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As I stepped onto the bus, I noticed the passengers, who had witnessed the incident moments before, all turned their eyes toward me. I chose to ignore the unsolicited attention and headed straight to the back of the bus, where I found Ellen. As I approached, I found her smiling warmly at me.

"Good to see you back. And by the way, quite a scene you created out there" Ellen said, letting out a light laugh.

Setting aside Ellen's banter, I took a seat next to her. I noticed her sister was already awake and watching me closely. At that moment, I remembered the conversation we had before I left. It was crucial to address the matter again. With the realization that the monsters were growing more powerful over time, it was clear we needed more people capable of fighting.

Firstly, I decided to share with Ellen what I had discovered during my brief venture into the dark forest, filled with dangers and monsters hungry for us.

"By the way, I realized I didn't ask you before, why did you leave?"

Before I could even start to explain, Ellen was quick to ask a question, as if she had read my mind. This made me let out a laugh, but the strange look she gave me suggested she might have thought I had gone mad during the time we were apart.

"I left because I felt a stream nearby. I didn't want to take you because I wasn't sure what it was, but it turned out to be indeed a stream. Plus, I drank the water and I'm alive, so we probably won't die from it"

Anyway, Boar didn't suffer any harm after drinking the water, so we can assume we're safe. But I didn't see the need to share that information with Ellen.

"Back to our pending issue, what's your response to what we discussed before we left? Although I may not have been explicit, keep in mind that I'll also be ensuring your sister doesn't get hurt"

As I expressed my observation, Ellen addressed her sister, who seemed to be watching our conversation with interest, although she wasn't completely in the know. As I pondered this, I saw Ellen's lips move slowly, as if she were explaining something to her.

"Alright, let's do this" Ellen said, with palpable sincerity in her voice. "To be honest, I also don't believe I can protect her forever. Moreover, as you mentioned, this probably won't be an isolated incident. We'll likely have to take more risks in the future, so I want her to know how to defend herself... but, I'm afraid something might happen to her. Very afraid" Ellen concluded, her final words tinged with melancholy.

I completely understood her feelings; after all, I myself didn't know if my sister was in a similar situation. I wanted to believe she was okay, but uncertainty hung over me.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll do everything in my power to ensure she doesn't get a scratch. Plus, it's not like she'll be fighting on the front lines... well, that depends on the nature of her abilities, to be honest"

Ellen nodded and began to explain Noelle's ability. I was surprised by what she revealed; apparently, Noelle's rune and ability worked in perfect harmony, which intrigued me. It was strange, considering my own initial ability and rune didn't share this harmony.

From what Ellen explained, Noelle's rune grants her the ability to see and communicate with small creatures of various types and forms, which she affectionately nicknamed fairies. Additionally, her ability allows her to request specific help from some of these selected fairies.

In more adult terms, she basically has the ability to see and communicate with spirits through the rune, and her ability allows her to make contracts with these spirits. Honestly, I have no reason to be jealous of a little girl, since my rune is also special, although I don't expect to use it as frequently.

"From what you've told me, she seems more inclined towards the role of support than fighter, possibly a combination of both"

As I pondered this, I began to outline possible ways to leverage Noelle's abilities. Although we would probably keep her in the rear to command the spirits and provide support during battles, I was excited about the variety of options we had at our disposal. Additionally, her skill set seemed quite promising.

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear that" Ellen said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I don't really understand what determines an ability being considered good or bad"

Meanwhile, I cast a brief glance outside the bus. I saw Leo and some others handling the goods I brought. Somehow, they had set up some makeshift stands and hung the wolves there to drain the blood. I was impressed to realize that Leo was much more capable than he seemed, especially when it came to survival.

(Come to think of it, even though I have the feeling that it's getting dark, it's really strange that this white sun hasn't moved an inch since I saw it) I reflected as I shifted my gaze to the sun.

Right now, when I looked at the sun, I noticed something extraordinarily strange. A red spot, almost like a wound, seemed to be moving toward the center of the sun, as if it were determined to consume it. This sight, honestly, was disturbing. But I wondered if that spot had always been there and I just never noticed it before.

"Ellen!" I exclaimed, calling her name.

As soon as I called Ellen, she turned toward me. I pointed outside the bus, toward the sky, more specifically to the sun. Ellen, still confused, followed the direction of my gaze.

"Has that red spot always been there? I don't remember seeing it last time" I mentioned, pointing in the direction of the sun.

Ellen looked closely to where I was pointing, and as soon as she noticed the spot, she too was surprised by what she saw. I don't know why, but suddenly a chill ran down my spine. If that thing was really filling the sun, which I don't doubt will take more than an hour, what will happen when it's completely taken over?.

Something told me that the answer to my question would be far from pleasant. I looked at Ellen, and she seemed to have the same thought as me, as she was desperate for a solution.

"Let's go. We need to level up Noelle before that thing completely fills the sun. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this" I said.

Ellen didn't say a word, just nodded and prepared her sister with brief reassuring words, ensuring that she would be okay as long as she stayed behind us.

With that, under the gaze of all the passengers, we began to quickly exit the bus, like three desperate lunatics - and indeed, we were. I don't think I've ever felt such a need to level up as I do now. As soon as I got off the bus with Ellen and Noelle, Leo was the first to approach us, while the others just watched.

"Where are you guys going now?"

I didn't say anything, just pointed to the sun. Leo, still not understanding, looked in the direction indicated for a few seconds before an expression of surprise appeared on his face. It seemed that he too had noticed the strange spot on the sun.

"What the hell is that?" Leo asked, surprised.

"Honestly, I have no idea what it is, but I have a bad feeling about it. Me, Ellen, and Noelle are going out to train. I'm not going to stand still waiting for that thing to fill the sun, and you should do the same" I suggested, urgency evident in my voice.

Though it's obvious, I'm not warning Leo because I'm concerned about him. Honestly, I didn't really like him that much, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a fighting force for us. Plus, it doesn't seem like he's up to anything against me, at least not for now.

"Are you taking a child into the forest?" Leo asked, giving me a doubtful look.

"There are no children, adults, or elderly here, just survivors. Survivors who are destined to perish if they don't adapt to the situation"

Listening to my words, Leo clicked his tongue, knowing I was right. I won't lie, I enjoy teasing him every now and then. Lately, my pastime has been mocking Leo and leveling up. Well, it's not like there are many other entertainment options, actually.

"So, if you'll excuse me" I said, walking away from him with Ellen and Noelle.

As I distanced myself, a single thought echoed in my mind.

"Don't die too soon, Leo. You're still very useful to me. After all, it's easy to control your inflated ego"

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