Anos epted his fate, albeit grudgingly. The system, with all its quirks and oddities, had thrown him into an utterly ridiculous situation. Here he was, tasked with impressing a fiery, pint-sized teenager who seemed to have no patience for him. He stifled a sigh, ncing at Zoey, who was looking back at him with a mixture of annoyance and distrust.


    Zoey turned sharply, her twin ponytails swinging defiantly as she crossed her arms. "Not a chance! He can find his own way," she dered, her voiceced with youthful arrogance and a hint of ice.


    The old man chuckled, watching the exchange with an amused glint in his eyes. "Now, now, Zoey. What did he do to upset you so much?"


    Anos blinked, genuinely baffled. Upset her? How? He''d barely spoken two words since entering the room, and they hadn''t even exchanged nces until now. Yet, somehow, she looked at him as if he''dmitted some grave offense.


    Zoey let out an indignant huff, her small nose wrinkling in disapproval. "Hmph! Men are all the same. Can''t trust a single one of them!" she said, her voice carrying a dramatic weight far beyond her years.


    Anos couldn''t help but suppress a groan. If it weren''t for this absurd mission hanging over his head, he might have just walked away. But instead, he found himself forced to engage. "Alright, alright, littledy. Aren''t you being a bit dramatic?" he said with a forced smile, trying to keep his tone light.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zoey''s eyes narrowed, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Who are you calling a littledy?" she shot back, her voice as cold as it was defiant.


    Anos shrugged, barely managing to mask his irritation. "Look, I''m just here for the mission. Nothing personal."


    Zoey scoffed, clearly unconvinced. She tilted her head and gave him an using re. "And don''t think I didn''t see where you were looking when you walked in. Right at Sister Nora''s chest, you pervert!"


    Anos froze, momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn''t intentionally looked anywhere inappropriate, but Zoey''s usation hit like a p to the face. For a second, he considered protesting, but the way she was staring him down made it clear that any exnation would fall on deaf ears.


    Nora, who had just ced a cup of coffee in front of Anos, seemed caught off guard by Zoey''s outburst. She gave him an apologetic smile, clearly ufortable with the sudden tension.


    Anos forced a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. "Really, Zoey? Jumping to conclusions that quickly?"


    Zoey''s gaze sharpened, her lips curling in a self-satisfied smirk. "I don''t need to jump to conclusions. I know exactly what kind of guy you are," she said, her tone dripping with superiority.


    Anos clenched his jaw, barely restraining a retort. This mission was shaping up to be far more frustrating than he''d anticipated, and he couldn''t shake the feeling that the system had set him up with an impossible task, just for its own amusement.


    Anos cleared his throat, trying to deflect the tension. "Hey, now, Zoey. Just because I looked in her direction while talking doesn''t mean I was… you know. It''s called making eye contact—it''s respectful. Are you going to use me of every little thing without proof?"


    Zoey''s gaze sharpened further, eyes shing with indignation. "Oh please, as if! You think I didn''t notice? Men like you think you can get away with anything just by ying innocent!"


    At that, a familiar ding echoed in his mind:


    > Ding… Zoey''s favorability towards you -5.


    Anos inwardly groaned. This mission was quickly bing a nightmare. He''d barely spoken a few sentences, and he was already in the negatives.


    The old man, noticing Anos''s difort, chuckled softly. "Don''t let her get to you, boy. Zoey''s quick to judge, but she means well… sometimes."


    Anos forced a smile. "Of course, sir. No need to get too serious with a kid''s assumptions."


    > Ding… Zoey''s favorability towards you -5.


    > Ding… Sensed the frustration from Zoey. Scumbag value +10,000.


    Anos clenched his fists, holding back a surge of irritation. If he didn''t need toplete this mission, he''d be out the door by now.


    Zoey''s re intensified. "Who are you calling a kid? Don''t talk down to me!"


    Suppressing a sigh, Anos rubbed his temple. This girl was testing every bit of his patience.


    "Alright, alright, Zoey, enough," the old man interrupted, trying to keep the peace. "You two will be working together, so you may as well get along. Now, Zoey, go on and show him around. And no more of this nonsense, or I might just lose my patience."


    Zoey reluctantly lowered her head, muttering an annoyed "fine" under her breath, but not before throwing Anos onest re. Then she snatched up her smallptop and stomped toward the door.


    Anos touched the bridge of his nose, barely masking his frustration. This was going to be a long mission.


    The old man chuckled as he gestured to Anos. "Go on. She''s a handful, but you''ll figure it out. And… good luck, young man."


    Anos nodded, following Zoey outside, where she barely waited for him to catch up.


    "So, Zoey, how old are you?" Anos tried to break the ice.


    She whipped her head around, eyes zing. "Shut up! I don''t have time for your questions. Just follow along and don''t get any ideas." With that, she turned back around, clearly fuming.


    Anos exhaled, watching her walk ahead. She was set on believing the worst about him, and this mission was only getting harder by the second.


    Anos felt a mixture of frustration and amusement. Here he was, trying to exin himself to a girl barely in her teens, who somehow seemed sharper than most adults he''d dealt with. Her bluntness and sass were unexpected, and in a strange way, oddly charming. "Alright," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I''m a hooligan, sure. But trust me, my eyes weren''t wandering. I''m a gentleman, alright?"


    Zoey rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Gentleman? As if! You''re just trying to cover up."


    "Whatever you say, Zoey," he said with a chuckle, giving her an exaggerated shrug. "Hooligan, gentleman—it''s all the same as long as it keeps you entertained."


    She huffed, but at least she wasn''t ignoring himpletely. Talking was progress, even if it involved usations and insults. It beat total silence.


    As they approached the Bounty Hunter Guild, Anos noticed a few scrappy-looking youths lounging on the steps, slurping instant noodles. The sight was almostical; they seemed more like a group of kids sneaking out for ate snack than serious mercenaries.


    Zoey stomped a foot on the ground, making a loud thud to get their attention. "Hey, you lot! Up and at ''em!"


    The youths scrambled to their feet, almost spilling their noodles in the rush. "Ah, Sister Zoey!" one of them called out, shing a sheepish grin.


    "Hello, Sister Zoey!" another chimed in, looking every bit as enthusiastic as a fan meeting his idol.


    Anos''s eyebrows shot up. He nced from Zoey to the group of teenagers, who were clearly older than her by at least a few years. "Sister?" he muttered to himself, fighting the urge tough out loud. Seventeen, eighteen-year-olds calling a thirteen-year-old their ''sister''? Really? Where''s the pride, guys?


    Zoey, unfazed by the oddity of the situation, marched over to one of the youths and extended her hand. "Give it to me," she demanded, her tonemanding and unyielding. The youth nced at the bowl of instant noodles in his hand, then back at Zoey, his face filled with reluctance.


    "Wait, Sister Zoey, I haven''t even eaten yet," he said, looking for a way out.


    Zoey didn''t soften her approach. "Either you hand it over, or I''ll take it myself," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument.


    "Fine, fine," the youth sighed, handing over the noodles, which Zoey took without hesitation and began eating.


    Anos watched, surprised at how easily these older youths were deferring to Zoey. Despite their age and clear strength, they treated her with almostplete reverence. Looks like she''s not just some brat after all, Anos thought, impressed by the dynamic.


    "Hey, Sister Zoey, is Brother Matthew noting with us today? You''re leading us to Chillwater Valley, right?" one of the youths, Xander, asked, a grin on his face.


    Zoey barely looked up from her meal as she answered. "Of course, I''m leading. Do you think I''m going to let you guys go without me?"


    Anos almostughed at how easily Zoey asserted control over the situation. It seemed like she had theirplete trust, despite her age.


    Zoey turned her sharp gaze toward Anos, clearly noticing the small smile creeping onto his face. "What''s so funny? You think it''s weird that I''m leading? Got a problem with that?" she asked, her eyes challenging him.


    Anos quickly shook his head, his grin widening. "No problem at all. Actually, I''m impressed," he admitted. "You seem to haveplete control over them."


    Zoey gave him a half-smile but said nothing more, continuing her noodles with a quiet confidence.


    Anos, intrigued, activated his Mythic Perception , expecting to see more about the situation. His eyesnded on the three youths, and he was surprised to see their cultivation levels: all three were at the Stage-One Elemental Foundation Realm. So, they''re decent, but nothing spectacr, Anos noted inwardly. It makes sense, though. They spend their time in the Demonic Beast Domain,pleting dangerous missions, so their cultivation would naturally improve.


    Zoey, however, didn''t show any signs of needing protection. The youths treated her with the utmost respect, which only deepened Anos''s curiosity.


    As Anos was still processing this, Xander noticed his contemtive look and decided to introduce himself. "Hey, I''m Xander," he said, offering a friendly handshake. "Nice to meet you, Anos."


    Anos shook his hand. "Anos. I''m just tagging along to Chillwater Valley with you guys. You could say I''m a bit of a Loafer ," he said with a slight chuckle.


    "Ding… Zoey''s favorability towards you +5."


    Anos blinked in surprise. Wait. I say I''m a Loafer and her Favorability increasing?


    Zoey, still chewing her noodles, nced at him briefly. "Not bad. At least you know your ce," she muttered, almost imperceptibly smiling.


    The other youths chuckled, clearly used to Zoey''s straightforward manner. "I''m Knox. Nice to meet you, Anos," one of the other boys said, smiling.


    "I''m Oscar. Wee aboard," the third youth added, nodding at Anos.


    Anos couldn''t help but feel a sense of camaraderie with the group. Despite Zoey''s unusual dominance over them, there was no mistaking the bond they shared. They were strong, capable, and clearly respected Zoey. As for Zoey herself, she was far more than just a young girl—they might call her "sister," but there was clearly a lot more to her than met the eye.


    .....