Two Choices

Dust billowed across the vast training grounds as a slender figure fought a middle-aged man.

Alicia wore fitted clothes that allowed her to move freely. Her long golden hair was tied in a ponytail that swung through the air as she moved.

She controlled the Skylark, sending sharp blades of wind flying toward her opponent with each beat of its wings.

The middle-aged man facing her was a Five-Star Card Master, and the Card Beast he had summoned was a burly black bear. Even so, the Skylark's attacks steadily drove them back. The bear had already sustained several wounds and let out a series of low growls.

Standing at the edge of the training grounds, Lin Qi couldn't help marveling.

"I thought the city lord's daughter was just a pretty second-generation official who liked painting her Card Beasts. I didn't expect her to be such a strong fighter."

He carefully sensed the Source Power fluctuations from both sides. Alicia was already a Four-Star Card Master, at the same level as his father!

Yet she didn't look more than a few years older than him, seventeen or eighteen at most. She was a full twenty years younger than Lin Feng. Her talent was truly astonishing.

Alicia seemed to notice Lin Qi's gaze. Without stopping, she pulled a card from her clothes. Source Power surged at her fingertips, and the card instantly transformed into a green light that entered the Skylark.

Lin Qi narrowed his eyes as he watched. It was a three-star Skill Card. Although its star rating wasn't low, its quality was only green, but it was just right for the Skylark to make the most of its effects.

On the Source Card Continent, a card with a high star rating didn't necessarily have high quality. But a high-quality card was certain to have a high star rating.

A card-making apprentice, for example, might only be able to make one-star white cards all his life. But if one day he suddenly had a flash of inspiration or got lucky and used one-star card materials to make a two-star white card, that was quite common.

Although the card's power had increased, it was at most fifty percent stronger than a one-star card. It was equivalent in quality to a green one-star card and couldn't possibly be stronger than a green two-star card.

The Skylark suddenly beat its wings, whipping up gusts of wind around it. Like invisible walls, they blocked every path of retreat for the black bear.

The Skylark then dived, its sharp beak stabbing toward the black bear's eyes. The middle-aged man's expression changed, and he hurriedly called out, "Miss, I've lost."

Seeing that he had conceded, Alicia's lips curved into a smile.

"Then let's stop today's training here."

"Come back, little Skylark."

The Skylark turned into light and returned to its card.

She turned to look at Lin Qi, golden strands of hair clinging to her cheeks and a thin sheen of sweat on her temples.

Her sapphire-blue eyes held undisguised anticipation. "Did you find the Pink Fluorite?"

Lin Qi pulled an exquisite box from his clothes and opened it, revealing a piece of Pink Fluorite that glowed with a soft pink light.

"It's huge!"

Delight flashed in Alicia's eyes. She reached out and gently touched the Pink Fluorite, its smooth, warm surface beneath her fingertips.

"The quality is much better than I expected!"

Xiao Lan came over as well and said excitedly, "Miss, with a piece of Pink Fluorite this big, there'll be plenty left after dyeing the Skylark. You can dye your other Card Beasts too. They'll look especially pretty!"

Other Card Beasts?

Lin Qi froze for a moment and thought to himself, She really is the city lord's daughter. Ordinary families have to scrimp and save just to keep one Card Beast, yet she has a whole group of them. That's the difference status makes.

After putting away the Pink Fluorite, Alicia finally took a proper look at Lin Qi.

The young man before her wore ordinary cloth clothes. He wasn't particularly burly, but his eyes were clear and held a composure beyond his years. His Source Power fluctuations showed that he was only a One-Star Card Apprentice, yet he had handled the task far more efficiently than expected.

"A One-Star Card Apprentice, but capable, and very young..."

Catching sight of the Wind Chime Cat behind Lin Qi, Alicia's eyes shifted, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Lin... Lin..."

She struggled to say his name, but had clearly forgotten it.

Lin Qi spoke up at once. "Lin Qi."

"Oh, right, Lin Qi."

Alicia coughed lightly to cover her embarrassment, then took a card from her clothes and held it out to Lin Qi.

"Lin Qi, you completed the task exceptionally well. According to our agreement, I only had to pay you in Ka'en. But since you have a Card Beast too, I'll give you two choices."

Lin Qi bowed slightly. "Please tell me what they are, miss."

"The first choice is to take the Ka'en as agreed, fifty thousand Ka'en in total."

Licia paused, her gaze falling on the Wind Chime Cat's fluffy tail. Her voice softened a little. "The second choice is for me to give you the Wind Chime Cat's advancement materials, precious materials that can help it advance from two stars to three."

"Advancement materials?"

Lin Qi looked down at the Wind Chime Cat, mulling it over.

Now that he had a Rule Card, it was certain that he would fuse stronger Beast Taming Cards in the future. The Wind Chime Cat was well-behaved, but he hadn't decided whether to put effort into raising it.

Seeing his hesitation, Xiao Lan reminded him:

"Lin Qi, the young lady is the only person in all of Black Iron City with materials for advancing Card Beasts. If you pass this up, you'll never get another chance. Don't tell me money is more important to you than the Wind Chime Cat?"

At those words, Lin Qi suddenly saw the light.

That's right. The Wind Chime Cat was a gift from my father. How could the feelings behind it be measured in money?

Besides, after the time they had spent together these past few days, the Wind Chime Cat really was well-behaved and affectionate.

Lin Qi took a deep breath and looked up at Alicia, his gaze firm. "Miss, I've made up my mind. I choose..."

Alicia looked gratified as she waited for him to say he wanted the advancement materials, but his next words made both women's expressions freeze.

"I choose... Ka'en."

The air fell silent. Xiao Lan's eyes widened as though she couldn't believe her ears. "You... you thought about it for so long, and you still want the money?"

The smile vanished from Alicia's face as well. She turned away in disappointment, thinking to herself, It seems I was wrong about him. Lin Qi isn't a far-sighted person at all. He's just a merchant who loves money as much as his life.

"Xiao Lan, take him to collect the money."

Alicia's voice was somewhat cold. With that, she turned and walked deeper into the training grounds, clearly unwilling to say another word to Lin Qi.