Ding!
Dravin let out a sigh of relief as he saw the notification.
He looked up at Freya. With a sly smile, she took a sip from her glass. Her gaze pierced through his, as if telling him she couldn't be manipulated.
"You played me," Dravin scoffed.
"By the look of relief on your face, it seems like you got what you wanted. Can't you give me a 10% discount, though?"
"Are you testing me?"
"Half yes, half no. It seems what they say is true. You're smart, and I like that. But… I haven't trusted you fully." She paused, tapped the watch screen on her wrist. "Now, can we go back to work?"
Freya's nonchalant behavior only fueled Dravin's fire to make her admit that she, too, was mesmerized by how smart he was.
He deserved more praise than just being told she liked his cleverness. He should make her his number one fan.
"I sent you a list of our main targets for this month. And since you've already unlocked the Hunter's Eyes, you can add another target you see in your daily life with the eyes."
Dravin raised an eyebrow when he saw an envelope icon fluttering on the screen in front of him. He clicked the icon and quickly read the contents.
"Just six? How many people are possessed by demons here, anyway?" Dravin asked, still scanning the list.
"That's not just. That's a priority. You may or may not be able to save more people and expel the demon. If by the end of this month those five on the list aren't handled, they will die."
Dravin frowned as he read each name on the list.
They all had one thing in common, which made him guess why they were a priority. Their pleasure index status was below 5%, with one even at just 1%.
"What happens when the pleasure index drops to zero?"
Freya smirked. "They will die. And their souls will be dragged to feed the demon's great hearth, Ashentus. They can't ascend to a better realm."
"Does the demon who possessed them cause their pleasure index to drop lower?" he asked with a flicker of excitement.
"Yes and no. The Higher-Ups found out that when people get their pleasure index below 20%, a demon can easily possess them. Sometimes, those people can increase their pleasure index on their own, making it easy for hunters to catch them."
"But sometimes, the demon inside them makes them suffer more, causing the index to drop even lower over time." Freya paused and looked at Dravin's confused eyes. "That's all from me. It's your system's job to explain if you have any more questions."
Dravin pouted. Of course, she stopped because she could read the confusion on his face.
"So what's your main job in assisting me?" he scowled.
"Fight, slay, and catch the demon after you increase their pleasure index with your food. And bring you a priority list like this when needed," Freya said proudly.
"Ahhh… So you're my bodyguard? I see… I used to have a bunch, too, on Earth. Well, it's nice for my eyes to have a female bodyguard, I suppose." Dravin smiled sarcastically at Freya.
And before Freya could interrupt him again, he continued. "So, here's the plan: we'll meet with these people starting tomorrow, dig into what kind of food they really like, and I'll make it based on that."
"What are you talking about? You already have a list, and it has their favorite foods. You can just cook that to be more efficient."
His eyes scanned the list of favorite foods for each person on the screen. He knew that with their advanced technology, it wasn't a simple research process.
But the low success probability listed next to each food choice was what made him hesitate.
Dravin looked up. "How did you get the list of their favorite foods?"
Freya looked annoyed. "By observing their habits, asking what they like, and watching their index when they eat that specific food."
"But it failed to reach the 20% threshold, right? This list says the highest this food could get was just a 5–8% increase in their pleasure index. And based on what Rubby said, eating good food could increase the index faster. Are you saying the fastest it can get is just 8%? And with all of their stats right now, it's already dropped again."
"That's why you're here. If you're the one who cooks it, it could increase even higher."
Dravin tilted his head. Well, that might be true. When a different person cooks, there's usually a difference in taste. But Dravin had his own theory.
"Do you think your satisfaction level would have increased that much if you hadn't watched my video?" he asked.
Freya opened her mouth, then closed it again. She rethought it.
The food tasted delicious, of course, because it was the first time she had tasted anything like that.
But while she ate, she had subconsciously imagined the father's struggle for his son.
And how Dravin had used a pot in a very unconventional way to bake had, in a way, touched her heart.
Was that why the food tasted even better? She guessed inwardly. And reaching a 70% satisfaction index was something that rarely happened just because of food.
Dravin smiled, seeing Freya speechless.
"Don't worry, it won't take much time. I just need a glimpse of why they like to eat the food. And… whether you agree or not, I will go with my plan. My system isn't just about hunting demons. I have a bigger purpose. So, we need to do it my way."
Dravin took a breath before he continued.
"You said it yourself, you have nothing to do with my system. Therefore, I don't think I'll get a punishment if your priority list dies because it's not part of the task from Rubby. But that wouldn't be the case for you, right? So if you want this to work, follow my way."
Dravin's bargaining made Freya silent and look away.
This made him confident that he had played the right card.
Years of dealing with customers and his experience as an influencer gave Dravin a sharp critical mind.
He was even used to bluffing with confidence.
He had only guessed that the list Freya brought wouldn't have much of an impact on his system's progress, since he had to personally input the number of targets for his blueprint.
Who knew he was right? And if he acted hesitantly around a tough woman like Freya, he wouldn't get any respect from her.
Ding-dong!
Dravin turned his head as his apartment doorbell rang. He stood up and opened the door, a look of surprise on his face.
"Hi Dravin, am I bothering you?"
"Si-Siena?" he stammered in surprise.
Not because of her presence, but because of the hovering status above her head that said: