After a few minutes of walking in tense silence, the two finally arrived at Atlas's house.
Atlas didn't hesitate. He fumbled the key out of his pocket and jammed it into the lock.
Clack.
The door swung open before the key even turned.
Atlas stiffened.
It was already unlocked.
He exchanged a brief look with Kuro, whose sharp black eyes narrowed under his glasses. Without a word, they stepped inside.
The air was stale, untouched. The electricity was off, but light from the overcast sky filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the living room. Dust motes drifted in the beams of light like lazy ghosts.
Kuro scanned the place with a professional detachment, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword.
"Quite the nice house," he commented dryly, kicking aside a fallen shoe. "But where are your parents?"
Atlas's stomach twisted. The house wasn't wrecked. No bloodstains, no shattered furniture, no signs of a struggle. It was as if his family had simply... walked out. The only hint of anything strange was the unlocked door — a silent alarm in a world gone mad.
They tore through every room systematically, searching for a sticky note, a scribbled message, anything that might explain where they'd gone. But there was nothing. No clues. No goodbye.
At last, the two of them ended up in the kitchen, rinsing dust from their throats with a few sips of lukewarm tap water.
Atlas stared at his glass, voice low. "That's strange... Why would they leave? Maybe they went out to search for me and my brother? But... why not leave a message?"
A sudden, bone-jarring SLAP sent Atlas lurching forward over the sink.
"Quit whining," Kuro said bluntly, his hand still in mid-air from the blow. "If they went outside, they're probably confident they can handle themselves."
[They probably got a decent system unlike you.] the Troll System added, fake sympathy dripping from every word.
Atlas rubbed his aching back, grimacing. "That... actually makes sense. Nobody would leave unless they were strong enough, right?"
"You did, though." Kuro said with a straight face, instantly shutting down Atlas's optimism.
[Yup, you did. Even though you're hot garbage.] The system popped a text box just above Atlas's head, blinking mockingly.
Atlas considered flipping the table, but even that felt like too much effort at this point.
"So what now?" he asked, a bit defeated.
Kuro leaned against the counter, arms crossed, gaze distant. "The best answer? Level up. This is just the first invasion, and believe me..." He clicked his tongue, his face darkening. "The next ones are going to be hell compared to this."
Atlas fell silent. His fingers tightened around the glass until his knuckles turned white.
"Isn't it kinda unfair?" he muttered. "I mean... The next waves will have even stronger enemies, but after the clown invasion ends, how are we supposed to level up?"
Kuro's lips twitched into something that might have been a smile if it wasn't so cold.
"You think the Ancient Entities care about 'fair'?"
[YEAH, WE DON'T.] The Troll System added cheerfully, popping another useless notification.
Kuro pushed off the counter. "Let's go. You're not strong enough to survive sitting in this house."
Atlas grabbed the green stick, adjusted the clown mask, and followed Kuro out into the broken world.
The streets were eerily quiet, like the city was holding its breath. They didn't have to walk far before they found a group of clowns huddled together at a broken fountain.
Four of them. Normal ones, judging by their slashed-up costumes and the standard issue blood-crusted silver knives.
Atlas tightened his grip on the stick, heart hammering.
"Let me handle them." he whispered, slipping the clown mask over his face again.
Kuro raised an eyebrow but said nothing, simply stepping back to watch.
Atlas forced himself to stumble forward like a drunk idiot, mimicking the clowns he'd seen before. Knife in one hand, green stick hidden behind his back.
The clowns turned toward him, their blank painted faces twitching with suspicion. One of them cocked his head, as if trying to sniff out the lie.
Atlas wanted to scream. To run. But he swallowed the panic and kept limping forward, mimicking their unsteady movements.
[You're a born clown.] The system chuckled, utterly entertained.
The clowns hesitated too long.
Atlas struck.
In a blur of motion, he whipped the green knockback stick out and slammed the nearest clown into a crumbling brick wall.
[Kill confirmed. Experience gained.]
The other three reacted immediately, moving with shocking speed. They fanned out, attacking from three different angles, trying to corner him.
Atlas ducked instinctively, the knives slicing the air above his head. His boosted Agility—barely at 6—was enough to let him twist awkwardly, causing the clowns to crash into each other like clumsy toddlers.
Without wasting the opportunity, Atlas leapt and smashed them all down in a chaotic pile, sending blood and teeth scattering across the cracked concrete.
[Brutal.] The system whistled approvingly.
[Three ordinary enemies killed. Experience gained.]
Atlas stumbled back, panting heavily.
"Tsk. No level up for all that effort." he muttered, wiping blood from his stick.
Kuro finally spoke, arms crossed. "Good job, Atlas. That stick of yours isn't half bad after all."
Atlas tried not to preen at the compliment.
"Let's find more. You need to level up before you get killed." Kuro added, already scanning the ruined street.
"Yeah... Let's go."
As Atlas looted the clowns' masks and knives for anything useful, a soft ding echoed in his mind.
[New Skill Unlocked:
Camouflage: Wearing an enemy's clothing increases your chances of being mistaken for them.
Cooldown: None.]
Atlas's eyes lit up. He yanked the system notification open, grinning like a madman.
"Yay! I got my second skill!" he announced to Kuro, practically vibrating.
"What is it?" Kuro asked, mildly interested.
"Camouflage. I can trick enemies easier now!"
Kuro smirked. A dark, mischievous smirk that made Atlas instinctively take a step back.
"Perfect. You're officially my decoy now, clown."
[Phhhhhhh. He called you clown! You really deserve your class!] The system howled in laughter, rolling virtual tears down its pixelated face.
Atlas tried to grab the floating text box out of the air, but it dodged nimbly and perched atop his head, mocking him.
Kuro actually chuckled — the sound short, sharp, and completely devoid of warmth.
Before Atlas could complain, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the street.
Both turned on instinct.
A woman — middle-aged, panting, her clothes torn — was being chased by another clown.
But this one was different.
Short, fat, waddling awkwardly, the clown didn't carry a weapon. Instead, it dragged long, razor-sharp black nails along the ground, leaving scratch marks in the concrete.
The woman stumbled, sobbing.
"Go!" Kuro barked, sprinting forward.
He reached the clown first, drawing his blue-glowing sword in a fluid motion and slashing at its neck.
CLANG.
The sword bounced harmlessly off the clown's nails, which the beast had used to block the attack.
"Atlas, what the hell are you waiting for?!" Kuro snapped.
Atlas sprinted in, face hidden under his enhanced clown mask. Thanks to Camouflage, the fat clown barely acknowledged him.
He slammed the green stick into its back with all his might.
Nothing.
The fat simply rippled like jelly, absorbing the blow.
"Frick—use the knife!" Kuro shouted, parrying the clown's claws again and again.
Atlas remembered how he defeated the chainsaw clown back at the hospital. He pulled out the bloodstained knife and stabbed it into the clown's back. It barely flinched.
But Atlas didn't stop there.
Using the knockback stick like a hammer, he began driving the knife deeper with brutal, desperate swings.
The clown roared in pain. Blood geysered from its mouth as the knife pierced its heart. It collapsed with a thud that shook the ground.
Both boys stood over the corpse, breathing hard.
[Strong enemy defeated. Level up! Stat point gained.]
[Troll System: Atlas Silver]
HP: 7/10
Strength: 6
Agility: 6
Luck: 5
Intelligence: 5
Stat Points: 1
"Good job," Kuro said, sheathing his sword without so much as a glance at the dead clown.
[Same boring trick, you clown.] The system added sourly, as if personally offended.
The woman, tears streaking her face, hurried over to them.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! Please, can I come with you? Please! I—I won't survive out here alone!" she begged, clasping her hands together.
Atlas opened his mouth, heart softening. "Sur—"
"No" Kuro cut him off coldly. "You're dead weight."
The woman flinched like he'd slapped her. Tears welled up again.
"But... but I can't survive on my own..." she whispered.
Atlas hesitated.
"Kuro... Maybe she has a decent system?" he offered weakly.
Kuro stared at the woman with dead, sharklike eyes.
"Fine. Tell me what skills you have."
The woman wiped her face quickly, standing straighter. "I—I have...
Kuro's expression didn't change.
Atlas felt a sinking feeling grow in his gut.
This was only the beginning.
And trust was a currency even blood couldn't buy anymore.