Clay shot upright from his bed, his hair slightly messy, his expression filled with irritation that had been building up for days without proper release. His eyes were still heavy, but the moment the glowing screen hovered in front of him, blinking again and again like an annoying insect that refused to die, his patience snapped.
"You bastard system!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the wide room. "I just had a good dream. A very good dream. Do you even understand how rare that is for me right now?"
The screen flickered without shame.
Ding! The replacement Villain died! The replacement Villain died! The replacement Villain died!
Clay blinked once.
Then twice.
Then he slowly leaned back against his pillow and let out a long breath, dragging his hand down his face.
"So what?" he said flatly. "He died. People die. That is how the world works. Why are you telling me like it's my problem?"
The system did not pause.
Ding!
