Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

044: The Phantom Cat Demon Bloodline

On the way back, Lin Qi first went to Tree Town to collect the reward for this mission, which was the bloodline of the Phantom Cat Demon.

Upon returning to the manor, they immediately began the bloodline transplantation for Lucy.

...

A few days later, Lynch Manor, study.

In the soft candlelight, Lin Qi was flipping through a potions notebook, the twisted lines on the pages seeming to slowly writhe in the light. The room was quiet, save for the rustling of the pages turning.

suddenly--

"Owner."

A voice, without warning, rang out almost right next to Lynch's ear!

The voice was soft, carrying a familiar timidity, but its sudden appearance made Lin Qi, who was completely absorbed in his book, jump in surprise, almost leaping out of his chair.

He looked up instantly, his sharp gaze sweeping towards the source of the sound.

Only then did I notice that a slender figure had been standing quietly in front of the heavy wooden door of the study.

It's Lucy.

She was wearing a simple dark gray linen dress, barefoot, and stood there silently, as if she had appeared out of thin air. Lin Qi had no idea when she had appeared.

Only when he saw that it was her did Lin Qi's tense nerves relax.

He put down his notebook, leaned back in his chair, and asked, "You're awake? How are you feeling?"

Lucy nodded slightly, her light gray eyes appearing exceptionally bright under the light, though her pupils seemed rounder than usual.

She replied, "I just woke up not long ago... and I feel... something's different about my body."

Lin Qi beckoned, his tone carrying a researcher's scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible expectation: "Come here. Take off your clothes and come here."

Lucy obediently did as she was told, untying the belt around her waist and taking off her simple dress. Soon she was standing naked on the carpet in the center of the study, her long silver-gray hair cascading down her back, half-covering her body.

Lin Qi stood up, walked up to her, and scrutinized her inch by inch, starting from the top of her head, with eyes like a precise measuring instrument.

The most noticeable change appeared on the top of her head.

A pair of fluffy, silver-gray cat ears with slightly dark gray tips have suddenly appeared amidst the originally smooth, silver-gray hair.

At this moment, the ears are turning slightly, as if trying to catch the faintest sound in the air. You can also see light, pinkish-white down on the inside of the auricle, which looks both strange and exquisite.

Looking down, her already fair skin seemed even smoother and more delicate, gleaming with a healthy, soft glow under the light.

Her limbs remained slender, but the contours of her muscles appeared smoother and firmer, conveying a sense of supple strength. Her ankles and wrists looked exceptionally flexible.

Lin Qi circled behind her; no tail had grown from her smooth coccyx.

According to the ancient guide text, the complete cat demon tail feature is not consistently expressed with each transplant; this is within the normal range of variation.

He gestured for Lucy to raise her hand. Her fingers were still long and slender, but her nails had become noticeably thicker and harder, with a pale, translucent keratinous color and unusually sharp edges.

When Lin Qi gently pressed her fingertips, the nails could extend and retract slightly, like a feline claw, but they couldn't completely retract into the fingertips yet.

"Open your eyes and look at me," Lynch commanded.

Lucy looked up and met Lynch's gaze. Her pupils were strange, dark gold vertical pupils that dynamically adjusted with the intensity of the light.

"What specific changes do you notice? Tell me in detail." Lynch returned to his seat, picked up his quill pen, and prepared to take notes.

Lucy struggled to organize her thoughts, describing as she felt: "My eyes... I can see much more clearly, especially in the dark. Just now, coming from my room, the hallway was unlit, but I could see very clearly, like... like it was evening."

"I can hear more sounds now, very subtle sounds, such as the rustling of leaves far outside the window, and... the subtle sound of paper fibers tearing when you turn the pages of a book."

She paused, feeling the changes in her body: "My body feels lighter and stronger, but I'm not used to it yet. The texture of my skin... I'm much more sensitive to the movement of air and subtle changes in temperature."

Lynch nodded; this initially matched the descriptions of "enhanced night vision," "sensory enhancement," and "shadow affinity."

"Now, try jumping up in this room. Use whatever feels most natural, don't consciously control your strength." Lin Qi pointed to the open space in the center of the study.

Lucy looked a little lost, but still followed his instructions and walked to the center of the open space. She slightly bent her knees, then gently leaped upwards—

Whoosh!

Her figure shot up instantly, so fast it almost left a blur! Her light and springy movements completely exceeded her own expectations, as well as Lin Qi's!

"Ah!" Lucy only managed to let out a short exclamation.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, her head slammed solidly against the nearly four-meter-high oak ceiling of the study!

Although it wasn't too heavy, the impact was clearly quite severe. She cried out in pain, lost her balance in mid-air, and scrambled to her feet.

However, upon landing, the body automatically adjusts and eventually lands steadily on the ground.

Lucy covered her head, at a loss for what to do.

A strong light of surprise flashed in Lin Qi's eyes!

This jumping ability... far exceeded his expectations!

The ceiling of the study was so high that even a knight jumping at full power would have difficulty reaching it, and Lucy's leap was just a "casual" one, and she might not have even used her full strength!

This is not just an improvement in agility and flexibility, but a holistic leap in leg power, body coordination, and balance!

"Good! Very good!"

Lin Qi couldn't help but stand up and walk over to Lucy, who was clutching her head and looking somewhat aggrieved. He rarely showed such a clear smile: "A bump is nothing to worry about; it just means the effect is even better than expected!"

"You need time to familiarize yourself with and master this new power. It seems that the ancient guiding technique and the Phantom Cat Demon bloodline have produced a good synergy with your dark talents."

He reached out and gently rubbed the top of Lucy's head where she had bumped it.

Lucy felt extremely comfortable being stroked by Lin Qi, and she immediately pressed herself against Lin Qi and rubbed against him gently. Her headache suddenly disappeared.

Compared to the physical comfort, the psychological joy was even greater.

She could clearly sense the change in her master's attitude towards her, and it was obvious that she now had value in her master's eyes.

Lynch continued, "Over the next few days, I'll teach you some basic physical techniques and control skills to help you adapt as quickly as possible. Remember, what you have now is the starting point many apprentices dream of. Master it."

Lucy's ears perked up, and her light gray eyes brightened. She nodded vigorously, "Yes, Master! I will do my best!"