Danton held Evangeline’s hand and looked at his weeping clansmen. "Eva," he said softly, "thank you."

The journey had been fraught with hardships and dangers. He knew that if it weren’t for her, his clan would have suffered devastating casualties. Even if they had made it here, there would be no joy or excitement. Evangeline had brought them all of this.

Evangeline squeezed Danton’s hand back. Looking at the frost forming on the shore, she said, "Let’s make camp here for now. We shouldn’t rush into the sea. The Triangle Sea is full of whirlpools below; they can easily claim lives. We need to observe first."

’Once the beastmen from the Norfell Tribe arrive, we can use them to test the waters. Better them than risking our own people.’

Danton nodded slightly and turned to settle his clan. However, the beastmen of the Mysticeti Tribe were clearly not as patient as the Mer Clan.

Evangeline had just turned to look when she saw several young male members of the Mysticeti Tribe cheering as they leaped into the sea.

She recognized one of them, a male warrior with a Six-star Pattern. ’I think his name is Aquila Cetus,’ she recalled, ’highly regarded by Quinn Cetus.’

The waves threw up massive splashes of water. Evangeline frowned and was just about to speak when a huge whale surfaced, letting out a clear hum. It sounded like a cheer, a celebration—utterly jubilant.

The commotion Aquila Cetus caused made the other beastmen relax, and some of the females even drew closer to the edge of the Triangle Sea.

Just as everyone was cheering, the sea suddenly began to tremble violently.

Before they could react, a massive vortex abruptly formed on the surface. The water spun madly with a terrifying ROAR. The whale only had time to let out a mournful cry before it was sucked into the whirlpool and devoured in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, the sea returned to calm, as if the horrifying event had never happened.

Icy waves lapped at the beastmen standing at the water’s edge. Snapping out of their daze, they screamed and scrambled away.

Evangeline stood on a rock, her red lips pursed as she watched the placid, waveless sea.

’As expected,’ she thought, ’the terrors of the Triangle Sea aren’t just baseless rumors.’

’I was planning to use the Norfell Tribe beastmen to test the waters, but it seems some people just have a death wish.’

The beastmen of the Mysticeti Tribe clutched their heads and wept in anguish. The members of the Mer Clan were pale with lingering fear. If their Clan Leader hadn’t stopped them, they too would have lost control and leaped into the sea, only to meet the same fate as the Mysticeti beastmen!

Danton saw it all unfold. His brow furrowed, and his heart grew heavy.

’Our goal is to cross the Triangle Sea and reach the other side of the Beastman Continent,’ he thought. ’But the undercurrents and whirlpools are countless. Even Marine Beastmen can’t enter the water, so what about ordinary beastmen? How are they supposed to cross?’

’And...’

Danton looked up at Evangeline in the distance.

She stood upon the rock, the cold wind whipping past, making her cloak snap and flutter.

’Caden Albright and Lachlan are on the other side of the Triangle Sea. She’ll find a way across no matter what. That means she’ll definitely solve the problem of the undercurrents. Ordinarily, he would support her, even enter the sea with her.’

’But now...’

Thorne strode toward Evangeline, reached out, and pulled her into his arms. "The tent is set up," he murmured. "Go get some rest."

Before Evangeline could say a word, he swept her up into his arms and carried her briskly toward the tent.

"Honestly, you should just focus on taking care of yourself. Those beastmen didn’t listen and brought this on themselves. It has nothing to do with you," Thorne said, taking some piping hot roasted meat from his storage bag and handing it to Evangeline.

Evangeline took the roasted meat, her fingertips slightly cold.

She let out a soft sigh. "The Triangle Sea... it really isn’t that simple," she said quietly.

Thorne pressed his lips together, his dark green eyes fixed on her face. Gazing at the Beast Spirit Flower blooming on her forehead, he said in a low voice, "There’s no rush, Eva. I just want you to be safe. Nothing else matters."

Evangeline looked up at him, the corners of her lips curling into a slight smile.

She lowered her head and took small bites of the meat, but a wave of nausea rose in her throat. No matter how many times it happened, the feeling was still deeply unpleasant.

’She had just become pregnant. Judging by the timing, the child could be Thorne’s, or it could be Loras’s.’

’But no matter whose it was, it signified a huge step forward in her conquest.’

Thorne moved closer, his dark green, slit-pupiled eyes filled with worry. He gently wiped the corner of her mouth with his fingertip and offered her a preserved plum.

He had gathered these fruits by scouring all of Norfell back when she was pregnant with Genesis. Thankfully, the storage bag kept them fresh. She hadn’t eaten many back then, but now they were coming in handy.

Just then, the tent flap was furtively pushed open a crack, and a small, furry head poked in.

"Mother! Father Thorne!" Genesis called out in his bright voice. Like a nimble little animal, he slipped inside with a WHOOSH.

He dove right under the hem of Thorne’s long cloak, peeking out from the edge of the fabric with his big, round, colorful eyes. "Big Sis is coming after me," he whispered. "Don’t you dare tell her I’m here!"

Thorne’s eyebrow shot up. Just as he was about to speak, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the tent.

Bunny burst in like a little whirlwind, the small silver braids in her hair bouncing cheerfully with her movements.

She stood at the tent entrance with her hands on her hips, stomping her foot with puffed cheeks. "Genesis! Stop hiding! I saw your footprints outside! You must be hiding in Mother’s tent! Come on out! It’s your turn to find me!"

A muffled giggle came from under Thorne’s black cloak, and the fabric trembled slightly with Genesis’s movements.

Watching this scene, Evangeline felt her earlier discomfort fade away, and a gentle smile graced her lips.

Bunny darted forward and flipped up the hem of Thorne’s cloak. "Ha! Gotcha!"

Genesis rolled out from under the cloak with a laugh. The two little ones chased each other out of the tent, running right into Loras, who had come looking for them. Loras knelt, his long fingers gently steadying the two children. A rare seriousness appeared in his deep violet eyes. "This is the Triangle Sea. It’s dangerous everywhere. You can’t leave my sight again, understand?"

Though his voice was low, it couldn’t hide the concern in his eyes.

Bunny wasn’t the least bit afraid of the good-natured Father Loras. She threw her arms around his arm and cooed, "Father Loras~"

Genesis followed her lead, diving into Loras’s arms and rubbing his adorable little face against his robes.

Loras’s brow twitched. Seeing the two little ones acting so spoiled, he sighed in resignation. "Fine, you can play! But you must take these grass dolls with you and not lose them. I need to know where you are at all times, got it?"

"Got it!" the two little ones chirped in unison, eagerly snatching the grass dolls.

Bunny tied the grass doll to her waist, while Genesis simply hugged his to his chest. Like two cheerful little animals, they hopped and skipped away.

Loras watched them go, shaking his head with a soft chuckle as he slowly followed after them.

Back in the tent, Thorne watched Loras’s tall, slender back and scoffed lightly. "That guy’s surprisingly good with kids."

Evangeline said softly, "Before we solve the problem of the Triangle Sea, we need to find The Everwake and Drake."