Transmigrated With A Thrifty System

14 – She can help you, but at a price

There wasn't ever any mention before receiving instructions to come meet Mr. Smith. No details were given whatsoever concerning the nature of his assignment or possible dangers involved. All inquiries went unaddressed resulting in confusion.

'Lyris' stats, please.' Aiden inquires, hoping to get a clear idea of his current progress or lack of it.

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[Name: Aiden Lancaster]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 22]

[Level: 1]

[Height: 180cm]

[Inventory: 1]

[Spending Quota: $129700]

[Merit points: 1150]

[Ability: Enhancer]

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He looks down in disappointment, realizing that the restrictive spending quota could yield no positive results if he doesn't find a way to invest in something worthwhile.

'I need to focus on earning my cash, that way I won't have to rely on my system.' He thinks with a smile.

He takes a stroll through the streets, admiring the architecture surrounding him.

Buildings rise high overhead towering over other buildings built centuries ago. Streets wind endlessly upward climbing steep inclines. People move swiftly everywhere carrying goods stacked atop carts pulled by horses pulling carriages loaded full of passengers.

Whoosh!

Aiden stumbles back slightly, looking above momentarily, caught in a daze at the dragon that zoomed right past his side.

The one thing he couldn't get enough of is the constant sight of the dragons flying free, soaring effortlessly above the clouds or through the spaces in between buildings and streets. Their scales glistened brightly reflecting sunlight shining amidst the darkness of nighttime skies.

Flying beasts are an impossible sight in modern-day Earth, let alone ancient times. Yet somehow, hundreds fly freely above cities, mountainsides, and forests alike. Some soar low over lakes giving onlookers ample opportunity to see them clearly as they glide gracefully closer to land.

'Would I be able to ride one someday?' Aiden wonders, gazing skyward and imagining riding bareback on top of the belly of a giant beast breathing fire as it flies faster than lightning itself racing across open plains chasing prey or fleeing enemies.

Despite his reluctance to leave, he knows better than to waste precious moments worrying about unnecessaries instead focusing on getting started sooner on the dual goals he had received in both realms, rather than procrastinating it for later.

The main task is to get a gold coin engraved with the image of a dragon emblem, which means tracking down an old acquaintance akin to his character here, named Rufus who lives a few blocks away.

'If luck plays fair, maybe Rufus will remember me,' Aiden muses, 'but probably not considering how long it took Lyris to locate the coordinates.'

[You have three meters remaining to the location of Rufus' home based on GPS coordinates. I estimate approximately ten minutes till arrival once arriving outside the destination radius]

'Thanks, Lyris!' I say as I walk briskly down street corners crossing intersections whenever necessary.

After exiting the underground parking garage, he crosses the road and enters an alleyway running parallel to the sidewalk. Making good progress thanks to quick footwork, he reaches an intersection where traffic lights change color twice from green to gold before changing direction completely.

Ding!

[Destination successful, host. Please wait five seconds then proceed accordingly… Rufus residence: The red building located to your right]

Aiden nods and proceeds to step into the front porch of a small brick house painted light red. Two windows line either end of the narrow structure, each window sporting curtains drawn tightly shut. One door leads inward towards the kitchen, whereas the second doorway faces outward opening onto a balcony overlooking a backyard garden surrounded by trees and bushes growing lush greenery.

Standing next to the railing, Aiden stares intently at the yard noticing movement coming from somewhere close by. After studying carefully for nearly thirty seconds, he finally spots a figure moving slowly past tree trunks, branches swaying gently in the breeze blowing from the northeast.

[Warning!]

He sees an incoming projectile of a tree branch swinging wildly toward his position. Quick reflexes save him from injury, as he gets a hold of it midair using both hands gripping tight to prevent himself from falling backward.

Aiden snaps the trunk in half on his legs and frantically searches for the culprit.

"Show yourself, you coward!" He barks, "it's not nice to hide in the shadows."

He hears a clap followed shortly thereafter by laughter from the same person responsible for throwing the trunk.

Turning around, he finds himself smiling widely seeing the owner of the laugh.

She has her brown curly locks tied loosely under a loose cap covering most of her forehead. Her skin tanned naturally; she must work outdoors, often working hard labor jobs requiring physical exertion.

Wearing nothing more than green shorts and a red tank top exposing toned legs and arms, plus matching sandals on her feet, it gives off an impression of strength and confidence.

She holds two long wooden sticks resembling spears used primarily for hunting game animals. Both weapons appear sharpened to perfection and coated with fragments of gold, ready to strike should something approach.

'Wait a fucking second, She's Rufus? Rufus is a female?!' Aiden asks Lyris telepathically, awestruck by the possibility of this being true.

[It's her codename but yes, host… since we've already established this fact previously several days ago when you arrived in this realm, please don't forget our previous conversation about names being important because everyone remembers yours even though you don't know theirs yet or can't ascribe a face to the downloaded memory]

A cold sweat trickled down his forehead causing him to shiver involuntarily. He begins to question if he has gone insane hearing a voice inside his mind. It seems unreal despite everything he experienced thus far including meeting other characters within this realm.

'She's going to help me with searching for a gold coin?' Aiden inquires.

[Not searching, she possesses quite a few, but at a price…]

'A price?!!' Aiden exclaims in his thoughts, feeling a wave of panic strike a chord with him.

Taking another glance at Rufus, he notices the lady holding spear points aimed squarely at his heart.

"What are you doing here, Aiden?!" Rufus shouts angrily, pointing her weapon straight forward threateningly. "I thought I told you never to show your ugly mug anywhere near these parts!"