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The ground trembled beneath Kaelen's boots as the growl echoed again, louder this time. Ariella's hand instinctively went to the hilt of her sword, her stance shifting into something far more battle-ready. Kaelen, on the other hand, did nothing to hide his amusement.
"Well, looks like the welcoming committee's here early," he said, his voice light, though there was an undeniable edge of excitement in his eyes.
Ariella shot him a sharp glance, her jaw tightening. "This isn't a joke, Kaelen. Whatever it is, it's dangerous. Stay close and—"
"—And try not to get in the way," he finished for her, his grin widening. "I know the drill. Don't worry, I won't steal all the glory."
Just as he spoke, the trees in the clearing began to bend unnaturally, and the shadows seemed to ripple as though something massive was emerging from the depths of the forest. A low rumble, almost like a growl from some great beast, vibrated through the air.
Kaelen's eyes flicked toward the growing shape in the distance, and he quickly realized that whatever was coming wasn't just some random animal. It was… **huge**. And it had a presence that couldn't be ignored.
Ariella took a deep breath, her expression grim. "We need to move. Now."
Kaelen shook his head, leaning casually against a nearby tree. "Nah, I think I'll stick around. Besides, I'm *really* curious to see what this thing looks like."
With a soft hiss, the creature emerged from the treeline—a hulking, monstrous figure, easily twenty feet tall. It had the body of a massive wolf, but with features far more terrifying: glowing red eyes, fangs as long as Kaelen's arm, and claws that could tear through solid stone. The beast was coated in matted fur, with a thick mane that billowed like smoke around its neck.
Ariella cursed under her breath. "A Dire Lupus... this will be difficult."
"Difficult? Please, I've faced scarier things in my nightmares," Kaelen said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he straightened up. But inside, he couldn't help the rush of excitement. This was the kind of thing he *lived* for.
The Dire Lupus growled, its eyes fixating on the pair of them. Then, without warning, it lunged forward with terrifying speed.
Ariella was quick, drawing her sword in a flash of motion and slicing through the air, but the creature was too fast, sidestepping her attack and slamming into the ground with a heavy, bone-shaking thud. It let out an earth-shattering roar, saliva dripping from its fangs, and then snapped its jaws at Ariella.
Kaelen had no intention of just standing there and letting her do all the work. With a smirk, he dove forward, rolling to avoid the beast's swipe and landing behind it.
"Let's see if you're *actually* as tough as you look," Kaelen muttered, his hand instinctively going to the dagger at his side.
---
**Wrath Points: 5 / 20.**
---
He felt the familiar surge of power as his Wrath Points ticked up. *Good,* he thought. *The system likes it when I'm in a bit of danger.*
The Dire Lupus's eyes flashed toward him, and Kaelen barely had time to dodge as the beast twisted its body, aiming to bite him in half. He sprang backwards, his enhanced agility allowing him to avoid the worst of the creature's deadly jaws. His heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
"Oh, you want to play rough?" he muttered, eyes narrowed. He darted in again, aiming for the creature's underbelly with his dagger. He was fast, and the silver blade sliced through the thick fur, catching the Lupus's side. It let out a pained growl, but didn't seem to slow down.
Behind him, Ariella swung her sword with precision, aiming to strike the beast's exposed flank, but the Lupus was quick. It pivoted and swatted her away with a powerful swipe of its massive paw.
Ariella flew through the air, crashing into a tree with a sickening crunch. Kaelen's heart skipped a beat, and for the first time, he felt something other than the thrill of danger.
*She's not just a joke,* he realized. *She's serious.*
With a snarl, he dashed to her side, ignoring the growl of the beast behind him. He grabbed her by the arm, yanking her to her feet. "Hey, stay awake, princess," he said, only half-teasing.
Ariella groaned but stood up with surprising speed. "I'm fine. I don't need you babysitting me, Kaelen."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied, tossing her a wink before turning his attention back to the Lupus.
The beast, seeing them both up and moving again, howled in fury. It wasn't backing down, and Kaelen knew they were in for a real fight.
---
**Wrath Points: 10 / 20.**
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Kaelen could feel the power coursing through him now—every sarcastic word, every dig, every moment of tension seemed to feed the system, growing his strength. His mind raced with possibilities. *How much can I push this thing?*
"Alright, enough playtime," he muttered to himself. He reached for the dagger again and flicked his wrist. This time, instead of aiming for the Lupus's flesh, he aimed for the creature's legs, focusing on weakening it with well-placed strikes.
The Lupus roared in frustration, its movements growing slower as the blood from its wounds dripped onto the ground. Ariella, seeing an opening, charged forward with renewed vigor. Her sword clashed against the Lupus's hide with a deafening crack, leaving a gash deep in its shoulder.
Kaelen smirked. "There we go. Now we're cooking."
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**Wrath Points: 15 / 20.**
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The beast staggered, weakened by their combined efforts, but still dangerous. With a final roar, it lunged once more, but this time, Kaelen was ready. He dove forward, using his enhanced agility to slip under the creature's snapping jaws, and in one smooth motion, buried his dagger deep into the Lupus's heart.
The creature let out one final, defiant growl before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.
---
**Wrath Points: 20 / 20. Reward Unlocked: +5 Strength Boost.**
---
Kaelen felt another surge of power flood his body as the beast's body twitched and died. He grinned, flexing his newfound strength. "That was fun. How about we do that again sometime?"
Ariella stood beside him, panting, her face flushed with the exertion of the fight. "I'll admit, you're not completely useless."
He chuckled. "You say that like I don't already know."
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