The morning sun crept into Anos' tiny apartment, lighting up the room where Molar was still curled up under a blanket. She snored softly, clutching the pillow like it was a priceless treasure.
Anos stretched, yawned, and looked at her.
"Man," he muttered, "who would've thought I'd end up with a roommate this fast. And a kid at that."
[Correction: Molar is classified as Extraordinary Talent, not 'kid.']
"System," Anos said, rubbing his temples, "sometimes I really wish you'd just let me talk in peace."
[Impossible.]
"…I hate you."
[Love registered.]
"STOP LOGGING EMOTIONS!"
Molar stirred, sitting up with messy hair. "Good morning…" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Morning," Anos said. "Hope you're ready, because today's gonna be brutal."
"Brutal?" she asked.
"Training," Anos said simply.
---
The 20km Run
Anos didn't waste time. Within an hour, he had dragged Molar out of the city and into an open field.
"Alright, kid," he said, stretching his legs. "Step one: stamina. We're going for a run."
"How far?" Molar asked.
Anos smirked. "Twenty kilometers."
Molar blinked. "Twenty what?"
"Don't worry," Anos said, patting her head. "I'll carry you when you pass out."
"Eh?!"
And so, they ran.
At first, Molar tried her best to keep up, but after about five minutes she was panting like a dying fish.
"Slow… down…" she gasped.
"Can't," Anos said casually, jogging ahead with his hands in his pockets. "The monsters won't wait for you to catch your breath."
Molar pouted, but pushed herself harder. She stumbled, tripped, then forced herself back up.
By the time they finished, she collapsed on the grass, arms spread wide.
"Never… again…" she wheezed.
Anos crouched beside her, grinning. "Good effort. Not bad for your first run."
Then the System pinged.
[System Alert: Training Completed.]
[Reward Granted: +200 EXP, +2 Stat Points, +1 Skill Point.]
[Multiplier Active. Rewards Doubled.]
Anos' eyes widened. "Doubled? Ohhh, now we're talking!"
[Yes. User's consistency has triggered a bonus.]
Anos pumped his fist. "Finally, some good news!"
Molar peeked up at him. "What happened?"
"Just leveled up our lives," Anos said smugly.
---
Leveling Up
Back at the apartment, Anos sat on the couch with Molar standing in front of him.
"Alright, kid," he said, pulling up her stats through the System. "You're about to level up."
"Level up?" Molar tilted her head.
"Yep. Watch this."
He dumped a chunk of his extra EXP into her.
[Molar has leveled up to Level 10.]
Molar's body glowed faintly, her aura sharpening like a blade being forged. She clenched her fists, surprised at the sudden power flowing through her.
"I feel… strong," she whispered.
"Good," Anos said, smirking. "You'll need it."
Then he turned to his own status.
"System, dump the rest into me."
[Confirmed.]
[Anos has leveled up to Level 15.]
Anos stretched his arms, feeling the strength surge through his veins. "Now this… this is progress."
[Reminder: User is still weak compared to higher-dimensional beings.]
"…Thanks for killing the vibe, System."
[Honesty registered.]
"STOP REGISTERING THINGS."
---
The Clothes Shop Disaster
That afternoon, Anos decided Molar couldn't keep wearing the ragged clothes she had from the Tower. So, he took her downtown to a small clothing shop.
The moment they walked in, Molar gasped.
"So many colors!" she said, dashing from rack to rack.
"Yeah, yeah, don't break anything," Anos muttered.
She immediately grabbed a pink dress and held it up. "Can I have this?"
"Too frilly," Anos said.
She grabbed a sparkly jacket. "This?"
"Too shiny."
Then she pulled out a ridiculously oversized hat.
"…You're kidding," Anos said flatly.
Molar plopped the hat on her head, and it fell over her eyes. She turned to him, wobbling. "How do I look?"
Anos burst out laughing. "Like a mushroom!"
Molar pouted. "Meanie."
[Observation: Molar looks adorable.]
Anos froze. "…Did you just call her adorable?"
[Affirmative.]
"…Are you glitching?!"
[Negative. Statement was fact-based.]
Molar giggled, clearly enjoying how flustered Anos was.
In the end, he bought her a simple but practical outfit — black pants, boots, and a blue hoodie that was slightly too big for her.
She twirled in it, grinning. "It's perfect!"
Anos smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't get it covered in monster guts."
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, clearly confused by their conversation, but wisely said nothing.
---
The World Shifts
By the time they left the shop, the streets were buzzing with activity. Hunters in armor, survivors carrying weapons, civilians whispering nervously.
The world had changed. Monsters, systems, Towers — it was no longer the Earth they once knew.
Anos shoved his hands in his pockets, looking around.
"Everyone's adapting fast," he muttered. "Guess humans really are stubborn creatures."
Molar walked beside him, holding her new hoodie sleeves like they were treasures.
Then, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, the System pinged loudly.
[System Alert: Third Trial Approaching.]
[Estimated Start Time: 00:00 Hours.]
Anos stopped in his tracks, staring up at the sky.
Already, strange symbols were forming above the Tower. The atmosphere thickened, the air buzzing with energy.
"Ahhh, here we go again," Anos muttered.
Molar tugged his sleeve. "Are we going?"
"Of course," Anos said with a grin. "We've come this far. No point backing out now."
---
The Third Trial Begins
By nightfall, every hunter in the city had gathered near the Tower.
The crowd was bigger than ever — thousands of people, buzzing with both fear and excitement.
Anos and Molar stood at the edge, watching.
"You ready?" Anos asked.
Molar nodded firmly. "Ready."
Anos smirked. "Good. Because whatever comes next… we're surviving it together."
The ground trembled. The Tower glowed, its massive doors cracking open once again.
[System Alert: All participants will now be transferred.]
Light swallowed them.
Anos' last thought before the world shifted was simple:
"New world, new life… and damn, I'd better not get another stick as a reward."