By the time Anos got back to his apartment, the sun was setting.
Molar was still clinging to his sleeve like a koala. She looked around the building as they climbed the stairs, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"This is where you live?" she asked softly.
"Yeah," Anos said, fishing his keys from his pocket. "It's not a palace, but it's home. Don't expect much."
He unlocked the door, pushed it open, and gestured dramatically.
"Welcome to Casa Anos."
Molar stepped inside — and immediately her jaw dropped.
"Wooooow!" she gasped, spinning around. "It's so small!"
Anos paused mid-step. "…That's not usually the first reaction people have."
Molar ignored him and wandered over to the couch. She poked the cushion with a finger, then flopped onto it like it was the most luxurious throne she had ever seen.
"This is so soft!" she said, bouncing slightly.
"Careful," Anos said, setting his stick in the corner. "That couch is older than some of the monsters I've fought. Treat it with respect."
But Molar was already up, exploring every corner of the room like an excited cat.
She spotted his shelves, full of random trinkets and old snacks, and reached for one.
"Don't touch that," Anos said quickly.
Molar froze. "This?"
"Yes—no—wait, NOT THAT!"
It was too late. She grabbed a small orb from the shelf — one of the energy cores he had been collecting.
The core lit up, humming softly in her hands.
Anos dove across the room like a man saving a priceless vase.
"NOOOOOO!"
He snatched the core from her and held it protectively.
"That is NOT a toy," he said, glaring. "That thing could explode if you poke it too hard."
Molar blinked. "Explode?"
"Big boom," Anos said, gesturing with his hands. "Take-out-the-building boom. Do NOT touch."
Molar nodded innocently… and then reached for something else.
"NOT THAT EITHER!" Anos cried.
The next thirty minutes turned into a full-on battle.
Molar kept finding weird things around his apartment — old monster claws, broken system rewards, the mystery stick that still refused to look like a proper sword — and Anos kept running around trying to stop her before she broke something.
At one point, she found his fridge and pulled out one of his instant noodles.
"Is this food?" she asked.
"Yes," Anos said, relieved that she'd finally picked something safe.
Molar immediately tore it open and started crunching on the dry noodles.
"—BUT NOT LIKE THAT!" Anos yelped.
He grabbed the pack from her, staring at the half-eaten block of noodles in disbelief.
"You're supposed to COOK them first!"
Molar tilted her head. "What's cooking?"
Anos blinked. "…Wow. Okay. Forget the Tower — THIS is my true trial."
---
By the time Anos had managed to boil water and make the noodles properly, Molar was sitting cross-legged at the table, watching him with bright, curious eyes.
When he finally handed her the bowl, she took one bite… and her entire face lit up.
"This is amazing!" she said between slurps.
Anos smirked. "Told you."
Molar finished the bowl in record time, then pointed at the cabinet. "More?"
"…You know what? Sure. Knock yourself out. Just don't eat my last one. That's emergency food."
[System Alert: User is lying. Inventory contains three emergency rations.]
Anos froze. "…System, why did you snitch on me?"
[Providing factual clarification.]
"You're supposed to be on MY side!"
[Neutral party.]
Molar giggled, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth.
"You're both funny," she said.
Anos sighed, dramatically collapsing onto the couch.
"Yeah, well, I wasn't planning on adopting a child today, but here we are."
[Correction: Molar is not classified as 'child.' Classification: High-Value Dimensional Talent.]
Anos groaned. "I was being metaphorical!"
[Metaphor logged.]
"STOP LOGGING THINGS."
---
Later that night, Molar was curled up under a blanket on the couch, still wide awake and looking around the room like it was the most fascinating place in the world.
Anos was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the wall, rubbing his temples.
"You know," he said finally, "I've fought goblins, chiefs, and a mind-eating monster… but keeping you out of trouble might be the hardest quest I've ever been given."
Molar yawned. "I can help," she said softly.
"Oh yeah?" Anos raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly are you gonna help?"
Molar closed her eyes, and for a brief second, faint golden threads appeared in the air around her. They weaved together into a small barrier that shimmered softly before vanishing.
Anos blinked. "…You can already do that?"
Molar nodded sleepily. "A little."
Anos chuckled. "Guess you're not completely helpless after all. Good. That means I can teach you to fight."
"Fight?" Molar tilted her head.
"Yeah," Anos said, grinning. "If you're gonna stick with me, you need to learn how to hit things really hard. Step one: don't die. Step two: look cool doing it."
Molar giggled again.
"Don't laugh," Anos said, pointing at her. "I'm serious. By the time we're done, you're gonna be the most badass kid in the Tower."
[System Alert: Training Program Available. Suggested Curriculum: Basic Combat, Energy Manipulation, Dimensional Control.]
Anos smirked. "See? Even System agrees. Guess we're both teachers now."
[System does not teach. System provides optimal methods for training.]
"Same thing," Anos said, waving dismissively.
[Incorrect.]
"Shut up."
---
By the time Molar finally fell asleep, Anos was sitting by the window, staring at the distant Tower.
"You know," he muttered, "I thought this was just about getting stronger for myself. But now…"
He glanced at Molar, sleeping peacefully on the couch.
"…Guess I've got more to protect than just my pride."
[Observation: User's mental state shows increased determination.]
Ahhh, I almost forgot, molar,why can she see you, that because,(system respond),she is your family now, she as being add to your party, meaning, anos ask,she as limited access to the system.
"Yeah,"
Anos said quietly, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Tomorrow, we start training for real. And when the third trial comes… I'm gonna break this Tower's difficulty curve in half."
The System pinged softly, almost like it was smiling back.