5 Lia the Cat Lover

Lin Ke freezes. 'Master Sal? Master Sal Quinn? There's no way I'm that unlucky right? It's fine! He doesn't know who I am.' Lin Ke tries to calm himself down.

"Oh, it's fine! I just wanted to come here and see how all of the talented artists take their exams and at the same time, let my granddaughter get an official placement." The voice is deep and powerful, with some sort of undefiable feel to it. "Is this the kid that Mr. Karst was talking about earlier? The one whom I supposedly met back in the day?"

Lin Ke silently cursed the guard, whose name was apparently Karst. 'That bastard… How unlucky that they run into each other that quickly. Damn it, what do I do now?'

Without any other options, Lin Ke turns around to face the man. He had a rugged, weather worn face with a scar down his left eye. He gave off a dominant aura, even though his voice held no traces of hostility. Standing next to him was a beautiful young girl with flowing black hair. She looked to be about Lin Ke's age, and wore a red silk dress.

"Hmm, I have no recollection of ever meeting you before…" Master Sal says while rubbing his chin. "Well, it's whatever. I have been to many places in the past, I'm sure that I've taught quite a few young village children. However, it's quite rare that they would travel so far to take a test. Well, carry on with what you are doing, I will not bother you."

"Yes, sir." The lady says with a bow. She then walks back to her post. She clears her throat. "Ehem, so the fee for the exam will be 100 low-grade Chaos Stones."

Lin Ke pauses to look at the cat, he thinks, 'You little… you didn't tell me there was a fee involved! What is this, how am I supposed to complete the mission when I can't even afford to sign up for the exam?'

The cat nonchalantly says. "Well... You don't need it. Trust me, you won't be needing it. Someone will probably help you out."

Lin Ke was speechless. What kind of system was this? So irresponsible and unhelpful. However, what did she mean by someone was going to help him out?

During this short internal conversation, the lady seemed to have realized something was wrong. "Do you not have any cash?" She asks.

Lin Ke had to make something up on the spot. "Erm. I used up all of the funds my village gave me so that I could travel here…" He didn't know how to continue.

"Hm? No money? How irresponsible. You should have known that taking the test would cost money." Lin Ke was once again speechless. The lady continues, "Well, I'm sorry but I can't give you the test if you don't pay. Please leave."

Dejected, Lin Ke begins to turn away. When he turns around, he runs into someone. It was the girl. The granddaughter of Master Sal was standing right in front of Lin Ke. She was so close that he could smell a sweet refreshing scent from her body.

When she saw Lin Ke's face so close to her own, she quickly backed up a bit, her face completely red. "Don't.. Don't get the wrong idea!" She says. Her voice is soothing and high, and compliments her face perfectly. "I- I just wanted to touch the cat."

She points at the "sleeping" cat, who opens an eye upon hearing someone talk about her.

"Meow." Lily yawns. The girl, upon seeing the cat wake up and yawn, has an intense look of delight on her face.

"Waaaaa! She's so cuuuuute!" The girl exclaims. She then turns to Lin Ke, "My name is Lia Quinn, what's your name? You can call me Lia. Can I pet the cat?"

"Errrr." Lia talked so fast that Lin Ke had no idea what to answer first. "I'm Lin Ke, and this is my cat, Lily."

"Waaaa. Lily? What a good name for your pet!" Lia looked like she couldn't keep her hands off the cat for another second. "Can I please pet it? Please? How about this? If you let me hold the cat, I'll get my grandpa to help you pay the fee for you exa-"

"Deal!" Lin Ke interrupts. The cat looks up at him in surprise. The look on Lily's face is as if she had just been betrayed, and for a mere 100 low-grade Chaos Stones nonetheless.

"Noooooo! Please! My host! Please! Don't do this to me! Can't you see the look on that girl's face? She's going to squeeze me to death! How could you abandon me like that?"

As Lin Ke hands the cat over, Lily furiously resists. "MEOW! MEOW MEOW MEOOOW!" She scratches at Lin Ke. "I'll remember this betrayal Lin Ke!!!!"

The moment Lily ended up in Lia's hands, there was no way out. Lia held on to Lily so firmly Lily had no way to get out of her grasp. No matter how hard she squirmed, she would still be rubbed all over. Lia had a look of pure bliss as she ran her hands through Lily's white fur and rubbed her face against Lily.

Lin Ke furrows his brows. In his head he questions Lily. "Wait... I thought this was your idea? Didn't you say someone else would help pay? I thought you meant her."

"No! What I meant was the Master Sal guy! Ahhh! Pleaseeeee!" Lily screamed in pain.

After a minute of this, Lia finally remembered what she promised. She turned to look for her grandpa, who had been helping with testing the other people in the room.

"Grandpa Sal? Can you help Lin Ke pay the fee for his test? He doesn't have the money right now." Lia calls in her sweet voice.

Master Sal turns around with a smile and says, "Sure, of course! Anything for my cute granddaughter!" However, when he met Lin Ke's gaze, he gave him a look of extreme warning. It was an extremely menacing look, one that said, "If you dare try and swindle my cute granddaughter away from me I will hunt you down to the ends of the Earth and rip apart your every limb to be put on display for all to see."

That was the message Lin Ke received and it sent shivers down his spine. He mumbled to himself, "Why would I try to swindle your granddaughter? With how amazingly handsome I am, she would fall for me in no time."

Master Sal then turns to the secretary and says, "Can you give this young man over here his exam? I'll help him pay for it."

The secretary quickly replies, "Of course, Master Sal, since you're willing to pay his fee, we shall begin his exam immediately."