    rice was an exception since his mental energy was unknown.

    As for the other four males, two were SS-grade and two were S-grade.

    Under normal circumstances, appeasing them should have drained a significant amount of Analise''s mental energy.

    "Maybe that''s the difference between a pure-human female and a regr female?"

    Analise nced at the other onlookers, slightly puzzled by Scott''s blunt question.

    "Wow, Ms. Chamber is really amazing!"

    "Yeah, other females can''t replenish and expend their energy at the same time.

    They can only replenish after they''ve finished appeasing the males."

    "Does that mean it''s like what that mean Cosmoseekizen said? That''s

    when pure human females awaken their mental energy, their appeasement abilities far surpass those of other females in ways that can''t even bepared?"

    "My goodness! Analise is the only pure human with mental energy so far. I''d love to be her guardian or partner."

    "In any case, we must protect Ms. Chamber. That male voiceing from inside rice just now... I''m afraid it was a Vexoth. He might be targeting her."

    From within the crowd, Barrett voiced his agreement.

    As the buzz of discussion grew, Analise quickly grasped why Scott had posed his sudden question. He was subtly reminding everyone that no other woman could rival is abilities.

    While this might attract more rivals vying for her attention, the final choice remained hers alone. And right now, she needed as many allies as possible to ensure her safety.

    Meanwhile, Gideon had taken rice away, and the security forces had escorted Sawyer.

    Karl sat in a corner, looking dejected as he let out a heavy sigh.

    "Dad, why did you do a live broadcast?" he asked.

    "If I hadn''t streamed it beforehand,

    even with Ms. Chamber''s

    intervention; we would have been falsely used. Worse, Ms.

    Vol

    Chamber herself might havee

    under suspicion again." Wayne''s gaze wasplicated as he

    watched the departing starship in silence.

    Karl nced at Analise, who was surrounded by therians, then at the starship disappearing into the distance. Finally, he stood up.

    "Ms. Chamber, thank you for your help," Karl said, pushing through the crowd to approach her.

    Analise smiled and raised a finger. "Add ten thousand Astral Amber."

    "Alright." Karl nodded and immediately ordered someone to prepare the Ster Amber.

    "Ms. Chamber, our alliance also needs assistance, and we can offer resources in return."

    "Yes, Ms. Chamber, our alliance as well."

    The therians began to stir once more.

    "Enough! Everyone, stop."

    Analise raised her hands, signaling for silence.

 Chapter 62

    "Even though I can absorb mental energy while soothing the men, my abilities are still limited.

    "I''ve already soothed quite a few people today, all of them S-grade or higher. If anyone else needs my help, please arrange a time with Scott.

    "I need to rest for now, but we can discuss the calming sessions tomorrow. Please

    head back for today. I''ll do my best to help within my limits."

    With a gentle smile, Analise finished speaking and walked away.

    Ding-dong!

    Her interface chimed with a notification. Analise checked it and saw another message from Vera.

    Vera, using the username SugarBunny, had texted.

    "Ms. Chamber, are you really noting to my birthday party tomorrow?

    "I was hoping to apologize to you in person. I was just too anxious that day... You''re not still mad at me, are you?

    "When are youing back? I saw the live broadcast today. You were amazing! You even managed to soothe that robotic woman.

    "Let me know when you''re back, okay? I''ll treat you to a meal, just the two of us, so I can apologize properly. I''ll feel awful if you don''te.

    "Ms. Chamber, why aren''t you replying? Are you still busy?"

    Analise''s scalp tingled as she read Vera''s barrage of messages.

    Had she misjudged her?

    Vera''s change of expression that day had been too sudden. But was Analise simply overanxious about the Stormw Alliance? Her thoughts spiraled into chaos.

    Even though her mental energy had been replenished, she still felt drained. And now, with Echo seeming so far away, a sense of unease crept over her. Although Echo had assured her that the items were hers to keep, she still felt uneasy without them, even with the handsome men around her.

    Analise, using the username Grade-F Pure Human, replied, "Just finished up.

    "I''m sorry, but even if I started traveling back today, I still wouldn''t make it to your birthday party. The gift I got you will be delivered by the butler tomorrow. Happy birthday in advance!"

    "It''s okay, Ms Chamber, as long as you''re not upset. I was just really worried that something might go wrong. My brother probably exaggerated the situation with the Ethereal Fang Alliance... that''s why I was so nervous."

    "Alright, Ms. Cross, I need to rest now. Let''s chat another time."

    "Okay then."

    Analise turned off the interface with a long sigh.

    "What''s wrong, Ana?" Scott reached out

    antly, his fingers lightly

    against hers before gently

    taking her hand.

    "Hmm?" Analise nced down at their joined hands.

    Scott tensed. Sensing her silence, he instinctively started to pull away.

    "What are you doing?" Analise tightened her grip, a yful smile curling at her lips.

    "Holding... hands..." Scott mumbled, turning his face away as his ears flushed red.

    "Scott! You!" Fiy, who had just caught up, froze at the sight of them.

    "Why are you so nervous?"

    Analise found his reaction amusing. Coming from the human era, the situation reminded her of catching someone in the act.

    But Scott was a therian from the

    Interster Alliance, where it was et

    perfectly normal for a female to

    have multiple partners and just as normal for him to pursue her.

    Besides, Fiy was merely a suitor, while Scott was the stronger one. So why

    was he feeling insecure?

    Could it have something to do with his childhood?

    Analise suddenly recalled Scott''s breakthrough.

    "Come on, Fiy."

    Analise took Fiy''s hand in her free one.

    "There, now it''s even. One in each hand," she said with a hint of helplessness, pulling them both toward the starship.

    As they boarded the starship, the gazes of the other males remained fixed on Scott and Fiy.

 Chapter 63

    However, after catching Scott''s icy re, the other men quickly averted their eyes without a word.

    "Pfft..."

    Analise, who had been holding back for a while, finally burst intoughter. Scott''s stone-cold expression, paired with his bright red ears, was just too much to handle.

    His embarrassment only deepened.

    "Ana, I have things to do. I''m heading to the control room," Scott muttered, trying to pull his hand away.

    "Alright, alright," Analise said with a grin, releasing his hand and Fiy''s as well.

    They had both been holding her hands the entire way, and her palms were starting to get sweaty.

    "Ana, why did you let go of my hand too?" Fiy pouted, reaching for her hand again.

    "Fiy,e with me to the resting cabin. I have a reward for you," Analise said, her mood much improved as she decided to tease him.

    "Really?" The ever-trusting Fiy took the bait.

    Once inside the rest cabin, Analise had Fiy shift into his wolf form.

    "Fiy, where do you even get all these crazy ideas?" she asked, lying on his soft, furry belly and yfully tugging at his tail.

    "Um... I can''t say," Fiy replied, his tail instinctively curling around her, craving more affection, but he held himself back.

    The three days following a female''s heat cycle were strictly off-limits.

    Fiy looked at Analise with a sympathetic expression. "Ana, we can only mate after your heat cycle."

    Analise blinked in surprise.

    She had forgotten that he was a straightforward guy who never yed games.

    "But what if I want to today?" she asked with a teasing smile, tightening her grip on his tail.

    "That... still won''t work." Fiy''s face turned pink, but his resolve remained firm. "You can pet my ears and tail, though. Your well-beinges first."

    Analise let out a soft chuckle. "You know, sometimes being simple and straightforward isn''t so bad."

    Then, without another word, she buried her face in his soft belly.

    "Huh?"

    "Nothing, good little wolf," Analise said, letting go of his tail and instead pinching his wolf ears.

    "Can you tell me about Scott''s childhood? Doesn''t he have a younger brother?"

    "How do you know Scott has a younger brother, Ana?" Fiy shifted slightly, his tail wrapping around Analise''s waist.

    §Ö§ä

    "When he was going through a breakthrough, he seemed to be in a bad mental state. He kept talking about his mother and brothen..." Analise replied truthfully.

    "Oh." Fiy nodded. "Scott does have a younger brother, a twin."

    As he spoke, Fiy grew excited and started chattering about Scott''s childhood.

    "Ana, did you know Scott''s brother, Sean, looks a lot like him? But he had health problems, so he never went to school.

    "I haven''t seen him many times, but I remember he looked just like Scott. They were practically identical.

    "If his brother were standing in front of us now, I wouldn''t be able to tell them apart!" Fiy eximed.

    "It''s normal for twins to look alike. What''s wrong with his health?"

    Analise absentmindedly tugged at the fur on Fiy''s belly and rubbed it gently.

    Sigh. How do those sculpted pecs and smooth lines turn into a soft, fluffy doggy belly the moment he shifts back into a wolf?

    "I don''t know. He''s been weak since birth.

    "Later, Sean fell seriously ill. He recovered somewhat, but his personality changed a lot.

    "At some point, he started associating with the Reimers, which made Scott furious. But their mother thought Scott was overreacting.

    "She had always favored his brother due to his frail health, which only made her like Scott even less after this incident.

    "Eventually, evidence surfaced that

    Sean had been colluding with the Reimers, leading to his imprisonment in the underground cells of the Hopkins Gxy Lodge. However, Scott''s mother secretly set him free."

    At that moment, Fiy abruptly fell silent.

    "Set him free? So, Sean is still alive?" Analise sat up straighter.

    "Yeah. I told you he was working with the Reimers. After his mother released him... He..." Fiy hesitated.

    "He what? Just say it. Why are you suddenly being so coy?" Analise reached out and pinched the fur around Fiy''s wolfish muzzle.

    "He... killed his own mother." Fiy pursed his lips. "Even in her final

    moments, she was sne

    protecting

    UM

    him, keeping Scott from capturing him."

 Chapter 64

    "What?"

    Analise''s hand trembled. "Are you saying Sean killed their mother, and even in her final moments, she was still protecting him?"

    "Yes. Scott''s mother said Sean was his only brother. She believed his involvement with the Reimers was because he''d been deceived by the wrong people. Even as shey dying, she held his hand tightly, refusing to let him go. She was afraid Scott woulde after him."

    Analise fell silent.

    After a long pause, she asked, "What about Scott''s father?"

    "He''s still alive, but he''s devastated by his wife''s death. His mental state is fragile,

    and he''s currently staying in the Stormw Alliance hospital."

    Fiy''s ears twitched as he rested his wolfish chin on Analise''s shoulder.

    "That''s not very optimistic," Analise murmured, her mood heavy.

    Resting her eyes for a moment against Fiy, she wondered if someone as sunny

    as him must havee from a happy family.

    "Wolfie, how''s your family?" she asked, reaching out to scratch his chin.

    "Hmm... It''s just... You know, like you saw the other day. A small two-bedroom apartment," Fiy said, lowering his chin closer to Analise''s fingers.

    "I mean your parents. Your mother and father. They must be very loving, right?" The moment the words left her mouth, she felt Fiy tense beneath her fingers. Analise withdrew her hand and sat up straight.

    The next moment, Fiy shifted into his therian form and pulled Analise into a tight embrace. "They''re both gone. They died over a decade ago."

    Analise''s throat tightened as she felt the slight tremble in his body.

    At a loss for words, she simply held him closer. After a moment, she finally said, "You must have had a hard time all these years."

    Fiy tightened his grip around her.

    She regretted asking those questions. Why did everyone seem to have such tragic pasts?

    And yet, she couldn''t help but wonder how Fiy had grown up alone without parents and managed to remain so carefree?

    The therians of the therian world were no kinder or more righteous than humans.

    ss distinctions still existed. Otherwise, lower-sss wouldn''t exist.

    Analise recalled Derek mentioning

    that Scott had sent him to a

    lower-ss to capture members of the Reimers, which ultimately led to his encounter with

    the female robot.

    While mental resilience yed a part, human nature alone wouldn''t have allowed

    Fiy to live in istion for over a decade without bing cynical.

    Yet Fiy remained remarkably

    innocent. Someone must have treated him with exceptional kindness, allowing him to grow into such a cheerful and open-hearted person.

    So, who could it be?

    Analise was certain it wasn''t Scott.

    Hecked confidence around females, a trait clearly rooted in his past experiences.

    Could he be the person who had given Fiy those clever ideas?

    On the first day, when Fiy sent her fresh flowers, Analise thought he was a

    romantic and someone who knew how to create surprises.

    But as she spent more time with him, she realized that while he was attentive and good at caring for women, those thoughtful gestures had toe from someone else''s guidance.

    "Ana, will you always stay with me?" Fiy''s voice was soft. "You won''t leave me, will you? Can I be your partner?"

    Releasing Analise, he looked at her with reddened eyes, his expression more serious than ever.

    Desperate for an answer, he gripped her shoulders, his gaze locked onto hers.

    "Can I be your partner?"

    Analise hesitated for a moment as she seriously considered the question. After all, her mindset was still rooted in her human era.

    Even though polyamory was epted in the interster therian world, she couldn''t shake the feeling that she was some kind of fickle heartbreaker.

    But she hadn''t done anything yet, had she?

    Still, the attraction between her, Fiy, and Scott was undeniable.

    Analise didn''t want to ignore her own feelings.

    And then there were Karl and Gideon. Especially Gideon, whom she had only met today.

    There was something strange about him, as if he had known her for a long time.

    But how could a mad scientist possibly mistake one person for another?

 Chapter 65

    Even if Gideon could acknowledge his mistake, the precise machinery wouldn''t.

    The beads on her wrist and the iris scan had both passed authentication.

    That meant the person Gideon was calling out to was her. The person he was thinking of was her too!

    But Analise had only transmigrated into this interster beast world ten days ago! She hadn''t even met Gideon before!

    So, how was this possible?

    "Ana?"

    Fiy''s fingers twitched. When Analise didn''t respond, he slowly withdrew his hands from her.

    Uncertainty settled in his chest. Had she never considered him her partner after all?

    Or maybe she had, but not with him as her first partner.

    After all, Scott was already an SSS-grade, far stronger than Fiy. How could he not feel inferior?

    "Fiy."

    "Mm."

    "Have you really thought this through? If you be my partner, you''ll have a lot

    of rivals," Analise said with a smile.

    She didn''t deny her feelings. She did like Fiy, at least a little.

    Who could resist an energetic, affectionate little wolf?

    Besides, in this interster therian world, polyamory was perfectly legal.

    Analise wanted to embrace her true nature!

    Her heart was like a durian. Every spike needed someone to step on it!

    And the first person had already done just that, eagerly cing himself in that position.

    To be honest, Analise felt their rtionship still needed time to grow.

    But Fiy was desperate to have his status confirmed, crying and begging. Sigh...

    And she hadn''t even done anything to him!

    Well... Except for touching his beast ears and tail, which had sent him into heat early. And she hadn''t even soothed him...

    Ahem.

    "Yes, of course. Once a male chooses a female, he never wavers. And as a wolf therian, I''ll be devoted to you for life."

    Fiy gently took Analise''s hand. "So, Ana, does this mean I can be your partner now?"

    "Mhm." Analise rested a hand against Fiy''s chest, rising on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips.

    As their lips moved together, she murmured, "From now on, you''re my little wolf."

    Fiy hesitated for a moment

    before awkwardly nibbling on

    lips, his arm wrapped around het

    waist, his tail curling around her.

    Even a simple kiss made him incredibly nervous. He worried he wasn''t doing well enough to make his little mate happy.

    Analise could feel the sweat on his palm.

    "Don''t be nervous. This is my first time kissing a man too." Analise gently pushed Fiy away, her cheeks burning.

    "Ana, I feel so ufortable, but

    can''t..." Fiy lowered his head, resting his forehead against

    Annalise''s. He took her habe

    and

    ced it on his tail.

    Analise gently squeezed his tail. "Can we wait a little longer? At least until we get

    back to the Stormw Alliance."

    She still remembered what Echo had

    told her, Before getting the

    necessary enhancements to

    strengthen her body, she couldn''t

    mate with Fiy.

    But kissing and hugging were still okay.

    "Mhm." Fiy nibbled on Analise''s shoulder, a hint of grievance in his touch.

    "Don''t kiss my shoulders and neck. It tickles..." Analise pushed him away, though her legs still felt a little weak.

    "Then, shall we bond when we return to the Stormw Alliance?"

    Fiy pressed his neck against hers, his lips grazing her corbone as he asked in a coaxing tone.

 Chapter 66

    "How exactly does this type of contract work?"

    Analise was still a little confused about the whole binding process.

    The books she had read only touched on it briefly, never going into much detail. Then again, she admitted to herself, she probably hadn''t been reading the right kind of books.

    She wasn''t sure if forming a contract was like getting a marriage certificate in the human era, where you went somewhere, got a document, and signed and stamped it.

    "It involves tattooing the female''s true form on the male''s left wrist. But since you''re purely human, Ana, we''ll tattoo your human form instead," Fiy exined.

    Before she could process his words fully, he pulled her into a hug, lowering his head to kiss her.

    He couldn''t help himself. Getting a positive answer from his little female made something deep inside him stir with instinctive joy. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and do so much more.

    "Then what about the females? Do they get tattoos too?" Analise managed to ask, her lips barely parting.

    Fiy took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, stealing her breath until she had to push him away.

    Tattoos were just body art, but Analise wondered if the tattooing methods in this interster beast world were the same as those used in the human era.

    She had heard they were quite painful.

    "No, females don''t get tattoos."

    Fiy''s body reacted instinctively. He lifted Analise into his arms and gently ced her on the bed in the resting cabin.

    "A female''s body is delicate. How could we subject her to tattooing?

    "Instead, a special binding ne was crafted, strung with different starstones. Each of the starstones represents a mate. The color of the starstone indicated the male''s spiritual power level, with his true form engraved upon it.

    "In the past, this was used to distinguish mates of different ranks. But I heard that nowadays, they mostly use green starstones engraved with the male''s true form.

    "After all, a male''s spiritual power level can increase over time, and females with strong soothing abilities are allowed to take on more mates.

    "After some males experienced an increase in their spiritual power, they wanted to change the color of their starstones, which led to significant trouble. To prevent further issues, the Interster Alliance standardized all starstones to green."

    Fiy tucked Analise under the nket. "Get some rest, Ana. It''ll be dark soon, and I''ll make you something to eat."

    With that, Fiy hurried out of Analise''s cabin.

    Raising an eyebrow, Analise watched his retreating figure. He was probably off to take a cold shower to cool himself down.

    Was it really that intense? Just a kiss, and...

    Shey there for a moment, lost in thought, before turning her focus inward and calling out to Echo.

    Without Echo, Analise felt uneasy.

    Echo was like money in the human era. One might not use it all the time, but one couldn''t be without it. It

    could be incredibly useful in critical moments!

    "Echo? Echo?"

    No response.

    The connection was still there, but there was no reply.

    "Echo? Are you there?"

    She tried calling several more times, but silence was her only answer.

    With no other choice, Analise opened the system panel to check her current purification value.

    The panel disyed her purification value: 3,500. She needed another 1,500 to level up.

    3,500...

    Today, Analise had soothed Karl, an SS-grade male, along with rice and four other S-grade males.

    rice probably didn''t count.

    That meant soothing an SS-grade male earned her 1,500 points, while an S- grade male gave 500.

    Before reaching rank 2, she had only soothed Fiy, an S-grade, and Derek, a newly advanced SS-grade. That added up to exactly 2,000 points. 500 from Fiy and 9,500 from Derek.

    But why didn''t rice count? Was it because she was half-robot?

    Yet the Vexoth venom had been real... hadn''t it?

    Analise couldn''t figure it out, so she decided to stop dwelling on it.

    For now, all she needed was to soothe a few more males to earn the remaining purification points and reach rank 3. Once that was done, she could unlock the reward store and purchase other essentials.

    In an unfamiliar world, having the right survival tools was crucial.

    With that in mind, she considered getting a portable space, which was a must- have for any transmigrator.

    While the interster Therian world had pocket drives avable to everyone, these mass-produced items were prone to damage in battle.

 Chapter 67

    So, it was best to find a portable space directly within the system''s store that Analise could control with her mind. That way, she wouldn''t have to worry about damage.

    Analise could also buy other life-saving gadgets and weapons.

    That''s why she needed to work even harder at purifying.

    In case the system lost contact with her again or cut her off entirely, she''d be mentally prepared.

    Lost in thought, Analise unconsciously rolled over, her fingers brushing against one of the beads on her bracelet.

    "Ana, please verify your iris."

    She hesitated for a moment before sitting up and scanning her iris against the bead.

    "Verification sessful."

    "Ana, I miss you so much. When will I see you again?

    This time, there was no illusory space.

    It sounded like a recording.

    "Ana, it''s been three years since you left. Today, I finally did it. I finally managed to record my voice into the star stone.

    "I miss you so much, Ana. I keep wondering when I''ll see you again. When you fell from the sky, it was like a brilliant meteor crashing right in front of me.

    "At that moment, I thought my wish hade true. That I had really met someone from beyond the stars. That there were other worlds out there, waiting beyond the heavens.

    "Ana, I thought you were a divine messenger sent to save me. But when you told me you were just an ordinary woman... I have to admit, I was a little disappointed."

    Analise noticed that while the voice belonged to Gideon, it sounded more childlike than the one she had heard in person.

    So, this must be a recording from when Gideon was a child or at least from several years ago.

    Fell from the sky?

    That did match the characteristics of her time travel.

    But it didn''t make sense. This was her first time traveling through time, and she hadn''t lost any memories.

    Then what exactly was going on?

    Could it be that in the future, she somehow traveled back to Gideon''s childhood again?

    The more Analise thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

    As she pondered the possibility, Gideon''s childlike voice continued.

    "Ana, they still tease me from time time, just like before. But I

    what you said. I know I''ll

    outstanding interster

    one

    day.

    "When that happens, I''ll invent a time machine so I can see you again. Ana, I miss you so much.

    "Yesterday, another meteor shower passed by. I made a wish, just like always. I still wished to be an interster scientist, but this time, I also wished to see you again.

    "Ana, am I being too greedy? They say wishes don''te true if you say them out loud."

    A brief silence followed. Just when Analise thought Gideon had finished speaking, his voice came through once more.

    "It doesn''t matter what anyone says. Ana, I will build that time machine. I will find you even if I have to go beyond the stars."

    This time, the voice finally fell silent.

    Analise stared at the bead in silence for a long time.

    Had she really let her wild side loose to the point of not even sparing a child?

    And why did the way he kept calling her her name over and over feel so satisfying?

    There was a soft rapping at the door.

    "Come in," she said.

    She stood, reaching for a coat.

    The days were warm, but the nights carried a noticeable chill.

    "Ana, we''re heading back to the Stormw Alliance today. As for the other

    alliances that need help, I''ve asked them to wait their turn.

    "The Stormw Alliance still has unfinished business, and I don''t feelfortable

    letting Fiy take you alone to appease their males.

    "So, I told them to bring the males infected with Vexoth venom to the Stormw

    Alliance themselves. That way, things will be easier for you.

    "After all, you get starship-sick. You''re not suited for long space travel."

    Scott walked in, still carrying the food Fiy had prepared.

    "I heard they just released a new pocket drive. They call it that, butzit was actually invented to restrain males who are out of control, making it easier to transport them for treatment."

 Chapter 68

    "A pocket drive? Used to contain out-of-control males?"

    Analise blinked and blew gently on her hot bowl of mushroom soup.

    "Yes, this one''s a bit smaller than the standard models. It''s a recent release, and apparently, it''s quite popr."

    Scott nodded.

    "Are we taking off now?" Analise asked, just as she heard the low rumble of the starship and felt it begin to move.

    Then, that familiar wave of weightlessness hit her.

    In an instant, Analise''s mind went nk. A sharp ringing filled her ears, and a relentless buzzing clouded her thoughts.

    The bowl slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor. Doubling over, she clutched her chest as a wave of nausea surged through her.

    What was happening? Was it because Echo was too far away, weakening the novice protection mechanism?

    The thought sent a shiver down her spine, but it only strengthened her resolve. She needed to earn more purification points, exchange them for credits, and buy useful items.

    But that would have to wait until Echo returned.

    A deep sense of unease settled over her.

    "Ana!" Scott''s expression tightened. "Are you getting starship sickness again?"

    She groaned.

    It was too much.

    She barely had the strength to respond, and the dizziness made it impossible to stand.

    "Contact Fiy immediately!" Scott pulled up his interface without hesitation.

    As soon as the call connected, he spoke urgently. "Fiy, bring the strongest rity tonic you''ve got. Ana''s getting starship sickness again."

    Gently, he eased Analise onto the bed before stepping into the corridor to grab some warm water from the dispenser bot.

    "Do you want some water to help with the difort? Fiy will be here soon," Scott said, helping Analise sit up as he held a cup to her lips.

    Momentster, Fiy rushed into Analise''s cabin, carrying a vial of rity tonic. "Ana, drink this," he urged.

    Instead of handing it to Scott, Fiy pushed past him and fed the tonic to Analise himself. It wasn''t about seeking attention; it was just pure concern.

    The bitterness hit her instantly. Grimacing, she blurted out, "I need water! It''s too bitter!"

    Almost instinctively, she grabbed the cup from Scott and took a deep gulp.

    "What was that made of? It''s so

    bitter! Even drinking water doesn''t

    help. The bitterness still lingers. But I

    have to admit, the dizziness and

    have to

    ringing in my ears have eased a

    little."

    Fiy watched as a dribble of liquid traced the curve of Analise''s lips His mind drifted back to their kiss from earlier, and heat crept up his face. He quickly turned away, grabbing a tissue to gently wipe her mouth.

    "Are you feeling any better?" he asked, concernced in his voice.

    "A little. My head''s clearer, and I''m not as dizzy anymore. But my mouth is unbearably bitter." Analise looked like she might cry. "Do you have any candy? Anything sweet?"

    "I don''t have any candy... But I do have some nutritional supplements. They taste better than that, at least." He hesitated before adding, "Do you want one?"

    Analise wrinkled her nose. "Forget it. I''d rather just suffer through the bitterness." She waved him off with a dramatic sigh.

    "How about something to neutralize the taste? I''ll get you another bowl of soup." Scott stood up and summoned a cleaning robot to mop up the spilled porridge.

    "No, thanks. I don''t have an appetite." Analise shook her head. "I think I''ll go check out the ship''s front cabin."

    Ding!

    Ding!

    Two distinct notification tones chimed. One from Scott''s wrist-mounted interface and the other from Fiy''s.

 Chapter 69

    "Why is security calling me at this hour?" Scott frowned but answered the call.

    "Commander Hopkins, Sawyer has escaped! His starship is closest to your location. Please intercept him!"

    "Escaped? How?" Scott''s expression darkened.

    "It was my mistake," the voice on the other end hesitated for a moment. "We hadn''t gotten far from the Ironhorn Alliance when we encountered a fleet of starships. They looked just like the Stormw Alliance''s ships, so I assumed they

    were yours.

    "Once the starship connected, I saw you, or at least, I thought I did. Looking back, it must have been your twin brother. It''s been five years since hisst escape. I never expected him to show up so suddenly, so when he asked for the prisoner... I handed him over."

    The person on the other end sighed. "It''s my fault for being careless and not verifying things properly."

    "I was originally part of the Ironhorn Alliance. It wouldn''t have seemed strange for me to suddenly

    show up and ask for the prisoner."

    Scott clenched his fist unconsciously as a face identical to his own shed through his mind.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll go after him now."

    "Good. I''ll work with you to capture Sawyer... and your brother, Sean."

    Scott''s serious tone sent a ripple of tension through Analise.

    Earlier, he had muttered about why the security force was calling him at this hour before answering the phone. Now, Analise could hear that someone had escaped.

    It had to be Sawyer.

    Meanwhile, Analise could see Fiy''s interface.

    However, the moment Fiy saw who had sent the message, he quickly turned off his device. Yet, the notification sound kept ringing.

    "Why not check your messages?" Analise raised an eyebrow, resting a hand on his shoulder. "We can read them together. If you''re unsure how to reply, I can give you some suggestions."

    "No!" Fiy rejected the idea immediately at the mention of suggestions.

    "Haha, it''s nothing important. Just a salesperson, I added before," he said, rubbing his nose and avoiding her gaze. "They''re probably trying to sell me something new."

    "Alright, if it''s something good, you should buy it," Analise teased, smiling as she decided to stop messing with her adorable little Wolfie.

    Still, for a brief moment, she''d caught a glimpse of one of the messages shing across Fiy''s screen.

    "Just use your charm! You can''t let a guy you just met outshine you, can you?"

    It was clear who had been advising Fiy.

    As long as they weren''t bad people, it didn''t matter.

    "Ana, you should rest. I''ll take charge from here. Sawyer escaped, and the

    security team asked me to help intercept him."

    Scott nced at Analise, then at Fiy. "Stay with Ana, just in case."

    Fiy gave a nod.

    Inside a small vi in Stormw Alliance City, a fox-eared, fox-tailed maley sprawled across thep of a slightly plump female. Suddenly, he sneezed.

    "Achoo!"

    She gently stroked his tail, her voice carrying a hint of yful annoyance. "Caught a cold? I told you it was only just starting to warm up, butyou insisted on going into the forest..."

    "No, it just got itchy all of a sudden. Maybe that kid is badmouthing me." Then, his expression softened as he added, "It''s a good thing you didn''t catch a cold, Abigail. As long as you''re okay."

    Lifting his head, he nuzzled against her neck. "I just wanted to make you happy.

    You said you wanted to go to the forest before, didn''t you?"

    He nced up, carefully studying her expression. "Are you mad at me?"

    "I''m worried about you." Abigail couldn''t help but press a soft kiss to his lips when

    she saw his pitiful expression. "You''re not in the best of health, you know."

    But instead of reassuring her, the man took advantage of her tenderness, deepening the kiss until he stole her breath away. By the time he finally let her go, she was gasping for air.

    With reddened eyes and an aggrieved look, he murmured, "I''m fine... as long as you''re happy."

    "You..." Abigail let out a helpless sigh before deliberately pinching his tail a little harder.

    "Mmm... Abigail, that hurts a little." His fox-like tail twitched before curling around her arm.

    "Stop that!" She quickly pulled away. "Isn''t your little buddy waiting for you to give him advice on how to pursue a girl?"

 Chapter 70

    "You know," one of them remarked, "your little brother used to be as clueless as a wooden dummy. Now he''s actually trying to chase a girl."

    Abigail responded casually, "Well, he does have a nice smile. Those big white teeth do him favors. Isn''t he good-looking?"

    "What about me?" The fox-eared male paused his typing, immediately shutting down his interface. "Looks like I haven''t been keeping you satisfiedtely..."

    After Scott left, Analise decided to follow him and see what was going on. She grabbed Fiy''s hand and pulled him along.

    Fiy felt a little lightheaded as her warm, delicate fingers wrapped around his wrist.

    Whenever they passed other male therians on the starship, Fiy couldn''t help but hold his head a little higher.

    "There''s no need to be like that," Analise said, noticing Fiy''s slight vanity. She paused for a moment, then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

    The passing men stared, both shocked and envious.

    "Ana..."

    "Come on, let''s go see if we can help. I don''t want to just sit around and wait for death. Besides, I''m curious to see how much Sean resembles him."

    Caught off guard by the sudden public kiss, Fiy blushed. Lowering his head, he quickly took Analise''s hand and led her toward the starship''s front cabin.

    In truth, Analise had another reason. She wanted to find out if Sean was a transmigrator. After all, a sudden recovery and a drastic personality shift were ssic signs in transmigration novels.

    Analise also wondered if this person had a system and why he was helping the insectoids.

    Could Echo''s Ophir be connected to him?

    In the front cabin of the starship, Scott stared intently at a small red dot on the control panel, his expression serious. "How much longer until we catch up?" he asked.

    It seemed he was speaking to the man beside him.

    "About five minutes," the operator replied. "Their starship isn''t moving forward anymore. It looks like they''re waiting for us."

    There was a note of uncertainty in his voice.

    "Are you waiting for us?" Scott''s eyes darkened as a fleeting image shed through his mind.

    With it came the echo of his mother''s voice.

    "Scott, promise me that no matter what happens, you will spare your brother''s life.

    He is your brother, not a stranger. He''s just... temporarily..."

    "Scott, is that red dot Sawyer''s location?"

    Scott''s thoughts scattered as he was jolted back to reality, a thin sheen of sweat forming on his forehead.

    "Yeah, that''s him," he said.

    Analise''s face had gone pale. "Are you okay? You don''t look well."

    "I''m fine," Scott muttered, shaking

    his

    bet

    Just thinking about some

    series." He refocused e

    control panel.

    the

    "Tell everyone to stay sharp. If he''s bold enough to wait for us out in the open, he''s got something up his sleeve."

    A few minutester, Analise gazed out the starship''s viewport and took in the scene outside.

    Another starship hovered opposite theirs, its bow visible but the rest obscured from view.

    Through the front cabin of the opposing vessel, she spotted a figure standing inside.

    Momentster, a video call request came through to their starship.

    Scott''s grip tightened as he epted the call.

    "Long time no see, dear brother."

    The face on the screen was a perfect match to Scott''s, except for a small ck mole near the nostril.

    At a nce, it was almost impossible to tell them apart.

    Analise noticed the mole only because of her fondness for fictional men.

    Some characters had moles that were simply captivating.

    Sean was no exception.

    But this

    Oght wasn''t the time to get

    in appearances. The

    had already made the first move, and it was a verbal strike.

    "Scott, have you been having trouble sleeping or eating these past few days? After all, our mother''s death anniversary ising up soon."

    The person on the screen pinched his chin, pretending to be thoughtful, but his expression was filled with malice.

    "Let me think... Which day was it? Tomorrow? No. The day after tomorrow? Still wrong."

    He smiled wickedly, counting on his fingers.

    "Ah!" He suddenly eximed, mming his fist into his other hand. "It''s in three days, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 71

    Analise frowned. This person had to be someone else in disguise.

    If he were truly Scott''s brother, given how much their mother loved him, he would never use her to provoke Scott. Wouldn''t he miss her too?

    Scott''s expression turned cold. "Sean! That''s enough!"

    His sudden outburst startled Analise and the other therians around them.

    Only the man across from them remained unfazed, his smirk widening in amusement.

    "Enough? Oh, we''re just getting started," Sean said, narrowing his eyes. "I even brought you a gift this year."

    With a simple gesture, a man and a woman stepped forward, standing side by side with him.

    When Scott saw the woman, his pupils contracted sharply.

    "She... She... she!" Fiy was so stunned that he could only point at her, stammering incoherently.

    "She''s...?"

    A sense of unease crept over Analise. She desperately hoped it wasn''t who she feared.

    "Mom."

    Scott''s voice was barely a whisper.

    "She''s Scott''s mother!"

    Fiy, on the other hand, blurted it out in shock.

    "Sean! What the hell are you trying to do?" Scott''s eyes burned with fury.

    "Mom is dead! So, why would you create a fake woman who looks exactly like her? Is it guilt? Do you feel guilty for causing her death? Or are you happy that even in death, she still protected you?

    "And now what? Are you using this... thing to threaten me? Do you actually expect me to treat a half-robot like my mother?"

    Scott was so enraged that the veins on his neck and arms stood out.

    "Scott, calm down," Analise said, reaching out to grab his arm.

    But she knew Scott couldn''t possibly calm down at that moment.

    If she were in his shoes...

    Analise pressed her lips together.

    "Ana, calm Scott down..."

    A slight tremor ran through the air, and Fiy''s voice carried a hint of pain.

    Only then did Analise realize that Scott''s mental power was spiraling out of control again.

    All the others, except for Analise, were nearly crushed under the weight of Scott''s energy.

    "Scott! Scott!"

    Analise called out twice more, but Scott remained agitated, his thoughtsrestless and unsteady. He understood Sean''s intentions, yet when it came to their mother, Ke couldn''t keep his emotions incheck. He refused to let her name be

    dragged through the mud.

    It wasn''t that his mother didn''t love him. She simply loved his brother more. Scott

    had always known that.

    "Sean! No! You''re not Sean, are you?" Analise stepped in front of Scott, confronting the figure before her.

    Not Sean?

    Scott''s gaze dropped, settling on the top of Analise''s head as her words echoed in his mind. Why did she say something so simr, yet sopletely opposite, to what their mother had always insisted?

    His mother had never doubted it. Sean was still Sean. He had never left.

    Scott had always thought his mother''s words were absurd.

    But now...

    "Oh? You must be Ms. Chamber." Sean waved his hand, dismissing both the man

    and the robotic woman.

    Now, only Sean remained on the screen.

    "How adorable."

    He casually examined his fingers.

    "There''s no record of you in

    any

    the alliance''s databases. Coret

    be

    t you''re one of my t

 Chapter 72

    "You consort with the Vexoth. I could never consider you one of my own." Analise''s gaze hardened, her voice colder than ever.

    "Consort with?" Sean paused, mulling over the words. "No, no, Ms. Chamber, I think there''s been a misunderstanding. Even if we stand on opposite sides, isn''t that a bit harsh?"

    Analise''s eyes remained steely. "Which side are you on? And who exactly are you?"

    Sean spread his hands with a casual grin. "I''m Sean. Maybe not the Sean they know, but he''s still Sean. After all, there are countless worlds. Why should there be only one of me? You understand what I mean, don''t you, Ms. Chamber?"

    How could she not? It was a ssic transmigration scenario. Same name, different person. Sean wasn''t Sean, but he was a Sean. He was himself, just no longer the original.

    "As for my stance..." Sean paused. "Would you believe me if I said I didn''t have one?"

    "No stance? Then why conspire with the Reimers and help spread Vexoth venom?" Analise scoffed, clearly skeptical.

    "Many women in period dramas scheme to secure their family''s future. Me? I''m just trying to survive."

    Analise raised a brow, giving him a weird look. "Men watch period dramas?"

    Sean rolled his eyes. "And why not? Besides, you''re missing the point."

    She narrowed her gaze, noticing something off about the way he moved earlier. It was almost as if he''d been jolted by electricity. "Are you..."

    "Yes!" Sean cut in before she could finish. Then, after a beat, he added, "I was just trying to provoke Scott."

    That wasn''t it. Analise locked eyes with Sean, noticing the slight flicker in his gaze as if he were trying to keep her from asking that question.

    "You really have no shame. You stole your mother''s love, killed her, and now you want to provoke Scott," Analise sneered.

    Scott, whose wrist was still gripped by Analise, was momentarily stunned. He looked down in surprise at the much shorter girl.

    Was she standing up for him?

    Even the gentle Ana was getting angry on his behalf. Did that mean he held a special ce in her heart?

    Scott took a deep breath, pushing aside the distracting thoughts. Slowly, he regained control of his mental energy.

    Around them, the other men seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, as if an overwhelming pressure had suddenly lifted.

    "Oh my, Ms. Chamber, you''re quite fierce," Sean remarked with a slight smile. But I have to say, I find it rather adorable. I think we''d get along."

    This time, Analise said nothing.

    nove

    Echo was offline, and Analise had no idea how to help Scott.

    Just moments ago, his eyes had held a glimmer of hope, and he was silently

    pleading for her assistance.

    Maybe none of this had been his choice.

    But she couldn''t be sure.

    She couldn''t just take his word for it simply because they were both

    transmigrators.

    What if this was all an act?

    "We''re not the same," Analise said.

    Sean''s smile wasn''t the exaggerated, wicked grin from before. This time, it carried a sense of relief.

    "How can you be so sure, Ms. Chamber?" he mused. "There''s still plenty of time."

    "I

    cel won''t have the pleasure

    of

    with Ms. Chamber today. meet again." Sean waved a

    . "I''ll be taking Sawyer with me."

    The moment he finished speaking, themunication link was severed. On the opposing starship, the figure in the front cabin moved briefly before vanishing.

    "Did he just hang up?" Fiy frowned, ncing at Analise before turning to Scott. "Scott, what now? Are we still going after your brother?"

    "Yes."

    Scott''s fingers flew over the control panel as he issuedmands. Then, without missing a beat, he turned and strode forward.

    "Fiy, take some people and guard Ana. The rest of you,e with me. We''re going after that traitor, Sean!"

 Chapter 73

    Several small starships streaked past, likely escorting the security force.

    From the operations room, Analise and Fiy watched the situation unfold. Before any conflict could break out on their end, two starships collided in the distance.

    The one behind had rammed straight into the one ahead.

    Analise noticed that both starships bore patterns resembling bird feathers.

    "Those belong to the Shadowhawk Alliance," Fiy said, his voice tinged with unease. "Their stance has been shaky for a while. They''re one of the few remaining neutral factions, along with the Ironhorn Alliance."

    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Analise asked, scanning the horizon. "Neutral parties don''t pick sides. Maybe they''re just passing through."

    From one of the starships, smaller vesselsunched as the massive ship itself descended, faint mes flickering along its hull. Meanwhile, the other ship, which was the culprit, hovered motionless in mid-air.

    "Well... They''re considered neutral because they attack indiscriminately," Fiy muttered, his eyebrow twitching.

    "Oh... That''s a problem, isn''t it?" Analise''s expression grew serious.

    Just then, an unknown star traveler attempted to initiate an interster call to her.

    Without hesitation, Analise declined the call.

    "Someone''s calling you? Why didn''t you answer?" Fiy asked, ncing at her while keeping an eye on the scene outside.

    "It''s an unknown user. I don''t want to answer," she said simply.

    The starship shook slightly, and Analise and Fiy tensed up, looking outside.

    It turned out the bird-feather starship had rammed another starship.

    They were really reckless, and it seemed that starships could take quite a hit.

    It had already rammed two others, yet it remained unscathed, while the other two

    were burning, with many small shipsunching from them.

    A notification sounded.

    Another interster call from an unknown user.

    Analise nced at it and realized it seemed to be the same one as before.

    After a moment''s hesitation, she answered.

    "Looks like we meet again, little female."

    Gideon''s face appeared on Analise''s screen.

    "How about that interster bumper car? They were nothingpared to mine."

    His demeanor seemed different from when they met face-to-face.

    At the Ironhorn Alliance Lordship Estate, his clothes were wrinkled as if he''d been wearing them for days. His hair was long and messy.

    If it weren''t for his face, Analise would never have tolerated Gideon hugging her back at the Lordship Estate. But now, he was preening like a peacock, deliberately showing off his outfit.

    "So, little female, what do you think? Not bad, fight? This ancient-style robe from the human era was custom-made." Gideon stepped back a few paces, giving Analise a full view.

    She had to admit, it was impressive. Even his shoes looked like something straight out of a period drama.

    So, the interster world had cosyers too?

    "Not bad. It looks good," Analise acknowledged. The outfit was undeniably striking.

    It seemed Gideon had even done something to his hair. His usually messy, long locks were now

    tied back, with a few braids woven in and draped over his shoulders.

    "I knew you''d like it." Gideon beamed, looking momentarily like an excited child. "Why did you attack those guys? Aren''t they part of your alliance?" Analise asked. Gideon shrugged. "Even dogs bite their owners sometimes. They need a lesson, or they''ll forget who they belong to."

    Analise was speechless.

    So, there was some internal conflict.

    "Have you seen all the starstones?" Gideon asked with a smile, breaking the awkward silence.

    "No," Analise shook her head. "But I heard a recording."

    "Got it."

    Gideon leaned in closer, filling the screen with only his upper body.

    It made it easier for Analise to take in his sharp features.

    "Things are urgent right now, so I''ll skip the small talk. We can chatter. For now,

    we need to catch Sawyer and Sean together."

    His expression darkened. "We have to capture Sean today."

    Analise frowned.

    "Why? I thought the Shadowhawk Alliance was neutral. Why are you getting involved with someone working with the Reimers?"

    "Because of you." Gideon lowered his gaze and took out a spatial storage device from his pocket. "This pocket drive was specially made for Sean."

 Chapter 74

    A custom pocket drive?

    Was that the same kind of pocket drive Scott mentioned before? So, Gideon created these?

    "Wait for me. This time, we''re going to catch him," Fiy said, ending the interster call.

    Outside, the bird-feather starship began to move again. Several smaller starships detached, fanning out to surround Sean''s starship.

    The formation tightened, forming an imprable ring around his ship.

    They approached cautiously, even hailing him, but there was no response.

    The encircling ships closed in, but the starships at the center remained eerily still.

    There were no warnings, no desperate struggle, not even a sound.

    It simply hovered, silent and motionless.

    "Scott, be careful. What if Sean is setting a trap and nning to use a diversion to escape?"

    Analise sent a voice message to Scott through her interface.

    "Mm."

    Scott responded with a short hum.

    "Sean, there''s nowhere left to run. You might as welle out now," Gideon announced, speaking through some kind of device. Analise could hear his voice echoing inside her starship.

    "He sounds awfully sure of himself," Analise remarked with a smirk.

    "I heard he''s the youngest scientist in the Shadowhawk Alliance," Fiy said. "A bit entric, but supposedly brilliant in his research."

    "Oh? Is he really that talented?" Analise nced down at the bracelet on her wrist.

    "Yeah, I think so," Finn admitted, his gaze also drifting to the bracelet. A flicker of jealousy shed in his eyes.

    Fiy hugged Analise, pouting like a child. "He''s trying to seduce you. He just met you, and he''s already trying to seduce you!"

    "Pfft... Where did you even learn to say that? Hahaha!" Analise couldn''t help butugh.

    From what she had gathered about Fiy over the past few days, seduce didn''t seem like a word he''d naturally use.

    "Hmph... Never mind that," Fiy huffed, nuzzling against her shoulder through her clothes. "I''m telling you, he has ulterior motives.

    He looked like a mess before.

    and

    now he''s strutting around like a peacock!"

    "You already have the title, so what''s there to be afraid of? Besides, don''t you have your strategist?" Analise teased, not bothering to soften her words.

    "No..." Fiy nced away awkwardly, as if he''d been caught sneaking around.

    "The first wife needs to show some dignity," Analise chuckled, giving his shoulder a pat.

    "First wife?" Fiy frowned. "What do you mean?"

    "Ask your strategist if you don''t get it," Analise sighed, exasperated.

    It was a good thing she found Fiy''s innocent charm endearing. Otherwise, he wouldn''t stand a ance against the others. Atleast he had the advantage of time.

    Outside, the starship finally stirred.

    The starship slowly began to move, and the surrounding smaller ships suddenly parted, as if someone was deliberately clearing a path for its escape.

    "Traitors? Who is it?" Scott''s expression darkened as he gripped the controls of his small starship. Without hesitation, he gave chase.

    Gideon let out a dry chuckle. "So, that''s his game. I was wondering why he was being so cooperative. It turns out he was just biding his time."

    Clearly, even Gideon hadn''t anticipated this turn of events. But fortunately, he''d nted a tracking device earlier. Sean wouldn''t be slipping away so easily.

    "I underestimated Nelson," he

    muttered under his breath before

    switching from the small starship

    he''d used to board the main starship to a specially modified pursuit starship.

    Both small starships locked onto the same target.

    Gideon pushed his ship to maximum speed and crashed it into the massive starship.

    The impact sent a tremor through therger ship, tearing a small hole in its hull. Amidst the shower of sparks, a sleek silver starship emerged from within.

    Analise could barely make out the silhouette of a figure in the front cockpit.

 Chapter 75

    Three small starships weaved through the vast expanse of interster space, locked in a chaotic chase that left streaks of dazzling light in their wake.

    Meanwhile, the remaining starships closed in, encircling the rebels. The ones who had just cleared a path for Sean. It was clear they wouldn''t be allowed to escape alongside him.

    "Ana, keep that motion sickness remedy close. I''m about to pull some maneuvers," Fiy said, his focus sharpening in the face ofbat.

    Aware of Analise''s susceptibility to space travel sickness, he had been keeping the ship''s speed as low as possible.

    Eyes fixed on the control panel, Analise traced the cluster of red dots and pointed to a specific location. "There."

    "This is their most likely escape route. The Ironhorn Alliance is right behind us.

    "I''ll call Karl on the intersterms. Finally, take the ship to this position.

    "They''re not likely to escape toward the Ironhorn Alliance, so we just need to hold our ground and wait for Scott and the security forces to move in.

    "Hopefully, Gideon doesn''t go too crazy. He really would ram his ship if it came to that. Reckless doesn''t even begin to cover it."

    Analise pinched the bridge of her nose and took a swig of rity Tonic. Spending all day locked away doing research would drive anyone mad. "Yeah! I was thinking the same thing about blocking them here too."

    Fiy nodded, his long fingers pressing buttons on the control panel, iprehensible to Analise.

    As the starship sped forward, Analise quickly fought back her difort and contacted Karl via intersterms.

    After ending the call, she added Gideon as a friend in her contacts.

    With that done, Analise sat down in the seat next to Fiy, trying to adjust to the weightlessness and dizziness.

    Just as she massaged her temples, another interster call came through. It was Gideon again.

    This time, she didn''t hesitate and answered immediately.

    "Ana, be careful. Sean''s small starship can cloak itself. Even my ship can''t detect

    it."

    Gideon''s expression was much

    more serious than before, and Analise could see a hint of worry in his eyes. "You have to be careful. Make that dumb dog next to you protect you."

    "Who are you calling a dumb dog?" Fiy asked btedly, still maneuvering the ship.

    "Cloak?" Analise''s eyes flickered, and she paused for a moment.

    "Yeah, it just disappeared right in front of us," Gideon exined, seemingly still operating something. "My radar can''t pick him up."

    "Ana, do you have your Purification Bow?"

    Gideon looked up. "This opportunity is crucial. If Sean gets away this time, it''ll be hard to catch him again."

    Analise''s heart tightened. How did Gideon know about that?

    It was beyondprehension.

    "We''re running out of time, Ana! The outeryer of the pocket drive is already cracking, which means Sean has discovered it, and he''s attacking it." Gideon, too rushed to exin, spoke anxiously.

    "Stay where you are and aim your Purification Bow directly ahead at the starship. Its power can cover the entire pocket drive."

    "Ana, trust me, just like you trust me!" Gideon stared at the white cracks in the void of space, his heart pounding like a drum. Sean couldn''t be allowed to escape.

    "Ana, hurry! Use the Purification Bow

    as he says! There''s no time to

    exin! We need to stop ing

    Echo''s abrupt voice rang out giving Analise a sense of direction.

    Analise reached out, and a jade-green bow materialized in her hand, adorned with

    vine-like carvings that wrapped around the entire frame.

    This was the bow from Analise''s subconscious.

    She wasn''t sure if it came from an old cartoon or anime, but she remembered a protagonist with a bow using this translucent jade-green weapon.

    The moment her other hand touched the string, a Purification Bow appeared automatically.

    Setting aside the childhood toy bows made of branches, this was Analise''s first time properly drawing and shooting an arrow. Nervousness was inevitable.

    As she released her hand, the Purification Bow shot forward, piercing through the

    void as if it ignored the starship and leaving a bright trail in its wake.

    A small silver starship suddenly appeared not far in front of Analise.

    "There it is!"

 Chapter 76

    The sudden appearance of the silver starship made Analise''s pupils constrict. It was far too close.

    The starship was right next to the one Analise was currently on, seemingly trying to pass by.

    "Stop it! Fiy!" Gideon shouted. "If he gets away today, Ana will be in danger in the future!"

    Hearing Gideon say Analise would be in danger, Fiy almost instinctively aimed the starship''s weapons at the silver vessel.

    Gideon steered his own ship toward them at top speed.

    "Ana, they won''t be able to catch Sean. You need help. Aim the Purification Bow

    at Sean''s heart and sever their connection!" Echo spoke up again.

    "This is a newly added task. There will be a high reward of points uponpletion."

    The moment Analise heard there were points to earn, she didn''t hesitate.

    "Fiy, let''s go. We''re getting on the small starship." She pulled Fiy along. "Catch up to him, preferably from the front of the starship!"

    "Gideon, can interster calls have multiple participants? Connect me with Scott and the security force. And if possible, connect with Sean too!"

    Analise pursed her lips and asked Echo in her mind, "Is it possible that Sean was forcibly bound by another system and threatened to do these things?"

    "That''s its usual tactic."

    Echo''s answer confirmed her suspicion.

    "If the Purification Bow is aimed at his heart, will it only sever their connection, or will it also kill Sean?" Analise admitted she was being unnecessarily kind.

    But if Sean had truly been forcibly bound and threatened into doing these things, then perhaps he could be forgiven.

    At the very least, she couldn''t bring herself to end his life outright.

    Just as Sean had said, he was only trying to survive.

    No one wants to die.

    Inside the sleek silver starship, crackling energy hummed through the walls.

    "You really think that woman can save you?" The voice was cold, mocking. "Even

    if you''re both time travelers, she can''t help you."

    A surge of electric currents tore through Sean, pain searing every nerve in his body.

    He was gambling, of course. If he weren''t, he wouldn''t have deliberately flown past Analise''s starship.

    Sean could only hope she understood his silent plea. In this strange world, she was the only lifeline he had.

    Analise was a pure human. She couldn''t possibly have mental powers. It had to be her system.

    Why hadn''t he considered that before?

    "The reason you haven''t killed me is that you don''t have a recement, right? You need specific conditions

    Koond with someone else, don''t

    you?"

    Sean''s fingers twitched, barely able to grip the starship''s controls.

    "Isn''t that right?" He let out a strainedugh. "I must be right. You can''t just break the bond, can you?"

    "Every time I refuse toplete a

    task, you punish me instead of getting rid of me. That''s because you don''t have anyone else to take my ce, do you?  fo

    If you had a backup, you wouldn''t be threatening me. You''d just rece me."

    Sean''s voice hardened. "So, go ahead. Kill me. Or I''ll tell Analise everything I''ve learned from you."

    "Ugh..." Sean groaned as another jolt

    of electricity surged through him before he copsed onto the floor. "I can feel your sense of crisis. The Synatrix... you must have some kind of connection to them, right?"

    "Heh. Whether you live or die isn''t my concern." Sean''s system sneered coldly.

    "Argh!"

    Another, even stronger surge of electricity coursed through him.

    It wouldn''t kill him outright, but it would make him wish it had.

    Ding!

    The alert for an interster call request chimed. Gritting his teeth against the pain,

    Sean struggled to push himself up from the floor.

    Through his eyes, his system registered the caller.

 Chapter 77

    [New mission: Eliminate Analise Chamber!]

    [Live or die, the choice is yours.]

    The electric current stopped abruptly.

    Sean clutched his body, curled up tightly, and took several deep breaths before he felt like he was truly alive again.

    It took a long while before he managed to get up from the ground and epted Analise''smunication request.

    On the other end of the feed, Analise was visibly stunned when she saw Sean''s pale face.

    "It... punished you?"

    Sean didn''t speak. Instead, he maneuvered the silver starship and aimed its weapons at Analise''s smaller vessel.

    "I don''t want to die. Can you save me?"

    He stared at the young woman on the screen. Her delicate and striking features made Sean''s heart clench sharply, which was followed by a terrible headache.

    "Damn it! Of all times, why must she wake up now?" cursed Sean''s system.

    "Scotty... It wasn''t me," a soft, cool voice echoed, leaving Analise and Fiy both a little confused.

    "Analise!" Sean shook his head violently, then pointed a finger to his heart. "It''s in here! Please return my body to me. Please... Don''t let my consciousness go dormant again..."

    "Analise, I''m opening the starship''s hatch now!" Sean gritted his teeth through the splitting headache, fumbling through the control panel for the hatch release button through his blurred vision.

    "Hurry up! Analise, please hurry while my consciousness is in control!" Sean''s face turned even paler than before as he shouted to her.

    Hearing the two interchanging voices, Analise deduced that Sean''s real brother probably didn''t die.

    What a terrible system! How could it forcefully shove the soul of another living being into someone else''s body?

    Just then, several other starships caught up and surrounded Sean''s vessel.

    Scott, Gideon, the security force, and Analise''s own ship hadpletely encircled the silver starship.

    "Fiy! Now! While his ship is hovering, dock with his hatch right away!" Analise gripped the Purification Bow in her hands tightly.

    She had four Purification Arrows remaining. She had to make them count.

    This was her chance to earn points¡ªand more importantly, to save someone.

    Although capturing Sean might notpletely stop the spread of

    Vexoth-venom, it could at least

    suppress the system inside him for a while.

    "Isn''t this too dangerous?" Fiy worried for Analise''s safety.

    Even though he didn''t know how she managed to pull that bow of

    out of thin air, it didn''t stop hin ere

    from

    being concerned about her

    "It''ll be fine! We''ve got enough people. We''ll be okay!" Analise said firmly.

    She had the system on her side, after all. The system should be able to keep her safe.

    Now that she and the system were practically symbiotic, they needed each other.

    "Got it." Fiy studied the small ck dots on the disy, then nodded and got to work.

    If the young woman wasn''t afraid, then he had no reason to be either.

    Once Fiy docked their ship with the silver starship, Scott''s team moved in as well.

    Since the silver ship only had one docking hatch, Scott and Gideon connected through Fiy''s smaller vessel.

    The group stood at the hatch, weapons at the ready, prepared to counterfire the moment a fight broke out.

    "Damn you, Sean! You guys are really troublesome!" the system cursed.

    The moment Sean pressed the

    hatch release, the system inside him managed to wrest back control barely suppressing the real Sean''s jousness.

    ?wnovel

    "So you really want to die? Fine-I''ll grant your wish!" The system''s voice was sharp with rage.

    The moment the hatch opened, Analise heard Echo cry out.

    "Ophir, it really is you!"

 Chapter 78

    "Indeed, it is I, Ophir. I didn''t expect a nameless nobody like you to recognize me."

    Following the voice, Analise turned her gaze and saw a swirling ck ring glowing behind Sean.

    It resembled Echo, only differing in color-Echo was pure white, whereas Ophir was pitch ck.

    The two systems seemed to be visible only to Analise and Sean.

    Everyone had tense expressions as they stared at Sean. Only Analise carried a hint of concern in her gaze.

    At that moment, Sean''s face was pale as a sheet, and his lips were drained of

    color.

    Scott frowned. He''d seen Sean in this kind of situation before-so weak and out of sorts.

    But hadn''t his illness already been cured?

    It was then that he remembered-Sean did seem to have these episodes

    periodically, though nothing ever showed up in his checkups.

    And every time this happened, something terrible would follow.

    "Scotty..."

    Perhaps thanks to Echo''s suppression, Ophir was starting to lose control over Sean''s soul.

    Scott froze.

    That tone... It was unmistakable.

    How long had it been since he''d heard Sean call him that?

    Analise pressed her lips tightly together. Without any hesitation, she drew her Purification Bow and aimed it at Sean.

    Seeing Analise draw her bow, Ophir panicked and yelled, "Sean! Do you really want to die? Without me, your soul will be cast out from this body! You won''t survive!"

    At the moment, it had yet to find a suitable host. It couldn''t afford to have its ns disrupted like this.

    "I never agreed to this anyway," Sean replied as he struggled to his feet.

    "Hmph. You have no say in this!" Ophir retorted.

    In a sh, Ophir shot right into Sean''s body.

    When Sean opened his eyes, there was a ck halo around his irises.

    Under Ophir''s control, Sean said smugly, "What now?"

    He raised his hand, admiring the new body it had stolen.

    "Ophir, you never change! I''ve reported you to the main god. Soon, the others wille and apprehend you."

    Analise''s grip on the bow loosened slightly as she hesitated.

    The Purification Bow was a piece of purification equipment and a weapon simultaneously.

    As a weapon, the damage it could inflict was not much different from regr bows. In fact, it might be even more powerful.

    "What should I do? There are two souls inside," Analise whispered, asking Echo.

    The two consciousnesses within

    Sciousnesses within

    Sean struggled for control,

    gave the Sean who transmiicmet Sean who trahe

    to shout out

    "Just shoot, Analise! The system is bound to me. It... It won''t let me die!"

    "Analise, there''s no other way right now," Echo urged.

    "But Sean is..." Despite Analise''s hesitation, she still released the arrow.

    Of course, Ophir wouldn''t just stand still.

    It forced Sean''s body to dodge sideways-the arrow grazed his arm, slicing open the skin and drawing blood.

    "Fire!"

    After some internal struggling, Scott gave the order the moment Analise''s arrow missed.

    "Man,

    brother? Gideon asked in

    le ruthless. Isn''t that your

    Gideon asked in confusion.

    g that, he pulled out a els

    prepared pocket drive.

    "He''s not my brother. At least, not right now."

    Scott''s voice was cold and steady. He lifted his ster and pointed it straight at Sean.

    At the same time, Analise readied another arrow.

    She had three Purification Arrows

    left. If she couldn''t strike

    Sean''s

    hear those three shots

    of

    would''ve been in vain.

    "The heart, huh?" Scott tightened his grip on his ster, recalling what Sean had

    said earlier.

    While Analise was hesitating, Scott was calm and resolute.

 Chapter 79

    "Are you really going to kill your own brother?" Ophir seemed to sense Scott''s intent. "Then again, your mother died because of him, didn''t she?"

    "Shut up!" Scott''s hand trembled as the memory surged in his mind. Without hesitation, he fired a shot.

    Regardless, Ophir dodged the sudden attack.

    "Be careful, Analise. Ophir is probably trying to switch hosts. People are most vulnerable to possession when emotionally unstable," Echo warned.

    It could protect Analise from Ophir''s influence, but not the others.

    "Scott, don''t let it manipte your emotions. This isn''t Sean''s fault, and it''s not yours either," Analise reminded him.

    She then turned to Gideon, asking, "Can your pocket drive restrain him?"

    "No guarantees." He, too, noticed Sean''s strange behavior.

    If it were an ordinary therian-even SSS-grade-he''d have full confidence. But there seemed to be more to Sean than met the eye.

    "A nobody like you thinks you can ruin my ns? You really think I can''t deal with you?"

    Controlling Sean''s body, Ophir pressed a button on the starship''s console.

    In the next moment, Sawyer and the female who bore an uncanny resemnce to Scott''ste mother appeared before them.

    The two of them were ced inside a cryotank and seemed to be in cryosleep.

    Through Ophir''s maniption, the two were released from the cryotank.

    "Analise..." Sean''s face suddenly twitched-his consciousness briefly resurfaced. "Don''t worry about me. Just destroy it."

    "Scotty... Help me..."

    "Shut up! All of you, shut up!"

    Sean''s expressions and voice kept shifting as the two souls wrestled control from each other.

    Scott''s grip tightened. With no hesitation, he fired again.

    Somehow, he missed.

    "Although this is a bizarre sight, now''s not the time to panic." Calmer than everyone around him, Gideon threw his pocket drive forward.

    A secondter, everyone on the starship vanished into an inky ck space.

    The sudden darkness made Analise tense up, but someone reached out and held her hand.

    "Are you scared, Ana?" It was Gideon''s voice.

    Warm fingers brushed against her cheek, and something was ced gently over her face.

    Once fitted, her vision cleared immediately.

    "So, this is the inside of the pocket driver?" she whispered.

    "Yup. I''ve loaded it with weapons over the past few years. I''ve already activated auto-targeting. They''ve locked onto Sean," Gideon replied with a nod.

    He held onto a tablet-like device and operated it. "Now it''s your bow''s turn."

    "Can you hear me?" Gideon spoke into a mic and even blew at it to test if it was

    working.

    "Scott,

    left. As therians, your mind essence might still be able to suppress him," Gideon said after some thought.

    Man''s six feet to your

    The other silently acknowledged this. No one needed to say it aloud¡ªthey all knew something was wrong with Sean.

    Although having three souls in one body sounded absurd, from the look of things now, it didn''t seem entirely impossible.

    Hearing this, the group began to advance slowly.

    "You-the tallest one in the security force. You''re going the wrong way. He''s to your right," Gideon corrected immediately after noticing.

    Meanwhile, Analise had her bow drawn, aiming at Sean¡ªor rather, Ophir¡ªwho was moving around slowly.

    "Let''s hope this shot hits."

    Just as Scott and the others managed to restrain him, Analise shot the arrow.

    Because Sean was restrained this time, Analise managed tond the shot in his chest, but it missed the heart.

    "Ugh... Hahaha... You think that''s

    enough to get rid of me? You''re just a newborn system, aren''t you? How naive!" Ophir cackled through Sean''s mouth.

    "If I can''t destroy you, I''ll at least shut you up for a while."

    Analise took a few more steps forward and started drawing her arrow roughly 30

    feet away from Ophir.

 Chapter 80

    "Even so, that won''t save the Sean who transmigrated."

    As the voice faded, Sean''s body shut its eyes. A ck halo detached from him¡ª along with a faint, glowing white wisp.

    "While this pocket drive is able to restrain this body, it can''t keep me here. Analise, and you pesky little system... I''ll remember both of you."

    The voice slowly faded away within the pocket drive.

    With the souls of both Ophir and the transmigrator Sean now separated from the body, only the real Sean remained inside the body.

    "Scotty... I''m sorry..."

    Like a marite with its strings cut, Sean''s body copsed to the floor. No one caught him.

    Gideon narrowed his eyes. He thought he''d seen two different colored wisps just now...

    After he retrieved the pocket drive, everyone suddenly felt weightless-only to realize the silver starship had vanished.

    Gideon quickly activated the pocket drive again and operated the tablet, guiding the pocket drive to return to his own vessel.

    "That was close." Gideon let out a breath of relief. "Being exposed in space for too long would cause necrosis."

    "Does this mean... the mission isplete?" Analise frowned and asked Echo internally.

    Even with Ophir''s appearance, she hadn''t exposed the fact that she had a system inside her.

    However, Fiy had seen her summon the Purification Bow. How was she supposed to exin that?

    "Yes. The link between them has been severed. The real Sean will be weakened for a while, but he''ll survive. Given the unique situation, I repaired his heart. I''ll report the incident to the main god.

    "As for you, Analise, focus on purifying the Vexoth venom. There may be more missions in the future, but the rewards will be increased, too. Don''t worry, we are legitimate systems, unlike those rogue systems like Ophir," Echo answered.

    [Congrattions onpleting the special mission. The reward has been issued. Remaining points: 500]

    "By the way, for a half robot like rice does purifying her not count toward my Purification Value?"

    "Pending confirmation..."

    "Ophir and the Vexoths are different cases. Because of that, rice falls under a special circumstance. I''ll need to check with the main god.

    "Also, due to your performance, I''ll temporarily open the Reward Store for one day. If you want to exchange anything, do so before midnight," Echo added.

    "Got it."

    "What''s wrong, Ana? Are you feeling unwell?" Fiy noticed her uncharacteristic stillness.

    "I''m fine." Analise checked over Fiy briefly. "Are you all okay?"

    "Don''t worry, Ms. Chamber. We''re fine," replied one of the security force members. "We have to thank you and Mr. rke for your help this time."

    "Commander Hopkins." Nathan Lloyd-captain of the security force-walked up to Scott and exined, "We believe it''s necessary to tak@your brother to Interster Prison. Even though his case is unique, we still need further assessment.

    "But rest assured, we have witnessed what happened and understand his plight. If there really are other invaders like the Vexoths, then it would make your brother a victim too. He won''t be held O indefinitely."  s?novel

    "Understood. You can take him," Scott said with his eyes lowered.

    "His body is still weak. Make sure he gets enough nutrients during his treatment," Analise added.

    Everyone nced at the pale, unconscious Sean, falling silent.

    Nathan gave the order, and his men carried Sean away.

    As for Sawyer and the fake female that Ophir released earlier-because of the suppression from Scott''s mind essence and the suppression from Echo-they never had the chance to act.

    Naturally, Nathan took them as well.

    Soon, only four people remained on the starship: Analise, Gideon, Fiy, and Scott.

    "Ana, technically speaking, I did help you capture Sean. Don''t I get a reward?" Gideon grabbed Analise''s hand and immediately squished himself between her and Scott.

    Analise tried to pull her hand back, but Gideon held it tightly.

    "Ana... Do you not want me anymore? Is it because those two stole your heart?"

    He turned around and red at Fiy and Scott with exaggerated jealousy, clinging to Analise with pitiful puppy eyes.

 Chapter 81

    "Where did your feathers go?" Analise had no interest in witnessing a jealous brawl, so she quickly changed the subject.

    "They''re right here." Gideon pouted and pointed to the braids hanging beside his

    ears.

    "You braided them into your hair?" Analise leaned in for a closer look and finally spotted the soft ck feathers twined into his strands.

    Since both were dark, they were nearly invisible without close inspection. "Ana, do you want toe with me to the Shadowhawk Alliance?" Gideon grinned as he hovered near Analise, deliberately making subtle movements. He intentionally blocked Fiy and Scott, who were trying to approach.

    After all, the whole point of male rivalry was topete with others!

    "Gideon! Why you " After being nudged twice and blocked repeatedly, Scott finally lost his gentlemanlyposure.

    "What? Ana hasn''t said anything. What''s your problem? You want a fight?" Gideon turned around with a nk expression.

    But the next second, he switched expressions like a seasoned performer, tugging on Analise''s arm with a pitiful look. "Ana, look at him..."

    Analise was rendered speechless.

    She could feel the exhaustion kicking in.

    Surprisingly, Fiy-usually the clingy one-was unusually quiet.

    Analise looked over and saw him furiously typing on the screen at an extreme speed. If the interface had a physical keyboard, he''d have probably smashed it by

    now.

    Well then, it was time to consult the strategist again.

    "I''m tired. You guys can fight if you want. I''m going to bed." Analise turned around and headed to the smaller starship Fiy had piloted earlier.

    "Fiy, get over here and drive," she called out.

    "Coming!" Fiy turned off the interface and followed her in.

    Two envious and resentful res followed him until the hatch shut.

    "Mr. rke, since when did a researcher like you get so close to Ana?" Scott sneered. "You''re even addressing her so intimately. Are all members of the Shadowhawk Alliance as shameless as you?"

    "Oh,e on, Commander Hopkins." Gideon snorted. "You think courtship requires dignity? Besides, she probably just forgot. Once she remembers me..."

    Gideon intentionally trailed off, then grinned smugly as he walked to the console. "Commander Hopkins, are you staying behind so you cane with me to the Shadowhawk Alliance?"

    Scott pressed his lips tightly together and quickly exited Gideon''s starship.

    Scott might not be as good as Fiy at winning Analise over, but there was no way he would lose to Gideon, who just appeared out of nowhere, would he?

    The image of Analise letting Gideon hug her without protest unsettled him.

    Back on his own ship, Scott didn''t start the engines immediately. Instead, he was anonymously seeking on his interface.

    Previously, other Cosmoseek users had given him a lot of advice. He''d hesitated to follow them, but now...

    "If you''re confident about your physique, learn from that guardian you mentioned. Females can''t resist a strong, well-built male."

    "You''re a tiger therian, right? You can

    shift into your full form to win her

    over. The saying ''a tiger''s tail is off-limits is an outdated one from

    the human era. It sounds more like a joke she made. Maybe you misunderstood her."

    "Tiger tails are pretty simr to cat tails. Females love them. You need to be bolder."

    Scott read thosements again and again before finally reaching a decision.

    Back on the main vessel, he took the initiative to go to Analise''s cabin.

    At that moment, Analise was holding Fiy''s tail.

    Fiy''s face was bright red...

    Maybe it was instinctive male rivalry, but the first thought in his mind was that he was being provoked.

    Only afterward did he unwrap his tail from Analise''s wrist and ask Scott what he needed.

    In this situation... Scott hesitated.

    Suddenly, an old message he had read came to mind.

    "If you want to court a female, throw away your pride, even if you''re a

    firstOf you won''t loosen up, how

    could she ever fall for you?

    It was as though he had just had an enlightenment. He walked up to Analise,

    grabbed her hand, and ced it on his fuzzy ear.

    "Ana... Could you touch my ears and tail too?"

 Chapter 82

    Analise''s brow twitched.

    It would appear both Fiy and Scott were provoked by Gideon today. The moment they returned to the starship, both came rushing over to cozy up to her.

    The moment Fiy stepped aboard, he wrapped himself around her waist like a pitiful puppy, begging to be bossed around by her.

    For some reason, Analise suspected there was some pleasure spot on Fiy''s tail. He always coaxed her into squeezing a certain spot, then immediately whined and whimpered, clinging to her.

    He made it seem like she had just bullied him.

    Analise was in a hurry to check out the Reward Store.

    But this wolf was just too adorable. How could she possibly resist?

    And now came a big tiger too. What was she supposed to do?

    Analise gave Scott''s ears a little squeeze.

    She decided she had to pamper them both.

    After some time, with one hand on each ear, she asked, "Are you two just going to hang out here? Doesn''t the starship need someone to monitor it?"

    "I''ve gotta protect you, Ana." Fiy blinked innocently. "Scott was the one who gave the order just now."

    "There''s no danger nearby anymore. It''s already daylight. They can manage just fine without us," Scott added, his ears brushing against Analise''s palm. "I just want to spend time with you."

    "I want to sleep, but my bed doesn''t fit three people," Analise replied, her lips twitching.

    Clearly, the two of them had really been shaken up by Gideon today. Even Scott was suddenly learning topete for affection.

    But why today of all days? She was exhausted, and she still needed to exchange her points for items...

    "How about you both go back and rest up first? I''m going to bed soon," Analise probed.

    Fiy instantly clutched her hand and whined, "No, Ana! I can shift to beast form and sleep on the floor! My fur is thick, so I won''t get cold!"

    "I can shift too and sleep by the bed," Scott said, refusing to be outdone.

    Analise was at a loss.

    "Fine, sleep on the floor then." She let go of their hands and climbed into bed.

    She couldn''t miss this opportunity to ess the Reward Store.

    Afraid she might doze off and miss the deadline, she fought off her drowsiness to check out the Reward Store first.

    She just hoped the items weren''t too costly.

    Scott and Fiy exchanged a look before simultaneously shifting into their beast forms and settling on the floor.

    During battle, therians always showed their strongest forms. But at rest, they could control their size to a certain extent.

    Still, squeezing three onto a single bed was impossible.

    Now, a wolf and a tigery side by side at the edge of Analise''s bed Neither was willing to leave. The wolf''s chin and the tiger''s head both wolf''gehin rested right against the mattress as they closed their eyes to sleep.

    Analise pulled the nket over her head, quietly for a moment, and

    then peeked out again. "Are

    both

    really sleeping on the floor t

    "Mhm," both of them answered in unison.

    Analise rolled over and ignored them.

    The Reward Store was full of dazzling items, and Analise wanted all of them. s, her points were too low.

    hankfully, the store ha th

    expensive and affordable options.

    The first thing she looked for was a portable space that she could control with her mind.

    After scrolling several pages, she finally found two cost-effective options, both simrly priced.

    One was the Aetherwell Space, and the other was the Pastoral Space.

    A proper storage space was expensive, so Analise was torn between the two.

    The description said these could store items bought from the Reward Store, but they couldn''t store items from the outside world.

    In other words, only a real storage space could hold items from the Interster therian world, but those were pricey.

    So, Analise was stuck choosing between the Aetherwell Space, which healed and enhanced stats, and the food-filled Pastoral Space.

    "I want both, but I don''t have enough points," she muttered internally.

 Chapter 83

    "The food in the Interster therian world is so gross... Even the vegetables and fruits taste a little different from how they did back in the human era."

    But then Analise thought-what if the Aetherwell Space could help boost her mind essence?

    After a long internal struggle, she finally chose the Aetherwell Space.

    Sure, the food here tasted bad, but it was still packed with nutrients and actual benefits.

    However, if she ever got injured or her mind essence was overly drained, only the Aetherwell Space could heal and restore her.

    With it, she''d never have to worry about running out of mind essence again. She could purify freely, watch her Purification Value skyrocket, and convert those into points. At that rate, she''d be able to buy anything.

    Having made her decision, Analise spent 275 points to purchase the Aetherwell Space.

    The Aetherwell Space was a small model with limited space, but it was enough for her current needs.

    Afterward, Analise pulled the nket down a little and peeked at Fiy and Scott by her bedside.

    "You''re both asleep?" she whispered quietly.

    She shifted her body a little to reach out and stroke Fiy''s fur, then squeezed Scott''s ear.

    "What''s wrong, Ana?" Both of them asked.

    They weren''tpletely asleep and opened their drowsy eyes to look at her.

    "The floor''s cold. You two should go back to your own cabins to sleep," Analise said with a soft smile.

    "It''s fine. I want to stay with you," Fiy said, nuzzling into her palm.

    Scott twitched his ears and looked at her with a hopeful gaze.

    Analise sighed and gave his head a gentle pat again.

    Once both of them settled back down, Analise turned to her remaining 225 points and started browsing what else she could buy.

    Half an hourter, she had picked up several small self-defense and life-saving gadgets, plus a few different pills.

    Among them was the Body Strengthening Pill, a Reward Store exclusive item that was rather affordable-just five points per pill. Analise bought one to try.

    After finishing her shopping, she peeked out from under the covers and turned

    over to look at the sleeping wolf and tiger by her bed.

    They must''ve been exhausted since both werepletely out cold.

    Analise yawned and finally closed her eyes too.

    When she woke up, Fiy and Scott were already gone from her cabin.

    After getting up and washing up, Analise sat down with the Body Strengthening Pill, studied it for a

    moment, and then popped it into her

    Qu

    mouth.

    It was slightly bitter with a hint of sweetness. The pill melted on her tongue instantly.

    Warmth spread through her entire

    body.

    hade felt as though someone

    had just beaten her up, and every part

    her body was being eaten

    away by ants.

    Sweat beaded up and trickled down her back. But once the heat faded, Analise could feel a noticeable change in her body.

    Catching a faint whiff of sweat, she quickly filled the tub and soaked in a hot bath.

    Once clean, she stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a camisole sleep dress.

    At the same time, Fiy happened to open the door and enter.

    "Ana, you''re awake," he said, Adam''s apple bobbing as his gaze fluttered, unsure where to look.

    Analise''s skin was smooth and fair. Although it wasn''t glowing, it was definitely fairer than most females.

    Her damp hair was draped over her shoulders, and as she moved, her corbones peeked through. She wasusing her soft, fair hands tob through her hair.

    Fiy quickly looked away, his ears and cheeks flushing red. "Ana, are you hungry? I brought you some food. Eat it while it''s hot."

    "Thanks." Seeing his reaction, Analise suppressed her smile as she sat down to eat quietly.

    She could feel Fiy stealing nces at her, so she looked up to meet his eyes. The moment she did, Fiy looked down.

    They repeated this back-and-forth a few times until Analise simply locked eyes with him, not letting up.

    Fiy started feeling ufortable under her gaze and finally blurted out, "Ana... You... You''re really beautiful."

    "Oh? So, I wasn''t beautiful before?" Analise deliberately misinterpreted his words.

    "No! You''ve always been beautiful! I just meant... Today... You''re especially..." Fiy stammered, his ears burning.

    "What about today?" Analise leaned in close to his ear and then gently nibbled on his earlobe.

 Chapter 84

    Fiy''s breathing clearly grew heavier, his face flushed as red as a monkey''s backside.

    "Ana..." he murmured.

    He leaned in closer, clearly wanting a kiss. Analise''s scent lingered in the air around him, making him feel like he might pass out from happiness.

    Analise leaned down, pretending to kiss him.

    Fiy''s eyshes fluttered, his gaze fixed intently on her soft, red lips.

    "Alright, that''s enough teasing. You know today''s not the day." Her kissnded lightly on the corner of his lips before she stood up and went to the bathroom to change.

    Fiy nodded pitifully, feeling the lingering warm flush on his body.

    Even after Analise returned, now fully dressed, Fiy still didn''t dare meet her eyes. That moment from earlier had branded itself into his mind like a permanent memory.

    "It looks like night''s falling again," Analise said, ncing at the softening light outside the window.

    Fiy didn''t answer. His gaze was still locked on her,pletely entranced.

    There was a knock on the door, followed by Scott entering the room.

    When he caught sight of Fiy''s crimson face and ears, his eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn''tment. He knew all too well that, at the moment, his position in Analise''s heart couldn''tpare to Fiy''s.

    "I thought since you slept most of the day, you might be bored by now. So, I borrowed a set of chess pieces from a fellow therian to help you pass the time," Scott said as he set down the box in his hand.

    "Fiy, would you like to join us?" he asked with a polite smile.

    "Sure," Fiy replied. The invitation was a wee distraction-his flushed cheeks and ears gradually cooled.

    ...

    Meanwhile, out in interster space, Ophir was drifting with the soul of the transmigrator Sean.

    "Damn you, Sean! If I weren''t minimizing my energy loss in this form right now, I''d kill you myself this very instant!"

    "Heh..."

    Sean''s soul was so weak that even his mockingugh sounded faint.

    "It matters not. Once I''ve recovered in a few days, I''ll lock your memories away-then you''ll be mine to control forever was too careless. I didn''t expect there to be another system and transmigrator." Ophir sneered coldly.

    "You''re shameless!" Sean snapped, his voice trembling with rage. "You''re a

    trafficker! You should''ve just killed me outright!"

    "I''m shameless? Don''t forget, you

    killed plenty of people just by doing the missions I gave you. Sean''s I mother even defended you to her

    st you''ve

    dying breath. But hey, at least

    returned her son to her," Ophir mocked.

    "That poor mother... She died because of me..." Sean''s soul was wracked with grief.

    At the time, he had no idea he would meet Analise. All he''d known was that in order to survive, he had toplete the twisted missions Ophir assigned him. Before he transmigrated, Sean had been an ordinary office worker.

    He had simply gone to bed one night, only to wake up in apletely foreign world.

    It wasn''t like he had any underlying health conditions, either. He was strong and healthy, so it was impossible for him to just suddenly die in his sleep.

    Of course, he didn''t dwell deeply on the matter.

    He had assumed just like in the novels-that he was the protagonist, the righteous chosen one.

    But Ophir''s missions had been anything but noble. Still, Sean had tried to rationalize it, thinking maybe he was given the role of a viin.

    But this wasn''t a novel.

    ?

    Eventually he discovered that the original soul of this world''s Sean still existed. Worse yet-his soul had

    bercibly stuffed into the original

    Sean''s body by Ophir.

    From that day on, he''d refused toplete any more missions. What followed was punishment in the form of electric shocks. Eventually, it developed into a routine...

    Out of everything that had happened, there were two people he couldn''t let go of: Sean and his mother.

    She had known. She had realized the soul inside her son''s body wasn''t her son.

    And even so, she let him go. Her only request was that her real son be allowed to live¡ªeven if it meant sharing the body with another soul.

 Chapter 85

    Sean''s mother said her son had always been weak and sickly, and it was rare for him to finally have a healthy body...

    "Hah, that kind of mindset is for the weak!" Ophir sneered.

    "If you cooperate with me, we could rule the entire Interster universe and be above everyone else! Don''t you want that?" Ophir tried to convince Sean, its voiceced with temptation.

    "I''m just an ordinary person," Sean replied and then proceeded to ignore Ophir.

    Originally, he had thought he might at least be able to die and find release.

    But the moment Analise let her arrow fly, Ophir panicked. And in that fear, it had dragged his soul out of the original Sean''s body, escaping with him into the boundless open space.

    In the vast open space, two faint points of light drifted in the darkness, unseen by anyone.

    Starships glided silently through the space around them until sunlight finally shone upon them once again.

    Inside one such starship...

    "We''ll be reaching the Stormw Alliance by tomorrow. I sure miss my giant bed!" Analise stood in the front cabin, gazing out at the floating chunks of rock ahead. She figured they were probably the same meteorites she''d heard about back in the human era.

    "Once we get back, I''ve got a pile of things to handle, so I''ll have to let Fiy keep youpany," Scott said with a calm expression. However, inside, he was eaten alive with jealousy.

    "Alright." Analise nodded.

    "I''ll finish up as quickly as I can," Scott promised.

    But he knew better. Ten days had passed. His work would have piled up beyond belief. There was no way he''d be done anytime soon.

    "Oh, Scott." Analise suddenly remembered something.

    "What is it?" he asked.

    "When we return, you should go visit your mother first," she said softly. "I believe it''s her greatest wish to know that Sean is alive."

    "Yeah." Scott nodded and fell silent for a moment.

    "After Sean''s health improved, he started acting out of character. At first, I didn''t pay it much mind. I just thought it was good that he was finally better.

    "But then I found out he was conspiring with the Reimers and had killed more people than I could count. That''s when I locked him in the underground prison at Hopkins Gxy Lodge. I was convinced he... wasn''t Sean anymore.

    "Before my mother passed on, she told me that Sean is Sean, and that they''re

    both Sean. She begged me to keep him alive.

    "I''ve been conflicted ever since. After all, that''s still his body. I never really believed in the idea of souls. I thought maybe he had just

    disorder or something. But that day..."

    developed dissociative identital

    Scott pressed his lips tightly together. "It''s the kind of thing that only happens in bizarre stories¡ªnot something you expect to face in real life. Especially when it''s my own brother..."

    "I understand how you feel," Analiseforted and patted him on the shoulder.

    Honestly, she didn''t know how she hade to this strange Interster therian world from the human era either. It was just unbelievable.

    After all, her system had only bound to her after she arrived in this world.

    In all the novels she had read, systems always appeared right before death or after the host had already died. Then, it would bind to

    ver

    their souls before getting transmigrated into some other world.

    Even the most bizarre one she read was that a soul had transmigrated into a book before being bound to a system.

    "Ana, what happened to your bow?" Fiy suddenly recalled the moment Analise pulled out her Purification Bow and pulled her aside, asking curiously.

    "You don''t have a pocket drive with you. Where did you pull that bow from?"

    He wasn''t doubtful of her but just in curious.

    Analise waved her hand in a grand gesture and said, "It was like-whoosh! I just conjured it out of nowhere."

    Fiy scratched his head, unable to locate the emerald-colored bow from that day. "I don''t see it, though."

    Analise leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Later. I''ll exin when we''re not surrounded by people."

    "O-Okay."

    Feeling her breath brushing against his ear reminded him of the time she nibbled his earlobe, which made him blush immediately.

    Scott watched the two whispering to each other and got jealous again. However, there was nothing he could do about it except suffer in silence.

    "Ana, do you remember what we said we''d do once we got back?" Fiy asked while tugging at her hand with a pitiful whimper.

    "Nope. Wasn''t it nothing important?" Analise acted as if she had forgotten all about it.

    "D-Didn''t we agree to form a contract?" Fiy''s face dropped visibly. "Ana, are you... Are you going back on your word?"

    "A contract?" Scott blurted in disbelief.

 Chapter 86

    "That''s right. Ana already agreed to form a contract with me," Fiy grinned, shing a row of perfectly white teeth that annoyed Scott to no end.

    Scott turned to look at Analise.

    Analise nodded slightly, making no attempt to deny the matter.

    Scott had thought Fiy just held a slightly higher ce in Analise''s heart. He hadn''t expected them to havee this far already.

    "What about me? Can I form a bond with you as well?" Scott''s voice was quiet, tinged with bitterness.

    "Didn''t you say you''d be busy for some time once you''re back at the Stormw Alliance?" Analise didn''t reject him, but she didn''t give him a clear answer either.

    "Well... Yes." Scott nodded.

    With the subject changed so quickly, his confidence faltered again.

    He didn''t bring up the topic about forming a contract again and instead made up an excuse to head to the front cabin. But deep down, he was already sulking.

    After he left, Analise raised an eyebrow at Fiy. "You did that on purpose, didn''t you?"

    "No, I just... I didn''t expect Scott to follow us over suddenly." Fiy scratched his head, watching Analise''s expression. He thought his action upset her.

    "Are you mad at me, Ana?" Fiy took her hand, looking straight at her. "I just wanted to form a contract with you sooner. I know I''m not as strong as the others..."

    "So, this wasn''t your tactician''s idea?" Analise wasn''t actually angry.

    But Scott had walked in at the worst possible time.

    Although he would have found out eventually, his learning the news this way

    made the whole thing feel strangely illicit, like they''d been caught doing something sneaky...

    At the end of the day, the issue was with her moralpass from her original world.

    If she had been born in the Interster therian world, she wouldn''t have to worry about this. After all, the people in this world embraced the idea of polyandry.

    What a perfect solution!

    "No!" Fiy pouted and wrapped his arms around her waist.

    "I just thought, since we''re going back to the Stormw Alliance tomorrow, I want

    to form a contract with you the moment we return.

    "Scott,

    a and Karl all have

    higher

    rmind

    always

    bet

    essence than I do. I''m

    worried that if you

    , you won''t like me an

    "So, I thought if we formed a contract now, even if you don''t me in the future, I''d still be your

    mate. Even if you don''t need me, I''d

    still be by your side.  fo

    "But if we don''t form a contract,

    once you have two mates, I''ll lose

    my role as your guardian. Then won''t be able to stay with you anymore..." Fiy exined earnestly.

    He didn''t hide the insecurity he felt from having lower mind essence, voicing everything out honestly.

    "I already said yes, didn''t I? Of course, I''ll form a contract with you. You''re the cutest little wolf to me. Why wouldn''t I like you?"

    Analise punched his therian ears and gave them a gentle rub. Then, she stood on her toes and gave him a gentle peck on the lips.

    "Ana..." Fiy''s eyes glistened. He lowered his head and kissed her back.

    As they kissed, Analise tasted something cool and salty. She opened her eyes and realized he was crying.

    She braced a hand against his chest and gently wiped away the tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes. "Why are you crying?"

    Fiy didn''t answer. He just held her tightly like a wronged child and sobbed quietly.

    Analise didn''t stop him. She simply patted his back,forting him.

    It took a long while before Fiy finally let go and shed a sheepish smile.

    "All done crying?" Analise lightly scraped her finger down his nose. "Since when were you such a crybaby?"

    "I''m not..." Fiy looked away.

    "Alright, alright. Done crying now?" Analies pinched his cheek. "I''m hungry!"

    Fiy wiped the remaining tears from his face and nodded, heading to the supply cabin.

    As for Analise, she acted like nothing had happened and strolled off to the front cabin.

 Chapter 87

    Analise didn''t feel the slightest bit awkward. She chatted with Scott and the other therians as casually as always.

    ...

    The next day, the starship docked at the Stormw Alliance''s starship station.

    To Analise''s surprise, Vera was already waiting there as if he''d known exactly when Analise would arrive.

    Just as Analise was about to follow Scott and Fiy to the car, Vera rushed over.

    "Wee back, Ms. Chamber." She handed Analise a bouquet of flowers with a bright smile.

    "Thank you." Analise nodded and epted the flowers.

    There were too many people at the starship station. If she rejected the gift, it might blow up into another strange trending topic on Cosmoseek.

    Vera blinked sweetly and continued, "Ms. Chamber, aboutst time I really didn''t mean it. I acted impulsively. I figured posting an apology onlinecked sincerity, so I wanted to invite you to The Harmonique in the Stormw Alliance."

    She then turned to Scott. "Scott, are youing too?"

    "I have work to settle at Hopkins Gxy Lodge," Scott responded.

    Although his tone remained warm, there was a hint of cool detachment in his voice.

    "Fiy, you go with Ana," he added with quiet frustration. "I''ll send some people overter. After the meal, Ana can go walk around and explore a bit."

    "Golden Street is quite a lively street. Ana, if there''s anything you want, just swipe my card." Scott handed Analise a ck card from his pocket.

    Vera still wore her perfectly measured smile, not at all fazed by Scott''s cold tone. "Golden Street is much livelier than anywhere else in the city. I''ll take Ms. Chamber around."

    "Alright then. I''ll have to trouble you with that, Ms. Khielson," Analise responded politely and got into the car.

    Fiy sat in the front passenger seat while Analise and Vera sat together in the back.

    "Ms. Chamber, you''re amazing! I didn''t expect you to be able to calm so many males at once." Vera clung to Analise''s arm with great admiration. "You''re the most impressive female I''ve ever met."

    "You''re impressive too," Analise returned thepliment. "Your mind essence is SS-grade. I''m a little envious, honestly."

    "R-Really?" Vera''s cheeks flushed with a rosy pink.

    "Of course." Analise nodded.

    "Ms. Chamber, do you prefer sweet or spicy food? The food at The Harmonique is pretty good, and they offer all kinds of vors."

    Vera then continued with a smile, "I just wonder if it''ll suit your tastes. I heard that pure human females tend to prefer vors from the human era."

    "I''m fine with anything." Analise gave a polite smile.

    Let

    However, in her mind, she was carefully evaluating Vera, trying figure out what exactly she was nning today. Analise hoped that

    everything would go smoothly.

    "Really? Then our tastes are pretty simr. I like both sweet and spicy food too."

    Vera smiled, her eyes narrowing.

    "Mhm." Analise nodded.

    Once Vera got going, she seemed more than happy to carry the conversation, keeping things lively.

    However, that was only on Vera''s end. Analise still kept her guard up.

    "Actually, used to like Scott quite a bit. But after you showed up, Ms. Chamber, I realized where I fell short I''m not as capable as you are. Just like females, males admire strength too.

    "To be honest, when you first appeared, I didn''t understand why an F-Grade

    female would catch Scott''s eye.

    Vera suddenly shifted the topic toward Scott.

    "And now?" Analise blinked, caught off guard by the sudden confession.

    Of course, with Fiy still in the car, she wasn''tpletely certain if Vera was being sincere or just putting on a show.

    "Now?" Vera hesitated. She assumed Analise was asking about her current feelings for Scott.

 Chapter 88

    "Ms. Chamber, with you around, it''s only natural that I want topete fairly with you. But honestly, it''s clear Scott likes you," Vera said softly, with her eyes lowered. "He didn''t even give me a chance topete."

    From the front seat, Fiy spoke up bluntly, "Didn''t Scott say a long time ago that he didn''t want to be your guardian?"

    "Yeah... That''s when I started to suspect he probably didn''t like me. Rescuing me back then was probably just out of convenience. But back then, you weren''t in the picture, Ms. Chamber.

    "I thought I still stood a chance, which is why I kept finding excuses to see him from time to time. When Ms. Chamber appeared, I heard that Scott wanted to be your guardian. I was so jealous I almost went crazy, and I was overwhelmed by sadness..."

    Vera kept going, almost as if she were talking to herself.

    "Back then, Vera locked herself in the room and refused to eat or drink for a few days," the driver in the front suddenly said.

    There was a note of affection and concern in his voice. He was probably Vera''s guardian or one of her mates.

    "Why are you telling Ms. Chamber that?" Vera scooted forward and yfully tugged on the driver''s ear, feigning irritation.

    "I''m just telling the truth... We were all worried sick those days," the therian replied, sounding a little aggrieved.

    "Sheesh, why bring up all that? I''m here to be friends with Ms. Chamber now." Vera waved it off with a smile.

    "Ever since I saw that video of Ms. Chamber calming multiple males at once on Cosmoseek the other day, I knew I couldn''tpare. So, I gave up on Scott. I already have several mates anyway. I''m not going to get hung up over one guy." Vera was all smiles. It was as if she had truly let it all go.

    "But Ms. Chamber, what''s the deal with that robot female? Why did she seem to have self-awareness?

    "My brother said that even the one in the Ethereal Fang Alliance didn''t show anything like that. It just ran off like the others¡ªprobably following somemand."

    Vera leaned her hands on the back of the driver''s seat, mindlessly pulling strands of hair from the therian driver.

    "I''m not sure either," Analise replied, shaking her head. "We''ll have to wait and see what the security force says."

    Thinking about it made Analise a little uneasy.

    That female who looked so much like Scott''s mother had she been infected with Vexoth venom?

    When Ophir had still possessed

    Sean''s body, it was stored in the et

    pocket drive along with the others by Gideon. That meant the female

    hadn''t been activated yet.

    They had no idea if Ophir was able to control that robot whilecking a host. If he

    could do that, the security force might be in for trouble.

    Even though Ophir and the transmigrator Sean had temporarily separated from the original Sean''s body, there was no guarantee they wouldn''t return.

    Echo had said it too-Ophir was incredibly cunning. Even the top-tier systems from the main god had failed to capture it.

    This time, Echo was likely heading back to consult with the main god to find a way to contain Ophir for good.

    "We''re here."

    The car pulled to a stop in front of a building, and Vera tugged on Analise''s hand to lead her out.

    Analise nced down at the hand Vera was holding, feeling a little ufortable. Vera was being overly enthusiastic, and Analise was still on guard around her. It made things feel... awkward.

    "What''s wrong, Ms. Chamber? Are you not feeling well?" Vera blinked, staring at her with a concerned look.

    "No." Analise pulled her hand back gently. "I''m just not used to holding hands with others."

    "Oh? Ah... I see." Vera chuckled.

    Pure-human females only ranked slightly above males in the societal hierarchy. Vera had to admit that she hadn''t thought much of Analise at first.

    It wasn''t until she saw Analise absorbing Ster Amber''s mind essence while simultaneously calming multiple males at the same time that she truly saw Analise in a

    new light.

    That was when she understood she could never surpass Analise, and she finally

    let go of her feelings for Scott.

    After all, she already had plenty of people who loved her. She didn''t need to cling to Scott.

    Besides, Vera thought her males were excellent too.

 Chapter 89

    Although she couldn''tpare to Analise, Vera was still far ahead of most others.

    Besides, as the eldest daughter of the Khielson family, her pride and magnanimity wouldn''t allow her to be petty.

    At this moment, Vera figured that Analise''s slight difort or reluctance to be pulled along likely stemmed from being too used to solitude, perhaps fromcking friends in the past.

    Vera was beginning to understand why Analise always seemed to keep a certain distance between them.

    "Let''s go. I''ve already made the reservation. They''ll start serving once we''re seated." Vera smiled and took the male driver''s hand, waiting for Analise to enter The Harmonique with them.

    Once inside, they headed straight to a private dining room Vera had booked in advance. Once seated, the wait staff immediately started serving their dishes.

    Vera chatted casually with Analise as they ate, talking about the everyday matters in the Stormw Alliance. She also brought up how Scott had saved her during the previous Vexoth invasion.

    She didn''t feel embarrassed talking about her past attempts at pursuing Scott. She was quite open about it with Analise.

    By the end of the meal, Analise more or less understood Vera''s intentions.

    Vera really did just want to be friends. She wasn''t trying topete for her man. As for Fiy and the other male, they both had that devoted husband energy, subtlypeting over who could take better care of their female.

    Each kept refilling Vera''s and Analise''s respective tes and topping off their water, trying to show just how attentive they could be to their mate.

    In the end, Fiy lost.

    Why? Because that other male casually revealed the tattoo on his left wrist. Fiy nearly bent the utensils in his hand.

    "Ana, can we go shopping again tomorrow?" Fiy pulled Analise aside after the meal, pouting and begging. "I want to hurry up and form a contract with you as soon as I can."

    "The Interster Contract Bureau is right on Golden Street," he said, shaking her hand gently. "Ana... please?"

    "Ms. Khielson is still here." Analise pinched the meat of his palm and said sternly, "You can''t even wait one more day? If you keep acting like this might just make you wait longer."

    Fiy looked even more aggrieved, but he didn''t dare argue.

    "Ms. Chamber, your male partner is even clingier and more spoiled than mine. How did you train him so

    well? Vera suddenly asked,

    Wbbing Analise''s arm.

    Analise froze and nced around in rm.

    "Did she just ask that out loud in front of everyone without even pulling me aside?"

    she thought in a panic.

    "What''s wrong?" Vera began to feel nervous after seeing Analise ncing around anxiously. "Is something off?"

    She instinctively tensed up,

    wondering if another therian unde et

    control had infiltrated t

    area Was Analise''s sensing ability

    really that sharp?

    "It... It''s nothing." Analise awkwardly rubbed her nose. "He''s just like that. Dogs love to act spoiled."

    "But... Isn''t he a wolf therian?" Vera eyed Finaly''s ears, suddenly unsure.

    "He is." Analise nodded. "But wolves and dogs are canines. They''re simr enough."

    "Oh..." Vera didn''t really get the logic, but she nodded thoughtfully.

    They wandered around Golden Street for a while. Both Analise and Vera picked

    out a few outfits, and they even exchanged gifts.

    Vera had spent a long time choosing something, had it wrapped, and gifted it to Analise as a celebration of their new friendship.

    Analise politely reciprocated by buying her a gift in return.

    Now that she was sure Vera had no hidden agenda, Analise felt she could genuinely treat her as a friend.

    After an afternoon of shopping, Vera dropped Analise off at Scott''s vi. Before leaving, she reminded Analise to hang out with her more often.

    "Greetings, Ms. Chamber."

    Just as Analise stepped into the vi, a male she didn''t recognize came forward. There was a bit of soil clinging to his hands.

 Chapter 90

    Seeing the unfamiliar face, both Analise and Fiy instinctively had their guard

    up.

    Just then, Paul, the butler, appeared.

    "Ms. Chamber, Major Knight," Paul greeted politely, then began introducing the unfamiliar male in front of them.

    "This is the helper Mr. Hopkins hired from Nouris. He''s around my age. You can just call him Randolf from now on."

    "Okay. Randolf, you''re here to grow vegetables and fruits, right?"

    Fiy grinned, suddenly remembering the conversation he''d had with Scott about hiring someone from Nouris specifically to manage the nting of product in the vi''s back garden.

    "Yes," Randolf replied, rubbing the soil off his hands. "This is the perfect time of the year to nt-early spring. Many vegetables are ready for sowing, and we can even manage a few off-season crops."

    Analise smiled too. Fiy had indeed mentioned this n to her in passing.

    "Randolf, I''ll be counting on you for my meals from now on."

    "Oh no, Ms. Chamber. It''s my honor. When I found out I was going to be growing vegetables just for you, I was nervous for days," Randolf said with an honest, sheepish grin.

    "Would you like to take a look now? If there''s anything specific you want, just tell me, and I''ll make sure to nt it within the next day or two," he added.

    "Sure," Analise replied.

    After handing her shopping bags to the household robot, she followed Randolf to the back garden.

    The flowers that were originally nted had been moved aside, and the remaining area overgrown with weeds had been cleared.

    Several small sprouts of vibrant green were already breaking through the soil in some areas. The sprouts were still too young, and since Analise had never grown crops before, she couldn''t tell what they were.

    Some patches looked freshly tilled today.

    Along the back wall, several fruit trees had been transnted. Analise only recognized the peach and pear trees.

    In the corner, there was also a grapevine, but it hadn''t been trellised yet. The vine looked somewhat withered, save for one small section of bright green tendril.

    "These are the only fruit trees I could transnt for now. The climate in Stormc?aw Alliance isn''t ideal for tropical fruits, so I didn''t bring any of those over," Randolf exined after noticing her gaze.

    "This is already more than enough." Analise turned back to him. "Did you do all this on your own? That''s incredible!"

    "Yeah. I started prepping the garden as soon as I arrived a few days ago. Vegetables sprout quickly, so it only takes two to three days to see the shoots. In another week, you''ll be able to start picking some.

    "It''ll grow more as you harvest. The fruit trees were moved in with the help of a crane. Since not all trees bear fruit in their first year, I chose trees that had already fruited once before."

    Randolf nodded respectfully as he spoke.

    Analise looked over the neatly sectioned garden-or more urately, vegetable

    plots now-and couldn''t help but sigh in admiration.

    "Randolf, you''re truly a hardworking gardener!"

    Randolf scratched his head, clearly not used topliments. He wasn''t highly educated, but seeing the sincerity in Analise''s expression, he understood she truly meant it.

    "This is all part of the job, Ms. Chamber."

    After viewing the garden, Analise dragged Fiy back into the vi.

    Scott was probably still tied up with work at Hopkins Gxy Lodge. They all had no idea when he would return.

    "Fiy, I''m going to take a shower first. When I''m done, let''s y a game, okay?" Analise said cheerfully, hugging a set of clean clothes and heading into the bathroom.

    "Game?" Fiy blinked in confusion. But before he could ask, Analise had already closed the door behind her. So, he let it go.

    Right at that moment, Finaly''s good friend¡ªand self-proimed tactician-sent him a message. And thus, a very amusing misunderstanding was set in motion. Smarty asked, "So, how did it go? Did you and Ms. Chamber form the contract yet? I think I saw you two shopping together on Golden Street today. Does that mean it''s official now?"

    Fiy stared at the message panel as his mouth twitched.

    Oh, how he wished he had formed the contract...

 Chapter 91

    Ana''s Wolfie: "We haven''t formed a contract yet. We did go to Golden Street. Ms. Khielson dragged Ana off shopping."

    Smarty: "Vera Khielson?"

    Smarty: "Wasn''t she into Scott? And now she and Ana are just hanging out like that? Female friendships are weird.

    Ana''s Wolfie: "She told Ana today she doesn''t like Scott anymore. Our Ana''s too amazing, and Ms. Khielson felt that she couldn''tpete.

    Smarty: "So, what are you two doing now? You replied to my message almost instantly. Aren''t you with Ms. Chamber? Aren''t you afraid of losing her favor?"

    Smarty: "Scott''s an SSS-Grade, and even if the others aren''t guardians, they clearly have their sights set. You should be hovering around Ms. Chamber every single second!"

    Ana''s Wolfie: "We''re together. Ana went to shower. She said she''d y a game with me after."

    Smarty: "Then why aren''t you in the shower?"

    Ana''s Wolfie: "Why should I be in the shower?" Smarty: "..."

    Smarty: "Didn''t Ms. Chamber say she''s gonna y a game with you?"

    Ana''s Wolfie: "What''s that got to do with taking a shower?"

    Smarty: "It''s not that kind of game, bro! You''ve got no sense of romance at all, do you? Scott''s not home, so it''s just the two of you. She''s taking a shower right now. What kind of game do you think that means?"

    Smarty: "She''s handing it to you on a silver tter, and you''re still not biting!

    Smarty: "It''s springtime, and you''re not even mating? What game are you ying, huh? You know what, maybe you are the game!"

    Fiy stared at the message barrage from his buddy, his brain fuzzed over by the sudden realization of what kind of "game" this might be.

    So... Was Ana signaling to him that she wanted to mate with him?

    Well, she has already been through her full heat cycle.

    Fiy''s ears and cheeks flushed red as his gaze dropped to the floor.

    Hearing the ssh of water from the bathroom, his mind immediately conjured the image of Analise in that tiny camisole dress.

    He stared at the chat screen for a long time, then decided not to reply and darted off to his room to shower himself clean.

    Seeing theck of reply, his friend could pretty much guess where Fiy had gone, so he stopped texting.

    When Analise finished her bath and

    came out, she originally nned

    ask Fiy to help dry her hair. However, he was nowhere to be

    BUMS

    seen.

    Thus, she could only do it herself.

    Once her hair was dry, she got up and went to look for Fiy.

    "Huh? Where did he run off to? Didn''t we agree to y a game together? Why is he gone?"

    Since Fiy''s door was closed, and they were also separated by Scott''s room, she didn''t hear anything. So, she went downstairs to check.

    Running into Paul on the way, she asked about Fiy. Paul said he hadn''te down at all.

    With that, Analise returned upstairs.

    She knocked on Fiy''s door. There was no answer, so she pushed the door open.

    She came across Fiy drying his hair. From the looks of it, he had just finished showering too.

    "You didn''t even tell me you were

    showering. I went all the way

    ?

    downstairs to find you. Hurry up and finish drying-we''ve got games to

    y."

    Analise walked right into Fiy''s room and, seeing no chair, sat down casually on his bed.

    Fiy nodded.

    When he stepped out of the

    bathroom, the first thing he saw was

    Ana, sitting on his bed in a little

    dress, her fair thighs bare and

    catching the light.  fo

    "Ana..." Fiy approached nervously, clearly flustered.

    Thinking about what was about to happen made him even more anxious. He had no experience at all...

    "Come here. What are you still doing wrapped in a towel?" Analise asked, puzzled.

 Chapter 92

    Analise originally meant to ask why he wasn''t changing into his clothes.

    But thanks to the helpful misdirection from his friend earlier, Fiy thought Analise was asking him not to wear anything at all.

    He tightened his grip on the bath towel. "Do you... Want to go straight to it? But..."

    Analise stared at Fiy, watching how nervous he looked, and suddenly understood.

    This guy... Did he really think "ying a game" meant "that" kind of game?

    It was no wonder he went off to shower!

    Now, even Analise felt a wave of nervous tension rising.

    Technically speaking, she had already taken a Body Strengthening Pill, so it should be fine. But then she remembered what Echo had said about therian stamina, and she gulped quietly.

    Especially now that Fiy was standing there in nothing but a towel. Well, that was basically full-on temptation.

    After a moment''s thought, Analise still chose to speak up, "I''ll step outside. You get dressed and thene to my room."

    As she turned to leave, she added, "Oh, and don''t forget to download the game¡ª Interster Heroes."

    Yeah... She wasn''t ready.

    Analise sighed at her own cowardice. Lustful but gutless. She darted back to her room to cool off.

    If this were still the human era, she might''ve just rolled with it. But Fiy was a therian. She didn''t even know if their bodies were biologicallypatible.

    And now that the system was offline, she couldn''t be sure whether that one pill had done enough to enhance her body...

    Meanwhile, left standing alone in the room, Fiy was utterly confused.

    Game? Interster Heroes?

    So... It really was just a game?

    He was mortified. After several seconds of stunned silence, he finally picked out some clean clothes and changed.

    While downloading the game on his interface, he fired off a message to his buddy.

    Ana''s Wolfie: "It turns out ''ying a game'' literally meant ying a game." Smarty: "?"

    Smarty: "We''re taking a one-minute friendship break. (Blocked.)"

    Ana''s Wolfie: "?? (Message not sent. You are no longer friends with this user.)"

    Fiy was left speechless.

    Five minutester, Fiy walked into Analise''s room.

    "Ana, I downloaded it."

    "Okay."

    Neither of them brought up what had just happened. Silently, they both started ying the game.

    They were still immersed in the game when Scott knocked and entered the room. Seeing the two of them lying side-by-side on the bed, operating their respective interfaces, Scott felt a familiar sting of inferiority.

    Still, remembering the custom bow Analise had asked him to make, he spoke up.

    "Ana, the bow you asked me to have custom-made-it''s ready. Do you still want it?"

    He already had a feeling what her answer would be.

    "N¡ª" Analise''s words nearly slipped out, but she quickly corrected herself. "Yes. Did you bring it?"

    Her instinctive refusal came from the fact that her Purification Bow had already been activated and seen by others.

    From now on, it would always look like that green, vine-wrapped version.

    Still, she decided to keep this bow, One, so Scott wouldn''t overthink things. And two, it would be useful for practicing her aim. After all, her archery skills weren''t exactly ster.

    Seeing her suddenly change her answer, Scott froze for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. I brought it with me."

    "Okay. Once Fiy and I finish this round, take me to the training room so I can try it out. Fiy can make dinner."

    Analise kept her eyes on the character on her interface screen, her fingers tapping skill keys quickly.

    When the match ended, Analise followed Scott to the vi''s training room.

    Fiy headed off to the kitchen with a recipe in hand.

    Thinking back to the time she hit

    Sean square in the chest from 30 feet away¡ªwhen his body had been controlled by Ophir-Analiseforted herself. Maybe she did have a bit of talent.

    But then again, the target hadn''t moved much, and it was only 30 feet away. If she''d missed even that, it''d mean she really had no talent for archery at all.

    Analise took an arrow from Scott, nocked it to the bowstring, and aimed at the bullseye on the far wall.

    The training room wasn''t particrlyrge, so the distance was about 30 feet too.

 Chapter 93

    Analise started with some warm-up practice.

    She figured that after finalizing her contract with Fiy tomorrow morning, she''d head to Hopkins Gxy Lodge to continue training.

    Analise remembered there was arge training ground there. Scott had shown it to her that day, but she hadn''t paid much attention.

    She was too distracted by browsing Cosmoseek.

    After releasing her fingers, the arrow hit dead center.

    Analise''s eyes lit up with joy.

    "Scott, I''m nning to practice at Hopkins Gxy Lodge tomorrow. Archery only really improves with long-distance training," she said, turning to him after firing a few shots.

    "Okay," Scott agreed immediately.

    That way, even while handling official duties, he could sneak nces at what Analise was doing instead of being tortured by his own overthinking as he stared into space.

    "Ana." Scott suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

    "What is it?" Analise''s heartbeat skipped.

    "The security force contacted me again today. It''s about Sean and... that artificial female," he murmured as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

    Analise didn''t pull away or struggle, which meant she was okay with his touch.

    "So, I''m one step closer to her now, right?" Scott thought, and that single thought made Scott''s heart soar.

    "Sean''s physical condition has deteriorated significantly. He''s basically reverted to his old, frail self. As for the artificial female... They don''t dare activate her recklessly."

    "So, what did they want from you?" Analise leaned into his chest, clearly feeling his quickening heartbeat.

    "They''re asking Gideon to assist with the artificial female. As for Sean, the security force ran a lie detector test on him. It confirmed he wasn''t responsible for those events.

    "Considering he''s my brother and his poor health, they''re suggesting I bring him back to the Stormw Alliance for treatment under supervised care."

    Scott took a deep breath, savoring Analise''s scent.

    He rubbed his hair gently against her neck, trying to leave his own scent on her.

    Analise shifted away. "Your hair''s tickling me."

    There was no me in her voice, just a calm tone.

    That gave Scott a bit more courage. He tightened his arms around her waist and asked softly, "Why Fiy allowed to form a contract with you, but I''m not?"

    "When did I ever say you weren''t allowed to?" Analise blinked and turned slightly toward him.

    Her chin was at an angle that brushed his lips.

    The familiar sensation stirred something in him. Scott''s eyes flickered as he let go

    of her waist and gently lifted her chin.

    Without a word, he leaned in and kissed her lips tentatively.

    When she didn''t push him away, he deepened the kiss.

    At the same time, he guided her hand to his chest, letting her feel the rapid pounding of his heart.

    "That day, you didn''t give me a direct

    resting his forehead against hers locking eyes with her.

    & he murmured after the kiss,

    MS

    "When are you and Fiy nning to form the contract, hm?" he asked again, Brushing her hair with his fingers and nting another kiss on her lips.

    "Tomorrow," Analise said with a yful smirk.

    "Can Ie with you?"

    "Why?"

    "To form a contract."

    "Sure."

    She answered much faster than he had dared to hope.

    The joy from that one-word reply hit him like a bullet made of pure sugar, sweet and overwhelming.

    "Ana, is it true? I can form a contract with you too?" Scott asked as he held her shoulders, still in disbelief.

    "Good things don''t get repeated," Analise replied, patting his chest and turning back to continue practicing her shots.

    Scott stood rooted to the spot, taking his time to digest the moment-until Fiy arrived to call them for dinner.

 Chapter 94

    The next morning, Scott and Fiy both coincidentally decided to dress

    themselves up.

    Fiy''s hair had probably been styled by himself specifically for the asion.

    His hair was not too long, so he had used hair gel to tease his fringe upward and backward, which entuated his angr face.

    Besides having thick eyebrows andrge eyes, he was also wearing thetest fashion that his military advisor had helped him rush an order for. Therefore, he appeared especially natural and good-looking today.

    As for Scott, his hair was rtively long inparison to Fiy''s. He had gotten it trimmed into a wolf cutst night based on advice from theizens on Cosmoseek.

    Underneath a ck coat that just reached his knees, he was wearing a white shirt and a tie paired with a ck vest. A pair of straight-leg pantspleted his ensemble.

    Coupled with his hairstyle change, the impression he gave off seemed to go from that of a gentle soul to an unruly bad boy.

    The two of them opened their room doors at almost the same time.

    Of course, Scott was aware that Fiy was going to meet up with Analise in order

    to form a contract with her, but Fiy did not know that it was the same for Scott.

    He simply assumed that seeing him and Analise about to form a contract had made Scott anxious, and thetter had therefore begun to think of ways to seduce Analise.

    Naturally, he did not feel any superfluous emotions other than a nagging sense that the love he was receiving was being divided.

    He raised his hand in greeting. "Morning, Scott."

    Just thinking about the fact that he was going to form a contract with Analise today made the day seem so much brighter.

    "Morning," Scott replied, nodding at him.

    Inwardly, his feelings were theplete opposite of Fiy''s, because he felt that his attire did not fit his usual impression at all.

    Would Analise like it?

    They both stood in front of Analise''s room, but neither of them dared to knock on the door.

    The reason for their inaction was none other than incredible nervousness.

    Inside the room, Analise was still sound asleep, one of her legs flopped on top of her nket.

    That was until a mechanical voice suddenly rang out.

    "Ms. Analise."

    "Huh?" she asked sleepily while yawning and rubbing her eyes.

    "Considering Ophir''s special nature, the main god will be sending other people and systems over as reinforcements after some time. Besides purifying the Vexoth venom, your remaining task will be to cooperate with those people."

    "Got it," she responded distractedly.

    She yawned again, but halfway through her yawn, her eyes widened, and she sat up abruptly. "What did you just say, Echo?"

    The system continued, "Ophir is a

    cancer upon the world of systems. If it''s allowed to do as it pleases, I''m afraid it might disrupt the order of the chiliocosm. Therefore, we must capture and destroy it.

    "Ms. Chamber and I are both on our first mission, so we won''t be able to capture it

    by ourselves. The main god has thus given out orders to some Pioneers and Missioneers.

    "They''re currently pioneering and carrying out missions in other worlds, so we''re on our own in the interster Therin world for now.

    "Fortunately, there are no suitable host candidates for the Ophir at the moment. Due to the fact that it''s currently bound to Sean, it cannot bind itself to anyone else for the time being.

    "Therefore, there''s no need for you to be nervous. All you have to do is continue to live a normal life and purify the Vexoth venom."

    Analise hummed in acknowledgement. She was finally fully awake and

    understood what Echo was trying to say.

    She initially thought that there would be other systems binding themselves to her,

    but it turned out she was overthinking things.

    After figuring out Echo''s words, she got out of bed to wash up.

    When she saw Scott and Fiy standing outside after finishing her morning

    routine and opening her door, her eyes lit up.

    Fiy was a cute, sunny ray of sunshine who simultaneously looked cool and handsome. Scott, on the other hand, was a little bit of a contrast to his usual self. Paired with the subtle smile on his lips, he gave off the feeling of a possessive boss figure.

    "Are you two trying to be my door guardians or something?" she asked with

    a smile. "You guys even took the time to dress yourselves up today?"

    She circled them and nodded repeatedly to herself.

    They each had their own style, which was not bad at all.

    She felt an even greater sense of satisfaction at the thought that they were both

    hers.

    Fiy chuckled and scratched his head sheepishly. "Yes. We''re making a contract today, so of course have to dress for the asion. We''re going to have to take photos and renew our identification."

    His therian ears moved as he scratched, and Analise could not hold herself back

    from reaching out to rub them.

    He took the opportunity to rub his face coquettishly against her palm. "When are we going over, Ana?"

    "We do have to eat breakfast first, you know," she replied.

    She knew right away that his military advisor had to have been behind his outfit.

    He nodded. "Yes."

    Scott watched intently as she rubbed Fiy''s ears, hesitant to speak.

 Chapter 95

    Analise tilted her head and asked Scott, "Do you want ear rubs too?"

    He nodded. "Yes. Is that okay?"

    "Of course it is," she replied, reaching out to touch the ears hidden in his hair.

    After she was done giving both him and Fiy ear rubs, she put her hands on her hips and red sternly at them. "It looks like you both know that one needs to dress up when making a contract, so why didn''t anyone tell me that?"

    Scott and Fiy both lowered their heads at her slightly angry, questioning tone, having realized their misstep.

    Analise sighed and returned to her room. "Looks like I''ll have to change my clothes."

    After debating for a long time, she finally changed into an outfit that was casual but gave off a slightly yful vibe-a knitted pink sweater with a fur cor over a white blouse, paired with a pleated skirt and stockings.

    She also curled her hair using a curling iron, leaving slightly curled bangs on both sides of her ears, and gave herself a half-up hairstyle.

    The outfit was very suitable for taking pictures with both Scott and Fiy.

    She did not put on any makeup, though. She was already quite good-looking without it, so with her outfit and some essories toplement her face, she had even less need for makeup.

    She was not a fan of makeup in the first ce. Furthermore, considering that her appearance was going to be tattooed on Fiy and Scott''s wrists, she felt that it was better to go with her natural appearance.

    After breakfast, the three of them drove over to the Interster Contract Bureau on Golden Street.

    The therians in the bureau were very surprised to see them, but also did not find their presence unexpected.

    There were many people within the Stormw Alliance who had seen the live stream of Analise calming Scott down from his breakthrough-induced loss of control in the Ironhorn Alliance.

    She had shocked everyone back then, even though she had kissed him lightly.

    In addition, Scott was her guardian, so everyone had more or less guessed that he was very likely to be her mate.

    As for Fiy, it wasmon knowledge that he was a candidate.

    After all, Analise had personally admitted that she had already touched his ears and tail before.

    Touching a therian''s ears was one thing, but their tail... Every therian knew the implications behind it.

    Even though they knew what Analise, Scott, and Fiy were here for, they were still required to follow procedure, so a male bureau employee-Gavin Reed- asked, "May I ask what you''re here for, Ms. Chamber?"

    "I''m here to form a contract," Analise replied with a smile.

    "Alright. Pleasee with me," said Gavin, leading the three of them into a side foom before then asking "Who would you like to take a photo with first, Ms. Chamber?"

    What he was really asking was who she wanted to have as her primary mate.

    Analise nced at Fiy, then Scott.

    Both of them looked a little nervous.

    Fiy initially thought that Scott had dressed up in order to impress Analise.

    However, considering that Scott had suddenly decided to dress up as well ase along with them, he

    btedly realized that Scott was probably also here to form a

    contract with Analise.

    When he first came to that realization, he was rather surprised, but after giving it

    more thought, he felt that it was not actually unexpected.

    He had always felt that Scott had high-grade mind essence, so Analise should naturally also like Scott more.

    So, during the drive over, he had convinced himself that he would be satisfied with forming a contract with her and bing her mate.

    As for Scott, that decision was up to Analise. At any rate, Fiy felt more at ease with Scott than with someone like Karl or Gideon.

    He was familiar with Scott, after all.

    On the other hand, Gideon looked like he was the sort to be verypetitive over Analise''s affections, and Karl...

    Scott kept his hands behind his back, looking the picture of calm, but his palms were actually already sweaty.

    He had been nervous ever since the moment they entered the bureau.

    This was the first time he¡ªthe

    Stormw Alliance''s

    Conder-had felt this nervous,

    even more so than when he bad tentatively kissed Analise yesterday.

    Even though he knew that she liked Fiy, he still clung to the faint hope that she

    would let him be her primary mate due to his grade.

    In truth, there was no difference between main and secondary mates, and primary mates did not enjoy any special rights.

    Males simply liked to use it as a criterion for which of them a female liked more. Analise waved Fiy over. "Come here, Fiy."

 Chapter 96

    When Fiy heard Analise call his name, he was a little surprised at first, but then he happily ran over and stood together with her.

    He put his arms around Analise''s waist a little nervously, then smiled at the camera ording to the photographer''s instructions, revealing white teeth.

    After the photoshoot, he was so happy that his fingers were trembling faintly, and

    a strange excitement coursed through every fiber of his body.

    His heart thumped rapidly in his chest. This meant that Analise liked him a little more, right?

    Scott was not surprised that Analise chose Fiy, but of course, he was still a bit disappointed.

    However, his disappointment only started for an instant. It was quickly overtaken by happiness and nervousness.

    He was as nervous as Fiy now, but he did not make it apparent and kept his usual gentle, easygoing smile on his face.

    Only Analise, whom he was hugging by the waist, could feel the violent beating of his heart.

    Before the photographer pressed the shutter, a familiar voice sounded. "Huh? You''re here to form a contract today too, Ana?"

    Vera squeezed through the crowd of onlookers and took several steps forward.

    The onlookers looked at Vera, then Scott, who was still holding Analise by the waist. They could already imagine the drama that was about to happen.

    Analise reflexively turned to look at Vera, her attention drawn away.

    The photographer pressed the shutter, capturing a shot of Analise with her head turned, looking out of frame while Scott gazed at her.

    "Oh, no. I didn''t get a frontal shot. I''ll have to trouble you to cooperate for another photo, Ms. Chamber and Commander Hopkins," he said apologetically, turning his camera on them again. "Come on. Please look at the camera."

    Analise realized that there was a male therian she had not seen yesterday following behind Vera. They were probably here to form a contract.

    "Yes. Please wait a moment while I finish taking a photo with Scott," she said to Vera.

    "Alright," Vera replied with a smile and a nod, taking the hand of the therian behind her.

    When the onlookers saw that no drama had gone down, they became quite confused about the rtionship between Analise and Vera.

    They initially thought that Vera had heard the news about Analise and Scott forming a contract and had thuse to fight Analise for him, but now it seemed as if that was not the case.

    The two of them did not seem hostile toward each other. On the contrary, it felt like they were friends.

    After they finished taking the photos, all Analise had to do was wait for the Interster Contract Bureau to make a custom Starstone ne for her.

    Fiy and Scott, on the other hand, had been called away to get their tattoos.

    However, Scott did not know that Vera had already confessed to Analise yesterday that she did note like him now. Additionally, there

    In

    were still two unidentified traild

    within the Cross family, so he told Fiy to get his tattoo done while he apanied Analise.

    He was afraid that Vera would do something to her, so he would only feel at ease

    if someone was protecting her.

    Vera waggled her eyebrows suggestively at Analise, then leaned into her ear. "You''re pretty fast, huh, Ana? Not bad."

    She bumped Analise''s shoulder

    gently before, continuing, "The two of

    them actually didn''tpete over

    who would be your primary mate, unlike mine. A few days ago, my own mates had a fight over who would be my primary mate.

    "I actually waited at home until they finished fighting it out and determined a

    winner beforeing to form a contract with them at the bureau."

    Analiseughed. "Quick, you say? Fiy actually wanted to make the contract yesterday, and I had to threaten him into waiting another day. I don''t know why they didn''t fight over being the primary mate either, though. Maybe it''s because they''re the more obedient sort."

    She gazed at the Starstone ne around Vera''s neck. There were already three Starstones hanging from it.

    "What about you?" she asked. "Are you also here to form a contract today?"

    She remembered that the first time she saw Vera at the reception center, she had not owned a Starstone ne yet.

 Chapter 97

    In other words, Vera had only recently formed a contract with these mates of hers.

    "Yes," Vera said in reply to her previous question. "I wasn''t in a hurry to form a contract with them before, as I was pursuing Scott at the time. Considering he was the most capable among them, I wanted him to be my primary mate.

    "However, after seeing you calm down several S-grade and above male therians the other day, I came to an epiphany and knew that I should just give up on him. That''s why I couldn''t keep the rest waiting either.

    "After all, they also love me very much, and I can''t be causing the people who love me to feel aggrieved for the sake of someone who doesn''t."

    She lowered her eyes for a moment, then smiled sweetly at Analise with tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "You have no idea how happy they were on the day I told them that I was preparing to form a contract with them."

    She smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes, only to burst into tears ofughter immediately afterward. "However, itter devolved intoplete chaos as they fought for the right to be my primary mate."

    Analise handed her a tissue. "I''m sorry."

    "I''m the one who should be sorry," said Vera, ncing from Analise to Scott before pulling the former aside slightly and adding quietly, "Derek didn''t lose control out of nowhere."

    She bit her lip and took a cautious peek at Scott.

    Surprise shed in Analise''s eyes, and she immediately looked at Vera. "What?" "My younger brother-Hector-heard that Scott had chosen to be the guardian of a pure human female, Ana," exined Vera. "He was angry on my behalf. At that time, you just so happened to make a post saying that you were going to calm down a male therian, so..."

    She did not finish her sentence, knowing that Analise was smart and could piece things together from there.

    "Hector is rather mischievous, but fortunately, both Derek and the other two male therians were sessfully calmed down that day. I know it''s a littlete for me to be saying this... but can''t keep hiding it from you forever. Recently, Scott has been asking Travis Greenhill-the director of the reception center-to investigate this matter."

    She looked at Analise before continuing, Judging from Scott''s defensive behavior just now, they''ve probably almost found out about Hector''s involvement in the matter. Can you please ask Scott to give him a lighter punishment?

    "When I first found out about it a few days ago, I was angry and med myself for

    it, but I didn''t dare to say anything. However, Hector was seriously injured

    yesterday for an unknown reason...

    "I know it''s impossible for you to forgive him since he did bear ill

    intentions toward you. It''s also

    impossible for me to ask you nomet

    arrest him, as what he did was no trivial matter, but he probably won''t be able to withstand the punishment in Hopkins Gxy Lodge''s underground prison in his current condition...

    "So, when Scott arrests himter on, can you please ask him to give Hector a lighter punishment?"

    The two of them fell silent after Vera finished speaking, and only the excited chatter and cheering of the therians forming contracts around them could be heard.

    Analise''s gaze darted around before she asked hesitantly, "Do you know how Hector got hurt?"

    Getting Scott to lighten his punishment was simple, but Vera''s younger brother, Hector, was probably the "Mr. Khielson" person that Derek and the others had mentioned down in the underground prison.

    Since he was suspected of having ties to the Reimers, considering the situation with Sawyer and the Ironhorn Alliance, the fact that he was injured was no small matter.

    There were several robot females that had not yet been found. rice was currently in aa, and Gideon was still conducting research on her.

    They had still been unable to locate those robot females, and Analise was not sure whether any robot females had already been brought back to the Stormw Alliance.

    Thanks to developments from the previous incident, they might even have found a way to provide the female robots protection now.

    Of course, all of this was just conjecture on her part.

 Chapter 98

    Vera shook her head and, withplete honesty, told Analise what Hector had mentioned to her about how he had gotten hurt. However, she was also unsure about whether he had spoken the truth.

    "I don''t know," said Vera. "He went out with some friends a few days ago. He said that they encountered some interster raiders along the way, and he was wounded by them..."

    It was certainly possible to encounter interster raiders, but she had the nagging feeling that he had been really mysterious recently.

    Analise pursed her lips and turned to nce at Scott before looking back at Vera.

    "I''ll try and bring up the punishment when the timees, depending on how the situation evolves, but I can''t help you much," she said quietly.

    Vera was naturally aware of how strict Scott was when it came to handling official business, so her request to Analise was nothing more than a form of self- constion. "That''s fine. I understand."

    She mainly felt guilty for not telling Analise about the incident with Derek earlier.

    At the end of the day, the Crosses were a major family within the Stormw Alliance, so Scott would naturally give it due consideration regardless of the severity of the matter.

    She was just worried about Hector''s injury. As for whether Analise would be able to forgive him, she did not dwell too much on it.

    She and Hector had the closest rtionship within their family, so she had to try no matter what. Of course, she did not think that Analise had any obligation to intercede on his behalf.

    Honestly, she did not know why she had told Analise about the incident. She simply felt that Analise should know about it.

    Analise nced at the therian next to Vera and changed the subject. "Are you also here to form a contract today?"

    "Yes. He only worked up the courage to confess to his feelings to me yesterday," Vera replied quietly. "He''s rather shy."

    Analise snuck another peek at the therian. "Well, he looks rather aloof to me."

    "That''s just how he usually looks and acts," Vera exined exasperatedly. "He has good looks, though. You have no idea how lost he was after confessing to mest night. I was the one who came onto him in the end.

    "If I had waited for him to take the initiative to mate with me, I''d probably still be waiting 800 years into the future."

    Perhaps the therian had extremely good hearing, or perhaps Vera had intentionally not lowered her voice. Either way, he visibly turned red after she finished speaking.

    "Alright, I''m heading off to form a contract with him," dered Vera. "Scott''s also still waiting to get tattooed. I think Fiy''s tattoo should be done soon."

    Analise inadvertently caught sight of Fiy walking toward them and hummed in acknowledgement.

    After parting ways with Vera, she urged Scott to get his tattoo done.

    However, Scott still waited until Fiy walked over to her before he felt relieved enough to head over to the tattooing room.

    As for what Vera mentioned to her just now, she felt that it would be best to bring it up after they returned to Hopkins Gxy Lodge. After all, there were many people here, and she did not want to invite unnecessary trouble.

    Fiy happily lifted his left wrist for her to see. "Look, Ana."

    The pattern tattooed onto it was Analise''s appearance today.

    In truth, it looked just like a profile picture. The tattoo only extended as far as her shoulders.

    She looked at the still-red tattoo and touched it gently. "Are you relieved now? Does it hurt?"

    "No..."

    Fiy trailed off. He initially wanted to deny any pain, but then he thought of Scott and immediately changed his tune. "It hurts. I need Ana to kiss it better."

    Analise smiled in exasperation before standing on her tiptoes to nt a kiss on his lips.

    Her lips had barely brushed his, but Fiy grinned joyfully, more than happy enough with it.

    He took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. "After your Starstone ne is done, let''s take some photos and upload them to Cosmoseek, okay, Ana?"

    She did not refuse. "Alright. Sure."

    Cosmoseek was the equivalent of Facebook and Twitter of the human era. Once a post was made, everyone throughout the interster therian world would be able to see it.

    Other than Alliance executives who

    would use certain special,

    Alliance-exclusive interster

    Well, some people considered it a requirement to announce that they were dating. So, since they had pretty much gotten married, it did not make sense not to publicly announce their rtionship.

    By the time the Starstone ne was done, Scott had also finished getting his

    tattoo.

 Chapter 99

    Analise first took photos with Fiy and Scott individually, then they all took some photos together.

    Of course, the photo of the three of them together was the one Analise posted on Cosmoseek. The duo photos, on the other hand, were the ones that Fiy and Scott wanted to post on their own Cosmoseek ounts.

    There was instant uproar the moment they uploaded the photos online.

    In general, most of them were envious of Fiy and Scott, while a small portion ofizensmented that Fiy was lucky.

    Overall, most of the private messages that Analise received consisted of people congratting her, but there was a small number of people who sent her messages wanting to get to know her or pursue her affections.

    She silently turned off her interface and nced at Fiy and Scott, who were each standing to one side of her.

    The two of them were, surprisingly, typing on their interfaces in tandem. They were both likely sending messages to someone.

    However, she received an interster call from Gideon before she had even walked out of the Interster Contract Bureau.

    A crease formed between her brows. She had a bad feeling about this.

    As expected, the moment she answered the call, Gideon was demanding in a whiny voice, "Ana! What about me? What about me, Ana? Have those two really stolen your heart away?

    "Did you not leave me any ce in your heart? Have you really forgotten all about me?"

    He clutched at his chest, showing her a pained expression.

    She was speechless for a moment. Then, she smiled and tried to change the topic.

    "I did leave you a spot, but you''re just too far away right now, no? You aren''t even

    in the Stormw Alliance, and you still have to conduct research on rice."

    On her screen, she could see that he was still wearing conservative attire. It looked to be specialized clothing for conducting research.

    rice was lying still on the surgical table next to him, her eyes closed. Her chest had been cut open, revealing something that gleamed silver and ck.

    However, Gideon had not taken the object out. Instead, he had simply connected it to a nearby instrument via a strange thread.

    When she took a closer look at it, she found that it was indeed thread and not some sort of catheter or other simr object.

    It was just thread that looked simr to wool.

    "Research isn''t going to dy me from forming a contract with you. If you had told me you wanted to form a contract with me earlier, I would have gone with you," Gideon said aggrievedly. "This research isn''t going to yield results within a day or two."

    Analise stayed silent.

    Gideon''s eyes reddened slightly. "Ana... Why aren''t you saying anything? Do you really not remember me anymore? Have you checked out the bracelet I gave you?"

    She felt guilty for some reason. "I haven''t..."

    He almost turned to stone on the spot from shock and disappointment. "So, you really don''t remember me at all, Ana..."

    She smiled apologetically at him. "I''m sorry."

    He was stunned at the sight of the genuine apology in her smile.

    He lowered his gaze, then said after a moment, "It''s alright. I don''t care about the order of the contracts, and it''s not like I want to force you to form a contract with me immediately.

    "We can just form a contract when you one day remember me, but please reserve

    a ce for me in your heart, Ana."

    The equipment on the side started beeping, and he hurriedly moved to hang up the call. "I''m going to check on rice first, Ana. I''ll call you backter."

    She looked at the interface disying the disconnected call with an unreadable expression on her face.

    Vera had finished forming a contract with the male therian from before, and she happened to walk out to the sight of Analise in a daze. "Why are you zoning off here, Ana?"

    Analise nced at Vera''s Starstone ne. "It''s nothing. Have the two of youpleted the contract procedure so quickly?"

    "Yes. There were fewer people today,

    so it was quick," Vera said with a

    crazy on

    nod. "You sure are popr, Ana. Look. As soon as you posted that photo it was shared like crazy Cosmoseek. I heard that even that SSS-grade therian from the Ethereal Fang Alliance wanted toe over to pursue your affections."

 Chapter 100

    Vera leaned close to Analise''s ear. "However, my older brother Alvaro said that there''s been a lot going on with the Ethereal Fang Alliancetely, which is why that therian hasn''te here yet. I suddenly recalled this piece of information when looking through the trending topics on Cosmoseek just now."

    Analise massaged her temples. "It''s good that he''s busy. He should just note at all."

    "Why would you think that, Ana?" eximed Vera. "You have no idea how many people wish these SSS-grade male therians would be their guardians. You''re the only one who can make them surrender willingly to you."

    Analise uttered in confusion, "Huh?"

    Then, she shook her head, recalling Gideon''s whiny and pitiful appearance just now. "We''ll see. These few around me are already giving me enough of a headache."

    Anyone who saw how Gideon looked with his eyes lowered dejectedly just now would have felt their hearts melt.

    Vera hummed dismissively and did not pursue the topic any further. She was still worried about Hector''s situation. "I still need to go back and see Hector, so I''ll take my leave first."

    Analise nodded. "Okay."

    Seeing as Vera was about to leave, Scott suddenly called out to her. "Ms. Khielson."

    Vera immediately had a bad feeling about the situation.

    As she expected, Scott''s next words were about Hector. "Please pass on a message to your younger brother Hector for me, Ms. Khielson. Tell him to drop by the Hopkins Gxy Lodge at 10:00 am tomorrow."

    Vera turned to cast Analise a pleading look before looking at Scott. "Okay. I''ll head back and let him know."

    After Vera left, Analise, Fiy, and Scott went to Hopkins Gxy Lodge.

    Scott gave Analise the bow he had gotten custom-made beforehand. "See if it suits you, Ana."

    When Fiy saw the bow, he thought of the bow that Analise had pulled out of thin air. "Don''t you have a bow, Ana? Where is it?"

    Scott looked at the therians who were training nearby before saying in a low voice, "Fiy. Do you still remember what I told you before? In the future, don''t ask about anything concerning Ana when there are outsiders around.

    "Also, no matter what she brings out, we shouldn''t ask too many questions. All we need to do is trust her unconditionally."

    When Scott had a heart-to-heart talk with Analise before, he had confirmed the fact that she was an interster outsider.

    Since that was the case, it was very normal for her to have abilities that differed from ordinary people.

    However, they could not let other people discover these abilities.

    As he thought this, he felt that it would be necessary to have a proper talk with

    Fiy about Analise''s situation after they got home tonight.

    He mainly wanted to get Fiy to watch his words and protect her well.

    When Fiy saw the serious expression on Scott''s face, he knew that this was no trivial matter, so he readily agreed. "Okay. Sure."

    Seeing how obedient Fiy was, Analise reached out to pinch his cheeks "That''s my little secret, so don''t ask too many questions. You also can''t let anyone else know

    about it, okay?"

    He rubbed his cheek against her palm. "Okay, then."

    She had also mentioned that they could talk about it after going home before, but they hadter forgotten about it.

    Fiy had also only remembered that exchange upon seeing Analise holding a bow.

    As Analise drew the bowstring, she suddenly recalled that Scott had mentioned his mother''s death anniversary before.

    It just so happened that they had all still been flying through space that day. Since she and Scott had formed a contract today, they should probably visit.

    "Set your official duties aside for today, Scott. Let''s drive over to meet your

    parents and Fiy''s," she said, looking at both of them.

    Scott was about to leave. His fingers on the doorknob shook upon registering her words. Fiy, who was standing beside her, trembled lightly as well.

    "Ana..."

    They both spoke at the same time, but they did not quite know what to say.

    She took Fiy''s hand and

    continued, "Since we''ve formed a

    contract, we should notify them

    about it remember you mentioning

    that your father is still alive and well,

    Fiy. Let''s go see him after visiting the graves of your mother and Scott''s parents, alright?"

    She craned her head to look at Scott.

    After a momentary silence, he nodded. "Okay."

 Chapter 101

    Scott drove the whole way while Fiy and Analise sat in the backseat. Throughout the ride, he held tightly onto her hand.

    "What''s wrong?" She could sense that something was wrong with Fiy.

    "It''s nothing." He stered on a smile.

    "Didn''t Fiy tell you about it?" Scott decided to speak up after wrestling with himself a little.

    "What is it?" Analise was puzzled.

    "His parents weren''t kind to him." Scott sighed.

    She turned around and nced at Fiy, but she didn''t ask him about it. Instead of pressing him and opening up old wounds, maybe there woulde a day when he would reveal his past to her.

    Analise pulled Fiy into her arms and gave him a squeeze. "Do you still want to go there? We''ll follow your lead."

    "Yeah. They''ve been dead a long time anyway, and I''m just there to pay them respect at their tombstone.

    "At the end of the day, I''m still their son," Fiy responded softly, seizing the moment and burying his head into her neck.

    He searched his childhood memory and found that it wasn''t all terrible, even though he''d be hard-pressed to call it wonderful. His folks were buried under a mound of dirt now. He simply didn''t have to be scared of them anymore.

    "Okay." Analise held Fiy in her arms for quite a while.

    He didn''t let go of her until after he rposed himself and felt somewhat embarrassed. Although he had formed a contract with her, he still couldn''t help but blush and feel his heart race whenever he touched her.

    Once they arrived at Stormw Alliance''s public cemetery, Analise followed Fiy

    to his parents'' tombstone first. They died rather early on, and that might''ve been

    why they wereid to rest at the outer edge of the cemetery.

    Fiy led the other two through several turns before they finally found two mounds of dirt in a ce overrun with weeds.

    "I have never visited them in all these years." Fiy rested his gaze on the weeds and pondered a little. Then, he pulled the weeds in front of the tombstones and cleared a tiny clearing.

    Afterward, Analise finally saw his parents'' names engraved on the tombstones. They were simple and to the point.

    She giggled and rubbed Fiy''s head. Then, she set the candles down.

    "At the end of the day, you guys are his parents. You have the right t

    caught herself and said, "I mee

    know that he''s married....." She

    formed a contract."

    The Interster therian world had inherited the memorial candles that humans used in their eras, even though they were made from a different material.

    "Let''s go." They didn''t waste any words. Once the candles finished burning, the three of them left.

    When they arrived at Scott''s mom''s tombstone, he fell to his knees. "Mum, I found Sean. You were right. He''s still my brother when all is said and done."

    He fell silent for a brief moment before he continued, "The thing is, Sean shifted back into his old body. He''s frail and ill now."

    Scott lit up the candles. "You kept telling me to find a soulmate at my age and that I should lower my expectations. Well, I finally found a female I am very fond of. Are you happy for me?"

    A light breeze blew past them. It was as if his mother was responding to him. Some of the candles were blown to the back of the tombstone.

    Analise walked over, intending to pick them up. That was when she surprisingly found a small hole in the dirt behind the tombstone.

    She stared at it for quite a while, mulling it over. Did someone try to dig up the grave, or was it the doing of small animals like rats?

    She couldn''t be certain about it. After all, the hole wasn''t dug recently. Instead, it had been there for a long time.

    "Scott, there''s a hole in the ground," Analise said after she picked up the candles and returned to the duo. She thought it was better to y it safe.

    Scott immediately rose to his feet when he heard what she said. When he saw the small hole, he instantly thought about the impostor female that resembled his mom.

    A wave of panic washed over Scott. "Mom, please forgive me. I''m about to do something disrespectful.

    "Fiy, I need your help digging the grave up." Pursing his lips, Scott shifted into a tiger and started digging with his ws.

 Chapter 102

    "What?" Analise and Fiy were shocked, but Scott was already digging the grave.

    "Truly his mother''s pride and joy, isn''t he?" Analise thought. When she thought of the impostor female, however, she couldn''t help but get worried.

    rice was a sentient half-robot female. So, what about the impostor female who resembled Scott''s mom? His mom had been dead for years now. She couldn''t have been dug up right after her death, could she?

    "Scott, did you notice this hole thest time you came?" Analise stood aside and watched as they dug the grave up with their ws.

    "No." Scott shook his head. "I came here during Mom''sst death anniversary, and it wasn''t here before."

    Analise fell silent. About ten minutester, they unearthed the casket. Scott lifted the lid without any hesitation, but there was nothing in there. Aside from the clothes and stone headrest, the casket was entirely empty.

    "It''s gone." Scott clenched his fists, and the veins on his hands popped up. "Mom''s remains are gone!"

    Flesh would decay after death, but the big bones wouldn''t have disintegrated that easily. The eerie thing was that there was nothing in the casket-no skull, no femur, nothing at all.

    "Analise, I''m sensing Ophir''s stench here. The casket is intact, which means Scott''s mom must''ve been removed or extracted from it via a unique method," Echo suddenly spoke up when Analise was wondering how best tofort Scott.

    "It''s likely that Ophir gave Sean an item and thus provided him with the means to pull it off."

    She thought back to how the impostor female was brought over after Sean made a gesture. That was all the clue she needed.

    "It''s possible that your mom''s remains are stuck in the impostor female," Analise said gently.

    "Sean..." Scott lowered his gaze, his expression turning as dark as coal.

    "Sean''s soul is the only thing left in his body. We have no choice but to wait for the

    other Sean to show up." Analise held his hand gently.

    Without a suitable host, Ophir probably wouldn''t show itself on Interster therian world. Even if the opposite proved to be true, it knew about her and Echo''s existence, which meant it would be sneaky in its wicked work.

    That would be the tricky part, though. After all, the Therian world was vast. Finding Ophir and the transmigrator, Sean, would be akin to finding a needle in a-sized haystack.

    Scott hummed in response, closed the casket lid in silence, and refilled the grave.

    Fiy helped him with it and packed the grave with dirt.

    Scott remained quiet and didn''t say a single word throughout the entire drive.

    Silence hung over them, and Fiy obediently held Analise''s hand without saying much.

    His mom''s remains were taken

    21.ned

    away. Naturally, he was in no mood to bring Analise to his father. He had a strained rtionship with his father to begin with. Thetter would be driven mad with rage if he found out that her wife''s remains were stolen.

    When they arrived at Hopkins Gxy Lodge, Scott instructed Fiy to help Analise with her bow practice. Then, he went to his office by himself.

    Knowing that Scott was in a bad ce emotionally, she merely practiced a little before she made her way to his office and tried toe up with topics to distract him.

    At the very least, she wanted to make him feel better. However, it didn''t work out well.

    The next day, Hector arrived at Hopkins Gxy Lodge and went to the office just in time. As it happened, Analise was there, too.

    "Are you Alvaro''s brother?" She sized up the young male standing in front of him.

    He looked simr to Alvaro, albeit with a stiffer expression. Hence, he wasn''t as soft and adorable as Alvaro was. Instead, he looked a little mischievous and rebellious.

 Chapter 103

    "Here I was, thinking it was someone important. Turns out it''s just a pure human female. What''s the matter? Are you feeling good about yourself just because you can calm some males?" Hector responded.

    He might''ve been amazed by how beautiful Analise was, but he was still feeling annoyed on Vera''s behalf. So, he decided he would be sarcastic and take a dig at

    her.

    Analise curled her lips slightly when she heard what he said. He did fit the profile of a mischievous and rebellious young male.

    "I heard you were injured. Is it true?" she asked as she took a step forward, ignoring his snide remarks.

    "What''s this? Are you trying to calm me as well? Regrettably, it''s just some flesh wound. So, I don''t need it."

    Hector raised an eyebrow, surprised at the fact that the female wasn''t mad at him. Instead, she actually expressed concern about his injury. The realization made his heart race for a reason he couldn''tprehend.

    "Ms. Khielson said you were injured by the interster raiders. Is it true?" Instead of responding to him, Analise grabbed his arm and stared at his wound.

    In fact, she was looking for signs of Vexoth venom in Hector''s body. She would purify it if it were present. If he was clean, then she would have heaven to thank for it.

    "Hey, you! What do you think you''re doing?" Hector twisted his wrist, but he didn''t dare to make any big movements. After all, he was dealing with a female now.

    Having a female''s tender fingers sping his wrist made him feel so uneasy that he turned sideways. He intended to shake her hands off at first, but Scott was right there.

    Thest thing he wanted was for Scott to think that he was mean to females. It would be terrible if thetter locked him up.

    More to the point, Scott was an SSS-grade male. Defeating someone like him was nothing more than a fancy dream. If things turned ugly, Hector wouldn''t even be able to un away from him.

    "I''m just checking it out. I''m not doing anything at all." Analise let go of Hector''s wrist, feeling relieved. There were no signs of Vexoth venom in him.

    "Vera and I are friends now. You can drop the look and stop trying to be intimidating all the time." Analise chuckled.

    Hector wore his feelings on his sleeves. Someone like him wouldn''t have the mental capacity to be in cahoots with The Reimers and Vexoths. From the looks of it, Jamari was the one she had to watch out for.

    "Do you know why I summoned you here?" Scott asked after Analise was done talking, tapping his desk.

    "How the hell should I know?" Hector nced at Analise. He couldn''t have concealed the diffidence on his face if he wanted to.

    Before they went out in the morning, Vera told him to just admit to his mistakes. With the Khielson family backing him up, Scott would never have dished out a severe punishment.

    Hector was feeling a little puzzled when he heard what she said, but he immediately understood why when he saw Analise.

    It had almost been ten days since Derek''s incident, and everything appeared calm and ordinary.

    Hector assumed that Scott dropped the investigation, but that couldn''t be further from the truth. Thetter had been keeping a secret investigation going the whole time.

    "You just nced at me, which means you do know why you''re summoned," Analise said after she took a seat on a recliner to the side and rested her chin on her hands.

    "What are you talking about? I have no idea why you guys called me over." Hector red at her before turning sideways and avoiding her gaze.

    "Why did Derek suddenly go berserk for no apparent reason?" Scott asked icily and lowered his gaze.

    "H-How would I know? I don''t work at the containment facility," Hector protested stubbornly as he instinctively clutched his pants.

    "Fiy, get him here," Scott ordered Fiy to bring the witness over, instead of wasting words on Hector.

    "Mr. Khielson, you have to help me! Please, Mr. Khielson! I don''t want to be sent to the dungeon cells. I still have yet to form a contract with females. No one would want me, even if I''m released at some point!"

    The witness, Liam Hawke, was rather young. He immediately fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Hector''s leg the moment he saw him.

    "Get away from me and stop spouting nonsense!" Hector tried and failed to shake Liam off his leg.

    "Mr. Khielson, you can''t pretend not to know me!" Liam''s heart immediately sank when he saw how Hector reacted.

    "You''re the one who said to put Ms. Chamber to the test and asked me to stop administering sedatives and inhibitors to Derek when he was about to make a breakthrough!"

    He clung onto Hector''s calves and cried out, "No one would''ve known that Derek was already on the cusp of a breakthrough if you hadn''t pointed it out. I wouldn''t have had the guts to do something like that."

    "Stop your nonsense. Get away from me!" Hector nced at Analise diffidently

    and tried hard to tear Liam away.

    "So? Do you know what I''m capable of now?" Analise raised an eyebrow.

    "It''s just a load of crap. He''s spouting lies!" Hector roared in exasperation when he

    saw her mocking gaze and failed to pull Liam away from his leg.

    "I have the audio recording and

    footage from the interface!" Liam noticed how Hector denied

    everything vehemently, and it finally dawned on him that thetter wasn''t

    going to care if he lived or died.

 Chapter 104

    Liam got up and booted the interface. He turned off the privacy setting and yed

    the audio recording and footage of the day that Hector sought him out.

    ...

    "Hey, you. Yeah, you! Get over here," Hector spoke first. Then, Liam turned

    around and saw him, who looked a little impatient.

    "Are you talking to me?" Now, it was Liam''s voice.

    "Yeah, you. The one who''s dilly-dallying." Hector frowned and waved at Liam.

    "Get over here. I have something to tell you."

    "What is it, Mr. Khielson?" Liam asked as he slowly approached Hector.

    "I need you to do something for me. If you pull it off, ten middle-ss Astral Ambers will be yours," Hector said, lowering his voice.

    "Okay, Mr. Khielson. Lay it on me." Liam immediately nodded with a thrill when he heard about the reward.

    "The pure-human female ising over to calm males. From what I heard, she managed to calm an S-grade male, even if she is just an F-grade. She actually had the gall to say that she wanted to livestream the process.

    "If memory serves me right, you''re in charge of the berserk males below ground. Is that right? I want you to find an S-grade male who''s on the cusp of making a breakthrough to SS-grade.

    "Then, you''ll stop his supply of sedatives and inhibitors. Let''s see if the pure- human female lives up to her impressive reputation and calms males regardless of the grade!" Hector said scornfully.

    "U-Um......." Liam faltered. "That''s not a good idea, Mr. Khielson. What if she couldn''t calm the S-grade male? It''s going to be a disaster if he goes berserk!

    "The containment facility is built in an old neighborhood, and the residents around itck effective means to protect themselves. I can''t bear the consequences if something terrible happens!"

    Liam took steps back and put some distance between him and Hector when he heard what thetter said.

    "Are you an idiot or something? Vera is SS-grade, and she can effortlessly calm a berserk male who had just made a breakthrough to SS-grade." Hector rolled his eyes at Liam.

    "What if..." Liam felt a little conflicted.

    "To hell with your what-ifs!" Hector''s patience grew thin. "If you won''t do it, plenty of others are more than happy to take your ce. Ten middle-ss Astral Ambers. Make up your mind."

    He pulled out a pouch from the pocket drive and gave it a little shake in his hands, barely revealing the Astral Ambers in it.

    Liam focused his gaze on the ambers in Hector''s hands. Things became quiet for a while. Then, he nodded and agreed to it.

    ...

    The audio recording and footage in the interface came to an end.

    "Just how clueless can you be? How could you let someone record the entire conversation?" Analise

    scoffed and snickered as she fixed

    scoffed

    her gaze on Hector, whose face reddened.

    "I have both the evidence and the witness. What more do you have to say for yourself?" Scott shot Hector a look before he slowly walked toward thetter.

    "I-I just couldn''t stand how full of it she was. I had no idea that she was actually that good.

    "Also, no one got hurt at the end of the day, and it''s not like we suffered any loss," Hector grumbled meekly when he saw how intimidating Scott was.

    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Scott chided. "Do you know the kind of disaster that could''ve happened if Ana hadn''t calmed Derek in time?

    "The females would''ve been hurt badly, and the containment facility would''ve been thrown into a state of disarray! The residents on the street would be dragged into it as well!

    "Do you have any idea how much it would cost to treat the injured, repair the facility, and rebuild the neighborhood?"

    Scott took one menacing step after another toward Hector and asked frigidly, "So, tell me. Would we have suffered losses?"

    "H-How would I have known that things would..." Hector tried to defend himself, lowering his head.

    But he was interrupted abruptly.

 Chapter 105

    "You didn''t know? No, it''s not that you didn''t know. You simply thought you were immune to repercussions because you''re from the Khielson family. Wouldn''t you say?" Scott sneered.

    "T-That''s not true at all!" Hector raised his head and nced at Analise. "I was just trying to teach her a lesson. How was I supposed to know that it could lead to such a serious oue?"

    "Rx, Scott. You''re scaring him." Analise rose to her feet and pulled him back a little. "From what I can see, he didn''t cook up the whole scheme.

    "Moreover, he''s already injured. If a fight breaks out and something worse happens, the Khielson family will get their panties in a bunch again."

    Analise gave Scott''s palm a gentle squeeze, hinting to him that he could drop the act for now.

    Turning around, he returned to his work desk and pointed at Liam.

    "Seeing as you preserved the evidence and didn''t do anything too terrible, I will just sentence you to 20shes and spare you from the dungeon cells.

    "Fiy, take him away." Scott waved.

    "At once." After Fiy led Liam away, Scott got up, closed his office door, and locked it.

    "W-Why did you lock the door?" Hector was scared and a little shocked.

    "I don''t think someone with your mental capacity could''ve cooked up an intricate scheme like that. Did someone show you how to do it?" Analise walked around Hector twice.

    "N-Nobody taught me anything!" Hector shook his head at once, but he instinctively avoided her gaze.

    "Really?" Analise chuckled. "Why did I get word that you are quite close to your third dad?"

    The therians in the Interster therian world would only refer to their biological fathers as "Dad". The rest of their mothers'' mates had to be addressed ording to their rank.

    Jamari was Lily''s third mate. So, Hector called him his third dad.

    "He''s one of my fathers, and I''m his family. It''s normal that we''re close." Hector''s gaze followed Analise as she walked.

    For some reason, he regretted his actions a little when he saw on Cosmoseek how she calmed the males. Now that he saw her in person, the guilt in his heart deepened.

    The thing was, Hector had been pampered since he was a little boy. How could he possibly bring himself to apologize to someone?

    "Hmm. I guess you''re right." Analise nodded and fell silent. Then, she gave Scott a look.

    "I received news that you''ve been secretly contacting The Reimers," Scott said.

    "That''s a load of bullshit! Why would I have anything to do with The Reimers?" Hector immediately flew into a rage as if someone had stepped on his toes.

    "Really?" Scott pulled up footage on the interface, which captured the moment Mark bumped into Hector and Jamari meeting with members of The Reimers. Scott leaned on his work desk and tapped its surface. "I believe that''s you."

    "Um..." Hector became visibly panicked. "We didn''t know that he was a member of The Reimers. We were deceived as well!"

    "Oh? Is this admission?" Scott turned off the interface and stared at Hector.

    "I mean it. We were deceived. We didn''t work with them!" Hector exined anxiously. "It didn''t even ur to us that they were from The Reimers until we learned that someone from that organization was caught."

    "Everyone who was in cahoots with The Reimers denied having conspired with them. Why should believe you?" Scott raised his hand and tapped his temple. "What''s more, you are the youngest heir of the Khielson family. I have reasons to believe that you intend to conspire with them to take my position."

    "That''s not true!" Hector was immediately stressed out. "I just want to be stronger! I haven''t made a breakthrough in my mind essence for three long

    years."

    He pursed his lips and added, "They told me that they developed a new reagent that could boost mental essences."

    "Is that your reason for conspiring with them?" Scott pressed.

    "I said I didn''t! I just wanted to grow stronger. That''s why I met with them to buy the reagent!" Hector roared. He was so flustered that he raised his voice, not giving a care about who he was talking to.

    "So, did you get the reagent? Did you drink it?" Analise frowned. It felt like the

    whole thing spiraled into a more convoluted mess.

 Chapter 106

    "So, what you''re saying is..." Scott trailed off, subtly curling his lips. "You and your third dad really just thought that the members of The Reimers were reagent sellers, and you guys just wanted to buy theirtest product."

    "Exactly!" Hector nodded firmly. "I swear on my mental essence. If I lied to you, may heaven forbid me from making a breakthrough in my mental essence!"

    "Did you get it, then? Did you drink it?" Analise asked again.

    "I got it, and I''ve ingested it." Hector nodded. "The reagent actually works. I have made a breakthrough to A-grade, and my mental essence is S-grade now."

    Looking at Analise, Hector noticed the grave seriousness on her face.

    "A reagent that helps make a breakthrough in mental essence. What''s even crazier is that The Reimers developed it." Analise pinched her chin, her mind racing. No matter how she looked at it, the reagent was bad news.

    "Do a lot of people buy this stuff?" she asked again.

    Hector pondered it before he responded, "Not a clue. Many people were buying it when we did, though. Almost everyone from every single alliance we ever knew."

    "What about now?" Scott''s gaze grew cold.

    "Of course, I don''t buy it anymore. Ever since Cosmoseek announced The Reimers'' traits, Third Dad and I knew which organization they reported to. So, we cut them off."

    Hector lowered his gaze and added, "We honestly aren''t in cahoots with The Reimers."

    "Is that so? Where did the injuries on your bodye from, then?" Scott stared at Hector deliberately.

    The w marks on Hector''s body were too conspicuous. His hands, neck, and even face were covered in them. Barring any surprises, there should be plenty of injuries all over his body.

    The w marks on his face were rtively shallow. Meanwhile, it was obvious that the ones on his hand and neck were a mixture of old and new injuries.

    Hector pursed his lips as he hesitated.

    "The mess at the containment facility didn''t turn into a disaster. I believe the Khielson family will be able to keep you from being sent to the dungeon cells.

    "However, conspiring with The Reimers meant everyone in your family would be put under a thorough investigation.

    "Once your crimes are confirmed, even your females'' movements will be restricted. They will be monitored by specialized personnel and prohibited from taking a step out of their houses," Scott concluded.

    He grabbed the ss of water on his work desk and took a sip. "I believe you know very well about this, Mr. Khielson.

    "Vera had just formed a contract

    with a male she loved. It isn''t too

    crazy to think that they would have a

    child soon. You wouldn''t want a newborn Khielson to be sent to a lower-ss, would you?"

    "No!" Hector immediately raised his head. "My injuries are also caused by the new reagent!"

    Analise frowned, her eyes darkening. As expected, it was bad news.

    "Are you certain? Can I take a look at the other injuries on you?" She approached him and reached out.

    Grabbing his wrist, she carefully sent her senses into his body once more. There were still no signs of Vexoth venom, though.

    "Yeah." Hector felt a little embarrassed from having his wrist held by a female, but he didn''t shake her hand away.

    He continued, "After I drank the reagent, I could feel my mental essence expanding rapidly. Moreover, I made the breakthrough in less than three days afterward."

    Hector probably recalled the thrill he felt when his mental essence skyrocketed and the ensuing breakthrough took ce. He even smiled at the recollection.

    When he said his next words, however, the smile quickly faded.

    "But I felt itchy a week after I made the breakthrough. At first, it was just my furs, I thought it was because I sweat from the hot weather. showered three times a day, but the itch never went away.

    "Afterward, the itch became especially worse in the area around my chest. I had no choice but to scratch at it. That said, the itch would go away very quickly.

    "The thing is, the itchsted longer and longer when it came back several dayster, and the itch on my body became more and more intense.

    "When Third Dad learned about it, he searched for doctors high and low. At some point, he got medication from God-knows-where, and itpletely stopped the

    itch.

    "Regrettably, it only cured the

    symptom, not the root of the

    problem. The itch would return and

    be unbearable every now and

    then. But he still had to buy the medication and let me drink it to fight the itch.

    "What''s more..." Hector trailed off, lowering his head.

    He then continued, "What''s more, I would asionally go into a frenzy and lose

    my mind. Then, I would attack everyone around us indiscriminately.

    "That was why we kept going out recently. We were worried that I would go into a frenzy in Stormw Alliance''s base and get us locked up in chains."

    "Oh?" Scott raised an eyebrow. "How do you make sure that the others don''t speak about this? Your third dad couldn''t have brought you under control by himself when you were frenzied, could he?"

    Hector lowered his head, avoiding Scott''s gaze. "His men worked for him. So, they kept their mouths shut."

 Chapter 107

    To put it bluntly, Hector was just an underage male. He stood no chance against the intimidating demeanor that Scott possessed.

    "So, the w marks on your body were partly self-inflicted, and the rest were from your third dad identally wing you when he was subduing you during your frenzy. Is that right?"

    Analise let go of his wrist. "Can I see the injuries on you?"

    "You..."

    "Just the top half of your body. You''re still underage, and I don''t intend to tease someone like you," Analise said, giggling when she saw the conflicted look on his face.

    Hector pursed his lips as if he was wrestling with himself. After a good while, he took off his clothes and revealed his fair yet scratched chest.

    Analise frowned before walking around and checking on his back. There were plenty of w marks there, too. Now, even Scott''s eyebrows furrowed as he gazed at the young Hector.

    At the end of the day, Hector was the youngest heir in the Khielson family. He might not have been a female, but he must have grown up being spoiled by people around him.

    He sustained this many injuries, and yet the Khielsons didn''t make a fuss at all. Jamari''s men had truly kept their mouths shut.

    "This exins why Vera said your injuries are serious." Analise''s gaze darkened.

    Hector lowered his head, looking dejected. "I''m closest to her. Of course, she''s going to see my injuries. This time, we don''t have the medication to suppress the itch. Third Dad and the others had to bring me under control by force alone.

    "So, we agreed we would tell everyone that it was the doing of the interster raiders. Otherwise, we wouldn''t be able to keep it on the down-low.

    "I don''t know why, but the medication had ceased production, and we couldn''t buy

    it anymore. That''s why I went into a frenzy more frequently as the day went by. We had no choice but to go on a trip whenever my body started to itch."

    "More frequent? Are you saying that your frenzy doesn''tst very long and that you will eventually snap out of your frenzy, even if you didn''t drink the reagent?

    "Recently, however, the duration became longer and longer. Is that what you''re saying?" Scott''s face grew grim.

    Analise narrowed her eyes. "Has your third dad ever drunk the reagent The Reimers developed?"

    "No." Hector shook his head. "The reagent is crazy expensive, and there was only one for sale back then. His mental essence is above S-grade to begin with. So, he gave it to me first."

    "How did you guys know about the reagent in the first ce?" Scott asked again.

    "Third Dad heard about it from the others. It?ust so happened that he overheard my conversation with my friend and learned that I hadn''t had luck with my mental essence''s breakthrough.

    "So, he filled me in on the reagent," Hector answered truthfully.

    "That proves it. He''s been used like ab rat." Analise smacked her palm in

    realization. He was too naive.

    Actually, it would

    seem that

    everyone who bought the reagent

    back then was allb rats. What was

    more, the medication that Hector

    said could control his frenzy was

    probably developed by The

    Reimers as well.

    It was just that Hector was oblivious to all of these. The old snake, Jamari,

    must''ve taken advantage of him and screwed him over in an attempt to undermine the Khielson family.

    The strange thing was that Jamari was Lily''s mate. Why would he treat her son this way?

    Pinching her chin, Analise paced back and forth in the office. Scott shared the same thoughts with her after he heard the whole story. Hector was most probably used as ab rat.

    "Don''t you think there''s anything suspicious about your third dad?" Analise asked as she tilted her head. Unbeknownst to Hector, she was standing next to him.

    Hector shook his head in response.

    She was at a loss for words.

    "I''m willing to bet that your third dad

    was the one who asked you to

    instruct someone at the

    containment facility to stop administering sedatives and

    vel

    inhibitors to Derek. Did I get it right?"

    Analise rubbed her eyebrows.

    "How do you know about this?" Hector gawked at her with a look of disbelief on his face.

    Analise clicked her tongue in disapproval before turning her gaze to Scott. "He''s even more naive and gullible than Karl."

    Karl, who was minding his own business at Ironhorn Alliance, sneezed several times in quick session.

 Chapter 108

    Karl rubbed his nose and said to himself, "Is thedy thinking about me now?"

    The pen in his hand froze midway through writing when he recalled how Analise grabbed his horns. His mind started racing, and he didn''te back to his senses embarrassingly until the ink from his pen spilled and a pool of ck collected on

    the paper.

    Everyone knew that Analise had formed a contract with Scott and Fiy by now.

    Karl had also wondered for a long time if he should seek her out and confess his feelings. He couldn''t deny that he quite liked her. What was more, she had touched his horn.

    After careful deliberation, however, he decided against the idea. At least, he couldn''t do it for the time being. Ironhorn Alliance was in a state of disarray now. He needed to focus on hunting down the rest of Sawyer''s cohorts.

    Having gone through the terrible incident, Karl had matured deeply. After all, he was the lord of Ironhorn City. Wayne was old and frail. It was time he grew up and became the pir of Ironhorn Alliance and brought it to a greater height.

    Then, someone knocked on the door.

    "Come in." Karl took the ink-stained paper away.

    "Karl, the security forces returned with news. They have secured the evidence for Sawyer''s collusion with The Reimers, and he has been imprisoned in Interster Prison as we speak.

    "As for his cohorts, the security forces said they''d send some of their men to help us with the hunt. Recently, The Reimers have been more active than usual, and Apex Tournament is around the corner.

    "So, the security forces wanted to recruit some new blood. They also wanted to discuss a n to hunt down The Reimers with you and various alliancemanders."

    Jay opened the door and entered Karl''s office. He handed thetter a file and said, "Lord Hansen said he''s old and wanted to stay out of this case. He''s giving you full authority over all affairs concerning Ironhorn City.

    "In a few days, he will make an announcement regarding your ascension to lordship."

    Karl hummed in response without raising his head. Instead, he held the file in his hand and went through it meticulously.

    "Sawyer has given us a list of his cohorts. Get someone to bring them in." Karl looked at one of the pages with a name list andmitted it to his memory before taking it off and giving it to Jay.

    "Also, I want you to form a team and use the information Sawyer has given us to link up with someone in The Reimers. Find an opportunity to arrest them.

    "If they proved to be stronger, get yourself and your team back. Don''t get tangled up with them."

    Jay nodded, frowned, and continued his report, "Karl, there''s one more thing."

    "What is it?" Karl raised his head.

    "Some strange patients have been sighted within our alliance. They aren''t afflicted with Vexoth venom, but they would go into a frenzy and attack the others.

    "Meanwhile, there are some patients

    who didn''t attack anyone but have other health issues. It seems like they were tormented by an unbearable itch and scratched up their entire body and tore at their skin."

    At this point, Jay pped once. Several males brought two subdued males into Karl''s office. One of the males was writhing and scratching his body, while the other looked dazed, his gaze clouded.

    He pointed at the male with a dull gaze and said, "This one went into a frenzy and indiscriminately attacked people around him. He''s just one of many have just ordered him to be sedated. So, he''s totally out

    of it

    now."

    "Is it a contagious disease?" Karl frowned, rose to his feet, and took a closer look

    at both of the males.

    "N-No," the male scratching himself responded. "It''s the reagent. We used to have

    a specialized medicine for it, but it''s gone now!"

    "What reagent?" Karl started the questioning, his eyes flickering.

    At the same time, the rest of the alliances in Interster Alliance also saw the emergence of frenzied malesunching indiscriminate assaults on hapless victims. A lot of videos surfaced on Cosmoseek as well.  ?wnovel

    "What''s going on? Why did these males suddenly lose control of themselves?"

    "Why couldn''t the females calm them?"

    "From what I heard, it isn''t Vexoth venom. Instead, it''s some sort of infectious disease."

 Chapter 109

    "Don''t spread nonsense, my friend. It sounds like the same thing is happening in every alliance. From what I heard, it''s got something to do with a new reagent, and The Reimers probably made it."

    "Guys, we should be careful with reagents for the time being. It''s safer to buy them from reputable stores instead of dealers. Otherwise, you''ll get yourself into a big mess if you get reagents made by The Reimers."

    "Our alliance is rounding up the people who sumbed to the effects of this shady reagent. Anyone who''s found with an itchy body will be arrested and taken into a quarantine zone."

    "My next-door neighbor was arrested for this, but he has always had a skin condition. What''s more, he''s an old male, too. With this recent outbreak, he was also thrown into jail. I''m telling you. It''s hard to watch an old man suffering like this."

    "Well, my friend. We have a crisis on our hands. As long as your symptoms check the boxes, you''re going to get arrested and kept for observation, no matter what.

    "Otherwise, it''s going to be a mess if you go into a frenzy and hurt the people around you."

    ...

    Fear and panic grasped the therians'' hearts. As time went by, the males who were just suffering from itchiness initially also started losing their sanity and became much more aggressive.

    Many Cosmoseek users saw leaked video clips from various alliances'' prisons and felt relieved that their alliances arrested and quarantined these therians at the soonest.

    Themanders and city lords also initiated Interster Conference and swapped information about their respective alliances using the Interster Communication Line.

    Analise had been spending most of her time in Hopkins Gxy Lodge at Stormw Alliance recently.

    After Hector''s interrogation, he was temporarily detained in the dungeon cells on charges of suspected collusion with The Reimers.

    At the same time, Scott issued an official order to arrest Jamari at the Khielson residence and bring him in for interrogation. However, Fiy and Derek didn''t know that he was no longer there until they went in with their team.

    "Did he escape?"

    In the end, Scott had no choice but to conduct a city-wide search for Jamari and ordered strict control over starship stations.

    Hector said that Jamari was at home when he went out, and there were no records of Jamari departing from the starship stations.

    With these in mind, it was very likely that Jamari was still hiding in Stormw City. In fact, he might''ve known that he couldn''t keep the truth under wraps anymore. Vera had talked to Analise several times because of what happened to Hector. SugarBunny texted, "How did it go, Ana? Was Hector subjected to punishment?" F-grade Pure Human replied, "No, but he was locked up in the dungeon cells below Hopkins Gxy Lodge."

    SugarBunny asked, "Why? It''s not that bad, right? Scott has to show the Khielson family some respect. How could he lock Hector up over something like that?"

    F-grade Pure Human responded, "It''s not about Derek''s incident. Hector has been in touch with members of The Reimers. As of now, he''s suspected of colluding with them."

    At first, Vera was just asking Analise through Cosmoseek if Hector was subjected

    to disciplinary actions. After all, his injuries were serious.

    When Vera learned that he was sent to the dungeon cells because of a suspected collusion with The Reimer''s, she basically rushed over to Hopkins Gxy Lodge, She had to meet him in person tofind out that he was most probably manipted by Jamari.

    "Damn it! I knew he had some ulterior motives. It was strange how he suddenly got chummy with you!"

    Vera stomped her foot and shot Hector an exasperated and disappointed look. "He sold you out, and yet you''re still foolishly defending him!"

    Now, they couldn''t arrest Jamari, which meant no one could clear Hector''s name.

    Thus, he had to be locked up in the dungeon cells for the time being.

    After Vera returned home, she also made her mate search for Jamari in Stormw City.

    As for Lily she refused to believe

    that Hector and Jamari would collude with The Reimers. In her

    mind, Scott and Analise set the

    whole intricate plot up to undermine the Khielson family.

    She went to Hopkins Gxy Lodge and made a lot of fusses for days on end. t out of options, Analise went to the dungeon cells and dragged Hector out.

    After he personally admitted to Lily that he did have some transactions with the members of The Reimers, Lily finally left the lodge, wiping away her tears as she sobbed.

    Alvaro also stormed over as soon as he learned about the incident.

    "Scott, Hector would never conspire with The Reimers. He must''ve been duped or manipted! I''m not sure if it''s Third Dad. We''ll never know until we find him, and I will

    help you track him down. You have my word."

    Alvaro was confident that Hector was deceived. He made the promise to help with

    the search because he wanted Hector to be released.

 Chapter 110

    In an attic in Stormw City, two figuresy low in the shadows.

    "What do we do? The security at starship stations is tight now, and we have no way out." A male stared at Jamari, who looked leisurely and unburdened by worry, and gnashed his teeth resentfully.

    "You said that you have a way out of here, but we can''t even get out of Stormw City, let alone Stormw Alliance!" the male continued.

    "Will you rx? We will be able to leave when frenzy overtakes all of them." Jamari chugged his drink impatiently. Holding his wine ss, he swayed it gently. The ice cubes hit the side of the ss, producing a crisp sound.

    "Anyone who suffered from the itchiness or lost control of themselves had been arrested and thrown into the dungeon cells. Them going into frenzies won''t do us a lick of good." The male paced the attic back and forth restlessly.

    "What''s the matter? Are you not confident with your leader''s creation?" Jamari lifted the attic''s curtain with his finger, resting his gaze on the soldiers in Stormw City.

    "We''re in a dire situation now. Scott has given the order to search for you in every nook and cranny, and he''s very close to making his men investigate every single house.

    "Let''s not forget that he''s an SSS-grade therian. I do not wish to die in this freaking city." The male followed Jamari''s gaze and looked at the streets below.

    "You''ll survive. Have you forgotten about the ''ticking time bomb''? Haven''t we just received news that he''s being taken to Stormw Alliance?" Jamari chugged another ss of wine.

    "He conspired with the Khielson family and plotted the ruin of my family. The Crestfall family was forced to live in poverty and misery on a lower-ss. They should''ve thought that this day woulde.

    "I changed my name and hid my actual identity for so long, and this is the day of reckoning I''ve been waiting for.

    "I''m curious. Would someone who callously ughtered an entire family for his self-interest stand idly by and do nothing as his sons rip each other''s hearts out?"

    Naturally, the male knew who Jamari was talking about. "What''s this? Why does it look like you intend to take advantage of the frenzy outbreak and sneak into the hospital to exact your revenge?"

    "You got it right. I want him to see with his own eyes how miserable his youngest son is right now, and I''m going to make him watch as one of his sons murders another," Jamari said.

    He smacked his lips and ced his wine ss on the desk. Then, he opened the door and left.

    ...

    Back in Hopkins Gxy Lodge, Analise put on the protective gear and followed Scott and Fiy to the dungeon cells.

    "Their conditions are getting worse." She frowned as she swept an inquisitive gaze across the frenzied males.

    They were all forcibly sedated and were dazed, their minds a nk te. The thing was, the inhibitors didn''t do much good. They had to be administered every couple of hours.

    Analise asked Echo about this, but it said this wasn''t the doing of venom. It wasn''t yexoth venom or any other poisonous substance brought on by Ophir Instead, this venom wasn''t even supposed to exist in the

    Interster therian world.

    The research scientists from Stormw Alliance and Gideon studied the research

    in the past few days, and they reached a possible conclusion.

    It had disappeared off the face of the universe for a long time, but it used to be known as the prion virus. The only way to contract the virus was through cannibalism.

    All of these affected therians shared amonality-they drank the so-called reagent. Therefore, the drug was most probably made from therian flesh.

    ording to Scott''s investigation throughout the whole incident, he came to realize that the number of therians on the lower-ss dropped drastically.

    What was more, it didn''t just happen to Stormw Alliance. Instead, the therians in other alliances also saw a reduction in their ranks.

    Analise''s heart sank when she

    learned that it was the prion virus Turning the therians cannibalistic was the most diabolical thing to do, even if it was only done through reagents.

    It didn''t take a genius to figure out that Ophir was behind this atrocity.

 Chapter 111

    "Fiy, take a team with you and evacuate the residents in the vicinity. Also, inform the containment facility to do the same for the residents in their area," Scott ordered.

    He held a syringe in his hand and injected its contents into a male lying next to him, whose mind was still a little cloudy.

    "Right away." Fiy cast a longing look at Analise before he walked out of Hopkins Gxy Lodge''s dungeon cells.

    Afterward, Scott continued, "The fine therians at Stormw Hospital developed these new inhibitors, but they didn''t work very well, either.

    "Jamari had never shown up the whole time, and no suspicious character was seen at starship stations. I have a strong feeling that he''s cooking up some evil n, though.

    "I went back and studied his profile meticulously for the past few days, and I found out that he changed his name. He originally came from the Crestfall family, who had had bad blood with my dad and the Khielsons in the past."

    Scott had the same soft and gentle expression, but there was now a hint of grave solemnness in it.

    "So, is the whole thing Jamari''s borate revenge quest? Did he collude with The Reimers just to get back at the Hopkins and Khielsons?" Analise handed a new syringe to Scott as they walked toward the next male.

    "Yeah. That''s entirely possible." He lowered his gaze. "It looks like I''ll have to send someone to keep Dad safe."

    "There''s more to Jamari than meets the eye, apparently. I can''t figure out how he managed to deceive the Khielson family and form a contract with Lily." Analise looked at one of the cells in the dungeon.

    Hector was right inside, and he hadpletely lost his consciousness.

    "That''s not important anymore." Scott grabbed another syringe. "These therians can''t snap out of their frenzy for good. That''s what worries me the most right now."

    Actually, Analise asked Echo if Purification Potion could neutralize the prion virus, and thetter gave her a definitive answer.

    However, there were only several vials avable. Naturally, she wouldn''t have been able to let all the afflicted males drink it.

    Although she went to the containment facility and purified the males who had sumbed to Vexoth venom, her Purification Level remained at three. It would take more Purification Values to make it to Level 4.

    Top that off with

    the Purification

    Potion she got from the previous upgrades, she only had 14 vials. These potions were considered speci? rewards among the basic rewards. So, they couldn''t be purchased in Reward Store.

    There were a lot of therians in the Interster therian world. Even if Purification Potions could be purchased from the store, Analise would never have enough points for them.

    This left her feeling a little uneasy.

    She thought about giving Gideon a vial and having him reverse engineer it, but Echo told her that the potion''sponents were unique, and he would have no chance at deciphering it.

    Even if Gideon could do it, he wouldn''t have been able to do it fast enough. More to the point, it would be highly impossible to mass-produce it.

    "What about a simr recement?" Analise asked instinctively when an idea suddenly popped into her mind.

    "What?" Scott was busy with administering the injection and didn''t hear what Analise said.

    "I have a potion that could probably neutralize the virus."

    He already knew that she was an interster outsider. While she didn''t have to tell

    him everything, she didn''t have to hide all of it from him, either.

    Analise raised her head and looked at Scott. Thing is, I only have a little of it, and it''s definitely not enough for this many males. Moreover, you can''t find itsponents in the Interster therian world.

    "If you pass it to Gideon, he might be able to research and develop a potion with

    simr functions, even though we won''t know how well it would work."

    Judging by the bracelet Gideon gave her, he probably knew her very well, and she trusted him deeply in return.

    "But, Ana..." Scott trailed off before he continued, "Wouldn''t Gideon suspect who you really are if you give the potion to him?"

    He was a little worried about Analise, especially when Gideon was brilliant. Once she gave Gideon the potion, it would take thetter no time to figure things out.

    "What if he already knew about it? In fact, he might''ve known about my real identity earlier than you did. He might also know me better than every one of you." Analise looked at the bracelet in her hand.

 Chapter 112

    "Aside from the two recording orbs, the six other orbs are my favorite kind. I have never told anyone about it," Analise said.

    She looked at the only blue orb. "There''s even a huge pocket drive, even though it has the shape of an orb. This is the one."

    After she scanned the iris, she realized the blue orb was actually a pocket drive with a huge storage capacity. She had no idea how Gideon managed to make it look like a small orb.

    He left a message in the orb, saying that he spent years picking out the material for the blue orb. Not even an SSS-grade psychic pressure would have enough energy to shatter it.

    Scott stopped what he was doing and recalled the day he was at Ironhorn Alliance. That was the first day Analise had met Gideon, but he gave her the most intimate embrace ever and even gave her a bracelet as a gift.

    Scott might not have known a lot about Gideon, but he had heard something about thetter.

    Gideon gave off the impression of a scientist in Shadowhawk Alliance. He stayed in thebs and researched entric stuff day after day.

    However, he was more than what he seemed. In fact, he was the one with a real say in the alliance. He alone had the power to decide who would be a city lord, and no one would talk back to him.

    Word had it that Gideon stripped Nelson of his title and got someone to take his ce after what happened at Ironhorn Alliance.

    Nelson wanted to wrestle authority from Gideon, but thetter retaliated so ferociously that he had to tuck his tail and run. As of right now, he wasying low in one of the alliances.

    As for Gideon, he wasn''t in a hurry to send therians to capture Nelson. Instead, he allowed thetter to run away.

    "But it''ll be a little dangerous to send a potion to him now, given the current situation." Scott gave Analise a concerned look.

    "Fiy wille with me," she responded. "I have no idea if Jamari''s cohorts were among us. So, I don''t feel safe giving it to them."

    The Purification Potion was way too important to leave in someone else''s hands. She had to personally take it to Gideon.

    Once they went back to Hopkins Gxy Lodge, Analise gave Gideon an interster call.

    After the call got connected, it was clear that he was much more haggard. The dark circles beneath his eyes were very visible, as if he hadn''t had a good sleep in a Tong time.

    "Why do you look so frazzled?" Analise asked yfully.

    "Ana, I haven''t slept for three days. Of course, I look like a mess." Gideon''s eyes immediately sparkled when he saw her.

    "Three days? Are you trying to get

    yourself killed?" Analise frowned and watched as he flipped the camera and pointed it at some liquid with strange colors. He must''ve been conducting research.

    "Yeah, and I think I know why you''re calling me." Gideon sighed. "But I have been

    useless. Ten years, and I''m still no closer to developing it."

    Holding a small ss bottle in his hand, he swayed it gently as he avoided her gaze.

    Analise''s gaze flickered. Wasn''t that Purification Potion?

    "I can''t believe it. Did the future me actually give you this?" At that moment, she

    was all but certain that Gideon must''ve seen a future version of herself.

    "Mm-hmm." He nodded. "I have found recements for most of itsponents, except for one of the most instrumental pieces. If I can find it ''ll be able to develop the potion that would rece Purification Potion."

    Raising his gaze, Gideon gave Analise a pitiful look, his eyes reddening from the surge of strong emotions in his heart. "Ana, am I just a useless therian?"

    "What makes you say that? Didn''t you just say that you just need thest piece?" she assured. "What is it?"

    Gideon sighed in response. After a long time, he looked at her. "Actually, I know what it is, but I don''t want to..."

    Scott gave Gideon a stern look. "Gideon, we have a crisis on our hands. If you can actually develop it, you need to throw hesitation out the window.

    "Tell me what thest piece of ingredient is, and I will contact the other alliances to search for it."

    "Can you bear to part with it?" Gideon chuckled bitterly and looked at Analise. "Well, I can''t."

    "Gideon." Analise stared at him. "What exactly do you need? Why did you talk about parting with something? Why can''t you do it?"

 Chapter 113

    As a matter of fact, Analise had her own spections, but she couldn''t be sure about it.

    Gideon nced at her when he said he hadn''t managed to develop a recement for Purification Potion, but he avoided her gaze almost immediately.

    Her spection was so bold that she had to ce her hand on her chest.

    He saw what she was doing, and his gaze flickered uncontrobly. "No!"

    Judging by his reaction, Analise knew her hunch was right. However, she didn''t point it out. "Is it something that females possess?"

    "Yes." Gideon turned his gaze away, deliberately avoiding her.

    "Females? Are you talking about the calming ability? But it was a manifestation of mind essence, and it isn''t something that can be extracted like the other substances." Scott''s frown deepened when he heard Gideon''s response.

    "It can be extracted, and he''s not talking about the calming ability," Analise said to Scott and sighed gently.

    "Gideon, you''ve tried doing it before, haven''t you?" she asked again.

    Gideon shook his head, not uttering a word.

    "Look. We have a crisis on our hands..."

    "No! I won''t do it!" Tears glinted in Gideon''s eyes.

    Echo suddenly spoke up, "Oh, as expected, Gideon is truly intelligent. From the looks of it, he couldn''t bring himself to bleed you.

    "Color me surprised. Not even the genius with a sharp mind and steadfast logic could escape the snares of love."

    Echo was a little taken aback as it watched everything unfold..

    "Female blood, especially that of pure human females, is the purest of all. Using it as a recement for Purification Serum is the smartest choice.

    "However, it''s exceedingly rare that an ordinary pure-human female''s blood will do the job. I believe he has gone down that route and tried it.

    "Analise, your body has blended with Purification Heart. I''d even say that the integration has reached 100% by now. Your blood would effortlessly rece Purification Serum, and it''s clear that he thought of it, too.

    "Based on the situation in the Interster therian world, however, he will need to

    draw two pints of your blood. And that might be fatal."

    Scott noticed how Gideon bit his tongue, and he got infuriated. Hez was already busy with this matter recently, and pressure was building. Looking at Gideon now only @ritated him further.

    Based on what Analise just said, she had given the potion she talked about to Gideon long ago. That also meant she hadplete faith in

    him. Not even he or Fiy had gotten this kind of unchecked confidence from her.

    With jealousy and pressure piling on his shoulders, even the usually warm and gentle Scott couldn''t stop himself from snapping.

    "Why can''t it be done? The males are on the verge of breaking out of control.

    More people are going to get hurt when that happens!

    "The viruses in those males are contagious, and I refuse to believe that you haven''t found out about it.

    "The people in your alliance who were wed and injured by the afflicted males are showing the same symptoms as the first batch, aren''t they?"

    Scott didn''t get it at all. What the hell was Gideon hesitating for?

    He asked, raising his voice, "What do you need for thestponent? Tell us!"

    He stood next to Analise and looked at Gideon, who was standing across from them.

    "It''s my blood." She gazed at Gideon with a grin. "Right?"

    "Yes." Gideon couldn''t hold his tears back anymore. They slid down his cheeks, making her look even more haggard.

    Analise had spoken softly, but they weighed heavy in Scott''s heart.

    "What?" Turning around, he looked at her. At the next second, his words mirrored Gideon''s. "No! Is there no other way? Isn''t there anything else that could rece the keyponent?"

    It finally dawned on Scott why Gideon asked if he could part with it and said that he couldn''t do it.

    "I''m a pure human, and I have the Purication..." Analise caught herself and said, "And I have the strongest calming ability. My blood is undoubtedly the best choice."

    She had guessed this would be the oue before Echo told her about it.

 Chapter 114

    "No!" two voices rang out at the same time.

    Scott and Gideon turned down the idea vehemently.

    Gideon shook his head. "Judging by the current situation, at least two pints of blood are required. Moreover, we have no idea what would happen to the frenzy- afflicted males after they drank the potion or if they will be cured."

    He didn''t want to take the risk. The females were generally not as strong as the males to begin with. Drawing that much blood at one go might prove to be fatal.

    The truth was that he wouldn''t have wanted to use Analise''s blood, even if he didn''t need two pints of it.

    The average female habitually ingested nutrient packs and potions. He just had to draw less blood and feed them the supplements to keep them stabilized.

    However, Analise hated those potions and stayed away from them. So, how was she supposed to revitalize herself?

    Gideon had only drawn 0.1 pints of pure-human blood for experimental purposes in the past few years. Moreover, he made sure that they got the best nutrition pack and potion afterward.

    "Draw 0.8 pints of my blood and run some tests. I have faith in you." Analise blinked slowly. "I don''t think anything happened to me. Didn''t future me tell you about it?"

    "Ana!" Scott called out, panic in his voice.

    "Hush now!" She stuck a finger out and pressed it against his lips.

    Gideon shook his head. "I know about it, but it doesn''t matter if you possess a certain ability. Drawing this much blood out of you in one go will take a heavy toll on your body."

    Needless to say, he knew about her special abilities. She seemingly plucked various exotic objects out of thin air in front of him, including potions that instantly healed the injured.

    "Gideon, save your breath. I will ask Fiy to pilot a starship to Shadowhawk Alliance in the afternoon." Analise''s tone was firm, leaving no room for discussion.

    "It''ll take us two days to reach your alliance. Get some proper sleep and re- energize yourself," she added hastily.

    Scott stood next to her, frowning. Then, a subordinate gave him an ill-timed interster call. After they arrived at the hospital, they discovered someone suspicious, and they were tracking him down right now.

    He ordered them to leave some men behind to protect Sylvester and send the rest to hunt down and find out f the suspicious therian worked for Jamari It would be best if they could find Jamari''s hideout so he could arrest him.

    "Ana..."

    "Save your breath and get some sleep in. Don''t you want to see me and give me

    a hug?" There was a hint of coaxing in her tone.

    The dark circles beneath Gideon''s eyes were prominent, and his cheeks weren''t as rosy as they were before. From the looks of it, he must''ve been running on fumes.

    "Be a good therian and do as I say," Analise added before Gideon could say anything. "I''m going to pack my stuff up now and make my way to the starship station."

    After she hung up on the interster call, she blinked slowly. The Reward Store, visible only to her, suddenly materialized in front of her.

    Scott was just right there. So, Analise used her mind to swipe the interface away. At the same time, she asked Echo telepathically, "Echo, is there any potion in the store that carries instant rejuvenation or maintains bodily functions?

    "Analise, hadn''t you bought Aetherwell Space? You can drink its spring water directly to cure injuries and rejuvenate yourself."

    "Damn, you''re right! I can''t believe I forgot about something so crucial." Analise''s face visibly lit up.

    With Aetherwell Space, she could let Gideon draw several pints of blood, let alone two pints.

    "But Analise, have you thought it through? Your heart has integrated with Purification Heartpletely. If you have your blood drawn, your Purification Value will be drained as well."

 Chapter 115

    Echo exined, "After you have your blood drawn, the water from Aetherwell Space will rejuvenate you, but you will have to umte Purification Values by painstakingly purifying the males again.

    "Aside from that, your Purification Level might decrease. Judging by your current Purification Value, however, I don''t think it will happen."

    "We''re talking about therian lives here. That''s what matters the most now." Analise activated Aetherwell Space first. Then, she considered the fact that Scott was right there with her. So, she probed into it using her mind first.

    Aetherwell Space wasn''t a forbidden space. As such, time flowed at the same speed as it did in the normal world. ording to the system description, a person could be led into Aetherwell Space, as long as Analise brought them.

    After her consciousness went into the space, she realized there was only a spring and a small pond resembling a geothermal spring. Those were the only things she could see. The rest of the space was enshrouded in a thin mist.

    Analise tried to probe further with her mind, but she couldn''t prate the mist. It was like a wall made of soft, fuzzy clouds that she couldn''t walk through.

    "Ana, I''ve given Fiy a call and given him the instructions. He''s still evacuating the residents around the containment facility with its director, but he should be back soon."

    By the time Scott hung up on the interster call, Analise had also pulled her consciousness back from Aetherwell Space.

    "Okay. We have an emergency on our hands. So, it has to be this way. You''ll have to send someone else to take over his task at the containment facility." She nodded.

    "Watch your back and stay safe after Fiy and I are gone." She reached out and tucked strands of Scott''s hair behind his ear.

    Scott had also been insanely busy with the matters revolving around Stormw Alliance in the past few days. So, he hadn''t been getting enough sleep, either.

    "I will." He held her hand, the longing and reluctance in his eyes clear as day. "But I can''t help worrying about you.

    "Was Gideon asking for your blood because he knew how unique you are?" Scott still sounded a little skeptical when he brought up Gideon.

    Analise nodded. "Yeah. As you also know, I''m an interster outsider. If future me gave my potion to Gideon and showed him Purification Bow, that means he''s trustworthy."

    She squeezed Scott''s palm, hinting at him to rx and stop worrying She mulled it over and eventually pulled out a bottle of Purification Potion from the system inventory before giving it to him.

    "If you lose control of the males before we get back, you have to drink this."

    "Is this the same potion you gave Gideon?" Scott was a little surprised, and a surge of warmth rose in his heart.

    "Yeah. Just in case."

    He took the potion and pocketed it carefully.

    Fiy moved fast and arrived at Hopkins Gxy Lodge around ten minutester.

    "Ana, why are we going to Shadowhawk Alliance? Are we looking for Gideon?" He also knew how desperate the situation was.

    "Yeah. These males'' conditions are getting worse with every second. We need to work with Gideon and

    develop a reagent that could cure

    them. Analise skipped the part

    where she needed to have her blood drawn.

    "Work with him?" Fiy nced at Scott before turning his gaze to her. "How are

    we supposed to do that? Ana, do you know anything about potions?"

    Analise shook her head and led Fiy away. "I don''t, but you''ll see what I mean when we''re there."

    She had motion sickness. So, Fiy piloted the starship with the lowest speed possible. That said, the- spacecraft came with an autopilot function. He actually didn''t have to do much.

    About ten minutester, Analise was surprised to find that she didn''t feel any difort. She had to give it to the Body Strengthening Pill. It was extraordinarily effective.

    "Fiy, go faster," she said as she stood next to him.

 Chapter 116

    "Ana, what about your motion sickness?" Fiy was a little surprised. After all, Analise asked him to increase the starship''s speed. What was more, she fared far better than she had during thest two spacecraft rides.

    "I''m fine. I feel much better than before." Analise nodded as she pulled up the interface and Reward Store. She tapped on the interface several times and spent 15 points to buy three more Body Strengthening Pills.

    Analise only had 35 points left now. She used up 500 points during the previous special mission. When she got to Level 3, she converted 5,000 Purification Values to 50 points.

    At the thought of it, another idea popped into her mind. She asked Echo telepathically, "Echo, will my points be taken away after my Purification Values go down with the blood drawing?"

    "That won''t happen, Analise. Converting the Purification Values into points made them permanently yours.

    "When your value goes down with the blood draw, only your Purification Level will be affected. Everything in your possession will remain untouched.

    "The rewards you''ve received before won''t be recalled. Your mind essence Level and Purification Heart''s Level won''t go down as well.

    "Only your general Purification Level will decrease. Everything else will stay the same," Echo responded immediately.

    So, that was how it worked.

    "Can they take Body Strengthening Pills as well?" Analise turned around and nced at Fiy.

    "Sure, they can. That said, the therians had unique constitutions in the first ce. After they take the pill, their bodies might have a more severe reaction than yours.

    "What I''m trying to say is that the pain inflicted on them will be much more severe than what you felt. However, you have to keep in mind that these therians had mental essences. Naturally, they have higher endurance."

    After Analise confirmed her doubts, she made up an excuse about getting a drink and left the fore cabin for the time being. Actually, she went back to her private cabin and took another Body Strengthening Pill.

    She checked with Echo and downed two pills after she was sure that she could take multiple of them at one go.

    Once the searing pain passed, she hopped in the shower and scrubbed herself clean before she went to the fore cabin with a Body Strengthening Pill.

    "What took you so long? And why did you get changed?" Fiy heard the movement and turned around. He was surprised when he saw Analise approaching in pajamas.

    The interster space was cold beyond imagination. In order tobat the unforgiving chill, every starship was preinstalled with

    was much warmer in there than it had been in the city.

    specialized air-conditioning. el. ne

    The passengers merely had to wear thin pajamas or summer attire, and they

    would feel cozy in the starships.

    Analise hummed in response and nodded. Then, she fed him a Body Strengthening Pill with her own hands. "Swallow it."

    Before Fiy could say anything, she stuffed the ck pill into his mouth. When she touched his lips, his ears immediately reddened.

    The slightly bitter pill melted the moment it was in his mouth, and a surge of heat coursed through his limbs. It felt like all his muscles were threatening to burst open.

    "Ana, what did you feed me? It feels awful." Fiy''s forehead was covered in sweat, and it looked like he was suffering terribly.

    "It''s a wonder pill. There, there. Be a good therian and bear with it for several minutes," Analiseforted him as she held his hand.

    "Ana." Fiy buried his head in her neck and panted heavily. Naturally, he knew she would never do anything to harm him. He truly believed her unconditionally.

    As for the green bow, Scott

    summoned Fiy to the study on

    the same day thetter went back to

    Hopkins Gxy Lodge. He had a heartfelt and deep conversation

    about Analise''s identity.

    Itsted for almost an hour, but Fiy only had two takeaways from it.

    First and foremost, he had to ce unconditional faith in Analise, no matter the situation. Secondly, since Analise was an interster outsider,

    Fiy could never tell anyone about it due to how unique her identity was.

 Chapter 117

    A bead of sweat slid down Fiy''s forehead. He sniffed Analise''s distinctive scent and nibbled her shoulder. He didn''t bite down hard. It was just a light nibble.

    The pain coursing through his body was too great to bear. This was the only way he could think of to distract himself.

    "It itches." His furry hair brushed against Analise''s neck. What was more, he was gently kissing her shoulder. Thebined sensations sent an itchiness down her neck and heart.

    She groaned sensually.

    Fiy didn''t stop because of that, though. Instead, he seized the moment and sat on the chair in the fore cabin. Then, he held her in his arms and made her sit on

    hisp.

    The pain was eating away at his good sense. A second ago, he was kissing Analise''s shoulder. Then, he moved his lips to her neck on the next. Eventually, he found her lips.

    The kiss was as passionate as it was aggressive. Bit by bit, Fiy sucked the air in her. He wasn''t content to let her go until her body went limp, and she leaned on his chest.

    "Ana." His shirt waspletely drenched in sweat, and his hair fringe was a little wet as well. "Do you want to take a bath with me?"

    Fiy sweated a lot after he ingested Body Strengthening Pill. Having been made to sit on hisp, Analise was filthy as well. Her clothes were stained with his sweat long ago.

    Actually, it wasn''t his fault at all. She went through a simr situation when she first took the pill. She sweated so much that she actually wrung a lot of it out of her shirt when she went to the restroom.

    That said, it was a good thing that Fiy always valued hygiene. So, the stench wasn''t too bad.

    "Who''s going to keep an eye on the starship if we both go to the bathroom?" Analise raised her head and touched Fiy''s Adam''s apple. She had taken three Body Strengthening Pills. That ought to be enough.

    As a matter of fact, Scott and Fiy had been secretlypeting with each other after they formed a contract with her, trying to sleep with her on the same night.

    The thing was, it should''ve followed the sequence when they formed the contract. As Analise''s first mate, Fiy had the right to do it with her before anyone else.

    ?.?

    However, she was worried about her body. So, she merely held him and went to steep. She didn''t let him do anything with her. If it had been other females, they would''ve slept the hell out of the males before the contract was even formed

    Analise must''ve been the only female who allowed no further than kisses and hugs after forming the contract. Scott and Fiy had to have felt sorry for themselves.

    "The starship''s autopilot system has an absolute uracy during daytime. So, we don''t have to worry about it. We just have to keep an eye after nightfall." Fiy shook his head.

    This time, he didn''t even ask. Swooping Analise up, he carried her to the bathroom in the private cabin.

    That said, Fiy didn''t do anything out of the line. He thoughtfully filled the bathtub with hot water and went outside to get Analise some fresh clothes.

    "If you don''t want me to look, I''ll take a bath with my back turned to you." His cheeks were red as he turned around, turned on the shower, and scrubbed his body meticulously.

    Analise raised an eyebrow. Taking her clothes off, she slipped into the bathtub. Steam swirled around as she took in his toned abs and gulped instinctively.

    After a fierce internal conflict, she

    rose from the bathtub, approached

    Fiy, and embraced him from behind. The soft sensation from her

    breasts made him stiffen instantly, and a jolt of heat rushed to his manhood.

    ?

    "Ana?" Fiy turned off the shower and turned around slowly. "Can we?"

    He brushed the strands of his hair, still dripping with water, away from his forehead.

    "We can, but we should blow-dry our hair first." Analise grabbed a towel and lobbed it at him before drying him gently.

    "No." Fiy yanked the towel away and tossed it to the rack next to him. Then, he leaned close and sealed her rosy lips in a kiss.

    "Nuh-uh. We can wait a few minutes. My hair is wet, too. Aren''t you worried that I might catch a cold?" Analise pushed him away gently.

    Fiy felt a twinge of reluctance, but she made a fine point. So, he fought the itching lust coursing through his body and started to blow dry her hair.

    Only after their hair was both dry did he scoop her up in his arms and gently ce her on the bed.

 Chapter 118

    "Ana," Fiy called out.

    As Fiy rained kisses on her body, Analise twitched uncontrobly and reached out to sp his fingers.

    In the private cabin, the air grew thick with warmth and intimacy, and the temperature gradually rose with the tantalizing heat of the moment.

    They moved with each other in a graceful "dance", slowing down and picking up pace as they indulged in their swirling carnal desires.

    Outside the starship, streaks of meteors sshed around a big asteroid in the stillness of space. Woven around each other, they swayed from the invisible yet powerful current as the starship passed by. Afterward, they resumed their normal positions.

    As something slowly obstructed the sunlight, the entire space gradually slipped into pitch-ck darkness as well.

    At some point, the rays from the sun werepletely devoured by ckness, and the lone starship sailed through the boundless, empty deep space.

    After a long time, Fiy carried a groggy Analise to the bathroom and washed her up. Then, he wrapped her with a towel and ced her on the bed in his private room, her eyes barely able to stay open.

    He tucked her in and pecked her forehead. "Ana, get some rest. I''m going to the fore cabin and keep an eye out."

    "Okay," Analise responded vaguely, seemingly satisfied, and fell asleep immediately.

    A tender smile lingered on Fiy''s lips the whole time. They had been intimate with each other countless times this afternoon, but he just couldn''t have enough of her.

    Analise waspletely worn out, and it was after nightfall. So, he had no choice but to spare her for now and headed to the fore cabin.

    Shadowhawk Alliance had a notorious reputation. So, no starship would sail there unless they had no other choice. As such, the flight path to the alliance was very safe and essentially free from unusual urrences.

    That was why Fiy could indulge in his intimate moment with Analise and didn''t have to worry about a thing.

    ?

    After staying at the fore cabin for a while, he was sure there weren''t any dangers. He rose to his feet and went back to Analise''s private cabin to clean up the mess they made in the afternoon.

    The bed sheets were stained with their bodily fluids and hadyers of wrinkles. As Fiy stared at it, he got excited for some reason, and some obscene images shed in his mind.

    After he was done putting on a new bed sheet, he took the stained bed sheet to the bathroom for a washup. Then, he tossed it into the washing machine that came preinstalled in the starship.

    Once he got everything in order, he snuck back to his private cabin and checked on Analise, who was sleeping soundly. Only after some time did he go back to the fore cabin to keep watch.

    Dawn came, and Fiy couldn''t resist yawning a couple of times. Analise would wake up at any moment now. At the thought of it, he made his way to the galley to make her breakfast.

    Back in the private cabin, Analise woke up from her slumber and moved herself a little, feeling the soreness in her body.

    "Why did he carry me to his cabin?" The moment she opened her eyes, she noticed that she wasn''t in her private cabin.

    ncing at the fresh clothes on the headboard, she lowered her head and checked herself. Several red marks stood out on her fair skin.

    Seemingly trying to assert his dominance conspicuously, Fiy consistently tried

    to leave hickeys on Analise, and he seeded on some asions.

    That said, she remembered seeing something from her human age. Some experts said that leaving

    hickeys on the neck posed som

    risks. So, she actively stopped him after he did it for God knew how many times. Thest thing she wanted was to die from his hickeys.

    Echo was right about one thing. The therians'' stamina was simply extraordinary.

    Analise couldn''t help but giggle

    when she thought about how pitiable Fiy looked and how honest he was after darkst night. If she had allowed him to indulge in his carnal desires, he could''ve kept going at it for three to five days. C¨®ntent

 Chapter 119

    Analise slipped into her clothes and took a step, only to falter. There wasn''t any strength left in her feet. They were drained after the extended period of passion she shared with Fiy.

    "Ana, you''re awake." He had just left the galley when he saw hering out of his private cabin.

    "Yeah." Analise nodded. She caught him gazing at her neck, and her eyes darkened a little. "Do you want to take a break? I can keep an eye on the starship."

    Some dark circles could be seen underneath his eyes, though they weren''t too

    severe.

    "Not until after you have breakfast." Fiy turned around and brought trays of food from the galley. cing them on the small table at the fore cabin, he took a seat and ate with her.

    "I noticed you were asleep. You also handled the motion sickness much better earlier in the day. So, I cranked the speed up and drove the starship at full throttle.

    "That way, we''ll be able to arrive at Shadowhawk Alliance before nightfall, meaning we''ll be there a night earlier," Fiy said as he put some of the dishes on her te.

    "Okay. Show me how to handle the controls and take a nap. I''ll keep watch this time," Analise responded after she swallowed her food.

    "Sure."

    She proved to be a fast-learning student. He just had to give her a brief rundown of the controls, and she immediately had a grasp of them.

    That said, he yed it safe and napped on the chair in the fore cabin. With her holding his hand, the sleep was rather restful. It was past 3:00 pm when he woke up.

    "You''re awake." Analise lowered her head and pecked him on the corner of his lips. "Our starship has sailed into Shadowhawk Alliance''s sector, and the starship ahead of us is leading us now.

    "He said we didn''t have to dock at the starship station. Instead, we can just go straight to Gideon''sb."

    "Hmm?" Fiy still felt a little groggy. Rising to his feet, he took a look at the monitors on the control panel.

    "Did you give Gideon a call and confirm it with him? Did the starship make a call to you?" Fiy ruffled his hair and looked for the records on the control panel.

    "I did. The starship ahead of us requested a voice call the moment

    we sailed into their sector. To be on the safe side, I also gave Gideon a call and confirmed that he sent the starship to guide us."

    Analise ced her hands on her hips and stretched a little. After the

    intens

    1.n

    tantalizing workout from the

    day before, sitting or standing for

    too long left her waist aching.

    "Okay. Let''s go straight to hisb, then." Fiy worked for the control panel before

    he held her waist and brushed her neck with his cheeks.

    "Ana, exactly what research is it? Why does he need you to be there?" A slight unease stirred up in his heart.

    "Why, it''s potions, of course." Analise rubbed his therian ears.

    Not getting a straight answer from her left a sense of restlessness lingering in his heart, but he couldn''t get anything out of her, either.

    An hourter, their starshipnded on an empty rooftop. Fiy picked a small spacecraft for this trip, and it fitted snugly on there.

    "Hi, Ana."

    The hatch had just opened when Analise saw Gideon, who was already waiting for them. The dark circles underneath his eyes were still prominent, but he didn''t look as

    haggard as he did a few days ago. Sleeping must''ve helped.

    "Ana." He immediately embraced her the moment her feet touched the rooftop.

    "What''s the matter? You''re acting like a kid who has been wronged." Analise hugged him back and patted his back fondly.

    "I''ve missed you," Gideon responded, his voice muffled by a stuffy nose.

    "Did you catch a cold?" She frowned and pulled away from him gently.

    Shaking his head, he said, "No. It''s probably an infection from the scratch I got earlier today."

    "Did you do it on purpose? Did you use yourself as a test subject?" Analise''s expression immediately turned solemn.

    "There are already a lot of afflicted males around. You could''ve picked any one of them. Why did you put yourself at risk?"

 Chapter 120

    Analise was a little pissed off, even though she didn''t know why.

    Perhaps it was because she genuinely cared about Gideon. Another possible reason was that he was the only therian who could develop a recement for Purification Potion.

    "Ana, we''ll have to use your blood for the potion, and I couldn''t bear the thought of them drinking your blood. It makes me angry to even think about it." Gideon lowered his head, his eyes darkening with uncertainty.

    Analise was at a loss for words. What a mad scientist. That was such a ridiculous reason to get jealous.

    "You wanted to infect yourself with the same virus so you could be the first test subject who drinks my blood. Did I get it right?"

    "Yeah. What''s wrong with that?" Gideon stared at Analise. When he realized that she was upset, he quietly lowered his head like a kid who had done something wrong.

    "You shouldn''t have put yourself at risk for that. What if the experiment fails, and you die from it?" She poked at his forehead.

    "Are you worried about me, Ana?" Gideon tilted his head and stared at her with a bright smile on his face.

    "Who said I was worried about you?" Analise turned around.

    "Ana, his stench is all over you. Are you not even going to look at me?" Gideon gnashed his teeth and red at Fiy before he gave her a pitiable look.

    The therians had a sharp sense of smell. Topping that off with the hickeys on her neck, it would be hard for him not to notice the fact that she had mated with Fiy. He was practically driven mad with jealousy.

    Analise was speechless. Then, she asked, "Who said anything like that? Aren''t I looking at you now?"

    Gideon grunted and turned sideways proudly. Momentster, he threw himself into her arms. "Will you sleep with me tonight, Ana?"

    When she failed to respond to him instantly, he felt sorry for himself again. "Ana, do you not want it? I won''t push it. I know I''m not as good as they are."

    Then, he let go of her and crouched in the corner, tracing circles on the floor, without a care about his image.

    That said, Fiy and Analise seemed to be the ones looking at him. The rest of them had their heads raised and were looking at space, not daring to meet Gideon''s eyes.

    "Alright, alright. I''ll sleep with you." Feeling helpless, Analise walked over to the corner and led him back.

    "Really?" Gideon secretly nced at her.

    "Yes. Why would I lie to you?" She rubbed her eyebrows.

    "Great." He hugged her immediately and raised an eyebrow at Fiy. "You''re just the best, Ana!"

    Fiy''s lips twitched. He recalled what Analise told him about the dignity, grace, andposure that were expected of a first mate, and he turned sideways, ignoring Gideon.

    Back then, she told him to ask

    someone experienced, and he immediately consulted his best friend. Once he knew the full extent of its meaning, he was in an exceptionally good mood. After all,

    he held first ce in Analise''s heart.

    "That''s enough. Let''s head to theb and run some tests with my blood." Analise

    patted Gideon, hinting at him to stop hugging her.

    "What is he going to use your blood for?" Fiy immediately tensed up when he heard what she said. Now, he knew why she merely said she had to work with Gideon''s research, instead of giving him a straight answer.

    He immediately pulled her over before standing in front of her and staring at Gideon rmingly.

    "Rx." Analise reached out and held Fiy''s wrist. She could feel that he was readying himself for a fight.

    "Ana, why does he need to use your blood? What kind of research is this exactly? Did you agree to it? Why would Scott be okay with this?"

    Fiy frowned. Scott just talked about working

    about working with Gideon on his research when he asked Fiy to take Analise to Shadowhawk

    Alliance. Scott was a smart the

    There was no way he wouldn''t have

    known about this.

    "A pure human female''s blood can rece one of theponents in the potion. If

    we can sessfully develop it, we will be able to save the frenzied males."

 Chapter 121

    "But there are so many distressed males. How many pints of blood is that going to take? This isn''t happening. We''re going back now, and we''re going to put this

    freaking research behind us!" Fiy grabbed Analise''s hand and turned around, intending to leave.

    "Fiy!" Analise snapped. "This is my

    decision."

    He immediately stiffened and gave her a surprised look. "Ana, you can''t put yourself on the line just because you want to save the others."

    "I know that." Analise stood on her toes and leaned close to Fiy''s ear. "Have you forgotten that I''m not an ordinary pure human female?"

    "But....." He trailed off. Of course, he understood what she meant. Pursing his lips, he nced at Gideon. "Can we trust him? What if he''s so focused on saving lives that he puts you in danger?"

    "I''m a female, silly." Analise curled her finger and tapped his head. "I know you''re worried about me. Rx. We know what''s at stake."

    "Well, are you really going to sleep with him tonight? Are you going to leave me alone?" Fiy felt a little sorry for himself when he recalled how Gideon taunted him.

    "I am. Because I''ve already promised him." Analise nodded.

    "Fine."

    Analise followed Gideon downstairs and to theb. She also checked on rice and saw how thetter was doing.

    It was definitely possible to save rice. There was something in Reward Store that could substitute for her parts, but it was very costly.

    Analise was a little conflicted about the whole deal. Firstly, she couldn''t afford to buy the recement part, but there was another reason holding her back. She wasn''t sure if rice was worth the trouble.

    She might not have been a businesswoman, but she did have her fair share of time in the industry. Self-interest would alwayse first whenever she was dealing with someone she didn''t know or wasn''t very close to.

    "rice''s situation is rather unique. You can think of it as her being in a vegetative state now. We need to find something suitable to swap out the glossy ck chip in her chest," Gideon said when he saw Analise looking at rice.

    "But there''s something intriguing about her. This female''s willpower is just extraordinary. Even in her vegetative state, she was still trying tomunicate with us via her consciousness."

    Gideon walked over, turned on a device next to rice, and pointed at a frequency range. "This frequency showed up often, and I''m still trying to decipher it."

    "Do you know what it means?" Analise looked at where he pointed.

    "Yeah. If I got it right, she''s probably saying, ''Analise, save me."" Gideon spread open his hands.

    "I''ve been too busytely, and there are too many new repeating frequencies that I didn''t have the time to decipher them." Gideon took out an stic band and several test tubes.

    "Come on. I''m just going to draw a little blood for now." He rubbed her shoulder with his face, looking uneasy.

    "Are you starting to feel itchy?" It looked like he was getting her to scratch it for him.

    "Yeah. That''s why we need to hurry with the research. Once the infection sets in, it can take as little as threez days for the frenzy state to kick in." Gideon wrapped the stic band around Analise''s arm and grabbed the syringe.

    Fiy stood to the side with a nervous look on his face. "You just need it for your research. So, don''t draw too much blood from her. Do you know what you''re doing?I don''t want her to suffer unnecessarily."

    "I can probably do it fine." Gideon was feeling a little nervous, too.

    The itchiness had started to set in because he infected himself with the virus, and he was doing everything he could to hold it in. It was so straining that his forehead was covered in sweat.

    "It''s done." Gideon immediately covered the needle head with a sterile cotton the moment he pulled it out. Then, he immediately dripped the blood onto the solution he had prepared long ago.

    The blood started blending with the green solution in the test tube, turning it transparent as seconds trickled by. It took about ten minutes for the solution to turnpletely transparent.

    "We did it!" Gideon''s tensed muscles finally rxed, and he instantly wrapped his arms around Analise with excitement.

    "Now, all that''s left is for me to drink it." He took the test tube and chugged it. Then, he walked to theboratory module and sealed himself in.

 Chapter 122

    The sight of Gideon entering theboratory module made Analise''s heart race

    with nervousness. After all, she couldn''t be absolutely sure that his recement potion would work.

    "Ana, can you see the three buttons over there?" Gideon''s voice came through theboratory module.

    "Yeah." Analise looked at where he pointed and saw three buttons in different colors.

    "The white button controls sedatives and inhibitors. Press it if I go into a frenzy. The medications will be released at the same time, giving me a brief moment to regain control of myself."

    Gideon was frowning as he stood in theboratory module, his expression contorting with pain.

    "What about the red and green buttons?" Analise asked hastily. Seeing the look on his face made her worry that he might lose consciousness after he went into a frenzy.

    "The red button will activate the rm that will re through the entireboratory. Someone will be here and give you a helping hand. The green button..."

    Gideon stopped speaking abruptly before he continued in a strained voice, "It opens the module''s hatch."

    At the next moment, he let out an unexpected cry. It seemed like he was feeling extremely unwell. He fell to his knees before he curled up on the floor.

    His condition waspletely unstable, as if he were shifting in and out of his beast form. At some point, his painful cries pierced through the air.

    Analise watched as Gideon''s hair shifted into feathers. His arms also constantly changed into wings before reverting back to their original state.

    It was probably thanks to his sheer will that he forcibly suppressed his body from shifting into the beast form by itself.

    Several minutester, Gideon was on all fours, panting heavily. Baby feathers could still be seen on his arms and even his face. His body was probably still shifting into the beast form but was held back by him.

    Gideon panted as he gritted his teeth. He could feel how peculiarty the air moved around him. It almost felt like he could control it. As a bird therian, he was very confident in his sensitivity to wind.

    like

    "Gideon, how are you feeling?" Analise looked at his pale face and felt nervous when she saw the pain in his expression. She wondered if she should open the hatch.

    He didn''t go into a frenzy, and it probably meant that the recement potion was doing its job. The experiment was a sess.

    Gideon didn''t respond to Analise. Instead, he calmed his mind and sensed the airflow around him, trying to resonate with it.

    The jars and bottles started shaking slightly, and even the solutions in the various test tubes started swaying. Sharp rattling sounds echoed throughout the entireboratory.

    Fiy shielded Analise behind him as he locked his vignt gaze on Gideon, getting ready to fight at a moment''s notice.

    "A-Ana." Gideon pulled himself up to his feet with difficulty, fighting the terrible feeling roiling in his body. "Give me the test tube over there."

    He pointed at another test tube on theboratory table, which also contained Analise''s blood. The solutions in the two test tubes were the same, but he dripped different amounts of blood in them.

    "I''ll do it." Fiy took the test tube and made Analise take some steps back before

    he pressed the green button, opening the hatch to theboratory module.

    "Thanks." Gideon took the test tube and poured its contents down his throat. Then, he closed the hatch again.

    This time, he closed his eyes and remained standing in the module, his hair swaying, despite thepleteck of airflow in there.

    The test tubes in theboratory were still shaking and clinking against objects around them. It almost felt like they were reacting to a swirling wind.

    Analise nced at the rattling jars and test tubes before turning her gaze to Gideon. When he lifted his finger, a small whirlwind wrapped itself around a test tube and held it in midair.

    Was that wind? Was that what he was controlling?

 Chapter 123

    The sight reminded Analise of an ability she saw in novels-Winsh.

    Gideon controlled the airflow in theboratory and put the test tube back into its rack. Then, he said slowly, "Ana, you can open the hatch now."

    "Okay."

    Once the green button was pushed, the hatch door swung open. Then, Analise suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness, as if something was grabbing and yanking her away. Then, her body swayed violently, and she was thrown into Gideon''s arms.

    "It''s true." Analise widened her eyes.

    Was this the effect of her blood?

    No. That couldn''t be it. Her blood probably neutralized the virus and purified Gideon. It must''ve been the effect of the otherponents he mixed in the solution.

    "It''s the wind." Gideon nodded. "Ana, I can control the wind now."

    With her in his arms, he bounced a little and made her sit in the crook of his arms. Then, he extended another hand and lifted his fingers, and a small whirlwind materialized on his palm.

    As he swung his hand, the whirlwind immediately crashed into theboratory''s window. Shattered sses flew in all directions, but he stopped them with the wind.

    "Let me down." The way Gideon carried Analise made her feel like a kid, and it was a little embarrassing.

    "Don''t you like being carried by me?" His expression immediately changed, and he gave her a pitiable look. "Don''t you like my ability?"

    Analise was at a loss for words. Then, she said, "That''s not it. Let me down first."

    "That means you love me, huh?" Gideon''s eyebrows furrowed, his delicate eyes exuding an undeniable allure. "Let''s go to Shadowhawk Alliance and form the contract, alright?"

    "You really know how to take advantage of the situation." Analise''s lips twitched.

    "Pretty please?" Gideon gently put her on the floor and spoke coquettishly, "Ana, you''ve formed a contract with those two. How long are you going to keep me waiting?"

    "We''ll talk about thister." Analise checked him meticulously again. "Is the virus in you neutralized? Are you feeling unwell?"

    "Nah. I feel better now, but it''s better to draw a blood sample and run some tests. Gideon was also aware that it wasn''t the moment to act spoiled and ask for a title. So, he grinned and walked over to theboratory table.

    "July, get a sample of my blood," he barked an order at the machine next to him and rested his arm on a rack.

    "Understood, Mr. rke. How many pints should I draw?" The mechanical arm skillfully wrapped his arm with an stic band, prodded a syringe into it, and drew blood.

    "0.4 pints."

    "Right away, Mr. rke."

    Afterward, Gideon put his blood into a device and waited for ten minutes. Once he had the test results, hepared them, only to stumble upon a huge discovery.

    "I can''t believe it. They integrated!"

    Gideon immediately became engrossed in his research and ignored Analise and Fiy. He divided his blood into several samples and conducted aparative study with them.

    About an hourter, a satisfied grin appeared on his face. "Ana, I did it! It really works. The matter in Ster Ambers can integrate with therian DNA. The power of nature is?n our grasp now!"

    "What do you mean?" Analise was a little puzzled.

    "Wind. I''m talking about the power to control the wind." Then, Gideon shook his head and corrected himself, "More urately, it''s the power to control the natural elements.

    "Ster Ambers were formed after millennia, and they contained natural elements that the naked eye can''t see.

    "I''m talking about wind, fire, thunder, water, earth, and more. They have it all. More importantly, they contained an abundance of them.

    "The virus acted like some sort of medium that allowed these elements to

    integrate with therian DNA. Therefore, it bestowed upon us the ability to control natural elements."

    Gideon was inexplicably thrilled. "This ability is beyond what is ordinarily possible. Let''s coin it as ''ExoAbility'' for now."

 Chapter 124

    Gideon said, "If my estimation holds true, ExoAbility is probably tied to specific therian DNA.

    "Take me, for example. I''m a bird therian. After my DNA integrated the Ster Amber, I gained the ability tomand the wind. Let''s call it ''Winsh ability.''

    "Fiy is a wolf therian. If his DNA could integrate with Ster Amber, he would probably obtain the Earthbind ability. I''d even go so far as to say amphibian therians might have mastery over two ExoAbilities."

    "What part did my blood have in this?" Analise frowned. Gideon said a lot of stuff, but she didn''t seem to have contributed anything to the process. After all, it sounded like it was an integration between Ster Amber and therian DNA.

    "It''s the Purification," Gideon responded.

    "The first potion I drank only had three drops of your blood. After my DNA integrated the natural elements, I still retained a part of my consciousness and could barely control myself, but the virus was still there.

    "Earlier, it felt like two consciousnesses were at war in my mind. One of them was probably my beast form''s killing instinct that was forced to surface because of the virus.

    "The other was the Winsh ability that had yet to integratepletely."

    Gideon raised his head and looked at Analise. "The second test tube had ten drops of your blood, which is more than enough to neutralize the virus.

    "After the virus was undone, the DNA integration was sped up, and that was how I mastered Winsh."

    "Oh. I guess that makes me a mobile serum factory, huh?" Analise giggled. "This is why I only asked Fiy toe with me for the research. We mustn''t let others know about your discovery."

    Gideon''s eyes darkened when he heard her yful response. "Ana, it goes without saying that we mustn''t let others know that your blood can neutralize the virus."

    "The research is a sess. So, why don''t we proceed to draw more of my blood? We can''t keep stalling it. Once the reagents are prepared, it''ll take some time to transport them to the other alliances," Analise said.

    She couldn''t exin it, but she had a strong, ominous feeling sitting in her gut.

    Out in interster space, a starship with a security force emblem was on its way to sail into Stormw Alliance''s sector.

    "Commander Hopkins truly had the short straw in life. His own brother killed his mom, but the silver lining, if you can call it that, is that he still has someone to hate. He could hunt him down and avenge her.

    "Now, however, there is actually an invader that isn''t Vexoth, and the damned thing possessed his brother, leaving him barely alive."

    "You said it. From what I heard, there was something freaky about the outsider. It was only a shard of a soul, and it still managed to burrow itself into him."

    "Is this the ''spiritual intrusion'' that''s recorded in ancient texts?"

    "You tell me."

    "If that''s true, Commander Hopkins'' brother has suffered terribly, too. He won''t be able to find him, even if he burns for revenge. This is just cruel."

    "A friend of mine also changedpletely and didn''t act like

    in a while back. Do you think it

    himself at all ever since he wand

    was a spiritual intrusion?"

    Five males huddled together in the starship, making small talk absentmindedly.

    A male, who looked like a squad leader, marched over and snapped at them, "What are you guys doing? don''t want to hear anything like this when we disembark the starship. We''re about to arrive at Stormw Alliance. So, mind your tongue if you don''t want trouble to find you!"

    They immediately shut up, turned around, and went back to their respective positions.

    In one of the private cabins, Sean was lying on the bed with his eyes shut, his forehead covered in sweat as if he were haunted by a terrible nightmare.

    "Scott, it''s not me. That''s not me..." he murmured in his sleep and eventually trailed off. Then, he suddenly cried out, "Scott!"

    Sean immediately sat upright, panting heavily.

    The male who stood guard outside his cabin heard his voice and stormed in hastily. "What happened?"

 Chapter 125

    "Nothing happened. It''s just a nightmare." Sean raised his head and smiled apologetically. "I''m sorry."

    "What matters is that you''re fine." The male nodded and ced a ss of water on the nightstand next to Sean. "Let us know immediately if you''re feeling unwell."

    After the male walked out of the private cabin, he turned around and curled his lips. "We''re about to arrive at Stormw Alliance. Your family is probably waiting

    for you."

    "Yeah, alright." Sean nodded.

    After the male went out, he grabbed the ss of water on the nightstand and took a sip. "Huh? Why does it taste different from regr nutrient drinks?"

    Sean pursed his lips and tasted it more carefully. It did seem like it was sweeter than usual.

    However, he was weaker than the average therian, and he had to drink a lot of nutrient packs every day. Some of them were sweet as it was. So, maybe the guard grabbed the wrong one.

    That said, they were all nutrient packs, and he had to drink every one of them sooner orter anyway. Raising his head, he gulped down everyst drop.

    Afterward, Sean felt dizzy. It was the kind of dizziness that waspletely overwhelming.

    "What''s going on?" Pushing himself up with his hand, he intended to get out of his bed and call for help, but he felt so disoriented that he fell out of his bed instead.

    The intense dizziness made it impossible for him to utter anything. It felt like something churning in the depths of his consciousness. The overwhelming difort from the dizziness and headache made him clutch his head and curl up into a ball.

    His eyes gradually lost focus. Then, he lost control of his consciousness. Shifting into a tiger, he let out a furious, deafening roar.

    The other therians heard themotion and rushed over to Sean''s private cabin. Before they got into the room, they saw a huge tiger''s paw smashing the door to bits and pieces.

    At the same time, a small shuttle''s engine was ignited, and it shot out of the starship. By the time someone realized what was happening, it was toote.

    x+

    "Shit! There''s a mole among us!" The squad leader immediately understood what was going on, but the shuttle had entered Stormw Alliance and was about to dock at the starship station.

    "Figure out a way to suppress Sean. I''m going to contact Commander Hopkins now!" The squad leader immediately requested an interster call with Scott.

    Meanwhile, Scott also had his te full. Someone leaked the news that Sean would be sent back to Stormw Alliance today.

    So, Sylvester insisted on being discharged from the hospital and made his way to the starship station. Right now, he was already standing in the station.

    Scott couldn''t help but feel nervous

    when he saw Sylvester. He had a hunch that something was about to

    spin gut of control. When the interface''s call notification beeped, his entire body tensed up.

    "Commander Hopkins, we have a traitor in our ranks. Someone from the security forces did something to your brother and escaped with a shuttle amid the chaos!

    "What''s worse, your brother has gone berserk as we speak!

    "Commander, you have to immediately send someone to intercept the security force''s shuttle and evacuate everyone at the starship station.

    "Your brother is attacking everyone on sight. It''s the same as..."

    Before the squad leader could finish speaking, Sean came charging at him and swiped him away.

    "It''s the same as the males who have gone into a frenzy!" Then, the squad leader immediately shifted into his beast form and worked with the other therians to subdue Sean.

    The fierce fight in the starship

    caused it to tilt a little. From Scott''s

    view, a huge starship was swaying

    unsteadily as it hurtled toward Stormw Alliance''s starship station.

    Scott immediately shifted into his beast form and roared furiously, "Back off now! Evacuate the civilians!"

    Sylvester, who was standing in the crowd, was looking forward to seeing Sean, but his heart leaped to his throat when he saw the swaying starship.

    That was when a therian wearing a hat snuck behind him and asked, "Do you want to witness one son murdering the other? Better yet, they might kill each other."

 Chapter 126

    Before Sylvester knew what was happening, someone grabbed his cor and

    lifted him off the ground. The next thing he knew, he was dragged all the way to a building''s rooftop.

    "Say, which one of your sons do you think is going to win the fight?" The male took off his hat, revealing his face. It was Jamari.

    Sylvester was slightly stunned when he saw who it was. "Y-You''re..."

    He trailed off before he continued, "You''re from the Crestfall family."

    He was dazed in utter disbelief. Jamari was a carbon copy of that therian. How could he not recognize him? That said, Jamari was still young, meaning he must''ve been that therian''s son.

    "Are you Thaddeus Crestfall''s son?" Sylvester knew the answer to his question, but he couldn''t stop himself from asking it.

    "That''s right." Jamari sneered. "Has it ever urred to you that this day woulde when you were destroying my family?"

    "When have I destroyed the Crestfall family?" Sylvester gazed at Jamari coldly. "The victor takes it all. That''s thew of nature. What''s more, I spared you because you were young. All I did was send you along with the females to a lower-ss!"

    "Oh, that''s all, huh?" Jamariughed throatily.

    "You made it sound like it was no big deal. Do you even know what it was like living on lower-sss? Do you have any idea the kind of things we had to do just to survive?" he asked reproachfully and yanked at Sylvester''s cor.

    "Every female receives a monthly allowance, including the females on lower-sss. Moreover, the amount used to be 50 thousand dors back then.

    "50 thousand dors is perfectly enough to support the three of you. Shouldn''t you all know how to survive?"

    Sylvester''s gaze remained cold, but it was fixed on Scott, who was crouching on all fours at the starship station.

    The starship from space had crashnded on the station, even tumbling and rolling several times before grinding to a halt. A group of therians rammed its door, sent it flying to the station floor, and came charging out.

    The first therian Sylvester saw was the wed-up and frenzied tiger. He knew that it was Sean the moment heid eyes on him.

    "You Crestfalls are rotten to the core. Like father, like son." Sylvester was heartbroken to see Sean in this state. He was so infuriated that he quivered with

    rage.

    However, he was old and frail, and he couldn''t possibly take Jamari out in a fight. He could do nothing as thetter held him hostage and made him watch Sean get hurt.

    "We''re wicked, huh? Has it urred to you that you''re also wicked when you murdered my fathers in cold blood? What makes you think you''re better than us when you personally banished me and my family to a

    lower-ss?" Jamari sneered.

    It was obvious that he didn''t expect Sylvester to use him of being rotten to the core. His eyes red red, burning with pure anger.

    "When have I killed your fathers?" Sylvester also scoffed coldly. "Looks like your biological father really has yed you for a fool!"

    "Mind that filthy tongue of yours!" Jamari was furious when he saw the scornful

    look in Sylvester''s eyes. He immediately grabbed thetter''s cor.

    "Damn you, you old fart! You had better make yourself clear right now! My father would never have manipted me!" His arms quivered with rage. He had his suspicions, but he didn''t have the courage totrust his gut.

    Sylvester snapped back, "What do you think, genius? Where did your mother''s allowance disappear to? Shouldn''t you have had a better idea about it than I do?

    "Let me guess. Did your father frequently ask for money from your mother? Did he always say he needed funds to put together a private army?"

    Sylvester had lived decades longer than Jamari. Naturally, he had a better grip on his emotions than thetter. Scott and Sean might''ve been locked in a fierce battle, but he still found strength in himself to shove the anguish down deep.

    Jamari gulped in response.

    Sylvester remembered that Jamari was six or seven years old when he sent the Crestfall family to a lower-ss. As such, thetter must''ve retained memories from that time.

    "Also, did your mother honestly not tell you about your other fathers? Did they die by my hands or the hands of your backstabbing father?" Sylvester cast a pitiful nce at Jamari.

    "Why are you giving me this look?" Jamari was driven mad with fury.

    How had he never suspected it? He had seen his mom secretly wiping tears away, and he had heard how they argued over and over again.

 Chapter 127

    Although males were forbidden from hurting females, it would be naive to assume that arguments and emotional abuse were nonexistent. Moreover, Interster Law wasn''t as strict back then.

    "Impossible. That can''t be it!" Jamari''s eyes turned red. He refused to ept it.

    "You''re lying to me! I want you to witness with your own eyes how your sons maul and ughter each other." He kept Sylvester suspended in midair and forced him to watch the two tigers in the starship station.

    "What''s the point in doing this, young Crestfall? At the end of the day, the fault doesn''t lie with me. Do you honestly think happiness will be yours when one of my sons dies?" Sylvester closed his eyes, reluctant to see his battered, wed-up sons.

    At that moment, utter chaos had taken over Stormw Alliance''s starship station. Initially, the security force was still able to keep up with Scott in his attempt to subdue Sean.

    As minutes went by, they lost consciousness to the virus, which had been coursing through their bodies more rapidly ever since they channeled their mental essence. Before long, they also went into a frenzy.

    Not only did Scott have to deal with these frenzied therians, but he also had to fend Sean off.

    Other therians from the alliance joined the fight and lent him their strengths, but the virus was spreading at an rming rate as more of them got injured.

    Eventually, Scott''s consciousness also began to be muddied, only an overwhelming murderous intent remained vivid in his mind.

    Its emergence sounded an rm in his mind. He knew very well that he had been infected as well.

    Scott instinctively reached out for Purification Potion that Analise gave him, but Sean mercilessly swiped at him and smashed him to the floor.

    Gritting his teeth, he got up from the floor and pounced at Sean, pinning thetter beneath him.

    However, Sylvester was still in the station. For that matter, Sean was his own brother. No matter what happened, he couldn''t bring himself to kill his own family.

    Scott would''ve killed Sean without any hesitation if he had clung to his hatred for the murder of his mom and hadn''t known that Sean was possessed.

    The truth, however, was that he knew that Sean wasn''t responsible for his mom''s death. Instead, the entity that possessed Sean was the cold-blooded murderer. Naturally, he couldn''t exact revenge by killing his own brother.

    As time went by, more and more therians got infected, including bird therians. When one of the winged therians rushed toward Jamari, who was watching the chaos unfold, Jamari finally realized the fulbgravity of the situation.

    He had to flee as soon as possible. Any dy, and he would join them, bing one of the infected.

    "Old fart, I will never believe a word you say. Stay here and meet your doom!" Jamari gave Sylvester a hard shove, ducked the bird therian''s talons, and sprinted into the starship station''s interiors.

    As of now, most of the infected remained at the starshipnding pad, and most of the evacuated therians were safe.

    Jamari made good use of the chaos and snuck into the underground hangar. Then, he found a shuttle and had his iris scanned, intending to activate it.

    To his surprise, Scott had already taken measures to capture him. After the iris verification failed, rms immediately red, letting out shrill, piercing sounds all over the ce.

    "Damn it, Scott!" Jamari mmed the starship control panel and bolted. No one was here to capture him yet. So, he found the perfect chance to blend into the crowd and left the station.

    The therians were fending off the frenzied males. It didn''t matter if they heard the ring rm and knew that Jamari was right there. They would never pursue him.

    Back in the starship station, Scott had just pinned Sean to the floor, but two therian guards rammed him and knocked him over.

    His pocket drive was sent flying from the momentum. It eventually smashed into a starship before shattering to pieces. Astral Ambers fell out and scattered on the floor.

    Meanwhile, Scott''s back mmed

    against the starship, the sharp edge of the spacecraft cutting a deep

    gash on his waist. As fate would

    have it, one of the Astral Ambers was forced into his gaping wound.

    Raising his head, he let out a guttural roar born from the sh between the excruciating pain and his murderous intent.

 Chapter 128

    The blood stirred something within Scott. He knew if he didn''t take the Purification Potion now, he''dpletely lose control and go berserk.

    Almost immediately, he shifted into his therian form and pulled the potion from his pocket, downing it in one go.

    But just as he swallowed it, he was struck with a powerful blow that sent him flying behind a starship parked in a corner of the starship station. It was Sean, who had somehow gotten back up and attacked him.

    Scott happened tond in a blind spot, where his body was perfectly concealed.

    Realizing that the therian he attacked had vanished into thin air, Sean tilted his head slightly. The bloodlust soon took over him again, and he charged back into the fray of battling therians.

    "Ugh..." Scotty on the ground, struggling to breathe. He was suffocating, his throat burning as if he were drowning in fire.

    Water and fire¡ªtwo forces that naturally shed-waged war inside him.

    The conflicting sensations left him dazed. All he could do was lie on his back, enduring the pain while trying to focus on the two conflicting flows of energy inside him.

    Scott couldn''t exin what it was.

    As he tried to control the suffocation and burning sensation like he did with his mental essence, his eyes slowly came into focus. To his shock, he realized he was controlling the moisture in the air with his mind.

    "Water..." he croaked.

    Realizing this, he struggled to sit up and concentrated on the surrounding water particles. He gathered them together with his consciousness, and soon enough, a water orb the size of a disc floated before him.

    "It really is water! What on earth is going on?" he eximed, reaching out to poke the orb.

    As if surrendering to his will, the orb glided along with the movements of his fingers.

    Scott suddenly remembered the burning sensation. Stretching out his hand, he tried to control it the same way he had with the water.

    The moment mes burst from his palm, his eyes widened in disbelief.

    "Ana..."

    He didn''t realize it was the fusion of beastial DNA and the elemental

    power of

    f Ster Amber that gave him this extraordinary gift. He had assumed that it was Analise''s Purification Potion that granted him this ability.

    He focused on his sensations more carefully, experimenting with his control over the water and fire elements. Once he was confident he had a grasp on them, he stepped out from behind the starship.

    Kone

    The infected were no longer being suppressed by the mind essence-or at least, not right now. Scott wanted to see whether it was possible to use his mental essence to suppress the beasts with his new elemental powers.

    ...

    Out in deep space, Fiy was rushing back in a starship at top speed.

    Onboard were the first batch of reagents, products of tireless work by him, Analise, and Gideon. They had managed to produce 3,000

    I.ne

    doses in total. While he brought 500 of them back to Stormw Alliance, the remaining 2,500 were distributed by Gideon''s men to other alliances.

    Of course those weren''t free. But Stormw Alliance got them for free thanks to Analise. As for the other alliances, Gideon had made it very clear that each vial would cost 20,000 Cosmocoins.

    Of course, none of themanders or lords daredin. Even if they wanted to, now wasn''t the time.

    "Fiy, do you want ExoAbilities?"

    Analise had asked him this question after Gideon''s sessful trial, and naturally, he said yes.

    Fiy needed to grow stronger to protect Analise. Besides, he trusted her.

    So, he''d deliberately let an infected victim hurt him, then waited until he was on the verge of losing his consciousness before drinking the reagent.

    Perhaps because his mental essence wasn''t as developed as Gideon''s, his will wasn''t as strong. He had to stay in an istion chamber for half a day before regaining consciousness.

    But he turned out luckier than Gideon, having gained Twin ExoAbilities- Tideweaving ability and Earthbind ability.

    This time, Fiy returned alone with the reagents.

 Chapter 129

    Given the precarious situation in Stormw Alliance and the fact that the reagents still required Analise''s blood, Analise insisted Gideon draw two pints of blood from her that night. Gideon had originally nned to draw just 0.8 pints, but she said she had a way to recover from it.

    "Go ahead. I''ll be fine. I can make up for it," she said.

    But Gideon and Fiy were scared out of their wits.

    "No way. The most is a pint," Gideon said firmly, refusing toply.

    "Even 0.8 pints feels like too much," Fiy remarked, visibly upset. His eyes were filled with worry as he continued, "Ana, your health alwayses first."

    "Don''t worry. Remember that thing I gave you the other day? Didn''t you notice your body feels different now?" she replied, winking at him.

    "But even so, suddenly drawing two pints of blood is really dangerous..." Fiy faltered.

    "Let''s do one pint. If we need moreter, we''ll tell you. At least this gives you time to recover. That amount is already enough to make a few thousand doses," Gideon chimed in, opting for the most conservative approach.

    "1.7 pints, and that''s final," Analise said, suddenly pulling out a ss of water from somewhere and brandishing it at them. "I have this, so don''t worry."

    While Gideon drew blood from her, she sipped the water slowly. Only after hepleted the procedure did she down the rest of the ss in one go. Then, she produced another one and drank that, too.

    To their surprise, the pallor from the blood loss began to fade from her face. A healthy flush returned almost immediately.

    By the time they finished preparing 1,000 doses of reagent the next day, Fiy received a call from Scott asking how things were going on their end.

    "How''s Gideon''s researching along?

    "By the way, the potion Ana gave me seems to have triggered some new ability. I can now control water and fire. For now, I''ve managed to temporarily subdue the mad therians, but I''m not sure how long I can keep it up," Scott said, pointing the interface toward the therians trapped inside floating water spheres.

    "You have an ExoAbility, too?" Analise was surprised.

    "You''re not badly hurt, are you?" she asked, studying Scott through the interface, concern dripping from her voice.

    After all, he was her contracted mate-of course she''d be worried. But the interface only showed his upper body, and since he was fully dressed, she couldn''t see anything clearly.

    "I''m fine. It''s just a minor wound," Scott said with his usual gentle smile.

    Not wanting her to worry, he didn''t mention therge injury on his back he got after he was mmed into the starship.

    "Things are pretty chaotic in Stormw Alliance right now. Stay with Shadowhawk Alliance for the time being. Let Fiy bring the reagents back by himself," he suggested.

    The starship station was now under his control, but a part of the berserk male therjans in the containment facility and dungeon cells were no longer affected by the inhibitors. They''d broken out and turned into bloodthirsty monsters.

    Fortunately, Scott had evacuated the civilians in advance, so there weren''t too many new infections. Still, the buildings in Stormw City had suffered a lot of damage.

    "Okay." Analise nodded.

    With such arge-scale outbreak, there was no way this small batch of reagents could save the frenzied males crisis across the Interster therian world.

    So, Analise had to continue supplying adot of blood. She also gave Gideon ten vials of Purification Potions, instructing him to mix them into the reagents ording to a specified ratio so she didn''t need to contribute that much blood.

    While the Aetherwell Elixir could replenish her, Analise-having grown up in the human era-still believed it was better to regain her strength gradually through regr nourishment.

    Using the elixir felt like charging a phone. Slow charging preserved battery life, while fast charging

    caused it to swell. asional uset

    was fine, but relying on the elixir all the time would only worsen the toll on her body.

    ...

    When Fiy finally arrived at the starship station, he saw Scott standing in the

    middle of a crowd, surrounded by floating water orbs of all sizes.

    "Scott, how are you holding up? I''ve brought the reagents," he said, disembarking with two crates of medicine in his arms.

 Chapter 130

    "I''m fine," Scott responded.

    Controlling a water sphere, he used it to bind one of the therians and suspend him in front of Fiy. "Inject him with the reagent."

    Fiy opened the case and took out a vial. "It''s not an injection. It''s taken orally."

    He gripped the therian''s jaw and forced the liquid down his throat.

    Scott continued selecting therians and bringing them to Fiy, but not all of them had beastial DNA that could fuse with the natural elements within Ster Ambers.

    In the end, less than half of those who drank the reagent gained ExoAbilities. The rest simply had the toxins purged from their system and returned to normal.

    "What''s going on? Has my mind essence evolved?" one of the therians eximed despite his confusion. He was controlling droplets of water in the air.

    "Can you all feel this, too? I think I''m resonating with the earth and stone!" Another therian''s eyes gleamed with excitement as sand and stones began swirling around him.

    "Why don''t I feel anything?"

    "Me neither..."

    The therians who had taken the reagent stirred back to consciousness. To prepare for the worst, Scott didn''t give the reagent to those suspected to be Jamari''s men. He restrained them with his ExoAbility instead.

    Among the newly awakened therians, some possessed Woodmold ability, so they were able to construct sturdier holding cells. Combined with Scott''s Tideweaving ability, the containment was more than sufficient.

    There weren''t a lot of reagents left, and using it on Jamari''s people could backfire if any of them ended up developing ExoAbilities.

    Scott could sense that the tide was about to turn in Interster Alliance. With these ExoAbilities, the old system based on mind essence might soon lose its relevance.

    "Scott."

    Before Scott could finish dealing with the captives, Sylvester trudged toward him. He was too old to withstand the fusion of beastial DNA and natural elements, and he''d suffered internal injuries. Nevertheless, he was healed by the reagent thanks to Analise''s blood within it.

    Now, Sylvester was still an ordinary therian.

    Having seen Sean send Scott flying into the rear of the starship with a single blow, Sylvester stepped closer amine Scott. "How are y feeling?"

    "Father..." Scott''s gaze followed Sylvester as he shifted toward him.

    This was the first time Sylvester was concerned about him since his mother''s death. Was it because of Sean?

    Scott pressed his lips together and nced at Sean, who was still unconscious nearby.

    Sean was already weak to begin

    with, and the battle had taken a huge toll on him. His face was ghastly

    pale and blood was oozing out of wounds across his body.

    Sylvester followed his gaze. His eyes reddened when he saw Sean''s condition.

    "In our family, only Sean is on your side..." Sylvester sighed.

    "I know." Scott nodded.

    "I''ve heard more or less about what happened earlier. Since it wasn''t his fault, you should still treat him as your brother," Sylvester said. "As for your mother... We can''t me Sean, either. He was possessed, soall he could do was be forced to watch himself kill his mother with the ster..."

    His voice quivered as he spoke, and Scott was immediately reminded of the moment his mother died.

    He remained silent, recalling the anguish in Sean''s eyes-though it had vanished in an instant.

    "I understand, Father." He sighed. "But right now, what matters most is Sean''s condition."

    Scott walked toward Sean with Sylvester trailing after him.

    "We''ve already given him the reagent, but he didn''t react as violently as the others. It may be because his mind and body had been utterly drained..."

    Scott took the medical kit Derek had brought over and began tending to Sean''s wounds.

    With trembling hands, Sylvester also stepped up to help.

 Chapter 131

    Sean still showed no signs of waking up after his wounds were treated, so Scott could only have someone carry him back to the Hopkins Gxy Lodge¡ªthe safest ce for now.

    At Shadowhawk Alliance, Analise was working on the reagents with Gideon with her protective gear on.

    "Congrattions, Analise! You''ve passed your probation and obtained Mercycore. 800 purification points have been converted into contribution points for Mercycore.

    "Activating Mercycore for you..."

    A sh of green light appeared before Analise and then sank into her chest, eliciting a surge of warmth within her. A faint green glow enveloped her.

    "Ana?" Gideon stopped when he noticed she paused. "Wait... Why are you glowing?"

    He stared at the faint shimmer around her. To his surprise, his Winsh ability somehow allowed him to resonate with Analise.

    "What is this? What is this probation about? What are Mercycore and contribution points?"

    As he bombarded Analise with questions, she flipped her hand over and stared at the faint green glow.

    "Activation sessful."

    The blobs of green light floating around Analise vanished and began gathering on her chest.

    Puzzled by the disappearance of the light, Gideon circled around her with a bewildered expression.

    "Every host bound to the system must go through a probation. The type of probation depends on the world and its environment.

    "In your case, you were put through a test of altruism. The prion virus developed by Ophir wasn''t part of your Purification mission, but you still selflessly contributed your blood and a considerable amount of Purification Potion.

    "Based on our calctions, your contributions have saved 2,756 therians so far, allowing you to pass the test," Echo said.

    "That fast?" Analise gasped, visibly surprised. "Are you saying that 2,756 people have taken 3,000 doses in just one day?"

    She figured she needed to pick up the pace in making more reagents.

    "That''s right, Analise. Your contribution value is currently at 27,560. All these points will be transferred to Mercycore."

    "Mercycore? What''s that?" Analise asked Echo while working on the reagent.

    Apart from the fleeting feeling of resonance he felt earlier, Gideon didn''t sense anything unusual and went back to his work.

    "Mercycore is also known as a Surrogate Heart. It''s powered by contribution value -the more points you have, the stronger it bes.

    "In a life-or-death situation, you can convert Mercycore to a Surrogate Heart, resurrecting yourself or someone you''d like to save."

    Analise paused for a while before resuming her work in silence. Echo had made it clear that Mercycore was essentially a chance at

    resurrection, and she figured itel

    worked like a savings ount-the more she put in, the more she''d gain in the future.

    cing her hand over her chest, she

    re were now two hearts one for the uncertain feand

    One for the presentand

    "What''s wrong, Ana? Are you tired?~ Let''s take a break," Gideon

    l.ne

    suggested. He stopped working as soon as he saw Analise''s hand on her chest.

    "Yeah, I''m a bit tired." She nodded.

    She and Gideon had been working nonstop since the night her blood was drawn.

    Aside from eating and sleeping, she barely rested.

    If Echo hadn''t spoken to her earlier, she''d still be buried in her work.

    "Ana, I saw them," Gideon suddenly said.

    "Saw what?" Analise asked, visibly puzzled.

    "The green blobs of light floating around you."

 Chapter 132

    "How''s that possible?" Analise was dumbfounded.

    This was a special reward from Echo. How on earth could Gideon see this?

    Was it because of her blood? He drank her blood, granting him the ability to see this phenomenon. But in this case, wouldn''t the same thing ur to other therians as well?

    "What else can you see?" Analise asked, grabbing Gideon''s wrist.

    He shook his head first, but then he said, "When we captured Sean that day, I

    saw a ck ring of light wrapped around a white one."

    Analise''s memories drifted back to that day, and she realized Gideon had probably seen the souls of Ophir and the transmigrator-Sean.

    "What else can you see?" she pressed, circling around Gideon.

    There were too many mysteries surrounding him. The fact that he knew her and possessed the Purification Potion was already beyond herprehension. Now, with his ability to see such phenomena, she waspletely baffled.

    "Do you hear anything?" she asked tentatively before he could answer.

    "Hear what?" Gideon shook his head. He was perplexed, but he still listened to his surroundings carefully.

    "Nothing."

    Analise heaved a sigh of relief and went to rest on a bench nearby.

    Seeing that she wasn''t giving him any attention, Gideon went back to work.

    Time was tight-several alliances had already ced new orders after using the reagents. Of course, he was also releasing a limited amount of reagents based on data from the intersterwork, which tracked how many male therians had gone berserk.

    A berserk male''s interface would show abnormal readings, and that was how thework monitored the numbers.

    As a knock sounded at the door, a therian in protective gear entered.

    "Mr. rke, the invoices for the other alliances are ready," he said before turning to nce at Analise. "Should we continue sending the Stormw Alliance''s batch free of charge?"

    Gideon didn''t look up and simply gave a hum of acknowledgment. "Yeah."

    Apart from Analise, he was always indifferent toward everyone else. He wasn''t exactly cold-that was just his nature.

    "Then, I''ll start packing the batches and deliver them," the therian said, moving to carry therge crates of medicine.

    Just as he had finished organizing the reagents and was about to head out, Gideon suddenly nced up and called out, "Wait."

    "Yes, Mr. rke? Is there anything else?" The therian stopped and turned back, the crates still in his arms.

    "Any updates on Nelson? Have you confirmed his location?" Gideon took off his gloves and tossed them aside.

    He was also starting to feel tired. He needed a break.

    "He''s currently at Colossus Alliance, and he''s been there for three days. It''s likely

    that he''s defected to them," the therian replied grimly.

    "He sure knows how to hide," Gideon remarked as he went to wash his

    hands. Then, he added, "Tell

    Colossus Alliance that from now on,

    they have to pay 100,000

    Cosmocoins per vial."

    "Understood."

    "And not just that-they''re limited to five vials per day," Gideon said with a sneer. "They won''t get the same price as the other alliances until myckey leaves their turf."

    "Got it," the therian replied before leaving the room with a stoic expression.

    "He looks quite upset," Analise remarked, having been listening to their conversation and keeping an eye on the therian''s mood the whole time.

    "Of course he is," Gideon said, a smile tugging at his lips whenever he looked at her. "He only got to. where he is now because of me. If I wanted, I could exile him jus like I did with Nelson."

    "So, you''re the actual boss behind Shadowhawk Alliance," Analise said, arching

    her brow.

 Chapter 133

    Analise had heard how Scott and Fiy talked about Gideon, but it still couldn''t stop her from being surprised after finding out his real identity.

    After all, Gideon had always been rxed and jovial around her. If she hadn''t spent the past few days at Shadowhawk Alliance and seen how indifferent he truly was, she wouldn''t have believed what Scott and Fiy said about him.

    "Yeah." Gideon beamed at her. "This is the only way I can assist you, Ana. But since I hate dealing with those troubles, I left them in their hands instead."

    "I could tell that you''re into research." Analise arched her brow, looking amused as she continued, "I noticed there''s a massive spherical machine in theb next door. What''s that? Can I go have a look?"

    Since they had nothing else to do, she figured she could use her break to tour around Gideon''sb.

    Gideon looked away, but he nodded in agreement after a while. He grabbed her hand and told her to get behind him.

    "This doesn''t look like a starship," Analise remarked as she paced around the spherical machine.

    "It''s not." Gideon smiled. "It''s a time machine."

    "A time machine?" Analise''s eyes lit up. "Can it travel to any point in time?"

    Seeing her perk up at his response, Gideon felt his heart clench. He instinctively lied, "But it''s not working properly yet."

    "Oh? That''s a shame," she replied, her gaze dimming.

    Gideon''s memories drifted back to that day-when all the test data on the time machine were normal, and time travel was theoretically possible.

    He had hesitated only briefly before stepping into the time machine. But before departing, he summoned several sessor candidates and gave them specific instructions.

    After all, he wasn''t certain whether the time machine could really help him find Analise.

    Based on the small details he''d picked up during his time with her, he''d deduced that the era she was living in was likely 300 years before the Vexoth invasion.

    So, Gideon keyed in that estimated

    time and set the coordinates. He wasn''t very confident in the

    34130

    machine, but he had missed Analise

    so much that he was determined to find her.

    He had tried entering dates in the future, but for some reason, the machine refused to ept any future timestamps. Thus, his only option was to go to Analise''s past.

    Once he input the time, the time machine was activated and vanished from its original location in an instant. By the time Gideon''s surroundings cleared up again, he realized the machine was in midair.

    "So... this is the era Ana lived in?"

    As he nced at the buildings and terrain below, his heart raced. "I did it!"

    "Radar detection nearby. Activate stealth mode?" the mechanical voice of the time machine interrupted his excitement.

    "Activate it."

    The time machine was a product far beyond anything from this era there was no way he could risk being discovered. His only goal was to find Analise, after all.

    After the stealth mode was enabled, Gideon detected a ne approaching. For some reason, his heart began to race.

    "Ana, where are you..." he mumbled, carefully maneuvering the time machine as he tried to locate the ces Analise once mentioned.

    When he saw the ne approaching, he instinctively steered the time machine out of the way. He was in the ne''s airway, after all.

    Gideon''s beast form was that of an eagle. As a bird therian, his eyesight was exceptional.

    So, when the ne passed by the invisible time machine, he immediately spotted Analise sitting by the window.

    "Ana!" he cried out.

 Chapter 134

    "It''s really you, Ana!" Gideon eximed.

    Overwhelmed with joy, he immediately steered the time machine toward the ne and flew along with it at a moderate distance.

    He nned to go find Analise once the nended. But less than two minutester, the ne began to shake violently.

    Strong turbulence and air pressure made it impossible to stabilize, and it started to plummet.

    With the spiraling ne blocking his view, Gideon prepared for the worst. He was aware that if it crashed like that, Analise would undoubtedly die. He remembered she had once told him that she was nothing but an ordinary human.

    There were plenty of people on that ne, but the time machine''s energy was limited. He couldn''t save them all. The machine could only teleport a few people to another location.

    Without hesitation, he entered Analise''s data into the system and rammed the time machine into the tumbling aircraft.

    A sh of white light appeared-and then Gideon was back in theb. But Analise was nowhere to be seen.

    The time machine''s power was alsopletely drained, and it couldn''t be used again.

    Panic gripped Gideon. Butter that night, he saw a headline trending on Cosmoseek that a pure human female had consoled an S-grade male.

    His gut told him that it was Analise.

    Through the intersterwork, he found information on that pure human female. Just seeing Analise''s name alone was enough to keep him awake all night.

    He knew his Analise, who had descended from the skies, hade.

    Gideon was relieved that he''d seeded and that she was still alive.

    Back then one of his trusted aides had noticed Nelson acting e suspiciously, so he had been forced to stay behind at Shadowhawk Alliance to keep tabs on Stormw Alliance.

    By the time he got the news, Analise had already left for Ironhorn Alliance. He rushed there immediately and stood right in front of her-only to realize that she didn''t recognize him.

    She looked at him like he was a total stranger.

    Realization dawned on him. This was Analise, but not the one who had traveled to his childhood from the future.

    She had once told him something like not getting sad if she couldn''t recognize him in the future¡ªeverything would be fine once she eventually remembered him.

    "You''re so adorable and handsome. I''ll definitely pick you as my mate," she had once said.

    But she had also said that perhaps by the time she met him again, he would have to face off against his two love rivals.

    This thought made Gideon''s expression shift slightly, though he still had a smile stered on his face.

    "Why are you grinning like an idiot?" Analise smacked the back of his head.

    Ever since he saw the time machine, he had been acting unlike himself. She''d

    ignored him at first, too busy ogling the advanced machine.

    But after she''d finished observing the time machine, he was still standing there like a rock, with an odd smile on his face. He looked kind of dumb and also... a little creepy.

    "Nothing." Gideon shook his head and tried to change the subject. "Ana, do you want to check out the other stuff?"

    He wasn''t sure if she wanted to use the time machine to return to her original timeline. When it came to her, he just couldn''t resist acting selfish.

 Chapter 135

    Gideon wanted to have Analise all to himself.

    In the Interster therian world, polyandry was the norm. He could tolerate her being romantically involved with multiple men, but he couldn''t ept that she wasn''t with him. He just wanted to keep Analise by his side.

    All these years of pining were finally too much. He felt like he couldn''t keep up the act any longer.

    But he couldn''t scare her.

    He wanted to be with Analise for the rest of his life.

    "Come on. Let me see how clever that little brain of yours really is what kind of amazing inventions have you made?" she said, nodding at him.

    She didn''t think a time machine could be so easily developed, so she wasn''t too fixated on it. As long as shepleted her task, Echo would probably send her back to the human world anyway. So, whether the time machine worked or not didn''t matter too much.

    Still, if Gideon really managed to make it work, it could serve as a backup n to return home.

    But after nearly a month living in the Interster therian world, Analise had experienced things she never had before. New thoughts had begun to sprout in her heart.

    Did she really have to go back?

    If she returned to the human world, she''d be alone again, burying herself in work every day. Aside from a few scattered friends, she had no close family waiting for her.

    "Sure. I''ll give you a proper tour," Gideon said, swiftly taking her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers.

    They had already made plenty of potions today, so taking a longer break wouldn''t hurt. To him, Analise always came first.

    The reason Gideon hadn''t gone straight to Stormw Alliance earlier was because he hadn''t been sure if the pure human female mentioned was truly Analise. But the moment he saw the live stream where she calmed the males, he knew.

    He hadn''t even changed clothes and simply rushed to Stormw Alliance in his starship.

    But when he got there, he learned that Analise and Scott had already left. So he flew through the night to Ironhorn Alliance, yet what caught him off guard was that she didn''t recognize him at all.

    Luckily, Gideon remembered what Analise had once told him and wasn''t too devastated. Besides, she didn''t push him away when he went in for a hug¡ªthat was enough for him.

    "Are these all your inventions?" Analise asked, following Gideon into a room filled with pocket drives of all shapes and sizes.

    Disyed in its own case, each one took up an entire wall.

    "Yeah. But they''re not quite at the level I want yet. There''s still a lot of work to be done," Gideon replied, caressing the back of Analise''s hand with his thumb as his gaze drifted toward the drives.

    "Oh? Your standards are pretty high, huh?" Analise chuckled. "But the pocket

    drive you used to catch Sean was truly impressive."

    It wasn''t untilter that day that she realized there was anotheryer of pocket drive outside. Their starship had been coursing into a massive pocket drive, which Gideon had activated since the beginning.

    If it weren''t for Ophir¡ªor if it wasn''t the system at all¡ªSean would''ve beenpletely trapped.

    The smaller pocket drive at the back was just as amazing.

    Analise had seen it once through those strange sses. Inside were tons of

    tracking weapons, each one able to lock onto a specific target.

    But because there were too many people inside at the time, Gideon didn''t activate it. What Analise didn''t know was that the real reason he hadn''t triggered them was her. He didn''t want to risk hurting her.

    "That one was specifically made for him," Gideon said, lowering himself to meet her gaze. "And since you''re the one who asked for it, of course I took it seriously."

    "So, do I have a reward?" he murmured, leaning closer.

    "Stop!" Analise pushed him away. "Why am I involved in this again? I think we need to talk."

    Since it was just the two of them right now, and no one else was around, Analise figured it was the perfect time to finally discuss the future "her".

 Chapter 136

    "What do we need to talk about?" Gideon asked, holding Analise''s hand and pressing it against his chest.

    His pounding heart was a reflection of his current feelings.

    "About future me and young you," Analise said, surprisingly not resisting him.

    Sensing his heartbeat, she nced up at him.

    "Hm?" Gideon blinked, but realization soon dawned on him.

    In this timeline, Analise was stillpletely oblivious.

    "You''ll find out soon," he said with a light chuckle and pecked the back of her hand.

    "No. I want to know now," Analise said solemnly. "You knew about Purification Bow, Purification Potion... What else do you know?"

    "You used Purification Bow the first time you descended from the skies. Later, you used it to fend off some weird creatures," Gideon replied, dropping his gaze.

    "As for Purification Potion, you gave it to me before you left. You said you trusted me with it because I was smart.

    "You also said Purification Bow was a weapon you used for self-defense and that I would also have my own weapon in the future.

    "It wasn''t untilter that I finally found out that you were different. After all, the water you gave me healed my injuries right away.

    "Besides, you were the one who told me to analyze itsposition. You said that someday in the future, it woulde in handy and that we could make a huge profit from it..."

    Analise was mostly on board with what he said up to that point, but after hearing hisst sentence, she was certain she definitely said that. It totally sounded like something she''d do.

    No wonder Gideon was selling the potions for 20,000 Cosmocoins each. So, that was the reason.

    Still, wasn''t he a little too obedient?

    "Did I say 20,000 Cosmocoins a vial?" Analise asked tentatively, withdrawing her hand.

    Watching her pull her hand away from his chest, Gideon looked a little disappointed. Even his voice turned slightly aggrieved as he asked, "Is that too expensive?"

    He tilted his head and continued, "But those alliances can afford it. They''re well off. We need to cover the cost of the reagents."

    "I guess so," Analise said, remembering that 20,000 Cosmocoins probably meant nothing when she had a monthly allowance of a million Cosmocoins.

    Indeed, money was enough to change the way she perceived things.

    If a vial of medicine cost 20,000 dors in themon era, she would''ve just let herself go mad Others were the ones at a

    disadvantage if she''d gone

    berserk-not her.

    "Well... What else would you like to know, Ana?" Gideon asked, fixing his gaze on Analise as she wandered around hisb.

    "Nothing," she deliberately said. "I doubt you''d tell me the truth anyway."

    "But I''m telling you the truth! Don''t you believe me?" Gideon whined, visibly anxious.

    He indeed wasn''t lying and had done whatever Analise told him to do. The only things he kept from her were his past experience and injuries.

    Having still remembered the way Analise looked at him, he knew he couldn''t let her worry. He''d put the past behind him anyway.

    Analise fell silent and continued scrutinizing the items around her.

    Seeing that she wasn''t responding to him, Gideon hastily called out, "Ana!"

    He could never maintain hisposure in front of her.

    "Fine. I understand," Analise quickly said.

    She knew if she ignored him a second longer, he''d go berserk.

    "If the future me gave you a Purification Potion, that meant you were trustworthy. I''d always trust myself-no matter which point of time I''m at."

    Analise was fiddling with a trinket in theb. The deer trinket was the size of a keychain, and it felt familiar. She felt like she had seen it somewhere recently. But where?

    "What''s this?" she asked, handing the trinket to Gideon.

    "You gave this to me when I was a child," he replied. "You said it''d keep me<ppany, as if you''re physically there with me."

 Chapter 137

    Gideon reached out to take what Analise was holding and put it back in its original spot.

    "It was a gift from me?"

    Analise said thoughtfully, "No wonder it looks familiar."

    "Analise, this is a ''colorful deer.'' It''s a high-grade tool in Reward Store," Echo''s voice rang out in Analise''s mind. "Something huge must have happened to you in the future, Analise."

    Echo knew her very well. Based on the things that Analise had bought in Reward Store previously, she was clearly someone who nned ahead.

    She would not have bought something that required so many points if she could have found a cheap substitute.

    If the future Analise had bought the colorful deer for Gideon, then something must have happened to him...

    However, Echo did not tell Analise that. There was a digital memory in Echo''s database that was locked, and she did not have the authority to unlock it yet.

    When she thought about what Gideon had said, it seemed that there was a 99.9% probability that the future Analise had really traveled to Gideon''s childhood.

    "Yes. You said¡ª" Gideon suddenly stopped. "Ana, the future you emphasized the fact that I can''t tell you about this little toy."

    Analise stared at him for a while, and she couldn''t help feeling worried. "Okay. That''s alright. There must be a reason for that."

    Echo had just said that something big must have happened to her.

    Something big?

    There had only been one such event up until now, and that was her mother''s death. Therefore...

    Analise looked at Gideon, and it seemed that something invisible had enveloped both of them.

    "Ana, why are you looking at me like that?"

    Gideon looked away quickly when he saw the slightly sorrowful expression on Analise''s face.

    He did know a few things. The future

    Analise had mentioned them.

    However, he wasn''t afraid. He''d

    already experienced so many things. One or two more wouldn''t make much of a difference.

    "It''s nothing." Analise gave Gideon a rare hug.

    "Ana..." Gideon was startled, and the light in his eyes changed.

    There was a dark look in Gideon''s eyes as he reached out to hug Analise back. He enveloped herpletely in his arms, and his Adam''s apple bobbed up and down involuntarily.

    "I want to kiss you, Ana," Gideon said softly, like an obedient child asking if he could have some candy.

    However, he was more like a rebellious child, as he did not wait for Analise''s answer. He reached out to pinch her chin and lift up her face before leaning down to kiss her.

    Analise blinked in surprise, and her eyshes fluttered like butterfly wings.

    They were too close to each other. Analise could clearly see the suppressed emotion in Gideon''s pitch-ck eyes, and she could also

    smell the scent of jasmine on him. It was the scent she liked.

    Analise blinked before closing her eyes gently, allowing Gideon to take her breath away.

    Gideon slipped an arm around Analise''s waist and ced her easily on the table beside them. He looked earnestly at her. "Ana, I want to be your mate, too." Analise looked adorable, and she was slightly flushed from their kiss. She raised an eyebrow.

    Gideon wasn''t asking her. He appeared to be notifying her.

    "What if I don''t want you to?"

    There was a sh of panic and helplessness in Gideon''s eyes, and he took her hand as he looked pitifully at her. "Ana..."

    "Whining won''t work." Analise turned her head away, a sly look gleaming in her eyes.

    Gideon had noticed her expression, and his lips curled upward into a smirk as he leaned closer to her. "Then, I''ll just have to kiss you until you agree."

    He grabbed Analise forcefully around the waist and kissed her again without any exnation.

 Chapter 138

    "Mmph-" Analise''s eyes widened, but then she looked resigned.

    Was Gideon just going to act shamelessly until he got his way?

    Gideon held Analise, who had gone limp in his arms. There was an imperceptible forcefulness in his tone when he said, "Let me be your mate, Ana."

    "I won''t-"

    Gideon''s eyes darkened when he heard her refusal. There was a cryptic emotion rising in them, and he bit her lips in punishment. "No? It appears that I haven''t kissed you enough."

    "Gideon." Analise tried to push him, but she did not manage to get him off her.

    After a long time, she held onto his shoulders and gasped. "You... How could you! At least let me finish speaking."

    "Hm?" Gideon stared at Analise, his lip curling slightly. "I thought you were just ying hard to get and wanted me to kiss you more."

    Analise was rendered speechless.

    "What I wanted to say was that I don''t know whether I can form a contract with Shadowhawk Alliance. I''m part of Stormw Alliance now. Can we form a contract across alliances like that? Or will you just join Stormw Alliance instead?"

    Analise rolled her eyes at Gideon.

    Gideon''s lips parted slightly. "I can do that. I would be willing to do it for you, Ana." "Are you just going to neglect Shadowhawk Alliance?" Analise raised an eyebrow and reached out to press her hand against his chest. She was afraid he would lean down and kiss her again.

    She felt as if her lips had gone numb from all the kissing.

    "Shadowhawk Alliance will be my wedding gift." Gideon cocked his head to one side, looking perfectly serious.

    Analise asked, "Would you really do something like that?"

    "Well? Don''t you want it, Ana?"

    Gideon bent his head and looked at Analise''s red lips. He could feel his body stirring with desire.

    When she saw Gideon looking at her like a predator looking at its prey, Analise reached out at once to cover his eyes.

    "Of course I do. Why wouldn''t I? However, let''s wait a while before we form a contract. After all, we still needrge amounts of potion right now."

    "Alright."

    Gideon felt the warmth and softness of her palm, and he swallowed involuntarily.

    The desire to make Analise his became even stronger.

    "However, you sold the potions at 100,000 Cosmocoins a pop to the Colossus Alliance. Aren''t you afraid that you went overboard?"

    Analise thought again of what had just happened.

    Colossus Alliance was closely connected to The Reimers, and that was a fact. Everyone in Interster Alliance knew about that. And now, Gideon was opposing them so openly.

    "Shadowhawk Alliance aren''t.

    pushovers: Besides, I''ve studied so

    many weapons. I can definitely

    reach a tie with Colossus Alliance in reach a

    battle, and I think I might even have an advantage."

    Gideon removed Analise''s hand from his eyes. There was a gentle yet sharp look in his gaze. "The situation right now is urgent. They won''t fall out with me just because of Nelson.

    "If there''s no potion, the males in their alliance would probably fight among themselves anyway. If that happens, their power will be drastically reduced."

    "Why don''t we just refuse to sell them the potion?"

    "If we did that, we would really be opposing them openly."

    Gideonughed. "There are ordinary people in Colossus Alliance, too. They don''t have absolute authority The high-level officials are those that are problematic, and we can''t just leave the citizens to fend for themselves."

    Analise said, "You''re right."

    Meanwhile, at Colossus Alliance, a burly male smashed the empty potion bottle he was holding.

    "What? 100,000 Cosmocoins for one of these? Gideon ismitting daylight robbery!"

    His name was Ryan York, and he was an adjutant of Colossus Alliance.

    "Officer York... There''s... There''s more..." the therian standing at the door said tentatively.

    "What else is there? Can''t you say all of it at once?"

    Ryan clutched at his hair. He felt that Gideon was clearly opposing Colossus Alliance.

    Why would he do that? Why would he oppose them all of a sudden? Ryan had visited Gideon both openly and in secret to ask him for help. How had he offended him?

    "Gideon says that it''ll be 100,000 Cosmocoins for one and that he''ll only sell us five a day."

    "What?"

 Chapter 139

    "Officer York, calm down..." The therian shrank back.

    "Gideon also said that when that cur leaves Colossus Alliance, we''ll be able to restore normal supplies like other alliances."

    "That cur?"

    Ryan frowned. He knew who it was referring to.

    It appeared that Gideon had found out about what had happened with Nelson in Colossus Alliance.

    It wouldn''t be easy to resolve this.

    "Alright. I understand. You can go." Ryan waved a hand and sat down on one of

    the chairs in the office, looking weary.

    Gideon had made it clear that he wanted Nelson.

    However, Nelson was close to Russell York, the lord of Colossus Alliance. How could a mere adjutant like Ryan control such things?

    However, if he did not go to see him, what would the innocent citizens in Colossus Alliance do?

    Their alliance had been peaceful and harmonious, but ever since Sean had turned up and helped Russell to be the lord, everything had changed.

    When they realized that Sean was colluding with The Reimers, it was already toote.

    Russell had always been arrogant, and with Sean''s ttery, he had be even more reckless. Things had be grim in Colossus Alliance. Last year, he had even posted a photo of himself and Sean on Cosmoseek.

    It was a direct challenge.

    Recently, after the news of Sean having two souls in one body and the invasion of his body began spreading on Cosmoseek, the image of Colossus Alliance among the other alliances had improved slightly.

    However, those who were smarter knew that there was a problem with the management in Colossus Alliance.

    After all, Sean was the one who was being controlled by the two souls in his body.

    It wasn''t anyone from Colossus Alliance who had lost control of their bodies.

    If the person who had invaded Sean''s body could be believed, it would mean that someone in Colossus Alliance had been nning to work with the Reimers already or to collude with them.

    For the past few years, Colossus Alliance hadn''t gotten on with the other alliances. However, resources were needed for a living, so they reluctantly continued to have a few dealings with them in business.

    Colossus Alliance produced Starstones, which none of the other alliances had. Starstones could be used in forming contracts, as well as in manufacturing pocket drives and other essories.

    Gideon had bought vast amounts of

    Starstones for some kind of

    research. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that at least one-third of the Starstones sold by Colossus Alliance ended up with him.

    "I''d better make a trip there." Ryan sighed and got up to drive to Russell''s vi.

    The moment he arrived, he was stopped.

    "Officer York, Lord York is not seeing guests today."

    There was an impassive look in the eyes of the guard at the door as he reached out to stop Ryan, who had been about to enter the vi.

    "I''m here to see him about something important. Please notify him." Ryan''s voice was very loud. He knew that Russell hadn''t been epting any visitorstely.

    It was because Nelson was there.

    They probably knew that was the reason, too.

    "Officer York, Lord York specifically told us that he would not be seeing anyone for

    this period." The guard grinned mirthlessly. "Especially you."

    Ryan''s expression darkened as he gave the guard a look. He was suddenly amused. "If I remember correctly, your younger brother was infected, too, wasn''t he? He hasn''t drunk the potion yet, has he?"

    "So what if that''s true? Lord York has said that when the potions arrive today, he''ll

    give my brother one." The guard looked contemptuous.

    "If you don''t let me see Lord York today, I''m afraid no one will be getting the

    potion." Ryan sneered. He sat down where he was, looking unconcerned.

    After all, things had already escted to this point.

    If the potions weren''t delivered to the Lordship Estate, Russell would soone looking for him of his own ord.

    "What do you mean? Do you really have the audacity to oppose Lord York?" The guard frowned and stared at Ryan, who was sitting on the floor.

    "That cur is in our alliance, and Gideon wants him back. Without it, there will be no potions."

    Ryan cocked his head to one side and said loudly toward the vi, "Before that cur leaves Colossus Alliance potions will cost 100,000 Cosmocoins each, and we can only buy five per day. I don''t have a lot of Cosmocoins left, and even if I had any, I''d only be able to get five a day!"

    He appeared to be answering the guard, but he was actually saying it for the

    benefit of the two people standing at the vi''s second-floor window.

 Chapter 140

    As Ryan had expected, someone came less than three minutester. "Officer York, Lord York would like to see you."

    Ryan did not move. Instead, he spoke scornfully toward the second floor, "I wonder if I can leave the Lordship Estate alive today."

    The therian did not get angry at what Ryan had said. Instead, he smiled even more widely and continued to try and persuade him to rush into the vi. "Officer York, you know the answer to that. You and Lord York are cousins.

    "Why must you make things look so bad? Isn''t that just going to make the two of you aughingstock?"

    Ryan huffed and got up slowly. "Oh, really? I thought we were enemies. I was almost refused entry, and he even said specifically that he wouldn''t see me."

    "Don''t be silly, Officer York." The therian red at the guard and smiled as he led Ryan into the vi. "Let''s not make Lord York wait."

    Ryan ignored him and strode into the vi on his own. Colossus City had so many civilians, and they could not be neglected just to spite Russell.

    When Ryan arrived upstairs, Russell was already waiting in the study on the second floor.

    The plump male got up quickly from the couch when he saw Ryan, and there was even a smile on his face. "Ryan, what''s going on? Why is it suddenly costing 100,000 Cosmocoins for one?"

    "Oh? Lord York, I can''t possibly allow you to address me so informally." Ryan sneered.

    "Ryan,e on. It''s not that big a deal." Russell waved a hand and poured a cup of coffee for Ryan using the water dispenser bot.

    "Must you keep that Nelson fellow?"

    Ryan did not take the drink that Russell held out to him.

    "He once saved my life, so of course I have to help him."

    It was the same excuse as always.

    "Can''t you use a different excuse?" Ryan was tired of hearing it.

    "He saved your life once, but how many times have you helped him? Hasn''t the debt been cleared yet?

    "If you work with Reimers like him, are you going to remain stubborn like this even when Interster Alliance is joining forces to get rid of The Reimers?

    "You still have a way out since that incident involving Sean. Otherwise, we''re going to be the first target for Interster Alliance," Ryan said coldly.

    "Damn it, Ryan! Who do you think you are?" Russell''s demeanor changed at once when he saw that his tactic had not worked on Ryan.

    Russell mmed his hand down on the table and reached out to point at Ryan as he continued to curse at him, saying, "If it weren''t for the fact that we''re cousins and that we''ve always been close, I would have killed you long ago! Do you think you''d still be the adjutant?"

    "I hate how blind and deaf I was back then I actually followed your lead and thought that those people were good! If you insist on keeping Nelson, then just wait and watch Colossus Alliance be destroyed!"

    Ryan stood up as well and banged the table. Then, he turned around to leave.

    Russell jumped to his feet and

    continued his tirade, "Hurry up and

    get out if you''re going to leave!

    You''ve just been indulged far too

    much! You''ll be stripped of your title as adjutant right away!"

    "Go ahead! Who cares?" Ryan reached out to open the door.

    However, the moment he opened it, he saw a male standing outside.

    It was none other than Nelson.

    "Why are you so angry, Officer York? This all started because of me. I''ll just leave

    Colossus Alliance. I can''t let the two of you get into a conflict."

    Nelson had a buzz cut, and he was smiling thinly.

    "Ha!"

 Chapter 141

    Russell snorted and squeezed Ryan aside with his plump body. He walked toward Nelson and patted his shoulder.

    "You don''t have to go. It''s just a potion, isn''t it? Our alliance also has a very aplished potion researcher. Let him use the potions we''ve bought and study

    them.

    "Ryan, buy five for today! If you don''t have enough Cosmocoins, I can give them to you. However, I''m not going to let my friend leave."

    Ryan and Russell were cousins, after all, and they had had a fairly good rtionship in the past. Hence, after scolding Ryan, Russell said again, "That''s right. Why must you be so angry, Officer York?

    "The potion has been sessfully developed. As long as we buy a few and analyze theirponents, we can produce them ourselves."

    Nelson agreed.

    Yet, Ryan hesitated. It was true that they could conduct their own research instead of letting themselves remain at the mercy of others. Colossus Alliance did notck expert potion researchers.

    However, the problem was that the situation right now was so severe. Could they really analyze it sessfully?

    Gideon was an exceptionally smart man. Since he had chosen to sell the potions at 20,000 Cosmocoins each, it must mean that he was very sure that the alliances would not be able to develop it on their own, at least for now.

    After a moment''s thought, Ryan shook his head. "No. Nelson, if you really are a good friend of his, then leave Colossus Alliance right away. That would be best for all of us."

    Nelson''s expression darkened when he saw that Ryan had refused. "I thought you had a brain, Officer York. I didn''t expect you to want to live in dependency. No wonder it was Russell who ended up as the lord."

    There was scorn in Nelson''s words.

    "I would have forgotten if you hadn''t mentioned it, Lord Carter. Didn''t your position

    as the lord get snatched away very easily?" Ryan retorted, unwilling to admit defeat.

    "You-"

    Nelson narrowed his eyes and stared at Ryan for a while before leaving the room abruptly. Before he left, he said meaningfully, "Officer York, You haven''t been monitoring the intersterwork recently, have you?"

    "What are you doing?" Russell looked even more displeased when he saw that Nelson had gone off in a huff because of Ryan.

    "What did I do?" Ryan pointed at himself. "Are you asking me what I did? I put in

    all my efforts and did countless things for Colossus Alliance, but look where that''s got me!

    "You''ve beenpletely fooled by Sean and Nelson! Do you still remember what your wish once was? It was to lead Colossus Alliance to a better future!"

    Russell could not help yelling back at Ryan. "Haven''t I done so? You''ve

    seen the capabilities of The Reimers. It can''t be denied that their reagent can elevate minde essence. It just has a few side effects.

    "How can you be sure that the potion Gideon''s developed has no side effects? Didn''t someone say that after they drank his potion, their awakening abilities were affected?"

    Although he did not know whether Ryan had seen the intersterwork or not, Russell and Nelson had just spent a long time trawling through trending searches andments.

    "What do you mean?" Ryan was startled.

    He had heard of ExoAbilities. A minority of those who had been infected would awaken an ability that was even more powerful than mind essence.

    It was an ability that could be integrated with natural elements. One would control natural elements with mind essence, and it would be a specialbat ability.

    However, too many males in the alliance had been injured. Ryan''s attention was focusedpletely on the citizens, so it was true that he hadn''t been checking the intersterwork much.

    "Nelson said that these potions are for increasing one''s power. There are already

    a lot of people who are about to seed in integrating the potions.

    "However, Gideon''s potions stopped a number of people from integrating, which was why they had no abilities! Only a minority with stronger dispositions were unaffected by Gideon''s potions and received abilities.

    "How could someone with Gideon''s intelligence not have known about that? He''s just an evil, insane man! Not only is he taking our money, but he''s even stopping us from increasing our powers!"

    Russell gritted his teeth in anger at the thought of it. "He even tricked us out of such arge amount of Cosmocoins."

 Chapter 142

    "Is that what Nelson told you?" Ryan was still doubtful.

    "Why do you think Gideon is in pursuit of Nelson and trying to kill him? Don''t you remember how Nelson was covered with injuries when he first arrived at our alliance?" Russell rolled his eyes at Ryan, who remained silent.

    It did seem reasonable. Nelson had been half-dead when he arrived that day.

    "But The Reimers are still the enemies of Interster Alliance. I still don''t think we can trust them."

    Ryan still felt that The Reimers and Nelson were not to be trusted.

    "Aren''t these alliances just afraid of us?" Russell returned to the couch once more and sat down. "Do you really think that there are two souls in Sean''s body? How could something so ridiculous exist? This is just because Scott was the victor. He imprisoned Sean, and now he can say whatever he wants."

    Ryan pressed his lips together, wavering at Russell''s words.

    Many things that didn''t seem reasonable back then were starting to make sense now.

    "Just buy five potions as usual today, and we''ll bring them back for research. When the timees, we''ll expose Gideon''s deceptive scheme!" Russell looked confident.

    Over at Shadowhawk Alliance, the acting lord, Francis Kanz, knocked on Gideon''sboratory door and entered.

    "Mr. rke, Colossus Alliance hasn''t responded. They just ordered five potions. Also, there are many negativements about you on the intersterwork now."

    "Oh? What are they saying?"

    As Analise had been around, Gideon also hadn''t seen the intersterwork for a few days.

    "They all say that they were unable to awaken their abilities because of your potion. Therefore, they have begun to request their alliances to boycott the potion and stop buying it."

    Francis pulled out an interface and projected it onto one of theboratory''s machines.

    "Haven''t you found the problem yet, everyone? Why have some of us awakened our abilities while some have not?"

    "I heard that Gideon''s potion is to stop us from receiving abilities. I''ve heard the potion sold by The Reimers can increase our mind essence and help us to get abilities."

    "Shadowhawk Alliance has always been malicious. Have you forgotten? Previously, there was a small alliance that was just passing through their territory. They were beaten up and almost destroyed."

    "I heard about that, too. It caused a huge uproar at the time, but the search terms were soon taken off."

    "That''s why I think that the thunder abilities I developed are due to my own strength as well as the potion drank, which is the kind like The Reimers'', increasing my mind essence. It wasn''t because I drank the antidotal potion manufactured by Gideon."

    "Of course, therian genes can integrate with the natural elements in Ster Ambers. My friend

    discovered that a few days ago

    when@rge number of males began to attack unconsciously. Gideon must have discovered that, too!"

    "The truth is that the integrating of therian genes with natural elements is just too painful. That''s why the males have had all kinds of problems. Losing consciousness is just one of the bodily reactions.

    "There was an ount that seems to be from one of The Reimers, and it mentioned just now that the new reagent they''re developing is to help therians control natural elements."

    "I saw that, too. It says that itchiness and temporary loss of consciousness are just clinical manifestations and side effects of the potion."

    "Doesn''t that mean that we shouldn''t take the potions manufactured by Gideon? We want to get abilities, too!"

    "What nonsense are you all talking about? This is the antidote potion that Ms. Chamber and Gideon developed together! I trust Ms. Chamber!"

    "Yes! You are all being illogical. You can''t possibly think that The Reimers are good people, do you?"

    "Are you Gideon''spdogs? Why are you so anxious to yap on his behalf?"

 Chapter 143

    "You''re the ones who seem to be spies of The Reimers. You didn''te to stir up a conflict on purpose, did you?"

    "Since Ms. Chamber is a female who can pacify males even across levels, she can''t be lying to us, can she?"

    "Getting abilities is the most important thing right now. I heard that one of the females in an alliance was also infected. After she drank the potion manufactured by Gideon, she also got an ability. I think I''ll choose to trust Ms. Chamber and Gideon."

    "Females can get abilities, too?"

    "Yes. Females are therians who also have therian genes. Naturally, they would be able to integrate with natural elements in Ster Ambers."

    "Use your brains. If The Reimers'' potion really can improve mind essence, why would it infect others?"

    After reading the trending search terms and thement sections, Analise beganughing out loud. "Isn''t that just a typical case of a bad workman ming his tools?"

    "Yes. They''re weak, and their genes cannot integrate with natural elements in Ster Ambers. What does that have to do with me?"

    Gideon shook a test tube, and the transparent liquid inside sloshed around.

    "Thements are divided roughly in half. Some people believe that it was our potion that neutralized the poison for them so they could get abilities. Some think that The Reimers'' potion will give them abilities from the beginning, but it just has severe side effects."

    Analise pinched her chin. "They all sound logical. It can be deceiving."

    "I don''t want brainless fools like them to appear in Shadowhawk Alliance."

    Gideon put down the test tube.

    "Tell our people that it''s still free for now. If they''re dumb enough to believe in what other people say, they won''t be able to buy it in the future even if they beg me.

    "As for other alliances, we''ll maintain the usual supply for Stormw Alliance, and for the rest of them, it will depend on their needs. Whether or not they buy it is up to them.

    "Put the extra potions in the icehouse for now.

    "Post an announcement on the intersterworkter, and they can decide whether or not they want to buy it. When there aren''t adequate supplies in the future, the price will increase. They''d better notin about being poor when that happens."

    Gideon''s tone was casual, but it brooked no argument.

    "Yes, Mr. rke."

    "Also, investigate the spies and members of The Reimers in the alliance. When you''ve found them, tell me at once," Gideon saido casually as he washed his hands.

    "Yes."

    After Francis had left theboratory, Analise walked over to Gideon. "It appears that I can get some extra nourishment for now. You probably won''t be able to sell your potions for a while."

    "Yes. I''ll just have to take a break andze around for a bit." Gideon nodded and

    put an arm around her. "Ana, let''s go and form a contract tomorrow."

    "We''re going back to Stormw Alliance now?" Analise asked, uncertain, as she looked around at the things that filled theboratory.

    "We don''t have to go back. We can form a contract at Shadowhawk Alliance, too." Gideon chuckled.

    "You said you''d join me." Analise rolled her eyes.

    "It counts." Gideon pulled her over to a closet to get changed.

    "If you want me to, I''ll move Shadowhawk City to Stormw Alliance. In any case, there are still quite a few empty stars in Scott''s Stormw Alliance anyway."

    "That doesn''t sound like a bad idea. However, I still hope that you can do what you like to do and that you won''t have to go through all the fuss of moving," Analise said as she changed out of the protective gear.

    "Shadowhawk Alliance seems like a nice ce. I''m sure that''s all thanks to you," Gideon said.

    Analise took Gideon''s hand and walked out of theboratory. "This is the result of everyone''s hard work."

    Gideon lowered his eyes. "If it reallyes down to it, then you''re the one who deserves the credit."

    "What does it have to do with me?"

    The two of them chatted as they walked along.

 Chapter 144

    "I''m only here because of you, Ana. Without you... I might not even be here," Gideon said as he pulled Analise into his car.

    "This is a nice car. Have you modified it?"

    Analise didn''t know much about cars. However, Gideon''s looked a bit like a sports car. It just didn''t make an annoying roar when he sped up. There was an interface installed in the car that could be activated freely.

    Gideon nodded. "Yes, I just made a few minor modifications."

    In order to do experiments peacefully, Gideon''sboratory was built in aparatively remote spot. That was why it took more than half an hour to reach Interster Contract Bureau from Shadowhawk Alliance.

    Gideon was worried that Analise would be bored, so he found a few interster TV shows for her to watch.

    Analise watched them for a while and realized that it was just about romance. The roles of the male and female leads were just reversed.

    Of course, there were also shows about military affairs. They were about the events taking ce in the various alliances of the Interster therian world.

    The issue currently drawing the most attention was the incident regarding abilities.

    "I wonder how Fiy, Scott, and the others are doing. We''ve been focusing so much on preparing potions that we haven''t even contacted them," Analise murmured to herself as she closed the car''s interface and watched the scenery rushing by.

    "Don''t worry. Both of them have awakened Twin ExoAbilities, and Scott is themander. Fiy is a lieutenant. I''m sure he can deal with the issues within Stormw Alliance."

    Gideon''s hands tightened involuntarily on the steering wheel. He was right beside Analise, but she still liked Scott and Fiy more.

    "That''s true." Analise nodded.

    The truth was that although it had only been a few days since they''d met, Analise missed them a little.

    If she counted, then it would already be a month since she had arrived in the Interster therian world.

    She had spent most of her time with Fiy, followed by Scott, and finally Gideon.

    In just one short month, Analise had had three mates, all in ordance with thew.

    Well, why wouldn''t it be?

    Even though she had lived in the Interster therian world for a month, Analise still found it hard to believe it when her thoughts were all over the ce. She couldn''t believe that she now had such a good life. It seemed that all the wishes she had once made had alle true.

    Analise''s lips curled upward slightly into a smile.

    "What are you thinking about that''s making you so happy, Ana?" Gideon noticed the slight smile on her face.

    "I''m about to enter into a contract with you, and I''m happy," Analise answered without thinking.

    As soon as he heard that, Gideon felt warm all over. The despondent feeling he''d just had disappearedpletely, and all that was left was the joy and happiness of soon forming a contract with Analise.

    "Once we''ve formed a contract, I''m going to take a photo and post it on Cosmoseek."

    Gideon freed a hand to take Analise''s hand in his. Although it sounded as if he was asking for her permission, he was actually being very authoritative.

    "Okay."

    Analise wouldn''t stop him. It wasn''t a big deal, after all.

    Besides, Fiy and Scott had both posted. If she didn''t allow Gideon to do so, he was sure to whine about it and get up to mischief again. He might even find an opportunity to push Scott aside again.

    Analise was amused at the thought.

    Gideon usually looked cold and stern. Why did his personality change so

    seamlessly from one moment to the next?

 Chapter 145

    Meanwhile, at Stormw Alliance, Sylvester was keeping watch beside Sean''s bed and gently changing his dressings.

    Sean''splexion had finally be rosier after the care he had received over the past few days. He had been fed nutrient packs and medicines every day.

    "Oh, son... When are you going to wake up?" Sylvester sighed. "Did I do something wrong? Is that why this retribution hase upon you?

    "If I hadn''t fought for the position of lord of Stormw City, your mother wouldn''t have suffered a shock, and you wouldn''t have been born prematurely.

    "That soul from another world must have invaded your body because you''re too weak. It''s all my fault. I even made your mother..."

    Sylvester held Sean''s hand, and there was no light in his eyes.

    "Scott has also been affected as a result. I know it''s not his fault, but you''re now his only brother.

    "Now that your mother is also gone, I''ve been losing my temper at him. Since the truth is slowlying out, your brother probably feels bad, too. He''s also very worried because you''re still in aa.

    "Although he might not say so, I can tell he''s always liked you very much. If your brother hadn''t wanted to keep you alive, how could a female like your mother have gotten the key so easily to release you from the dungeon cells?"

    Sylvester stroked Sean''s hair as he spoke to him. Although he knew that Sean was in aa and might not be able to hear him, it was still nice to keep himpany.

    Outside, Scott was listening quietly, his eyes lowered.

    He had spent an entire day resolving official business, and he hade to check on Sean''s condition.

    He had just reached the door when he heard Sylvester mumbling to himself.

    "Why don''t you go in, Scott?" Fiy hade to check on Sean as well after handing out the potions.

    They were friends, after all. Now that he and Scott were both Analise''s partners, Fiy was basically like an older brother to Sean. It was normal for Fiy toe and visit him.

    "Okay."

    Scott pushed the door open and walked in with Fiy.

    "How''s Sean today, Father?"

    Scott looked at Sean, whoy on the bed with his eyes tightly closed. There was

    an imperceptible look of heartache in his eyes.

    "Yes, Mr. Hopkins. How''s Sean?"

    Fiy

    handsked, approaching. He

    handed Sylvester the nutrient packs and medicine that he had brought.

    "Still the same as it was a few days ago. He''s still in aa, and he''s not waking

    up."

    Sylvester took the nutrient packs and the medicine and propped Sean up in his arms. He fed him bit by bit.

    "He should be awake by now. Why don''t we ask the doctor from Stormw Hospital toe again and check?"

    Scott frowned.

    When the doctor from Stormw Hospital hade a few days ago, he had fed the antidotal potion to Sean at once. He had then

    prescribed nutrient packs and

    medicine for his external wounds.

    He had said that Sean would wake up in three days at most, but it was almost the

    fifth day now.

    "We should ask the doctor toe again."

    Sylvester nodded.

    He had been nning to do so, but Stormw Alliance was in chaos. Scott had to deal with so many

    issues every day, and the doctoret

    were a busy treating patients. That was why Sylvester had not been in a hurry to do so.  s?novel

    "Father!" Scott suddenly called out.

    When he saw the green vines that suddenly burst forth from Sean, he pulled Sylvester away hastily and looked warily at Sean.

    The vines lifted Sean into the air, keeping him floating in midair and making himpletely unable to control his body.

    Fiy''s eyes widened at the sight, and he immediately got into a fighting stance.

    "This... This is..."

    Sylvester''s hands were trembling, and he felt as if his heart was in his mouth. "Is something... controlling Sean''s body again?"

    Scott pressed his lips together. He was already using his mind essence to control the water elements around them.

    However, this time, he could sense that someone waspeting against him for the water elements.

 Chapter 146

    Scott instinctively thought that it was Fiy because thetter was in abat stance, and he had awakened Twin ExoAbilities in Tideweaving and Earthbind. Naturally, he could control water elements.

    However, the vines on Sean''s body did not attack them. Instead, they slowly wrapped themselves around Sean.

    When he waspletely wrapped up in the vines, a ball of water appeared near the vines and slowly enveloped them.

    Sean was nowpletely enclosed in vines and the ball of water, and he hung suspended in midair.

    "I think he''s awakened his abilities." Fiy was the first to realize what was happening.

    "What?"

    Sylvester was first shocked, but then he could not hide the delight in his eyes. "That''s great! It''s great that he''s awakened his abilities. That way, he won''t find his body taken control of again just because of his poor health."

    Scott looked back at Fiy, then at Sean. "So, you weren''t the one fighting with me for water elements just now?"

    "Yes. I''m more used to using my Earthbind ability." Fiy nodded and said, "This is a good thing, Scott. Your brother won''t be controlled in the future, and his health will probably improve. After all, he can have abilities now."

    "Yes."

    Scott''s gaze remained on Sean, and the three of them waited quietly.

    Since Sean''s abilities had started to appear, it meant that he was probably about to wake up.

    The three of them waited for half an hour before the ball of water and the vines slowly disappeared. The vines gently ced Sean on the bed before disappearing.

    "Scott, Father..." Sean looked at them in confusion, then at his surroundings. "Am I at home?"

    "You''re in "

    "Father, wait a moment." Scott stopped Sylvester, then looked at Sean. "Sean, let me ask you something. If I n to unite Interster Alliance one day, which alliance would I attack first?"

    Sylvester and Fiy did not understand why Scott had asked the question, and they looked at him in confusion.

    "Scott..."

    Sean was

    Ine

    startled. He blinked and stared at Scott before he shook his head and said, "You wouldn''t. You wouldn''t try to unite Interster. Alliance because that isn''t where your ambitions lie at all. You''re only in this position because you have no choice, as there''s no one else in the Hopkins family."

    Scott breathed an audible sigh of relief at his answer. He walked over to the bed and sat down. He realized that the injuries on Sean''s body were gone, probably because of the vines.

    "How do you feel? Do you still feel any difort anywhere?"

    "No." Sean shook his head. "Just now, I felt two different streams of warmth

    envelop me, and I slowly stopped feeling pain."

    Sylvester also went up to check. "These wounds have actually all healed. There aren''t even any scars."

    "Based on the situation just now, perhaps Sean has awakened

    Tideweaving and Woodmold

    abilities. However, I''ve never heard of Woodmold abilities being able to cure wounds before. Could it be another ability?"

    Fiy stood beside them, his head cocked thoughtfully to one side. However, he could not think of anything.

    "It''s true that there''s never been any

    mention of Woodmold abilities having healing powers. It''s probably some other kind of ability that hasn''t appeared yet." Scott wasn''t sure what kind of ability it was.

    "However, since it can cure wounds and there''s no one else who has it, why don''t we just call it a healing ability? In any case, Sean is the first to get it," Sylvester said, looking at them.

    The special notifications on Fiy''s and Scott''s interfaces rang simultaneously.

    Fiy ignored Sean and the rest and turned on his interface at once. When he saw the contents, he was instantly jealous.

    "It''s only been a few days, and he''s already formed a contract with Ana..." Fiy muttered in a low voice.

    Scott''s eyes flickered, but he did not say anything. He thought of what Gideon had said on the starship that day to provoke him.

    It didn''t matter whether Analise remembered Gideon or not.

 Chapter 147

    The important thing was that Gideon was clearly more powerful than Fiy. After just a few days, Analise had already agreed to bond with him.

    "What''s going on? Did something happen? Why do both of you look so down?" Sylvester assumed it was another issue with Stormw Alliance.

    "It''s nothing." Scott shook his head and raised his hand to check his interface.

    He flipped through the photo of himself and Analise, then nced at the photo of Analise and Gideon.

    Was Analise happier when she was with Gideon?

    Sean had been staring at Scott, about to ask something, but identally caught a glimpse of Scott''s wrist. "Scott, have you already formed a contract?"

    Scott didn''t respond to him.

    "Fiy, did you form a contract, too?" Sean turned his head, looking at Fiy in shock.

    After a moment, both Fiy and Scott nodded in agreement.

    Sean looked at them suspiciously, observing their wrists. "Did you two form a contract with... the same female?"

    Sean felt like the tattoo looked familiar. Had he seen it somewhere before?

    Both of them nodded again.

    "Why aren''t you two speaking? Why do you both look so miserable?" Sean looked at their sour faces, feeling a little uneasy.

    "They''ve most likely fallen out of favor." Sylvesterughed after realizing it.

    From Sean''s question and their reactions, it seemed that Analise had a newpanion. And it was probably Gideon from Shadowhawk Alliance.

    Sylvester had heard a little about this.

    When Analise formed a contract with Scott and the others, Cosmoseek nearly copsed, and the therians at Stormw Hospital had been talking about it for days. So, it wasn''t hard for Sylvester to figure it out.

    But he hadn''t seen Analise in person yet. After all, she was Scott''s mate, so he should meet her.

    Thinking this, he quietly opened his interface, wondering whether he should send Analise something.

    "Fallen out of favor?" Sean couldn''t help butugh in disbelief. "Scott is so outstanding. How could he fall out of favor?"

    "That''s not always the case. Being outstanding doesn''t mean you know how to pamper a female," Sylvester replied while browsing on his interface.

    It seemed Sylvester''s words hit the nail on the head, and the atmosphere grew silent.

    That was, until an abrupt voice broke the silence.

    Ine

    "It''s just a contract. Haven''t you two already mated? No matter what, you''re always the first. Don''t panic. Be more affectionate and find more chances to stay with Analise.

    §Ö§Ô

    "Females need their males to take care of them. Right now, Analise is with Shadowhawk Alliance, and

    Gideon is always with her. Naturally, she''ll be closer to him."

    The person on the other end-Fiy''s friend-didn''t seem to be doing anything,

    sending a voice message to save time.

    Fiy had nned to convert it into

    text but identally yed the

    recording instead. It was

    unintentional, but with Sylvester''s

    earlierments and his idental

    action, Scott''s face darkened.

    Especially after finding out that Fiy had already mated with Analise, Scott felt even more unsettled.

    But the person by Analise''s side now was Gideon. He was supposed to be the second partner!

    Seeing how furious Scott looked, Fiy quickly turned off his interface, worried that Scott might think he did it on purpose.

    "I have something to take care of. I''ll leave now." Scott nced at Sean and Sylvester. "You two should get some rest."

    "Fiy, you''ve been working for days, and the situation with the alliance has improvedpared to a few days ago. Go home and rest today. Let Derek take

    over.

    "We''ve been busy with Stormw Alliance, so we haven''t contacted Ana. When you get back, give her a call and check on how she''s doing."

    After saying that, Scott left.

 Chapter 148

    Sean, Fiy, and Sylvester stared at Scott''s retreating back, and the atmosphere became eerily silent.

    They just looked at each other, and finally, it was Sean who spoke up first, "Fiy, is that female someone I''ve met before?"

    "Mm?" Fiy blinked. "I guess so. When your body was under control, your consciousness probably saw her during the struggle for dominance over your body, right?"

    Sean lowered his gaze.

    That was too blurry. At that time, his consciousness was only clear for a short while, and he was suppressed by that strange force, making his memory of

    Analise very vague.

    "Alright, you should rest for now. I''ll go next door and find a random room to rx. Anyway, since Ana isn''t at Stormw Alliance, there''s no point in me going back to the vi."

    Fiy scratched his head and left to find a suitable empty room. Once he found a room, he made an interster call to Analise.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in Shadowhawk Alliance.

    "Ana, we''ve formed a contract. You can''t leave me to sleep alone, can you?" Gideon, holding his pillow, entered Analise''s room with a pitiful look.

    At that moment, Analise was washing up. She had just finished washing her face when she saw Gideon leaning against the door, looking aggrieved.

    But beneath those eyes, there was a hint of restraint, as if he was trying not to scare away his prey.

    "What?" She wiped her face with a towel, pretending not to hear.

    "We formed a contract, so shouldn''t you mate with me tonight, Ana?" Gideon hugged her and buried his face in her neck before taking a deep breath.

    "Aren''t therians very particr about rank order?" she responded without answering his question.

    "Mm, but I waste. I''m only the third." Gideon lowered his gaze, tightening his arms around her.

    "Are you seriously fighting for second ce in the mating order?"

    After speaking, she looked at his quivering eyes in the mirror and found it a little amusing.

    "I want to fight for it." He froze for

    up

    understanding what she

    and immediately picked her did her down on the bed.

    He couldn''t stand Scott. Fiy didn''t pose much of a threat to him, but Scott was a different story. So, even though he ranked behind Scott, mating before Scott meant he could stil overshadow him.

    He kissed her lips without giving her any time to react.

    As the kiss deepened, the atmosphere grew more intense, and the heat rose quickly.

    Just as he was about to undress her, the sudden sound of a notification from the interface interrupted the moment.

    "Someone''s looking for me..." Analise pushed him away slightly, trying to see who it was.

    "Ignore them." Gideon kissed her again.

    At a time like this, how could he let something or someone else distract her?

    "It''s an interster call. It might be something urgent, so don''t make a scene." Her tone became more serious.

    "Alright." He took a deep breath, sat up on

    the

    ¨¨ bed, and silently stared

    the pale skin of her neck, whared at

    red mark from his kiss stillingered.

    "It''s Fiy calling." She saw the note on the interface and quickly answered, "What''s up, Fiy?"

    As soon as the call connected, Fiy saw the blush on her cheeks and the red mark on her neck.

    "It''s nothing." His gaze shifted slightly. "I just wanted to tell you that everything is fine with us, and Sean is awake."

 Chapter 149

    "That''s good. Is Sean showing any abnormalities now? Be careful. His condition is special," Analise said.

    "Yeah, Sean is fine now." Fiy nodded and sat down on the couch in the room. "He has also awakened his special ability, and it''s a new one."

    "A new ability?" Analise thought. There were many types of abilities, but for therians, whenever a new ability appeared, it was considered a new power.

    "Yeah, it''s simr to wood-type abilities. He can control wood elements with his body, and he can also heal his wounds."

    "Oh, so it''s a healing ability." Analise then thought for a moment.

    "Yeah, Scott and Sylvester also said it might be best to just call it a healing ability since Sean is the first case," Fiy replied as he heard her say this.

    "What about you? How are things goingtely? How''s the situation at Stormw Alliance? Have you caught Jamari?" she asked.

    Meanwhile, Gideon, sitting beside her, was holding her hand and caressing her palm, his gaze filled with a hint of resentment.

    "Stop it. Wait until I''m done talking to Fiy." She turned her head, kissed his cheek, and told him to settle down.

    "Still the same. Stormw City is not small, and with the chaos now, it''s hard to find Jamari." Fiy sighed. "But as long as he''s in Stormw City, we''ll catch him eventually.

    "Now, he can''t even operate Stormw Alliance''s starships. Scott figured he might try to escape during the chaos, so he set up safety mechanisms on all the alliance''s starships.

    "As soon as Jamari scans his iris, an rm will go off, and that particr starship will be locked. So, he can''t escape for now, though it''s still difficult to catch him."

    Fiy scratched his head irritably. He had seen Analise turn to kiss Gideon, and that was exactly what made him frustrated. He knew very well that she might have already mated with Gideon or they might do so soon.

    In Interster Alliance, males knew from a young age that their females wouldn''t belong to them alone. However, it felt like a lump in his chest when faced with it.

    "Well, he can''t escape. You have to stay safe. I''ll be heading back to Stormw Alliance in a few days." Analise nodded.

    I.ne

    "Really? When? Should I go to the starship station to pick you up?" Fiy immediately perked up when he heard she wasing back to Stormw Alliance in a few days.

    "Mm, in three days." She thought for a moment. "We n to use up the remaining resources and then head back to Stormw Alliance."

    She pointed to her arm, hinting that the blood she''d drawn would be used to make

    more potions, and only once that was used up would she return.

    But Fiy didn''t quite understand, as he was too focused on the fact that she would be back in three days "Mm, alright. I''ll pick you up at the starship station. It''s prettyte now, so you should rest." ''

    Despite the knot in his chest, he couldn''t keep talking to her on the phone. After hanging up, he couldn''t sleep on the couch.

    He heard Gideon whining, calling Analise intimately, and wanting to mate with her in thest second of the call.

    That night, some were happy, and some were worried.

    Fiy quickly adjusted his mindset after somefort and guidance, curled up in bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

    Meanwhile, in the office of Hopkins Gxy Lodge, the lights were bright. Scott stood by the window, gazing at the lights of Stormw City, his thoughts drifting.  fo

    Fiy had already mated with Analise. Gideon was probably close to it, too.

    It seemed that he was the only person who couldn''tpare to anyone.

    "Yes, you can''tpare to anyone. How about we team up?"

    The sudden voice startled Scott, and he immediately looked around, alert. "Who is

    it?"

    "Your brother''s body looks good, and yours looks good, too. How about we cooperate? Then, you could have Analise all to yourself."

 Chapter 150

    "Do you want to share Analise with other males? Don''t you want her to love only you? Cooperate with me, and I will help you get rid of Analise''s other partners, making her stay loyal to you."

    "Are you Ophir?" Scott furrowed his brows, activating his special ability and putting himself on alert.

    Analise had mentioned before that Ophir was most likely to exploit vulnerabilities. It must have been his drifting thoughts and low mood just now that alerted it.

    "It''s me."

    "Why are you spreading Vexoth venom? Interster Alliance hasn''t offended life forms from outside the interster." Scott continued to carefully scan his surroundings.

    "Why? Of course, it''s to control this world." Ophir sneered.

    "You just need to decide whether you''ll cooperate with me," it added.

    "Impossible! There''s no way I''d ever cooperate with you, a malicious being from outside the interster!" Scott vehemently rejected.

    "No wonder you can''t get Analise. You''re just a wishy-washy failure."

    "You don''t need to provoke me. You just want to make me lose control of my emotions and then take over my body, right? I''m telling you. That''s not going to happen."

    Scott''s eyes were cold as the vignce left his body. Hezily sat back down on the couch.

    "As long as my willpower is strong, you can''t control me, right? Back then, you controlled Sean''s body because Sean was sick and his body was weak."

    There was no answer.

    He carefully checked the room. Just to be safe, he went to check Sean''s room as well.

    "Scott? Why are you here again?"

    Sean and Sylvester were about to sleep when Scott pushed the door open and entered.

    "You''re not feeling unwell, right?" Scott stared at Sean, afraid he might miss any of his expressions.

    "No." Sean shook his head. "Father said he wanted to buy some gifts to give to Ms. Chamber when we meet her. We spent quite a while choosing them. We''re getting ready to sleep now."

    Scott didn''t say anything. Instead, he used his Tideweaving ability to bind Sean.

    "Scott, what are you doing?" Sean was startled as he was suddenly lifted into the air.

    "Scott, what''s going on?" Sylvester frowned. "You can''t still be suspicious of Sean, can you?"

    After staring at Sean for a long time, Scott released him. He didn''t hide anything and told them directly, "The thing that controls Sean is here again. It tried to manipte me just now and disappeared after it failed."

    "What?" Sylvester and Sean shouted in unison.

    "Are you sure?" Sylvester asked again.

    "Mm." Scott nodded. "Be careful. Don''t let any negative emotions take over. This thing preys on weaknesses."

    After briefing them, Scott went to check on Fiy and found him sleeping soundly, so he left the room.

    Fiy was usually more optimistic and carefree, so he likely wouldn''t be controlled by this thing.

    What Scott didn''t notice was that after he left the room, Fiy opened his eyes. A ck ring slowly formed in his lifeless pupils, and he curled his lips into a smile.  fo

    In Shadowhawk Alliance, After a wild night, Analise slept until the afternoon. When she woke up, she felt something was off, as though something had happened.

    "What''s wrong, Ana? Are you feeling unwell?" Gideon came into the room with food but noticed Analise seemed distracted.

    "I don''t know. I''ve just felt uneasy since I woke up." Analise pressed her lips together and couldn''t bring herself to eat.

 Chapter 151

    "Mr. rke! This is the headquarters of the security force. The female robot, who closely resembles Commander Hopkins''s mother, suddenly self-destructed!

    "The males who came into contact with her have been injured, poisoned, and have gone into a frenzy! Even those with abilities can''t control themselves!"

    "Ana! Something''s happened! Fiy has been controlled by Ophir! He somehow contacted Jamari and took him, escaping from Stormw Alliance!

    "I''ve heard that the headquarters of the security force is in trouble as well! They''re probably heading to the security force to save Sawyer!"

    "What?"

    The fork in Analise''s hand suddenly dropped, and her eyes widened.

    So, it was Fiy who got into trouble!

    He was so carefree. How could he have been controlled?

    Scott''s voice was filled with urgency as he exined, "Last night, Ophir wanted to cooperate with me, but I stood firm, so it couldn''t do anything to me! I went to check on Sean and Fiy, and both of them were fine!

    "But this morning, I was notified that Fiy injured many people and took the starship without permission. I immediately checked the nearby surveince and confirmed that it was him. He even taunted us on the footage.

    "He never behaves that way, so he must have been controlled!"

    Both people in the room had received the same call and were equally shocked.

    "Right. Without a physical form, Ophir wouldn''t have been able to make the robot female self-destruct," Analise murmured.

    Another alert sound came. It was Gideon''s interface.

    This time, all the city leaders andmanders of the alliances were on a conference call, and Analise was also unusually included in the call.

    "An explosion happened in Ethereal Fang Alliance!"

    "An explosion happened in Colossus Alliance!"

    "An explosion happened at the security force''s headquarters!"

    "An explosion happened in Ironhorn Alliance!"

    "The reason for the explosions in these alliances was all self-destructing impostor females."

    "In our alliance, an impostor female appeared. We sent several people to capture her, but we didn''t expect her to self-destruct!"

    "Same goes for our alliance!"

    "In ours as well!"

    "Ms. Chamber, please, we need your help. Arge number of males are losing control, even those with

    abilities. They''ve already injured many civilians."

    "Ms. Chamber, please help us. We''re willing to offer 100,000 Astral Ambers."

    "Ms. Chamber can''t handle it all by herself, can she?"

    The person speaking was Karl.

    "The situation is urgent. The females from all the alliances should step up. Females with lower mind essence should team up to calm down a few males.

    "Otherwise, relying on Ms. Chamber alone won''t work. I''ve also heard that there are males and females with healing abilities. Let''s see if they can cure this Vexoth venom.

    "Ultimately, Ms. Chamber is only one person. It''s unrealistic for her to handle all

    the alliances alone.

    "The medicine made by Gideon works quite well. It''s time for everyone to work together now instead of just relying on one

    person" Karl''s serious and coal

    voice echoed through the interstermunication system to

    everyone''s ears.

    "Everyone, Fiy has been controlled. If you encounter him, avoid direct confrontation. If you find his whereabouts, please inform me immediately."

    Analise nodded and then addressed everyone, "On one hand, he is my partner, and he''s only been controlled right now.

    "On the other hand, you''ve all seen what happened when Sean was controlled. Ophir''s power is something none of you can handle right now."

 Chapter 152

    "Don''t worry, Ms. Chamber, if anything happens, we will contact you and

    Commander Hopkins immediately. At the moment, our alliance hasn''t found any trace of Fiy."

    "Neither has ours."

    Everyone nodded, each sharing the current situation.

    On the screen, a male therian with long white hair and green eyes spoke, "I''m Randall Chesson, themander of Ethereal Fang Alliance. Someone brought a message just now. A Stormw Alliance''s starship passed through Ethereal Fang Alliance''s jurisdiction.

    "If nothing''s changed, they should be heading to the headquarters of the security force. I''ve heard that those returning are also stirring up trouble. In any case, everyone should be on guard."

    "The headquarters of the security force has been thrown into chaos because of the sudden self-destruction of impostor females. All alliances should send people to assist to prevent a sneak attack by the returning forces." The head of the security force had a dark expression.

    He was handling something beside him while engaging in the interster call, clearly on a starship.

    Scott''s expression was no better. "Stormw Alliance can send some people over. After all, we need to catch Fiy. No, more urately, we need to capture the entity controlling Fiy''s body."

    "I still have some medicine here," Gideon said, resuming his cold demeanor when speaking to the others. "For the alliances that experienced explosions, I''ll prioritize sending out the medicine."

    "Since that''s the case, let''s take action," said someone, and the others in the call agreed before hanging up.

    Analise pondered for a moment before speaking to Gideon, "There must be quite a few injuries this time, and since Fiy is controlled, I need to go to the headquarters of the security force with Scott in person."

    "I understand." Gideon''s expression softened slightly. "This morning, I received news that someone in Shadowhawk Alliance is stirring things up, so I can''t go with you."

    "Alright. Take care of yourself." Analise stood up to gather her things. "By the way, draw some more of my blood. I remember theb is almost out..."

    A huge explosion rang out, and both Analise and Gideon turned to look in the direction of the st. "It''s the research institute!"

    Their eyes widened at the same time.

    "How could it suddenly explode? There shouldn''t be any dangerous or explosive materials in the institute. Has someone made a move?"

    Gideon''s ck eyes darkened, and an invisible wind started rustling the trees around them.

    "Damn it! rice!"

    Analise suddenly grabbed Gideon''s hand. "It''s rice! Doesn''t rice have a silver-ck object near her chest? That''s definitely the cause of the explosion!"

    "But didn''t you cure rice''s poison already?" Gideon remembered that she hadforted rice while in Ironhorn Alliance.

    "Yeah, so Shadowhawk Alliance shouldn''t have any males losing control and going into a frenzy like the other alliances. But your O research institute has to be rebuilt."

    She gave a bitter smile. "And those potions are probably destroyed, too..."

    "Those are fine. They''re in the freezer." He squeezed her hand to reassure her.

    "And when I had the research

    institute built, I considered the

    possibility of experimental

    explosions, so I set up an

    vel

    emergency response system and

    added fire and st protection.

    "Those robots should be dealing with the aftermath of the explosion now. Don''t

    worry too much, Ana. The most important thing now is to find Fiy."

    Gideon could tell that Fiy held a ce in Analise''s heart that both he and Scott could notpare to.

    "Mm."

    Meanwhile, in interster space, Ophirined, "This one''s hard to control. It''s been a day and a night, and yet he still has the strength topete with me for control of his consciousness."

 Chapter 153

    With a ck circle shing in his eyes, the "Fiy" under control twisted his neck and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

    "Benjamin, are you ready? Take over his body."

    The ck circle in the eyes of the controlled Fiy disappeared, reced by a sharp and intelligent look. "Of course, I''m ready."

    "Good. Next, it''s time for us to take control of this world," the electronic voice of the Ophir sounded.

    Benjamin Brown was actually the transmigrant Sean. However, his memories had been sealed and altered by Ophir, and he had been given a new name.

    Benjamin smirked as he controlled the starship. "Now that all the impostor females have self-destructed, the Interster therian world''s alliances are in

    chaos. They probably think we''re going to save Sawyer."

    "Just trash. Even if we save them, it won''t do any good. I''ve injected Jamari with a highly refined prion virus. I''m looking forward to the results."

    Ophir then turned into a ck circle floating above Benjamin''s head.

    Benjamin activated the starship''s invisibility and didn''t respond to Ophir.

    Ophir went on, "Go to Ethereal Fang Alliance.

    "The snake therians in Ethereal Fang Alliance make up 80% of their poption, and 30% of them are poisonous snake therians. Choosing Ethereal Fang Alliance is the best option.

    "Let''s turn all the therians in Ethereal Fang Alliance into poisonous ones. Once the other alliances catch wind of our movements ande to us, we''ll be able to take control of them."

    "The snake''sbat ability is also good. They can fight any type of therians." Benjamin sneered.

    "But this body is hard to control." He frowned. "If it weren''t for Fiy having nightmares, his mental defenses being low, and his negative emotions being high

    As he spoke, Fiy''s consciousness began to fight for control of his body.

    "Get out of my body..." Fiy frowned, his face beginning to twist.

    "You wish..." Benjamin smirked.

    At that moment, half of his face was furrowing in a frown, while the other half was forcing a smile, creating a strange and eerie expression.

    "Get out of my body!" Fiy said again, trying to use his abilities to control

    meteors in space to attack the starship.

    Ophir saw that the meteor hit the starship and immediately became alert. "You fool! Can''t you use his abilities?"

    They couldn''t let Fiy''s

    consciousnesspletely take control of the body at this moment If he regained control of his body. Ophir and Benjamin would be

    pushed out. And it would take them ten days to find a suitable body in interster space again.

    "I can''t use his abilities! This ability is a form of mind essence that is tied to his consciousness, and you know that I don''t have any abilities!"

    Benjamin snapped, irritated by the struggle for control. Part of the reason for his bad temper was that he subconsciously felt his rtionship with Ophir was not great.

    But since he didn''t have any specific memory of a bad rtionship with Ophir, his impatience was only reflected in his tone.

    Fiy was also frustrated, probably because he had seen Analise kiss Gideonst night. His underlying insecurity began to surface.

    He was afraid of being abandoned, Despite thefort from his good friends and pretending to be okay, he still cared deeply. That was why he had such a dreamst night.

    In his dream, he was a child again.

    That day...

    ...

    "Dad, Mom, I want to take my little sister to the amusement park." He was holding a blurry-faced little girl, standing at the door and speaking to two other older therians with blurry faces.

 Chapter 154

    "No, it''s been raining these past couple of days, and the facilities at the

    amusement park are very slippery. Felicia is too young. How about we go in a few days?" Ophelia Parker said.

    "Mom, how about I take Felicia to the amusement park inside the mall? I''ve saved up a lot of Cosmocoin, enough to buy tickets for both of us," Fiy suggested.

    Fiy held Felicia Knight with one hand and tugged at Ophelia''s sleeve with the other.

    "How about I go with you?" Ophelia looked at the eager expressions of Fiy and Felicia, and her heart softened.

    "No, you''re pregnant, and you''re almost due. It''s too dangerous for you to be running around," Samson Knight spoke urgently, clearly worried.

    "Can''t you just stay at home and y with Felicia? Why can''t you wait a few days to go to the amusement park?" he scolded Fiy loudly.

    "Okay..." Fiy lowered his head and could only pull Felicia into the house.

    While Fiy was daydreaming in his room, Felicia quickly ran into his room, holding his hand as she asked, "Fiy, Dad and Mom are resting in the backyard. Let''s go to the amusement park, okay?"

    "We shouldn''t. Dad and Mom told us not to go out." Fiy bit his lip, ncing secretly at his parents'' room.

    "They''re asleep. Let''s go quietly, and we''lle back early," Felicia whispered again.

    After hesitating for a moment, Fiy nodded. So, he took Felicia to the

    amusement park in the mall. At first, they had a great time climbing and ying in the amusement park.

    But after half an hour, arge chandelier fell from the ceiling for some unknown reason, and it hit Felicia directly.

    At that moment, Fiy was on the other side of the park ying on the slide and couldn''t reach her in time.

    After the ordeal, he immediately ran over to Felicia and hugged her, while the staff quickly called for an ambnce.

    He didn''t remember how he got to the hospital. He only remembered that when Samson arrived, he kicked him far away with one foot, making him fall to the ground in pain and unable to get up for a while.

    His usually gentle mother also coldly ignored him, her face filled with anxiety as she stared at the emergency room.

    No one paid any attention to him. Hey on the ground for a long time, and when the pain finally subsided, he got up by himself.

    "Didn''t I tell you not to take Felicia out to y?" Samson became even angrier and pped him several times, seeing that he had gotten up.

    "But it was Felicia who wanted to go out..." Fiy muttered in defense.

    "If you hadn''t suggested going to the amusement park, would she have even thought of ying?" Samson pped him again when he heard his defense.

    Fiy could only feel a buzzing in

    his ears, and there was a metallic taste in his mouth. He kept his head down

    and said nothing. He just hoped that Felicia would be alright.

    The door to the emergency room opened, and the doctor''s face was grim. "I''m sorry. We did everything we could."

    As soon as he said those few words, Samson''s and Ophelia''s faces changed. Fiy''s head seemed to explode with a ringing noise.

    Though it was an ident, the amusement park and the mall were responsible.

    In the end, the mall was found to be at fault for not regrly inspecting the facilities, and the amusement park had failed to notice the faulty chandelier. So, the two responsible parties were sentenced and sent to Interster Prison.

    Fiy, being a child, was not held responsible.

    However, when they returned home, Samson and Ophelia didn''t show him any

    sympathy. Instead, they continued to beat and scold him.

    The patrol guards in Stormw City

    only gave Samson and Ophelia a

    verbal warning due to his gender. As

    soon as the patrol guards left

    Samson and Ophelia went back to

    hitting and scolding him.

    It was precisely because of the beatings that Ophelia became worked up, and her

    stomach started hurting terribly. She was immediately sent to the hospital.

    After a day and night in the hospital, she gave birth to two stillborn babies, both female.

 Chapter 155

    In an era where females were already rare, losing three females at once made both Samson and Ophelia devastated.

    They started picking on Fiy. From then on, in the remaining days of their lives, it was nothing but eating, sleeping, and beating Fiy.

    They even forbade him from eating, didn''t want him to rest, and always found many tasks for him to do. If he couldn''tplete them, he would inevitably face a beating.

    It went on until that day.

    Perhaps Samson and Ophelia felt that living was pointless, so they wanted to take Fiy with them tomit suicide.

    That day, Samson made a feast, but every dish wasced with poison.

    After being beaten so many times, Fiy didn''t dare to eat much. He only ate the food Samson and Ophelia happily served him.

    In the end, all three of them were poisoned at the same time.

    Fiy felt his stomach ache horribly.

    Seeing Samson and Ophelia copse to the floor, coughing up ck blood, he struggled to crawl to the neighbor''s door.

    In the end, only Fiy survived.

    "Damn it! If we let him use his abilities again, he might break free from our control!" Benjamin gritted his teeth, putting in all his effort to fight for control of the body.

    "Don''t stay in my body. Get out... Get out!" Fiy roared, about to regain full control.

    "What do you want with this body, you evil being? You killed your own sisters, and your parents died because of you. You''re nothing but a disaster!" Ophir began attacking with words, afraid that Fiy would truly regain control of his body.

    Ophir had time limitations while controlling other people''s bodies. After leaving Fiy''s body, it would need some time before it could reenter.

    But Benjamin, the useless fool, couldn''t suppress Fiy!

    "I didn''t! I didn''t! I didn''t kill them! I didn''t kill my sister, and I didn''t cause my parents'' deaths!" As soon as Fiy was provoked, his emotions immediately became unstable.

    "You didn''t? If you hadn''t insisted on taking your sister to the amusement park, she wouldn''t have been crushed by the chandelier!

    "If your sister hadn''t been crushed by the chandelier, your mother wouldn''t have been angry, sufferedplications, and then given birth to two stillborns!

    "If your sister and the two females in your mother''s womb hadn''t died, your parents wouldn''t have poisoned themselves to death!" Ophir''s cold electronic voice hammered down on Fiy''s soul like thousands of heavy blows.

    "I didn''t..." Fiy muttered.

    Benjamin could clearly feel the weakening of the consciousness fighting him for control of the body.

    "You did! If it weren''t for you, they would all be alive! You are nothing but a walking disaster!" Ophir continued to provoke Fiy.

    "I..." Fiy''s consciousness began to fade, and in the end, he waspletely suppressed, with Benjamin gaining full control of the body.

    "That was close. He almost regained control of the body. I wonder how long this will keep him quiet."

    Benjamin rubbed his temple and began adjusting the starship''s direction toward Ethereal Fang Alliance.

    When Fiy suddenly fought for control just now, he had to suspend the starship. Now, the starship was traveling at top speed toward Ethereal Fang Alliance.

    "Going to Ethereal Fang Alliance will take about another half a month. Are you sure you don''t want to stop by another alliance first?"

    Benjamin raised an eyebrow and said, "We with pass by the headquarters of the security force on the way to Ethereal Fang Alliance. We can throw them off the trail As for Sawyer, he will be another test subject if we can rescue him." C¨®ntent

 Chapter 156

    "This is such a hassle. Sean is much easier to control." Benjamin rubbed his slightly swollen head, his consciousness in his mind tearing at him.

    "Is there nothing else I can do but temporarily take control of Fiy''s body?" He covered one of his eyes and red at the ck circle in the mirror.

    "If it weren''t for you wasting a lot of my energy, there''s no way I''d be unable to control this body now." Ophir''s voice paused.

    "What does it have to do with me? It wasn''t my fault that Analise''s bow hit us, forcing us to separate from Sean," Benjamin shot back.

    He shook his slightly dizzy head and began scanning the nearby starships.

    The nearby starships had be denser since earlier. Fortunately, their starship

    was currently hidden, or it would have been troublesome.

    The ck circle above Benjamin''s head flickered but did not respond to Benjamin''s words.

    After a short while, Ophir spoke again, "Pay attention and avoid these starships. If Analise is on one of them, we won''t be able to hide for long. It''s already hard enough to find a suitable body, and I don''t want to keep dragging you through interster space!"

    "Got it," Benjamin responded impatiently.

    He had to control the starship while also suppressing Fiy''s consciousness. It was exhausting.

    The useless Ophir was floating here, doing nothing except concealing the starship. And if they ran into Analise and Echo, it would be over.

    "So, it turns out Ophir is really here. Host, we can earn big points this time!" a slightly cheerful electronic voice sounded, startling both Benjamin and Ophir.

    "Alright. Let''s greet them first and then contact Analise and the new system," azy female voice came through the starship''s control panel, clearly audible to both Benjamin and Ophir.

    Benjamin stared at the screen and asked coldly, "Who is it?"

    "Another one? This is really troublesome."

    ...

    In the

    Shadowhawk Alliance''s

    Echo suddenly spoke, ret

    System 302 is requesting to link with us."

    Analise was standing in the front cabin of the starship, paying attention to every small red dot on the control panel screen. "302?"

    "Yes, the person sent by the main god has arrived in the Interster therian world, but their location is not near ours."

    "Agree to the link."

    Analise avoided Scott and returned to the rest cabin.

    She had nned to go to the headquarters of the security force on her own, but Scott was worried about her and went to Shadowhawk Alliance to apany her. This time, even Sean came along.

    "Hello, newbie! I''m Bianca Lopez. The other colleagues haven''t arrived yet, so

    let''s y it safe and aim to take down Ophir all at once!"

    Once the link was sessful, the system''s specialmunication channel opened, and Analise

    immediately saw a beautifultylish

    older woman.

    She looked like she was from Ironhorn Alliance, judging by the recognizable horns on her head.

    "Hello, my name is Analise Chamber," Analise politely responded.

 Chapter 157

    Bianca said, "Ophir can create a unique connection with other systems. By coincidence, my current position is on a starship near it.

    "So, I''ve already crossed paths with it. But just to be safe, I didn''t use any tools to neutralize the invisibility of the starship it controls.

    "There are still several starships around here, and I''ve asked my system to temporarily block the connection with Ophir''s perception, so let''s keep it short."

    Analise pressed her lips together and spoke, "Where are you now? Can you stall it? Try not to harm the male being controlled."

    "We''re almost at the headquarters of the security force. You''d better speed up. I overheard the male mention that several starships from The Reimers are nearby.

    "It seems like the situation is prettyplicated. I''ve just arrived, and it all depends on you now. Some things are better discussed face-to-face.

    "As for the male you mentioned, we can discuss it in more detail when we meet. It seems that my current host is going to help calm down some of the males from the security force."

    Bianca looked down at her body and couldn''t help but spin around.

    "So, how do you like it, newbie? I''m stunning, right? Curves in all the right ces." Bianca threw Analise a flirtatious wink.

    "Bianca, it''s not the time to be vain. Don''t let the little newbie think you''re

    unreliable." Bianca''s system sounded a bit speechless.

    "Alright, someone''sing. Let''s add contact information for this world and chat moreter." Bianca hurriedly ended the system connection.

    At just that moment, Sean knocked on the door.

    "Ms. Chamber, Scott asked me to bring you some food. He can''t cook, and I can''t either... So it''s just some nutritional supplements and some food he bought from Stormw Alliance."

    Sean was a bit shy when facing Analise. His gaze flickered, and he didn''t dare look her in the eyes, afraid she might get upset.

    Although Scott said she had a good temperament, Sean didn''t have much contact with females, so he couldn''t help but feel worried.

    "Thank you," Analise said, epting the nutritional supplement and taking a sip.

    She was indeed hungry, but she thought it tasted awful.

    "How''s your recovery? Any problems with your heart?" She looked Sean over. "I heard Scott say you''ve awakened a healing ability."

    "Mm." Hearing her gentle tone, he wasn''t as afraid anymore. "When I awakened, I healed all the injuries on my body in my hazy state."

    "That''s good. If anything feels off,

    make sure to find Scott." She

    paused, then continued, "If anything tries to take control of your body again, make sure to tell us

    immediately."

    "Mm, I understand." Sean lowered his gaze. He knew exactly what Analise meant.

    After all, when he woke up, he saw everything that had happened while his body was under control on the interface, including how the thing controlling him had personally killed his mother.

    "I won''t let it control me again. I''m going to avenge my mother," he said with determination, his fist clenched tightly.

    Analise didn''t say anything, only silently taking a few more sips of the nutritional supplement.

    She suddenly found herself missing Fiy, who knew how to cook.

    So, was the carefree Fiy doing alright? Fiy always smiled, but what were the

    memories deep inside him? Was it rted to his parents?

    Echo had said that Ophir was skilled

    at exploiting people''s negative emotions, so at that time, Fiy must have been very sad-op

    perhaps lonely and helpless.

    After a long pause, Analise put down the nutritional supplement. "It''s all of our enemy."

 Chapter 158

    Time was pressing, so Analise instructed Scott to push the starship to its maximum speed.

    "Ana, you get space sickness. Will you be okay if we go at full speed?" Scott understood that Analise was worried about Fiy, but after seeing how badly she had suffered from space sickness before, he couldn''t help but be concerned about her physical condition.

    "It''s fine. Just go ahead. I''ve gotten used to the starship''s speed now. I won''t get sick anymore." Her gaze was determined.

    "Alright."

    After pressing a button on the control panel in the front cabin, Scott made the starship shoot forward with a sharp whoosh, leaving a bright trail in the starry void, like a long, thin tail.

    Arge number of starships were heading toward the headquarters of the security force, and everyone understood the unspoken n.

    The Reimers needed to be captured, and if they were only facing them, there wouldn''t be any tension. But now, there was an exception-the interster outsider who could control other people''s bodies.

    The starship, hidden not far away and observing the iing fleet of starships, silently gave way to the flight path, gradually trailing behind.

    "With so many people, are you sure we still need to go to the headquarters of the security force?" Benjamin frowned as he looked at the red dots on the control panel and the fleet of starships visible from the front cabin. His brows involuntarily twitched.

    "If we don''t go, how will we see the results? This is more powerful than before." The ck circle of light flickered briefly, and Benjamin unconsciously looked toward the transparent tube in the cabin.

    Inside the transparent tube of the starship was Jamari, who had been injected with the prion virus.

    At that moment, Jamari had transformed into a beast, but his size was simr to that of a humanoid. He had ck fur covering his body, eyes glowing red, and his sharp ws were relentlessly scratching at the tube, clearly trying to attack Benjamin.

    "True, but there are other systems involved. Can you take me and escape? I just hope I''m not caught in a pincer attack. It''ll be over then."

    Benjamin walked over to the transparent tube and stared at Jamari inside.

    Jamari was indeed a fierce beast.

    Benjamin remembered that there were no such therians in his original world. Ophir did not respond.

    Noticing that Ophir didn''t answer, Benjamin didn''t ask further, but he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. What had his original world been like? Why did it feet like he had forgotten?

    Perhaps it was because of the confusion he felt inside himself that allowed

    Fiy''s consciousness to take over.

    "Ugh..." Benjamin suddenly grabbed his head. "Get out of my body!"

    "Already... Damn..." Benjamin felt Fiy''s consciousness return and couldn''t help but feel frustrated.

    Not only did Fiy feel pain and difort when struggling for control, but so did Benjamin.

    "Why is he awake again?"

    "Get out! Get out!" Fiy shouted, taking control of the body and mming his hand against the starship.

    Unintentionally, he hit a button,

    the silver starship appeared instantly, detected by the

    ing starships.

    "Why did a Stormw Alliance''s starship suddenly appear?"

    "It wasn''t here before. It seems to have appeared out of nowhere."

    "Is this... the starship of that interster outsider?"

    "Yes! I''ve seen it before! When Sean was controlled, that starship could also hide and then suddenly appear!"

    "What are you talking about? That wasn''t a sudden appearancest time. I heard that Ms. Chamber''s ability is special, and the bows she shoots can disable the starship''s invisibility!"

    "Quick! Notify Ms. Chamber!"

 Chapter 159

    "Attention! Be on guard! Prepare weapons!"

    "Hurry and notify Ms. Chamber! Let''s wait and see before the enemy takes action! Ms. Chamber told us not to harm Fiy!"

    "She also said we can''t defeat this person! Everyone, be extra cautious!"

    The starships in the back quickly turned on defensive mode upon seeing the sudden appearance of the new starship. For a moment, everyone felt their hearts in their throats.

    Only a few people, usually calm and rational, were coordinating to send messages to Analise and setting the starships into battle readiness mode.

    One of the therians connected to Analise via the interstermunication and reported, "Ms. Chamber! The starship has appeared! We don''t dare to act rashly. Please hurry ande over!"

    Analise nodded. "Okay! I understand. We''re almost there. You must hold steady and try to avoid him!"

    Another member of the security force connected with the captain of the

    headquarters. "Captain, please prepare your deployment! The interster outsider who controls Fiy has appeared! He is currently heading toward the headquarters of the security force!"

    "Understood."

    In Shadowhawk Alliance, Gideon was dealing with a few people.

    "Nice move, pretending to retreat." Gideon gritted his teeth, staring at the people in front of him, his eyes darkening. "Kill them all and leave no one alive."

    "Mr. rke! Mr. rke! Please spare us. That group gave us a lot of Cosmocoin, and they said we just need to stay here."

    "Mr. rke! We are also citizens of Shadowhawk Alliance! You can''t do this to us!"

    "Mr. rke..."

    Gideon didn''t listen to their excuses and quickly walked away to the research institute.

    He hesitated for a moment when he walked past the time machine, then ced the newly bought materials inside and made small modifications to the time machine. After confirming there were no issues, he ced the time machine into his specially made space

    button.

    After handling the various matters for Francis, he confidently took off in his starship, leaving the alliance.

    It turned out that the so-called signs

    of restlessness were just a

    deliberate act. The Reimers had

    disguised themselves as ordinary

    people and left Shadowhawk

    Alliance in an alliance''s starship the moment Analise left.

    Thinking of this, Gideon angrily mmed his fist into the wall of the cabin.

    These people were truly...

    Instinctively, he thought of Nelson.

    So, it was Nelson who had a backup n. He didn''t expect his pet to have be so clever.

    But Nelson was someone he had trained himself, so why did he betray him and join The Reimers?

    He lowered his head, his long hair covering his eyes. "Guess it''s always the quiet ones that bite the hardest."

    After adjusting his state, he piloted his starship through interster space.

    Meanwhile, in Ironhorn Alliance, Karl called for Jay to inquire, "How are the crazed therians in the alliance?"

    "After taking the serum developed by Analise and Gideon, they''ve calmed down a lot. Aside from some external injuries, there are no other issues," Jay answered.

    "That''s good. I remember we bought quite a bit of the serum. Jay, take care of Ironhorn Alliance for now. I''ll leada team to the headquarters of the security force myself."

 Chapter 160

    Karl put down the pen in his hand, stood up, and walked over to Jay, patting him on the shoulder. "The alliance is in your hands."

    Jay smiled. "Go ahead, Karl."

    He knew why Karl was leaving. If it was just to support the headquarters of the security force, there was no need for Karl to go personally. Sending a few people would be enough.

    Since Karl was going, it could only be because of Analise. This mission was unusual, and Karl was genuinely concerned about her.

    "Mm." After giving Jay some final instructions, Karl left with a group of people, piloting a starship toward the headquarters of the security force.

    ...

    On that day, nearly all the alliances sent people to the headquarters of the security force. Of course, some were there to capture The Reimers, while others were just there for the chaos.

    Russell and Ryan stood beside Nelson as they asked with uncertainty, "Nelson, are you sure we''ll see it?"

    "It''s not guaranteed that we''ll talk to it, but we''ll definitely see it." Nelson nced at them. "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure Colossus Alliance bes the top alliance."

    "Gideon will definitely be there, and you simply dared to show up?"

    Although Ryan had epted Nelson staying temporarily with Colossus Alliance, he still didn''t like thetter from the bottom of his heart.

    "With it here, what''s there to fear about Gideon?" Nelson disdainfully looked at Ryan.

    Time passed, and the situation at the headquarters of the security force wasn''t looking good.

    The explosion this time happened in Interster Prison, where the captain had ordered that the impostor female, who resembled Scott''s mother, be locked in a specialyer of the prison.

    The explosion from this impostor female was much stronger than those caused by other alliances'', which led to many interster criminals escaping in the chaos.

    Those criminals who were closer to the explosion either died immediately or went mad due to poisoning.

    The rampaging therians injured many members of the security force. Fortunately, the therians in the headquarters of the security force were well-trained and had strong willpower.

    After being injured, they immediately went to the headquarters'' medical facility and drank the antidote.

    However, the antidote could only neutralize the poison and not heal the wounds, so they temporarily went to a rtively safer building to wait.

    Now, several therians in the interster alliance had awakened healing abilities,

    both males and females, which gave everyone some peace of mind.

    When everyone gathered at the headquarters of the security force, Analise started to feel something was off.

    Why? Why did Ophir want to lead them all here?

    It didn''t make sense.

    Ophir wasn''t nning something big, was it?

    "Ms. Chamber, the silver starship appeared about ten minutes ago and then suddenly disappeared. We''re not sure if it has entered the headquarters of the security force yet."

    The person speaking to Analise was Randall, themander of Ethereal Fang Alliance, whom she had seen during previousmunications with all the Interster Alliance leaders.

    Analise frowned as she scanned the crowd, searching for herpanion, Bianca.

    Perhaps sensing Analise''s intent, Bianca stepped forward. "Ms. Chamber, it''s so good to finally meet you in person."

    Bianca gave Analise a signal and

    systems, saying, "Ophir is nearby. Be

    careful There are too many people here. Don''t cause unnecessary panic."

    Analise looked at the surrounding therians and spoke, trying to remain calm despite her growing anxiety, "Everyone, don''t be too nervous. The enem is in the shadows, while we are in the light. Group up as much as possible. There''s a high probability that the person is nearby

    "Now, those with healing abilities, please follow the captain of the security force to treat the injured males."

    She forced a smile while silently urging Echo and the other system to sense Ophir''s exact location.

    Once everyone dispersed, she and Bianca headed to the building where the injured males were being treated. Bianca assisted with the treatment while Analise continued her search.

 Chapter 161

    After a long while, Analise shook her head at Bianca.

    "It''s too hard to find it. Its starship can go invisible, so it might not have left the starship. I always feel like it''s purposely luring us here."

    Analise whispered to Bianca, pulling her aside, "Ophir knows I''ve arrived, so it temporarily blocked the specialmunication frequency between systems, but it should have consumed quite a bit of energy."

    Bianca nced around. "It can''t hide for long. As for Fiy, if he has anything from the system on him, it''ll be easier for us to locate him."

    "Anything from the system?" Analise looked at Bianca with confusion.

    "Yeah, things from the system are special, and the system can sense them," Bianca nodded, urging Analise to think it over.

    "Would the Body Strengthening Pill I gave him count?" Analise frowned, thinking hard for a moment. She remembered giving one to Fiy the day they mated.

    "Yes!" Bianca nodded. "Jingle, talk to her system and exin how to contact Fiy."

    "Got it."

    Bianca''s system, Jingle, sounded a little cheerful.

    "Ana."

    "Ms. Chamber."

    Just as they were speaking, Gideon and Karl arrived almost simultaneously.

    Bianca nced at the two males looking at Analise and wisely moved aside. She understood the situation.

    "Why are you here so quickly? Did you handle the situation at Shadowhawk Alliance?" Analise was a little surprised when she saw Gideon.

    "Yeah, it was a trap. I was worried you might be in danger, so I came right over." Gideon took Analise''s hand, visibly trembling.

    For some reason, he had a strange feeling. Not only that, but when he came, he also brought along the time machine and the colorful deer.

    "Mm?" Analise didn''t quite understand.

    l.ne

    "They left long ago. They bribed a few ordinary citizens of Shadowhawk Alliance with Cosmocoin and pretended to be

    them. I''m afraid this is a feint, trying

    to use your feelings for Fiy..."

    Gideon swallowed nervously, his gaze fixed on Analise. "Have you seen him yet?"

    Analise understood that Gideon was referring to Fiy.

    "No." She shook her head. "Randall from Ethereal Fang Alliance said the silver starship appeared for a while and then disappeared."

    She sighed. "I suspect the starship''s sudden appearance earlier might have been Fiy fighting for control of his body.

    "You''re probably right-Ophir may be trying to feint, but Fiy was an unexpected factor. He was already in good health, and..."

    And he had also taken the system''s Body Strengthening Pill. As long as Fiy overcame his mental block,

    there was a high chance he could regain control of his body.

    The only concern was what special methods Ophir might use, since it was also a system and probably had all sorts of strange tools.

    "Also, Fiy has a great personality. He''s usually carefree, and even when he''s upset, he''s able to heal himself. He''s like a little sun."

    Scott hade over without Analise noticing, but his gaze toward Gideon was cold and detached.

    Gideon didn''t care, even feeling a bit provocative. He turned and kissed Analise on the earlobe.

    "What are you doing? There are so many people here. Stop fooling around at a moment like this," Analise reproached after feeling surprised.

    But she wasn''t really angry.

    "I''m trying to track Fiy using his interface." Scott took a deep breath before continuing, "ording to the readings, he''s indeed at the

    headquarters of the security force, but we can''t pinpoint his exact

    location."

 Chapter 162

    After a long pause, Analise whispered to Echo, "What if I use Purification Bow?"

    Since they were sure Fiy was at the headquarters of the security force, using Purification Bow now might pull Ophir out.

    "Analise, you only have three Purification Bows left. I suggest you save them for self-defense. I''m a new system, so I can''t provide items on credit like other systems do." Echo''s voice was a little downcast.

    Analise fell silent, and the only sounds around her were the faint breaths of those nearby.

    "He''s here! Ms. Chamber! Fiy has appeared!" At that moment, a security force rushed over in a panic.

    "Have you found him? How did you find him?" Bianca immediately asked, her eyes sharp.

    Analise quickly turned her attention to the security force.

    "It wasn''t us who found him. He suddenly appeared, then suddenly disappeared. Anyway, it''s quite troublesome. You should go check for yourselves. He''s near the crazed males."

    The therian tried to exin but couldn''t get it out clearly, so in the end, he just told Analise and the others to check it out directly.

    Whether it was to find Fiy or capture Ophir, they had to go quickly. So, Analise and Bianca exchanged a look and immediately moved.

    Scott, Gideon, and the others followed without hesitation.

    Just in case, Scott had Sean follow as well. If that thing could still control Sean''s body, being closer would make it harder for it to escape.

    When they reached a ruined building, Analise finally saw the chaotic scene.

    The males, stripped of consciousness, fought relentlessly in their beast forms¡ª some already wounded, while others still charged forward without hesitation.

    Most of these males were injured, but it seemed like they couldn''t feel pain at all, madly entangling with each other.

    Some therians and beasts even lost their arms or eyes, but they were still fighting purely on animal instinct.

    Among this chaotic group of beasts and therians, a wolf therian, flickering in and out of visibility, was muttering to himself while clutching his head.

    The moment Fiy''s consciousness took over, he immediately smelled Analise''s scent and began searching for her.

    When Analise saw Fiy, she immediately shouted at him, "Fiy! Don''t let him control your body anymore! No matter what, you need to remember that you are the best!

    "Don''t listen to anything it says! It''s trying to provoke you, making you feel

    negative emotions to control your body!"

    She then turned to Bianca and spoke quietly, "Bianca, be careful not to hurt him. Just force Ophir and Benjamin out of his body."

    "Mm, my system received word that the other top systems and their hosts have also arrived. This time the main god has granted us a few privileges, including tools to capture Ophi. The main god will probablye too, so don''t worry."

    Bianca gave Analise an assuring look. "And you''re a new recruit, so just protect

    yourself. We''ll handle Ophir."

    "Okay," Analise said, pressing her lips together.

    "Ana..." Fiy''s face twisted in pain, his hand tightly gripping the other.

    "I''m not! I didn''t! I didn''t kill my sister! I didn''t kill my parents!" Fiy shook his head, probably to resist Ophir. He controlled the flying sand and rocks around him, wrapping himself up in them.

    He threw his head back and shouted, and the sand and rocks around him suddenly shot out in all directions.

    Scott quickly wrapped his arms around Analise and used a water sphere to protect them both.

    At the same moment, Gideon used his Winsh ability to blow the flying sand and rocks back toward Fiy and the crazed therians.

    Many of them were also injured by the flying debris and the hurricane-like wind.

 Chapter 163

    However, Bianca had some small tools to protect herself with her system.

    Analise also had some, but before she could use them, Scott suddenly pulled her into his arms.

    Gideon, who was standing nearby, looked at Scott holding Analise, his gaze darkening slightly and his expression turning colder.

    But the situation was urgent, and this wasn''t the time to fight for attention.

    Moreover...

    He silently nced at the time machine in the space button, then looked at Analise. If he hadn''t brought her here back then...

    "Ana." Fiy slowly stepped forward. "I''ve regained control of my body."

    The water sphere dispersed, and Analise stepped out of Scott''s embrace, looking at Fiy with surprise.

    Fiy quickly walked toward her with determination in his eyes as he looked at Analise.

    Seeing Fiy back to normal made Analise extremely happy, and she immediately stepped forward. But just as she reached out her arms to hug him, Gideon suddenly pushed her back. She lost her bnce and fell into Scott''s arms.

    "Gideon! What the hell are you doing..."

    She was angry with Gideon for his sudden action, but as she steadied herself and stood up, she noticed a glowing, transparent short knife had pierced through Gideon''s chest.

    Her eyes widened, staring at Fiy in disbelief. "You''re not Fiy!"

    "I''m a system. How could I just let his consciousness appear so easily?" The ck ring in Fiy''s eyes began to glow.

    "Ophir! You!" Bianca was also shocked by the sudden change. After all, despitepleting so many missions, she had never seen a system that could directly take over its host''s body.

    Jingle had only used electric shocks to punish her at the start. She was stubborn back then, but now she realized Jingle was very useful.

    "I... I shouldn''t have brought you here for my own selfish reasons." Blood began to flow from Gideon''s chest as he coughed violently.

    Ophir might have already been in the Interster therian world, but Analise wasn''t.

    Gideon thought Analise wouldn''t

    have ended up here if it weren''t for him. He used his Winsh ability, causing everyone around him to

    lose their bnce.

    "Winsh ability can''t do anything to me." Ophir pulled the knife out, smirked, and took a step back.

    Analise looked at the controlled Fiy and felt a little bitter. She then drew a Purification Bow, aimed at Fiy, and said, "Get out of his body."

    "Oh? What? Are you going to kill both

    him and me?" Ophir controlled Fiy''s body andughed

    recklessly. "I just forcibly bound that useless Sean''s soul to his.

    "Guess what will happen if you shoot that bow?" Ophir tilted its head, casually fiddling with something in its hand.

    "Even if you take Fiy''s soul, we''ll still find him!" Analise narrowed her eyes and released the bow without hesitation.

    Ophir didn''t dodge. Instead, after pressing a red button, a massive rumble came from the direction of the crazed therians.

    With bloodshot eyes, Jamari twisted the neck of a therian with a single move, causing the surrounding crazed therians to pause for a moment, instinctively stepping back.

    The Purification Bow pierced directly through Fiy''s body.

    The wildughter faded in an instant, leaving only Fiy''s body falling backward.

    "Ana! Go back to where you truly belong! Even if it''s a thousand miles high, this thing will protect you!"

    Analise saw Gideon throw her a space button.

    The moment her eyes recognized it, a time machine appeared beside her, along with the colorful deer she had seen before at Gideon''s research facility.

    "Gideon! You..."

 Chapter 164

    Analise didn''t even have time to speak. Her body acted faster than her mouth,

    tossing the colorful deer onto Gideon before she disappeared in front of everyone, along with the time machine.

    "Trying to escape? Impossible!"

    The ck ring, carrying a tangled soul, followed closely behind the time machine.

    "What do we do now, Jingle? How did Analise suddenly get sent away using the time machine? This wasn''t mentioned before!"

    Bianca stared at the space in front of her, then nced at the crazed Jamari behind them. For a moment, she didn''t know whether to deal with the situation here or go after Analise.

    "Ophir ran. We should chase after it. As for this situation, we''ll handle it when we return."

    "Gideon! What did you do to Ana?" Scott stepped forward and grabbed Gideon''s cor, looking furious at the disappearance of Analise.

    "I just sent her back to her own world." Gideon pushed Scott away as he held back the pain. He clenched the colorful deer tightly in his hand.

    "Let''s handle what''s in front of us first. That''s Jamari from Stormw Alliance, right? He seems much more troublesome than these other berserk males."

    The thin white light made Analise squint, and all she could feel was a strange warm current enveloping her.

    "Insufficient energy. Descending soon," a sudden voice rang out, and she realized she was in the sky again.

    The time machine had returned to the space button and automatically fastened itself to her wrist.

    "Ah! What''s going on! Where are you sending me?"

    The rapid descent and strong sense of weightlessness hit her, leaving her paralyzed.

    "You''re definitely going to die this time!" Ophir''s voice rang out at the perfect moment, and Analise''s body froze.

    Ophir had followed her!

    There was a bright sh of light, and a transparent short knife pierced straight into Analise''s heart.

    "Ugh..." This was unexpected for both Echo and Analise. After all, Ophir had no physical form.

    She didn''t even feel any pain, only a chilling sensation in her limbs.

    A faint figure appeared. It was a man''s silhouette.

    Ophir looked at the slowly solidifying body andughed heartily. "It worked!"

    "Ophir, you''re a system! How can you have a physical form?"

    Echo was focused on protecting Analise as she fell from the sky and hadn''t noticed that Ophir had followed.

    "What do you idiots know?" Ophir sneered.

    "You didn''t actually think I bound Fiy''s soul with Sean''s, did you?" Ophir coldly chuckled.

    "So, Fiy is still in the Interster therian world..." Analise felt her breath bing difficult.

    "Is that what you think?" Ophir raised

    an eyebrow at her. "But I didn''t

    expect you''d release the Purification Bow without hesitation. Looks like Fiy isn''t that important to you, after all."

    "What about that transmigrator? You forcibly brought him here, but he shouldn''t cooperate with you anymore, right?"

    Analise voiced her suspicion.

    Last time, Sean acted that way because he no longer wanted to continue doing these immoral things.

    "Sean is an idiot. Even if I altered his memories, he''s not very smart. And he''s not very brave, either. It was better for me to use his body.

    "I just tried to devour his soul, and to my surprise, it worked. Though he''s not

    smart andcks courage, his looks and body aren''t bad."

    Ophir was quite pleased with its new body.

    The transmigrator Sean was actually quite handsome.

    His skin was fairer than most

    women from the human era, and he

    had a great figure. He was exactly the type of younger man modern humans would consider handsome.

    Ophir''s requirements weren''t high. It just needed to look good.

    However, it hadn''t expected that by devouring Sean''s soul, it could bring his body from the human era and have it for itself.

    "Well, now you can die! A little system and a neer thinking they can ruin my ns... What''s going on?"

    Ophir stared at the suddenly vanishing Analise, turning into a dot of light. For a moment, it felt like something was wrong.

    "I didn''t expect this little system had

    a trick

    epits sleeve!" Ophir quicke

    tried to catch the unique frequency between systems and chased after it.

 Chapter 165

    In the void of space, Analise felt as though her whole body was floating, as if she

    were submerged in water. She wasn''t sure how much time had passed, but eventually, she heard Echo''s voice.

    "Analise, would you like to use Mercycore to reconstruct your body?"

    When Echo''s voice sounded, Analise realized she was still alive.

    "Am I dead?" she asked.

    She could feel it herself that the knife earlier had pierced her heart for real. How could she still be alive?

    "Yes."

    "But fortunately, the contribution value of your Mercycore is sufficient. After using Mercycore, you can reconstruct your body. The contribution value will also be converted into points, bing the initial points for your new body."

    "Will the reconstructed body look like my original one?" Analise asked.

    "Yes."

    Analise nodded. "Then, do it."

    "Activating Mercycore to reconstruct the body for Analise. Please wait patiently..."

    Analise felt a warm sensation envelop her once again, and then all the sensations of her body became clear.

    "Reconstruction sessful."

    When Echo''s voice spoke, Analise opened her eyes.

    "300,000 contribution points have been converted into 3,000 initial points. The items you purchased from the Reward Store earlier will be distributed ordingly."

    "Good."

    The cold wind howled, and Analise was a bit slow to realize. "Echo, where are we?"

    "In the sky."

    "Ah!" Analise looked around at the white clouds, and the wind blew even harder, making it impossible for her to keep her eyes open.

    "Analise, the time machine has insufficient energy. You haven''t returned to your own era but instead arrived in the Interster therian world 14 years ago."

    "14 years ago?" Analise lowered her gaze in deep thought. "So, this is when Gideon met me?"

    Her eyes widened in shock. What a coincidence! So, it wasn''t that she had actively gone to find Gideon. Gideon had created this causality.

    "Yes, Analise. Ophir is also nearby. You should prepare your Purification Bow in advance."

    "For the first 24 hours after body reconstruction, the Reward Store will remain open to protect your life. Both basic and special rewards can be purchased from the shop, and there are plenty of discounts!

    "After 24 hours, the store will be closed, and the rewards will be taken down. They

    won''t be avable for purchase again."

    "But I can''t buy anything right now! Ah!"

    Even though Echo was protecting her, this was way too much! She was almost scared out of her mind. How could she think about shopping right now?

    "I can temporarily stop time for you, but only for three minutes. You need to act quickly," Echo said.

    "Okay!"

    Analise didn''t hesitate. After all, this was a matter of life and death.

    She opened the Reward Store, and the first thing that caught her eye was the Purification Bow, one point per bow.

    That was so cheap!

    She immediately bought 100 Purification Bows.

    As she flipped through the shop, she thought of the time Gideon had

    dressed up specially for her ne

    She

    smiled faintly and bought a set of medieval warrior clothes.

    Since Echo had mentioned the current time, it was likely that she would fall from

    the sky andnd beside little Gideon, just as Gideon had said.

    As for other items, she didn''t need them for now, as she had already bought many life-saving items before.

    This time, she had simply failed to notice Ophir in time.

    With that in mind, she used an item called Timere Drive. As the name

    suggested, the item greatly increased the user''s speed.

    It was perfect for her right now, as

    she was falling from the sky. She could use it tond more gracefully and Control her bnce when she touched the ground.

    "What is that?"

    On the ground, a young boy stared up ahead as something yellowish-white came

    straight toward him. His eyes suddenly widened.

 Chapter 166

    "It''s Gideon! I should get rid of a man as smart as him. Those idiots wouldn''t have regained consciousness and supernatural abilities had he not created that potion."

    Ophir, which had flown over and caught up, immediately spotted young Gideon''s tiny figure standing directly below Analise.

    "You might have taken that stab for Analise, but you''re not escaping this time!" With a sh of energy, Ophir formed a transparent dagger and dove straight at young Gideon.

    "Gideon!"

    When Ophir''s figure shed across, Analise quickened her pace. She drew her Purification Bow and fired at Ophir without hesitation.

    The arrow sliced through the sky just as young Gideon noticed the iing figure. Ophir was descending fast-faster than Analise, whose light yellow cloak fluttered behind her.

    As Ophir''s de materialized, it was instantly struck down by the Purification Arrow and vanished.

    "Damn it!" Ophir gathered its energy and summoned another de, which he hurled at young Gideon.

    But young Gideon started running away after he sensed the hostility.

    After a few minutes of running, young Gideon saw Analisend beside him. She blocked Ophir with a swift strike of her dagger.

    Ophir, the figure in ck, looked humanoid. It was possibly a male, but its features were too hazy to tell. To Analise, however, he appeared as a young man who looked like he wanted young Gideon dead.

    Of course, Analise was aware that she, too, was one of Ophir''s targets to be eliminated.

    "Seriously! You''re..." Driven crazy, Ophir brandished another transparent dagger, which it plunged at Analise.

    However, Analise was vignt. She deflected the strike and countered with a forceful kick to its lower body.

    Ophir might be a system, but it could still feel pain because it was housed in a human host.

    "Gideon, what are you doing? Run!"

    Analise plunged her dagger into Ophir''s chest when she noticed that it had lost its vitality from the pain. After that, she dragged young Gideon along and ran.

    "Analise, you''re looking for trou

    Ophir bellowed from behind.

    Standing up, he extracted the dagger lodged in his chest and flungit at Analise and young Gideon

    "Look out, Analise!" Echo warned.

    Analise shoved young Gideon aside and leapt to safety.

    The dagger whooshed past and embedded itself deep into a tree, the handle quivering in the bark, proof of just how much strength was behind the throw.

    "Echo, can the Purification Arrow force Ophir out of its host?" Analise had already aimed her bow at Ophir as she asked Echo.

    "I can''t be sure, but you may give it a try. This situation involving Ophir is new to me, and I do not have experience dealing with it."

    Frowning, Analise released the arrows at Ophir in quick session, but only one had sessfully hit its shoulder.

    Ophir let out a muffled grunt. It had lost all control of its left arm, as if the arrow had severed its nerves.

    Its left arm hung limply by his side. The dagger he had just conjured ttered to the ground and vanished.

    "How is that possible?" Ophir stared at its arm in disbelief before turning to Analise.

    Clearly, Analise and Echo saw the effect as well.

    "Analise, now! Shoot again!"

    "On it!" She pulled the arrow back and shot Ophir with it.

    Ophir, sensing the danger, immediately dodged the attack and escaped. This was

    not the right time to kill Analise.

 Chapter 167

    "Who are you, and how do you know my name?" a youthful voice boomed in the

    air.

    Analise wasn''t staring at where Ophir had escaped to-she was looking at the person who spoke.

    "I didn''t know you were such a cutie when you were young." She lowered her gaze and pinched the young Gideon on his cheek.

    At this age, Gideon was about the same height as Analise, who was considered a tall female in the human era.

    He was only five foot six now. Recalling the height of grown-up Gideon, Analise sighed. "You''ll grow more."

    The young Gideon coldly pped her hand away with an awkward face. "Don''t pinch my cheek."

    "Alright, I won''t." Analise turned away with a pout. "To think that someone had been clinging onto me, begging to be hugged and pinched on the face....."

    "What did you say?" The young Gideon looked confused.

    "Nothing." Holding the Purification Bow, she shook her head at him. "Why are you here alone?"

    He didn''t reply.

    Momentster, he fixed his gaze on the bow in her hand, asking, "What bow is this? It seems quite powerful. I didn''t see you carrying any arrows, but you were shooting them just now. Are you a supernatural being?"

    The corners of her lips twitched. She exined, "I''m just an average person. This is called the Purification Bow. It''s mainly used to..."

    "Is it used on monsters, like the one just now?" The eyes of young Gideon lit up with excitement.

    "Yeah. If you say it''s a monster, a monster it is." Analise blinked at him.

    Technically, he wasn''t wrong-Ophir could devour one''s soul and take over a human body. It could be considered a monster.

    "What about you? Are you a supernatural being?"

    "I''m not. I''m an ordinary human." She couldn''t help but pinch his cheek once more. "I''m just a pure human female."

    "Are you?" He looked surprised and gave her a few more looks.

    "Yeah." She nodded.

    "If so, how did yound from the air

    - Ible?" His gaze took

    doubtful and wary turn. "And know my name?"

    MS

    "It''s a secret." She arched a brow in amusement.

    do

    In the middle of their conversation, a few males around young Gideon''s age approached them.

    "Huh? Isn''t this the great scientist of Shadowhawk Alliance, Gideon rke?" "Did a female actually take interest in him?"

    "I wonder if he''s pulled some dirty tactics to seduce a female. And he''s still a minor..."

    "Gideon, aren''t you doing your research today?"

    "Don''t you remember? His crappy researchb is gone now."

    The malesughed loudly as they snarked at Gideon.

    The face of the young Gideon darkened. Fists curled, he trembled all over allover

    trouble..."

    in rage. "You''re get

    for

    Analise squirmed when she heard their taunts. She chastised them, "Aren''t you crossing a line?"

    She hadn''t heard young Gideon''s words.

    The males turned to Analise

    awkwardly. "Miss, did you know that

    Gideon lived in a garbage dump and

    threw himself into research like a madman? Do not be fooled by him."

    Their tone softened when they addressed her, as females were more highly regarded.

    Perhaps noticing the dark expression on young Gideon''s face, they looked away from him before staring at Analise.

    "Do you live in a garbage dump?" Analise turned to the young Gideon with a frown.

 Chapter 168

    "Yeah!" One of the young males mistook Analise''s frown as contempt for Gideon. He immediately added, "Miss, he lives in a garbage dump and smells like trash!"

    "Yeah. He stinks. We''re going to be adults soon. Miss, what do you think of us?" another male chimed in.

    The lifespan of therians in the Interster therian world was longer than that of humans. Hence, it wasn''t odd to see younger males in a rtionship with older females.

    The males assumed that Analise was one of the youngdies from a prominent family in Shadowhawk Alliance, judging by her good looks and her ancient attire.

    They fantasized about getting her romantic attention.

    "You''re no good. I can see your poor character from the way you insulted Gideon." After that, Analise did not pay them more attention they were just a bunch of kids.

    Holding the hand of young Gideon, she left.

    Young Gideon tried to remove his hand from her grasp, but she held him firmly, refusing to let him go.

    Analise had never asked about Gideon''s past because he had never brought it up. From the start, all she knew was that he was a Shadowhawk Alliance scientist.

    Besides, she was fooled by Gideon''s ability and his air of nobility. It never urred to her that Gideon had been living and running his research in a garbage dump.

    How many hardships had he suffered over these years? How did he make it through?

    Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt sorry for him.

    "Do you not hate me?" The young Gideon turned around. He felt oddly anxious when he saw the tears in Analise''s eyes.

    "Why would I hate you?" Analise continued walking, still holding his hand firmly.

    "The other females and older males shunned me when they heard that I lived in a garbage dump. I guess they kept a distance from me because they thought I was filthy," he whispered.

    She turned the question around. "Do you think you''re filthy?"

    He dodged the question. After a long silence, he asked, "Where are you bringing me to?"

    "W-We''re going to the garbage dump." She stopped in her tracks when she realized she didn''t know the way.

    Speechless, he reminded her, "It''s the opposite direction."

    "Oh. Why don''t you lead the way?" Analise stared at the sky in embarrassment.

    "Can I call you ''miss'' just like they did?" The young Gideon walked on, too scared to look at Analise.

    She was a pretty female. She stared at him with a smile, like a lovely and angelic butterfly.

    The young Gideon noticed his heart racing. It might be from nervousness or something else.

    "That sounds so stiff and awkward. Why don''t you call me ''Ana'' instead?"

    She was used to hearing Gideon calling her "Ana" during her time at Shadowhawk Alliance.

    "Sure." He quickened his pace, his heart beating even faster now.

    "By the way, I heard them talking about your research. What''s it about?" she inquired.

    "There''s this space backpack that''s trending fately. It can carry things that arerger than its size. But I''m thinking of inventing an item smaller than a backpack-something like a watch or ring-for ease of travel."

    He led Analise through a few alleyways and finally came to a stop at a a metal gate next to the garbage dump.

    no

    He walked up to the gate. The phone-sized screen on the gate made a sound

    when it detected movement.

    "Iris identification required."

    Behind young Gideon, Analise shed a faint smile when she

    discovered Gideon had alread

    figured out the workings of iris identification at such a young age.

 Chapter 169

    "Why bother putting that device on a flimsy old metal gate? It''ll fall apart if someone kicks it anyway." Analise entered the garbage dump with young Gideon.

    "Yeah, it used to be like that. Those bullies often stopped by to do some damage. The door had been torn down many times."

    He lowered his gaze and quietly pushed a tiny button behind the door. "But things are different now. They learned their lessonst time."

    "How did they learn their lesson?"

    Her gaze traveled with the movement of his fingers. The ground behind the door vanished, and aplicated-looking mechanical doll ascended to floor level.

    He pushed another button again. The doll slowly lifted its arm and unfurled its fist. Every single finger was equipped with a weapon, ranging from knives, arrows, to guns.

    After the initial shock, Analise regained herposure. "That''s great."

    After they stepped into the yard, she eximed, "Oh, do you nt flowers too?"

    "Yeah," he replied truthfully with a nod. "The garbage dump is just next to this ce. When the wind blows, it carries the stench around. That''s why I grew different flowers here."

    "The yard smells more like flowers," shemented.

    Then, she walked over to a pot of jasmine flowers. She checked them out and bent over to sniff them.

    "Ana, do you like jasmine?" He came up to her.

    "Yeah. Jasmine has a light andfortable fragrance." She picked one of the flowers. "You don''t mind, do you?"

    "It''s fine. And it so happens the flowers are in full bloom." He bent over and picked another jasmine flower. "I''ll put this flower in your hair."

    "Sure."

    Without warning, the house behind them exploded. Thankfully, they moved fast and jumped over the outer wall of the garbage dump.

    "I can''t believe you have the time to be dating here." Ophir moved his left arm with an irritated expression. "Both of you are ticking time bombs."

    "I understand you wanting to kill me, but why Gideon too?" Analise shielded the young Gideon behind her.

    "That guy?" Ophir nced at the young Gideon behind Analise. The look in his eyes darkened. "He''s invented an antidote to the prion virus. Why would I want him alive? And there''s the pocket drive..."

    Ophir was reminded of that time it attempted to gain control of Sean''s body- Gideon was able to nt that pocket drive without it knowing.

    Gideon was regarded as an esteemed and intelligent scientist in the Interster therian world. But to Ophir, Gideon was an obstacle to his ambition of conquering this world. Gideon would be Analise''s right-hand man.

    Since Analise was under the protection of the system, Ophir could only get rid of Gideon, nipping it in the bud.

    Analise furrowed her brows. Had she not offered the Purification Potion to Gideon, Ophir might not want Gideon dead.

    Perhaps Gideon was Ophir''s target before Analise traveled through the time machine. Did it intentionally make Gideon take that stab on her behalf being aware of Gideon''s feelings for her and her feelings for Fintay?

    "Analise, do not be manipted by Ophir. Even in your absence, it will still murder

    Gideon. Its ultimate goal is to conquer this world, after all."

    The leaders in the alliance would definitely disagree with Ophir''s move. In that

    case, it would have to get rid of Gideon.

    "If you do not offer Gideon the Purification Rotion, there will be more trouble down the road. Not only will we fail to treat the poison, but Gideon might risk getting infected, too," Echo immediately warned Analise when it sensed her emotional turmoil.

    Analise drew her Purification Bow in the air. "Since you''ve made yourself clear, I can''t let you have your way."

    "Do you really think you can take me down?" Ophir raised a brow doubtfully. "Before this, I was struck by the Purification Arrow in a moment of negligence. Do you really believe you could hurt me again?"

    "It''s always a possibility."

    Turning serious, the young Gideon assessed Ophir''s position and pulled out a transparent board from his shirt pocket.

 Chapter 170

    Dust and smoke erupted into the air, following a loud boom.

    Ophir''s figure was soon enveloped by the swirling dust.

    "It''s that doll!" Analise seemed slightly surprised at the doll, which had slowly emerged from underground-there was more than one of them.

    She had seen one earlier by the metal gate, but there were several more now. Analise couldn''t help but nce at young Gideon. "You''re young but quite smart." "Do I thank you for thepliment, Ana?" Young Gideon was sliding one hand across a control panel, operating it with the other, yet still found time to respond.

    "Mm-hmm." Analise raised a brow. "Can you restrain Ophir-ideally so it can''t move at all?"

    "I can try." Gideon went into action again. His slender fingers tapped rapidly on the transparent panel.

    Analise didn''t waste any more words. This time, she had enough Purification Arrows. So, she and Gideon coordinated their efforts to take down Ophir.

    Since the host''s heart was key, all they needed was to sessfully pierce Ophir''s heart with a Purification Arrow, even if all that did was separate Ophir from Sean''s body.

    "Even though you''ve devoured Sean''s soul, it isn''tpletely gone, is it? It''s more like you are fused with it-you''re just suppressing it for now," Analise suddenly addressed Ophir.

    "So what?" Ophir snapped off the mechanical arm of one doll, then instantly traveled to the top of another doll.

    "Nothing. Just thinking that a Purification Arrow might be able to awaken his soul," Analise said, releasing her arrow.

    Ophir dodged immediately.

    Analise followed up with shot after shot.

    "Your archery skill is not that great, is it?" Ophir sneered, not realizing the danger in the moment it had paused.

    A smirk yed on young Gideon''s lips as he gently tapped the transparent panel.

    Aser pod appeared immediately, trapping Ophir inside.

    Analise saw the opportunity when Ophir was immobilized. She quickly fired an arrow straight at its heart.

    If Ophir were still in system form, it could''ve easily fled. But now that it had finally secured a physical body, it wasn''t about to give it up.

    Besides, it assumed Analise was just a rookie and Echo a fledgling system-they shouldn''t pose any real threat to him.

    Though Analise''s arrow hit Ophir in the chest, it narrowly missed the heart.

    This gave Ophir the chance to break free from theser pod and destroy itpletely.

    Young Gideon''s eyes widened at the sight of the ck monster bursting out of the trap.

    The pod was the most advanced thing he''d created so far.

    vel

    "Gideon rke, you really are full surprises, a voice came from behind giving young Gideon goosebumps. "If I don''t kill you, I''ll I never enjoy some peace of mind."

    "Gideon!" Reacting swiftly, Analise dragged young Gideon along and hopped off the wall. They ran toward the garbage dump that was full of all kinds of trash in all sizes.

    Despite that, it was still possible for two of them to hide there.

    "Trying to run?" Ophir followed, but once itnded, it found no one in sight.

    It immediately realized Analise must have employed some system tool.

    "Don''t move," Analise whispered, pulling Gideon down beside some discarded furniture.

    In a moment of desperation, she had activated an invisibility tool. Now, she crouched with Gideon in a corner of the junk heap.

    The weather wasn''t particrly hot, but the stench at the garbage dump was far from pleasant. Analise held her nose with one hand and

    clutched a short dagger in the other.

    It was a weapon she''d gotten from her starter pack-twin daggers that could be

    split into two or joined into a double-ded knife.

    "Ana, you''re hurt." Gideon, who had a sharp sense of smell, instinctively looked at Analise''s body.

    "It cut me when I pulled you while escaping over the wall, but it''s just a minor wound. It''s no big deal."

 Chapter 171

    Analise quietly took a pill from the system''s backpack and swallowed it. The wounds on her body quickly healed.

    "Analise, you..." Ophir had still been searching for Analise when its head suddenly throbbed in pain. "Damn it! She managed to wake Sean''s consciousness!"

    Sean the transmigrator stared at his hands in excitement, especially after he noticed the scar on his hand.

    "Did I return to the modern world?" He looked up, only to find himself standing in a garbage dump.

    "Why the hell am I in a garbage dump? If I really returned, I should be home. No way. Did they think I died and dump me here?"

    He scratched his head and turned to look for an exit.

    "But this trash doesn''t look like it''s from the modern world. Am I still in the Interster therian world?"

    Meanwhile, Analise was carefully dragging young Gideon along with her.

    "Ana, why does he seem like apletely different person?" Gideon asked, puzzled.

    The silhouette ahead suddenly revealed a faint outline of a face. It was almost visible yet still shrouded in a hazy glow. It was hard to see it clearly.

    Analise didn''t answer Gideon. Instead, she raised her bow again. "Sean Hopkins, is it the heart again this time?"

    Sean froze and turned to see Analise and a young man. He also sensed that something was off with his body.

    The guy beside Analise seemed oddly familiar. Sean stared at him, still in a daze.

    The Purification Arrow had triggered memories. He remembered that Ophir had tampered with his memory, as well as that incident involving Jamari.

    "No, this time, it''s..." Sean had just begun to speak when Ophir started seizing control of the body.

    Sean struggled, trying to lift his arm, but the other hand forcefully pressed it down.

    "It''s..."

    "You mustn''t tell her..."

    "It''s here..." Sean tried hard to lift his wrist to point to the location.

    "Shut up!" Ophir, controlling Sean''s other hand, mmed it down onto his arm.

    "The temples..."

    "You don''t deserve this body!"

    Ophir used some unknown method to forcibly suppress Sean''s soul.

    "Maybe it''s the temple!" whispered young Gideon into Analise''s ear. "He kept trying to raise his hand. He must''ve been trying to point at the temple."

    Ophir saw Gideon whispering to Analise and had a bad feeling. A

    cloud of ck energy appeared

    hand. It hurled the ball of energy violently toward Gideon.

    its

    "Be careful," Analise said, nodding as she drew her bow and fired at the ck cloud of energy.

    Ophir kept throwing more of the ck clouds of energy. Eventually, one of them hit the ground right in front of Gideon.

    Hit by the energy, Gideon immediately coughed up blood and copsed to the ground. He struggled to breathe.

    Furious, Analise fired three Purification Arrows in a row.

    u:

    However, the one closest to Ophir''s temple was blocked by its hand. Just like before, the energy in it''s

    hntly dissipated upon

    with the arrow.

    "It''s pointless. No matter how many times you shoot me, I can always recover."

    Ophir ced its other hand over the one that had lost its energy. After about a minute, the hand recovered.

    Ophir had panicked when Analise first shot it in the left arm. But after going into hiding, it realized it could still control that arm.

    Analise pressed her lips together and nced at young Gideon, who had copsed onto the floor. Anxiety crept into her heart.

    She couldn''t defeat Ophir alone. She wondered if Bianca and the others had followed.

    "So, what now? Where will you hide this time?"

    Just as Analise was worrying, a solemn voice echoed from the void. Only Analise, Echo, and Ophir could hear it.

    Gideon remained on the ground, anxiously watching both Ophir and Analise.

    Ophir''s eyes widened. It looked more rmed than before.

    Analise seized the moment and fired a Purification Arrow directly at Ophir''s temple.

    In that very instant, Ophir''s dark figure vanished into thin air.

    "Unit 0612, transport your host to 14 yearster in the Interster therian world.

    For now, your mission to capture Ophir hase to an end."

    Echo responded to the deep, authoritative voice, "Understood."

 Chapter 172

    "Are they gone?" Analise questioned.

    She stood dumbfounded for a long while and realized there was nothing but silence.

    "With the main god around, we should be able to capture Ophir this time," Echo responded.

    Young Gideon coughed a little due to the pain in his body.

    "Gideon!" Analise immediately crouched beside him. "How are you feeling?"

    "It hurts a bit," he answered softly, suppressing the searing pain in his body as he didn''t want Analise to worry.

    "Echo, can the medicine from the Reward Store heal Gideon''s injury from Ophir''s attack?" Analise asked in her mind.

    "Yes, Analise. The Detox Pill can cure all poisons. Gideon seems to have been poisoned by Ophir. If the poison isn''t treated in time, he might soon fall into insanity."

    Without hesitation, Analise redeemed the Detox Pill and shoved it into Gideon''s mouth.

    Young Gideon instinctively turned his head away, reluctant to take the pill that was near his lips.

    "Trust me, Gideon. I won''t hurt you." Analise gently held his chin and pushed the pill into his mouth.

    The pill melted instantly. Young Gideon''s gaze fell on Analise''s fingertips.

    Those pale fingers had touched his lips just now. The pain in his body began to subside, and a strange warmth flowed through his body, seemingly even healing some old, lingering injuries.

    "I''m sorry about your house. It''s gone."

    Analise helped Gideon to his feet and looked at the ruins before them, which resembled andfill. For a moment, she felt bad for him.

    "Where will you live now?" Analise thought perhaps she could dy asking Echo to teleport her back, at least until she found Gideon a proper ce to stay.

    Young Gideon sighed.

    "How about I find a ce for you?" Analise wasn''t sure if her Cosmocoins would work in this world, but they probably would since they weren''t physical bills.

    She hadn''t spent any of her one million Cosmocoins this month. It should be more than enough to buy Gideon a house.

    "It''s fine." Young Gideon shed a

    rare smile. "I''m just running my

    research from here. I have a bl

    do you want to see it?"

    "Sure."

    After the two left the garbage dump, young Gideon called up someone on the interface. Soon, a car arrived to pick him up.

    At that moment, Analise was still in a bit of a daze. She nced uncertainly at young Gideon.

    When the car arrived at a mountainside vi, Analise realized she had been overthinking.

    Gideon was clearly rich! So, why was he holed up in a garbage dump, doing research at his age?

    She had her suspicions. After all, one had to be raised in the right environment to carry such poise.

    Even the slightly scruffy adult Gideon she first met at Shadowhawk Alliance still carried that air of nobility.

    "Hi, Mr. rke," an elderly male

    butler greeted Gideon politely. Then,

    he nced at Analise with slight surprise. "Is this your friend, Mr. rke?"

    "Mm."

    Young Gideon nodded coolly and led Analise into the vi.

    "If you''re from a well-off family, why did you let those kids bully you?" Analise couldn''t quite understand.

    Gideon looked slightly uneasy. "I''m up against many of them."

    Something about this felt off to Analise, but she didn''t prod further.

    "Since you have a ce to stay, I''ll be leaving now." Analise finally felt at ease.

    "Are you leaving?" Young Gideon tensed up instantly.

    "Yeah.

    has saw it yourself. I fell from

    the sky, and I don''t belong here, I still r things to tend to."

    nodded. Content

    Swoonalise

    belongs

    "Can you leaveter?" Young Gideon hoped she would keep himpany a little

    longer. "I don''t even know your name yet."

    "It''s Analise Chamber." She smiled, realizing she had indeed forgotten to introduce herself.

    "Analise..." young Gideon murmured the name softly to himself.

 Chapter 173

    "Mr. rke, Lord rke has sent word. You''re advised to give up on research and start learning how to manage the alliance," the butler whispered to Gideon as he entered the vi.

    Young Gideon looked cross when he heard the words. "Get out."

    The butler quietly left the room.

    "Analise, the main god is urging us to travel to 14 yearster as soon as possible," Echomunicated to Analise in the silence.

    Analise broke the silence. "I have to go. Gideon, you''ll be an excellent interster scientist in the future. Go after what you want. Do not give up on your passion."

    "Ana, will we meet again?" Young Gideon held onto her wrist.

    "We will."

    She pulled out a bottle of Purification Potion from the system backpack and gave it to young Gideon. "This is for you. Study the ingredients. I''ll wait for you in the future."

    "What''s this?" He looked at the bottle of potion.

    "This is a potion that could save the lives of countless therians in the future. You need to study the ingredients and find affordable alternatives to them.

    "You can''t copy it exactly. All you need is to find some eptable substitutes, and you''ll seed.

    "In the future, you''lle up with many more genius inventions. With your intelligence, you will oversee the fusion of space and Starstones."

    "The fusion of space and Starstones?" Young Gideon looked surprised.

    "Yes. I look forward to meeting you in the future. By then, I hope you''ll give me a bracelet like this one." Analise lifted her wrist and showed him the Starstone bracelet, which sparkled under the sunset.

    "Ana, what do you like? If I could pull off the fusion of space and Starstones, I could do much more," he pressed on.

    "I like aurora and spacious, highly protective pocket drives." She held his hand. "With your brains, you can definitely invent a unique pocket drive. We''ll use it to trap that man from before-Sean Hopkins."

    She added, "One day in the future, you might recognize me, but at that time, I probably couldn''t recognize you. Anyway, you need to work with me to capture Sean Hopkins. Got it?"

    Analise believed that they might capture Ophir with the main god''s help. However, things might not always go smoothly. Although she could not alter history, she still gave some reminders to young Gideon.

    "Analise, time to leave!"

    When Analise was teleported, young Gideon watched her body turn transparent. He nervously held her other hand.

    "Ana, can I be your other half when I''m grown up?" He stared at her.

    There were many examples of older females partnering with younger males in the Interster therian world.

    The moment Analise descended from the sky, grabbed him, and escaped, he felt himself falling for her.

    What a vivacious female!

    Analise was certainly a courageous and powerful female for fighting against that monster-like ck figure.

    Be it love at first sight or admiration, Wanted to be Analise''s

    since she told him they

    would meet again in the future.

    l.ne

    "You can. But when you meet me again, you might find yourself up against two love rivals!"

    Her body had be fully transparent. She then vanished for good as though she had never existed.

    "Mr. rke, did you call for me?" The butler entered the room, looking confused. He noticed that Gideon seemed to be in a bad mood.

    "I didn''t. Don''t you think something has gone missing?" Young Gideon turned to the butler.

    l.ne

    "No. We set up everything at home based on your orders. We''ve checked everything." The butler scanned the surroundings. "Did

    So go missing?"

    The butler seemed puzzled and slightly anxious. Young Gideon went back to his

    bedroom, looking disappointed.

    Analise had disappeared like she had never visited him before.

    Today felt like a dream-no one could remember a thing except him.

 Chapter 174

    When Analise showed up at the security force headquarters, she found herself in the middle of a chaos.

    The most chaotic scene unfolded in the rubble of a building that had been destroyed. A massive tiger therian stood in the middle, surrounded by other therians. They had subjected him to their control with their ExoAbilities.

    "What do we do? We can only control him. The potions don''t work on him!" "Ms. Chamber would definitely have a solution. If only she were here!"

    "It''s all Gideon''s fault for sending her away! Gideon, what have you done to her?" "Are you part of The Reimers? Did you deliberately..."

    A long arrow whooshed past the air and struck the tiger therian in his arm. He growled and stumbled onto the ground after losing his bnce.

    The wolf therian copsed onto the floor in exhaustion after the tiger therian had been shot, having spent all his energy subduing thetter.

    "Fiy!"

    Analise jumped off the top floor and rushed toward Fiy with the use of the eleration tool. Fiy suffered from multiple injuries across his body.

    "Ana!"

    "Ms. Chamber!"

    Some of the therians were worried and astonished. Most of them were d to see her.

    "Why are you back? I sent you into the past with the time machine!" Gideon

    clearly remembered the frequency wave of that time and space Analise traveled to.

    "The time machinecks energy." She reached out to pinch him. "I only spent half a day with young Gideon, but you were a pretty adorable kid."

    "Ana!"

    Gideon was surprised. He realized he had identally sent Analise back in time, which was why Ophir followed suit.

    Before anyone could speak, the tiger therian struggled to get up from the floor, but one of his arms was limp.

    Everyone used their ExoAbility to fight that massive tiger therian. The scene descended into mayhem.

    "This is not the time to discuss the matter." Analise walked over to Fiy and ced a pill in his mouth.

    "Ana..." Fiy opened his eyes, looking aggrieved and guilty.

    "It''s not your fault. Got it?" She caressed his head. "Have some rest. You don''t have to help out here."

    "Gideon, you''re injured, too. Stop fighting. Bring Fiy aside." She also ced a pill in Gideon''s mouth.

    Before the two could speak, Analise approached Scott. "Scott, carry me on your back to the tallest building."

    Among all the therians, Scott was the only one who looked rtively fine. The other lords and leaders had suffered various degrees of injuries.

    Scott was probably the therian who could use his ExoAbility best.

    "Okay."

    When they reached the highest point, Analise aimed her bow at that massive tiger therian who had gone berserk.

    A few arrows rained on the tiger therian, hitting him at various parts of his body.

    "Analise, Ophir has been captured sessfully."

    Echo was happy to have received the good news from the main god.

    "Why are Jamari and the other therians still in a state of madness?" Analise frowned.

    "Ophir was caught, but the poison has been released. You have to

    purify it yourself. Since this is

    unusual case, I shall aid you in theplete purification process."

    "Okay."

    "Analise, Gideon has raised the colorful deer well. You may purify your body in one try with the colorful deer."

    "Oh, the colorful deer?"

    Analise turned her attention to a corner of the copsed building. There, Gideon and Fiy were staring at her, too.

    When Analise was first transported back to the past, she had forgotten to give the colorful deer to Gideon She had only remembered it halfway into her journey and had to double back to do so. She had to hand over the colorful deer to Gideon with the ghost of herself instead of her human body.

    The colorful deer from the Reward Store had two uses, and one of them was to revive the dead. She did not have the authority to check out the second one.

    Since young Gideon had taken a stab for her, she decided to award this colorful deer to Gideon.

    Thankfully, she found Gideon safe and sound when she returned to the present. The colorful deer must have worked.

    So, the second use of the colorful deer was for purification. It was arge-scale purification tool supported by the system.

    "Since the tiger therian is on the floor, I''ll take this opportunity to go to Gideon and retrieve the colorful deer," she addressed Scott.

    Scott immediately carried her and jumped to where Gideon was at.

    "Ana." Gideon immediately stood up to wee Analise when she approached.

    "Gideon, hand over the colorful deer," she said to him without beating around the bush.

    Momentarily taken aback, he immediately turned his hand into a paw and dug the ws into his left chest without hesitation.

    "Gideon, what are you doing?" Her eyes wavered in great shock.

    Gideon presented his blood-stained, transparent heart to Analise. A colorful deer was asleep in his heart.

    "Ana..." He ced the colorful deer in her hand. "I knew this deer was probably important. That''s why I had

    it on me at all times. I never knew it could be this useful.

    "After I was stabbed, the deer became one with my chest and turned into my

    heart. Since you''re asking for it now, I will return it to you."

    Exhausted, he fell onto his knees. His breathing became increasinglyborious.

 Chapter 175

    Analise''s eyes flickered in shock. She could still feel Gideon''s warm heart beating in her hand.

    "Analise, we cannot waste more time, or the colorful deer will be rendered

    useless. After it has been used once, it will need to be deployed in half an hour upon the second retrieval, or its energy will dissipate."

    "But Gideon-"

    Echo reminded Analise, "You may purchase medicines from the Reward Store."

    Under Echo''s guidance, Analise quickly purchased some medicines and fed them to Gideon.

    "Fiy, Scott, take good care of Gideon." Analise turned around. Under Echo''s control, her body ascended into the air.

    "Analise, I have to trouble you for now. This time, the purification process willpletely cleanse all the toxins left behind by Ophir.

    "The females can neutralize the toxins brought by the Vexoth."

    "Analise, the purification process requires the sacrifice of your physical body."

    Gideon''s transparent heart that contained the colorful deer had left Analise''s hand. It was suspended midair.

    "Analise, will you?"

    She nced at the people on the floor. Pressing her lips together, she finally said to them, "Wait for me! I''ll be back!"

    "Ana, don''t..." Upon hearing that, Gideon struggled to get up from the floor, but it was toote.

    "Yes." The colorful deer collided with Analise''s body.

    Thunder pped in the sky. Blood and rain fell onto the ground and on top of the therians.

    The therians emitted a faint white glow.

    Analise watched as countless streams of dark energy surged toward her body and merged with the Purification Heart.

    The dark clouds gathered in the sky as the therians on the ground slowly regained their consciousness.

    It was raining across all the alliances in the Interster therian world, not just at the headquarters of the security force.

    That was a Purification Rain. When it finally stopped, Analise was nowhere to be seen in the sky.

    Those whoy feebly on the ground had returned to their therian forms. Apparently, they had gone back to normal.

    Except for Fiy, Gideon, and Scott, no one had memories of Analise-not even Karl.

    "What happened? Why is the security force in such bad shape?"

    Puzzled, the therians worked together to clean up this mess.

    ...

    In the pure white void, Analise stood in a ce resembling a temple. At the top

    was a massive orb of pure white light.

    "Analise and Unit 0612, you did well."

    "Am I dead or not?" Analise scanned her surroundings, looking somewhat confused.

    "Your physical body is gone, but it will be rebuilt shortly. However, time flows differently in the spatial system dimensionpared to other nes.

    "By the time you return to the

    Interster therian world, three years will have passed. You will retain your Purification Level, though your mission will be slightly modified," the main god announced leisurely.

    "A modified mission?" Analise was puzzled.

    "Yes. The toxins left behind by Ophir have now beenpletely purged. Your new mission is to be the one and only god of the Interster therian world-the Ruler of All Therians.

    "We look forward to your performance."

    Analise nodded silently. She was fine with that as long as she could go back.

    After all, she still had three partners waiting longingly for her-though she wasn''t

    sure if they still remembered her.

    She could feel her body rebuilding.

    "Although you and Unit 0612 did not

    participate in Ophir''s capture this

    time, you have contributed

    vel

    substantially to the purification.

    efforts As such, you will be rewarded. The reward will be

    delivered shortly.

    "Alright. Off you go."

    The main god''s ring of light red. White light blinded Analise''s eyes.

    When she opened her eyes again, she found herself suspended in midair once

    more.

    "Why am I always in the sky?"

    "Ana!"

    Stormw Alliance was in the

    middle of hosting the Apex Tournament. Gideon was the first to react when he saw a ck spot in the sky. He immediately took on his therian form to catch Analise in the

    sky.  s?novel

    Fiy, upon noticing Analise, gave up thepetition and rushed to her side.

    The crowd was instantly thrown into an uproar because a name had suddenly emerged in everyone''s mind-Ms. Chamber.

    It was as if they had known this person long ago.

    "Ms. Chamber has returned!"

    Memories resurfaced in their minds, one after another.

    Everyone remembered Analise and all that she had done. Their streams of

    conviction poured into Analise''s body.

    "Analise, your journey to divinity has begun. Please continue to work hard andplete your mission."

    (The End)

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!