Freya gave Dravin a sharp look and shook her head.
"No. This demon cannot die. You just make it surface, and I'll handle the rest. Is there a problem?"
Dravin pursed his lips in deep thought. Any tool he chose carried a terrible side effect. But if Freya needed the demon alive, the lotus was the only choice.
"Are you sure you can catch the demon instantly once it surfaces without my help?" Dravin double-checked, his anxiety clearly visible.
Freya gave a strong nod. "Why the fuss? Something dodgy about it?"
He sighed. "The shop recommended two tools. One instantly kills the demon, so the only option is the Ripple Quake Lotus. But… it has side effects." Dravin settled on a large stone by the lakeshore.
"Side effects? Such as?" she asked, intrigued.
"It will hold a grudge against me and try to catch me. The manual said if it touches me, I'll be in my biggest fear illusion for five minutes." Dravin explained, tangling his fingers together in an anxious gesture.
Freya's expression, however, was a total contrast.
She looked at Dravin with a straight, unbothered face, as if the news didn't concern her at all.
"Oh, that side effect. I thought it was serious. Fine, just use the tool already," she said flatly.
Dravin felt a pang of offense at her cold attitude.
"Because you aren't the one dealing with it, it doesn't matter, right?" Dravin needled.
"Do you know what your biggest fear is?" she countered.
Dravin paused. Freya's cold question made him think.
Huh? My biggest fear? The only fear I have is being killed again by a stove explosion. Oh, and… roaches or rats in my kitchen.
"You don't know, do you? Aren't you curious? This Hippotimere can drown you in your biggest fear on a deeper level." Freya smirked. "You should try it once, it might help you understand yourself better than on a surface level."
Dravin frowned, giving Freya a sharp side-eye. He then processed the purchase of the Ripple Quake Lotus. While he waited, he fell into deep thought.
He'd focused too much on the word fear, imagining some typical monster attack or being engulfed in fire.
But Freya's talk of "deeper" versus "surface level" made him question his assumptions.
He was now genuinely curious about his biggest, deepest fear. But still, what was the plan? Wait for the demon to exit the water and greet it with a hug?
"Freya, what does this Hippotimus look like?"
The angel rolled her eyes. "It's a Hippotimere!" she corrected him. "It looks like a hippo with a huge belly, wide mouth, dull teeth, fangs, and a long, broad tongue. It's grey with three horns on its forehead."
"It's cute when it's sleeping, like a cozy elephant. But it keeps escaping its capsule and fleeing to this lake. It used to be tame, but lately, it's gone wild," Freya elaborated with enthusiasm.
"Cute?" Dravin scoffed. From her description, it didn't sound cute in the slightest. "That's a very subjective opinion."
But then again, Freya had called Siena cute too, so maybe they shared the same visual perception of the word.
"But aren't demons spirits? Can we even touch them physically?" Dravin asked.
"Of course. We're Hunters. We can see and touch them. Especially C-Rank Demons, which mostly take the form of large monsters."
Hearing the words "large monster" made Dravin shudder.
He could feel his palms dampen and his chest clench with anxiety.
Wait, shouldn't I have a weapon to protect myself? It would be fine if it pursues me like a puppy craving attention, but what if it pounces and chews me alive?
He immediately summoned his system and opened the shop. His fingers typed quickly:
Weapon to fight Hippotimere in close range combat
The moment Dravin hit enter, there was no waiting. The system responded instantly:
Dravin wasn't satisfied with that answer, so he typed again.
Then what do you suggest to prevent it from touching me?
Dravin arched an eyebrow, confused by the system's philosophical waiting messages.
He was growing more certain that the "higher-ups" Rubby mentioned were controlling everything.
Maybe they wanted to insert philosophical concepts and brainwash him. Too bad, I only believed in the philosophy of food.
Ding!
===
Bubble Gum Walking Ball
Effect: Will protect your body from direct physical attacks by Demons by forming a chewy ball with defensive mana. It will even be safe if you fall from a mountain. The bubble lasts for 7 minutes before bursting, and the effect ends.
Usage: Chew for one minute, then blow a bubble, and it will automatically enlarge to encompass the user's body and anything within 7 feet of the user. Each gum consumes 777 Aura points.
Side Effect: There is no highly detrimental side effect. However, chewing more than 7 gums in a single day will cause teeth sensitivity for one week.
Price: 777 coins (1 pack contains 7 gums)
Note: Ineffective against S-Rank and A-Rank Demons
===
Dravin immediately hit the Yes button and bought one pack after carefully reading the manual.
Shortly after, from the direction of the tall bush, which was higher than a grown man, the deliveryman in black arrived, carrying a black box much larger than the ones Dravin had seen before.
Freya quickly rushed over to the man and dismantled the box herself, acting as if she were the one who would use the item.
"Huh, what is this?" Freya's yelp made Dravin rise from his seat and walk over.
His frown deepened when he saw the box contained more than just the Lotus.