The cold, mechanical voice in her mind came to a sudden halt. Evangeline's eyes snapped open, and she felt completely at ease.
She and 007 had never gotten along. It was always bossing her around during missions, and the feeling of not having someone watching over her shoulder was truly wonderful.
Evangeline stretched, her expression lighting up with spirit.
She planned to first build a house to settle her living situation, then create a personal paradise and retire in comfort.
As for the mission, it was in the bag.
The mission of The Lineage Optimization Department was to give heirs to story protagonists who had none. By helping them experience the joy of new life, they would lose their world-weariness, which in turn would stabilize the small worlds that teetered on the brink of collapse from the protagonists' suffering.
Granted, the original owner had brought disaster upon herself. She held no place in Danton's heart; he even hated her, which made inviting him to create a new life together quite difficult.
However, she was full of confidence. Her emotional stability would give her the ability to handle any problem.
GRUMBLE GRUMBLE—
Evangeline glanced down at the burnt-black roasted fish, casually tossed it into her storage space, and took out some fried chicken and milk tea to eat instead.
She was here to retire, not to suffer. Food, clothing, and shelter—none of these could be neglected.
After eating and drinking her fill, Evangeline reached up to touch the back of her head. Her fingers came away wet; the bleeding hadn't stopped. If it weren't for her powerful spiritual power, with this amount of blood loss, she probably would have kicked the bucket right along with the original owner.
Evangeline calmly took a Healing Holy Medicine from her storage space and deftly cleaned the wound.
Just then, the sound of an argument came from outside the cave. Evangeline glanced out, heard Danton's voice, and stood up to head outside. 'A mission target. Got to get him handled. And Merfolk cubs are so cute.'
Stepping out of the cave, she was greeted by a sea of green that blotted out the sky.
Deep in the dense forest, ancient trees reached for the heavens. Their gnarled roots, powerful and menacing, twisted over the ground. The canopy layered like a sea of clouds, an interweaving tapestry of emerald green, deep brown, and pale yellow. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the mossy, vine-covered ground. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth, and in the distance, a waterfall cascaded down a cliff face.
Evangeline took a deep breath. The fresh, natural scent filled her senses, invigorating her spirit.
She stood stunned for a moment. This world was like a giant, natural oxygen bar. Living here long enough could probably extend one's lifespan. She suddenly felt that retiring here wouldn't be so bad after all—a world of green interspersed with vibrant, dazzling colors.
It was currently the hunting season. With spring in full bloom, the weather was perfect for Beastmen to be out and about.
"Brother, I'll kill her!"
Evangeline was still marveling at this "oxygen bar" of a world when a vicious female voice rang out, followed by the sound of something sharp cutting through the air.
A sharp, scaled claw swiped directly at her face. With that much force, getting hit would mean more than just a scar.
"You, The Virago! I'm going to claw your face to shreds and see how you seduce any males then!"
As the vicious voice rang out again, Evangeline raised an eyebrow. She reached out a slender, fair hand and effortlessly caught the claw.
Her eyes shimmered with amusement, and her voice, melodious and sweet, rang out. "What's with all this fighting and killing? Let's talk things over nicely. With such beautiful scenery and such a beautiful female, you should be a little gentler."
Rhea's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Evangeline.
Evangeline didn't make things difficult for her. She let go and gave a gentle push, sending Rhea stumbling back a few steps, her claws retracting.
'I've been through The Interstellar Realm, Celestial Realms, and The Wildlands. My power should be enough to walk all over this world, right?'
'In other words, I'm a max-level expert raiding a starter village. This is hardly a challenge.'
"You... how could you be stronger than me?" Rhea looked down at her own hand, still in disbelief.
She was Danton's sister, the most outstanding Five-star pattern female of The Mer Clan! How could she lose to someone from The Fox Clan?!
"Why do you want to kill me? If you kill me, who's going to have cubs with your brother?" Evangeline looked up at Rhea, then walked over to Danton's side. She hooked her arm through his, rested her head on his shoulder, and, while twirling a lock of her hair, flashed a radiant smile.
As Evangeline held onto his arm, Danton's face went deathly pale. Fear and disgust flashed in his light blue eyes.
He struggled violently, but Evangeline held him tight. "What's the matter? Getting flustered?"
Evangeline looked at Danton's pale face and her lips curled into a smile. She reached out and pinched his exquisite cheek. 'This is the Beastman Continent, and they haven't even fully evolved, yet he's so remarkably handsome. Just as good as any male lead I've met in other small worlds.'
Danton listened to her cloyingly sweet voice, his thin lips parting slightly to utter three words: "You disgust me."
Rhea was even more furious. She lunged forward and grabbed Evangeline's arm. "Get away from him! You're the one who did this to my brother! His Star Pattern is gone! He can't have cubs anymore! Are you saying this just to hurt him?!"
Evangeline blinked, her gaze subconsciously shifting to the spot between Danton's eyebrows.
On the Beastman Continent, Beastmen, Wild Beasts, and Half-Beasts were all ranked by their Star Pattern. The One Star Pattern was the lowest and the nine-star pattern was the highest. Regardless of whether they were male or female, their Star Pattern would advance as their strength grew, and it was displayed between their eyebrows.
For males, the Star Pattern represented their strength as well as their talent for passing on their lineage. For females, it represented fertility. The higher a female's Star Pattern, the healthier her body, the easier it was for her to conceive, and the more superior and talented her cubs would be.
Some Beastmen were blessed by The Beast God and born with great strength and a high-level Star Pattern, while others had to train and gain experience to advance.
Therefore, on the Beastman Continent, the Star Pattern was the primary factor Beastmen considered when choosing a mate.
She remembered that Danton had been a Five-star pattern Aquatic Beastman, which was quite powerful, while the original owner was merely a One Star Pattern female.
The only reason Danton had fallen for the original owner was that he was too naive and had been captivated by her beauty.
However, because Danton had lost his tail scales, his body was now incomplete. His Star Pattern had shattered, and he had lost the ability to shift between his human and beast forms.
Survival of the fittest was the law of the land. A Beastman with a shattered Star Pattern would suffer a greatly reduced lifespan and would find it nearly impossible to father children.
Under Evangeline's gaze, Danton's face was a mask of humiliation and hatred.
The most primal instinct for any beast is to reproduce. Losing that ability was indeed a devastating blow for a male.
Evangeline stared for a long moment, then smiled. Meeting Rhea's furious glare, she drew out her words, "Don't worry. We can have them."
She deliberately softened her voice, her tone like ripples spreading across the surface of the sea—slow and light as they drifted apart.
Hearing this, both Danton and Rhea froze. 'What did she just say?'
Evangeline didn't explain. She just waved at Rhea. "Sister, I won't see you out. You're kind of interrupting our cub-making."
"You!" Rhea's expression changed. She was about to speak, but she saw that Evangeline had already pulled Danton back into the cave.
Rhea tried to follow, but her legs wouldn't move. It was as if an invisible barrier had appeared before her.
Rhea's expression flickered uncertainly. She suddenly remembered that Evangeline's mother was the Witch of the Oasis Tribe, and she couldn't help but frown.
'Could it be that Evangeline, that Virago from The Fox Clan, has inherited the Witch's powers and earned the favor of The Beast God?'