Aectaeon grunted just when he heard the woman's reason. He didn't even try to conceal how galled he was by the responsibility thrown at him without his knowledge.
Hearing the man's reaction, Krysha lowered her head so she was only looking at her fidgeting hands. She was at a loss on what to do. Though he didn't want to bother the man, it was a fact that he's the best person to help her. There's no one in the area who was a better Meister than him.
With a sigh, Aectaeon gave his response, "What will get in return for doing that?"
Confused, Krysha looked at Aectaeon.
"I said, what will I get in return for doing that? It's not like I go around helping people. I have my own errands."
"I- uhh, I don't-- I didn't know that there was payment."
Krysha's voice became softer by the end of her sentence. She lowered her gaze once more, shamefaced to look at Aectaeon.
"If there's none, then I'll take my leave."
As he was about to stand, a game panel appeared. Aectaeon squinted his eyes at the panel that was, perchance, stopping him from leaving.
{{ Mission }}
{{ Help Krysha Capture Her First Demon }}
{{ Time Limit: 00 D; 01 H; 30 M; 00 S }}
{{ Rewards }}
{{ A: 1,000,000 Gold Coins }}
{{ B: Time Compression }}
{{ Penalty }}
{{ A: 02 D; 10 H; 00 M; 00 S will be deducted from 'Return Countdown' }}
'Honestly, I'd rather get the penalty rather than the rewards. This is so troublesome.'
Despite wanting to fail, Aectaeon's interest was piqued by one of the rewards.
'Time Compression, huh? Is it something that can help me in my guessing opportunity or in the overall game?'
Aectaeon ended his contemplation almost instantly and gave Krysha a glance. The woman still had her head lowered, refusing to be a bother to Aectaeon any longer.
The man stood up and went back to the door, trying to move the door handle anew. However, it was as if it had turned into a stone. With a sigh, he went back to the couch and sat.
"If you want me to help you, think of something that you can give in return. I'll give you ten seconds to think."
"But-" The woman protested as he lifted her head.
"Your time starts now."
Lumbered with a choice, the woman pondered carefully over the matter. She listed all of her possessions inside her head, discarding those that didn't have any value.
"Three, two, one, time's up. So what can you give?"
"Uhm, I have a necklace made of gold. It's something that I found while I was vacationing in the south."
"Fair enough, let's go," Aectaeon said, getting up on his feet thereafter.
The woman's countenance noticeably lit up. She bowed her head towards the old woman before standing up and following Aectaeon.
Aectaeon looked intently at the handle prior to putting his hand around it.
'If the handle doesn't move at this point, I'll put an explosive over it and see if it breaks down.'
Slowly but surely, he turned the handle. When it moved, Aecteon rejoiced in his head. He quickly pulled the door open and stepped out.
He closed his eyes as he gazed at the sky, taking a deep breath of the fresh forest air. A second later, a night breeze descended, making the trees dance in its mercy. Aectaeon hugged his arms, feeling the coldness of the breeze.
"According to the map, the hunting ground is just a hundred meters away from here. The demons there are low levels. It will be easy for a beginner to capture one." He mumbled while staring in the direction of his destination.
Aectaeon could hear the footsteps of the woman approaching him. That being so, he didn't see the need to inform her what to do.
He began walking towards the woods, unperturbed by how dark it was. Aectaeon could hear the distant sounds of demons frolicking around.
'Oh, wait, sounds? I can hear sounds?' Aectaeon remarked by surprise. 'Come to think of it, I can also smell the forest. I even felt cold earlier. Maybe it's because the mission covers an entire area that I regained my senses?'
In the middle of their walk, Aectaeon heard Krysha scream all of a sudden. He turned to face her, finding that a creature had blocked her way.
The creature, presumed by Aectaeon to be a demon, hardly differed in appearance from Thyr. Only, it was a full foot taller than Thyr and its skin was of a deep blue shade. It had one horn sticking out of the top of its head.
"That's a demon. If you're afraid of that, how can you capture one?" Aectaeon told the woman as he put his hands inside his pocket.
"But… but… it might attack me."
"Then why are you trying to capture a demon? To keep it as a pet?"
Krysha looked at Aectaeon with eyes pleading for help. Withal, the man didn't make a single move. Using his right pinky finger, he just activated one of the Commands he was keen on trying.
{-{ Inspect Activated }-}
{-{ Capture the Demon you wish to Inspect }-}
In the next moment, a square panel appeared above the device. Aectaeon pointed the device at the demon, making sure that it was within the square panel.
{-{ Demon Recognized }-}
{-{ Jratyalner Lv. 5 }-}
{-{ Would you like to view Jratyalner's stats? }-}
{-{ Yes }-} {-{ No }-}
Without a second thought, Aectaeon chose yes.
{-{ Jratyalner }-}
{-{ Rank: Unranked }-}
{-{ Order: -- }-}
{-{ Attribute: Water }-}
{-{ Level: 5/50 }-}
{-{ HP: 350 }-}
{-{ ATK: 16 }-}
{-{ DEF: 150 }-}
{-{ SP: 10 }-}
{-{ INT: 100 }-}
{-{ SPD: 150 }-}
{-{ To View Demon's List of Skills: Use 'Skill' Command }-}
"It's not even worth looking at." He muttered with a sigh.
He finally returned his attention towards the woman who was still petrified by the sight of a demon.
"It's only a level 5 demon. It won't be difficult for you to catch."
Krysha vigorously shook her head, glaring at Aectaeon as she screamed, "That's easy for you to say since you're experienced!"