He slipped his hands into his pockets and started walking down the street toward the grocery store. His thoughts kept racing.

"Let's see… I still have that Minotaur core, and the Giant Scorpion core too," he murmured. "Not to mention all those Goblin cores."

He paused for a moment at the corner, a grin forming as he remembered something even better.

"And the best part," he said under his breath, "the full body and head of that three-headed Hydra. Sure, I destroyed one head—but the other two are still intact."

His eyes gleamed slightly. "I heard Hydra scales are rare… extremely rare. If a few Red Wolf cores sold for that much, then a Hydra's head should be worth even more."

He laughed softly, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is actually amazing."

With that thought, he turned toward the street that led to the grocery store, still smiling as he walked.

As Raito reached the grocery store, he grabbed a basket and began picking out everything he needed—noodles, rice, meat, chicken, bread, and a few canned meals. By the time he reached the counter, the total came to 7,000 yen.

It was a lot, but he didn't care. For once, he could afford it.

He carried the heavy bags out of the store, a small smile on his face as he made his way back home. The evening air felt light. For the first time in a while, things seemed to be going right.

But the smile faded the moment he reached his apartment.

Standing right beside his door was his landlord, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Hey… what are you doing here, landlord?" Raito asked cautiously.

The man glared at him. "You're asking me what I'm doing here? Your rent is due. For two months you haven't paid a single yen. And now this month is almost over, and you still haven't paid."

Raito sighed, setting his grocery bags down. "Alright, how much is it? Just tell me the total."

The landlord frowned. "Why are you asking like you're actually going to pay? It's forty-five thousand yen in total. So, what now? You gonna pay or not?"

Without saying a word, Raito reached into his pocket, pulled out the thick envelope from earlier, and counted out forty-five thousand yen. He handed it over calmly.

The landlord blinked in disbelief, staring at the cash. "Did you win a lottery or something? The kind of job you do doesn't pay this much."

"Well," Raito said flatly, "I've given you the rent. Now, if you don't mind, please move. I'd like to go inside."

The landlord stepped aside slowly, still staring at him as if he couldn't believe what he'd just seen.

Raito unlocked the door, entered, and closed it behind him. He took a deep breath, a quiet smile forming again as he carried the groceries into the kitchen.

He placed them neatly on the counter and looked around. "Groceries, rent… all paid," he said to himself. "The look on his face was priceless."

He laughed quietly. "I'm actually happy I did that. Next, I'll pay the light bill… and everything else I've been putting off."

He leaned against the counter, his expression softening. "Yeah," he whispered. "For once, things are starting to go right."

As Raito leaned against the counter, a faint chime echoed in his ears.

Ding!

A blue notification appeared before him.

[Drill Assessment Available]

He frowned. "Huh?"

Another notification popped up.

[User has not defeated any monsters recently.]

Then came a third.

[Drill Assessment — Accept or Reject?]

Raito's eyes widened. "Wait… this again?"

His heart started to race as he remembered the last time he chose accept. That strange darkness. The endless fall. The dungeon filled with monsters.

He clenched his fists. "And why was I teleported to that place that was completely dark… then fell through a hole and ended up in a dungeon somewhere last time?"

The familiar monotone voice answered him inside his head.

[Drill Assessment exists to evaluate and enhance the user's combat ability.]

[The dark space you experienced before was the system zone—a void within me where your consciousness is transferred.]

"So that place was inside you?" Raito asked, his tone low.

[Correct.]

[Each Drill simulates combat conditions based on the user's level and experience. Last time, you fought an Ogre. Now that you've reached Level 8, the next opponent will be stronger.]

Raito's jaw tightened. "So this isn't some random teleportation. It's… training."

[Affirmative.]

Another notification flickered before him.

[Drill Assessment — Accept or Reject?]

Raito stared at it, his reflection shimmering across the screen. His heart thumped once, hard.

Should I accept this or reject it?

He clenched his jaw. Because if I accept, there's a chance something bad might happen again. Everything there feels real, the blood, the pain, the monsters.

He swallowed hard, memories flashing back. The last time I accepted this thing, I was weak, and it threw me against an Ogre.

Raito slowly exhaled. "But now that I've gotten stronger, what if they make me fight something worse? A three headed Hydra like before? If that happens, I won't win. Not as I am right now."

He stared at his trembling hand. That skill that saved me, the one that awakened during that life and death moment, it only worked once. One use. It's gone now. If something like that happens again, I'll be dead for real.

The notification pulsed brighter.

[Awaiting Response Accept or Reject?]

Raito's expression hardened. "What should I do…" he whispered under his breath.

His thoughts echoed like a whisper inside his head.

Accept it and risk dying again? Or reject it and stay weak forever?

This time, he stared at the glowing notification for a long moment, then took a deep breath and tapped Accept.

Instantly, the notification vanished.

But unlike before, his body didn't move. The room didn't dissolve into darkness. He wasn't falling through that endless black void like last time.

He blinked and looked around.

"Wait… I'm not being teleported," he whispered.

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