Transmigrated With A Thrifty System

6 – We're trapped with a beast?

Lyris' eyes gleamed with intensity as she gazed at Aiden, her words carrying an air of mystery and intrigue. [Rydel was a wise man, Aiden. He understood the value of the system and used it to his advantage. But that is not all he did. Your father was a key player in the realm, and he was caught in situations beyond his control.]

Aiden's mind raced as he struggled to comprehend the gravity of Lyris' revelation. His father, a key player in the other realm? It was all too much to take in. "Why are you telling me this?" Aiden asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Lyris smiled enigmatically, her words laced with purpose. [Because, host, you have a part to play in all of this. Your destiny is intertwined with the realm, and it is time for you to embrace it.]

Aiden's shock quickly turned to guilt as he looked down at the bedsheet, feeling as though he had committed a crime. In a rush, he picked up his phone and dialed the only number he knew had a connection to all of this, but his calls to the attorney repeatedly resulted in an annoying monotonous 'this number does not exist.'

[It's pointless until you complete your allocated year,] Lyris informed him with a touch of sympathy.

Lowering his head, Aiden nodded and accepted his fate. 'I can do this, it's just a year,' he reassured himself.

Suddenly, a loud knock interrupted his thoughts, prompting him to glance towards the door. He initially thought it was one of his staff, but the knocking persisted, causing him to reluctantly rise from the bed and approach the door.

After issuing the command word, "Open," the heavy metal doors creaked open to reveal a familiar face - the lady who had her hands all over him the previous evening, but whose name he couldn't remember.

As if she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine, the lady before Aiden exudes an air of sophistication and sensuality. Her hands are folded delicately beneath her bust, emphasizing the curve of her hips, which are hugged tightly by the black leather pants she wears. The pants, paired with matching boots, elongate her already impressive figure, making her appear taller than most women.

Her blonde hair falls in glossy waves past her shoulders, tied back tightly at the nape of her neck. The dark red lipstick she wears around her lips draws attention to their fullness, and her minimal makeup only enhances her natural beauty. The two small silver hoops that dangle beneath her ears add a touch of edginess to her overall look.

Despite the coolness of Aiden's demeanor, the lady's presence seems to electrify the room. Aiden's eyes are drawn to her as he wonders how she could have possibly bypassed his security. His mind races with questions, but before he can ask them, the woman speaks, her voice low and sultry. "Hello again, it's Kristine. Did you miss me?!"

Aiden remains silent, his eyes focused on nothing in particular, his thoughts swirling with confusion and irritation. But the lady seems undeterred by his lack of response. With one hand resting lightly on his shoulder, she leans in close to whisper softly in his ear. "I'm sorry we didn't have another chance to talk yesterday night...but maybe tonight we could start where we stopped."

Despite his annoyance, Aiden can't help but feel a small spark of excitement at the lady's words. But before he can respond, he feels a sudden exhaustion wash over him, as though all the energy has been sucked out of his body. It's a feeling he's become all too familiar with in recent hours.

With a sigh, Aiden walks away from the front hall, eager to escape the noise and chaos that filled the house. He descends the stairs, grateful for the quiet solitude that awaited him below.

As he reaches the bottom floor, a sudden chill runs through his body, causing goosebumps to rise instantly. He shivers involuntarily, his mind distracted by the events of the night before.

Suddenly, he hears Kristen's voice calling out to him from behind, "why are you being so cold to me?! We haven't talked since our hot date!"

Aiden clenches his fists, trying to contain his anger. "Hot date?" he thinks to himself. "That 'hot date' had me lose my access to my accounts."

He stops abruptly mid-stride, turning to face Kristen. "What does it matter now anyway?" he asks, his voice cold and distant.

Kristen blinks rapidly, taken aback by Aiden's response. She can't believe how easily he's dismissing her feelings about wanting to see him again. She opens her mouth to speak, but Aiden cuts her off.

"How did you get in? I am the only one with the acc--" Aiden pauses, his eyes narrowing as he realizes his mistake. He might have left something behind that helped Kristen gain access.

Kristen raises a little black card, grinning mischievously as she waves it above her head. "Looking for this?" she says, tauntingly.

Aiden shakes his head, realizing that this is how Kristen got in. "It would be best if you drop it before you walk out," he advises, turning sharply on his heels and continuing down the stairs, his mind racing with anger and frustration.

Once reaching the bottom floor, Aiden feels a sudden chill run through his body, causing goosebumps to rise instantly. He rubs his arms, trying to shake off the feeling, but it lingers on.

[Warning, host!] Lyris warns, causing him to ask if it has anything to do with what he's feeling.

Without warning, he hears a whooshing sound and turns quickly to see a eight-foot-tall humanoid creature made entirely of stone standing near the fireplace. The creature's skin is rough and chiseled, made out of granite rock, and emanates a glowing blue light all over its entire form. It appears to be an ancient warrior statue, except it shines brightly under the glow cast forth by magical power.

[Race detected: Guardian]

[Realm: Azeroth]

Looking at the user interface, he quickly asks, 'what's this thing doing in my mansion?'

To which Lyris replies, [there is a disturbance in the balance of merit points in this realm, and you need to make up for it to stall the danger.]

'Stalling? Never mind that for now, how many points do I need?'

[400 points]

Aiden calculates that he needs to spend $20,000 to gain the 400 points needed to make up for the disturbance. However, he's unsure of how to spend the money with the limited resources available in his home.

Kristen follows closely behind, totally distracted by her phone, looking for the latest gossip online. "Aiden dear, you wouldn't bel–" she begins before bumping against Aiden's back.

She raises her head, curious about what's causing the hold-up, and notices the door to the staircase is sealed shut. Turning towards the massive stone-like creature, she whispers nervously, "Is your security system working properly? Or are my eyes just tripping and I need a time-out?"

Aiden stares back at the Guardian, wondering how he's going to handle the situation. "I don't have an idea how I will spend the cash yet, and this thing happens to be here?!" he thinks in a panic, calculating silently within himself.

From far above came a loud thud accompanied by two sharp cracks echoing down below, causing Kristen to freeze in terror. As she scanned the area frantically, she wondered if the beast had returned.

Her heart raced as she ran past Aiden towards the door and shouted, "Someone help! Someone, please come quick, there's something wrong with this house!"

As if responding to her plea, the hallway upstairs suddenly lit up, and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the walls, growing louder by the second.

Kristen could hear voices shouting questions one moment and then shouting for answers the next. She tried to make sense of it all, but the commotion was too much.

[Possible means of payment...]

Meanwhile, Aiden's eyes were glued to Kristen's phone, which she still clutched tightly in her hand. He took note of his surroundings and couldn't help but exclaim, "that's it! That has got to be it!"