The excitement from earlier — the rush to greet his father, the laughter in the grand hall — had long since faded, leaving behind the soft hum of his ever-present companion: the systems.
It hovered faintly before his eyes, translucent gold lines pulsing in the darkness.
[Mission Complete.]
[Reward Calculated.]
[Processing Outcome: 100%]
[Reward Ready to Claim.]
Raiden blinked. Then grinned.
"Finally," he whispered, sitting up in one swift motion. His hair stuck out in every direction, and his eyes gleamed like a cat spotting something shiny.
He rubbed his palms together, the grin widening. "Alright," he murmured, voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone, "let's see what I've earned this time."
He reached toward the screen, ready to tap Claim, already imagining something dramatic — maybe a new spell, or a cool title like Mischief Adept.
Then the glow blinked. Once. Twice.
A new notification forced its way to the front, flashing insistently.
[New Mission Available!]
