The Dark Lycan stood at the doorway, his tall and threatening silhouette at the edge of the dark room. Kaito and Wulfrina crouched behind the gamer chair, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"He… he's sniffing,"
(Wulfrina whispered, her voice tense and low, sensing her brother's fear and anger)
"He can't stand the smell of decay. It's working, Kaito."
The Lycan, whose skin seemed to absorb the street lamp's weak light, took a step inside. His boot touched the organic trash and the pile of spreadsheets.
[System Notification: Environmental Debuff Activated! Dark Lycan: -10% Speed, -15% Concentration.]
(Kaito squeezed Wulfrina's hand, the desire to win the confrontation overcoming the terror).
"Yes! It worked! The Debuff is real! Now we have to make him lose it, Wulfrina. Yell at him! Make him snap!"
The Dark Lycan fixed his red eyes on the middle of the chaos, ignoring the chair where Kaito and Wulfrina were hiding. His fury was silent, but Kaito could feel the pressure in the air.
"Wulfrina!"
(The Dark Lycan spoke, his voice cold, calm, and echoing like cracking ice).
"You dishonored the Clan by linking yourself to a human. But subjecting yourself to living in filth… that is unacceptable! I came to purify you!"
Wulfrina hesitated. She was afraid, but the mention of "purification" sparked her rage.
"You won't purify me, Kael!
(Wulfrina shouted, jumping out from behind the chair, her voice full of hate and determination, ignoring the danger). You are Purity's puppet! I am the General of the Eternal Frost, and I chose my path! I have a Master, and he saved me!"
Kael turned his head slowly. His red eyes finally focused on Wulfrina. And he saw Kaito, a skinny human crouching, afraid, but with a cynical smile.
"A human. A data analyst is your Master?" (Kael asked, his voice filled with total contempt, looking at Kaito as if he were an insect)
"What a joke! You stained our blood for this? I will purify him first!"
Kael raised his hand. Kaito saw the air freeze around his fist.
"Wulfrina! Now! (Kaito yelled, his voice urgent, the adrenaline forcing him to act). Maximum distraction!"
Wulfrina acted on instinct. She knew Kael could not tolerate contact with filth. She grabbed the nastiest trash bag and threw it right in his face!
"Take that, Purity! (Wulfrina screamed, her voice loud, the act of dishonor filling her with unexpected courage). Purify this! You hypocrite!"
The trash stuck to Kael's face. The Dark Lycan froze. Not from cold, but from disgust.
"Filth! (Kael roared, the sound one of pure pain and repulsion, his hands shaking, unable to touch the garbage to remove it). I will disintegrate you for this offense!"
His anger maxed out. Kael fired a dark frost ray at Wulfrina.
"Dodge, Wulfrina!"
(Kaito yelled, panic taking over, knowing she was weakened).
The ray hit the wall next to her, freezing the drywall instantly. Wulfrina threw herself to the ground, breathing heavily, gasping.
[System Notification: High-Risk Conflict! General Wulfrina suffered 50% damage. Master Kaito: +10 XP received (Strategic Observation) ]
(Kaito saw the 10 XP pop up on the screen. His eyes gleamed, the excitement of the farm mixed with the fear).
"Ten XP! It worked! Wulfrina, he's slow and annoyed. Grab the TV remote! Throw the remote at his face! Whatever you can!"
Wulfrina got up, the shame over the trash on her brother's face gone, replaced by the desire to buy time. She grabbed the first thing she saw: Kaito's heavy laptop bag, full of cables and hard drives.
"Accept my Item Battle! (Wulfrina shouted, with controlled fury, throwing the bag with absolute force). Kael!"
The bag hit the Dark Lycan directly in the face. He stumbled backward, his head reeling.
[System Notification: Physical Damage (Uncommon Item) applied to Kael! Dark Lycan: -5% Concentration. Master Kaito: +20 XP received (Tactical Item Use) ]
"Twenty XP! (Kaito shouted, his eyes wide with surprise and joy). That's fast farm! Wulfrina, his vision is blurry! Watch out!"
Kael, enraged, took the bag off his face. He stomped his foot hard on the floor, and Kaito's tiles froze around him, creating an aura of black ice.
"Enough with the dirty tricks! (Kael roared, his voice full of threat and anger, pointing his hand at Kaito). I will eliminate you first! You are the Master of Filth!"
Kaito felt the scent of dark frost right on the back of his neck. He was in mortal danger.
Kael was about to shoot the Dark Frost at Kaito, who was defenseless. Wulfrina, with only half her health left, needed to intervene. The filth strategy had given them XP, but now was the moment of truth.