Edric gently pulled the blankets around Emma and adjusted his tail so she could hug it more comfortably. He would return to his clan the next day. What happened earlier demanded an answer from those old elders. He held Emma for a moment, just about to close his eyes, when he felt a faint ripple of ability from the desk. A streak of blue light slipped through the open window and into the night. Edric glanced at the sleeping Emma, then quietly followed. … Outside, Silas leaned against a massive tree trunk wide enough that three adults linking arms could barely encircle it. When Edric approached, Silas pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Emma had already explained Silas' identity as the Divine Tree. So there was nothing to hide. "What did you get me out here for?" Edric asked quietly. Silas toyed with a fallen leaf in his hand, voice casual. "The elders of the Violet Obsidian Clan secretly raised that Rank 10 Sulien. Forced growth, unstable, weak. Lucien burned him to ashes with a single flame. "But their desire to take the Interstellar Hunter Alliance from you isn't going anywhere. What happened today can happen again. So what's your plan for tomorrow?" Edric had already decided. "I spoke to Corvin. I'll bring Jimmy with me. With him and the Ravaryn behind him, I can suppress the two Rank 10 elders in the clan. I'll break through to Rank 10 soon. Once I do, I'll kill them." Only the dead stop being threats. Silas dropped the leaf and looked at him, deep blue eyes steady. "That's too gentle. Just intimidation won't crush the ambition of those two old snakes." Edric knew his solution wasn't the most ruthless. But it was the only one he could execute quickly. On the advanced star systems like A1, Rank 7 or Rank 8 therians could be hired with enough benefit, but Rank 9s were rare. Rank 10s were almost always elders of major noble clans—loyal only to their own bloodlines. He had only secured Jimmy because of Corvin. "If I have more time, I'll break through soon," Edric said through clenched teeth. Silas stepped closer and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't rush. Your breakthrough is only a matter of time. What I'm telling you is how to handle the clan. Since you're going back, don't go for nothing. Make them pay." He produced a fire-red command seal and placed it in Edric's hand. "A Rank 10 Drakonid powerhouse arrived on A1 two days ago for vacation. Bring him with you. With him and Jimmy, you'll have enough power to kill the two elders."After that, use Prince Lucien's command seal to order every male of Rank 5 and above in the Violet Obsidian Clan to report to the outer battlefield within three days. Let them fight the Chitinids." Not the cruelest approach—but the most effective. Why waste perfectly usable trash? Better to throw them into a battlefield where they could at least die for something useful. "I remember you have an older brother serving under Prince Lucien," Silas continued. "Since you don't want to manage the clan, let him take over later." The seal Silas handed him was the Phoenix Command Seal. With it, any therian below Rank 9 could be deployed to the outer battlefield at will. Edric stared at the seal, stunned. "Why is the prince's command seal with you?" "He dropped it. I picked it up," Silas replied sincerely, but Edric didn't buy it for a second—but it didn't matter.What mattered was that this seal could send the Violet Obsidian Clan's young fighting males straight to the battlefield. It would cripple the clan's ability to produce new power for decades—maybe centuries—giving Edric all the time he needed to rise. He tightened his grip around the seal. Only one worry remained—the Rank 10 Drakonid might refuse. Silas didn't know about Emma's deal with Drake, so Edric mentioned it. "I know." Silas waved it off. "Whatever the relationship between Emy and Drake is now, so long as their bond isn't dissolved, she is still his huntress. Just follow the plan." "In that case, I'll leave now." Edric didn't bother returning to bed. With the command seal in hand, he moved through the night toward the location Silas had given him and found the Rank 10 Drakonid.