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Kaelen continued to stare at the floating screen and the shiny silver dagger that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It looked solid enough, with a simple hilt and a slightly worn blade. Picking it up, he tested its weight, feeling the balance of a perfectly functional (if slightly ordinary) weapon.
**This is insane,** he thought, turning it over in his hand. A magical system that rewarded him just for feeling annoyed? He had no idea how this was happening, but if it meant free gear and who knew what else… maybe it was worth playing along.
Ariella watched him with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Are you listening to me?"
"Only half," he replied with a smirk, still distracted by the new item. He tucked the dagger into his belt, looking back up at her with a grin. "So, you were saying something about a quest?"
Her expression brightened, as if she'd been waiting for him to finally take her seriously. "Yes! I need your help to infiltrate the Darkspire Fortress and retrieve a sacred relic. It's heavily guarded by the Empire's forces, so I'll need someone with… shall we say, unorthodox skills."
Kaelen leaned back, pretending to consider it. "And what's in it for me?"
Ariella's face fell for a moment. "A chance to fight for justice, honor, and—"
"—and money," Kaelen interrupted, flashing her a grin. "There's got to be something in it for me."
She looked at him with barely concealed irritation. "You'll be rewarded handsomely by the Order of the Silver Flame. They have treasures, powerful artifacts… I'm sure we can negotiate something."
"Now we're talking." He clapped his hands together, putting on his most charming smile. "All right, Lady Ariella of the Silver Order, I accept your noble quest."
Just as he spoke, the screen popped up again, startling him:
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**Mission Accepted: Cause enough annoyance to gain 20 more Wrath Points.**
**Current Points: 5 / 20**
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Kaelen grinned at the screen. Apparently, the system thought he wasn't annoying enough just yet. He could fix that.
"So, Ariella," he said, leaning in with a mischievous glint in his eye, "this sacred relic… what's it for? Wardrobe decorating? Paperweight? A very impractical doorstop?"
Her eyes flashed in irritation, and his Wrath Points counter ticked up by 5.
**Wrath Points: 10 / 20**
"It's a symbol of hope for our people!" she huffed. "We plan to use it to inspire others to rise against the Empire."
He let out a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes. "Ah, the old 'symbol of hope' speech. Let me guess—you also want me to fight for 'freedom and justice'?"
The Wrath Points went up another 5.
**Wrath Points: 15 / 20**
Ariella's patience was visibly wearing thin, but she took a deep breath and managed a forced smile. "We'll leave in the morning. Meet me at the east gate."
"Oh, I can't wait," he said with a wink, watching his Wrath Points counter go up again.
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**Wrath Points Achieved: 20 / 20. Reward Unlocked: +5 Health Boost**
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He felt a sudden surge of energy and couldn't help but chuckle. If all he had to do was irritate people to level up, this would be the easiest job he'd ever taken.
Ariella turned on her heel and marched out, clearly annoyed, which suited Kaelen just fine. This mission was shaping up to be a lot more interesting—and profitable—than he'd expected.
And, with any luck, he'd annoy the entire Empire before it was over.
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