"Let's find a place to rest," Corvin suggested. "I just checked," Edric added, "Aria and the others seem to be almost done, too." Emma nodded. "Let's call Aria over. We need to find a suitable clearing to camp here tonight." It was already dark, so she decided against returning to the city just for the night. "Sounds good!" Corvin nodded eagerly. Activating his lightcore, he pulled up a map of the forest. It didn't take long before he found a nice spot between the mountains and the river. Aria had also been hunting beasts, slaying a mixture of Rank 5 and Rank 6 beasts in the forest. Though she had been stuck at Rank 5 for the past two years, it was different this time… She could vaguely feel the faint stirrings of a breakthrough. Aria and Emma headed to the location Corvin had chosen together."Emma, I can feel the signs…" Aria said. "I think I might rank up soon, so I'd like to stay here for a few more days." She wanted to seize the opportunity and advance directly into Rank 6 while she could. "I'll stay with you," Emma replied. It so happened that Edric had mentioned something similar earlier. He, too, wanted to extend his stay here to train himself further. Aria cheered, "I knew you were the best, Emma!" Afterwards, Emma suggested having grilled meat for dinner that night. Edric took charge of grilling the meat for Emma, while Corvin taught Aria's three mates how to roast the meat. Seeing that he wasn't needed, Marcus pulled out his crystal coffin from his storage band. He placed the crystal coffin on the ground and lay inside to rest. … So… that's Ms. Tibarn? Malrik watched the group from a distance, his gaze never leaving Emma. She was an exact match for the mate he once prayed to the Beast God for, down to the smallest detail. Suppressing the excitement bubbling in his chest, he spoke to his men in a low voice. "I'm going to approach Ms. Tibarn now. Don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary." He added, "In the meantime, continue searching for Merlin's whereabouts. "And don't let the Enchanter Clan know I've returned." "Understood," his men answered immediately. Then, he pulled out a vial and swallowed the contents. The tall, imposing man instantly shrank and transformed into a tiny pink bunny, barely the size of a kitten. Having done his homework, he knew that Emma had been raising several small pink fish lately. She seemed to adore the fish, so he guessed that she would love similarly adorable little creatures.The shapeshifting potion, which allowed him to freely change his form, was something he acquired from the Chitinid. The effects of each vial lasted for three days. And he only managed to obtain ten in total. … Emma was enjoying the meat Edric had grilled for her when she suddenly felt something tickling her leg. She looked down to see a tiny pink bunny rubbing its head affectionately against her. It was no bigger than a kitten. Its pale pink fur was soft and fluffy, almost seeming to glow in the evening light. It was so beautiful that she found herself unconsciously drawn toward it. Unable to resist, she reached out and gently stroked its fur. "Where did you come from, little bunny? You're so cute!" Despite living in the Interstellar Empire for so many years, she had never seen such an adorable little creature before.What's more, she felt an instant fondness for the rabbit as soon as she laid eyes on it, though she couldn't explain why she felt that way. Oh, how I wish I could take it home with me… Scooping the bunny into her arms, she showed the little creature to Edric. "Hey, Edric, do you know what kind of rabbit this is?" It did not seem to be a therian. "It seems to be an ordinary beast." Edric observed after examining the bunny closely. He could not detect any traces of ability fluctuations from it. To be safe, she brought the bunny to Marcus. "Marcus, can you take a look at this bunny for me? Is it a therian?" There was a time when Lucien had transformed into a Coalball. But since he ranked higher than Edric, Edric had failed to notice he was a therian. Marcus was Rank 11. Surely, he would not make the same mistake? Hearing Emma's voice, Marcus opened his eyes and placed his hand on the bunny. Malrik, having known about Marcus, had carefully prepared for this moment. Though Marcus performed a thorough examination, he detected no ability fluctuations coming from the pink bunny. He told Emma, "It's probably just a normal beast, Ms. Tibarn." Emma was relieved. "If it's just a normal beast, I'd like to take it home as a pet." He gave a little nod. "If you grow tired of the bunny, you can give it to me. I'll cook and eat it for you." Since it looked so cute, it was bound to taste great too. She stared at him incredulously. Seriously? Are you for real? Even Malrik was speechless. In any case, Emma ignored Marcus after the comment.She hugged the bunny to her chest. Walking back to Edric, she showed him the bunny again. "Edric, I'd like to bring the bunny home as a pet." Edric seemed to like the idea, too. "Okay." He nodded. "I'll make a little nest for it when we get back." Now that's how a person should talk. She beamed and nodded happily. Then, she planted a big kiss on the bunny's head. "You're with me now, sweetheart. I'll make sure you live the best life ever." Emma kissed me! Malrik flushed, the pale pink fur covering his body deepening into a darker blush in his embarrassment. Emma's face was so close that he could smell her faint, intoxicating scent. It was a scent that could drive any therian wild. The little bunny gently tilted its head and nuzzled her cheek. Her face is so soft…