DAMN SYSTEM – CHAPTER 3
(Action - Big moment)
The monster's roar shook the sky as Anos kept running, panting, dodging debris.
And then, just as the creature swung at him again, the System spoke.
[New Rewards Unlocked.]
Anos stumbled mid-run. "Wait— what?!"
[Due to surviving a Level 95 threat, rewards have been recalculated.]
[Reward 1: +300 EXP.]
[Reward 2: +3 Stat Points.]
[Reward 3: Random Skill (Rare).]
Anos skidded to a stop behind an overturned bus, blinking. "…Wait, a skill? For free?"
[Correct.]
"…You're not going to tell me I need more EXP first, are you?"
[No.]
Anos' face lit up. "Then claim everything!"
[Rewards claimed.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 7]
[Random Skill Obtained: Time Stop Cancelation.]
[Skill Description: Snap fingers → Time Stop effects are negated within 100 meters.]
Anos stared at the glowing screen for a long moment. "…Wait. So you're telling me… I can snap my fingers… and cancel time itself?"
[Correct.]
A slow grin spread across his face. "…This is the best day ever."
He peeked out from behind the bus. The monster still loomed over the street, glowing red eyes blazing, the hunters still frozen mid-air.
"Alright then…" Anos raised his hand, positioned his fingers dramatically — and snapped.
SNAP!
The world roared back to life.
Hunters fell from the sky, landing hard and rolling. The monster turned its massive head, momentarily confused. Cars, dust, and rubble suddenly resumed mid-fall, crashing into the ground with a deafening BOOM.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" one of the hunters shouted, already standing.
Anos grinned, leaning casually against the bus. "You're welcome."
Before the hunters could even question him, a figure flew out of the gate — a tall man in white and gold armor, his entire body glowing with runes. His eyes scanned the battlefield once, then locked onto the monster.
"Everyone, stand back!" he roared.
He raised a spear made of pure light and hurled it into the ground. Runes flared outwards, forming a giant circle beneath the monster's feet.
The monster snarled, struggling, as invisible chains began dragging it backwards toward the gate.
"NOW!" the armored hunter shouted.
All the other hunters around the battlefield slammed their weapons into the ground, pouring their remaining power into the glowing circle.
The ground shook. Energy surged. The monster roared in fury as its body was slowly dragged back toward the rift, piece by piece, its claws tearing trenches in the earth.
Anos just stood there, watching with an impressed look. "Okay, not bad. 10/10 teamwork."
[Side Note: This teamwork costs them their lives.]
"…Wait, WHAT?!"
And then it happened — one by one, the hunters began to collapse as their energy was drained completely, their bodies turning to glowing particles before vanishing entirely.
The last one standing was the man in golden armor. He turned his head toward Anos, eyes burning.
"You… boy."
Anos blinked. "…I have a name, you know."
The man didn't smile. Instead, he raised one hand and a small, glowing box floated out of his palm — no bigger than Anos' fist. It radiated immense power.
"Take this," the man said. "Protect it. Never open it until you are ready."
Before Anos could reply, the System suddenly chimed.
[Storage function unlocked.]
A new glowing window appeared.
[Would you like to store item: 'Unbreakable Box'?]
Anos stared at the screen, then back at the glowing box, then back at the screen. "…I just unlocked inventory because of this?"
[Correct.]
"…Nice."
He tapped "YES." The box vanished into a blue shimmer.
[Item stored.]
"Cool," Anos muttered. "I feel like a real protagonist now."
The golden hunter gave him one last look. "Live. Grow strong. You are not ordinary."
And with that, he slammed his hand on the ground, releasing the last of his power — and with a final flash of light, the monster was gone. The gate closed. The hunters were gone.
The city was quiet.
Anos stood there for a moment, blinking. "…Well. That happened."
Then the System spoke again.
[Warning: Massive energy fluctuations detected across the planet.]
[Awakening Event triggered.]
"Awakening event?" Anos asked, raising a brow.
[Explanation: Humans are evolving. Congratulations, you are no longer the only special person.]
"…Wait, so everyone's getting powers now?"
[Correct.]
"Wow." Anos put his hands on his hips. "So what you're telling me is I went through all this pain just to end up in a world full of people who can also get strong?"
[Correct.]
"…Great. Just great."
Somewhere nearby, a scream rang out — then a blast of fire erupted from a terrified man's hands, setting a car on fire.
"Oh good," Anos muttered. "Random fire people. That's exactly what we needed."
A few feet away, another guy accidentally lifted a truck into the air before panicking and dropping it.
Anos sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yep. Society's doomed."
[Recommendation: Begin leveling up as soon as possible.]
Anos looked at the glowing system screen, then back at the smoking city. He grinned.
"…Fine. If this is the new world…" He stretched, cracking his neck. "…Then I'm going to be the strongest thing in it."
[Motivation detected.]
[New Main Quest Unlocked: [daily Training ]
1 hour late
Anos stood on top of a half-broken building, staring at the distant smoke rising from the city. The streets were still in chaos — new "awakened" humans accidentally setting cars on fire, flipping buses, or screaming about the powers appearing in their hands.
He had just finished storing the unbreakable box when the System chimed again.
[Daily Training Quest Activated.]
Anos' eyebrow twitched. "…Daily what?"
[Daily Quest: Push-Ups (100), Sit-Ups (100), Squats (100), 10KM Run.]
[Reward: +50 EXP, +1 Stat Point.]
Anos stared at the glowing window, then pointed at it with both hands. "Oh, no. No no no no no. You are NOT about to turn me into a fitness influencer!"
[Warning: You are currently the weakest man alive.]
"…Excuse me?"
[Current combat rating: 0.01.]
[You are officially weaker than most newborn kittens.]
Anos froze. "…Did you just compare me to a kitten?"
[Yes.]
He groaned, clutching his head. "Oh my god. I just survived a Level 95 monster! How am I still considered weak?!"
[Because you ran away for 90% of that encounter.]
"…Wow. Rude."
[Truth builds character.]
Anos sighed, flopping down on a piece of broken wall. "Fine. Say I train. What then?"
[If you grow stronger, you will unlock hidden potential.]
"Hidden potential, huh?"
[Correct.]
A new window appeared, glowing gold.
[Potential Unlocks:]
Skill Fusion (Combine two skills into one broken skill)
4th Dimensional ??? Manipulation (LOCKED)
??? Authority (LOCKED)
Omn**t Ascension (STATIC NOISE)
The screen flickered, glitching before Anos could read the last one.
"…What was that?"
[ERROR. Cannot reveal further until higher level.]
Anos rubbed his chin. "Hmm. So if I keep grinding, I can unlock some broken godlike skill?"
[Correct.]
"…Sounds worth it."
And then the sky turned red.
The air vibrated, humming like a massive bell. The System flashed an emergency alert in front of him.
[ALERT: The Tower of Maggie has arrived.]
Anos blinked. "The Tower of… Maggie?"
[Correct.]
"…Maggie? Who names a world-destroying dungeon 'Maggie'?"
[Naming convention irrelevant.]
"It sounds like the name of a friendly grandma!" Anos complained, throwing his hands in the air. "How am I supposed to be scared of something called Maggie?!"
[You will be.]
"…That's concerning."
All around the world, gigantic spires of obsidian black stone erupted from the ground, piercing the clouds. One appeared in the middle of his city — so tall it seemed endless, runes glowing all over its surface.
The streets went silent. Even the monsters that hadn't been dragged back to the gate froze, staring.
[Tower of Maggie: Floor 1 unlocked.]
[Entry allowed for all awakened beings.]
[Rewards scale based on performance.]
Anos squinted at the tower. "So let me guess — this thing is some kind of cosmic gym?"
[Correct.]
"…And if I don't enter?"
[You die.]
Anos blinked. "Straight to the point, huh?"
[Correct.]
A huge crowd of newly awakened humans was already gathering near the base of the tower. Some looked terrified, others excited. Many were already trying to open the massive glowing gate at its entrance.
Anos stood up, dusting himself off.
"Well," he said, grinning, "if this thing is supposed to make me strong enough to reach omn-whatever-you-said… then I guess I should climb it."
[Recommendation: Train first.]
"…Nah." Anos stretched, cracking his neck. "I've got time-stop-cancel powers and a sarcastic AI in my head. What could possibly go wrong?"
As if on cue, the tower let out a loud, echoing chime that made every window in the city shatter.
[Tower Entry Phase Begins in: 24:00:00]
Anos' grin widened. "Oh good. A 24-hour countdown. Nothing says 'impending doom' like a giant magical clock."
He turned away from the smoking city and started walking toward the tower, hands in his pockets.
"This apocalypse might actually be fun."
[Side Note: Your definition of 'fun' may lead to multiple near-death experiences.]
"Yeah," Anos said, smirking. "But at least I won't be bored."