“God of Creation?” Lin Shu repeated in disbelief.
‘So the system means for me to find the god who created this world and have them send me back to Earth?’
‘But it didn’t give me any hints. What does that mean? Does it want me to go through eighty-one trials?’
“Mhm!” Hati nodded. “It’s not ordinary at all.”
‘But why did Sefina lie to me? Does she not want me to look further into the truth behind the key…?’
“Lin Shu, you can use magic, and you’re even a rare human familiar. Although the Saintess didn’t give any details, maybe the Bishop is looking for you and the key because your identity has a special meaning!”
Hati spoke with increasing excitement, her eyes sparkling like stars.
“Maybe we can be colleagues in the future!”
“Colleagues? You mean, joining the Holy Church?”
“Exactly.”
Lin Shu hadn’t thought about joining the Holy Church. Heading to the Sacred Race was already the goal she had set after receiving the key. It was only after meeting Sefina that everything changed. She had once thought that by Sefina’s side, she had found another place to belong.
Was she starting over? At the very least, she now knew the true meaning of the key’s pattern.
“By the way, Lin Shu, that purple-haired vampire doesn’t want you anymore. Why can you still use her contract skills?”
“Ah, I was wondering about that too.” Lin Shu subconsciously touched the mark on her forehead. “She wanted me to escape from the Tepus estate and settle down somewhere else. Maybe she left it as a means for me to protect myself? I’m not sure.”
“Can’t you break the contract?”
“I can’t do it myself. A familiar has no way to break it unless there’s a new contract application.”
Hati’s brow furrowed. “Huh? There’s really a rule like that?”
After Hati asked, Lin Shu began to consider the issue of the contract. Hati’s words explained why Sefina had restricted her from going out before, but the resentment of being treated as a substitute still remained.
The knot in Lin Shu’s heart wasn’t completely untied. Her previous status as a familiar had made her accustomed to dependence, making her forget to ask what her true wishes were.
‘Should I just leave like this?’ Lin Shu asked herself.
Hati propped her face up with her hands. “So, what are your plans for the future?”
“I want to think about it some more.” To put Hati at ease, Lin Shu added, “But I will definitely go to the Sacred Race.”
“That’s good!”
Hati immediately broke into a smile. She raised her hands high, let out a big stretch, and then leaned over to collapse onto Lin Shu’s lap.
“Huh?!”
Lin Shu, who was deep in thought, was startled by her sudden movement.
“Lin Shu, you’re so special. You smell really good, too.” Hati turned her face and sniffed.
She had said that back at the Tepus estate, too. But what exactly was the scent? Lin Shu confusedly pulled at her collar and sniffed it. “Do you mean… the smell of soap on my clothes?”
“No!” Hati refuted, her white tail thumping against the ground. “The scent I like is your own scent, nothing else.”
“My own?”
“Of course. Don’t underestimate my nose. Everyone’s scent is unique, and I can distinguish all of them.”
‘Unique.’
Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat. Hati was very straightforward. She said almost whatever was on her mind. Her likes and dislikes were written on her face, and she made no effort to hide her feelings.
“Then what does my scent smell like? Why do you like it, Hati?”
Hati thought seriously for a moment. “Hmm… I can’t describe it, but I feel very happy when I smell your scent. Oh, right! If I had to put it into words, it’s a feeling of wanting to stay close and clingy all the time. Anyway, for me, liking someone is just liking someone. Do I need a reason?”
Her gaze fell on Lin Shu’s face. When she saw her resisting back at the estate, Hati’s heart had felt itchy, as if it were being scratched by foxtail grass. There was an uncontrollable stir within her. She couldn’t accurately describe that feeling.
After learning that the vampire had bullied and used Lin Shu, Hati only felt that she had to protect the person in front of her.
“I’ll protect you from now on!”
Lin Shu smiled. Was this the sense of justice of a Demon Hunter Captain?
Hati continued, “Even in special circumstances, you can use magic, Lin Shu. You don’t have to rely on that contract skill anymore.”
Mentioning magic, Lin Shu scratched her cheek. “I only came across magic by chance and memorized a few simple spells.”
She felt a bit of regret. In her rush to escape, she hadn’t had time to bring that magic textbook. If she could study it systematically and improve further, maybe she could use higher-level magic, and the types of spells she could cast daily would increase.
“It’s okay. Once we reach the kingdom of the Sacred Race, there are organizations specifically for teaching magic. I can take you there.”
Lin Shu’s eyes lit up. That was indeed a good option. Even if she broke the familiar contract, she would have her own strength.
Hope ignited in her heart. “Okay.”
With a clear, long-term goal, Lin Shu felt slightly more at ease. She unconsciously raised her hand and stroked Hati’s head as she lay on her lap. The red hair wasn’t soft; it was somewhat coarse, just like her straightforward personality.
“That feels good,” Hati murmured, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction.
It was hard to imagine that the Demon Hunter Captain, who had been in a fierce fight with Liya not long ago, was now curled up on her lap. Lin Shu’s lips curved upward. She brushed her fingertips through the other girl’s hair, slowly smoothing out the tangled strands.
Hati turned her face, her nose pointing toward the lower part of Lin Shu’s abdomen.
“In this spot, your scent is very strong. I like it.” Her gaze fell between Lin Shu’s legs.
“That’s — ” Lin Shu’s face flushed hot. “Wait! You can’t — “
Hati’s hair brushed against the skin on the inside of Lin Shu’s thighs. A strange sensation mixed with itchiness surged up Lin Shu’s spine like an electric current, making her shudder uncontrollably. She hurriedly reached out, wanting to push Hati’s head away.
But Hati’s reactions were fast. She turned her head and bit down on several of the fingers on one of Lin Shu’s hands. She didn’t use force. She only nipped lightly with her teeth. It didn’t hurt, but the sharpness of her teeth was evident.
Hati released her teeth and instead licked the tips of Lin Shu’s fingers with her tongue. Again and again, a moist, warm softness brushed against her pads and wrapped around her fingertips. As she licked, Hati looked up at her.
At that moment, those eyes were filled with blatant desire, like the gaze of a predator looking at its prey.
‘Wait, doesn’t she belong to the Holy Church? What’s with this overstepping behavior?!’
“Hati,” Lin Shu called out in a panic, quickly pulling her fingers away and moving back.
“Hati! What are you doing!!” Miya’s shocked voice came from the entrance of the cave. “Get — Get a hold of yourself! You’re a Demon Hunter Captain!!”
She hurried into the cave and pulled Hati away while muttering under her breath, “May the gods guide you, may the gods guide you!”
Hati looked at Lin Shu reluctantly. Her ears flattened into airplane ears instantly, and her tail drooped dejectedly.