Chapter 2 Female Supremacy, Male Inferiority

The news that the female rescued from the primordial planet had awakened spread through the entire base instantly, sending a wave of excitement through everyone. After all, out of the more than 30,000 personnel stationed here—soldiers and logistics staff alike—every single one of them was a male therian. There wasn't a single female. Imperial law strictly forbade bringing females to such dangerous locations. Tessa was the first female to appear in this military base in years. Even though most of the people here had never seen her in person, they had already memorized her name. Tessa Norman—what an adorable name. It sounded like that of a soft, clingy little bunny. Tessa was immediately arranged to board the safest ship available and was sent to the Central Planet Federation for Female Welfare, personally escorted by Alexander, with Jacob accompanying them. Onboard, Tessa's quarters were located near Alexander's. The moment she stepped inside, she was momentarily stunned by the room's decor. She hesitated at the entrance, unable to bring herself to step inside. The space was warm and exquisitely arranged—soft lighting filtered through sheer curtains, casting a gentle glow on the delicate bed linens. A small bedside lamp stood next to a vase of dried flowers, and the air carried a faint, soothing fragrance. It was a stark contrast to the cold, rigid atmosphere of the military base. "Is this… my room?" she asked, unable to believe it. Alexander assumed she was dissatisfied and immediately apologized, "My adjutant and his team prepared it on short notice. It must seem too simple… I apologize for the lack of proper accommodations. Please let me know if you need anything." "No, it's not simple," Tessa shook her head and finally stepped inside, running her fingers over the soft throw pillow on the couch, her emotions swirling. For as long as she could remember, she had longed for a warm, safe space that was solely hers. But for her, that had always been an impossible dream. She had grown up being called a worthless burden—forced to leave school early to work and make money, constantly going hungry and cold while every cent of her earnings was snatched away to buy clothes, shoes, and tablets for her younger brother. And now… her dream had become reality. Yet, it felt like she was still dreaming. In fact, from the moment she woke up in this world, everything had felt like a dream. "Can I have some books to read? There's a lot I need to understand," Tessa asked, reining in her emotions as she turned to Alexander. For a brief moment, Alexander was taken aback. Then, he quickly understood. Of course—this poor young female had amnesia. The only thing she remembered was her name, Tessa Norman. Aside from that, she knew nothing—not the identity of the people who had abused and abandoned her, not where she came from. Jacob had privately suggested that her memory loss might be a psychological defense mechanism—a way for her mind to protect itself from trauma. Alexander found the explanation convincing. After all, when Tessa had first awakened, she had been visibly terrified of them. It was entirely possible that she had suffered severe mistreatment at the hands of males before. Guilt and sympathy surged in his chest once more. He solemnly assured her, "Of course. Whatever you need, I will do my best to provide it." Immediately, he ordered an assortment of books to be brought to her, including many audiovisual children's picture books—ensuring that even if she struggled with comprehension due to memory loss, she would still be able to understand. Tessa had already slept enough. Once the books arrived, she shut herself in her room and threw herself into reading, determined to first understand the world she had found herself in. This was an interstellar empire, a civilization spanning across eight star systems and countless planets—its technology leagues beyond anything Earth had ever achieved. And the people here… they weren't quite human. They were therians. According to historical records, males had always possessed two forms: human and beast. They were powerful warriors, waging wars and defending their homes. Meanwhile, females possessed mental power—a unique ability that could calm and stabilize males, preventing them from succumbing to madness and permanently devolving into savage beasts, never to return to their human forms. Now, in the interstellar era, therian civilization had expanded into a vast, boundless cosmos. Their medical advancements had extended lifespans to an average of 500 years, making them one of the most dominant higher civilizations in the galaxy. But they faced an ever-worsening crisis—females were becoming increasingly scarce. The gender imbalance in the Empire continued to grow more severe. In a desperate attempt to rectify the situation, the government had once tried to cultivate artificial females. However, not only were these artificial beings completely incapable of awakening mental power, but the children they bore had a disturbingly high probability of being pure beasts—unable to ever take human form. After several tragic outcomes, the Empire was forced to abandon the research. Instead, natural females became highly protected, and a one-female-to-multiple-males marriage system was widely encouraged. At first, criminals still attempted to enslave and exploit females, but as the Empire tightened its grip on such crimes and continually increased protective measures, the status of females soared—until they were practically worshiped. Society had fully embraced the concept of female supremacy and male inferiority. Female supremacy and male inferiority! Tessa finally understood why Alexander and Jacob, despite being highly ranked, had treated her with such deference. It was simply because they believed she was a female therian. Her eyes widened in shock. Then again, it made sense. No matter how powerful a male therian was, he depended on females' mental power to keep him from losing control and permanently turning into a mindless beast. Mental power seems really important… Tessa rubbed her nose guiltily. But I'm human, not a true therian female. I probably don't possess mental power at all. During dinner that evening, Tessa cautiously asked Jacob about the state of her mental power. Jacob, in the middle of drinking a nutrient supplement, paused mid-sip, then shot Alexander a look of mild reproach. Alexander, feeling wronged, shook his head, indicating he hadn't said anything. With a sigh, Jacob finally answered, "Yes, it's true. You do not have mental power. Typically, a female's awakening occurs at 18, but since you're already 20, it's highly likely that you failed to awaken. "However, there's no need to feel burdened. Nearly 20% of females in the Empire are unable to awaken their mental power. Please believe me when I say that you—like them—are still one of the Empire's greatest treasures." Though females with strong mental power were the most coveted, those without it still held incredibly high status. Jacob wasn't lying. … The next day, Tessa arrived at the Central Planet Federation for Female Welfare, where she was greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm. The attention and treatment she received was on par with—if not exceeding—the status of Earth's top celebrities. The Federation's staff conducted another thorough medical examination on her. Even after confirming that she had no mental power, their attitude remained unchanged—still treating her like the most precious existence in the galaxy. They accompanied her to record her personal information, officially registering her as an Empire Citizen. Tessa handed her medical report to a young male staff member and politely said, "Thank you," flashing him a sweet smile, and his face turned beet red. He held his breath until Tessa walked away to complete the next step in the process—then finally exhaled in a rush. "She's so freaking adorable…" he gushed dreamily. After all, Empire females were so pampered that they either became bad-tempered and aggressive or extremely timid—but either way, they rarely treated males with kindness. "What a shame she didn't awaken her mental power…" he sighed. "If she had, I'd chase her relentlessly!" "Forget it. Even without mental power, she's beautiful and gentle—there'll be no shortage of suitors. Do you really think she'd even glance your way?" his colleague teased. "Besides, malnutrition can affect awakening. If she recovers her health, she might undergo a second awakening." "A second awakening?" The first male scoffed. "Do you know how rare that is? You'd be lucky to see one case in a hundred years!" "Haha, true…" … Tessa had no idea people were discussing her. She was simply waiting for her information to be processed—until her world suddenly spun, and a wave of dizziness hit her like a crashing tide. Then, through the haze, a memory surfaced. She recalled something she had read just the day before—a key symptom before mental power awakening was intermittent dizziness.