---
The growl echoed again, louder this time, reverberating off the cold stone walls. Kaelen's grin stretched even wider as he could almost *taste* the coming chaos. His Wrath Points were so close to maxing out, he could feel the power coursing through his veins like wildfire. This was exactly the kind of moment he lived for.
"Monsters, right?" Kaelen said, twirling his dagger in his hand. "Well, come out and play. I'll be waiting."
Ariella shot him a sharp glance, her voice low and focused. "Stay sharp. These aren't just ordinary monsters."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "What, you think they'll be *extra* dangerous just because we're inside a spooky fortress?" He chuckled. "Come on, Ariella, at least let me have my fun. After all, you don't have to fight them if you don't want to."
Seraphine, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the dark corridor. "They'll be worse than anything you've encountered," she said, her tone cold and steady. "The Darkspire was built to house more than just treasure. It's a prison—a place for things better left forgotten."
Kaelen's smile faded just a bit, his curiosity piqued. "Things *better left forgotten*? Now that sounds like the kind of thing I *really* want to meet."
---
**Wrath Points: 20 / 20.**
---
The sudden surge of power that coursed through Kaelen made him feel almost invincible. His Wrath Points had finally hit their cap, and the system's prompt flooded his mind.
---
**System Alert: Wrath Points have reached 20. Power Surge Detected.**
**Ability Unlocked: Furious Assault**
*For 5 minutes, all attacks gain +50% damage. Killing enemies will provide bonus Wrath Points.*
---
Kaelen could feel his senses sharpening, his body growing lighter and faster. He was ready. As the growl grew closer, he could sense the presence of whatever was lurking in the dark—a predatory, hungry feeling.
Ariella stepped in front of him, drawing her sword. "Stay behind me," she said. "This could be a powerful creature."
"Please, I *am* behind you," Kaelen replied, eyes gleaming. "I'll be your cheerleader."
Seraphine didn't react, but her gaze sharpened as she, too, took up a combat stance. The air seemed to crackle with anticipation. The growl now sounded much closer—closer than any of them were comfortable with.
Then, from the darkness ahead, two glowing red eyes appeared. They blinked once, slowly, and a massive creature—part wolf, part shadow—stepped into view. Its fur was black as night, its claws long and wickedly sharp, and its mouth dripped with glowing green saliva. The thing was enormous, easily the size of a small carriage.
Ariella immediately sprang into action, darting toward the creature with a fluid grace. Her sword gleamed in the dim light, and she struck with precision, but the beast was quick, sidestepping and snapping at her with terrifying speed.
---
**Wrath Points: 21 / 20.**
---
Kaelen couldn't contain the excitement surging through him. His Wrath Points had gone beyond the cap, and the surge of power made him feel like he was floating on air. "Oh, it's *on* now," he muttered, a wicked grin stretching across his face.
With a battle cry, he surged forward, his dagger flashing through the air with newfound strength. He was fast—faster than before—and his attacks hit like lightning. He didn't need to think; his body moved almost instinctively, the combination of adrenaline and his system's boost giving him an edge.
The creature snarled, its massive jaws snapping just inches from his face, but Kaelen was already behind it, his dagger carving through the beast's side. Blood sprayed, and the creature howled in pain.
"*Yes!*" Kaelen shouted, his voice filled with exhilaration. The Wrath Points flowed into him even more rapidly, feeding his hunger for battle.
Ariella was already back on her feet, slashing at the creature's underbelly, but it was Seraphine who struck next. With a fluid motion, she conjured a burst of dark energy in her hand and threw it at the creature. The energy struck its chest with a crackling explosion, sending the creature stumbling back with a pained roar.
Kaelen didn't wait for it to recover. He darted forward again, his dagger raised high, and in one swift, brutal motion, he drove it deep into the creature's throat.
---
**Wrath Points: 25 / 20.**
---
The creature spasmed and let out one last, guttural scream before collapsing, its body twitching in the last throes of death. Kaelen stood over it, breathing heavily, his grin stretched wide as the power surged through him.
"Well, that was *fun*," he said, wiping the blood off his dagger. "But I've got to admit, I expected something a little more dramatic."
Ariella wiped the sweat from her brow, her expression less than pleased. "You're reckless. You almost got yourself killed."
"Pfft, I had it under control." Kaelen flicked his dagger, sending a droplet of blood flying. "See? Not even a scratch. Look at all this *loot* we got, though." He quickly crouched beside the creature's body, digging through its fur with a grin.
He pulled out a jagged, dark crystal that pulsed with an ominous glow. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he muttered, examining it. The crystal gave off a faint hum, and Kaelen could feel a strange pull toward it.
---
**Item Dropped: Darkstone Shard (Cursed).**
---
"I'll just take this as a little souvenir," Kaelen said, slipping the shard into his pouch. "A keepsake for when we're all *best friends* and reminiscing about this glorious adventure."
Ariella didn't say anything, but Seraphine gave him a sharp look, clearly not as thrilled with his newfound prize. "Don't get too comfortable with that shard," she warned. "It's cursed. Keep it too long, and it'll start to affect you."
Kaelen shrugged. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, a little curse never hurt anyone, right? I've survived worse. Trust me."
Seraphine didn't look convinced, but she turned and started walking further into the fortress. "Come on. There's more ahead, and we've only just begun."
"More monsters?" Kaelen asked, following her eagerly. "Traps? Intrigue? *Slightly annoying* side quests? I'm ready for it all."
---
**Wrath Points: 26 / 20.**
---
With the creature vanquished and the team back on track, the path ahead seemed even darker and more foreboding. But for Kaelen, the deeper they went, the more alive he felt. Every fight, every challenge, every bit of chaos—it was all fuel for his growing power. And he couldn't wait to see what came next.
---