Andrea lifted an eyebrow and thought, 'Mark? Does this crab have enough bloodline level to mark her mates? Well, I'd not be surprised. Her previous display was impressive.'
Andrea didn't know the lowest bloodline level requirements for marking a mate, so she was surprised, thinking that the crab's bloodline level was at least at Kali's or Cecile's level.
However, she was wrong this time. Although marking could only be done by high-level bloodline beasts, the threshold for this "Marking-level" was a lot lower compared with Yasenia's, Cecile's, or Kali's bloodline level.
Nonetheless, this didn't mean that the female crab had a low bloodline level. Its level was one realm lower than Kali, which was impressive.
Bloodlines were divided into many levels. Moreover, each continent had its own qualifications since, in truth, there were only those that could mark and those that couldn't.
Obviously, this was not completely accurate. If a human told a beast that there were only beasts that could mark and those that couldn't, they would answer, "Yeah, and humans also have those that can cultivate and those who can't."
Therefore, the most spread Bloodline qualification levels were the following. The lowest level was the mortal bloodline, followed by the Beastly bloodline, Magical beast bloodline, King beast bloodline, Monarch beast bloodline, Mystical level bloodline, Legendary beast bloodline, Mythical beast bloodline, Divine beast bloodline, Ancient beast bloodline, Immortal beast bloodline, and Primordial Beast bloodline.
And since each rank was also divided into sublevels of low, mid, high, and peak, telling a beast that there were those that could mark and those that couldn't mark was quite an insult.
For a beast to have the ability to mark another creature, it must be at least inside the Legendary beast bloodline level.
Sierra was in the high-Mystical beast bloodline level, which was honestly extremely high for this realm where most beasts ranged between Beastly and King level beasts.
Although Andrea didn't know about any of this in detail, she was curious and asked, "What is the name of your bloodline, little one?"
The one-meter-tall crab put her pincers up and said with a weirdly proud tone. "Hohoho, you finally asked! Fear and despair, silver beast! I'm a [Sun Engulfing Ore Lobster]!"
Andrea was stupefied, but for another reason, "Wait, you are a lobster? Not a crab?"
If lobsters had a face that expressed stupefaction, our little friend would be the incarnation of it. Still, even if Andrea couldn't read her facial expressions, the fact that the lobster that looked like a crab and had a turtle complex was currently frozen while pointing at Andrea with one trembling claw was enough indication to show her current mood.
Andrea laughed at her silly position, "Sorry, little one. It is just that… Where is the tail that lobsters have? The antennae? When you were out of the mineral, you really looked like a crab."
What Andrea didn't know was that she had stepped on a landmine. For a lobster, being compared with a crab was something unacceptable!
"You-you-you, HOW CAN YOU CONFUSE ME WITH THOSE THINGS!? We are so different that it is not even close! They are all so chunky and ugly, and they stupidly move sideways! Are their brains tangled since birth so they can only walk sideways!? Stupid creatures!"
The lobster fumed so much that cute transparent bubbles came out of her mouth. "How can they compare with the elegance of us, lobsters? We lobsters have sleek faces, bodies, and beautiful tails! Can they compare? They can't! We are completely superior to them!"
Andrea didn't know whether to laugh or cry, 'Is there such a big difference? Sorry, little one, until now, I've only differentiated the tastes between your two species!'
Of course, Andrea wouldn't speak something like this aloud. "Right, right, how can a crab compare to a lobster? Your species are much more beautiful and elegant. It is me who is stupid. Forgive me, little one."
The lobster moved its claws up and down and continued berating Andrea. "I can't believe that I made some sort of connection or whatever with you! My trust was broken just some minutes after making the special thing! How can my companion not be able to differentiate between lobsters and crabs!? It is like not knowing to differentiate the Moon and the Sun!"
Andrea patted the furious lobster, agreeing with everything she said and thinking with amusement. 'Her attitude is quite strong, like a little princess, hahaha.'
Who knew that Andrea would enter a coughing fit right after because of that thought?
"Worse! You confused me, this lobster princess, with a crab! A princess, royalty! Can you understand? You confused someone with lobster royal blood for a disgusting and stupid crab!"
Andrea choked on her saliva and entered a coughing fit, "*Cough* You are what!?"
The princess lobster stopped her tirade and looked at Andrea with her vertical, black, pearl-like eyes. Andrea couldn't help but find that she was somewhat cute… for a lobster. "I'm the princess of my clan! I just escaped outside our territory, entered a strange portal, and then I met you."
Andrea felt that her life span was shortening. 'Will I have an army of lobsters after me when they discover that I contracted their little princess?'
Then, a headache came with the next thought. 'Moreover, her sluggish speech, somewhat childish personality, ignorant self, and easily dupable nature… Is she a child? Did I just put a child in a contract? Also, a portal? This is getting more and more ridiculous by the second.'
"Say, little one. Do you know what we did?" Andrea asked with concern. She had heard princess lobster refer to the contract as a "Special thing" before, so she was unsure.
The princess lobster, now more relaxed after venting, said to Andrea with an extremely confident and proud tone, lifting her pincers up. "I don't!"
Andrea felt that her speechlessness level had reached new record heights.
The princess lobster asked, "Silver beast, do you know what we did?"
Andrea sighed and said, "Little one, do you promise not to get angry after I explain it?"
The princess lobster nodded and exclaimed in her soft milky voice. "Why are you making such a big deal? Say it to this princess! My heart is as wide and deep as the Reluga Trench!"
Andrea didn't know what that place was and also ignored the contradiction of her being generous as her previous terrible fit was something to be impressed with. Then, she proceeded to explain what a contract was. "Little one, what we did is called a Blood Contract. It is used to create a link between humanoid creatures and pure beasts like you."
The princess lobster was happy, "A link? So, we are connected? Like super best friends?"
Andrea felt even more guilty after hearing the clearly happy tone. 'I may have fucked up….'
Still, she didn't want to lie to her future partner, "Little one, the thing is that this contract makes you, the beast, unable to disobey my orders."
The young princess lobster looked at Andrea, somewhat confused. "What do you mean?"
Andrea sighed and said, "That means that you can't go against anything I say."
The princess lobster said calmly, "Oh."
Andrea was confused at her reaction, 'Isn't she too nonchalant?'
"Why aren't you angry, little one?"
The princess lobster answered naively, "Even if I have to listen to you, we are friends, so you won't tell me to do something bad, right?"
Andrea felt a pang of crushing guilt like a stone fell on her heart. She went forward and hugged the little lobster tightly, "Yes, there is nothing to worry about. We are super good friends, right?"
The princess lobster returned the hug clacking her pincers happily, "But of course, I've seen your efforts protecting me back there! You are worthy of being this princess' friend."
Andrea took off her helmet and smiled tenderly at the little one. "I'm happy that you look at me like that. Now, let's introduce ourselves to each other again. My name is Andrea, a human with the [Sun Eating Tiger] bloodline. Nice to meet you, little one."
The princess lobster froze for a second and stuttered, "You are a human?"
Andrea laughed and pressed her smooth and soft tanned cheek with the lobster's pointy face. "That's right, little one. Do you have a name?"
The princess lobster felt quite good with the smooth and tender flesh caressing her lobster face, so she said with a shy tone, "I-I thought you were a beast… So you are a legendary human! Wow, my friend is super cool~."
Andrea looked at her black pearl-like eyes and smiled, "I'm glad you aren't afraid, little one."
The lobster's two antennae suddenly came out from the side of her face and caressed Andrea's face all around, even pinching her cheeks with her pincers. "Wow, so supple and soft. Your light brown skin is so different from the hard silver skin you had!"
Andrea was surprised when she saw those large and long antennae coming out of her. Andrea said with a flattering tone, "Where did you have these hidden, little one? No wonder I confused you with a crab after you hid these beautiful antennae."
The princess lobster harrumphed, but Andrea could feel happiness coming from that gesture. And although Andrea didn't know how she could make such a humane gesture, she didn't delve deep into it. There were too many mysteries in the world to find an answer to all of them. The princess lobster answered, "They are so sensitive. Of course, I would hide them! Although I see worse without them, I'm weak, and a lot of bad beasts can cut them off easily."
Andrea asked curiously as the lobster's antennae kept going through her face, "So, what about your tail, little one? I didn't see it when you got out of the shell the first time."
The little princess said proudly, "My species is special between lobsters! We only grow our tails when we reach adulthood! I'm still far from reaching it. My tail will be super-duper beautiful when it grows because I'm the most beautiful. My daddy and mommy always say so! Also, the people around me always say that I'm the most beautiful lobster!"
Andrea smiled and patted her but was internally frowning. 'Right, she has a family… Shit, this is getting complicated. Moreover, we can't reverse the contract once it is done without doing some complex rituals and the help of high-level seniors. Maybe Tatyana can help me? Sigh, so to do that, I can only do it outside the secret realm, but then I wouldn't be able to return her to her family since we would be on a completely different Continent!'
Andrea's thoughts suddenly took a turn, 'Wait, didn't she tell me that she took a portal or something?'
Andrea suddenly heard the twenty lava beasts shooting, interrupting her thoughts. She hastily hugged the princess and jumped forward without looking at the beasts. After not feeling anything coming her way, she looked over and cursed inside her mind. 'Shit, that scared me. Thankfully, they weren't attacking me.'
Andrea remembered where they were at the moment, so she refocused on entering the gates. 'I will have to think about this later. First, let's enter this place.'
"Little one, let's enter these gates. Look, more people are coming."
The lobster looked over there and said, "Oh! So many humans! Together with the previous bad guys you killed, I've been seeing a lot of them recently."
Andrea let the lobster on the ground and began inspecting the double giant doors. "Is it that strange?"
The princess lobster said, "Of course! Humans are almost extinct. Only a few tribes remain, and they are very weak."
Andrea's eyebrow went up with surprise, 'Huh? Are the beasts dominant from where she is from?'
"Hmm, interesting. We can talk about that later, little one. Can you help me find a way to open these giant doors? Those humans trying to advance through the beasts are dangerous and want to eat you!"
This startled the lobster princess, and she began searching the surroundings.
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Author Note. Look what I have here~. https://www.webnovel.com/book/heaven-earth-me-rise-of-the-death-empress_24457040605543005