Edric was more concerned that Emma would feel stressed because of this. "I'll protect you and keep your secret safe. I'll never let anyone find out about you," he vowed. "I know. I believe you," Emma replied sincerely. However, she knew that she couldn't place all her burdens on Edric's shoulders. That was because it didn't matter how meticulous Edric was. All it would take was just one slip-up, and their house of cards would come crashing down. If she was going to survive come hell or high water, she was going to have to make sure she had the strength to endure it. "Edric, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to Therian. Can you tell me everything you know about them? I don't want another Coalball incident to happen ever again," she said resolutely."Okay." Edric nodded in response. Then, he carried Emma to the bed, knelt on one knee, and looked up at her before patiently explaining everything about therians. He told her about how their society functioned, its history, and even shared information about the Empire. The two of them fell into a deep discussion for a long, long time. Meanwhile, Corvin, who Edric had tossed out earlier for reasons he couldn't grasp, was finally behaving himself and not bullying poor Coalball. He straightened and scanned his surroundings warily. Although his mind was reduced to that of a cub's, his instinct as a therian warned him of danger. Thus, he instantly knew that something was wrong the second Edric activated all of the cabin's defenses. He might not know what exactly triggered it, but every part of him screamed that it was done to protect Emma.Lucien remained standing as still as a statue. He had been harboring some suspicions about Emma earlier, but seeing how tense and guarded Edric was acting had confirmed his fears. It seemed that the Beast God's prophecy had finally been fulfilled… except it had taken at least a millennium. Emma was a human, then? Lucien was a royal. Thus, he was more knowledgeable about human females than Edric. For example, the blood of that human female a thousand years ago didn't just create a Rank 13 powerhouse. No, she was responsible for the Rank 15 monster as well. Rank 15. It sounded like something out of a myth. After all, that particular therian possessed a power that could rival the Beast God himself. Who wouldn't want that for themselves?The greed for strength could drive people insane. Coupled with the promise of power that came with it? Oh, it didn't just stop at madness. Their pursuit had caused that human female to die, and her end wasn't a pretty sight. The Beast God had eventually struck her tormentors down. It was a brutal warning, specifically directed at the Empire's upper echelons. Yet, none of them could swear that they could shove such temptation aside when it was staring them right in the face. In the eyes of those hungry for power, the Beast God's warning wasn't much of a warning at all. Plus, the Divine Seeds from Beast God Mountain had been growing scarce. That was a sign that the power of the Beast God and the sacred tree was fading. The Beast God… He was growing old. Hence, Emma had to be hidden away until a new Beast God was born. Still, none of them had any idea which tribe the next Beast God would come from. … Emma listened to Edric's explanations quietly. By the time he was done, she finally had a clearer understanding of the Empire and the therians. Edric said solemnly, "Emma, I'll be leaving the Interstellar Hunter Alliance for a few days to arrange a new identity for you." He was doing this because she'd told him about how she'd been found and brought back from the forest, which meant that her origins were a complete blank. If something ever happened, it'd be a piece of cake for people to piece the puzzle together and trace it all back to her. That was why Edric had to set up a new identity for her. Usually, he'd have one of his subordinates handle something as trivial as this. However, Emma's life was at stake here, so he wanted to handle this personally. Fortunately, they'd discussed this early enough, so he now had enough time to ensure that things were as foolproof as possible, When he was done speaking, Edric deactivated the defense system, opened the door, and left the room with Emma. Corvin pounced the second he saw her, rubbing himself all over her calf. "Awoo… awoo…" I want a hug! Edric now knew that Emma couldn't understand what Corvin was saying, so he grabbed Corvin by the scruff and said, "Corvin, Emma's hugged you plenty. Stop being so clingy. Also, don't think for a second you can go around pulling stunts like this because you're reduced to being a cub. "Keep this up, and I'll really lock you in a cage." Is that why Corvin's been whining about all this while? He just wants me to cuddle him? Emma finally understood what Corvin had been saying now that Edric was acting as her translator. So, she smiled and tapped Corvin gently on the forehead. "I'll only hug you once a day, okay? I'm off to the kitchen to cook. Go on and play, but be good. If you do, I promise I'll feed you something delicious later." "Awoo." Fine. Corvin wriggled out of Edric's grasp, grabbed Coalball with his mouth, and sprinted away. "Corvin, stop bullying Coalball!" Emma called out sternly. "Awoo…" Fine… Corvin promptly dropped Coalball to the ground. A guilty look flashed in his eyes as he nudged Coalball gently with his paw, urging it to move. Coalball merely glanced at him. After a beat, it fluttered its wings and landed on Corvin's back. "Chirp!" Move it! "Awoo… awoo…" Corvin happily trotted off with Coalball on its back. Edric watched the unlikely duo leave, rendered utterly speechless. It seemed he was right about Corvin. He was a genius when it came to building weapons, warships, and mechs… but completely useless when it came to ensuring Emma's safety.