"It’s completely understandable, Miss Priestess. However, we never imagined you would have lost your memory. The members of the beastkin race are deeply concerned and are searching for you~" the woman said as she gracefully took a seat next to Ye Lan.

  Ye Lan was completely dumbfounded. Who’s looking for me? The beastkin? That doesn’t make any sense... I don’t even know a single one of them!

  Noticing Ye Lan’s bewildered expression, the woman didn’t press her further. Instead, she gently pced a hand over her chest and began to speak calmly.

  "My name is Lian. I am the first princess of the elven kingdom. Rest assured, our retionship with the beastkin is excellent, so you have nothing to fear from us. The disappearance of the priestess from the Beastkin Imperial Sanctuary is something the leaders of your race informed us about in advance" Lian expined with an air of elegance.

  The elves have a good retionship with the beastkin? Ye Lan thought, letting out an internal sigh of relief. If the two races had been enemies, she could have walked straight into a trap. Worse, if the elves were stronger than the beastkin in combat, her situation would have been disastrous!

  Regardless of the complexities, hearing Lian’s reassuring words allowed Ye Lan to rex slightly. She exhaled audibly, though this small gesture seemed to evoke a completely different interpretation from Lian.

  This poor girl must have suffered so much. Lian thought, her expression softening. As a priestess of the beastkin, she should have lived a life of luxury and comfort. It’s a pity she ended up lost in human territory. For the sake of the bond between our races, I must ensure her safety at all costs.

  Bringing a hand to her face, Lian’s expression became one of maternal tenderness. However, this shift left Ye Lan feeling slightly uncomfortable.

  "Uh… I don’t remember anything. Could you expin some general knowledge about this world? Other than my name, everything feels incredibly blurry, and I just can’t recall it" Ye Lan said, scratching her head awkwardly.

  "What a poor girl, not remembering anything… But don’t worry! I’ll help you remember everything!" Lian responded warmly, cpping her hands lightly.

  Rin, standing nearby, waved her arm gracefully through the air. The space before them shimmered as the air condensed, forming a floating object resembling a chalkboard.

  "In this world, there are 13 intelligent races: the Divine Race, the Elemental Race, the Malevolent Spirit Race, the Titan Race, the Angelic Race, the Beastkin Race, the Elven Race, the Naga Race, the Giant Race, the Merfolk Race, the Goblin Race, the Dwarven Race, and the Human Race.

  The differences in ranking between the races reflect the disparities in their power, and these gaps are incredibly difficult to overcome. For example: 30 million years ago, the Divine Race sent just three of their strongest warriors, who, in a single battle, effortlessly annihited over ten thousand soldiers below the fifth rank. This earned them the title of 'Most Powerful Race'.

  Of course, each race has its own unique strengths. The Beastkin Race excels in physical combat, with the strongest among them capable of defying the ws of physics and performing feats unimaginable to other races.

  As for us elves, we specialize in magic. Our magical abilities are among the best of the 13 races. To put it into perspective using human magic levels as a reference, under the same conditions, an elf can generate magical power equivalent to that of hundreds of humans combined"

  "However, don’t assume the rankings are limited to just the 13 intelligent races. These ranking merely categorize the 13 groups with intelligence. Beyond them, there are countless other powerful but non-intelligent species. How many exactly? We’re not sure, but the ones we’ve identified already exceed 30" Lian expined with the patience of a teacher, guiding Ye Lan through the complexities of the world.

  Ye Lan, feeling overwhelmed, pressed her hands against her forehead, trying to make sense of it all.

  Wow... This world is ridiculously dangerous. I thought my attributes were absurdly high, but if I encounter someone from the top five ranked races, I probably wouldn’t even stand a chance. She thought, a heavy feeling settling in her chest.

  The situation for humans is even more precario us. They rank st among the 13. Not only that, but they’re powerless against beings like Ziar, those non-intelligent yet deadly creatures. Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if humans were wiped out at any moment. But... I’m no longer human, am I?"

  Lowering her gaze, Ye Lan fell into silent contemption. What was she supposed to do next? Stay in human territory? She had no pce there anymore. Return to the beastkin nds? She didn’t belong there either.

  Noticing Ye Lan’s troubled expression, Lian assumed her words had brought up painful memories. She quickly tried to reassure her.

  "Don’t worry too much. Once we’ve finished our business here, we’ll take you back to beastkin territory. You’re a priestess! Your status is second only to the king’s, and no one would dare to harm you"

  Priestess? There it is again, this whole priestess thing! What even is a priestess? Ye Lan thought, lifting her head with a confused expression and fixing her gaze on Lian.

  Catching Ye Lan’s look, Lian immediately realized what was on her mind. After gently clearing her throat , she began to expin.

  "Priestess? Well, to be honest, we elves don’t know much about it. After all, it’s a position unique to the beastkin. But what we do know is that it’s incredibly important. Moreover, being the priestess of the Imperial Sanctuary is a singur honor, as it’s the most prestigious of the three great sanctuaries. So, don’t worry about it" Lian expined calmly.

  What a vague answer. Ye Lan thought, pouting slightly. It seemed that at some point, she would have to visit the beastkin territory. In her current situation, no one appeared to be questioning her identity, making it the perfect opportunity to uncover what being a 'priestess' truly entailed. Perhaps it could also provide answers about her sudden change in gender.

  It’s decided!

  Ye Lan nodded to herself, clenching her fist in determination.

  She turned toward Lian, ready to speak, but just as she opened her mouth, a loud growl from her stomach echoed through the room.

  "Uh... I’m really hungry. A bowl of vegetable soup isn’t enough to fill me up..." she muttered weakly as her body gave out, causing her to colpse back onto the bed.

  Lian and Rin, armed, quickly called for the staff outside. Moments ter, a series of freshly prepared dishes were brought into the room.

  "Eat quickly, we don’t want you starving. Beastkin have incredible stamina, but they also tire and get famished easily. Now I understand why people say that" Lian remarked as she watched.

  Ye Lan, paying no mind to appearances, began devouring the food with rge, eager bites.

  "Delicious! This is so delicious!" she excimed enthusiastically, savoring every dish pced before her.

  While eating, Ye Lan noticed something unexpected, her experience was increasing! Although the progress wasn’t significant, it was definitely there.

  Can beastkin level up by eating? That’s incredible! Why didn’t I notice this before when snacking on chips?

  Suddenly, a notification appeared in her mind.

  [Beastkin Special Ability for Gaining Experience: While not a formal skill, beastkin can gain experience by consuming high-quality food.][Note: Low-quality foods, like potato chips, have minimal effect on the beastkin’s pate.]

  So human food just wasn’t good enough... Well, who cares? These dishes are delicious!

  Excited, Ye Lan continued eating until every dish in front of her was gone. Her level, which had just reached 10, was now on the verge of advancing to the next.

  "Hic… Hic… Damn it! I can’t eat anymore! Hic" Ye Lan muttered between hiccups, trying to suppress them.

  Beside her, more than a hundred empty ptes were stacked high, yet her stomach still didn’t feel full.

  Ye Lan turned her gaze toward Lian and Rin, who were engaged in a quiet conversation. Her curiosity got the better of her.

  "By the way, can I ask what brought you to human territory?" she asked.

  "Ah? Well, it’s nothing major. Mother sent me to negotiate with the humans. If possible, we hope to establish an alliance," Lian replied without hesitation.

  An alliance? The seventh-ranked race wants to ally with the thirteenth? Doesn’t this sound more like an invasion than an alliance?

  Ye Lan’s face tensed as she mulled over the thought, unsure how to respond.

  Suvn