The blinding light of the Tower swallowed everyone whole. For a moment, Anos felt like his body was falling endlessly through a void — weightless, cold, and strangely calm. But then, everything shifted.
When his feet touched the ground, he opened his eyes.
The world around him was not the same Tower chamber he expected. Instead, he stood in a vast plain with dark skies, twisted trees, and a chilling atmosphere.
"...Oh, great," Anos muttered. "They've dumped me into another dimension again."
[System Alert: You have been separated.]
"Separated?" Anos narrowed his eyes. "Molar—where's Molar?"
[Answer: Molar has been transported to the same dimension but placed in a different zone. System recommends you locate her after completing the first phase.]
"Different zone?" Anos gritted his teeth. "Tch. Figures this damn Tower wouldn't make things easy."
Then the System hit him with the big one.
[System Mission: Survive the Third Trial – Wave One.]
[Objective: Kill 1,000 Goblins.]
[Time Limit: 10 hours.]
"...1,000 goblins?" Anos said slowly, rubbing his temples. "Are you kidding me? That's not a wave, that's a buffet!"
[Correction: It is survival content. Failure will result in elimination.]
"...Oh, thanks for clarifying. Now I totally feel better," he said sarcastically.
---
The Village
As Anos scanned the area, he spotted smoke rising in the distance. Curious, he jogged toward it.
After ten minutes, he found himself standing at the edge of a small village — or what remained of it. Broken carts, burnt houses, and bloodstains marked the dirt roads. Dozens of villagers, mostly women, children, and elderly, were gathered together with hollow eyes.
Anos frowned. "So this is it, huh? The Tower just drops a bunch of goblins into a random world and lets them slaughter everything?"
[Correction: This is a parallel dimension designed as part of the Trial.]
"Yeah, great. Basically the Tower turned me into pest control."
He walked into the village, and immediately, all the survivors shrank back in fear.
"Relax," Anos said, raising his hands. "I'm not here to rob you. I'm here to kill goblins."
The villagers looked confused until one brave old man stepped forward.
"You… you're one of them, aren't you? A hunter?"
"Something like that," Anos said.
The old man bowed. "Please, save us. The goblins attack every few hours. They've already taken half our people."
Anos scratched his head. "Guess I've got no choice, huh? Fine. But first thing's first—we're building defenses."
---
The Wall
The System popped up again.
[Recommendation: Build protective barriers to reduce villager casualties.]
"Wait, you're actually being useful for once?" Anos smirked.
[Insult registered.]
"STOP REGISTERING MY INSULTS!"
Despite the back-and-forth, Anos quickly got to work. Using rubble, wood from destroyed houses, and even some earth manipulation he unlocked at Level 15, he constructed a crude wall around the village.
It wasn't pretty. In fact, it looked more like a giant pile of junk glued together.
One villager tilted his head. "Uh… are you sure this will hold?"
Anos crossed his arms proudly. "Of course. Look at it—it's ugly, but it's mine."
Another villager whispered, "It looks like a giant trash heap."
Anos glared. "Listen, buddy, it's called rustic defense design."
[Correction: User's wall has a 37% chance of collapsing under heavy impact.]
"System, you're supposed to encourage me!"
[No.]
Anos facepalmed. "I swear this System is trying to kill my vibe…"
Still, the wall was better than nothing. By the time he finished, the countdown to the first wave had already dropped to 7 hours.
---
Reunion with Molar
Just as Anos was about to rest, he felt a familiar energy approaching. He turned and spotted Molar sprinting toward the village.
"ANOS!" she shouted, waving her arms.
"Molar!" Anos grinned. "Glad you're not goblin food."
She pouted. "Of course not! I'm strong now!"
She immediately tripped over a rock and faceplanted.
Anos stared. "…Yeah, real strong."
She jumped up quickly, brushing dirt off her clothes. "That was a warm-up fall!"
He laughed, ruffling her hair. "Good to see you, kid. Looks like we're stuck defending this place together."
Molar nodded firmly. "Then let's protect them!"
---
Wave One Begins
The sky darkened, the air trembling with unnatural energy. A loud horn echoed across the land.
[System Alert: First Wave Incoming. Remaining Time: 7 Hours.]
Anos cracked his knuckles. "Here we go."
From the forest, glowing red eyes appeared. One pair. Then ten. Then hundreds.
The goblins poured out like a flood, snarling and screeching.
"System," Anos said, smirking, "let's make this interesting."
He raised his hand, ready to activate his Time Pause Skill.
But the System immediately blocked him.
[Skill Activation Denied.]
[Reason: Tower prohibits unfair abilities during Trial. Using them would count as cheating.]
"Cheating?!" Anos yelled. "This is survival, not an exam!"
[Correction: It is both.]
"…I hate you."
[Love registered.]
"STOP—YOU KNOW WHAT, FORGET IT!"
---
The Fight
Anos leapt over the wall, charging straight into the horde. His fists glowed as he unleashed his Energy Smash skill, sending a cluster of goblins flying like bowling pins.
"Strike one!" he shouted.
Another wave rushed him, but he spun, kicking one in the face before smashing another with his elbow.
Meanwhile, Molar was at the wall, summoning small bursts of light energy to blast any goblins that tried climbing over.
"Eat sparkle bombs!" she yelled, throwing glowing orbs.
"Sparkle bombs?!" Anos shouted mid-punch. "That's the lamest attack name I've ever heard!"
Molar puffed her cheeks. "Shut up! It's cool!"
Anos laughed, then slammed a goblin into the dirt.
For hours, the fight raged.
By the time the counter dropped to 5 hours remaining, Anos had already taken down hundreds of goblins. His clothes were tattered, his fists bruised, but his grin never faded.
"Come on, you green pests! Who's next?!"
[Goblin Kill Count: 623/1000.]
---
The Limit
But not everything went smoothly. Molar's energy was running out. She leaned against the wall, panting heavily, sweat dripping down her face.
"Anos…" she called weakly. "I… I can't… keep going…"
Anos cursed, punching a goblin aside. "Damn it. She's hitting her limit."
He dashed back to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Hey, listen. You've done enough. Leave the rest to me."
Molar shook her head. "No… I can help… I have to…"
He smirked, tapping her forehead. "And you will. Just not by killing yourself."
She blinked.
"Protect the villagers," he said. "That's your job now. I'll handle the rest."
Molar's eyes widened. Slowly, she nodded. "Okay…"
---
The Final Push
With renewed determination, Anos jumped back into the fray. His body screamed in pain, but his spirit burned brighter.
He activated his Energy Overdrive skill, his aura flaring like a storm. Every punch crushed bones, every kick sent goblins flying in pieces.
The goblins swarmed him in waves, but he fought like a demon, refusing to fall.
[Goblin Kill Count: 934/1000.]
"Almost there," he growled, wiping blood from his lip.
Another wave surged, bigger than before. Dozens surrounded him, snarling.
Anos grinned. "Perfect. More punching bags."
He slammed his fists into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that obliterated everything within ten meters.
[Goblin Kill Count: 1000/1000.]
The System chimed.
[First Wave Cleared.]
[Remaining Time: 2 Hours. Rest period granted.]
Anos dropped to one knee, panting. "Finally… Damn, that was brutal."
Molar ran to him, her eyes full of worry. "Are you okay?!"
He smirked weakly. "Of course. You think some goblins could take me down?"
Then he promptly collapsed face-first into the dirt.
Molar blinked. "…Strongest man alive, huh?"
The villagers cheered, rushing to thank them. But Anos just mumbled into the ground:
"Somebody… bring me food…"