2 An Offer You Can't Refuse (You Actually Could, But You'll Have To Get Out of My House)

"You got a handful of choices, girl. You could either return the core and apologize. At least that way, you still have some access to those family riches."

Mel pulled up a pack of menthols and started lighting one up. She took a deep drag from it and a smile curled up on her lips as she entertained a thought. "Or you could rough it with Momma Mel for a while. It'll be tough, but I'll make a real girl out of you yet, Jessie Dee, instead of a painted doll with your family's name on it."

Jessie couldn't help but laugh and for a second her worries were dashed away from her blue eyes. If it was any one else, she would have straight out decked up and let out a litany of profanity that would have left them with their nose and their ears bleeding. But she called Melodie Yoon Momma 'Mel' for a reason – and it wasn't for the other girl's sizable assets in terms of chest and hips, much to Jessie's envy. No, it was because even though the other girl may be four years older than her, she had always looked out for Jessie and was more of a maternal figure to her than any other woman in her family.

Even more so since Jessie's parents died when she was young.

Thinking on it, she liked the idea. She had already called out her family and since all that she said was true (other than her great grandfather, of course), Jessie didn't want anything to do with them anymore.

"Yeah, I thought so," Mel said with a grin on her face. The smoke was falling gently onto Dru's face and she sneezed. Mel patted the lizard on the head and shooed her away from the sofa. She, herself, sat up and hit Jessie full frontal with that mad grin on her face. "First thing, we gotta do is find you a job. I'm gonna make you pay rent if you're living here."

"And who said I would be staying with you?" Jessie shot back.

"I just did. Duh. Where else would you go?"

Jessie pondered for a second. She really didn't have any other place to go off to. She didn't have any other friends that wouldn't ask too many questions or be trying to push her to make amends with her noble-level family. "Fine. So what? I could work down with you at the bar."

To her surprise, Mel shook her head. "Nah. I'm not letting my baby go down in that hellhole. You need a proper job. A career job. You have marketable skills." To which she eyed the core sitting in Jessie's lap.

Jessie scowled and sat up from her seat. "No. I'm not making beasts. It's not my thing."

"Oh, come on! You were literally born into it! You got a core now too! Use it! Everyone needs a beast! It's an essential, and a gold mine, industry!" Mel argued, but Jessie remained adamant.

"No, Mel. I'm not doing it."

Mel deflated a bit. "I'm almost a Rank 3 cultivator, Jess. I need a new beast soon too. Help a girl out, will ya?"

Jessie's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

The other girl only smiled. "I was gonna keep it a surprise until I finally hit the standard, but yeah." Mel pat Dru's snout while the latter let out a reptilian rustle that could be interpreted as a purr. "I don't want to lose Dru, so I just want to take on an Earth-level beast. Maybe one that will help build up my stamina so I can better take on work at the bar? I don't know. I'm just really excited about reaching Third Rank first."

Jess looked down at Nexx still laying down on the floor restfully. She had to admit she was a bit envious. She's stuck at the peak of First Rank since she turned seventeen three months ago.

To the growth of the modern humans in order to grow stronger, they have to bind themselves to beasts and emulate their beasts' attributes into themselves. By cultivating their meridians, they can grow push to higher ranks to bind with stronger beasts to gain their abilities. There's a sort of a set benchmark by the strength and number of the beasts bound to oneself correlating with one's rank. Some abandon their beasts as soon as they reach a higher rank so they can better receive more benefits. Mel's decision only proved how attached she was to Dru.

"How about this, okay? I'll make things easy for you." Mel added.

"You make me a Earth-level beast. Nothing fancy and I'll pay you a commission. Then you can slow down and think about if you want to do it for a living. I promise to not nag you on it while you make you a decision. Deal?"