Nora walked along the nighttime street, her steps noticeably lighter than usual.
In her hand was a sheet of oiled paper still warm to the touch, holding five leftover meat skewers.
The thought of earning ten silver coins a week in the future, plus having three meals a day settled at Ron's Wonderful Flower Shop, filled her heart with joy.
As she thought this, her eyes dropped to the oiled paper in her hand.
Her meals were taken care of from now on…
Ron had said that grilled meat doesn't taste good once it's cold…
Nora hesitated. Her mouth began to water, and she subconsciously licked her lips with the tip of her tongue.
Then, she peeled back the oiled paper, glanced around, and crouched in a corner, thoroughly enjoying the rest of her meat skewers.
So delicious…
If only she could eat like this every day…
After saying goodbye to Nora, Ron returned to the study on the second floor.
He was still a little dazed.
At first, he just wanted to find a reliable employee—so he reached out to that homeless kid, Nora.
After all, she had once stepped in to beat up three thugs just for a meal. That said a lot about her character.
But who would have guessed—not only was she a half-beast, but a cat-eared girl?
As someone who had been a homebody in his past life, a gentleman of culture on the internet, Ron had "seen" countless fictional waifus with all kinds of unique traits—cat-girls included, of course.
But that was all 2D. Now, suddenly facing a real, living cat-girl left him a little stunned.
Especially those soft, shallow-black cat ears… They looked so fluffy… It was hard to resist the urge to reach out and touch them.
This had absolutely nothing to do with the system's mission!
As a former upstanding young adult from Earth, Ron held no discrimination toward half-beastfolk. As for Nora being a cat-girl, his attitude was more of interest and welcome than anything else.
If he could get her to wear a maid outfit, with her cat ears and tail on display, working in the shop like that—it'd be amazing!
…But thinking back to how wary she looked, Ron quickly dismissed the idea.
After all, working at the shop meant facing the public. It was better not to expose her identity as a cat-girl.
Even if Ron didn't care what others thought, there was no need to make Nora bear the judgmental looks of some customers.
With that in mind, Ron left the study, went downstairs, and headed to the clothing store next door. He asked the shopkeeper if they had any ordinary work uniforms.
The shop owner welcomed Ron enthusiastically and recommended a few styles.
Ron picked one with a long-sleeved white shirt on top and a loose, matching skirt on the bottom, long enough to reach the ankles.
He also selected a work hat with extra space inside so it wouldn't press down on Nora's cat ears—it should be more comfortable for her.
With this simple outfit, Ron bought three sets and brought them back to the shop for Nora to wear when she officially started work tomorrow.
Still… it would've been so nice to buy her a maid outfit instead…
Ron couldn't help but fantasize a little.
Radiant Mercenary Corps Office.
Jasper gathered five trainee mercenaries and brought them to the training grounds.
Holt was among them.
Holding a Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum in his hands, Jasper swept his gaze over the five and said:
"I've reviewed your records. You're all veterans of the Radiant Mercenary Corps. Even the one who joined the latest has been here for over three years."
"After failing to advance to Tier 1 Warrior, you've all been reassigned to clerical duties—but you still come to the training ground daily to work on your bodies."
"I've seen it all."
He opened with words of encouragement, which deeply moved the five men, all in their thirties, who had lost hope of becoming Tier 1 warriors.
Jasper was in charge of all operations for the Radiant Mercenary Corps in the City of Chaos—a very important figure. That he would even notice small fry like them was touching.
Seeing that the mood was right, Jasper nodded and lifted the Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum in his hand.
"This time, the Corps has an opportunity for you. Whether you can seize it is up to you."
"This flower is called the Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum. Its petals and leaves can aid in the condensation of a Battle Aura Vortex. It might help you break through to Tier 1."
"But I must be clear—this is something I just obtained. I can't guarantee it works, nor can I confirm it's harmless to the body."
"So think carefully before making a decision."
"If you're content with your current position and don't want to take risks, feel free to say so. I won't hold it against you. But if you choose to try and something goes wrong, the Corps will take responsibility."
"I'll give you three minutes to decide."
This kind of offer—what was there to hesitate about?
Even when there was no hope, they had kept training daily, all in preparation for an opportunity like this.
So they didn't even wait a few seconds before unanimously agreeing.
Jasper distributed the petals of the Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum.
Soon, fluctuations of Battle Aura began to ripple through the training room.
Holt stood firm on the training floor, performing one standard movement after another, his expression grave and focused.
As he continued his motions, threads of "qi" were drawn from deep within his body, flowing along his meridians.
To his delight, after consuming the petal, his body gradually filled with a sense of vitality, like a slumbering lion opening its eyes.
This time, the amount of "qi" he extracted far exceeded anything from before!
You see, for a trainee warrior, the key to forming a Battle Aura Vortex lies in the quality and quantity of one's qi.
The quality is determined mainly by the cultivation method and the duration of training.
The quantity depends on long-term physical conditioning and a healthy body.
Of course, if one's natural talent for Battle Aura is strong enough, none of that matters as much.
Holt cleared his mind, then followed the mercenary corps' training method step by step, guiding his qi through his meridians.
Once his body adapted to the circulation, he began converging the qi at his lower abdomen, just as the method instructed.
He continued moving while focusing his qi, drawing out more energy to fuel the process.
Time passed slowly.
A quarter of an hour later—
Whoosh—
Like a rising tide, a weak but distinct wave of Battle Aura surged from Holt's body.
He gradually stopped his movements. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and he was breathing slightly harder.
His eyes were filled with disbelief and joy—there was a faint redness in his eyes.
Ever since he failed to advance years ago, he had never thought he'd get another chance to condense a Battle Aura Vortex.
But now… Hope had become reality!