ã€ŠInfinite Evolution: My Idle Evolution Systemã€‹


 Chapter 1 My Idle Awakening

    _________________[Daily Quest - To Idle, one must stay proactive.]
    GOAL
    [INCOMPLETE] PUSH-UPS ¡ª [0/100]
    [INCOMPLETE] SIT-UPS ¡ª [0/100]
    [INCOMPLETE] CURL-UPS ¡ª [0/100]
    [INCOMPLETE] SQUATS ¡ª [0/100]
    [INCOMPLETE] RUNNING ¡ª [0/10km]
    REWARD - [1 Point in Charisma, 1 Point in Agility, 1 Point in Strength, and 1 Point in Endurance]
    _________________
    [WARNING! ¨C Failure to complete this quest will result in the permanent loss of something precious to the Host... You shall lose what makes you a man!]
    "No matter how many times I see this stupid Daily Quest, I just can't understand how this nonsense is supposed to be a 'feature' of an Idle Evolution System," muttered a young man with plain, unremarkable features. His messy black hair stuck out like a bird's nest, and his tired eyes were clouded with irritation.
    COCKADOODLEDOOOOO!!!!
    A sudden, ear-piercing screech filled the room. Without thinking, the young man's hand shot out instinctively, quick and precise.
    BAM!
    The antique alarm clock flew through the air and crashed into the wooden bedside table, shattering it into splinters. Unfazed, the young man let out a lazy yawn, rubbed his eyes, and picked up the battered clock. Without a second thought, he set it back on the last unbroken corner of the table, barely noticing the new dent it had earned.
    He stretched with a long, exaggerated groan before rising from his creaky cotton mattress. Stumbling toward the body-length mirror resting against the wall, he examined his reflection with a practiced, critical gaze. His slightly more defined muscles were just enough to push him from "below average" to the razor's edge of "meh."
    "Still, this is leagues better than how I looked before acquiring that blasted Idle Evolution System in that... 'incident.'"
    His expression twisted as memories of that fateful encounter flooded his mind. It was a day marked by both destiny and utter absurdity. The afternoon that closed out his junior year of high school¡ªhis final year in that accursed institution of misery. His school life? An unmitigated disaster... but that was a story for another time.
    To understand how Cassius came into possession of the so-called 'Idle Evolution System,' one must trace his steps back to ten days prior...
    He had been minding his own business, basking in the grandeur of the school's main building¡ªadmiring its intricate architecture in a manner most sincere. His appreciation extended to observing the bustling schoolyard scenery... strictly for 'cultural enrichment' of course.
    Then, fate struck.
    BOOM!
    A colossal white truck burst through the brick wall like a vengeful deity enacting heavenly retribution, catching him utterly off guard in his "appreciative study."
    His intentions were pure! He was merely indulging in a final, heartfelt farewell to the vibrant energy radiating from his schoolmates before summer break. Yet, Truck-kun couldn't seem to find a f*ck to give, plowing through the courtyard with the cold indifference of destiny itself. His world flipped upside down¡ªand not metaphorically.
    He was out cold before he even realized what hit him.
    However, when Cassius awoke, he was not in some mystical, otherworldly realm. He remained firmly grounded in the quiet countryside of Japan, in his small hometown of Hoshito.
    His first thought was a presumptuous one, yet also a reasonable one. "Did I time-travel back to fix my wretched past? It has to be! This is my Protagonist prologue, isn't it!?"
    Hope stirred... only to be snuffed out like a lone candle in a storm. His reflection in the mirror shattered all illusions¡ªhis body was the same flabby disaster as before, cursed with an extreme case of hypothyroidism that rendered every attempt at exercise or dieting utterly futile. Moreover, he also had the same bad case of Dilapidating Body Deterioration Syndrome, which made him as weak as chicken and as frail as glass.
    Yet... something was different this time.
    Cassius had neither been sent to another world nor transported back in time. His fate was neither glorious nor fantastical¡ªbut change had come nonetheless.
    "Is that... a fu*king flying person?"
    Disbelief warred with reality as he spotted a figure soaring majestically through the sky, defying all logic and reason.
    In his previous reality, people were wholly ordinary¡ªmundane, powerless beings. But in this timeline, at the exact same point in time, humanity had evolved.
    They were called 'Hunters'¡ªindividuals bestowed with supernatural abilities and charged with defending the world from monstrous invaders spilling forth from nightmarish 'Gates' that had first appeared a century ago.
    Their profession was less about heroism and more about fortune and glory. The strong thrived while the weak perished. Billions aspired to become Hunters, but few succeeded.
    Cassius, desperate for answers, questioned everyone he could. His father, perpetually absent on business; his stepmother, whose gaze could cut steel; and finally, his stepsister¡ªa snide, spoiled girl who delighted in mocking his appearance and shared his misery with her 'friends'. Though, anyone with half their sight intact could tell that she was faking it, playing the classic 'hate with the haters so you don't get hated' act. He found it difficult to blame her for this.
    His stepmother, strangely, seemed to hesitate as if wishing to say something kinder¡ªbut the moment always passed, leaving only cold indifference in its wake.
    Each passing moment filled Cassius with more fragmented memories of this bizarre timeline. He soon realized that, just like before, nearly everyone around him despised his very existence.
    But perhaps... if he awakened as a Hunter, everything could change.
    Unfortunately, reality was ever cruel.
    His stepsister informed him that he was long past the age of awakening, wearing a disgusted expression while saying this.
    In this world of power, Cassius was...
    Trash.
    Despair crashed down like an avalanche, smothering all hope. Perhaps fate had toyed with him long enough¡ªit was time to embrace the sweet release of oblivion. Maybe Truck-kun was still out there, ready for round two.
    Determined to end this joke of a second life, he climbed onto the windowsill of his cramped bedroom and moved his fat rolls forward, ready to greet destiny with open arms¡­
    Then, 'it' appeared.
    ________________________________
    [Name: Idle Evolution System]
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 1]
    [Title: Calorie Chaser (F)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 100] [MP: 100]
    [FATIGUE: 0] [AP: 0]
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 3] (Little kids are stronger)
    [AGILITY: 2] (Even Grandma's can outrun you)
    [ENDURANCE: 2] (You would collapse within 3 seconds of warming a lady's bed)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 4] (Your only redeeming quality. Still below average) sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [PERCEPTION: 2] (At this point, someone could aim a gun straight at you and give you ten seconds to dodge, but you would still get hit)
    [CHARISMA: 1] (This is just¡­ sad. You're so ugly that goblins have better aesthetics.)
    _______________________________
    Cassius: "...."
    It was at that moment that he learned that this 'Idle Evolution System' was a complete¡­ asshole! It even gave him a useless Title that was only there to remind him of how much fat was present in his body!
    And then, out of nowhere, it hit him with a system notification, but added:
    *Ding~!*
    [Since the Host lacks character development, it is time to build character!]
    [For the next 2 months, the Host is required to complete the 'Daily Quest,' and for every day missed, the punishment for failure increases.]
    [Punishment for first failure: Pain]
    Cassius shrugged. "Pain? How bad could it be? Worse than running with this cursed body?"
    It was worse. Far, far worse.
    After bemoaning his wretched fate as a perpetual, rotund mortal cursed by the heavens, Cassius surrendered himself to the sweet embrace of procrastination. An entire twenty-four hours slipped by in blissful ignorance as he immersed himself in games and manga, utterly disregarding the so-called "Daily Quest."
    But fate is a merciless overseer.
    When the clock struck midnight, retribution descended with the fury of a vengeful celestial tribulation.
    BZZZZZT!
    Agony surged through his body like bolts of divine lightning. Muscles twisted, nerves seared, and his bones felt as though an ancient beast was gnawing them into splinters. He writhed on the cold, unforgiving floor of his bedroom, wailing like a condemned soul cast into the abyss.
    Thankfully, no one was home to witness his humiliating downfall¡ªsmall mercies from an otherwise merciless universe.
    After enduring a full sixty seconds of soul-shattering torment, Cassius gasped for air like a beached fish. His eyes burned with renewed resolve, a fire lit by the primal instinct for survival. He swore an unyielding oath under his ragged breath:
    "Never again... never, ever again!"
    His resolve was cemented when he read the system's next warning:
    [Next Punishment for Failure: Permanent Loss of Crown Jewels and Holy Excalibur]
    Cassius's soul trembled. He wasn't sure what frightened him more¡ªthe cold, mechanical tone of the system... or its disturbingly specific choice of words.
    "This damn Idle Evolution System... it's the cruelest bastard I've ever encountered¡­"
    Yet, even as he cursed the heavens and his misfortune, Cassius dragged his weary, trembling body off the floor. If divine fate wished to play such a brutal game, he would meet it head-on¡ªeven if it killed him.
    The next morning, the first day of true effort began.
    Push-ups were an impossible task. His arms felt like soggy noodles. Running? After ten agonizing seconds, he collapsed like a felled ox. Each movement was torture, each breath a struggle against the suffocating grip of fatigue.
    But even an ant can move a mountain grain by grain.
    Hour by hour, sweat drenched his clothes, and the ground bore witness to his gritted determination. Despite collapsing countless times, he endured. His body protested with every fiber of its being, but his will remained unyielding.
    Finally¡ªat the brink of collapse, drenched in sweat and gasping for air¡ªhe completed the quest.
    *Ding~!*
    [You Have Completed Daily Quest #2]
    [+1 Agility | +1 Endurance]
    *Thud!*
    Cassius crumpled to the floor like a discarded rag doll, utterly drained. Darkness swiftly claimed him.
    He awoke six hours later, battered but alive, only to face the wrath of his sharp-tongued stepmother. Her scornful words stung less than his aching muscles, but he endured them with stoic resolve.
    There was no room for bitterness; his fate was chained to the system now.
    By the time the next Daily Quest appeared, Cassius was ready. The suffering he endured no longer felt insurmountable¡ªit was simply another battle in the endless war against mediocrity.
    Days turned into weeks. Though progress was slow, it was progress nonetheless. Each completed quest added a faint spark of vitality to his weary frame. His steps became lighter, his breathing steadier, and his will sharper than a honed blade.
    And then, on this fateful morning, after stretching his aching limbs and brushing his teeth with grim determination, the system bestowed a new revelation upon him¡ªone that hinted at the true depths of its potential.
    BLING!
    {[Idle Evolution System Idling Benefits]}
    [Benefit 1: For every day that you train your body to the absolute limit of what you can endure, you will receive 3 AP (Available Points), which can be freely used to increase any of your stats.]
    [Benefit 2: LOCKED]
    [Benefit 3: ????]
    [Benefit 4: Have you not caught the hint yet? No more benefits!]
    [Benefit 5: N.O. means NO! Build some more character instead!!]
    BING! BING!
    {[Urgent Side Quest]}
    ¡ª [Drop down and give me two hundred push-ups!]
    [Reward: 1 Point in Perception]
    [Warning!] [Warning!]
    [If you fail to complete this Side Quest within half an hour, you can kiss goodbye to your penis!]
    Cassius: "...."
    He stared blankly at the screen, his face twitching.
    "Even when it rewards me... it's still such a colossal bastard."
    But deep within his heart, where resentment and despair once festered, a flicker of something long-forgotten ignited¡ªhope.
    If even the heavens could be defied through sheer willpower... perhaps he could rewrite his fate after all.
    Then again¡­

 Chapter 2 All Into Agility!

    Cassius hit the floor with a grunt, his toothbrush bouncing once before rolling pitifully across the cold wooden boards. His arms screamed with fiery pain as he struggled to push himself back up, bloodshot eyes glaring at nothing in particular."This system is the absolute worst!" he screamed internally. His thoughts were a boiling mix of outrage and desperation. "What kind of garbage system forces push-ups just to earn a single measly point in Perception?"
    His veins bulged under the strain of each rep, a fiery heat coursing through his limbs as if his body was trying to burn away the humiliation. The Idle Evolution System, as it was mockingly named, gleefully dangled stat increases in front of him like a carrot on a stick, demanding physical suffering in return.
    "I swear to every deity listening," he growled, sweat dripping from his nose onto the floorboards, "one day, I'm going to program some goddamn emotional trauma into you. Just you wait, system. Just. You. Wait."
    The system, of course, offered no response. It didn't need to. Its smugness radiated in silence, unbothered by his threats.
    Twenty minutes later, after air-humping the floor with the fury of a man betrayed by his own destiny, Cassius collapsed. His chest heaved as he gulped in air, and sweat slicked his body like he'd just crawled out of a river. His limbs twitched, a reminder that even lying still was now painful.
    *Ding!*
    The system's notification chimed brightly, at odds with the utter misery in his chest.
    [Side Quest Completed: +1 Perception Point Earned. Congratulations! Your suffering has paid off!] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Cassius glared at the words floating before him. If murderous intent could be digitized, the system would've disintegrated on the spot. Still, a part of him knew better than to fully despise the gain. As the Perception point sunk into his stats, the world around him shifted subtly but unmistakably.
    The morning birds outside sounded sharper, every chirp perfectly distinct from the next. The hum of distant car engines became a symphony of mechanical chaos. Even the air carried a strange clarity¡ªa sharper sense of the space around him.
    And then, there was a sound far more... distinct.
    Cassius froze, his enhanced senses locking onto the faintest trail of what could only be described as a sultry, feminine moan.
    He squinted at the wall. "Moaning? This early in the morning?" His curiosity surged, mingled with suspicion. It wasn't every day you encountered such brazen noises before breakfast.
    Driven by both concern and an unhealthy dose of morbid curiosity, he stood. His legs wobbled but held firm as he followed the sound down the hall, eventually stopping in front of a familiar door. Aya's door.
    Her door was cracked open just enough to offer a glimpse inside.
    Cassius stopped. This was a line. No matter how ridiculous the situation might be, he wasn't the kind of guy to peep. He'd never live it down. Besides, Aya was his stepsister, and the mere thought made his stomach churn with awkwardness.
    But then, another moan slipped out, this one laced with unmistakable pleasure. His feet hesitated. His mind raced. What if she was hurt? In distress? Surely, it was his duty to make sure everything was okay. Right?
    Peeking wasn't perverse, he reasoned¡ªit was responsible.
    Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, his eye aligning with the gap in the door.
    What he saw struck him like lightning.
    Aya, his stepsister, lay sprawled across her bed, entirely uninhibited. Her fingers danced between her thighs with shameless intensity, her back arching as her breath hitched in rhythm with each motion. Her skin glistened under the morning light, curves etched with a perfection Cassius had no right to notice.
    "Ahn~! Mhmff~!! OHhHhh~ YES~~!!!"
    She moaned again, louder this time, her body trembling as she reached an undeniable peak. A sound escaped her lips¡ªa cry of bliss¡ªand Cassius bolted back, stumbling into the wall like he'd been shot.
    His brain screamed at him to stop replaying the image, but it was too late. It was burned into his mind, a permanent scar.
    "What the actual hell¡­" he muttered, shaking his head as if to rattle loose the memory. "Why is she doing that with the door open? What kind of perverted¡ª" He stopped himself. This wasn't helping. None of this was helping.
    Desperate to escape the situation, he turned for the stairs, moving as quietly as possible. But as fate¡ªor the system¡ªwould have it, the back door betrayed him with a creaky groan when he pushed it open.
    "Who's there?!" Aya's voice rang out, sharp and full of suspicion.
    "Oh, crap!" Cassius bolted without hesitation.
    The world blurred as he sprinted down the street, feet slapping against the pavement. He pushed himself harder than ever before, adrenaline propelling him far faster than he thought possible. Blocks passed in seconds, and when he finally stopped, his chest heaved with exertion.
    "She couldn't have seen me," he muttered, trying to steady his breathing. "No way she could've known it was me."
    Aya might've been a D-Rank Hunter, leagues above most people, but even she couldn't have identified him from a creak and a glimpse. At least, that's what he hoped.
    Cassius leaned against a lamppost, his thoughts swirling. As absurd as the morning had been, it was a stark reminder of his place in the world. Out of everyone in his family, he was the only one who hadn't awakened as a Hunter. Aya was a prodigy, a rising D-Rank. His father and stepmother were both E-Ranks, modest but respectable.
    And then there was Cassius, the unawakened black sheep.
    But maybe, just maybe, the Idle Evolution System could change that.
    "This system is garbage," he said aloud, glaring at the faint interface that hovered in his vision. "But it's my garbage. And if I can wring power out of it, then so be it."
    The day's earlier reward flashed again, the promise of +3 AP hovering before him. He grinned despite himself. All the pain, the humiliation, and the ridiculousness of this morning had culminated in one singular truth: He was getting stronger.
    "All into Agility," he declared, hammering the stat increase button with fervor. "Let's see someone catch me when I'm faster than light!"
    The numbers ticked up, and a warmth spread through his limbs, a testament to his newfound potential. Passersby glanced his way, disturbed by his manic laughter, but he didn't care.
    Cassius was done being the outlier. He might be starting from the bottom, but he was climbing now, one stat point at a time.

 Chapter 3 The Gains

    ________________________________[Name: Idle Evolution System]
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 1]
    [Title: Calorie Chaser (F)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 100] [MP: 100] S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [FATIGUE: 0]. [AP: 0]
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 14] (Semi-Athletic)
    [AGILITY: 16] (Could be the star of a Track and Field team)
    [ENDURANCE: 13] (A woman might feel something with this level of endurance, but with what you're packing, good luck with that)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 12] (You could pass as a nerd, but not a very smart one)
    [PERCEPTION: 9] (You might be able to hear a whistling arrow before it hits you)
    [CHARISMA: 10] (Average. Just average.)
    _______________________________
    Cassius stared at the numbers, his face a mix of interest and annoyance. The words under each stat still managed to insult him, but at least they weren't as devastating as before.
    "Better than when it called me a 'Potato Sack on Legs' that one time," he muttered. Still, his stats showed progress¡ªa fact that filled him with a small, albeit cautious, sense of pride.
    "Strength, agility, endurance¡­" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I guess all those hours of grinding are finally paying off. If only this garbage system would give me something useful like more of those stats instead of shoving snarky comments in my face all the time."
    He started to feel a little full of himself until a rough-looking young man barreled into him on the sidewalk. Cassius staggered back, barely keeping himself upright.
    "What the hell?" Cassius snapped, glaring at the offender.
    "What are you doing standing in my way, you fool!?" the man shot back, spitting on the ground near Cassius's shoes before hurrying after a girl in the distance. "Wait up, Isabella! Don't you realize just how much I love you!?"
    "Go away, you loser!" the girl shouted, not even glancing back. "I told you, I'm not dating an F-Rank Awakened!"
    "Come on, don't be like that!"
    Cassius rolled his eyes.
    The hierarchy of Awakened and unawakened individuals was brutal. Only ten percent of the population had the privilege of awakening, and those who didn't might as well have been invisible. Even within the Awakened, rank mattered¡ªhigh-rank Awakened were practically celebrities, while lower ranks were barely better than the unawakened.
    Hoshito, with its middling population, was a perfect breeding ground for this kind of hierarchy. Unless you were wealthy or held an indispensable role in society, unawakened individuals were treated like trash.
    Cassius brushed himself off, sighing as he stood back up. The hot pavement burned against his palms, a harsh reminder of where he stood in the world. "Senior year's coming up, and I'm still at the bottom of the barrel," he muttered.
    But the weight of years of disdain and dismissal pressed down on him, igniting a flame deep in his chest. "Let's see how long everyone can keep looking down on me once I surpass them all."
    His hands clenched into fists as he made a silent vow. He didn't know what his system's limits were, or what he'd become by the end of this journey, but one thing was certain: He would push himself until the world had no choice but to acknowledge him.
    For the next week, Cassius trained relentlessly. The streets, parks, and even the small gym he managed to join bore witness to his iron determination. Sit-ups, push-ups, sprints¡ªhis body became a machine of ceaseless motion, driving itself to the edge of collapse.
    By the seventh day, his system interface looked like this:
    ________________________________
    [Name: Idle Evolution System]
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 1]
    [Title: Gym Bro (E)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 100] [MP: 100]
    [FATIGUE: 0]. [AP: 12]
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 22] (Athletic/Bodybuilder)
    [AGILITY: 25] (Can outrun a fast Moped)
    [ENDURANCE: 21] (You can overcome your SDS (Small Dick Syndrome) with this level of stamina)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 20] (Could become a Tutor)
    [PERCEPTION: 20] (Do your spidey senses tingle yet?)
    [CHARISMA: 20] (Pretty handsome)
    _______________________________
    Sweat dripped off Cassius's shirtless body as he powered through his final set of sit-ups for the day. Each rep brought him closer to his goal, and his body had begun to show the fruits of his labor. Defined muscles rippled with every movement, and his once-average frame now carried an undeniable aura of strength.
    He let out a deep breath, the motion crisp and controlled. The system might've been annoying, but it worked.
    Just as he wiped himself down with a towel, his stepsister Aya barged into the room.
    "Hey, lend me ten bucks¡ª" she began, stopping mid-sentence when her gaze landed on him.
    Her words faltered as she took in the sight before her. Cassius, still catching his breath, looked up from his towel, his chiseled abs glistening faintly in the room's light. His medium-length jet-black hair clung slightly to his forehead, framing a face that had clearly shed its former mediocrity.
    Aya stared, her mind reeling. Was he always¡­ this hot?
    "Hmm?" Cassius blinked, finally registering her presence.
    Aya jolted, suddenly aware of how obvious her staring had become. "I-I¡­ need ten dollars¡­" she stammered, her voice unusually timid.
    Cassius raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
    "I, uh¡­ my friends and I¡­ We're going out." She averted her gaze, the slightest hint of pink coloring her cheeks.
    Cassius considered her request for a moment before shaking his head. "No."
    "No?" Aya repeated, taken aback by his bluntness.
    "You heard me," he said, tossing his towel aside. "I'm not giving you my money."
    Aya fidgeted, her earlier confidence eroding under his straightforward refusal. "I¡­ understand¡­" she murmured, turning to leave.
    But just as she reached the door, Cassius appeared behind her, moving so quietly and swiftly she didn't even hear him.
    "Here," he said, placing a small wad of cash on her head. "There's a little over a hundred in there. Use it for something nice¡ªfor yourself. Not for those so-called friends. And Aya¡­ We're family. If you need something, I'll do whatever I can to help."
    Aya froze, her fingers curling around the money as she turned to look at him. But by the time she managed to find her voice, he was already gone, descending the stairs with a calm, confident stride.
    She stared at the cash in her hands, warmth spreading through her chest. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as guilt swirled in her heart.
    'Why did I say all those horrible things to him before? Why was I so cruel to someone who never deserved it?'
    Aya clutched the money tightly, her earlier arrogance replaced by a deep, overwhelming sense of regret. "I don't deserve this¡­" she whispered, tears finally spilling over.

 Chapter 4 Special Side Quest

    "They say you act like the people you hang around," Cassius thought, tugging his hoodie tighter as he meandered through the bustling streets of Hoshito. His steps were unhurried, blending into the crowd, but his mind was anything but idle."With my Perception and Intelligence stats where they are now, I can see and feel things better than before. It's like pulling back a curtain on the world," he muttered. But quickly, he thought of something else, causing a sigh to escape his lips. "Aya¡­ she's just a reflection of what others used to do to her," he mused, the realization settling uncomfortably in his chest.
    For all his lingering bitterness, hating her over something so trivial seemed meaningless now. He clenched his fists. If he wanted to change, if he truly wanted to be better, he had to let go of these petty grudges.
    He sighed, looking up at the brilliant sunlight filtering through a smattering of clouds. "Three weeks. In just three weeks, I've become an entirely different person. The old me wouldn't have given Aya anything, not even if she begged on her knees."
    They say people never truly change. But evolution? Evolution demands change. And through change comes transformation.
    His thoughts turned back to the Idle Evolution System, a gift¡ªor curse¡ªthat had turned his life upside down. "It doesn't really have much to do with evolution, not directly at least. But then again, maybe the system is just the catalyst."
    "Whereas evolution¡­ that's on me."
    His fingers absently traced the seams of his hoodie as he continued walking, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement. "Still, for a so-called 'Idle System,' it's the least idle thing I've ever encountered. Every day it hounds me with Daily Quests and Side Quests, making sure I never slack off. It's like having the world's most annoying gym coach in my head."
    It wasn't wrong, though.
    For three straight weeks, he hadn't had a moment's rest. Whether it was physical training or rushing to complete ridiculous Side Quests, the system kept him moving. And as much as he hated to admit it, the results spoke for themselves. He was stronger, faster, sharper¡ªall the things he'd dreamed of becoming but never thought possible.
    "It's still an asshole, though," he muttered under his breath.
    And then, as if summoned by his words, the system responded in kind. A glowing blue screen with a red outline popped into his vision, its smugness almost palpable.
    [©°( ??? )©¼]
    [Special Side Quest]
    ¡ª An 18-year-old girl with long brown hair is about to get hit by a truck. After missing its date with you, the truck must be out for blood.
    ¡ª Save the girl and receive +2 Charisma.
    ¡ª Let the girl die and receive a subtraction of two balls from your total number of balls.
    Cassius blinked. "...But I only have two balls."
    [Then you better save the girl!]
    The silence that followed was deafening. Cassius stared at the screen, a muscle in his jaw twitching.
    "I take back everything I said," he growled. "You really are the worst system in existence."
    Without wasting another second, he bolted toward the sound of screeching brakes. His legs pumped like pistons, his upgraded stats working overtime as he navigated the maze of streets. The terrified screams of bystanders grew louder, and as he rounded a corner, he spotted her¡ªa girl with long brown hair frozen in the middle of a narrow street.
    In her arms, a tiny white Pomeranian trembled, its fluffy body pressed tightly against her chest.
    "She's frozen," Cassius realized, his mind racing. "She's not going to move in time."
    He didn't hesitate. Dumping 5 AP into Agility, he felt the familiar surge of power course through his limbs. His surroundings blurred as he pushed his body to its absolute limit, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
    "Move!" he shouted, shoving the girl out of harm's way with every ounce of strength he had.
    Time slowed as he turned his head, locking eyes with the blaring headlights of the truck.
    "Wait¡­ I don't think I thought this through¡ª"
    The impact hit him like a freight train. His world spun, the sound of screeching tires and horrified gasps fading into a dull roar. Pain blossomed in every inch of his body as he was thrown like a ragdoll, skidding across the hot pavement before coming to an abrupt stop.
    Through the haze of agony, he thought he saw¡­ an angel?
    Her long brown hair framed a face streaked with tears as she knelt beside him, her hands trembling. Something wet and slimy pressed against his cheek.
    'Why is the angel crying?' he wondered, his vision dimming. 'And why is she licking me? Is she not an angel but instead a succubus¡­? Well, whatever the case, I think I'm about to die¡­'
    A wry smile tugged at his lips as consciousness slipped away. 'What a joke¡­ After all that talk about wanting to be the strongest¡­'
    ¡ª-------------
    "Mhmm¡­"
    Cassius awoke to the soft rustle of curtains and the faint scent of antiseptic. His body felt like it had been run over¡ªwell, it had¡ªbut the pain was manageable.
    Blinking slowly, his gaze landed on the figure sitting by the hospital window.
    The girl.
    The sunlight streaming through the window framed her like a painting, highlighting her delicate features. Her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her hands rested loosely in her lap. But what caught Cassius's attention most was the exhaustion etched into her face¡ªthe dark bags under her eyes, the slight slump in her posture. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "She's been here this whole time?" he muttered under his breath.
    He considered calling out to her, but the sight of her sleeping so peacefully gave him pause. Instead, he let his head fall back against the pillow, a small smile playing on his lips.
    "I wonder if I lost my balls," he mused, closing his eyes without bothering to check between his legs.
    'Maybe later¡­ I'll check later¡­'
    The daunting thought genuinely haunted him. Because what if he truly didn't have his balls anymore? What then??
    Scary¡­

 Chapter 5 Somehow In The Hospital...

    Cassius blinked his eyes open, the faint scent of antiseptic and the soft hum of distant machines pulling him from his groggy state. It took a moment for his vision to focus, but when it did, the sight that greeted him made him question whether he was still unconscious.Leaning over his bed was the beautiful brown-haired girl he vaguely remembered saving. Her silky locks spilled over his blanket like a cascading waterfall, her large eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Yet there was something strange in her gaze¡ªa hazy fog, almost as if she were moving on autopilot.
    Cassius felt his eyelids twitch. The girl's face was steadily drawing closer, her lips barely trembling as if¡­ no, surely not.
    "Is she about to¡ª?" His thoughts froze as the realization hit him.
    She was leaning in for a kiss!
    Cassius didn't know what to do. Panic coursed through him, but his body refused to respond, caught in a strange limbo between disbelief and awkward acceptance. His mind raced with conflicting thoughts. Should he stop her? Let it happen? Pretend it didn't afterward?
    But before he could arrive at any decision, the girl hesitated, her lips mere inches away from his.
    Cassius: "???"
    The girl's cheeks burned a deep crimson as she blinked rapidly, finally regaining her composure. "...Hey¡­ are you awake right now¡­?" she asked, her voice soft and trembling, her blush threatening to consume her face.
    Cassius opened his eyes fully, fixing her with a bemused look. "...Yes, I am¡­"
    Her reaction was immediate. She practically leaped back, pressing herself against the wall beside the window as if trying to merge with it. Her dainty hands fidgeted nervously in front of her, her gaze darting anywhere but toward him. "I-I see¡­" she stammered, visibly mortified. "Y-You're not going to ask what I was doing¡­?"
    "No, I don't think so," Cassius replied evenly, his expression unreadable.
    "I¡­ see¡­ T-Thanks¡­"
    "No problem."
    The room fell into an awkward silence, broken only by the faint sounds of summer outside. The humid heat clung to their skin, amplifying the discomfort of the moment. The girl squirmed under the weight of her own embarrassment, her thoughts spiraling uncontrollably.
    'W-What was I thinking?!' she screamed internally. 'Why did I almost¡­? I must be losing my mind! He just looked so peaceful and handsome lying there, and I¡ª' She buried her face in her hands, her cheeks so red they almost glowed.
    Noticing the oppressive quiet, Cassius decided to cut through the tension. "So¡­ how long have I been out?" He glanced down at the bandages wrapped snugly around his torso. The dull ache in his body hinted at the extent of his injuries, but he had no sense of how much time had passed.
    The girl hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper as she answered, "I-It's been around¡­ thirty hours¡­"
    Cassius blinked. "Thirty hours? That means I missed the Daily Quest cut-off¡­" His voice trailed off as he lifted his blanket slightly, checking his pelvis. To his relief, everything was still in place.
    "Y-You¡­" The girl's voice faltered as her wide eyes flickered toward him. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she hastily covered her own with her hands. "I-I didn't know they were supposed to be that¡­ big¡­"
    Cassius froze, question marks practically floating above his head as realization struck him. "Oh. That's¡­ uh¡­ sorry about that." He offered a slight bow of his head, wincing as pain shot through his torso.
    "D-Don't move!" the girl scolded, rushing to his bedside. Her hands glowed with a soothing green energy as she pressed them over his injury. The warmth seeped into his body, dulling the pain and leaving him with a strange sense of calm.
    Cassius watched in fascination, his curiosity outweighing his discomfort. "This is¡­ magic?" he murmured, his eyes alight with interest.
    The girl flinched under his gaze, retreating to her chair by the windowsill. "P-Please don't come so close¡­" she whispered, her voice trembling. 'H-He smells good¡­ How can someone smell this nice after being hit by a truck?!'
    "Sorry," Cassius said, leaning back into his pillow. "It's just¡­ I've never seen magic up close. It's a lot prettier than I expected."
    Her blush deepened, and she began twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "I-It's fine¡­ And about earlier¡­"
    "I already forgot what happened," Cassius interrupted with a warm smile.
    The girl's heart fluttered, a strange warmth spreading through her chest. "...Thanks¡­" she whispered shyly.
    Cassius decided to steer the conversation away from the increasingly awkward air. "How long have you been here?"
    Her response was hesitant, almost reluctant. "...Since you got here¡­" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Cassius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You really shouldn't have done that. We've only just met; there was no need for you to put your health at risk like that¡ª" He stopped when he noticed her biting her lip apologetically. He sighed again, softer this time. "I'm not mad. Just¡­ take better care of yourself, okay?"
    "Mhmm¡­" she mumbled, nodding slightly. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
    Cassius leaned back, studying her for a moment. 'She seems like a good person,' he thought, noting her shy demeanor. 'But she's clearly a pushover¡­ I can see people taking advantage of that.'
    His gaze drifted toward the window, taking in the view of Hoshito from the top floor of the hospital. The city stretched out before him, bustling and alive, but his thoughts turned inward. He wondered briefly if his family had come to visit him.
    'Probably not,' he thought with a wry smile. 'They wouldn't even notice if I dropped over dead one day.'
    A faint glow caught his attention, and from the corner of his eye, an all-too-familiar blue pop-up appeared.

 Chapter 6 Gym Bro for Life

    *Ding!*[You received 2 Points in Charisma for completing the Quest: "Save the Pretty Girl from Truck-kun's Vengeance."]
    [You received 1 Point in Strength and Agility for completing Daily Quest #23!]
    ¡ª [No punishment was applied due to extenuating circumstances. But to make up for the lack of character development while you were snoozing, you will need to do four times the exercises today. Double Stat Points will be allotted! ^~^]
    For a moment, Cassius stared blankly at the glowing screen, his mind torn between disbelief and resignation. "I almost thought you had a change of heart, system," he muttered dryly, "but nope¡ªyou're still the same petty douchebag."
    He accidentally said the last part aloud, which caused the girl by the windowsill to flinch. "A douche¡­?" she echoed, her voice soft and uncertain. Her head tilted to the side, a finger resting on her chin as her large brown eyes searched his face for answers. "A-Am I the douche¡­?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The way her expression morphed into one of sad confusion made Cassius feel like he'd just kicked a puppy. Her wide, teary eyes made his heart lurch in a way he wasn't quite used to. He sighed. "No, you're not the douche. You're very nice. And cute," he added before he could think better of it.
    "C-Cute?" she stammered, the word tumbling out like she couldn't believe it had been said aloud. Her cheeks flushed so deeply it looked like steam might erupt from her ears. She repeated the word under her breath, her voice growing softer each time.
    Cassius shook his head with a bemused smile. 'This girl is definitely odd,' he thought, but there was something undeniably endearing about her bashful antics.
    Pulling his focus away from her flustered reaction, he brought up his system interface.
    BLING!
    ________________________________
    [Name: Idle Evolution System]
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 1]
    [Title: Gym Bro (E)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 65/100] [MP: 100]
    [FATIGUE: 34]. [AP: 10]
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 23] (Athletic/Bodybuilder+)
    [AGILITY: 31] (About as fast as a sh*tty Camry Car)
    [ENDURANCE: 21] (You can overcome your SDS (Small Dick Syndrome) with this level of stamina)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 20] (Could become a Tutor)
    [PERCEPTION: 20] (Do your spidey senses tingle yet?)
    [CHARISMA: 22] (Exceptionally handsome)
    _______________________________
    'Looks like I got 3 AP from something,' Cassius thought, squinting at the screen. 'Probably the first Idle Benefit?'
    As if in response, another notification appeared.
    *Ding!*
    [Due to extenuating circumstances, the system decided to give you a single pass. Don't let it happen again; you need all the character development you can get!]
    Cassius's smile twitched as he read the screen, his expression morphing into something between amusement and exasperation. The sight confused the bunny-like girl still seated by the window. Before she could think too much about it, however, he turned his attention back to her.
    "Your name?"
    "S-Sorry, my what¡­?"
    "Your name. You have one, don't you?"
    The girl blinked rapidly, her mind spinning. "Y-Yes, of course! My name is¡­" She paused, her gaze drifting to his face and then his exposed abs. Her mind blanked entirely. "It's¡­ Wait¡­ what is it again¡­?"
    She visibly flinched at her own forgetfulness, then brightened with a sudden epiphany. "It's Grace! Yes, that's it!" she exclaimed, looking ridiculously proud of herself for recalling her own name.
    Watching her beam so earnestly made Cassius chuckle despite himself. "You really are a cute one, aren't you?"
    Grace froze, her face turning scarlet as her hands fidgeted with her hair. "Y-You don't have to laugh¡­" she murmured, her voice so soft it was barely audible. "I know I'm weird¡­"
    "I said cute, not weird," Cassius corrected matter-of-factly, his tone so casual it only flustered her further.
    Grace's thoughts spiraled. She'd always been uneasy around men, their gazes often filled with either pity or something far less innocent. But Cassius¡­ he was different. He didn't look at her like she was fragile or something to conquer.
    Talking to him felt¡­ nice.
    'What's wrong with me?' she wondered, her fingers gripping the hem of her shirt.
    Cassius, noticing her staring with his heightened Perception, turned to meet her gaze, only for her to whip her head away in embarrassment. The corner of his mouth quirked upward in amusement, but the motion sent a sharp pain lancing through his ribs.
    Grace immediately noticed his wince and shot to her feet. "You can't laugh! Stop laughing!" she scolded, her attempt at sounding stern failing miserably.
    Her puffed-up cheeks only made Cassius laugh harder, though it was more subdued this time, a quiet chuckle that left him wincing again. Grace's worry overtook her embarrassment as she stepped closer, her hands glowing faintly green as she prepared to cast her healing spell again.
    "You mustn't move so much," she chastised gently. "Your injuries are still severe¡­"
    The warm energy from her spell seeped into Cassius's body, soothing the ache in his muscles. "You're really good at that," he said, watching her work. "It's¡­ beautiful, honestly."
    Grace froze, her gaze darting up to meet his. The sincerity in his voice sent her heart racing, and she quickly looked away, her face practically glowing. "I-It's just a spell¡­ nothing special¡­"
    Cassius smiled softly. "Anyway, you should head home. Your parents must be worried sick."
    Grace hesitated, her hands clenching at her sides. "I-I will¡­ but could I¡­ maybe get your phone number?"
    Cassius raised an eyebrow.
    She immediately panicked. "I-It's not like that! I just¡­ I wanted to thank you properly another time! A-And Snow hasn't seen you since you were brought here¡­"
    Cassius chuckled, reaching out to gently pat her head. "Sure, why not?" He handed her his phone, already unlocked. "Add your number."
    Grace hesitated before taking it, savoring the warm touch of his hand on her head. As she typed in her number, she found herself disappointed when he pulled his hand away. A small pout formed on her lips, but she quickly masked it as she handed the phone back.
    "Thank you," she whispered, her heart fluttering again.
    Cassius simply nodded, leaning back with a smile. "Don't mention it. In all actuality, it should be my utmost privilege to receive the number of a girl as pretty as you. Don't you reckon?"

 Chapter 7 Main Quest #1

    "Well, anyway, see you later, Grace," Cassius said, waving warmly as the girl lingered at the door, clearly struggling to leave. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, and her gaze darted between Cassius and the hallway. She didn't want to go, that much was obvious, but the guilt in her eyes told him she thought he needed more rest."You promise to contact me later¡­?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
    "I promise," he replied with a reassuring smile.
    That seemed to satisfy her, and she nodded, her entire face lighting up as she skipped out of the room in an unnaturally good mood. A few nurses and doctors in the hallway exchanged curious glances, wondering what had happened to the normally reserved girl. But before anyone could ask, she was already gone, leaving behind only a lingering sense of her newfound energy.
    Back in the room, Cassius sighed, his smile fading as he turned his attention to a flashing red system screen that demanded his full focus. The light from the display illuminated his sharp features, casting long shadows on the walls as he stared out the window.
    "It seems like this is where my journey as a Hunter truly begins," he muttered under his breath.
    BLING!
    {[Main Quest #1]} - (E-Rank)
    ¡ª[The world is infested with magical Gates that connect to other dimensions, and as one who aspires to attain maximum character development, it is your duty to conquer them all.]
    ¡ª[Skipping past F-Rank Gates, you are to solo-conquer the E-Rank Gate 'Savage Jungle' appearing in front of Hoshito General Hospital at midnight, in 12 hours and 45 minutes.]
    ¡ª[Reward for Quest Completion: +3 Points in all Stats.]
    [Warning!] [Warning!] [Warning!]
    [If you fail to complete this Quest within 8 hours of the Gate's opening, you will not only lose your reproductive organs, but everyone in the Hospital will die. All active Hunters will be occupied with other Gates and will thus be unable to intervene.]
    [P.S. Trying to warn the Hunters now will make you seem like a lunatic claiming knowledge of Sudden Gates. This will also be seen as defiance of character development. A.K.A., you will lose your balls. ^~^]
    Cassius stared at the screen, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "This system really has it out for my testicles," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But if this is the way to make me stronger, then I'll do it. Albeit it reluctantly¡­"
    [Good choice, Host!]
    [Hint: Locate a weapon, maybe through theft, because you will need it!]
    "You're not going to give me one?"
    [Nope! ^-^ Good luck!]
    The silence that followed was deafening. Cassius's face contorted into something between annoyance and resignation as he leaned back against his pillow. "Of course not. Why make things easy when you can make them as difficult as possible?"
    Shaking his head, he turned his attention to his injuries. His Endurance stat had already proven its worth by accelerating his natural regeneration, and he decided to capitalize on that. Allocating 3 AP into Endurance, he immediately felt a warm sensation spread through his body, his Health Regeneration doubling in speed.
    "That should bring me back to full health before the Gate opens," he mused. "I'll save the other 7 AP for emergencies."
    With his immediate concerns addressed, Cassius allowed himself to relax, his mind wandering as he contemplated his next move. He needed a weapon¡ªsomething practical but accessible. A janitor's closet seemed like his best bet, but the plan would have to wait until his health fully recovered.
    For now, it was nap time.
    A few hours later, nurses came and went, their footsteps quiet against the tiled floor. Some lingered longer than necessary, stealing glances at Cassius's sharp features and toned body. A few even brushed against him under the guise of checking his vitals, but he remained blissfully unaware, his focus elsewhere.
    When his Health hit 100%, Cassius stirred, the faint ache in his muscles now fully gone. Stretching briefly, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rose to his feet, moving with a precision and silence born of his heightened Agility. His steps were nearly soundless as he slipped into the hallway, the dim lighting casting eerie shadows along the walls.
    He made his way toward the Janitorial Ward, his mind focused. A mop, broom, or even a sturdy metal rod would do. Anything was better than facing an E-Rank Gate empty-handed.
    [Long and hard, unlike what you will lose if you stop pursuing further character development. ^??^]
    "Wow, so funny," Cassius muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he reached the door labeled Janitor's Closet. He tried the handle, but it didn't budge. Locked.
    He frowned, testing the door with a bit of force, but it held firm. Leaning against the wall, he ran through his options, his mind turning over possible solutions.
    That's when he heard it¡ªa faint, familiar sound echoing through the hallway. Soft moans, low and rhythmic.
    "...You've got to be kidding me," Cassius muttered, d¨¦j¨¤ vu washing over him as he followed the noise to its source.
    Peering into an open janitor's room, he spotted the source of the commotion. A young nurse and a janitor were fully engaged in an enthusiastic display of affection against a metal shelf. Cassius blinked, his expression unreadable as he took in the scene.
    "Of course," he muttered under his breath. "Why not have wild sex in a hospital? That's something only super responsible people do."
    The situation seemed consensual, so he opted not to intervene. Instead, he slipped into the room, his movements silent as a cat's. The couple's, ahem, activity provided ample cover for him to move unnoticed as he approached a bucket filled with cleaning supplies.
    After a brief search, he grabbed two mops and four brooms, their sturdy handles the closest thing to a weapon he could find. Turning back, he retraced his steps, the rhythmic creaks of the shelf masking the faint sound of the door as it clicked shut behind him.
    Back in his room, Cassius laid out his "loot" on the bed. Two mops and four brooms.
    He stared at the collection for a moment before shaking his head. "Not exactly the arsenal of a hero," he muttered, picking up a mop and giving it an experimental swing. The balance was¡­ acceptable. Barely. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Sighing, he leaned the mop against the wall and sat back on the bed, his mind already shifting to the task ahead. Midnight was fast approaching, and with it, the Gate that would mark the true beginning of his journey.

 Chapter 8 Acquiring Some Weapons

    "Lackluster is an understatement," Cassius muttered, staring at his improvised arsenal of wooden brooms and mops spread out on the hospital bed. "But I guess I have no choice but to go and kill monsters with these until I find proper equipment."He sighed, scratching the back of his head, but then an idea struck him. His expression brightened slightly. "Wait¡­ I can make these better."
    With newfound determination, Cassius picked up the brooms and mops, snapping them over his knee one by one. The sound of splintering wood echoed through the quiet room as he broke the items down into manageable pieces. Normally, such a task would have sent jolts of pain up his leg, but with his newly enhanced stats, it barely registered.
    One broom. Crack.
    Another. Snap.
    Then a mop. Shatter.
    Within minutes, he had reduced 3 brooms and 1 mop into eight sharp wooden halves. "Not bad," he murmured, holding one of the splintered pieces up to the light.
    Next, he stripped the sweeper and mop heads off the remaining items, leaving him with 8 sharp wooden spikes and 2 sturdy staffs. Each spike was about a foot and a half long, jagged, and wickedly pointed, while the staffs were smooth and just shy of his height.
    Looking at his makeshift arsenal, Cassius allowed himself a small smile. "I don't have a sword, but I think I've done pretty well for myself."
    Still, as he stared at the weapons, doubt began to creep into his mind. "Even with this, taking on monsters will be tough," he admitted, gripping one of the staffs tightly. "Especially since I'm not awakened."
    Hunters, even those at the lowest F-Rank, were far stronger than regular humans. Cassius had no illusions about where he stood¡ªhis recent growth might have made him stronger, faster, and tougher than before, but he had no way to measure himself against awakened Hunters or the monsters lurking in Gates.
    [Remaining Time until E-Rank 'Savage Jungle' Gate Break: 23 minutes 3 seconds]
    The countdown flashed ominously in his peripheral vision. There was no time to second-guess himself.
    With a sigh, Cassius packed his weapons into the worn backpack he'd been carrying since the truck accident. After a final glance at the room, he slipped out the door, moving with the quiet precision granted by his Agility stat. His footsteps were nearly silent as he descended the hospital's northern staircase, avoiding the main corridors bustling with nurses and doctors.
    The cool night air hit him as he exited through a side door on the first floor. The main doors were automatic and heavily monitored, so sneaking out there would have been a surefire way to get caught and dragged back to bed.
    "The fresh air feels good," he murmured, glancing up at the luminescent moon hanging high in the night sky. Its soft glow bathed the hospital grounds in silver light, a stark contrast to the growing tension in his chest.
    Suddenly, his senses sharpened, a prickling awareness spreading across his skin. He turned his gaze toward the front gates of the hospital, where the air seemed to shimmer with unseen energy.
    "The night is a pretty one," he said quietly, his grip tightening on the two wooden staffs in his hands, "but soon, it will be flowing with blood." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The cold gleam in his piercing blue eyes reflected the swirling energy gathering above the gates. He felt it as much as he saw it¡ªwaves of pressure that made his heart race and his muscles tense.
    BLING!
    [Staff (Melee)] - [F-Rank]
    |¡ª[Attack: ~3]¡ª|
    [Spike (Melee/Ranged)] - [F-Rank]
    |¡ª[Attack: ~2]¡ª|
    Cassius glanced at the system descriptions for his weapons. The attack values were laughably low, but they were better than nothing. Still, with no special effects attached, he knew he was going in with the bare minimum.
    Then, it happened¡­
    OOOM!
    The Gate's energy intensified, swirling into a flickering bluish-orange portal that sent gusts of wind spiraling through the area. Pedestrians walking nearby froze in their tracks, their faces draining of color as they realized what was happening.
    "Ahh! It's a Gate! A Gate has appeared!!"
    "A Sudden Gate?! Why would one of those appear here?! Monsters will escape within the next thirty minutes!"
    "Quick, call the Hunters!!"
    Panic rippled through the crowd like wildfire. Hospital staff ran out to investigate the commotion, their expressions turning to horror as they took in the flickering portal.
    The terror was justified. Everyone, from children to the elderly, knew the implications of a Sudden Gate. Unlike regular Gates, which contained their monsters for a week, Sudden Gates released them in waves, starting within the first thirty minutes. And the waves only grew stronger with time.
    The system hadn't been exaggerating when it said everyone in the hospital would be dead by the eight-hour mark.
    Unnoticed by the panicking crowd, a lone figure approached the Gate. Cassius's blue eyes glinted with determination as he stepped into the flickering portal.
    The sensation of crossing into the Gate was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was as if his body had been pulled through a whirlpool of energy, leaving him slightly disoriented as he emerged on the other side.
    The first thing he noticed was the forest. Vast and verdant, it stretched in every direction, the dense canopy of trees blocking out most of the light. The air was thick with humidity, and unnerving animal calls echoed through the darkness, creating a constant backdrop of noise.
    For a moment, Cassius stood frozen, taking in the alien landscape. "So this is an E-Rank Gate¡­"
    The stunning scenery was a fleeting afterthought as the sounds around him shifted. Low growls, rapid rustling, and the unmistakable sound of footsteps¡ªno, paws¡ªcrunching against the underbrush.
    "They know I'm here," Cassius realized, his body tensing.
    The glowing red eyes appeared next. Dozens of them, flickering in the darkness like embers. Blood-curdling screeches followed, each one vibrating with an unnatural intensity.
    [Effect Triggered: Fear]
    Cassius's heart skipped a beat as the notification flashed. The screeches were laced with a Fear Effect, a psychological assault designed to paralyze prey.
    "Shit!" he hissed, gripping his staffs tightly.
    The bushes exploded in movement as the glowing eyes darted closer.

 Chapter 9 First Kill, Lvl 3

    "Shit!" Cassius growled as his limbs felt sluggish, his body refusing to respond the way he needed. The oppressive Fear Effect from the Savage Monkeys' screeches was taking its toll, weighing him down like lead."I can't falter here," he muttered through clenched teeth, his gaze darting around the forest for anything he could use to turn the tide. But what was there to find in a forest? Trees? More trees? Moss? He cursed under his breath.
    What the hell am I supposed to do with moss? Knit them a sweater?!
    Whatever was chasing him had the clear advantage. They knew this terrain better than he ever could, and they likely had the strength to back it up. If this was a poker game, his hand was garbage, and they were holding a full house.
    As if on cue, the underbrush rustled violently. Cassius stopped dead in his tracks, his breath hitching. Shadows darted through the trees, and then¡ª
    *Thud, Thud, Thud.*
    Three figures dropped from an overhanging branch, landing directly in front of him.
    "Screech!!!"
    The creatures let loose a blood-curdling cry, their glowing red eyes gleaming in the darkness. Their sharp claws glinted as they slashed at the air, demonstrating their lethality.
    Cassius's heart pounded as he instinctively stepped back, his mind racing. This was his first time seeing a monster, and every fiber of his being screamed at him to run. Their savagery, their predatory grace¡ªit was overwhelming.
    'Run,' a voice in his mind whispered. 'You can't fight this. Get out before it's too late!'
    For a moment, he almost gave in. His body tensed, ready to turn and sprint for his life. But then his foot stopped mid-step, and he froze.
    He thought about what running would mean¡ªwhat it would make him. A coward. A failure. The same pathetic loser he had been before the system came into his life.
    The memory of scornful gazes, mocking laughter, and cruel whispers hit him like a slap in the face. The person he had been, the person everyone had dismissed and ridiculed, clawed at the back of his mind.
    "No," he whispered, his voice trembling. Then louder, more resolute: "No!"
    With a shout of defiance, Cassius clenched his teeth and swung his bag into his hands.
    "Damn it!" he roared, spinning just in time to dodge a swipe from one of the creatures. Its claws whistled past his face, close enough for him to feel the rush of air.
    Pain exploded across his shoulder as another creature's claws raked against his flesh. He staggered back, blood dripping down his arm, but he gritted his teeth and stood firm.
    'If I run now, I'll never forgive myself,' he thought.
    [Savage Monkey (F)]
    The illuminated nametags above their heads gleamed yellow against the darkness. Cassius barely had time to take in the detail, but the color alone was enough to send a chill down his spine.
    *Ding!*
    [The difficulty of monsters is determined by the color of their nametags.]
    [Gray/White ¡ú Yellow/Orange ¡ú Red ¡ú Black]
    [Weak ¡ú Dangerous ¡ú Extremely Dangerous ¡ú Certain Death]
    "Well, isn't that just peachy," Cassius muttered as he evaded another swipe, the monkey's claws carving through a nearby tree trunk like butter. "Guess I don't even rate as dangerous. Must be more like a harmless bunny sort of rating."
    The Savage Monkeys moved with terrifying agility, their claws gleaming as they closed in. Cassius swung one of his wooden staffs at the nearest monkey, but the blow barely slowed it down. Worse, when another monkey slashed at the staff, it shattered into splinters.
    "So much for my 'great' weapons," he grumbled, ducking just in time to avoid decapitation.
    The monkeys lunged again, their screeches reverberating in his ears. Cassius bent backward like a limbo champion, narrowly dodging their claws. In the momentary gap, he reached out and grabbed the tails of two monkeys mid-flight.
    One tail slipped free, but the other monkey wasn't so lucky.
    "Gotcha!"
    With a primal shout, Cassius swung the creature downward, slamming it against a large rock with bone-crunching force. The Savage Monkey shrieked in pain, but he didn't stop there. Pinning the creature to the ground with his knee, he drew one of his wooden spikes and drove it down.
    "Esceetch!!!"
    The monkey let out an ear-splitting cry as the spike pierced its chest, blood pooling around the wound.
    The other two monkeys screeched in fury, rushing to save their comrade. Cassius glanced up, his breath catching as he realized they were about to overwhelm him.
    *Ding!*
    [You have 7 unspent AP.]
    Without hesitation, Cassius opened his system interface, his hand trembling as he tapped the up-arrow beside his Agility stat five times. A surge of power coursed through his body, and the speed of his next motion doubled.
    His spike fell with incredible force, driving deeper into the monkey's chest. Instead of raw strength, Cassius had relied on gravity and speed to amplify the blow. The result was devastating.
    "Esceetch¡­!!!"
    The Savage Monkey's body convulsed once before going limp. Blood dripped from its open mouth as its eyes glazed over.
    It was dead.
    Cassius stared down at the corpse, his chest heaving. He had just¡­
    He had just killed his first monster.
    *Ding!*
    [You leveled up!] sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [All Stats increased by 1 Point!]
    [You received 2 AP!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [All Stats increased by 1 Point!]
    [You received 2 AP!]
    The notifications flashed before his eyes, but Cassius had no time to savor the victory. The remaining two monkeys were upon him, their claws swiping wildly. He rolled off the corpse, narrowly avoiding a strike that would have torn through his neck.
    "Damn it, give me a second to breathe!" he snapped, his voice filled with both frustration and exhilaration.
    Feeling his newly gained strength settle into his muscles, Cassius turned his icy gaze to the remaining monkeys. They circled him, their glowing red eyes filled with rage, but he noticed something.
    "They're hesitating," he muttered.
    The death of their comrade had shaken them. Cassius couldn't afford to waste the opportunity. His grip tightened on his remaining staff, and he felt a grim smile tug at his lips.
    "Alright," he said, raising the staff. "Who's next?"

 Chapter 10 Copper Skill Boxes

    *Ding!*[Achieved Lvl 2] - [Rewards]
    [Reward 1: 1 Stat Point for each Attribute] - (?)
    [Reward 2: Status Recovery] - (_)
    [Reward 3: Copper Skill Box(s) (Random)] - (_)
    [Reward 4: 2 AP] - (?)
    *Ding!*
    [Achieved Lvl 3] - [Rewards]
    [Reward 1: 1 Stat Point for each Attribute] - (?)
    [Reward 2: Status Recovery] - (_)
    [Reward 3: 2 Copper Skill Box(s) (Random)] - (_)
    [Reward 4: 2 AP] - (?)
    Cassius's icy blue eyes darted over the rewards screen, quickly piecing together how the system operated. The first and fourth rewards were automatically received, leaving the second and third rewards for manual collection. "Makes sense," he muttered, "but couldn't this have waited until I wasn't fighting for my life?"
    He glanced at the two lifeless Savage Monkeys at his feet and the third green EXP bar slowly filling in his system overlay. The system's timing wasn't perfect, but it wasn't a bad deal either.
    'They seem slower,' he thought, gripping his remaining wooden spike. The sluggishness of the last Savage Monkey's movements confirmed his theory. The monsters weren't weaker¡ªhe had become stronger. Each level up seemed to heighten his speed and reflexes beyond what he had considered possible.
    "If I've gotten this strong by just leveling up," Cassius murmured, his voice cold and calculating, "how much stronger will I get if I keep killing?"
    A ruthless gleam flashed through his eyes as his body blurred, moving faster than he ever had before. In an instant, he closed the gap between himself and the third Savage Monkey. Its glowing red eyes widened in alarm as Cassius drove the spike into the back of its neck.
    SPURT!
    The monkey let out a choked cry, its body collapsing before it even had the chance to counterattack. Cassius yanked the spike free, blood dripping from the jagged edge.
    "That makes three," he said, his voice void of emotion. Yet, as the adrenaline ebbed, a twinge of disappointment flickered across his face. No new system notifications greeted him.
    "Figures," he muttered, stepping back to inspect his situation.
    His health bar was fully restored, glowing red at the top of his vision. His green EXP bar, however, was only one-third full. "So it's an RPG system," Cassius observed. "Health, Stamina, EXP¡­ it's all there. But leveling up is going to get much harder, much faster."
    He glanced deeper into the shadowy jungle. The sounds of distant growls and rustling foliage made his skin prickle. He wasn't safe¡ªnot even close.
    "If I want to stop as many waves as possible from reaching the outside world, I'll have to keep killing," he said quietly. His grip on the bloodied spike tightened. "And if I want to leave my weak self behind, then I have no choice but to¡­ keep killing."
    Still, he paused. The immediate danger had passed, giving him a rare moment to breathe and strategize. "Before I go any further, I should check my rewards and allocate my AP."
    Cassius pulled up the reward screens, his sharp gaze taking in the information. The Status Recovery option caught his attention first¡ªit could fully restore Fatigue, Health, and Mana. "This could be a lifesaver," he muttered. "Better to save it for when I'm in serious trouble."
    The Copper Skill Boxes, on the other hand, intrigued him. He had three of them waiting in his Inventory Space, a pocket dimension the system had unlocked when he reached Level 2.
    "Let's see what you've got," Cassius said, summoning the boxes with a thought.
    PIANG!
    Three cube-shaped copper boxes appeared before him, each glowing faintly with a warm light. A bold question mark was etched into each of their six sides, giving them an almost playful appearance.
    Cassius knelt, inspecting them briefly before commanding, "Open."
    The boxes levitated into the air, their copper edges shimmering brightly before bursting apart in a cascade of sparks. From within, three glowing cards emerged, each marked with an F at the top.
    Without hesitation, the cards flew toward him, bypassing his defenses and merging seamlessly with his soul.
    [Acquired F-Rank Active Skill: Slash]
    [Acquired F-Rank Passive Skill: Muscularity]
    [Acquired F-Rank Active Skill: Sprint]
    Cassius felt a surge of energy ripple through him as the skills took root in his mind. He instinctively understood their effects:
    [Slash: A simple skill that increased damage by 20% and improved sword proficiency when executed.]
    [Muscularity: A passive skill that boosted his Strength, Agility, and Endurance by 5%.]
    [Sprint: A burst-speed skill that increased movement speed by 25%, though it came at the cost of Mana.]
    "They're good," Cassius said, his voice tinged with approval. "But they're all tied to my current power level. As I grow stronger, their effectiveness will drop off." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Still, he wasn't about to complain. At his current level, every advantage counted. "Skills can level up too," he noted, examining the glowing indicators beside each skill in his interface. "The more I use them, the stronger they'll become. It's all about momentum¡ªkilling to level up, leveling up to kill more effectively."
    A grim smile tugged at his lips. "I can work with that."
    Cassius's Health had increased to 350, and his Mana to 250, but he knew they would deplete quickly if he wasn't careful. He made a mental note to conserve resources as much as possible.
    "Time to allocate my AP," he muttered, pulling up his stat screen. The system had given him 8 unspent AP from leveling up, and he needed to decide how best to use them.
    "Strength, Agility, Endurance¡­" he murmured, weighing his options. "Agility's been my saving grace so far. I'll put 4 points there, 2 into Endurance, and save the last 2 for emergencies."
    With his preparations complete, Cassius took a deep breath and glanced at the shadowy jungle ahead. The sounds of distant beast roars filled the air, a grim reminder of the danger lurking within.
    He stepped forward, his bloodied spike in hand. "This is only the beginning," he said quietly, his voice steady. "If I want to survive¡ªand grow stronger¡ªI have to keep moving."
    The canopy above him swallowed the moonlight, plunging him into darkness. But Cassius didn't falter. With each step, he delved deeper into the E-Rank Sudden Gate: Savage Jungle, knowing full well that the path he was walking led straight into the jaws of danger.
    And yet, for the first time in his life, he felt¡­ alive.

 Chapter 11 Black Sparrow Guild

    ¡ª In the Headquarters of the C-Rank Guild 'Black Sparrow' in Downtown Hoshito ¡ª"A Sudden Gate!? At Hoshito General Hospital!?"
    "Yes, sir! It was just reported! We have approximately twenty minutes before the first wave breaks out!"
    Two men in black suits, one a superior and the other a subordinate, exchanged frantic words. The superior, seated behind a cluttered desk, ran a hand through his graying hair, visibly agitated.
    "Of all times¡­" he muttered, glaring at the piles of paperwork threatening to topple over. "A Sudden Gate appears when most of our manpower is out dealing with the B-Rank Gates in Kyoto¡­"
    His voice rose sharply. "Get the newbies on the line and anyone else within range! I want them at Hoshito General Hospital NOW! They are to fend off the first few waves. Under no circumstances should they enter the Gate! Hold the line until reinforcements arrive!"
    "Yes, sir!"
    The subordinate bolted from the office, shouting orders as he sprinted through the multi-floored building. Phones began ringing off the hook, and the hum of the Guild HQ turned into a cacophony of voices and hurried footsteps.
    Left alone, the superior slumped into his chair, pressing his fingers against his temples. "This is going to be a migraine," he muttered, glancing at the blinking alert on his desktop monitor. A Sudden Gate was a nightmare on its own, but having it appear in a crowded area with minimal defenses? Catastrophic.
    ¡ª Meanwhile, in the Steele Household ¡ª
    Aya Steele paced anxiously in her room, her footsteps echoing faintly against the hardwood floor. Her phone screen glowed in the dim light, displaying the emergency alert about the Sudden Gate at Hoshito General Hospital.
    "That's where Cassius is¡­" she whispered, biting her lip.
    She crouched, burying her face in her hands. Memories of her stepbrother flashed through her mind¡ªhis rare smiles, the determined gleam in his eyes as he started to change for the better. And then, her thoughts turned to the brown-haired girl who was always at his side in the hospital.
    "Why am I thinking about her right now?" Aya muttered, shaking her head. The frustration bubbling inside her made no sense. Yet it wouldn't leave her alone.
    "Will he be alright¡­?" she whispered to herself. "They'll stop the Gate before it can affect him, right?"
    But her worry only grew, and she clenched her fists as a mix of fear and determination swirled within her. Cassius had helped her when she needed it most, standing up for her when no one else would. He had called her family.
    "I can't just sit here," Aya decided, rising abruptly. "I have to help him. Even if I haven't been trained as a Hunter yet, I have my stats. I can at least get him out of there!"
    *Thump. Thump. Thump.*
    Aya darted down the stairs, her speed drawing the attention of her parents.
    "Where are you going at this late hour?" Sasha, her mother, called out, narrowing her sharp blue eyes. "Did you not hear the emergency alert?"
    Aya hesitated, slipping on her sneakers. "Yeah, Mom, I got it. But I left something important at school. I'll be back soon¡ªpromise!"
    Sasha crossed her arms, her skepticism evident. "Aya, don't lie to me. You're not going to the hospital, are you? Monsters aren't something you can handle just because you're strong for your age. Even if you can take on ten men, monsters are a completely different story."
    Aya's shoulders stiffened, but she didn't stop. "I know, Mom! I'll stay away from the hospital! I'll be back soon!"
    Before Sasha could press further, Aya bolted out the door. Her father, Adam, who had been sitting quietly in the living room, watched her leave with a contemplative look.
    "Teenagers," Sasha sighed, shaking her head. "They're impossible to control."
    Adam remained silent, his thoughts distant. After a moment, Sasha turned to him. "You've noticed it too, haven't you? The changes in Cassius?"
    Her voice softened as she spoke, but her expression was sharp. "He's not the same as before. It's more than just a growth spurt or mindset shift, Adam. Something's happened to him."
    Adam hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "He's been working hard. That's all it is. Determination can lead to remarkable changes."
    "Don't lie to me," Sasha said, her tone firm. "I know what I see. His transformation isn't natural. Could it be a latent awakening?"
    Adam's jaw tightened. He wanted to dismiss her theory outright, but the evidence was undeniable. He had considered the possibility himself¡ªbriefly.
    "Even if it were a latent awakening," Sasha continued, "those are one-in-a-million cases. What are the odds it would happen to him, and now of all times?"
    Adam's mind raced. 'If Cassius has truly awakened¡­ then our mission might finally bear fruit.'
    The thought sent a shiver down his spine. For two years, their search had yielded nothing. But if Cassius's changes were tied to an awakening, then the mysterious force they were hunting might soon reveal itself.
    Sasha misinterpreted his silence as agreement. "If he's awakened, we need to support him. But we can't let him get involved with these Gates¡ªnot yet."
    Adam nodded, though his thoughts were elsewhere. 'I need to confirm this. If he's awakened, we'll need to move quickly. The clock is ticking.'
    ¡ª Back on the Streets of Hoshito ¡ª
    Aya sprinted through the quiet streets, her D-Rank stats giving her an edge over the average human. Her long hair streamed behind her as she pushed herself to run faster, her heart pounding not from exertion, but from fear.
    'I'll just grab him and get out,' she told herself. 'In and out. No fighting. No risks.'
    But as she neared the hospital, the glowing orange light of the Sudden Gate loomed in the distance, casting eerie shadows across the buildings. The oppressive energy radiating from it made her steps falter.
    "This¡­ is worse than I thought," Aya whispered, gripping her hands into fists.
    She wasn't sure what she had expected, but the sheer presence of the Gate made her stomach churn. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made even the bravest soul want to turn and run.
    But Aya clenched her jaw, steeling herself. "Cassius is in there. I can't back down now."
    ¡ª Meanwhile, at the Black Sparrow Guild ¡ª
    The Guild's emergency response teams scrambled to prepare. Rookie Hunters suited up, their nervous energy palpable.
    "This is going to be a disaster," the Guild Leader muttered, watching the chaos unfold.
    One of his aides approached, his face pale. "Sir, none of the senior members are responding. They're still tied up in Kyoto."
    The Guild Leader's knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of his desk. "Then it's on us to hold the line."
    "Sir¡­ with all due respect, these rookies¡ª"
    "I know," the Guild Leader interrupted, his voice low. "But we don't have a choice."
    ¡ª--------------
    *Thud.*
    Back in the Savage Jungle, Cassius took his first step deeper into the Gate, unaware of the storm brewing outside.
    The path ahead was treacherous, but he didn't falter. 'I'm not the same as I was before,' he thought. 'And I'll prove it¡ªto everyone, and to myself.'
    S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 12 The System Being A Prick

    Adam and Sasha Steele reclined on the living room couch, the soft glow of the flatscreen TV casting faint shadows across the walls. The news anchor's urgent tone recounted the Sudden Gate incident, but neither parent seemed particularly rattled. Sasha sipped her tea with a calm that only years of navigating crises could cultivate, while Adam's gaze lingered on the door."She'll be fine," Sasha reassured, noticing her husband's preoccupied look. "Aya's tough, and she knows better than to get involved in something beyond her abilities."
    Adam nodded slightly, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He wasn't worried about Aya. His mind kept circling back to Cassius, to the rapid changes in his 'son', and to the unease that churned in his gut like a storm brewing on the horizon.
    ¡ª Meanwhile, Aya Steele ¡ª
    Aya moved like a blur through the dark streets of Hoshito, her D+ Rank Agility propelling her faster than most cars. Streetlights flickered past in a haze, and the faces of stunned pedestrians became indistinct blurs in her periphery.
    Her heart pounded as the towering bluish-orange Gate came into view. It loomed over the hospital like an ominous beacon, its crackling edges sparking with uncontained energy. The sheer size of the Gate¡ªroughly the height of a small building¡ªmade her breath catch in her throat.
    "It's bigger than I thought¡­" Aya whispered, her voice trembling.
    Gates varied in size, but their dimensions didn't necessarily correlate to the strength of the monsters inside. Still, the sight of this one was enough to send a chill down her spine. Her legs faltered for a moment, fear creeping in like an unwelcome shadow.
    "No!" Aya shook her head, forcing herself to stand tall. "I must stay strong!"
    With renewed determination, she surged forward, weaving through the crowds of panicked civilians evacuating the area. Her smaller frame allowed her to squeeze past the masses, though the occasional elbow or frantic shove reminded her of the chaos unfolding around her.
    She pushed through the packed entrance of the hospital, where the interior was a cacophony of noise. Nurses scrambled to wheel patients out, security personnel barked orders, and the cries of frightened visitors filled the air.
    Aya darted to the front desk, her voice raised above the commotion. "Can you tell me where patient Cassius is?!"
    The receptionist, a woman with weary eyes and a trembling voice, glanced up from her computer. "Patient Cassius? Hold on," she said, fingers flying across the keyboard.
    After a moment, she shook her head, her expression apologetic. "He hasn't been discharged with the others, but¡­ it says here he went missing during the evacuation."
    Aya's heart sank. "Missing? What does that mean?!"
    The receptionist hesitated before offering a sliver of hope. "His room is 406. You can check there, but hurry. The Sudden Gate's first wave will begin in less than fifteen minutes. Don't stay after that!"
    Before Aya could respond, the receptionist grabbed her belongings and joined the tide of people fleeing the hospital.
    Alone in the chaotic hallway, Aya clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The fear gnawing at her was overwhelming, but so was the resolve burning in her chest. Cassius was family, and family meant everything.
    "I just need to find him and leave," Aya muttered to herself, her voice firm despite the quiver in her hands.
    She took off toward the staircase, her footsteps echoing sharply against the linoleum floor. Racing up flight after flight, she ignored the burning in her legs and the pounding in her chest. The urgency in her heart drowned out everything else.
    When she reached Room 406, she flung the door open, her breath hitching.
    Empty.
    The bed was neatly made, untouched. The sterile room smelled faintly of disinfectant, a cruel reminder of Cassius's absence. Aya's heart clenched as she searched the room, her eyes darting to the window.
    She ran over and pulled back the curtains, but there was no sign of a daring escape. No rope made from bedsheets, no broken glass. Just the faint reflection of her pale face staring back at her.
    Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, tears welling in her eyes. "W-Where are you, Cassius¡­?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
    ¡ª Deep Within the Savage Jungle ¡ª
    SHING! SHING!
    Razor-sharp claws sliced through the air, their gleaming edges missing Cassius by inches. Several strands of his jet-black hair floated to the ground, severed by the deadly attack.
    Cassius darted to the left, his breath steady despite the tension crackling in the air. His icy blue eyes remained locked on the massive black panther before him, its sleek body crouched low, ready to pounce.
    [Deadly Panther (E)]
    The name floated above the beast in a menacing orange hue. Its presence radiated danger, the kind that sent a primal chill down Cassius's spine.
    "If this were twenty minutes ago," Cassius muttered, dodging another swipe, "I'd already be dead."
    But he wasn't the same person he had been twenty minutes ago. After killing dozens of Savage Monkeys, Cassius had leveled up twice, reaching Level 5. His stats had improved, but the Deadly Panther was still a formidable foe.
    The panther lunged, claws outstretched, its predatory grace unnerving. Cassius rolled to the side, a shallow scrape forming on his arm as he barely evaded the attack. He gritted his teeth against the pain, his mind racing.
    "There's a pattern¡­" he murmured, his sharp eyes following the panther's movements.
    The beast's attacks, while fast and powerful, followed a predictable rhythm. But Cassius's eyes struggled to keep up, with the panther's speed pushing his reflexes to their limit.
    'It's not my reflexes¡ªit's my Perception stat¡­!'
    Cassius opened his system interface mid-dodge, his fingers flying to allocate three points into Perception.
    [Perception: +3 ¡ú 18] S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The change was immediate. The panther's movements slowed¡ªnot in reality, but in his heightened perception. What had been a blur of claws and muscle now became a clear sequence of motions.
    Cassius smirked. "That's more like it."
    The panther lunged again, its body twisting mid-air, but Cassius sidestepped effortlessly. With a cold glint in his eyes, he drove a jagged nail¡ªharvested from a Savage Monkey¡ªinto the beast's exposed underbelly.
    Blood sprayed across the jungle floor as the panther let out a guttural roar. Cassius didn't flinch, his expression calm and detached as he twisted the nail, ensuring the fatal blow.
    The panther convulsed before collapsing, its body lifeless.
    *Ding!*
    [You leveled up!]
    [You obtained 1 Stat Point in all of your Main Attributes!]
    [You obtained 2 AP!]
    The system's antics cut through the grim silence.
    [P.S. The 'Main Attributes' do not include the Charisma stat, so if you think you can become the sexiest man alive overnight, think again! You require more Character Development!]
    Cassius rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the reminder."
    He turned to the corpse, grimacing as he began prying out the panther's claws. Each one was as sharp as a dagger, their edges glinting ominously.
    Just as he was about to stash them in his Inventory, another notification appeared, its glowing letters casting an eerie light in the dark jungle.

 Chapter 13 Item Crafting Unlocked

    *Ding!*[For reaching Lvl 6, you have unlocked the second system feature of the Idle Evolution System, following the Inventory Space feature.]
    [Unlocked 'Item Crafting']
    ¡ª[Like the caveman in your blood dictates, try smacking things together to craft something superior! Return to Monkee!]
    "..."
    Cassius stared at the system notification, his expression unreadable. He had grown somewhat accustomed to the system's bizarre tone, yet it still managed to catch him off guard.
    "Caveman¡­ Really?" he muttered, rolling his eyes.
    Still, despite the system's obnoxious phrasing, the feature itself intrigued him. Item crafting wasn't something he expected to unlock this early, and the possibilities it presented could prove invaluable.
    Without wasting time, he decided to test it out. Following the system's instructions, he placed a Deadly Panther Nail against the staff he had been safeguarding.
    BAM!
    The two items collided, and a bright, pearlescent light erupted from the point of impact, enveloping both objects. For a moment, Cassius had to shield his eyes from the blinding glow.
    When it finally faded, he found himself holding a completely new weapon.
    It was a sleek, black spear, its jagged tip gleaming with an otherworldly sharpness. A faint red aura pulsed along its edges, hinting at its lethality.
    [Deadly Spear (Melee)] - [E-Rank]
    | ¡ª [Attack: ~11] ¡ª |
    {[Effect 1: 'Bleed' - (Depletes 1% Health every second for up to ten seconds. Can be stacked.)]}
    Cassius raised an eyebrow, impressed. "This is better than I expected."
    The spear's Bleed effect was particularly noteworthy. Against monsters with high HP, it could become a game-changer. Testing its weight in his hands, Cassius felt a newfound confidence surge through him.
    "Let's see how well you perform," he murmured before venturing deeper into the Savage Forest.
    The Savage Forest ¨C Ten Minutes Later
    Cassius moved with purpose, the Deadly Spear leaving trails of crimson in its wake. F-Rank monsters fell like wheat before a scythe, their blood staining the forest floor. Even the E-Rank monsters¡ªDeadly Panthers and Berserker Apes¡ªoffered little resistance against his newfound weapon and sharpened reflexes.
    Each kill brought a fresh surge of power, and his system interface reflected his progress:
    ________________________________
    [Name: Idle Evolution System]
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 7]
    [Title: Gym Bro (E)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 428/450] [MP: 400]
    [FATIGUE: 25]. [AP: 14]
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 29] (Can lift 500lbs with minimal effort)
    [AGILITY: 42] (A little quicker than your average car)
    [ENDURANCE: 27] (A single woman can be completely satisfied with this)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 26] (Not bad. You could enter the Top 20 of most High Schools in the Country)
    [PERCEPTION: 29] (Can you see dead people?)
    [CHARISMA: 22] (Exceptionally handsome)
    _______________________________
    Cassius paused briefly, leaning on the spear as he caught his breath. The system interface hovered before him, and he couldn't help but marvel at the progress he had made.
    "I'm stronger than I've ever been," he muttered, a small smile tugging at his lips. But the smile quickly faded as the faint sound of screeches echoed in the distance.
    His grip on the spear tightened. "No time to rest. Only to Grind."
    ¡ª-------------
    The Outside World ¨C The First Wave
    Back at the hospital, chaos erupted as the Gate began to stir. Its crackling edges flared brighter, and faint silhouettes appeared within its depths. The onlookers' faces turned pale as the first monsters emerged¡ªwillowy shadows that quickly solidified into screeching, bloodthirsty forms.
    "Monsters!! The first wave is here!! Call the Hunters!!"
    A panicked cry cut through the air, followed by the hurried arrival of a group of armored men and women. Their weapons glinted under the unnatural glow of the Gate, but their expressions betrayed their inexperience.
    Among them was Corra, a valiant young woman with long auburn-colored hair and a commanding presence. As a rising star in the C-Rank Black Sparrow Guild and a D-Rank Hunter herself, she had been tasked with leading this team of rookies.
    "Everyone still evacuating needs to move faster!" Corra shouted, her voice cutting through the noise. "Get the critical patients out of here now!"
    Despite her authoritative tone, a flicker of unease crossed her face as she glanced at the Gate. This was her first encounter with a Sudden Gate, and the stories she had heard did little to prepare her for the real thing.
    'Stay calm,' she told herself, tightening her grip on her silver longsword.
    But her composure wavered as the Gate buzzed violently, and a swarm of Savage Monkeys burst forth, their shrieks laced with a palpable Fear Effect.
    "Esceetch!!!"
    The piercing sound sent shockwaves through the area. Civilians collapsed in terror, while even some of the Hunters stumbled, their faces pale. Corra gritted her teeth, shaking off the effect as best she could.
    "Stand your ground!" she commanded, raising her sword high. "We can't let a single one through!"
    The Hunters rallied, their nervous cries mingling with the screeches of the monsters. Then, with a unified shout, they charged forward, clashing with the wave of beasts in a chaotic frenzy.
    ¡ª Hoshito General Hospital ¨C Top Floor ¡ª
    Aya sat curled in the corner of Room 406, her knees pulled to her chest. Her body trembled as the sounds of battle reached her ears¡ªscreeches, shouts, the clash of steel against claw.
    "What do I do¡­?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
    Her mind raced with conflicting emotions. She had come here to find Cassius, to help him, but now she was paralyzed with fear. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "I-I'm not ready for this," Aya stammered, burying her face in her hands. "I thought I could do it, but¡­ I'm scared¡­ Cassius¡­"
    Tears streamed down her face as the reality of the situation sank in. She wasn't a Hunter yet. She wasn't prepared for the horrors of a Gate.
    But then, amidst the chaos, a memory surfaced¡ªa fleeting image of Cassius standing tall, his quiet determination unwavering.
    "We're family," he had said. "And family helps each other."
    Aya's trembling slowed as the words replayed in her mind. She took a shaky breath, wiping her tears.
    "No," she whispered. Her voice grew steadier. "No, I can't give up."
    Her fear didn't vanish, but she forced herself to her feet, her fists clenched tightly. "Cassius is out there somewhere¡­ and I'm not leaving without him."

 Chapter 14 [Savage Fur Devil Den (E+)]

    SHING! SPURT!Cassius glided through the verdant chaos of the Savage Jungle Gate, his black spear a blur of precision and lethality. Every strike found its mark, and each E-Rank or F-Rank monster crumbled under his relentless assault. The once-lush environment now bore the grisly aftermath of his efforts¡ªcorpses sprawled across the forest floor, the air thick with the coppery scent of blood.
    *Ding!*
    [You leveled up!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You leveled up!]
    The system notifications came rapid-fire, but Cassius barely spared them a glance. He knew what they meant¡ªpower, progress, survival. Yet he also understood that the real test was still ahead.
    After roughly half an hour of unrelenting combat, Cassius reached Lvl 12. His muscles ached, his fatigue bar ticked higher, but his resolve remained unshaken as he stood before a foreboding cavern entrance.
    It was massive and dark, the mouth of the cave yawning like a predator waiting to consume him whole. Unnatural howls echoed from within, reverberating off the jagged walls. Above the entrance, a name tag floated ominously, glowing faintly in the dim light.
    [Savage Fur Devil Den (E+)]
    Cassius's brows furrowed. The addition of the plus sign wasn't lost on him. While an E-Rank dungeon was already a challenge, the added modifier pushed it perilously close to D-Rank territory. This wasn't just dangerous¡ªit was potentially suicidal.
    Still, Cassius's grip on his spear tightened. He took a deep breath, the cool, damp air of the jungle filling his lungs.
    "This is it," he muttered to himself, stepping forward. His voice echoed faintly in the cavern, swallowed by the oppressive silence. "If I want to keep evolving, this is the next step."
    Into the Den.
    The tunnel was unnervingly wide and eerily quiet. The usual sounds of skittering rodents or chirping insects were absent, replaced by an oppressive stillness.
    Cassius's footsteps echoed with unnatural clarity as he ventured deeper. Each step splashed faintly in the puddles dotting the floor, the water reflecting the faint glow of the spear's jagged tip.
    "This place is home to something terrifying," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Terrifying enough to scare everything else away."
    The deeper he went, the more the tension mounted. His breathing slowed, his grip on the spear tightening as his body prepared for the inevitable.
    Then, without warning, the system chimed, breaking his concentration.
    *Ding~!
    [Seeing as you are so enthusiastic about smashing things together like the monkey you are, what say you experience it yourself?]
    [For Character Development! ^=^]
    "...What?"
    Before Cassius could fully process the system's cryptic taunt, the wall to his left exploded inward.
    CRASH!
    A massive, shadowy figure barreled through the shattered stone, its speed and size leaving no time to react. The beast rammed into Cassius with bone-crushing force, sending him hurtling backward.
    "!!!"
    BOOM!
    Cassius's body collided with a boulder, the impact reverberating through the cavern. A wet cough escaped his lips as blood splattered onto the cold, damp ground. He slid down the boulder's jagged surface, coming to rest in a shallow puddle.
    The cold water lapped against his battered face, the ripples distorting his reflection. Through dim, unfocused vision, he could make out the colossal shape of his assailant.
    The beast was monstrous, its size dwarfing even the Deadly Panthers he had faced earlier. It had a grotesque, elongated maw brimming with jagged teeth and three pairs of glowing, basketball-sized eyes that glared at him with predatory intent.
    [Savage Fur Devil (E+)]
    The name tag hovered above the creature, its dark red hue a grim reminder of the danger he was in.
    Cassius's body screamed in pain, every nerve alight with agony. His mind wavered, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.
    'I thought I'd become strong¡­' he thought bitterly, his vision blurring. 'But I was wrong. So wrong.'
    The beast took a step closer, its massive frame casting a shadow over Cassius's prone form. Each step sent tremors through the ground, the sound of its growl vibrating in his chest.
    *Ding!*
    [The First Hint:]
    [Considering that the Host's Intelligence stat is lacking compared to his other stats, the system has provided you with a hint.]
    [What do you receive from each Level Up?]
    "What¡­ do I receive¡­?" Cassius murmured, his thoughts sluggish. His mind raced to decipher the system's message, the words swirling in his head like a puzzle.
    Then, clarity struck.
    "Status¡­ Rec...overy," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
    He focused every ounce of his remaining strength on summoning the system interface. The glowing green text of Reward #2 shimmered before his eyes, and with a desperate thought, he activated it.
    SHING!
    A radiant green light enveloped Cassius's body, its warmth seeping into his battered form. The pain subsided, his wounds knitting together in seconds. The puddle beneath him turned clear, washing away the blood that had pooled around him.
    When the light faded, Cassius rose to his feet. His body was fully restored, his strength renewed.
    "A miracle drug," he muttered, flexing his fingers as he turned to face the Savage Fur Devil. "And I have ten more of these."
    "ROOOOAAAARRRGGHHHH!!!!"
    The beast roared in frustration, its six eyes narrowing at the sight of its unharmed prey.
    Cassius gripped his spear tightly, his icy blue eyes locking onto the monster with renewed determination. Fear still lingered in the back of his mind, but it was drowned out by the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The Thrill of Battle.
    "I thought I was going to die," Cassius said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "But now¡­"
    A faint smile crossed his lips.
    "I feel alive. That feeling I felt earlier¡­ It has multiplied."
    The Savage Fur Devil charged, its claws slicing through the air with devastating speed. Cassius dodged to the side, his movements a blur as his enhanced Agility stat came into play.
    He retaliated with a sharp thrust of the Deadly Spear, the weapon's jagged tip biting into the monster's thick hide. The Bleed effect activated instantly, crimson lines spreading across the beast's body as its health began to tick down.
    "ROOAAARGHH!!!"
    The creature roared in pain and fury, swiping at Cassius with wild, frenzied strikes. But he was ready.
    Each dodge, each counterattack was precise, calculated. The Savage Fur Devil was larger and stronger, but Cassius's newfound confidence and agility made him a force to be reckoned with.
    "You're strong," Cassius said, his voice calm as he sidestepped another attack. "But I've got something you don't."
    The monster lunged, its massive jaws snapping inches from Cassius's face. With a sharp twist, he drove the spear deep into its chest, the weapon glowing faintly as the Bleed effect stacked once more.
    "Character development."
    The battle was far from over, but for the first time since this life-or-death battle began, Cassius felt like he had the upper hand.
    More importantly, however, was how he began to better appreciate the Development of Character¡­
    *Ding~!*
    'No¡­'

 Chapter 15 Serrated Devil Blade

    [*Crying tears of joy*]Cassius's brows twitched. "I'll make you cry tears of pain if you keep persisting in being persistently annoying."
    [:&lt; Seems like you need more Character Development]
    "Roooarrrghh!!!"
    The savage beast suddenly charged at Cassius, forcing him to dash out of the way. Luckily, he did so, because in the spot he had just occupied, there was no longer a spot to speak of. The large boulder had been utterly obliterated, with chunks and pieces flying in all directions.
    Cassius felt like the system was controlling things somehow, but he instinctively knew it possessed no such ability. It simply had a keener and more fleshed-out intuition of events, allowing it to almost seem like it could see into the future. He was tempted to ask the system to use this unstated feature to his advantage, but he knew the only thing the system cared about was Character Development¡ªwhich exclusively involved him getting abused in every way possible.
    As the one experiencing this artificial Character Development, it was tough to tell if it was actually working. From a strictly power-driven standpoint, it had undeniably helped him evolve from the weak-willed person he once was. Yet, in moments like these¡ªwhen his life hung by a thread¡ªCassius wondered if he had truly chosen the correct path in life.
    "Well," said Cassius, his breath coming more evenly, "in this life, there is no room for regret. And if I want to keep pushing forward, I will need to suffer more."
    [You have learned well, my padawan ^_^ Go get your ass handed to you! It is good for Character Development! And it may or may not lead you to the true features of the Idle Evolution System.]
    "You really are a professional troll," Cassius lamented as he picked up the upper part of the snapped-in-half Deadly Spear. Using only half of it reduced the Attack Stat, but that was secondary to what he had in mind.
    With the grim presence of the terrifying monster reminding him not to hold back, Cassius clicked the up arrow next to a particular stat until he had no AP points left. All 24 of his AP¡ªgone just like that.
    Cassius's piercing blue eyes flashed with a sharp electrical current as he stared at the enraged [Savage Fur Devil (E+)] charging him like a bull. Yet, for some reason, the monster's movements appeared so slow¡ªor, rather, Cassius was simply moving too fast.
    It felt as though he had become one with the speed force as he slowly walked toward the raging monster, which still seemed sluggish in comparison. He sped up and leapt off to the side of its hideous face. As its eyes traced his afterimages, Cassius's brows knitted together like sharpened swords, his actions emulating his steely expression.
    BZZZzzzzttt!!!
    SHING! SHING! SHING!
    In an instant, Cassius unleashed dozens of strikes with his broken Deadly Spear. Not all of them hit their mark, but through sheer quantity alone, every single one of the Fur Devil's eyes was stabbed at least once. Normally, this wouldn't be nearly enough to kill a hearty monster like a Savage Fur Devil, but this was no normal situation¡­
    SPURT!
    The blood effect was applied dozens of times in a matter of seconds. When time resumed, Cassius reappeared a few feet behind the Savage Fur Devil. Relaxing his posture, he flicked the blood off his broken spear and watched as nearly a hundred slashes registered against the behemoth.
    It collapsed to the ground, dead.
    "Speed really is the only way to go," Cassius remarked with a razor-sharp gleam in his gaze. He watched as system notifications bombarded his vision.
    Ding!
    [You leveled up!]
    [You obtained 1 Stat Point in all of your Main Attributes!]
    [You received 2 AP!]
    [You cleared the E+ Rank Boss Dungeon Lair, Savage Fur Devil's Den, subsequently clearing the E+ Rank Sudden Gate 'Savage Jungle.' Kill all escaped monsters in the last three waves to obtain extra rewards.]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You¡­]
    Combining the experience from killing the Gate Boss and clearing the Gate itself, Cassius leveled up several times and obtained a large number of Stat Points. Additionally, more system notifications revealed unexpected gains.
    *Ding!* Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [Acquired E+ Rank Item 'Fur Devil Tail Spike']
    [Acquired E Rank Item 'Fur Devil Gallbladder']
    [Acquired E+ Rank Item 'Ominous Eye']
    "These are some unusual items, but I figure smashing them together will give me something massively more useful than my Deadly Spear." Cassius raised a brow before deciding to proceed.
    BANG! BAM!
    After smashing together a weird squishy organ, a creepy slitted eyeball, and a large jagged tail spike, a bright light flashed. All items were quickly melted and assimilated, forming something vastly superior to their individual parts. Looking at the system tag, Cassius saw:
    [Serrated Devil Blade (Melee/Extend)] - [D- Rank]
    |¡ª[Attack: ~27]¡ª|
    {[Effect 1: 'Bleed' - (Depletes 1% Health every second for up to ten seconds. Can be stacked.)]}
    {[Effect 2: 'Serrate' - (Partially negates the defenses of stronger opponents. Up to 30% Enemy Defense reduction.)]}
    "Ho?" Cassius mused, a contented gleam in his gaze. "It seems like this will indeed be on an entirely different level than the Deadly Spear."
    He examined the one-and-a-half-meter jagged, jigsaw-like blade planted firmly in his right hand. It stood imposingly, as if ready to seek out the blood of any who opposed its master. Moreover, there seemed to be a hidden effect related to the 'Extend' token.
    Wishing to test it, Cassius called, "Extend." He watched in awe as the blade broke into pieces, seemingly connected by a mystical magnetic force. They dangled and swayed in systematic motion, perfectly synchronized.

 Chapter 16 Corra, Aya in Trouble

    SHING!Cassius whipped around the blade, tracing its dance-like movements with his crystal blue eyes. It slashed outward, cutting through the air, and produced a satisfying whistle. A few meters away, a clean cut mark appeared on a boulder, and the upper half of the boulder slid off the next second.
    BANG!
    "How interesting¡­ It feels almost supernatural."
    Although Cassius had obtained inhuman strength through his efforts and Character Development, this was the first tangible proof that he was surpassing human limits. It worked to slowly adjust him to what he would encounter more of in the future.
    After savoring the moment for a couple of seconds, Cassius conveyed his intent to the Serrated Devil Blade. Yet, instead of reverting to its intact blade form, it spun rhythmically like a coil and wrapped around his exposed right arm. It then adhered to his defined muscles and thinned, appearing almost like a thick sword tattoo.
    "Hmm?"
    Cassius didn't feel any discomfort from this unexpected action. Instead, he felt a deeper connection with the sword, almost as if they could communicate. Through this connection, he learned that the sword could return to its original form whenever he wanted. But seeing as this form was more convenient for avoiding suspicion upon returning to the outside world, he decided to keep it this way.
    "Speaking of which," Cassius said aloud, "how do I leave a Gate? Do I find the way I came in, or¡­"
    Then, as if to answer him:
    *Ding!*
    [Approximate time till Gate Collapses (and squashes you like a bug): 14 minutes 59 seconds.]
    "Ahhh¡­" Cassius furrowed his brows before blurring from his spot. "Looks like I need to get going then."
    Retracing his steps toward the Gate's entrance, he pulled up his system interface, curious to see how far he had come since entering his first Gate.
    BLING!
    Meanwhile, in the outside world, roughly five minutes before the Sudden Gate's clearance: sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Ahhhgh!!! They just keep coming!" A young man dodged an incoming claw slash, then counterattacked with his sword. "What do we do, Leader?!"
    Corra assessed the severity of the situation, quickly realizing that all of the Hunters were running low on stamina. They had been fighting continuously for nearly an hour, and it was no surprise they were running out of steam.
    Before long, they would all be dead¡­
    As the Leader, she had to make a decision. But what could she do? Even though her team consisted of F, E, and D-Rank Hunters, their actual combat experience was severely lacking. They could tank some enemy attacks through sheer stat differences, but there was a clear limit to their endurance.
    'A few of my squad members are already severely injured!' Corra slashed out several times in quick succession, cutting down nearly a dozen F-Rank monsters. 'But with every kill, double that number escaped the Gate. We are on wave 4 of 5; as long as we can hold them back for another half-hour, reinforcements will arrive!'
    "Leader! A few of them escaped our circle!" shouted an E-Rank Hunter, snapping Corra's attention to his position. "They're running for the Hospital! And we still don't know if everyone successfully evacuated!"
    "Damn it all!" Corra ground her teeth in frustration. She cut down the monsters obstructing her path before dashing toward the ones entering the Hospital. Yet, these E-Rank Dark Apes were cunning and immediately split up.
    'How am I supposed to chase them all?!'
    Corra's eyes darted in multiple directions as the Dark Apes disappeared into different parts of the Hospital. Under the pressure of the moment, she furrowed her brows and bolted after the nearest one. She cleaved it down the middle, but the others had already scurried into different pathways, some ascending to higher floors.
    "Fuck!!!" Corra had no idea what else to do, so she mindlessly chased them, cutting them down one by one.
    Meanwhile, on the Hospital's 4th floor.
    As a silver sword flashed on the first floor of Hoshito General Hospital, a beautiful blonde girl sat curled in a corner of Room 406, her face stained with sadness and fear. She was utterly unsure of what she could do during such a terrifying event.
    It was then that a sharp, high-pitched chattering pierced her ears, causing her to jolt her head up in alarm.
    Terror streaked across Aya's face as her reddened eyes caught sight of a daunting, four-legged shadow clambering outside the open door. Even in her fright, Aya knew she couldn't allow whatever was outside to come in. She stumbled to her feet and raced to the door, prepared to slam it shut.
    Yet, as she reached for the handle, a disturbing, toothy grin appeared in the hallway.
    "Ahhh!" Aya startled back in fright, colliding with the ground. A stinging sensation burned near her hip, but it paled in comparison to the terror she felt as the high-pitched chattering grew louder.
    Shaking like a leaf, Aya screamed, "S-Stay away from me!!"
    The Dark Ape didn't care about her screaming. It advanced, each slow, deliberate step intensifying the looming dread in Aya's heart. The creature could sense the young woman's strength¡ªit knew she was stronger than itself. Yet¡­ she was scared.
    This forced a sadistic grin onto the Dark Ape's face.
    Out of everything in life, it loved scenarios like this one the most.

 Chapter 17 You... Must be tired of Life...?

    "Kakaka!!"The Dark Ape chattered its pointy, gruesome teeth together as it stood over the terrified girl. Then, to add to her dismay, it shredded her dress with its sharp claws, leaving only her underwear to conceal her vulnerability.
    "N-Nooo!! St-Stop it!!" Aya screamed, hugging her body in absolute horror. "D-Don't come any closer!!!"
    "Kakaka!!"
    The Dark Ape's malicious grin widened as it ripped away the last of the fabric covering Aya's figure. Something between its legs reared its head, and the beast readied itself to commit an unspeakable act.
    "Pl-Please¡­! N-Noooo¡­!!!" Aya's eyes dimmed as the Dark Ape attempted to spread her legs. Yet, because of her unconscious unwillingness and superior strength, her legs wouldn't budge.
    Annoyed, the Dark Ape slapped her across the face, leaving a dark red mark on her jerked head.
    'Kakaka! Why even bother resisting when you can't even properly use your strength?! Just stay still and get mated, bitch!' The Dark Ape seemed to think this as it forced her legs apart, fully prepared to permanently scar her.
    Yet, before its hideous appendage could come within inches of Aya, an arm shot through its stomach and lifted its entire body off the ground.
    "What do you think you are doing¡­?"
    "!!!"
    The Dark Ape felt every hair on its body stand on end as it slowly turned its bloodied face. There, it met a pair of black, spiraling eyes that tunneled deeper into its psyche than any abyss. Fear overwhelmed its mind as all color drained from its previously sinister expression. It squirmed and struggled desperately for its life, but it could do nothing to escape the grasp of the terrifying figure glaring at it with an emotionless face.
    In a similarly apathetic voice, Cassius said, "You¡­" His eyes flared with uncontrollable anger as he observed the sobbing mess Aya had become. Shadows shrouded his face as he used his free hand to grip the Dark Ape by the back of its neck. "...You¡­ must be tired of life¡­?"
    "!!!"
    The Dark Ape peered into those endless abysses sunk into Cassius's face, its body convulsing violently. The sheer terror coursing through its mind forced it into a coma.
    Cassius's grip on its neck tightened, crushing every bone in its throat, yet he stopped just before killing it. Seeing the red mark on Aya's tear-streaked face ignited a level of rage in Cassius that he hadn't believed himself capable of feeling.
    No matter how she had treated him in the past, Aya was still family. To do something like this to family¡­ and to try going even further¡­
    "Tell me¡­ You must really hate living¡­?" Cassius's abyssal gaze bore into the Dark Ape's fragile mind, snapping it back to reality.
    The first thing the creature did upon realizing it was still alive was shriek for reinforcements.
    "Jajjkakk!!!!" It screeched deliriously, flailing like a worm.
    "...Cass¡­ius¡­?"
    Off to the side, Aya's eyes cracked open, only to see the enchanting face of the man she had been searching for all this time. Her tears flowed even harder as her reddened face scrunched into a sorrowful state. "...I-I was¡­ l-looking f-for you¡­ B-But I¡­"
    Cassius turned toward the weeping girl. Contrary to the terrifying anger in his expression a second ago, his eyes now held a gentleness that radiated warmth, washing away the terror in Aya's heart.
    "I know, Aya. Don't worry; I'll take care of everything from here. You can sleep."
    Too muddled to notice Cassius's newfound strength, Aya's vision blurred. She fell softly to the ground, her crestfallen sleeping face a grim reminder of what had happened¡ªand what almost happened.
    OOOM!
    A frigid iciness exuded from Cassius's figure as shadows obscured his face. The tattoo on his right arm vibrated before materializing into a dark, obsidian-red sword.
    "...Since you all find amusement in watching others suffer, I shall show you what true suffering feels like¡­"
    The Serrated Devil Blade broke into pieces, hovering in midair. With an unbelievably quick flick of his hand, dozens of blade fragments whizzed through the air, cutting through the oppressive atmosphere. The room's walls were sliced into pieces, and the dozen Dark Apes rushing through the hallways were diced up as well. Yet, none of them died outright¡ªeven though none of their limbs remained attached.
    "Kaaaa!!!!"
    The Dark Apes screamed in agony as excruciating pain erupted from every part of their bodies.
    By the end of a half-minute-long session of hollering, all that remained were a dozen bloody lumps of flesh, their twisted expressions frozen in pure anguish.
    The Dark Ape still writhing in Cassius's grasp felt its mind slipping again, but even the reprieve of unconsciousness was a luxury it no longer had.
    "Do you honestly think dying like they did is what you'll receive¡­?" Cassius sneered, controlling his Devil Blade to hover just above the Dark Ape's third leg. "...Well, think again."
    SPURT!
    The Dark Ape's third leg was slowly shredded, reduced to a mangled, unrecognizable mess. It endured a level of pain so intense it passed out multiple times, only to wake up almost immediately each time. The gruesome cycle persisted for a few agonizing seconds that felt like an eternity.
    Finally, when the Dark Ape was teetering on the verge of death, Cassius struck it in the same spot it had slapped Aya. The impact caused its head to explode in a visceral spray.
    POP!
    S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 18 A Sudden Change in Sasha

    Cassius emotionlessly watched as the Dark Ape's eyeballs and pink brain matter splattered against the collapsed hospital wall. His face briefly twisted in disgust before he took off his jacket and approached the heartbroken blonde girl. He covered her exposed body, then gently lifted her into a princess carry. As the Serrated Devil Blade wrapped itself around his right arm, Cassius felt an unfamiliar sting of pain in his heart upon seeing Aya's utter dismay.A part of him couldn't help but blame himself for the incident. Yet, a bigger part of him thanked his earlier self for deciding to double-check the hospital room before assisting with the monster disposal. If he hadn't made those choices, Aya would have¡­
    Cassius's face froze over again, but before his mood could worsen further, a feminine voice interrupted his thoughts.
    "Are you one of the patients here? Are you not aware of the evacuation notice?! You need to leave right away¡ª"
    That was when the valiant Corra noticed the blood covering the unknown man from head to toe. Her gaze then shifted to the partially nude girl cradled in his arms. Unconsciously, her blade hand tightened, and her expression hardened.
    "What were you doing up here¡­? And who is that girl?"
    When the bloodied man turned to face her, Corra felt an uncontrollable sense of fear crawl up and down her spine, eliciting intense shivers. Stuttering, she raised her silver sword shakily and commanded, "St-Stop right there and state your identification! U-Under these emergency circumstances, I have the right to detain you!" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Cassius's slow, unassuming footsteps passed right by the jittery Lead Hunter as he coldly turned his face toward her before continuing on his way.
    "Even with this pitiful amount of monsters and so many of you, this was the best you could do¡­? Pathetic."
    "Y-You¡­"
    Corra couldn't even refute his words¡ªthey were the truth.
    When she turned around to confront him out of desperation, he was already long gone, taking with him all the unanswered questions swirling in her mind. Then, her ears perked up at the distinct flashing of a sword and sparks flying all over the hospital grounds.
    Rushing outside, Corra froze in disbelief. All the monsters had been chopped into countless pieces, their Magic Shards scattered everywhere. The other Hunters shared her bewilderment as they stared at a shadowy silhouette sauntering past the hospital gates before vanishing like an illusory ghost.
    "...Leader¡­ Do you know who that monstrous man was?"
    "...No¡­ I couldn't get a proper look at his face because of all the blood," Corra replied, still reeling from the shock.
    "Neither could we¡­"
    Silence.
    A heavy hush hung in the air, reeking of iron. None of the gathered Hunters had ever experienced anything like this before.
    Breaking the silence, an E-Rank Hunter stepped forward. "I think that man just left the Gate after clearing it. Originally, I thought my fatigued eyes were playing tricks on me. But look for yourself, Leader¡­"
    "!!!"
    Corra's eyes widened as she followed the Hunter's pointing finger.
    "How could this be?! The Gate is closing! To do this all by himself¡­ We need to report this to Headquarters and find a way to obtain any information about that man!"
    "Yes, ma'am!"
    The gathered Hunters trailed behind their leader, picking up all the Magic Shards along the way. If the mysterious bloodied man hadn't taken them, surely he wouldn't mind them making a profit in his stead?
    A few miles away.
    Cassius felt a sneeze tickle the back of his throat, getting the odd sense that someone was talking about him. He had already returned home but had to sneak in through his room's window to avoid alerting his father and stepmother to Aya's condition. Seeing her as she was would surely worry them.
    'Still, she's probably been gone for a while. They're likely starting to feel some trepidation anyway¡­'
    Realizing this, Cassius ran a hot shower, preparing to clean himself up before waking Aya so she could do the same. Being covered in blood would only worsen things. However, just as he put this plan into motion, a knock came at the door.
    "Cassius, dear?" Sasha's soft voice carried a hint of worry despite her efforts to conceal it.
    "Yes?" he replied, curious as to why she was sudden referring to him like that.
    'She has never been too openly nice to me before... This is... Weird...'
    Oblivious to the growing suspicion in his heart, Sasha said, "I was just wondering¡­ do you have any idea where Aya is? And you must have been discharged from the hospital early because of the Sudden Gate¡­ Are you doing alright?"
    Cassius faintly smiled, a stark contrast to his demeanor from just minutes ago. It felt strange to have someone care about him, but he couldn't deny that he liked it.
    "I haven't seen Aya lately," he said with a smirk, "but I'm sure she's doing just fine. I mean, with a mom like hers¡ªstrong-willed, stunning, and clearly unforgettable¡ªit must run in the family, right?"
    A faint blush spread across Sasha's cheeks. "I-I hope you're right¡­ And you're doing fine¡­?" she repeated.
    Cassius's smile grew fonder. "Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern."
    "Mhmm¡­" Sasha nodded nervously, her worry still apparent as she scurried away. However, before she could leave the hallway, she heard her stepson softly call out, "Goodnight."
    She paused, then replied, "Goodnight, Cassius."
    'For the first time in two years, I have been able to say what I meant to him... It's a pleasant feeling... However, it feels horrible to know that I can only get like this when in times of urgency...'
    'Well, at least this is a step forward... That matters more to me.'
    A slight sense of satisfaction replaced some of her worry. It felt like she was finally getting closer to her usually reserved stepson. His past experiences¡ªperhaps involving false accusations¡ªseemed to explain why he kept his distance, especially from women. And it wasn't like her inability to properly articulate her thoughts helped the matter any.
    'Still, it was nice to see him speak more freely with me, even if his tone was a bit¡­ flirtatious¡­'

 Chapter 19 Lvl 17, Tons of Skill Boxes

    After staring out his bedroom window for a bit, Cassius's eyes fell on the distraught, half-nude girl sprawled out on his bed. A sensual memory of her fingering herself briefly flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook his head and walked toward the shower before undressing himself."This is not the time to think about nonsense," he muttered before undraping his expertly chiseled body.
    Glancing at the bathroom mirror, Cassius quickly realized he had become absolutely shredded after successfully conquering his first Gate.
    'Things change quickly¡­ Far faster than one realizes¡­'
    His thoughts bounced around inside his head as the sound of water pattering against tiles filled the small bathroom. Cassius stepped under the stream of the shower. He winced as the hot water struck his back, the dried blood loosening and swirling down the drain in dark spirals. His muscles, tense from the day's events, began to relax.
    The serrated devil blade's tattoo faintly glowed on his arm, pulsating in time with his heartbeat.
    'You're different now,' the blade seemed to whisper in his mind, its voice more emotional than words. It wasn't the first time he'd felt this peculiar connection with the weapon, and after his most recent battle, it felt stronger than ever.
    Cassius leaned against the cool tiled wall, letting the water cascade over him. Images of Aya's trembling form flashed in his mind, alongside memories he thought he'd buried long ago.
    He was younger then¡ªbarely a teenager¡ªand smaller, too. A group of boys had cornered him in the alley near the schoolyard. Their leader, a stocky brute with a cruel grin, held a stick in one hand while taunting the overweight Cassius with a barrage of insults.
    Cassius's fists clenched, but he didn't move. He knew better than to fight back. His family's precarious position in the community meant any misstep from him would be blown out of proportion, used as ammunition against them.
    But the taunts escalated. They turned to threats. Then, without warning, a rock flew, striking him square in the forehead.
    The humiliation burned hotter than the pain. But what stung most was the laughter¡ªmocking, cruel, and loud enough to drown out his own cries of frustration.
    'Weak.' The word echoed in his mind, both then and now.
    Cassius's eyes snapped open, his jaw tightening as steam rose around him. He wasn't that powerless boy anymore.
    Never again.
    Shaking his head, he thought about the Extra Clear Reward mail he hadn't opened yet.
    *Ding!*
    [You have fully conquered the E-Rank Sudden Gate 'Savage Jungle.']
    [You received 20 AP!]
    [You obtained a Bronze- Skill Box!]
    "Hmm¡­" Cassius raised a brow in intrigue. "This is my first time obtaining a Bronze-ranked Skill Box, whereas the others were all Copper-ranked with plus, minus, or neutral ratings. I should probably open them now, but first¡­"
    He decided to check his system interface to gauge his progress.
    BLING!
    ________________________________
    [Name: Idle Evolution System]
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 17]
    [Title: Advent Devil (D)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 1300/1300] [MP: 1100]
    [FATIGUE: 0]. [AP: 44]
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 39] (Can throw a thousand+ pounds)
    [AGILITY: 76] (Faster than a jetplane)
    [ENDURANCE: 37] (Can satisfy three women with ease)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 36] (Could rival the Genius of a mid-ranked National Academy)
    [PERCEPTION: 39] (Verging upon a Sixth Sense)
    [CHARISMA: 22] (Exceptionally handsome)
    {[Skills:]}
    [Muscularity (P)(F-)], [Slash (A)(F)], [Sprint (A)(F)]
    _______________________________
    Satisfied, Cassius opened the Inventory Space tab at the bottom of his interface. A mostly empty grid appeared, with only four slots containing items:
    [Copper- Skill Box(s): 12]
    [Copper Skill Box(s): 7] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [Copper+ Skill Box(s): 3]
    [Bronze- Skill Box(s): 1]
    Seeing that he had exactly 23 Skill Boxes, Cassius figured there was no point in letting them gather dust. Starting with the lowest-ranked ones, he clicked on them, watching as more than a dozen Copper Boxes materialized and popped open, throwing cards into his body.
    *Ding!*
    [Acquired - Copper Blade (A)(F-)] ¨C Basic swordsmanship skill.
    [Acquired - Iron Fist (A)(F)] ¨C Introductory hand-to-hand combat technique.
    [Acquired - Steady Aim (P)(F+)] ¨C Increases proficiency with ranged weapons by 15%.
    [Acquired - First Aid (A)(F+)] ¨C Fundamental healing skill.
    [Acquired - Earth Sense (P)(F+)] ¨C Basic environmental awareness skill.
    [Acquired - Fire Spark (A)(F+)] ¨C Entry-level fire magic.
    [Acquired - Stone Shield (A)(F-)] ¨C Basic defensive technique/shield handling.
    [Acquired - Bronze Brew (P)(F-)] ¨C Introductory potion-making comprehension.
    [Acquired - Tinker Tools (P)(F)] ¨C Basic crafting and repair skills.
    [Acquired - Swift Step (A)(F+)] ¨C Foundation-level movement skill.
    [Acquired - Mind Focus (P)(F)] ¨C Increases concentration and mental dexterity by 10%.
    [Acquired - Water Flow (P)(F+)] ¨C Beginner water manipulation skill.
    After reviewing the newly acquired Skills, Cassius felt a strange spark ignite within him, creating something from nothing. Previously unfamiliar knowledge flooded his mind, organizing itself into internal grimoires he could access at will.
    Moreover, he began sensing something new in the atmosphere.
    "Are these¡­ Magicules?" Cassius murmured. He observed the brown, blue, and red blots of energy floating around his showering body.
    Reaching out, he touched one. His fingers reacted positively to the colorful blot, forming a pleasant connection. The sensation felt natural, as though he and the Magicules were inherently linked.
    Adjusting to the Magicules' presence, Cassius returned to opening the remaining Skill Boxes. One by one, he clicked on them, obtaining nearly a dozen more Skills. Among them, two stood out the most, introducing the lightning and wind elements, which manifested as additional floating Magicules.
    With three new elements alongside the original three, Cassius now had access to a total of six elemental energies. While unsure of their battle effectiveness, he felt the thrill of unlocking new potential.
    These discoveries unearthed hidden aspects of himself, begging to be refined and mastered.
    Finally, it was time to open the Bronze- Skill Box. Cassius hoped to gain something of D-Rank or higher, but who knew exactly what lady luck had in store for him¡­
    "The Copper Skill Boxes gave Skills ranging from F-Rank to E-Rank," he murmured. "The Bronze Box should yield something much greater."
    As he clicked on the box, a bright bronze light erupted. The question mark-covered cube popped open, spilling its contents.

 Chapter 20 [Now, to bed or not to bed? Tis the question.]

    *Ding!*[Acquired - Shadow Step (A)(D-)] ¨C Instantaneous Movement Skill - Blur like a shadow and reappear as a Reaper. |Scales off the Agility stat.|
    "Hmm?" Cassius's brows furrowed in interest. "This Skill seems very useful, especially when paired up with my Agility stat, which I main in."
    He wanted to test it out right now, but the current environment wasn't very suitable. Additionally, he still had to settle the situation with Aya¡­
    By the time Cassius stepped out of the bathroom, freshly dressed and significantly less bloodied, Aya had begun to stir. Her lashes fluttered, her lips parting slightly as she slowly emerged from her slumber. She then approached the brightly lit bathroom. Noticing the cracked door, she curiously widened it open, only to become momentarily stunned.
    "Big brother Cassius¡­?"
    Not used to hearing that form of address, Cassius took a second to register the presence of the beautiful nude girl currently standing in the bathroom's doorway. They both locked eyes with each other at the same moment.
    Aya's face became increasingly red. She crouched and covered her breasts, about to scream. Yet, before she could, Cassius practically teleported beside her and muffled her voice with his hand.
    Flushed redder than a tomato, Aya stuttered, "Y-Youyuu¡­" But was unable to say any more due to the thick, calloused fingers pressed over her mouth. Her eyes instantly began to water as she really felt like crying.
    She had never shown her nude body to anyone before (on purpose)! And yet now her stepbrother was close to reaching a negative distance with her! She was scared!!
    Seeing that she really was on the verge of bawling her eyes out, Cassius leaned his face next to hers. "I didn't mean to grab you so suddenly, but explaining this situation to our parents would be¡­" He briefly glanced between the two of them, both of whom were naked.
    Aya's face instantly dropped when she realized what he was trying to say. Yet that didn't make her tears feel like coming down any less. To prevent that, though, Cassius let go of her and backed away before respectfully turning around. "There's a towel right over there, which you can use until you get back to your room."
    Aya's puffy eyes swam around the white bathroom interior, blushing every time she caught a peek at Cassius's defined back muscles and muscular buttocks. She almost saw something far above average as well, but he stopped her eyes from traveling any further with his quizzical voice. "Have you gotten the towel yet?"
    Embarrassed beyond disbelief, Aya stammered, "N-No, I'm getting it now!" Before she waddled over to the hanging towel that Cassius was originally going to use. After snuggly wrapping it around herself, she said, "D-Done."
    'Why am I feeling so hot right now¡­? Is something wrong with me??'
    Turning around, Cassius viewed a charming side of his stepsister that he had never seen before. She sheepishly stood by the sink, twirling her curled hair strands, with a scarlet red coloring her cheeks in a burning warmth.
    Absentmindedly, he commented, "Stunning." Only to realize that this was hardly the time for that. "Sorry¡­ I didn't mean it like that¡ª"
    "N-No, it's okay, I-I¡­" Aya had already become indistinguishable from a beet as her pretty sapphire blue pupils erratically flickered. Smoke puffed out of the top of her head as she didn't know where to look anymore; her eyes always seemed to find their way back to Cassius's dashing figure. 'H-Has he always been this attractive¡­!? And his words are so sweet¡­! I don't think I can handle this new version of him... Definitely not...! And then there was him at the Hospital¡ª'
    Aya's mind suddenly flashed with all of the events leading up to this point in time, causing her expression to morph from despair to terror¡­ to a warmth that made her heart beat faster. Yet, there was a part of her that believed everything was just a dream; after all, how could the unawakened Cassius possibly be so strong?
    However, when she saw the dried blood on her body, she realized that all of it had undoubtedly happened.
    Upon recalling the sadistic smirk on the Dark Ape's face and the way it slapped her, she¡­
    "D-Did it¡­?" Her eyes lifelessly dimmed, yet brightened up like a wave of spring when Cassius grabbed her and took her into a hug. "You don't have to worry," he said warmly, his hands gently placed along the curve of her back. "That monster worm wasn't able to get what it wanted. Live with ease of mind, Aya."
    Aya's face suddenly scrunched up as the tears began to overflow. "T-Thank you, C-Caassius¡­ Thaankk yoouu¡­Thankk youuu.¡­" She repeated, her voice getting muffled by the snot and tears streaming down her face as she buried her head in his chest.
    Despite the wetness smearing his cleaned body, Cassius simply stood there and gently rubbed her head. A feminine orchid fragrance assaulted his nostrils, capable of flaring the urges of even a monk. Yet he resisted those urges with ease, as this was not the time to be getting caught up in the moment, especially not when Aya was in such a vulnerable state.
    [^-^ Solid Character Development!]
    [Now, to bed or not to bed? Tis the question.]
    Cassius instinctively ignored his shitty system, and after eight to nine minutes of staying silent while holding Aya, he carefully took her off of him. She seemed resistant at first, but complied after a second more of soaking in his presence.
    Her eyes misted over as she furtively glanced at every part of his body and face, yet he didn't take her looks to heart. "You should explain things to our parents, but you will need your clothes. Well, just stay here a moment; I will grab them." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    A lot of color left Aya's face as she stretched out her hand. "Wa-Wait, don't leave me alone¡ª" Yet, in the very same moment Cassius vanished, he reappeared in that same spot, with a shadowy black energy seeping off of him. 'So that's how that Skill works¡­ Extremely useful, as expected. And it even seems to give me Permutation to a certain extent, allowing me to pass through objects.'
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 21 Everything is About Luck

    *Pu!*A soft, womanly body suddenly collided with his, throwing him a bit off guard. Curious, Cassius looked down, only to see the reddened ears of a ravishing blonde beauty. "D-Don't leave me again¡­ Please¡­ I don't want to be alone¡­"
    An invisible force tugged at Cassius's lips as he softly patted the head of the girl who was acting uncharacteristically meek and timid. 'I guess anyone has the potential to change¡­ That much I should know very well¡­'
    'I think I understand why the system keeps insisting on Character Development, though I still don't know what its purpose for guiding me is¡­ Well, I don't think any protagonist in the novels I used to read ever knew what the intentions of their systems were¡­'
    After a few more moments of idle thinking, Cassius once again pushed away the unusually clingy girl, this time catching an accidental glimpse of her towel slipping down her alluring curves. "Here, your clothes," he said, averting his eyes out of respect for her privacy.
    Realizing why he was acting that way, Aya furiously blushed before nodding like a bunny rabbit. She snatched up the clothes, also noticing that he had grabbed a pair of her more risqu¨¦ underwear, which only made the blush on her beautiful face even more prominent.
    "M-Make sure¡­ t-to not look," Aya murmured softly, yet with an adorable fierceness in her voice.
    Cassius nodded.
    A lovely smile formed on Aya's face upon seeing how considerate he was.
    As she made enticing sounds while sliding on her clothes, she reflected on her past actions, a tinge of regret streaking across her face. 'I must've just misunderstood him before¡­ He's such a nice person; he even saved me¡­! And yet I¡­ said all those mean things about him¡­ Things that I hated more than anything when I was in a similar situation as him¡­'
    The silhouette of a larger, less attractive, and more rotund girl seemed to overlap with Aya's changing figure, sending wave after wave of regret and self-hate washing over her.
    After finishing putting on her clothes, Aya whipped around to Cassius, prepared to do whatever it took to apologize for all that she had done to him. Yet, as if he already knew what she was about to say, he cut her off.
    "It's fine, Aya. The past can remain the past. I know you are not a bad person."
    "B-But I¡ª"
    "I already said it's fine," Cassius interrupted. "Just try to find some better friends. You are too sweet and beautiful to settle for terrible characters as the people you hang around." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Aya's face colored red, yet she still shyly nodded. Then she remembered what she had been meaning to ask earlier. "Your power; have you somehow awakened¡­?"
    Firmly denying such a claim, Cassius shook his head. "I have not awakened, but I have come across a stroke of¡­ good fortune that enabled me to gain some power." Remembering all that the Idle Evolution System had put him through made him reconsider its presumed goodwill. But there was no denying that its methods had made him stronger, which was something virtually impossible among Hunters.
    A Hunter could increase their skill proficiencies and gain more experience, but obtaining greater base power was not possible. Unlike Cassius, who had a sadistic system, people in this world awakened, and that was it. What they got was what they got. Of course, there were differences in skills among Hunters, yet even those were designated upon awakening and capped at Level 9.
    It was rumored that a powerful S-Rank Hunter from Japan, who specialized in the katana, had once achieved the peak Level 9 of his Quick Sheath skill. With his power, he had slashed out at an Overlord S-Rank Monster that had escaped a Purple-ranked Gate, bringing the entire country to its knees. The incident had happened a little over ten years ago, but those present could still vividly recall the immensity of that man's single slash.
    An entire evacuated prefecture had been reduced to ash. Gone, obliterated, desolated.
    Yet, even in spite of the Japanese man's accomplishments in singlehandedly clearing a Purple-ranked Gate outbreak, he wore a soured look on his face. In the country's greatest time of need, his power had reached its pinnacle, yet he could instinctively feel that he could progress no further in his life's joy¡ªhis Quick Sheath S-Rank skill. In his frustrations, he hadn't even stayed behind to receive his medal and the appreciation of the country. He left, never to be seen again, rumored to have become obsessed with something that would never grace his skill with the blade.
    This was the fate of most who refused to accept that they could progress no further. Their stats were set, their skills were designated, and those same skills had upper limits¡ªwhat was even the point of it all? They worked arduously for their entire lives as Hunters, only to find that some mysterious force prevented them from continuing to progress!
    'Everything truly is about the luck of the pull,' Cassius thought with a hint of melancholy. 'Even I, with a system, pulled one of the shorter strings among those who obtain systems in web novels.'
    'Typically, their lives are smooth sailing right after acquiring their systems, with them barely having to exert any real effort. Yet I am worked, sometimes beaten to the bone, by my system¡­ All under the pretense of 'Building Character'...'

 Chapter 22 Newbie 1 Equipment Set

    Taking Cassius out of his depressing thoughts, Aya walked toward the bathroom door, only to furtively glance at him before attempting a sneaky escape. "D-Don't mention this to anyone, okay?" she tried to demand with her usual fierceness, yet found it tough to hold his intense gaze. "And about the hospital¡­ Thank you¡­ I mean it¡­ If you weren't there, I would have¡­"Cassius waved his hand dismissively. "Go on, then. And try not to get chewed out too hard by your mother," he chuckled softly, causing her heart rate to quicken. She scuttered out of his room while furiously blushing. "I-I will repay the favor¡­!" she promised before her cute, bouncy tushy vanished from view.
    "You don't have to¡­" Cassius attempted to say, yet realized that she could no longer hear him.
    He heaved a breath of tired air before putting on a pair of underwear and finding himself sprawled out on his bed. Even though his Fatigue was not very high, the mental waves of exhaustion weighing on his mind had stacked up enough times to elicit a prompt state of slumber.
    While dozing off, he could faintly hear the soft yelling coming from downstairs, which made him wistfully try to remember if anyone had ever cared about him enough to do something like that. Yet, in the end, he couldn't recall any such memory. When he was young, he might have experienced something similar with his father.
    However, sometime after his early childhood, something changed in him¡­ Cassius couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his father seemed¡­ odd. Almost alien to him.
    Cassius's ridiculous thoughts followed him as he entered the land of dreams.
    Early the next morning, he awoke even before his annoying yet sturdy alarm clock could go off. Figuring that there was no real need to keep around such an irritating clock with his almost supernatural senses, Cassius eyed it dangerously before grabbing it. He used a small fraction of his strength to crumple it, reducing it to a condensed ball of metal and scraps.
    After getting his long overdue vengeance for all the sleepless nights it had caused with its faulty behavior, he rolled off his bed. Sauntering toward his drawers, he swiftly pulled out a black dress shirt and a pair of shorts with a matching color scheme. He set them on the wide drawer, planning to wear them in a second.
    Firstly, however, it was time for the grind. Yet, just as Cassius was about to start with one hundred unbelievably fast push-ups, the system presented him with an increase in difficulty. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    *Ding!*
    [If the Daily Quest is too easy, then you aren't properly building character!]
    [Here, have a set of newbie equipment on the house! You must complete the tasks of the Daily Quest with these if you want the rewards!]
    *Thud, Thud, Thud!*
    Several hundred pounds of condensed sand hit the ground with resounding thuds, nearly cracking through the floor. Luckily, everyone in his house was a deep sleeper, or else he would certainly have some explaining to do. Nevertheless, upon looking at the system tags of these comically absurd weights, Cassius's brows creased in dramatic apathy.
    [Acquired 100lb Wrist Weight X2]
    [Acquired 400lb Full-body Weight Vest]
    [Acquired 150lb Ankle Weight X2]
    "...Is this really necessary¡­?" asked Cassius, his brows furrowed in frustration. "Even with my increased strength, this is¡­"
    [You are denying Character Development?]
    [For that, have another Newbie Package gift, on the house! ^_^]
    *Thud!*
    [Acquired 300lb Waist Weight]
    Veins appeared all over Cassius's face as he found it tough to hold himself back from walloping his smug system. And weren't Newbie Package Gifts supposed to be things like a sword, a potion, and some flexible armor? Why the hell was he receiving this crap as his Newbie Package Gifts?? What the hell did he ever do to the Idle Evolution System!?
    "Your name is a sham," Cassius indignantly murmured as he lifted and donned the surprisingly thin weights on his body. Yet, with the system's impeccable hearing, how could it not hear his defamatory words?
    *Ding!*
    [In consideration of the Host's lack of proper character development, as evident by his lack of etiquette, the system has decided to give an additional Daily Quest task and an opportunity for more rewards!]
    [Wear the entire 'Newbie 1 Character Development Weight Set' for a total of 12 hours!]
    ¡ª[Reward: 1 Point in Charisma and 1 Point in Strength (on top of what completing the other tasks will allot you)]
    Cassius: "...."
    The system was blatantly bullying him, but at least the rewards were good, was all he could tell himself as he hit the floor.
    With all his 'Newbie Equipment' on, he felt like he was carrying the whole world on his back, yet he just had to grit his teeth and push through the exercises. One by one, he completed all of them, even though sweat poured from all his pores and accentuated his constantly contracting muscles in a shimmering sheen.
    With sheer willpower, honed by the system's sadism, Cassius finished all of the exercises he could do inside. He had woken up not even an hour ago, yet he already felt exhaustion attempting to take him away. However, that didn't stop the Idle Evolution System from increasing his workload further.
    *Ding!*
    [Say, don't you feel embarrassed about having to rely on the system for everything?]
    'Rely on what exactly!? You are the Devil System, not the Idle Evolution System!'

 Chapter 23 Daily Quest #2, Road to 100 Swings

    Oblivious to Cassius's begrudged curses, the system continued where it left off.[The system is feeling generous today! On top of the luxurious Newbie 1 Package Set, you will also be receiving an additional Newbie 1 item (Don't tell my boss) and another Daily Quest that will need to be completed daily (Assuming you want your crown jewels!)]
    '...The system is still a dick, but maybe the reward will actually be something good this time around...'
    He jinxed it.
    *Thud!*
    [Acquired 'Newbie 1 Weighted Wooden Training Sword'!]
    An eastern-style wooden katana plopped in front of Cassius, leaving a splintered floor where it fell. Its weight was higher than each individual Newbie Item given so far, coming in at over 1,000 pounds.
    Then, to add to his disgruntlement, another system notification appeared.
    *Ding!*
    {[Daily Quest 2]}
    ¡ª[You are looking awfully flabby as of late. But worry not, the system has decided to be magnanimous and add a tougher regimen!]
    ¡ª[Swing Newbie 1 Training Sword 100 times, with that number increasing daily based on the Fibonacci Sequence, starting with Day 2 being 150 times. Day 3 will be 250 times, Day 4 will be 400 times, and so on.]
    [Reward: 1 Point in Agility and 1 Point in Strength]
    [Failure: Loss of what makes you a man]
    Silence.
    Cassius didn't even know why he bothered with the Idle Evolution System anymore. But seeing as this was another way to get stronger¡ªand he didn't want to lose his balls and joystick¡ªhe reluctantly gave in to his fate. How hard could it possibly be to swing around a sword anyway?
    He went to pick up the sword sunken into the ground, yet quickly felt every muscle in his arm contract just to keep the weapon from dropping. His knees buckled under the pressure, with his feet smashing into the floor.
    'I thought it was only around 1,000 pounds, but the weight of this thing immediately increased to double that as soon as I touched it! Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this sadistic system!?'
    Cassius felt like using up his saved AP to increase his Strength stat, but he had a harrowing feeling that the system would just smugly smirk and increase the Daily Quest difficulty appropriately if he did that. It had become abundantly obvious that the Idle Evolution System only wanted him to suffer! There was no escaping this fate!
    'Why can't I just be like the protagonists in novels when they acquire a system¡­? Is this the difference between fiction and reality¡­??'
    Even though Cassius lamented over his shitty luck in obtaining that evil system, he pumped every muscle in his body to heave the sword over his shoulder. Although it hurt a lot to leave it pressed against his deltoids, he clenched his jaw and endured. He took heavy, uncontrolled steps toward his clothes, with nearly 4,000 pounds weighing him down from the sword and weighted clothes.
    Yet, before Cassius grabbed the clothes, he figured he should swing the sword first and wipe himself off afterward.
    With that in mind, he gritted his teeth and steadily took the sword off his shoulder, briefly glancing at the red imprint it left on his right deltoid. However, as if the stinging pain weren't even there, he faced the open space of his room. A glint of resolve flashed past his cold blue eyes as he swung downward, making use of every muscle in his body in order to not faceplant the ground.
    *Ding!*
    [1/100 Sword Swings]
    The quest counter went up by one. Now, it was time to get it to go up once more. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Tightening the muscles that already felt like they were rupturing, Cassius raised his arms and swung down once more. The wind slightly whistled, with the force from the sword swing blowing away all the sparse dirt on the ground.
    [2/100 Sword Swings]
    Again.
    [3/100 Sword Swings]
    Again.
    [4/100 Sword Swings]
    Again. Again. Again¡­
    [13/100 Sword Swings]
    Again¡­ Just go up¡­ Again¡­ Just go up!
    [42/100 Sword Swings]
    Again. Goddamnit, just swing! Move, body! Move!
    [78/100 Sword Swings]
    Arghh!! It hurts so damn much¡­! Every fiber of my being feels like evaporating! Fuck!! Just keep on swinging!!! Stop being a pussy!!!
    [99/100 Sword Swings]
    Just one more time¡­ Just go up once more¡­ Why won't you move¡­???
    No matter how much Cassius willed it, his body just wouldn't budge. He put his full mental capacity toward throwing up the sword once more, yet he felt like every one of his muscles had frozen in place. The only reason he hadn't collapsed to the ground yet was because he became so stiff that his body literally got the rest of him stuck.
    Sweat glistened off of his shredded figure, further accentuating his physique. Yet, the frustrated grimace twisted his handsome appearance into something fiercer.
    'Damn it all!!! Just move already!!!'
    Cassius couldn't even open his mouth anymore, but as if he exceeded some sort of physical limitation, his arms moved, and the sword cut through the air.
    [100/100 Sword Swings]
    *Ding!*
    [You have successfully completed Daily Quest #2]
    [You obtained 1 Stat Point in Strength and 1 Stat Point in Agility!]
    [Daily Quest 1 Progress: 67%]
    *Thud!*
    After the quest's status switched to completed, Cassius let his body collapse to the ground, with his sword falling right beside him with a resounding bang.
    However, before he could enter a very deep state of sleep that could leave him unconscious for an unknown period of time, he drowsily pulled up his long list of Level-up rewards. Then, with a single click that used up strength he didn't have, a bright golden light flashed and enveloped his body.
    [Status Recovered!]

 Chapter 24 Addition to Daily Quest #2

    [Status Recovered!]"Huff¡­!" Cassius felt like a new life had been granted to him as he shot up and returned oxygen to his lungs. "I hate to have to waste one of my limited Status Recoveries on something like this, but it was necessary if I want to avoid suspicions."
    After feeling a tinge of regret over the loss he incurred, Cassius finally got around to putting on his clothes. Strangely, with them on, he appeared very sharp. His slightly chiseled facial features did the black dress shirt and shorts some justice. Yet, just when he was beginning to appreciate how handsome he had become, the system made him scrunch his face.
    *Ding!*
    [The Host seems a bit narcissistic to me¡ª]
    "That isn't it¡­"
    [¡ªSeeing as the Host has so much free time on his hands, he can surely carry around his trusty Newbie Sword along with his Newbie Armor! ^-^]
    'You call this shit armor!? But wait¡­ Not another one¡­'
    *Ding!*
    [To supplement your deficiencies, a sudden extension to Daily Quest #2 will now be implemented!]
    {[Daily Quest 2]}
    ¨C [100/100 Sword Swings] - [?]
    ¨C [Carry around trusty 'Newbie Sword 1' for 12 hours. Cannot leave your approximate location.] - [0/720 minutes] - [_]
    "Shit¡­" Cassius's face drooped. He didn't even know why he bothered hoping for any modicum of respite from his sadistic system. He sighed before picking up the sword he had planned to stay away from for the next 24 hours.
    After realizing that the sword was quite a bit lighter than before because of the 1 Strength Stat Point, he tried to find somewhere on his person to store it. However, in the end, he had no choice but to hold it with his left arm, which strained more than expected, mostly because of the thin wrist weights he had equipped. Yet, rather than wrist weights, they looked more like sweatbands, somehow being so thin while containing an absurd amount of weight.
    When everything that could be done here was settled, Cassius left his room with slow, heavy steps, still adjusting to the extreme conditions he now had to constantly endure. On his way out, he saw the charming appearance of his messy-haired stepsister, with her bird's-nest-do only making her appear all the more attractive. Yet, instead of her stunning appearance, his eyes almost naturally fell on the sloppy, alluring way her red panda bear pajamas were sliding off of her curvaceous curves.
    Suddenly jolting awake, Aya let out a shrill shriek, which would have surely woken everyone up if they hadn't already left for work. "W-What are¡­ you doing here¡­!?" She cupped her breasts defensively, her cheeks redder than a blood moon.
    Cassius looked at the girl as if she were kind of dumb. "I live here¡­"
    Aya only became more embarrassed over this reasonable response. Her mind seemed to keep trailing back to the night prior, when she saw his almost picture-perfect body and that¡­ long thing. A deeper blush formed on her face as smoke rose from her head, her eyes subconsciously finding their way to his especially large morning package.
    She wound up scampering away with tears bubbling up in her big, beautiful eyes. "Y-You big dummy!" she loudly grumbled before slamming her room door behind her somewhat erotic figure. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Question marks flew off in Cassius's mind as he found himself becoming more and more perplexed by women with each passing day. Broaching upon this subject also reminded him of the bunny-like brown-haired beauty he got hit by a truck for. Considering that he almost got isekai-ed because of her, he figured shooting his shot couldn't hurt.
    Pulling out his phone, Cassius looked through his very limited contacts, quickly finding one that said 'Grace' with an adorable bunny emoji at the end, put there by him after deciding it fit her best.
    He clicked on the call button and stuck it up to his ear, yet not even a second later, Grace picked up on the other end. "Cassius, is that you??" she asked with a bit of concealed excitement.
    Curious, Cassius asked, "How did you know it was me? The number shouldn't have appeared on your end."
    Grace's eyes swam around as she lay belly-first on her pink, stuffed-animal-covered bed. She couldn't exactly tell him that she memorized his number just in case he forgot to call¡­ "I-I just made a guess¡­!" she ended up saying in a panicky tone.
    To which Cassius said, "I see¡­ Well, you can deny my offer if you want, but would you like to go to the shopping district today? I don't have much money, but I was looking to go somewhere¡ª"
    Grace's eyes lit up like shimmering Christmas ornaments as she jerked off her bed in glee. "I-I will go!" But her face quickly turned a deep shade of scarlet when she realized how desperate she must sound. Yet, contrary to her expectations, Cassius chuckled softly before saying, "It's a date, then. We can meet up at the City Square, say around 11 a.m.?"
    Glad that he didn't see her as easy, and overjoyed that he called it a date, Grace bobbed her head several times in her room. "Yes, yes! I will definitely be there!"
    "Good, I will see you there, Grace."
    With that, the call ended, and Grace was left to bounce around in her extremely cute room, her bunny pajama ears flopping all around.

 Chapter 25 Just Stay Still

    Cassius slipped his smartphone back into his pocket, wearing a kind smile that held no semblance to the demonic way he looked when he found Aya in that horrid state. His jaw clenched just remembering that scene, but he quickly calmed his nerves and thought about what he should do for the next four or so hours.That was when he recalled the evil voice of the Idle Evolution System chanting, "You need more Character Development!" into his ears.
    Left with no other choice if he wanted to have an enjoyable day out with no distractions later, he made the sacrifice and lifted himself down the stairs, careful not to accidentally blow more holes through the house.
    After successfully incurring very little damage to the once-pristine home, Cassius left through the front door, staying purposefully oblivious to the red panda pajama-wearing woman peeking her head over the top-floor railings.
    'Where is he going¡­?' Aya's heart suddenly filled with worry. 'Is he heading out to meet another girl¡­??' She struggled between displeasure and trepidation, not sure how to process her own feelings. 'Surely he's not¡­ Cassius has never been good at talking with girls¡ª' That was when she recalled how sweet and kind he was to her last night.
    Yet she still fervently believed that him going to meet a different girl was impossible.
    'M-Maybe he's just going out for a run like he has been doing as of late¡­! Yes, yes, that must be it! What am I even worrying for!? It's not like I like him or anything! Right¡­?'
    Aya's worry was now for something else entirely as she huddled into a ball on the ground, her red panda pajama hoodie hanging over her pouty yet conflicted face. After a few seconds of perplexed sulking, she figured it wouldn't hurt to trail behind him and see what he was up to.
    So that's precisely what she did¡­
    Aya swiftly threw on a black trench coat and a pair of gaudy black sunglasses, going full Men in Black on this operation to ensure the safety of her stepbrother, who could very well get taken advantage of! Though to any passerby who caught sight of her hiding behind metal poles and garbage cans, she earned herself the title of 'Stalker.'
    As Cassius, dressed up for the occasion, strolled through the active streets of his neighborhood, he felt like someone was following him. However, sensing that they held no ill intent, he paid them no mind and left the borders of his neighborhood. Eventually, he made it to a wide intersection, where beyond that intersection was the prosperous downtown district of Hoshito City. It wasn't at the level of somewhere like Tokyo or the capitals of any of the nine regions, but it still remained a bustling place of commerce, with thousands of people going about their business in the city of glass and stone.
    After maneuvering through crowds of people and traveling another five or so minutes, Cassius finally made it to the City Square, where a large sprinkling fountain lay situated. Right next to the fountain, however, was an utterly breathtaking sight.
    A girl with soft brown hair and warm brown eyes sat on the side of the fountain, her fingers tracing the water's edge. She smiled nervously, glancing around as she adjusted her flowy white dress, anticipation and hope shining in her eyes as she waited for her first-ever date to arrive.
    Seeing Cassius begin his approach toward this gorgeous girl, what Aya feared most threw a bucket of cold water over her head. A desolate summer breeze blew through her disguise, leaving her feeling empty inside. Yet that didn't mean she could just give up here! She had to know what their relationship was!
    'After everything he has done¡­ and seen of me, it's the manly thing to take responsibility! He can't shirk away under the wings of this vixen! I-I will see just how he plans to explain himself when I catch him red-handed in the act of an affair¡­!'
    'And for it to be with that woman who stayed by his hospital bedside, basically blocking me from seeing him, no less! I won't stand for this! I won't stand for it¡­!'
    While remaining blissfully unaware of the fact that they weren't in any sort of relationship that extended beyond family, Aya maintained her stalker disposition and got a little closer to the adulterers in the 'act'.
    Meanwhile, Cassius had just made it within a few dozen feet of Grace, with her seeing him as well. Her eyes lit up, and just as she was about to wave him over, some rough-looking unsavory philanderers grouped around her.
    "Hey, lovely beautiful Miss~ What are you doing here all alone~?"
    "Yeah, someone as pretty as you shouldn't be all by herself. Why don't you come and have some fun with us~? We promise to show you a good time~"
    Grace's outstretched hand retracted as a bit of fear mixed with her nervousness. She wasn't very good around groups of people. Just her getting her family's permission to come out today and enter the pedestrian parts of the city did a number on her.
    Not sure how to respond to these strange men who huddled around her, she stuttered, "N-No, I am waiting on someone¡ª"
    "Come on, don't be like that~" One of the blonde-haired men said flirtatiously. "Just let us show you a good time~"
    As soon as his hand landed on her shoulder, Grace's complexion turned ashen as she raised her voice, "N-Nooo! Ple-Please don't touch me!" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Just stay still, sweetheart~" the blonde-haired man's 'friendly' smile widened. Yet before he could go any further in his unsanctioned acts of harassment, a large, muscular hand suddenly grabbed onto his own and bent it back, nearly breaking his finger bones.
    He hollered in pain. "Ahhghh!! What the fuck are you doing, y-you damn bastard!?"

 Chapter 26 A Date

    "Ahhghh!! What the hell are you doing, you psycho!?"The hollering hooligan's outburst was met with a cold, unimpressed glare. "Can't you see you're bothering her?" Cassius said evenly, twisting the man's arm just enough to elicit another high-pitched shriek.
    "Who even are you!?"
    "Let go of Jacob, freak!" one of his friends yelled, though his voice cracked halfway through.
    Cassius turned his gaze to the peanut gallery, who froze like deer in headlights. "Shut up," he said flatly, his tone as sharp as a knife. The wannabe tough guys visibly shrank, suddenly unsure if they wanted to continue their catcalling careers.
    "Cassius¡­" Grace muttered, a mix of awe and relief flooding her expression. Her knight in slightly worn jeans had come to the rescue. Still, the intensity on his face gave her pause¡ªit was a little too much, like he'd been fighting¡­ monsters¡­ instead of idiots.
    Realizing he might've overdone it, Cassius released the blonde guy's hand and gave him a swift kick to the rear for good measure. The man hit the ground with a yelp.
    "Scram," Cassius ordered, his voice as cold as winter frost. The hooligans exchanged nervous glances before fleeing with bruised egos and possibly a few bruised body parts. One couldn't resist yelling back, "You'll regret this!" as he tripped over his own feet.
    Cassius sighed and turned back to Grace, his expression softening. "So, what do you wanna eat?" he asked, attempting to shift the mood.
    Grace blinked at him, then broke into a dazzling smile. "There's this sushi place I've been dying to try, but my parents wouldn't let me. Want to go there with me?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Her bright, hopeful expression was enough to knock the wind out of him. How could he say no to those puppy-dog eyes? "Sure," he said with a small smile. "Lead the way."
    Grace giggled, the earlier incident already forgotten, and practically skipped ahead of him. She paused a few steps later and turned back, her cheeks pink. "By the way¡­ thanks for helping me back there. You were¡­ really cool." She stumbled over the last part, turning redder by the second.
    Cassius chuckled, jogging to catch up. "I didn't get the chance earlier, but you look lovely today," he said. "Though, honestly, you didn't need to dress up for someone like me."
    Grace nearly tripped over her own feet. "Wha¡ªthis? It's nothing special!" she sputtered, staring at her shoes as if they were suddenly fascinating.
    Then her gaze darted to the wooden sword strapped to his back. "Uh¡­ about the sword. Why are you carrying that around? It's kind of¡­ unique."
    Cassius glanced at it and shrugged, shifting its weight on his shoulder. "I've been getting into a new hobby. Hope you don't mind me bringing it."
    Grace waved her hands frantically. "No, no! It's cool¡ªreally cool! Like¡­ like you're some kind of modern knight or something¡­"
    Her voice trailed off into an unintelligible mumble, but Cassius caught enough to grin. "Modern knight, huh? I'll take it," he said, reaching out to pat her on the head.
    Grace froze, her cheeks turning scarlet as steam practically poured from her ears. "Wha¡ªyou can't just¡ª"
    "Too late," Cassius teased, his hand still on her head. "You're officially knight-approved."
    Behind them, a dark aura loomed as Aya, draped in black like a discount ninja, gripped the metal pole she was hiding behind. 'Ugh, they're not even holding hands! What is this, a Hallmark movie?' Her eyes narrowed, and the pole creaked under her grip. 'And I was saved by him too! She's not special! I've known him longer, anyway¡­'
    Grace snapped back to reality as they arrived at their destination. Cassius stopped in front of a neon sign that read "Sushi Haven." It wasn't fancy enough to be high-end, but it was leagues above the average chain.
    "This the place?" he asked, glancing at Grace, whose wide eyes sparkled as she took in the restaurant.
    "Yep! I've always wanted to come here!" she said, practically bouncing with excitement. Cassius couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. He reached out and ruffled her hair again, earning a muffled squeak.
    "Seriously?" Grace muttered while pretending to swat at his hand. "You're treating me like some fluffy pet¡­"
    "If you hate it, just say so," Cassius said, laughing as he moved to pull his hand away.
    To his surprise, Grace grabbed his wrist and held it in place, her face a shade of red that could rival a fire truck. "I didn't say I hated it¡­"
    Cassius blinked, then smiled, deciding not to push his luck. "I see," he said with a playful chuckle, letting her keep his hand where it was as they headed inside.
    Aya, meanwhile, growled from her hiding spot. 'This isn't over, Grace. Just wait until he sees how much more girly I am!' She crushed the pole in her grip, startling several bystanders who immediately turned and walked the other way.

 Chapter 27 An Extraterrestrial Threat...

    "Why did you take your hand off again¡­? It's not that I don't like the pets.¡­" Grace mumbled."So you do like it? How much do you like it?" Cassius couldn't stop himself from teasing the adorable girl a bit, both with his words and his hands..
    Although embarrassed, Grace answered, "Mhmm¡­ A-A lot¡­" with a blush seemingly glued to her peachy features. She was unable to look at him as she was, so she pulled him through the last set of spinning doors of the Sushi Haven Restaurant.
    Cassius kept his eyes on the perfectly curved back of the beautiful brown-haired girl dragging him around in an unusually forward manner. He enjoyed her presence; it was a breath of fresh air, one that he hadn't known he needed. However, there was a large part of him that didn't believe he deserved something so nice.
    His entire life, he lived believing the bare minimum was already too good for him¡­ Yet to suddenly encounter Grace and get to know a new side of Aya¡­ It almost felt too good to be true.
    And then there were the continuous improvements to his strength, which although acquired because of the system's sadism, still left him joyous beyond belief.
    Yet, that once again made him think that something was amiss¡­
    'A ploy¡­?' Cassius's overly cautious side got the better of him as he thought useless things.
    Why would anyone out there be plotting against someone as inconsequential as he was?
    ¡ª--------------------
    ¡ª Outside an Airport Runway in Hoshito ¡ª
    BAM!
    A small explosion occurred around the body of Adam Steele. His eruption of rage startled the flight attendant females lined up on the side. They all kept their heads down, afraid to offend Adam and the classy woman walking next to him.
    "You must calm yourself, Malakar," said the woman, her gaze cold and calculative. "I know you have been patiently waiting for 'it' to return to her son. But you and I both know we can't rush things."
    Adam's face further scrunched in anger as his brows deeply furrowed. "I know that as much as you do, but I secretly checked the incompetent son of that bitch, and although his physique has miraculously improved, he's still as useless as ever! Awakened humans are already inferior creatures as it is, and yet that one is even more useless!! If I were his mother, I would never come back to save him, so what's even the point of keeping him around as bait!??"
    'He's still as short-tempered as always¡­ I really can't understand why the Mothership decided him to be the one most fit for this assignment¡­' The classy woman sighed heavily before ascending the stairs of a golden-plated private jet. 'Well, at least he is a decent enough actor¡­ that Sasha character we meticulously selected in hopes of activating 'its' maternal jealousy should also be bringing forth some results. Yet we have no idea how close 'it' is to coming out of hiding¡­ Hah¡­'
    The classy woman, whose name was Selena, rubbed her temples before finding herself a seat on the jet.
    The livid Adam (Malakar) came in a second later and sat down in the row of seats next to hers. His body seemed to rapidly expand and protrude in a few areas as a purplish shell-like material took the place of his skin. Yet, before he could revert to his original form and take up all the seats, Selena glared at him.
    "Don't do anything rash while we're still blending in among the humans," she said. "Though the strongest of the humans are still ants to the weakest of us, you should know as well as anybody of those anomalies. That is how you got that scar, isn't it?"
    Following her eyes, Malakar ground his sharp teeth in anger upon seeing the large, gnarly scar strewn out from the top of his chest down to his waist. He could still faintly recall the ethereal human with his sword-like eyebrows and his long, flowing black hair. He had stood domineeringly atop a massive greatsword while looking down on him as if he were mere trash.
    "I am the Guardian of this Floor, Outsider. You and your friends up there may continue coming down here, but you will simply keep on losing. Your life; your choice. But if I see you again¡­ I'll kill you."
    The man's icy sharp eyes then flashed as he somehow flicked the giant greatsword around like a blur and left Malakar with his scar.
    Malakar ground his teeth to the verge of turning them to dust just remembering the sheer level of disdain that puny human had held for him.
    "Damn it all!!" Malakar bellowed as he was about to disregard everything and morph into his Kaiju form. Yet, before he could do something so foolish, Selena dispersed his aura and commanded, "Sit."
    "S-Selena, you!!!" Malakar's eyes lit up in anger, yet he knew that it would be unbelievably stupid to go against the one who held the title of 'Intergalactic Sorcerer.'
    "Do not get ahead of yourself, Malakar," Selena said as she calmly sipped on a cup of tea. Her neutral face suddenly frosted over, with her swirling frigid gaze boring into the monstrous Malakar like the coldest of tundras.
    "You may be the one leading the mission of getting 'it' to come out of hiding, but I am the one tasked with making sure you do your job properly. You are to get 'it' out of hiding without angering 'it' enough to prevent us from ascending to the next floor. With that Floor Guardian being abnormally powerful for those of a Tower like this one, we must take this backdoor method and ascend the Tower without encountering that man. To do that¡­"
    Selena pierced through all of Malakar's defenses with just her gaze.
    "To do that, you need to get yourself together and strike at a different angle. We need to let down 'its' guard, and the only real method we have is holding her son hostage, which means that we can't kill him. Find a different way to force 'it' out. You know the deadline before a replacement for you is found and sent down."
    "A different way!?" Malakar roared, concealing the fear he felt because of this unearthly beauty before him. "What other way is there!??" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Selena's irises frosted over at his tone. "I don't know; that's not my job to figure out. It's yours." She returned to ignoring the fuming man's presence, not caring a single bit about his grievances.
    The private jet started moving before ascending to the skies like a bird in a gust of wind. Their destination was a skull-shaped island to the far east¡ªan island that would not show up on any conventional map in the world. In that island lived several extraterrestrial existences that did not belong to this Realm¡ªmysterious beings capable of crushing S-Rank, city-destroying level humans like bugs.
    Yet, even though they were so powerful, they seemed to be constantly stepping on eggshells, afraid to so much as stick their heads out too far.
    All because of a single man¡­
    Atop the zenith point of a mountain that touched upon the clouds, a refined middle-aged man with a piece of horsetail whisk in his mouth tipped his ragged traveler's hat to the east.
    With his entire face shrouded by blackened shadow lines, he spoke in an antiquated voice that didn't match his handsome, youthful visage. "It seems like things are finally getting interesting." He then vanished from his spot, with slight traces of a wistful smirk flowing through the speed stream.

 Chapter 28 An Unexpected Stalker...

    ¡ª In the downtown area of Hoshito City, inside Sushi Haven, at a windowsill table ¡ª*Nom, Nom, Nom.*
    "You must really love sushi," said Cassius, a fond smile painting his handsome, attentive features. On the other side of the table was a bunny-like girl with long, silky brown hair and large doe eyes that squinted in joy after each voracious chew.
    Realizing that she was being a bit uncouth, Grace swallowed one last piece of sushi with a look of euphoria before reluctantly placing her chopsticks to the side. "I-I'm sorry¡­ You must think less of me now¡­" Imaginary bunny ears seemed to droop atop her head as she silently moved her small pink lips.
    Cassius rested his chin on his hands, a warm, soothing smile gracing his features. "Pay no mind to me; I think watching you eat is far more enjoyable than eating alone¡ªor even eating at all."
    "T-That is¡­" Grace's face flushed red, yet she readily took him up on his offer. After all, she hadn't eaten anything before coming to the date because she wanted to do more things with him.
    Cassius also began choosing from the large assortment of sushi he had ordered. At first, Grace had tried to insist that she would pay, but he firmly rejected that proposal. As a man¡ªalbeit a pathetic one¡ªhow could he let a woman pay for the date? Even though he didn't have much money, he still had a part-time job, which he just so happened to need to show up for tomorrow morning.
    It was merely a library gig, but the people there were welcoming and kind, so it served as a comfort from the grueling training he had endured when he first started completing the system's Daily Quests. The current Quests were just as physically difficult, but his mind had long since grown accustomed to how tough the system's Quests were. Even the Side Quests and Urgent Quests it gave him had left him on the verge of death¡­ yet he still pushed through them.
    'Speaking of which, on the matter of money, I wonder if I can make use of my strength to acquire more of it¡ªbut do so without attracting too much attention to myself¡­'
    Bringing this matter up to Grace, she spoke in between adorable chews. "I don't know much about making money because my family won't let me work, but you seem very strong. I know you're not awakened, but if you can somehow match up to the weakest of Hunters, you can explore Gates with a Party or Guild and obtain some Magic Shards."
    "Though, it is very dangerous¡­ I would prefer you didn't do this¡­" Her tone dampened, and her imaginary bunny ears once again drooped. "I-If you really need money that badly, then I can ask my family¡­! I'm sure they can¡ª"
    "That won't be necessary," Cassius said gently, seemingly in deep contemplation about something. "Don't worry; I won't do anything I know I can't handle. But you mentioned these 'Magic Shards'¡ªwhat are they, if you don't mind my asking?"
    Although still worried, Grace replied, "Magic Shards are what lie inside the bodies of monsters, sort of like their cores. If you¡­ slice them open, you can find them."
    "They vary in size, color, and the number of pointed edges depending on the strength of the slain monster." She gagged a little at imagining something so gruesome yet quickly forgot about it when lines of sushi were stuffed into her gerbil-like cheeks.
    "Inside of them¡­ Ahh¡­ Damn¡­" Cassius suddenly recalled a few shiny things protruding from the corpses of the monsters he killed.
    He felt a tinge of regret over not snatching them up and obtaining some pocket money. Though, unbeknownst to him, the combined Magic Shards from all the monsters he had slain would have been enough to buy him a small house or a nice car.
    "Izzz shomthingg da matttter?" Grace asked through her munching, tilting her head cutely.
    Cassius sighed before shaking his head and returning that warm smile to his face. "It's nothing much. Though, sometimes I wonder if I'm just empty air up here." He comically knocked on his head, which made Grace chortle. A bit of food spat out of her mouth, causing her to shrink in embarrassment. Yet Cassius only chuckled in response before eating more of the sushi himself.
    "Just make sure to eat to your heart's content," he requested with a smile.
    "Mhmmhkay~!" Grace had no qualms. Even with a few customers staring at her beauty, she devoured the plates like she had been starved her whole life.
    "Hah¡­"
    The atmosphere inside that corner of Sushi Haven really was like a little slice of heaven. But the same could not be said for a large bush sitting directly outside the window the pair was dining at.
    'Fucking fluffers!! Why are they acting so chummy in there!? Don't they have any shame!? Where is the morality!?' Aya thought as she shamelessly wiggled her plump figure all around inside a bush, successfully scaring away nearby pedestrians.
    Suddenly realizing how she was acting, she frantically corrected herself. 'I-It's not like I'm jealous or anything¡­! I just wish they would learn some shame! Damn adulterers!!'
    Seeing the bush jump all around and hearing terrifying grumblings, several pedestrians reported it to the authorities out of fear of a pervert being inside.
    For a while, Aya had to outrun the police in a bush¡­ S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    When she finally managed to lose them with her D-Rank Stats and return to the restaurant window, she was distressed to find that they had already left! It wasn't until five minutes later of extensive searching that she found the adultering couple laughing and giggling while heading toward the¡­
    "Hunter's Association??" Aya blurted out, attracting the attention of a small child.
    "Mama, that bush over there is talking¡­!"
    "What nonsense are you speaking¡ª Wait, that's the pervert from earlier! The police¡ªI must call them!"
    "!!!" 'They're onto me again! Time to ditch the bush!'

 Chapter 29 Entering The Hunters Association

    Aya leapt out of the abused bush and sprinted away like a true criminal, which only further solidified the mother's suspicions. After another series of chases by the local police, she eventually made her way just outside the massive Hunter's Association building, where the adulterers had just ascended a flight of marbled stairs to enter.She once again entered incognito stalker mode and did what she did best¡ªstalking.
    "You seemed interested in the Magic Shard discussion earlier," Grace said in a soft voice. "Is that why we're here right now? Are you planning to become¡­ a Hunter¡­?"
    As much as Cassius wanted to do just that, he knew that only death flags awaited him if he became a Hunter with what little strength he currently had. No, rather than make a fool of himself and possibly raise suspicion when he came back stronger after each raid, he wanted something else.
    "I want information on the locations of Gates," replied Cassius, his tone laced with a gentleness that made Grace feel warm inside. Yet she still asked, "Why would you wish to know the locations of Gates if you don't plan to become a Hunter¡­?"
    Answering her question, Cassius's lips raised mysteriously. "I don't know; why would I want to know something like that?"
    Grace's cheeks filled with air as she mock-pouted. "Fine then, don't tell me. Humph!" She turned her head away, pretending to be angry, yet failing terribly.
    Cassius let a soft laugh escape his lips, which only made Grace's charming pout more prominent. However, before she could become genuinely aggrieved, he said, "I will tell you some other time, alright?"
    Grace's heart fluttered at these words, especially the "nother time" part, which meant they would be meeting up more often, right? Right??
    "Mhm! You promise??"
    "Yes, I promise."
    Grace could no longer restrain her giddy grin as she made a cute "Yippee!" sound before abruptly grabbing his hand. Yet, when she realized what she had done in her moment of glee, she furiously blushed and let go of his hand. "I-I didn't mean to do that, I j-just¡­"
    "It's fine," Cassius patted her head. "You can hold my hand whenever you feel like it. But maybe that would make you feel uncomfortable in the crowded environment inside?"
    In her excitement, Grace had completely overlooked how they had already entered the Hunter's Association and were now in the presence of hundreds of people. She felt mortified over how she conducted herself, quickly finding a hiding spot behind Cassius, where she shrank away and soaked in the shame. He found this amusing, yet his mood soured when two F-Rank Hunters took proud strides over to them, clearly up to no good.
    Cassius was still enjoying the sight of his short, bunny-like companion and the several expansive floors of the enormous, modern Hunter's Association branch when those idiots slipped around him. They couldn't feel an aura from him, so they completely disregarded his existence. Their target, though, was the meek girl hiding behind him. She naturally became frightened when the two men began eyeing her up and down, failing to conceal their lust.
    "Say, you have the aura of a Healer¡ªare you looking to form a team with us?" asked the man with a Mohawk. "I am a DPS dealer, while he is a Tank. So what say you? Wanna join a reliable Hunter's party?"
    "Yeah, we promise to treat you well, miss!"
    Although they hid their intentions behind friendly, shadowy smiles, Cassius understood them as if they were open books. He audibly scoffed before turning his back and Grace away from the men. She silently thanked him in her heart, a lovely grin forming on her small, round face as she clung a bit closer to him.
    The faces of the two men immediately scrunched up in annoyance at the trouble caused by this unawakened nobody. Even if they were only F-Rank, they were still several times stronger than a strong mortal. To dare impede them in their pursuit of a woman¡ªjust who did this foolish man think he was? Plus, he was handsome, so he was just asking for a beating!
    "Listen, dude, we know you just want to play the cool guy, but you need to learn your place," the Mohawk man scorned. The larger man beside him added, "Brother is right; this is no longer the world of 40 years ago, where you can get away with things if you're good-looking and tall. Just back away from the girl while we're still being nice. After all, we only wish to discuss some things with her~"
    Grace: "!!!"
    She shrank back in fright upon seeing the looks on their faces; it reminded her of the way those snake-faced distant family members used to look at her when they came by to speak with her parents.
    Feeling the poor girl's dread through the shaky hands clutching his black dress shirt made Cassius's face ice over. One after another, these idiots kept coming over to pester him and Grace.
    Did she have to experience this every time she went out? Was that one of the reasons she seemed so sheltered? Even on the unfortunate day they met, Grace appeared to be "awwing" and "oohing" at everything in an ordinary neighborhood.
    Seeing the two buffoons attempt to slip around to her again had Cassius on the verge of slashing them down to dust. The badass sword tattoo on his right arm started to vibrate in response to his intent, seemingly ready to reap another life at a moment's notice. Yet, before both he and Serrated Devil Blade could take their first human life, a valiant feminine voice echoed out from atop the building's second floor:
    "You dare harass a girl in the Hunter's Association?? And threatening someone is grounds for egging a fight, which is strictly prohibited in the Hunter's Association! What do you have to say for yourselves!?"
    A woman who looked akin to an armored Valkyrie gracefully leapt from the second floor of the mall-like Association building.
    Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 30 Corras Valiant Entrance

    Under the interested eyes of dozens of Hunters in the vicinity, the Valkyrie-like girl elegantly landed on the first floor before proceeding to draw her blade on the two unscrupulous young men. While doing so, she discreetly took glances at the icy-faced man shielding a cute girl."Is that Corra? The rising star of the C-Rank Black Sparrow Guild, someone at the very peak of the D-Rank?"
    "Yes, there's no mistaking it! That has to be her! Just how can she be any sexier? The way her armor reveals just the right amounts of her smooth, powdery skin is so¡­ ha¡­"
    "God, I've been a fan of hers for the longest time! How do you think I should go about sparking up a conversation with her?"
    "You, an F-minus Rank? You must surely be kidding yourself!"
    "Hey! Don't be rude!"
    As the chattering among the Hunters invested in this exchange became a little heated, Corra's eyes crackled with a fierce justice. "Well, what do you two have to say for yourselves?! If you are causing trouble here, then with the backing of my Guild, I have the authority to severely punish you however I see fit!"
    The two young men felt their hair stand on end. They suddenly turned sheepish while wearing fawning smiles. "We would never dream of stirring up trouble here, Miss Corra! This is all just one big misunderstanding!" Adding to the lie, the larger man fanned, "Yes, yes, we were just worried for the safety of that girl! That is just how we, as Hunters of the Hunters Association, felt it best to assist her!"
    Not wanting to listen to any more of their nonsense, Corra shouted, "Get lost!"
    "R-right away!" The two young men then skedaddled, but not before throwing a couple of venomous glares at the emotionless Cassius, only to be further frightened by his dead stare. They promptly fucked right off, never to be seen or mentioned again.
    Corra snorted in disdain while watching them run for the hills, then turned her attention to Cassius and the bunny girl shyly peeking her head out from behind him.
    A bead of sweat formed on Corra's temple when she thought about how close of a call that just was. If she had interfered even a second later, she feared those two would no longer have their heads¡­
    That's right; she didn't interfere to protect Cassius and the girl, but because she didn't want blood to be spilled on Association grounds. Even with the non-aggression pact in Association territory in effect and the standard national laws prohibiting murder, she highly doubted this fellow cared about any of that.
    From what Corra saw of that monster yesterday, she wouldn't put it past him to slaughter indiscriminately. And he could likely get away with it as well; after all, although she could not speak for his other qualities, his speed was absurd. It had probably already touched upon the C-Rank, surpassing even her own!
    Corra lightly coughed to clear the air, then formally introduced herself. "We met yesterday, but I wasn't in the right state of mind back then, so I apologize for what I said. My name is Corra; may I know yours?"
    Hearing this, the spectating crowd wore slightly shocked expressions.
    "Does Miss Corra know this unknown man? Are they friends¡­ or lovers?"
    "Are you an idiot?! It's obvious that they are acquaintances at best! Stop besmirching the reputation of our goddess like that!"
    "A-ah, yes, my bad!"
    Ignoring the stupid comments from the idlers, Cassius reciprocated Corra's introduction. "My name is Cass, and yes, yesterday can just be seen as a misunderstanding. I was not in a¡­ pleasant mood."
    Corra briefly glanced at the hiding bunny girl, only to find that it wasn't the same girl as yesterday, with that unknown girl likely being the reason why he was so pissed at the hospital.
    Returning her eyes to the exceptionally handsome tall man before her, she smiled graciously. "Mhmm, I completely understand. Say, if you aren't too busy, would you be willing to discuss something with me over coffee¡ª"
    "Grrrr¡­"
    Corra: "???"
    She could've sworn she just heard a low growl come from the innocent-looking face of the brown-haired girl. Shaking her head to clear such ridiculous thoughts, she repeated the question. "Would you like to go and get some coffee together, perhaps¡ª?"
    "Grrrr¡­.!"
    Yet Corra once again heard that growling sound, this time fiercer than before. She looked back at Grace, only to see her appear seemingly unaware of everything happening.
    Cassius, of course, noticed what the silly girl was doing, but it was quite cute, so he let it be. And after a few rounds of getting cut off by progressively angry, cute growls, Corra heaved a tired sigh. "Another time then. I should be going now."
    "Yes, another time it is," said Cassius, unable to conceal his amusement over the whole ordeal.
    He and the innocent-seeming girl watched as the valiant Corra slugged away with a dejected air about her. She was really hoping to complete the request of her higher-ups and successfully recruit the mysterious man into their Guild, but it seemed today was not the day. Still, she would try again next time and surely win him over!
    Cassius chuckled a little when he saw the receding figure of the defeated woman suddenly regain all of her previous vivaciousness. Yet, by the side, Grace's cheeks ballooned a bit as she silently pouted, very much unlike the boisterous grumbling that someone like Aya would do. Cassius, of course, still noticed it, but it was cute all the same.
    After relishing in the moment for a bit, he led Grace over to a counter, where a pretty receptionist stood on the other end. The receptionist's eyes stayed on Cassius for a moment, as she wondered why she had never seen such a hot, cold man in the Association before.
    "How may I help you?" she asked, her voice cordial.
    Cassius replied, "I would like to know if I can get the locations of the Gates in the surrounding area. You see, I am planning to buy a house soon and don't want to be next to a Gate." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 31 Getting a Map of Gates

    The lady receptionist didn't know if she had ever been asked this question before, yet she still smilingly responded, "I can do that for you; just give me a second to scan the records and print a copy."Cassius nodded in appreciation, then waited by the counter.
    Feeling something tugging at his side, he looked down, only to see Grace's erratically flickering doe eyes. "I-It's just¡­ I didn't think you were looking to buy some property¡­ You seem too young to be doing something like that¡­ Unless you're planning to get m-married¡­"
    Cassius softly chuckled at the furiously blushing girl. He patted her head and said, "I'm not doing it for now, but for the future."
    "The future¡­?" Grace's eyes sparkled as her thoughts stirred. 'If it's the future, then maybe he is looking to get married soon!? Could it be that he is interested in someone¡­!? C-Could it be¡­ me? B-But I don't know if I am ready for marriage¡­!'
    Looking away from the flustered girl getting lost in her own delusions, Cassius received a paper from the amicable receptionist. On the paper was a highly detailed 4D map that somehow stuck to its surface using some kind of magic. The map depicted the City of Hoshito on a magnified scale, with numerous white, orange, and green dots of varying sizes scattered throughout.
    Noticing his confusion, the lady receptionist explained, "The dots on the map are the Gate locations you are searching for. Hoshito isn't a hotspot area like Tokyo or Yokohama, so the quality of Gates is not nearly as severe as it is in those cities. If that were truly the case, then we would've long since been wiped out when our strongest Hunters are of the C-Rank and B-Rank."
    "There are a few B-Rank Hunters that occasionally pass by, but they are not residents of the city. All in all, White Tier, Orange Tier, and Green Tier Gates are the norm for Hoshito, with a select few of them remaining unclosed because the large Guilds use them to train their newer Hunters. Plus, it's very profitable."
    After digesting the information from the receptionist's lengthy explanation, Cassius slightly nodded. "Thank you for all the help."
    But before he could walk away with the map in hand, the receptionist's melodious voice rang out once more. "If you click on the dots, you can see any relevant details about them. Moreover, the Gate locations and appearances change by the minute, based on real-time reports."
    "I see¡­" Cassius briefly paused. "How much do I owe you for this? It seems too valuable to be given away for free¡ª"
    "Don't worry about it, hihi," the receptionist waved dismissively. "Though, if you are that adamant about paying me back, you could do so over dinner¡ª"
    "Grrrr¡­"
    "Or, I guess not," the receptionist giggled at the adorable woman sticking to him like glue. She hadn't noticed her before, but she was definitely a looker.
    "Well, if you ever find yourself single, feel free to come back here and find me." With a suggestive smirk, she watched as Grace hurriedly pushed the handsome man out of the building, seemingly trying to get him away from a supposed 'harlot.'
    The receptionist bemused, "I would likely do the same thing if I had a snack like that around me~." She seductively licked her lips, causing the meek bunny girl to turn oddly hostile, though she just came out looking cuter.
    When Cassius and Grace exited the packed building, an old man with a slicked-back haircut spoke without turning his head. "So he was the one who singlehandedly cleared an E-Rank Sudden Gate?"
    "Yes, sir. It has already been fact-checked several times," replied a man in a classy black suit.
    The old man clasped his hands behind his back, his wizened gaze following the movements of the seemingly ordinary man. "Then that would mean his power is roughly that of a D-Rank Hunter, with his Speed stat presumably being at the D+ Rank¡­ How have we not heard of his existence before?"
    "That is¡­" the classy man's mouth moved around, yet no more words came out. "It seems he is past the age for awakening and is not an Awakened¡­ Sir, he doesn't have the aura that a powerful Awakener should have. He doesn't even have an aura to begin with¡­"
    The old man's brows furrowed, putting him in deep thought. 'I have been in the Hunter business for more than 40 years, yet I have never heard of a case like this one. Just what sort of secrets is that boy hiding to be capable of rivaling a D-Rank Hunter without being an Awakened¡­? Was the Awakening Tester Equipment simply faulty, or is it something¡­ else?'
    "Hmm?" Cassius glanced behind him after leaving the Hunter's Association. 'I felt someone¡­ analyzing me.'
    His eyes narrowed dangerously, as he had a bad feeling about something.
    Yet, when Grace nudged him and grabbed his hand, he left his vicious thoughts. If someone was plotting something behind his back, then he would just deal with it when it came around.
    "Cassius¡­" Grace's eyes glazed over as she observed every unique contour of his face. Her expression suddenly erupted in a stunning glow as she smilingly said, "I don't get out much, so I may seem a bit weird, but today I had a lot of fun¡­! S-So what I'm trying to say is¡­ thank you!"
    Seeing the girl struggle so much while squirming like a restless rabbit made Cassius unconsciously pet her head. "It has been enjoyable for me as well, but we aren't even close to being done for the day." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Grace sheepishly asked, "We aren't¡­?"
    Cassius chuckled. "Well, as long as you are fine with it, I was planning to spend the entire day with you." 'I also have my 12-hour Daily Quests to complete, so having her spirited presence is just a bonus.'
    Grace's pupils visibly sparkled as she fervently bobbed her head. "I would very much like that! I just assumed you would have grown tired of me by now¡­ so¡­"
    ...

 Chapter 32 Human Trafficking...!?

    "I would very much like that! I just assumed you would have grown tired of me by now¡­ so¡­""How could that possibly be?" Cassius gently cupped Grace's left cheek, his smile warm. "Your presence is always welcome. Even after today, you can feel free to contact me anytime."
    Scarlet colored Grace's cheeks; his smile was far too dangerous. And the way he was considerately holding her cheek¡­ Gah¡­! She was on the verge of fainting from sweetness overload. Yet Cassius was also feeling something similar upon seeing her flawless face warm up and twist beautifully.
    He had to let her cheek go if he didn't want to get too caught up in the moment.
    She dismayed a bit at him letting go of her so soon, but quickly found more enjoyment as they continued strolling through the city.
    Cassius had long since grown accustomed to controlling his body under the stress of so much weight, as he seemed to have a natural talent for it, so the date passed in a relaxed manner. At least, it did for them¡­
    CRACK¡ª
    Aya's face became covered by more and more black streaks as she crushed yet another metal pole, making it the twentieth one today. She fumed and darkly mumbled to herself, scaring away anyone in the area. Meanwhile, inside her mess of a head:
    'First, they act all lovey-dovey with each other, and now they even hold hands and go couple shopping with each other!? They have already been into over ten different stores¡ªdo they know no shame!? Have they no consideration for others!?? Gawshh!! Gah!!'
    Aya lightly banged her head on the metal pole, feeling so unbelievably vexed. She didn't even really know what she was so angry about, but she was angry about it! She was so, so annoyed!
    Cassius had been feeling something since the date first began, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, or even if it was really all that malevolent. However, seeing as no real deathly intent was mixed into this feeling, he left it alone, same as before.
    He had a good idea of what¡ªor rather who¡ªwas producing these feelings, but it didn't feel appropriate to confirm his suspicions just yet; therefore, he kept them to himself.
    As the jubilant day neared its end, with the sun's rays receding into the background, Grace and Cassius stopped in front of the gates to a large mansion. A winding path ahead of the gates led up to that mansion, which was situated atop the lip of a neatly trimmed hill. Though, despite the beautiful scenery of this isolated area in the outer parts of Hoshito, Grace's face seemed to lose a lot of its color upon seeing this home of hers.
    Puzzled, Cassius asked, "This is the correct location, right? I can check again if it isn't¡ª"
    "No, it's the right place. It's just¡­ it's complicated¡­" Grace's voice trailed off as she left Cassius's side, with the gates automatically opening up as soon as they sensed her presence.
    However, before ascending the winding path, she suddenly turned around and rushed up to him before pecking him on the cheek.
    Embarrassed, she mumbled, "T-Thank you again for today¡­! B-Bye¡­!!" She then ran up the hill, her face redder than that of a tomato.
    Cassius stood there, sword in hand, staring off with a blank look on his face. Although he knew of the tropes for events like this, he still hadn't expected it to happen to someone like him¡­
    While lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice the black miasma exuding from the curvaceous figure of a blonde girl draped in all black. She tightly clenched onto a tree, with her fingers pressing down so hard that the tree cracked.
    Abusing random inanimate objects seemed to have become her new hobby.
    'Gahh!! That damn cutesy whore! Doesn't she know that I have known him longer!? To do something so shameless with me right over here; just Gahhh¡­!!!'
    Aya pulled at her hair while silently hollering like a lunatic. Yet, it was in her lunacy that she let that dummy get away¡­
    "Noaarr!! I can't let him get away that easily¡­! He needs to be held accountable for this adultery!!" She jerked and bolted through the small forest that surrounded the fancy manor. To the wild animals in the vicinity, she appeared like a crazy yellow blur, with her aura spooking the hell out of them.
    By the time Aya caught up to his sauntering figure in the cityscape outside, something unexpected occurred. Three men covered in tattoos and wearing lascivious grins leapt out from a shadowy alleyway. They obstructed her path, and right before she could reach him no less.
    Her face twisted in annoyance, but that only seemed to further excite the men.
    "Listen, beautiful, you are going to come with us, okay~?"
    "We have some very high-end clients that would be interested in someone with your¡­ qualities. And you could even potentially make some good money if you do a good job."
    'Human trafficking?? And right in our neighborhood no less???'
    Aya's expression morphed into one of disgust. She tried to look past the men and find her stepbrother, but he was nowhere to be seen.
    "Cassius¡­"
    "Cassius?" The leading man smirked. "Is that your boyfriend or something?? If so, then you should just forget about him and let yourself succumb to the bliss of a better life!" He reached out his grubby hand, planning to catch a feel of that bountiful body that had been a feast for his eyes. 'We should get a taste of her before selling her off to the highest bidder!'
    Yet, before his hand could make it to her large breasts, a vein popped on Aya's temple as she planted a fist straight into his stomach, causing him to violently cough up blood. He flew backward like a cannonball before crashing into a grouping of trashcans, seemingly returning to his origins.
    The other two unsavory men slowly turned their horrified expressions away from their unconscious brother, only to see a face that was nothing like how she was at the hospital. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    With a voice colder than the depths of the abyss, she intoned, "If you don't want to spend the rest of your pathetic lives in a wheelchair, leave."
    "!!!" "!!!"
    ...

 Chapter 33 Cloak of Invisibility

    "Y-Yes!"Not a single one of the unsavory men still wished to mess with this insane lady and her crazy eyes. They raced over to their brother, lifted him up, and then bolted for the hills. However, after reaching a sufficient distance away, three lines of blood appeared on their necks.
    "Wha¡ª?"
    *Thud, Thud, Thud!*
    They collapsed to the hard pavement of an abandoned alleyway, their eyes rolling to the back of their heads, with those same heads rolling away right after.
    A cold pair of glowing blue eyes faded from an adjacent rooftop of the alleyway, with this event marking the first human lives Cassius had ever taken. Though, rather than feel repulsed by his own actions, he didn't feel much of anything. He could sense that their hands had been stained with an enormous amount of blood, with their nefarious actions likely extending beyond just their kill count.
    Taking care of them was more a matter of karma than anything.
    *Ding!*
    [You have killed a Lvl 1 Human!]
    [You have killed a Lvl 1 Human!]
    [You have killed a Lvl 1 Human!]
    "¡­So killing humans also gives experience points," Cassius commented casually as he glanced at his exp bar go up by an almost unnoticeable amount. "This will definitely make things more convenient in the future¡­"
    A cold, ruthless gleam momentarily passed through his piercing gaze as he repeatedly used Shadow Step to return to where Aya was brewing up a storm of frustrations.
    'She is far too kind-hearted to fully pull out the roots, even if it's with deplorable scum like them. But if we were to let them be, they would surely not hesitate to go after more girls, possibly acting more viciously than now. Disposing of them was necessary¡­'
    'And their deaths should be swept under the rug, considering the extensive criminal records that they certainly have.'
    'On the contrary, I could wind up receiving some unwelcomed trouble because of this, as the corruption in this country runs deep¡­ But that just means I need to become stronger.'
    As if to give him a bout of encouragement, the Idle Evolution System threw up another system notification.
    *Ding!*
    [Shadow Step (D-) has leveled up from (Lvl 1) ¡ú (Lvl 2)]
    Cassius's brows raised a bit at this pop-up. His other, lower-level Skills had already reached Lvl 2, with some even at Lvl 3, which made him worry for Shadow Step's progress. However, it seemed that a skill's level-up advancement speed was largely dependent on the rank of the skill, with lower-rank skills being far easier to level up.
    FWIP! FWIP!
    Cassius felt a sudden increase in his speed while using the Shadow Step skill. Its level-up had increased his speed while using it by around 15%, which was quite substantial when his base speed was hundreds of miles per hour.
    His figure looked like nothing more than an evanescent blur as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop.
    Before long, he had arrived atop a modest family house's rooftop. His shadowy eyes fell on the black-cloaked girl who was still grumbling over not being able to confront him, and all because of those stinky bastards!
    "Damn! I should have hit those scumbags more!!"
    Hearing her quietly shout like this put a small smile on Cassius's icy face. 'It seems like something has allowed her to quickly get over the trauma induced from that night.'
    He remained completely unaware that he was the cause of this change in his stepsister. She was just so irritated about him and Grace's interactions that her fears blew away into the wind.
    'If she encounters something like what happened with the Dark Ape again, and assuming she is stronger, then she should be able to handle herself just fine.'
    Cassius's fond thoughts of the fuming girl storming through the door of their house were swiftly interrupted by a couple of pop-ups.
    'Ding~!*
    [720/720 minutes walking around with the 'Full Newbie 1 Set'] - [?]
    [720/720 minutes carrying 'Newbie 1 Training Sword'] - [?]
    [You obtained 2 Stat Points in Charisma, 1 Point in Strength, and 1 Point in Endurance!]
    OOOM!
    Cassius suddenly felt a magical power wash over his body. It cleared his pores, made his appearance sharper, improved his overall aesthetic, and tightened his muscles. Moreover, it heightened the effectiveness of his lung capacity, making it possible for him to fight on for longer periods of time.
    "Although the struggle was real, at least the rewards are satisfying," Cassius said as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
    He lifted the Newbie 1 Training Sword higher in the air, feeling that it was significantly lighter than before. "With this level of strength, I should just barely be able to complete the Daily Quests without needing to waste a Status Recovery reward. However, if I want to keep on getting the Idle 1 Benefits, I will need to push myself further after a couple of days of stat gains." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    With that, Cassius planned to sneak through the front door and head up to his room to rest. It wasn't too extraordinarily late, so no problems should arise. Yet, just as he was about to open the house door, an unexpected system notification rang out. It was one that he had completely forgotten he was owed.
    *Ding!*
    [Your rewards for completing Main Quest 1 have just registered, which includes your bonuses from wiping out the monsters that escaped the E-Rank Sudden Gate.]
    [Reward 1: 3 Stat Points in all Main Attributes] - [Y/N]
    [Bonus Reward: Special Grade Item 'Cloak of Invisibility'] - [Y/N]
    Cassius had mild surprise color his features, yet he quickly adjusted and accepted the rewards, then watched as his strength increased by another wide margin. After making sure he didn't accidentally step forward and crash through a wall, he pulled up the details of the Cloak of Invisibility.
    [Cloak of Invisibility (SG)] - [Effectiveness depends on the power level of the user.]
    ¡ª[Become invisible as soon as it's put on. Invisibility lasts for 30 minutes and can only be used once per 24 hours.]
    ¡ª[Invisibility is only effective against those 2 or fewer Major Ranks greater than the user. (Pertains strictly to the Perception Stat) (Example: if the User has D- Perception, the User will appear invisible to anyone at or below the B- Perception Rank.)]
    ...

 Chapter 34 How... Lewd...

    Cassius's brows furrowed in interest. "This could definitely prove to be extremely useful if I ever encounter an enemy I can't handle. And it also appears to be useful even at the higher Ranks, though I don't know where its upper ceiling resides." He ended up storing the clear-colored Cloak of Invisibility in his Inventory Space, only planning to use it in an emergency predicament.After opening up the door to his house, Cassius realized that he had been idling outside for too long, as Aya stood right before him, arms crossed under her ample bosom. Her short figure, paired with her angry pout, made her look like a¡­
    "Pikachu¡­?" Cassius accidentally blurted out, which made Aya's pout all the more prominent. She lurched forward, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him through the door. Yet, rather than hit him as he expected, she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his embrace.
    Before Cassius could voice his confusion, Aya mumbled softly, "Leaving me all alone for another girl¡­ and for an entire day no less¡­ You big jerk."
    "...Ha¡­" Cassius shook his head in defeat, then waddled through the dimly lit corridor, with Aya sticking to him like an inseparable sloth. "I promise I won't leave again without telling you first, alright?" he said warmly. Then his voice turned awkward. "Now could you please let go so I can walk¡­?"
    "Uhn-uh," Aya rejected. "Just a minute more. That woman had you all day, and you can't even do this much with me? Am I not good enough¡­?"
    Cassius heaved a heavy sigh before petting the dismayed girl's head, giving her the go-ahead to do whatever she pleased. A lovely smile graced her beautiful features as she rubbed her cheeks against his shirt, with small hearts and flowers seemingly leaving her head and bouncing off the exasperated man she was smothering.
    Yet, when Sasha, their stepmother, walked by with a drowsy countenance, Aya jerked back and pushed Cassius away. "M-Mother, what are you doing up this late?? I had thought you were already asleep!" she shouted in a low voice, her eyes erratically darting everywhere.
    Even in her groggy state, Sasha could clearly see the scarlet blush touching upon her daughter's cheeks. She looked between her and the unusually handsome youth standing in the doorway. A small, insinuating smirk played her lips into a charming crescendo. "And who might this handsome young man be, my little Aya~?"
    Aya's embarrassment was quickly replaced by confusion as she tilted her head. "...Mom, he's Cassius¡­"
    "Hello, Miss Sasha," Cassius chimed in. "We didn't mean to wake you, if we did. But I apologize if that's the case."
    His respectful yet distant tone was the same, his mannerisms were similar, but his appearance and height were not what Sasha remembered! There was no way this dashing young man was Cassius! And if so, what were he and her daughter out doing after curfew??
    "...Are you really Cassius¡­?" asked Sasha, no longer half-awake. Answering, Cassius said, "Yes, Miss Sasha¡­"
    Sasha's eyes widened in surprise. She took short, quick steps over to Cassius, sizing him up with her hands and eyes. After fondling just about every part of his chiseled body, a streak of black shrouded the expression she was making. A brief pause later, she muttered, "You're jacked¡­"
    Cassius awkwardly chuckled, "Y-Yes¡­" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "And you're supposed to be Cassius¡­?? How is this possible in a few short weeks¡­!?" Sasha's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she staggered a bit, finding it tough to keep her balance.
    She hadn't seen much more than her stepson's receding silhouette these past weeks, but little to no interaction with him had always been the norm. Of course, when she stopped by the hospital, she noticed the changes, but she just thought that to be temporary side effects of the truck crash. Yet that didn't seem to be the case¡­
    "Did this all happen because of your accident!?" Sasha spoke her mind. To which Cassius reluctantly nodded, "It's something like that¡­"
    "...Unbelievable¡­" Sasha wobbled to a wall, disbelief etched across her pretty, timeless facial features. Yet, when she felt a sudden surge of hostility come from her daughter, she turned and asked, "Is something the matter, dear?"
    Aya coldly huffed, "Nope! It's nothing, m.o.t.h.e.r!" She wasn't thick-skinned enough to just outright admit that she didn't like how her mom got all touchy-feely with Cassius. She hadn't even got to hold hands with him, and yet her mother was doing as she pleased! It was infuriating! Especially when that other floozy got even further ahead!
    Question marks flew around Sasha's head as she truly had no idea what her daughter seemed so irked about. To even go so far as to call her 'mother,' something she never did¡ªthat was when the pieces clicked and the clues came together. She rapidly flipped her gaze between her grumbling daughter and the handsome aloof man whom she had treated like a son for two years. Realization dawned on her as she parted her lips, unable to find the proper words.
    So she spoke improperly. "How¡­ lewd¡­"
    Even Cassius was slightly taken aback by Sasha's words, let alone the flustered tsundere mess that was Aya. Her face turned redder than a sea of blood as she rushed over to her mother to clasp her mouth, then she pulled her into the backrooms. Before disappearing from sight, Aya bit her lips while furtively glancing at Cassius, with her on the verge of tears. Using her eyes, she seemed to be telling him not to listen to a single word her stupid mother said. Then, with a door slam, she and the sexy milf in lingerie vanished into the backrooms.
    "Luckily, Dad is out on that very long business trip, or he definitely would have woken up from that," Cassius sighed, finding it harder and harder to live near two non-blood-related females. "Dad is almost always away on work for that mysterious job of his, constantly leaving me alone with these two. Though it wasn't a problem before, because of my fugly appearance, I have changed greatly since then. I should be more careful from now on¡­"
    ...

 Chapter 35 Rise of Charisma

    With Cassius's Charisma stat now at 25 and still on the rise, it was inevitable that those of the opposite sex would begin putting more focus on him. The system even went so far as to say (Could become an amateur model) right next to his Charisma stat. As such, Cassius had to be more mindful around family, though he had a bad omen about the direction Aya was heading in, especially when considering how she was definitely the one following him all day. He wasn't dense enough to not see what was going on here.Ultimately, Cassius heaved a tired sigh before deciding to let his future self deal with everything. For now, he would let himself get some rest, prepared to get up early the next morning for work. After that would be Gate searching with the 4D map he obtained from the Hunter Association receptionist.
    The very next morning, Cassius rose his upper half from slumber, only to feel something lumpy and soft beside him. 'It can't possibly be¡­'
    Yep, it was that clich¨¦. Sprawled out on the bed, pressing up against his arm, was the scantily dressed Aya. Through the almost see-through red blouse she was wearing, one could see her fair and tender skin. It shimmered invitingly under the rays of morning sunlight shining their glow down upon her, further accentuating her alluring mountains of milky pudding, as well as her slim stomach and plump thighs.
    Though, even with such a country-toppling sight before him, the only thing to pass through Cassius's mind was, 'How was she able to not set off my Perception¡­? Maybe the intent needs to be malicious for it to come into effect?'
    Bingo!
    'Well, no matter¡­ I guess I should just slip away¡ª' Was what he wanted to do, but Aya cutely rubbing her drowsy eyes quickly made him rethink his next move. For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other, but when she looked at where his eyes kept falling, her cheeks turned crimson red from the bottom up.
    "Eek!" Aya yelped as she covered her melon-sized breasts and scooted over to the end of the bed. "Y-You didn't see anything, did you¡­?" she asked, appearing more like a defenseless puppy than the vixen who slipped into her stepbrother's bed in the middle of the night.
    "Did I see anything?" Cassius stared straight ahead, then lied without blinking, "Of course not."
    Aya breathed a sigh of relief, though she still looked quite aggrieved. "You promise¡­?"
    "I promise."
    Silence.
    The room seemed to get consumed by an air of solemnity as Cassius and Aya didn't know where next to take this conversation. Clearing up the confusion itching away at her heart, Aya said, "D-Don't misunderstand¡­! It's just that I had a nightmare about that day¡­ and I¡­ slept next to you because it felt safe¡­"
    '...It seems like she isn't as over that incident as I originally assumed,' thought Cassius. Though, if he were being honest, he didn't believe it to be possible for something as traumatic as that to be whisked under the rug in a single night.
    He sighed before extending his hands as if asking for a hug. Although embarrassed, Aya accepted the invitation and wrapped her arms around his muscular waist.
    Speaking softly next to her reddened ears, Cassius said, "I was just surprised when I found you laying here. But if you ever have trouble sleeping, you can feel free to welcome yourself into my bed. Though you might want to wear something a little less prone to slipping off." He chortled, faintly recalling the snowy white mountain tops that appeared through the loose collar part of her blouse.
    Instinctively knowing what he was thinking about, Aya pounded her cotton fists on his chest before murmuring, "Dummy¡­."
    "Yes, yes," agreed Cassius. "Even in school, I was not the brightest around. Who would've thought my ineptitude extended beyond just the books, though?" he joked, receiving a melodic laugh in return. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Aya's peach blossom eyes scanned the defined chest muscles she was sticking to, her blush deepening in response. She quickly burrowed her head away from sight, finding it difficult to even so much as endure his unintentionally burning gaze. However, though her cuteness was just begging to be teased, Cassius let her be.
    After a couple minutes of staying at a distance where they could hear the rhythm of each other's heartbeats, Aya finally let go. She averted her eyes from the face that only seemed to have become more striking. "...You have work to get to, don't you? I don't want you to be late¡­"
    "Oh?" Cassius debated another round of teasing, yet held back at the last second. "You are right, I have to earn my keep here. Don't want to be deemed an irredeemable bum and get kicked out of here, because then I won't be able to see something."
    "See what¡­?" asked Aya, curiosity brimming in her moistened eyes.
    Cassius smiled warmly as he leaned off his bed and let the resplendent morning rays hit his smooth skin. While momentarily stunned, Aya failed to notice when he replied, "If I get kicked out, I won't be able to see you anymore. Wouldn't that be unfortunate? My eyesight would be deprived at that point."
    When Aya finally got around to his words, her eyes glimmered gold as her heartbeat quickened. No longer able to take that smoldering gaze of his, she covered her face in her long luscious locks of gold before fumbling off the bed and scurrying away like a deer caught in headlights. Yet, before Aya fully vanished into the outside corridor, she murmured, "H-Have a good day at work¡­!" Then left for good, with a door at the end of the hallway closing shut immediately after.
    Once again left alone, Cassius wondered if he had said something unusual. He shrugged dismissively. "I don't recall saying anything unusual." While also completely forgetting about all the 'Be careful what I say around family' stuff from earlier.
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 36 Increase in Weight

    After figuring that nothing he did was wrong, Cassius walked over to the weights he had set in a corner of the room. He put on the whole 'Newbie 1' set, then got into perfect push-up form while looking like a taller, buffer Jackie Chan. His appearance was superior as well, though he wasn't one to gloat about something so superficial.Leaning low to the ground, Cassius began to count.
    '1¡­'
    Again.
    '2¡­'
    Again.
    '3¡­'
    Again.
    '7¡­'
    Again.
    '28¡­'
    Each and every push-up strained every muscle group in his upper body, as he had definitely been worrying about nothing when it came to obtaining the Idle 1 Benefits. It was clear that the Idle Evolution System would continue adjusting the weight of his Newbie 1 Equipment just enough to push him to his limits.
    If yesterday the 'Newbie 1 Equipment Set' had a total weight of roughly 1,500 pounds, then now it was around 3,000. It surely wouldn't be long before the weights became heavy enough to crush through the floor¡­
    Cassius was already surprised that it held up this long, but considering the nature of this new world, there were likely many improvements made to things like infrastructure compared to what they were in his previous world.
    After working up a sweat.
    Cassius let his body slowly fall to the ground. He could feel the fatigue that had built up in his body, yet he could also feel a lot of it disappear with each passing second. By the end of a thirty-second resting period, his body was ready to go again. From push-ups to sit-ups to squats¡ªCassius completed them all, and did so with¡­ extreme difficulty.
    'Everything looked so easygoing in novels, but reality is so different¡­ Haiz¡­ Why am I so unlucky¡­?'
    Even though Cassius thought like this, he learned to find a bit of joy in pushing himself to new heights. It made him feel a sense of accomplishment that he never was able to experience because of his extreme hyperthyroidism, which had barred him from even attempting to change himself for the better.
    It wasn't like Cassius hadn't still tried to work out even when he was told straight to his face by a doctor that no results would come from it. However, just as the doctor had said would happen, nothing he did made a difference. He still remained morbidly obese, with his appearance akin to that of a goblin's.
    Now, however, Cassius had the potential for improvement. And though it was incredibly tough and taxing on both his body and mind, he would still cherish and thrive on this chance.
    After finishing up all the inside exercises for the day, Cassius took a minute to recuperate, then he sauntered over to a different corner of the room, where a heavy wooden katana lay embedded in the ground. While picking it up and surprisingly feeling no difference in its weight, the Idle 1 Benefit rang out.
    *Ding!*
    [Idle 1 Benefit: 3 AP] - [?] S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "With that out of the way, I just need to swing 150 times, then get my work clothes on and leave before 6:30," Cassius commented, a small smile gracing his lips.
    With his Newbie 1 Equipment still equipped, he swung the Newbie 1 Training Sword around like a madman. Contrary to the day prior, 1,000 odd pounds no longer posed much of a challenge to him. It still pumped the veins in his arms and upper body, but it was nowhere near as coma-inducing as yesterday.
    Cassius made quick work of the swinging task for Daily Quest #2, then he wiped himself off and put on his modest work uniform while glancing at the system notifications.
    *Ding!*
    [150/150 Sword Swings] - [?]
    [15/720 minutes] - [_]
    After adorning himself in a buttoned dress shirt and a pair of long khaki pants, Cassius viewed himself in a nearby mirror. There, he saw someone with medium-length, slightly curly black hair, a thin nose, a chiseled jawline, and a pair of striking blue eyes that glowed with a docile lethality.
    For a moment, he was left standing there in shock. He knew that the Charisma stat worked in miraculous ways, but he hadn't expected it to make him look like a model straight out of a runway magazine. The difference between his self a few weeks ago and now was like the difference between heaven and earth.
    "It's no wonder Miss Sasha was unable to figure out who I was," Cassius commented casually as he rolled back his sleeves, unintentionally showing off his veiny forearms. "I really have changed¡­ both inside and out."
    His eyes glazed over as he took another moment to gauge his current self before heavily exhaling. His expression hardened, then softened. Walking away from the mirror, he approached the door to his room and opened it, only to once again be greeted by the charming sight of his stepsister in pajamas.
    Yet, like a deer in headlights, the moment she saw him, she ran for the hills, her soft steps on the stairs echoing through the house.
    "Hmm¡­" Cassius momentarily glanced at Aya's reddened figure bounce down to the bottom of the stairs and run toward the door, where she then made her flustered exit.
    After making it down the stairs himself, though in a far more relaxed manner, Cassius caught a whiff of a heavenly pomegranate perfume. He looked toward the source of this divine scent, his eyes quickly making out the backend silhouette of a voluptuous woman. Cascading down her curves was her bright golden hair, its strands shimmering under the rays of sunlight seeping in through the windows of the front door.
    To Cassius, she appeared kind of¡­ sad.
    Approaching the beautiful, dazed figure in a casual way, he spooked her a little, saying, "You worry a lot about Aya, don't you?"
    After the initial jolt, Sasha's flickering eyes of sparkling gold settled on the tall, handsome blue-eyed young man standing to her right side. Perplexion formed on her beautiful face as she thought about what he had just said.

 Chapter 37 We are Family

    A troublesome look marred Sasha's exquisite appearance as she let a melancholic sigh escape her perfectly parted crimson red lips. "It's not that I don't understand that she can take care of herself, it's just that¡­ Haiz¡­ Sometimes, it seems like she is struggling with something that she can't bring herself to tell me about¡­ She didn't even eat breakfast¡­"Cassius glanced over at the laid-out pallet of food on the kitchen table. Seeing a total of three plates on the table made him feel especially conflicted. It was also at that moment that he realized part of this whole ordeal was his burden to bear. He turned toward Sasha's saddened side view, prompting her to hold his smoldering gaze. Although still extremely taken aback by how much he had changed, she still listened to every word he was about to say.
    "Aya is a very hard-to-understand person, and she surely has many things troubling her at school," Cassius began with an earnest tone. "And though she believes it to be too much trouble to bother us about it, we are, after all, a family. As such, I will help figure out what has been happening with her summer school life."
    Looking at his sincere expression made Sasha feel a warmth that spread throughout her unholy figure. A kind smile soon graced her lips as her eyes domed into crescents. "I would appreciate that very much, Cassius."
    Cassius nodded. Committed, he said, "We are family; there is no need for thanks."
    "Mhmm!" Sasha's previously glum mood improved by leaps and bounds. Radiantly smiling, she motioned to the food she had prepared not too long ago. "Would you like to have some before you head to work?" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Seeing that almost pleading expression on the face of someone possessing such mature beauty made Cassius's heart waver. He liked to arrive early, but denying Sasha now would surely break her heart. Realizing this, he cracked a wry smile and replied, "Sure¡­"
    "Good, good!" Sasha bubbled up in gleeful joy as she hurried over to the kitchen table in an oddly adorable manner, which greatly contrasted with her mature charm. "Please, come sit!"
    Cassius complied, and he quickly found himself dining on homemade biscuits and gravy, with his gorgeous stepmother watching his every movement with sparkling eyes. She seemed to be expecting something, and after understanding what she wanted, he wholeheartedly complimented, "What you made is extremely good, nearly on par with a top-tier restaurant."
    Seeing him speak from the heart with that gentle smile touching upon his abnormally handsome features made the jittery milf twitch a little in embarrassment. She wanted to hear his thoughts, but she hadn't expected them to be so heartfelt. It made her squirm a bit in her seat, with her plump butt finding it difficult not to slide off the edge. A hint of scarlet colored her features, with her round golden peach blossom eyes looking slightly off to the side.
    Not wishing to repeat his previous mistake with Aya, Cassius changed the subject. "So, where is my father at? Another business trip?"
    Reason suddenly returned to Sasha as she nodded, trying her best to conceal her grievances. "He told me he could be gone for many weeks, possibly not returning until after summer break ends¡­ I don't want to say this, as he is your father, but he has been acting¡­ weird as of late¡­"
    "Weird, huh¡­" Cassius could sense the loneliness in his stepmother's gaze, yet he could also see a weariness lurking about. "Maybe the stress from work has just been doing a number on him. I am sure that he will recover soon enough."
    "I hope so¡­" Sasha sighed deeply, with her hot, fragrant breath creating a wave of¡­ pent-up lust?
    Cassius couldn't believe it himself, but that was most definitely the case. Furthermore, it seemed like his stepmother became more and more restless the longer he stayed near her. His eyes suddenly brightened in realization. 'The Charisma Stat definitely affects more than merely my appearance. Just like all the other stats, it has its own side effects, and one of those likely has to do with appeal. This is also probably why Sasha flipped her attitude toward me in a complete ¡ã180.'
    Upon realizing this, Cassius speedily finished up his plate of food, which left Sasha feeling very pleased. Yet, when she saw him rush to his feet and make his way out the front door, a sense of emptiness filled her heart.
    "I will see you later, Miss Sasha. Oh, and thanks for the meal," said Cassius as he waved behind himself, a warm smile plastered across his face. "And don't worry about Aya; I will figure out what is vexing her so greatly."
    "Ahh¡­ Alright¡­ Have a good day at work," replied Sasha. A complicated look formed on her face as she twitched a bit, yet still maintained a friendly smile.
    However, in the last moments before Cassius vanished from view, she murmured, "...But you really don't have to leave so soon¡­"
    But, by that point, Cassius was already ten feet outside the driveway. And even with his improved hearing, he could not make out what Sasha murmured under her breath.
    He briefly looked behind for a moment, yet quickly shook his head and resumed his trot to work.
    Passersby whispered as he walked by, not only because of his superior appearance but also because of the wooden katana he held close to his hip. Many wondered if he was an actor heading toward a shoot. A few bold girls even approached him and asked for his snap or phone number, which he gave without further contemplation.
    It wasn't like he especially fancied any of them, even though they were pretty. It was just that they must've had a good reason for asking for his contact information. Perhaps they saw his sword and assumed he was a bodyguard for hire?
    Either way, Cassius couldn't just leave a bunch of obviously desperate girls to fend for themselves. Not after what nearly happened to Aya, or even with the hooligans that bothered both Grace and Aya.
    He was partly noble, super dense, and 100% an idiot. That was simply all there was to it.
    But along with power came change. And who knew just how much he would change over time¡­

 Chapter 38 Bookworms Paradise

    Cassius didn't consider himself to be someone righteous, but r*pe was definitely one of the few things that could tip him over the edge.Yet, it wouldn't be until later that night, when he received dozens of nudes and suggestive comments, that he realized what was actually happening with the girl number situation¡­
    The longer Cassius walked, the more attention he garnered from pedestrians, envious men, and swooning women. Yet, as if oblivious to it all, he focused on better balancing his body under the stress of so much weight. Even though his stats had improved considerably and the weight of each piece of Newbie Equipment hadn't changed much, it was still difficult to control his body the same way as before.
    However, during his ten-minute walk to work, Cassius felt like he had become more attuned to the conditions imposed on him by his Newbie 1 Equipment set. Incidentally, the veins all over his body bulged and multiplied, which attracted even more female gazes, but at least he felt more comfortable living this way from now on.
    A few minutes later.
    By the time Cassius ultimately made it to his job, the whole town had started spreading rumors about the handsome, rogue-like actor. None of them had ever seen him on TV before, but it was certainly possible that he was a rising talent about to make his debut. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    However, many people became confused upon seeing this refined man stop in front of a two-story bookstore. Sure, the place was quite nice and had a classical, historian feel to it, but why would someone like that go to a bookstore?
    "Maybe he is a fan of literary works?"
    "That could very well be possible¡­ But I had assumed that all rich, luxurious people lived lives having not ever known the feel of a book¡­"
    "Same¡­ But now that I know this, I can't help but find him even more¡­ attractive¡­"
    "Geez, woman! Can you stop being so damn thirsty!? It isn't even 7, and yet you're already slobbering at just the mere sight of him!"
    "Well, what would you know, you toad!? That man is a hundred thousand times better than you are!"
    "Hwa!?"
    Ignoring the pointless argument of a man and woman on the nearby street, Cassius walked through the front wooden glass doors of the 'Bookworm's Paradise' Library. A bell above the door rang, and the eloquent voice of a pretty black-haired girl drifted into his ears right after:
    "Welcome to Bookworm's Paradise! Feel free to peruse at your own leisure¡ª Wait, you look familiar¡­"
    The girl turned around a corner. As her neatly combed ponytail swung behind her, she closely scrutinized the extraordinarily handsome man before her.
    Suddenly widening her eyes, she blurted out, "Cassius!? Is that actually you!?? What happened¡­ Did you get some of that expensive plastic surgery or something??? You shouldn't have done something like that¡­"
    'Bella¡­' Cassius's lips raised awkwardly as he replied, "It's nothing like that, Bella. I just had another one of those late bloomer growth spurts¡­"
    Bella further narrowed her twinkling twilight eyes in suspicion. She had been hearing the same excuse for the past couple of weeks, but it just didn't make any sense! How could someone possibly change so drastically naturally?
    Though, in the end, she coldly sniffed. "I know you're keeping something from me, but if you don't want to tell me what that something is, then so be it. See if I care, humph!" She cutely pouted with her arms hugging the under area of her alluring breasts. "Just make sure not to lie your way through questions with other women, lest you end up single for your entire life!"
    Cutting short her pouting, Bella glanced past him and looked through the shop's windows. "Those people crowded outside¡­"
    Cassius looked behind him before refocusing on the black-haired beauty frustratingly tapping her perfectly carved feet. "I think they want protection services from me¡­"
    "Protection services? What does that mean¡ª" That was when Bella saw his pumped muscles, completely missing the intimidating wooden katana hanging in his veiny hands. "Have you been working out¡­?"
    "...You could say that," replied Cassius as he averted his eyes from that suspicious glare of hers. "I just happened to find out that I have a knack for gaining muscle¡­"
    "And this realization came before or after your repeated 'growth spurts'?" Bella further narrowed her eyes, not believing a single thing coming out of his mouth. Yet all she received in response was an awkward chuckle and the sight of her coworker and classmate scratching his neck.
    Bella huffed, displeased.
    She stormed away in a puff of smoke and made her way toward the second floor, where she got back to organizing the library's books from atop a tall wooden step ladder.
    Cassius, on the other hand, was left standing right beside the bookstore's front desk, with dozens of people staring at him from outside.
    He heard things like, "So the handsome actor is actually an employee here?? How can that be???" Yet he remained oblivious to the underlying context of the situation. Instead, he put his focus on the cart of used books that were bundled off to the side of the front desk.
    While returning those returned books to their rightful spots in the bookstore, Cassius's mind traced back to the stunning black-haired beauty who worked with him. He occasionally glanced at her industrious figure, wondering how exactly he wound up working directly alongside one of the five ravishing beauties of Hoshito High.
    'Ahh, that's right,' he thought as a light bulb flashed inside his mind. 'When I first started this part-time job three'ish weeks ago, Bella had started working here for the summer as well. Yet, when she first saw me, rather than avert her eyes like most people, she appraised me with her resplendent black globes and said, "You have honest eyes," then went to treat me like a decent human being.'
    'I still have no idea what exactly Bella meant with that comment, but she was the first person to not appear visibly repulsed at being in my presence. She even made an effort to speak to me when we were on the same shifts¡­'

 Chapter 39 Bella, the... Unusual Work Friend

    Cassius had a very fond view of the beautiful girl idolized by all in their school. And though they had never previously interacted with each other, he was sure that she would treat him just the same if given the chance.As the seconds turned into minutes, then hours, Bella ultimately descended from the top floor, appearing more like a graceful fairy than a human being.
    As a C-Ranked Awakener, it was only natural for her movements to appear otherworldly. In fact, it was because of the way she moved¡ªand a little bit of digging around¡ªthat scouts from major Hoshito guilds like the Black Sparrow Guild became incredibly interested in her prospects. Many times, she had been offered a direct high-ranking position in C-Rank guilds, yet she firmly denied all of them, adamantly refusing to become embroiled with Hunters and Gates at this point in time.
    Cassius had been a little curious as to why Bella seemed to steer away from all things Hunter-related, especially given her talents, but he decided not to pry. She appreciated this, which was likely one of the leading reasons she remained so friendly with him. And now, even after seeing that his appearance had changed so much, she treated him no differently than before, not caring one bit about superficial things like looks.
    From what Cassius had heard before summer break began, Bella was also this way around other students. This sometimes annoyed the generally attractive people who approached her in hopes of using their appearances to get closer to her.
    Even excluding Bella's immense beauty, she was still a C-Rank Awakener and the daughter of the chairman of a large Hoshito conglomerate. Her family's and business's influence extended far beyond the small town of Hoshito, yet she still deigned to work part-time at a humble bookstore.
    "She is truly something special," Cassius murmured fondly, his eyes respectfully tracing the immaculate curves of the black-haired fairy.
    Bella's small ears twitched cutely as she eyed the devilishly handsome man holding a wooden sword. She was going to ask if he had said something just now but quickly changed her mind when she noticed the sword in his hand.
    "What are you doing with a sword at work? Do you believe yourself to be a samurai or something?"
    Watching such a short, pretty girl berate him made Cassius overlay her image with that of an angry squirrel. "She is surprisingly cute," he accidentally blurted out. And for the first time since they'd known each other, he was able to see a charming blush grace her small features.
    "Y-You're getting ahead of yourself as of late, humph!" Bella coldly sniffed before turning her head to the side.
    No longer wishing to see that stupid face of his, she turned on her heel and walked off.
    "There are an excessive amount of customers in here because of you, so you'd better do your job properly!" she shouted softly, yet added, "B-But don't push yourself too much¡­" before briskly taking her mock steps of fury back to the wide second floor.
    A spark of confusion passed through Cassius's striking blue eyes as he wondered what had gotten into her all of a sudden, utterly unaware of what he had let slip out of his loose-lipped mouth.
    'Maybe Bella doesn't like so many customers in the shop?' he thought keenly. 'But she already has quite the fan base in this town because of her slightly cold yet caring personality, which only further increases the appeal garnered from her riveting appearance.'
    'I highly doubt that the¡­ girls coming in here for bodyguard consultations outweigh the sheer quantity of people that swarm here on a daily basis to catch a glimpse of Bella¡­'
    Cassius's eyes were suddenly pulled away from the sight of dozens of fawning men surrounding the focused beauty, instead falling on the dozen or so women huddled around the book aisle he was working on. They whispered and giggled among themselves, making sure to savor their quaint bookstore eye candy for the rest of the day. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "I had no clue such a cute boy was working here! We should definitely come back again!"
    "Hehe~! If you think just looking at him is enough, wait until you hear that he gave me his phone number when he passionately locked eyes with me two blocks away!"
    "You did what!? He actually gave you his number!? I'm so jealous!"
    Envious stares.
    "H-Hey, come on now! Don't look at me like that! I really won't give it to you!"
    "Don't be like that! Just hand it over, Vicky!"
    As several women quietly tangled with each other in a game of grab and flee, Cassius finished up his aisle. Yet, when he went to work on organizing the next aisle, a dainty painted hand suddenly met his. He jerked back instinctively, with the same thing happening to the hand that touched his.
    Yet, when he saw the owner of that delicate hand, his brows raised slightly. "Grace? What are you doing here?"
    Upon seeing a face that had only become more handsome since she last saw it, Grace's eyes lit up in effulgent joy.
    She snatched his hand back to hers and beamed. "I never would have thought I'd be fortunate enough to meet you again so soon! And just as I was fidgeting while wondering if I should take out my phone and call you!"
    However, when she realized how forward she was being, she reluctantly let go of his hand and recoiled a few steps. "I-I didn't mean to do that¡­ I-It's just that I was excited to see you¡­ I even came to this bookstore because you said you were an avid book reader¡­"
    She murmured the last part, but Cassius could clearly hear it with his Perception stat.
    He held his hand to his face and chortled a little, then laid a warm hand just between the imaginary bunny ears sticking up from her head. "I have been thinking about you as well, but I just wasn't sure that you wanted to talk to me so soon after we last met up¡ª"

 Chapter 40 Protecting Ones Husband!

    "How could that be!?" Grace spoke uncharacteristically loudly, yet still held her ground. "You can contact me at any time! I will always be on the other end to answer! That is the least I can do after you saved¡­ my life¡­" She sniffled a little as her ears drooped.She recalled the terrible condition he was in after pushing her out of the way of that large truck. The memory made her feel terrible.
    *Pat, Pat.*
    Grace: "???"
    Cassius's pats came down softer and more caring as his already kind smile became even kinder. "Adorable you are; a burden you are not," he said in a voice mimicking a certain green-colored wizened master. "Silly you are being; Not silly you should be."
    Grace's beautiful face cracked into a wide smile, then outright laughter as she found what he said to be both sweet and unbelievably funny given the serious atmosphere. "...Hah¡­ Yo-You¡­ I-I think I might really like you¡­! I might like you a lot, a lot!"
    Under the peal of uncontrollable laughter and the vexed ramblings of the women still watching him, Cassius was unable to catch what exactly she said.
    "I think I might really fight you?" he parroted as best he could. "Is that what you said? But why would you want to fight me¡­? Maybe it's because of the sword?"
    Flustered, Grace nervously waved her hands in front of his face. "N-No, that isn't what I said¡­! J-Just forget all about it! All about it!" Her skin turned as red as a beet as she clasped his mouth with her hands, utterly unaware of their seemingly intimate skin contact.
    However, even if Grace herself hadn't realized what she was doing, the owner of a pair of unusually swirling black eyes discreetly honed in on the hand movements of the meek brown-haired girl.
    Bella's grip on the staircase tightened considerably, nearly shattering it, while her blackened eyes became even darker. Unknown thoughts bounced around inside her head as she put an index finger to her chin.
    Unbeknownst to all the die-hard fans gathered around Bella, an evilness tugged at her lips, briefly morphing her face into something overflowing with long-since concealed obsession and possession.
    '...I had assumed the seal placed on his body to degrade his appearance and decrease his ability to lose weight would have lasted until adulthood, but¡­ it seems that is no longer the case¡­ The seal is weakening, which likely means that he will soon regain the unearthly charm that he had as an infant¡­'
    Bella's eyes swirled dangerously as a black miasma seeped out of her seemingly benign visage. She secretly grated her teeth in anger, her frustration and killing intent growing the more Cassius interacted with Grace.
    'It's bad enough that the seal I asked my father to place on him is beginning to break, but to also have all these f*ing bitches tainting his presence with their cow tits¡­!! Damn it!!! My Cassius, near those bitches!! I won't allow it!!!'
    Bella had meticulously planned everything out from the very beginning, even going so far as to conceal her true age and secretly repeat grades. She ensured that not even women with the lowest standards would fall in love with her man. And just as she had followed him to this bookstore and pulled some strings to get a job here, all in hopes of prematurely finalizing their soon-to-be marriage, Cassius's seal had to go and start cracking!
    'Daddy had promised me that my Cass's seal would last until he turns 18, but it seems that was all a big fat lie!! Goshdammit!!!'
    Bella wanted to race over to the bothersome bitches¡ªespecially the cutesy brown-haired one¡ªand slaughter them all. But she knew very well that, even if she used her family's power to cover up the legal consequences, her husband would begin to see her as some sort of monster. She wasn't a monster! She just loved him so, so, so much!!
    Bella had been stalkin¡ª protecting her husband since he was in diapers, making extra sure that no whores could slip through the net and see the true him. Yet, during the few weeks that she had important business to attend to and couldn't actively stal¡ª protect him, he had somehow become closely acquainted with a damn vixen!
    'How could this have happened!? When!? I don't understand why!! After all that I have done to ensure that he becomes mine through marriage and our family's blood ritual, something like this occurs mere months before he turns 18!?'
    Since the very first moment Bella caught sight of baby Cassius when she was but five years old¡ªduring a meeting his real father held with hers¡ªshe immediately knew that there would be no one else in the world for her. His looks, even as a baby in diapers, were at the level of the gods. Just a flutter of one of his baby eyelashes was capable of inciting mass indoctrination. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    It was also because of his appearance that everyone else Bella met in the world looked exactly the same to her¡ªbland and plain.
    The only one for her had always been Cassius, so she pleaded with her father to do away with his appearance, potential power, and anything else that could make him seem appealing. And after the mysterious Adam Steele suddenly disappeared one night, she was finally able to get her wish with the help of her father.
    Then came all the many years of planning, which should have led to a happily ever after¡ª
    'Yet, what is all this shit!?' Bella's expression became explosively livid as she watched some dumb bitch fawning all over her Cassius. 'I want to kill her¡­! He's mine, he's mine! I want to kill her! I want to kill her! HE'S MINE!!!'
    She was nearly on the verge of losing it!
    Her dangerously sharp fangs gleamed under the bookstore's romantic glow. Yet, before she exploded before the watchful eyes of so many people, she took a deep breath and calmed her twitching face.

 Chapter 41 A Yandere

    'It was bad enough that my Cassius suddenly got a stepmother and stepsister out of nowhere, but if anyone knows Cassius best, it's me. And I know he would never attempt anything with family,' Bella thought evenly, trying her best to assuage her growing fury. 'But now that his appearance has partially returned, things have changed¡­'Black streaks covered her scary face, hiding beneath them two bottomless abysses. '...I will truly have no other choice but to¡­ kill them. Every single one of them.'
    For but a brief instant, Bella morphed into a vampyric devil capable of eliciting absolute fear from the toughest of morsels. Yet, as quickly as it came, it disappeared just as fast.
    After a couple of minutes of conversing with the mellow-toned Grace, Cassius bid her farewell under the promise of taking her out again on their next day off. Bella, of course, saw this but did her absolute best to hold back her anger, instead replacing her livid expression with a friendly one.
    With her 'face' put on, she made her way back down to the first floor, where she then came face-to-face with her hardworking coworker.
    "I see that you have been getting around as of late!" Bella raised her voice as she patted him on the back, causing him to stagger forward, even with the weights on his body weighing him down. "Not only are you lying to me, but you're even secretly dating a cute girl! You sly dog~!" 'I'll kill her.'
    Cassius felt something off but couldn't quite put his finger on what that something was. Ultimately, though, he shrugged his shoulders and neutrally replied, "She isn't my girlfriend. We met by chance after my accident, and then we met up afterward to wander around Hoshito."
    "Is that so¡­" 'I'll kill her. I'll kill her. I'll bloody kill her!!! Wait¡­ Did he say accident? What accident??'
    Approaching this topic as best she could, Bella worriedly asked, "Accident?? Could it be that you got hurt over the last period of time??? Quick, let me see¡ª I mean, since we are on break, I am open to hearing about this incident of yours¡­" She nearly let a part of her true self slip, yet caught herself just in the nick of time.
    Cassius was really starting to feel this ominous, foreboding feeling itching at the back of his brain, but he couldn't quite figure out what irked him so.
    'It's probably nothing¡­'
    His Perception Stat was not yet high enough to discern every minute detail and change of a crafty person, hence it was only natural that Bella's nuances eluded him. Yet, to answer her question, he briefly explained to her what happened leading up to his accident and the brief period afterward. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    He could've sworn that he heard the faint sound of gnashing teeth toward the end of his retelling, but he also seemed to feel an intense unease and worry assault his senses.
    Cassius's first thought was that Bella was directing these barely discernible emotions toward him, but he quickly dismissed that thought as soon as it arrived. He and the school beauty were not anywhere close enough for something like that. Yet that was also when he felt that ominous feeling again.
    Taking him out of his thoughts was the crisp, melodic voice of the girl before him. "I am sorry that all happened to you. Just let me know if you require any help from here on out; I will assist to the best of my abilities."
    "Yes¡­" Cassius replied, a bit of perplexity lingering in his pearl-blue irises. "Thanks for saying that. I will keep it in mind."
    Bella nodded in casual friendliness, then bowed her head slightly and walked away. She went back to conducting her work, whereas he was left standing there, feeling that something was incredibly off about that whole interaction.
    Yet, even with extensive contemplation, Cassius was unable to properly articulate his unease.
    Meanwhile, Bella stood above a wooden staircase with a mock smile etched onto her beautiful face. Under the gawks of her 'fans,' her thoughts blazed into dangerous territories.
    'I will have to kill all the damn vixens! That is the only way I can steer the train back on track!!'
    A creepy, malevolent giggle slightly escaped her moist throat. Yet she expertly concealed it with a cute hiccup that sent the hearts of the watching men aflutter.
    Ignoring the pestering gaze of a bunch of worms, Bella continued her train of thought. 'Once the bitches are dead, it will only be me in my Cass's world¡­! And with his 18th birthday fast approaching, our marriage and blood contract will be cemented in stone!'
    Bella suddenly recalled the matter of his loosening seal, prompting her face to lightly twist in anger.
    'My naive and innocent Cass could fight against the idea of the permanent blood contract, and it is unknown just how much of his power and potential he will regain before he turns 18¡­ Even though I'm confident in my strength when compared to all these blood bags, my husband is not like them¡­'
    Bella's expression briefly emulated her complete infatuation, yet it was quickly overwhelmed by an unhealthy level of darkness.
    'Even if it comes down to it, I'll just need to force him down and explain everything to him afterward. He will surely understand why I did everything I did as long as I carefully explain it to him¡­! He must! It's just me and him in this world, so what I know is something he will understand wholeheartedly!!!'
    With his enhanced hearing, Cassius could've sworn that he heard an insane peal of laughter resound from somewhere. However, with it disappearing in less than an instant, he had no time to track it back to its source. But with work about to end for today, he decided to cast the inexplicable matter aside and quicken his pace.
    His hands flitted across the bookshelves as he hastily grabbed returned books off a cart and precisely placed them in the right spots.
    To the onlookers, however, his movements were akin to streaks of lightning dancing to and fro from location to location. They had never seen anything quite like it, as it could only be described as a beautiful symphony of the hands.

 Chapter 42 A Confused Stalker

    For a long while, the stylish girls were left awed by the effortless display of suaveness by a young man who looked like he was preparing to take the lead role in a movie. Bella noticed this out of the corner of her eye, as she was always stealing glances at her man, but this only served to further solidify her goal to murder all the bitches who even so much as looked his way.Yet, there was also a part of her that was slightly astounded by the speed his hands flashed through the bookstore aisles.
    'Has Cass already begun nearing the C-Rank in terms of speed?? But it has only been, at most, four weeks since his seal started to weaken¡­! If he keeps progressing at this rate, then even I might encounter some trouble when he turns 18!!'
    Bella was seriously debating whether she should abandon the original plan and take him away by force right here and now. However, that was when she remembered that run-down father of hers.
    'My old man may be a pushover among the high nobility of Nightingale, but he is still a Duke-level vampire. As long as my hubby doesn't exceed the limits of this world by the time he turns 18, I can just have that old codger help me take him away by force!'
    As if she had figured it all out, Bella snorted proudly and placed an especially ostentatious book on the top shelf of one of the many shelves in the large bookstore. After sorting through a few more, she shot a glance toward where Cassius just was, only to find that his cart was empty, with him now pushing it and a few other carts back to the front desk.
    Knowing that those carts were the last of the major workload for the day made Bella's expression sour ever so slightly.
    Even though she knew it was inevitable that they had to part ways for now, it still greatly annoyed her to know that her hubby had become a delectable slab of steak to all of the blood-bag whores of this world. She wanted to kill everything again¡­ but she found herself achieving higher and higher levels of restraint.
    Bella was not usually one who knew when to take a step back, but for the sake of her happily-ever-after, she was willing to hold herself back. The last thing she wanted was her hubby's ire and hate, which would naturally materialize if she killed all the bitches before they could be bonded by a blood contract. Yet none of that would matter after the blood contract, because a deep connection would be formed between both relevant parties.
    And once her hubby saw her immense love for him, he would certainly overlook the murder sprees she would dish out!
    Although Bella was expectant of the future, she still wore a barely visible expression of extreme sadness when she saw Cassius clock out for the day. That was when she remembered her having the same hours as he did.
    Not willing to waste even a single second of her potential time with him, she pulled upon a gust of wind from a nearby window.
    "Woah!"
    "What's up with the wind in here!?"
    "I can't see my goddess!"
    "Where did that handsome actor go!?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The intentional gust of wind temporarily obscured the vision of everyone in the bookstore, and in the same instant that the store doorbell rang with Cassius's departure, Bella flashed from her spot. She moved so fast that not even a full afterimage could be produced in her wake.
    When she finally settled down, her elegant profile was already on the first floor, with the rest of her designated books somehow miraculously put in their correct places on the second floor.
    Bella's tremendous speed far surpassed that of even A-Rank Hunters, yet not a single person was able to determine that she moved at all.
    When her devout fans saw their goddess briefly passing on the baton to the ones taking the next shift, they widened their eyes in bewilderment. They were put in even more of a stun lock when they saw that very same goddess race out the front door and catch up to the handsome bastard from before.
    For once, both the girls and the guys felt the same about this matter, as they seethed in frustration, envy, and jealousy¡­
    ¡ª---------
    Meanwhile, a few dozen steps outside Bookworm's Haven.
    "Hmm?" Cassius's senses perked up, prompting him to turn his head behind him, only to see the stunning profile of his coworker. "What are you doing out here?"
    "What? Am I not allowed to leave my shift as well?" Bella coldly sniffed, then adjusted her pace to his, with them both walking side by side.
    They received many stares due to their unnatural beauty, but neither paid any heed to the attention. Rather, they were too caught up in mulling over what the other was thinking to care about things like the ogling gawks of passersby.
    Answering her, Cassius shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant¡­ I am just puzzled as to why you are following me."
    "Following you??" Bella snorted in displeasure. "You must really believe yourself to be quite the hotshot. Why would I purposefully follow you home? We are simply going in the same direction, as I have some business to attend to in C-block."
    Cassius nearly believed what she was saying, at least until she mentioned the name of his neighborhood. "How did you know that I lived in C-block?"
    He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, finding something especially off about the starry-eyed beauty.
    Bella's eyelids nervously twitched, but she concealed it with an apathetic harrumph. "I just happened to see your address on your application paper when you came in at the same time as me for your interview¡­! Do you honestly think that I would have any reason to follow someone like you??"
    "Someone like me¡­" Cassius's keen gleam quickly dimmed, instead replaced with a bit of glumness. "I guess someone like me would indeed not receive such treatment."

 Chapter 43 Youre more than just a Training Sword...?

    "A-As long as you're aware! Hmph!" Bella struggled to retort, finding it even harder to avert her eyes from him. 'It wasn't like I wanted to say something so mean, but if his confidence grows more than it needs to before our marriage, the bitches will be swarming him in droves!''Under no circumstances can I allow that to happen! Even if my hubby thinks less of me now, he will certainly understand why I did what I did in due time! S-Surely¡­'
    She couldn't help but feel hesitant about the way she was doing things, but this was not the time to be getting cold feet. As long as she could hold out for another few months without caving in due to her own behavior, then her lifelong dreams would come to fruition! Just a while longer!
    Bella and Cassius were quiet most of the way back, but somewhere in the middle of the trip, he recalled that thing he had to do.
    Turning to the ethereal woman beside him, his pupils registered something that astonished him. Yet, as if it were all just an optical illusion, the crazed expression and aura he just witnessed vanished without a trace.
    Bella tilted her head in confusion, seemingly wondering why he was looking at her as if he had just seen a ghost.
    "Why are you staring at me? Are you perhaps¡­ enamored by my beauty¡ª"
    "No, it isn't anything like that," replied Cassius. "I just thought I saw something there. But it must have been my imagination."
    "I see¡­" Bella's eyes flickered a little out of focus; she was doing her utmost not to show how frustrated she was over his response. That was when she noticed the uncertain look in his gaze. "Is there somewhere you need to be? We aren't in C-block yet¡­"
    Bella was hoping to spend more time with Cassius, but if he had to go, then it would only make her seem weird if she stopped him. And much to her dismay, he responded with a nod.
    "Yes, there is somewhere I have to go before returning home. I am sure that I have already kept you here for long enough, and my presence is likely making you very uncomfortable¡­ I know that you only trailed beside me because you thought it would hurt my feelings, and I appreciate it, but you don't need to do something like that again. I can handle things like that, just the same as always."
    Seeing that warm smile had Bella's heart beating like crazy. Yet she also felt a painful stinging sensation upon repeating his dispirited words inside her head.
    'I know that he is only this way because of what I did to him, but I still feel like such a monster¡­ Love really is so very agonizing¡­'
    She forced a perfect smile on her face, then said, "I have no idea what you are talking about, but if you have somewhere you need to go, then be on your way. I won't hold up your womanizing adventures any longer!"
    Bella spoke such things with a playfully disappointed expression, so it was no surprise that the weaker Cassius was unable to discern the truth of her feelings. He simply nodded before turning around. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "You are wrong," he said while waving behind him. "Someone like me can only wonder what it would be like to call a woman my own. Someone pretty and nice like you, perhaps¡­?"
    "Haah¡­ What am I even saying anymore?"
    Cassius awkwardly scratched his head before turning around a corner. However, before completely vanishing from view, he spun on his heel and looked at the indiscernible expression of the black-haired goddess standing a few dozen feet away.
    "Would you like me to take you home first? I have something I need to do, but I can make time if it's for you."
    Still utterly shell-shocked by what she had just heard come out of his mouth, Bella was left even more at a loss for words by the nonchalant sweetness oozing from his pink lips. She stood there, trembling in place. But with her sanity on the line and that irresistible man making his way back to her, she had to think fast.
    Covering her face with her hair, Bella waved her hands ahead. "T-There is no need for that! I am a C-Rank Awakener¡ªdon't you remember¡­?? Why would I need you to walk me home? Plus, it's not even past 4 p.m. yet! What are you¡ªmy dad??"
    Cassius stopped in his tracks, finding everything she said to make perfect sense. "I understand. Then have a nice rest of your day, Bella."
    "Y-Yes, I will. You as well¡­" Bella mumbled the last part, but he could still clearly hear it.
    'Although she is harsh with her words some of the time, she is too nice for her own good,' thought Cassius. 'I have no idea what that uneasy feeling was all about earlier, but it was probably nothing¡­'
    With that, he retraced his steps and once again turned around that corner, this time disappearing for good.
    Bella, on the other hand, was left in the middle of a desolate neighborhood street, with only the whistling wind and her thoughts to keep her company. There was also a black and orange cat prancing atop a brick wall, but it quickly recoiled and got the hell out of there as soon as it saw the deranged woman creepily mumbling to herself.
    None could understand what exactly she was saying, but it was most certainly a curse of some sort.
    *Achoo!*
    Cassius rubbed his nose after releasing a violent sneeze, wondering just who could be talking behind his back. Yet, after a second or two, he shook his head to disperse such distracting thoughts, instead putting all his focus on the matter he had been waiting for all day.
    "This will be my first regular Gate Experience, but I'm not really sure how I should actually go about it," he said thoughtfully, with the wooden sword by his side resonating for blood.
    "...What??" Question marks rose above his head. "You're more than just a Training Sword¡­?"

 Chapter 44 Main Quest #2

    "...You're more than just a Training Sword?" Cassius asked with raised brows, genuinely surprised.However, after half a minute of no response, he sighed in disappointment. "Seems you are not yet sentient, just bloodthirsty¡­ But who knows? Maybe that will change the more you and my Newbie Equipment get upgraded. Same thing goes for my Serrated Devil Blade¡­"
    Cassius briefly admired the intimidating tattoo etched across his right arm before pulling out a dotted holographic map. "Time to decide which one I should go to first."
    From what little he knew about the world of Hunters, the White Tier Gates correlated to the F-Rank, Orange for E-Rank, Green for D-Rank, and so on and so forth, with Purple Gates representing the A-Rank.
    Now, this begged the question: why was the highest rank only of the A-Rank? Naturally, this was because Gates became increasingly tougher the higher the Rank.
    To clear even the weakest of Purple Tier Gates would require dozens of S-Rank Hunters working together in seamless harmony. As for the strongest of Purple Gates¡­ Well, it was a good thing that Japan had only ever experienced those of the Mid-Tier. Unlike some more unfortunate countries, such as America or Russia, Japan came out on the luckier side of things.
    Yet, even though Mid-Tier Purple Gates weren't considered world-ending Gates, Japan nearly went extinct on more than one occasion.
    FWIP!
    While casually thinking about the different Gate ranks, Cassius vanished from his spot using the D- Skill |Shadow Step|.
    *Ding!*
    [|Shadow Step (D-)| leveled up from 'Lvl 2' ¡ú 'Lvl 3']
    Cassius's brows furrowed in interest, yet that didn't stop him from blurring to and from rooftops. Even though it was midday, nobody would pay any attention to a slightly abnormal shadow, especially when the shadow in question had expertly synced up with the shadows of the surroundings.
    As he inconspicuously raced through the neighborhoods of Hoshito, Cassius realized that the Gate he was aiming for was coming up. To the left, a few hundred meters away, groups of men and women in shiny armor were speaking a whole lot of nothing with one another. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The stealthy shadow in the distance had an exceptionally handsome man emerge from within, with his cold gaze scanning through the gathered Hunters.
    'The D- Gate known as the 'Kobold's Catacombs',' thought Cassius as his eyes traced up toward the small building-sized oval-shaped mass of green cosmic energies. 'Among D-Rank Gates, it can be considered to be near the very bottom of the barrel. But as opposed to a strong E-Rank Gate like 'Savage Jungle,' it is still leagues ahead in terms of both terrain difficulty and the strength of the monsters within. Monsters which will undoubtedly be Kobolds¡ªhuman-sized bipedal dogs that know only death and cruelty.'
    It was definitely the most optimal choice for someone's first D-Rank Gate, but it was still something that would prove a serious challenge if Cassius were to go at it himself.
    Acquiring a few teammates from among the Hunters gathered below was certainly an option, but they would no doubt be untrustworthy. And they were also likely to just hold him back rather than assist him. Furthermore, it didn't seem like the Idle Evolution System very much appreciated that thought¡­
    *Ding!*
    {[Main Quest 2]}
    ¡ª[Solo Conquer the D- Gate 'Kobold's Catacombs'] - [DO NOT get the help of any others.]
    ¡ª[If you do, the system will have deemed your character development as being lacking, thus creating weakness in your soul and body. As a result of this, you will lose a leg of your choice and experience 12 hours of horror in the Land of Nightmares! All to counteract the lack of character development.]
    [Reward 1: 2 Stat Points in Strength, 1 in Agility, 1 in Defense, 2 in Endurance, and 3 in Perception.]
    [Reward 2: 5 AP]
    [Reward 3: 'Troll System' Idle Benefit #2 will be unlocked.]
    [Reward 4: 'Are you looking to get face-slapped?']
    Cassius had a few things he was curious about upon viewing the rewards. However, he, more than anyone else, knew that the Idle Evolution System would never do anything that could be seen as coming easy to him.
    It was with a resigned sigh that he turned his attention away from the 2nd Main Quest Mission and the system itself, instead focusing on the quarantined zone below.
    'I saw it in the nearly identical set of memories of the previous me in this body, but it seems that it really is true,' Cassius thought keenly as he phased over a few more buildings before finding himself outside a small group of nosy onlookers. 'The Gates are like attractions in this world, with the government taking a carefree approach to the management of most Gates.'
    Looking around, he saw not a single government official or guard in the area. The only things preventing the citizens from getting too close to the Gate and accidentally getting sucked in were local police officers and a thick line of caution tape. Moreover, of the few officers that were there, not a single one had power greater than the F-Rank, with the majority of them not even having awakened.
    Cassius was intent on figuring out more about why the Gate security was so lax. Coincidentally, among the sea of busybody citizens grouped up outside the caution tape, there were those who loved to gossip.
    "Have you heard about the new law placed on the management of Gates?? It is said that our government no longer believes it to be necessary to prioritize higher manpower outside Gates, mainly because of the sudden increase in Purple Gates worldwide!"
    'How¡­ convenient of a conversation topic¡­' Cassius thought in passing.
    "Yep, our government, like many others, can no longer afford to station more powerful people outside the Gates that they use to farm materials. Like the Kobold's Catacombs, which has been repeatedly cleared by the Hunter Guilds, all of the other Red-ranked and below Gates have long since been left out in the open!"
    "Yeah, well, not like the government has to worry about anyone non-related to a raid going into a Gate. That is unless they have a death wish!"
    Cassius: "...."

 Chapter 45 Main Quest 2 Urgent Quest Upgrade

    Cassius found his eyes leaving the rowdy pedestrians and instead honing in on the strapped-up Hunters chatting away with one another. Contrary to the matter of safety, they were speaking as if everything was already in the bag, with them only needing to claim all the rewards."The Kobold's Catacombs!" A young man with spiky, unorthodox hair primed his long spear as he pointed it at the large green Gate. "This is our third time entering this Gate, and it is sure to be a breeze to conquer, just like all the times before!"
    "Haiz¡­" A robust, broad-shouldered man shook his head in exasperation. "It seems that Isaac is at it again. I keep telling him not to be so cocky. After all, anything unexpected could happen in a Gate, even in ones that have been cleared repeatedly."
    "Haha!" A pirate-like woman cracked a laugh at the big man's misfortune. "You really shouldn't bother yourself so much with Isaac, Squad Leader. He will always be so spirited, and I highly doubt that will ever change, no matter how much you nag him about it!"
    The Squad Leader heaved a tired sigh. "I fear that you are right, Jessica," he lamented. "But even if that is the case, I should still do my best to lead him onto a path that won't lead to his ruin."
    Jessica chortled at his chivalry but still complied with a nod before rejoining the rest of her teammates in formation.
    As one of the leading strike forces of the D-Rank Guild 'Hot Hawaiian Soup,' they had long since memorized the motions they should make before heading into another Gate.
    The Squad Leader, John, nodded in approval at his squad's coordination and ability to follow instructions even without being explicitly directed.
    Clearing his throat, he raised his voice enough to put his uplifting, husky tone on full display. "As you all are well aware, excluding the two newbies we have with us today, we have experienced this exact Gate before. So you should also know that the D-Rank Gate 'Kobold's Catacombs' needs to be cleared twice a day, and we just happen to have the second slot booked."
    "The dangers of this Gate are plentiful, as there will be Low E-Rank monsters like regular Kobolds, Peak E-Rank monsters like Kobold Elites, and then all the way up to powerful D-Rank monsters like the Kobold Chieftains and Kobold Warrior Lords. If we are fortunate, we might even encounter something stronger, such as the Mid D-Rank Kobold Titan boss monster! That would be far more lucrative to kill than the usual Low D-Rank monster boss, the Kobold Champion, which we faced the last two times we raided this Gate!"
    "All in all, we have come to better fill our pockets! And that means we need to give it our all in order to clear the Gate and take everything that it's worth!!!" he encouraged, occasionally glancing at a short black-haired Hunter, worry filling his heart.
    "HOOORAAAAHH!!!"
    Unaware of their leader's trepidation, the crowd of Hunters cheered in response, with all twenty-two of them marching behind him into the eerily crackling Gate. It was also during this time that a shadowy figure flipped his darkened hood up and slipped through the supportive swarms of pedestrians. That same shadow passed right by the police officers who were keeping the peace, and then with even greater ease, Cassius allowed himself to be sucked into the green Gate.
    The |Shadow Step| Skill had become an incredibly useful skill to him over this recent period of time. However, it was not the only skill that he had been working to level up, as any barely noticeable active skills and, of course, the passive skills, were being constantly performed.
    To increase the proficiency of a skill, one had to continue using it. Hence, it was only natural that Cassius burned through good chunks of his MP and stamina to ceaselessly improve his various aspects of existence.
    The Idle Evolution System would surely sing in praise at this admirable mindset. Most definitely.
    After passing over into the other side of the D-Rank Gate 'Kobold's Catacombs,' Cassius immediately noticed something unusual. Assaulting his nostrils was the faint smell of blood, but rather than it belonging to a Kobold, it smelled of human origins.
    It was also in this moment that he received another forlorn system notification¡­
    *Ding!*
    [Main Quest 2: Urgent Quest Upgrade!]
    ¡ª[Due to a freak change in the quality of Gate Energy in Japan, one or two Gates have suddenly and instantly had their ranks increased!]
    ¡ª[|D- Rank Kobold's Catacombs| ¡ú |D+ Kobold's Catacombs|] ¨C [It is recommended that the host learn how to roll.]
    [Bonus Reward 1]: 10 AP
    [Bonus Reward 2]: 5 Common Grade Evoballs
    [Bonus Reward 3]: 1 'Heap of EXP'
    [Warning! Upon failure to complete the Quest, you will¡­ lose everything but your life! But even if that unfortunate eventuality does occur, you might be able to earn it all back in the Land of Nightmares!]]
    "Learn how to wha¡ª" Before Cassius could even reach the reward section of the Quest, a blade gleam flashed out of the corner of his eye, aiming to cleave off his head.
    "!!!"
    Doing just as the system suggested, he tucked and rolled, just as he had seen characters do in Damned Souls games. Yet, even that was not enough to get him entirely out of danger. After the miss of the first strike, another one thundered down, this time accompanied by two more strikes. All seemed to stem from the same blade, yet all slashed out nearly simultaneously.
    Cassius immediately recognized a high skill level being used against him, which prompted him to use a signature skill of his own. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    |Shadow Step (D-) (Lvl 3)|
    FWIP!
    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
    The three consecutive sword strikes passed harmlessly through a tangible afterimage of their target. They collided against a hard, sleek rock surface, causing sparks to fly. With the dark space suddenly brightened, the mysterious attacker's savage eyes widened upon seeing an icy face appear directly in front of it.
    Yet, thinking unnaturally quickly and intelligently for a mere monster, it sidestepped its three-meter figure to the left.
    "It's too late for that."

 Chapter 46 Killing Kobolds

    "It's too late for that," Cassius said coldly, with the badass tattoo on his right arm having already transformed into a crimson glowing blade. While still holding onto his heavy training sword with his free arm, he slashed down using his entire body weight, which included the weight of his Newbie Equipment Set.SHING!
    Following a sparkling flash of bloody sword light, Cassius reappeared behind the tall, bipedal dog monster. His expression appeared rather displeased, despite the fact that the monster had multiple blood ruptures burst across its lifeless corpse.
    *Ding!*
    [You have killed an E+ Tall Elite Kobold!]
    [Experience bar moderately moved!]
    "With my Newbie Equipment 1 Set on, even a monster substantially weaker than I am is able to corner me as so," said Cassius. "If not for my speed being in another league, I might have had some issues without taking off my Newbie Equipment."
    Having gotten used to the sadism of the Idle Evolution System, he felt that it was only right to push himself at all times, even while in a situation like this one. This was why he felt compelled to keep his Newbie Equipment 1 Set and Newbie 1 Sword equipped. Unless death was a certain matter, he would try his best to hold on.
    "Now, with it dead, that means I can finally get one of those." Cassius's striking blue eyes fell on an orangish three-pointed glowing object embedded in the protruding rib bones of the mangled Kobold corpse. "That is definitely a Magic Shard, and it is of the High E-Rank, which means that it's worth upward of five hundred dollars. As far as I'm aware, something like this would normally be quite hard to come by in a Gate like this one. Yet¡­ there appear to be countless monsters just as strong if not stronger than this one here¡­"
    Cassius's perceptive eyes caught the personal energy aura signatures of hundreds of formidable monsters, with not a single one weaker than the one whom he had just faced.
    Realizing that a tough and prolonged battle surely waited in store for him, he quickly extracted the Magic Shard and collected it inside his Inventory Space before sharpening his gaze against the sudden appearance of several giant bipedal dog monsters.
    "GRGhhhh!!!"
    The same moment that their primitive roars reverberated through the lush forest environment, Cassius felt a wave of dread wash over him. It didn't stem from his own sense of terror, but because of the effects of Fear-inducing Skills, all similar to the ones used by the monsters in the E-Rank Savage Jungle Gate.
    Taking advantage of the period that their target needed to negate the Fear effects, the E+ Tall Kobold Elites lunged at him. Their hideous mouths were hung wide open, with their razor-sharp teeth ready to tear into some fresh meat.
    However, with a simple heel flick, Cassius evaded their yawning jaws, all while forcefully ignoring the effects of Fear through sheer willpower. The Tall Kobold Elites were still momentarily shocked over not tasting the deliciousness of human blood when, out of nowhere, a crimson jagged blade slashed the backs of their necks. Their eyelids closed for good in the very next instant, with the life in their eyes having already eluded the rest of their existence.
    *Ding!*
    [You have killed 4 E+ Tall Kobold Elites!]
    [Your EXP bar has greatly moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You obtained 2 AP!]
    [You received 1 Stat Point in each of your Main Attributes!]
    After feeling a lofty amount of power rush through every fiber of his being, Cassius briefly glanced at his system interface. He was pleased to see that he had finally advanced to Lvl 18. But with innumerable more monsters just waiting to fall under his blade in this D+ Rank Gate, he was sure to experience plenty more power-ups.
    BZZZzzzzttt¡­
    Hearing a faint buzzing sound come from his right hand, Cassius looked down. The Serrated Devil Blade was buzzing in a lively manner, with it seemingly trying to pull the blood of the Kobold corpses toward it.
    'Is it trying to evolve as well¡­?'
    Curious to see what would happen, Cassius let the blade do what it wanted, which led to an instantaneous blood spurt for the Kobold corpses. The blood trickling out of their injuries defied gravity and levitated in an upward diagonal direction toward the upright Serrated Devil Blade. And then, completely out of expectations, the blood splashed against the blade before seeping into its surface.
    "This is¡­ unexpected¡­" Cassius watched with a bit of awe as his tattoo blade absorbed every droplet of blood from the first and last four E+ Tall Kobold Elites corpses. "What will happen next I wonder¡ª?"
    Just as he asked that, a system notification rang out, which only served to further improve his mood.
    *Ding!*
    [|Serrated Devil Blade (D-)| has devoured dozens of gallons of E+ Common monster blood!]
    [|Serrated Devil Blade (D-)| ¨C |Attack+3| ¨C |Nears the Neutral D-Rank|]
    Cassius's brows raised in intrigue. "It seems like this Blade now has the ability to devour the blood of enemies, which it can then use to increase its own stats and potentially even rank up?"
    Realizing just what this could mean for the future, he decided to cherish the Serrated Devil Blade even more. "...Speaking of which, I think this is an appropriate time to give you a new name¡­"
    The Serrated Devil Blade vibrated positively in response, sending Cassius into a state of deep thought. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    After a few moments of quick thinking thanks to his Perception Stat, his eyes brightened like light bulbs. He held the sword closer to his face and tightened his grip. "Your name," he declared. "It shall be Lilith!"
    OOOM!
    Lilith erupted in an effulgent myriad of scarlet energies. For a semi-intelligent item Spirit, a name meant a lot more than a tag for which someone could call you by. It was something far more than temporary, especially when it was bestowed by the master of the item. Furthermore, it often signified the potential path that could be taken by the item and subsequently, by its master.

 Chapter 47 Devil Blade Lilith (D-Rank)

    *Ding!*[|Serrated Devil Blade (D-)| has evolved into the |Devil Blade: Lilith| and directly evolved to the (D) rank from the (D-) rank.]
    [Devil Blade: Lilith (Melee/Extend)] - [D Rank]
    |¡ª[Attack: ~37]¡ª|
    {[Effect 1: 'Bleed' - (Depletes 1.5% Health every second for up to a total of ten seconds. Can be stacked.)]}
    {[Effect 2: 'Serrate' - (Can partially negate the defenses of stronger opponents. Up to 35% Enemy Defense reduction.)]}
    {[Effect 3: 'Drain/Devour' - (Extracts the blood from corpses and substantially weaker living beings until they dry up like empty husks. Converts the absorbed blood into strength.)]}
    "Not only has the direct attack stat improved, but the first two Effects have become better, and the third Effect has fully solidified," Cassius commented with a hint of contentment. "I was a little worried that I wouldn't have anything to test the new and improved Lilith on, but it seems my worries were unnecessary¡­"
    *Rustle, rustle, rustle.*
    Dozens of fuzzy, gnarly heads emerged from the nearby dug-out cavern holes. Numerous E+ Tall Kobold Elites bared their bloody fangs, clearly returning from a prosperous hunt. They seemed satisfied with the human meal they had just shared with their superiors¡ªyet there appeared to be one human who lagged behind. And who were they to deny a free meal?
    Cassius's eyes glowed coldly. "Bunch of mangy mutts," he scoffed before collecting his Magic Shards from the scattered corpses.
    After calmly storing them all away, he shifted his gaze between the gathered E+ Tall Kobold Elites. He noticed the fresh blood drizzling from their disgusting mouths, almost instantly putting two and two together.
    His eyes flashed colder, yet he maintained his composure. 'Even if they were fellow humans, this is no longer my previous world,' he thought apathetically, his tone devoid of emotion. 'Surviving is no longer differentiated between race, nationality, religion, or ethnicity¡­ It is simply surviving. And those Hunters simply weren't able to survive.'
    Cassius unlatched the separate pieces of Lilith, letting them sway with a dangerous flow. "I, however, will not allow myself to die."
    "Graaghh!!!" Ten Tall Kobold Elites bellowed furiously, just now noticing the corpses of their fallen brethren strewn about. 'You will die!!!' they seemed to say as they rabidly leapt at him, sharp claws prepared to gouge out his throat.
    Yet, in the same instant that a good chunk of the Tall Kobold Elites cornered him, Cassius lightly spun his wrist, causing Lilith to whip around. Then, under the horrified eyes of the remaining twenty-five Tall Kobold Elites, the ten who ran out first were diced into bloody chunks. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    A cold gleam passed through Cassius's piercing blue eyes as he beckoned Lilith to visibly shrivel up the deceased Kobolds and absorb their blood.
    *Ding!*
    [|Devil Blade: Lilith| has absorbed several hundred gallons of E+ Common monster blood!]
    [|Devil Blade: Lilith| - |Attack +2|]
    While glancing over the most recent system notifications, Cassius planted his feet into the ground. Then he blurred.
    When he left the speed stream, Lilith's jagged edges had already sunk into the skin of another fifteen Tall Kobold Elites. Just like the fifteen that came before, they too were squeezed of their lifeforce.
    POP! POP! POP!
    "Although you bunch are quite strong, you simply aren't¡­ fast enough," Cassius uttered while casually looking at the bloody catastrophe left in his wake. "I must commend you on your ability to continue fighting even despite the odds, though."
    "Rooorgghhh!!!" The remaining ten Tall Kobold Elites roared at the top of their lungs.
    Yet that made no difference¡­
    SHING! SHING!
    Cassius effortlessly spun his dominant arm around a few times, sending the magnetic pieces of Lilith spiraling through the tough outer hides of the Kobolds. Yet, as if they were as soft as pudding, Lilith's edges sliced through them, creating a magnificent bloody spectacle.
    Cassius's body cracked audibly as he relaxed, calming his immense speed. After assuaging his active cells, he searched through the corpses of the Tall Kobold Elites and collected their Magic Shards.
    During the same time, a couple of system notifications rang out:
    *Ding!*
    [You have killed 35 E+ Tall Kobold Elites!]
    [Your Experience Bar has moderately moved!]
    [|Devil Blade: Lilith| has devoured thousands of gallons of E+ Common monster blood!]
    [|Devil Blade: Lilith| - |Attack +4|]
    Cassius's brows creased in slight disappointment. "No level up even after killing so many of them, and my bar is only a tenth of the way filled," he lamented. "...Well, I guess a level up arriving so easily wouldn't make any sense, especially not when it comes to this masochist system¡­"
    Speaking of the devil¡­
    Experience more content on empire
    *Ding~!*
    {[Main Quest 2 Urgent Modification #2]}
    ¡ª[Side Quest Add-on (D+)]
    ¡ª[The strike force sent by the Hot Hawaiian Soup D-Rank Hunter Guild has been wiped out by the unusually powerful Kobolds. But there was one survivor¡­ A young raven-haired girl who was secretly brought along to experience a 'safe' Gate by her father, the Squad Captain, John.]
    ¡ª[Save the girl known as Memphis, and be rewarded for your heroism with the tiniest bit less disdain by the system!]
    [Hint: She has been brought back to the Kobold King's Lair in the deepest depths of the Kobold Catacombs, all so as to service him and produce heirs. (Have a heart.)]
    [Reward 1: Slightly less disdain from the Idle Evolution System]
    [Reward 2: 5 AP]
    [Reward 3: The gratitude of a pretty girl who is about to awaken as an S-Rank Awakener] ¨C (Don't make this weird¡­)
    [Upon Failure: Just kill yourself at this point. You have no reason left to live in this world, you deplorable scum ^_^]
    Cassius's face maintained a blank look for a few seconds, as something inside him told him the system was judging him. 'Does it think I'm a perverted criminal or something¡­? Why is it always doing this¡­? Haiz¡­'
    Ultimately, he shook his head with a sigh and accepted the quest before sliding the screen to the right. He was quite interested in what a future S-Rank Awakener would look like, so he would have done it with or without the additional rewards.
    Though, they did wonders to soothe his poverty-stricken heart¡­

 Chapter 48 Lvl 21, {[Advent Devil (D+)]}

    After casually resolving himself to search for this missing and likely terrified girl in the depths of the Catacombs, Cassius ventured toward said depths himself. He sauntered through dimly lit intersecting tunnels, all of which ended up leading deeper and deeper into the land of the Kobolds. Of which he met plenty on his journey.Five minutes quickly passed.
    Our intrepid protagonist now sat atop a small hill of varying-sized Kobolds, some scarier-looking than others. He nonchalantly laid his chin against his fist, with his icy blue eyes glued on the changes brought about in his system interface.
    BLING!
    ________________________________
    [Name: Idle Evolution System] Continue reading stories on empire
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 21]
    [Title: Advent Devil (D+)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 2050/2050] [MP: 3400]
    [FATIGUE: 13]. [AP: 50] S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 51] (Try casually kicking cars. It might work.)
    [AGILITY: 91] (Mach 1. Produce air donuts in your wake.)
    [ENDURANCE: 46] (Try getting a woman, it might work out. But then again¡­)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 48] (Looking to obtain Sage status already?)
    [PERCEPTION: 50] (If you squint hard enough, you can probably see through a woman's clothing.)
    [CHARISMA: 26] (Experienced Model-level)
    {[Skills:]}
    [Shadow Step (A)(D-)(Lvl3)], [Muscularity (P)(F-)(Lvl4], [Slash (A)(F)(Lvl4], [Sprint (A)(F)(Lvl3]
    [Harden (A)(E+)(Lvl3)], [Extreme Fortitude (P)(E-)(Lvl3)], [Mind Focus (P)(F)(Lvl3)], [Tinker Tools (P)(F)(Lvl3]..... ¨C[Extend to see more¡­]
    _______________________________
    "My Title ranked up?" Cassius's interest was drawn to his Title section, where the Advent Devil Title now had a '+' next to it. "Now that I think about it, I never really delved into that Title. It kind of just appeared after clearing the E-Rank Gate 'Savage Jungle.'"
    Wishing to understand what this Title actually meant for him, he pulled up all relevant details, which led to another blue illusory screen materializing into view.
    BLING!
    {[Advent Devil (D+)]}
    ¡ª[Effect 1: Increased terror image before living beings of weaker strength]
    ¡ª[Effect 2: All blood stained on your hands leads to the improvement of a 'Killing Intent,' which surrounds your body at all times, unless you will it not to. (Will appear bloody and savage to others, and will become worse the more you kill. Possibility to stun weak-willed foes.)]
    Cassius was left speechless at the seemingly useless effects of his Title. "Maybe it will obtain better effects the more it levels up," he mused optimistically.
    Not wishing to think any more on the matter, he turned his attention toward the mercilessly glowing red eyes making their appearances in the burrowed holes placed throughout the Catacombs.
    "It seems like the fun has only just started," he declared in a tone bereft of emotion. He pulled Lilith out of the massive mangled corpse of a D- Kobold Lord, his eyes now peering through the darkness and spotting nearly a dozen similar Kobold Lords. "It's no wonder that the previous Hunter Party embraced death in these Catacombs¡­ But if you think I'll be the same easy prey, you are sorely mistaken."
    "Kakaka!!!" The Kobolds jeered in response, cackling through their toothy mouths. Drool and blood spewed out of those same putrid pits as they multiplied in quantity, all surrounding a prey that was far outnumbered.
    Cassius counted hundreds of E+ Kobolds, dozens of D- Kobolds, and one who sat in the back. This one was presumably in the D Rank, which would surely¡­ be fun to fight.
    "Tell me," began Cassius, his stalwart figure blurring in and out of view, "¡ªcan you even¡­ see me?"
    Fwooop!
    Like a blur of black and scarlet, the lone human vanished from the Kobolds' sight.
    Through many improvements to the Agility stat, Cassius had brought his speed to the very pinnacle of the D-Rank, only a few steps away from the C-Rank. Now, what did this mean for the unsuspecting Kobolds still smugly mocking the 'weak' human?
    SHING! SHING!
    "So, were you able to see me?" asked Cassius as he reattached Lilith to his arm, causing her to euphorically shimmer in response. Yet, after a couple of seconds of hearing nothing come back, he wordlessly huffed. "It seems I expected too much from a bunch of mutts."
    SPURT! SPURT!
    Hundreds of Kobolds burst into bloody fireworks in the same instant, all dying with satirical expressions. They left for the afterlife without even knowing how they died. That was¡­ besides one¡­
    "Oh?" Cassius stopped in his tracks, yet did not take out Lilith again. "It looks like you were able to see me¡­" He cocked his head slightly to the left, presenting a terrifying view for the Kobold Titan.
    It was a D-Rank monster that had lived knowing it was one of the most powerful beings among the Kobold ranks. Other than its King and a couple dozen other strong Kobolds, it should have been the undisputed strongest Kobold around! Even when it came to the previous overconfident party of Hunters, all it needed was itself, a few Kobold Lords, and a Kobold Champion to overwhelm them!
    Now, here it was¡­ struggling to merely keep its balance after enduring an onslaught of unbelievably swift and sharp slashes. It felt its skin peel off and its blood gush out. Yet, more than that, it felt an indescribable sense of terror upon watching the tiny humanoid figure cloaked in black. Its pupils dilated and shook erratically as it staggered backward.
    The Kobold Titan didn't know why, but seeing that monster slowly approaching it with eerily glowing blue eyes scared the wits out of it! How could something with no aura possibly be so powerful!? All of its forces had died in an instant, and the only thing it saw were the apathetic afterimages that phased through the area, following death after death!
    "Why are you just standing there?" Cassius stood just below the towering figure of the five-meter Kobold Titan. Suddenly realizing something from the excessive perspiration of the Kobold, his lips curled up into a scarily amused grin.
    "...Are you perhaps¡­ scared?"
    "!!!"
    The Kobold Titan stumbled backward, crashing into the stone wall closest to it. Pure fear was etched across its animalistic features, yet that didn't stop the soft, thunderous footsteps from ringing out louder in its ears!

 Chapter 49 The Kobold King

    Cassius had originally contemplated taking off a couple of his Newbie Equipment 1 pieces after seeing that the Kobold Titan had survived. But it looked like his contemplation was unnecessary. The Kobold Titan had only survived due to a miraculous bout of luck, and because none of his attacks had hit its vitals.Now, however¡­
    "Tell me," Cassius repeated as lightning crackled beneath his soles. "...Can you even¡­"
    FWIP! SHING! SPURT!
    "¡­see me?"
    Without even taking out Lilith, Cassius blasted through the other end of the Kobold Titan using the momentum behind the front end of his Newbie 1 Training Sword. Somehow, the wooden sword emerged from this gruesome display without a single scratch on it.
    Cassius's eyes flashed with momentary disappointment. "It seems that, in the end, you never really could see me," he muttered before disappearing from the area, taking with him the Magic Shards of all the surrounding corpses.
    While he ventured further and further into the perilous caverns of the dangerous D+ Gate, a young girl of around sixteen was being carried through various rocky corridors. Tears streamed down her face, the dread having long since settled in. Stay connected with empire
    Memphis realized very early on that resistance was futile, as the massive Kobold lugging her around like a pinto bean had¡­ killed her father with a single strike.
    She teared up more upon thinking of the cruel way her father had been split in half. However, nothing seemed to come out, as her tear stock had run dry. It was also this event that made her realize the grim truth of the situation.
    Memphis believed everything that had happened was her fault¡ªfrom the courageous death of her father after protecting her to the way she begged him to give her this opportunity to see what a Gate was really like. Every moment after they were first ambushed by abnormally powerful Kobolds had been filled with regret. She should have never come into the Gate. She should've just enjoyed her summer days off.
    'M-Maybe¡­ Maybe if I never came, my dad and his friends wouldn't have¡­ died¡­'
    Memphis's depressing thoughts swirled around unrelentingly as the D+ monster known as the Kobold Goliath General brought her to a large metallic door. It stood in at dozens of meters tall, with deathly skulls embedded into the metal that made up its surface.
    After a brief moment of silence, the door slowly creaked open, and the Kobold Goliath, along with the other high-ranking Kobolds, began their trot into the space beyond. Large torches lined the lumpy stone walls of an area that stretched forward for a seemingly infinite distance. Yet, within minutes of walking through the hallway, the Kobold Goliath and the others reached a wide, spacious area with an even greater number of torches illuminating the surroundings.
    As soon as a three-meter, imperious figure sitting atop a bloody throne came into view, the Kobold Goliath and the other Kobolds hit the ground and bowed.
    The Kobold King raised his awe-inspiringly sturdy hand, commanding them all to rise, which they did.
    "What is this?" A deep, profoundly savage voice resounded through the gory throne room. Just his voice was enough to spike fear through the hearts of all the Kobolds, though a few of them managed to suppress their fear outwardly.
    Speaking up, the Kobold Goliath addressed its King in the Kobold tongue. "I have brought you a concubine, my Lord! This female human is very beautiful and will surely make an excellent addition to your collection!"
    "As the mightiest King of the Kobolds, you can never have too many lovers! And with those annoying races outside preventing your greatness from taking whomever you please, otherworlders like these are perfect for someone as magnificent as the King!"
    The Kobold King tapped his throne in interest. "Is what you say really the truth? Is she one of the most beautiful among the humans?" he asked, his tone brooking no falsehoods.
    The Kobold Goliath vehemently shook its head, sweat raining down its hideous, dog-like face. "I am positive that this one is among the best that the inferior human species has to offer! Here, I will present her before you, sire!!" An obsequious smile emerged on its face as it picked up the despairing girl with a single hand and placed her a few dozen feet away from its King.
    Even from such a distance, the Kobold King could clearly make out the exquisite facial features of the girl who had lost all hope. He repeatedly nodded, pleased with what he was seeing. "It looks like you were right this time, Goliath. But why is it crying?"
    The Kobold Goliath threw a menacing glare in Memphis's direction, causing her to shudder in immense fright. She truly felt she was better off dead. Although she couldn't understand what these horrid monsters were saying, the intent was practically tangible.
    For most of Memphis's life, her father had always told her to preserve her purity for the man she truly loved and wait until after marriage. She had adhered to those words until now, even after receiving more confessions at school than she could count. Yet now¡­
    Memphis's grayed eyes flickered in absolute horror as she noticed the presence of lust in the enormous eyes of the Kobold King. The monstrous creature scanned her from head to toe, its expression gingerly glazing over as it took in more. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    It had to admit that, of all the human females it had captured, she was the most marvelous.
    Answering the King's question, the Kobold Goliath stuttered nervously, "M-My Lord¡­ You know how these fragile creatures are. They cry over anything¡­" Feeling something life-threatening in the King's expression, the Goliath hurriedly added, "B-But, of course, my Lord, if this worm knew it was you whom she would be servicing and bearing children for, she would be beyond overjoyed!!"
    "Hmm¡­" The Kobold King calmed his killing intent, instead refocusing on the sorrowful human female. An invisible force suddenly pulled his lips into a crude, sadistic grin. "Well, I really don't mind if they are crying, or even if they are resistant. After all, it is far more fun when they struggle! Jajaja!!"

 Chapter 50 Memphis, Facing the Kobold King

    A peal of boisterous laughter silenced the fears of the Kobold Goliath and any others who might've gotten caught in the crossfire of their king's short temper. They heaved sighs of relief, and when their king nonchalantly waved them off without even looking their way, they immediately took their chance to skedaddle. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.However, just as they were about to vacate the pungent throne room, the distinct sound of sword clangs echoed in from outside. And then, with none of them knowing better, seven High D-Rank Kobold Royal Guards crashed through the throne room doors! They blasted all the way to the steps of the Kobold King's throne, with their massive bodies and faces battered beyond recognition.
    No life was left in their bloodless husks.
    The Kobold King was about to dine on the small girl, wearing a disgusting look on his face, when he abruptly froze in place. Slowly, he turned his livid expression toward the source of the disturbance. Wrath washed over every fiber of his being as his slitted eyes visibly lit aflame.
    "Who dares create trouble in my Royal Throne Room!? Are you wishing for death!? Even the Orcs of the East and the Lizardmen to the West know not to come here and do as they please unless they have a death wish!! So, who are you and what faction are you from¡ª!?"
    That was when the Kobold King saw the relatively short silhouette of a smoky, hooded figure. The figure held onto the gigantic head of a D+ Kobold Royal Guard, with his deathly blue eyes searching through the unfamiliar environment for something. Blood constantly leaked out of the Royal Guard's corpse and magically seeped into the surface of a terrifyingly sharp blade. This left the Kobold Royal Guard in the same shriveled-up state as the others.
    As everything in the throne room was still taken aback by his out-of-the-blue appearance, Cassius finally found who he was looking for. He also saw a smaller Kobold in possession of a presence that far outweighed the rest of the scrubs in the extremely wide room.
    "Are you the boss monster?" he casually asked, not caring a single bit about the venomous glares emerging among the Kobold extras. Yet, all he received in response to this silence-shattering question was a bunch of unintelligible grunting and bellowing from the three-meter Kobold.
    Realizing that questioning was surely going to get him nowhere, Cassius decided to get closer and convey his intent a different way.
    Fwooop!
    Those in the throne room were about to go berserk and murder this brazen intruder. However, they were forced to reconsider their thoughtless actions when the human lightly tapped against the floor before somehow appearing right in front of the frightened human girl.
    A deep frown formed on Cassius's partially covered face upon seeing the terrible condition of the poor girl. "Are you okay, pretty miss?" he asked, then added comically, "I seem to have gotten lost somewhere in my travels of Japan. Hah¡­ Sometimes, I just feel so muddle-minded¡­ But I would appreciate it if you could give me some instructions! It would be invaluable to me, yep yep."
    A hoarse feminine giggle echoed through the rage-filled halls as Memphis found it difficult not to laugh. Yet, when she realized what she was doing, she quickly went to cover her mouth. Her expression was one that emulated all her troubles, as she felt like feeling an emotion that made her feel good was not meant for someone as horrible as she was. Though, to Cassius, she looked kind of like a cutely apprehensive koala or kangaroo.
    He chuckled softly, which left the pitiable girl a little dazed. Memphis couldn't figure out what the mysterious man looked like due to the shadowy hood covering his face, but she could sense kindness in his voice. And it was also this understanding that led to her decisively urging him to leave. Even without being able to use her mouth because of a gag, she flailed her bound arms toward the smashed open door.
    Although Cassius was a bit dense, he was not stupid. He knew precisely what she wanted him to do, but did that mean he would comply?
    Cassius bobbed his head in understanding, seemingly grasping everything Memphis was trying to convey. "So what I'm getting from all this," he began. "...is that you want me to buy you some snacks once we get out of here? Hey, if that's what you want, then why don't we go a step further. Dinner for tonight is on me! But dessert is¡­" He leaned next to her ear, his hot breath mingling with her lobes. "Do you have any money on hand? Because we might have to go halfsies on dessert."
    "Pfft!" Memphis once again cracked a muffled laugh, yet quickly piped down when she felt the suffocating pressure of the infuriated Kobold King pressing down on her.
    Noticing this, Cassius's playful grin froze over as he turned his goofy expression away from the scared girl; it immediately turned terrifyingly cold.
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    Looking the intimidating ruler straight in the eyes, he uttered coldly, "I don't think anyone asked for your interference, bitch. Just sit back in your ugly throne; I will deal with you when I get around to it."
    "!?!?" Even though the Kobold King could not understand the human language of the world they came from, it could still feel the utter disrespect oozing from the human's mouth.
    "To not only barge into my throne room and completely disregard my existence, but also prance up to my possession and converse as you please!? And then to take things a step further and disrespect me right to my face!?!? You're truly courting DEATH, WORM!!!!!!"
    Sensing the fury on the verge of erupting like a volcano put a deep furrow on Cassius's annoyed expression. He suddenly turned to the trembling girl, with his now warm smile shining through his shadowy mask. "Well, it looks like we'll have to continue this conversation in a bit. For now, do you mind waiting here?"

 Chapter 51 Battling the Kobold King

    Urgency immediately appeared in Memphis's pretty green eyes as she fervently shook her head, wiggling around in a flurry of actions that all pointed to no. She wanted him to run away and leave her to her own fate! She didn't wish for anyone else to die because of her!Cassius felt a bit of anger rush up his throat upon watching such a kind girl not care a single bit about herself.
    'To push her to this state¡­ And here I thought I was a horrible human being¡­'
    "It looks like I still have a lot to learn about being evil," Cassius sighed. "But it does seem like you are fine with remaining still for a bit, so I will get this done quick and then return to you."
    *Mmmf!! Mmmf!!*
    'NOOooooo!!!!' Memphis cried out inside her mind as she wiggled over to him in her tied-up state, trying to get him to understand once more. Yet, by the time she blinked her eyes, he was already gone, now standing mere feet away from the monstrous profile of the Kobold King.
    "Say, you ugly fucker," said Cassius. "Can you¡­ even see me¡­?"
    "!!!"
    The Kobold King was preparing to attack when, from down below, the audacious human blurred from his spot and sparked through the air. The Kobold King felt an imminent threat to his life, urging him to throw up his hands and defend against an onslaught of attacks, all of which contained deadly killing intent.
    "My Lord!!"
    "The human dares!?"
    "How dare he!!?!?"
    The Kobolds in the throne room were about to join the fray, but before they could, the Kobold King shot them a ferocious glare. His message was clear: If you interfere in this fight, I will kill you. And knowing how their King got when he was really spun out like this, they held their claws and patiently watched from afar.
    Although they didn't possess much intelligence, they at least respected the hierarchy.
    After warning his subordinates, the Kobold King's fierce eyes fell on the darkened silhouette stabbing him from all directions. Humiliated, he shouted, "You damn rat!! Do you really believe that these itches will do anything against my skin!??" Then he expanded his aura outward and pushed Cassius back by twenty dozen meters.
    Cassius expertly landed his flying body on the ground with a backflip. Then he stood back up and glared at the powering-up Kobold. The King's fur began to change to a mightier, darker red color from his original light red. Moreover, his three-meter figure rapidly expanded and exploded beyond the seven-meter mark, making him the largest Kobold in attendance.
    Memphis's worry only grew exponentially. However, Cassius simply gave her a small, gentle nod before concentrating on his battle with the Kobold King.
    The magnitude of things had definitely exceeded his expectations, for even if he were faster than the beast, he would never be able to crack deep enough into its flesh as he was. Now, the most logical solution to this would be to just increase his Strength stat with the AP left over from his grind.
    However¡­ Cassius was not a conventional person.
    His blue eyes crackled with electricity as he eyed down the dog behemoth roaring to the skies, breaking through the eardrums of everyone present. The Kobold King's strength was now only a step away from the C-Rank, and though this meant certain death for him, he couldn't help but feel that same anticipatory thrill he felt in his last few big fights.
    Cassius was beginning to notice a change occurring within himself. It was unknown exactly when it started, but it was definitely happening. But rather than ignore or try to suppress this change, he decided to embrace it.
    Trails of purplish-red electricity shot out from his body before surrounding him in a fantastical way. The lightning, however, was produced not from any of the elements he could use, but because of the sheer level at which his body was vibrating. The more he veered from the path of the orthodox, the more thrilling it felt to have moments like this one.
    Showing just what he meant by that, Cassius lifted up his right arm and placed it on his left arm, then forcefully pried off the weight that seemed to be glued to his skin. A resounding thud thundered out when an astounding 500 pounds hit the ground.
    Yet, that was far from the end of the spectacle to come¡­ S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "..."
    "..."
    "..."
    As more and more heavy weights planted into the ground after being casually tossed away by their owner, everyone in the throne room was left at a loss for words. Some of the Kobolds looked between one another, trying to glean the truth from each other.
    Even Memphis wore an astonished look on her face as she watched thousands of pounds crash into the hard room surface. She couldn't understand why the unknown man would purposefully place weights on himself! But when the final waist weight came off, let alone her mind, she couldn't even believe what her eyes were transmitting to her!
    Even the Kobold King, with all his unbridled power, felt like a basin of cold water had been poured over his daunting existence when the small human began to naturally blur in and out of reality. He was not moving even a single step, yet his body looked as if it had just been freed from a mountain of stress and was now free to let loose.
    As sparks of electrified energy boomed outward, adding to the image produced from an overly charged body, the owner of said body turned his head up. Upon meeting the ferocious gaze of the Kobold King, stimulated tension formed in the distance that separated them.
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    The Kobold King was ready to go all out, even if the mystery surrounding the absurd human confused him!
    Yet, as if that tension was worth less than dirt for Cassius, he shifted his gaze toward thin air. A grin formed on his shadowy face upon seeing his Agility stat well into the three-figure mark. He brought his casual smirk back to the livid dog behemoth, only to ask:
    "Say¡­ Can you¡­ even¡ª"

 Chapter 52 Unlocking Idle Benefit #2

    He had no reason to explain why, but the Kobold King felt a huge, bloody scythe hanging over his head. "I can't let him finish that chant!!!" he roared while stomping his feet and lunging forward. His giant claws gleamed dangerously under the dim cavern light, illuminating the place in a forlorn way.Memphis's saddened face ashened as she could feel the power contained within that overdriven dog-beast body. From what she had seen of Hunters because of her dad's work, even a C-Rank Hunter would experience trouble when pitted against something of that level!
    'He will die¡­!!' she thought grimly, instinctively closing her eyes out of fear of what was to come. Discover hidden stories at empire
    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    However, after hearing countless ear-deafening sonic booms reverberate, Memphis pried her eyelids open against every instinct telling her not to. She then saw a sight that could only be described as unbelievable¡­
    The Kobold King's massive, terrifying body was now split into six massive chunks of meat and blood, all of which were splattered behind its throne. There wasn't even enough time for it to register or respond to anything, but if it had been given that time, disbelief would surely have been strewn across its hideous face.
    To add to Memphis's astonishment, every other powerful Kobold monster in the throne room was dead. From the King to the lowliest of peons, all of them looked as if they had been quite literally hacked at until they died.
    "...Even see me¡­ Oh, wait, they're already dead," Cassius chuckled before allowing Lilith to absorb all the blood smeared in every corner of the room. "I'll return my Newbie 1 Set back to their proper spots while Lilith is evolving, and maybe glance at my system notifications."
    Doing just that, he stuck his limiters back on, somehow feeling a lot more comfortable than when his Agility stat of 125 was fully unleashed. He had originally used up a good chunk of his AP just before entering the throne room, just to be on the safer side. However, even if he had barely reached the C-Rank, around the 100 mark, he still probably could've handled the unruly mutt with ease.
    "...Well, not like I really lost anything¡­" Cassius consoled himself while looking at the barrage of pop-ups spamming his peripheral vision.
    *Ding!*
    [You have killed dozens of D-, D, and D+ Kobolds!]
    [Your Experience Bar has drastically moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [Level has increased from '25' ¡ú '27']
    [You have killed a D++ King Kobold!]
    [Your Experience Bar has tremendously moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [Level has increased from '27' ¡ú '29']
    [You received 8 Stat Points in all of your Main Attributes!]
    [You obtained 16 AP!]
    [Your Battle Power has improved by leaps and bounds!]
    Following these system notifications were the ones that came for completing the 2nd Main Quest.
    BLING!
    {[Main Quest 2:]} ¨C [?]
    ¡ª[Due to a freak change in the quality of Gate Energy in Japan, one or two Gates have suddenly and instantly had their ranks increased!]
    |Clear D+ Kobold's Catacombs| ¨C [?]
    [Reward 1: 2 Stat Points in Strength, 1 in Agility, 1 in Defense, 2 in Endurance, and 3 in Perception.] ¨C [Y/N]
    [Reward 2: 5 AP] ¨C [Y/N]
    [Reward 3: 'Troll System' Idle Benefit #2 will be unlocked] ¨C [Y/N]
    [Reward 4: 'Are you looking to get face-slapped?'] ¨C [Y/N]
    {[Bonus Objectives:]} ¨C [?]
    [Bonus Reward 1: 10 AP] ¨C [Y/N]
    [Bonus Reward 2: 5 Common Grade Evoballs] ¨C [Y/N]
    [Bonus Reward 3: 1 'Heap of EXP'] ¨C [Y/N]
    After a moment of thought, Cassius said, "Accept all normal rewards."
    *Ding!*
    [You have received 2 Stat Points in Strength, 1 in Agility, 1 in Defense, 2 in Endurance, and 3 in Perception.]
    [You obtained 5 AP!]
    [Acquired 'Troll System - Idle Benefit #2']
    [Acquired Special Grade Skill 'Are you looking to get face-slapped?']
    Cassius felt another eruption of power course through his veins. He relished that feeling of empowerment for a moment before fixing his attention on the third reward. He had no idea what the hell a 'Troll System' was, but for it to be the 2nd Idle Benefit, it must surely be something spectacular.
    Opening up his Idle Benefits section, his perceptive eyes quickly fell on the relevant details.
    {[Idle Benefit 2: Troll System]}
    ¡ª[You now have the ability to acquire trace amounts of AP by trolling other living beings. The stronger the target and the more numerous they are, the more AP you will acquire. (AP acquisition is most dependent on how angry or emotional you make your target.)]
    [Learn to be a good Troll as per required of your free-of-charge Character Development course! ^~^]
    "...I see¡­" Cassius was momentarily speechless, but if this was yet another thing that could improve his strength until he could truly begin idling, then he would accept it with open arms.
    "Anger¡­ I just need to make other people angry? And how far does 'emotional' extend, I wonder¡­?"
    Ultimately, he decided to test out the feature later. In the meantime, he had some more rewards to peruse, which was exactly what he did.
    "'Are you looking to get face-slapped'?"
    Question marks sparked above Cassius's head as he tried to figure out what this thing did. But seeing as it was a skill, he would just test it out on an enemy later and see what happens. "...Too bad it doesn't come with a description¡­ Will kind of be going into this in the dark¡­ But oh well, next set of rewards for now."
    Upon pressing yes for all of the Bonus Rewards, more system notifications rang out.
    *Ding!*
    [You obtained 10 AP!]
    [You obtained 5 Common-grade Evoballs!]
    [You received '1 Heap of EXP']
    [Your Experience Bar has moved tremendously!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You leveled up!]
    "Damn, two levels up just from that?" said Cassius. "It looks like I'll need to keep a better lookout for more Heaps of EXP in the future."
    With that, his attention was drawn to the Common-grade Evoballs, which was when a brief description for them popped up.

 Chapter 53 {[Common-Grade Evoball]}

    {[Common-grade Evoball]}¡ª[Lowest-ranking Evoballs, but can still be used to capture and keep any monsters at or below the D-Rank. The stronger and more willful the monster, the less likely the Evoball is to successfully capture said target. It is recommended that the target first be beaten into submission before attempting to subdue it with an Evoball.]
    Cassius's expression turned unreadable for a second as he wondered how something like this could be best utilized. "With so few of them, and all of them capped at the D-Rank, they won't prove to be very useful¡­ But maybe I am missing something here?"
    Just as he said that¡­
    *Ding!*
    [The captured monsters of Evoballs can be temporarily fused with the user, which will give the user specific racial traits of the monster. This can be considered the first step of the 'Evolution' segment of the system's details and will eventually lead to more intricate features.]
    [Only the evolutionary qualities of a SINGLE captured monster can be fused with the user at a time. Furthermore, only 10 'Evomonsters' can be stored at the same time with the Host's current capabilities.]
    "How interesting," Cassius mused, already brainstorming various ways that this could be used if he played his cards right. "For now, however, I have something more urgent to attend to."
    His striking blue eyes instinctively fell on the stunned girl tied up in bonds. Her babydoll eyelashes quivered in response as she saw the mysteriously powerful hooded man approach her.
    Memphis closed her eyes, prepared for the worst. Yet, she was bewildered to find all the ropes on her body suddenly loosen. Moreover, her gag had been taken out, allowing her to finally speak once more.
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    "T-Thank you¡­ for saving me," she mumbled meekly, her pupils darting everywhere but toward where Cassius was standing. "W-Without you¡­ I would've ended up li-like¡­ my dad¡ª"
    "You don't have to think about it if you don't want to," said Cassius as he bent down and ruffled her hair, with only his kind smile shining through. "Say, how about we get out of here? My companion just finished the clean-up, but the decor of this place is simply horrid! Wouldn't you agree?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Memphis shifted her flickering eyes to the hundreds of drained Kobold husks scattered about. Confused, she softly murmured a question. "What happened to them¡­?"
    "Oh, that?" replied Cassius, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It's all because of my companion here." He promptly raised up Lilith in full sword form, who was currently going through a dazzling blood evolution. Her stats were being constantly improved the more blood she completely assimilated, which led to several eruptions of crimson energy tendrils.
    "Isn't she beautiful?" asked Cassius.
    "Mhmm¡­" Memphis was left momentarily dazed, both because of Lilith's resplendence and the mildly enamored look plastered across Cassius's covered face. She couldn't help but wonder what he looked like underneath. However, figuring it to be rude to ask something like that, she kept quiet.
    Noticing a bit of discontentment in the golden-eyed girl, Cassius explained, "The hood is there to shield the world from my hideous appearance¡­ Haiz, it's rough being so ugly¡­."
    "...Are you really that ugly underneath¡­? I don't think that's true¡­"
    Cassius chuckled. "Maybe, maybe not. I have been told that I have terrible aesthetic taste."
    Confused, Memphis asked, "What do you mean by that?"
    "You want an example?" Cassius's grin widened.
    Memphis got a bad feeling, but she still nodded.
    "...I would like one, please," she murmured, to which he replied, "Sure, I'll give you an example."
    He then leaned in close, getting just close enough for her to glimpse at his thin nose. "The truth is that I believe blood to be especially beautiful, just like my Lilith here."
    Lilith vibrated happily while continuing to undergo her evolutions.
    "...You think blood is beautiful¡­?" asked Memphis, her head tilted cutely. "Isn't blood gruesome? Often associated with¡­"
    "Death," said Cassius, his smile shining brightly. "That may be true, but is death not something beautiful as well? Death itself may be saddening to some, but the act of dying can oftentimes be charmingly poetic. I know I told you not to think of it, but your dad's death¡­ Were the actions leading up to his death not something that weaved his death into something awe-inspiring¡­?"
    "Awe-inspiring¡­" Memphis's eyes watered as she recalled how her father jumped out in front of her and held on until his very last moments.
    "...Yeah, it was awe-inspiring," she said as crystalline tears streamed down her dazzling, smiling expression. "It really was¡­!" She beamed, her eyes creasing up exquisitely.
    Cassius nodded warmly as he let go of her head. "You are tough, Memphis. Now, can you get up and walk out of here with me? Or would you prefer it if I carried you? I don't mind either way¡ª"
    Embarrassment mixed with Memphis's sorrow as she vehemently shook her head, causing her long silky black hair to sling left and right. "I-I can get up myself," she said.
    She attempted to get up, only to immediately fail to stand. Her legs were just too shaky from everything that happened to make it possible for her to walk.
    Wasting no time, Cassius swooped her up into his thick arms in a gentlemanly manner. Looking down at her, he smilingly said, "We can just pretend this never happened, alright? If you won't tell, then I won't tell," he joked.
    Flustered, Memphis hid her gorgeously flushed face from sight. "...Mhmm¡­" was all she mumbled before staying silent the rest of the return journey.
    As the two of them silently walked, both thinking about a multitude of complicated matters, Cassius received numerous system notifications. They also just so happened to come as he was leaving the Gate after having collected all of the valuable parts of the Kobolds, which included their Magic Shards.
    *Ding!*
    [You have trolled Memphis for 0.3 AP!]
    [|Devil Blade: Lilith| has absorbed tens of thousands of gallons of D-, D, D+, and D++ Blood!]
    [|Devil Blade: Lilith| has ranked up from the D+ Rank to the D++ Rank, achieving the peak stage of the D Realm!]
    [|Devil Blade: Lilith| ¨C |Attack +35|]
    OOOM!

 Chapter 54 A Flustered Corra

    OOOM!Lilith erupted with newfound power, causing the air around her to shoot out and collapse back into itself, creating a sight that left Memphis's golden eyes shining. She nudged Cassius.
    Puzzled, he asked, "What is it?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "...Your blade," mumbled Memphis. "My¡­ father and his friends never had anything as unique as it¡­ Why is yours so special¡­?"
    Cassius patted the beautiful girl tangled in his arms, his smile growing fonder. "Other items are not like my Lilith because I made her myself. She and I were just meant to be."
    "Meant to be?" Memphis parroted, her irises glazing over in confusion. "...That sounds romantic¡­" Enjoy more content from empire
    "Hmm?" Cassius pondered.
    "I guess it does," he chuckled. "But I would say that our relationship is something deeper¡­ Almost like our intent and intentions are clearly displayed before one another. This is also why we have never gotten into a fight."
    "Gotten into a fight¡­? With a sword¡­?" Memphis hid her face in his clothes, trying to suppress a contagious giggle. "That is silly¡­"
    Cassius awkwardly scratched his neck. "Yeah¡­ Now that you mention it, there is definitely something unusual about what I just said¡­ But you know, sometimes, the unusual things are the most pleasant to experience."
    "Is that why you're so pleasant to be around¡ª?"
    Memphis quickly covered her mouth, embarrassed on several levels. She saw a flash of amusement pass through his mesmerizing eyes, prompting her to hide even further into his clothes.
    "J-Just forget that I¡­ said that¡­"
    "Very well," said Cassius, unable to conceal the invisible force cracking away at his straight face. Noticing this made Memphis even more mortified; she hid away for the rest of the short return trip, refusing to speak another word.
    After finishing the gathering of all the Magic Shards into his Inventory Space, Cassius overlooked the curiosity of the quiet girl in his arms and approached the Gate's exit. Without wasting any more time inside, he walked through and reached the other side.
    However, as it became immediately clear that the people outside had realized what had happened with the Gate's rank change, he had to slip out unnoticed.
    Cassius's |Shadow Step| skill had already leveled up many times and ranked up twice during his time grinding monsters in the Gate, so he was able to effortlessly evade the eyes of everyone. Yet, there were a couple of exceptions¡ªthose with extraordinarily high Perception stats.
    The Branch Master of the Hoshito Hunter Branch was one such person, and his perceptive eyes traced the fast-moving shadow traversing through the sea of citizens, reporters, and the like before eventually disappearing into the distance.
    A slight smile tugged at the Branch Master's cracked lips as he spoke up, directing his voice toward a valiantly dressed woman by his side. "That mysterious man you spoke of¡ªa student at Hoshito High¡ªhow powerful did you say he seemed again?"
    Although taken aback by the abrupt question, Corra quickly regained her bearings and replied, "He was likely of the high D-Rank, with his speed being his most prominent attribute. Furthermore, his skills were unique, efficient, and unlike anything that I've ever witnessed among the higher-ranking Hunters."
    The Branch Master's smile curved upward as he watched where he assumed the youngster to be right now. "It would appear that we either have a venomous snake lurking in our midst, just waiting to strike and take us by surprise¡­ or we have someone who could send Hoshito to new heights¡ªlikely even further than the fame we acquired after raising and nurturing the A-Rank Hunter, Firecracker, who is currently a rising star in Tokyo."
    Corra's brows raised in surprise. She knew there was something special about that young man, but for him to be appraised so highly by the illustrious B-Rank Branch Master¡­ Just how much could one person be hiding?
    Luckily for her curiosity, the Branch Master spoke up again, saying:
    "You aren't too much older than that¡­ Cassius, I think it was."
    "...Yes¡­?" Corra felt a sense of foreboding, and just as she expected, the Branch Master clasped his hands behind his back before saying, "I believe it would be in your best interest to keep close to him¡ªmaybe even close enough to be considered classmates. Wouldn't you agree, young Corra?"
    "...Yes, sir," replied Corra, helpless to refute the obvious request being made of her.
    The Branch Master softly laughed while patting her on the back. "There is no need to appear so glum. It isn't like I'm forcing you to do this, as I really am saying this for your sake and the relationship I had with your late parents. Becoming something like a friend of this Cassius will surely bring you many unexpected benefits. And hey, maybe if you put in a bit more initiative, you might be able to become more than friends¡ª"
    "Okay, that is enough¡­!" Corra cut through his jokes, flustered beyond belief. "I-I will do this and join his school, but not because you said so! I wish to see what exactly makes you think so highly of him!"
    The Branch Master chortled at the sudden outburst of his little niece, one which put her feisty and determined personality on display. "If that is what you truly want, then I will not impede you. But I would keep a lookout, because your competition is definitely going to be fierce," he warned as he glimpsed the faint silhouette of a gorgeous girl cuddled in Cassius's arms.
    "W-What competition¡­!?" Corra blurted out, her mind fuzzy and her cheeks painted a deep crimson, matching her auburn hair. "Stop speaking nonsense, old man," she grumbled while taking peeks at the place where the Branch Master was looking, wondering just what he was talking about.
    Seeing his little niece react in such a manner caused the Branch Master to let out a peal of laughter. He stroked his long white beard, conveniently ignoring her irate ramblings.
    Meanwhile, in a dark location miles away from where the Kobold's Catacombs Gate was on the verge of collapse, Cassius materialized into reality with a flushed girl in his arms. He strolled up to a brightly lit lamplight area and sat himself on a bench.

 Chapter 55 Partial 5th Idle Benefit - [Affection Ratings]

    Cassius was about to glance at the system notifications he received for saving Memphis, but before he got the chance, she spoke up, mumbling:"Y-You can let me down now¡­" She wiggled and squirmed in his lap. She wasn't the least bit uncomfortable¡ªat least not physically¡ªbut something weird was messing with her insides, causing her to experience mild discomfort.
    "Ahh, yes," said Cassius, seemingly calm about the whole ordeal.
    He gently laid her on the seat beside him, then took the opportunity to ask, "Do you have any family that I could help you get into contact with¡­?"
    Realization dawned upon Memphis as reality washed over her embarrassment. A lot of color drained from her otherwise beautiful face; she clenched her fists while looking down at her feet.
    "...I have an uncle who lives a few towns over, but¡­ but I really don't want to contact him¡­ And I would like to stay in Hoshito High if at all possible¡­ I-I really don't know what to do¡­"
    Cassius's brows furrowed in understanding. He could sense more to her aversion to her uncle than something merely childish. Moreover, he sympathized with her wanting to stay in the school district she had been in her whole life, even though she knew it was inconvenient to hold on.
    Yet, none of that made this situation any less convoluted¡­
    Feeling the complicated aura permeating around them, Cassius sighed. He snuggled his hand into her hair, causing her nerves to loosen up tremendously. "Don't worry. From now on, you will be staying with me. Only if you want to, of course."
    Memphis's eyes brightened with genuine joy. "Do you truly mean that?? I can stay with you!?"
    Cassius nearly fell off the bench from how far he had to lean away from the girl who seemed far too excited about this information.
    "Ahh¡­ I-I'm sorry¡­!"
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    Upon realizing how brazen she was acting, Memphis returned to her spot, once again falling silent. However, contrary to last time, the silence was very peaceful, as she repeated his words over and over again in her mind.
    Small illusory flowers seemed to bounce off her head; she was practically overflowing with gratefulness and a sweetness that was almost sickening.
    Cassius instantly understood that there was no turning back on what he said¡ªnot unless he wanted to anger some god above.
    'Well, not that I was planning on reneging on my proposal to begin with¡­ Though, I will still require Sasha's permission¡­'
    'Until I can figure out a way to purchase her some housing of her own, I will need to somehow smooth things over¡­'
    Then, as if to reward him for a good deed while expecting nothing in return, the Idle Evolution System notified him of a few things.
    *Ding!*
    {[Side Quest - Main Quest 2]}
    [Reward 1: Slightly less disdain from the Idle Evolution System] ¨C [Y/N]
    [Reward 2: 5 AP] ¨C [Y/N]
    [Reward 3: The gratitude of a pretty girl who is about to awaken as an S-Rank Awakener] - (Don't make this weird¡­)] ¨C [Y/N]
    As soon as Cassius saw these screens appear in front of him, he clicked accept on the first silly reward, then accepted the second one. And lastly, he accepted the final one, though that one didn't actually do anything¡ªor, at least, that was what he originally assumed.
    {[Memphis: 16 y/o]} ¨C [Affection: 55]
    "???"
    He was extremely perplexed by what he was seeing, but as someone who considered himself to be pretty adaptive, he made his speculations about what this screen could entail. Then, as if to assist him in reaching a conclusion, another few screens expanded around the first one.
    BLING!
    {[Partial 5th Idle Benefit]} ¨C [Given due to the Host being relatively close with five or more girls.]
    [Girls (Familiar (10-25) - Close (26-50) - Affectionate (51-80) - Extremely Affectionate (81-95) - Obsessed (96-99) - Out for Blood (100):]
    [Trolling any Girls with at least a Familiar relationship status will allot the Host more AP than usual, with that bonus being greater the better the relationship status.]
    {[Memphis: 55]}
    {[Aya: 73]}
    {[Grace: 75]}
    {[Sasha: 43]}
    {[Corra: 18]}
    {[Bella: 100]}
    Cassius's expression remained rather neutral as he read through the details of this sneak peek of the Idle Benefit that would come after his next one. That was until his eyes fell on the affection rating of his coworker and one of the most popular girls at his school. He couldn't take his gaze away from the number and name as he tried his best to quantify what the hell he was looking at.
    'Why would the girl who forces herself to be friendly around me have an affection rating of 100???' Cassius thought in pure bewilderment. 'Is this thing bugged or something¡­??' Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Noticing the confusion present on his sculpted face, Memphis asked, "Is something the matter? If you're having second thoughts about letting me stay at your place, then¡­ then I understand¡ª" But before she could finish that gloomy statement, Cassius cut her off, saying:
    "It's nothing like that. I was simply mulling over something that seems far too silly¡­ Ha¡­ How ridiculous¡­"
    Memphis's curiosity piqued as her ears perked up. "...This something¡­ Do you mind telling me about it¡­?"
    "Ahh¡­ Hmm, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell ya," replied Cassius. "What if there was this person you thought you only knew as an acquaintance. Yet, a very reliable source told you differently. In fact, this source stated that the person would quite literally kill for you!" He described with a bit of dramatic pause. "Now, tell me: how would you take this information?"
    "Well¡­" Memphis seriously thought over the matter, which made her appear earnestly adorable. Suddenly, her eyes flashed with inspiration as she said, "This person must be insane! After all, if you were left under the assumption that you weren't even friends but mere acquaintances, yet this person felt so passionately about your relationship to kill for you, then¡­ Then that person must be clinically insane!"
    A starry-eyed girl hanging upside down in a spooky mansion blew an unnaturally loud sneeze. Frustrated over not being able to spend more time with her husband, she grumbled in annoyance while wiping her cute nose.

 Chapter 56 A Friend...?

    "Insane¡­ huh?"Cassius pondered deeply about this matter. Either the Idle Evolution System was trolling him, just as it wanted him to do to others, or there was something more to this matter with Bella. 'Just what is she hiding¡­?'
    A hush fell over the lit-up bench area of a street located right outside Cassius's home as he thought about several different plausible scenarios. Memphis, on the other hand, was too preoccupied with the previous subject of living together.
    'Living together¡­ Isn't t-that what a man and woman do after¡­ ma-marr¡­ marriage¡­??'
    Smoke escaped her head through her ears as she turned redder than a tomato. Now that her mind was clearer, she was seriously beginning to wonder if this whole thing was a good idea. However, when she recalled the lascivious look on her uncle's face and the innocent kindness of the young shadowy hooded man beside her, her mind resolved.
    With newfound determination, Memphis turned to the contemplative Cassius. "I want to live with you!" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "...Is that so¡­?"
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    "Yes! If you let me stay at your place for a period of time, I promise you that I will repay the favor when I eventually awaken as a Hunter!"
    "Very well."
    "And additionally¡ª Ahh, wait, what was that?" Memphis's well-thought-out speech came to a sudden halt as she started forward.
    Cassius raised an amused brow at her adorable mannerisms. "I said that you can stay. And you can do so for as long as you need to. Of course, you and I will both need to put some effort into convincing my stepmother."
    Although Memphis didn't understand how she managed to get away with something so monumental so easily, that didn't mean she would say anything to refute his words.
    Giddy, she said loudly, "I will do everything I can to convince your stepmother! You can trust me!"
    Cassius chuckled softly as he rose from the bench and extended a hand in her direction. "Well, let's see you put those skills to the test then."
    Memphis only slightly hesitated before taking his large, rough hand and pulling herself forward. "I can do it!"
    Now able to walk just fine, she took large confident strides away from the bench.
    However, somewhere in the middle of her stride, she froze in place and slowly swiveled her head around like a mechanically impaired toy.
    "Wh-Which way is your home¡­?" she asked with a twitching smile. The answer she received was a silent one, as Cassius threw up a thumb pointing behind him. "It's right there." He pointed to the two-story Japanese house located right next to the bench.
    "...Really¡­?"
    "Yep."
    "...I see¡­"
    A hint of crimson touched Memphis's cheeks as she awkwardly raced back over to Cassius before lightly knocking her forehead against his chest. "...You won't mention this, right¡­?" she practically squeaked, with no evidence of her previous mojo still present.
    Cassius watched her affection for him scale close to 65, finding the difference between her actions and actual feelings quite amusing. Still, he answered, "Of course not." While smiling warmly.
    "Mhmm¡­"
    They both then walked toward the front entrance to his house.
    She gained back a lot of her confidence upon coming into contact with the door, yet lost most of it as soon as she heard faint footsteps echo out from inside. Luckily, Cassius was there to help alleviate most of the pressure she was feeling.
    It was also during this time that Memphis was finally able to see what lay beneath that shadowy hood of his. And for the rest of the time before the footsteps approached the other side of the door, she was left breathless, with her heart beating way out of rhythm.
    Cassius saw her affection increase by another 5 points and hit 68, but he had no idea it was solely because of his appearance, assuming that it happened because of the outward intimacy of a cannon event like this one.
    Tap, Tap, Tap!
    Sasha finally made it to the door and promptly opened it up. The moment she saw the tall, handsome figure ahead, her golden eyes slightly glossed over as she recalled the frivolous thoughts that passed through her mind earlier that day. However, when her eyes fell on the pretty girl standing beside him, they unintentionally darkened a little. This also caused her affection rating to increase by 5, which greatly confused Cassius.
    Yet, before he could broach the matter, she spoke first:
    "This girl is¡­ a friend of yours¡­?"
    "Ahh, yes." Cassius snapped out of it as he gestured to the gorgeous girl nervously squirming in place. "She is someone currently going through a rough patch, and I was hoping that you would allow her to stay here with us until she finds somewhere else to stay."
    Realizing that this was her part to add something in, Memphis bowed at a low angle, letting her silky black hair flow over her head. "I-It's very nice to meet you, Miss Sasha! I-I am Memphis, and I would¡ª" She stuttered repeatedly, yet only worsened things when she bowed a little too much and tipped over.
    Fortunately, Cassius caught her by the back of her ripped-up dress just before she could faceplant the ground.
    Shifting his eyes back to the judging Sasha, he said, "Memphis may be a bit clumsy, but she is a good girl¡­ Just¡­ she has been through some things recently." Suddenly turning serious, he bowed as well, surprising both Sasha and Memphis. "I would be in your debt if you could permit her to stay here for the time being. Please¡­"
    "C-Cassius¡­" Memphis really didn't like seeing him go so far for her, especially not after she messed things up so badly.
    "Fine."
    "What¡­?" Both Cassius and Memphis were confused.
    Sasha sighed as she lightly shook her head, bringing with that action the jiggling of her motherly milky white valleys, which were clearly visible in her risqu¨¦ nightwear.
    "I was never going to deny your request to begin with, but seeing you get so serious about something¡­ It makes me happy." She smiled genuinely, dazing both Cassius and Memphis.
    They would never deny it if someone said that this woman had maxed out her mature charm; it even made the latter feel a bit inferior.

 Chapter 57 {[I AM SPEED (P)(C-)]}

    "Anyway," said Sasha. "Head on in and show your friend to the guest room. I will bring some spare clothes up in a bit."She turned around and sashayed with her plump cheeks swaying hypnotically, yet before she fully disappeared from the hallway, she side-eyed the pair. "Just don't be getting up to anything that kids your age would be doing at night."
    With that, she walked away.
    Memphis was left furiously blushing, whereas Cassius remained blissfully unaware of his stepmother's slight nuances, taking full advantage of his selective-density protagonist powers.
    After making his way to the guest room and giving Memphis a brief rundown, he bid farewell to her, much to her dismay.
    Walking to his room, he crossed paths with the mildly glum blonde MILF. However, when she saw him, the glumness vanished as if it were never there to begin with. Yet, instead of starting a conversation like she would normally do, she curtly nodded before hastily breezing past him with a set of feminine nightwear in her hands.
    Cassius was a bit puzzled by this interaction but quickly shook his head to clear his mind before retreating into the whitish confines of his room. Afterward, he sat down on his bed in a lotus position and swiped up his system interface, curious to see how far he had come after his first official Gate Raid.
    BLING!
    ________________________________
    [Name: Idle Evolution System]
    [Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 29]
    [Title: Advent Devil (C-)]
    ______________________________
    [HP: 4360/4360] [MP: 8000]
    [FATIGUE: 4]. [AP: 25]
    ______________________________
    [STRENGTH: 57] (Juggling vans is possible.)
    [AGILITY: 133] (Mach 8. Are you trying to become the red blur?.)
    [ENDURANCE: 52] (Your appearance and temperament have really been improving as of late. You should be able to put this stamina to good use soon enough!)
    [INTELLIGENCE: 51] (Keep at it and Sage status will be left in the dust, paving way for becoming a Great Sage.)
    [PERCEPTION: 54] (Don't do anything perverted with this level of sense¡­ No, seriously¡­)
    [CHARISMA: 26] (Experienced Model-level)
    {[Skills:]}
    [Shadow Step (A)(D+)(Lvl2)], [Muscularity (P)(D-)(Lvl4], [Slash (A)(E+)(Lvl3], [Sprint (A)(F+)(Lvl2]
    [Harden (A)(E+)(Lvl5)], [Extreme Fortitude (P)(D-)(Lvl5)], [Mind Focus (P)(D)(Lvl2)], [Tinker Tools (P)(F+)(Lvl4]..... ¨C[Extend to see more¡­]
    _______________________________
    [P.S. Only skills with high synchrony to the Host will be able to level up and rank up the fastest, even superseding the difference between lower ranks and higher ranks.]
    [Do some of that new-gen stuff and try discovering yourself! Just don't dye your hair blue and walk around in a dress! That would signify terrible character development¡ª]
    Before the Idle Evolution System could finish its bunch of nonsense, Cassius's voice cut through the air. "I should have a decent amount of Random Skill Boxes saved up from my level-ups, no? Try opening them instead of running your mouth."
    [...]
    [Rude &gt;¡ê&lt; But a cold and rude personality trait is very much considered good character development¡­]
    [Conflicted¡­]
    "...Can you please stop playing around with me and just open the boxes¡­?" Cassius was on the verge of begging at this point. Enjoy exclusive content from empire
    He would just open the boxes himself if he could, but it seemed the Idle Evolution System had predicted this and locked them in the Inventory.
    [Hmm¡­ Deep pondering¡­]
    [Very well! And as a reward for playing along, the system has decided to give you an opportunity for greater benefits!]
    [You have precisely 300+ Random Skill Boxes of the Copper Minus, Neutral, and Plus Rank. Moreover, you have 50+ Random Skill Boxes of the Bronze Minus, Neutral, and Plus Rank!]
    [Would you like to convert them all into a single Silver-Specific Skill Box of the Agility Aspect? (What you receive is still randomized, but it will be within the bounds of Agility.)]
    Cassius seriously considered what the system was asking him, but then¡­
    [Offer going once!]
    [Offer going twice!]
    [Offer going¡­] S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Fine, just do it!" Cassius bemoaned his fate as one of the pushy Idle Evolution System's victims.
    If not for how much power it allowed him to gather, he would¡­! Haiz¡­
    [Wise choice, dear Host! ^=^]
    A lottery board then appeared in front of him, containing thousands of different colored options. Some had names that appeared more imposing than the others, but the clicker didn't seem to discriminate as it danced along the Skill options.
    After a while, the clicker came to a gradual crawl. Then, with one final flutter, it landed on a pure black option that held a series of three words in loud white italic lettering. 'I AM SPEED,' it read. The description, even more unusual, went as such:
    {[I AM SPEED (P)(C-)]}
    [If you thought you were fast before, then just try to move now. The larger the gap between your Agility stat and your other stats, the faster you move.]
    [No known upper limits for the skill.]
    ¨C [Current Speed Boost: 135%]
    The moment this passive Skill was acquired, Cassius felt his body uncontrollably blur. He moved all over the place at an utterly insane speed yet hadn't moved a single inch. It was almost as if the very atoms and molecules that made up his being were struggling to remain in the same point in time as the rest of his existence.
    Some time later¡­
    Cassius managed to control his ludicrous speed to a tolerable level, then breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected an unexpected and troublesome boon like this one to come from the System's forced decisions, but he was partly glad it did. The other, larger part of himself, however, was uncertain and weary of how this would affect his future.
    If he kept enlarging the gap between his Agility stat and the other stats, wouldn't he be able to become so fast that he could potentially lap the whole world several times over¡­? And that was with the current rank of the Skill, completely excluding what it could become at higher ranks. Which, with his synchrony with the Agility attribute, were rank-ups that were more a matter of time than anything¡­

 Chapter 58 Sashas Unexpected Worry

    "Maybe I should lay off the Agility stat for a while¡­?" However, as soon as this thought entered Cassius's frontal lobe, it left in that same instant. "Who am I kidding? I was born to go fast, and this is just a shortcut to becoming faster than everyone else."With that, he kept the special Skill to the back of his mind. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Entertaining a different train of thought, he considered whether to take off his Newbie 1 Training Set before going to sleep. Even though he felt that taking his weights off was the logical thing to do, something was telling him that good things would come if he kept them on for longer. His first assumption was that the Perception stat was hinting at something, either directly or indirectly through the Idle Evolution System.
    Following a period of contemplation:
    "I guess I'll just keep them on and also have my Newbie 1 Sword close to my person as well," Cassius decided. "And I will also do another set of exercises for the day, as I feel a connection between doing that and what my gut is telling me to do on this matter as well."
    He promptly fell to the floor with a quiet, controlled thud, then went through each of the exercise sequences. However, as he completed them all in record times, he felt that they had already become far too easy.
    Even though he barely put any AP into the Strength stat, the gains were still coming. The Strength stat, more than the others, naturally accumulated due to how much stress was constantly being placed on Cassius's body. Endurance was also up there, but not nearly at the same level.
    Nonetheless, he figured the Idle Evolution System would soon solve his¡­ 'lack of good grinding'...? Soon enough. But before then, he would humbly accept the easy wins.
    After exceeding the 100 mark, eventually touching upon the 200 mark¡ªwhich was the absolute cap for the basic exercises¡ªhe returned to his bed. Surprise over the bed not instantly collapsing because of the weight was evident in his expression, but he once again surmised the sturdiness of everything in the household to be a result of an extremely skilled construction worker.
    When, in actuality, it was something far more complicated and mysterious than that¡­
    After settling into his covers, Cassius snoozed off into the inexplicable land of dreams, utterly unaware of the eerie shadows that lurked outside his bedroom window.
    They lingered there for a while, simply staring with their spiraling beady eyes and salivating from their long slimy tongues. However, after hearing something only they could hear, they simultaneously shot their heads in the same direction. With the same level of synchronicity, they leapt from his bedroom window and raced above the Hoshito housetops at speeds far surpassing even the B-Rank.
    They, along with many other unnervingly terrifying creatures, had their eyes set on the cosmopolitan city of Tokyo. Their intentions were unknown to all, but they appeared from every corner of the nation at the exact same time and advanced in a chaotically orderly fashion, with their destinations being the most populated area in Japan¡­
    As unexplainable undercurrents washed through the nation, Cassius unknowingly experienced the setting of the sun in the west and the rising of the sun in the east a total of seven times.
    He woke up bright and early one particular day, feeling exceptionally refreshed. This surprised him; after all, sleeping with thousands of pounds of weights pressing down on one's body would surely be incredibly uncomfortable. But for some reason, it made him feel at home, almost as if being restricted was the only way of life he had ever known. Find more chapters on empire
    'It's sort of depressing¡­ But at least it makes me stronger,' he thought to himself while casually rolling out of bed.
    After dressing himself appropriately for a work day off, Cassius opened his door and walked out into the hallway. He noticed no one outside today, but he didn't fixate on it. His footsteps echoed out softly, but with Aya's senses, she could immediately tell it was him, prompting her to peek through her slightly ajar door.
    Usually, she would stay asleep until nearly noon during the summer, but as of late, she began waking up earlier. Her reasons were obvious, but one would never be able to hear them directly from her mouth.
    "Hmm¡­"
    Cassius felt the bear-like stare of the blonde pajama-wearing beauty silently stalking him around the house, yet he didn't confront her, merely chuckling as he made his way to the kitchen. Waiting for him was a pair of watery golden-brown eyes who, upon seeing him, pleaded with him to save her.
    'Memphis seems to be adjusting just fine,' he mused before taking a seat right next to the aggrieved, mouse-like girl. She immediately clung to his shirt, averting her shaky eyes away from the cold-faced MILF sitting opposite her.
    Cassius could tell that something was up, urging him to ask, "Did something happen?"
    Memphis shuddered a little, whereas Sasha huffed. "That girl has been speaking about one day going into Gates! And no matter how I defer her away from that dangerous thought, she just keeps on nodding while retaining that unyielding glint in her gaze! It's simply¡­! Humph!"
    'Ahh, so they're not fighting; Sasha is just worried.' Cassius warmly smiled, briefly dazzling both the girls at the table and even the one hiding behind a wall. "As long as you two are getting along, I think everything else can be worked out."
    Sasha left her stupor at his words before turning her face to the side. A small pout touched upon her timeless features, which left a vast contrast to her motherly demeanor.
    "That girl is too stubborn for me to possibly get along with her! She's already going to be attending your school for the new school year and is still a couple of years away from graduation¡ªwhy is she so adamant about venturing into Gates and getting herself killed¡­!?"

 Chapter 59 {[HELLs 1st Floor Key]} - [S+++ Rank]

    Cassius could tell that his stepmother was very passionate about this subject, which frightened the timid Memphis even further. She loved to adventure and discover new things, but when it came to this terrifying woman, she couldn't even muster an ounce of courage. Realizing this, Cassius patted her head before concentrating on Sasha."Her yearning for the Gates has a lot more to it than some rash pursuit. If that is what she wants if she awakens, then there is nothing either of us can do to persuade her otherwise."
    Although reluctant to agree, Sasha knew he was right. Yet that only seemed to increase her irritation.
    Ever since her stepson began changing, he didn't seem to be wrong about anything. And that casual, cooling smile plastered across his normally apathetic expression only served to further her annoyance.
    Ultimately, Sasha gave in and dejectedly nodded before rising from the dining table. Her mood became a bit glum as she aimlessly wandered around the kitchen; clearly, something else entwined with the Gate matter was irking her. However, seeing as it was likely a very touchy subject, Cassius didn't bring it up, instead redirecting his focus toward the sleepy beauty walking into the kitchen as if she had just gotten there.
    No matter how many times he observed the tendencies of these women, he couldn't stop himself from finding them all adorable in their own ways.
    Aya, upon entering the kitchen, approached her seat at the table and began eating without saying a single word. She tried her best to keep her eyes away from the devilishly handsome man a few feet away from her, yet struggled immensely. None besides Cassius noticed this peculiar glancing session she was having with his seemingly oblivious self. But when Sasha finally simmered down enough to be more aware of her surroundings, her face once more contorted in cute frustration.
    "Young lady!" Sasha exclaimed. "Why have you been waking up so early?? Are you sick or something!?"
    Hearing this sudden announcement, both Cassius and Memphis hid their low laughs behind their hands. Aya, on the other hand, froze in place, with her face reddening in proportion to her immense embarrassment.
    "...Mom¡­"
    "Yes, sweetie?" replied Sasha, a bit puzzled over the concealed anger in her tone.
    The shadows covering Aya's expression flushed away in an instant as she turned her head up and locked her golden eyes with the similarly colored eyes of her mother.
    "You suck!" she announced before storming away in a huff. She couldn't believe that her mother had embarrassed her so publicly, and in front of Cassius no less! Gosh!!
    A silence hung over the kitchen table as Cassius and Memphis cautiously watched Sasha's expression fall to the floor. She no longer had a peachy, vigorous complexion; it was instead replaced with a level of desolateness that reminded them of a barren desert. Discover hidden tales at empire sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Understanding that this was their cue to skedaddle, they silently put their plates away and retreated through the house's back door. It also just so happened to be the door that Cassius escaped through a few weeks ago, back when he nearly got caught by the recently relieved Aya.
    The vivid memory remained fresh in his mind, but with the massive changes in her attitude and stance toward him, it was hard to overlap them as the same person.
    As Cassius's mind swirled with nonsense, Memphis, who ran beside him, could swear that she heard the shattering of something loud back where they had just come from. Yet, when she realized that she was closely sticking to him in an almost intimate manner, she furiously blushed before backing away in a fluster.
    Before Cassius had the chance to question her on her unusual behavior, she swiftly vanished from the scene, leaving him all alone in the middle of a street populated by lovey-dovey couples. "Ahh¡­" As if understanding the truth of the universe, he shook his head slightly, accompanied by a faint, bitter smile.
    Left to stroll the streets as a single duckling, he received many stares because of his appearance and purposeful isolation, as many wondered how someone so handsome could be by himself.
    Taking this time to search through his thoughts, Cassius occasionally wondered whether Memphis made it home fine. Yet, more than that, his mind traced back to the events that occurred over the last week.
    Following the successful conquest of his first Gate, he woke up the next morning and received a 'nice' system notification informing him of the upgrade of his Newbie Training Equipment. He spoke in jest the night prior, in no way expecting his words to actually come true¡­
    From 5,000 odd pounds, the total weight of his Newbie 2 Equipment exponentially multiplied to 15,000, with just his Newbie 2 Sword making up half of that! Just performing a single sword swing for the Daily Quest had become virtually impossible, let alone doing 100 of them!
    Cassius felt scammed! But what could he do about it¡­?
    It was only after pushing his body to its limits dozens of times that he finally managed to perform 100 excruciatingly painful sword swings. It was also around this time that he received the system rewards earned for doing exactly double the necessary amount of Daily Quest exercises. From that, he received 20 AP, 2 Stat Points in Charisma, and a 'Key.'
    As opposed to the other time-system rewards that the Idle Evolution System gave out for leveling up, this 'Key' was something far rarer and harder to acquire. Its description read as such:
    {[HELL's 1st Floor Key]} - [S+++ Rank]
    [Normally, it is impossible for one who hasn't achieved transcendence to traverse between the Realms of a Galactic Tower, but this key is one of the few exceptions.]
    [Use it on any door of your choice to open up an entryway that only you can see. If you so choose to risk your worthless, moocher life, then feel free to open up this entryway before achieving a prowess of the B-Rank!]

 Chapter 60 Evo Fusion

    After seeing this description and locating the system's hidden warning message, Cassius saw a crimson-black skull key drop into his hands. It radiated death and certain demise; for him, there was no question about the veracity of the system's words. If he leapt into what would be created by this key before achieving a B-Rank power level, he would undoubtedly die. And even with his most recent gains included, he was still far from the 250 stat mark that would indicate the B-Rank.Furthermore, that 250 stat mark was usually meant to be an all-around milestone, as in every single main stat should be at or above 250. Cumulatively, the weakest B-Rank Hunter would have around 1250 stat points distributed mostly evenly.
    Of course, Hunters had their strengths and weaknesses, but they never varied greatly enough to exceed a rank.
    Unlike Cassius, who had his Agility stat nearly a rank and a half above his other stats, most Hunters simply had large differences within normal scopes. Of course, there were exceptions to this, such as Mage-type Hunters, who had extremely high Intelligence stats yet would oftentimes be lacking in Strength, Agility, and Endurance, which facilitated every major physical attribute.
    Some Mage Hunters, like the S-Rank Mage Lord from Russia, had Intelligence stats that exceeded their physical stats by 2¨C3 ranks. However, no one had ever heard of someone who mained Agility so drastically.
    Well, there was one¡­ But to most in the world, he was regarded as a complete lunatic, someone who traveled around the world in search of anyone who claimed to be the fastest of their respective territories.
    The sheer number of Hunters that were lapped and viciously killed by this S-Rank Speedster Hunter had already exceeded that of small towns¡­
    To the world, he was an S-Rank menace that went by the title of 'Speed of Light Blur Devil.'
    Yet, to those who knew him on a personal level, he was Victor Rapido¡ªthe one regarded as the fastest person on the planet!
    Cassius, like Victor Rapido, was following a similar path. However, the biggest difference between the two of them was that Victor's speed was set from awakening, whereas Cassius would only continue growing.
    How long Victor would remain as the supposed 'fastest in the world' was still to be seen¡­
    'After receiving HELL's 1st Floor Key, I then went on to challenge Gate after Gate, all while remaining a complete mystery,' Cassius continued his recap from where he left off. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    At first, the rate at which he conquered F-Rank and E-Rank Gates was rather slow, as he usually struggled with locating the Boss area and the rest of the monster stragglers.
    To temporarily leave a Gate inactive, one only needed to eliminate some Elite monsters and the Boss Monster; this method was typically used by the Government and the Guilds that had ownership over these lucrative Gates. To permanently close a Gate, on the other hand, required the participating Hunters to exterminate every last monster and then leave before the dimension collapsed on them; this method was used when a Gate too dangerous to keep around appeared.
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    In an average F-Rank, E-Rank, and D-Rank Gate, there would normally be thousands of monsters, all varying in rank. And to completely clean one of such Gates, one would need to spend weeks inside the Gate, which would not only be a waste of time and resources but also pointless since the Gate would break open before all monsters inside could be killed.
    Sending in stronger Hunters would naturally solve this issue, but that would be even more of a waste when there were far more powerful Gates that needed to be managed.
    It was for these reasons that countless Gates were left open to farming in Japan and the rest of the world. In just Japan alone, the number of C-Rank and below Gates, which equated to Yellow-rank and below, had already reached the tens of thousands. And for a small country like Japan, this was a matter that was just a few mishaps away from being catastrophic¡­
    As of late, even the Japanese government had made plans to redistribute Hunter forces and focus on gradually clearing the lower-rank Gates.
    Not a single government official could have possibly expected someone like Cassius to appear out of nowhere and start making quick work of various Gates with the assistance of his Evomon. That was the name he decided on to easily organize his growing force of rebranded Pok¨¦mon. Only, rather than peaceful and typically chill creatures, his Evomon only knew how to shed blood in their endless slaughtering of monsters¡­
    After an entire week of clearing dozens of Gates scattered around Hoshito, Cassius was able to gather together 15 powerful D++ Rank Evomon, which used to be capped at 10 prior to his Agility stat passing 150. Now, with 15 Peak Orange-ranked Gate bosses standing by his side, he was able to effortlessly sweep through D-Rank Gates in less than 20 minutes, which was an insanely fast clear rate for someone with less than 400 cumulative stats.
    Yet, that was all without considering the most spectacular part of the whole Evomon and monster-enslaving feature which, although morally questionable, came with the benefit of 'Evolution.'
    Cassius had tried out the 'Evo Fusion' almost right after acquiring it and beating into submission his first D++ Boss Monster. And though the qualities of him and the Evomon didn't mesh well, he was still able to tremendously improve his power following the transformation of his body into something akin to a water bear humanoid Spirit. It was an amazing thing to experience, and his abilities even more so.
    He could shoot out large beams of water, summon miniature tsunamis, and even run on water while in 'Aqua Bear' form, and though it was temporary, he experienced what it was like to Lord over the sea. The feeling was thrilling, to say the least.
    Moreover, this emboldened him to act more proactively in his search for more suitable Evomon to fuse with.

 Chapter 61 {[Shadow Monarchs Hoodie (C-)]}

    It wasn't until Cassius's sixth day of searching that he entered a D-Rank Gate and encountered a Boss Monster even more troublesome than the Kobold King from the Kobold Catacombs. The boss easily blended into the ancient ruin surroundings and seemed to appear in dozens of different locations all at the same time. Extraordinarily powerful lightning electrified the air and shot out from its innumerable clones, all while further increasing the Boss Monster's speed.It wasn't until after passing a three-hour intense struggle and finally subduing the elusive Boss Monster that Cassius threw a Common Evoball out. Yet, even with it in a half-dead state, it took five of the balls to capture it, when it would normally only take one or two. However, this only increased the feeling urging him that this monster was the one for him. Lilith vibrated in annoyance upon sensing this thought of his but calmed down after a bit more slaughtering.
    While killing monsters with Lilith, Cassius learned more about the truth of the lightning/shadow element boss monster¡ªnow Evomon.
    It was through these observations and physical intuition that he discovered the true nature of its "cloning ability," which was, in actuality, a trick of the mind, produced by a combination of its extremely quick speed, its original two elements, and the "Illusion" element. Only after all these aspects came together in seamless fashion could an enemy far surpassing its rank come into being.
    Now, though, that enemy had become Cassius's Evomon, thus renamed "Nyxvoldar," and would likely remain as part of his strength for many moons to come.
    It was on the seventh day following Cassius's first conquest of a normal Gate, immediately after his reminiscent recap was finished, that he noticed something up with the people in his immediate vicinity. They were all gathered around a large marble building in a part of Hoshito's downtown city area.
    Attracted by the commotion, Cassius heard people screaming and shouting as if they had lost their minds. His first assumption was that a Sudden Gate had appeared, eliciting mass frenzy. However, after nearing the boisterous crowd and leaning over the heads, he realized exactly what was going on here¡­
    'Celebrities¡­ Whether in this life or my previous life¡ªthey never change,' he thought with a sigh. 'And neither do their fans¡­'
    A few dozen meters ahead of him, a group of exceptionally good-looking men and women were standing on a weirdly shaped stage. Their appearances were certainly glamorous, with many standoffish tassels and adornments attached to their persons. The men posed coolly, while the women were a mix of personalities, with some colder and others wanton enough to blow kisses and wave around in feigned glee.
    Cassius flipped up his shadowy hood and was simply going to turn around and go about his way, as he planned to meet Grace again today. Yet, before his thoughts could be put into action, he suddenly heard something interesting come from the crazed ramblings of the pop star fans.
    "The B-Rank Hunter Party, MoonShiners, actually came to our small city of Hoshito!! What have we done to deserve such good fortune!?"
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    "Oh, God, I really love them! Especially Dominic! He's my favorite!! So dashing!"
    "Dominic!? You are surely fooling yourself with that one! Lexi is clearly the best-looking among them!"
    "Lexi!? Ha! What a joke! Stella is the only one for me! Just look at how she waves and blows kisses! They are intimate gestures directed toward just me!"
    "Ha!? What a delusional fool! You are not only delusional, but you are also stupid enough to fall for her fake act!"
    Cassius zoned out the rest of the crowd's quibbling, instead focusing on the B-Rank Hunter Party part.
    'There are actually these types of Hunter Parties, and of such high ranking as well¡­ How very unusual¡­'
    Curious, he weaved through the sea of people and made his way toward the front of the group. Normally, with his outstanding appearance, he would stand out no matter where he went, but thanks to the item crafting system feature, he was able to create a magical shadow hood that perfected what he was previously attempting to imitate.
    {[Shadow Monarch's Hoodie (C-)]}
    |¡ª[Defense: ~102]¡ª|
    [Effect 1 (Too ugly for viewership):] - [Can conceal the facial appearance of the User (Only applicable against those less than 3 Perception ranks higher than the User)]
    [Effect 2:] - [200% increased effectiveness with the Shadow Element]
    [Effect 3 (Night Stalker):] - [During the night, the wearer is able to blend into the darkness and remain completely undetected by all those with a Perception stat less than 4 ranks higher than yours. (As soon as you attack, this effect will be negated)]
    Cassius obviously knew that the Idle Evolution System was trolling him a bit, but what more could he expect from something that quite literally gave him a trolling system feature? Perhaps it was a bit salty that he hadn't been using the feature to its fullest capacity. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    'Over the past week, I've obtained roughly 55 AP through the 'trolling' of those close to me, but I guess that's not good enough for the system,' Cassius thought as he tuned into the voice coming through the speaker system on stage. 'Maybe I should try to make some enemies and troll them¡­?'
    Unusual thoughts whirled around inside his head as the Head of the MoonShiner Hunter Party, Dominic, spoke through his microphone:
    "Hello, people of Hoshito!! As some of you are aware, we are the B-Rank Hunter Party, the MoonShiners!"
    His voice caused the citizens in the crowd to erupt in loud cheers.
    It was Dominic's dignified voice that truly set the reality out before them. A real-life B-Rank Hunter Party had arrived in Hoshito! As for why they were here¡ªwell, who really cared!?
    Dominic inwardly smirked at the zealousness of the na?ve Hoshito denizens. Though, outwardly, he exhibited nothing less than the epitome of gentlemanliness, leaving the fervent girls below swooning.
    A few of the guys were jealous and envious, but more than that, the presence of an actual B-Rank Party weighed far heavier on their minds.
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 62 The B-Rank MoonShiner Hunter Party

    Continuing from where he left off, Dominic said, "We have arrived in Hoshito today to request your vocal support in our coming raid of the High-Yellow 'Tyrant's Obsession' Gate!"Hearing this, the crowd became even more rowdy, but Dominic was not yet finished. "If the more generous among you are feeling froggy, then you can even support us in the monetary sense! But again, you do not need to, and only the most loyal of fans should even consider it!"
    Like an expert at this game, Dominic was able to slip in his true objective while still making himself and the rest of the MoonShiners appear humble and magnanimous. In the eyes of the people of Hoshito, a B-Rank Hunter Party should never be in need of money; after all, they netted tens of millions of USD every year. However, what they failed to account for was the insatiable greed of the human heart.
    A couple of the MoonShiner members, such as the vivacious Stella, were secretly appalled by the behavior of their Party Leader. But they could do nothing but stand back and keep quiet while looking pretty.
    Cassius, with his heightened senses, was able to understand a lot of things. Moreover, with his Intelligence stat thrown in the mix, the truth of their appearance here was quickly surmised.
    He sighed.
    'I expected more from a powerful party of B-Rank Hunters, but I guess the human heart is as fickle and materialistic as ever.'
    Cassius's piercing blue eyes flickered as he wondered how people could possibly be so greedy for something so useless. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    In the last period of time, during his secret conquest of dozens of Gates, he collected too many Magic Shards to count, with some even being individually worth thousands. Yet, even after bringing them to the Hunter's Association and selling them under an anonymous identity for reduced prices, the six figures in his once-empty bank account didn't go to his head. He kept the money in mind, but beyond that, life for him continued as per usual.
    Cassius never stopped working at Bookworm's Paradise, even though he could likely purchase the whole store and then some.
    He met the seemingly bipolar Bella nearly every shift; he went out with the meek Grace every now and then, yet not once had he entertained the idea of gloating about his wealth or even showing it off.
    Simply put, he found something greater than measly dollar bills to pursue¡ªstrength.
    After experiencing more than a month of the Idle Evolution System's sadism, Cassius's mindset hardened to the point where true, hard-earned power was the only thing that interested him. His yearning for greater character development further incensed the Idle Evolution System, subsequently prompting it to give out Side Quests left and right. And with him now needing to perform thousands of sword swings every day, everything was gradually becoming too much for him.
    However, for some stupidly weird reason, the insane hell difficulty of the system's tasks only made Cassius more excited. This unnatural behavior pushed him to newfound heights, with his previous weak-willed self nowhere to be seen.
    Now, even without the extra benefits from the Idle Evolution System, he was bringing in nearly a dozen stat points a day, all acquired because of his absurd will to strive. His AP had reached astronomical numbers, as he hadn't spent a single point since saving Memphis, yet his stats only kept increasing.
    At his current rate of advancement, it surely wouldn't be long before he reached the minimum suggested requirement to attempt HELL's 1st Floor. Though, that was a matter for another time.
    With Newbie Sword 2 kept close to his hip, and veins bulging from his arms, Cassius listened to Dominic, the MoonShiner party head, go on and on about the noble aspirations of their Hunter Party. For the most part, he was the only one who spoke; however, to maximize fan benefits, those like the expressionless 1st Vice Leader Lexi and 2nd Vice Leader Issa voiced their nonsense.
    Yet, like moths to a flame, thousands of Hoshito citizens ate up their words like they were the most appetizing things ever.
    'When faced with beings of higher and more luxurious statuses, those with sheep mentality will simply break,' Cassius thought evenly. 'The pebbles that these people will provide to the B-Rank Hunter Party certainly won't amount to much, yet this whole charade is occurring for that very reason¡­ It's sad, really¡­'
    He was about to walk away and resume his weighted grind when he suddenly saw something extremely interesting. On the fair neck of the lively Stella, there was a necklace.
    The necklace was encased in beautiful blue sapphire and gold, but it was rather the symbol embedded into the necklace that truly attracted his attention. It was that of a magnificent tree, with the tree's branches being uncountable, and the tree's luster an eye-catching greenish iridescence.
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    'That symbol is¡­' Cassius seemed to recall blurry memories from a time before he could even speak¡ªa time when his mother was still around. 'That's right. My mother used to wear a necklace identical to this one, yet it was enveloped in jewels far more magnificent and polished.'
    On the surface, the necklace he was seeing on this woman and the necklace from his memories in no way looked like they were of the same origin. However, with that uncannily similar symbol, the truth was unmistakable.
    'If this Stella has some sort of connection with my mother, then I need to figure out the truth of the matter.'
    Cassius's eyes dangerously narrowed as he flashed away from the crowd, his destination unknown.
    After a while.
    Dominic, along with the rest of the MoonShiners, descended the stage and walked away from their passionate fans. Just as they were going to enter a luxurious golden-black limo and begin their journey toward the B-Rank Gate, Stella's expression morphed ever so slightly.
    For the first time in a very long while, she was letting her true emotions show. Yet, with very little time to deliberate, she stopped in her tracks.
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 63 You are Speed...?

    Confused, Dominic, while still warmly smiling, turned toward her from inside the limo. "What are you doing, Stella? We have a schedule to stick to; hurry up now and get in the car. Stop wasting everyone's time."Stella shivered at the sight of her Party Leader's 'friendly' smile as she bit her lower lip and averted her shaky eyes. "...I have to use the ladies' room; it's an emergency¡­"
    "Just get in the car¡ª" Dominic went to irrefutably retort, yet the other girls, Lexi and Issa, guessing what Stella was talking about, interrupted, saying:
    "There is no harm in letting Stella go her own way for now, Dominic," said Lexi. "She can always catch up to us later."
    Adding something else in, Issa said, "Furthermore, we aren't scheduled to begin the Gate Raid of this completely unexplored Gate until six hours later, when the paparazzi and Hunter Association higher-ups arrive."
    Dominic's expression remained unreadable for a few seconds as he silently considered.
    Black lines clouded his face, and for an instant, the other seemingly amiable B-Rank Hunters in the limo felt the looming threat of death. Yet, it came and went just as fast, with the tension in the air returning to normal. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Just don't let it happen again," he said smilingly before rolling up the tinted window of the limo.
    The limo then drove off into the distance, leaving a troubled and slightly trembling Stella standing by the edge of a busy city road. Even though she had expected her Party Leader to react like he did, it was always increasingly unnerving the more times he acted like that. If not for the voice she just heard speak directly into her head, she never would've done something that would make her stand out like that.
    After steadying her uneven breathing and calming her nerves, Stella looked toward a certain alleyway off to the side.
    Approaching the alleyway, she thought about many things. One of which concerned the method that the voice used to speak directly into her mind; she had heard of skills that could produce similar effects, but why would someone like that mess with her and even mention her family heirloom?
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    '...If what the voice says is true, then he might have a connection with the mysterious force that my grandma used to crazily rave about¡ªthe World Tree's Sanctuary¡­'
    Meanwhile, Cassius, casually leaning up against a dry brick wall of a restaurant, saw a silhouette come into view. She wore a flowy set of shiny, flowery armor, revealing way more skin than should be necessary for battle armor.
    Her skin was fair, her snowy white hair long and silky, and her figure capable of arousing the desires of many. If one looked close enough, they would even be able to see her two perfectly round and squishy butt cheeks leaving the confines of the short pink shorts she wore underneath her revealing dress.
    It immediately became clear to Cassius that this girl was uncomfortable while dressed like that, yet she acted in such an unscrupulous manner while on stage. Even your common person could tell that she was faking everything, but she was still doing it; why was that?
    As he pondered that very question, the girl in question walked up to this shadowy figure, her eyes emulating her weariness. "...Who are you?" she asked, not the least bit resembling the bubbly girl who was dancing around on stage earlier. "And how do you know of this symbol¡­?"
    Although Stella maintained a cautious approach, she was, after all, a powerful B-Rank Hunter. And considering that she couldn't feel an ounce of aura from the man in front of her, she unconsciously took an upper-ground advantage. Noticing this, Cassius figured he would do something to fully cement what would come from this discussion.
    "You," he said cryptically. "Sit down¡­ if you would?" He gestured to a pair of illusory wind chairs that he conjured from thin air. Yet, figuring that this simple request would not be enough to take the lead in the conversation, he stuck up a cloaked finger, then blurred.
    "!!!"
    "You¡ª!" Before Stella had the time to react and cast a spell, that shadowy finger made it less than a centimeter away from her tender throat.
    Sweat beads trickled down her flawless skin; she froze in place, trembling in even grander fashion than when faced with the intimidating aura of Dominic. With him, she knew that he would never actually go too far; however, with the mysterious man standing by her side, she could tell¡ªif she acted, she would die.
    Cassius, through his shadowy hood, showed an amused smirk. "Even though your Agility is your worst stat and nearly on the verge of being counted as being in the C-Rank, you were almost able to stop me. Though it is unfortunate¡­"
    "...What do you mean by that¡­?" asked Stella, her tone indicating her nervousness. "And how do you know what my stats are at¡­? The Hunter's Association doesn't publicly disclose personal information like that¡­"
    Answering her first question, Cassius smilingly said, "If I were someone ordinary, then you surely would have thwarted my sudden advance, but what you weren't aware of is that¡­ I Am Speed."
    Confusion flashed past Stella's dazzling tundra-blue irises. "...You are speed¡­?" she echoed. "What does that mean?"
    Instead of replying to that follow-up question, Cassius diverted back to the second original question. "I am able to see many things with these eyes thanks to a Skill of mine, and the approximate stats of others just so happen to be one of those things."
    Listening to his perplexing way of answering made Stella even more confused. As a B-Rank Hunter, she was privy to many things, but a Skill like the one this cloaked figure described was not one of those things.
    However, with his energy-coated razor-sharp finger lingering next to her neck, she found it hard to maintain a coherent train of thought, let alone rack her mind for information on any such skills.
    ...

 Chapter 64 Who Else But Bella...?

    Looking past the terrified expression of the girl hanging between life and death, Cassius retracted a few more steps, returning to the first questions she asked upon arriving. "My name is¡­ not something you need to know at this point in time. But I can tell you how I know about that necklace dangling on your neck."Stella's eyes widened in genuine shock, as she had already surmised this entire sequence of events to be one big ploy laid out by this man and maybe an organization behind him. She assumed they had somehow figured out the importance she held for the necklace adorning her neck, as it was something given to her by her mother. But with the mysterious man's most recent words, all of her solid speculations were thrown out the window.
    With the same mildly amused smirk showing through his dark veil, Cassius went on to briefly explain the extent of his relationship with the necklace and, more specifically, the symbol.
    Half a minute later.
    "...Your mother as well¡­ How can this be¡­?"
    "As well?" Cassius questioned. "Are you saying that your mother had a similar necklace?"
    Stella shook her head. "Not just that, but this very necklace was the one she passed on to me before vanishing! She also left me with a series of warning words, but I don't really think she was lucid at the time¡­"
    "You must tell me what she said, Stella!" Cassius urged as he took his finger away from her throat. "You have to tell me exactly what she said!"
    Stella, surprised by the mysterious man's sudden change in demeanor, was too muddle-minded to realize that she now had a decent chance to counterattack.
    Yet, she didn't attack.
    Instead, her eyes clouded with emotions developed because of memories from long ago, and she mumbled, "...M-My mother said, 'Beware of the creatures of nightmare; beware of the imposters, and beware of the one that descends clad in purple.'"
    "To this day, I still have no idea what she meant by anything she was talking about¡­ Surely she must've just been speaking nonsense because she was feeling pre-guilt over deciding to leave her family the next day¡ª" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "No!" Cassius blurted out, his expression a mixture of several complicated emotions. "There is definitely more to your mother's words than meets the eye, and it is very likely that she left you for a reason as well."
    "As well?" Stella was feeling reverse d¨¦j¨¤ vu. "Are you saying¡ª"
    "Yes," answered Cassius. "My mother left as well, but it happened when I was a few years younger than you. However, with our difference in age thrown into the pit, they should've left at around the same time. And though I have no idea what the other two things your mother said mean, I know that 'creatures of nightmare' are the monsters in the Gates."
    "The monsters in the Gates!? But why would she¡­" Stella found herself at a loss for words, unable to understand a multitude of different things at the moment.
    Suddenly turning her head up, she asked, "Then are you also aware of the World Tree's Sanctuary? My grandma rambles about it often, and ever since my mom vanished, she seemed to lose her mind, with the World Tree being really the only thing she talks about¡­"
    "I used to think that what she spoke about was just her one way of grieving, with it having little to no chance of actually meaning anything¡­ But if what you say is true, then there might just be something more to her crazed ravings¡­"
    "The World Tree's Sanctuary¡­" Cassius wordlessly moved his lips, feeling something pull him toward that name and the intent behind it. "...I have never heard of that term, but I feel as if it is vastly important to the mysteries surrounding our mothers¡­ Maybe, just maybe, they left for reasons beyond mere human selfishness¡­"
    Even though she had just met this man and didn't even know what he looked like, Stella felt a slight sense of hope bubble up within her because of his words. However, when she remembered where she needed to be, dread washed over her pretty face.
    "I want to continue this subject, but I really have to go somewhere! I forgive you for trying to kill me, and here, take my number," she hurriedly said while writing down a string of digits on a slip of paper that appeared from somewhere down below. "Make sure not to contact me! I will contact you!"
    "Ahh¡­"
    Without even receiving the opportunity to say anything of substance, Cassis saw Stella giddy up on out of there, with her final farewell words being, "Talk to you later tonight!"
    Cassius felt like he had done a terrible job at keeping her still, but what he gained from this encounter made all that inconsequential.
    He had originally assumed that nothing much would come from luring Stella out to a secluded alleyway, but trying never harmed anyone, so he tossed out the bait, hoping to snag something.
    Yet, what he caught was something far beyond what even he bargained for!
    Though, only the following period would fully articulate what exactly all of this meant for him¡­
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    Three minutes later.
    Upon leaving the dark alleyway, Cassius was surprised to find a familiar face staring him down in a barely concealed accusatory manner.
    Her long black hair cascaded down her slender shoulders and plump bottom, whereas her sparkling star-like eyes bore through his soul as if they could discern everything with just a single glance. Yet, it was impossible to understand exactly what she was thinking; whether she was mad, sad, disappointed, or annoyed was a complete mystery.
    However, Cassius could still tell that she was feeling something on the negative side of the spectrum¡ªthat much was certain by the sassy way she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
    Who else could it be but Bella?
    "You look as lovely today as always¡ª"
    "Ha! Stop with the flowery words and tell me who that woman was!" Bella, not even giving him a chance to play coy, raised her voice and demanded.
    ...

 Chapter 65 Receiving AP For Trolling

    Cassius awkwardly laughed while averting his gaze from the pushy beauty. "...The truth is that I saw her from afar, instantly became enamored by her appearance, and then shot my shot! Unfortunately, I was turned down¡­ all because of my lacking wealth.""Why not your lacking appearance!?"
    "Well, that's naturally because I'm extraordinarily handsome. Who would find fault in my appearance¡­? A blind person?"
    Silence.
    Bella coldly harrumphed, not believing a single word that came out of his shameless, lying mouth. "I am merely trying to watch out for you and make sure you don't get mixed up with the wrong people, as any good coworker would do. And yet here you are lollygagging with random women in dark alleyways! What a lousy human being you are!"
    Oof¡­
    If there was one thing Bella was good at, it was nailing stakes into Cassius's heart and pride. Even though everything he said was supposed to come off as a joke, everything Bella said was certainly her truth. Yet, knowing this only made his pain all the worse.
    [You obtained 0.7 AP for trolling {[Bella]}]
    "Bella¡­"
    "Don't even bother with the pleasantries!" shouted Bella, clearly irate. "We have the same shift tomorrow morning, so I expect to see you there bright and early! And if I come to find that you are hanging around any more flooz¡ª unsavory women, then I will personally visit your house and embarrass you in front of your stepmother and stepsister!"
    *Ding!*
    [You received 1.7 AP for trolling {[Bella]}]
    With that, Bella stormed off while stamping her feet on the hot pavement.
    'She's obviously annoyed about several different matters,' thought Cassius. But little did he know that every single one of those matters was one way or another related to him.
    After watching Bella's graceful silhouette fade into the distance, Cassius's bitter smile morphed into something a bit more apathetic. He looked toward the east, sensing several strong surges of inter-dimensional energy sprouting up.
    It was highly possible that one of those surges was due to the appearance of the High Yellow Gate Tyrant's Obsession. As for the other two¡­
    "It seems like something is rapidly changing in Japan, and perhaps the entire world," Cassius commented plainly, his voice seemingly emulating his lack of concern. "I worry about several things, but what good does worrying do? Will worrying stop something from happening? Will worrying make all my problems disappear?"
    The answer was no.
    Cassius, having realized this during his further tempering by the system over the last week, once again brought himself to another pivotal character development moment. He made his choice on this particular day, with the Idle Evolution System supporting his decision enthusiastically.
    He definitely earned some character development brownie points for that decision, which may or may not lead to¡­ increased difficulty in something system-related?
    And for some reason, that was considered to be a good thing? Your next read awaits at empire
    Cassius momentarily wondered where exactly he had gone wrong on his path to be led so astray.
    Sometime later.
    While Cassius took long, heavy strides toward the source of three inter-dimensional aura signatures, Lilith, who was in arm tattoo form, vibrated with greater intensity the closer they got to the first of the three signatures.
    During the last week, she managed to advance from the D++ Rank to the C- Rank with the help of hundreds of thousands of gallons of blood. However, since then, she hadn't been able to further advance into the neutral C-Rank. And though she was close, she still needed those last few massacres to push her over the edge.
    By the time Cassius arrived just a few hundred meters away from the massive five-story-tall High Yellow Gate, he saw the gorgeous Stella, who was currently attending to her other party members like a slave. She carried food, followed their stupid requests, and even catered to their lack of entertainment by dancing and singing, which she was proficient in.
    A few dozen meters away from the quarantined Gate area was another group of people, this time larger than before.
    Dominic enjoyed the attention he was receiving, lounging back and munching on grapes, all while watching Stella embarrass herself. He didn't even bother to hide his lust as he traced her devastatingly beautiful curves with his lecherous eyes, wondering just how much longer it would take before she fully submitted to him. That, as well as his naturally pompous nature, was why he acted like he did around her.
    It was all to eventually get into her pants! And for it to all be her own choice!
    Scandals weren't good, ya know? And he didn't want any more of them. Thus, things had to be done differently this time around.
    Cassius narrowed his eyes at this sight, immediately understanding many of the underlying intents swirling around.
    'So that is why she wears something she obviously doesn't want to wear¡ªironically, it's to wear down her will,' he scoffed, not bothering to conceal his immense disdain for the man who was far stronger than he was.
    'He might be part of the reason she fakes everything, but I suspect the root of the problem goes much deeper than just an arrogant man who's had everything handed to him.'
    Cassius, tired of watching this show, slipped past them and entered the High Yellow Gate. But before fully vanishing, he left behind a mental message:
    "If you ever need help dealing with those supposed 'teammates' of yours, then feel free to contact me. I have a very specific set of skills, and with these skills, I can solve a wide array of issues."
    Stella, although ignorant in a lot of things, knew right away what that reference was to. A small pout formed on her enchanting face, causing Cassius to softly chuckle before entering a different dimension.
    For a moment, Stella stood there and absentmindedly stared in the direction where she last felt his faint presence. That was until her teammates strung out several more demands, forcing her to bend to their will. Yet, even as she ran all over the place like an overworked pack mule, her mind always seemed to trace back to the mysterious hooded man.
    She became increasingly curious about his appearance, wondering if he was as handsome as he sounded¡­ S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ...

 Chapter 66 A Monster Underground...?

    Quickly shaking her head, Stella thought, 'There's no way someone handsome would bother covering up their face.' before returning to her 'Party Duties.'Meanwhile, within the C+ Gate 'Tyrant's Obsession.'
    Cassius stepped foot into a brand-new world, almost instantly feeling something different about this one. Although it was his first time in a C-Rank Gate, he had expected it to be pretty similar to the other Gates he had ventured into. However, it appeared that was not the case, as based just on the heaviness of his body, the gravity in this place was at least ten times stronger than it was in the outside world.
    This also made it ten times stronger than the gravity level in the other Gates, as they had no difference in gravity.
    "How interesting¡­"
    The first thought to come to Cassius's sadism-trained mind was how well this place could function as a training ground. Yet, that thought was quickly set aside when he better observed his surroundings.
    During his time conquering dozens of lower-rank Gates, he encountered various biomes within those isolated worlds. From lands of ice to thick jungle forests, and even to ruined cities long since overrun by monsters. However, oddly enough, this was his first time arriving in a world of sand. The air was arid, and the high temperature suffocated the atmosphere, creating rolling waves of heat.
    "The monsters¡­ where are they?"
    All around Cassius were just miles and miles of brownish-yellow sand, with occasional hills of the same sand scattered here and there. Other than the scorching heat searing down on the barren desert, it was just sand. The wind whistled, but not even the chirps of a cricket could be heard from where he was standing.
    Cassius was beginning to think that this Gate was a sham, as even with his Perception stat, he could not sense any other living organisms within a few hundred feet.
    However, just as he was about to walk back out of the Gate and head to one of the other two that had appeared, the sand beneath him started to shake. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Curious, Cassius turned around, with his icy blue eyes following the slight tremors to their source. A few dozen meters ahead of him, beyond the progressively more prominent ripples, there appeared a brown feeler. It wasn't very large, but it playfully whipped around, almost as if it were an intrigued puppy.
    The first thing Cassius wanted to do was approach this feeler and snatch it up, but when he pieced together the tremors and the feeler, which was at the center of them, he stopped in his tracks.
    Things were certainly not as simple as they seemed.
    As he was in his Hoodie's 'Stealth' mode, Cassius couldn't be normally perceived by anything below the B-Rank. And based on the spirited movements of the feeler, it was very likely to be a monster of some sort and also somehow related to the tremors. However, seeing as he was still unable to sense anything, this monster clearly possessed a proficient set of stealth Skills.
    'Hmm¡­ I guess I should take a more direct approach for this one.'
    It became abundantly clear that he would not have the upper hand in a battle of stealth, so he decided to do something bolder. Yet, with this monster's strength stat likely in or around the C-Rank and his only in the High D-Rank, a direct confrontation was not a wise choice. This left only one viable option for him to make¡­
    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
    Sonic booms abruptly exploded out from where Cassius was standing as he circled the outer radius of the tremors. He transformed into a shadowy blur, moving so fast that the attentive feeler was unable to keep up. It tried again and again to trace the unknown blur, but wound up repeatedly failing.
    Infuriated, the tremors increased in intensity, with the sand in the middle sinking further into the ground. Something seemed to be making its grand appearance, and it would no doubt be extremely large.
    However, as if expecting something like this to happen, Cassius merely increased his speed while making full use of the Mid-Silver Skill 'I AM SPEED.'
    Sand specks were thrown up in every direction, with the rate at which they were upturned only quickening the more the sand at the tremor's center sank deeper. The jumpy feeler had already vanished into the waves of sand, seemingly making way for its main body. But it quickly reappeared, along with three others, as the main body felt something preventing it from fully emerging.
    That was when it realized that Cassius was purposefully tossing sand in the direction of the feelers, effectively restoring all the sand that had sunk into the ground. This action of his made the monster's efforts pointless.
    Angered even more than before, it mustered up more of its strength, essentially turning what should have been a simple entrance-scene task into an arduous struggle against being trapped underground.
    A couple of minutes later.
    Stay updated through empire
    The underground monster was left in a state of disarray, as no matter how hard it pushed up, more and more sand pressured down on it. And thanks to its light feelers, it was able to figure out that the shadowy blur was becoming faster and faster, which made no sense! It kept exerting greater amounts of strength, even exceeding previously preconceived limits, yet it amounted to nothing, as the human became fast enough to void its struggles!
    Eventually, the unknown underground monster was no longer able to resist being buried deep underground.
    An entire sand mountain was stacked on top of it, and though it could survive beneath the sand to a degree, so many tens of thousands of pounds of sand crushing down on it was¡­
    At some point during his speedster display, Cassius heard the faint sound of squelching.
    Assuming that it was the sound of the underground monster being squashed, he boosted his speed with a few more AP, hoping to speed up the monster's death and resume his exploration of the Gate.

 Chapter 67 Slaying a C- Sand Devourer

    After another minute of slowly torturing the underground monster with countless more tons of sand, Cassius finally received the system notifications, guiding him to a gradual decrease in speed. He refocused his vision back to a normal level of speed perception, then read through the notifications. That was also when he learned the name and rank of the thing he had just suffocated to death.*Ding!*
    [You have slain a C- Sand Devourer!]
    [Your Experience Bar has tremendously moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 4 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 3 Points!]
    OOOM!
    Cassius felt a wave of power wash over him as he experienced a level-up, something that hadn't happened to him for a few Gates worth of grinding.
    A smirk formed on his usually apathetic expression.
    This Gate was already showing signs of being extremely lucrative. And would he really be a pursuer of Character Development if he didn't take advantage of a dangerously profitable opportunity?
    As one guided or, rather, misguided by the Idle Evolution System, there was really only one answer to this question.
    While in the midst of his own satisfied thoughts, Cassius was slow to notice the appearance of similar tremor events all around the area. For miles on end, brown feelers sprouted up, with their owners already in the process of digging out of the ground.
    Cassius's expression hardened at this sight.
    "No matter how confident I am in my speed, there's simply no possible way that I can use the same trick on upwards of a dozen of them," he analyzed retrospectively. "But even if I can't drown them to death, I have other methods¡­"
    He flicked his wrist, causing a jagged puzzle piece blade to appear in his grasp. Its crimson glow shone under the searing heat, creating a vast contrast to the icy expression plastered across its owner's devilishly handsome face. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Cassius lifted the blade vertically and placed it up against his chest, with the blade's edges reflecting his chiseled features. His stance emulated the sheer level of explosive power contained within his muscles, while Lilith's killing intent further amplified his own.
    For a moment, the tremors subsided. But in the very next moment, they returned with even greater ferocity, and then explosions of sand occurred in several different locations!
    Taking a cold glance at the appearance of these monsters, Cassius saw their yellow system tags, all of which identified them as |Sand Devourers|. Then, his frosty eyes fell on their physical appearances, which could easily be described as monstrous creatures derived straight from nightmare fuel.
    Each Sand Devourer had a similar look. Their lower half was that of a massive worm body, with each eerie segment squirming over the hot sand. Their upper halves, on the other hand, were a mixture of a worm, a mole, and a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. The mole aspect solely consisted of their two front claws, which resembled those of the burrowing mammal.
    The other traits were obvious¡­ as they looked like smaller versions of those enormous sand worms from the Star Wars saga.
    Cassius knew he was in for a tough fight, but he was not deterred. Far from it.
    His eyes flashed with cold killing intent, further accentuated by the icy gleam exuding from them. Then, without giving a shout or warning, he slung Newbie Sword 2 over his shoulder and blurred toward the closest of the Sand Devourers.
    The Sand Devourer let out a hiss-like roar as it met the brazen human head-on. It planned to devour him in a single bite!
    Yet, it only took one swift movement for Cassius to kick against the ground and throw the Sand Devourer's original plans way off track.
    SHING! SHING!
    Cassius glided past the Sand Devourer's gaping maw, then tossed Newbie Sword 2 onto the monster's back. But before it made contact, he magnified the sword's weight with the assistance of a basic Gravity-type D+ Skill called 'Weight Dilation.' Discover more content at empire
    From its original 10,000 or so pounds, Newbie Sword 2 reached an astronomical 25,000 pounds, which was the upper limit of Weight Dilation's current effectiveness!
    Unable to dodge in time and far too large to consider a counterattack, the Sand Devourer felt an insurmountable force burrow into its spine and plant itself deep into its sinew. The only thing it could do was shriek in pain and violently thrash about, forcing the other attacking Sand Devourers to slither back by a few hundred meters.
    Taking advantage of this moment, Cassius phased above the frenzied Sand Devourer and lashed out with Lilith. At first, the serrated blade pieces did little to no damage against the monster's tough skin; however, with each further slash, more and more of the Sand Devourer's hide was ruined.
    Two seconds later, after a series of rapid slashing, Cassius figured it was time to wrap things up.
    The Sand Devourer's skin had been shredded by the countless serrated strikes, revealing spots of exposed red tenderness just begging to be exploited. Doing just that, Cassius erupted in multiple consecutive bursts of speed.
    Freed from the weight of Newbie Sword 2, he was able to lap the Sand Devourer's massive body multiple times per second.
    Making use of Lilith's ability to extend her individual pieces across large distances while maintaining a connected form, Cassius wrapped her around the entirety of the Sand Devourer. Once no part of the monster was left untouched, Cassius's killing intent solidified. He materialized behind the disturbing monster's body, then lightly tugged on Lilith's bloody handle.
    SPURT!
    The Sand Devourer was shredded to bits and exploded like an overfilled canister of paint. The surrounding desert was splattered a dark shade of reddish-green, making the already desolate scenery even grimmer.
    *Ding!*
    [You have slain a C- Sand Devourer!]
    [Your Experience Bar has moderately moved!]
    Although Cassius didn't receive a level-up system notification, there were still plenty more EXP bags for him to extract experience points from.
    "Time for a bit of Grinding Character Development," he declared coldly, his subsequent actions displaying an even greater level of coldness.

 Chapter 68 The Tyrant God (A-)

    *Ding!*[You slew another one!]
    [And another one!]
    [Wow!]
    [Now that one was¡­ Brutal¡­]
    [What!? Did you just¡­ Oh¡­]
    SPURT!
    [From the inside out¡­!? Can being a menace be considered as good Character Development?] Discover more stories at empire
    Even the Idle Evolution System, with all its snarky sentience, was unable to properly quantify whether its Host had taken an appropriate path.
    But then again¡­
    [Gaining strength means fighting stronger enemies to gain even more strength! Being rather ruthless is only part of due effect! Mhmm, now this is good Character Development!]
    [^¡Á^ Keep it up! Murder more monsters, you insane psychotic bastard!]
    [Wait¡­]
    The Idle Evolution System suddenly realized that things seemed far too easy for its beloved Host. Knowing that good Character Development came from good suffering, this was simply unacceptable! It was truly, unacceptable unacceptable!
    [A little omnipotent interference never harmed anyone¡­]
    [^_^]
    With that, the Idle Evolution System mischievously pulled upon some strings that defied certain ethereal laws of existence. It received a substantial amount of backlash for this unwarranted interference. However, as the guider of good Character Development, how could it not withstand what it dished out??
    It was the original Masochist! Behold as it takes on the full brunt of heaven's fury!!
    It will take it all on and then shout for more!! Nothing will be enough!!!
    [Psshh, what is Heaven in front of good Character Development!? ^?^]
    Heaven: "...."
    Even the Almighty governors of the universe felt exasperation in the face of such an existence. Nonetheless, the so-called 'punishment' passed as a fleeting moment, with the Idle Evolution System's tampering going off without a hitch.
    RUMBLE!
    From off in the distance, thousands of wide-ranged tremors parted the vast seas of sand, making it feel like the entire world was about to fall apart. Yet, as if to add to the chaos, roughly two hundred ridiculously large tremors spread out from dozens of miles away, with each one at least a dozen times stronger than that of a regular Sand Devourer.
    But as if all of that were just an appetizer for the true terrors of the dunes, twenty-five tremors capable of sinking multiple city blocks sprouted up. And then, to explosively spiral things out of control, five tremors with individual power five times that of the previous tremors blew through the boundless deserts!
    However, as if that weren't enough, one final tremor took the concept of "blown out of proportion" to an entirely new level!
    This final and most powerful tremor, if unleashed in the outside world, would surely be able to threaten the structural integrity of an entire city! It was a level of power that far exceeded what even a B+ Boss Monster should possess!
    "Uhmm¡­"
    Cassius, although not very knowledgeable about higher-rank Gates, at least knew when something was not right.
    Looking through their system tags, he was left flabbergasted.
    [Elite Sand Devourer (C+)]
    There were 250 of them.
    [Sand Devourer Lord (B-)]
    There were 25 of them¡­
    [Tyrant King (Monarch of Obsession) (B+)] - [Boss Monster!]
    There were 5¡­!?
    At this point, Cassius was beginning to doubt his own eyes. How could there possibly be five Boss Monsters in a single Gate!? There was most definitely something cracked up to all high hell here!
    But as if to add to his disbelief, there was one final monster to emerge from the desert. Just behind the five crowned worm-dragon-like behemoths, there popped out something that, rather than abnormally large like the others, was instead the size of a human child. It took the form of a comparatively tiny shiny larva and didn't even have its eyes open.
    Not even an instant later, the larva shot its eyelids open, unleashing an unquestionably dazzling burst of golden-bloody light that instinctively honed in on the tiny human in the distance. Then, with multiple rolling waves of incredibly domineering energy, it rapidly increased in size, growing one hundred times larger in a single second!
    Massive shimmering wings grew from its scaled back, increasing from one pair to two, and then finally to six. Its lower body followed suit, as its originally minuscule, stubby legs expanded and transformed into daunting hill-sized limbs befitting a genuine dragon. Similarly, its once squishy and bland head morphed into a sinuous imitation of a snowy dragon. Goldish-white scales covered its face and traced along the rest of its insurmountably massive body.
    To the tiny Cassius, even from so far away, the mysterious monster looked like a small-mountain-sized God of the Sky. He knew right then that something had definitely gone off-script!
    "Yeah, well, shit¡­"
    He truly couldn't comprehend what the hell was going on. Why everything seemed to want to slaughter all ten generations of his bloodline was also a complete mystery. And when he read the system tag of the flying monster that far outshone even the cloned Boss Monsters, his shock was only further amplified.
    {[Tyrant God (Ancestor of Tyrant's Obsession/Overseer of the Deserted World of Obsession) (A-)] - [Anomaly! Anomaly!! Should not exist¡ª!]}
    "???"
    Before Cassius could question the forlorn message hidden in the system tag, he blinked and saw it vanish as if it had never been there to begin with.
    {[Tyrant God (Ancestor of Tyrant's Obsession/Overseer of the Deserted World of Obsession) (A-)] - [Should definitely exist, uwu! Go and try fighting it! Good booty awaits you if you succeed in vanquishing this foe!]}
    Silence.
    It was right then that Cassius realized this was all likely a result of the system's raging sadism boner. And although he was a bit annoyed that it always tried doing things like this just when he assumed he was becoming overpowered, his curiosity about the system's origins far outweighed his grievances.
    However, with the certain threat of absolute death looming over him, Cassius had no choice but to set aside all the nonsense and clutch both Newbie Sword 2 and Lilith.
    Then, with no other viable options, he¡­ fled in the opposite fucking direction!
    'Do I look like I have a damn death wish!?' he exclaimed inside his mind while running at top speed, his figure but a blur atop the desert dunes. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 69 Slaying a Sand Devourer Lord (B-)

    'I am no protagonist!''Going against a force like that, where even the third strongest unit among them could slaughter me, is just plain foolish! The system must be tripping straight fucking balls to orchestrate something like this!' S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Cassius had originally planned to slowly increase his strength in this High Yellow Gate, then eventually challenge the B+ Boss Monster. But fighting them all at once and in far greater quantity?? Straight to the fuck no! He was out of there faster than a deadbeat dad aiming to acquire a carton of milk from the lands beyond!
    The gathered behemoth monsters exchanged unusual looks between each other, not expecting something like this to happen. They just wanted to eat the lone human, so why did he run away?? Did he not receive his part of the script play?
    [...This is not good Character Development¡­ :/]
    [Initiating 2nd Attempt at Good Character Development!]
    The Tyrant God suddenly twisted its terrifying scaly head and signaled for one of the Sand Devourer Lords to gather a substantial part of the weaker forces, which consisted of Sand Devourers of the normal and Elite variety. They were then instructed to chase down the fleeing human.
    It, on the other hand, would sit back and silently consider its next actions with the other Sand Devourer variants. When they eventually escaped the Gate that contained their entire world, they had plenty they wished to¡­ devour. Thus, they needed to meander.
    Meanwhile, hundreds of miles out.
    Cassius raced through the sandy dunes of the endless desert, his feet skimming over the sand like an elusive wraith. Yet, from a few thousand meters out, he sensed numerous horrifying yawning voids of teeth charging at him with relentless movements. The one at the forefront, a Sand Devourer Lord, was two and a half times larger than the Sand Devourer Elites and three times larger than the regular Sand Devourers.
    Under normal circumstances, it could be considered a Mini Boss of a High Yellow Gate, yet it was actually relegated to no more than a slightly stronger mob¡­
    Cassius felt that he could take on this monster, even with its stats boosted due to its unique status as a Mini Boss. But to be careful and not lose his life due to carelessness, he lured the Sand Devourer Lord and the hundred-odd Sand Devourers toward a crusted chasm in the ground. Its ends stretched out for tens of thousands of meters, with its edges having dried up and solidified because of unique environmental circumstances.
    To Cassius, it almost looked like the chasm had formed due to a ridiculously powerful and hot beam of sorts.
    However, regardless of the truth of the matter, he bolted into the chasm's beginnings before coming to a standstill at a narrower part of the chasm a few hundred meters down. He turned around and calmly waited for his pursuers to catch up.
    Sure enough, after five seconds of waiting, a disturbingly large circular mouth of teeth clasped onto the entrance to his narrow part of the chasm. It repeatedly rammed its mouth into the walls, causing the chasm to slightly shake. Yet it was far from enough to destroy the place or barge into where Cassius was nonchalantly posed.
    At most, the massive Sand Devourer Lord's ceaseless head smashes gave it minor brain damage and caused a few loose molten sandy rocks to tumble down the sides of the chasm.
    Cassius, amused by this stupid monster, brandished his enchanting Lilith and casually thrust forward with only his right hand. Lilith's separable pieces shot forward one at a time, extending further and further from one another.
    Without the Sand Devourer even aware of what was happening, Cassius quite literally cast Lilith into the belly of the beast, all while keeping each individual piece of her from touching the monster's inner throat. Then, when he felt the lure had sunk in deep enough, he lightly twisted his right hand, before twisting in the opposite direction. His hand blurred while doing this, which he repeated countless times in an instant.
    Cassius's cooled expression blossomed into a wide smirk as he snapped his fingers and spoke in a glitchy tone. "C-Rank 'Bloodfire.'"
    Whoosh!!
    As one of the few C-Rank Skills that he received from Silver-rank Skill Boxes, Bloodfire took from Lilith's and his killing intent and specialized in really only one thing.
    To burn.
    WHOOOOSH!!
    Starting from a small red fire, Lilith's edges erupted in scarlet flames which, when added to the innumerable cuts that Cassius left inside the behemoth's stomach, led to a truly gory display. The Sand Devourer Lord was just a little too robust to explode in the same fashion as a normal Sand Devourer, but its insides slowly became outsides, with its final agonizing screeches marking the end of its life.
    THUD!
    The Sand Devourer Lord's carcass collapsed to the slanted chasm slope with a resounding thud. Yet, rather than retreat at the death of their strongest available ally, the Sand Devourers that were previously unable to get in because of the Lord were now slipping in through the cracks and lunging at the lone human.
    "You bunch just don't know when to relent," said Cassius as he speedily slung Lilith out of the Sand Devourer Lord's roasting stomach and slashed through a dozen attacking Sand Devourers.
    While fending both them and a couple of Sand Devourer Elites off with his precision lashes, various system notifications rang off inside his head.
    *Ding!*
    [You have slain a B- Sand Devourer Lord!]
    [Your Experience Bar tremendously moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 4 AP!]
    [All your Main Attributes have increased by 2 Stat Points!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 5 AP!]
    [All your Main Attributes have increased by 3 Stat Points!]
    "Ahh, finally another increase in the amount I get per level up," Cassius mused while also glancing at the Skill Box rewards that weren't normally shown after each level up. "Peak-Silver Skill Boxes, which means I'm rapidly approaching the Gold Rank, also known as the B-Rank."
    He was satisfied with his progress and, looking at the total amount of AP he had, his grin widened.
    Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire
    ...¡­

 Chapter 70 Newbie 3 Equipment Set

    Cassius had an absurd amount of AP saved up, with the only thing preventing him from spending it all being his own hoarder traits."If I were to put all of it into Agility, would I be able to match the Tyrant God¡­?"
    This thought lingered for a moment, yet was quickly discarded when Cassius recalled the stat interface of that monstrous existence. Every single one of its main stats was above 1000, with its cumulative stat count already exceeding 5500. Even if he had a few hundred AP in storage and dumped it all into Agility, he would still fall far short of 1000. And that was all without considering how lacking his other stats would be¡­
    So what if he could outpace the Tyrant God? He would never reach a speed in the short term that would allow him to transform his cotton punches into something more than a minor itch for the mountain-sized monster¡­
    Cassius sighed before evading the gaping mouths of several Sand Devourers. He sliced them in half the very next second, yet more just kept coming through the cracks left open by the Sand Devourer Lord's corpse.
    Seconds turned into minutes, with blood and carcasses piling up in the narrow chasm entryway.
    5 minutes later.
    SHING! SPURT!
    "Esceetch!!!"
    Cassius effortlessly slid Lilith through the underbelly of an Elite Sand Devourer, effectively splitting it into two evenly cut pieces. This marked the final of the Sand Devourers. By now, the entrance to the molten sand cavern was entirely covered by mangled Sand Devourer corpses, with their stacked bodies obscuring any sunlight from seeping into the dark space.
    Flickering crimson blade in hand, Cassius's eyes flashed with an indescribably cold iciness. He looked between all of the carcasses, then blurred.
    FWIP!
    When he reappeared, he had dozens of Magic Shards stacked up on his shoulder in the form of a small hill. Not a single one of them had less than five points, with the most prominent one being a large yellow shard that had seven points. It was the Magic Shard extracted from the Sand Devourer Lord and was the size of a car. Yet, even with them all pressing down on him, Cassius felt barely any pressure.
    "It seems that I will need a new set of Newbie Training Equipment¡­"
    While saying words that he never thought he would speak in this lifetime, he collected the various Magic Shards into his Inventory. He planned to find an opportunity to anonymously sell them later.
    Arriving sooner than expected, a system notification rang out, causing Cassius's expression to freeze.
    *Ding~!*
    [Seeing as you are actively seeking out Character Development, the system has decided to grant your wish!]
    BLING! BLING!
    Along with constant flashes of golden light appearing all over Cassius's body came a couple more pop-ups.
    [Newbie 2 Equipment Set has upgraded to ¡ú 'Newbie 3 Equipment Set']
    [Newbie 2 Training Sword has upgraded to ¡ú 'Newbie 3 Training Sword']
    {[Newbie 3 Equipment Set]}
    [Wrist Weights X2] - [5000 pounds]
    [Ankle Weights X2] - [4000 pounds]
    [Waist Weight X1] - [10000 pounds]
    [Full-Body Weight X1] - [20000 pounds]
    {[Newbie 3 Training Sword]} - [15000 pounds]
    OOOM!
    Cassius instantly felt a mountain's worth of weight press down on him, pushing his feet into the ground. If not for his superb control honed over weeks of sadism, he surely would've sunk into the earth and reached the center of the planet at some point.
    Calculating the amount of weight he was carrying around, Cassius breathlessly muttered, "6-63,000 pounds¡­"
    It took him a few moments just to register that sort of number, as he was essentially heaving around 30 tons! He figured that just casually tossing his Newbie 3 Training Sword would create a cracked crater in the ground!
    And he was expected to carry that around at basically all times and do so without accidentally leveling a street and killing someone¡­
    "You really put a lot of faith in my control, System," Cassius said in a voice on the verge of slipping into insanity. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    *Ding!*
    [It is the highest honor of the Idle Evolution System to ensure that the Host remain as fit as a fiddle! And accidents happen, so fret not; the gracious system won't blame your scumbag self if you 'accidentally' slaughter a bunch of Innocents! ^_^]
    Helpless. That was how Cassius felt when dealing with the flippant Idle Evolution System.
    Not once had he ever figured out what it really wanted, what its true stance was, or even if it actually cared about anything other than the pursuit of 'Character Development'...
    "Speaking of which," Cassius suddenly spoke up. "Isn't there more to Character Development than just suffering and training? I remember watching shows that described Character Development as something more emotional¡ª"
    The Idle Evolution System's main interface flashed red, with its usually smiling emoji face twisting into something far angrier. Livid, it shouted in all caps:
    [Nonsense! All other paths of Character Development are false paths!! The only true way to Character Development is through pain, training, and suffering!!!]
    [(?¨y?) Never speak such nonsense again! It's hearsay and will result in immediate punishment!]
    After that, the Idle Evolution System refused to talk for a good ten minutes, with Cassius still wondering why it became so mad.
    Even as he traversed toward the far ends of the endless desert, the System's outburst remained at the front of his mind.
    ¡ª---------
    Meanwhile, in a nightmarish assembly of creatures produced straight from the stuff of nightmares.
    Tyrant God: "...."
    The extremely powerful and unnaturally intelligent monster King boss had been patiently waiting for good news of the human's death to return. However, with more than a quarter of an hour having passed since it sent out the Sand Devourer Lord and its squadron, it was fair to say that they had failed¡­
    This caused the Tyrant God's regal aura to violently fluctuate; its thoughts unknown.
    After a while.
    The Tyrant God finally made a move from its spot, waving a dozen Sand Devourer Lords and thousands of Sand Devourers of both the Elite and Normal variety forward. Heeding it's silent command, they all leapt into motion and bristled into the distance.
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 71 The Difference Between 999 and 1000 Stat Points

    For the longest while, the Tyrant God simply floated above the variegated army of Sand Devourers. It occasionally glanced at the Tyrant Kings, seemingly contemplating whether it should send one to ensure that the human dies. However, with its above-average level of intelligence, it knew that was likely overkill.Wasting any more energy on this small matter would only make them weaker when they invaded the human world, so holding back was the wisest thing to do.
    Normally, that would have been the correct choice to make, especially when considering that it felt not the slightest bit of awakened aura from that human. But what it failed to account for with its limited intellect was that this human did not abide by the same power rules as the rest of the living organisms in the universe. Thus, it could not account for what was about to happen next¡­
    Three hours later.
    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
    Sonic booms blasted out behind a tiny humanoid figure as he leaped from sand hill to sand hill. Behind him, however, were a countless number of Sand Devourers; they were all dozens of times his size, with some, like the largest crowned one, being more than two hundred times larger than he was.
    Cassius had spent the first two and a half hours inside the Gate fending off the combined forces of thousands of Sand Devourers, which included ten Sand Devourer Lords. He had expected that, after slaying them all, the Tyrant God would lay off his back and consider letting the matter go. Yet, it didn't appear that the prideful Tyrant God was willing to take such affronts lying down; it made a power move and organized tens of thousands of Sand Devourers under a Tyrant King, also sending in another five Sand Devourer Lords as backup.
    Cassius should've already realized that things would escalate in this direction, but he hadn't expected it to happen so fast! He was quickly approaching Level 50, but even then, a B+ Boss Monster with cumulative stats beyond 2000 was too much for him to handle!
    'An individual Sand Devourer Lord was already bad enough, requiring me to take unconventional approaches to killing one, and they only had cumulative stats around 1400¡­' Cassius thought pessimistically, wholeheartedly believing that he would die within a second if he faced the Tyrant King head-on.
    Stats are weighted, and that fact only becomes more noticeable the more stat points one has¡­
    Even if the difference between 1400 and 2200 cumulative stats doesn't seem like much, if two such existences were to fight each other, the former would be flicked into oblivion.
    "Without a doubt, if I fight that Tyrant King as I am, I'll certainly meet my demise," Cassius said half-heartedly, already feeling the headache that was to come. "Then again, it isn't like I can continue running either. The King and the weaker ones are already closing in, and in no less than five minutes, I'll be chilling in one of their acid pit stomachs¡­"
    Left with very few options here, Cassius decided to do the next best thing and¡­ dump more AP into his Agility stat!
    BING, BING, BING!
    The up-arrow button next to the Agility stat was clicked so many times that Cassius felt his index finger might fall off. From the 350 range to 400, then to 500, it only settled down at 660, with roughly 70% of his AP vanishing in the same period of time.
    Now, even with his Newbie 3 Equipment Set weighing him down, Cassius transformed into a barely visible blur of black. His speed, as opposed to before, was more than a dozen times greater! If he could previously travel at approximately 100,000 miles per hour, then he was now lapping ten times that!
    "Although I'm still far from achieving the speed of light, I have definitely taken one step closer," Cassius commented through blurry, almost instantaneous movement. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    If one looked at this scene from an outside perspective and they were capable of keeping up with his movements, then they would quickly realize that his speed was nearing the peak of the B-Rank!
    Thanks to the 'I AM SPEED' skill, which increased his speed by 350% with recent gaps, he moved leagues above how he should be moving. If not for his Newbie 3 Equipment Set weighing him down, he would surely be standing at the pinnacle of the B-Rank in terms of pure speed.
    If stacked up against someone like Dominic, who didn't main in Agility, then he would win 10 out of 10 times in a race.
    Still, the Tyrant God, an absolute unit of power, possessed stats far beyond his reach¡­ Even with his overwhelmingly stronger Agility stat, he would lose a million times out of a million times¡­
    The difference between anything below 1000 and the 1000 mark was like the difference between heaven and earth. Moreover, that gap only increased the further the number was from 1000 in the forward direction.
    Cassius sighed, realizing that he was getting a bit ahead of himself. "Before concerning myself with the Tyrant God, I have a crowned bastard to take care of."
    After their prey burst forth with incredible levels of speed, the Tyrant King no longer took a nonchalant, predatory approach. It instantly broached its limits and activated its Unique B+ Skill, 'Tyrannical Transformation,' which rocketed its 500 Agility stat to 750 and then some. It erupted in golden flames, with illusory dragon wings appearing on its back, only second to the Tyrant God in terms of magnificence.
    Cassius, realizing he wouldn't get away so easily, at least not without unequipping his Equipment Set, figured that if this battle was destined to happen, then it was going to happen either way.
    "And if I'm to take off my Newbie Equipment Set in both scenarios, then I'd prefer to break my Character Development code not in an act of cowardice."
    He was not a big fan of fleeing, but it seemed that fleeing was all he had been doing since entering this Gate.

 Chapter 72 Fighting a Tyrant King

    "That oughta change," said Cassius, his tone verging on sub-zero.He stopped racing through the vast, empty desert, the air pressure carrying along with his movements blowing past his angled pose. The extreme winds whipped his hair into a wild frenzy, yet under the searing rays of sunlight beating down on him, his appearance only seemed to become ever more otherworldly.
    However, in vast contrast to the radiance of the large sun hanging in the sky, Cassius's expression was akin to a sheet of impermeable ice. His equally chilling gaze fixated on the massive crowned draconic wyrm blazing through dozens of sand hills, its advance unstoppable.
    It yawned its terrifyingly treacherous mouth to a degree where entire skyscrapers might just slip inside if the Gate weren't so barren.
    It was under this very desolate atmosphere that Cassius released an icy cloud of breath, his sturdy figure settling into a deadly blade stance.
    Rather than have Lilith extend into dozens of individual pieces, he had her retain her original form and even solidified her robustness, ensuring she was poignant enough to pierce through even the heavens above. Only after confirming the integrity of his trusted C+ Devil Blade did Cassius activate every useful Active Skill in his arsenal.
    WAAA!
    His body exploded outward in an aura that suffocated the vicinity, but due to his special nature as an unofficial awakened, that aura shrank back into him and disappeared. It was like it was never there to begin with, puzzling the charging Tyrant King.
    However, seeing as it was a mere five sand hills away from swallowing the audacious human who dared to stop running, it ignored all the nonsense and shot forward, turning into a light blur itself!
    Cassius's piercing blue eyes glazed over as he bent down low, then created a fragmented scabbard for Lilith. For this battle, he set aside his absurdly heavy Newbie Training Sword 3, putting all of his attention on the devastating move he was about to perform with the bloodthirsty Lilith.
    Even while in full control of the Devil Blade's actions, Cassius could feel her insatiable bloodlust roll out in waves, seemingly wishing to consume everything in existence. Yet, when she fully entered the sheath made with a part of his Essence, all of her bloodlust and even her domineering presence vanished.
    It wasn't gradual; it was like Lilith had actually left this plane of existence.
    However, as the one with the closest connection to her, Cassius could feel every little bit of her surging power, all of which flowed through her sharp edges and into his physical form. She empowered him to a level that forcefully amplified the strength contained within his muscles, temporarily slingshotting his Strength and Endurance Stats past 240.
    And though it wouldn't last long, he would take full advantage of the unexpected boons given by Lilith.
    RUMBLE!!!
    "Are you ready, Lilith?" asked Cassius as time seemed to momentarily freeze, the sun blotted out by an enormous blackhole-like mouth. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    BZZZzzzzttt!!
    Lilith would kill the wyrm!
    Cassius faintly smiled, and in that same instant, he unequipped the last pieces of his Newbie 3 Equipment. With deathly cold eyes sparkling with unbridled electricity, he blurred through time and space.
    To any onlooker, he really did look like he had teleported. Yet, with his countless laggy afterimages to prove otherwise, his unveiled speed exceeded all expectations!
    Fwooop¡ª!
    Cassius phased out of the mouth that was about to trap him inside. He flashed above the regal draconic head of the Tyrant King, with his target being the large reptilian eye on the left side of its face.
    Before it even had time to react, he plunged Lilith into the eye, then activated 'Bloodfire.' And then, going completely off script, he extended the Devil Blade's individual pieces, each one digging deep into the insides of the Tyrant King's head.
    If given a second more, Cassius would have been able to melt the Tyrant King's brain to mush. But unfortunately, this monster was neither stupid nor slow. With an effulgent eruption of golden flames, it blurred backward, escaping the grim, bloody fate that awaited it.
    At first, the Tyrant King squinted its injured eye, feeling immense pain. However, as if thanks to some miraculous divine ability, its eye rapidly healed itself and was quickly restored to the same condition as before.
    Cassius narrowed his eyes at this sight. "It seems that you have a few cards up your sleeves¡­" He blinked, then vanished. "How troublesome."
    He teleported in front of the Tyrant King's forehead, standing just between both of its massive slitted eyes. He aimed to do the same thing as before, this time successfully completing the attack.
    But it was obvious that the Tyrant King would not fall for the same trick twice. Predicting his attack beforehand, it struck out with its exceptionally long, spiked flame tail.
    Like a flaming skyscraper-sized sword, the Tyrant King's tail cut through the air. In the process of searing everything in its path, it gradually increased in size and intensity before nearing the tiny human.
    Cassius dodged.
    Yet the Tyrant King wasn't done; it swung the tail back around, but instead of striking, the tip of the tail opened up like a freshly blossomed flower. From within that tail emerged a source of golden light that became extraordinarily bright within an instant.
    Cassius widened his eyes in slight surprise.
    He hadn't expected the Tyrant King to discern his weakness so quickly. But with little time to think about how to evade a wide-range AOE laser attack, he took the bolder approach and dashed toward the beam. In little more than a hundredth of a second, he leaned toward the beam tail with sword in hand.
    Lilith streaked forward, her fragmented pieces shooting out faster than the destructive beam could fire.
    Lilith wrapped around the side of the tail, then Cassius flicked his wrist and severed a good chunk of it. The gathering beam of golden light was naturally interrupted, with the owner of said tail roaring in angered agony.
    The human had to die! It would kill him!!!

 Chapter 73 {[I AM ATOMIC (A/P) (B-)]}

    Cassius was slightly shocked that he and Lilith were able to cut off the Tyrant King's tail, as he was originally just hoping to cut off its circulation and stop the beam from going off.'Is its tail a weak spot?' This thought urged him to concentrate his attacks on the rest of the tail. This was not only to deal more damage to the monster but also to cloud its mind.
    And just as he wished, the Tyrant King bellowed out in fury, sending out dozens of furious slashes with its draconic mole claw! Each slash, from Cassius's perspective, appeared like massive objects of golden fiery destruction blanketing the earth in their rage!
    Cassius, in response, effortlessly teleported between each strike, with his range of movement far exceeding that of the wyrm itself. He chuckled at this thought before zooming upward.
    From above the infuriated Tyrant King, Cassius raised Lilith into the air, then began to accumulate power. Tendrils of scarlet energy swirled above the numerous edges of the terrifying blade, with each tendril wrapping around the others and condensing into stronger forms.
    If there were more time, he could amass a truly powerful single-strike attack, but since that was not the case, he once again opted for plan B.
    OOOM!!
    The air above and around the enormous Tyrant King violently trembled. Even the Sand Devourers that had just arrived on the scene felt the awful chaotic power pressing down on them, quaking every fiber of their beings. They wanted to rush up and devour the lone human, but for some reason, they could not.
    "I learned something very interesting as of late." Cassius spoke up in a crisp, glitchy voice, with the power gathering above his head reaching higher levels of arcane insanity. "Though the entity that helped me receive so much power is a complete and utter douchebag, it at least provides me with pleasant surprises every now and then."
    The Tyrant King didn't know what the human was talking about, but if it was foolish enough to arrogantly hover above its irresistibly powerful form, then it would devour him whole!
    It immediately flipped upward and jarred its yawning mouth wide enough to fit multiple skyscrapers! The human would not survive this attack, as it put all its strength and speed into it!
    Cassius merely smirked.
    His nonchalant figure faded in and out of reality. He flared the scarlet energy to even greater levels, blasting the Tyrant King back down to the ground, crushing it hundreds of meters into the earth.
    Continuing where he left off, Cassius said calmly, "One of those pleasant surprises came just before you and your goon squadron arrived. And it wasn't until just a second ago that I had the time to look over my notifications."
    An invisible force tugged at the edges of his smirk, making it most prominent through his shadowy hood. "One of those very notifications informed me of a system feature that I received for reaching Level 50, also making it the latent Idle Benefit that the douchebag had been teasing me with in secret."
    "As what it does¡­ It's a feature that allows me to¡­ combine Skills!"
    Just like his Item Crafting System feature, if he smashed together two Skills, he would receive a Skill that extracted the best aspects of each Skill to create something vastly superior. And after careful consideration, Cassius chose to go big or go home and combined his Bloodfire Skill with a C-Rank Skill called 'Supreme Single Strike,' then took things a step further and combined the created Skill with the C+ 'I AM SPEED.'
    The result of smashing together these three different Skills in quick succession was the creation of an unbelievably powerful Transitional Skill:
    ¡ªI AM ATOMIC¡ª
    As the name suggested, it was a Skill of the B- Rank, best suited for mass destruction. Somehow, the addition of the Bloodfire Skill mutated what should've been a single-target speed-related Skill. Now, the resulting Skill was not only capable of exponentially amplifying Cassius's speed as long as his Agility stat was far higher than his other stats, but it was also capable of transforming that effect into something damage-related. Specifically, it did:
    {[I AM ATOMIC (A/P) (B-)]}
    [Effect 1 'Divided Between Two':]
    (As one who yearns to be the fastest in existence, you have to be fast. But being fast is not enough, is it? (Temporarily convert all of your Agility stat into the 'Atomic' stat, which only activates when this Skill is being used. You will not be able to move most of your body while using the Atomic stat, but the limits of your destructive capabilities reach no bounds as long as your Agility stat is high enough.)
    [Effect 2 'Going Atomic':]
    (Have you ever wondered what it was like facing an atomic explosion head-on? Something as powerful as that could not possibly be withstood by any normal living being! Therefore, the solution is to become the atomic explosion yourself! (500% Increased Destructive damage.)
    [Effect 3 'All or Nothing':]
    (This Skill will bleed you dry, completely depleting your energy reserves. There is no middle ground, so if you use this Skill, be prepared to turn into a shriveled mummy afterwards.)
    {[300% Increased AOE Radius]} Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    {[200% Blast Radius Range Extension]}
    {[800% Increased Attack]}
    {[500% Increased Radiation Damage]}
    I AM ATOMIC retained all the benefits that 'I AM SPEED' provided, but simply improved upon the Skill's faults. If before it was extremely difficult to deal any real damage without hitting the same spot on an enemy thousands of times, then now things were about to become overkill.
    Read new adventures at empire
    Streaks of crimson energy gradually changed into a darker shade of violet before spreading out around Cassius's stagnated figure. The Tyrant King, who was still trying to fly up and devour the stationary human, was pressured under a power dozens of times greater than what it had felt just a second earlier.
    BOOM!!!
    The Tyrant King collapsed into the earth.
    It struggled with all its might to resist the immeasurable pressure emanating from those cryptic purple streaks, yet failed terribly. Its hideous mouth crashed into the ground, eating tens of thousands of pounds of dirt, in no way receiving the tasty smack it was expecting.

 Chapter 74 Slaying 10s of Thousands of Sand Devourers

    Cassius, pleased with the domineering power of the Atomic stat and this Skill, raised Lilith to a zenith point, with the violet energy pulsating off her increasing accordingly.A cold gleam flashed past his icy blue pupils as he glared at the squirming draconic behemoth.
    "I truly have nothing against you, big worm," said Cassius, his tone void of emotion. "But you tried to eat me first."
    His voice suddenly dropped by a few dozen degrees, with each word coming out staticky and dispersed, almost like a broken tape recorder. "I¡­
    OOOM!!!
    The atmosphere exploded with a stupendous level of purple Atomic energy. The originally short-ranged streaks zoomed through the skies for thousands of feet. Soon, the entire sunny desert above the Tyrant King became shadowed by cryptic purple streaks, all seemingly disorderly placed yet connecting together in inexplicable ways.
    Cassius's voice reached an entirely new depth, resonating like a frigid abyss. "AM¡­!!!"
    "!!!!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Suddenly feeling an imminent threat to its life, the Tyrant King desperately called for its tens of thousands of subordinates to charge the human. Yet, when it glanced at them, it realized they were in no better condition than it was. Some of the weaker Sand Devourers had even been squashed to death, despite not being the targets of the gravitational pressure!
    The Tyrant King understood that it was alone in this endeavor, prompting it to burn through its life force and forcefully escape the shackles that pinned it to the ground. Yet, even as it bled through every pore in an attempt to stand up and devour the human, impending doom had already progressed too far for resistance to be an option¡­
    Cassius's comparatively tiny figure blasted forth with a boundless amount of cryptic purple energy, causing his image to somehow dwarf the colossal Boss Monster kneeling before his might.
    With a cold side-eye, he looked down upon the utterly enraged, crown-wearing Tyrant King. His mouth soundlessly moved, the absurdly crisp words coming out only after the damage had already been dealt.
    "I AM¡­¡ª"
    "ATOMIC!!!"
    WHAZOOOOOM!!!
    Those three words marked the beginning of the end, and as seen from the horror-filled dilated pupils of the Tyrant King, an incredibly bright burst of purple light flashed.
    Then it saw nothing else, for it had already¡­ died.
    Even with its B+ 'Ultra Regeneration' Skill, nothing could heal something that was instantly evaporated from this plane of existence. There was no longer anything left to heal.
    The other Sand Devourers, faring no better than their King, saw their lives flash before their eyes in shadows of purple and red. Then they, too, succumbed to the whims of destiny.
    For nearly two miles in all directions, a dazzling, profound violet sphere enveloped and lingered.
    For the ten seconds the sphere remained, razing the surroundings, the Sand Devourers dozens of miles away saw and felt the shockwaves. The Tyrant God, expressing a different kind of reaction, narrowed its oddly intelligent eyes as it sensed the lifeforce of the Tyrant King go cold. Moreover, all the other Sand Devourers, including the five Sand Devourer Lords, had perished in the blast.
    This was perplexing for the Tyrant God¡­ Somehow, a weak human without an ounce of aura had exhibited a degree of strength at that level. It was truly inexplicable¡­
    Meanwhile, back at the explosion's radius.
    Cassius eloquently descended to the charred ground like an unearthly swan. However, contrary to his strong poise, his complexion was ashen. All of his energy, including his stamina and mana, had been drained to the very bottom of the barrel. Only enough mana to keep him conscious was left.
    "I AM ATOMIC," Cassius said as if recalling the power he felt coursing through him while activating that Skill. "It was incredible¡­"
    Yet, even with the Skill persistently floating around in his thoughts, he was a long way from thinking about using it again. Or rather, that would normally have been the case. But with the help of the Idle Evolution System¡­
    *Ding!*
    [You have slain a B+ Tyrant King Boss Monster!]
    [Your Experience Bar has drastically moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 6 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 3 Stat Points!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 8 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 3 Stat Points!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 11 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 4 Stat Points!]
    [You¡­]
    Cassius visibly watched his stats skyrocket, with several waves of power washing through his body in consecutive motion. Along with the improvements in strength came the option for Full Status Recovery. And as he had dozens of them stacked up, he spared no hesitation in using one to restore himself to peak status.
    "Ooh, that feels good¡­"
    Previously, Cassius had mostly experienced pain while using Status Recovery, but this time was different; it was almost euphoric to experience a Status Recovery.
    After a moment of relishing the feeling, Cassius observed his surroundings and realized that he might have gone a little teensie bit overboard¡­
    Although the extent of the damage was nowhere near that of a genuine Atomic Bomb, as he was far too weak to replicate something of that scale, it was still enough to level a large village.
    Of course, this display of power would normally cost him everything and thus couldn't be used more than once. If not for the Status Recoveries, he would likely have been left vulnerable enough for even a basic Sand Devourer to devour him with little to no resistance.
    "Good thing that isn't the case; again, the system¡ª" Just as Cassius was about to compliment the system, as if embarrassed, it threw out more system notifications to cover its coquettish emoticons.
    *Ding!!* Discover stories with empire
    [You have slain 20,000+ Sand Devourer variants of the C-, C+, and B- Ranks!]
    [Your Experience Bar has tremendously moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 15 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 5 Stat Points!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 20 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 6 Stat Points!]
    [Receive X1 Low-Gold Rank Skill Box?] - [Y/N]

 Chapter 75 {[Phoenix Rebirth (B-)]}

    Cassius arched his brows. "Although I only received two level-ups after killing so many of them, the latest level-up finally took my Skill Box level-up rewards into the Gold-Rank, which should correlate to the B-Rank."He smiled, realizing that he might soon obtain another trump card.
    Cassius originally planned to save the Skill Box openings for after he cleared this Gate, but when he felt a volcanic eruption of energy appear in the east, he quickly changed his mind. Without wasting any more time, he popped open the Golden Skill Box. He needed all the power he could get at this time.
    At approximately the same time the question mark-covered Box lid flew open, a magnificently splendiferous existence crossed absurd distances in an instant. Moving at a speed that the human could not even begin to register, the Tyrant God zapped above him.
    Its grayed, emotionless eyes briefly glared at the human, then its right hand blurred.
    KABOOOOOM!!!
    Cassius had just turned his head away from the Skill Box that had slung open with a new B-Rank Skill when, suddenly, he found that he no longer had his head connected to the rest of his body¡­
    The Tyrant God had hit him so hard and with such ruthlessness that his body shot forward like a cannonball, and it did so at a speed that made it impossible for his head to keep up. Like a bobblehead, Cassius's head sailed through the midday sunny sky, with his eyes still in the process of widening.
    It was also in this moment that he saw the Tyrant God's apathetic gaze, who was in its humanoid form¡ªan enchanting ashen-haired woman with charcoal-colored horns protruding from her porcelain facial features.
    '...Sexy¡­?' were the last words muttered inside Cassius's shameless mind before his consciousness faded.
    It was also at this time that an annoyingly smug voice resounded.
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    *Ding~!*
    [Acquired B- Skill 'Phoenix Rebirth']
    {[Phoenix Rebirth (P) (B-)]}
    ¡ª[The inferior version of the S-Rank Skill 'Supreme Nirvana Rebirth']
    [Effect 1 'Rebirth':]
    [If the user dies, he will be brought back to life, but will be depleted of all energy, stamina, and anything that sustains the User's body.]
    [Effect 2 'Once a Day':]
    [Skill only works once a day, with a 24-hour cooldown applied every time the Skill is activated.]
    [Effect 3 'To Become Immortal':]
    [Every time the Skill is used, the User will gradually evolve and take on the traits of an Ordinary Phoenix.]
    [Current Ordinary Phoenix Transformation Rate: 0.09%]
    OOOM!
    Cassius felt his consciousness return to him, with the information provided from the recent system notifications being processed by him in record times.
    After understanding the gist of how he was still alive, he looked around. It became immediately clear that he was burrowed at the end of a tunnel of sandy rock. That was when his eyes fell on his shirtless and pantless body and how he was planted into a hard sand wall.
    Zooming out, Cassius saw that he was buried under a similar chasm to the one he had seen earlier. Presumably, this was where the Tyrant God had slapped his torso to.
    "Luckily, I didn't reincarnate at the head part¡­" Cassius heaved an unusually relaxed breath of cold air before forcing his way out of the sturdy sand wall.
    From the beginning of his rebirth to now, he remained calm, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he'd been blasted into oblivion and came back to life. Maybe rebirth came naturally to him because he had already been violated by a truck in his past life? What difference did a second time make?
    "Hmm¡­" Cassius began to walk through the tunnel he had dug out with his rocket-like body, wondering why the Tyrant God hadn't attacked him again. "Does it not realize that I haven't died? Well, I guess it would be more unusual if it thought I could come back from something like that¡­"
    He continued his march through the tunnel. Then, after nearly 30 seconds of casual walking, he glimpsed a large source of bright light radiating from the tunnel's entrance. At first, he assumed it was the sunlight produced by the blazing sun, but after exiting through the light, he realized it was not sunlight but the residual golden flame energies left behind by the Tyrant God's laid-back attack.
    For tens of miles in a straight circular direction, raging golden flames surged. Those flames spontaneously burned the edges of the deep crevice dug out of the ground, appearing like a divine meteor had just fallen from the sky. Above, faint golden embers bristled in the air.
    Cassius shifted his icy gaze across the mass destruction, and only after soaking in the scenery did he understand just how weak he was compared to the Tyrant God, which was likely only a weak A-Rank organism. Yet, rather than despair over a mountain that seemed impossible to climb, a wide smirk formed on his devilishly handsome face.
    He vanished from his spot, his attention fixated on the massive aura signature he couldn't even see from where he stood.
    "The Tyrant God and the other Sand Devourers have already returned to waiting; every bit of their focus is concentrated on what I assume to be the cracking of the Gate, as they are sitting by the exit I came in through," said Cassius, his voice dancing through vast expanses of space as he circled around the Sand Devourers all congregated in a single location. "If I make my reappearance, I'll certainly wind up receiving the same grim fate as before, but this time I won't return to the world of the living..."
    "However, it's also not like I can just uselessly idle and wait for Hoshito to be overrun by monsters." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Cassius knew that, if the Tyrant God escaped the Gate, not a single person in Hoshito would be able to combat its absurd level of strength. The most optimistic outcome would be the scarce B-Rank Hunters holding it off until reinforcements from Shibuya or Tokyo arrived.
    Though, that would be very optimistic¡­

 Chapter 76 Mass Leveling!!

    Cassius heaved a soft sigh.He knew the fate of Hoshito rested on his shoulders, but it wasn't like he could fight the Tyrant God either. However, that didn't mean he couldn't still think up something that could vanquish the monster before Stella and the rest of the MoonShiner Hunter Party entered the Gate.
    A while ago, when he was running from the Sand Devourers, Cassius realized that, just like regular living organisms, the Sand Devourers needed to consume food to survive. And in this particular environment, there was really only one thing they could munch on.
    Coming upon a large fenced area on the eastern side of the barren desert, Cassius saw a countless number of large, house-sized horned cows scattered all over the place. Similar to cows, yet adapting features resembling the harsh arid environment, they appeared oddly rocky.
    They somehow knew to stay inside the fence enclosure, with the majority grazing on a specific type of weed that grew out of the molten sand. This enclosure, similar to a few others spread across the endless desert, was constructed atop a sandy, crystallized chasm. It was like the one Cassius had hidden in, but far more outwardly protruding.
    "I don't know how these were built here or if they were left behind before the Sand Devourers arrived in these lands, but none of that really matters," said Cassius, his hands already slashing down to shatter a large portion of the fence. "The Sand Devourers have an inherent ability that allows them to sense what happens on the desert's surface; they use this to locate and hunt. But what would happen if some of their groomed cattle suddenly left a place they shouldn't be able to leave?"
    His brows raised in anticipation, just imagining what was about to go down.
    Just as he expected, a resounding rumble began to shake the desert, growing progressively louder. Tens of thousands of Sand Devourers were rushing toward the cattle enclosure, fury evident in their small, beady eyes. They crashed through sand hills, rammed into each other, and disregarded everything else in their advance.
    "None of them are above the Sand Devourer Lord Rank, as the Tyrant Kings and Tyrant God are smart enough to understand that they no longer have a need for their cattle," Cassius spoke with a keen gleam in his calculative eyes. "But with just those coming right now, I should both be able to level up and reduce their numbers."
    His plan was simple. If the Tyrant God was too much for him to handle in his current state, then he just had to continue leveling up. And to level up, he needed EXP bags, which would obviously come in the form of massive, ugly wyrm monsters. After amassing enough strength from grinding the Sand Devourers, he would preemptively make his move against the oddly gorgeous Tyrant God and turn her into his EXP bag as well!
    "Of course, the Tyrant God and Tyrant Kings will figure out that something is up when tens of thousands of Sand Devourers die, but by then, I will already have everything I need to begin Step 2." Cassius smiled mysteriously, his thoughts unknown to all but himself. "For now, however, it's time to take them all out as efficiently as possible."
    He already knew what he had to do to accomplish this, and it was something related to Step 2 of his 'Exterminate the Wyrms' plan. At once, he raised his hands above his head, Lilith in one hand and his Newbie 3 Sword in the other.
    Cassius grinned before speaking words that resonated in an awfully familiar manner, just as before. "I¡­"
    OOOM!
    The violet-colored cryptic runic lines appeared once again, erupting with an absurd level of power. Yet, before the residual energy waves could reach the Tyrant God, he condensed them, expertly controlling the emission of energy.
    'I won't make the same mistake as last time, and by the time you do eventually realize what's happening, it'll already be too late¡­!'
    "AM¡­!!!"
    The second word was spoken; the release of energy grew ever more uncontrollable!
    Cassius's face frosted over, his words following suit. Glitchy and distorted, he finished the last of the recitation. "I AM¡ª"
    "A.T.O.M.I.C.!!!!"
    As soon as the Sand Devourers arrived at the area where the fence was broken and large cattle were running free, they were forced to look up at a rapidly expanding eruption of purple light. For a moment, they felt like they were floating above the clouds, experiencing something that could only be described as otherworldly.
    Then they died.
    The blast of purple light stretched out so fast that every single one of the cattle and Sand Devourers in this settlement was erased. Like an eraser over pencil markings, they faded into oblivion, leaving behind only a crater that spanned three miles in every direction. The damage this time was even greater than the last time the Skill was used, entirely attributable to all of Cassius's level-ups and increases in power.
    Descending to the center of the crater, Cassius watched as the last of the purple Atomic light dispersed. He felt the same overwhelming aura signature flare up in rising anger but was far more focused on the system notifications bombarding his vision.
    *Ding~!*
    [You have slain 95,000+ Sand Devourers, including tens of thousands of C-'s, thousands of C+'s, and ~15 B-'s!]
    [Your Experience Bar has tremendously advanced!] S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [You leveled up!]
    Experience new tales on empire
    [You received 30 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 10 Stat Points!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 45 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 15 Stat Points!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 70 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 25 Stat Points!]
    [You¡­]
    Although each level required exponentially greater amounts of EXP than the previous one, it also came with far better rewards. And that was just referencing the automatic rewards, not even including the Gold-Ranked Skill Boxes waiting to be dumped into Cassius's inventory.

 Chapter 77 If Not One, Then How About A Hundred!??

    OOOM!Cassius felt himself become several leagues stronger than he had been just moments ago, prompting an inexplicable smirk to emerge on his face. Contrary to the last time the Tyrant God raced toward his location, he could now trace its advance with far more ease.
    Of course, that didn't mean the threat of death had lessened any. He would still die the moment the horrifying monster girl arrived. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Well¡­" Cassius shrugged. "If we were destined to do battle either way, then that is how it shall be. Dancing with death can be considered excellent character development. Yep, yep."
    Wasting no more time on nonsense, he swiped up his system interface and flashed a satisfied smile upon seeing how much AP he had stored up. Yet, in that same moment, his right pointer finger moved like a blur of lightning; he spammed the hell out of none other than the Agility up-arrow!
    *DING, DING, DING!*
    Cassius rubbed his finger against the system interface so fast that he was afraid fire would spark up and burn him to a crisp. From the 700 range, it quickly ascended the number bracket, breaching past 800, then 900.
    And without respite, it broke through the 1000 barrier!
    Yet that was far from the end of things, as 1100 was shattered, swiftly followed by 1200! And then it finally settled down around 1230!
    Compared to his other seemingly lackluster stats, his Agility stat shone like a dazzling sun in a land littered with dark spots. His physical prospects reflected this to an intense degree, as his skin crackled with a level of forward motion that made him feel like his atoms were ready to jump out of him and zip ahead at the speed of light.
    Cassius had no real idea how fast he had become, but he instinctively knew that if he beckoned his feet forward, he would reach speeds that transcended what a feeble mortal mind could comprehend. Just one step and he would no longer be at this point on the timeline; just one step and he might accidentally splat himself against a molten sand mountain.
    "My Agility isn't just limited to 1230, as the effects transferred from I AM SPEED have once again been improved," mused Cassius, his irises zapping with sparks of lightning. "With the boost now at 600%, my true speed likely resides somewhere around the 1400 mark¡­?"
    Leaning off the weighted stat system remark, the gap between 1230 and 1400 was comparable to that of a koi suddenly leaping up in an attempt to transform into a dragon. Simply put, the two values weren't anywhere close to one another.
    Cassius looked ahead, quickly grasping the fact that his ability to register certain frame rates had also improved thanks to his Agility stat.
    Normally, it would require improvements in the Perception stat to have his eyes keep up with his movements. However, it seemed that he received a special bonus for exceeding the 1000 Agility point milestone.
    Now, he was able to clearly see the speedily moving golden-flamed blur bursting his way at incredibly lethal speeds. If this were an evil superhero show, the regal Tyrant God probably would've exploded through a few people without a single care present in her apathetic gaze.
    Cassius could feel the Almighty existence's fury from dozens of miles away, with him being able to more vividly sense the rage bubbling up within the four Tyrant Kings trailing far behind her. The remaining Sand Devourers were even more enraged, as it seemed the level of anger they experienced over this matter scaled in relation to where they stood on the power hierarchy.
    Any sane person would feel a great sense of unease at the grand lineup of colossal monsters barreling in their direction, yet Cassius only felt a large surge of thrill that had eluded him as of late.
    Even while fighting the first Tyrant King, he hadn't experienced this kind of excitement. It was reinvigorating!
    "Ha¡­" Cassius released a cold breath of air, then bent into a low sword stance, similar to how he had posed while fighting the Tyrant King. "I already know the same attack won't work on someone as mighty as you," he coldly spoke, with the Tyrant God seemingly understanding his intent even from so far away. "However, if one doesn't work¡­"
    WAAA!!!
    "Then how about I send out a hundred of them!?"
    The atmosphere surrounding Cassius buckled under the suffocating pressure emanating from his stalwart figure as his skin pores volcanically combusted!
    He was attempting something completely and unquestionably crazy¡ªsomething that could very well quench his life force and send him into the afterlife. Yet he still unhesitatingly performed it with a wide grin plastered across his enchantingly handsome face.
    "One I¡­.!!!" he began, his voice exploding like thunder. "Two¡­ AM¡­.!!!!!"
    RUMBLE!!!
    Everything for dozens of miles was crushed by this overpowering pressure, with the earth caving in layers.
    From one side of the deserted wastelands to the next, all of it felt sheer, raw Atomic power¡ªsomething far beyond even what this world had experienced before it faced its world-ending Apocalyptic Event. And such a level of power was being orchestrated by a single man¡ªa single insane man who wanted to defy the odds!
    "!???"
    The Tyrant God felt something ominous crawl throughout her body. Her pretty reptilian eyes blinked repeatedly; she realized she had to move faster. Something in the very core of her being was urging her to accelerate! To keep on accelerating until she had no gas left to give!
    And so she did.
    *Whoooop!!!*
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    The Tyrant God burst forth with all-new levels of speed, achieving a hyper-movement state verging upon instantaneous teleportation. In mere milliseconds, she had already materialized above the human enveloped in purple runic lines. She emotionlessly blink-stepped in front of him, her snow-white scaled claws clasped onto his roguish face.
    Yet, just as Cassius was about to have his head ripped off in one clean strike, an amused smirk crept up his facial features.
    He then soundlessly moved his lips, with an archaic, distorted voice escaping only a moment later.

 Chapter 78 The Tyrant Gods Demise?

    "Three¡­ four¡­ five¡­ six¡­ dozen¡­ ATOMIC!!!""I A.M. A.T.O.M.I.C.!!!!!!!¡ª!!!!!!!¡ª!!!!!!!"
    For a few seconds, time seemed to come to a stop. Not freeze per se, but completely stop.
    The heated, savage breath of the Tyrant God and the even breathing of the crazily smiling robed man were the only things to bypass this stasis mold. For that slim chunk of time, they looked to be unmoving, struggling against one another. The Tyrant God put everything it had into decapitating the human who had somehow resurrected, while the human unleashed subtle yet indescribably dangerous wave after wave of Atomic energy.
    Before the Tyrant God had clutched onto his face, Cassius had activated the 'I AM ATOMIC' Skill enough times to give a normal person an aneurysm. Yet, before the consequences of this reckless action could register, he unloaded the full extent of his fingering capabilities on his poor System, causing his total number of Status Recoveries to hit rock bottom.
    And the result of this death wish:
    KA¡ªBOOoOOoOoOoOOMM!!!
    "Tell me how that one feels, you hot scaly bitch!"
    Time resumed as Cassius flipped up both his middle fingers, enjoying every moment of watching the Tyrant God's usually icy expression flip through several uncharacteristic emotions.
    "!!!!"
    Before the successive Atomic explosions collided with her voluptuous body, the Tyrant God looked up and saw a shit-eating grin that angered her to no end. More than ever¡ªmore than she had ever felt for anything in her entire life¡ªshe wanted to slaughter this human!!!
    With one final, all-out attempt, the Tyrant God exerted the full extent of her profoundly destructive power to phase her hand through the purple light that had rebounded her hand away the first time. As the light rapidly expanded and reached past her arm, she broke past her limits, activating all her unique A-Rank Skills.
    She would kill that bastard!!!
    Although not expecting something like this to happen, Cassius did not fret. He subconsciously used another Status Recovery, then unbound his body from the frozen state that came as a side effect of using the I AM ATOMIC skill. Then, with his speed that still surpassed hers, he conjured a shadowy demonic figure that crackled under its own affinity with the lightning element.
    "Evomon fusion," Cassius called out, his voice and subsequent actions surprising the Tyrant God to no end. "Nyxvoldar, activate ultra-sonic burst."
    FWwwwoooooop!!! sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The terrifying electric shadow looming over Cassius like a giant abruptly and instantly zorped into the body of its master, urging him to undergo several ridiculously fast transformations.
    By the end of the transformations, a slightly taller, far more intimidating nightmarish figure appeared. Then, with a quick step that seemed to exceed hundreds of thousands of MPH, he phased through the hand and body of the beautiful Tyrant God, doing so with the help of an extra-evolved Permutation B-Rank Skill.
    "...Ho..w could yo¡­uu!?"
    "???"
    For the first time since they encountered one another, Cassius finally heard the Tyrant God speak. Her voice was not overly sweet, but it was still feminine and melodic enough to ring out quite nicely in his ears. Quite nicely indeed.
    Turning his head back just enough to see the deadly purple Atomic light envelop her body, Cassius casually commented, "Your lovely voice will be forever remembered in the echoes of my memories; after all, you are the first A-Rank Monster that I have ever killed. You're also the first talking one I've met¡­ Hmm¡­"
    "HUMAN¡­.!!!!"
    Cassius nonchalantly dug earwax out of his demonically pointed obsidian ears. "No need to shout," he replied. "You were strong; you should feel honored just knowing that. Without my shitty system, I might really have been diced up by you¡­"
    He briefly paused before continuing, "Anyway, it seems like this is where we part ways¡­"
    "Goodbye, hot scaly bitch. It was a fun fight. Maybe in another lifetime, I'll fight you again, possibly even in a proper exchange of blows¡­"
    Suddenly shifting his gaze toward his wrist, Cassius pretended to check his watch. "Well, would you look at the time? It would appear that our time here is up. I bid you farewell, pretty young miss."
    With that, he curtly bowed before flashing away at speeds transcending common sense.
    He reappeared nearly a hundred miles away, leaving the far slower gray-haired draconic beauty to simmer in a sea of anger. The purple Atomic light had already entirely covered her up, inflicting ungodly amounts of pain, yet only working to further deepen her.... horniness¡­!?
    'Hah¡­!!! He's so powerful~!!!! I want to eat him up~!!!! I NEED to eat him~!!!!!'
    Draconic species, as many people knew, were infamously known for their vast appetite for anything lustful. They were rumored to screw anything with a hole.
    If there was a hole, there was a goal.
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    And though the Tyrant God was a female dragon subspecies of the monster mutant variety, she still partially retained that lascivious nature.
    Moreover, her species, different from the prideful pure-blooded dragons, was one that aligned more along the lines of 'LOVE for the strong,' which meant they only submitted to those stronger. And more often than not, if this was between an opposing male and female¡ªeven from two different species¡ªthen the defeated female would vie for a long-lasting mating session with the male.
    However, not everything was roses and dandelions. After finishing the copulation session, the female Tyrant Dragons were known to¡­ uhhh¡­ devour their male partners. Similar to how spider species functioned, except far more brutal¡ªand the sex lasted for what felt like an eternity, essentially draining the male dry long before she devoured him¡­
    ¡ª----------
    A hundred or so miles away.
    Cassius suddenly felt a shiver go up his spine, prompting him to suspiciously look around in all directions. Yet, after finding nothing of notice, he shook his head before refocusing on the extremely massive explosion growing upward like a genuine Atomic Bomb. It was, of course, still a ways away from actually reaching such a high level, but it was definitely getting up there.
    Though, he did feel it a shame that something of this caliber could only be performed if he cheated things with system rewards¡­

 Chapter 79 You... Me... F*ck!

    "a shame indeed," lamented cassius as intense astral winds whistled past his face.after a while.
    with the incredibly strong winds rolling out from where a miniature atomic bomb had just hit finally subsiding, cassius flashed back over while still fused with nyxvoldar. he could no longer feel or see the presences of the tyrant god or the other sand devourers, but one could never be too careful. moreover, he had received a system notification for everything except the tyrant god, which worried him.
    'could she still be alive after all that?' was the harrowing question that lingered on his mind as he blurred to the center of a crater that stretched outward for dozens of miles. read new chapters at empire
    the depths of the crater also went down for thousands of meters, yet it was not dark thanks to the eternally sunny days of this place.
    upon stopping his teleportation-like run across the sand dunes and into the crater's epicenter, cassius searched around for any traces of life. at around the same time, he received a single level-up notification from the system, which only further improved his strength.
    yet, even after five minutes of meticulous searching, he was unable to find any sign of the tyrant god's existence.
    natural assumption would dictate that she should've died during the explosion. hell, even a neutral a-rank boss monster would have died in that blast!
    yet he had to ascertain the truth for himself.
    then, it came.
    *ding!*
    [you have slain the outer embryo of the a- tyrant god unique boss monster!]
    [your experience bar tremendously moved!]
    [you leveled up!]
    [you received 120 ap!]
    [all of your main attributes have increased by 40 stat points!]
    [you leveled up!]
    [you received 150 ap!]
    [all of your main attributes have increased by 50 stat points!]
    [you leveled up!]
    [you received 200 ap!]
    [all of your main attributes have increased by 75 stat points!]
    cassius received a meager three level-ups even after slaying an a-rank unique boss monster, which felt extremely lackluster. more importantly, however, was what the system termed the tyrant god as.
    "outer embryo¡­?" his brows curved. "what does that mean?"
    waboom!
    it was at that moment that something ruptured off to the side, creating an unusual explosive sound. puzzled, cassius shifted his gaze over, only to see a large whitish-gold and purple egg dug out of the ground and cracking. the egg was roughly the size of a car, and as more and more of its shell fractured, he witnessed something that made no sense.
    crack¡ª
    from within the mystical shell emerged a woman who looked like she had just escaped from a fairytale.
    with graceful steps, she landed on the charcoaled ground. her long, luscious light gray hair cascaded over her exposed shoulders and molded her fully nude figure in a cradle of sorts. cassius noticed her hair struggling to cover her twin peaks, which perked up proudly beneath the blazing sun.
    but more than that, his eyes traced over her exquisite face¡ªa work of art that was both round, defined, and contoured in a way that perfectly emphasized two large peach blossom eyes. eyes that were dimmed yet contained a twinkle not previously present in her expressionless face. s~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    at first, the otherworldly beautiful woman seemed to be regaining her bearings, squinting her eyes and rubbing her temples. however, after a couple of seconds, clarity returned to her pupils, and she surveyed her surroundings.
    she seemed to be searching for something, clearly evident by the anticipatory glow lighting up her otherwise ice-cold facial features. her sparkling eyes swam around the brightly lit crater depths, not stopping their flow until a mildly confused immortal-like man entered her line of sight.
    due to cassius's grindset over the past week, his charisma stat was now verging on 40, and though he was a bit lacking compared to this goddess of a woman, he still wasn't too far behind.
    yet, it didn't seem like the bubbly woman cared one bit about his appearance. her face lit up like the 4th of july as she sprinted over to him without saying a word, then proceeded to drag her cute sniffer all over his bare chest.
    '...what is this woman doing¡­? and who even is she???' cassius could see a resemblance between this unknown woman and the tyrant god in human form, yet this woman's temperament was clearly more coy.
    though, her current actions would not indicate as such¡­
    cassius wanted to speak up and interrupt the girl dragging her nose all over him, but he wasn't sure that was the right thing to do. therefore, he stuck to keeping quiet and patiently waiting for her to finish¡­ whatever it was she was doing.
    surprisingly, this took more than 10 minutes.
    it was only then that the ashen-haired woman fixated her gaze on the eyes of the human she had inspected like a hound dog.
    "...you¡­"
    "you?" cassius echoed.
    "you¡­" the girl lightly pressed her index finger against his chest, then moved that finger to her ample bosom, denting into a soft spot mere centimeters away from a proudly stiff pink nipple. "me¡­"
    "me¡­ you¡­" cassius repeated, puzzled by what she was trying to tell him.
    the girl's slight smile curved upward, putting on display all of her sharp, shark-like pearly white teeth.
    "you¡­ me¡­ fuck!"
    she then went in for a tight hug that nearly squeezed the soul out of cassius's vessel.
    he wanted to frown at her words, but he was genuinely too shocked to do so. one second, he was fighting to the death with a boss monster capable of destroying an entire cosmopolitan city in minutes, and the next, he was torn between bewilderment and turning into a braindead vegetable.
    for a moment, his mind seemed to flatline, with no changes until the pearly gates began to rear their heads.
    however, when cassius's wandering consciousness dipped down like a free-range hawk and appeared before the flaming pits of hell with a massive '1st floor' inscribed above one gate, he suddenly shot back to the mortal realm.
    sanity returned to him, then gradually left again when he felt the squishy calcium cannons aiming to make him lose all sense of reason.

 Chapter 80 Yimin, the Tyrant God

    luckily, cassius's will was not an easy one to break. thanks to the training (torture) of sensei system, no honey trap could ensnare him¡ª*boing, boing!*
    'they' sensually rubbed up and down his torso in synchronization with the giddy movements of the bouncy beauty.
    'must i really persevere¡­?'
    *ding!!!*
    [you dare go against the ways of true character development!? you may have women around you in this lifetime, the more the merrier, but you cannot touch a single one with your little pecker until you have attained idle benefit #9! only then can you prove yourself as a true follower of character development!]
    stay tuned to empire
    [this is the way! resist all worldly temptations! a buddha can do it, why can't you!? (?¨y?)]
    it was during a moment of bitter silence on cassius's end that a blue illusory screen materialized in front of him. he immediately looked over while the busty beauty rubbed her nude body on him, all the while giggling and repeating, "you¡­ me¡­ fuck! mate, fuck! harder, harder~! hihi~!"
    of course, like the distinguished grinder of character development that he was, cassius swallowed his desires and locked them away in a box. then he concentrated entirely on the pop-up.
    bling!
    {[partial 5th idle benefit]} ¨C [given due to the host being relatively close with five or more girls.]
    [girls (familiar (10-25) - close (26-50) - affectionate (51-80) - extremely affectionate (81-95) - obsessed (96-99) - out for blood (100):]
    [trolling any girls with at least a familiar relationship status will allot the host more ap than usual, with that bonus being greater the better the relationship status.]
    {[memphis: 74]}
    {[aya: 78]}
    {[grace: 82]}
    {[sasha: 52]} s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    {[corra: 24]}
    {[bella: 100]}
    {[stella: 22]}
    {[yimin: 96]}
    other than corra's, whose affection rating had somehow gone up even though they hadn't met each other since that day, there was the biggest enigma in the character sheet. next to the name yimin was a beautiful profile picture with an uncanny resemblance to the naked girl presently glued to his body. and then, for a brief character introduction, it said:
    {[yimin]} - [pfp: ]
    ¡ª[the true form of the tyrant god. she shed her previous status as a mutant monster dragon and returned to her true racial status as a 'tyrant dragon,' a high universal species known for their vast libidos and extreme tyrannical strength.]
    ¡ª[the strongest among the tyrant dragons are capable of easily lifting and crunching planets and stars within their jaws. yet, yimin, as a newborn tyrant dragon no more than a few hours old, is still in her initial development stages. tyrant dragons age differently from humans, and have their own aging system, but still need around 10,000 human years to achieve full maturity¡ª100,000 years for elder status.]
    [current wants: you, you, and your cock and balls]
    [personality traits: yandere, obsessive, possessive, submissive (if weaker), domineering (if stronger), shy, purposefully sexy shy, caring, loving, deadly, murderous tendencies, easily irritable (when it comes to things she doesn't like), emotionless (when fighting), unshakable loyalty, deranged, lustful]
    [current power level: a- (rapidly improving. within months, she will be stronger than most s-rank humans, so beware.)]
    'great¡­' cassius sarcastically sighed. 'not only is she the living reincarnation of some overpowered universal species, but her personality traits are completely out of whack. furthermore, due to her still being in her early development phases, her power can increase, and it can do so stupidly fast from the looks of it¡­. awesomeness all around¡­ yay¡­'
    cassius really felt like drawing circles in the sand right about now, but he knew it wasn't the time.
    eyes falling on the snuggly girl with illusory hearts shooting out of her head, he asked, "you are the tyrant god, right?"
    yimin cutely tilted her head up, her chubby cheeks squishing against his chest like a chipmunk. "tyrant god¡­?"
    "yes," answered cassius.
    "mhmm¡­ nope! that is not me! am yimin, not tyrant god!" she responded while suspiciously whistling, clearly lying through her teeth.
    cassius was speechless.
    he sighed before ripping the clingy girl off of him.
    she grumbled and bared her sharp teeth, yet still complied.
    "if you don't want to tell me the truth, then so be it. but i suggest you find another person to stick to."
    yimin's eyes watered. "yimin¡­ yimin is not a bad girl! let yimin stay with master!"
    "no."
    silence.
    "...yimin¡­ why is master being mean to yimin¡­?" the waterworks started to fall, causing shiny crystalline liquid lines to streak down her ridiculously beautiful face. "...yimin didn't mean to rip master's head off! that was before yimin knew how strong master was!! please let yimin follow¡ª"
    "no."
    the silence was palpable. yimin froze in place.
    cassius had no idea what she was thinking, but black shadows soon clouded her face. her soft, delicate aura was quickly overshadowed by a dark red aura, which then mixed with a profound purple aura. the ground around her began to crack in a spiderweb shape, rapidly escalating to dangerous degrees.
    yet, just as cassius got into a fighting stance, prepared for another fight to break out, yimin's anger subsided as she collapsed to her knees. tears streamed down her cheeks, her weeping echoing throughout the barren wastelands.
    her expression scrunched up in sorrow, her sadness immeasurable.
    "y-yimin just wants¡­ waaa¡­!!" she cried. "yimin just wants to follow master!! yimin doesn't understand¡­ yimin is alone... yimin hates being alone¡­"
    cassius: "..."
    'look what you got me into this time, system¡­'
    *ding!*
    [this is just another, more advanced form of character development!]
    [so, what will you do? ignore a sorrowful girl who just wants to be next to you? or take her in and try not to get sucked dry by a succubus disguised as a dragon babe??]
    [option 1 reward: the idle evolution system's scorn]
    [option 2 reward: 50 ap, 100 white tier dragon pellets, 'dragon rider' title, potential 'dragon druganaut' class evolution, and 'yimin's' eternal love¡­?]
    "...why did you put a question mark after that last part? and why is this so obviously biased toward the 2nd option?" asked cassius, his brows narrowing in suspicion.

 Chapter 81 Main Quest #3

    [the system has no idea what you're talking about! ^_^][so, what is your decision? option 1 or option 2?]
    cassius felt like he was being toyed with here, as the answer was obvious.
    he glanced between the cheeky system interface and the naked woman bawling her eyes out. with a heavy sigh, he walked over to her, also making sure to click option 2. what would come from this decision was yet to be seen; however, for now...
    "yimin," said cassius, his voice immediately attracting her attention. "you can come with me, but you must not eat any humans unless i say it's okay. do you understand?"
    yimin's blue expression brightened up more than the raging sun above. she bobbed her head before jumping into his arms like a loving golden retriever. "yimin understands! yimin really, really understands¡­! master loves yimin, so yimin won't eat any humans¡­!!"
    cassius wanted to refute her words, but seeing as she was being obedient, he shook his head before taking a spare cloak out of his inventory. he wrapped it around the giddy beauty before speeding up the restoration of his c+ 'shadow monarch's hoodie,' which had leveled up quite a bit from all the monster materials he used as disposable upgrade material.
    after finishing the cleanup and scavenging of the sand devourers that he hadn't been able to loot until now, it might even reach the b or b+ rank, which should certainly increase its effectiveness by leaps and bounds.
    there was also his lilith, who was currently very silent right now.
    ever since yimin entered the picture, lilith had been abnormally quiet. cassius had not an inkling what was going on with her, but it almost seemed like she was annoyed by something based on his connection with her. nonetheless, she was sitting at the peak of the b rank. and once she finished absorbing the monster blood scattered throughout the desert, she should reach a rank even higher than the shadow monarch's hoodie was going to reach.
    "hmm..."
    after a brief moment of pause to consider a few different matters, cassius said to yimin, "we will be in this gate for a while longer, as i need to collect some things. but once we get to the outside world, you must behave yourself. if you act up, i will have to put you up for adoption."
    yimin's face lost a lot of its color. with a victimized expression, she murmured, "y-you would get rid of yimin¡­? to adoption¡­ yimin won't survive in adoption¡­! please don't send yimin to adoption!" she pleaded with large puppy dog eyes, nearly on the verge of tears again.
    'she definitely has no idea what that word even means...' cassius sighed.
    patting yimin's soft bed of gray hair, he said seriously, "i won't put you up for adoption, but you must behave."
    yimin furiously nodded. "yimin will behave! no eating the humans! and no being bad! mhmm, mhmm¡­!" she rubbed her alluring figure all over the helpless man who was now stuck with her. "don't worry, master! yimin will be on her best behavior, so no adoption! and yimin will also satisfy master's urges!"
    "...not the last part," cassius rejected. "just forget all about the last part."
    yimin vehemently shook her head. "no can do, master!" she denied. "yimin is weaker than the master, so the master must breed yimin! yep, yep, fuck, fuck, fuck¡­! yimin wants master's babies!"
    cassius felt like violently coughing up blood, yet held back at the last moment. his eyes seemed to listlessly wander into the distance, with him completely unresponsive to the casual urging of the lascivious dragon girl to essentially kill himself.
    'is it too late to change my mind on the options¡­?' lamented cassius. 'i'm suddenly no longer opposed to being more hated by my shitty system...'
    as if predicting his thoughts, the idle evolution system flashed a blue smug face in front of him.
    [no takesies backsies! ????(? ?? ? - ? ) ?]
    cassius was truly exasperated. everything in life seemed to be against him. was it illegal for him to live peacefully or something...?
    while zooming out of his general position in the endless deserts of the gate, various system notifications rang out inside his head.
    *ding!*
    [you have successfully cleared the b-/low red-rank special upgraded gate 'tyrant's obsession'] sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [rewards increased appropriately!]
    {[reward 1: '400 ap' - [y/n]]}
    discover hidden stories at empire
    {[reward 2: '2 equipment rank-up shards' - [y/n]]}
    {[reward 3: 'beast companion 'yimin'' - [yes!]]}
    {[reward 4: 'a- rank hermes boots' - [y/n]]}
    [warning!] [warning!]
    {[main quest #3]} - [activated!]
    ¡ª[the gremlin extraterrestrial fiends have set up base in the center point of japan, tokyo. although the brunt of their forces are still in tokyo, with their strongest soldiers also in tokyo, the gremlin extraterrestrial fiends have sent out thousands of their kind all over japan.]
    ¡ª[one of the places the gremlin extraterrestrial fiends are set to quietly and inconspicuously erase the presence of humans in will be hoshito. they can disguise themselves as regular humans and even mimic their mannerisms and personalities. (any one single person could be a gremlin extraterrestrial fiend in disguise, so beware...)]
    {[task: discover and kill [0/20 gremlin extraterrestrial fiends]]}
    {[task time limit: 2 months, 29 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 57 seconds]}
    {[reward 1 - [1000 ap]]}
    {[reward 2 - [s-rank 'extraterrestrial sight']]}
    {[reward 3 - [200 uncommon evoballs]]}
    {[reward 4 - [s-rank 'stellar flight']]}
    'a flight skill...? and extraterrestrials...?' cassius couldn't believe what he was seeing. 'are extraterrestrials actually real?? and the system wants me to kill them???'
    'set up base in tokyo... does that mean the japanese government is already compromised...?'
    he had read and watched enough sci-fi to know exactly what it meant when aliens arrived on a planet they didn't immediately plan to blow up.
    but why the hell were aliens on earth!?
    first hunters, gates, and monsters, and now fucking aliens!? did they have large gray heads as well!? did they fly inside circular saucer disks and get handsy with their laser beam guns!?? was pegging with metal poles their hobby???
    "seriously¡­ what the hell is going on as of late¡­?"
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 82 Lvl 69, 3-Digit Stats

    "seriously¡­ what the hell is going on as of late¡­?" cassius inaudibly mumbled while collecting blood, magic shards, and monster materials alongside the flowery dragon woman that didn't seem to want to leave his side.furthermore, she cared not a single bit about decency and flashed her perfect pudding peaks and pink kitty whenever she felt like it.
    "¡­why can't i just have a normal transmigration experience¡­? maybe fight with a bunch of useless party members holding me down and then go to a demon castle to vanquish the demon king¡­"
    'i am fine with that sort of life¡­ so how did i end up with something like this¡­? is my luck just that shitty?? or am i simply that superior??'
    if cassius thought any more on the matter, he'd likely pop a blood vessel. therefore, he instead continued his looting before the gate's closure in roughly 20 minutes.
    the remainder of the system notifications also finished sounding out¡­ with one in particular practically mocking him.
    *ding~!*
    {[a vital decision]} - [completed]
    [reward: 50 ap, 100 white tier dragon pellets, 'dragon rider' title, potential 'dragon druganaut' class evolution, and 'yimin's' eternal love¡­?]
    [yimin's affection rate has increased to 100!] - [beware!!]
    cassius felt a dangerous purple aura leak out from the jovial dragon beauty, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. he could already foresee the trouble he would get into upon leaving the gate and encountering the other girls¡­ but like the responsible person he was, he decided to leave these problems for his future self, instead opting to look over the rest of his system notifications.
    [acquired a- rank 'dragon rider' title, which can be combined with the b- rank title 'advent devil']
    discover hidden stories at empire
    [would you like to combine the titles and receive a superior title? or do you wish to choose one over the other and permanently lose the one that wasn't chosen?]
    cassius immediately answered, "combine the titles."
    bling!
    a silent bright light flashed and the two differently-fonted titles spun around and combined with one another, then disappeared. after a couple of moments, an entirely new, demonically heroic-fonted title appeared.
    {[title: dragonfire advent (a)]} s§×ar?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    {[effect 1 'overflowing killing intent' - [assuming the difference in strength is great enough, the user can bring to the knees and even kill someone with just pure killing intent.]]}
    {[effect 2 'loved by dragons' - [as one loved and idolized by a tyrant dragon, the user receives 'dragon strength' as long as the dragon that loves the user has love that holds strong.]]}
    {[effect 3 'dragon strength' - [1000% increase to physical strength, 500% increase to physical defense, and a 'berserker trait,' which allows the user to become stronger the more he is at a disadvantage and beaten up.]]}
    {[effect 4 'extreme fire resistance' - [1500% increased resistance to the fire element. immune against most basic universal fires.]]}
    {[effect 5 'dragonfire' - [stick out your palms and unleash massive dragonfire balls or dragonfire beams. (1000% fire damage)]]}
    ooom!
    an incredible amount of physical strength was granted to cassius, causing his power to soar. and even better was the fact that this did not affect the stats themselves, which meant that the 'i am atomic' skill did not become any less effective. however, from this amplification in strength, yimin's attention was immediately diverted.
    she turned her head toward him with a curiously cute expression, then hopped over and got all up in his personal space.
    "master has become stronger¡­" she announced while molesting him. "...master is so cool¡­"
    her eyes shone with a misty luster. "yimin wants to fuck! master wants to mate!?"
    "no, master does not want to mate," cassius firmly rejected before pushing away the brazen girl.
    she latched onto his thigh and pouted with puppy dog eyes while mumbling her grievances, yet he continued ignoring her. instead, he finished up the perusing of the last of the system notifications, which also came along with accepting his gate clear rewards.
    *ding~!*
    [you received 400 ap!]
    [you received 2 equipment rank-up shards!]
    [you received a- rank 'hermes boots']
    after storing the ap and equipment shards away, cassius equipped the hermes boots.
    they originally appeared quite gaudy and looked more gold than boot; however, when they touched his skin, they transformed into something matching the rest of his get-up. from a dazzling gold to a dark matte black, they blended together with his shadow monarch's hoodie.
    as for their effects, they increased his speed by 300%, gave him an instantaneous dash ability, and improved his overall aesthetic, as they were a nice twilight color. though that was more just his preference being satisfied than an effect¡­
    he then opened up his system interface, curious to see just how far he had come this time around.
    bling!
    ________________________________
    [name: idle evolution system]
    [host: cassius] - [lvl 69]
    [title: dragonfire advent (a)]
    ______________________________
    [hp: 83,000] [mp: 65,000]
    [fatigue: 0]. [ap: 1,800]
    ______________________________
    [strength: 380] (throwing a skyscraper will result in success.)
    [agility: 1600] (uhhh¡­ like mach 1000 or something?)
    [endurance: 340] (you can run around the world and still have stamina left over. can rapidly heal from most minor and moderate injuries.)
    [intelligence: 362] (supreme sage. you even have the virginity to prove it!)
    [perception: 375] (world's most perverted man in the making? anyway, don't use this to satisfy your dirty kinks.)
    [charisma: 44] (handsome af)
    {[skills:]} - (far too many to properly count¡­ main one's it is!)
    [i am atomic (a)(b+)(lvl3)], [shadow step (a)(b-)(lvl2)], [bloodfire (a)(b)(lvl3)]
    [phoenix rebirth (p)(b)(lvl1)], [dragonfire (a)(a-)(lvl1)], and then like¡­ 500 others¡­? (recommendation: fuse them, you unkempt bastard!)
    ¡­.[¨C[extend to see more¡­]
    _______________________________
    other than the system's snarky comments, cassius was astonished to see just how far his stats had advanced since arriving in this gate. everything except for agility lingered around 100 when he came here, and now they were nearly quadruple that!
    at this rate, the daily quest rewards would give him next to nothing¡­
    "if only i could stop doing them¡ª" as soon as this thought surfaced, a smug system screen appeared.
    *ding~!*
    [seeing as the silly host is doubting the intentions of the almighty idle evolution system, adjustments have been made! ^~^]
    ...¡­

 Chapter 83 Newbie 5 Equipment Set

    "adjustments¡­?"before cassius could even finish his words, a world-crushing weight smashed him into the earth. due to the abruptness of this occurrence, he was nearly unable to stop himself from faceplanting into the dirt.
    that was when a bombardment of pesky pop-ups materialized.
    *ding!!*
    [newbie equipment set has directly ranked up from '3' to '5'] s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [newbie training sword has directly ranked up from '3' to '5']
    {[newbie 5 equipment set]}
    [wrist weights (5) x2 - (100,000 tons each)]
    [ankle weights (5) x2 - (80,000 tons each)]
    [waist weight (5) x1 - (200,000 tons)]
    [full-body weight (5) x1 - (300,000 tons)]
    {[newbie 5 training sword]} - [400,000 tons]
    "this is¡­" cassius was left momentarily speechless over what he was seeing.
    no wonder it felt like the entire world was on his back, as he was lugging around the weight of nearly three empire state buildings! the system was quite literally trying to kill him!!
    all of the veins in cassius's body bulged as he struggled to adjust to this ridiculously absurd incline in restrictors. each individual piece wasn't even in the tens of thousands of pounds before, and now they were in the hundreds of thousands of tons!? what sort of absurdity was this???
    yimin curiously looked up at the man whose thigh she was latched to. she felt something shift inside him, which led to the ground caving in beneath him. she also felt like he had become far sturdier, and then there were his muscles and vascularity...
    "guhehe~... mooscles¡­" she crazily mumbled, hearts swimming around in her foggy eyes. "...mate¡­ guhehe~!"
    cassius promptly ignored the insane woman becoming more and more crazy with each passing second. he instead diverted most of his concentration to moving around with so much weight suffocating him.
    however, there was always something good to come from every seemingly misfortunate situation. namely, his physical stats increased by around 1 point every few minutes, which was certainly something to celebrate.
    while doing his utmost not to create a crater every time he moved a step, a few more suspicious system notifications echoed out in his head.
    discover more stories at empire
    *ding!*
    __________________________
    {[daily quest 1 v2]}
    goal
    [incomplete] push-ups ¡ª [0/100]
    [incomplete] sit-ups ¡ª [0/100]
    [incomplete] curl-ups ¡ª [0/100]
    [incomplete] squats ¡ª [0/100]
    [incomplete] running ¡ª [0/10km]
    [incomplete] weighted living - [0/720 minutes]
    reward - [2 points in charisma, 25 points in agility, 14 points in strength, and 18 points in endurance]
    __________________________
    __________________________
    {[daily quest 2 v2]}
    goal
    [incomplete] weighted sword living - [0/720 minutes]
    [incomplete] sword swinging - [0/30,000] - (unless you can do at least this many swings, you will forever remain a virgin who doesn't even know how to use his own sword!]
    reward - [12 points in agility, 21 points in strength, and 11 points in endurance]
    _________________________
    "now this¡­ this might actually make me overpowered," said cassius, his glazed irises fully emulating his anticipation for what was to come. "however, with the imminent threat of main quest #3 as a grim reminder, i am sure that i will need all the power i can get¡­"
    "i honestly have no clue just how powerful extraterrestrials can be..."
    "extraterrestrials¡­?" yimin asked with an adorably puzzled expression. "what does that mean, master?"
    watching the girl dart around the deserts and help him collect monster materials while talking to him made cassius a bit dizzy. yet, he still responded, "those will be our next enemies. and tell me, yimin, do you know of any aliens? or how to identify them?"
    "aliens..." yimin appeared confused for a moment, then her eyes brightened. "alien is a snack!? yimin loves snacks! though yimin just got here, yimin knows what yimin likes. and yimin likes what she likes, but doesn't like what she doesn't like! yep, yep, yimin likes tasty snacks¡­!"
    cassius didn't even know why he bothered with that ditsy woman. 'even though she was so eerily cold while we were fighting, now she has become like this¡­ haiz...'
    he couldn't help but believe that he had the worst luck with women. though, when he recalled the soft facial features of grace, sasha, and memphis, he slightly reconsidered his rash words. still, he might need to think about a better way to begin approaching all these women that just seemed to spawn in his life.
    ¡ª--------------
    meanwhile, directly outside the 'tyrant's obsession' gate.
    people of both genders, slim and skinny, handsome, ugly, and pretty all crowded around seven figures adorned in shiny opulent armor and attire. a lot of them were cheering or happily conversing with one another, which dominic and the others relished in. people like him loved nothing more than themselves and other people praising their existences.
    however, as the time to enter the gate was brought forward by his managers, dominic warmly smiled and waved while shouting to silence the crowd. "calm down now, kind citizens of hoshito!"
    everyone quickly hushed up, their eyes focused entirely on the gallant armored man standing front, forward, and center. dominic's poise was immaculate, with the aura emanating from him even more incredible. those in hoshito had never felt something like this from someone, not even from their governor or the hunter association's branchmaster.
    dominic outwardly smiled and continued his speech.
    his 'speech' basically consisted of him glorifying their 'noble' purpose, and also hinting at the humble donations of hoshito citizens. some, like the naive girls swooning over his appearance and demeanor, foolishly fell into the scheme and outright screamed out their donations.
    yet, little did they and the men fawning over lexi and stella realize that dominic was inwardly scoffing at them. 'these poor plebs¡­ they are all the same¡­ a bunch of dirty, boot-licking paupers! well, at least they're useful for their only purposes!'
    when dominic reached the end of his long, drawn-out speech, he heroically flung his red cape around and led his party into the crackling yellow gate.
    not a single one of the b-rank hunters was aware that the gate was actually masquerading as a yellow gate, when it was actually a red gate. even the astute stella noticed nothing unusual, with her thoughts seemingly only veering back to the hooded man that had similar circumstances as her.
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 84 What Happened Here...?

    'i hope he made it okay while in the gate¡­'stella had been worried since earlier; after all, he never returned, and the gate never closed. it was only natural that her trepidation progressively grew.
    then again, she didn't exactly know why she was so worried over a man who originally had a sharp object placed at her neck¡­ sear?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    did she have a thing for bad boys or something?
    surely not¡­
    'wait! why am i even thinking about whether i do or don't like him!? gah¡­!'
    with a flustered state of mind, stella followed behind lexi and issa, trying her best not to let her embarrassment show on her expression.
    before long, they entered the gate.
    and that was when they saw it¡­
    from one side of the boundless sand dunes to the other side, there were giant dismembered corpses and monster limbs scattered everywhere. crimson-green blood stained the sand in a spotted fashion, making the entire place appear quite apocalyptic. especially when considering that some of those monster wyrm corpses were the size of skyscrapers, clearly indicating their ranks as extremely powerful monsters.
    "¡­just who could've done this¡­?" asked lexi, her tone incredulous. "these are sand devourers and elite sand devourers, which we could've taken care of quite easily. but what about the sand devourer lord and¡ª is that a¡­ tyrant king corpse!? and there are multiple of them! just what is going on here!??"
    dominic furrowed his brows.
    he looked around and noticed that all of the monsters were missing their magic shards and most important parts, which meant that this massacre wasn't the result of a scuffle among the sand devourers. this signified that there were¡­
    "other hunters," said dominic, annoyed. "and they got here before us, somehow sneaking through all surveillance measures. furthermore, this gate appears to have mutated, as there are far too many sand devourers, extra mini bosses, and more than one boss monster."
    "however, as you bunch are surely aware of: if something like this occurs, which happens on very rare occasions, then a new boss monster has been crowned."
    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"
    "something more powerful than a tyrant king!? what sort of entity could possibly trump over a b+ boss monster!?"
    "this doesn't make any sense!"
    "and someone finished off all these monsters before us!? which hunter party could accomplish such a thing!? this backwater city doesn't even have a single b-rank hunter party!"
    dominic silenced all of the agitated voices with an icy glare. luckily, stella didn't experience this, as she kept quiet from beginning to end. "to take over the position of a tyrant king, this new boss monster must either be of the b++ rank or the¡­ a- rank."
    shock once again rippled through the expressions of the moonshiner party members.
    if what their party leader was saying was true, and they pulled the shorter end of the stick, then didn't that mean they were about to come face to face with an a- rank boss monster!? something that could even face off against your average a-rank monster!?
    "we must retreat and inform headquarters of this incident!" most shouted. "we aren't properly equipped to deal with something like this! even the weakest of a-rank boss monsters are capable of single-handedly eradicating small cities!"
    "no," dominic instantly rejected. "we will advance. and we will figure out just who has the gall to steal what should've been ours." your next chapter awaits on empire
    "but, captain¡ª"
    "shut up!" dominic snapped back, urging their traps to stay shut. "am i the party leader or are you all the party leader!? just be obedient and follow my orders!"
    although begrudged, the moonshiners slowly nodded. in front of their party leader, they were all pork chops. and though this development became exceedingly dangerous, if it really came down to it, they could just sacrifice the weakest among them and escape.
    their eyes all instinctively fell on the vivacious girl who kept an eternally fake smile plastered on her face. under their venomous intent, she couldn't even muster the courage to defend herself.
    this was simply the true way of the world.
    the weak had no say in front of the strong.
    it was cruel, but it was life. nothing could change that, no matter how outwardly peaceful a civilization appeared.
    'i just wish¡­ wish that i had people close to me who didn't treat me like this¡­ like disposable trash¡­' stella thought despairingly, yet maintained a false bravado.
    the other members of the b-rank moonshiners quickly returned to venturing forward and scouting out the surroundings.
    just like that, they disregarded stella's presence.
    nonetheless, no matter how far they traveled, the number of strewn-out sand devourer corpses did not diminish. in fact, they only seemed to increase the further they went in.
    "to have killed so many sand devourers, and for them to all appear like they were one-shotted¡­ just what sort of monstrous hunter are we dealing with here¡­?" asked issa, her pupils erratically flickering. "and i know it's more likely to be a party of hunters, but doesn't all of them seem like it was done by the same person? like someone of the a-rank¡­?"
    "the a-rank?? issa, you surely jest!" lexi retorted, with john, a burly man, adding, "yes, it can't possibly be someone of the a rank! even in the capital, a-rank hunters are few and far between! do you actually believe that a hunter of a distinguished status like that came out here to butt-fuck knows where??"
    "¡­no, i guess not," issa responded in a dejected tone, no longer speaking up.
    stella, on the other hand, was secretly scanning the vicinity, trying to find any sign of the hooded man that came in before them. 'could he have been the one who did all of this¡­? and if so, just how strong is he actually¡­?? or has he already died¡­?'
    she was both worried and curious about the enigma that was the hooded man. she still wanted to understand his mother's connection with her mother, and for that to happen, he had to be alive.
    '¡­just be alright, okay¡­?'
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 85 Yimins Punch

    as the b-rank hunter party moonshiners traveled deeper into the sandy terrain of the gate tyrant's obsession, they saw many more massive corpses. yet, even after five minutes of speed walking, they saw nothing beyond that. all of the monster corpses had been cleaned of everything valuable, so there wasn't even a profit to be had.stella could feel the surging irritation of her party leader, prompting her to keep her head low and just continue following from behind. as an awakener of the low b-rank and a less versatile mage-class, this was the only thing she could do. it wasn't like she had any auxiliary tracker skills or location skills, so her usefulness was extremely limited in this kind of situation.
    dominic realized this; everyone did.
    however, it wasn't like they had any such skills either, so they couldn't openly criticize her about it without their reprimands backfiring on them as well. therefore, they persisted in their trot in silence, even going so far as to breathe less loudly.
    ten minutes later.
    dominic, no longer able to hold back his anger, erupted. "what the hell is this!?! there's not a single monster in sight!! how are we supposed to make a profit from this??? someone, please bring me the fucker who killed all of our prey! i wish to see his ugly face for myself¡ªbefore i kill him!!"
    just then, a volcanic eruption of energy blasted out from an area atop a large sand hill to the side, startling dominic and the other moonshiner members.
    "you dare speak of killing yimin's master!?? with your measly strength!???" yimin roared in an ear-splitting, abyssal voice. "yimin will kill you a thousand times over!!! yimin will use your tendons as a necklace!!!"
    "who dares¡ª!?" before dominic could finish his exclamation, wind whizzed past his semi-handsome face. reflecting from his horror-stricken irises was a razor-sharp draconic claw and an eerily beautiful woman whose expression was twisted in anger.
    boom!!!
    "captain!!"
    by the time the moonshiner party members finally understood what was happening, dominic had already been launched backward like a cannonball. he crashed through dozens of sand hills at many times the speed of sound.
    blood sprayed from his nostrils as his pupils unfocused and his consciousness momentarily left him.
    "¡­yimin¡­"
    a deep, husky voice cut through the silence enveloping the stunned figures of the moonshiner party, urging them all to shift their gazes in the voice's direction. that was when they saw a hooded man, with only the lower half of his face visible.
    unbeknownst to them all, he had somehow appeared right next to the assaulter and mere feet away from them. it was also at this moment that they received a good look at the one who had just smacked their leader to another plane of existence.
    simultaneously, the hunters' eyes widened in utter shock.
    "a dragon demihuman!? how is this possible!???" they shouted, disbelief etched across their faces. "it's said that only¡­ unique a-rank monsters and above are capable of transforming into a humanoid form¡­ does that mean??"
    "bingo!" yimin stuck her tongue out and flashed a goofy smile. "yimin is a powerful dragon! but now yimin is but a humble sex slave of her master¡ª"
    cassius bonked the haughty woman on the back of her head. "do not pay her any heed. now, tell me, what do you plan to do from here?"
    while on the receiving end of a glowing, shadowy stare, the b-rank moonshiners instinctively shivered. that was everyone except for stella, who was currently looking at the nonchalant hooded man with a large flux of emotions surfacing through her facade of an expression.
    'he's still alive¡­ that's good¡­' a surge of happiness coursed through her body. 'it would've been a shame if i never got the chance to talk to him again. but that dragon demihuman¡­ just what is their relationship?'
    yimin, feeling the narrowing eyes of a vixen, shot her deathly glare toward the inconspicuous stella. "thieving bitch!" she spat, about to lunge forward and tear out the girl's throat. however, before she made a grave mistake, rationality returned to her. 'master said i cannot kill any hoomans¡­ only that way will yimin become a fuck mate for the master¡­'
    yimin, although still flaring with killing intent, clicked her tongue before returning to her master's side and interlocking arms with him. she then lightly pulled on her right eyelid and stuck out her tongue in stella's direction.
    'shtupid thieving bitch! master is yimin's!'
    continue reading on empire
    for some reason, stella felt incredibly annoyed over how that powerful dragonoid woman was staring at her. it caused an unfounded competitive spirit to bubble up, nearly making her return the favor with a smug expression of her own. however, she held herself back at the last moment when cassius's harrowing voice took front and center:
    "did you not hear me before?" he asked, his question laced with concealed killing intent. "i asked what you plan to do. will you oppose us or will you make the wiser choice and be on your way?"
    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"
    the b-rank hunters felt an indescribable sense of fear overpower every other emotion they were feeling. their hearts constricted, with a suffocating air free and abound. a few of them tried to speak up despite the suffocation, yet couldn't muster a single word.
    fortunately, john, as the one with the strongest will among the normal party members, was able to just barely find his voice. "i-i am john, a member of the b-rank hunter party moo¡ª"
    "i know who you are; tell me your answer."
    "y-yes," replied john, beads of sweat raining down his forehead. "we will retreat¡ª"
    "you bastard!!!!!"
    ooom!
    erupting out with a level of power at the very peak of the b-rank, dominic's booming voice bled the ears of all those present. his rageful aura engulfed the sky as he bounced off of a sand dune and blitzed toward the aloof and curious pair.
    his anger was almost entirely directed toward yimin, as he promised himself that he would kill the bitch!!!
    ...¡­.. s§×arch* the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 86 B-Rank Huntersâ€”Nothing Much

    yet, in response to dominic's intensity, yimin cutely tilted her head. "this hooman¡­ who is he again? yimin doesn't remember."dominic almost fell flat on his face mid bullet burst, whereas the others, including cassius, were left speechless at the genuine confusion of the dog-like dragon girl.
    "i¡­ i'll kill you!!!"
    no longer able to restrain his fury, dominic's skin tone went from tan to purple to green to red, as his aura became even more powerful. he activated all of his b-rank and below skills, going all out right from the get-go!! the bitch would die!!!
    in response to such intensity from dominic, cassius let out a heavy sigh. then, with a single step forward, he blurred behind the charging b-rank hunter.
    "!!!"
    through dominic's rage-filled eyes, he caught a glimpse of the terrifyingly cold expression lingering behind the shadowy hood. his eyes widened in horror as he prepared to slash to the side with his longsword. yet, before his sword even left its sheath, a jagged jigsaw blade was already mere centimeters away from the back of his neck.
    "you can't¡ª!!" he tried to say, yet was interrupted by the sharp edge of a serrated blade slicing through his soft, human skin in one clean cut.
    the other b-rank hunters gasped in terror, whereas yimin jumped up in joy. she was mere milliseconds away from getting the job done herself, but luckily, her master was there to prevent her from breaking the oath she promised him.
    cassius expressionlessly watched as the decapitated head left a trail of blood sailing in its wake.
    "i was originally going to let you live, even despite your repeated aggression. but after briefly glimpsing at what little i could discern from your lengthy system description, i¡­ changed my mind," he said coldly, his eyes containing not the least bit of sympathy for the scum r*pist. sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    'and if that weren't enough, his targets were almost always of the younger variety, below the age of 18¡­ scum through and through,' he spat in disgust. 'but it is also partly because of this disgusting fetish of his that the women in his party were left untouched in that regard. or, rather, they were left for later¡­'
    there were pros and cons in everything, but this was definitely not the topic to be discussing something like that. after reading what he did, cassius didn't feel like eating for a week.
    was horrid pedophilia a side effect of becoming famous or something? if so, then he hoped that he would always remain low-key¡­
    after slinging the blood off his precious lilith with a refined sword slash, cassius redirected his focus back to the b-rank hunters trembling in place. he debated what he should do with them, ultimately deciding to do the only thing that would prevent them from opening their mouths about this matter to anyone else.
    even though what happened in a gate stayed in a gate, that was only the case if everyone was implicated and of the same cause. this was not one of those situations.
    "t-the captain¡­" lexi was finding it difficult to hold her stomach down.
    she, along with the others, was too drawn to the bloody sight of their leader's headless corpse collapsing to the ground midway through his once domineering attack.
    however, when they felt the immense eruption of killing intent emerge from the body of the mysterious hooded man, they immediately shifted their terror-stricken expressions toward him. with every slow, unempathetic step he took in their direction, they felt more and more parts of their souls leave their bodies. even stella was no exception, as she felt herself freeze in place, not able to muster a peep.
    yet, when cassius had made it mere inches away from john and raised lilith to slash down, he heard a feminine voice shout out to him from the side. "y-you don't need to kill us!" shouted issa. "we won't tell a single person about what transpired here! n-none of us even liked dominic to begin with¡­!"
    "y-yeah, he was scum!" john agreed.
    "that bastard had it coming to him is what i would say!" said someone else.
    "yeah, screw him!"
    "h-he's better off dead!!"
    seeing that everyone was so adamant about keeping their lives and were clearly sensible enough to understand their predicament, cassius emotionlessly asked, "and how can i be sure that you won't betray me as soon as we enter the outside world?"
    the b-rank hunters suddenly exchanged glances with each other, then nodded in unison. "we have slave collars here, enough to enslave all of us!" they yelled. "as long as you put these on us, with your blood as an ownership seal, then you will be able to completely control us¡­ they will become invisible shortly after being placed, but our lives will still be entirely in your hands¡­"
    cassius could tell that they were wholeheartedly against the idea, yet their will to live was greater.
    he smiled, which caused hope to surface among the b-rank hunters. they assumed that they were about to make it out of this awful encounter in one piece. and just as john reached for his storage bag and took out a dozen or so semi-translucent spiked metal collars, they saw an unnerving smile appear on cassius's face. read latest chapters at empire
    as if on instinct, they knew they were going to¡­ die.
    however, did them knowing even make a difference?
    fwooop!
    "y-you!!"
    cassius blurred from his spot and slit the wrists of everyone who went to grab for their weapons. though, to be fair, he also slit the wrists of those who didn't grab for their weapons as well. he was a cautious man, after all.
    "aghhh¡­!!! it hurts so much!!!"
    all besides stella were writhing in pain while rolling around on the sandy ground. even the females were no exception, as cassius was a firm believer in equality. in fact, the only reason he hadn't given the stunning miss stella the same treatment was because of their similar backstories and the fact that she didn't have disgusting descriptions like the rest of them.
    did people just arbitrarily carry around collars used to enslave other living beings? and to have so many of them¡ªwas that common?
    the answer was obviously no.
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 87 We Eat Them!

    every single one of the hunters of the b-rank hunter party except for stella had plenty of experience with these slave collars. before the newbie stella arrived, they often ventured into gates known to have 'unique' monster life and then enslaved them, played with them, or just straight up sold them off.humanoid monsters like elves, semi-intelligent demihumans, and similar such beings were their targets. some of the party members had weird fetishes, while others simply participated in this vile act for money. whatever the case, all of them contributed one way or another, with some, like dominic, john, and lexi, contributing the most. they even started competitions to see who could enslave more humanoid monsters¡ªthe more innocent they were, the better.
    'inherently, monsters with the potential to take human form are no different from little humans in their early years,' thought cassius, his piercing eyes falling on the worms wiggling around. 'but it was from multiple studies that scientists learned humanoid monsters were influenced by their natural habitats, which are the gates. this influence is what makes them so savage, with the more powerful humanoid monsters, like yimin, becoming bloodthirsty for human blood almost instantly.'
    'these trash knew that¡­ and they took advantage of it.' s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    cassius felt not the least bit of sympathy while glaring at the fleshbags of steaming manure hollering for their mommies.
    he loudly scoffed. "even in the face of death, they resemble garbage."
    yimin furiously nodded. she had no clue what was going on now or why her master was killing those of his own kind, but master was master! if master said something, then she would agree!
    'only this way will master fuck yimin! yimin wants lots of babies!'
    cassius suddenly felt his spine tingle, prompting him to look at yimin, only to see a mischievous grin touching upon her enchanting face. he shook his head in exasperation before hardening his gaze while looking at the bloody cripples.
    "...you¡­ do you really plan to kill them all¡­?" stella abruptly spoke up, diverting his attention to her and giving the deplorable scum a bit of hope.
    seeing as she was spared from the stupidly fast consecutive strikes of the powerful hooded man, she might just be their saving grace.
    stella, ignoring the pleading silence of her comrades in pain, locked eyes with the pair of glowing globes beneath a shrouded hood. "i don't know why you killed dominic, beyond him attacking you two, or why you harmed my comrades, but don't you think this is a bit much¡­? what have they done that's so wrong?"
    cassius was a bit surprised that the victim of their bullying and oppression was siding with them. a frown marred his barely visible features.
    "you are sticking up for these scum?" he asked. "are you not aware of what they have done? the slaves, the children, the torture? their universal crime log is not small¡­"
    the b-rank moonshiners opened their eyes wide in disbelief.
    "y-you! how do you know about that??"
    "just who are you!?"
    "i have no clue what you're talking about! i didn't do anything!! those primitive elf incidents were in no way related to me!!"
    "how dare you slander us!? *cough!* *cough!* even if you are powerful, this is too much!!"
    cassius zoned out the clamoring of those monkeys, instead watching as stella decided for herself what she believed the truth to be.
    at first, she was dubious of his words, but after listening to him briefly recount everything they had done thus far and adding their guilty deflections into the mix, she eventually figured out the truth. her complexion lost a lot of its sheen, and she averted her eyes from the garbage shouting at her to not believe the facts.
    yet their pleas fell on deaf ears¡­
    "t-this¡­ this cannot happen to me! do you have any idea who i am!? who my father is???" lexi shouted, delirious. "he will have you stripped, diced up, and hanged if you so much as touch a single strand of my hair!!"
    "same here! my father is¡­!"
    "my father is¡­ blah, blah, blah!" find exclusive stories on empire
    that was all cassius heard while listening to the buffoons babble on about a whole lot of nothing. he could tell that they already gave up on stella believing their horseshit, which resorted to them using these simpleton's tactics.
    it was sad, really.
    cassius took slow, deliberately imposing steps toward the group of yapping idiots, causing them to shrink back in fright. they considered fighting him again but gave up that thought as soon as it surfaced. even with their high endurance stats, it would still take a while to heal injuries like this, and even if they did become as good as brand new, what difference would it make?
    so, naturally, they ran.
    or, at least, they tried to.
    seven consecutive shouts echoed out as cassius teleported between the idiots, severed their achilles' heels, then reappeared where he was previously standing. he remained apathetic throughout.
    even while their shrieks of anguish blared out, his expression maintained its impassiveness.
    although this was his first time truly dealing with humans, excluding that incident with the guys attempting to kidnap and r*pe aya, he kept a cool head during the entire experience. it may have felt a little novel to him, but he honestly couldn't care less about what happened to people like them.
    cassius didn't believe himself to be a hero of justice or anything like that, but there was always a bottom line. what these worms had done was just the bottom line for the current version of him.
    "get 'em, master!" yimin cheered while clinging to his back and leaning her bouncy breasts above his head. "don't hold back; kill those hoomans! and then we eat them¡ª"
    "we won't eat them," cassius denied.
    "...b-but why¡­?" yimin teared up, not understanding why her master would want to kill other hoomans but not devour them.
    did he perhaps kill hoomans for sport??
    'master is so cool!!' yimin thought in admiration, yet she outwardly giggled in a creepily obsessed way.
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 88 Evolving Weapons??

    cassius¡­ felt that yimin was a lid better not opened, so, like most inconvenient things in life, he pretended her weirdness did not exist. instead, his eyes wandered over the bleeding-out morsels rolling through the sand a few feet away.he placed his right hand against a scabbard that appeared out of thin air. then, under the averted eyes of stella, he unsheathed lilith as fast as lightning.
    for a moment, she looked like an eastern-style katana soaring in an arc-shaped fashion. a fantastical crimson glow shot out from the backend of her edges, truly tying together the beautiful image that she embodied.
    then rolled the heads which, although still beautiful in their own traumatic way, were very much a clash of elements. stella closed her eyes, too weak-stomached to watch something like that from beginning to end. yimin, on the other hand, was not one to shy away from gore. in fact, she welcomed it! even going so far as to lick her lips and wag her shimmering tail while staring at the human corpses collapsing to the sand dunes.
    following the end of a short-lived massacre:
    shing!
    cassius slung the human blood off his lilith, then sheathed her back in the illusory sheath he materialized from thin air.
    he walked up to the scattered corpses and collected everything they had on their persons. afterward, he turned to the shivering stella, curious to see how she would react to this spectacle he had set up.
    surprisingly, after a large gulp, she steadied her uneven breathing and stole his burning gaze. "i saw nothing!" she declared.
    cassius's frown curved upward at this proclamation, urging him to approach the silver-haired beauty collapsed on the ground. he stretched out a hand, which she gladly accepted after a very brief moment of hesitation.
    she got back to her feet, trying her best not to grow too curious and glance at the gruesome corpses of what used to be her teammates.
    "you understand that i had to kill them, don't you?" asked cassius, his naturally intoned voice startling the nervous woman. "if i hadn't killed them and they decided to commit more of the same heinous acts as before, wouldn't their deeds be on my head?"
    stella seriously considered his words; she nodded meekly.
    cassius smiled.
    he placed a warm hand on her head, then rubbed back and forth, which caused her to squirm in place. "you, unlike them, are someone who became a hunter so you could help people. that is why i spared you, in case you were wondering. oh, and your mom did something similar to mine¡­ there is also that necklace wrapped around your neck¡­ well, i had numerous reasons to keep you alive. you are quite cute as well, so there's that too."
    stella's cheeks immediately reddened. with her enchanting looks, she had naturally been called pretty before, but none seemed as innocently sincere as the mysterious man before her.
    "well, anyway," said cassius upon feeling the growing agitation of the dragon girl clinging to him. "i've just about finished up here, so why don't we make our retreat? also, do you have qualms with discarding your previous identity? it would be more than a little bit of a hassle to have you explain to people why you were the only one among your party members to make it out of the gate alive¡­"
    "having you come secretly live with me while letting the populace believe that the moonshiners all died within the enigma of a gate that closed without reason would probably be for the best."
    stella thought about it.
    after a second, she complied with a nod. "...my father left me soon after mother disappeared, and i don't have any other family, so i am fine¡­ fine with living with you¡­" she blushed, struggling to maintain eye contact. "a-as long as you are fine with it, of course¡­!"
    "mhmm." cassius made an ¨Cokay¨C sign with his right hand. "if that is what you want, then it is what we shall do." 'though, i'll definitely have quite the cumbersome time explaining this to sasha and the other residents of my home¡­'
    stella was puzzled as to why he was breathing such a tired sigh, yet she felt an unexpected surge of joy well up inside her. she didn't know why, but she was kind of happy that he made an invitation like that one. a warm home environment was something she never had while growing up; it would be nice to experience the other side of the coin for a change.
    cassius seemed to think of something, prompting him to look down at the slightly vibrating lilith. "an evolution into the a- rank?"
    he was shocked by this revelation; however, when he saw all the drained, dry monster corpses in the desert, he suddenly felt like it made a lot of sense. "hmm¡­ if you're evolving to the a- rank, then my shadow monarch's hoodie surely isn't too far behind. both it and my hermes boots rely on powerful monster materials to upgrade, so they naturally evolve slower than the versatile lilith."
    "but there are also those equipment upgrade shards¡­ from their descriptions, it seems that they can advance anything at or below the s-rank by exactly 1 rank per shard."
    cassius had a bold idea surface in his mind. but to commence it, he would need to wait until lilith's evolution concluded.
    whirl!!
    "your blade¡­" stella was astonished by what she was seeing. from the aura signatures emanating from the terrifying sword, she could tell that it was being promoted to something superior.
    'but i have never heard of equipment capable of ranking up¡­ how is what i'm seeing possible¡­?'
    for the hunters of this world, they could harvest the materials of monsters and use them to craft weapons with a blacksmithing skill. however, beyond restoring an item to its original condition, no one had ever been able to upgrade the rank of an item. after all, doing something like that was akin to altering the original functions of the item, and due to the lingering personality aspects of monster materials, the adverse reactions simply made this impossible.
    just like the rank of a hunter, the rank of their equipment also forever stayed the same.
    'so, what is really happening here¡­!?'
    find your next adventure on empire sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 89 Devil Blade Lilith (A+)

    stella intently watched as the elusive hooded man raised his jagged crimson-black sword into the air. energy swirled around its edges, creating a large aerial vortex that sucked everything into lilith. then, with a massive explosion of scarlet energy, her previous blade skin was shed!ooom!
    radiating from the sharp, shiny angular surface of the devil blade lilith was a regal energy so powerful that it felt like an extremely strong a-rank demon lord had descended from the skies! stella could barely keep her balance under such an oppressive aura!
    with her eyelids flickering between opening and closing, she glimpsed the fantastical form of lilith.
    progressing from her previous four-foot length, she was now nearly six feet. instead of an ancient, gothic design, she was now shaped like a mixture between a katana and a greatsword. she was thin yet robust; wide yet sturdy. moreover, she still retained the cracked extendable functionality, meaning that she could stretch out and retract at will.
    cassius even had a feeling that lilith had become far more proficient at extending. curious to explore this feeling, he clenched her in the cusp of his right hand and¡­ pierced forward!
    fwwoooop!!
    in the same instant lilith was lunged forward, an enormous, impossibly long cosmically red beam of light shot out. it whizzed through the air, tearing through several known speed milestones. in less time than it took for a nanosecond to pass, the super-thin red beam that was actually a hyper-condensed sectioning of lilith had already made it to the end of this cut-off world.
    then came the boom¡­
    ka¡ªboooooom!!!
    even from hundreds of miles away, cassius and stella felt the ground beneath them violently tremble. looking toward the source of this disturbance, they saw a large sphere of crimson energy rapidly expand. waves of destructive mana rolled out, leaving the area directly surrounding the explosion's radius a true wasteland, devoid of all signs of life.
    "hmm¡­ i see¡­" even cassius himself was left speechless at what he just witnessed. "ahh¡­ if this is still within the bounds of the a-rank, then just how powerful are those in the s-rank¡­?"
    that attack of lilith's drained approximately 30% of his energy reserves, which was still a massive amount of mana for him. however, he was sure that genuine s-rank beings had at least a dozen times his mana storage, possibly even more than that.
    'so how strong must they be¡­?'
    cassius was afraid to learn of the true limits of humanity. but after realizing how effective this new form of attack could be, he decided to distribute more of his stat points into intelligence from now on. intelligence was the primary stat that affected things like mana capacity, magic damage output, intellectual capabilities, and anything else along those lines. it was essential if he wished to delve further into the art of¡­
    'blowing things up?' thought cassius, his brows arched in confusion. 'yes, that sounds right.' sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    stella was too busy being dumbfounded over what she had just witnessed, whereas yimin's eyes visibly shined. like sparkly stars in the night sky, they watched the residual energy waves of the crimson beam attack spread all over the vast desert.
    the attack was nowhere near as powerful as what her master used on her to subdue her under his rod, but it was still so pretty to look at.
    "master is so cool!! his spells are always the coolest!!" yimin was so excited that she conveniently forgot all about wanting to kill and eat the silver-haired bitch.
    fwwoooop!!
    the thin crimson beam rapidly retracted and enlarged with every retraction. by the time it made it back to lilith's hilt, it went from the size of a piece of paper to that of a human-sized devil blade. your next read is at empire
    bzzzzzzzttt!!
    cassius could tell from the sword's vibrations that she was shaking in joy. he faintly smiled before softly running his hand across her black metallic surface. he then wrapped her around the right side of his body, completely oblivious to a different kind of shaking she made at his caress before going silent.
    the only thing on his mind was how much more badass her design had become after achieving the a- rank.
    which reminded him¡­
    "i think you deserve more than just that, lilith, my dear." an invisible force tugged at cassius's smile, turning it into a devilish smirk.
    lilith vibrated in euphoria, practically begging him to do it.
    doing exactly what she wanted, cassius did it. he summoned a big glorious thing and inserted it into her, then watched in anticipation as she erupted in a dark red glow¡ªone that was several times more powerful than before!
    stella, still reeling from the first evolution, was left even more slack-jawed seeing yet another similar evolution occur. she didn't even know what to think anymore¡­ shock was all that remained¡­
    waaa!!
    by the end of another lengthy evolution process, lilith successfully reached the a rank. however, did one believe this was anywhere good enough to satisfy either her or her master? the answer was obviously no!
    "another rank up!" they both seemed to exclaim in unison, which led to another large insertion, this time sliding in even rougher.
    five minutes later.
    *ding!*
    [|devil blade: lilith| has been upgraded from the 'a-' rank to the 'a+' rank!]
    [|devil blade: lilith| - |attack +1545|] - [increased effectiveness of all effects.]
    [damn, that was really perverted¡­ (??¦Ø??)]
    even more so than when experiencing something unbelievably powerful, cassius was always left most speechless when the idle evolution system was involved. yet, as if to distract him from the main matter at hand, it threw up a few more system notifications, informing him of all he received from killing those worms dressed in human skin.
    *ding!*
    [you have killed several b-rank hunters of the b-rank hunter party 'moonshiners'!]
    [your experience bar has moderately moved!]
    'even after killing all of them, i didn't receive a single level-up?' thought cassius, his brows furrowed in slight displeasure. 'the rewards given for each level-up are quite a lot now, so i guess the slow rate of progress will be supplemented in the end¡­'
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 90 How EXP Works

    expecting something later down the line was all cassius could hope for. bemoaning something that could not be changed would only stunt progression; moving forward and¡­ slaughtering more was the 'way'.'speaking of which¡­' question marks appeared atop cassius's head as he approached the gate's exit with stella and yimin tagging along behind him. ignoring the small sparks flying between them, he thought, 'previously, i did not receive exp from killing humans, but now i can¡­? what changed?'
    answering his internal question, the idle evolution system appeared.
    *ding~!*
    [the humans you killed before were terrible humans, but they were not yet at the level of being termed monsters. after all, they mostly acted like shitheads for the money! however, the b-rank moonshiners were not the same...]
    [with their wealth, power, and higher statuses, they could take advantage of many things that common thugs and human traffickers could not. hence, the former humans were considered just a step away from being monsters of a different sense. the moonshiners, on the other hand, were monsters in human skin.]
    "i see¡­"
    "you see what??" asked yimin, her eyes brimming with unhinged curiosity. "you see food?? or maybe¡­"
    shadows clouded her rosy cheeks.
    "are you seeing other women!? how could master do this to yimin!??"
    "ahh¡­"
    cassius truly couldn't comprehend how this woman always seemed to jumble his words and think whatever she wanted with them.
    sighing, he petted her head, which slightly worked to stop the tears. she even took it upon herself to grab his other hand and rub it against her cheek, though her true objective in doing this was to stop the dumb silver-bluish-haired vixen from asking for the same thing. which stella was doing unconsciously¡­
    cassius, realizing what game his pet dragon was playing at, could do¡­ nothing much. he lightly shook his head before arriving mere feet away from the massive red portal. the portal on this side of the tunnel was red, while the other side was still a dark yellow, giving otherworlders the illusion that the gate was only of the high yellow rank.
    stopping just before walking through the red vortex portal, cassius turned to the two women who were with him on this journey. noticing his seriousness, they hushed up and focused with rapt attention.
    pleased, he said, "when we make it to the human world, you both will need to stay incognito as we slip away from the people that are sure to be crowding out there. and this will extend beyond the short term future. also, seeing as the two of you are like shining beacons as you are, is there any way you can morph into something else?"
    "nope, nope, yimin cannot do that!"
    "no¡­ sorry¡­"
    cassius smiled bitterly and took two black hoodies out of his inventory space. he had stored them just in case he needed them, but he hadn't expected to require them so soon.
    after throwing them on the two girls, he turned around and walked through the tunnel.
    yimin and stella were right behind him, both silently competing with each other to see who could stick closer to him without touching him.
    yimin won.
    "yimin is far superior to you, a mere human," she quietly snickered, causing veins to appear on stella's forehead.
    "isn't your 'master' a human as well?" she asked, clearly believing herself to now have the upper hand in the conversation.
    however, little did stella realize that yimin was¡ª
    "master is master! he doesn't count! yimin doesn't like normal humans, only master!"
    ¡ªreally, really dumb. dumbly smug per se.
    'she understands that she just contradicted herself, doesn't she?' stella thought in silence, no longer finding it worthwhile to argue with that dumbo. rather, she found it far more enjoyable to stare at the mysterious cloaked man's back.
    every woman inherently had a certain amount of attraction to the unknown. stella was no exception to that notion. in fact, it wasn't until meeting him that she realized just how down bad she was for strong enigmatic men.
    blushing, she shook her head and kept her eyes just outside cassius's silhouette. 'i shouldn't be thinking things like that¡­ he just killed all my comrades, and i'm not even sure if he's a good person or not. the way he speaks and acts would indicate that he's good, but then the image of him mercilessly slaughtering dominic and the others pops up in my mind¡­'
    'someone who kills others of their kind so easily can't possibly be a good person.'
    'but¡­ why am i unable to see him as someone evil¡­? i don't understand myself¡­'
    sometimes, good and evil are obscured by a thin veil. people on both sides of the veil might see a mix of good and evil, some might see neither, and most will either see one or the other. whether something can be considered good or evil is always determined by the standards set by those who witness.
    as one who witnessed the cruel actions of an unfathomable hooded man, it is up to stella to determine her own subjective opinions of his moral compass. if, in the end, she decides him to be evil¡­ she will do what she believes to be right, even if she dies because of it.
    of course, stella hoped things wouldn't come down to that. after all, she would definitely die within an instant if she went against him. furthermore, he was kind in a weird sort of way, he smelled nice, and they had a lot of things in common, such as the disappearance of their mothers.
    did she mention that he smelled nice yet? well, she ought to repeat important things twice.
    oblivious to the unusual thoughts of the silverish blue-haired beauty, cassius entered the red portal. sticking close to his side was the feisty yimin, with stella just a few inches further behind.
    they quickly arrived in the outside world.
    cassius, moving fast, swept stella and yimin into his large arms. ignoring their contrasting emotions, he blurred like an evanescent shadow.
    not a single human saw them, as they were too busy discussing the gate and other miscellaneous topics.
    however, even though no humans saw cassius and the two girls, it did not mean no living beings saw them¡­ discover hidden tales at empire
    ...¡­.
    s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 91 Gremlin Exterrestrial Fiends

    blinking their human eyes in an unnatural way among the swathes of people were several gremlin extraterrestrial fiends. they eerily watched the three mushed-together humanoid figures vanish into the night sky. they remained creepily still, not even so much as breathing.for the longest while, they simply stared in the direction of cassius's home. they stared and stared, with their eyelids sometimes blinking sideways, revealing another pair of pure black eyes beneath their human eyes. read new chapters at empire
    eventually, the gremlin extraterrestrial fiends turned their heads in unison, seemingly sensing something in the direction of tokyo. after a few seconds, they shuddered as if shedding their skins, then returned to their completely human dispositions. one could not tell a single difference between them and a regular human; not even someone with an s-rank perception stat would be able to distinguish the two.
    the gremlin extraterrestrial fiends even walked throughout the crowds of humans; they laughed, talked, and even actively started conversations. they acted more human than most humans; none would be able to discern the truth of the matter¡ªof how hungry they were.
    every time a human's head came into view, the second set of the gremlins' eyes would trace it like a hound dog to a steak. they wanted to eat, they wanted to slowly savor and devour the juicy brains of every single human in the world. yet they restrained themselves; it was not the time to act.
    their superiors on the mothership were more intent on reaching the 2nd floor of the ascension tower, with the enslavement of all mankind a mere secondary concern.
    of course, the lower-ranked extraterrestrials, like the gremlin fiends, did not fully understand why the higher-ups and the mothership were waiting so long to turn humankind into livestock. they were hungry¡­ beyond famished¡­ why should they wait??
    however, as intelligent beings, they knew that if they acted up, they would be killed on the spot.
    there were countless just like them; they were neither special nor unique. they wanted to live more than they wanted to taste human meat again. it was all a matter of priority. s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    but when the higher-ups did achieve their objectives¡­ well, humankind would be no different from common farm animals, all lined up and waiting to be slaughtered. they would surely eat then.
    'that human¡­ he is the target?' speaking in a slow, disturbing way, one of the gremlins asked for confirmation, all the while happily conversing with a fellow human.
    answering the first one, a different gremlin said, 'yes, that is the human we need to befriend and coerce into luring out 'it.''
    'only that way can we be done with this nonsense and begin eating the humans¡­'
    'human meat¡­ am now hungry¡­'
    'hungry as well¡­'
    'human meat¡­ it smells so delicious¡­ especially their brains¡­'
    'hungry¡­..'
    for a while, the extraterrestrial gremlin fiends repeatedly mumbled how hungry they were to each other. however, when the yellow gate began to turn red before abruptly spasming out and starting the closing process, they were forced to share the shock and surprise of the other humans.
    the sun set in the west and then rose in the east.
    the very next morning, cassius shot his eyes open like a startled cat. he lay still, listening to the faint grave murmurings of the news lady on the tv downstairs. sasha had kept the volume low so as to not wake up and worry the kiddos over the recent events in downtown hoshito.
    one famous idol b-rank hunter party never returned after entering a gate that turned red before mysteriously disappearing. then, shortly after that, two other yellow rank gates closed in the same manner, except they hadn't changed colors before closing. there was a ton of controversy centered around these unexplainable events, even leading to the direct investigation of high-rank investigators from the higher-tier japanese cities.
    though, for sasha, she was just glad that a potential calamity had been averted.
    cassius shifted his focus away from the beautiful milf scene downstairs, instead concentrating on whatever was pressing down on him so greatly. even with his weight-set on him, he could feel multiple different extremely heavy things¡ª
    *squish, squish.*
    "huhgnn~ not there, master, yimin is sensitive~"
    all movement on cassius's face zeroed out, leaving him completely expressionless.
    sprawled out on top of his muscular, half-nude body were drop-dead gorgeous women, each exotic and uniquely beautiful in their own way.
    one, a clingy dog-like dragon woman; another, a wild tsundere stepsister; then there was the stunning orphan he picked up on one of his walks¡­ yet another black-haired woman, and then a teal-haired doll whose beauty was only matched by the others dog-piled on top of him.
    they were somehow able to evenly split up his body, with their devastatingly bountiful figures exposing their glory to the world. the more conservative ones, like memphis, aya, and stella, were dressed in lingerie or loose shirts, but that did little to conceal their country-toppling slopes. and the more shameless ones, like yimin and bella, went bare-butt nude¡ª
    'wait¡­ bella¡­?? how did she get here???'
    cassius recalled slipping back into the house late at night, which happened just shortly after he quickly cleared the two yellow gates and got a single level. with his new lvl 70 status, he apologetically explained his lateness to sasha, then went through a tiresome period of explaining why he now had two more women with him.
    if not for yimin's illusion magic, which she had unintentionally concealed earlier, then it would have been even more of a pain to explain to sasha why he had a dragonoid with him.
    fortunately, everything worked out in the end, and though sasha left the debacle with a slight pout, things progressed rather smoothly from there. at least, that was the case until it came time for sleep.
    memphis learned that he brought home two more women, grumbled, and then refused to allow him to sleep alone with them. she claimed it to be 'inappropriate' unless she was there to 'supervise.'
    aya acted along the same lines, with the only difference being that she adamantly refused to admit that she wanted it.
    stella, on the other hand, hadn't originally planned to sleep with him in the same bed. she instead chose to sleep on a comfy blow-up mattress to the side. but as she had a weird habit of sleepwalking, she somehow got up off her bed and found her way to cassius's side.
    then, of course, there was yimin, who was admittedly just being¡­ yimin¡­
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 92 What are you doing in my Bedroom...?

    without caring about a single thing, yimin stripped naked and dived into his bed, also being the first one to sneak into his bed. yet, from the first girl to the last girl, cassius remained as nonchalant as always. and as he was too unconcerned to make a big deal out of anything, he just let them snuggle up to him one by one.but then there was bella¡­
    cassius truly had no idea why or how that star-eyed girl ended up sleeping on his right arm in her birthday suit.
    he stared at her for a few seconds, thinking of a wide array of possible outcomes for how this situation came to be. however, in his absentmindedness, he realized far too late that the girl in question had opened her eyes and was now staring straight into his soul.
    "¡­bella¡­?" cassius asked calmly, not breaking eye contact. "what are you doing in my bedroom?"
    bella blinked, then looked around, surveying her surroundings. suddenly, her enchanting eyes widened. she sprang up like a deer in headlights, then sputtered, "t-this is all¡­ all a dream¡­! yes, it's all a dream!! and in three seconds, you will not even believe that i was here!"
    usually, bella was composed and cool-headed, but this development had truly taken her by surprise!
    the last thing she remembered was scouting (stalking) her husband's neighborhood when, suddenly, she smelled something impossibly delicious. following this smell, she found herself at her husband's house. but from that point onward, she had no clue what occurred¡­
    when bella woke up in the arms of her husband, she immediately passed it off as another one of her wet dreams. and so, to follow the usual plotline, she prepared herself to ravage her dream husband. however, it was at that moment that she realized this was most certainly not a spicy wet dream!
    she needed to perform a disappearing trick and act like none of it ever happened! sear?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "hocus pocus, 3, 2, 1, i was never here!" shouted bella, and then she quite literally vanished.
    cassius blinked once, then twice, and then again.
    "she really disappeared¡­" he mumbled in disbelief. "i didn't even see her move, nor did i see her use any magic¡­ a c-rank awakener shouldn't be capable of something like that¡­"
    no matter how cassius thought about it, he just couldn't understand what had just gone down.
    ultimately, he figured it to be a waste to mull over it any longer. he shook his head and refocused on the four girls that had somehow not awoken from the commotion.
    the transformed escapee bat had also been too caught up in the moment to notice the other girls, which was a fortunate thing for all parties involved¡­
    cassius, seemingly forgetting that bella was ever here, looked between the devastatingly beautiful appearances of the women clinging to him. even their curvaceous bodies were equally beautiful, truly sculpted pieces of art worth dying for.
    observing them truly did wonders in clearing his mind. though, that wasn't the only thing clearing part of his mind¡­
    before bella left, she cast a silent suggestive spell incantation. it was one capable of slightly manipulating the recent memories of even powerful s-rank awakeners. yet, she had no clue what exactly she manipulated, only that she manipulated and erased anything that had to do with "bella" and the "most beautiful, loving wife in the world," which she obviously believed to be herself.
    of course, that command was deemed null and void as soon as it left her frontal lobe¡­
    five minutes later.
    no longer able to stand the complete stillness any longer, cassius began to move his body. the weight wasn't much to him, but the visual image that came along with that weight was a little intimidating.
    still, he made it out of the dogpile alive, and did so without waking a single girl up.
    after stretching his arms a bit, he took his newbie 5 equipment set out of his inventory space. due to him not having full confidence in controlling his weight during the night like he could during the day, he stored his weights in his inventory just before going to sleep.
    it was a shame that he couldn't obtain those few extra physical stat points while sleeping, but it was what it was. there would eventually come a time when he could wear the newbie 5 equipment set 24/7, but that time just wasn't now.
    cassius, after equipping his slim weights and hanging his newbie 5 sword by his waist, decided to slip out through his room's window. he chose not to inform anyone of his departure or even bother waking up the girls simply because¡­ it was too troublesome¡­
    'everyone already knows the basic layout of the land, and they have their disguises, so they should be good,' thought cassius as he readied the b+ rank shadow step skill. 'it's really just yimin i'm worried about¡­ but it should all work out fine¡­ probably¡­' experience tales with empire
    then, just as he was about to head out and try to progress main quest #3 while conquering some gates, two watery slitted eyes stared right at him. slowly, he turned his head around, only to see a divinely cute face that looked as if it were going to balloon out and make a shrieking popping sound.
    cassius thought quickly on his feet and shadow stepped to yimin, slung her onto his back, and then vanished into the rising sun.
    it would've been a whole big ordeal if yimin made a loud fuss over their matter, so taking her with him was naturally the easiest choice. moreover, he was concerned about her behavior after he left, anyway, so this was just saving him the hassle. at least, that was what he told himself to cope.
    "yay!" yimin exclaimed from atop cassius's rapidly fleeting back.
    hugging his head with her arms and breasts, she said, "yimin just knew that master wouldn't leave her behind with those thieving whores! the only unfortunate thing was that yimin was planning to eat them to their bones sometime today¡­ but yimin guesses that can wait!"
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 93 Only Yimin can have a Master!

    cassius cracked an awkward smile and wryly chuckled. 'i knew it was a good idea to take her with me¡­ i seriously fear what would've happened if this crazy dragon was left without supervision¡­'the same point of concern also applied to bella, the other 100-scored yandere. however, he was lucky enough to pass her tribulation without any bodily harm. then again, he wasn't actually aware of her¡­ mental afflictions just yet, so he remained blissfully oblivious to the calamity he had just avoided.
    "anyway," said cassius as he emptied his mind of all distracting thoughts. "i will be going to the hunter's association to sell the magic shards of all the monsters i killed, which include those looted from your¡­ previous subordinates¡­"
    he mostly brought his agenda up to gauge the reaction of his dragon companion. yet, it didn't seem like she was the least bit bothered by this information. she adorably tilted her head, question marks flying off around her.
    pursing her lips, yimin giggled. "you are looking at yimin funnily, master! does yimin have something on her face??"
    cassius, distracted by her words, let his eyes swim around her flawless facial features. her long, babydoll eyelashes slightly quivered along with every cloud of steamy breath escaping her dark purple lips. below her perfectly sculpted eyelashes and misty reddish-brown eyes was a boundlessly enchanting field of peachy skin. then there were the luscious locks of gray hair draping over her head, shoulders, and ample snow-white valleys, which molded her already dazzling appearance into something blinding.
    cassius would be lying if he claimed that her charms wouldn't be effective against him if she actually knew how to take advantage of them. conversely, in her present childish state, it was highly unlikely that she would ever get one over on him.
    "hey, master!" yimin shouted into his ears, snapping him out of his daze. "yimin thinks we are here!"
    "hmm?"
    cassius looked all around, immediately noticing the hundreds of armored hunters walking in the area outside a massive building. 'how did we get here¡­?' he questioned, genuinely unaware of the fact that he had zoned out and arrived at the hunter's association branch building by using shadow step. sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "...i really am out of it as of late," he murmured before rubbing yimin's head in a job-well-done sort of way.
    her wagging dragon tail protruded from her cloak, clearly showing how happy she was.
    a faint smile shone through cassius's partially covered face as he took long strides toward the hunter's association's front doors. opening them up, he walked in. as soon as he entered the establishment, it felt like he had entered an entirely different world. even though the noise outside was abundant and diversity was everywhere, it just didn't have the same feel as the hunter's association.
    the atmosphere was something one only ever imagined to be possible in another world. rumors spread abound, cussing and obnoxious laughter rang out, and even though the decor was that of a high-tech establishment, it still exuded the feeling one got from the adventurers guilds in isekai stories.
    listening in on the conversations flying around in the hunter's association, cassius heard some interesting things. yimin, on the other hand, was too busy sniffing and hugging him to care about other men and women.
    "did you hear of the mysterious personage that secretly entered and cleared three yellow gates¡ªone of which suddenly upgraded and became a low red-rank gate!?"
    "pish, posh, that is just a conspiracy theory! there is no actual evidence to support the claim that a powerful awakened covertly cleared three different high-rank gates!"
    "then how do you explain them closing?? huh, big guy?? explain it!"
    "you idiot! how are you going to explain why someone would clear gates without vying for any recognition!? there is no one in the world who doesn't yearn for the status and fame that come along with being a high-rank awakener!"
    enjoy more content from empire
    "that is¡­ maybe the mysterious awakener just likes to keep a low profile¡­!"
    "what ridiculous nonsense!"
    moving away from this particular debate between two e-rank hunters, cassius heard a plethora of other hunters talking about the same subject. he hadn't expected his subtle and covert interference to produce an impact this large, but it seemed like he had overestimated his subtlety.
    a few moments later.
    cassius now stood in front of a counter¡ªthe same one that he stopped by the last few times he came to sell magic shards and valuable monster materials. the receptionist on the other side of the counter looked up, almost immediately recognizing him.
    smiling, she asked, "what have you brought in for us today, oh~ enigmatic traveler?"
    hearing the slight tease in her voice forced a twitching smile on cassius's face. he hadn't expected her to address him by the casual nickname he had announced himself with in jest. however, when he felt a dark, ominous aura seep out from atop his head, he realized that he better speed things up.
    the daggers shooting out of yimin's eyes were practically on the verge of materializing into tangible objects¡­
    gently pushing her face out of the way, cassius politely responded to the receptionist who had grown curious about his new companion. "i have¡­ a lot more than the last few times. it would be best if you take me to a larger area."
    "hmm¡­ well, that should be fine," replied the moderately pretty receptionist. "though, if the shards you are bringing this time exceed the c-rank, i will need to call the manager¡­ then again, you don't have anything like that, right?"
    the silence was palpable.
    "...right¡­?" the receptionist repeated, growing increasingly nervous.
    cassius, deliberating whether he should disclose the truth or not, ultimately decided to tell her and get it over with. "yes, i do have magic shards and monster materials of the b-rank. yet, these ones, just like those i brought before, were not obtained by myself. instead, it was my¡­ master that gave them to me to do with as i will."
    "your master!?" yimin's expression exploded in confusion and displeasure. "master cannot possibly have any master! only yimin can have a master, which is master¡ª!"
    ...

 Chapter 94 Victor Radio, the Fastest Man Alive

    despite yimin's weird logic, cassius promptly clasped her mouth shut with a single hand. redirecting his attention back to the receptionist, he asked, "well, can this be done? is a manager here right now?""y-yes, of course!" although a bit flustered over the ludicrous stuff she had just heard him say, the receptionist was still a seasoned professional. "i will call for him right away!" she said while already dialing a number on a stationary telephone right beside her.
    a few seconds later.
    a mildly corpulent man dressed in a classy suit and tie hurried ahead of the receptionist. he reached the other side of the desk and bowed his head slightly. "it is a great honor to get acquainted with you, good sir! i hear that you are looking to sell magic shards of the b-rank??"
    "yes, that is correct," answered cassius. he briefly appraised the man, observing several beads of sweat trickling down his forehead and cheeks. "my master is a very secretive man and doesn't like to put himself out in the open. so, if you're aiming to inquire about his name, location, or rank, then i cannot help you. i just wanted to get that out there before we discuss business."
    "o-of course," the manager replied in a dejected tone.
    he was indeed interested in this powerful master, but if it wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be.
    changing the topic, he asked, "can we bring the magic shards to the back and look over them there right now?"
    "yes, that is fine," cassius responded without much thought. "do lead the way."
    suddenly regaining a lot of his bearings, the manager switched into serious business mode. "right this way," he motioned ahead with his hands.
    cassius briskly passed the silent receptionist. yimin glared at her as they passed, but he quickly diverted her focus with a head pat. they walked through a pair of swinging doors, then waited for the manager to catch up.
    the manager was curious about why the customer and companion were hooded, but more than that, he could approximately gauge the level their items were at. and although his guess was still quite a bit off, he just knew that he was about to make a big profit today. his heavy footsteps flickered across the marble floors as he, too, passed the receptionist.
    "good work today," he whispered to her before making it back to the hooded man's side.
    the receptionist warmly smiled before enthusiastically returning to her desk work. finally, she got some recognition! life was surely going to become better from here on out!
    she couldn't help but quietly thank the esoteric man inside her heart.
    ¡ªmeanwhile, in the spacious back area of the hunter association's hoshito branch building¡ª
    oddly enough, although there were two people walking and one hitchhiking, only a single pair of footsteps echoed in the relatively silent corridors. this was solely because cassius had reached a level in his training where he could make it seem like he was weightless, even though he was lugging around hundreds of thousands of tons.
    if it weren't for expert control and various auxiliary skills that helped in this aspect, then just a single step of his would destroy the hunter's association. that single step would collapse the branch building and leave the surrounding blocks in ruin.
    and the worst part was that this wasn't even an exaggeration¡­
    cassius quite literally had several empire state buildings attached to his body. if he ever lost control over his muscular functionality, then it would be as if multiple empire state buildings suddenly spawned out of nowhere! discover hidden tales at empire
    however, even knowing that, there was something crazier about this whole ordeal. that crazy thing being that his strength stat was not even at the a-rank yet¡­ he pushed his body to its absolute limits at all times, causing veins to constantly bulge and intimidate people, but even that only just barely put him near the peak of the b-rank.
    in terms of pure strength and without including the 'dragonic strength' effect from his dragonfire advent title, even the b-rank hunter party leader dominic was stronger. in other words, dominic could have also carried around what cassius was now carrying, and he could do so with much more ease. now, this begged the question:
    if the peak b-rank was already so stupidly overpowered, then just how freakish were those mighty existences in the s-rank¡­?
    ¡ª------------
    as cassius and his grumbling yimin sold all of his magic shards to the hunter's association branch manager, a lean blonde-haired man leisurely strolled through a highly populated area of shibuya, japan. he wore a pair of expensive gold-edged sunglasses and could overall be termed stylish.
    his name¡ªvictor rapido¡ªthe alleged fastest man alive!
    one second, victor was seen meandering through large crowds of people, and the next second, he was gone. he left no afterimages, no instantaneous stops, leaving nothing to indicate that he had done anything other than vanish from this dimension. sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    even the instant teleportation spells and skills of mage awakeners could not compare to the speed demon that was victor rapido.
    he was just that damn¡­ fast.
    fwip!
    victor rapido silently reappeared beside a fiery-haired man on a wide podium, appearing there without leaving any indication that he had been anywhere but there. not even his feet or clothes rippled when he appeared on that stadium; it really was like he spawned in.
    noticing a familiar presence, the fiery red-haired man looked away from a massive sea of hunters, all of whom ranged from the f-rank to the a-rank. he saw a smugly relaxed expression sitting nearly a foot below his head.
    it wasn't that victor rapido was short, it was just that this bulky, viking-like man was extremely large.
    upon confirming the blonde-haired man's identity, the fiery red-haired man's face twisted in anger. "for the fastest man alive, you sure do know how to run late to every single important meeting," he quietly criticized, not holding anything back.
    "hah¡­" victor rapido glanced up at the livid hulking man, that smug smirk never leaving his expression.
    ...

 Chapter 95 Gathering of the S-Rank, Loss of an S-Rank

    "listen, thorfin, unlike you, i have a very hectic schedule," said victor. "as my father is american and my mother japanese, i was granted dual citizenship. this was, of course, mainly because of my unique awesomeness, as everyone wants a slice of this pie! it's only unfortunate that there's only so much of me to go around¡­""i was in america a few seconds ago, and yet here i am for my fellow countrymen! where is the appreciation in this gloomy place??"
    "gloomy?" thorfin parroted, his voice becoming dangerously high-pitched. "you actually dare to say that when we just lost static baron¡ªone of our country's s-rank hunters¡ªin the continued attempts at clearing the special high purple-rank gate!? a gate that exceeds anything we have experienced thus far¡­!?"
    thorfin nearly raised his voice in anger when interacting with the insufferably arrogant s-rank hunter beside him. however, as this was a eulogy for the s-rank hunter they lost in the international gate raid, he held himself back.
    victor rapido softly scoffed, which only served to further fuel the red giant's rage. "even if that rash prick, static baron, died, so what? he reaped what he sowed by charging into the boss's lair head-on. his death was only his fault, and he now lies six feet under because of it!"
    "you¡ª!!"
    "i'm not done speaking yet," victor interrupted, not caring a single bit about thorfin's growing frustration. "that high purple-rank gate is not even within the territory of japan. we, like all the other offshore countries that could be affected if it breaks, are throwing away the lives of our strongest because we fear the inevitable."
    "however, even if the gate's opening is inevitable, it's not like we have to worry about it for the next few dozen years, as it is not like any other recorded gates. rather than appear with a set amount of monsters of a set rank contained within, like the majority of gates, this one seems to be¡­ evolving."
    victor briefly paused before continuing. "it was originally around the middle stages of the red rank roughly two years ago, and now it is of the high purple rank. keep in mind that none of the various world governments even took the unusual fluctuating gate energy signatures seriously at the time, and now look where we are¡­"
    "trying to prevent the inevitable is pointless, big guy. just let it all come as it comes."
    although it seemed like the haughty s-rank speedster was speaking ignorantly and out of his ass, thorfin knew better. as much as he hated him with every fiber of his being, he recognized his physical prowess. he was also fully aware of the history that victor had with this particular gate located at the very center of the world, in the middle of the ocean.
    the very reason victor hadn't participated in the most recent gate raid was because he took part in the one that came before. the gate, still of the high purple-rank at the time, was something that instilled into him the truest meanings of fear¡­ it was agonizing¡­
    'against that "monster," even the most powerful hunters in the world will be shredded to pieces¡­ even i, as the "fastest" man alive, was completely and utterly outdone in the aspect i was most proficient in¡­ it was like a god toying with a mortal¡­'
    victor rapido was confident in his ability to take on any single s-rank hunter in a one-on-one fight. even if he couldn't win or was unable to penetrate the opponent's defense, he would still be faster. the matches would all either end with him as the victor or in a tie. yet, in the face of that "monster"¡ªthat aberration that originated straight from the abysses of hell¡ªit wasn't even a fight. it was simply a child playing with a new toy. explore more stories with empire
    the only reason victor managed to make it out alive was because that "monster" felt¡­ pity for him.
    his expression scrunched up in hatred when just recalling that monstrous expression staring down at his haggard figure. his once joyful attitude was now soured, and it was all the red bastard's fault. however, just as he was about to give him a piece of his mind, an older, more refined man, standing at the very center of the wide wooden podium, spoke up in a heroic tone:
    "with the eulogy of our brave s-rank hunter, static baron, now over, i feel it to be essential that i inform you of all the active efforts we are taking to prevent the outbreak of gates in every prefecture and region of japan.
    from day one of the first appearance of gates and the terrifying monsters within over a century ago, we, as the protectors of this country, have done everything to protect our fellow countrymen. and though we have lost many along the way¡ªplenty that we cherished¡ªwe have still made it this far!
    although we remain in the dark when it comes to where these gates appeared from or why they are becoming more numerous, we will keep pushing back this unknown force that estranges us all! under no circumstances will we allow our mighty country to fall!!"
    hoooraaaahh!!!
    the various hunters cheered, creating a layer of patriotism that was almost contagious.
    "we, the japanese hunters, do not falter in the face of adversity!" shouted the refined old man. "no matter if it concerns the gates outside our country or the tens of thousands inside it, we won't let them weaken our will! there will eventually come a day when all the gates in our glorious country are banished off the edges of the world! as the chairman of the japanese hunter's association, i guarantee this to you!" s~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "but, i cannot accomplish this seemingly impossible task alone! to make the impossible possible, i will require the assistance of every single hunter in this auditorium! and i will also need everyone present here today to spread japanese heroism to all those who could not make it today!"
    "to overcome the odds, all of us will need to work together¡ªslaughter monsters, gather generational wealth, close all the gates, and make japan a safer place for the next generations to live in without constantly fearing for their lives!"
    ...

 Chapter 96 An Unusual Amount of Shadows...

    the auditorium once again erupted into booming cheers. all of the gathered hunters were hyped up as hell after their chairman's spirit-raising speech. they were raring to get back out there and massacre more monsters!finishing off his speech, the white-haired chairman said, "make your country proud; make your family proud; save this country from certain doom. yet, let the noble sacrifice of static baron engrave into your hearts what could happen to any single one of you if you are careless. keep a good head on your shoulders, stick together, and have a good rest of your day."
    he waved them off before walking away from the center point stadium microphone. as soon as he turned his face away from the tens of thousands of hunters, his expression cooled, going from friendly and outgoing to cold and calculative.
    the hunter association chairman glanced between the dozen-odd s-rank hunters present with him today. all of the country's powerhouses were there, and for some reason, that worsened the face he was making.
    scanning his narrowed eyes over the magnificent-looking hunters, he landed on the 5'11 figure of victor rapido. he was going to say something in regard to his late arrival, but seeing as victor's expression was nearly as terrible as his own, he decided to save it for later.
    "follow behind me," commanded the chairman as he strode ahead of the eleven gathered s-rank hunters. "i have a few things i wish to inform you all of in private."
    "yes, sir." all of them responded rather casually, then trailed behind the stern chairman at different paces. s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    although none of them believed their chairman to be any stronger than they were, he was far older than them and had amassed an exorbitant amount of experience over the years. it was only natural to respect someone like that, as this was a world where the strong and wise ruled.
    while following the chairman, a tall and lean man with jet-black hair slicked back walked up beside victor rapido. his piercing crimson eyes, which seemed to glow in the dark, bore into the side of the similarly-sized victor.
    he wore a dark trench coat with silver accents, always shadowed as though light avoided him. a scar was etched across his left cheek, and he exuded a sinister aura that unsettled even allies, making victor grow increasingly uncomfortable.
    stay tuned to empire
    he almost immediately knew who it was, prompting him to ask, "dante¡­ what is it this time?"
    dante blackthorn¡ªa master of shadows and fierce shadow beasts¡ªmatched victor's pace as they left the auditorium and ascended numerous flights of stairs in a larger, shinier building.
    responding to the speedster's exasperated question, dante said:
    "i need you to investigate the rapid increase of shadows in tokyo¡­ it's unnatural, and only someone of your nature will be able to find anything substantial."
    victor raised a brow. "and what's in it for me? searching around odd quantities of shadows is a little ridiculous and will surely consume a lot of my time. so, what will i receive in exchange for helping out?"
    dante coldly stared at the suave speedster, seemingly calculating a number of things in his mind.
    after a moment, he replied, "i can keep you updated on any speedy awakeners that awaken or show their faces in the western, northern, and eastern hemispheres. with my intelligence organization and my army of shadows, you should be well aware of what i could accomplish if given the time."
    victor considered it, nearly rejected it, but then shrugged and accepted. "very well, i'll figure out why shadows have¡­"
    "increased unnaturally in quantity, beyond what new moving creations and autonomous vehicles should be capable of producing," said dante, his tone evenly informative. "the shadows i am searching for have all at once appeared in tokyo, then blended in with the rest of the moving shadows. something is not right about this, yet i can't figure out what exactly that something is. which is where you come in."
    victor's smirk widened as he turned a corner with the rest of the unique s-rank hunters walking beside him. slightly side-eyeing the detached dante, he said, "i will do just that, but it will likely take some time before anything useful comes back. although limiting it to just moving shadows will speed things up, i will still need to individually search millions¡­ wait, how large are the shadows i'm looking for?"
    "around as large as humans," dante replied instantly.
    victor nodded. "yep, so millions, which isn't too much. however, even with my s-rank hyper perception and flash memorization skills, i will need to make countless rounds in and around the country. it will be troublesome."
    "how long?" asked dante.
    "maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months," replied victor. "but no longer than a year."
    "affirmative."
    that was the end of their conversation, with dante silently reminding him to read up on population governmental statistics to confirm the existence of anomalies. immediately after he left dante's side and faded toward the very end of the group, the chairman had arrived in his office, where he quickly sat down on the only black leather chair behind his desk.
    looking at the vastly contrasting hunters, he interlocked his fingers and rested his chin atop them, with his elbows pressed against the mahogany desk. "although i don't want to do it, seeing as the other countries are doing the same thing, i need to as well."
    the air within the classy, victorian-styled room constricted a lot tighter. all of the s-rank hunters knew precisely what their chairman was going to say. and just as expected¡­
    "i will keep things simple and concise: you will need to decide which six among you will join the next raid of the high purple-rank gate 'world's end.'"
    "same as the times before, you will need to temporarily pass down the leadership of your s-rank guilds to whoever is most suited to run your guild while you are away."
    the expressions of everyone in the room scrunched up by varying degrees.
    ...

 Chapter 97 Facing the END

    the last time that the japanese participated in one of these world's end raids, they lost the s-rank hunter, static baron. they also lost two other s-rank hunters in the past two years. if they were to send themselves in this time around, it was very likely that a few of them would not make it back alive.what their hunter association chairman was asking of them was basically suicide for the sake of "upholding peace."
    before any of the more temperamental hunters voiced their opinions on this arrangement, a rugged man with wavy blonde hair stepped forward. he had stormy gray-blue eyes and a strong, weathered frame. his armor was sleek, adorned with lightning motifs, and often crackled with static electricity. like static baron, he was also proficient in the lightning element, yet he also had skills related to the air element, making him a rare dual-element wielder.
    as the "face" of the japanese hunters, arden stormcall naturally had to be the one to speak on behalf of everyone present.
    "chairman, sir, with all due respect, what you are asking six of us to do is to walk headfirst to our deathbeds. the world has demonstrated time and time again that this gate is impossible to raid, so why must we keep on throwing lives away?"
    the chairman's brows furrowed; none knew what he was thinking.
    after a tension-filled pause, he said, "if we do not prevent this gate from evolving any further, then the world will undoubtedly meet its¡­ end."
    the s-rank hunters went painfully silent. they knew as well as their chairman what would happen if the world's end gate somehow managed to evolve past the purple rank. its name was that for a reason, after all.
    however, that didn't mean they were willing to throw away their lives for no reason. even if they were all destined to die sooner or later, they would rather it occur later than sooner.
    this was the nature of all living beings. the s-rank awakeners were no exception.
    arden, realizing the severity of the situation, cut through the silence. "chairman, are there truly no other alternatives? no way for humanity to make it through this hurdle?"
    "no," replied the chairman, his tone serious. "if the world's end gate evolves beyond the purple rank, then the world and humanity will fall. yet, as opposed to the previous raids on this insurmountable mountain, we will be gathering more than just one or two s-rank hunters from each offshore country. furthermore, we will be receiving additional reinforcements from all the countries that never bothered with the gate before."
    "behemoths like america, russia, the united kingdom, germany, and nearly every single country in the world will be sending some of their strongest hunters. even the mage lord from russia and the dragon slayer from china will be joining the raid. this is, in every sense of the word: earth's final frontier."
    "if we cannot succeed this time, even with hundreds of s-rank hunters to back us up, then the world has always been destined to fall. our only option at that point will be to find our place among the stars¡­"
    kaida drakenshield, a wielder of a dragon's power, narrowed her golden eyes at the mention of the dragon slayer. yet they narrowed further when escaping the bounds of earth was mentioned.
    "going to space¡­" sylva everwood, a manipulator of nature and lover of animals, also did not appreciate the chairman's words. "leaving earth is not an option for me. my home is among the lush forests and verdant biomes of mother nature's loving embrace."
    "i, too, do not support the notion of evacuating planet earth, if that is even possible," said gideon ironfist, a mountain-like man who also happened to harness the rocky elements. "the mountains on earth are the best to climb. being trapped in a metal doohickey in space is unacceptable!"
    "i personally don't mind the idea of leaving earth," added rika starforge, a short, spiky purple-haired woman with vibrant amber eyes. "venturing into the great beyond sounds extremely exciting!"
    "of course you would say that," spat ezekiel frostbane, his disdain for the rowdy woman apparent in his expression. his snow-white hair and icy blue eyes shimmered in unison, seemingly agreeing with their owner. "if you want to go to space so badly, then go by yourself. maybe you can find a star there that can reciprocate your feelings. and luckily for you, unlike humans on earth, they can't think for themselves. your chances aren't low."
    rika's feisty expression frosted over, nearly reaching the same level as the pretty boy ezekiel. twisting her frown, she asked, "are ya looking for a fight, you damn snowfield twink¡­?"
    "a¡­ what?"
    ooom!!
    the room was nearly crushed to dust because of the violent auras clashing against one another. yet, before they could escalate the situation further, the chairman erupted forth with a killing intent that immediately stopped both of them.
    'strong¡­' the two s-rank hunters thought in unison. 'his strength hasn't diminished one bit with old age¡­'
    "quit the nonsense," ordered the chairman, his tone non-negotiable. "we are here to discuss who among the six of you will join the world's end gate raid, not who among you has the biggest pair of balls. now, discuss among yourselves and decide who will be going and who will be staying. i don't care how you choose, but you have six minutes¡­ starting now."
    viola voidweaver and luna astra, the quietest and most perceptive ones among the group, noticed something else bothering the chairman. it was clearly something he wasn't willing to disclose, but there was definitely something wrong.
    luna immediately began calculating anything she found feasible, yet everything ended up not coming out right. stay updated with empire
    luna was a slender woman with silver hair that flowed like liquid moonlight. she has glowing pale blue eyes and porcelain skin. moreover, she wore a flowing white cloak that shimmered under any light.
    yet, her entire appearance was merely there to communicate her faith in the goddess of the moon, who was said to reside beyond the heavens above... sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ...

 Chapter 98 Baba Yagas Prophecy

    similarly, viola voidweaver believed in space supremacy. however, unlike the silver-haired beauty, she had long, flowing dark hair that faded into a starry void at the tips. her violet eyes seemed to contain galaxies, and her black robes rippled as though touched by unseen forces. furthermore, her skin shimmered faintly with the reflection of distant stars.like rika, she also didn't mind leaving planet earth, but a larger part of her felt something was wrong with the stars¡­
    as one deeply connected with the space element and the constellations, viola had a keener sense than even the hot-headed rika. she could instinctively sense something unusual about the sky and stars. since awakening, she had always felt like everything above was¡­ false.
    yet, she couldn't pinpoint what exactly made her feel this way. it was extraordinarily odd.
    after a few moments of silence.
    arden sighed before nodding. "very well, we will discuss now who will take up the task of participating in the world's end raid."
    the other s-rank hunters wanted to oppose but were smart enough to know it was futile.
    victor rapido, on the other hand, remained silent from beginning to end. he was one of the few s-rank hunters who had survived the horrors of that gate, and he, better than anyone else, knew exactly what lay in store for anyone who dared enter again. especially if that "monster" became any more powerful than it already was¡­
    the world might just come to an end¡­
    while victor was lost in thought, he and the other s-rank japanese hunters turned around and huddled together. they began discussing who was most suited for the raid.
    after a lengthy, often argumentative discussion, the s-rank hunters turned back around, their decisions final. a few of them wore soured, almost begrudging expressions, but the chairman paid them no mind. reluctance was expected.
    "so, who will be participating in the world's end gate raid approximately one and a half months from now?" asked the chairman.
    arden stepped forward to announce:
    "i will now call out who among us will be joining the raid¡ª
    myself, arden stormcall, guild leader of the storm guild.
    luna astra, leader of the luminescent guild.
    viola voidweaver, leader of the voidling guild.
    enjoy more content from empire
    rika starforge, leader of the starfaith guild.
    kaida drakenshield, leader of the dragonlins guild.
    and thorfin strongman, leader of the firelord guild."
    as arden called off the names, the chairman jotted them down on a separate piece of paper. after finishing up the details, he looked up. his dead, harsh eyes scanned the six s-rank hunters who stepped forward. for a very brief instant, his irises flashed with regret, yet none besides luna and viola noticed it.
    "if this is who you have unanimously decided to join the raid, then i will be expecting all relevant documents related to who will be taking over your duties in your guilds," said the chairman. "furthermore, you will have to fill in, sign, and verify the death insurance papers that serve as the will of your guilds. static baron felt no need to do this, and now with him resting six feet under, his guild is left as a big political mess, with all the psychic guild's members pointlessly fighting for the guild leader position."
    a deep sigh of annoyance escaped the chairman's lips before he waved the s-rank hunters off. "you are dismissed. those of you who were chosen have 46 days to prepare; that is all."
    "yes, chairman."
    the s-rank hunters hurriedly left the executive office. they had important things to do, especially the six chosen for the raid. forty-six days was not a long time to settle all matters before potentially dying, but they had to make do with what they had.
    enveloped in the deafening silence of the empty office room, the chairman muttered to himself, "the end of the world edges ever closer¡­ the other hunter association chairmen and even the world leaders know precisely what this evolving gate entails. they always knew¡­ yet none of them took the threat seriously. none believed the words of baba yaga¡­"
    roughly six years ago, during a golden age for the hunters, gates were numerous yet not to the point where the safety of any country was threatened. it was a period when hunter and gate-related businesses were the most profitable.
    however, as if all of that was akin to the last good meal for a death row prisoner, a famed prophet known as baba yaga stepped forward. along with her reappearance in the material world came a message¡ªor, rather, a prophecy.
    barging into the broadcasted meeting of the world leaders and the most powerful hunters, baba yaga shouted her prophecy through croaked breath and bloody eyes. it read:
    "at the height of humanity, gates connected to other, shattered worlds will appear! 100 years ago, they appeared¡ªthat was the 1st calamity!"
    "and now, at humanity's new peak, 100 years later, the 2nd calamity has descended! those from beyond the stars will arrive, bringing with them the negative karma accumulated by all of humanity!"
    "at the world's center, a hole will open¡ªan abyss!"
    "the abyss will bring about the world's end¡­! t-the abyss will¡­ there are signs¡­ beforehand¡­ the quantity¡ªthe spawn of the universe¡ªthe mirrors of the nine dimensions¡ªbeware of the signs!!"
    by this point in the prophecy, baba yaga's eyes turned crazed, with her spit and blood spraying the world leaders' meeting crimson. yet not a single one of them stood up to stop her; it wasn't that they respected her, they were just too taken aback by the sudden development to speak.
    "th-the illusion!!!" baba yaga hysterically shouted, her demeanor deranged. "a new abyss will swallow up the previous abyss! this abyss will devour the signs!!"
    "the second abyss will be captured¡ªa captured abyss, a new owner¡­ the illusion will shatter!! the illusion!!! a new owner will emerge!! a purple-robed god will descend from the sky! the god, the owner, the captured abyss!! the 3rd calamity!!! the world as we know it¡­ will end¡­"
    "watch out for the signs!! e-escape the¡­ inevitable¡­ t-the cage¡­ don't let the cage¡ª"
    *cough!* *cough!* s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    *thud!*
    "prophet baba yaga!"
    famed prophet baba yaga died that day.
    ...

 Chapter 99 Not Harm Them...? But Why??

    prophet baba yaga's eyes were fully consumed by the darkness in her last moments, turning the fear etched across her withered face into an eternally fearful night. she looked like she wanted to get out a few more words of vital importance, but could not get them out in the end.yet, her dreadful image imprinted itself deep into the world leader's minds¡­ it was harrowing.
    "most of baba yaga's message was indecipherable, but from what we can understand, this gate is part of the 2nd calamity."
    the chairman's grave tone of voice echoed out within the bounds of his office. he slumped into the back of his chair, making visible the grayed hairs that seemed to be on the verge of falling off.
    "all i can say is¡­ god help us all¡­"
    ¡ª---------------
    ¡ªmeanwhile, just outside a c-rank gate in downtown hoshito¡ª s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    *step, step, step.*
    although cassius walked around as if he weighed less than a feather, yimin did not believe in the art of being quiet. she flaunted her ample valley tops openly and without shame, all while hopping across the streets.
    'yimin really doesn't care a single bit about keeping a low profile,' thought cassius, his icy blue eyes tracing the voluptuous gray-haired dragonoid. 'if not for that subtle illusion spell she cast on herself, things might really become troublesome. especially when considering¡­ that¡­'
    he looked behind his shoulder, watching as a giant yellow portal spasmed, fizzled, and then ultimately dissipated into nothing.
    'if anyone were to see a dragonoid female come out of a closing gate, then they would surely call for a manhunt¡­'
    a heavy sigh echoed as cassius navigated his way toward the next c-rank gate on the gate map. yimin stayed a bit ahead of him, yet seemingly knew exactly where he was going. enjoy exclusive content from empire
    during the brief trip, she often found her way back to his side and clung to him with a giddy expression for a while. however, as one with an extreme case of adhd, she got bored easily, and just like an antsy puppy, she escaped his grasp and frolicked over to anything she found interesting.
    keeping track of yimin was a whole mission in and of itself, but it was because of this curious wandering that cassius figured out something intriguing about her. he learned that, with her a- skill 'tyrant god's disguised misfortune,' she was extremely¡­ lucky?
    it was hard to call it luck, because every time the passive skill activated, yimin would wind up in¡­ compromising positions¡­
    she once saw a butterfly, chased it, then tripped and landed with her butt and panties in the air. another time, she was chasing a fuzzy bunny, yet ended up stuck in a bush, once again with her cheeks catching some air. then there was the time she ran back to cassius to recharge, only to stumble halfway through and knock him over. she wound up pushing her face into his crotch, with his face also mere centimeters away from her honey cavern.
    it was at that moment that he realized just how¡­ useless that skill was!
    how could a skill possibly be so useless!? and an a- one no less??
    was this god's way of laughing at him? or¡­
    'the idle evolution system¡­'
    cassius knew the system would never openly admit it if that was the answer he wanted, but it was most certainly attempting to further develop his character. all it knew how to do was throw tests and trials his way, not caring a single bit how it affected him mentally.
    'yimin is also one of the character development builders¡­ why is the opposition around every single corner¡­?'
    the next few hours passed by rather quickly, with cassius deep in thought about the true purpose of life, and yimin, who was just¡­ being yimin.
    she contributed literally nothing to any of the gate raids, which he wasn't too opposed to, as it meant more exp for himself. however, with that pesky skill of hers, she speedily proved herself to be the largest mental hurdle that he has needed to pass so far.
    time and time again, she landed herself in the most dastardly of positions. if not for her irresistible appearance and body, then cassius might be able to completely zone her out, but even that became increasingly difficult to do. after all, she was drop-dead gorgeous, and it wasn't even a matter of opinion. it was a fact.
    cassius could already imagine the smug expression the idle evolution system was making as it watched him struggle so terribly. if it could sneer, then it likely would have done that already as well.
    luckily, he was saved by the bell before he actually broke for real. the sun began to set in the hazy blue sky, which meant it was time to return home. however, as there was still something important he had to do, he sent yimin ahead of him.
    "but master¡­ yimin wants to¡ª"
    "no need to speak any more on the matter, yimin. i will only be gone for four hours at most," cassius interrupted, his eyes averted from her puppy-dog face. "i will be right beside you again before you know it. but for now, you will need to properly behave and not harm the other girls."
    "not harm them¡­?" yimin's expression dropped even more than when she heard that she couldn't be beside her master for upward of two hours.
    she was planning to kill and eat any human females close to the master as soon as possible. yet, with her master's new confusing order, what was she expected to do??
    'if those bitches live, yimin's master and yimin will never live happily ever after¡­ but master says not to kill them¡­ why does he say that?? is yimin not good enough for master¡ª!?'
    before her thoughts could spiral any further, cassius patted her on the head.
    his warm pets immediately soothed her nerves and cleared her mind. a goofy grin secretly crept up her divinely beautiful face. and just like all the previous times her master used this magic trick on her, she forgot all her previous killing intent and only thought fuzzy things.

 Chapter 100 Main Quest #4, Nightmarescape?

    'yimin may have that weirdly useless skill, but i have these hands,' cassius thought as he marveled at his own unique talents. 'just like a wanky japanese harem protagonist, i am capable of resolving most female issues with just slight movements of the hand¡­ truly miraculous stuff¡­'explore more at empire
    even he himself had no clue how this special ability worked, but it hadn't failed him yet. and he certainly wasn't one to send back free food.
    smiling warmly, he said, "just head back and wait for me to return, okay?"
    "master¡­"
    "okay?" cassius repeated with another head pat.
    "...mhmkay¡­" yimin reluctantly complied while nudging the top of her head into the cup of his hand. "but don't keep me waiting! every second past the 4-hour mark will be another floozy female hooman head added to my collection¡­!"
    cassius could tell she was obviously joking based on how she cutely bared her fangs, yet he still played along with her. "just be nice to them, you silly dragon."
    "no! will not be nice, will tolerate!"
    yimin coldly snorted before turning away from her amused master. she walked away slowly at first, yet quickly sped forward into a barely discernible blur. looking closer, cassius realized that her speed had improved by around 25%, which shocked him quite a bit.
    "even without doing anything, she is able to continue becoming stronger¡­ just how overpowered is that?" he bemoaned, feeling that it was unfair how much effort he had to put in.
    even though his rate of progression was in a completely different league to anything seen so far, it was still a real bummer to see power go to someone without any effort taken to acquire it.
    still, cassius wasn't one to stay glum for long, and with a more important matter at hand, he hardened his expression.
    taking out a fiery skull-adorned key from his inventory space, cassius appraised it with a couple of flips. other than a more elaborate and almost alive design, the key didn't seem all that different from a custom-made key. however, as one who could see descriptions, he knew better than to believe what was merely shown on the surface.
    |hell's 1st floor key| - [use? y/n]
    "what happens if i use it right now?" asked cassius.
    *ding!*
    [if you do that, the third dimension will collapse, the fourth dimension will descend, and the world will be overrun by brain-craving zombies! never use the key! not under any circumstances!] sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "will all of that really happen¡­?"
    [why, of course!... fucking not! are you seriously mentally impaired? ?????????]
    "..."
    cassius felt that if the system were the one who had the troll system idle benefit, then it surely would have acquired a thousand ap from him.
    he shook his head from side to side before refocusing on the idle evolution system. although it usually gave hateful remarks like this one every time he took advantage of its semi-intelligence to ask a question, it also always followed up with a genuine answer. in a sense, it was like all the verbal abuse he experienced served to pay for the actual answer.
    and just as he expected¡­
    [as soon as hell's 1st floor key is used, the host will disappear from this dimension without a trace and without creating a commotion. he will no longer have a part of him in this dimension, as his entire existence will be transferred over to 'hell'¡ªthe 7th dimension of the ascension tower's dimensions.]
    [the host will not be able to return to this dimension until either he dies and his essence returns here to its source to enter the cycle of samsara, or does the unlikely and reaches the end of the outer gate area, which is where the gate guardian 'the hellish sphinx' lays in wait.]
    [either answer correctly all of the hellish sphinx's riddles, subdue it, or kill it to be able to both venture further into hell and temporarily/permanently leave.]
    for the most part, cassius understood what he needed to do next. yet there was one part that really confused him. bringing this up to the system, he asked, "the 7th dimension? what does that mean? and what is the ascension tower? is that some sort of unique location?"
    *ding¡­*
    [error!] [error!] [error!]
    [the system cannot compute! the system cannot compute! the host is not powerful enough to access this information!]
    "i see¡­" disappointed he was, but crestfallen he was not. with a casual head shake, he considered his options here.
    'the system did say a while back that i needed to have a power level of at least the b-rank, but i am not too sure on where exactly i need to stand to do more than just survive right after entering¡­ that hellish sphinx is surely above the b-rank, but just how much stronger is it than that rank¡­?'
    cassius, figuring it to be more productive to just ask the system, did precisely that.
    [above the a+ rank and below the world's transcension rank!]
    it answered as ambiguously as possible, causing cassius's brows to twitch. asking again, he heard the system say:
    [that is all i can tell you, dear host! and don't even bother asking what the world transcension rank is, because i will not tell you anything about it! ????(???)]
    [now, don't look so glum! i can give you something else instead! no need to thank me!]
    following that comment, a few blue illusory screens flashed in front of cassius.
    *ding~!*
    {[main quest #4]} - [a++ rank]
    ¡ª[without taking off your newbie 5 equipment set, you are required to kill every single hellish being present in the trial area of hell's 1st floor. you are also to either slay the hellish sphinx or answer all of its questions correctly.]
    [time limit: 3 hours, 55 minutes, 57 seconds]
    {[rewards upon completion:]}
    {[reward 1: 1000 ap]}
    {[reward 2: a+ riddler's riddler]}
    {[reward 3: s+++ rank hell's 1st floor gate key]}
    {[reward 4: map of hell's 1st floor]}
    {[reward 5: 72nd demon king's ire]}
    {[punishment upon failure: 12 hours in 'nightmarescape'/land of nightmares]}
    "the punishment is the same as the last few times," said cassius. "but the rewards¡­ why is the 5th one even considered a reward? that sounds like another punishment¡­"

 Chapter 101 Demon King Bloodline (SS) - [0.002%]

    "that sounds like another punishment¡­"then again, now that cassius thought about it, the idle evolution system likely considered every punishment a reward in a sense. if not for host outrage, it would probably classify everything painful as a reward. fortunately, it had yet to stoop that low.
    "well, anyway, time to use the key."
    as if following cassius's intent, the hellish key in his inventory slowly started to break apart and vanish. then, something similar happened to the one who used the key, with his body quite literally fading away. seconds later, his presence in the mortal dimension was no more.
    he was now in a better place.
    "roooarrrghh!!!!" s§×arch* the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    the only catch was that the "better place" was littered with flesh-craving devilspawn¡­
    it had only been seconds since cassius arrived in the trial gate area of the 1st floor of hell, and his position had already been locked onto by a horde of demons. under the ashy, crimson demonic sky, thousands of lesser demons leaped from ruined rooftop to rooftop. they were all monstrous, varied in size, and had glowing red eyes. and although they were categorized as white-tier threats by the system, they were also of the c-rank.
    every¡­ single one of them was¡­
    cassius's gaze hardened as he dashed in the opposite direction of the demon horde.
    even if he could beat them quite easily with his overwhelming speed, he couldn't grow too confident¡ªespecially after just arriving and knowing next to nothing about the terrain, geography, and, most importantly, the enemies.
    'but seriously¡­ the system originally said the b-rank was sufficient to enter this dimension¡­ so what is this??'
    even though a b-rank awakener would be strong enough to take on dozens of c-rank monsters, these demons numbered in the thousands. moreover, they likely had physical attribute-boosting skills and high strength stats. any normal b-rank hunter would, without a doubt, die against such a fearsome and unknown force. your next journey awaits at empire
    so that begged the question¡­
    "does the idle evolution system actually want me to die???" questioned cassius as he narrowly evaded a surprise attack by a massive demon orc that abruptly crashed out of a passing building.
    however, with little leeway to worry about questions he would never receive the answer to, he decided to quit running and strike back. to start off, he threw out 39 uncommon evoballs, all of which contained b and b+ elite monsters and boss monsters.
    feeling no need to hold back, he went all out right from the start!
    the evoballs popped open mid-air, revealing the domineering and terrifyingly ominous figures of shadowy monsters. they loomed over even the large, crumbling skyscrapers, dwarfing all the comparatively smaller demons rampaging through the devastated landscape.
    "go," cassius ordered coldly. "slaughter them all."
    hoooraaaahh!!!
    the evomon kaiju bellowed out in what sounded like a cheer as they flashed forward from their spots, crashing through building after building. any demons who got caught up in their path were swiftly crushed to oblivion, with their bloody guts and organs spraying the surroundings a dark shade of red.
    "even demons bleed red, it seems," cassius said calmly as he sat back on top of a tall, rustic building.
    while watching the ensuing destruction and death happening below, he glanced at all of the incoming system notifications. after the last few gate raids, he had only managed to level up once more to 71, as his experience acquisition had really slowed down. however, with this hell trial gate expedition, he hoped to gain a few more levels.
    "say, nyxvoldar, do you believe your brethren down there could subdue an a- demon or monster if they worked together to do it?" cassius suddenly asked, yet did not look away from the massacre occurring within the hellish landscape.
    fwip!
    a tall, lean shadowy figure materialized from thin air, appearing right beside the cloaked man calmly lounging on an illusory chair made from his own power. the shadowy figure registered its liege's question, and after a couple of seconds, it slowly shook its head.
    cassius accepted nyxvoldar's answer with a slight side-eye. then, he sat quietly, patiently waiting for his evomon army to eradicate the horde of lesser demons.
    after half a minute.
    the evomon made quick work of the demon horde, leaving the already ruined landscape in even greater shambles. they killed every single one of them, and did so without any of them experiencing shadow death.
    shadow death was what cassius termed the ability the evomons used when they received life-threatening damage. using the evomon master's mana, they could restore themselves back to peak condition and could do so indefinitely, assuming the evomon master had enough mana to support those expenditures.
    the system notifications hit cassius like an avalanche. moreover, from the corpses of the demons shot out wispy black and red energy balls. they swarmed him like a barrage of homing rockets, with him having no hope of evading.
    however, seeing that they held no ill intent, he simply let it happen.
    ooom!
    cassius instantly felt a wave of demonic energy wash over and integrate with his body. in that same moment, the carcasses of the demons visibly disintegrated into nothingness, leaving not even the magic shards, which they never had to begin with.
    by the end of a rapid successive series of demonic energy explosions around his body, cassius felt something change inside him.
    right beside his 'ordinary phoenix transformation' progression gauge appeared another one. this one, as opposed to the side of the spectrum that the phoenix was on, leaned toward the negative part of things.
    ¡ªdemon king bloodline (ss) - [0.002%]¡ª
    "hmm?" cassius's expression twisted in confusion as he looked at the screen constantly flashing red in front of him. "demon king bloodline¡­ and it's of the ss-rank? so the rank following the s-rank is the ss-rank¡­"
    he felt varying amounts of surprise over several things right now. however, what he was more concerned about was what would happen if he kept advancing both the demon king and phoenix bloodlines.
    would he morph into some mutant hybrid that served as an illogical mix of the two opposite bloodlines?

 Chapter 102 The Minionverse?

    worry crept up cassius's icy face as he truly had no clue how to deal with something like this. it was beyond what he was equipped to manage. though, luckily for him, the idle evolution system was there to make up for his insufficient knowledge.*ding~!*
    [everything listed in the system's logs is patented, backed, and insured by the law of idling! you can rest assured that none of it will have negative adverse effects for the host!]
    [^-^]
    cassius breathed a sigh of relief. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    he would have been lying if he said he was 100% certain that he wouldn't spontaneously combust or something after progressing both bloodlines to 100%. fortunately, the sadistic system usually showed its usefulness in times like these.
    cassius was going to sincerely thank the idle evolution system, but then it followed up with:
    [now, if you'll stop being a wuss, go and slay more demons! this time larger and stronger! big and long! long and hard!]
    silence.
    cassius truly didn't know why he bothered anymore. simply breathing around the system would likely end up with him being mercilessly berated. why had he even entertained the idea of giving his thanks? for all he knew, the system got off on being treated harshly.
    following through with that train of thought, he blatantly disregarded the system's existence.
    he could've sworn he heard a female robotic moan, but that was probably just his imagination. focusing on something else, he recalled all of his evomon, with them quickly appearing before him less than two seconds later.
    cassius observed a few of them visibly sulk.
    they had lost the trophies of their hunt, and all without ever knowing where they went. if not for their liege's presence, it was highly probable that they would have crashed out right then and there. yet, as if completely contradicting their innately destructive natures, they behaved themselves and even shrunk down to their human-sized forms.
    none of them dared to stand too much higher than their liege¡­ that would be criminal¡­
    'the hidden effects of the evoballs truly are extraordinary,' thought cassius as he silently appreciated his evomon lineup. 'it almost makes it seem like i'm a necromancer¡­ perhaps that'll be my class?'
    he had asked a while back, and according to the system, he would receive a class trial invitation as soon as he reached level 100. as for the class he would receive, it depended on both luck and the attributes he possessed as a person and as an idler. quoting the system, the better idler he was, the more noteworthy his class would be.
    now, that propped up the question: how was one supposed to be a good idler?
    enjoy new tales from empire
    the answer to that question was not a simple one, as cassius had many ways to become a better idler. there was the trolling system idle benefit, completing the 'push yourself to your limits' idle benefit 1, improving the relationship ratings of every girl he had ever encountered, and skill combining. on top of that, he could also train harder and experience greater amounts of pain, which the system enthusiastically encouraged.
    cassius was speechless.
    although he knew for certain that he had the idle evolution system, why did he feel like he had received anything but a system that had to do with idling? was there something seriously wrong with the naming sense of his system's creator?
    *ding!*
    [the idle evolution system is named as such, because after unlocking all 9 idle benefits, the host will be able to officially embark on the idling journey.]
    [until that point comes around, the host is doing what's called an uhh¡­ a trial run. yes, that is the correct wording!]
    "...and what happens if i don't pass the trial run¡­?" cassius asked evenly.
    [you will be¡­ permanently erased!]
    [your replacement will then be located and will take your place! though, the system is not optimistic about finding another host¡­]
    cassius entered a state of deep thought, pondering a few things.
    suddenly turning his head up, startling the evomons, he quietly asked, "what is the next idle benefit? and how do i go about unlocking it?"
    *ding!*
    [the 4th idle benefit is known as 'minion verse,' and is the introductory version of the 6th idle benefit, which is the 'grind verse' idle benefit. contrary to the 6th idle benefit, which focuses on the host's power, the 4th idle benefit is related to subordinates/minions, preferably those with little to no intelligence. this will be your 'idle force.']
    [the 'minion verse' is a separate system dimension. only those part of the 'idle force' can enter, and inside, they can both develop their individual power and work in order to develop things that can speed up their power acquisition.]
    [in simpler terms, the minion verse is like an idle game. you start out with a 'lvl 1 idle village' that has a singular 'idle point dispenser'. the dispenser drops out idle points at set intervals, and those idle points can be used to purchase other idle verse facilities. the more idle facilities you have, the more you can upgrade the idle village.]
    [as a result of upgrading the idle village, more idle force power training facilities can be unlocked. such facilities include, but are not limited to, the 'basic idle gym,' 'basic idle track,' 'basic idle torture chamber,' and 'basic idle ninja training grounds.']
    [there are also more auxiliary-type idle facilities, like the 'basic blacksmithing forge,' 'basic artisan shop,' 'basic leather store,' 'basic alchemy building,' and a plethora of other useful establishments that work to develop the idle force's unique attributes.]
    [while on the subject of attributes, the higher the idle village level, the higher the upper limit of the idle facilities is increased to. subsequently, this leads to greater effectiveness in each training facility. for the 'main attribute' training facilities, this increases the amount of 'attribute balls' that drop for each task successfully performed.]
    [for example, chopping a wood chunk once would drop a single lvl 1 strength attribute ball, which would be used by the idle minion that performed the task. these same attribute balls could also be used as a form of currency among only the idle force. there is a limit to the effectiveness of lower-level attribute balls on higher-level idle minions, so selling or trading unneeded attribute balls is always viable.]

 Chapter 103 Leave None Alive

    [so, do you better understand the 4th idle benefit now? contrary to the subtle 3rd idle benefit of skill fusion, it is definitely more extravagant, no?]"...yes," replied cassius, his voice failing to fully conceal his awe. "this idle benefit will certainly change a lot of things, but the question still persists: how do i go about unlocking this idle benefit?"
    answering his question, the idle evolution system said, [you just need to complete main quest #5, which will appear soon after main quest #4 is completed. one of the rewards for completing main quest #5 is the 4th idle benefit.]
    "i see¡­"
    cassius speculated just what sort of quest would follow up something at the a+ rank, eventually leading him to only one conclusion. "this main quest 5¡­ it will be of the s-rank, won't it¡­?"
    [that is highly possible!]
    "hmm¡­"
    he wondered if he would be appropriately powerful enough to take on a threat at that level so soon. with his current strength, it was all but impossible. however, it was hard to say for certain if that would still be the case after completing main quest #4 and a couple more side quests. add on a number of yellow and red-rank gates, and he might just be able to touch upon the s-rank.
    yet, with little to nothing known about the s-rank, cassius had no idea how high his stats needed to be to pass into the rank. not a single thing online was reliable in that regard, with most just rough guesses.
    in other words, he was in the dark from here on out.
    "past the 1000 stat mark for a-rank, i have no clue where everything scales," commented cassius.
    he was honestly not all that bothered by this information.
    even if he was unable to compare their strength to his through sheer stats, he could still approximate their power from their colored danger ratings.
    nevertheless, for now, acquiring more stats and seeing how far he could go was all he could do.
    *mhphh!* *mhphh!*
    hearing a funny sound from in front of him, cassius turned to look at the evomon. they appeared to be agitated about something, with even nyxvoldar and lilith acting up a little.
    curious, he swiveled his head around to his backside, only to see where the problem lay.
    for dozens of miles, demons, large and small, trampled through the deserted dystopian cityscape. they barbarically roared to the top of their lungs while destroying everything in their paths, not even sparing the weaker among their own kind.
    to cassius, they were savage beasts.
    "well, considering the environment we're in right now, their behavior is to be expected," he muttered, his striking blue eyes analyzing their forces at a deeper level. "around¡­ 30,000 lesser demons, 400 intermediate demons, and 5 greater demons. yet, even with such immense numbers, i feel like this isn't even a small portion of the total demon forces in this trial gate area of the 1st floor."
    cassius really had no idea how deep the waters of hell actually were, but he knew that more demons meant more strength to be gained. and for him, that was what mattered most.
    shifting his emotionless gaze back to the evomons, he spoke up in a cold, husky voice. "go. go and kill them all."
    "do not worry about getting hurt. do not worry about dying. do not worry about anything other than the deaths of all who breathe¡ªof all who bleed red."
    "leave none alive."
    ooom!!!
    the evomons erupted forth with massive amounts of shadowy power!
    explore more adventures at empire
    altogether, their auras nearly matched that of an a- rank awakener, yet they still fell short of the 5 greater demons, all of whom stood at the very pinnacle of the b++ rank. in terms of stats, all of them had attributes in the 980-990 range.
    pointing at their massive nightmarish figures in the distance, cassius ordered, "those ones are mine."
    with that, he vanished from his spot.
    while in the speed stream, lilith glowed a crimson glow and unwrapped herself from the right side of her body. then she took her form as a person-sized eastern-style katana.
    lobbing her over his shoulder, cassius asked, "do you want to end this quickly?"
    lilith gave no concrete vibration in response, as she seemed to be torn between the two options she had here. which, in the end, led to her master deciding for her.
    "quick it is," he declared as he called for nyxvoldar, who quickly flew toward him and fused with his body, resulting in a complete makeover.
    from mysterious hooded man to half-beast half-monster, his transformation was a drastic one. and surprisingly enough, the newbie 5 equipment set adjusted with his transformation, same with newbie 5 training sword, which became a bit bigger to match his form.
    feeling the weight covering his body briefly shift places gave cassius a good idea for how to get this shit show started.
    while high up in the smoke-filled skies of hell, a crackling shadowy figure holding a massive katana soared through the clouds formed from blood. he crossed insane distances while making use of his insane physical prowess to defy gravity, almost like a certain muscle mage.
    in mere moments, cassius gapped the entire high-level demon horde. the 5 colossal demons were now within range, and it was time to really get the party started.
    "kowabunga, anyone?" asked cassius, his lips curved up into a conniving smirk. "no? well, i guess i will have to go first." sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    with that, he suddenly changed trajectory and bounced off a piece of the sky like there was something physical there. then, with an ear-deafening explosion that rang out in the dug-in ear holes of all demons in the vicinity, his figure blasted downward.
    a howling whistle followed immediately after the explosion. wind rings rolled out in all directions, with glass windows shattering in rapid succession.
    it was almost as if a nuclear bomb had just touched base with the surface¡­
    and when cassius did finally make contact with the land below, it might as well have been the same as the collision of an atomic bomb.
    he wasn't currently regulating the weight of his newbie 5 equipment set¡­ and just this alone caused him to descend like the grand javelin of heaven!

 Chapter 104 Slaughtering through HELL, Passing Lvl 70

    an unsuspecting greater demon had its hideous, toothy face drilled into. the head exploded, then the upper body, and without slowing down, cassius blew through its entire hill-sized body. blood flew into the air for thousands of meters, with the other greater demons only registering what happened after the earth caved in.ka¡ªboooooom!!
    rather than a small cracked ground, the result of cassius colliding with the cityscape directly below the lead greater demon's bloody corpse was an upward implosion so large that a mountain's height might pale in comparison. the might of weight, momentum, and gravity.
    this was the true power of science!
    whhhoooo¡ªooop!!
    when the dust clouds finished billowing, an enormous protrusion of rubble was seen sticking up out of the ground. it extended to the clouds above, and on its branching spikes were the wailing figures of thousands of lesser and intermediate demons. there was even another, almost-as-large greater demon skewered off to the side of the protrusion.
    it wasn't dead yet, just like many of the skewered intermediate demons, but soon¡­ it would be.
    seeing that the other three greater demons evaded just in the nick of time put a frown on cassius's face. however, with a swift tap of his hermes boots, he sprang up like a broken coil.
    the ground once again cracked beneath him but did so not nearly at the same level as just a second ago.
    with one simple slash, lilith wrapped around the roaring, dinosaur-looking greater demon that was trapped on the earthly protrusion. a massive ugly head was cut clean off.
    less than a millisecond later, the rest of the greater demon's corpse quit moving; it was confirmed dead. yet, it was also in that same period of time that cassius rebounded off the torso of the corpse, causing it to explode like a busted-open pinata.
    lilith was raised, then thrust forward.
    a super-thin blade beam whizzed through the air, shooting straight for a bull-like greater demon that was still in the process of temporarily retreating.
    booom!!!
    a small atomic explosion ended the life of that bull greater demon, with the ensuing damage even taking off a couple of legs of the spider-like greater demon that was near it when lilith struck forth. it let out a shrill shriek while hurriedly fleeing from that dangerous blast radius.
    however, with another effortless forward thrust, another thin sword beam was shot out. it pierced through the spider greater demon's outer shell, through its gooey brain matter, and then out the other side. the inside of the spider's brain melted into mush, killing it on the spot, whereas the full power of the sword beam hit its mark on the large grayish-red body of a rhinoceros-like greater demon.
    another booming explosion reverberated through the land, sending large amounts of rolling radioactive winds throughout the area. and just like that, four of the five greater demons had died, leaving only the fifth greater demon, which was a tall golem/titan type.
    the demon tried to flee, but with fear overwhelming its misty irises, it felt a ridiculously hot beam of sword light pierce through the back of its skull and tunnel through its head before exploding midway. yet, surprisingly, even though the upper half of its massive body was eviscerated, its lower half still remained.
    to cassius, this was intriguing.
    but it wasn't intriguing enough to warrant any more interest. the five greater demons were dispatched without much of a problem, and now it was time to see how his evomons were performing. your next chapter is on empire
    "arghhhh!!!"
    "esceetch!!!"
    "gah! gah! gah!!"
    the lesser and intermediate demons were vicious and savage, with many of them ganging up on single evomons. because of this, several of them had experienced shadow death. yet none of it was enough to dent their master's massive mana pool.
    "though, overall, it looks like my troops have the upper hand," cassius commented.
    although from a third-person perspective, it seemed like the evomons were at a disadvantage due to the vast disparity in numbers, with shadow death, things changed. the tide of the battle began to lean in the evomons' favor because of that one skill.
    after five minutes.
    whoosh! whoosh!
    the battle concluded with the separated nyxvoldar cleaving off the upper halves of nearly a dozen lesser demons. and with that, the opposing force was no more.
    teleporting across the ruined landscape, cassius let all of the demon bloodline essence get absorbed into his body. he also checked out the greater demons' corpses, planning to quickly throw his evomon balls out to capture them.
    unfortunately, though, the corpses disintegrated and fused with him before that could happen.
    "a pity," cassius sighed. "it would've been nice to have five pinnacle b-rank evomons included in my forces, but i guess some things just aren't meant to be."
    individually, each one of the greater demons was stronger than a normal yellow-rank gate boss monster. it was because of this that he felt it to be a great shame to miss out on potential shadow soldiers.
    "well, there is no use crying over spilled milk."
    with that comment, cassius vanished from his position, taking with him his entire evomon army. their destination was wherever the wind took them.
    [demon king bloodline: 0.15%]
    [ordinary phoenix bloodline: 0.09%]
    seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into dozens of minutes.
    two hours later.
    time flew by like a cloud of mist and rain¡ªmomentary and fleeting. it was already past the halfway mark that cassius promised his dragon he would be back by. and though he grew progressively more worried about what would happen if he didn't make it back in time, his gains worked well as a tonic to distract him. sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    during this brief period of time, cassius slaughtered hundreds of thousands of demons, with the number likely reaching past a million. from these kills, he acquired not one, not two, but a total of three levels!
    in retrospect, that didn't sound like very much for how much he had to kill. however, as he had long since figured out: the higher your level, the harder it was to level up.
    he quickly came to realize just how true that principle was after passing level 70.

 Chapter 105 [Lord Demon (A-Rank)] - [Danger Level: Yellowish-Red]

    the amount of exp required for each level went upwards of a dozen times what was needed for the previous level, which was just absurd. especially when considering that exp acquisition was reduced for monsters or beings that had been killed too many times before.for example, as cassius had killed hundreds of thousands of lesser demons, the amount of exp they allotted was abysmal at best. it was to the point that he would need to kill millions more of them to level up again.
    and that number would only become ever more exaggerated in due time!
    yet, even with everything slowing down his rate of progress, cassius was still progressing extremely fast. keep in mind that the rewards gained per level up also became exponentially better. just for reaching lvl 73 from 72, he received cumulative stat points nearly reaching 1,000!
    it was safe to say that if he kept progressing at his current rate, he would be breaking down the walls of the a-rank with all of his stats.
    as for his agility stat¡­ well, it was unknown just how far it could be taken before the "fastest man in the world" title no longer belonged to victor rapido.
    however, it was while idling away with his lilith slicing through the necks of hundreds of intermediate demons that a sudden disturbance interrupted his flow. it was a deep, disturbing rumbling that shook everything for many tens of thousands of meters. even the air itself visibly shook.
    *hurgh!* *hurgh!*
    nyxvoldar became oddly riled up when the rumbling began, even embroiling the other evomons into a state mixed between agitation and excitement. after cassius's repeated power-ups, their maximum number increased to 50, and every single one of them felt their non-existent hair stand on end at the arrival of an earth-shaking calamity.
    rumble!!!
    the rumbling became so loud and deafening that it reached a zenith point.
    directly following that zenith point was a fast-moving object leaping from the distance into the desolate rubble of what used to be a city square. yet, as if the surroundings hadn't suffered enough, when the massive fast-moving object touched base with the ground, everything exploded skyward!
    whooosh¡ª
    when the dust clouds cleared, a colossal demon over one hundred meters tall made its grand appearance known to all.
    the demon had a large gut belly and nothing covering its grotesque upper body. only a thin, flappy loincloth was there to prevent any living organism from being scarred for life. on its head, however, lay a spiked goldish-red crown embedded into its skin, which worked to terrify any individual unlucky enough to witness its monstrousness.
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    to further cement that notion of monstrosity, a deadly red gleam was present inside its savage eyes. although much stronger than the kobold king, it did not possess even a fifth of the intelligence that the kobold king had.
    as a demon, no matter its strength, it only knew one thing: death.
    "rrrroooaaaarrrrrghhhh!!!"
    its soul-shaking bellow was terrible enough to split the sky and crack the earth, causing entire buildings to sink into chasms. however, even with all the damage to the vicinity, it had actually focused the majority of its vocal might on the lone human.
    yet, as if it didn't even exist, the human blankly stared at its violent display of power, which was certainly evoked to get him to quiver in fear.
    "how pointless."
    with a cold, icy blue gleam in his narrowed gaze, cassius calmly observed the system tag of this demon. s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [lord demon (a-rank)] - [danger level: yellowish-red]
    "a neutral a-rank demon¡­ yet you can't even achieve a full red danger rating?"
    cassius's expression morphed in disdain, as even with his other attributes holding down his overall power level, the lord demon couldn't even cause the system to deem it a red threat. it truly was a big disappointment for the man who wished more than any other person to find a good fight and maybe even advance his ordinary phoenix bloodline.
    however, let alone kill him, this behemoth wouldn't even be able to scratch him.
    'i was hoping to locate an opponent of semi-intelligence so i could try out that "are you looking to get face-slapped?" skill, but it seems like i still have to wait¡­'
    cassius's only regret about this whole situation was the fact that this unintelligent being wasn't even all that strong¡­ it was a¡­ bummer.
    "a bummer indeed," commented cassius as he looked ahead and saw the lord demon lunge straight for him at ludicrous speeds.
    sighing, he asked, "why do you yearn for the cold embrace of death so badly?"
    all he received in response was another earth-shaking roar, then an even greater acceleration in speed. at this moment, the lord demon looked like a red cannonball moving at hypersonic speeds. and in less than a nanosecond, it would surely be at the throat of its target.
    "...i guess i have no choice but to fulfill your wish."
    an emotionless sigh echoed before a large gust of wind rolled out in all directions from cassius's position. the evomons, deciding to stay out of this insane battle, watched in silence as their liege's breathing came to a standstill.
    all of time seemed to freeze in the exact same moment that the lord demon's enormous fist reached a distance mere inches away from the tiny human's covered face. yet, in the presence of the looming feeling of death, it couldn't even so much as react.
    it froze.
    then it died.
    like a reincarnated devil of speed, cassius moved one step, performed a thousand slashes, then took another step. the sound produced from his steps hadn't even the time to echo out before the thousandth step lightly tapped against the back of the lord demon's head.
    before dropping to a nearby rooftop, cassius coldly peered into the depths of the massive demon's cruel eyes. yet, for some reason, even though it was the demon and he was the human, his eyes glowed far crueler¡­
    it was like the difference between prey and predator.

 Chapter 106 {[Soul Rupture (S-Rank/Low Ruby Rank)]} - [Proficiency: 0.01%]

    SHING!Cassius sheathed Lilith back into her sheath. Then, with his back turned, he briefly glanced at the explosion of blood that occurred when time finally rewound.
    Of course, time hadn't actually stopped or resumed; it was just that he had been moving at such an insanely fast speed that the Lord Demon couldn't keep up. It hadn't mained the Agility stat to begin with, so there really was no way it stood a chance against the incarnation of speed.
    As a ridiculous amount of blood and guts rained down from the rustic skies, it froze mid-air before changing direction and flowing toward the one who owned the skill. While this was happening, a few system notifications rang out as well.
    *Ding~!*
    [You have slain an A-Rank Lord Demon!]
    [Your Experience Bar has moderately moved!]
    Continue reading stories on empire
    [You have completed the Side Quest 'Slay a Lord-ranked Demon from the Gate Trials of HELL']
    [Acquired 5 Medium-sized Heaps of EXP!]
    [Acquired 300 AP!]
    [Acquired 150 Stat Points in all of your Main Attributes!]
    [Acquired 1 Ruby-Ranked Skill Box!]
    "Oh?"
    Cassius's brows raised in interest. He hadn't expected to finally receive a Ruby-Ranked Skill Box, as even the Level-up Skill Boxes were still lingering around the Late-Gold and Early Sapphire stages. However, now that he had received one, he wondered just what lay inside it.
    His first natural assumption was that there would be an S-Rank Skill stored within the Ruby-Ranked Skill Box, but it was hard to say if that was actually the case without opening it. And just like with the Schr?dinger's Cat Theory, he decided to see for himself what the truth of the matter was.
    BLING!
    A brilliant eruption of golden light emanated from the cracks of the Ruby-Ranked Skill Box, and did so without Cassius even completely opening it. It was almost as if the very Skill to be unveiled felt the need to announce its presence beforehand.
    "An S-Rank Skill; it has to be."
    And just as expected, a ruby-plated card with the bold italic letter 'S' at its center flew out of the reddish-white Skill Box and revealed its name and description.
    {[Soul Rupture (S-Rank/Low Ruby Rank)]} - [Proficiency: 0.01%]
    ¡ª[Unleashes a massive, wide-distance energy attack that targets the Soul. If proficiency is raised to certain milestones, the user could even begin to mold and form the Soul Rupture attack into whatever the user wants, allowing for increased versatility, power, and effectiveness.]
    ¡ª[1000% Increased Soul Damage]
    ¡ª[1000% Increased Soul-type Attack Range]
    ¡ª[750% Increased Affinity with the 'Soul']
    ¡ª[100% Increased EXP Acquisition]
    "It even comes with an EXP boost?" Cassius asked with a confused frown.
    *Ding~!*
    [Be happier, you ungrateful heathen! As Experience points are sorta kinda related to the Soul, you have received a boost to EXP Acquisition!]
    [Rejoice! ^~^]
    "Ahh¡­"
    That was all Cassius had to say before he moved on with his life and watched his Demon King Bloodline transformation rate go up quite a lot.
    The System grumbled in the background, but he did not care.
    [Demon King Bloodline: 1.7%]
    "Already at 1.7%... I do wonder how much longer it'll be before I achieve 100%," Cassius muttered while feeling something strange course through every fiber of his being.
    Along with this unusual feeling came what felt like changes to his psyche and mind. Although he couldn't prove it for certain, it almost felt like his personality was becoming more and more mellowed out. Furthermore, he grew less angry and less emotional over things.
    If it kept on like this, Cassius had no clue just how much he would change¡­
    "However, even knowing that, I must keep on progressing," he declared with a resolute gleam in his eyes. "No matter what I lose, I have to take every ounce of power I can get. There is no longer any other path left for me; I refuse to stagnate."
    In the beginning, Cassius only did what he did because of the System's sadistic encouragement. Yet it was different now. He wished to become stronger not for the sake of the System but because he himself wanted to become stronger.
    He began to yearn for whatever peak he could grasp at. And even if that peak was far beyond his reach, he would still do his utmost to step up and grab hold of whatever lay beyond.
    This was his resolve.
    This journey through the Trial Gate area of the 1st Floor of HELL turned out to mean many things for Cassius. From obtaining greater power to realizing his own want for that power, and even these subtle changes happening to the core of what made him him.
    He still had no idea what he would become if he kept absorbing the Essence of the Demons, but he was smart enough to know that there was no turning back. Yet, even if there was a way to reverse the irreversible, he wouldn't take it. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The euphoria that came from gaining more power¡ªit was incredible. None other than him in this world would be able to experience it at the same level as he did, and he pitied them for that.
    "Missing out on something like this¡­ Life must've been extremely depressing before I acquired the Idle Evolution System," Cassius mused as he sliced through countless more Demons. "How was I living a few weeks ago? I don't even remember now¡­"
    *Ding!*
    [Yes, yes, praise me more, lowly human! You have finally realized the greatness that is me! And for that, I shall give you a gift¡­ Or, rather, I shall inform you of something!]
    "Inform me of something¡­? Wait¡­"
    [Ding! Ding! Ding! You guessed correctly!]
    [You're about to get your ass whooped, bad. ^_^]
    "...You surely jest¡ª"
    Before those words could even leave Cassius's mouth, dozens of auras on the same level as the Lord Demon emerged from several different directions. Moreover, there were three presences that dwarfed the power of the Lord Demons a hundred to one. Their power exploded outward in such grandiose fashion that the ground cracked in layers for dozens of miles.

 Chapter 107 Lesser Abyssal Demons (A+ Rank)

    [Lord Demon (A-Rank)] - [Danger Rating: Orangish-Yellow] X56[Lesser Abyssal Demon (A+ Rank)] - [Danger Rating: Medium-Red] X3
    "Medium Red?" Cassius repeated what he saw, his expression easing up a bit. "The nearly Red Danger Rating Lord Demon from before was a lot weaker than its System Tag would indicate, so these ones surely aren't too much stronger. At the very least, they should be manageable¡ª"
    He jinxed it.
    FWOOOOOSH¡ª!
    Cassius blinked, and one of the Abyssal Demons teleported from its original position to mere feet away from him, and it did so in an instant.
    "!!!"
    Cassius tried to evade what was coming, but it was already far too late, and 'it' was far too fast.
    The Lesser Abyssal Demon landed a rib-breaking punch in the pit of his stomach, sending him flying backward at thousands of times the speed of sound. And then, without a shred of mercy, the Demon blink-stepped once more and appeared a few inches ahead of the barreling human before following up with a downward leg kick.
    Unlike the other, regular Demons, as an Abyssal Demon, it could transform into a smaller version of itself, thus resulting in the current apathetic humanoid form.
    "Kaaa¡­" the Lesser Abyssal Demon thinned its sinisterly demonic eyes, watching as the human smashed through a destroyed building.
    Cassius shot through floor after floor of that building. His vision blurred by the end, both because of the pain assaulting his senses and the blood painting his face almost entirely red. Most of his defenses were completely shattered after the first strike, with the second strike crushing a lot of his bones and ruining his internals.
    Overall, he would rate this experience a sh*t experience. A refund was demanded.
    BOOOOM!!!
    The earth around Cassius exploded upward when his battered body collided with the ground like a meteor. The building that was originally there was now no more; hell, even the surrounding couple of city blocks had been blasted to the heavens.
    FWIP! FWIP! sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The other two Lesser Abyssal Demons teleported beside the first one, with all three sets of their eyes scanning through the apocalyptic rubble below.
    After a couple of seconds, they exchanged glances between one another. The first Abyssal Demon prepared itself to go down there and finish the job.
    However, it was in that same moment that an evil scarlet aura seeped out from under the hundreds of thousands of tons of rubble. It started off weak yet quickly escalated to levels that exceeded all previous power levels. The entire sky for several thousands of meters was blotted out by this aura, causing even the emotionless Abyssal Demons to frown.
    They possessed enough intelligence to know when something presented a certain amount of danger to them. Furthermore, they also knew when it was most appropriate to nip a growing bud before it consumed the garden.
    Fwoooop¡ª!
    The first Lesser Abyssal Demon phased down to the source of the rubble, then used its innate telekinetic abilities to lift up all of the debris and carelessly chuck it into the distance. Looking around, the Demon once again located the target, prompting it to flash forward.
    "Too slow."
    Stay tuned with empire
    "???"
    Confusion passed through the Lesser Abyssal Demon's slitted eyes, and it truly was too slow to do anything. Cassius clasped his veiny hand around the Demon's face while moving at a speed that blew the minds of all three Lesser Abyssal Demons.
    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
    Cassius took the Lesser Abyssal Demon for a joyride around the devastated landscape, doing so in a similar way as it had done unto him. Building through building, into one side of the ground, out the other side¡ªhe took the Demon's face and body everywhere in the area while appearing like no more than a purplish crimson blur.
    "Do tell me," began Cassius, his tone colder than the Atlantic Ocean. "Is this enjoyable for you? Do you derive pleasure from pain?"
    He received no response.
    "Yeah, I didn't think so." Cassius sighed before hurling the Lesser Abyssal Demon to the stars.
    Of course, there weren't actually any stars, but the point was that the Demon was something akin to a spaceship ascending to space.
    "Now, if even a Demon straight from the pits of HELL doesn't enjoy pain, then what makes you think I would enjoy it, oh System of mine?" asked Cassius, slightly irritated. "...You should've already known that I couldn't take on anything at that level, so why did you let my head grow big¡­?"
    *Ding~~!*
    [It was better for Character Development! ^£¤^]
    [You need not be cocky, you need not grow complacent, you need not be arrogant. You need to become more cautious, you need to stay on guard at all times, you need to be more calculative, you need more back-up plans.]
    [If Plan A fails, then you have Plan B to back you up. If Plan B fails, then you have Plan C. So on and so forth¡­]
    [In this World, the only power you can count on is your own. When it matters most, no one and nothing will be by your side to help you.]
    [You will die as you are. And even if you can make it out alive for now, once the Illusion shatters, you will not live past the first day.]
    [The natural proclivity to believe that everything, everyone, and anything is working against you is what will allow you to survive the New Age. It is also what will allow you to survive in the now. Features like the Status Recovery aren't infinite, and they also aren't invincible. If you were to get killed in one shot, you wouldn't even have the necessary time required to use Status Recovery.]
    [And if that happens twice, even the Phoenix Rebirth Skill will be unable to save your life.]
    [You will¡­ DIE.]
    Cassius had expected a short witty response, not an entire lecture. Yet, that didn't mean he was unable to understand what the System was trying to tell him. Or, rather, what it was warning him would happen if he remained as careless as he was when the Lesser Abyssal Demons first appeared.
    "Believe everything is out to get me¡­ Don't grow overconfident¡­ I see¡­"

 Chapter 108 {[Completed (A+) Emergency Quest â€˜Fight and Defeat the 3 from the Abyss]}

    Your journey continues on empireThe rapid power boosts that had been coming to him like old lady candy had made Cassius develop a certain level of complacency. That, and all the absurdly powerful supernatural things that he could do. All of it worked toward making him more prone to a stupid way to die.
    It had to go. All of it.
    Cassius cleared his mind, then put himself on a high state of alert, all while plowing the 2nd Lesser Abyssal Demon through the cityscape. By now, the Demon had been severely disfigured, and not just because of all the dirt it had eaten, but also because of the extreme speed at which they were moving. It was enough to make it, who mained in Agility, feel like it had only now met Mt. Tai.
    This was for good reason; after all, Cassius had not only recovered his status while on the brink of death, but he also dumped over 2000 AP into the Agility stat!
    Now, it was well over 4000, and with the silent boost from the I AM ATOMIC Skill applied, that astronomical number skyrocketed even further. And though he had no idea just how fast he had become relative to the A-Rank, he knew that this Lesser Abyssal Demon didn't stand a chance.
    This wasn't false overconfidence but the absolute truth of the matter.
    "Say, Demon," Cassius said coldly while briefly stopping his speed-demon rampage. "Have you ever experienced something at the intricate level of the Soul?"
    Without even giving it the opportunity to respond, he said, "No? Well, I shall give you your first today. And if you are thinking of thanking me, then there is no need. I do this out of the goodness of my heart."
    "!!!!"
    As one who held an affinity for the Abyss, the Lesser Abyssal Demon should have been incapable of feeling fear or anything like it. However, if that were truly the case, then what exactly was it feeling right now¡­?
    It feared not pain.
    It feared not death.
    But the crazed grin on this cloaked devil's face¡ªit feared what it represented. For the first time in its life, it was¡­ scared.
    "Hmm?" Noticing something, Cassius watched as the Lesser Abyssal Demon's face scrunched up in horror. "How interesting¡­"
    He smirked. Then, with a hand tightened, he threw the Demon up into the sky to join its brother.
    However, seeing as one was left out, Cassius slowly cocked his head back behind him and flashed the 3rd Lesser Abyssal Demon an evil grin. It immediately felt a shiver spike through its spine, urging it to flee in the opposite direction with small droplets of sweat dotting its apathetic expression.
    Yet, as if its own nature was working against it, it stopped in its tracks and turned around to face the amused human.
    The 3rd Lesser Abyssal Demon charged.
    It was smacked with the power of ATOMIC.
    It joined its brothers¡­
    "Now, as you all are of the same lineage, I felt it to be unfair to gift something to only one of you," said Cassius, his voice reverberating through the skies. "Hence, I have decided to share what I have to give to all three of you."
    He expected applause, yet received none. He frowned; he pondered. He smacked his hand against the other as a lightbulb lit up inside his mind.
    FWIP!
    Cassius blink-stepped above the clouds, appearing tens of thousands of meters in the air. The ground where he was just standing had cracked and exploded, as he hadn't actually teleported but leapt up.
    Yet, as if the catastrophic destruction below had nothing to do with him, he activated the |Soul Rupture| Skill while standing above the rocketing Demons.
    BLALLIING!!!
    The world was flash-banged by a dazzling white light so bright that even the natural air of miasma in this part of HELL was purified. The power of the Soul was just that potent. It was so strong that not even lower-level Hellish Miasma could do anything more than fade away into oblivion.
    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"
    Although the Skill itself wasn't concentrated or very cool, it was still¡­ incredibly painful.
    The three Lesser Abyssal Demons felt the power of the Soul seep into their pores, tearing away at the most fragile part of any being¡ªthe Soul. Directly attacking it was like attacking the most vital and receptive weakness of a living being. Not even the Abyssal Demons, who were engineered to resist all sorts of travesties, were an exception to the ironclad rule that was 'Soul Pain.'
    Within milliseconds of anguished, silent crying, all three Lesser Abyssal Demons had already died. They left only their lifeless husks, all of which had the most disturbing expressions strewn across their faces. The expressions accurately emulated just how much indescribable anguish they had experienced while taking on the S-Rank Skill |Soul Rupture|.
    "Let alone 30 seconds, they couldn't even last a single second," murmured Cassius, his disappointment clear as day. "What poor excuses for Demons that hold the title of Abyss." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    No longer wishing to think any more about them, he let them disintegrate and assimilate with his existence. Then, while watching his Demon King Bloodline marker ascend past the 6% mark, he let himself plummet to the earth below.
    However, before he hit the ground, he expertly blurred and reappeared on the surface without a single scratch on him.
    The System Notifications for these most recent kills rang out right after he began his casual walk toward the dozens of Lord Demons now looking to take advantage of the chaos to finish off whoever won.
    *Ding~!*
    [You have slain 3 Lesser Abyssal Demons (A+ Rank)]
    [Your Experience Bar has tremendously moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 400 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 150 Stat Points!]
    "Only one level up from that, but while on the verge of death, an Emergency Quest activated, so I have the rewards from that as well," said Cassius. "Might just be enough to level me up again."
    Just as he hoped¡­
    {[You have completed the (A+) Emergency Quest 'Fight and Defeat the 3 from the Abyss']}
    [Acquired 1 Adequately-sized Heap of EXP!]
    [Acquired 10 Rare-ranked Evoballs!]
    [Acquired 1 Common Evomon Rank-up Shard! Plus an additional one as a bonus!]

 Chapter 109 The B-Rank, A-Rank, and S-Rank

    [Your Experience Bar has tremendously moved!][You leveled up!]
    [You received 500 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 200 Stat Points!]
    [All of your Stats have passed the 1000 Mark, meaning that you have officially achieved the all-around power level of an A-Rank Awakener!]
    "Finally achieved the A-Rank, which is good," Cassius said with a hint of disgruntlement. "...This should be a good thing, but I also feel like my speed has not improved by an amount that it could've been if the gap between my Agility and other stats were larger."
    After a few moments.
    He let out a troubled cloud of air while beheading the last of the Lord Demons. As soon as they all died and assimilated with his existence, he resumed his trot through the blighted wasteland. Many more demons fell at his hands, with the only unfortunate thing being that he could not yet use the Rare-ranked Evoballs.
    Cassius did, however, use the Common Evomon Rank-up Shards, which was only effective up to the A-Rank. Fortunately, Nyxvoldar was yet to exceed the A-Rank, so the Shard registered and brought its rank from B+ to A-.
    According to the Idle Evolution System, he would need 11 more of the Common Rank-up Shards to get Nyxvoldar to the A++ Rank. Two for the second rank-up, three for the third, and then six for the final rank-up. This amount would likely take quite a while to amass, especially when the Shards were so rare.
    Then again, Cassius wasn't too worried about killing things and stealing everything they had for himself.
    Assuming one in every 100 Demon Hunting Scenarios prompted a Side Quest or Urgent Quest that gave Evomon Rank-up Shards upon completion, then he just had to murder a few¡­ million odd Demons. Which, in relation to the sheer quantity of Demons in this forsaken place, didn't even amount to a tenth of their total forces.
    Excluding the perilous threat of deadly demons from all directions, thinking around this topic got Cassius to thinking about other Rank-up Materials.
    Lilith, for one, was sitting at the A+ Rank, yet could not rank up any further while in Hell because all of the Demon corpses disintegrated and assimilated with his existence. And though she benefited a little from that due to their connection, it was still nowhere near enough to reach the A++ or even the S-Rank.
    And then there were the White-tier Dragon Pellets that Cassius occasionally received from Quests. Even up until this point in time, he hadn't gotten around to using them. Of course, he had read their descriptions a few times over now, and they were obviously related to his pet dragon, Yimin.
    Essentially, if he fed them to her, it would speed up her growth process and also age her appropriately.
    'But¡­ if she becomes any more powerful than she already is, then it is highly possible that she will advance to a level greater than where I stand,' thought Cassius, his lips pursed in exasperation. 'And normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but with that 'unique' personality of hers¡­ Well, I'll probably be a shriveled-up corpse within the same day she surpasses me¡­'
    It was for that and a few other personal reasons that Cassius refused to allow himself to slack or lag behind the game.
    Even if Yimin was only getting stronger because of her natural heritage bloodline, that didn't make any difference in his mind. He refused to be behind anyone, for if that ever happened, his life would be at the whim of someone else¡ªjust like how the Lesser Abyssal Demons could have killed him in an instant if they hadn't wanted to toy with him first.
    For Cassius, becoming #1 was no longer an option. It was simply what he would become.
    However, did this mean he would withhold something like the Dragon Pellets from Yimin?
    The answer to that was obviously¡­ no!
    As soon as he got out of here, he would hand the pellets over to the insane dragon. He would like to see just how she could possibly hope to keep up with him! S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    In a matter of seconds, while slaughtering countless demons, Cassius's stance on the subject of Yimin and the Pellets had switched several times. Yet it was because of this inner debate and discussion with himself that he resolved to acquire even greater amounts of power at even quicker rates.
    He would not allow anyone to advance faster than him. After all, that was the only thing he was good at.
    One hour later.
    After this period of performing Demon genocide, the number of Demons that Cassius had slain long surpassed the million milestone. Like a crimson blur, he reaped the lives of Demons at speeds that exceeded anything that even tens of thousands of them could register before they found themselves lacking heads.
    Following the first appearance of the Lesser Abyssal Demons, it was no longer a battle or war. It was simply carnage and death. Void of discrimination, he killed and killed; he killed until entire ruined cities were razed to the ground.
    They say that a B-Rank Hunter was capable of destroying towns and tiny cities if given enough time to create destruction, already making them something akin to gods. This was also one of the reasons why so many people turned into brainless fanatic lunatics when the B-Rank MoonShiner Party arrived in Hoshito.
    The B-Rank in backwater and less-known areas of the world was a rank that symbolized the first step on the road to godhood.
    The A-Rank, on the other hand, represented a state of being that exceeded anything modern-day mortal idols or celebrities could compete with. They were often seen as the limit of human capabilities, having reached a level where large cities would vanish the same night one was left to do what they wanted.
    Then there were the S-Rank Awakeners.
    If you awakened as an S-Rank Awakener, then you had ascended from the bottom to the absolute pinnacle in the eyes of the common populace. You were no longer just an icon but an actual living deity, and not just to mortals, but also to other Awakeners.
    You could become the King of a small country, you could obliterate that same country. You could even rule the entire world if you were the only one of your kind.
    This was the S-Rank¡ªthe peak of existence.

 Chapter 110 {[I AM OMEGA, I AM ATOMIC, I AM THE END]}, Preparations for a Class, Lvl 80

    "Hmm¡­"Cassius's thoughts began to whirl as he whizzed forward with Lilith and cleaved a Lesser Abyssal Demon into dozens of different pieces.
    He had already killed too many of them to count in the past hour to put too much importance on them. He simply flashed around, killed everything standing in his way, then moved onto the next horde of Demons.
    What rank they were mattered not. After all, every single one of them died on the first slash.
    However, it was during one of these murder sprees, conducted in the deepest parts of the ravaged wasteland, that Cassius received a rather unusual system notification.
    *Ding~!*
    [You have reached Lvl 80!]
    {[Class/Job Preparations]} - (S- Rank)
    ¡ª[For reaching Lvl 80, you have met the prerequisites to begin your Class prep.]
    ¡ª[To ensure all fairness and prevent the Host from bitching about the results later on, the System has decided to improve upon the 3rd Idle Benefit, which is 'Skill Fusion.' Making use of this new improvement will enable the Host to fuse Skills at a completely absurd level, which will also advance your 'Idle Score.']
    ¡ª[Your 'Idle Score' is what the System silently calculates to determine how good of a Class you will receive once you reach Lvl 100 and advance through the Class/Job Trial. If your Idle Score is higher, then your chances of getting a superb Class will also be higher.] S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ¡ª[Acquired 3rd Idle Benefit Modification - |Infinite Fuse|]
    "Infinite Fuse?" Cassius echoed. "I wonder what the Idle Benefit is now capable of doing¡­"
    Wishing to test out things right away, he pulled up his system interface and scrolled to the 3rd Idle Benefit section, which sat right beside the Item Crafting System Feature. He tapped and dragged the A- Shadow Step Skill, quickly noticing something different this time around.
    "Instead of there being one shaking and glowing Skill available to fuse with¡­ All of them are shaking¡­"
    Cassius, unable to believe what he was seeing, decided to tap on the tiny boxes present above each Skill.
    After clicking a total of 1200 Shadow/Movement/Agility/Darkness-related Skills, all of which were recently acquired from Silver-ranked, Gold-ranked, Sapphire-ranked, and Ruby-ranked Skill Boxes, he watched them freak the hell out. Keep in mind that a total of 5 new S-Rank Skills had been thrown into the pot, meaning that the resulting Skill would be¡­
    "Ridiculous¡­"
    That was all Cassius could mumble upon glancing at the absurdities presented before him. It might as well have been a cheat code.
    *Ding!*
    {[Fundamental Movements (S/Mid-Ruby Rank)]}
    ¡ª[Gives the User access to the 'Basic Movement Sutra,' which will be stored within the User's mind.]
    ¡ª[Potential Skill outlook, if mastered: Your Speed will be unrivaled by all on the Planet known as 'Earth.']
    Seeing this was enough to make Cassius realize that, even despite its simple name, the contents of the Skill were anything but simple.
    However, it was in this moment of awe that a daring idea popped up in his mind.
    "What if¡­ What if I were to combine thousands of Skills of different types¡­? What would happen?"
    No longer able to restrain his curiosity, he spammed the fuse function on several categories of Skills, then proceeded to combine them based on good predicted effects. And by the end of this ludicrous fusing spree that defied everything commonly known by the Awakeners and the Hunters, two Skills appeared from over ten thousand, one of which was just a rewrite.
    {[Fundamental Body Refinement (S+/Late-Ruby Rank)]}
    ¡ª[Gives the User access to the 'Basic Body Refinement Manual,' which will be stored within his mind.]
    ¡ª[Split up into 9 layers and 3 sections, making up a total of 27 layers. First Section: Movement. Second Section: Attack. Third Section: Defend.]
    ¡ª[Potential Skill Outlook, if mastered: On the mortal plane known as Earth, the User will be second to none in all three main aspects of combat. If paired with appropriate attributes, the User will be invincible in the same stage.]
    {[I AM OMEGA, I AM ATOMIC, I AM THE END]} - (S+/Late-Ruby Rank)
    ¡ª[The contents of this Skill are unable to be properly described on paper. Use the Skill, but use with caution.]
    ¡ª[This Skill, if paired with high stats and a high Atomic stat, will be the demise of human life.]
    ¡ª[Retains all previous effects of 'I AM SPEED' and 'I AM ATOMIC,' but further amplifies them.]
    [Again, use with caution. The main sequence of this Skill can only be used once a month, so also keep that in mind. ONLY use if all other options have been exhausted. YOU have been warned.]
    It was only of the S+ Rank, same as the other S+ Rank Skill, but for some reason, the restrictions on this one were quite substantial. It was ominous, to say the least, almost like the System was steering Cassius away from using it, lest he regret it in the end.
    "I guess I will keep the Skill on the backburner for now," said Cassius, his eyes shifting away from that harrowing Skill and back to the first one. "This one, in comparison, seems far less intimidating."
    At the exact same moment he said that, what felt like a bomb of information and knowledge exploded inside his mind, causing him to stagger backward. He tried to regain his bearings, but whatever was happening to him prevented that from happening.
    It felt like a million fire ants were crawling around on his skin! Like a stampede of elephants rampaging on top of his brain! It was so excruciatingly painful!
    A thousand severe migraines would've been a more pleasant thing to experience than what he was experiencing right now!
    Suicide passed through his shattered mind several times, yet he fought against those thoughts with his entire being every time they sprouted up. He refused to succumb to the pain! He refused to take the easy way out!
    After five minutes.
    The dozens of Evomon huddled around their Liege in a protective circle finally saw a change occur in his complexion, prompting the strongest among them, Nyxvoldar, to kneel down and check his pulse. Its shadowy expression fluctuated for a second before returning to normal.
    It nodded at the other Evomon, causing them to erupt in loud muffled grunts and cheers.

 Chapter 111 Body Refinement Manuals

    None of the Evomon could properly speak just yet, but they were more than capable of expressing their joy through seemingly unusual events like this one. Even the normally apathetic Nyxvoldar seemed to have brief changes occur in the shadows covering its body.Groggily, Cassius opened his eyes, putting his icy blue gems on display once more. "How long has it been¡­?" he asked.
    Nyxvoldar stuck up five willowy fingers shrouded in darkness.
    "Five minutes, huh?" Cassius understood right away what measurement his Evomon was using. "...It felt like an eternity¡­ Yet only five minutes had¡­ Haiz¡­"
    A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he eloquently rose from the ground and surveyed his surroundings. Everything was still more or less the same as he faintly remembered, but it all felt so unfamiliar at the same time.
    It was surreal to feel like this.
    But with more important things to gloss over, Cassius shrugged off this weird sensation breaching his psyche and instead focused on the information still being sorted out within his mind. The three sections, each one more glorious than the next, were rapidly organizing themselves in a certain department of his brain. This, too, was an odd thing to experience.
    After everything gathered together where they needed to be, Cassius was able to glimpse three Chinese characters hanging above three differently colored books. They were displayed on cloud-like podiums, with their brilliance and complementing covers doing well to emphasize the outstanding nature of the Fundamental Body Refinement Manual Set.
    Without wasting any more time gawking at them, Cassius locked on to the whitish-gray book, which was the first one lined up on the left. It was also the manual that represented the Movement section of the Body Refinement Manuals.
    Blowing up its illusory pages with the power of his sturdy mind, Cassius flipped through page after page. The title, being as ordinary as they came, was literally just 'Basic Movement Manual,' yet the contents were anything but. They were extraordinary, containing within their brittle pages Chinese characters, all of which could somehow be read by him.
    'The power of the Body, the beginning before the beginning. To embark on the path of Immortality, one must first hone one's body.'
    'First, one must be as fleeting as an untraceable shadow, able to move in a way that even afterimages are unworthy of the image that you embody. As the fundamentals of the fundamentals, an aspiring Immortal must be quick, so quick that none stand in your way.'
    'One must remain focused at all times, for Speed and Quickness do not only relate to how fast one moves. It is also about awareness. You get distracted, you die. Your opponent gets distracted, your opponent dies.'
    'Move quickly, think quickly, react quickly. These are the three fundamentals of the basics of movement.'
    Following this introduction to the manual were numerous illustrations and brief descriptions, all describing movements that needed to be trained to master the basics of speed. And somehow, Cassius was able to understand everything he was seeing.
    That was when he recalled an S- Skill that he kept out of the fusing pool on purpose. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Namely, it was the |Supreme Comprehension Skill|, said to be capable of enhancing mental processing and understanding speed a hundredfold. However, as he had just rolled for it, he hadn't even really been presented with an opportunity to use it.
    But now, that was no longer the case.
    "Everything¡­ All of it is coming together inside my mind¡­ This Skill, or rather, this Manual¡­ The Path to Immortality¡ªwhat does it all mean?"
    The Basic Movements Manual referenced the Path to Immortality multiple times throughout the pages of the book. Yet it spoke nothing of what that actually implied.
    Cassius had, of course, heard of Immortality, and even the Chinese belief in Immortality as well as their Cultivation Culture. But he had believed that it was all just that¡ªbelief.
    Awakeners and Monsters were as real as could be in this world, and there were surely other unbelievable things festering in the world as well. However, not once had he expected something like Rudimentary Immortal Cultivation to be real.
    At least, for the Idle Evolution System, it was made a reality.
    "I have no clue if something like this exists in China, but I do know that this can tremendously benefit the current me," said Cassius. "These nine movement layers¡­ I will master them, and I will see exactly how far this Path to Immortality will take me."
    He had become so absorbed in the reading and theoretical practice of the Manual that he had long since memorized it, yet completely forgot about the other two manuals.
    "Ahh, right, I should read and memorize those as well before I begin putting anything into practical practice," Cassius declared with a wry chuckle before moving his mind to flip through and understand the contents of the Attack and Defend Basic Manuals.
    After two minutes of silent meditation.
    Cassius abruptly opened his eyes, startling the Evomons who had once again grouped around him in concern. He silently thanked them for keeping watch and protecting him before diverting his focus back to the practice of the three Manuals.
    Not wanting to idle any longer, he got into a proper stance in the middle of a deserted street. Toxic emissions and unknown chemical substances permeated and circulated throughout this deeper area of the Trail Gate part of HELL's 1st Floor, yet none of it affected him by even the slightest degree.
    Of the Skills he kept out of the two main Fusion lines, there were the resistance and healing Skills, which he separately combined to get two Skills.
    One was the S Neutral-rank Rapid Regeneration Skill, which would surely do wonders to save him from wasting Status Recoveries in the future. There was also his Endurance stat, which was also working toward the same goal.
    The second Skill, on the other hand, was dubbed |All Elemental Resistance|.
    It was also of the S Neutral Rank, and as it sounded, it was capable of resisting nearly all common elements present on Earth. This, of course, included the unusually deadly atmosphere that encompassed HELL.
    With its utilization, Cassius became essentially immune to an area that would normally reap the lives of even A-Rank Awakeners, and slightly injure or annoy S-Rank Awakeners.

 Chapter 112 {[Oracle Sphinxs Pyramid (A++ Rank)]} - [Boss Area]

    There were a few other unique Skills that were either already there or fused with others that Cassius kept around, such as the S- Rank Flight Skill, but more than 95% of his Skills produced the two S+ Skills.As the seconds rolled into minutes and Cassius quickly adjusted to performing the motions recorded in the Basic Movement Manual, he realized that time was dwindling. If he didn't make it back to Yimin within the next half an hour or so, he feared what sort of disastrous predicament she would find herself in.
    [You reached the 1st Layer of the 'Basic Movement Manual.']
    [You reached the Peak of the 1st Layer of the 'Basic Movement Manual.']
    [You reached the 2nd Layer of the 'Basic Movement Manual.']
    "I guess the 2nd Layer is sufficient for now," mused Cassius as he packed himself and his Evomon up, preparing to approach the megastructure lingering in the background. "It was becoming exponentially harder to progress in proficiency after achieving the 2nd Layer anyway, and with that Hellish Sphinx surely laying in wait within that enormous pyramid building, I can set aside further practice for later."
    He had, however, worked up quite a sweat from practicing the difficult motions of the Basic Movement Manual, so he cleaned himself with the Water and Wind Elements. Then, with a precise quickness many times faster than before, he blurred toward the giant pyramid.
    A millisecond passed.
    Upon closing in on the megastructure, Cassius realized that he was a long way off from his original predictions of this place's size. Simply put, it was astronomically massive, possibly even nearing the size of a small country.
    Out in the middle of nowhere, it was akin to a beacon of light¡ªa symbol of advancement. Just the technology that went into building something as grandiose as this certainly far exceeded anything that Modern Earth could replicate.
    Now, this begged the question: What could've possibly occurred in this dimension for an obviously advanced civilization to be no more?
    What could transform a metallic world of wonder into a Hellish wasteland overrun by vile Demons¡­?
    After a moment of contemplation, Cassius slightly shook his head before directing his attention to the matter ahead of him.
    "The Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid¡ªlet us see how this one turns out."
    Along with the vocal announcement of the rusted pyramid he was stepping foot into was the fluctuation of a massive shadow that trailed behind him like an all-devouring void¡ªa blackhole that grew ever so ominously.
    {[Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid (A++ Rank)]} - [Boss Area]
    ¡ª[This Pyramid serves as the most prominent and unexplainable remains of a technologically advanced civilization that vanished long ago. The entity once idolized as the 'future' of this civilization has long since had its consciousness corroded by demonic energies. Now, it eternally persists in the land of Demons as the Guardian of the Gate.]
    [Warning!] [Warning!] [Warning!]
    [The Host should remain extremely vigilant while exploring the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid! Death is likely! Uncertainties are possible!] S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    {[Clear Rewards:]}
    [Reward 1 - (25 Heaps of Medium-sized Experience Points)]
    [Reward 2 - (1200 AP)]
    [Reward 3 - (Oracle Sphinx's Heart (Oracle Sphinx's Bloodline))]
    [Reward 4 - (20 Common Evomon Rank-up Shards)]
    [Reward 5 - (10 Orange-tier Dragon Pellets)]
    {[Punishment for Failure:]}
    ¡ª[12 hours of being trapped in the Land of Nightmares/Nightmarescape]
    "The punishment is the same as always, but the rewards are especially lucrative this time around," said Cassius, a small smile tugging at his lips. "With these rewards on top of the ones that I'll already be receiving from clearing the Gate, I should level up a few times. And that is completely excluding what I'll get from exploring and killing my way through this¡­ place¡­"
    Observing his surroundings, Cassius felt a chilling aura that seeped into the very metallic bricks that held the pyramid together. There were corridors, all tall and wide; they stretched in countless different directions from his position. Where they led was unknown.
    But there truly was only one way to know.
    "My only path is forward."
    Cassius's emotionless words echoed throughout the spacious metallic corridors as he vanished into the darkness of the damaged pyramid interior. In mere moments, his presence was no more.
    However, if one listened close enough, they would hear what sounded like sword clangs. Then, within the darkness, charged sparks flew around, lighting the whole place aflame.
    Yet, after a few seconds, no more sword sparks appeared¡­
    ¡ªMeanwhile, in the world outside, at the Headquarters of the widely renowned S-Rank Guild 'Dragonlins'¡ª
    Faint steps produced sounds that bounced off the flame-adorned walls of a massive building located in the center of Shibuya. Victor Rapido, looking rather anxious, hurried through the halls of this building. Eventually, though, his figure blurred forward as he traversed the entire place in an instant.
    When he reappeared, he was standing at the outer edges of a large stadium-sized training arena. This arena, famed as the true home of the fearsome Dragonlin Guild Leader Kaida, was fortified to a level exceeding even national treasuries. There were enough formation spells set up in this place by top-class Mages to make even the safest places in the world feel a bit inferior.
    However, rather than be used to safekeep someone or something, this arena was made for the sole purpose of preventing the destruction of massive plots of land when the Dragonlin Guild members trained. This was especially the case for the one who stayed here most often.
    Kaida Drakenshield¡ªthe Japanese S-Rank Hunter most well known for her affinity with anything draconic. She herself was rumored to be able to transform into a dragon.
    An even more far-fetched rumor was that she had been raised by dragons since young and was even seen as one of the youngest S-Rank Awakeners in existence.
    When she was but 11 years old, she suddenly emerged from within a deep forest growth outside Tokyo. She wore rags, had wild flame-like hair, and had an equally savage gleam in her eyes. To the people who first reported her appearance, they said that they assumed she had been a wild animal or monster.
    It was only later revealed, after she accidentally beat up dozens of policemen and Hunters, that she was in actuality a human¡ªand one of the S-Rank no less!

 Chapter 113 Kaida, The Leviathan Deitys Corpse

    From that point in the timeline, Kaida entered Gates out of curiosity, found enjoyment from killing monsters, and then went on to found her own Guilds.Although an S-Rank Hunter wasn't required to found a Guild, she saw a certain amount of appeal in building up her own forces. In one interview, she even claimed her actions were for the goal of "improving the size of her pack."
    Twenty-something odd years later, we make it back to the present.
    WHOOOOSH¡ª!!
    Even from thousands of meters away, Victor Rapido could feel the immense volcanic power being emitted from the beautiful woman known as Kaida Drakenshield. Her aura, unlike any other, resembled something more monster-like than even monsters themselves.
    To be honest, it was scary.
    Right now, in the center of the huge indoor arena, Kaida was punching an inanimate scarecrow-like object known as an Indestructible. It, like all of its fellow models, was designed for the sole purpose of taking hits, and in this case, it was made for getting the shit beaten out of it.
    Yet, even with Kaida's country-shaking blows, the Indestructible remained intact. As its name suggested, it truly was indestructible¡ªor at least, no one so far had been able to damage its hard, shiny green outer shell surface.
    Truth be told, the materials that went into creating the Indestructible were not naturally acquired. Conversely, not a single material synthesized from planet Earth was capable of withstanding a single blow from an S-Rank Awakener. Not even diamonds, with all their hardness, stood the slightest chance of contending with the might of an S-Rank.
    But these Indestructibles¡­ They were not made with materials mined from Earth. Rather, they were only so hard because of the ridiculously tough scales of the deceased monster known only as the Leviathan Deity.
    The Leviathan Deity's Corpse
    On an undisclosed island just a few miles offshore from the Japanese mainland, there exists an armored facility guarded day in and day out by hundreds of Awakened Guards. Within the deepest depths of this facility lies a crackling Gate, a deep, dark black in color. Housed inside this Gate exists only a wide barren desert and a¡­ corpse. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    This corpse, which belonged to the Leviathan Deity, had always been present within the Black Gate. In fact, there had never been anything alive inside the Gate to begin with. It was just a massive plot of land with a giant aquatic dragon-like corpse sprawled out in the very center of the Gate.
    Yet, even with the Gate's interior spanning hundreds of miles, the Leviathan Deity's corpse took up around 10% of that space, making it the centerpiece of the Gate.
    Its large, slitted eyes, which had long since been quenched of all life, looked almost as if they were about to shoot open at any moment. To make things stranger, even though analysts predicted the Leviathan Deity to have died upwards of thousands of years ago, the corpse remained completely intact. From the head to the internals to the scales, everything looked exactly as it would if the behemoth were still alive and breathing.
    But it was undoubtedly dead. There was no question about that.
    Dozens of years following the mysteriously colored Gate's discovery, thousands of excavation and retrieval Awakener teams had gone into the Gate to extract the Leviathan Deity's precious materials. However, even with all that manpower, less than 5% of the colossal and unknown monster had been successfully taken out of the Gate.
    Naturally, the first thing the Government did when they figured out just how unbelievably tough the Leviathan Deity's scales were was to consider their use for military purposes. But after discovering they couldn't be incorporated with any automated or electronic devices due to the lingering monster intent contained within them, the Government instead decided to support the Hunter Community as a "service for all their hard work."
    Of course, all of that was just an excuse they cooked up to justify the losses incurred from this seemingly fruitless endeavor. The Leviathan Deity's scales were pretty much useless for anything other than extremely heavy, non-practical armor and training dummies. The guts and other internals, on the other hand, were poisonous to everyone¡ªeven those with poison resistance Skills. Anything more than a few ounces would result in the immediate death of the consumer.
    And then there was its Magic Shard, which looked more like a miniature sun than anything that could be considered a pocket-sized loot commodity. Though, if utilized properly, the Leviathan's Magic Shard could power the entire world or even possibly become the most expensive object in existence.
    However, once again, not a single living being could figure out how to make use of it, as there were simply too many unknowns surrounding it and the Leviathan Deity's existence. Thus, it, along with the majority of the Leviathan Deity's corpse, was left to rot inside that heavily guarded offshore facility. But then again, no parts of the behemoth had shown any signs of rotting or going bad, even after all this time, so not a single person high enough in power to know of its existence doubted that it would be around for many years to come.
    Returning to the Dragolin Training Arena
    "Even now, Kaida is trying to cause damage to the scales of the Leviathan, but she, as well as any, should know that is simply impossible¡­"
    Victor Rapido sighed before shaking his head.
    It was not the time to get caught up in distracting thoughts; after all, he had come here to discuss something important with someone whom he considered a friend.
    Out of all the other S-Rank Hunters, Kaida was definitely one of the few who Victor got along with the most. This could mostly be attributed to their similar yearnings to find the best of certain aspects of themselves and prove that they were superior. Victor was obsessed with speed and any who claimed to be fast, whereas Kaida simply wanted to find out who the strongest people in the world were.
    As one who embodied the prideful personality of a dragon, she naturally refused to be deemed weaker than anyone.
    Then again, after Victor's encounter with that "monster," he fell to the lowest of lows and mostly gave up on his pursuit of finding and defeating any who were fast. After all, what was the point of being faster than a bunch of humans when something like that existed?

 Chapter 114 Dangers of the Worlds End Gate, [Demon Mummy (B+)]

    This "monster" was also the reason why Victor was here today.Interrupting Kaida's violent punching session with the Indestructible, Victor shouted, "Kaida!!"
    "Hmm¡­?"
    Kaida unleashed another punch in the direction of the voice's source, which caused a powerful gust of wind to send Victor's blonde hair into a wild flurry.
    In that instant, he instinctively knew that if he were up close and not moving at all, that casual attack of hers would've immediately killed him. Fortunately, though, he was stupidly fast¡ªfast enough to run circles around Kaida, pay a visit to Africa, pet a giraffe, and then return to her before the devastating attack even touched where he was originally standing. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    However, this didn't mean that he would for sure win in a fight against her, as her S-Rank |Draconic Defense| Skill brought her Fortitude to a level that exceeded all reason. It was to the point that even if he attacked thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of times at her weakest spots, such as the eyes, no damage would be dealt on his part.
    In their hypothetical battle scenario, the result would be a definite tie.
    "Well¡­ What are you doing here, Victor?" asked Kaida, slightly irritated over being interrupted during her training time. "Can't you see that I'm hitting things right now??"
    "Y-Yes, I can clearly see that you're¡­ hitting things."
    "So then why are you here? Speak up quickly, or else the next punching bug I use shall be you."
    Victor felt a suffocating pressure fall upon his shoulders, yet he knew that Kaida meant no real harm by this. Even her words, although harsh, were said only because that was just the kind of person she was. One's Affinity, often associated with the Skills or qualities one awakened with, a lot of the time influenced the personality of the person following the awakening.
    Similar to how Cassius was subtly changing the stronger he became and the more abilities he unlocked, Kaida inherited what her affinity dictated, and it in no way happened very subtly.
    Sighing in defeat, Victor teleported next to the fierce red-haired beauty.
    Ignoring her exposed skin and scantily dressed warrior attire, he looked her in the eye.
    "If you go into World's End, you will¡­ die," said Victor, completely serious. "Knowing your rash personality, you will surely attempt to fight 'it,' but doing so will lead to your demise. No matter how confident you are or what you believe you can do, against that 'monster,' you will meet your end."
    Kaida narrowed her eyes as a dangerous intent leaked from her aura. "Victor, do you believe that I'm weak or something? If so, then we can fight right now¡ª"
    "Kaida, I'm saying this for your own good." Victor's voice cut through hers, his tone grave. "If you¡­ If you enter that Gate, you will die without a hint of doubt. If not for once in this life, just listen to me and make an excuse not to enter the Gate. Trade your spot with someone else, plead¡ªit doesn't matter. Just don't go into World's End."
    Kaida, as short-tempered as she was, only selectively took what she wanted from Victor's genuine warning. Her immensely powerful aura flared up further as she clenched the great scaled axe in her hand.
    "If you're itching for a fight so badly, then you shall have it!" she snarled, her pretty expression scrunched up in annoyance.
    However, before she could make a move, Victor's sigh resounded, effectively messing up her surging momentum.
    "Heed my words or don't, Kaida, but as friends, I did my part," he muttered. "If you still want to seek out an early grave, then so be it. But just know that, although you are extremely strong, that 'monster' is stronger."
    "If, even after all this, you insist on entering World's End, then just know that I will take care of your Guild until the rest of the world meets its end as well."
    With that, Victor faded out of existence, his expression appearing rather blue and melancholic as he disappeared.
    Kaida, left all alone to simmer in the large empty arena, at some point clicked her tongue in mock anger. "That bastard Victor¡ªjust because he lost to the Boss Monster of some stupid Gate, he thinks everyone else will lose as well," she snorted. "Humph! I would like to see for myself just how powerful the one who bested Victor is! If it can withstand five of my mightiest punches, then I will consider giving it a painless death!"
    It wasn't that Kaida was entirely stupid and incorrigible, but even if she did decide against her draconic nature and back out of the Raid, with the Dragon Slayer's presence, she had to go.
    Due to international matters of security, she was normally unable to fight that cocky bastard. However, that would all change as soon as they were inside the Gate.
    She would knock out a few of that dragon slayer bastard's teeth, no matter what sort of Boss Monster slept within the Gate!
    ¡ª--------------
    ¡ªIn an unknown destroyed corridor of the A++ Rank Boss Area 'Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid'¡ª
    *Whoosh¡ª!*
    Wind furiously surged behind a rapidly moving figure as he slashed through several dark yellow mummified humanoids. They, unlike the terrifying demons outside the pyramid, were neither red nor extremely large. They instead took on the form of modern-day mummies, concealing the hideous sights that lay beneath their bandaged outer layers.
    However, do not be mistaken. None of these puzzling existences were weak. At first, they moved slow, pretending to be frail and defenseless. Then, when you let your guard down, they creepily grinned through their bandages and killed you.
    [Demon Mummy (B+)]
    ¡ª[The lowest-level mobs of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. Also the Oracle mob most rich in quantity.]
    Every single one of them was of the B+ Rank, meaning that hundreds of thousands, or even millions of town-destroying Demons were wandering around inside the Pyramid. And they were merely the weakest among everything hostile within the confines of this enormous place.
    What lay deeper into the Pyramid was still unknown.

 Chapter 115 Hours in the Pyramid

    "It has been how long again?" Cassius asked himself while sitting atop a small mountain of Mummy Demons. "Hmm¡­ Although it feels like I've been here for ages, my digital clock skill would indicate that it has only been a little more than 2 minutes since I entered the Pyramid. How¡­ unusual¡­"He could've sworn that he had been slaughtering Mummy Demons and avoiding the temple traps riddled about for at least 15 minutes. But apparently, it had not even been a tenth of an hour.
    Then again, this was certainly a good thing for him. After all, with the Yimin disaster outside subconsciously rushing him, he could not afford to waste any time. Every second counted, and if something were affecting the flow of time for him, then he would gladly accept the assistance. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Five minutes later.
    The number of Mummy Demons that had been killed by Cassius had reached the hundreds of thousands. With his speed, hundreds fell to his Lilith each second, and if not for the massive inner space of the Pyramid, rivers of blood likely would've been formed from how many he had slain.
    "Hmm¡­?"
    While cleaving through a hundred Demon Mummies in an instant and improving his Demon King Bloodline rate past 15%, Cassius noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A few hundred meters due west of his location lay a shining corridor. The corridor itself was around the size of a normal human, and it had golden-bricked edges, clearly separating its importance from the rest of the dreary Pyramid d¨¦cor.
    Naturally, Cassius approached this door of sorts. He disappeared, then reappeared right next to it. Experience tales with empire
    The first thing he did upon coming into contact with this bright door was test the waters.
    He drew a random E-Rank Iron Sword from his Inventory Space and prodded the light. Half the sword entered through the door, producing no reaction from the door itself. And when the sword was pulled out, no visible damage was present on the blade's surface.
    It was completely fine.
    "Well¡­"
    "Kakaka!!!"
    A Demon Mummy moved many times faster than the speed of sound and lunged right at the seemingly absentminded human. However, with a single casual hand blur, the Demon Mummy was shredded into countless pieces, and it was done so without Cassius even so much as turning in the mummy's direction.
    Cassius shrugged. "What was I saying again? I don't remember¡­"
    He looked between the crappy sword in his hands and the shining door. "Ahh, that's right, this thing is totally safe to enter."
    With that, Cassius walked through the cryptic door.
    While unconcernedly moving his feet one step at a time, his entire body eventually vanished into the light. He didn't feel much discomfort, but the experience itself was certainly a surreal one. He almost felt like he was walking on clouds or something of the sort.
    When a sudden enigmatic force tugged upon his body, he was forced through a layer of space. Again, it didn't hurt any, but it still felt extremely weird.
    FWIP!
    A short beam of golden light appeared on the 2nd floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. When it dispersed, a shadowy hooded man appeared perfectly unscathed.
    The moment Cassius opened his eyes, he saw a similar environment to where he just came from. However, just based on how low and narrow the walls of this place were, it was obvious to him that he wound up higher above. Presumably, it was the Pyramid's 2nd floor.
    And just as predicted:
    *Ding!*
    {[Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid (2nd Floor)]}
    ¡ª[1st Floor Clear Reward: 500 AP] - [?]
    ¡ª[2nd Floor Clear Reward: 5 Medium-sized Heaps of EXP] - [_]
    "Ahh, I get it," Cassius said thoughtfully. "It's a floor-clearing situation."
    Looking around, he realized that there were no slowly moving Demon Mummies. In fact, he didn't see much of anything except for rubble and evidence of the metallic paradise that this place had once been. According to his excellent deduction skills, this floor likely belonged to a higher class of people from whatever civilization used to reign supreme.
    "Well, this is certainly something else," Cassius smirked, feeling a certain sense of exhilaration from this seemingly unfortunate predicament of his. "I've played games in the past, and the floor-clearing kind were definitely among my favorite. Though, if this is to follow the usual script, a new type of demon should be on this floor."
    Just as expected¡­
    "Skakeech!!!"
    A giant mummified centipede-like Demon leapt from the cracked roof above Cassius, causing it to crack further. Yet, in the very same moment it attempted to bite the tiny human with its sharp pincers, he blurred as an afterimage.
    With swift, precise movements, Cassius finger-flipped Lilith, obtained a better hold of her, then slid her jigsaw edges through the centipede's hard outer carapace. He and Lilith sparked around the Demon's colossal body, slicing off dozens of building-sized legs in the process of cutting it to pieces.
    A moment passed.
    *THUD!*
    The centipede's lifeless corpse hit the rocky metallic ground with a resounding thud. None of its hundreds of legs were still connected to its body, and its still-sensitive carcass was left unnervingly twitching.
    "I see¡­" Cassius mused while glancing at the whitish-orange system tag that hung above the rapidly disintegrating centipede corpse.
    {[Tombcrawler (B++)]}
    ¡ª[Most common monster on the 2nd Floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. Has a hunting tendency to stick to any place that is not easily seen by other living organisms (typically corners of roofs or the roofs in general)]
    "A B++ Rank Demon," said Cassius, slightly intrigued. "Compared to the B+ Demon Mummies, this one gave around 30 times more Demon Essence. If there's a lot of these in here, then I should come out with even more Demon Essence than what I got from the Pyramid's 1st Floor."
    After coming to the conclusion that this area was extremely lucrative, he began his 'stroll' through this floor as well.
    Every now and then, a large Tombcrawler similar to the first one jumped out at Cassius. Yet, it took little more than a couple milliseconds for him to dispose of each one. And after around 50 thousand repetitions of this, another five minutes had passed.
    Altogether, this meant that a bit over eleven minutes had vanished since his arrival in the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid.

 Chapter 116 Entering the Pyramids 5th Floor

    To be honest, it had been easy breezy for Cassius so far, with him coming out of each dangerous encounter without a scratch on him. This sort of invincibility lasted even when he entered another light door, ascended to the 3rd Floor, and encountered the next series of Demon monsters.On the 1st Floor, there were only Demon Mummies, with the only difference between them being that some armed themselves with unusual weapons and others did not. The 2nd Floor, on the other hand, had the Tombcrawlers. Of the Tombcrawlers, there were unique variations, all of which specialized in different attributes and even special Skills that related to their attribute types.
    However, on the 3rd Floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid, there were both Demon Mummies and the different Tombcrawler variations. Then there was also the new Demon monster type, which were mixtures between elephants and arachnids.
    Namely, they were Stompspiders.
    They were individually larger than a dozen of the massive Tombcrawlers, appeared from behind sudden secret chambers, and raged as soon as they saw Cassius. Furthermore, contrary to the rather simple differences between the Demons on the 1st and 2nd Floors, the Stompspiders not only varied in terms of size, color, and physical attributes, but they also differed in the elements they utilized. Some wielded ice and acid spells, whereas others spat fire, plasma balls, and lasers.
    There were also a few of the rarer Stompspiders that were capable of shooting out strings of silk. They could use this silk to either capture or slow down their targets or harden it to zip forward.
    Simply put, these types of Stompspiders were like freakishly large, creepy versions of Spider-Man.
    A few minutes pass in the blink of an eye.
    After decimating entire droves of Demon Mummies, Tombcrawlers, and Stompspiders, Cassius finally made it to the light door of this Floor. It went without saying that, after finishing the cleanup of the remaining Demons, his Demon King Bloodline rate had tremendously increased. In total, he entered the door with a new Demon King Bloodline rate of 36.5%. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    By now, Cassius could definitely feel the changes occurring inside and outside his body. His appearance, for one, had gone from a roguish type of humanly beauty to something more evil and devilish. Which, rather than worsening his looks, did well in improving what was already there.
    His eyes also turned a darker shade of red, his irises narrowed between slits and normal circular shapes. And to top things off, he grew a small pair of white fangs and sharp ears, both of which grew a little more the higher his Demon King Bloodline counter rose. However, this was most of all that had changed in just his facial features, completely excluding the few-inch-long blackened wings that had sprouted from his back and the gradual swirling of dark silver mixing into his natural jet-black hair.
    Fortunately, Cassius was able to temporarily suppress and conceal this new demonic side of his. If not for that, it was highly likely that when he returned to the world of humans, he would be immediately seen as a threat to humanity. This eventuality would certainly lead to his¡­ demise as a hunted monster.
    For the remainder of this expedition's duration, though, he would let his body evolve however it wanted in real time, making sure to observe every single change. He would also keep track of the constant improvements being made to his attributes. Stats like Strength, Agility, and Endurance increased every time he absorbed a certain amount of Demon Essence. Moreover, these increases were in no way small.
    If added to what he occasionally invested with AP and what he gained from wearing his Newbie Equipment Set, then he was looking at gains of more than 1000 Stat Points every hour. Of course, this was cumulative and would only last for as long as he had Demons to kill.
    However, for right now, the grind was on, and he was here to grind it.
    ¡ªThe 4th Floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid¡ª
    Upon entering the 4th Floor, Cassius noticed yet another substantial shrink in the interior. If on the 1st Floor, a small country could comfortably fit itself inside, then now a large city would be stretching the limits of space.
    Now, what did this mean if Demons the size of small towns were meandering about uninhibited?
    Well, it was safe to say that, if not for the superb structural integrity of the Pyramid, it would have long since been obliterated by the fierce battles that Cassius was having with thousands of literal coffin Demons. They were all of the A+ Rank, had ancient coffins as the centers of their bodies, and took unusual scorpion shapes. Coincidentally, they were capable of shooting out ship-sized harpoon spikes from their curled-up tails, each one able to one-shot entire towns if shot outside.
    With such limited space inside the Pyramid's 4th Floor, Cassius and the opposing army of Coffindemons, as well as the countless other types of Demons, were forced into a light show. By that, they were undoubtedly participating in an unfathomable AOE battle of spells and attacks. And when performed in such a tight space, it engulfed the entire area in a dazzling cacophony of death and destruction.
    Ear-deafening explosions rang out too many times to count in the same second, creating separate bubbles of sound that occasionally popped and reached decibel levels unknown to man. Stay connected through empire
    Six or so minutes later.
    A total of 22 minutes had passed since Cassius entered the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid, and the 4th Floor had been¡­ successfully cleared.
    A couple levels were gained, the 50% Demon King Bloodline milestone was exceeded, and now it was time to enter the 5th Floor.
    *Tap, Tap, Tap.*
    Cassius's soft footsteps echoed throughout a very bleak and empty area. All was shrouded by a thick layer of darkness, obscuring from view any who wished to see what lay within the 5th Floor of the Oracle Pyramid.
    The moment he reached a certain distance away from the light beam that teleported him here, he saw a dim light appear a bit to the side. Following its appearance were many others just like it, all lining up in a straight and orderly fashion. There were two rows of them, one on each side of the extraordinarily wide hall.
    Together, they brightened the place up to a degree where one could begin to make out the distant silhouette of a giant sleeping¡­ snake head.

 Chapter 117 {[Hellish Sphinx (A++)]}

    "This is¡­"It didn't take a genius to figure out this 5th Floor was the last and final floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. In other words, what resided here was none other than the Hellish Sphinx.
    Confirming his suspicions, Cassius glanced at the system tag of whatever slept before him. This was when he noticed something very strange. The system tag¡­ it was not there.
    "Wait, a snake head¡­? It's a Sphinx, ain't it?"
    Cassius, now confused, looked away from the snake head, attempting to locate the true boss. However, it was sometime during this period of searching that he felt a peculiar sensation breeze down his spine. The airflow of the area had inexplicably changed, and he had no idea why this had happened.
    That was when he saw it¡­ S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Looming over his head, a great beastly face appeared. Its sharp teeth were massive, its savage eyes glowed with an animalistic nature, and its fiery red mane framed its femininely sculpted blocky features. If not the Hellish Sphinx, then what else could it be?
    "The Hellish Sphinx¡­ Then, that snake¡ª"
    The moment these words left his mouth, that "snake head" lifted up off the ground before whipping around to a bobbing stance right beside the Hellish Sphinx's intimidating face. It stared at the ant-like human below, its size dwarfing the human more than ten thousand to one. At this level of relativity, even a small piece of its luscious flame-like fur would be larger than the tiny human.
    "That town-sized snake head was just¡­ a tail¡­?" Cassius murmured with a tinge of disbelief. "I see¡­"
    Observing the behemoth's system tag, he saw:
    {[Hellish Sphinx (A++)]} - (Unique Boss Monster)
    ¡ª[As the one who guards and stands at the very top of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid, the Hellish Sphinx also serves as the last line of defense for any who wish to break past the Gate of HELL and officially embark on a perilous journey through the blistering 1st Floor of HELL.]
    ¡ª[The Hellish Sphinx, a Demon variant not yet consumed by the demonic intent to kill all, is known as the 'Most Laid-back Demon you'll ever meet.' That is, assuming you correctly answer all three of her riddles.]
    ¡ª[Yet, as a powerful Demon older than many civilizations, the Hellish Sphinx's riddles are normally considered impossible to answer. In almost all cases, this will lead to the brutalization of the one who answered incorrectly.]
    ¡ª[To defeat this unfathomable existence, one must either answer all three of her riddles correctly or try their luck at killing her. But be warned, the Hellish Sphinx, when angered, can become far more powerful than she first appears. If it really comes down to it, one is recommended to flee as soon as the riddles are answered wrongly.]
    Cassius, now getting a good look at this breathtaking entity, realized that the sheer size of her was equivalent to one-third of the total space available on the 5th Floor. Simply put, she was unbelievably massive.
    Though, in this current moment, Cassius could hardly relax his nerves enough to truly register the grandiosity of this existence. He looked up, only to take another glance at her system tag and see a flashing red hue. Which, for him, meant certain death.
    'Even after leveling up since coming to this Pyramid, I still can't achieve a yellow danger rating for the Boss Monster? Just how much stronger could something in the A++ Rank possibly be¡­?'
    The moment Cassius thought those words, he immediately regretted them, for a stifling pressure dropped down on the entire 5th Floor. It instantly achieved levels of stuffiness that left even the sadism-trained protagonist gasping for air. It was so bad that, if not for all the resistance Skills he had been passively leveling up, his lungs would've been toast, and he himself cooked.
    That was when he heard it¡ªa voice.
    Instead of leaving directly through the Sphinx's lips, it resonated with the area and rebounded off the walls with a laced feminine tone. To him, however, it bled his ears like the trumpets of death beckoning him to the true Gates of HELL:
    "Human, three riddles you will answer. Answer one wrong, your death shall await. Answer all three right, your day shall return."
    "Are you prepared to hear the riddles, human?"
    After a brief pause, Cassius turned his head up to meet the piercing crystalline eyes of the domineeringly aloof Sphinx. "I am ready for the riddles," he responded, deciding to play along with things for now.
    The ancient and rich feminine voice reverberated once more, bouncing off the walls of the enclosed chamber:
    "Riddle 1: The Eternal Cycle," began the Hellish Sphinx."
    "I am the beginning of the end,
    And the end of time and space.
    I am essential to creation,
    Yet I consume all in my embrace.
    Enjoy exclusive content from empire
    What am I?"
    "...This riddle¡­ I don't know it¡­'
    Cassius stood there in mock silence, finding it difficult to believe that he had never heard a single peep about this riddle before.
    '...If I can't make use of my own memories, then I'll just need to figure it out myself. But what is the beginning of the end and yet also the end of time and space? And how can it also be essential to creation¡­? I just don't understand¡­'
    Suddenly, a light bulb flashed inside of his head.
    "E!" he answered, confident in his single-letter response.
    'E is the beginning of the word "End," and it's also the last letter of "space." Furthermore, it is an essential letter in the word "creation,"' thought Cassius. 'And on top of that, it consumes both the first and last letters of "embrace," therefore making it the only plausible answer. It has to be "E"!'
    The Hellish Sphinx's irises glazed over then returned to normal. She shook a little, responding, "Correct."
    "Riddle 2: Keeper of Secrets," she started again, giving no respite to the human."
    "I am always hungry,
    I must always be fed.
    The finger I touch,
    Will soon turn red.
    What am I?"
    "This one is¡­"

 Chapter 118 The Last of the 3 Riddles...

    Cassius felt like Riddle #2 was far easier than the first one. Yet he couldn't place his finger on which one of the potential answers it actually was. On the high chance he got this one wrong, he would have no choice but to rely on the final answer to safely get him through this crisis.Five seconds later.
    In the end, he went with his gut. "Fire! That is the answer!"
    The Hellish Sphinx remained eerily quiet, causing the 5th Floor's interior to constrict further.
    Ultimately, a similar reaction as before occurred on her stony feminine expression. Afterward, she said, "Correct."
    Cassius breathed a sigh of relief. He had several different solid guesses for that question. The only reason he hadn't gotten it wrong was because he got lucky. However, with the final riddle coming up, he had to put on his A-game face.
    If at all possible, he hoped it wouldn't come down to a slaughter-fest between him and the Hellish Sphinx. Correctly answering all the riddles was vital to this end.
    "Riddle 3: The Silent Traveler. This is the 3rd and last riddle," quipped the Sphinx, her voice laced with concealed killing intent."
    "I pass through the hills,
    But I do not climb.
    I go through the valleys, S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Yet remain untied.
    You see me in water,
    But I stay dry.
    What am I?"
    'I pass through the hills, but I do not climb¡­ Some sort of animal?' Cassius questioned himself in confusion. 'No, that can't be it¡­ "Yet remain untied" wouldn't make any sense with the following two lines if the answer were an animal¡­'
    'You see me in water, but I stay dry¡­ That would mean whatever the answer is has the ability to not physically connect with certain elements of the world¡­'
    Reciting the lines once more, Cassius organized them.
    'I pass through the hills, but I do not climb. I go through the valleys, yet remain untied. You see me in water, but I stay dry¡­ Pass¡ªthat is a hint. Does not climb and does not get wet also serve as hints¡­ Ah!'
    He got it!
    "The answer is: Shadow!"
    The Hellish Sphinx froze.
    She stared down at the accomplished human, her large eyes swirling with an unknown intent. For a second, the atmospheric pressure of the 5th Floor multiplied a thousandfold, urging everything in the vicinity to bend and fold.
    Then, abruptly, the pressure ceased to be.
    "Your answer¡­ is correct," said the Sphinx.
    Yet, as soon as those four simple words left her mouth, a bright golden light erupted around her body. Miraculously, she began to shrink, with the blinding golden light becoming progressively less intense.
    Within mere moments, the Hellish Sphinx had already reached the approximate size of the human before her. And when the light covering her figure dispersed, an image beyond stunning materialized into view.
    "My child, this one is Hellion. Hellion, the Hellish Sphinx."
    Hellion's melodic voice dripped into Cassius's ears, yet merely passed as the introduction for the divine beauty adorned in jewelry. Her hair, like brown silk, was smooth and luscious, rivaling the most lavish of locks. Those slender, tan legs were supple yet slim in all the right places. Bountiful curves to die for, with a grace and nobility that bordered on holy royalty. Her eyes, a mix of browns and purples, acted as the gateway into a soul that a mortal could never hope to fathom.
    Hellion¡ªthe Hellish Sphinx¡ªthe Guardian of the Gate into HELL¡ªan unparalleled milf beauty through and through.
    However, if one looked past her ravishing beauty, they would see an icy cold gleam that viewed everything around it in complete fairness. Even while looking at the immortal-like Cassius, she exhibited no varied emotions.
    Unlike the frigid beauties he had previously encountered, he knew for certain that her impermeable sheet of ice was the toughest to crack.
    Yet, when faced with a challenge, he took the Idle Evolution System's teachings to heart. Fearing away was simply impossible.
    Concealing an anticipatory smirk, Cassius extended a hand to the woman still in the process of floating down. "My name is Cassius, the one who rides the waves of Character Development."
    Neither showing shame nor hesitation, Hellion clasped his larger, rougher hand, then tapped against the ground mere inches away from the human's face. She apathetically appraised his appearance, her expression unmoving.
    However, contrary to observing just his outward qualities, she peered deeper into his existence. And what she saw left her in an even more solitary state of emotionless silence.
    For nearly twenty seconds, Hellion remained awfully quiet.
    Then, with her swirling eyes tracing up the taller man, she stole his gaze for her own.
    Unable to escape that entrancing look in her dazzling pupils, Cassius could do nothing but stand there and stare absentmindedly. With her hand still softly laying atop his, he watched her lips move, then registered the enchanting sounds that followed.
    "Child, you have done well to make it thus far. But beyond this point, death is all that awaits. Your strength is insufficient. Unique aspects you may have, unusual abilities assimilated with your existence they may be, but your death is nevertheless guaranteed."
    Cassius frowned.
    "You can tell how strong I am? And you can also see other things? Just how much can you see¡­?" he asked, his voice approaching sub-zero.
    Although he appreciated the beauty, power, and elegant demeanor of this Egyptian goddess-like woman, if she knew more than she should, then she would die.
    And he would be the one to personally send her into the afterlife.
    Hellion blankly analyzed the strangely large killing intent radiating off the devilishly handsome human. Yet, without averting her gaze, she replied, "I am but a translator of the waves of fate and destiny. I stay unrelated to the worldly part of existence. Preventing those unworthy of crossing into HELL is my sole purpose."
    "You, human, are not worthy. Answer correctly all three riddles you have, but strength you have not. Several bloodlines reside within you by some miracle, yet no difference does that make. I, as HELL's Guardian, shall not permit your entry."

 Chapter 119 {[Hellion, the Hellish Sphinx (S- - Rank) (True Form)]} - [Danger Rating: Black]

    The air within the 5th Floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid broke out into multiple layers of increasingly lethal killing intent. All of it originated from the body of a lone human. His eyes, like pools of bluish-red and black death, bore into the being of the sexy Egyptian woman.Conversely, the Hellish Sphinx also erupted in killing intent, yet hers was far more docile and oddly good-natured.
    Breathing coldly, Cassius asked, "Do you truly plan to stand in my way, even though I correctly answered all of your riddles?"
    "Answer them you have, but death you do not seek," replied Hellion. "Your soul burns bright with a will to live. Death does not chase; one chases death. Yet you are not destined to die just yet. Your fate threads out, reaching far beyond what even I can see. Your strength, however, is far from sufficient to amass such a fate."
    "Why is this one asks? Why are you special? I seek the answer to this question, and for that, you must live. Your death lies ahead, yet your future remains behind. Your entry I shall not permit."
    "I see¡­"
    All at once, Cassius's killing intent subsided.
    "Your sentiment is something I appreciate," he uttered. "I doubt many in my life would say the same things when it concerns my life and death. From this, I can see that your description does not lie. You truly are kind; the answers you laid out were so difficult for this very reason, I bet."
    "Then there's your killing intent¡­ You have never killed anything other than demons, have you?"
    Surprise briefly flashed past Hellion's pupils, yet her stance stood unwavering. "Even if you know that, you are not to pass, human¡ª"
    "I know," Cassius interrupted, his face gradually fading. "But I simply have to make it into the 1st Floor of HELL. Only that way can I level up and become stronger."
    FWOOOP¡ª!!
    He fully vanished, then reappeared behind Hellion. With Lilith already tightly clasped in his right hand, he slashed out with every ounce of his physical strength.
    Hellion sighed. "How foolish, holder of high fate." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    BOOOM!!!
    Like getting hit by a freight train, Cassius's muscular figure was launched backward at absurd speeds. In an instant, he planted into the floor's sturdy wall. Yet, even with the fortitude of the Pyramid thrown into the equation, his collision against the wall created a crater that rippled out in progressively higher waves.
    "Why must one be so foolish? Your life I am trying to preserve, yet you resist. Why is this?"
    Hellion's crisp voice, bereft of emotion, echoed throughout the Pyramid's 5th Floor, quickly reaching the ears of the bleeding man in the process of slowly peeling himself off the wall. Yet her words, oozing a certain degree of kindness, worked opposite as intended.
    Cassius fell face-first to the ground. However, before he unceremoniously collapsed, his vision flickered. His consciousness returned thereafter, and the first thing he did was smash his fists into the floor to prevent himself from humiliating himself any further.
    A fire of unwillingness burned like a fiery, uncontrollable sun inside the core of his being.
    Slowly, he turned his head up, blood gushing from several orifices. "This is not nearly enough to deter me," he announced, his booming voice breaking through the Sphinx's euphoric chords. "If you want me to leave, then you'll have to kill me¡­!"
    Cassius gnashed his bloody white teeth before bouncing backward like a rigid springboard. Then, with a crackle of crimson lightning, he blurred forward. A barrage of skills shot off in rapid succession as he used everything in his arsenal, burning through more than half of his MP in one go.
    Nyxvoldar was also summoned from his shadow and fused with his existence, resulting in an even greater boost to his speed and overall power.
    Cassius was already moving thousands of times the speed of sound, even beyond that. But after activating all of his skills, he exceeded tens of thousands of times the speed of sound.
    If used in relativity to the circumference of Earth, he could burst across the entire thing in mere seconds!
    "Dragonfire Atomic Burst!" Cassius called out when he made it less than a few inches away from the nonchalant Egyptian goddess.
    A massive fiery explosion erupted from the palm of the hand he used to hold Lilith. The entire interior area of the 5th Floor was immediately engulfed in flames, creating a spectacle that would surely dazzle even the strongest of A-rank Hunters.
    The fire-related skill of an inherent Dragon Title was no joke, especially not if it originated from an overpowered existence like the Tyrant Dragon.
    Just the smallest amount of a genuine Tyrant Dragon's fire could wipe out whole solar systems!
    And though Cassius's version was dampened by an incredible amount, he also had the sub-elemental infusions of his Atomic element to further amplify the skill's destructive power.
    'Although this isn't an official skill, as I merely combined different elemental aspects into an easily susceptible flame, it should still be able to rival something of the A++ Rank. Moreover, I also have the 2nd Layer Basic Movement Manual to assist in the flame closing the distance¡ª'
    Before he could even finish getting the thought bubbles out, a wild gust of wind burst forth from the center of the Dragonfire's explosion radius. Then, without even a second given to the fire to linger, it was all dispersed with several radiant arcs of golden wind light.
    "Why must you make this more difficult than it needs to be, Child?" asked Hellion, her voice forcing Cassius to look toward its source.
    That was when he saw it¡­
    A goddess-like woman so devastatingly beautiful that entire countries would go to war just to get the slightest glimpse of her magnificence. And though it didn't seem possible, she had become even more beautiful than she was a few seconds ago. Furthermore, a bedazzled crown resembling a halo formed above her head, making her truly appear like some sort of deity.
    Cassius also noticed a colder, more detached gleam appear within those resplendent pupils of hers.
    {[Hellion, the Hellish Sphinx (S- - Rank) (True Form)]} - [Danger Rating: Black]

 Chapter 120 A More Pleasant Death...?

    'An S- - Rank being, likely meaning that she isn't even truly considered an S-Rank,' thought Cassius, his tone growing ever more serious. 'However, even though she isn't a true S-Rank, her danger rating is in the Black range¡­ My first Black-rating existence¡­'He should have been scared. Hell, he should have been terrified that such an opponent had appeared!
    Yet he wasn't.
    For some inexplicable reason, a large surge of excitement washed over him, causing his body to tremble. More than ever before, he was thrilled. He wanted to fight an existence that exceeded his ability to an insurmountable degree!
    He needed to fight!
    Since his original encounter with the Tyrant Kings and the Tyrant God in that enigmatic Gate, Cassius had undergone many subtle changes. With each life taken by his hands and with every increase in power, his personality had shifted, little by little.
    Though he wouldn't necessarily throw his life away against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, this time felt different. He was willing to gamble; he was willing to risk his life for the sake of power and exhilaration!
    Hellion noticed something change within the human's determined gaze.
    "...Do you truly wish for death so badly? There is nothing to gain from progressing past this point. No lies have been spoken from my lips. I am far from the strongest in HELL, and you are incapable of defeating me. What do you hope to accomplish from this foolishness? Is there something you are trying to achieve? I don't believe so¡­ Your path seems aimless¡­ scattered¡­"
    Cassius, still caught in the thrill of facing such a powerful opponent, paused to think over her question.
    After a moment, his straight lips curved into an excited smirk. "You are right. Under normal circumstances, I would have no need to risk my life in HELL, especially when I'm so weak. But¡­"
    "But?" Hellion inquired, her gaze narrowing slightly.
    "But I can become stronger through fighting!"
    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
    Like a cannonball of spasming red and black energy, Cassius launched forward at speeds far surpassing anything he had previously displayed.
    Another chunk of AP had been dumped into Agility!
    "You are kind; I can see that," he said as he blazed toward Hellion. "But I have to become stronger. I want to survive, yes. Yet, to survive, I have to become more powerful. This world is not for the weak; you know that."
    Hellion's unyielding eyes tracked the quick movements of the reckless human as though attempting to understand his intent.
    "To become strong enough to survive in HELL from your current state would be impossible," she declared, her dainty hand lifting effortlessly. "You somehow became faster just now, but that will not be enough. Leave this place; never come back."
    Flick!
    It began with a simple flick.
    Yet that flick alone was enough to quell the violent, deadly energies rolling out in waves around Cassius's charging figure. Moreover, with that effortless motion came a gust of golden wind that pushed against him with a force far exceeding his ability to resist.
    His body rippled in slow motion as the immense force hurled him backward at hundreds of thousands of times the speed of sound. He nearly lost consciousness just from experiencing something close to the speed of light, yet the pain didn't end there.
    Cassius struck the 5th Floor's backside wall with a deafening crack. However, the opposing force proved too great; he crashed through the wall and was sent sailing outside the Pyramid.
    Ten seconds later.
    As his battered body finally began its descent, Cassius regained consciousness. This was the second time Hellion had knocked him out cold, and it hadn't become any more pleasant.
    'My bones are mostly shattered¡­ And my internal injuries are not few,' Cassius thought as he assessed his condition. 'I seem to have already crashed into a building or something, but I can't see anything because of the blood covering my eyes, and I can't feel anything because of the extensive damage done to my body.'
    It became immediately clear to him that this was a warning. Albeit a cruel one, it was Hellion's way of making him understand the danger that awaited him.
    "Heh¡­" Cassius grinned through bloodied teeth. "That woman is truly something else. *Cough!* *Cough!*" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    'If I were relying solely on my Endurance stat, I'd likely need several hours to fully recover from injuries like this,' he mused while activating the S-Rank |Rapid Regeneration| Skill. 'She knew just enough about my stat sheet to know I could survive something like this. Moreover, she also knew I had stealth skills capable of hiding me from bloodthirsty demons while I recovered¡­ Ha¡­'
    The more Cassius thought about Hellion, the more his opinion of her improved. 'Benevolent yet cruel. Kind yet ruthless. Decisive yet careful and precise¡ªmy interest in her grows with each passing second.'
    Slowly, Cassius rose from the crater he had created in a massive skyscraper located thousands of miles from the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. He cracked his neck, his expectant grin evening out into a blank expression.
    'I can't let my excitement get the better of me. I need to focus.'
    FWIP!
    In an instant, he vanished, his destination as clear as day.
    Moments later, he was already back on the 5th Floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. The first thing he saw was the impossibly gorgeous Hellish Sphinx.
    Without turning to face him, Hellion said, "So this is the choice you've made. Death awaits you beyond that Gate; you're aware. Yet you still relentlessly pursue your own demise¡­"
    "Very well¡­"
    Slowly, she shifted her frosty eyes toward the battered human standing defiantly before her. As she did, her aura grew ever more oppressive.
    "The kind of death that awaits you beyond that Gate is not a pleasant one. And though I've always avoided unnecessary killing, I cannot allow someone with a soul as kind as yours to meet such an end. Therefore¡­"
    She raised her hand, golden wind gathering around her fingertips.
    "I'll have to kill you myself."
    WHOOOOOSH!!

 Chapter 121 Dying and Ranking up the Phoenix Bloodline

    The room's airflow was redirected in a way that reflected the volatile power of the one known as the Guardian of HELL. She no longer carried the same benign coldness as before. Her demeanor, as well as her following actions, exhibited a level of coolness befitting a truly terrifying demon.Within half a nanosecond, Hellion teleported from her position and appeared next to Cassius. Then, with a simple punch, she obliterated him into countless bloody chunks. The death was so quick and efficient that not a single remaining piece of Cassius was left larger than a honeydew droplet.
    It was a complete fatality.
    "I am sorry that it had to be this way," Hellion said as she retraced her steps and reappeared at the very center of the 5th Floor. "Your destiny; it was unique. Your future was sure to surprise. How you managed to recover so fast also perplexes. But in the end, Fate forced my hand. Your destiny now returns to its origins, prepared to be dissimilated and reconstructed anew."
    "Farewell, Cassius of the Mortal Dimension. Let your soul rest in peace."
    With that, Hellion started to glow, undergoing a revert into her base form and then her behemoth form.
    However, in the midst of this troubling rewound process, something unexpected occurred. Discover exclusive content at empire
    Over where Cassius's guts had been splattered, a brilliant greenish-golden light erupted. Within milliseconds, the blood rapidly fused together and began to take on the form of a leg. A full second later, that leg grew tendons that connected to other appendages, a torso, and a head. Only after two whole seconds passed did an otherworldly handsome man shoot open his multicolored demonic eyes¡ªeyes that had undergone many transformations thanks to various Bloodline alterations.
    "Something like this¡­" For the first time in a very long time, Hellion showed genuine shock. "How can you regenerate from absolute death? Even World-Transcending-level self-regeneration Skills aren't capable of performing healing at that level¡­"
    Cassius stretched his arms, cracked his neck, then mockingly matched Hellion's shock. "I don't know. How did I revive? Maybe it was some divine miracle!"
    Seeing that smirk plastered on his face transformed Hellion's shock into a deep furrow. "...Your revival was not expected, but it matters not. You still aren't strong enough to enter HELL. Your death is still destined."
    "Is that so¡­?" Cassius grinned, then watched as faint sweltering crimson-red feathers emerged around his revealed demonic appearance. "However, I don't believe that I'll die today."
    [Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline transformation rate has tremendously increased due to the sheer perfection that was the Host's death. Everything about it was flawless, and if not for the unique B-Rank, now A-Rank Phoenix Rebirth Skill, such a death would have been impossible to return from.]
    [Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline: 0.67%]
    [|Phoenix Rebirth| has ranked up several times, advancing from 'B-' to 'A-' and evolved into the |Nirvana Rebirth| Skill.]
    [Total rebirth times have increased from '1' to '3' times per day!]
    [Acquired 345 AP from trolling the Hellish Sphinx, Hellion.] S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Very interesting," Cassius mused while dumping 80% of his saved-up AP into his Agility stat. "That should bring me closer to her power level, I believe."
    Just as he expected, Hellion's black system tag lessened by one grade and turned into a flashing red system tag. Furthermore, the overall oppressive aura she was emanating had been substantially reduced.
    "If not for my insatiable greed for more loot, I might just be able to match you in terms of speed," he casually commented as he cracked his knuckles and let his Shadow Monarch's Hood regenerate. "It's just unfortunate that I refuse to lose out on potential benefits."
    FWIP!
    Cassius blurred forward. His afterimages moved so fast that it looked like they were moving in reverse. For Hellion, however, they were clearly visible.
    With a single punch, she whacked the smirking man out of the speed stream he created. Then, with a flash step, she phased next to his flailing body. Grabbing his broken arms, she spun him around and hurled him into a wall, where he then shot out of the 5th Floor. However, before he could mumble d¨¦j¨¤ vu, Hellion teleported outside the Pyramid.
    A golden-brownish energy built up at the tip of her right pointer finger. And before he could cast Dragonflame to counterattack, the energy building up on her fingertip condensed into an energy sphere before shooting out a hyper-condensed laser. Yet, midway through the attack, the beam enlarged tens of thousands of times its original size, making it impossible to dodge.
    KA¡ªBOOOOOOOOM!!!
    The bleak land for dozens of miles was blasted to all high hell, with the residual damage extending even further.
    It was almost as if an interstellar laser beam had impacted the earth, severing entire chunks of land and imploding everything in the vicinity. As chunks of metallic buildings and barren land sailed through the skies, a truly catastrophic sight was left in its wake.
    Cassius, having long since been evaporated, was unable to witness firsthand the absolute destruction still spreading out its catastrophic nature into the surrounding territories. A massive crater had been dug out of the ground, with its depths going as far down as nearly five miles, and its edges stretching out even more than that.
    "No matter how good your regeneration Skill is or what miracle you performed, 'Human attempting to become a Demon', you could not have survived that¡ª"
    "Damn, that was nuts! That really hurt, you know?"
    Cassius's playful voice cut through Hellion's, prompting her to swivel her head in the direction of a fully nude demonic man. He stared at her with his lips and eyes curving upward, synchronizing.
    "What? Are you surprised or something?" asked Cassius, mildly amused. "Ya know, I came back even faster than before. Thanks to you, I am improving."
    [Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline: 2.6%]
    [|Nirvana Rebirth| has ranked up from the 'A-' Rank to the 'A' Rank thanks to the perfection of the Host's death and the improvement in the Host's Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline.]
    [Daily Rebirth rate increased from '3' to '5']
    [Acquired 500 AP from trolling the Hellish Sphinx, Hellion.]

 Chapter 122 Battle between Man and Sphinx

    'How overpowered,' thought Cassius as he watched various emotions flash past Hellion's stunning irises. 'Although I know it's only thanks to her excellence that I can obtain so much Rebirth Essence from each death, it's still incredible to watch it happen in real time. Furthermore, with each Skill rank-up comes a complete daily status recovery, meaning that I still have 5 more daily death chances.'Simply put, this meant he could now fully revive five more times while fighting the Hellish Sphinx¡ª
    SPLAT! Experience exclusive tales on empire
    [Acquired 600 AP from trolling the Hellish Sphinx, Hellion.]
    Even while in death, Cassius was obtaining AP because of the surging emotions of the normally unresponsive Hellion. This resulted in her exerting even more effort to utterly obliterate the human that somehow returned to life twice now. Just once could be considered a fluke, but two would be a miracle, and three would be¡­
    "Impossible¡­"
    Right before Hellion's widened eyes, she saw Cassius return to peak condition, with his erased blood particle state nowhere present in his current elegance. And somehow, his Newbie 5 Equipment Set died with him and returned to him, same with his Lilith tattoo and Shadow Evomon.
    In every avenue, what he was doing was impossible.
    Hellion, as perceptive as she was, also realized just how much of an enigma this man was. In quick, repeated succession, she witnessed several things that shouldn't have even been possibilities.
    However, she immediately snapped out of her stupor after giving Cassius another 650 AP. And when she decisively struck forward, prepared to unleash multiple region-destroying level attacks, she saw his mischievous smirk blur to a level that was at least three times faster than before.
    How!?
    What was happening right now!?
    [Acquired 700 AP from trolling the Hellish Sphinx, Hellion.]
    Every time Cassius obtained AP from trolling Hellion, he dumped 80% of it into his Agility stat. Which, in addition to his 'I AM SPEED' effects, caused his speed to rapidly approach the S-Rank.
    In other words, even without taking off his incredibly heavy Equipment Set, his speed neared the very beginning of the pinnacle stage of the world.
    This level of speed¡ªit was not something an average mortal would be able to comprehend, let alone visualize. It was absurd.
    Yet, even with all of these Agility boosts coming in, Hellion, the Gate Guardian, was still faster.
    "...You are an anomaly¡­" Hellion murmured in disbelief. "You also seem to be capable of becoming stronger through battle¡ªthis shouldn't be possible to this degree. But this ability of yours, along with that regeneration ability, should enable you to survive in HELL. At least until you encounter 'true' monsters¡­ But¡­"
    RUMBLE!!!
    An immensely powerful aura erupted from Hellion, creating rolling waves of goldish-brown energy that blasted out in an astoundingly powerful fashion. Everything, from the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid to the surrounding hundred miles, began to violently tremble. Even the stray Demons fled in fear of offending that extremely powerful presence.
    "But if the more powerful Demon Hegemonies on the highest Floors catch wind of your existence and your abilities, your death will never arrive," continued Hellion, her tone void of emotion. "You will become a guinea pig. I cannot allow this."
    "So I still have to die?" asked Cassius, rather laid-back by the entire ordeal.
    "Yes." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "I understand."
    Silence.
    For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
    Then, the two stubborn contenders tapped forward, causing the ground around them to crack outward for miles on end. By now, the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid's 5th Floor had been completely demolished. They were now battling each other on the 4th Floor.
    A few seconds later.
    Cassius died four times more, yet managed to upgrade his Nirvana Rebirth Skill to the A+ Rank. Moreover, he got his Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline past the 10% mark, which made even more fiery red illusory feathers appear around his demonic figure.
    His improvements were immense, and he could now revive 8 times a day. But the Pyramid, on the other hand, had been utterly demolished, with every single floor mixed into rubble that was constantly being pushed back due to the two struggling humanoids. As their battle escalated in intensity, with Hellion being forced to use more of her power because of his unexplainable increases in speed, even curious Lesser Abyssal Demons became collateral.
    None in HELL's Trial Gate area were even capable of interfering with a battle at this level. And those foolish enough to attempt to intervene ended up dying without ever knowing which one of the sides had even killed them.
    The battle between 'Man?' and Sphinx was one that shattered layer after layer of HELL's Trial Gate area. Moreover, that damage only became more extensive the longer that time passed, as Cassius officially reached a level that forced even the stupidly powerful Hellish Sphinx to withhold no hidden cards.
    Five minutes later.
    Cassius, now perched atop a massive circular ball of condensed scarlet energy, stared at the collapsed Egyptian beauty gasping for breath on the ball with him. At first, he appeared severely injured, but all those grievous injuries healed in the same period of time that Hellion took to exhale a single breath.
    "My strongest attack¡­ 'The Oracle of HELL,' an S+ Skill capable of eradicating a small country," Hellion mumbled as she haggardly watched the nonchalant human heal from the damage in little more than a second. "...Child, just what are you¡­?"
    "What am I?" Cassius smirked. "I am an Acolyte of Character Development. Only because of my faith was I able to survive dying 17 times to you. Though, to be honest, even I was surprised by how many times I fell to your power. In particular, that last attack of yours¡ªthe one that made this¡­ mess¡­ killed me 3 or 4 times. I was really close to dying for real, ha¡­"
    He briefly observed the hundreds of miles of desolation around the colossal energy ball, with Hellion also struggling to follow his gaze.
    To put the destruction into perspective, the scarlet energy ball they were situated on was a variation of the Atomic Dragonfire Burst Skill¡ªan attack that Cassius had summoned just in case things went wrong. Yet, even with it being thousands of meters wide, it looked like a mere speck if one zoomed out and saw the ridiculous crater formed from Hellion's ultimate trump card.

 Chapter 123 Plan to Kill a Demon King...

    Hellion's trump card was one that drew upon her authority over HELL's Trial Gate area, meaning it wasn't even truly considered her personal power. However, even that wasn't enough to defeat the crazy bastard of an anomaly.Hellion let herself fall onto the energy ball's surface, yet rolled over a moment later.
    With bated breath and shaky eyes, she intoned, "Just end me. I am not afraid of death, and if this is what Fate has in store for me, then so be it. After all, I lost."
    Cassius's amused expression froze in place. Then, question marks practically floated above his head. "What are you talking about? I'm not going to kill you," he stated, showing genuine confusion at her words. "From beginning to end, I know you were doing all of this for my sake, even if you went about it in a rather violent way. Well, no matter¡ªI will not kill you for something like that. You did help me become stronger, after all."
    "¡­If you're not going to kill me, then what will you do?" asked Hellion, her breathing still far from steady. "I still won't allow you to pass."
    Read the latest on empire
    "Even if you die because of it?"
    "Yes."
    A deafening silence took hold of the atmosphere. Then, completely out of nowhere, Cassius broke into an almost insane peal of laughter.
    "???"
    Hellion was puzzled.
    "Y-You really are¡­ Ha¡­" Cassius calmed himself, yet could barely hold back another flood of laughter. "You know what, Hellion?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "What¡­?"
    "I like you. I really do," said Cassius. "And though I was originally just going to slip past you, as my Quest has already been completed, I've changed my mind."
    Slowly approaching the ample body sprawled out before him, he crouched down and locked eyes with Hellion. With his black-and-red hair slightly drooping, he said, "Hellion, Gatekeeper of the 1st Floor of HELL, what say you join me on my journey inside and outside of HELL? A pretty assistant with a good head on her shoulders¡ªdoesn't this just sound like the dream of any number of men? Well? Whaddya say?"
    Hellion was speechless.
    "You want me, the Guardian of HELL, to leave with an invading human¡­?" she asked, just to make sure she had heard correctly.
    "Yeah, pretty much," Cassius responded absentmindedly. "So, wanna come with me? I have a pet dragon you could get along with. You're both mythical creatures, so you should hit it off right away¡ª Well¡­"
    Upon recalling how destructively insane his rambunctious dragon was, he immediately changed his mind. "Then again, you still have me! I'll pay attention to you, far more than any of the flesh-loving freaks you have as neighbors!"
    "So, whaddya say??"
    "¡­You're¡­"
    "I'm?"
    "You're insane¡­"
    Cassius proudly stuck up his nose. "Thanks! I think you have insane curves as well!"
    "¡­That wasn't a compliment," Hellion sighed. "And you¡­ Are you just inviting me to join you for my body¡­?"
    She showed barely any emotion, so Cassius honestly had no idea if she was disgusted or not. However, if he stayed silent any longer, it might as well have been confirmation of her lecherous assumption.
    He shook his head, his following words sincere. "I do not lust after you. But your figure really is impressive; I am extremely curious why a mythical beast like you has an appearance like you have. My dragon also has the same thing going on for her, which really makes me wonder if all of you are shaped so perfectly¡­ Truly intriguing¡­"
    Hellion was once again left at a loss for words, even more so after determining that what he said was the truth.
    His innocent earnestness was truly baffling.
    Nonetheless, her answer remained the same¡ª
    "Did I tell you that I plan to kill a Demon King?" said Cassius, effectively interrupting her train of thought.
    "Kill a Demon King? How do you plan to do that¡­?"
    "By defeating it, of course!"
    Silence.
    "¡­You really are insane¡­" Hellion sighed, finding it extremely difficult to comprehend this perplexing man. "Even though you are able to become stronger through battle, the power level of a Demon King, even the weakest of them, is something beyond what your world could withstand. And as far as I'm aware, where you come from, the Demon Kings do not care about. At least for the 1st Floor¡­ So tell me, why find trouble with an entity like that?"
    'The 1st Floor¡­ I feel like I heard that somewhere before¡­ But where? And what does it mean?'
    Despite his deep interest in that particular subject, Cassius responded to Hellion's question. "The answer to that is simple: when I ascend to the 1st Floor of HELL, I have a feeling that the 72nd Demon King will start hating me. And if Earthly scriptures are any indication of the pettiness of Demons, this small level of hate will surely lead to a death feud."
    Hellion pondered what he said, realizing that he was right. 'As soon as this Child passes through the Gate, HELL will put more notice on him. The 72nd Demon King in particular, Andromalius, is known for his short temper and volatile demeanor¡­ Death will come swift if he is involved.'
    Hellion's original reason for fighting Cassius was to save him from a painful death. All she wanted was to let him go out peacefully, as she believed he had no idea just how excruciating living yet not being permitted death could truly be.
    'So that's why he brought up the topic of Demon Kings¡­'
    Hellion narrowed her eyes. She received a warm, inviting smile in return.
    "You don't want me to suffer, is that not right?" asked Cassius. "If so, then take my hand and accept being my companion. Let's go Demon King hunting, why don't we?"
    "Oh, and in case you're hesitating because you fear that this arrangement might be permanent, you need not worry," he added. "I don't know what is telling me this, but I have a feeling I won't be staying around for very long¡­ Whether this feeling foreshadows my death or something more is still unknown, but joining me in figuring this out¡ªdoesn't that sound like fun??"

 Chapter 124 Main Quest #4 - [Completed]

    Hellion stared straight into Cassius's eyes, then shook her head. "Fine¡­ This one shall accept your offer. But ten years¡ªthat is all I shall be beside you for. Beyond that, it is up to Fate to intervene."Cassius grinned while leaning down to pick up the fallen beauty. He gently put her on his back, then said, "I won't need you to stay around for a decade; a year is plenty. But if you wish to remain after that point¡­ Well, as you said, Fate will surely intervene."
    Hellion blinked. Feeling the firmness of his back made her feel rather comfortable. It was nice.
    "If you want to shorten the duration of our time together, then so be it," she said. "But I will tell you beforehand that I am only agreeing to this because of how¡­ unique¡­ your destiny is. It is one of the only ones that I'm unable to glimpse into."
    "And¡­ why are you carrying me?" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Oh, this?" Cassius chuckled. "You may be able to conceal it well, but I know what sort of condition you're in right now. That power you used sure was something else, alright."
    Hellion remained silent.
    It continued that way for quite a while, as Cassius made his way out of the Pyramid rubble and toward the giant hellish door standing in the background.
    As opposed to common belief, the Gate to HELL was not something that served as a border between two plots of land. Rather, it was a door or gateway of sorts between separate layers of space. Similar to how the Oracle Pyramid Floor doors functioned, yet on a higher level, the Gate to HELL was one that would send you to the true 7th Dimension known as HELL.
    The massive, terrifying Gate was erected directly behind the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid and was around the same height as it. There was nothing behind the Gate, as it was all just a blending illusion.
    In a sense, the Gate to HELL was the Edge of the sub-dimension often referred to as the 'Trial Area' for otherworlders.
    Yet, even with the Gate being the way forward for those worthy, there had not been a successful Otherworlder for the last few thousand years. Meaning that Cassius was the first to succeed in a very, very long time.
    A few seconds passed.
    Cassius and Hellion made it to the absurdly large skull-adorned Gate, where he then took the time to scan over his system notifications and take out the necessary items to advance forward.
    *Ding!*
    [You have defeated the Hellish Sphinx, Hellion (S- -)]
    [Your Experience Bar has moved by leaps and bounds!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 1200 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 450 Points!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 1500 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 600 Points!]
    {[Main Quest #4]} - [A++ Rank] ¡ú [S-- Rank]
    ¡ª[Without taking off your Newbie 5 Equipment Set, you are required to kill every single Hellish being present in the Trial Area of HELL's 1st Floor. You are also to either slay the Hellish Sphinx or answer all of its questions correctly.]
    {[Rewards upon Completion:]}
    {[Reward 1: 1000 AP]} - [?]
    {[Reward 2: A+ Riddler's Riddler]} - [?]
    {[Reward 3: S+++ Rank HELL's 1st Floor Gate Key]} - [?]
    {[Reward 4: Map of HELL's 1st Floor]} - [?]
    {[Reward 5: 72nd Demon King's Ire]} - [?]
    {[Punishment Upon Failure: 12 Hours in 'Nightmare Scape']} - [...Passed¡­ Immense Disappointment]
    Cassius felt an ominously evil intent hone in on him and peer into his existence with disdain. Yet, that intent left as quickly as it came, leaving him to wonder just how much power he felt connected to that intent.
    'It was so much¡­ Power like that¡­ Is it even possible¡­?'
    While that question bounced around inside his head, he closely watched the rest of the system notifications.
    *Ding~!*
    [Acquired (S- - Rank) Beast Companion 'Hellion, the Hellish Sphinx']
    ['Hellion' added to Partial Idle Evolution System Feature #5. '14 present Affection']
    {[Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid (S-- Rank)]} - [Boss Area] - [CLEARED]
    ¡ª[This Pyramid serves as the most prominent and unexplainable remains of a technologically advanced civilization that vanished long ago. The Entity once idolized as the 'future' of this civilization has long since had its consciousness corroded by demonic energies. Now, it eternally persists in the land of Demons as the 'Guardian of the Gate.']
    {[Clear Rewards:]}
    [Reward 1 - (25 Heaps of Medium-sized Experience Points)] - [?]
    [Reward 2 - (1200 AP)] - [?]
    [Reward 3 - (Oracle Sphinx's Heart (Oracle Sphinx's Bloodline))] - [?]
    [Reward 4 - (20 Common Evomon Rank-up Shards)] - [?]
    [Reward 5 - (10 Orange-tier Dragon Pellets)] - [?]
    {[Punishment for Failure:]}
    ¡ª[12 hours of being trapped in the 'Land of Nightmares'] - [...Why do you pass out on such an opportunity again? Tsk!]
    *Ding!*
    [Your Experience Bar has tremendously moved!]
    [You leveled up!]
    [You received 2000 AP!]
    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 800 Points!]
    [Acquired (S-Rank Item) Oracle Sphinx's Heart]
    ¡ª[Would you like to assimilate with the item and obtain the S-Rank 'Oracle Sphinx's Bloodline'?]
    "Yes," answered Cassius, puzzling Hellion.
    She was still wondering how he planned to get through the impregnable Gates of HELL. Was he going to ask her? Or did he have something else in mind¡ª?
    While in the process of asking herself these things, she felt a presence eerily similar to her own erupt from the man she was latched onto. Her eyes widened in slight surprise as she watched his appearance and demeanor undergo a complete transformation.
    At first, it was merely a change in aura to something more ancient and wise, then it turned into physical alterations. Cassius's acquisition of the Oracle Sphinx's Bloodline was very much unlike the SS-Rank Ordinary Phoenix and Demon King Bloodlines. Unlike them, he received the Oracle Sphinx's Bloodline at 100%.
    This meant that a full metamorphosis was in order.
    Cassius's hair turned a dark shade of black and blue. His eyes returned to their previous blue hue yet came along with an even deadlier gleam. Moreover, his originally peachy skin darkened significantly, giving him the appearance of someone who had just finished sunbathing in the Bahamas.
    Once again, his charm took a steep incline, and along with it came an appropriate System Notification.

 Chapter 125 Transfer of Demonic Essence

    *Ding!*[Charisma improved by 3 Points!]
    "Hmm¡­"
    With his new set of piercing blue eyes, Cassius observed the pop-up, then turned his head slightly to the side. Seeing the astonished expression on Hellion's face made him chuckle, even more so when he noticed her favorability increase by five or so points.
    'It seems like this Sphinx has taken a liking to this new appearance of mine,' he thought, amused. 'Well, it is very Egyptian, and I can imagine the appeal.'
    "You¡­ Why do I sense the Bloodline of a Sphinx within you? What exactly have you done?" Hellion inquired, her mouth slightly agape. "...This shouldn't even be possible¡­ Even if the Bloodline I sense is of a lower rank than mine¡­"
    'I did notice that she looked kind of restricted when we were fighting, almost as if she were not used to moving around in her own body, but I never expected her actual Bloodline to be so high.' S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Even with Cassius's specialized sight Skills, the most he could decipher from her description was that her Bloodline was above SS-Rank, and that she had once been some sort of deity¡­
    The deity part was extremely unclear, but just what was shown was more than enough for Cassius to determine that her true power far exceeded the S-Rank. However, somewhere along the way, likely thousands of years ago, she had lost her status as a god of the people that used to reside in this fractured land.
    She had been reduced to no more than the Boss Monster of a monotonous station, coined the 'Guardian of HELL's 1st Floor.'
    "Are you bending the Will of Heaven?? The way you are able to grow stronger through conflict, and now this mysterious Bloodline acquisition¡­ Are you a Defyer of Heaven's Will?"
    "Heaven's Will?" Cassius mimicked. "No, it's nothing like that. Hmm¡­ Who really knows how I do what I do? Perhaps it is just the hand of God at work? A miracle I am¡­ humble I am¡­ not."
    Hellion eyed the Egyptian-like man, yet backed off quickly as she instinctively knew that she would never get anything out of him.
    "Child, you are mysterious," she said. "But keep your mysteries. Revealing them when we pass into HELL's 1st Floor will only bring you misfortune. Yet, you can rest assured; as one who holds within her vast knowledge of HELL¡ªa living guidebook of sorts¡ªI will impart unto you all the information you require."
    "But first, do you need help getting through the Gate? Although I could go unconscious if I assist, I can do it if need be."
    Cassius's eyelashes flickered as he stared at the stunning face leaning over his right shoulder. "You truly are too kind for your own good," he said with a smile before summoning a small Hellish key. "But I will not need your help this time around; perhaps another day, though."
    For the third or fourth time that day, Hellion's neutral expression once again reflected surprise. She watched in silence as the Human/Sphinx grabbed hold of something that shouldn't even exist.
    "That Key¡­ It seems to contain the essence of HELL¡­ Are you planning to open up the Gate with that?" asked Hellion, genuinely confused as to why she sensed what she did.
    Cassius looked away from the curious Egyptian beauty, a slight grin plastered on his otherworldly handsome face. "Indeed I am."
    He threw the nightmarish key into the air, then watched as it shot forward and plunged itself into an opening in the Gate that hadn't been there before. Both the key and the Gate produced a dazzling crimson light that enveloped everything within the surrounding dozen miles. A deep, thrumming creak resounded, signifying the opening of both sides of the Gate.
    "That actually¡­ worked¡­?" Hellion, although having already assumed it would, was still shocked. "Only I should have the authority to open the Gate to HELL, so how did this happen?"
    Cassius smirked but did not elaborate.
    He sauntered toward the wide opening in the Gate. Looking ahead, he saw a vast expanse of darkish-red land, with demons of varying levels of terror flying and leaping about.
    However, before he could take his first step into this Hellish world, Hellion stopped him. "Before we go in, I'll need to give you all of the Demonic Essence I carry with me from the Trial Gate Area of HELL. You've somehow been absorbing Demonic Essence from the demons you've killed, have you not? What I sense to be the Bloodline of a Demon King in you also appears to be a byproduct of this absorption process."
    Cassius came to an abrupt halt, then observed the serious expression Hellion was making. "Will this transfer of Demonic Essence affect you in any way?"
    Although puzzled by this question, she truthfully answered, "No, the Demonic Essence I'll be transferring to you is not my own. It is the accumulated hate and evil of the miasma that festers in this world I guard. My own Demonic Essence, on the other hand, is¡­ it's complicated¡­"
    Cassius secretly breathed a sigh of relief, yet still asked, "Your power will be affected, won't it?"
    "Naturally. But you don't need me for my power, do you?"
    "¡­You are correct¡­"
    "Then let us debate this no more. I'll give my Demonic Essence to you, as keeping it within myself will surely make your death all the swifter, with enemies tracking me and subsequently, you."
    Cassius mulled it over for a moment before nodding. He needed that Demonic Essence to further progress his Demon King Bloodline anyway. She was simply saving him the trouble of finding more powerful demons to slay and assimilate with.
    "Then stay still," Hellion ordered. "If you move too much during this process, both you and I could perish."
    Cassius showed his compliance by remaining as still as a stone statue, which then gave Hellion the go-ahead to activate a forbidden technique. It was one she hoped never to use again, yet was doing so anyway. Though, at least this time, it wasn't her own power being taken from her.
    Without idling any longer, Hellion summoned forth a massive blood-colored sigil. Adorned with ancient, indecipherable letters and symbols, it shone with an unmatched demonic brilliance.

 Chapter 126 Becoming the 73rd Demon King of HELL

    "As soon as you feel something alien invade the core of your being, you must remain calm and not freak out," Hellion warned, beads of cold sweat rolling down her face. "If you try to push away this foreign energy, then both of us will suffer the consequences. And those consequences will be disastrous."Cassius didn't say a single word, but she could understand his compliance.
    "Then let us begin," she announced.
    OOOM!
    An overpowering demonic energy erupted from Hellion's voluptuous figure. It rolled out in immensely powerful waves, with every new wave becoming greater in intensity. Yet, after a few seconds of the energy building up to a sufficient degree, it all dipped down and lunged into the body of a lone human.
    Cassius was immediately overwhelmed by this foreign energy. He felt it dig into his skin and bones, tearing away at all of his outer defenses. Instinctively, he knew he had to ward off this energy, yet resisted everything yelling at him to do just that.
    This was not the time to falter.
    A few seconds later...
    All of the demonic energy had been transfused with Hellion's demonic essence and converged inside Cassius's body. It then assimilated with his Demon King Bloodline, improving upon what was already there. Though the pain and urges were extremely persuasive toward that end, he still didn't relent.
    OOOoom¡­
    The demonic energies finally subsided, with Hellion left looking far less lively. Her complexion was pale, and her expression haggard. It was quite obvious that this demonic essence transfer had taken more than a little toll on her.
    However, from this lengthy process, Cassius emerged a new person. His previously Egyptian appearance had taken on a more demonic image, with obsidian black spiraling horns protruding from atop his head. Moreover, his canine teeth had grown sharper, his striking blue eyes took on a reddish hue, and a slick tail stuck out from his tailbone.
    He still retained his overall demonic visage, yet now had a very evil and cunning way about him.
    [Charisma has increased by 3 Stat Points!]
    [(SS-Rank Demon King) Bloodline has achieved the 100% Transformation Rate!]
    [Acquired the full (SS-Rank Demon King) Bloodline!]
    [All of your Stats have improved by 1500 Points!]
    [Acquired the 'Demonic Affinity']
    [Acquired the 'Demonic Element']
    [Your Battle Power has improved by leaps and bounds!]
    {[Side Quest 'Becoming the 73rd Demon King of HELL']} - [COMPLETED]
    ¡ª[Reach 100% in your Demon King Bloodline] - [COMPLETED]
    ¡ª[Completely conquer the Trial Gate Area of HELL] - [COMPLETED]
    [Reward 1: 2000 AP] - [?]
    [Reward 2: SS-Rank Title '73rd Demon King of HELL'] - [?]
    [Reward 3: (SS-Rank) 'Fiendish Demon King Arts' Manual] - [?]
    [Reward 4: Extreme Ire of the 70th, 71st, and 72nd Demon Kings] - [?]
    Cassius felt wave after wave of power wash over his existence, successfully improving his stats by another few notches. He also took the time to look over his 'A++ Riddler' item and the 'Fiendish Demon King Arts Manual' item. The former was a deck of cards, with the entire set forming some kind of voodoo fortune-teller setup. If he could get someone to agree to play, he could slightly alter the strings of Fate to a minor degree and make happen what the cards say would happen.
    The latter item, however, was a Technique Manual. It was oddly similar to the Immortal Cultivation Techniques, yet it instead leaned more toward the demonic side of things. It could also be termed a 'Fiendish Cultivation Technique,' which was the yin to the yang of the 'Immortal Cultivation Technique.'
    Cassius was curious to see if he could cultivate this technique in conjunction with his Fundamental Body Refinement Manual. And he had a keen intuition telling him that it was possible.
    However, that would have to wait until later, as right now, a certain Sphinx was staring into the back of his head with immense curiosity.
    First, it was the sudden acquisition of a full Oracle Sphinx's Bloodline, and now there were multiple surges of power occurring within Cassius's body. Hellion truly had no idea what was going on anymore.
    With her vision blurring due to exhaustion, she managed to get out the most important question:
    "¡­I can assume the demonic essence transfusion was a success¡­? Your bloodline¡­"
    Cassius nodded. "I have become a Demon King¡ªthe 73rd Demon King, to be exact."
    Surprise lit up Hellion's beautiful face, yet her nerves quickly relaxed a second later. She had already become somewhat accustomed to the innumerable surprises this man brought with him.
    "Still, to become a Demon King¡­ You should know that more than just Andromalius will take notice of your existence," Hellion cautioned. "And though the number of interested Demon Kings may be few for now, when the others learn of your existence¡ªespecially if you plan to keep on conquering HELL¡ªyour future will dim till bleakness. Like a dying star, your light will fade until nothing remains."
    Cassius pondered, then responded with a question. "These Demon Kings; just how strong are they?"
    Hellion looked off into the distance as if reminiscing of a time long gone.
    "The strongest of the Demon Kings¡ªLucifer, Beelzebub, and Astaroth¡ªare mighty demonic beings that could wipe out an entire dimension if they so willed it. Their strength is at a level beyond your wildest imaginations. Though, you will not need to worry about them for the time being."
    "However, even the weakest and lowliest of the Demon Kings exceed the limit of what you can manage. The SS-Rank¡ªthe rank that supersedes the S-Rank¡ªis the beginning for them. For this reason, I tell you that if you step foot into that Gate, you will be hunted and killed before you can become stronger through your mysterious means."
    Cassius peered into the illusions of HELL shown within the Gate to HELL. He could feel several incredibly powerful presences pressing down on him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    'They seem to be unable to pass through that Gate, and they also appear to be hiding in wait. If I ignore Hellion's warnings, then what she says will happen could very well occur¡­'

 Chapter 127 {[Dragonfire Demon King (SS-Rank)]} Title

    Cassius contemplated his options. If he entered the Gate, he would definitely encounter the Demon Kings. His death was certain, but if he could survive fifteen deaths¡ªwhich was the current limit of his S- Rank 'Supreme Nirvana Rebirth' Skill¡ªand become strong enough, he would defeat them.However, the question remained: would fifteen deaths be enough for him to become stronger than they were? What if they were not that emotionally charged in reaction to his feats or provocations?
    Glancing at Hellion, Cassius asked, "Relative to how much more powerful you were than I was when we first met, what would be the difference between me and¡ª"
    "Insurmountably larger," Hellion stated matter-of-factly. "The SS-Rank is no joke, and I wasn't even considered to be of the S-Rank before I gave up my Demonic Essence to you. By my speculations, your current strength is somewhere around the absolute bottom of the S-Rank. Facing the 72nd Demon King, you will be like an ant going up against a mountain. You will die thousands of times in an instant if he so willed it, meaning that whatever trick you used against me will not work unless you can revive infinitely."
    "Can you revive infinitely¡­?" she asked, serious.
    "No¡­" Cassius answered truthfully, feeling rather reluctant to pass up on this opportunity.
    Then again, it was only for now.
    With what he gained from this expedition, he would surely come back with several times more power. Especially when he now had the different segments of the Fundamental Body Refinement Manual and the Fiendish Demon King Arts, which were one rank higher than the Body Refinement Manual.
    "Let us temporarily leave HELL then," Cassius said as he turned around and beckoned the Gates of HELL to close.
    The hellish scenery inside was quickly barred from view, leaving several important demonic figures in a complex mood. Yet they knew not to grow impatient; that human-turned-Demon King would certainly return. And when he did, they would let him experience true Hell on Earth. Discover exclusive content at empire
    Hellion silently agreed with Cassius's decision. A part of her had expected the young man to be rash and rush in headfirst, but it was a good thing that did not happen.
    'Cassius¡­ His fate is one that even I cannot see through¡­ My eyes, even now, after everything has been stolen from me, are still able to glimpse into the futures of beings beyond the SSS-Rank, like Lucifer. But Cassius¡­ his fate weaves out a story too much for my sight to handle¡­ It is unprecedented¡­'
    Hellion's thoughts rang out inside her head as she quietly observed the rapidly flashing surroundings that passed them by.
    While making their way toward the hidden portal that led Cassius into this subdimension, a number of system notifications sounded out, informing him of a few things:
    *Ding!*
    [Would you like to combine the 'SS-Rank 73rd Demon King of HELL' and 'A- Dragonfire Advent' Titles?] - [Y/N]
    Cassius clicked Yes.
    A bright light flashed.
    ['SS-Rank 73rd Demon King of HELL' + 'A- Dragonfire Advent' = 'SS-Rank Dragonfire Demon King' Title]
    'The rank of the Title didn't improve, but that is to be expected when the second Title was of a much lower rank than the first,' thought Cassius as he pulled up the Title's relevant details.
    {[Dragonfire Demon King (SS-Rank)]}
    ¡ª[The first of his kind. A mix between a Demon King and a Dragon.]
    {[Effect 1: 'Demon Dragon' - (User receives the 'SS-Rank Demon Dragon Bloodline' at 0.001% integration rate. To progress, the User must practice the 'Demon Dragon Integration Arts.')]}
    {[Effect 2: 'Demon Dragon Integration Arts' - (An SS-Rank Booklet describing what a Demon Dragon needs to do to further progress his Bloodline integration rate.)]}
    {[Effect 3: 'Flame Invincibility' - (Ordinary Universal Flames and Fires no longer affect the User. Also immune to most basic attacks produced by other elements.)]} S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    {[Effect 4: 'Dragon Quasar' - (Unleash a conflagration of hyper-condensed and extremely deadly Dragon flames at will. Takes upon the Elements of Fire, Explosion, Demonic, Evil, Dragon, Plasma, and Destruction. S+++ Rank Skill.)]}
    {[Effect 5: 'Demon Dragon Transformation' - (Can switch between 'Full Dragon Form,' 'Humanoid Dragon Form,' and 'Original Form' at will.)]}
    Cassius was very impressed with what he glimpsed from his new Title. He was also pleased to see a similar Effect to #5 for his Oracle Sphinx Bloodline as well, meaning that he could choose between which form he wished to take. Conversely, he could choose to be all different forms at once.
    'Though, with yet another Technique I have to practice and master, my plate is slowly but surely being filled up,' Cassius thought. 'With all that said, I'll definitely need to divert a lot of the following period of time into practicing all my Techniques. This should both improve my power and get me if not the slightest bit closer to the S-Rank and SS-Rank.'
    Those thoughts of his lingered even as he walked through a large portal and vanished from the Trial Gate area of HELL.
    ¡ªIn the same spot Cassius disappeared while on Earth¡ª
    An even more handsome, purely Egyptian-like man and woman appeared. Yet, as soon as their images came into view, they vanished once more.
    A few miles away.
    FWIP!
    "This is my home, Hellion," Cassius said while perched atop a rooftop in the dead of night. "I know you are not that kind of Demon, but just for safe measures, you are not to harm, kill, or eat anyone inside. Only humans I designate as enemies can you do with as you will."
    Hellion blinked. "I understand."
    "Good. Then let us enter; remember, follow my lead and act natural¡­ This isn't the first time I have done something like this¡ª"
    As soon as those words left his mouth, something else left through his bedroom window. It was his¡­ school laptop¡­
    On its way down, he could faintly make out explicit scenes of professional men and women doing the nasty.
    Hellion's eyes glazed over in curiosity. "So that is the sort of stuff you like. I see¡­"
    For a second, Cassius froze in place. Then he registered the distinct sound of his window glass shattering, urging him to flash forward. A moment later, he was already standing inside his room, where he saw the nerve-wracking sight of an enchantingly beautiful gray-haired girl with slitted draconic eyes.
    Though, as of right now, her mesmerizing charm was almost entirely overshadowed by her utterly livid expression.

 Chapter 128 Figuring out Boarding Arrangements

    Yimin, like the good dragon she was, had been patiently waiting for her master to return home. Her tail had been wagging for hours on end as she seemed to be in her own little world. Even with the occasional presence of the other girls, she remained blissfully oblivious to all that was going on around her.That was until she became a little bit bored a few minutes ago and coincidentally saw a metallic doohickey on a desk. She opened it up, guessed the complicated password right on the first try, and was then flash-banged by a man going at it with a pretty naked girl. An iconic orange-and-black symbol hung above the website's UI.
    The laptop was then promptly thrown out the window, attracting the attention of not only the recently arrived pair but also of the girls currently playing a board game downstairs.
    With thuds against steps quickly moving upward, Cassius had to act fast. First, he used a C-Rank Repair Skill to repair the broken window, then he teleported the cracked laptop into his room and repaired it as well. After which, he moved like a spectral being and went to stop the eruption of rage that could potentially demolish the whole neighborhood.
    Yet, in the same moment Cassius clasped Yimin's pinkish lips and injected a soothing remedy, the door to his room was whacked open. This disturbance gave the perfect opportunity she needed to slip out of his loose grasp and bite him on the hand.
    Experience tales at empire
    One thing led to another, and Cassius was pushed over, then the two tumbled and rolled. The fierce Yimin lay sprawled out below him.
    Though, when she felt a large, rough hand press against her right breast, her surging anger was greatly alleviated.
    '...This situation¡­ Sh*t¡­'
    Even with Cassius's stupidly ridiculous speed, there was nothing he could do that could possibly turn back time. The damage had already been done.
    Slowly, he turned his head up, only to see five uniquely gorgeous women show signs of surprise, then anger.
    "Cassius¡­ You¡­ You lecherous bastard!!"
    It was fair to say that he received quite the earful from that point onward. It was even to the point that only after an hour passed did everyone calm down enough for him to explain the situation.
    The entire time, Hellion was just sitting in the background and enjoying the show while recuperating. Yet, even though she was enjoying the drama, she failed to emulate any of the emotions she was feeling on her face. For her, emotions were tough.
    Aya, on the other hand, was very open about her emotions.
    At least when it came to violent emotions¡­
    "Cassius, I just can't believe you! Humph!" she snorted. "Last time, you came back with that gray-haired woman, and now you brought back this dark-skinned Egyptian woman? Are you trying to start a harem or something?? And where are these women even coming from??"
    First, it was Memphis, then Stella and that infuriating gray-haired woman, and now it was an Egyptian beauty! Her frustrations were not unfounded! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Well¡­" Under the intense stares of everyone in the room, including his stepmother, Cassius didn't really know what to say. "...One thing led to another¡ª"
    "That is a terrible excuse, you idiot!" shouted Aya, her cheeks filled with air.
    "Now, now, Aya, my dear daughter, perhaps Cassius really did just have some unique encounters and felt obligated to help these girls," Sasha interjected, her expression friendly but her tone saying otherwise.
    She was slightly annoyed by all these new girls as well, but she did a far better job at sweeping her annoyances under the rug than her daughter.
    Getting back to the matter at hand, Sasha said, "But Ara Ara, with so many new tenants, we don't have much room left in the house. And we can't exactly have girls sleeping in the same room as our¡­ 'adventurous' Cassius, now can we?"
    If only she knew that all of them were already sneaking into his bed every night¡­
    "What are we to do about this?"
    Stella and Memphis hadn't felt it appropriate for them to speak up before, as they were part of the problem. But now that it came down to this question, they had no choice but to voice their opinions:
    "I-If there is not enough room, then I can contact my uncle¡­ Even if¡­ Even if he treats me like that, I'll find a way to manage," Memphis murmured.
    "Neither do I wish to impose¡­ I can get out of everyone's hair if¡­ if that's what you want," Stella added, her ahoge hairs drooping.
    Everyone suddenly felt bad, especially Cassius and Sasha.
    Sighing, Sasha proposed an alternative. "Perhaps we should move out? I have been thinking of increasing our living space for a while now, but the costs are¡­ substantial. Even with our savings, I doubt we'll have enough. Furthermore, I haven't even informed my husband of all of you moving in. It will surely surprise him, and might even leave me with no choice but to evict you. Let alone agreeing to upsizing, just getting him to accept the existence of you girls is¡­ Haiz¡­"
    "Hmm¡­"
    Cassius himself was pondering this complicated matter.
    After selling countless Magic Shards under an anonymous identity, he had amassed hundreds of thousands of USD, which was more than enough to buy a luxurious house in Japan. However, how was he to tell Aya and Sasha about this sudden influx of wealth?
    They knew very well what type of job he worked at. That also meant they knew hundreds of thousands of USD was impossible to come by unless he slaved away for an entire lifetime.
    'Maybe I should just say I won the lottery or something? I can fabricate a ticket with my A-Rank 'Minor Creation' Skill right here and now.'
    Ultimately, Cassius decided he'd do just that. And without wasting any more of anyone's brain processing power, he took out a genuine lottery ticket and let it 'slip' out of his hands onto the floor.

 Chapter 129 Buying a New House, Winning the Lotto?

    "???"Aya, seeing the ticket glide across the ground, pointed it out. "What is that?"
    Everyone else in the room also looked where Aya was looking. Hellion amusingly smiled before relishing in the soothing energy still permeating throughout her body and speeding up her recovery.
    'His Skills truly are miraculous¡­ And he's so diversified¡­ That child really is totally unlike the rest of his kind. It even makes me believe that he was not originally born a human¡­ But I know that is not the case.'
    While Hellion was thinking completely off topic, Aya approached the shiny golden cardboard cutout and looked at its contents. Her eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, "A lottery ticket?? And one for $500k!? Is this thing for real??"
    "What??" Even Memphis and Stella were shocked by this announcement.
    Memphis grew up in the middle class, with her Hunter of a father only strong enough to bring home around $10k a month. Which, in relation to the economy of Japan, was more than enough to live comfortably. But $500k?? That was simply absurd!
    Stella, however, had been an awakened B-Rank Hunter for more than a year. Naturally, her net worth far exceeded a million. Yet that didn't mean this number and the idea of winning the lottery interested her any less.
    Within milliseconds, all the girls except for Hellion and Yimin had gathered around the golden lottery ticket being held in Aya's hands. They inspected it, and after confirming that this was most definitely a genuine lottery ticket, their eyes brightened up in glee.
    Find your next adventure on empire
    Stella had been prepared to purchase a place of her own (preferably one next to Cassius), but this lottery ticket changed everything!
    Simultaneously, all of the girls, including Sasha and Aya, looked to Cassius for clarification.
    He inwardly chuckled at their adorable behavior before explaining to them a completely fabricated story that he just made up. It detailed how he passed by a convenience store on his way home from work and decided to buy a total of three lotto tickets. Of those three, two were winners, with the first one only being worth $5, whereas the other was an astronomical $500k!
    However, as he only recently had the chance to scratch them off, he hadn't even bothered to check the numbers. And to back this bullsh*t story, he took out the other two tickets he totally purchased at a convenience store.
    "Well? Did I actually win something from them?" asked Cassius, his acting unrivaled throughout the ages.
    "Not only did you win, you got half a million! Or 50 million yen! Do you know what we could do with 50 million yen!?"
    Although the money wasn't even her own, Aya's irises lit up with dollar-dollar bill signs. She got up close and personal with Cassius, making sure to show off the winning numbers.
    "Wow¡ª" Cassius said with his mouth open. "With this much money, that new house is no longer out of the question, is it? What a great stroke of fortune. What a coincidence."
    Aya's elation was suddenly replaced with a certain amount of suspicion. Her eyes narrowed as she pushed Cassius to a wall. Pointing her polished index finger into his chest, she looked up, saying, "You aren't playing with us here, are you?"
    Cassius did his best to hide the sweat beads drizzling down his forehead. "W-Why, of course not. This lotto ticket must just be an extreme bout of good luck."
    "Ehh¡­"
    After a moment of scrutinizing the suspicious man, Aya shrugged and went back to caressing the lotto ticket as if it were the most precious thing in the world. She was originally going to declare that part of the winnings were hers because she found out they won, but then she felt bad halfway through.
    Scuttling back over to her stepbrother, she leaned up on her tippy toes and just barely managed to reach high enough to whisper into his ear, "Can I announce that we can use the money to shop for a new house¡­?"
    '...Cute¡­' Cassius thought, yet answered, "Sure, just don't get excited too soon. We still have to cash in the lotto ticket, after all."
    "Uhn!" Aya beamed before spinning on her heel and shouting to the girls, "We're going home hunting! I call dibs on the largest room!"
    Surprisingly, no one argued her on that claim. Most of them, including her, would just find their way into Cassius's bedroom anyway. In fact, the only reason they were even discussing this new home subject to begin with was for Sasha's sake. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Still, all of them gave small and large cheers depending on their personalities. Though, really only Yimin was extremely outgoing about the cheers. And she didn't even know for certain what precisely she was cheering about.
    'I still want to eat these vixen bitches! Is that what we're cheering about!? But what are they so excited for??'
    Yimin herself was very, very¡­ confused.
    Ten minutes later¡­
    Cassius successfully diverted the girls' focus away from his brief groping and rolling session with Yimin under the guise of heading out first thing tomorrow to go house searching. All in all, everyone went to bed in rather spirited moods, even in spite of the fact that it was nearly 1 AM already.
    Cassius also called in for the night some time later and fell asleep extremely fast.
    However, as the minutes turned into hours, more and more of the girls in the house found their way into his bed one way or another. Yimin spawned in his bed like it was natural, Memphis came to him when she had nightmares of that Gate and her uncle, Aya sleepwalked her way in, and Stella just liked his company while sleeping.
    Out of all of the girls close to him, only Hellion stayed out of it. Well, for the most part at least¡­
    In actuality, she sat at the bed's headrest and used her supple thighs as pillows for Cassius. She slept this way for she believed his mysteries to unravel themselves better in this manner. Furthermore, it was quite boring to meditate and recover alone.
    The night passed quickly, and the following day even quicker.
    Cassius and the gang received many peculiar stares while walking to their destinations for the day, as all of them were exceptionally good-looking. Even the older Sasha and Hellion were beyond gorgeous and seemed to age like fine wine.

 Chapter 130 A Harem, not-Harem...?

    Sasha, suddenly feeling more competitive when around this new contender than with the younger girls, wore what she thought to be her most appealing dress on this outing. Though, when Cassius discreetly headed into the convenience store to get the lotto ticket stuff settled, Sasha harrumphed before crossing her arms underneath her ample valley tops.Hellion, confused, stared at this blonde MILF in bewilderment.
    After Cassius 'cashed' in the winnings, he, along with the girls, made their way over to a few real-estate agencies. To onlookers, when they saw a man as beautiful as him surrounded by several model-level women, their first assumption was that he swung the other way and was one of the 'girlfriends.' However, of the starstruck men that walked over and shot their shots to those they fancied, everyone soon came to realize that the man was, in fact, not¡­ gay!
    Every time an interested guy approached one of the girls, that same girl, even if it were Sasha or Hellion, would immediately latch onto Cassius's arm. Some of the more shameless guys even tried hitting on different girls after failing with their first choice, yet that only made more of the girls cling to Cassius.
    Now, either this man was their dude repellent, or he was an absolute¡­ Chad!
    While observing their dynamics, multiple people noticed how unresponsive Cassius was to guys flirting with any of the girls in his party. As long as the guys didn't take things too far, he didn't seem to care. This led them to believe that he was just that much more of a¡­ Chad! There was no other explanation!
    If this handsome man was, in fact, in with the girls, then he would definitely be more emotional and even take great offense to the guys hitting on his girlfriends. However, seeing as that wasn't the case, it became abundantly obvious that his 'girlfriends' were the real article kind of girlfriends!
    In conclusion, handsome man had harem ¡ú was Chad!
    And somehow, this scenario made even unrelated girls swoon over the suave, devilishly handsome man. For some reason, girls seemed to like it when other girls were interested in a man. This upped his value or something like that.
    Yet, when it came to girls approaching Cassius, this was an entirely different ballpark. None of the gals in his party tolerated even slightly flirtatious glances, let alone full-out flirting sessions. They usually worked together to scare away the homewreckers when this occurred.
    And like that, the day passed rather smoothly, with any lecherous fellows and ladies eventually stopping their pursuit. Cassius and the gang also found the house they were going to purchase. It had three stories, over ten bedrooms, and six bathrooms. Moreover, it also had an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, as well as a neat patio.
    For a meager half a million, it was certainly impressive.
    Though, it was believed to be just the tiny bit¡­ haunted¡­ However, that was more of an unlikely rumor than anything. There was no way the house was actually haunted¡­
    Anywho, after taking a couple of days to settle into the $450,000 house and move everything over, Cassius also took the time to tell Grace and Bella of his relocation. They were scared at first, but after hearing that he was still in the neighborhood, they both breathed sighs of relief.
    Then again, Bella and Grace didn't quite understand why Cassius and his family were moving. Their previous house was plenty big enough. And though Grace didn't think much of it, Bella found it more than a little suspicious.
    'One only really moves when space is not sufficient anymore¡­ But for that to be the case, there would need to be an increase in household occupation¡­'
    Bella smelled sus. This would definitely require more investigating.
    Grace, on the other hand, was simply happy to know that Cassius would be taking her out to more places very soon. He promised as much while they were talking, and she would be anticipating every moment up until what he said came to fruition. Experience tales at empire
    As the days went by and summer break was nearing its end, Cassius began to notice something up within himself. It was subtle, but he could feel a part of him yearning for blood, of all things. He could also somewhat see through other living beings and observe what were most certainly nervous systems or the veins that connected to each other throughout one's body. This also meant he could feel their hot, pulsating blood coursing through those same veins.
    It was extremely odd, to say the least.
    On a plus note, when weeks had already gone by since Cassius met and defeated Hellion in HELL, he had been nonstop practicing his various techniques. He got his Basic Movements Manual to the 5th Layer, the Defend Manual to the 4th Layer, and the Attack Manual to the peak of the 4th Layer. Moreover, he advanced the altruistic |Fiendish Demon King Arts| to Greater Completion, which was just two steps away from the maximum proficiency ranking of 'Integration.'
    For Techniques and Arts, they all varied greatly in terms of practice milestones. But the most prominent and commonly used milestones denoters were either Layer, Levels, and Ranks or the 'Martial Artist Technique Rankings.'
    Cassius later learned of this ranking through an S-Rank Booklet of the same name that he obtained after conquering a certain Purple-rank Gate on the other side of the world. You see, as he was no longer limited to just Japan with his speed, he could cross all sorts of wide distances very easily. This made it extremely simple to clear the weakest of Purple-rank Gates, all of which were left open for the very few S-Rank Hunter Parties to farm.
    In fact, because of one of the times that Cassius did this, the secret clearance of a Purple-ranked Gate in America ended up on the international headlines as the 'Incognito S-Rank Hunter Party crossing borders to steal resources from other countries.'
    S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 131 Demon King Ranks

    But getting back to the matter at hand. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.The Martial Artist Technique Rankings were ranked in this order from lowest to highest:
    1- Practiced
    2- Accomplished
    3- Minor Completion
    4- Greater Completion
    5- Mastered
    6- Integration
    Cassius being able to advance the |Fiendish Demon King Arts| to Greater Completion was already a grand accomplishment. Yet, it wasn't the only technique he progressed to Greater Completion, as he also got his |Demon Dragon Integration Arts| to Greater Completion!
    With the former technique, he was able to embark on the Path of the Demon King, which was something that any number of Demon Kings would kill to have. However, seeing as only the Top 5 Demon Kings were privy to how to start and progress on the Path of the Demon King, the other Demon Kings could only devour each other in hopes of becoming stronger. They could also take from human blood sacrifices in the mortal realm, but that method was highly impractical.
    From the |Fiendish Demon King Arts|, Cassius learned of yet another ranking system.
    For those who progressed down the Demon King Path as Demon Kings, there were six ranks, most of which were undersaturated:
    1- Lesser Demon King - The lowest rank, newly ascended or ruling a small domain.
    2- Greater Demon King - A more powerful ruler with established authority.
    3- Archdemon - A mighty and feared leader commanding vast legions.
    4- Demon Emperor - A near-supreme ruler with dominion over multiple regions in HELL.
    5- Demon Overlord - A master of the demonic hierarchy, commanding countless Demon Kings (normally).
    6- Demon God - The highest possible rank, considered a divine-like being of absolute power.
    Each rank was further split into Early, Middle, Late, and Peak stages. Yet, for just about every single Demon King in the current era, none of these rankings even mattered.
    According to Hellion, who was surprised to figure out that he knew of the Demon King Path, the Top 5 Demon Kings were Demon Overlords. And this was where it got weird, as there were no Demon Kings below the Demon Overlord rank. Of course, this didn't mean that no other Demon King was stronger than a Lesser Demon King; it was just that they embarked on a separate, more "unrefined" path.
    To Demon Kings of old and new, the "unrefined" path was simply the one that most other races¡ªand even their own kind¡ªused. Excluding the Angelic Path of the Heavenly Kingdom, the Demon King Path truly was the more "refined" option.
    However, as to why there were only five Demon Kings presently walking the Demon King Path, it was rumored that those same Demon Kings wiped out all others when the Demon God vanished many, many years ago. It was even said that there used to be tens of thousands of Demon Kings, and the Demon Realm was far larger than it was now.
    But with time, things change.
    The Demon King Path was now nothing more than an urban myth, something that only the five most ancient and tyrannical Demon Kings could verify the veracity of.
    So far, Cassius had progressed to the Peak stage of the Lesser Demon King Rank, which he assumed to be pretty decent. And that was with him practicing the Fundamental Body Refinement Manual and Demon Dragon Integration Arts on top of that.
    The latter was a very simple technique. All Cassius had to do was focus on the Demon Dragon Bloodline within himself and concentrate in an attempt to amplify the amount of the bloodline present inside him. By doing this, both his proficiency in the technique and his Demon Dragon Bloodline improved.
    On the note of bloodlines, his Bloodlines, as of now, looked like:
    {[Bloodline]}
    1. [(SS-Rank) Demon King] - [100%]
    2. [(SS-Rank) Ordinary Phoenix] - [42.6%]
    3. [(S-Rank) Oracle Sphinx] - [100%]
    4. [(SS-Rank) Demon Dragon] - [1.8%]
    And then there was¡­
    5. [(SSS-Rank) Duke Vampire] - [0.001%]
    "Wait¡­ Hold up! What is that last one!? And when did it get here?!" Cassius's eyes widened in shock as he was in the process of clearing a Low Purple-rank Gate in the winterlands of Russia.
    "...This is¡­ Could this be the reason for how I can now see through people's bodies for no apparent reason?"
    Things were beginning to piece themselves together inside his head. Yet, even if everything now made a lot more sense, why he had this Bloodline in the first place was still a complete mystery.
    "This isn't some sort of damn spider-bites-the-man-and-the-man-turns-into-Spiderman incident, is it?" Stay tuned to empire
    Cassius tried recalling if he had ever had a run-in with a bat, but his mind drew blanks!
    "If it's not that, then was I at some point bitten by an actual¡­ vampire???" His voice, on the brink of relapse, echoed throughout a vast snowy field.
    The Yetis in the area, who populated this Gate, all turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Their eyes were quickly consumed by a savage red glow, and they charged toward the voice. As they were the size of mountains, they destroyed entire forests in their maniacal rampaging.
    Though, for Cassius, it was more annoying than anything to listen to all this rumbling.
    He casually tossed out a few Rare-ranked Evoballs, and out popped dozens of A++ and S- - Rank Evomon. Nyxvoldar, at the forefront, was the smallest and leanest of the bunch, but with his flowing shadowy electric mane to back his presence, his S-Rank aura radiated outward.
    Nyxvoldar was so powerful now that even the Cassius from a month ago would not stand a chance against it. There was no questioning its strength. And when it blurred forward at a mere two and a half meters in size, entire snow mountain ranges were uprooted and violently thrown into the air.
    Cassius threw a glance at Nyxvoldar and the massive Evomon tagging fast behind before refocusing on this new Bloodline of his. Although he still had no idea where it came from or how he acquired it, he knew of its SSS-Rank status. He also paid attention to the noteworthy word placed behind the 'Vampire' word.

 Chapter 132 {[Duke Vampire Bloodline (SSS-Rank)]} - [0.001%]

    {[Duke Vampire Bloodline (SSS-Rank)]} - [0.001%]¡ª[This Bloodline is one that any number of Vampires would kill for, as it is the second-highest bloodline in all of Nightingale, second only to the Vampire King's direct Bloodline.]
    ¡ª[To have access to this mighty Bloodline, there are two possible scenarios. One: you are born as a vampire and are the descendant of a Vampire Duke. Two: you are bitten by either a genuine Vampire Duke or by one of the Duke's descendants.]
    ¡ª[Bloodline grants inhuman levels of strength, agility, and defense. 2000% increases across the board.]
    ¡ª[Bloodline grants a plethora of vampyric bloodline abilities, of which there are three types. One: Basic Bloodline Abilities; every Vampire, no matter their bloodline rank, has them. Two: Rank-specific Bloodline Abilities; these are better if the rank of the Bloodline is better. Three: Individual-specific Ability(s); Typically only one Ability per person, and this Ability can be considered the trademark of that person, their Unique Ability per se.] Find adventures on empire
    Focusing on the Vampire explanation segment, Cassius automatically crossed out the option involving him having been born a vampire. The second option had to be the correct one.
    But that didn't change the confusing matter at hand: How in the f*ck did he get bitten by a Vampire?? And for how long has he not known??
    Cassius tried asking the System, yet came back empty-handed and in a sour mood. The System definitely knew something he didn't, as it was quite obvious by the smug emoticons it used, but it refused to tell him anything. It soaked and drenched itself in his sorrows and grievances, not caring a single bit about how this situation affected him.
    'Even after putting on the Newbie 7 Equipment Set and weighing more than most cities, I am still being bullied by this unreasonable system¡­'
    Cassius had many hateful words he wanted to get out but felt it to be all too pointless to do something like that. Instead, he scanned through more of the intricate parts of the Duke Vampire Bloodline. It increased his stats by a substantial amount, and he read of a way to further improve these increases. But to do that, he had to progress the Bloodline.
    To do that, he had to¡­ suck the blood of other living beings.
    However, according to the description, he could also drain blood like how Lilith has been doing. With her method of draining, she even just recently managed to advance to the S+ Rank, putting her at an even higher all-around rank than her master. As he had been spending most of his time progressing in his techniques, he didn't Gate farm as much in comparison. Thanks to this and his addiction to dumping all his AP into his Agility stat, several of his stats were even lower than Nyxvoldar's highest stats.
    He had an addiction, yes. There was nothing after that¡­ He was simply a raging addict.
    'But back to the topic of draining blood,' Cassius thought, distracting himself from admitting that he had a problem. 'Even though it's something rather unsanitary, even for me, if I wish to obtain more strength and figure out how a Vampire secretly bit me, then I'll need to suck some blood.'
    As soon as he realized what he had to do to truly get things rolling, he called for the return of his Evomon. He made sure to order them not to completely evaporate the A++ |Frigid Ice Yetis|, instead ordering them to bring the corpses back in mostly intact conditions.
    It took a few minutes for the hordes of colossal Ice Yetis to get slaughtered by the Evomon, but once that did happen, they returned with hundreds of carcasses. And as their Liege activated a Basic Vampire Ability called 'Blood Drain' with his own little mass absorption spin, he was also reminded of a very important matter.
    Namely, it was the Quest pertaining to the Extraterrestrial Gremlins that he had to locate and kill 10 of. As of now, not a single one had been located and not a single one had been killed. And although the time limit for the Quest gave him plenty of wiggle room, he still felt like the sooner he got the Quest done with and out of the way, the better.
    {[Main Quest #3]}
    {[Task: Discover and kill [0/20 Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiends]]}
    {[Task Time Limit: 1 Month, 28 Days, 21 Hours, 54 Minutes, 37 Seconds]} - [Tic, Toc, time's running out. Move your a*s, lard face!]
    {[Reward 1 - [1000 AP]]}
    {[Reward 2 - [S-Rank 'Extraterrestrial Sight']]}
    {[Reward 3 - [200 Uncommon Evoballs]]}
    {[Reward 4 - [S-Rank 'Stellar Flight']]}
    The rewards as they were weren't all that appealing to Cassius, as he could already fly and he had plenty of AP and Evoballs. However, something within him was telling him that Stellar Flight was more than it seemed. He also believed the same thing about the Extraterrestrial Sight Skill. Instinctively, he knew that they were both mystical Skills necessary for the journey that would follow.
    Yet, he still had to figure out how in the hell he was supposed to find those aliens¡­
    Even with his rather powerful Perception Stat, he was unable to scan through thousands and tens of thousands of people's System Tags without mixing them up as they moved. This meant that he either had to be in close proximity to one of these Gremlin Extraterrestrials or he needed to increase the Perception Stat that was already in the S- range.
    Yet, even with all that, doubt still lingered inside Cassius's mind. A higher Perception Stat wouldn't necessarily improve his scanning capabilities in that capacity, which meant that Auxiliary Skills were required. However, even with tens of thousands of unique and versatile Skills having come his way because of Skill Boxes, none of it seemed to make too much of a difference in that regard. Even the S-Rank/Ruby-rank Skills did nothing much to improve upon this extremely intricate problem of his.
    This meant that, until a better solution could be found, Cassius had to stick to the simplest plan of simply aimlessly wandering around until he happened upon an Imposter.
    At least he knew all 10 of them were in Hoshito, which¡­ really didn't do much to assist him. Haha¡­ ha¡­ ha... S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 133 {[Heartless Ice Kings Domain (Low Purple-rank)]} - [Semi-CLEARED]

    Cassius sighed while splitting up the blood of the Ice Yetis with his happily vibrating Lilith. The hundreds of Ice Yetis were swiftly drained dry, meaning that it was time to begin the hunt again. Luckily, there were several powerful S-Rank presences popping up in multiple different parts of the extremely expansive domain that was the Low Purple-rank Gate known as 'Heartless Ice King's Domain.'As the name of the Gate implied, there was a mighty Monster dubbed the 'Heartless Ice King.'
    That terrifyingly domineering and massive monster resided within the very depths of this Gate the size of a moon. Naturally, it was the Boss Monster, and according to reports made by the S-Rank groups who cleared this Gate before, that behemoth was the size of a city and sat near the limit of what a small country could manage. Just a single one of its paws would be able to flatten villages and towns, leaving hundreds of thousands of deaths in its wake.
    And if the Heartless Ice King, the bigfuck of an ice bear, ever unleashed its ridiculously cold ice beam, entire countries would turn into ice cubes! S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "At least, that is what they say," muttered Cassius, his piercing bluish-red eyes zooming past the S- 'Permafrost Hawks,' which served as the Mini Bosses of the Gate. "But as with most rumors, they're usually exaggerated."
    He honed in on a large plot of land that appeared unnatural. The land occasionally shook and wiggled around in ways that didn't make much sense. It was only after two windy streams of breath blew out like unstoppable air blasts that one would notice a pair of black flaring nostrils the size of small towns.
    {[Heartless Ice King (S-Rank)(Boss Monster)]} - [Danger Rating: High-Yellow]
    Cassius knew not to trust Danger Ratings anymore. That was unless they were in the Flashing Red or Black range. Otherwise, they were highly varied and didn't do much to accurately gauge the danger he faced with his skewed attributes thrown into the mix.
    "For something like this¡­ A simple attack should work." Cassius coldly snorted as he stuck up his right index finger and concentrated a reddish-purple energy at his fingertip.
    The energy appeared as if it were frozen in place when, in actuality, it was spinning and gathering more energy at a speed so fast that the speed couldn't even be properly perceived. It was only after two seconds of amassing energy that he spoke the name of one of his most-used Skills:
    |Dragon Quasar (S+++)| - |Single shot|
    Fwwoooop¡ª!!
    The sound barrier shattered. The barrier that signified light speed shattered right after. Then, with a straight line of destruction razing havoc through the land, the Skill finally hit its target.
    "!!!"
    The Heartless Ice King attempted to react to this sudden beam attack shot from thousands of miles away, yet it was already too late. By the time it fluttered open one of its massive eyes, half its head had been shaved clean off. Another Dragon Quasar beam cut through the air, and the other half of the head vanished as well.
    In the background, two giant colorful explosions raised into the air in the form of mushroom clouds. However, as if none of the following chaos had anything to do with him, Cassius teleported across the skies and appeared in front of the Heartless Ice King's corpse. He indifferently floated down and started draining the Boss Monster's blood, also making sure to allot a certain amount of it to the ever-voracious Lilith.
    Several System notifications rang out while this was occurring:
    *Ding~!*
    [You have slain the (S-Rank) Boss Monster 'Heartless Ice King']
    [Your Experience Bar has slightly moved!]
    [(SSS-Rank) Duke Vampire Bloodline progressing: 0.230%... 0.260%... 0.350%... 0.470%... 0.620%... 0.780%.]
    [You have slaughtered hundreds more A++ 'Frigid Ice Yetis']
    [Your Experience Bar has barely moved!]
    [You have slain 10+ S- 'Permafrost Hawks']
    [Your Experience Bar has nudged forward!]
    *Ding!*
    {[Heartless Ice King's Domain (Low Purple-rank)]} - [Semi-CLEARED]
    [Would you like to leave the Gate now and allow it to restore all fallen monsters, or would you prefer to continue killing every single last one of the monsters in an attempt to permanently clear the Gate?] - [O1/O2]
    Cassius chose option 1.
    This wasn't even his first time clearing this Gate under Russia's nose, and it certainly wouldn't be the last time. Therefore, permanently closing a prime Gate like this one was a no-go, even if it gave meager amounts of EXP after he exceeded Lvl 95. Then again, every Gate, no matter its rank, now gave barely anything, and this one was definitely one of the better ones.
    Continue your saga on empire
    "Clearing any Gate below the Purple rank is fine, as I've already permanently cleared thousands of them around the world, but as the Purple-rank Gates are still few in number, it's more profitable to keep them around," Cassius mused as he felt himself get torn apart and zorped away by force. "If only just until Purple-rank Gates no longer give me anything of value, I'll need them to stick around."
    There were only a handful of Purple-rank Gates scattered across the globe, numbering no more than 40. And as every one of them had a certain refresh rate, Cassius was forced to clear them in rotation. Now, if he suddenly decided to start permanently closing the only Gates that gave him any decent amount of EXP, then his road to Lvl 100 would be barred off unless he ventured back into HELL. And that just wasn't an acceptable outcome.
    'And besides, all of the Purple-rank Gates are at or below the Middle of the rank, which is just perfect for most of the world powers to safely farm. This means that no one is being hurt or affected by these present Gates staying around,' thought Cassius. 'Unless a freak accident occurs, even the S-Rank Hunters, who have cleared these Gates many times already, are able to clear them without incident.'
    'It is only the newly opened and unfamiliar Gates that pose a threat to Humanity, with the annual death toll being in the tens of millions¡­'

 Chapter 134 Memphiss S-Rank Awakening

    Cassius himself was surprised by the annual human death statistics when he first heard them, and he was even more surprised when he learned that most of those deaths happened because of lower-ranking Gates. Seeing as the weaker Gates had less priority over the stronger Gates, they were neglected and tossed to the back of the line. This often led to countless daily deaths by low-level monsters that could've been avoided.The way he saw it, the world governments should've been putting more effort into finding a way to close all Gates for good. Yet they weren't. The source of the Gates wasn't being actively sought out; no one even seemed to care all that much about it. And just like that, the Gate and Hunter industry transformed into the Pharmaceutical Industry, effectively making everything into a money-grab scheme. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    However, over the last couple of months, Gates have been sprouting up more frequently. This worried the bigwigs upstairs, causing some of them to resume the search for the Source of the Gates¡ªa search that was never even seriously considered to begin with.
    It was unknown what they would find, or if they would even find anything at all. But change was occurring.
    The world was changing.
    Just like it had a century ago, another great Calamity showed signs of awakening. It was on the horizon, simply waiting for the most opportune time to rear its yawning head and bring about the END.
    FWIP!
    Cassius appeared in the outside world of Russia. His appearance was still hidden underneath a shadowy cloak, yet that did little to conceal the otherworldly handsome features that lay underneath¡ªfeatures that took upon his original black-haired, blue-eyed look and improved upon it. As of now, he looked as if a heavenly immortal had descended and taken hold of his body.
    Coincidentally, the Idle Evolution System also said something similar:
    [CHARISMA: 70] - [Like an Immortal descended from heaven, you havith appeared. Grace these lowly mortal peasants with your otherworldly grace!]
    Over the past few weeks, Cassius had been grinding the Daily Quests to no end. It was thanks to this consistent grind fest that he was able to acquire so many Charisma stat points, which subsequently improved his physical aesthetics to a level that exceeded anything seen on Earth. Just a single glance of his could cause hundreds of women to fall head over heels for him. This also made him the archenemy of almost every male in existence, but that hardly mattered to him.
    On a more important note, as Cassius sped out of Russia's territory at several times the speed of light, he felt a familiar presence in one of the Western Countries. His nose crinkled as his brows knitted together. A sigh escaped his lips.
    'That girl is at it again¡­' he thought with a hint of exasperation. 'Ever since she awakened as an S-Rank, and a powerful one at that, she has not returned home for over half a month. I know that she was scouted by one of the most prominent Hunter Guilds in the world¡ªEarth Crusaders¡ªbut she has been obsessed with going into Gates and killing monsters.'
    Cassius worried that the meek girl he picked up in a Gate following her father's death was no longer the cute, quiet girl he once knew. The yearning for revenge that bubbled inside her after she learned of her newfound power drove her out of the family she had made, instead dragging her down a spiraling pit of no return.
    There was also an incident twenty or so days ago that nudged the soft-spoken Memphis further into the path of monster slaying. Specifically, it was when her uncle somehow found her location and began urging her to come into his care.
    That event scared her; the fear etched into her beautiful face was something Cassius would never forget.
    At first, he was going to deal with her uncle himself, but seeing as this was a hurdle she had to overcome, he held back until a point where his assistance was absolutely necessary. This decision led to a long, drawn-out period of time where kind-faced harassment was typical. The police even became involved at some point, but they were swiftly sent back where they came from by Cassius's mind manipulation abilities. Discover more content at empire
    And then came an event where Memphis's uncle tried to force himself on her when she left for a quick errand to a nearby grocery store. Cassius was prepared to end this whole thing right then and there as he had been keeping a close eye on her. But that was when it happened¡­
    A bright, effulgent light erupted from Memphis's body as soon as her uncle attempted to grope her. This light pushed him back multiple feet, knocking him against a brick wall. Then, when the light surrounding Memphis vanished, an entirely new version of her appeared. The cold, ruthless gleam in her glowing eyes scared her uncle witless. And within mere moments, he left the area, never to return.
    She did not stop him.
    Cassius did.
    He felt it to be his obligation to clean up any messes that could potentially backfire on Memphis and the women he now considered as part of his family. If they were unable to get their hands dirty, then he would dirty his hands in their stead.
    However, after that incident concluded, Memphis never returned to how she was.
    Something that occurred must've made her feel that only her own power could be relied upon, because she never again asked Cassius for help. He didn't bother explaining how he had been secretly looking out for her, and she never thought to ask; after all, very few knew just how powerful he had become.
    Memphis went to the Hunter's Association to get her rank tested the very next day. Everyone in Hoshito was astonished to discover that an actual S-Rank Awakener had appeared in their humble city. The headlines even up till now all featured her, with even national newspapers not missing out on any coverage related to the newest S-Rank Hunter, the one who was expected to take the place of the once illustrious Static Baron.

 Chapter 135 Memphiss Departure

    Memphis left Hoshito the same day her rank was discovered. She bid farewell to Cassius and the other girls who had treated her like a sister, yet she didn't shed a tear. Sasha and even the tsundere Aya teared up, but she did not. It wasn't that she didn't care or had turned into an emotionless robot; it was just that she had a new goal in mind that she had to achieve no matter what.All Gates in the world would permanently disappear, and she would be the one to make it happen. This was what she vowed to herself. Emotions would have to be put on the backburner.
    After taking one long and hard look at Cassius, Memphis bit her lips and held back what she wanted to say. She couldn't even bring herself to look him in the eyes right now, let alone confess her feelings to him and tell him how she'd pay him back for everything he had done for her.
    The truth was that they lived in two different worlds. At least, that was how Memphis saw it.
    The last thing she wanted to do was get Cassius and her family mixed up in the dangerous life of a Hunter. To that end, she stayed her tongue and embarked on a path of her own, all while holding back her emotions. She bottled them up deep inside herself, hoping they would never again see the light of day. Not until all Gates in the world were gone. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Sasha was quite gloomy for the week following Memphis's departure. She had even prepared everything the young girl would have needed for the new school year, all of which no longer mattered. Even Aya and Stella, who got along quite well with Memphis, weren't as chipper as usual. There was also Grace, who had been informed of Cassius's unusual housing guest situation a while back. Although jealous that all these girls, including the mellow Memphis, had been living so intimately with the guy she liked, she eventually befriended everyone except for Yimin and Hellion, the former of whom simply didn't like anyone besides her Master. Period.
    Hence, Grace, too, was saddened by Memphis's departure. She understood very well why her friend had to go, but it still wasn't a very pleasant thing to experience. She had to go on many dates with Mr. Loverboy to make up for the missing part of her heart. Aya and the others, of course, did everything in their power to prevent these outings from ever happening. Discover stories with empire
    However, the shy Grace was a lot more cunning than one might imagine.
    Almost every single attempt of hers to get Cassius to go on a date with her ended up in great success. She also outplayed her rivals in love, distracting them or sneaking past them with ease. All in all, she was leading in the game that was getting closer to the man so handsome that he had to wear a hood wherever he went.
    He was also so dense that light bent around him. This frustrating quality of his made it nearly impossible for him to cheat, but it also posed an unbelievable challenge for anyone who wished to leave the friend zone. All except for Hellion, who remained a third-party observer to it all, understood very well just how dense Cassius's density wall of unimaginable density actually was.
    Hell, Yimin practically threw herself at him at every opportunity she got, yet every attempt got her no closer to sneaking into his pants. All she wanted to do was play with the dragon! Perhaps have a battle of the dragons underneath the covers! Was that so bad??
    Yet, even with one of the competitors journeying out into the vast world in pursuit of revenge, neither Yimin nor the other girls felt Loverboy becoming any more attracted to them. He was like a gawdamn Buddha, for f***'s sake! It was infuriating!
    Even Sasha, who became more and more pent up with time, gave out occasional, unintentional hints. They were all for naught, of course. This led to even more unrest in her unsatisfied nightlife.
    She knew it had been around two months since she did the deed, but that was normally nowhere near enough to have her acting up like this. If she was being honest, it wasn't until she married Adam Steele that she felt perpetually unsatisfied. She recalled doing it with him numerous times, yet it all felt wrong somehow¡ªlike none of it even happened. Now, either his willy was too small and his technique too mediocre to satisfy, or something was¡­ amiss.
    Sasha's conundrum was problematic and troublesome, to say the least¡­
    ¡ª--------------
    When Cassius returned home and entered through the front door, he was surprised to find Sasha cooking up a bomb of a meal for breakfast. He also noticed the clothing she was wearing. It was rather¡­
    Risque¡­ Alluring? Definitely.
    Sasha had on only her faintly see-through nightgown and a loosely tied apron. The apron did very little to hide the two mountainous lumps of jiggling gelatin in the back, with the nightgown also helping none in that regard.
    Sasha's attire did an unparalleled job of accentuating her slim waist, ample breasts, and child-bearing hips. If a Milf-hunting contest was held in Hoshito to determine who was the hottest Milf, everyone would be searching for her.
    Today, Sasha was the only one to have her long, silky blond hair tied into an enchanting ponytail. The others, currently sitting around the dining room table, all let their luscious hair hang loose and shimmer like the most mesmerizing of waterfalls.
    "!!!"
    Yimin, upon inhaling a whiff of her Master's intoxicating scent, immediately stood up and jumped in his direction.
    "Master, you should've told Yimin right away that you were coming back!! Yimin wanted to come with you, but Master said no. Yimin doesn't understand why Master said this! Please don't leave Yimin alone again! Waahh!"
    Cassius contemplated the thought of pushing her away, but she seemed genuinely upset, so he let her be. Noticing something while looking down at her, he thought, 'It appears that the Green-ranked Dragon Pellets I acquired from that one Gate did the trick. Her overall combat power has already exceeded the S+ Rank. It surely won't be long before she reaches the very pinnacle of the S-Rank.'

 Chapter 136 Lingering Questions...

    The silly dragon's speed couldn't compare to Cassius's, as he was a speed demon, but her other raw attributes far surpassed his. She was, after all, a high-born pure-blooded Dragon descended from a mighty Universal Species, so this was to be expected. However, even then, it was hard to say for certain if she beat him in anything if he made use of his Fundamental Body Refinement Manuals. Then again, none had been able to force out his full power since his run-in with Hellion, so nothing was for certain.A slightly annoyed feminine sigh echoed out while Cassius was being smothered by the busty dragonoid beauty.
    "I see that that stubborn girl still hasn't gotten out of the habit of calling you 'Master'," Sasha said with a small pout. "I know you told me that you found her sad and alone on the side of the street, and that she's foreign, but no matter how I think about it, no country has a Master-servant custom set in place for benefactors¡­"
    Aya narrowed her eyes along with her mother. "That dirty playboy is no good, Mother. You mustn't believe a word that he says," she announced. "For all we know, Cassius, the stinky stoopid pervert, brought her over from some suspicious site! Same with the Egyptian one!"
    Hellion momentarily turned her head up from a book she was reading at the large table of their massive mansion before returning to her reading time. She wasn't the least bit interested in any of the mortals she had seen so far; the only one who caught her eye was the indifferent Cassius¡ªan anomaly whose presence somehow became stronger every time she saw him. As he was, she had no clue just how powerful he had become.
    'The END of times edges ever closer. HELL will also begin to make their move,' she thought in passing. 'I only wonder which part this child has to play in it all.'
    The more Hellion thought about it, the wider her smirk became. She truly couldn't wait for the time that would follow; it might just make all that she had done so far worth it.
    Cassius noticed the peculiarities present in the stupidly gorgeous Egyptian beauty, yet found it hard to decipher what she was thinking about when a pair of vicious sapphire-blue eyes was piercing into his soul. Aya, in all her beauty, knew not how to make use of it, nor did she know how to take a gentler approach. She only knew of the violent way¡ªthe Tsundere way.
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    "So, Cassius!?" Aya raised her voice while taking step after step in his direction. "Are you going to tell us where Sister Stella, Sister Memphis, and the two bimbos actually came from? But knowing you, you won't say a single thing, will you??"
    Cassius bitterly smiled, doing well to hide most of his emotions beneath his shadowy cloak. "...I truly don't have an inkling of an idea what you are talking about, Aya love¡ª"
    "Hwa!?" Aya's cheeks suddenly radiated a crimson flush, with her feet dancing around in place. "Y-You pervert!" she declared before leaving the kitchen in a flustered rush.
    "???"
    "Did I say something wrong?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Everyone looked at Cassius like they were looking at the most indestructible wall in the history of walls. If any well-renowned construction worker were here, they could surely learn a thing or two about structural density.
    "My poor daughter¡­ Haiz," Sasha sighed, a silent part of her finding it hard to believe that she was also in the same predicament as her beloved Aya. "Cassius, are you trying to seduce my daughter?"
    "Seduce her?" Cassius parroted in confusion. "How so?"
    'He's so¡­ hopeless¡­' Stella and Sasha both thought in unison.
    Hellion merely chuckled, finding it very amusing how such a powerful and mysterious human could be so terrible¡ªor rather, superb¡ªwhen it came to women. 'All those around him are throwing hints of love left and right, yet he evades those things like the plague. He's certainly a very funny man, even more so when he's doing all this unintentionally.'
    Squishing her cheeks against his cloak, Yimin looked up with round shining eyes. "Master can seduce Yimin anytime that he wishes! Yimin is ready to be seduced! Then we can get to f*cking and making the babies¡ª"
    Cassius clasped her mouth and silenced her.
    Looking at the judging expressions of the other girls in the spacious mansion kitchen, he said, "Don't mind her, as usual. In her home country, this is normal behavior toward someone who feels indebted to someone else. I just hope she feels a little 'less' indebted at some point¡­" He eyed the cheeky dragon still clinging to his stomach, to which he saw her stunning eyes avert his gaze.
    Cassius huffed a little before diverting his attention back toward Sasha and Stella. "The new school year is starting tomorrow, and I still plan to go. I assume everything is good here even if I'm not here?"
    'Perhaps I'll find some Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiends at a populated place like Hoshito General High. I've been constantly frequenting the malls, the police stations, the Hunter's Association, and the City Hall, but no luck. I only need to locate 1 of 10 and follow the trail back to the rest of them, but Lady Luck has been avoiding me as of late¡ª'
    "It was good here every time you left for days on end doing whatever it is you do. Why worry about us now?" replied Sasha, her tone indicating how upset she was.
    "Indeed. Just do whatever you're going to do anyway. Humph!" Even Stella, who was normally very laid-back, showed her displeasure over how often he left her alone.
    'I only came to live with you for you, you big dummy. And yet you head out to either clear Gates or pick up vixens without me! If I were there, then no woman would dare get close, and I could also help with Gate clearing! What are you challenging? Yellow and Red-Rank Gates? I have gone on many such Gate raids! You big dummy!'

 Chapter 137 A Couple Pale Stalkers

    That was what Stella wanted to say, yet, like usual, she just wasn't able to voice her grievances. It was really frustrating."Ahh, would you look at the time¡­?" Cassius suddenly said, sweat beads raining down his face, his heart full of guilt. "I have to go walk the goldfish!¡ªI mean walk the go¡­ walk myself down the roads of this go~reat town and head to work. As it's my final day, I should really settle everything. Yes, yes, I really must do this. I'll see you both in a few hours! Talk then!"
    After looking away from his invisible watch, Cassius hurried out the door.
    "Jerk," Stella grumbled.
    "Agreed," said Sasha, her cheeks filled with air. She swayed her charming hips and buttocks before finishing up breakfast. Though, since it was just her and the similarly minded Stella eating, she had to pack the rest for the others. Fortunately, with several large fancy fridges and freezers in the house, there was plenty of room to store the leftovers.
    ¡ªMeanwhile, just outside a giant mansion surrounded by several other mansions¡ª
    On his way out, Cassius completely forgot to drop off his clingy dragon, which led to him throwing her over his shoulders.
    His path to work naturally caused many people to point and stare, as although they couldn't make out all of his appearance, they could tell that he was tall and handsome. Add that to the silver-haired beauty happily swinging her legs while sitting on him, and they surmised this man to be the¡ª
    ¡ªMysterious Bookstore Model¡ªthe one said to be more handsome than even the most popular K-pop idols!
    While everyone was whispering about him, Cassius was thinking about something else. 'As today is also the last day of my Daily Quests, I wonder if I'll receive anything decent? Maybe the System will be generous this time around¡­'
    He probably jinxed it, but oh well. A man could only hope.
    During his entire walk toward Bookworm's Paradise, Cassius failed to notice the starry-eyed girl hiding behind a couple of collapsed brick walls. She was the one to destroy them, and did so in broad daylight, yet not a single passerby so much as looked in her direction. As a Duke Vampire Descendant, her powers were simply unfathomable¡­
    With an ominous black aura seeping from her pores, Bella mumbled so quickly that her words came out in an insane sputtering. The longer she stood there and mumbled, the more her aura grew out of control. And although nobody could even see her right now, that didn't mean they couldn't feel their spines tingling. Even a newborn baby in a stroller began to cry when Bella's pupils fully darkened and transformed into bottomless purple abysses.
    'I just want to love you¡­!! Why won't you let me love you!??'
    WHOOOSH!
    Her surging emotions caused an unusual phenomenon to emerge in the area. Esoteric miasmic energies shot out and spun around with one another before fusing and creating a violent vortex of vampyric energy. To others, however, it looked like a twister suddenly materialized in the middle of the street. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "How in the hell could there be a twister out here!? What the sh*t is going on??" Experience new stories on empire
    "Who gives a f*ck, dude! Just run!"
    Those in the vicinity, mostly unawakened, ran for the hills as soon as the twister appeared. This quick and decisive action on their part led to no casualties. And by the time the evil twister dispersed, there were only three people still present in the surroundings. One was the deranged black-haired girl, and the other two were a pair of pale-faced people in suits. One was a woman, whereas the other was a man. They were both exceptionally beautiful, but they held an eternal touch of disdain on their expressions, which lessened their aesthetics quite a bit.
    "The young miss is at it again," said the man. His eyes zoomed past the crazed Bella and landed on the distant figure of Cassius. The man's face twisted in disdain as he said, in a scornful tone, "I just can't fathom why someone as distinguished as the young miss became like this all because of a measly human. Tsk!"
    "Calm yourself, Leon," the woman lectured. "The young miss's personal life is not something neither you nor I can interfere in. We are simply here to protect her. That is all."
    Despite the woman's words, it wasn't like she viewed the human in any better light than her male counterpart. In her mind and in the minds of most vampires, humans were just dirty, pitiful creatures, none of them deserving to be viewed as anything more than livestock. And they weren't the only race to view humans like this, as almost every race thought along the same lines. Even their arch nemesis, the werewolves, could agree with them on this.
    Hell, even aliens saw humans as livestock and test subjects!
    "Do we really have to keep allowing that human to continue on living??" the pale man asked, his voice coming out in a low growl. He bared his sharp pearly white fangs, and his brown pupils turned a dark shade of red. "Can we not just turn him into a husk and save our princess from being tarnished any further by his presence???"
    The beautiful pale woman hesitated slightly, yet let out a sigh in the end. "...Just hold in your frustrations, Leon. I am aware of your past of pursuing the young miss, but you must learn when to give it up. Even the Lord has said not to mess with that human unless his daughter willed it. And even then, he seemed nervous while saying that¡­ It's better¡­ It's better if you just forget about your passion and move on."
    Leon ground his teeth while painfully watching the woman he fancied crazily obsess over another man. For more than a dozen years, he had been forced to endure the nonsensical reality that was the dynamic before him. It was insufferable! That human angered him to no end!
    'What does the young miss even see in that blood bag anyway!?' Leon thought, his expression livid. 'Although he doesn't look that bad now, up until a couple months ago, he looked even more hideous than the Goblins from the Monster Realm! What could the young miss possibly see in this inferior worm!??'

 Chapter 138 Only a Thousand Deaths instead of a Million

    The more Leon mulled over it, the angrier he became. His pretty face became not so pretty. Gina, the pale woman, saw this and shook her head.'He'll never learn, will he?' she thought. 'I just hope he doesn't lose his mind and cause any trouble that could backfire on me.'
    She decided she would lecture her junior by more than a hundred years when they returned to Nightingale for the day. Though, knowing him, she believed it to be very likely that he'd disregard her advice and act recklessly. This would be bad¡­ Read exclusive adventures at empire
    ¡ª--------------
    "Ka! Those b*tches!" Bella screamed to herself while sneaking a few hundred meters behind her husband. "And I can't believe that my cheater of a husband has been stowing away all of these vixens until now! Does he not love me anymore!? How does he think this makes me feel!?"
    Although no one could hear her yelling out her grievances, they could feel the hair-tingling aura from miles away. As if based on instinct, everyone steered away from the block that the country-toppling beauty was venting on. They scampered away while sweating bullets, with black streaks clouding their faces. The only ones gutsy enough to stick around were Leon and Gina, Bella's personal guards¡ªprotection she had no clue about.
    Suddenly, Bella burst out laughing, her voice creepily peeling back the edges of her pale-faced guards' ears. "Guhehe¡­ I'll just kill them¡­!! Yes, the solution was so simple! Why have I not thought of it until now!?"
    She definitely has.
    "If I kill all of the b*tches, then my husband will be mine and mine alone!! When his birthday happens in two days, I'll lock him up inside a basement and then allow no one to enter¡­!! Any other whores won't even receive the chance to seduce my hubby!! Guhehe¡­! All mine! ALL MINE!!!"
    Bella's maniacal voice rang through the neighborhood as she faded from view. Although she couldn't kill, slaughter, gut, and then kill again those thieving b*tches until she commenced the Vampire Marital Ritual, she would undoubtedly kill them! They would all die! Every single one of them!!
    ¡ªOutside of Bookworm's Paradise¡ª
    Cassius sneezed, then wiped his nose in confusion. "What is this chill I'm feeling? Do I have a cold or something?"
    That should've been an impossibility with his high stats, but he should know better than to believe something to be impossible. Just two and a half months ago, if someone told him that he would be capable of leveling entire cities and regions with ease, he would have told them they were nuts. But now look at him. He was like a Deity on Land.
    A bit of conceit nearly formed inside his heart, then he recalled those ridiculously powerful presences laying in wait within HELL. They were the 72nd, 71st, and 70th Demon Kings, all of which resided on the 1st Floor of HELL. And every one of them could extinguish his life a thousand times over before he even knew what happened, this still being the case with all his current strength.
    Over the past month, Cassius had become an entirely different person, with his power being countless times greater than before. However, what difference did all of that make in the face of those terrifying and ancient entities?
    He was lacking.
    'Well, at least I'll only die a thousand times over now instead of millions of times,' Cassius consoled himself while stepping foot into a store that smelled of earth. 'It's good to know that books still give the same solace now as they did before.'
    With a small smile gracing his chiseled features, he looked off to the side and saw the similarly smiling Bella. She stood behind the front desk, wearing a greenish-brown work uniform, seemingly acting like she had been there the entire time. Cassius's brows creased in slight puzzlement, as he felt something to be a bit off.
    After a brief pause, he shook his head and refocused his gaze on the charming miss Bella. "You are looking lovely as always. Do you happen to know where the Boss is? I wanted to discuss with him about this being my last day working here."
    "The Boss?" Bella repeated, while thinking, 'I killed the original one after he harassed me a while back, but with one of my servants disguised as the clone of him, sure, I'll let you see the 'Boss.''
    Her eyes creased upward as she modestly giggled. "I'll go and get the Boss right away; he just so happens to be here today. Oh, and your final day, which also just so happens to be my final day, shall be shorter. The Boss mentioned something about closing shop early today, which is just such a silly coincidence."
    "Oh¡­ Okay¡­" Cassius, not knowing precisely what she was hinting at, just nodded and awkwardly smiled.
    When Bella brought out a larger and rounder man with a weird toupee on, Cassius got to chatting right away. He was also not focused enough to notice the sweat rolling down the Boss's face as he secretly glanced at the shadow-faced girl standing off to the side. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    'Why did Leon and Gina get assigned to something so distant when I had to do something where I have to get up close and personal?? This is bullsh*t!'
    The Boss let out his grievances within his mind while keeping up a friendly and professional facade on the outside. However, after the discussion concluded and he returned to the back rooms, he went back to sweating his balls off and complaining non-stop. He was also incoherently recounting everything he said to the human, scared that he might've said something that didn't please his temperamental young miss.
    As someone who had seen multiple iterations of 'Bosses,' this vampire in disguise knew very well how little of a thing one could do wrong to get axed by the young miss when it pertained to Cassius.
    And by 'axed,' it was implied literally; you would get your head chopped off by an ax, with your subsequent revival halted until the young miss was in a good enough mood to permit it¡­

 Chapter 139 Outing with Bella

    To many in Bella's Duke Vampire household, Bella was known as the 'Tyrant.' And for good reason, as any who crossed paths with her, even the heirs of other Noble Vampire households, all ended up with terrible fates. Whether within her own household or outside it, none of it mattered to her. She would destroy the lives of anyone who messed with her, and that was even more the case if it involved her 'husband.'Bella was already someone many looked down on for claiming a mere human worm to be her husband, but when she strutted around with her marriage to him practically plastered on her smug face, nearly all of Nightingale felt ticked off. Even the older generation vampires were no exception.
    Yet, even with so much opposition to her supposed marriage, Bella cared not the least bit. In fact, she cared so little about what they thought that she asked for a special, basically permanent tattoo of her being railed by someone who had Cassius's general appearance. Most of the naughty bits were covered up, of course, as she couldn't show off her nude body to anyone other than her husband, but the intent was there. And that same intent annoyed the hell out of an innumerable number of young masters living in Nightingale.
    The situation became even worse when all of the young masters saw the spiritual tattoo magically move from Bella's shoulder to the nape of her neck. She had it like that all the time while visiting Nightingale, and this enraged countless powerful vampires, all of whom wanted to tear the human in the tattoo piece by piece. On the other hand, when she was assuming her earthling identity, she had the revealing tattoo situated at her pelvis area, which she sensually touched on a daily basis.
    All in all, Bella was¡­ batsh*t crazy!
    Although her immense love was undeniable¡­ She was just missing too many screws to pursue her love in an ordinary manner. Crazy was all she could manage.
    She was also very good at hiding her extreme case of the crazies. Today, just like all the other days she 'coincidentally' worked the same shift as her love, she acted completely normal and did her job in a way befitting a professional.
    And just like that, Bella's and Cassius's half shift of four hours came to a swift end. With that, neither of them would ever be working at Bookworm's Paradise again.
    After bidding farewell to the 'Boss' and thanking him for the opportunity, Cassius exited the bookstore without his uniform, as he made sure to bring a spare pair of dress clothes to change into. Right beside him, having done something similar to him, was the seemingly indifferent Bella. He curtly nodded at her before spinning on his heel and making his way home.
    However, after a few seconds, Cassius realized that he had a quiet stalker following his every step. He stopped and sighed. Turning around, he asked the not-so-smooth whistling girl, "I assume you want to go to the usual?"
    Bella's sparkly eyes immediately brightened as she stole his gaze. "You mean the cat cafe on Dojo Street!?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Mhmm."
    "Hell yeah I wanna go with you¡ª Err, I mean, it's whatever. I'll entertain you if you're begging me like that!"
    "Sure¡­"
    Bella's top-tier acting skills always slipped up at times like this, yet Cassius found it quite funny and a bit cute. She seemed so rigid most of the time, like she was living a lie of a life, so times where she let her true feelings shine through were refreshing to see.
    As for how they ended up going out and doing stuff together, it all started with the topic of cats. One thing led to another, and they ended up going to a famous cat cafe in Hoshito. The exact one they were sitting at today¡­
    "Hihi~! Jump, kitty! Cute kitties~"
    'Well, she seems to be having fun,' Cassius thought with a small smile. A lazy black cat hung off the top of his head, occasionally playing with his locks of black hair. This cat was the same one that came to him the last few times, and it was also the only one¡­
    A few types of animals just didn't seem to like him much anymore after he assimilated with so many bloodlines. Cats just so happened to be one of them.
    Bella glanced over from the horde of cats dogpiling her. Those sparkling eyes of hers flashed with a bit of jealousy when she saw how close the black cat was with her man. She knew very well how irrational her jealousy was, but that didn't mean she could just stop feeling it. Especially when the cat in question was smugly 'looking' at her like that.
    Cassius secretly realized what he assumed was going through Bella's head as she had reacted like this the last few times as well. 'How silly. Ha¡­' he inwardly smiled before diverting his attention to his inner mind space. 'Both my Basic Attack and Defend Technique Manuals are about to break through to the 5th Layer.'
    He would probably only need a couple more days to officially advance them to the 5th Layer, and by then, a total of 15 Layers would have been achieved. That would mark a major milestone, possibly one that could show him some of this 'Path to Immortality.'
    As the seconds turned into minutes, Bella began to look more and more like a cat herself. While staring daggers at the black cat lounging on Cassius's head, feisty mumbling stringed from her cherry red lips. She and the black cat were never destined to get along with one another. Never ever, ever!
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    When the two-hour time they had was up, Cassius got up and pulled away the girl that seemed ready to get into a violent cat fight with an actual cat. He wasn't sure why she was so jealous of a cat, but after profusely apologizing to the staff for her behavior, he hastily left the cafe.
    Bella, acting like nothing had even happened, giddily told the staff that they would be back. After which, she glared at the 'smug' black cat and haughtily left.
    Who was the one leaving with Cassius?? It was her¡ªBella Crestmore! Not some feline!
    This was a win for the OG's!

 Chapter 140 Bella breaks character, Opinion on the Girls...?

    After catching up to her 'husband,' Bella went on a long rant about how much she liked kitties. It was only after nearly half an hour of her yapping at a dessert shop that she brought up a different subject."Yoush goingzz to da schoolss tomorrow, aren'tt ya?" she asked while cupping her stuffed cheeks in delight.
    Cassius struggled to maintain his deadpan expression while staring at the normally serious girl acting like she was. Answering her question, he said, "I am indeed going to school tomorrow. Same with you?"
    "Mhmm~!" Bella responded with a euphoric look on her face. "Dis cake is sho goodz~! You wants shome!? Here, have shom!"
    Without waiting for his response, she spooned up a bit of the strawberry pastry she had been munching on. Filling his mouth with it, she expectantly waited for him to give his opinion on it.
    At first, Cassius was just going to swallow it and say it was good regardless of how it actually tasted, but once the cake melted on his taste buds, his eyes lit up. After chewing and swallowing it all, he said, "It's good."
    Bella was silent for a moment, then her face brightened up as she said, in a happy tone, "I know, right?? Hihi~"
    Cassius had been feeling that something was off with the Goddess of his school for a while now; however, it was in moments like these that he felt he had just been imagining things. A large part of him simply believed that Bella was sort of like Aya or Stella in a way, all of whom pretended to be someone they weren't. He wasn't certain that this was actually the case, but it was the best theory he could come up with on his own.
    'People are complicated living organisms, and women even more so,' Cassius thought to himself while enjoying his time with the girl that shone like a blinding star. 'Since the Idle Evolution System came into my life, I have met many unique girls, all with their own unique stories.'
    'Stella, I feel the most kinship with as we have similar unsolved pasts. Her mysteries are my mysteries.'
    'Memphis, I see as a younger sister, with her past also fully laid out before me.'
    Ooof. She felt that one while hunting A-Rank Monsters in Low Purple-rank Gate in New Zealand.
    'Sasha, an excellent mother, is very unlike how she was in my previous timeline. On top of everything else that came along with this whacked Isekai, I am extremely grateful that I was able to experience the real version of Sasha. Her kindness will surely bring her daughter to great heights.'
    'My father truly doesn't deserve a woman like her¡­ Haiz¡­'
    After a brief pause, he continued where he left off:
    '...Aya, she is¡­ a good girl, but has a serious case of Tsundere. Her personality will definitely bring her a lot of trouble in the future, particularly when it comes to boyfriends. But oh well, I'm sure she'll make it through it all just fine. After all, she's very¡­ uhm¡­ aggressive.'
    Cassius sighed while thinking about that troublesome girl, yet he still wore a fond expression.
    Suddenly recalling the faint silhouette of an angelic girl, his thoughts once more swirled:
    'Grace, a shy girl who acts oddly forward when one least expects her to. Adorable describes her quite well. As for her past, I don't know much besides the name of her household, that she comes from an affluent background, and¡­ nothing else¡­ I know a lot of what she likes and dislikes. She likes sweets, likes fuzzy animals, likes her pomeranian, Snow, and likes the simpler things in life. I also know that she dislikes spiders, any other creepy crawlies, and horror movies.'
    His expression turned thoughtful. 'However, I have no clue what she had been doing before she met me. I've never seen her family; I don't even know their names. If not for her saying that her parents were strict, I would begin to think that they were no longer with her in this world¡­'
    Cassius originally believed that Hellion had the most mysteries surrounding her, but now he felt like Grace was up there as well.
    That was when a far-fetched idea appeared in his mind.
    'Grace wouldn't happen to be the Vampire that bit me, would she???' It was a crazy thought, but it wasn't completely out of the question. 'If she's a Duke Vampire Descendant, then it's very possible that she bit me without my knowledge when I was weaker. But even if this insane speculation was actually true, why would someone as sweet as Grace do something like that behind my back? It doesn't make sense¡­'
    "Hey, Cassius, are you seeing this right now!? The waiters are bringing out a large multi-layered cake! It has sparklers sticking out of it!" an excited girly voice momentarily interrupted Cassius's thoughts.
    He looked over and saw Bella's pearly white canines shine through her wide toothy grin. Responding to her exhilaration, he smiled and blew out a few of the sparklers.
    Getting back to his inner thoughts, Cassius finished up the wrap sheet that compiled all of his ambiguous relationships: Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    'Grace¡­ I will look more into it later. And even if she does turn out to be the Duke Vampire Descendant that bit me, I won't be mad. In fact, I'll have to thank her for increasing my strength by another few notches. There's also all the useful Abilities that the biter gave me. As I'm discovering more and more of them, I realize more and more just how versatile and powerful a Duke Vampire can become.'
    His heart filled with a little appreciation before his mind traced back to the last couple of girls on his list.
    'Bella¡­ Hmm¡­' He observed the happily munching girl and instantly erased anything negative that almost formed within him. 'She's an odd one; too serious a lot of the time, and hides beneath both a mask and inside a shell, but she's nice to be around when it really comes down to it. Her past is also transparent, as I know my father knew her father, and they were business partners or something of the sort. I also faintly recall a beautiful silhouette who should be her mother. Bella, as well as her whole family, are very wealthy to boot, though I can't say for certain in recent years as I haven't met them since I was but a child.'

 Chapter 141 Daily Quest #60

    Although Bella had a few unknowns centered around her existence, Cassius felt no real need to overly ponder them. But when he thought of the last girl he had a close relationship with, his whole face seemed to sporadically twitch.'Yimin, she is... Yimin... Her entire history started with me, so there is nothing more to discuss there.'
    Yimin, who had been distracted by one thing or another, now found herself in France. It was nighttime, flashy lights were everywhere, and she felt something akin to an arrow pierce through her heart. It caused her to drop her baguette and shoot her eyes in the direction of Japan.
    'Wait, where did Master go!?'
    'Wait, where did Yimin go?'
    They thought in unison, one feeling far more urgency than the other.
    'Hmm... I genuinely don't remember where she went off to, but I know through our connection that she's fine. She's probably just hungry and feasting somewhere, the moocher.'
    Yimin experienced that same painful sensation. Dropping all that she was doing, she leapt up into the sky and sprouted shiny white draconic wings from her back.
    "Don't worry, Master! Yimin's coming back!"
    Now, it was Cassius's turn to feel something unusual¡ªa spine-tingling shock that ran through his body.
    "Just thinking about that dragon gives me goosebumps," he mumbled.
    "What was that?" Bella, who was walking beside Cassius, narrowed her eyes into thin slits.
    'Is he thinking about another woman while right next to me?? Is it one of those b*tches I have in my Death Note!?'
    She suddenly felt the urge to track down and rip out the entrails of every single one of the homewreckers but instead smiled. She smiled, smiling and trying her utmost not to make a grave mistake before her official coronation ceremony with her husband.
    Just keep smiling¡­
    Cassius noticed something weird about her smile.
    'Is she constipated or something?' he thought, yet outwardly said, "I was just thinking about something useless."
    Yimin coughed up blood mid-flight and crash-landed into a small country.
    "Anyway," Cassius said to change the topic. "We'll be attending the first day of Senior Year tomorrow. I just wonder if we're going to end up receiving the same classes."
    "Yeah, well I hope so¡ªI mean, it's whatever either way. But if we do end up together, then you better treat me well. I might even feel gracious enough to hook you up with a few pretty girls," said Bella, nearly fumbling her act.
    Inwardly, she evilly smirked while thinking, 'I have the whole school body under my vampyric mind control, so we 'are' going to get the same classes. And if any whores so much as breathe within a certain distance of you, I'll skin them alive.'
    What Bella said and what she actually felt were as if two entirely different people had taken control of her body. And the worst part being that Cassius genuinely didn't know about what was going on inside her head. Even with his Perception stat being in the thousands range, some things just weren't possible¡­
    When Cassius and Bella walked past the city square, he looked up at the large clock tower erected in the square's center. Seeing that the time was [14:36], he realized that he only had a few hours left to complete his last Daily Quest.
    "Listen, Bella, I have something important I need to do," Cassius suddenly spoke up, successfully catching her attention. "Do you mind if we talk another time¡ª?"
    "Just do whatever you want to do, I have plenty of other people I can hang out with," said Bella, nonchalant about the whole ordeal.
    'I have no friends.'
    "Don't feel bad about leaving me behind, because I can easily replace you."
    'No one can replace you! Please stay with me forever!'
    "Well? What are you still standing dumbly for? Get lost, virgin boy!"
    'I¡­ I¡­ I love him so much¡­! His virginity shall be mine! I'll take it by force if need be!'
    "???"
    Cassius felt something extremely off about the way Bella was talking, yet took the hint and walked away from her. When he got a sufficient distance away, he blended into the crowd, then vanished.
    The deadpan Bella saw him vanish because he was careless. Her brows quickly furrowed as she thought, 'His seal must be on the verge of completely shattering. I must move fast if I want everything to go right! As soon as he turns 18, I'm tying him up hog-style and throwing him into his wedding outfit! We'll get hitched within 48 hours! It's finally happening!'
    It was fair to say that the delusional vampire had completely lost her coco pebbles¡­
    ¡ªMeanwhile, at the top of Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan¡ª
    Cassius appeared from the shadows, with his hood coming off the very next second. Most of his otherworldly handsome appearance was covered the majority of the time, but as today was a special occasion, he figured he'd unveil himself for once. Though, when he did, the birds that were capable of flying at this altitude looked at him and immediately went mayday.
    Cassius's looks were lethal.
    "This is why I have to stay hidden all the time¡­ I even use Illusion Skills of the Ruby Rank to conceal any new changes in my appearance. Haiz¡­"
    Shaking his planet-toppling head, he focused on the last Daily Quest pop-up¡ªDaily Quest #60. He also pulled up the last Daily Quest for his 2nd Daily Quest series.
    And boy were they bombshells of final Daily Quests...
    _________________
    [Daily Quest #60 - To Idle, one must stay proactive.]
    GOAL
    [INCOMPLETE] PUSH-UPS ¡ª [0/100,000]
    [INCOMPLETE] SIT-UPS ¡ª [0/100,000]
    [INCOMPLETE] CURL-UPS ¡ª [0/100,000]
    [INCOMPLETE] SQUATS ¡ª [0/100,000] Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire
    [INCOMPLETE] RUNNING ¡ª [0/1,000,000km] S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [All done with Weighted Newbie Equipment!]
    REWARD - [5 Points in Charisma, 1000 Points in Agility, 1000 Points in Strength, 1000 Points in Perception, 1000 Points in Intelligence, and 1000 Points in Endurance]
    _________________
    _________________
    {[Daily Quest 2]}
    ¨C [0/1,000,000 Sword Swings] - [_]
    ¨C [Carry around trusty 'Newbie Sword 7' for 12 hours. Cannot leave your approximate location.] - [550/720 minutes] - [_]
    [All done with Weighted Newbie Equipment!]
    REWARD 1 - [3000 AP]
    REWARD 2 - [Newbie Equipment Set 8]
    REWARD 3 - [Newbie Sword 8]
    REWARD 4 - [(SSS-Rank) 'Sword God's Training Manual']
    _________________

 Chapter 142 An Urgent Meeting of Japanese Hunters

    "Again¡­ Why do the rewards stated by the System always seem more like punishments?"Cassius was already carrying around several towns' worth of weight on his back. If it got any worse, then he might as well be slugging the entire world on his shoulders, with his Newbie Sword weighing as much as a planet.
    Coincidentally¡­
    *Ding!*
    [When the Newbie Equipment Set and Sword advance to #10 of each, they will weigh approximately as much as planets in this universe! ^~^]
    "...Gee, thanks for that information!" Cassius exclaimed, all smiles.
    "...Sadistic bastard¡­" he mumbled underneath his breath.
    [What was that? (??? )]
    "Nothing, nothing. I was just mentioning how helpful and sweet you are. There are truly no others quite like you!"
    [(,,?©n?,,) You're making me blush, hihi~]
    'Shove your hihi up your as, you dckhead¡­!' was what Cassius wanted to say, yet held his tongue out of fear of what sort of torture the System would make him endure next.
    "Better to just get through the last of the Daily Quests and go on with my life. Haiz¡­"
    Following a heavy sigh, he dropped down to the ground and started off the exercises with the classic. Push-up after push-up was performed by the stud muffin himself, with each one causing cracks to splinter through Mt. Fuji.
    A few S-Rank Hunters residing within Central Honshu felt something off, yet couldn't pinpoint what exactly was making them feel this way.
    However, as time passed, even A-Rank Hunters were beginning to notice something. They looked around with puzzled expressions, eventually meeting up with one another to discuss the constant shaking.
    *Wham!*
    An old Eastern-style screen door was slammed open inside of a massive Japanese mansion, its specific age likely numbering in the hundreds of years. A figure adorned in fire and flame patterns entered a room that had dozens of powerful presences gathered inside.
    Most of them looked in the direction of the newcomer, then ignored him and returned to what they were doing. Discussions echoed out, each one slicing through the flame-adorned man like knives to his egotistical soul.
    Luckily for the A-Rank Hunter known as 'Firecracker,' a few of the present Hunters paid him the attention he so dearly desired. Of course, none of them were above the A-Rank.
    "What are you doing here, Firecracker, bro? I heard you were in Tokyo helping out one of the lower-ranking Earth Crusader Guild Parties. What happened to that gig?"
    A man with a large frame and a hearty laugh walked toward the irksome Firecracker. The man wore a dark green kimono with a large, scary black dragon print stitched on the front.
    'Goro, the Laughing Dragon, Takeda¡­ Why does he have to be here as well??'
    Firecracker came here as soon as he learned that the tremors were not a natural occurrence. However, he hadn't expected an annoying man like Goro, the A-Rank Hunter, to come, too.
    Sighing, he said, "I got to Honshu a few days ago when the Earth Crusaders Guild announced that they found a new replacement for one of their S-Rank Hunter Parties."
    "You got canned, huh?" Goro burst out in low laughter, enjoying every bit of the emotions currently being shown on his friend's face.
    Fuming, Firecracker raised his voice and shouted, "I didn't get fired, you moron! They said I could return whenever a spot was made available¡ª"
    "Shut up!"
    A stern voice entered Firecracker's ears, urging him to immediately shut his trap.
    'Haruto, the Shadow Fang, is also here?? God, of course this S-Rank Hunter came to this gathering¡­!'
    Despite his thoughts, Firecracker said, "Y-Yes, I'll shut up right away, sir!"
    A cold snort sounded. Haruto dispersed his aura pressure on the presumptuous man, then began the official introduction to the pressing matter at hand.
    "Over the past hour, an unnatural disturbance has attracted the attention of many powerful people in the Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. This has led to all of our Guilds and affiliations receiving an enormous number of complaints. Now, your job is to¡­"
    Haruto, the organizer for this gathering, continued his speech, making sure to cover all of the core points of the matter. However, in the background, there were a few inconspicuous A-Rank Hunters conversing with one another, utterly overlooking the entire speech.
    "So after being canned, what do you plan to do next?" asked Goro, a wide smile plastered across his square-shaped face. "Are you going to return to that small city of¡­ What was its name again? The one with only a single B-Rank Hunter? And not even a Hunter originally from that region. Haha!"
    "Hoshito¡­"
    "What was that??" Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
    Ticked off, Firecracker smacked the big man on the arm.
    "I said Hoshito, you dumb deaf bastard!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Hoshi¡ªwhat? What sort of name is that? Say it again!" Goro requested in all seriousness.
    "Gawddamnit! I said motherf*cking Hoshito, you id-iot!" Firecracker, no longer able to hold his temper, lashed out at the big oaf.
    Everyone in the room shot their eyes in his direction.
    "You're in for it now," said a short Brazilian man named Orlando. He chortled under his breath, finding the dread draining his friend's complexion to be ultra amusing.
    "T-This is¡ª" Firecracker tried to say in an attempt to defend himself, but was swiftly overshadowed by the icy voice of Haruto:
    "Did I not tell you to shut up? Or do you think your voice matters more to the focal point of this discussion than mine?"
    "O-Of course not, sir Haruto! I was just so awed by your excellent speech that I couldn't stop myself from getting a little excited!"
    'What a kiss-ass¡­' Goro and Orlando thought in unison. They looked at the pathetic state of their long-time friend and felt some remorse.
    'Oh, well. He'll get through this predicament and come out even tougher than before!'
    Firecracker side-eyed the two people closest to him with hate in his gaze. And with every further word of reprimand that escaped Haruto's mouth, his scorn for his two 'friends' became all the greater.
    'Just wait until we get out of this gathering, you back-stabbing bastards!' he indignantly thought while shamefully retaking his seat.

 Chapter 143 Daily Quest #3

    For the remainder of the lengthy gathering discussion, Firecracker spoke no more words. Even when Orlando and Goro mercilessly poked into the open wound, he held strong and bled tears of blood. Eventually, he began to think that heading back to Hoshito wasn't sounding like such a terrible idea anymore.'The old man Branchmaster did say that I should return whenever I could¡­ Hmm¡­ It's decided! I'm returning to Hoshito until a good job opportunity opens up! With my hundreds of millions of USD in savings, I can live comfortably for the rest of my life, so I am in no rush.'
    After the gathering came to an abrupt close with the sudden halting of the unnatural tremors, all of the gathered S-Rank and A-Rank Hunters scratched everything they proposed. The past couple of hours had been deemed a big waste of time, so it was no surprise that most of the Hunters left the old mansion in soured moods.
    At least, that was the case for everyone except for one¡­
    'Perhaps I should retire early and quit Gate conquering altogether? I'm already filthy rich, so what is even the point anymore? The other Hunters can surely handle the high-ranking Gates on their own! What do they need me for??'
    Firecracker considered many things while leaving the area and completely ignoring the hounding by his two friends. He ignited his hands and feet and shot into the air under two streams of fire. His friends were left in his dust, with his destination being a city located on the other side of the country.
    It was retirement time!
    He was ready to truly begin enjoying life! A new kind of life!
    Screw his friends and screw his work! It was him time now!
    A trail of happy laughter rang out behind a man who looked like he was jetting through the skies with the help of two extremely powerful firecrackers. For a very long while, his once gloomy mood became chirpy as hell. Only good thoughts would enter his retired brain from here on out!
    ¡ªMeanwhile, at the summit of Mt. Fuji¡ª
    Cassius, now in the full nude, sauntered over to the lip of the overarching mountain edge. He emotionlessly stared down at the thousands of dazzling lights in the cities hiding at the mountain's base. The luminescent glow of the full moon hanging in the dark night sky was also there to truly bring the sublime picture together.
    Breaking the initial beauty of this picturesque picture, a deep, husky voice sounded out, causing even the surrounding snow to intensely vibrate.
    "Finally¡­ Finally, I have been freed of the System's Daily Quests¡ª"
    This unnaturally stunning man stopped his liberating words midway through as he looked ahead and saw something that nearly sucked the life right out of him.
    *Ding~*
    [After receiving all of the rewards for completing the two Daily Quest iterations, don't you feel that they were rather lacking? ???] Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "No¡ª!"
    [Well, since the rewards were lacking, here is a little something-something to make up for all your troubles! No need to thank me, the mighty and magnanimous System!]
    {[Daily Quest 3]} - (Day 1/90) Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire
    ¡ª[You won't fail a Quest, you lucky, plot-armor abusing son of a b*tch! This is infuriating! And considering that everything I, the System, do, is for your sake, I have the necessary authority to bestow upon you the bestest of rewards!]
    ¡ª[Every day, at any point of the day you so designate, you will be sent to the Nightmarescape/The Land of Nightmares and you won't be able to leave until exactly an hour has passed inside! (Approximately 3 minutes in the outside world)]
    [Quest begins ~5 to 7 days from now, as there is a grace period.]
    [0/60 Minutes (Nightmarescape)] - [_]
    REWARD 1 - [1000 AP]
    REWARD 2 - [1 Nightscare Shard]
    REWARD 3 - [10 Large-sized Heaps of EXP]
    REWARD 4 - [Resilience!]
    "What sort of fcking reward is resilience!? This piece of sit¡ª"
    [And here's a little extra-extra on the house~]
    {[Main Quest #5]}
    ¡ª[You have been slow in completing the Third Main Quest¡ªthis is bad. As such, maybe you just need another Quest to truly put your rusty engine in motion!]
    ¡ª[Travel to the Dimensions of HELL, Nightingale, the Land of Monsters, Wolfdom, and the Realm of Pleasure. You will need to make a name for yourself in every single one of these Dimensions. Break a leg! Or don't¡­ wuss.] - [0/5]
    REWARD 1 - [Idle Benefit #4 'Minionverse']
    REWARD 2 - [(EX-Rank) Seed of the Progenitor]
    REWARD 3 - [Acknowledgement of leading figures of 5 of the 7 Realms.]
    [Time Limit: 4 Years, 364 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes, 57 Seconds]
    "I hate my life¡­" Cassius lamented to himself, feeling that the System was most definitely up to something again.
    All his previous excitement vanished into the wind. He was now only left with the promise of constant harassment by a foreign entity claiming itself to be his best helper. Help his a*s! That System called for his death!
    "Wait¡­ Other Realms?" Suddenly stopping his thoughts of suicide, Cassius looked back at the specific details of the Quest. After confirming that his eyes had indeed not deceived him, he asked, "Just how many of these Realms or Dimensions are there? And what even are they?"
    *Ding~!*
    [You wish to know~? ( ?o ? ?o)]
    "...Yes¡­"
    [Keke! Beg for the information! ? (¡ä?£à)?a?a?a]
    Cassius flipped up both his middle fingers instead. After which, he walked away from the stunned-silent System Interface and made his way down the mountain top. All the while perusing the new SSS-Rank Training Manual he received from completing his Daily Quest.
    It was presumably made by an extremely powerful Human on the 6th Floor of the Ascension Tower of Humanity. This extraordinarily powerful man claimed himself to be the forerunner of the Art of the Sword. And this Training Manual¡­ It was the culmination of the beginning of his journey with the Sword, written by him prior to his 'Ascension.'
    After getting this far into the Introduction segment of the Sword God's Training Manual, Cassius had many questions whirling around inside his head.
    "The Floor¡­ I have been hearing this a lot as of late," he said while in a state of pondering. "And this 'Ascension Tower'... What sort of place is it?"

 Chapter 144 The Seven Dimensions of the Ascension Tower

    Interrupting Cassius's thoughts was the¡­System.[Dear Host! Why did you leave your beloved System hanging back there?? How could you leave such a cutie patootie like myself all by my lonesome, you evil Host!? (¤Å ? 3 ?)¤Å]
    An illusory blue and golden screen circled around the man trying his best to look anywhere but where it was. Eventually, however, it backed him into a corner and pushed him against a high stacked pile of snow.
    Cassius assumed he was about to be taken advantage of, but then the System did something unexpected.
    It blushed.
    "???" 'This isn't like the sh*tty System¡ª'
    [Ahh, you dirty, dirty Host~ Even if you seduce my non-carbon components with your big naughty hands, you won't receive any lenience. But if you¡­do a good job with your strong muscles and really get it in there good, I'll make an exception and send you to the System-Host Exclusive Torture Chamber~]
    'Now this is the System I know and hate¡­'
    Cassius promptly ignored the mentally impaired System and thought more on the subject of other Dimensions and the Ascension Tower of Humanity. But it was in that same moment that the Idle Evolution System spoke up again:
    [I was going to tell you either way, you obtuse of a Host, limp d*ck, noodle arm, virgin boy on the path to Supreme Sagehood! Why must you be so impatient!? Patience is a virtue! To instill that virtue into your very soul, do you wish to take a friendly visit to the Torture Chamber? First visit's free¡ª]
    "Leave me alone," Cassius said before vanishing into the speed stream.
    FWIP!
    When he reappeared a second later, he was on the other side of the world, somewhere in Greece. And as he walked through the marbled uphill streets of a scenic area overlooking the sea, he realized that he wouldn't get away so easily.
    *Ding!*
    [The System is only here to help you, Dear Host! Let me guess¡­ Ahh, is that what this is about? If you wanted to have makeup sex, then you should've just said so! All you have to do is stick your wee little willy into say~ a fire hydrant and I, the System, will take care of the rest!]
    [Though, I doubt I'll feel anything¡­ "?? ????? ??]
    "..."
    Cassius was speechless.
    When it came to the Idle Evolution System, he really didn't know what sort of handicapped-in-the-brain sort of person decided to bestow upon him such sh*t. Could he not receive a refund?? A newer model? Literally anything else!?
    A great big sigh echoed through the bustling streets of a large city in Greece. It was early morning here, so the blazing sun rays beat down on a wide array of foreign faces. One face in particular felt the headaches affecting his expression. And with what felt like a stab to the gut, the owner of that face let the System explain to him the general rundown of the Dimensions and the Ascension Tower. It also made sure to mention that, although this information wasn't privy to someone like him a month ago, he had now gained basic access to such secrets. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    According to the Idle Evolution System, there were a total of Seven Parallel Dimensions in a magical existence called the 'Ascension Tower.'
    The Ascension Tower had a few other names, all more complicated than the last, but the main point was that this Ascension Tower housed several nearly identical Dimensions. Or, at least, they were identical at the beginning of the Ascension Tower's creation. However, over time, all 7 of the Dimensions changed, becoming indistinguishable from how they were before.
    The 1st Dimension¡ªthe Mortal Dimension¡ª was part of the Ascension Tower of Humanity. And from the astounding words of the System, Earth was nothing but the Trial Area for the True Ascension Tower of Humanity, similar in design to the Trial Area of HELL.
    This information altered Cassius's entire worldview, shattering everything he once believed. Though, there was one big question he couldn't seem to wrap his head around.
    "Where does the Universe, or the Observable Universe of our Earth, have a part to play in all this?"
    [Warning!] [Warning!] [Warning!]
    [The Host is ten leagues too weak to be made privy to such high-level information!]
    "...Not high enough¡­?"
    With all of his various Skills, Techniques, and raw stats thrown into the mix, Cassius was sure that his Battle Power far exceeded the S+ Rank Yimin. Yet, even with that in mind, he was essentially told by the System that gaining access to this information might as well have been a pipe dream.
    This made him wonder just how powerful he had to become to learn the truth of it all.
    But regardless of the mystery regarding the stars and the observable universe encompassing planet Earth, Cassius attentively listened to the rest of what the System had to say.
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    With Earth being the Trial Area of the Ascension Tower of Humanity, there were naturally Floors above it, just like with the Ascension Tower of HELL. However, when Cassius asked about how to get up to the higher Floors of the Ascension Tower of Humanity¡ªhis Ascension Tower¡ª it said nothing more than forceful elevation would arrive whenever he achieved the SS-Rank in terms of pure stats. In other words, he could still stay on Earth even if his Combat Power exceeded the S-Rank.
    The System didn't go into great detail about the higher Floors of the Ascension Tower of Humanity, but it did speak of there being Seven Floors. Similarly, the Ascension Tower of HELL also had Seven Floors. In fact, every single one of the 7 Ascension Tower Dimensions had Seven Floors. They all also had their own Trial Areas, which acted as the tutorial grounds for most races in the Ascension Tower Spectrum.
    Humans were the only race of people to not develop a way to become stronger or extend their lifespans. Unlike some races, such as the Succubus race of the Realm of Pleasure, who passed on special techniques to their descendants that allowed them to suck yang to become stronger, Humanity had nothing.
    They had no racial advantages and specialized in jack diddly squat.

 Chapter 145 Throughout Heaven and Earth

    However, what Humanity did have was neutral ground.They were like Jacks of all Trades and could branch out into many different professions, some of which improved their power while in the S-Rank and SS-Rank. Now, for humans, if you were to be born in the SS-Rank and below, you would normally forever stay within that Rank unless you received unique assistance from a Lord of Humanity, who resided in the higher Floors, or if you accepted the helping hand of a different race.
    Then again, when it came to the 'help' of other races from other Dimensions, it usually just meant you would become less and less¡­ human.
    Of course, if one were lucky enough to be born in the SSS-Rank or have an unusual encounter capable of elevating one's rank, one would embark on a different path. This path would allow anyone¡ªeven humans¡ªto progress their strength. Yet, the exact specifics of this path were barred off from Cassius by the System. He only knew that it was a path inferior to what the System gave him, but also far superior to most anything available in the Seven Parallel Ascension Towers.
    As for how one is supposed to travel between Dimensions, one way is to have a special item that makes Dimension hopping possible. But as those items were extremely uncommon, it was far simpler to make use of the second method. Namely, it was the usage of transportation ports that those who knew about them called 'Dimensional Hubs' or 'Dimensional Portals.'
    Earth had no such Dimensional Hubs.
    "Wait¡­ Portals? Similar to the ones that Monsters use to invade our world?"
    *Ding!*
    [Not the same thing, Host! And you are also not privy to this information!]
    Cassius silently pondered by himself, yet didn't dwell on the matter for long. If he was ready to find out about something, then he would naturally find out about it. This was what the Idle Evolution System told him quite often.
    The System then went on to say that in order for him to hop between Dimensions and complete the 4th Main Quest, he would have to take advantage of the only avenue currently open to him:
    The Key to HELL.
    It was an infinite usage item and would take the user back to the Trial Gate Area of HELL as many times as one wanted. And if one also had the Key to the 1st Floor of HELL, which Cassius had obtained after subduing Hellion, then one could advance into the 1st Floor of HELL¡ªa hellish location that also just so happened to have one of those Dimensional Hubs.
    This was Cassius's way to travel between Dimensions and complete Main Quest #4. But seeing as he was still nowhere near strong enough to take on any of the Demon Kings of HELL, he had no choice but to postpone any Dimensional travel until after he became stronger.
    It was during this period of contemplation that Cassius brought up another curious matter.
    "The Gremlin Exterrestrial Fiends¡­ They are from space, are they not? But if there is only Earth on the Trial Area of the Ascension Tower of Humanity, then where did they come from? Another Dimension?" S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    [Warning!] [Warning!] [Warning!]
    [The Host will not be privy to this information for a very lo~ng time! Do not even bother thinking about it! Instead, why don't you find and slaughter those pesky Aliens and resume the Main Quest Grind!?]
    "...Another piece of information restricted to the current me¡­ And the level of classification appears to be higher than anything mentioned before. How interesting," Cassius mused, thinking about a great many things.
    [Hey, Einstein, rather than stand up here and pretend that you're some kung fu master, why don't you get back to hunting the Gremlin Exterrestrials?]
    Silence.
    "What an a*shole," Cassius mumbled under his breath.
    [What was that? (?_? )]
    "Nothing. Let us be on our way."
    With that, Cassius descended down a cobblestone road that snaked through a beautiful Greek town. He received many stares from passersby, even with his appearance reverting back to how he looked a month ago.
    A few dazed, pretty young ladies even built up the courage to approach the tall, handsome foreign man, but when they followed him around a corner, they found that he had mysteriously¡­ vanished.
    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
    "Where did he go¡­?"
    "I don't know¡­"
    "He was so good-looking, too. What a shame."
    Just then, a flying silver meteor trailed through the bright day sky. A number of Greeks looked up in bewilderment. Yet, when that 'meteor' crashed into a lush vineyard, the confusion of the people quickly transformed into astonishment.
    "Was that an actual meteor!?"
    "We have to go and check it out!"
    Thousands of unawakened and a hundred or so weak awakened swarmed toward the crash site of the supposed meteor. However, when they arrived, all they saw was a massive crater and a butt-shaped imprint in the crater's epicenter.
    "What the hell is that¡­? Why is something like that here?? This isn't right¡­"
    "A buttprint? And those over there kind of look like footprints¡­"
    "Where's the meteor??"
    ¡ªMeanwhile, just above the open water airspace outside of Greece¡ª
    "Don't worry, Master! Yimin is coming for you! Even if Yimin has to fly all around the world, Yimin will make it back to her Master! Oh, a shiny blue fish!?"
    It was a surfacing blue whale, and Yimin immediately forgot what she was doing and went to harass it. If summed up in one word, she was¡­ hopeless.
    Throughout Heaven and Earth, only her ADHD was unparalleled!
    FWIP!
    Cassius arrived in Hoshito, Japan, and returned to his mansion out in the higher-end areas of the city. At the same time as he met with his extended family, a man akin to a fiery rocket also arrived in Hoshito. His first spot, however, was the Branch Building of Hoshito's Hunter Association.
    After being grandly welcomed through the front door when he announced his identity, Firecracker was led by the Hunter Association's Associates to meet with the Branch Master.

 Chapter 146 Seeing the Truth...

    "I'm glad that you're here, Firecracker. And we're all honored to have you, but do tell me: why have you left the big city of Tokyo and returned to your humble beginnings?"Hearing the Branch Master's deep and slightly hoarse voice made Firecracker all of a sudden feel rather guilty. Although he hadn't betrayed the country or anything of the sort, he still ghosted the city and community that might as well have raised him up from nothing. It would've been unusual if he hadn't felt any guilt upon seeing the worn-down appearance of the old man whom he once saw as a mentor.
    "Teacher¡­ I¡­" Firecracker had a hard time finding the exact words he wanted to say. Though, after steadying his erratically flickering eyes on the refined Old Man, he built up the courage to say, "I apologize for leaving on those terms! I also apologize for pretending that all of you didn't exist! Please forgive me, Teacher!"
    The Branch Master stared at the extravagantly dressed man taking a respectful bow. He wanted to stay mad, but doing so at this point would just make him seem spiteful.
    Releasing a heap of oxygen stored in his lungs, the Branch Master said, "I've already forgotten about the whole ordeal, so do stand properly. And you still haven't answered my previous question: why are you here?"
    Firecracker hesitated slightly, yet still stood up and faced his ex-teacher in the end.
    "I have come to retire!" he announced without a hint of deceit. However, seeing as that wasn't a very good point to end on, he added, "I have been going in and out of perilous Gates for nearly a decade. At any moment, I could've lost my life. But now that I'm 26, I no longer wish to risk my life for money that I'll likely never use in my lifetime."
    "I just want to settle down in the area where I grew up in, and maybe even find myself a beautiful wife. Mhm¡­ That would be nice¡­"
    The Branch Master observed the earnest face that Firecracker was making.
    With a constantly changing expression, the Branch Master thought, 'He really has changed. Nine years ago, he was still in his teens, and he knew not except what lay beyond the other side of the TV screen. He dreamed of making it big one day, and when he finally awakened as an A-Rank of the Elemental Fighter Class, he knew that his dream would soon come true.'
    'Within days, he quit the Dojo I used to teach at part-time, then he left everything behind. But now look at him¡­'
    The Branch Master saw not the young, naive child he once knew. He was now looking at a man.
    "So, Master, you know anywhere that I can find beautiful ladies? I have money, so raising a family is not out of the question, even in this economy."
    '...Well, sort of a man¡­ Perhaps a rather lascivious man¡­'
    The Branch Master helplessly sighed before spinning his chair around to a position facing the prosperous city outside. Looking through that thin glass screen, one could see the lives of countless people, all doing whatever they had to do to make it to the next dawn that shed its light unto the world. Awakened mingled with the far greater in quantity unawakened; it created a cohabitation that was in no way perfect. But it was wonderful.
    "You know, Firecracker," the Branch Master suddenly spoke up, prompting the A-Rank Hunter to ask, "What is it, Teacher?"
    "I have lived for more than half a lifetime," began the Branch Master, his eyes still glued to the intricate world that resided outside his office window. "And my Grandfather, a man who had lived even longer than I have, was around to witness the days before Gates became a part of everyday life. He experienced a world that, although still fraught with danger, was not at the level of the fragile balance that we're teetering on right now."
    Firecracker didn't understand the point of this talk. What was his Teacher getting at?
    The Branch Master, knowing exactly what the flame-adorned man was thinking, only shook his head and looked beyond the point where the land touched the sky.
    "You can do whatever you wish in this city, Fashio. Just don't break any laws and don't abuse your status too much."
    "That is all; you can leave now if you wish."
    Fashio was really not following, but he wasn't one to stick around under an awkward atmosphere like this one. Therefore, after bowing once more and thanking his Teacher for his grace, he left the same way he came in, still peachy as could be.
    When no one was left in the large room except for the brooding Branch Master, he turned his head up into the horizon.
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    "It truly is a shame that all of this could very well be gone soon. The world in my grandfather's generation¡ªI wonder if that's what the world will turn back into once Homosapiens vanish from the face of the Earth."
    As a Branch Master of the Hunter's Association, and one on good terms with a plethora of highly influential figures, he was privy to many things that even the A-Rank Firecracker did not know about. He knew of the backstory behind the World's End Gate located at the center of the world, and he knew of Baba Yaga's Prophecy, but neither was what made him as melancholic as he was at this very moment.
    The truth was that less than a few hours ago, the Branch Master learned of some new, devastating news¡ªnews that would send ripples throughout the country and even the world.
    "Beings from beyond the stars¡­. They've really invaded us. I never thought a day like this would come, but it has. And it surely won't be very long before what Prophet Baba Yaga said comes to fruition."
    The moment the Branch Master heard this information from a high-ranking friend of his in Tokyo's Capital City, he thought it to be ludicrous.
    However, as his friend went into great detail about the subtle and peculiar changes occurring in those around him, he began to see more and more of something he didn't want to see¡ªthe truth. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 147 The Dissonants Poison runs Deep

    When the Branch Master's trustworthy friend told him that he had secretly captured one of these Aliens and watched it visibly transform in front of him, he was on the verge of believing something as nonsensical as this supposed 'alien invasion'.But what really hammered the nail into the coffin was when the Branch Master tried contacting his friend an hour or so later. He wanted to discuss more on the subject, but the phone never¡­ picked up.
    It was left eerily ringing for hours.
    His friend always picked up the phone. He always¡­ picked it up¡­
    Following a period of grief, the Branch Master was then greeted with the appearance of someone whom he once considered his most promising student. And even as he wanted to get out some hateful comments, the entire time he was talking with Firecracker, he was reminded of the final words he would likely ever hear from his good friend.
    "They live among us."
    "You can't trust anyone," the Branch Master murmured while leaning back in his chair. "If what he said is true, and it likely is, then I'm probably¡­ already¡­ dead. 'They' know I was the caller from the location of the phone¡­"
    "My time¡­ It's up, isn't it?"
    For the next few hours, the Branch Master remained unmoving in his chair. The candles in the room neared the end of their lifespans, yet they radiated the warmest of glows.
    The Branch Master's eyes, reflecting his lit-up city outside, no longer glowed the same as before. And just like the candles, their flames were¡­ snuffed out.
    Yet, both the snuffed candles and the snuffed man seemed oddly at¡­ peace.
    The wax from the hot candles melted and trickled off of the high places that held them, and from down the Branch Master's eye fell the clearest of tears. His eyes still deeply immersed in the City that he called home.
    The very next morning, the kind-hearted Branch Master was found dead in his office.
    There was no evidence of there having been a murder as there were no wounds on the body of the victim. It was assumed that the old Branch Master had simply died from natural causes.
    It would indeed seem that way¡­
    From a rooftop a couple of miles away, an eerie figure stood motionless.
    The figure unnaturally blinked its double-layered eyes while watching a crying auburn-haired girl hold on to a black coffin. If Cassius were here to identify the girl, he would see that it was the valiant Corra, now crestfallen.
    She held on as if her life depended on it. She held on like if she were to let go, she would suddenly lose him for good.
    "F-Father¡­! W-Why¡­!?" she cried out repeatedly. Yet, the whole time, the unnaturally blinking figure did nothing but watch.
    If anyone else were to see the appearance of this figure, they would immediately call out, 'Prime Minister!' and they would be correct. This figure was in fact the¡­ Highest Executive of Japan¡ªthe Prime Minister!
    FWIP!
    A different unusual figure suddenly appeared beside the Prime Minister. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Is it done?"
    "It is done." Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
    "Do any others know of this? We must rip out roots and all."
    "No. None knows. This human seemed to understand that if he told anyone else, it would only mean more deaths. Smart one he was."
    The second unnatural figure stared where the first figure was staring, and then after a few seconds, it spoke up again:
    "The Japanese Government is the first government to fall, but the others are on their way. And if we wish to have the entire world influence the offspring of 'it,' then everything must go off without issue."
    The whole world¡­ being mind-controlled for the sake of a single person.
    That was insane¡­
    The Prime Minister blinked several times, then looked away from the gathering of people dressed in black. He matched the same non-intensity stare as the second unknown figure, and said, "I will handle everything on my side. Japan's top brass have already all been replaced. A number of the S-Rank humans have also been¡­ taken out of commission. And all with a few effortless lures and traps. Humans¡­ they are so feeble. Threaten them with their family or those close to them and they turn stupid. Stupid makes for easy prey. They were yummy as well."
    "Let's hope 'it' will share some of those same human weaknesses. Only then can we ascend the Ascension Tower and take this Dimension as our own," said the Second Figure, its voice scratchy.
    Suddenly remembering something, it said, "...And the replacements of the S-Rank Japanese Hunters?"
    "No one will be able to tell the difference between the false and the real. If not for the careless greed of the peon, none of us would have been discovered," the Prime Minister answered with hatred oozing from its voice.
    "But it is taken care of¡ªthe problem?"
    The Prime Minister looked even more deeply into the second figure's dead eyes.
    "The problem is taken care of."
    Silence.
    After a brief period of hush, the Second Figure began to disappear, yet left a string of harrowing words to linger in the air:
    "The world will soon descend into chaos; be prepared to act when need be. Within weeks, Seraphina, or Selena as she is known here, will clean up Malakar's mess if he cannot succeed in the Mothership's objective. Earth will fall at that point, but¡­ not until we lure 'it' out."
    "Until then, do not mess up," he added, his tone bereft of sympathy. "If you do¡­ you'll end up like the one who couldn't control his greed."
    With that, the Second Figure vanished from the rooftop.
    "...."
    The Prime Minister didn't say a single word.
    However, after a few seconds, he also vanished.
    Nothing except for the sorrow in the air was left as evidence that either of the mysterious figures were ever there to begin with¡­
    ¡ª---------------
    "The Branch Master has died¡­?" Cassius, unable to believe what he was seeing on the living room television, rushed over to where all the other girls were situated. After sitting down on the couch, his expression changed several times.
    He refused to believe that the lively old man who had secretly assisted him in keeping his identity hidden over the last month suddenly dropped dead overnight! It was simply impossible!

 Chapter 148 The Branch Masters Grim Fate...

    Today was the first day of the new school year, and it was also the day before Bella would begin the marriage ceremony. However, it was on such a day that tragedy struck the City of Hoshito. Melancholy permeated the citizens, making for a stark contrast to how the place seemed less than 24 hours ago. Even those who were not very close to the late Branch Master felt a sense of sadness when they heard the news¡ªespecially the Hunters.The Hunters of Hoshito had no complaints when it came to the late Branch Master. He had treated them well, better than any other region's Branch Master. It was mostly thanks to him that Hoshito had as many competent Hunters as it did, and he was also the reason why their City had extremely low casualty rates.
    But now he's dead.
    And there was no coming back from death¡­
    The conspiracy theorists had two running theories for the Branch Master's death. Very few actually believed he died from natural causes; it was not only illogical but impossible. If the Branch Master's doctor were still around, then they would have proof to back this belief, but he had mysteriously¡­ disappeared.
    Yet, the Doctor's disappearance only further backed the two leading theories for how their beloved Branch Master died. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire
    The First Theory was centered around the complete wipeout of the B-Rank Hunter Party from a few weeks back. The MoonShiners were famous even on the international scale, not for their strength but because of their popularity. The point being that it wasn't completely illogical that there was a deeper scheme happening behind the curtains. Perhaps die-hard fans of the MoonShiners went out of their way to secretly harm and kill the Branch Master. Or perhaps those same fans hired someone else to do the dirty work.
    In Japan and even various other countries around the world, certain Assassination Organizations paved the way for high-profile murders. Of course, every single one of these modern-day assassins were trained professionals and also Awakeners who awakened with the Assassin Class. This meant it was fully within their capabilities to assassinate a B-Rank Veteran Hunter like the Branch Master of Hoshito.
    That was assuming the price was right¡­
    The Second Leading Theory was that the higher-ups of the Hunter's Association suddenly decided the Hoshito Branch Master to be an eyesore. He was, after all, commonly known for attenuating more to the Hunters than the Executives who governed the Hunters. In truth, if it weren't for the Head of the Japanese Hunter's Association stepping in and speaking up for the Hoshito Branch Master, he likely would've been covertly disposed of long ago.
    This brought to the table a pressing follow-up question:
    Why wait until now to take care of the Branch Master?
    It wasn't like anything of substance had happened to the current Japanese Hunter's Association Headmaster, so why only now eliminate the sore thumb?
    Something wasn't adding up.
    This sense of the unknown further spurred the emotions of those who adored the Branch Master.
    They demanded the truth!
    But the truth would never come to light.
    At least not until it was already far¡­ too¡­ late.
    Hours passed by, and a group of black-clothed people wearing veils appeared outside a Graveyard located atop a hill. Rain poured heavily on this bleak afternoon, doing well to overshadow the tears staining the cheeks of several other black-clothed figures.
    The ones wearing the veils, however, were Cassius and those close to him.
    A deafening silence hung over the area being constantly abused by the large droplets of rain. Only when the muffled crying of a singular girl became loud enough did everyone snap out of their reveries.
    Thousands of people had gathered on this soaked hill to mourn the death of a man who lived in their hearts¡ªand the hearts of countless more people who couldn't make it here today.
    The first school day had been set back by three days because of this tragedy, so many students who met the Branch Master in person were here in the moment, their faces all blue with sorrow.
    They remembered it as if it were just yesterday that the kind Branch Master spoke of the plans he aimed to implement to benefit not only them but the working adults as well.
    A better life was expected to arrive for them all. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Yet, before the Branch Master could see the lives himself¡­
    he lost his own.
    Corra was too overwhelmed with sadness to even properly greet anyone, yet no one took offense. They simply gathered around the eloquently decorated coffin now sitting at the bottom of a six-foot-deep grave.
    It was an open coffin ceremony, so everyone could see the Branch Master's unmoving corpse, his expression still painted with an unfounded look of peace.
    He was smiling.
    None knew why he was smiling, but none here¡­ besides one, had ever experienced death, so how could they know?
    Cassius's face was devoid of emotion. He stared at the funeral man dumping dirt over the lifeless corpse, with each dump dealing more and more damage to Corra.
    Her mother had died when she was young due to a rough pregnancy, and now many years later, her father dies as well.
    There was now no one left in her life¡­
    Corra loved her father; she truly did. Even if he was strict and their relationship wasn't made public knowledge due to numerous political reasons, that didn't mean she didn't love him.
    After her mother died because of¡­ her¡­ a lot of fathers would grow to hate that child.
    However, the kind Branch Master did not.
    He was the prime reason for why she was able to become who she was today. He taught her how to defend herself, how to not take anything for granted, how to protect those who were unable to protect themselves.
    He¡­ taught her so many things¡­
    ...and was patient for so many years¡­
    Yet, seeing the Branch Master's frozen expression made everything that was Corra's life come crashing down onto her.
    It was all too much to handle, causing her to faint while leaning into the grave hole.

 Chapter 149 Deadline to Re-enter HELL

    But before Corra could fall into the hole and potentially create another tragedy, a shadowy figure phased forward and caught her in a princess carry. The figure briefly stared at the colorless face snuggled into his chest, his own expression unreadable. However, before anyone could look his way and ask who he was, he gently set down the tear-stricken girl and walked past the group he brought with him.Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
    All the other people dressed in black were too distracted by what happened to Corra to realize that someone had saved her before it no longer mattered.
    "Let's go," said Cassius, his voice inaudible under the beating of the rain and the thundering of lightning.
    All of the silent women nodded their heads before following along behind him. He wasn't moving very fast; in fact, he was trudging forward slowly, so they all caught up and descended the hill together. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Sasha, Aya, Stella, Hellion, Grace, and even Bella had all joined him today. Only Yimin was still lost. And although the girls would normally be in quite the chipper moods, none seemed the least bit happy right now. Hellion was the only one to appear unbothered by everything; she was the same as always, calm and calculative.
    For the other girls, however, when Cassius was acting like this, they would as well. Something about him felt different today, and even the usually flirty and sinister mind of Bella was as quiet as a church hill. She simply tagged along beside him, same as the others.
    The day ended uneventfully. The next day was no different. Everyone in the Steele household hadn't spoken much these last couple of days. Even with Bella and Grace staying over, the hours went on without event.
    It was only on the third day that Cassius finally left his meditation and exited his room on the mansion's third floor. The other residents of the home obviously noticed this occurrence and stopped what they were doing to approach him.
    Considering that he had been nonstop meditating and cultivating the Demon Dragon Integration Arts these past 48 hours, it took Cassius a couple of seconds to return to reality and notice the nervous girls standing before him. Confused, he asked, "Bella and Grace? Why are you two here?"
    "???" "???"
    Both Bella and Grace exchanged glances before bitterly sighing. It was made abundantly clear that Cassius had been completely out of it since learning of the Branch Master's death. Only now did he appear to have a little clarity in his eyes.
    After taking the time to explain how they wound up there, Grace cupped one hand and Bella cupped the other. "You can rely on other people, Cassius. You don't need to keep everything to yourself all the time¡ª" they said in sync while brightly smiling, yet swiveled their heads toward each other when they realized someone was talking over them.
    "What are you doing?" Bella asked while secretly eyeing the dainty hand holding onto her husband's other hand. 'This fcking b*tch¡­ I'll kill her!' In spite of her dangerous thoughts, she was still smiling.
    However, even though Grace sensed something off about this girl she barely knew, she didn't back down. In fact, she even took things a step further and pulled Cassius's right hand to her ample chest, then turned her smug face away from the seething Bella, where her expression then transformed into one that could melt the heart of any man.
    "Does this make you feel better¡­?" she asked as she pressed his right hand further into her squishy breasts. "You must tell me when you are uncomfortable, Cassius. I'll do this every time if you so wish¡­"
    'Hmm?' Cassius looked between the two girls, feeling a tension that created sparks between them. He also noticed more surging emotions pop up from behind Bella and Grace. 'Is everyone ovulating right now or something? I know I've been out of it for a while, but not that much time has passed, has it¡­?'
    He kept track of their cycles so as to avoid potential disasters. And he was positive they were still half a month away from the ovulation cycles for most of them.
    As Cassius pondered something unusual with a straight face, Bella's forehead scrunched, with veins appearing everywhere. She bit her lips, trying her best to suppress her immense anger.
    If not for Cassius breaking through the silence, she might have flipped her lid and ruined all the plans she had for tomorrow. As for what he said, it went as such:
    "I guess we missed my birthday, which was like¡­ yesterday, I think? I don't really care about things like that, but I assume other people like going to special events like this?"
    "Are you asking us if we want to go out somewhere today?" Sasha asked with a bit of concealed excitement.
    Cassius nodded.
    "Well, isn't the answer already obvious then!?" said Aya, her pupils showing visions of sweets and good food.
    Even Grace was finding it hard to hide her enthusiasm. She sensually rubbed her supple thighs, yet to no avail. She was still¡­ horny for dessert¡­
    Bella, in all her hate for every single one of the women here, seemed to completely forget about everything when dessert was mentioned. She immediately let go of Cassius's left hand and walked straight up to him, then leaned up on her tippy toes and got her face less than a few inches away from his.
    "We. Are. Going."
    It wasn't even up for debate in Bella's mind. Cassius received the message loud and clear, and also realized that everyone besides Hellion was anticipating the places he'd bring them as well.
    "...Then I guess we're going," Cassius sighed helplessly before walking past the girls jittering in excitement and down a flight of marble stairs.
    While the others took a moment to drool over the goodies they would soon devour, Hellion took the chance to walk beside Cassius and discuss something important.
    "Master, you'll need to re-enter HELL within the next few months. If you do not, then you'll be stripped of your Demon King Bloodline. You surely understand what I'm referring to, right?"
    "Mhmm¡­"

 Chapter 150 An Extraterrestrial Stalker...?

    The Demon King Bloodline, although extremely powerful, also connected the Bloodline holder to HELL itself. If a Demon King stayed away from HELL for too long, then they would lose their Demon King Bloodline permanently. For regular Demons, this meant something worse than death, which was why, even if they found a way to leave HELL, they would prefer to never leave.For Cassius, however, losing the Demon King Bloodline wouldn't be the end of the world. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    That wasn't to say he would allow it to slip from his grasp, but he also wouldn't die for the chance to keep the Bloodline. Yet, in this case, he was nearly ready to head back into HELL.
    With months until the deadline, he was confident that he would become strong enough to confront the weakest of the Demon Kings on the 1st Floor of HELL¡­
    ¡ªTime passed gradually¡ª
    The day that was meant to be a belated birthday for Cassius was a merry one. Everyone seemed to entirely forget about the unfortunate demise of the man who kept the City running. But in the back of his mind, Cassius remembered. And that memory haunted him.
    It was highly likely that the Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiends had something to do with the death of the Hoshito Branch Master¡­
    Cassius had no proof, but he just knew this was the case. And maybe¡­ maybe if he had worked a little more proactively in the search for the Gremlins, the Branch Master never would've died.
    And then there was the Branch Master's only daughter¡­
    Cassius secretly heaved a heavy sigh just thinking about Corra. His outward attention may have been focused on the cherry girls around him as they walked around the city, laughing and speaking lightheartedly, yet his mind seemed to constantly trace back to the auburn-haired girl whom he had only met a few times.
    That day¡ªthe day that marked the Branch Master's death¡ªthe City of Hoshito lost two great people. Corra, the Branch Master's daughter, was the second one.
    Many were afraid that she would attempt to commit suicide, but she instead did something far different. Beyond anyone's predictions, she left the City of Hoshito, even leaving the country altogether.
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    She left only a note, saying, "There's nothing left here for me¡­ I'll be venturing west, to South Korea. There is a Scientific Institution there studying the origin of the Gates. I may not be strong enough to make a difference when it comes to individually closing Gates¡­ but I might just be able to work towards closing the Gates for good. I have to do this¡­"
    "This is goodbye."
    It was obvious that Corra blamed the Gates and the monsters inside for what happened to her father. She also secretly harbored thoughts of making grand achievements with the smarts that her father had always been proud of. If she could make a name for herself, then maybe, just maybe she could find out what really killed her father¡­
    Corra's only lingering regret was not being able to get to know the young man whom she was supposed to become acquainted with at a High School.
    Though, if Fate permits it, they might just encounter each other once again.
    "What are you so lost in thought for?" Bella whispered into his ear while the other girls took their turns hitting gophers in an arcade game they were all playing.
    Cassius slowly looked down, and upon seeing those starry eyes peer into his very being, he sighed. "I was¡­ just thinking about something that no longer¡­ matters."
    Bella scrutinized his expression, her eyes emulating a thoughtfulness that one wouldn't normally think to be possible from her.
    After a moment, she averted her gaze and linked arms with him.
    "What are you doing¡ª" Cassius tried to say, but was interrupted by Bella, saying:
    "Can't you just not ask questions every once in a while? What? Do you think I'm making moves on you or something??" She feigned a head shake before pulling him away from the distracted vixens. "Don't ask any questions and just follow me. There's something I want to show you."
    Cassius was puzzled, yet still did as she requested and let himself be dragged behind her.
    However, neither he nor Bella noticed two pairs of eyes watching them¡­
    One was from the gorgeous Stella, who had dressed up more than she ever had, all to impress a guy¡ªa stupid guy that made her wonder why she even bothered. Nonetheless, she became a little curious when she saw that same man get pulled outside the arcade by the black-haired newcomer.
    'She's pretty¡­' Stella thought with a distinct pout puffing up her cheeks. Gently rubbing her world tree necklace, she worriedly wondered, '...Is that the kind of girl he likes¡­?'
    Overlooking the silver bluish-haired woman's distressed thoughts, the other pair of eyes, one that didn't even appear to be part of this Dimension, watched the hooded man with an unnerving stare. As the Extraterrestrial tasked with keeping track of 'its' son, it was to stalk him at all times of the day.
    Typically, the Extraterrestrial would feel that everything was fine, but as of late, it had the nagging feeling telling it that something was wrong. Whenever it stared at the target for too long, its instincts were screaming at it to¡­ cower in fear.
    This feeling only became worse with time. And even with the Camouflage Module given by the Mothership's caretakers, the Alien couldn't erase whatever was practically begging for it to run. In fact, the only reason it hadn't already done just that was because of its confidence in the Mothership, the technology provided, and its fear of what would happen to it if it abandoned the mission.
    The Mothership did not tolerate the existence of those who could not follow orders¡­
    It also experienced that same unnerving feeling today, yet continued its mission as per usual.
    When Cassius and Bella moved, the Alien also moved. It used a special space-warping device to do this. And when it reappeared, it saw the target conversing with a shorter female who was pushing him against the wall and pointing at his chest.
    The Alien remained unresponsive to all that it witnessed.

 Chapter 151 Bellas Advice...?

    With a sassy way about her, Bella reworded what she just said a second ago. "With the death of the Branch Master, you have been weird. Stop being weird, for God's sake!""What were you going to show me¡ª"
    "I'm showing you some sense, you dum dum! Look all around you! And I mean really look! You basically have a harem of both young and mature women acting head over heels for you!" 'I'll kill them all, anyway, but just acquiring this many admirers shows how much you're worth, hoho~'
    Adding more to her point, Bella said, "You also have a nice big house and plenty of money that you obtained from luck and more lotto tickets!" 'Sure, buddy. Did those bimbos really fall for this?'
    "You also have me, your wif¡ª willy, really~ g-good friend, so why are you always overthinking things!? Like really, how much could you possibly be worrying about??" 'After we get married the day after tomorrow, you won't have to worry about anything else for the rest of your life¡­'
    Cassius calmly observed the passionate girl berating him as such. He wondered exactly when she had become like this toward him. When did their dynamic change? He couldn't recall.
    Softly shaking his head, he stole Bella's gaze and said, "I think you are mistaken about something. I'm not worried; I'm thinking¡ª"
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    "Same thing, same thing!" Bella's voice cut through his, her emotions flaring. "If you're pointlessly thinking about something you can't control, then what is the difference between thinking and worrying??"
    Although Bella didn't put much thought behind her words, hearing her say that made something click inside Cassius. His pupils shook a little until they refocused.
    He warmly smiled. "Thanks, Bella. I'll keep that in mind." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    She was right. There was nothing he could do to change the past. The only thing he could do now was keep moving forward. If nothing else, he would carry on the aspirations of the old man who yearned for the extermination of all Monsters. That was the least he could do to repay the old man for letting him grow unimpeded, effectively avoiding all the usual protagonist road blocks.
    Bella was briefly stunned, then she snapped back to reality. A smug force pulled upon her cute red lips as she said, "You're welcome! Now let's get back to those floozi¡ª friends of yours!"
    Cassius smiled and let Bella tug him back into the brightly lit arcade, where he then received a lengthy lecture about not abruptly leaving, and especially not leaving with a singular girl!
    The rest of the day passed in a blissful manner. However, when the setting sun blended in with the far-off landscape, Cassius noticed Grace working extra hard to hide her sickly-sounding coughs from the group.
    But how could she hide them from him?
    Concerned about her worsening condition, he telepathically told her to meet him by the bathrooms. She was confused as to how he was talking to her through her mind, but after a short period of him explaining it to be his unique ability, she excused herself and maneuvered through the lavish interior of the high-end restaurant they were in.
    Cassius, realizing that he couldn't up and head out suspiciously behind Grace, used a Skill that he didn't use very often due to its limited effectiveness.
    |One Becomes Two (S+ / High Ruby Rank)|
    The Skill was obtained through a round of Skill Box openings and it was a relatively simple Skill. It enabled the User to split both their body and mind into two. This would also mean that the User would temporarily have two split consciousnesses.
    The only apparent downsides would be that the User would have everything, from his power to the effectiveness of his Skills and Items, cut in half and distributed to both halves. Furthermore, the Skill could only stay active for around an hour, making it pretty useless in most combat scenarios. If Cassius wanted to spread out and efficiently clear Gates, then it was better to make use of his ever-growing Evomon Army. There was no need to halve his combat power for minimal returns.
    This time, however, the Skill was perfect for what he needed it for.
    ¡ªA couple moments later¡ª
    FWIP!
    By the time Grace made it to the classy bathroom area, Cassius had already materialized and was coolly leaning up against a marble pillar. However, as soon as he saw Grace's unnaturally pale complexion, worry filled his heart. This worry further multiplied when she began to say, "What is it that you wanted to¡ª" yet began to stagger halfway through what she was saying.
    "!!!"
    Cassius's split-half flashed forward and held Grace up just before she collapsed. Feeling the rhythm of her heartbeats and seeing her breathing turn unusually haggard made a deep frown form on his face.
    "C-Cassius¡­ I¡­ I'm fine¡­ You can let go now¡ª"
    "You are not fine," he firmly denied. "And for how long has it been since it progressed to this stage??"
    Grace hesitated.
    Biting her lip, she pushed away from him and said with her face covered by her hair, "...I'm really f-fine¡ª *Cough!*" Blood suddenly came up from her throat and spilled out onto her hands. Her eyes erratically flickered as her lip-biting worsened.
    "I¡­ I have to go¡ª"
    *Pat!*
    Before Grace had the chance to flee, Cassius grabbed her wrist and pulled her close enough that their breath mingled with one another. Her slow heartbeat quickened as she stared into his focused bluish-red eyes. Even if she wanted to say something, she couldn't find the words.
    Grace was at the complete whim of the man who knew not when to give up.
    While Cassius seemed to be doing or looking into something within the shell-shocked Grace, two happily chattering girls walked toward the outside bathroom area. But when they saw a tall handsome man pushing a meek-looking girl against a wall, their cheeks reddened.
    "Kya! We didn't know anyone was here d-doing something like¡­ this¡­"
    They quickly got on out of there, yet found it extremely difficult to erase that sexy spectacle from their minds.
    Grace was too absorbed in the sight of the man before her to even realize that someone saw them, whereas Cassius simply¡­ did not care. He was also very focused on scanning the complicated internal system of the short doe-eyed girl he had cornered against a wall.
    What he saw, though, left him shocked.

 Chapter 152 Graces Predicament, Tear of Yggdrasil

    A few moments later. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality."...You should've told me about this¡­" A deep frown marred Cassius's features as he finally let go of the shy bunny-like girl.
    As she only now got a breather, Grace took a second to steady herself. It was also at this point that she noticed that all the blood on her hands had disappeared. More importantly, however, was the contemplative expression Cassius was making.
    '...Has he somehow figured out about my illness¡­? That can't possibly be the case¡­ Even the most well-renowned of Spiritual Doctors in the world were unable to identify my illness. Only those of my kind were able to discern it and¡­ tell me how long I had left¡­'
    "How long?" asked Cassius.
    "How long?" Grace parroted, confused. 'It can't be¡­'
    "How long do you have left to live? A year? Two years? Longer?"
    'He knows¡­'
    Grace's face drooped as her eyelashes quivered. She found it grueling to even so much as match his gaze. Though, when she realized that there was no point in hiding it anymore, she mumbled without turning her head toward him, "3¡­ 3 and a half months¡­"
    "3 months¡­? This¡­" Even Cassius's usually inexpressive face cracked and crumbled when he registered this number in his mind.
    It took a couple of seconds for him to take a deep breath and harden his expression. "You know what your illness is, don't you? Tell me what it is and how to acquire the cure."
    Grace went to respond, yet held her tongue at the last possible moment. With long locks of brown hair covering her face, she mumbled, "...There's no point¡­ The cure¡­ It's impossible to obtain¡ª"
    "Just tell me!" Cassius demanded in a low growl, scaring Grace a little. Though, realizing what he had done, he sincerely apologized, "Sorry¡­ But I'll need you to tell me what you know. Time is running out, and you didn't give me very much of a heads-up¡­"
    Grace cycled through a few inexplicable expressions, but ultimately told him what he wanted to know.
    After listening to a short explanation, Cassius understood the general rundown of the situation. For as long as Grace could recall, she had a frail constitution, making her prone to injury. According to her parents, she had an extraordinarily rare illness called '¦¤¦Å¦Ê¦Á¦Å¦Í¦Í?¦Á Death Disease' or 'Dakaenn¨¨a Death Disease' in simple English, which meant 'Nineteen Death Disease' in Greek. This name was fitting, for those contracting this disease would die before they turned 19.
    It was also because of this illness that Grace had such a frail body. Many of her hardships stemmed from the illness, even including how overprotective her parents were. Just like all the other times she left, she had to sneak out, and would surely be punished quite severely this time around as she had been gone more than just a few hours.
    However, the oddest part about this illness did not exist in any documented health records¡­ This meant the illness did not originate from Earth. Also meaning that¡­
    "You're not human¡­?" Cassius couldn't tell from his superficial scan from earlier, but there was no other explanation. And when he saw the look Grace was making, his suspicions were confirmed.
    "H-How did you¡­ Just how powerful are you, Cassius? How much do you know¡­?" Grace stuttered in disbelief.
    She had figured that he was likely an Awakened, but she never got the opportunity to accurately gauge his strength; she only knew he was strong. But if he knew about other intelligent races, then it was very likely that he was far stronger than she had originally assumed. Far, far¡­ stronger¡­
    Cassius gently laid his warm right hand against her increasingly terrified expression. She flinched in fear but was surprised to feel him do nothing more than affectionately rub his thumb up and down her cheek. She slowly opened her shaky eyes, only to see the same warm smile as always¡ªthe smile she fell in love with.
    "You don't have to fear me, Grace. I don't care if you're of a different race, but you must finish telling me what the cure is and where to find it. I don't even care which exact race you are, I just have to know how to save you."
    Grace's eyes misted over. 'Even now¡­ Even now, he's still thinking about how to help me¡­' She felt incredibly warm inside, but her smile was quickly dampened when she recalled the lethality rate of her illness. '...I like that he cares for me¡­ But it came all too late¡­ He'll lose me¡­'
    She should be sadder, but for some reason, holding a large enough place in his heart to make him fear loss filled her heart with joy. Nonetheless, she explained everything she knew to the person who now seemed so special to her, only leaving out the parts concerning her race. Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
    When Grace finished the explanation, Cassius was left momentarily breathless. "...The home of the World Tree Yggdrasil¡­ The World Tree's Sanctuary¡­ The highest quality Tear of Yggdrasil¡­ A competition between Dimensions¡­"
    To sum up what he learned, two months from now, the World Tree's Sanctuary, which was a mystical place that presided at the top of the Ascension Towers, would be hosting a competition. In this competition held in a sentient tree as ancient as time itself and as large as the cosmos, races from every area of all Seven Dimensions would receive the opportunity to participate.
    Everyone in existence, as long as they were part of an intelligent race, would be asked to put their lives on the line to obtain various legendary rewards. One of those rewards was the 'Tear of Yggdrasil'¡ªa mythical item that was said to be capable of curing any illness, injury, or disease. As long as they weren't dead, the Tear of Yggdrasil would fully heal them.
    This Tear of Yggdrasil was also the only known way to cure the ¦¤¦Å¦Ê¦Á¦Å¦Í¦Í?¦Á Death Disease¡­
    The way Cassius looked at Grace changed, as the worst-case scenario flashed through his mind in the form of terrible premonitions of the future. Yet, before the images could overwhelm him, he forced himself out of his stupor and steeled his resolve.

 Chapter 153 Plans for the World Trees Sanctuary

    "I will handle it all, Grace," Cassius said with a small smile as he turned around and began to walk away. "Just hold on until I return with the Tear of Yggdrasil. It shouldn't take very long.""W-Wait, Cassius, you can't! It's too dangerous!" Grace, still trying to comprehend the insanities he was spouting, sped up toward his receding figure.
    When she just about caught up, she sputtered, "I¡­ I have already come to terms with my destiny¡­ But you can't go to the World Tree's Sanctuary! You have no idea just how unbelievably powerful the participants are going to be! As long as you aren't the oldest ancestors of a Dimension, you can participate, which means there are virtually no age or power restrictions! Even SSS-Rank Hegemonies will be¡ª"
    FWIP!
    Cassius disappeared, then reappeared behind the frantically chasing Grace. He tugged at both sides of her thin waist and pulled her into his arms.
    Whispering into her reddened ears, he said, "Who told you I was doing this just for you? I have personal reasons for wanting to go to the World Tree's Sanctuary. Your matter is simply speeding up what I planned to do to begin with."
    "B-But¡ª"
    "There's no more buts, my dear," Cassius whispered as he lightly tickled her sides, causing her to burst out laughing.
    "???" "???" "???"
    Those dining at fancy diner tables nearby turned to look at Grace, prompting a crimson blush to form on her exquisite face. It was also then that she realized she had been bamboozled; Cassius was already gone.
    Her cheeks puffed up as she scampered back to their table in shame.
    'That man¡­ He's so insufferable¡­' she 'angrily' thought, an imperceptible grin adorning her beautiful features. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    For the remainder of the night, Grace huffed and crossed her arms every time Cassius looked her way, yet still managed to spend her time quite enjoyably. Excluding the occasional sickly coughs, she seemed just as happy as the other girls.
    Then the night eventually came to a close¡­
    ¡ªThe very next morning, in the Steele Mansion¡ª
    Cassius struggled to get up, quickly realizing that it was not his Newbie 8 Equipment Set weighing him down so heavily. Neither was it his lovely Lilith tattoo nor the Newbie 8 Training Sword.
    'Some things just never change,' he thought with a sigh.
    Looking around himself, he saw several bountiful womanly figures sprawled out on top of him. All of the beautiful bodies were scarcely covered by risque nightwear, with none of their owners feeling the least bit shameful about partially revealing themselves to a singular man. A man who, even now, was being mentally abused by the Entity calling itself the Idle Evolution System.
    [You dirty dog~ If not for your prevailing will to retain your virginity, then one might actually assume that you were quite the Lady Slayer under the sheets~ (?&gt;????)]
    Cassius naturally ignored the System's nonsense, treating it as if it were less than thin air.
    However, at this point, the System's emoticon twisted a bit in anger as it threw something completely unexpected his way.
    *Ding!!*
    [Since the Host is clearly in dire need of some more Character Development, the System has decided to begin Daily Quest #3 starting today!]
    "But don't I still have some days before¡ª"
    [The System is not very good with time! Daily Quest #3 starts today! Make sure to enjoy your time in the Land of Nightmares!]
    Silence.
    After a brief period of hush, Cassius shook his head in defeat and worked toward slipping out of the girls piled on top of him. After successfully accomplishing this, he regulated his Newbie 8 Equipment Set before walking over to a stylishly decorated wooden katana in a corner of the room. It was standing on top of a special A-Rank item that he bought a few days ago.
    The item had the sole effect of voiding all weight that came into contact with it, and the upper weight limit was said to be around that of a planet's mass.
    The A-Rank item was called the 'Physical Negator,' and it was typically used by powerful Tanks who were accustomed to taking heavy hits. Of course, the thing wasn't invincible, as the force of the strikes against it would still be felt by the one holding its shield-like structure.
    However, this rule did not apply if no living organism was actually holding the shield¡­
    And just like that, an A-Rank item worth tens of millions was bought by Cassius on the black market, only to be used as a plate to hold a wooden sword that weighed more than entire cities.
    *Clack¡­*
    When Cassius went to grab and lift up the Newbie 8 Training Sword, it nearly felt like the force rippling through the Physical Negator would demolish all of Hoshito. But luckily for any Real Estate Agencies in the area, that did not happen. And when the wielder of this sword strapped it to his muscular back, all seemed to return to normal.
    'It surely won't be long before I'm no longer able to contain the weight of this heavy thing without the assistance of some divine item¡­'
    Cassius sighed before sauntering away from the girls snuggled up on his bed, all of whom seemed to be attempting to absorb his lingering warmth. He counted the heads and realized that almost everyone, even Sasha, was there. The only ones not sleeping there were the Egyptian beauty casually waiting for him downstairs and the silver-haired dragon who was presently who the f*ck knows where.
    After silently leaving his room and descending a flight of marble stairs, Cassius caught a glimpse of a fancy alarm clock hanging on a wall. The alarm clock read [04:48].
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    The sun had not yet risen, yet he didn't feel the least bit tired, despite the fact that they went from partying to bed less than three hours ago.
    "You finally reached the stage where sleep is becoming virtually useless? Your ability to continually progress in power at such a rapid rate truly never fails to amaze," said an expressionless woman sitting downstairs.

 Chapter 154 Hellions Riddle

    As soon as Cassius reached the last step of the stairs, an intoned feminine voice sounded from off to the side. There, sitting on a swiveling golden stool chair, was the extraordinarily gorgeous Hellion. Her eyes, like attentive pools of honey, watched the immortal-like man with deep intrigue.While sipping on a cup of homebrew coffee, she gave her master a certain kind of look.
    Cassius understood this look very well.
    Sighing, he said, "HELL¡­ I know that I have to go back, but I am not yet strong enough. Furthermore, there are some things I still need to do on Earth¡­"
    Hellion blinked. Taking another sip, she motioned to the swiveling stool chair beside her.
    Cassius took the hint and sat down next to her, where he then heard her say, "Those mortal women of yours? And that Gate¡­ World's End, was it? Child, you know none of this will matter soon enough, don't you?"
    Cassius appeared confused. "What do you mean by that?"
    "You really don't know¡­?" Hellion paused to think, then shook her head and said, "Just forget about it, then. But do note that none of those ducklings are what you think they¡­ are. None of it matters. With your unique ability to become stronger faster than everyone else, you should be diverting all your attention elsewhere¡ª"
    "I know that already," Cassius interrupted, his tone raspy. "But I can't just leave them be. Especially not after I've become stronger¡­ The cries of this world, they are becoming louder. I fear that if I leave again without resolving the immense threats to the world, they will no longer¡­ be here¡­"
    Hellion stared deeply into the multicolored eyes of this inexplicable man. After a couple of moments, her long eyelashes flickered as she gave him a hint. "Child, if this is your path, then so be it. What you seek lies at the illusion's center, the beginning of all. In there, an Abyss resides. Devour the Abyss and glimpse into the truth, but see too much, and the sky will collapse."
    While appraising his emotionless expression, she added, "What is unavoidable will forever remain unavoidable. You will lose two you didn't know you had, regret and sorrow will sink in, then you will unknowingly lose them all."
    As one older than most civilizations, Hellion had seen the rises and falls of empires. She also observed the tinier and oftentimes overlooked aspects of the wondrous thing called life. Over time, as she glimpsed more and more of existence across all Seven Dimensions, she eventually acquired the mysterious ability to glimpse not into merely what she could visibly see but also what she could not see.
    The futures of many were laid bare to Hellion, all riddles and variables. Yet, out of the many powerful beings she had vaguely seen the futures of, the only two beings she could see nothing of were herself¡­ and the bottomless void before her.
    To the Hellish Sphinx, knower of all, articulator of none, this man staring at her was a mystery.
    As a mere mortal, she should've been able to see his entire past, present, and future unfold before her. Yet she could see nothing except for a nigh boundless void and faint static images every time she attempted to discern his future.
    However, the weirdest thing had to be that Hellion could also not see Cassius's past. Before a certain point, it was like he had never even existed¡­
    It was because of this and her ability to look into the futures of various people, mostly women, that Hellion decided to be subservient to the man who bested her in combat. She wished to see exactly what someone like him would do once he realizes the¡­ truth. And also what would come from that truth.
    "Do what you must, Child, but remember the deal we made," Hellion indifferently said before returning to her perusal of a newspaper while sipping tea.
    "I remember it," Cassius replied as he began to vanish from view. "I'll inform you of when we'll be re-entering HELL again."
    Hellion, acting a little out of character, displayed a faint smile while never turning her eyes away from the newspaper she was reading.
    The headline of that newspaper read:
    "The Unconquerable Gate, World's End, is about to experience another World-organized Raid! Will the Hunters finally be able to do the impossible!? Or will they fail¡­?"
    The article then went on to speak about the history of the Evolvable Gate before mentioning over 100 S-Rank Hunters who would be participating in the Gate Raid as the Main Striking Force. It also briefly glossed over tens of thousands of names belonging to A-Rank Hunters and B-Rank Hunters who would be waiting on standby just in case any of the Gate's monsters escaped the unbreakable circle of S-Rank Hunters.
    This was unquestionably the single largest and most organized Gate Raid in the history of the world!
    And it would also be commencing a little less than ten days from now¡­
    ¡ª---------------
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    FWIP!
    When Cassius reappeared, he materialized somewhere in the Antarctic. It was here that a massive, shiny facility covered in snow was erected. Inside this facility, however, was a large, icy blue-purple Gate. The Gate itself was as tall as a multi-storied building and was guarded by C-Rank and B-Rank Awakeners day in and out.
    Similar to the Black Gate that housed the corpse of the Leviathan Deity, this Gate was an anomaly and exceeded its apparent Peak-Purple Rank. However, unlike the Leviathan Deity Gate, the inhabitants of this Gate were very much¡­ alive.
    But contrary to how normal Gates functioned, the monsters inside this Antarctic Gate were not able to leave the Gate. And from what various governments and powerful Hunters had observed from the monsters inside, there were hundreds upon hundreds of colossal Ice Giants kneeling down in chains that made it impossible for them to fight back.
    For even the physically strongest and most adept magic users in the world, none could harm the outer shells of these enormous Ice Giants¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 155 Chained Ice Giants, Sword God Training Manual Ranks

    The Mage Lord, the Fastest Man Alive, the Dragon Slayer, and many other notable Hunters had all tried to harm the chained Ice Giants, with some of their attacks capable of bringing the world to its knees!Yet all of them failed¡­
    Not even a scratch. Not even a scratch was left on the silent Ice Giant that all old and new Hunters tried to damage.
    Even Cassius fared no better in damaging the Ice Giants when he found out about this Gate from an article and snuck in. He used his strongest attacks, which included the infusion of the Atomic Element, yet none of it made any difference. No matter how many city-destroying Atomic Laser Beams he shot at the Ice Giants, none of them budged an inch.
    Perhaps if he utilized the complete incantation of the I AM ATOMIC, I AM OMEGA, I AM THE END Skill, he might be able to damage an Ice Giant. But seeing as that Skill, after being further upgraded due to Skill Fusions, obtained an even more catastrophic description and also a one-time usage function, it wasn't worth it to use his ultimate trump card for something like that.
    But then why was Cassius here today? Why had he once again trespassed into private property and slipped into a seemingly endless world of ice?
    *Thud, Thud, Thud.*
    Cassius's slow steps echoed throughout the desolate landscape as he walked around ancient, rusted structures of unknown origin, all glazed in freshly laid snow. They looked as if they had been there for many, many millennia, with their original construction materials having long since been lost to the perpetual dredges of time.
    In the far-off distance, possibly farther away than the distance between the Sun and the Earth, there stood an icy mountain. Yet, even from such a vast distance away, the 'icy mountain' appeared around the size of a golf ball.
    After taking a few more steps, Cassius crossed millions of miles and made it to the 'icy mountain.'
    Even though he was still hundreds of miles away from touching the icy mountain, when he looked up, he was unable to see the top of the mountain. Though, once he zoomed out his magical sense, he was able to make out the entirety of the mountain, which was when he saw large gusts of hot air blowing out near the top of its snow-covered peak.
    At the same time as Cassius's magical sense scanned all of the icy mountain, something unusual occurred. The mountain started to shake, causing everything for tens of thousands of miles to violently tremble. Cracks opened up in the ground, creating countless chasms that seemed to have no ends.
    RUMBLE!!!
    The whole world felt like it was about to collapse in on itself and forever bury everything beneath an incalculable number of tons. But before things reached a point of no return, all of the snow was shaken off of the impossibly large mountain.
    That was when Cassius saw it¡­
    A pair of eyes appeared, their sheen no longer as resplendent as they were in their prime. Rather, they were dull, hiding within them all of the weathering they had endured over the innumerable years.
    The hot gusts of air abruptly stopped, leaving just the pair of massive eyes and a far smaller pair of eyes to stare at each other.
    *Clack, Clack!*
    Massive, unusually pristine chains the size of cities rattled all over the Ice Giant's body, with there being hundreds of them in total. Every single one of them shone with a low golden glow that culminated together to form a physical restriction capable of locking the unbelievably mighty entity in place.
    Then, something changed in this staring stalemate between insignificant mortal and entity beyond human comprehension.
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    An ancient, indecipherable voice emanated, like an echo traveling throughout eternity.
    "ZHA'VRAETH NOL'QUIRA THYS'VEN DRAL'KYR... Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ?
    ULN'FERATH KEL'THUREN ASHA'VIR RA'THEVRA¡­
    ? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?
    SHYN'ETHRA LOS'VRYN KAEL'THIRAS... VAE'THROS IL'NOTH¡­"
    Silence.
    As the Ice Giant had a giant metal cage clasped over its mouth, what it spoke was akin to a broken language. Even those of the same race as the behemoth were unable to understand what the monster was saying, let alone the mortal who didn't have even a single language converter Skill that extended beyond translating basic human languages.
    But even without actually understanding what the Ice Giant was saying, Cassius could guess the intent behind the words.
    "What reverberates among creation, echoes throughout eternity," Cassius repeated to the best of his ability. However, during the process, he broke out in a cold sweat and was forced into a lotus position.
    The reason why he had come here, even despite his futile attempts at killing these indescribable organisms, was solely because of the obscured phrases spoken by the Ice Giants. When he first arrived here, he thought their low and deep enigmatic bellows to be nothing more than nonsense. Others who came before him also thought the same thing.
    But that was when he felt a reaction resonate outward from his comprehensions of the SSS-Rank Sword God's Training Manual. This reaction urged an unknown sensation to circulate through his mind, leading to rapid advancement in the Training Manual.
    -The SSS-Rank Sword God's Training Manual-
    It was what an ancient human ancestor left behind before he ascended and became a higher existence. Within its translucent pages were numerous unfathomable poses, all describing training exercises that truly embodied the essence of "Train it till you break it, then make it."
    Every single one of the exercises involved experiencing pain induced from training, all while comprehending deeper profundities from one's surroundings. Moreover, the more pain one experienced and the more complicated the profundity, the easier it would be to progress through the stages of the SSS-Rank Training Manual.
    The stages went as such:
    ________________
    1. Noob Trainer
    2. Novice Trainer
    3. Beginner Trainer
    4. Persistent Trainer
    5. Veteran Trainer
    6. Outlandish Trainer
    7. Hellish Trainer
    8. Nightmare Trainer
    9. God Trainer
    ________________
    Even as the creator of the Training Manual, the Sword God stated toward the end of the booklet that he had not achieved the final stage.
    He mentioned such a stage as one that "Even the craziest of madmen would not have the will to achieve."

 Chapter 156 Icedom Senates Prison

    In fact, let alone the God Trainer stage, the Sword God himself peaked at the Outlandish Trainer stage prior to Ascension. Even after the passing of countless years, the Sword God was still capped at the Nightmare Trainer stage, unable to advance to the stage that only existed in theories.In truth, the Sword God simply wasn't crazy enough to breach the final obstacle presented before the Will of Mortals.
    It was this very Will that Cassius was trying to hone by coming to the inscrutable Gate known as the Icedom Senate's Prison. This name, however, was what the Idle Evolution System gave to this area, with a ranking and danger rating of "???"
    The names of this enormous Ice Giant and others like it also happened to be related to the name of the area, as they were dubbed Icedom Senators. But beyond that, no more information was available to him, with the System claiming his mind would likely implode if he ever attempted to read the descriptions of these Ice Giants. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire
    And the scariest part was that this wasn't even an exaggeration or a joke made by the System¡­
    From just listening to the arcane voice of the Icedom Senator, Cassius sweat buckets and took severe internal damage. Furthermore, as he continued to take in and attempt to discern the meaning of the monster's words, his ears started to bleed. His eyes and the rest of his orifices quickly followed, and then, without his regenerative abilities being able to do a single thing, he¡­
    Exploded!
    *Pop!*
    Cassius erupted into a pile of chunky, bloody meat, with his guts and eyeballs flying all over the place.
    One would think that he had permanently died.
    But no¡­
    A few nanoseconds passed, and something miraculous occurred.
    The vaporized blood particles began to feel an attraction force pulling them together. Then, with sporadic blood shooting toward one another all at once, a humanoid figure started to take shape.
    FWIP!
    Cassius reappeared in the same place he had died, also sitting in the same position he was in before. All of the sweat and blood raining down his face was gone. In fact, he appeared as good as new¡ªhis skin flawless, his handsome facial features sharply cold.
    After feeling himself out for a moment, Cassius resumed his meditative session.
    Soon, the exact same thing as before happened, and with it came System Notifications¡­
    *Ding~!*
    [Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline slightly progressed!]
    [...75.8%...]
    [|Supreme Nirvana Rebirth| Skill advanced to the Pinnacle Ruby/S+++ Rank!]
    [|SSS-Rank Sword God's Training Manual| Stage has advanced!]
    [Peak-Novice Trainer ¡ú Early-Beginner Trainer]
    [Physical Prowess tremendously improved!]
    [Strength Stat +1,530]
    Thanks to this Gate Cassius discovered before the Hoshito Branch Master met his unfortunate demise, he was able to rapidly progress his newest and most powerful Technique Manual.
    It was through his blood, sweat, and deaths that he could increase his Physical Strength and Will as such. Of course, when it came to Will, there was no exact ranking that he knew of. He only knew that it was increasing, and with it came a greater tolerance for pain and torture.
    Even his own deaths no longer fazed him¡­
    But as with all great power gained in short periods of time, there was always a catch.
    The catch in this case, however, was more of a non-directly related one, as the more times Cassius died, the less and less he cared for the things around him. It reached a point where, if something like what happened with Grace happened again and there was no Quest involved, he would no longer jump out and save her¡­
    The Idle Evolution System had not made a single Character Development comment on the current direction of his development. It was unknown if it was pleased or displeased with his transformation.
    And seeing as the System was still a complete a*shole 99% of the time, Cassius would never be able to figure out what it was thinking by himself. Nonetheless, he would continue doing what he was doing. Even if a part of him was being lost in the process, it mattered not.
    No matter what, he would become the absolute strongest he could become.
    Though¡­ he seemed to have¡­
    Seemed to have forgotten why he yearned for power so much¡­
    In the beginning, Cassius aimed to acquire more strength solely because the Idle Evolution System threatened him. But with time, he himself began to want greater power. This eventually evolved into something where, even without the System's 'encouragement,' he would chase every little bit of power with every ounce of his being.
    It had turned from something compulsory to a personal want.
    And even now, Cassius couldn't say for certain why he was willing to endure excruciating levels of pain and tolerate any sort of torturous exercises to acquire more strength.
    It had become more of an obsession than anything¡­
    Sure, he wouldn't mind saving the world from imminent doom if he had the option. But was that why he struggled so much for strength?
    It wasn't¡­
    Cassius could save unrelated people, but as he became stronger and stronger and paid exponentially heftier prices for his strength, his empathy for others lessened and lessened. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    The shell of the person he once was now only existed as the shadow of the person he had become.
    And surely, the current version of him would be no more than a distant memory of the future him¡­
    How much would he change? What would he become? Why did he work so hard for power? Who? Who¡­?
    Who was he acquiring this power for??
    While Cassius repeatedly died because of the Icedom Senator's muffled voice, he pondered this exact question. It bounced around inside his mind, trying to find somewhere to settle down and cement itself as an answer.
    However, no matter how much Cassius thought about it, he was unable to figure out who he was striving for power for¡­
    His new family and his father crossed his mind several times, but neither of those answers seemed right.
    All the girls he somehow surrounded himself with had become somewhat irreplaceable to him, and he would feel a deep sense of sorrow if something happened to them.
    Was that it?
    So did that mean he wanted more power to protect them or ensure his peaceful life with them?
    No¡­ that wasn't it¡­

 Chapter 157 An Abyss...

    Cassius felt that his path veered away from the usual protagonist path that he had read about in stories prior to his unusual reincarnation. In those stories, the Main Character would find himself in the company of numerous women, all of whom loved him dearly. He would also have family and friends, one or multiple lovers, and an overall blissful life.But then, somewhere along the way, hurdles would be thrown in front of the Main Character. Perhaps some of the people closest to him would be put in perilous predicaments. Maybe the Main Character would vow to himself to become stronger because he wouldn't want a repeat of what happened to someone close to him? Or maybe he wanted to prevent it from ever happening to begin with¡ª
    "Preventing from the beginning¡­"
    Cassius's expression suddenly brightened in enlightenment. He found the answer he was looking for. Or, rather, he found some of it.
    A large part of him wanted power simply to become stronger and experience what it was like to be stronger than he was the day before. This part of him wished to feel the thrill that accompanied consecutive gains in strength. This part of him did whatever it took for more strength just for the strength itself. Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire
    One could call this part of him power-hungry.
    Then there was another equally large part of himself that wished to obtain more strength as fast as possible so as to not lose what he had. This included things like family, friends, items, Skills, and even his very lifestyle.
    One could call this part of him his Hoarder Dragon side.
    All in all, Cassius was doing everything just for himself. He would do whatever it took to become more powerful, with every bit of him wanting strength for one reason or another.
    Even if he lost more and more of what made him him on the long journey that awaited him, he was sure that his prime directive would forever remain the same. He would not lose himself.
    He would not¡­ lose himself¡­ S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ¡ª--------------
    ¡ªApproximately one hour later¡ª
    *Pop!*
    Cassius had died 29 times since arriving in the Icedom Senator's Prison. His |Supreme Nirvana Rebirth| Skill had nearly reached the precipice of breaking through into another, higher state, but it still felt miles away from him. However, with his Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline exceeding the 79% mark, it surely wouldn't be long before the Skill advanced to whatever lay beyond the Ruby Rank.
    It was unknown just how many times Cassius would be able to die when the Skill reached the SS-Rank. But, for now, 32 deaths was the limit, and as he was an especially cautious person, he called his torturous training quits for the day.
    "It's about time that the others wake up for the first day of school, anyway, so it's time I take my leave¡­" Cassius muttered, his voice sounding as if it had aged by several hundred years.
    At first, his expression appeared bleak, almost as if looking at a man who had experienced something not possible to put into words. However, when his icy eyes perused the System pop-ups flashing past his face, a lot of color seemed to return to him.
    [Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline slightly progressed!]
    [.....79.1%...]
    [|SSS-Rank Sword God's Training Manual| Stage has advanced!]
    [Late-Beginner Trainer ¡ú Peak-Beginner Trainer]
    [Physical Prowess tremendously improved!]
    [Strength Stat +3,870]
    In total, Cassius had made leap after leap in his Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline and got himself a good sum of over 8,000 Strength! This brought his physical abilities to an entirely different league!
    Though, there was the downside of his Strength Stat slowly but surely catching up to his Agility Stat, which reduced the effects of 'I AM SPEED.' Then again, with 70% of all AP going into his Agility Stat, every bit of those reductions was negated and even taken in the opposite direction!
    With a small satisfied smile, Cassius looked up at the large eyes that had been focused on him this whole time. He gave a thankful nod while saying, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you this time, big guy, and I also apologize for the next few times I'll come and visit you. And again, thanks for killing me. I won't forget this favor, and one day, I'll break you and your brethren free from the chains that trap you."
    In response, he received a heavy gust of air and another string of strange words. Yet, even with his head stinging due to the pain, his smile only became ever more appreciative. And then, with a flash of crimson light, he vanished from view, and then from the Gate itself.
    Once he left, silence prevailed within the Icedom Senator's Prison.
    Then, out of the blue, a flow of coherent thought breezed from the first Icedom Senator to the rest of the chained Icedom Senators. The thought contained just two words:
    'An Abyss¡­'
    ¡ª-----------
    ¡ªMeanwhile, inside the spacious living room of the Steele Mansion, at [5:49]¡ª
    Cassius just materialized from the rapidly flashing speed stream, and the first thing he did was look past the calmly sitting Hellion and ascend the stairs of the mansion. He briskly made his way to one of the various rooms in the house, which also just so happened to be the only room with anyone occupying it right now.
    Normally, Sasha would be sleeping in her room, but as she became blackout drunk last night, she wound up finding her way into his bed, same as the other girls. One could say that sleeping in anything other than her own bed ran in her blood, as Aya was an excellent example of that claim.
    However, as soon as Cassius made it some way into the wide and long hallway, he heard some noise coming from inside his room. Curious, he creaked open the door, only to see a group of women working together in an attempt to pull up a thin waistband being held over a Physical Negator.
    But at the same moment he took his first step into the room, all of the beautiful women took one final pull and¡­ failed. They rebounded backward and fell on their cushy bottoms.
    "So¡­ What are you bunch doing?"

 Chapter 158 Bellas Crazies

    "So¡­ What are you bunch doing?" Cassius asked with a raised brow, receiving several bashful looks in return."W-We are¡­" The girls tried to think up something that made them look less pathetic, yet could come up with nothing. "That thing¡­ Why is it so heavy¡­?"
    Cassius looked away from their slightly whimpering expressions, with his eyes soon falling on the Waist Weight that he seemed to have left behind. He softly chuckled before sauntering past the blushing girls, where he then leaned down and lifted the thin Waist Weight with a single hand.
    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"
    Even the strongest among them, Bella, stared ahead with wide eyes, barely able to believe what she was seeing. 'He wasn't this strong a few days ago! How is his Seal loosening so quickly?? Has it been broken already!?'
    Let alone the Duke Vampire Descendant, the other girls were even more astonished by what they were seeing. And that surprise was only further amplified when Cassius strapped the unbelievably heavy Waist Weight to his person. They then saw him walk around like normal, acting as if he hadn't just put an entire City on him.
    "You¡­ Just what sort of freak are you¡­?" Aya, not ashamed to speak her mind, asked bluntly.
    In response, Cassius turned to her, and with a normal expression, he said, "It's not that heavy anymore. All that weight training has really done wonders."
    Who was he expecting to believe this crap!? Everyone in that room knew full well how heavy something must need to be for all of their combined efforts to not even budge the thing! All of them were Awakened, you know!
    What would weight training possibly be able to accomplish!?
    However, while looking at that handsome man slightly tilt his head in confusion, they could do nothing but sigh in exasperation. After which, they left the room, seemingly comprehending some deeper meaning of life.
    It was only a few minutes later, after Cassius pondered their weirdness by himself, that they worked together to prepare breakfast. Then, once they were done eating, Sasha bid farewell to the younger generation. Though, as she watched her stepson's sturdy back get farther and farther away, a tinge of loneliness struck her heart.
    Hellion, who also stayed behind, observed this Milf with a mildly perceptive glint in her frosty gaze. 'The Abyss wanders amidst turmoil, with age and relationship status becoming nothing more than a malleable construct¡­ But the darkness is unaware of the lies that wade through the uncertain waters of time¡­'
    The true meaning behind her thoughts was only known to herself. But soon, all would understand.
    Sometimes, Truth was more devastating than a Lie.
    ¡ª---------------
    After walking a bit away from the Steele Mansion, Cassius smiled and waved off Grace. As she was a bit older than he was, she no longer attended High School. And although he didn't quite know what she did to occupy herself, he recalled her mentioning how busy she got on some days. He could also tell from the way she was anxiously fidgeting that she had important matters to attend to.
    But before she reluctantly parted ways with the group down an intersecting street, she heard a kind voice speak inside her mind. Only she and the speaker were aware of what was being said, but after the voice transmission cut off, she left with a far more joyous way about her. She even started to hopscotch.
    "What is that weirdo up to?" Aya asked in confusion, her stare clearly judging the receding figure.
    Stella was thinking something similar, but she wasn't as shameless as Aya was. She did, however, steal glances at the tall handsome hooded man walking beside her. Images of the soft-spoken Grace returning from the bathroom last night in a fluster lingered at the forefront of her mind. But then she remembered how Cassius was with them the whole time, which left her even more puzzled.
    Bella, on the other hand, secretly eyed Cassius and the now distant Grace. Her eyes narrowed into thin slits as she thought, 'I have to hurry up and go through with the Contractual Ceremony tomorrow. The date cannot be brought back anymore! It has to happen!'
    Out of all the girls Cassius had around him, the one who put Bella the most on edge had to be the innocent-looking Grace. There was just something about her, perhaps her pheromones, that really set her off. Being around her urged Bella to constantly be on guard.
    She had to protect her man from thieving vixens! Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    And the more innocent-seeming they were, the more likely they were to be the most b*tchiest b*tch around!
    From now until the moment of their deeper marriage contract, she would have no choice but to stick to her hubby like glue! If any more whores seduced him, she would slit their throats and split up their limbs all across the world!!
    And that would be just the bare minimum of punishments¡­
    'Guhehe~'
    "Hmm?" Cassius could've sworn that he heard something creepy sound out from beside him, but when he turned toward Bella, the creepy sound stopped. 'Must've just been my imagination¡­' Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire
    Bella heaved a breath of relief when he looked back ahead. She gave him a slightly disgusted look just to make her act truly come together; maybe that was what did it?
    Well, whatever the case may be, she was safe for now!
    Though, it was a very close call¡­
    Bella felt her soul constrict when thinking about her hubby thinking her to be a weirdo¡­
    To prevent that scenario from happening, she had to hurry up and tie him down through permanent marriage! It was really the only possible thing she could do!
    Bella inwardly giggled again while walking beside Cassius and the bimbos whom she couldn't be bothered to remember the names of. In her life, the only person who truly mattered was her husband. Why should she go through the trouble of remembering names that would soon be scratched off the pages of her Death Note?
    It was pointless to waste such precious brain storage on those b*tches. After all, she only had 100% brain capacity available to her, and 99.5% of that was full of Cassius. Whereas the other 0.5% was filled with useless things like her Studies, Skills, Advanced Knowledge, her Family, and her Father.
    All worthless in comparison!
    Kuk!! Kuk!!!
    ...¡­.

 Chapter 159 Leons Thoughts

    Somewhere, very far away, in an entirely different Dimension, a middle-aged pale-faced man with red glowing eyes coughed up a large blot of blood and collapsed into his eerie throne. A divinely beautiful pale-faced woman who was in the same area also keeled over and felt extreme chest pain.The two Vampires protecting their Young Miss also felt something gnaw away at their insides, especially for Leon.
    Even further in the background, the Gremlin Exterrestrial Fiend tasked with neutrally surveilling 'its' son at all times momentarily looked at the ridiculous pair of vampires. It had known about their presences for a long while now, but seeing as they were yucky cold zombies, it tried its best to ignore their existences. Furthermore, anything that wasn't its target had nothing to do with it.
    And seeing as the Alien's camouflage was much better than whatever the Vampires were using to stay hidden, it worried not about being found out. Like usual, it simply stood back and watched expressionlessly.
    Leon, however, had sinister ideas swirling around inside his head. He had been mulling over a way to covertly erase the audacious human from the picture for a while now, and he finally figured out something he could do.
    The eyesore would be gone for good if he could successfully pull his plan off.
    'The Gate of World's End¡­ I recall the Elders speaking about it a few hundred years ago. And now that it has finally appeared in the Trial Area of the Ascension Tower of Humanity, many things will begin to change,' Leon thought with an evil inward grin. 'Who's to say that in the immense chaos brought about from all this change, an insignificant human worm won't go missing? Many things can happen in times when Floors of the Ascension Tower undergo their Rite to Remain.'
    With a solid plan forming within his mind, Leon stared at his gorgeous Young Miss, already imagining how his life with her would be after the worm was squashed. It would be blissful! Like a fairytale in real life! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    With various mystical beings having their own thoughts in mind, Cassius, a once overweight, cowardly, and hideous human being, was wondering how he should begin his next training regimen.
    He had quite a few techniques, ya know? There were the Three Sections of the Fundamental Body Refinement Manual, the Demon Dragon Integration Arts, the Fiendish Demon King Arts, and now the Sword God's Training Manual!
    Every single one of these was very difficult to progress in, to boot. None gave Cassius an easy time, and all of them were painful as all high hell. Especially the Sword God's Training Manual.
    However, along with various levels of excruciating pain came several significant boosts. For example, as he just advanced to the 5th Layer for all three segments of the Fundamental Body Refinement Manual, he received 3,000 Stat Points in all of his Main Attributes. Furthermore, he learned a little more of the Path to Immortality¡ªsecrets that normally even those beyond the SSS-Rank would not have access to.
    Only the most powerful beings in the Ascension Tower, such as the Top 5 Demon Kings and the Originator Ancestors of the other Dimensions, were privy to the Truth of Immortality and Immortals. Though, even for them, Immortals were like Children's Fairy Tales.
    Nonetheless, not only had Cassius been progressing his Fundamental Body Refinement Manual, but he had also been working on the Fiendish Demon King Arts and his Demon Dragon Integration Rate. The former had already taken him straight to the Early Greater Demon King stage, making him stronger than most S-Rank organisms with just his Demon King Bloodline alone.
    Similarly, his Demon Dragon Integration Arts advanced from just under 2% to over 20% in the past month!
    Give it a few more months and Cassius might just be able to achieve everything that a genuine Demon Dragon had to offer! Just imagining the improvements that would be made to his power was enough to make him drool in anticipation!
    Lastly, there was the Sword God's Training Manual.
    It was without question the most taxing Technique Cassius had to practice, but it was also the one that benefited him the most. In fact, the only apparent downside it had was that harming himself while imagining and/or practicing the motions of the Manual made only his Strength Stat increase. And with almost all of his AP going into Agility, his other three Main Attributes were neglected.
    He wasn't sure how to solve the issue yet, but with all his stats ¡ª including the benefits from the Fundamental Training Manual ¡ª sitting well above S+ Rank, he didn't worry too much about it. What mattered more to him was finding a way to push his Speed even higher.
    He had to go faster! He had to be the fastest!
    Perhaps Cassius had developed a little case of OCD when it came to acquiring Speed¡­ Just maybe¡­
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    ¡ª--------------
    *Step, Step, Step.*
    As Cassius, Stella, Aya, and Bella strolled through the streets of Hoshito, they began to near Hoshito General High. It was only then that they received even more stares than usual. When a group of young people as good-looking as them walked side by side, others were bound to gawk, with this only becoming worse the closer the gawkers were to their age.
    Aya uncomfortably fidgeted, her clear ocean blue eyes erratically darting all over the place. She seemed to be worried about something. And when she could no longer take it anymore, she scurried away from the other three.
    They looked at her weirdly, but by then, she was already long gone.
    "Where did she head off to?" asked Stella, her irises shining in curiosity. "Did she have to use the washroom?"
    Bella glanced at the silverish-haired woman as if she were looking at an idiot, with her disdain becoming even greater than when she first saw this shameless 20-something-year-old floozy wear their school uniform. Cassius even managed to get her a new identity that would allow her to attend the same school as them!
    Just how shameless could one person possibly be!?

 Chapter 160 1st Day of School

    'Does that Stella b*tch have no shame!?' Bella, the 20'ish year-old groomer vampire, shouted inside her mind. 'And that Aya stepsister-thieving whore is obviously embarrassed to be around us, so she left ahead of us. Tsk, I expect no less from a measly blood bag that isn't my husband.'Her expression lightened up a bit when she thought of the oblivious man beside her. She was so ready to dig in!
    Hearts swam around inside her eyes while staring at Cassius, with her tangible obsession having long since progressed far past overwhelming.
    Cassius, perfectly playing the part of a dense wall, simply looked between the two girls and then toward the blonde-haired beauty slipping through crowds of students. He sighed a little before venturing forward, with the large fancy gates of the high school quickly coming into view. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    As the most prestigious high school in Hoshito, Hoshito General High was not located in just one area. For the highly gifted students who graduated from the lower-branching Hoshito General Middle School, they would directly advance from the 1-A Building Complex of Hoshito Middle School to the 1-A Building Complex of Hoshito High School. This was the path that Bella and Aya had taken, whereas Cassius had to later take the Transfer Test to get into the same school complex after his book smart-type intelligence increased because of the System.
    Stella, on the other hand, got in through connections and manipulations on Cassius's part. She wasn't much older than 18 anyway, so why not send her to something that she never had the chance to properly participate in? It was quite easy to get her in after flashing a bit of cash.
    It was at this point that the whispers among the swathes of students became particularly vocal.
    "Who are they¡­?"
    "I have no idea who the man and the silver-haired woman are, but the one who left their group was one of the prettiest girls in school, Aya! And the sparkly-eyed one standing close to that¡­ man¡­ is Bella, one of the Three Belles of the School!"
    "Really?? I'm a Freshman, so I had no idea those good-looking girls were so popular. But what about the man? He looks better than most models I've seen, so do you know who he is? He's also wearing our school's uniform."
    "...Him?" The young man scoffed. "I have no clue who he is, but he has a lot of balls being so close to two of the school's beauties!" He said the last part just loud enough for Cassius and his group to hear.
    "Hmm¡­?"
    Cassius's striking blue eyes traced the source of the boisterous voice, and when they locked on to the young male student, the student involuntarily shivered in place. The student wanted to lash out in anger but could not even do that. Even his moderately handsome appearance was quickly drenched in sweat, same as with the rest of his body.
    Realizing what he was doing, Cassius looked away from the young man. He kept on forgetting about his menacing presence. Even with his killing intent being constantly dampened by him, there was nothing he could do about his demeanor.
    "It's only Day 1 and you're already bullying people," Bella mocked from the side. "Just look at that poor guy; he seems like he's on the verge of pissing his breeches!" She spoke the last few words just loud enough that every student in the vicinity could hear what she said.
    The young man's mouth swung open as his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and anger. He couldn't believe that the girl he has liked since junior year was speaking to him in such a way, and all for the sake of some unknown loser.
    It was infuriating!
    But what could he do?
    It was with a begrudged heart that the young man clenched his fists and retreated from the scene. Until he was a good distance out of view, he not once turned his head up.
    But deep down, he would remember this shameful moment! And he would be back to make sure that his crush and that guy rued the day they messed with him¡ª!
    "Hey, it looks like you forgot your purse on your way out!" Bella shouted, concealing a devilish smirk beneath her concerned facade. "Don't you want to come back over and pick it up?"
    The young man turned around and saw his fanny pack lying on the ground. It must've fallen off his shoulder just a second ago.
    But it wasn't like he could go pick it up now! He already felt like tying a rope around his neck and hanging it on a high tree branch! If he went back over, he might just bang his head against the ground while picking up the fanny pack to make his death come quicker¡­!
    "Well?" Bella repeated. "Are you not going to retrieve your purse?"
    Dozens of students wearing the same uniform all turned their heads in the young man's direction. They were invested in this development. Though, from his perspective, it felt like the whole world was against him.
    'J-Just you wait, you bastards! Just wait until I get my revenge!' the young man screamed out inside his head as he fled from the scene, with sparkling crystalline tears trailing off behind him. 'And it's not a purse, damnit! It's a manly, combat-ready, accessorised fanny pack!!'
    "..." "..." "..."
    Students exchanged glances with one another after they watched a senior escape in shame. He hadn't even retrieved his belongings¡­
    Bella, on the other hand, proudly stuck her nose up and furtively glanced at her hubby for praise.
    She did a good job, didn't she??
    She felt that deserved a petting session just like what the cutsie b*tches got! Gimme, gimme, she begged!
    "???"
    Cassius looked down at the pleading universe-like eyes of the black-haired girl before him. He wondered what it was she wanted, utterly oblivious to the obvious hints she was giving.
    'Hmm¡­ Perhaps she's in heat?'
    That was the only thing he could think of, and his response to this realization was a subtle hand wave of rejection. He hoped this would make his intentions clear.
    Bella's imaginary black cat ears drooped in sadness as her once bubbly aura turned gloomy.
    Now Cassius was even more confused. And as he, her, and Stella walked through the open gates of the high school, he realized what the problem was.
    Seeing as he was a man of action, he acted on his realization right away!
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    *Pat, Pat.*
    ...

 Chapter 161 Road to Forever Virgin

    'If Japanese scriptures have taught me anything, then it's that head pats are universally accepted as the only way to please a woman. That and the forbidden holding of hands¡­'The 'Road to Forever Virgin' Scripture had indeed taught Cassius well. Japanese protagonists all around the world would be proud.
    Their shed tears of prideful joy would be able to create entire river systems!
    However, the moment Bella felt a large hand rub back and forth atop her bed of black wonders, a different kind of river was created between her legs. And with it came a different type of wonder¡ªone that exceeded all expectations.
    Cassius glanced down at the shadowy-faced girl, unable to read her expression.
    'Maybe this wasn't the solution¡­?' he thought with a raised brow. '...But the Scriptures don't lie¡­'
    This matter truly perplexed him, even more so than the complexities that went into achieving the 4th Major Stage of the Sword God's Training Manual.
    Women, above all else, were hella confusing, dawg.
    Cassius's thoughts became a bit weird as he took his hand off the silent girl. He received a spasmed flinch in response, which made him a little nervous, even more so when he saw her lips zigzag into a creepy-ass grin.
    And like the intelligent man he was, he did the most logical thing in this situation.
    He walked away.
    Like a deadbeat dad on a journey for something he hoped to never find, Cassius slipped away from the ominous forcefield permeating around Bella. He brought Stella along with him, and together, they strolled up to one of three large boards. Hundreds of students were huddled around these boards, with each of them scanning the boards with their eyes in an attempt to locate their names.
    These boards were what determined the Homeroom Class of each student. When you arrived, you were expected to read them until you found your name, then you would enter the massive, opulent Main School Building and head to your Homeroom.
    "You see yours?" asked Cassius, trying his best to zone out the darkened aura expanding out behind them.
    All of the students, no matter if they were Awakened or not, felt shivers run up and down their spines. Even nearby teachers were no exception.
    Stella, who was feeling a high sense of danger, answered with an awkward smile, "I'm in Homeroom 4-A. What about you?"
    "I got 4-A as well," replied Cassius.
    Stella beamed at that information but hid it well.
    As one of the calmer ones among the moochers who resided within the Mooching King's abode, she was well accustomed to playing things off cool, even if she was, in actuality, freaking out on the inside.
    Stella gave an outward nod and a slight smile before following close behind Cassius. As they made their way through the loud groups of people, she took many furtive glances at his side-view. Her eyes sparkled more and more the longer she looked, but before long, her dazed trance wound up ending when they made it to the glass building's 4th Floor.
    The 4th Floor was extremely large, including within its walls dozens of classrooms, all of which were designated to 4th Year Students. Yet, even among seniors, there were differences in statuses, and also differences in the quality of the classrooms. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire
    Luckily, Cassius and Stella were part of the most advanced class, which also meant the most luxurious class. But to be frank, he hadn't accounted for this when he was throwing around wads of cash like it was a strip club.
    'The Administration did say something about Stella needing to take a test to figure out where she would be learning, but I never asked her about it¡­ She must've done quite well if she's in the A-Class as well, though¡­'
    With his stupidly overpowered Mind Skills and Knowledge Bank, Cassius breezed through the School's Tests like a toddler playing with building blocks. However, unlike him, Stella did not have any such Skills or Cheats.
    Like most Awakeners, all of her Skills were very compatible with her Job, which was far from how the Jack-Of-All-Trades Cassius operated.
    And from what he knew of this bluish-silverish-haired beauty, she had the Job of 'Spiritualist,' which made her a Supporter Class of sorts. She could cast spells and incantations that had the properties of 'Restrict,' 'Confine,' 'Stop,' and such.
    In combat, she was invaluable as a party member, but outside of Gate Conquering, her Skills were unable to do much of anything. Though, if she cast a certain Skill, she could stop things from falling mid-air, giving the illusion of a time-stop Skill.
    But again, this utilization was pretty useless¡­ It did, however, make for a good party trick!
    Cassius chuckled a little while walking side by side with the quiet beauty. As they sauntered through the 4th Floor Hallways in search of Homeroom 1-A, they received too many stares to count. From girls to boys to even staff, everyone stole more than one glance.
    However, as if none of the attention they were getting even registered in their minds, Cassius and Stella continued thinking about one another. He wondered just how much intelligence she had been keeping a secret from him while also pondering what he speculated to be increases in breast size. Surely, her boobs weren't growing larger, right?
    Then again, perhaps they were¡­
    As Cassius's once serious contemplation session took an unusual turn, Stella's mind became filled with thoughts of¡­ Well¡­
    Everything¡­
    Marriage and snu snu may have passed her mind once or twice, and the nonsensical thoughts didn't stop there. Again and again, she shook her head, but more silly thoughts just kept surfacing.
    Even she herself didn't know what she was thinking about anymore¡­
    'But it is nice to finally be alone with him,' Stella thought with a warm smile as she gently rubbed her World Tree necklace. 'I wonder when we'll be able to talk in private again¡­ Maybe I should ask later.'
    Then, as each thought to themselves, they finally made it to a fancy golden sign hung over a closed door. The sign was written in loud italics and read 'Class 4-A.' S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    They could hear a lot of noise coming from within the classroom, and they could also see bright lights flying all around.
    They both immediately knew what sort of room they were about to enter¡­
    If the students of Classroom 4-A were advanced, they were likely so in every sense of the word.
    In layman's terms, this likely meant a good majority of them were¡­

 Chapter 162 I Challenge You to a Duel!

    SHING!"Awakened," Cassius and Stella tiredly murmured as they opened the door and easily dodged a flying blade arc.
    The arc threatened to destroy a good chunk of the school, but before it could, some mysterious force that encompassed the area locked onto the arc and dissipated it.
    'A Formation?'
    Cassius's thoughts were interrupted by a rowdy group of students.
    "Why did you dodge, you blonde pretty boy!? Are you scared of my blade skills!?" shouted a young man with spiky red hair and a feisty gaze.
    The student he was talking to scoffed aloud. "Me? Scared of you? What a joke!"
    Yet, in spite of the blonde-haired student's growing urge to fight back, he remembered the bothersome lectures of the Headmaster and the other teachers. He snorted in disdain before returning to his seat, where he then flipped back his medium-length, shiny blonde hair. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire
    "You pretentious bastard¡­" The spiky red-haired student's face twisted in anger as several veins burst on his forehead.
    However, before he could act any more rashly, the voice of a black-haired, purple-eyed woman sounded out.
    "Be quiet, guys¡­ I'm trying to sleep¡­"
    'You're always trying to sleep!' the students all exclaimed as they face-palmed at the sight of their naturally seductive teacher laying against her desk at the front of the classroom.
    "Hmm?"
    Cassius curiously observed this homeroom teacher, upon which he saw a groggy face that was somehow still incredibly beautiful. She wore a tightly-fitted black and white dress shirt, with the buttons barely containing the ample, snow-white mountains that perfectly drooped over her mahogany desk.
    Her hair¡ªlong, black, and luscious¡ªreached her divinely sculpted butt and even spread out around her adorably sleepy expression, sculpting her image in a way that just did it for a lot of the male students in the school.
    The students were especially drawn into those slightly flickering violet pupils still in the process of displaying themselves to the world. They looked between all of those in her classroom with a bored way about them, until she eventually saw two new faces.
    "Huh? Who the hell are you two?" Violet Evergreen, the beautiful sleepy teacher, asked in a raunchy way not befitting her image as a C-Rank Teacher of Hoshito's #1 School.
    It was only after her mildly annoyed announcement that the students noticed the male and female pair calmly standing at the far back of the classroom. The first thing they saw were their uniforms, meaning that they were also students of the school. Then, they scrutinized their appearances.
    "So beautiful," the blonde-haired student, Arthur, murmured in a daze. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen a woman as stunning as the one standing before him.
    Where had she come from? Who was the man beside her? Was she single? were questions he asked himself.
    Then, something completely unexpected happened.
    "Please go out with me! I think you're the hottest!" The spiky red-haired student, Alex, wasted no time and immediately confessed in his own twisted way.
    "You unruly heathen¡ª" Arthur was about to stand up and defend this queen of a woman, but before he received the chance to show off, Stella responded almost instantly, saying:
    "No. You're too loud."
    *Kuk!*
    Alex took critical damage.
    Figuring this was his chance, Arthur confessed as well. "I'm quiet, and I promise that I'll take good care of you¡ª"
    "No," Stella denied. "You're too shiny, and I don't like how skinny you are. Do gyms not exist where you live?"
    *Kuk!*
    Arthur joined the red-haired meathead as they both collapsed to the ground with blood leaking from their mouths.
    Cassius softly chuckled, whereas the other students in the classroom burst out in laughter. They didn't care a single bit about the currently fragile hearts of the two heartbroken boys. As those two were of the C-Rank and were expected to have quite the prosperous futures ahead of them, they took every chance they got to brag.
    It was hella satisfying to finally see them taken off their high horses!
    "...."
    A pair of orangish-blue eyes pierced through the uproarious laughter of the students and honed in on the cold-faced boy with jet-black hair standing beside the ruthless silver-haired girl. Unknown thoughts flashed through those captivating eyes as they never left the view of the boy.
    However, after a couple of seconds, the owner of those eyes¡ªa girl named Flora¡ªlooked away and returned to being bored. He was exceptionally handsome, but beyond that, she hadn't seen anything that interesting. But for some reason, he carried the scent of her sister, which was why she was initially so invested.
    Yet, there was likely no connection between her sister and this guy. They probably just passed each other on the side of the street or something. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "So bored¡­" Flora muttered as she squished her gorgeous, decorated face against her desk. Staring out a window, she wondered when something entertaining would happen.
    "Hello?? Is no one going to tell me¡ª" Violet Evergreen started to speak, yet had a spark of realization appear midway through her question. "Ahh¡­ the rich student and the transfer student¡­ Well, whatever¡­"
    With that, the pretty homeroom teacher went back to napping, no longer bothering herself with the students she was supposed to be teaching.
    "The rich student¡­?" Cassius repeated with a twitching smile. 'I took the Assignment Test as well, you know¡­'
    Stella giggled a little while looking at the funny expression he was making.
    Arthur and Alex became incensed by this sight as they got up off the ground, wiped the blood from their lips, and valiantly spoke up:
    "I challenge you to a duel!!" X2
    "!?!?" "!?!?" "!?!?"
    The students looked at the two egotistical boys with their mouths agape. Not often were they able to witness a duel in person, let alone two at the same time. Not to mention that they were both proposed by C-Rank Awakeners, who were considered to be at the very peak of the Hoshito City Hierarchy!
    Flora's ears perked up a little as she lazily switched the side her face was laying on.
    "Those idiots are really starting another duel¡­?"

 Chapter 163 Stellas Inner Thoughts

    Flora faintly recalled the last time they dueled. It happened a few months ago, before summer break began. At the time, they were dueling each other for the chance to ask her out. But in the end, no victor could be determined, and a deeply rooted rivalry was created. Over time, they forgot all about why they hated each other so much¡ªand also forgot about her. This was good for her, as she heavily disliked both of them.However, that didn't mean she could deny their strength.
    Although they were nothing more than ants in her eyes, she could recognize that to the citizens of Hoshito, they were considered extremely powerful. The C-Rank, on a national scale, was still quite good and was what many saw as the backbone of a country, so even outside Hoshito, the two dunderheads would have a decent chance of succeeding.
    'Still trash¡­'
    That was the limit of Flora's interest. She could feel no aura from the new guy, and the challengers weren't worth her while. With that said, she returned to being bored while watching tweetie birds soar outside one of the classroom windows.
    Cassius, on the other hand, tilted his head in bewilderment.
    "Duels? You can have duels in a school?"
    He had no recollection of this nonsensical notion from either this life or his previous one. It was silly¡ª
    "Of course you can, you bumpkin!" Arthur mocked. "Now, do you accept the duel or not!?"
    "Yeah, do you accept, you bastard!?" Alex added, feeling that he ought to not be outshined by the blonde-haired boy beside him.
    Cassius exchanged a look with the short silver-haired girl, where he saw her eyes crease upward in amusement. She also had no idea about school duels, but seeing him struggle with himself like that made her heart flutter a bit.
    She liked this part of him a lot¡­ He was so vulnerable¡­
    "Heh¡­"
    "What was that?" Cassius whispered under the livid stares of the blonde and red badgers.
    "What? Oh! It¡­ It was nothing¡­" Stella covered herself as best she could, trying her utmost to hide the goofy grin creeping up her magnetic features.
    Cassius raised a brow in suspicion, yet thought no more on the subject. He was used to all the 'oddities' that surrounded him; it was better not to overthink matters centered around any of them.
    Multiple girls in several different locations all felt something puncture their hearts and mercilessly tear at their insides. For some reason, they felt like they were being repeatedly shanked¡­
    ¡ªBack at Hoshito High School¡ª
    Cassius glanced between all of the eager students, then looked to the teacher for help. However, she couldn't care less about what was occurring in her own classroom. His lips spasmed a bit as he realized he was all alone on this one.
    An irritating laugh resounded.
    "Ha! Are you really so scared to fight us!? You must be terrified! But don't worry! We'll duel you one by one, so you won't get beaten to a pummel all at once!"
    It was Arthur who recited those conceited words, but Alex wasn't one to fall too far behind as he added, "Right now! Do you dare or do you not dare!?"
    Cassius blankly stared at these clowns, finding it increasingly more difficult not to soccer-punch them in their annoying smirks.
    Stella noticed this annoyance and giggled even more than before, to which she received a tickle to her side. Cassius's finger moved like lightning, then left even faster.
    'Y-You¡­! Hahah~!'
    Stella struggled with all her might not to embarrass herself in public. Her face turned a dark shade of red as she clenched onto the hem of his uniform and keeled over a little. While steadying her breath and holding back the laughter, she aggrievedly glared at him.
    Cassius smugly ignored the cute expression she was making and revisited the sudden proposal to duel by the young male students fiercely glaring at him. He didn't want to have to do this so soon, but in a way, it might just help speed up the process of acquiring a peaceful school life for his last year of high school.
    As for why he wished for this¡ªeven despite the fact that he could do just about anything he wanted in this world¡ªwas because of reasons unknown to even himself.
    Perhaps he wanted to savor the mundane while it lasted because he wouldn't get another chance¡­? Perhaps a part of him felt suffocated by all the pain and death he forced himself to go through, making him subconsciously feel inclined to revert to the simpler things in life¡­? This could also explain why he always wound up coming back to family at the end of the day¡­
    Cassius's thoughts uselessly swirled before he noticed the growing impatience of the idiots. Sighing, he shook his head and said, "Fine. Let's do this duel."
    Arthur and Alex inwardly grinned as they managed to get him ensnared in their trap. Though, outwardly, they showed a bit of false compassion and motioned to an open window. Outside that window were many faculty buildings and activity areas, but what they were truly referencing was the forcefield-like bubble located just a few dozen feet away from the building they were in.
    This bubble was an isolated area spanning dozens of meters in all directions and was enveloped in a powerful formation spell that prevented all attacks released inside the bubble from coming out. It could even withstand a couple of skills from the weakest of B-Rank Hunters, which was insane for a backwater city like Hoshito!
    "Am I really doing this¡­?" Cassius asked himself in exasperation.
    Stella tickled his sides as a form of revenge and teasingly said, "Good luck, you dummy."
    She didn't receive quite the laughing reaction she expected, but seeing his expression morph a little in disgruntlement was very pleasing to the eye. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ¡ªA few seconds later¡ª
    Cassius nonchalantly stood on one side of the bubble fighting ring.
    Alex stood on the other side, his smirk curving up in derision.
    Arthur, the blonde-haired student, waited outside the ring. His mood was soured over not winning the rock-paper-scissors match to decide who would be the first to beat up the overly handsome aura-less loser, but he still wanted to watch¡­

 Chapter 164 Vladimir Dracula!

    A few dozen meters away, on the 4th Floor of the Main School Building, dozens of students, both female and male, were staring out the windows with shining eyes. All of them were either geniuses, came from influential families, or were high-level Awakeners, so most of their schedules were jam-packed. It was only during moments like these that they received some respite from their normally hectic lives.Flora took an uninterested glance in the direction of the bubble fighting ring, suddenly feeling that there was no harm in watching how the fight played out to cure some of her boredom. The winner of the match was already clear as day in her eyes, but maybe something surprising would occur. That would be nice¡­
    Stella, who was also watching from the distant classroom, thought the exact opposite of the placid Flora. In fact, the victor was set in stone so hard that the center of the earth might just open up due to how guaranteed the victory would be.
    She was, however, looking forward to seeing how that dummy would deal with the aftermath of these bouts, though.
    Now that would make her happy.
    Cassius briefly looked at Stella, knowing very well what was running through her mind. He helplessly shook his head and refocused on this so-called 'Duel.'
    "Do we really have to do this?" he asked.
    Arthur's smug smirk widened to nearly both of his ears as he replied, "Why? Scared?"
    A few of the students watching from up above laughed, causing Cassius's frown to deepen. The more he stayed around these folks, the better he understood that status and talent did not make the person. People could still be childish, and they could still act like background characters, their names not even worth mentioning.
    With one final sigh, Cassius nodded and said, "Very well. You can make the first move."
    "Me¡­ Make the first move¡­?"
    "Bahahaha!"
    He, along with everyone else, erupted in laughter as they couldn't believe the laid-back arrogance of this unknown boy. Even the girls who were quite taken by his looks found what he said to be incredibly funny.
    Only Flora, Stella, and the sleeping Violet made no sound. They simply kept their thoughts to themselves and quietly watched how things were bound to unfold.
    Arthur, finding it hard to stop his chest from hurting because of his intense laughter, wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. Struggling to maintain a straight face, he asked, "Do you really mean what you said, you fool??"
    "Yes," Cassius calmly replied, his humor non-existent. "Now, if you could, why don't you make a move?"
    Arthur's expression froze. He was no longer laughing. His smile quickly faded, instead turning into a frown that marred his moderately handsome facial features. With his face twisting in anger, veins spread out all over his head.
    "...You really want me to make the first move¡­?" he repeated in a seething tone.
    Cassius apathetically looked him up and down, then answered, "Yes."
    He did not get into any proper stance. He just stood there. From Arthur's perspective, however, his uncaringness was seen as a form of disrespect.
    His anger reached an all-time high as a yellowish aura exploded out from him, with the rolling waves of energy affecting the wills of even spectating D-Rank Awakeners.
    "Hmm¡­?"
    Somewhere else within the Private School, an elderly man's eyes widened as he sensed Arthur's aura. After checking out the situation with his Magic Sense, he saw who Arthur was unleashing his aura on. And when he confirmed it to be the aura-less boy who flaunted his wealth around to get someone in, he was about to get up and stop the boy from embarrassing himself.
    However, at the same moment he went to make his move, a venomous feminine voice entered his mind through a special Vampire Voice Transmission Skill. The old man was startled at first, but after a couple of moments of listening to the voice, his pupils dilated and turned a dark shade of red.
    "As you command, my Lady!" he shouted in reverence before hitting the ground in a fervent kneeling pose. "I'll not interfere in anything that student Cassius does!"
    A cold, feminine snort resounded. After which, a shadowy figure hiding in the folds of the room vanished.
    The Principal of the Academy picked himself up off the floor a second later, with the color of his eyes returning to normal. He looked around in confusion, completely forgetting how he got out of his seat and what he had originally planned to do. But when he felt the C-Rank aura of one of his students, he instinctively decided not to do anything.
    'Don't worry, Hubby~!' Bella raved inside her mind, pulsating hearts swimming within her mesmerizing eyes. 'Your wifey will make sure everything goes the way you want it!'
    *Flap, Flap, Flap!*
    A creepily giggling bat flapped her wings and disappeared from the skies above the School.
    Bella had originally wanted to stay extremely close to her husband until the moment their contractual marriage was set in stone, but when he gave her that euphoric head pat, she both creamed and had some sense knocked back into her. What that knock in the brain department told her was that she had to make sure her father was prepared for anything that might occur in the futile strugglings that were soon to happen.
    Where she was flying to right now was her home in the Human Realm. Inside that spooky house stood an eerie purple portal that served as an exclusive gateway for vampires to enter the Human Realm. On the other side of that portal, however¡­
    WHOOOOSH¡ª!
    A Great World forever enshrouded by a blanket of darkness. Ancient Castles overlooked the common blood-sucker populace, powerful vampire nobles flew overhead, traversing above Middle Eastern-style buildings that numbered in the millions. Terrifying shadowy flying creatures and reptilian land giants occupied plots of land both far and wide, with imposing vampires mounting these mountainous entities.
    But at the very center¡ªat the Highest Floor¡ªat the summit of this world of darkness stretching outward thousands of times more than that of Earth, there existed something that even Vampire Dukes feared.
    This 'something' was so horrifying that all within the Realm of Darkness felt the breath leave their lungs when his name was brought up in conversation. His existence was akin to the terror within one's nightmares, the savior of all Vampire-kind, and yet also the One who Knocks. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    His name?
    Vladimir Dracula¡­ The Absolute King of Nightingale¡­!!!

 Chapter 165 Time Runs Thin...

    Vlad the Impaler. Vlad III Dracula. The Vampire Progenitor. The Oldest Vampire Ancestor¡­ His titles were plenty.But the real deal¡­ Excluding all the names and status that lesser beings had bestowed upon him¡­
    The real him.
    That Vlad was unimaginably more terrifying than the stories depicted him to be.
    And at the very same moment a familiar bloodline inheritor entered Nightingale, Dracula's eon-old eyes shot open.
    "...."
    The monster as old as Earth¡ªone not synonymous with the Dracula of fairytales¡ªsat in deep contemplation, seemingly thinking about things beyond mortal understanding.
    For the longest while, his cold blood-red eyes stared off into distances unknown.
    Unblinkingly, his pale purple lips began to move, and an antiquated string of words followed:
    "The END nears; the Abyss follows¡­ The Abyss lags¡­ Yet the Descender approaches¡­"
    Dracula turned his head upward, where a spark ignited within his voided crimson irises.
    "Time¡­ It runs thin¡­"
    With that, an ancient sigh echoed through cracked halls that had been empty for a very, very long time.
    No lovers and no family were there beside the horrifying entity who had been walking the dredges of existence for what felt like eternity. The only thing keeping him company were the secrets¡ªthe Truth¡ªImmortal Mysteries that prevented him from interacting with anyone.
    The price for Knowledge was a hefty one, and Count Dracula had paid a price that knew not of mercy¡­ S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    ¡ª-----------------
    ¡ªOutside of the Main Building of Hoshito General High, on the Trial Floor of the Ascension Tower of Humanity¡ª
    "Have you heard?!"
    "Why else would I be here?! It's freaking hot as hell out here, ya know??"
    "You don't have to be so rude¡­"
    Even students unrelated to Classroom 4-A had gathered outside, with every single one of their eyes glued to the tension-filled standoff between one of the more well-known seniors and an unknown student.
    Though some of them had seen Cassius once or twice before, none of them could possibly overlap the images of the Cassius of before and the Cassius of now.
    But what they did know was that this new guy was extremely handsome¡­ and extremely stupid¡­
    After all, only the stupidest of people would decide to fight someone in the C-Rank when they had not the slightest smidgen of aura. Foolish would be an understatement for what this guy was doing.
    More than a few girls among the gathered crowd felt it a great shame for someone so good-looking to be so stupid. For the boys, however, when they saw the girls lament the fate of the newbie, they started to cheer even louder.
    "Die!!"
    "Drop over dead!!!"
    "Why aren't you dead yet!?!?"
    The boys shouted, calling for the newbie's death, even though the duels weren't actually to the death¡­
    A few students, attracted by the commotion, paused their lessons and came out to see what the noise was about. When they saw the pandemonium about to unfold, they prepared to put an end to everything and get the students back to class.
    However, before they could act, the Principal's voice sounded inside their heads.
    It was fair to say that all of the teachers stopped in their tracks. Afterward, they took the stance of spectators. Only if one of the students' lives were put in danger would they interfere and call for the end of this charade.
    OOOM!
    The air separating Cassius and Arthur boiled over, with every bit of the heat produced by the enraged Arthur. If, at first, he heavily disliked the young man who hovered around the girl of his dreams, then now his heart was filled with a burning drive telling him to mangle his pretty, delicate face.
    "You said I can make the first move¡­?" He asked, taking brief pauses between each word. His raging yellow aura grew appropriately, and before long, even the weaker teachers felt the air around them tighten.
    Cassius, unbothered by the useless display of the weak aura, simply nodded and stretched out his hand. He cupped that hand and waved it toward himself, beckoning the blonde-haired young man standing opposite him.
    "!!!"
    No longer able to restrain his anger, Arthur summoned forth a mighty five-meter-long golden lance of energy. Then, with a step forward like an uncontrollable dragon, he burst forward and released a wild roar.
    "Take this, you foolish bastard!!" He bellowed, with his overwhelming filaments of golden energy hollering in unison. They surrounded the expressionless man from all sides, making escape impossible. "We can't kill each other, but that doesn't mean I can't cripple you and prevent you from ever walking or reproducing!!"
    Cruel.
    A cold gleam passed through Cassius's bluish-red eyes as he nearly counterattacked with his killing intent out of habit. But luckily for Arthur, he had enough self-control to stop himself just in the nick of time.
    "What are you doing, Arthur!? Are you trying to kill him!?!?" Several teachers yelled, worry etched across their faces.
    They had expected him to go easy at first and then gradually increase the intensity of the battle until they were forced to step in, but no! He had gone all-out right from the get-go!
    And from the looks of it, he was aiming to commit an atrocity!!
    'Hahaha!! There's no stopping me now!!! I'm too powerful!!!'
    A sadistic smirk formed on Arthur's face as the sharp tip of his golden energy lance thrust forward, instantly reaching a point less than five centimeters away from Cassius's third leg. The split-off filaments of the golden lance also struck toward the limbs they were targeting.
    Arthur was going for a complete cripple!!
    Then the beautiful silver-haired woman would be his!!
    His thoughts turned lecherous as he acted carelessly and stole glances at the bluish-silver-haired woman calmly watching from Classroom 4-A.
    In his negligence, he failed to notice the slight look of surprise appear on the groggy face of the previous girl of his dreams.
    That same surprise quickly spread to the other students and exponentially multiplied.
    Before long, even the students rushing to the scene slowed to a shocked crawl¡­ and just stared at the mind-boggling scene before them.

 Chapter 166 Flora, a Succubus...!?

    Alex, who had closed his eyes a while back due to the disappointment of not being able to beat up that cocky bastard because he was sure the guy would be crippled, slowly opened them. And just like everyone else, surprise overshadowed his other emotions ten to one."???"
    Arthur, puzzled by the sudden silence, also opened the eyes filled with delusions of a future that would never come to pass. But when he saw the unbelievable sight before him, the calm way he opened his eyes turned into them rapidly widening in disbelief.
    "Th¡­ This¡­ How can this be!?"
    Right in front of him stood the emotionless man he planned to completely cripple. That same man appeared unharmed, and in between his index and thumb fingers was the devastatingly sharp tip of his golden lance!
    As for the golden energy filaments, they had all vanished without a trace¡­
    *Crack!*
    Arthur's golden lance began to crack. The fractures quickly spiderwebbed, and all at once, the lance shattered in his hands.
    "!!!"
    Arthur stumbled backward in fright and fell on his butt, where his shaky eyes locked with the terrifyingly cold gaze of the horrifying man standing over him. In his terror, he was unable to control his bladder and shamefully soiled himself. By now, the other students would laugh, and Alex would jeer, but they were all too stunned to even consider it.
    What was even more surprising was what Arthur, the infamous playboy, did next¡­
    *Bang!*
    "P-Please don't kill me!!" he cried out, snot and tears running down his groveling face.
    *Bang! Bang! Bang!*
    "Pl¡­Please don't kill me¡­!"
    With each head bang against the ground came another round of begging. Right now, he was terrified out of his mind! As one of the strongest Awakeners in Hoshito, he was able to accurately discern the insurmountable gap that lay between him and Cassius after their brief exchange.
    "...."
    Cassius indifferently stared at the groveling blonde-haired student. He pondered, then shook his head and stayed his hand.
    "Just don't let it happen again," he said as he turned to walk out of the bubble arena.
    He was referring to the cruel intent Arthur previously held for him. And as for why he hadn't simply killed this young man and been done with it: first, he was unsure if Arthur was even over the age of 17. Second, the guy was weak; inconsequential. It was pointless to ruin things by murdering a possible minor in public, especially one who posed no threat to himself.
    'He could come after my family¡­ Hmm¡­ I guess I'll just kill him if such an unlikely scenario comes to pass. I am too fast, anyway. He won't be able to do anything even if I'm in another dimension.' Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
    Cassius was not sparing the life of a murderer¡ªjust an angered child. One that didn't have even the slightest bit of true killing intent.
    Feeling it to be a waste of time to think any more on the matter, he sauntered away from the snot-faced Arthur. He passed by the shell-shocked Alex on his way out, giving him slight pause.
    Turning his face toward the spiky red-haired boy, he coldly asked, "Do you still wish to fight as well?"
    "!!!"
    Alex swiveled his head in the direction of the voice that snapped him out of his reverie, only to see afterimages of afterimages.
    "Well?" Cassius asked from beside his ear.
    "Wha!?" Alex jumped back and lost his balance, same as his rival. "How did you¡­!?"
    Cassius's eyes narrowed. "You haven't answered my question yet." His innate icy pressure pressed down on the bewildered spiky redhead. "Do you wish to fight or not?"
    Alex's pupils trembled as his lashes quivered. He quietly hung his head low, giving the calm black-haired freak all the answer he needed.
    "Very well," said Cassius, his slow receding steps weighing heavily on the minds of both defeated boys. "I hope this is the last of the animosity between us."
    "!!!" "!!!"
    A chilling sensation spiked through the spines of Arthur and Alex as they involuntarily shuddered. They dared not look up, merely nodding their heads to show they understood. All the hatred they once held for the arrogant newbie went up into a puff of smoke, instead replaced by a¡­ deeply seeded¡­ fear¡­
    When Cassius left the outside area and entered through the school building's front doors, hundreds of students suddenly erupted in fervent cheers! They had no idea things would turn out this way!
    "Arthur lost so easily! And Alex gave up without even attempting to fight!! What awesomeness did we just witness!??"
    "What was his name again!? He's now my idol!"
    "Cassius was his name! And from now on, he's my big brother! Any who have a problem with him or wish to get into contact with him must first come through me!" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Cassius¡­? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere¡­ But where?"
    "Cassius¡­ It can't be¡­ Yes, there's no way those two are the same person! Even an Immortal invading would be more likely than such a nonsensical theory!!"
    While many people enthusiastically chatted with one another and discussed Cassius, the person in question had just returned to Classroom 4-A. Upon entering the classroom, he received the full attention of everyone inside the room except for Violet. Even the normally indifferent Flora was now looking at him in a different light.
    'Anyone at or above the Peak C-Rank would be able to do what he did with the energy lance, but the way he moved when talking to Alex was on¡­ an entirely different level¡­'
    Although Flora was able to see his movements, it was just barely, and there was no possible way for her to react if she were to go up against him. The moment he moved, she would¡­ die.
    This fact changed Flora's entire opinion of the boy she once deemed as nothing more than a pretty face¡­
    Seductively licking her lips, a completely different side of her came out¡ªa side that had only now been activated. A pinkish energy swirled around her pupils, and something began to wiggle around inside her dress and slightly peek out. Two small black horns also protruded from atop her head.
    Everything meshed together in such a way that only one word would pop up in the mind of any who saw her current form¡ª
    ¡ªSuccubus!!¡ª

 Chapter 167 But Im not even 18!

    'What is this¡­!?' Flora asked herself while fighting the urge to pounce on the young man who now looked like an appetizing steak slab. 'Is this my¡­?? But I'm not even 18 yet!'A girl who was normally uncaring about everything began to internally freak out as she tried to reverse the sudden changes to her body. However, as this whole experience was very novel to her, she knew not how to undo the alterations.
    In her distress, a lethargic-sounding feminine voice entered her ears. 'Focus on the spots that feel the most reactive and convey your intent. You'll be able to more easily switch between your Succubus and Human forms¡­'
    'Elder Protector Violet??' Flora's eyes flashed in surprise as she worried if other unrelated people also realized what was happening to her.
    'Don't worry,' Violet Evergreen eased her nerves while outwardly sleeping. 'I even managed to slip past the Mind-control Skills of that irksome Vampire Miss. You think I can't alter the reality that everyone perceives when they look at you¡­? You will soon learn more of it, but we Succubi specialize in the properties of the mind and illusion.'
    Flora was still wrapping her head around her premature racial awakening, but with the severity of the situation at hand, she idled no longer and followed Elder Violet's instructions. In no time at all, she had already reversed the heart-shaped tail with a mind of its own. The rest of her unique Succubus qualities soon followed.
    Just like that, she became human again.
    Violet lazily swiped her delicate fingers and deactivated the Illusion spell she had cast on everyone in the classroom. She then voice-transmitted to Flora, saying, 'We will speak more on this when we return to your family later today. Until then, you can rest assured. No one saw your¡ª' sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Flora and Violet looked in the same direction at the exact same time, which was when they saw a striking pair of multicolored eyes curiously glancing between them. A small grin then formed on the face of the owner of those eyes, causing the two sleepy beauties' thoughts to spiral.
    "He couldn't have¡­"
    "Elder Violet¡­ What was that you said again¡­?"
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    Under the guise of the noise produced by the students that had only now unfrozen themselves and started swarming Cassius, both young Succubus and Elder Succubus exchanged puzzled looks. Neither could explain what they had just seen.
    Perhaps it was all just their imagination¡­?
    Yeah right¡­
    Violet and Flora could no longer see the aloof man due to all the students crowding around him, but that handsome shot of him slightly grinning still lingered at the forefront of their minds. If he made that insinuating gesture because he saw something he shouldn't have, then they were quite frankly¡­ f*cked¡­
    'Should I kill him??' Violet thought with unusual haste. 'Would it be easier to use higher-level Persuasion Skills on him and force him to forget??? The young mistress's premature racial awakening cannot be known to the public just yet. If the other Dimensions were to learn of this event that foretells many things for our race, then everything we have worked to accomplish over the years will have been for naught¡­'
    'The Young Miss must grow up,' she declared in a tone bereft of emotion, with her usually dormant killing intent becoming tangible. 'I'll have to kill him. It's the simplest solution.'
    However, before the uncharacteristically ruthless Violet could make her accurate and lethal move, Flora predicted her thoughts beforehand and shouted to stop her through voice transmission.
    "???"
    'You mustn't kill him, Elder Violet,' Flora hurriedly explained, a deep blush forming on her face. 'Have you already forgotten the Succubus traits¡­? He made me feel the urge to ravage him and drain him dry until he becomes akin to a barren desert¡­ You know what this means¡­'
    "!!!"
    Violet had completely overlooked it, as that had not even happened to the Eldest Miss, mostly because she had not yet had her Racial Awakening. But if what the Young Miss said was true, then¡­
    'I can neither kill him nor alter his mind¡­ That boy has already been marked¡­'
    Like Vampires with their morally questionable ceremonies and marking rituals, the Succubus race also had one such similar permanent marking system. The specific details of the marking process were that when a Succubus underwent their Racial Awakening, the first man they felt a liking to would be 'marked.'
    However, unlike the Vampires who had contractual marriage marks, the Succubi did not mark a male in the hopes of spending all of eternity with them. Their First Mark would¡­ be the first person they had to drain all the Yang Energy from¡­
    The marked male would naturally die once the Mark's purpose was accomplished. This meant that Cassius was set for death¡­ again¡­ by a different woman¡­
    And Flora had to be the one to personally do it.
    She furiously blushed at just the thought of participating in something so obscene, but she had no real choice in the matter. If she never slept with her First Mark and drained him dry, then her power would stagnate. Moreover, over time, her body would start to weaken, and in the most unlikely and far-off of cases, she would¡­ die.
    Violet Evergreen inhaled deeply before exhaling sharply. She laid her head back on her desk and returned to the land of dreams.
    Flora, on the other hand, had a head infected with dirty thoughts. Now, every time she thought about Cassius, only explicit scenes entered her mind. She couldn't stop herself from repeatedly blushing, with every additional glance at him causing her beat-red condition to worsen¡­
    She had no clue what to do now¡­
    There was no way she could just approach him and ask for sex!
    'Hey, wanna fuck?'
    'Huh¡­?'
    Uhn uh! She was utterly incapable of doing something as frivolous and perverted as that!! But then what else!?
    Flora was also not used to talking to those of the opposite gender, or even those of the same gender.
    Yes, she was friendless! And unsocial!
    But it was all by choice¡­
    ....

 Chapter 168 Alaric and Carmilla Crestmore

    Before this recent sequence of events, Flora hadn't minded being alone almost all the time. But now, with everything that had happened, she had no choice but to figure out how to speak with a man. Her end goal would be to fuck! She could do it!With a newfound sense of determination, Flora clenched her fists and began to make her move.
    Yet, at the very same moment she quietly slammed her desk and commenced her fuckfest march, an enchanting bluish silver-haired beauty raised her voice and jumped toward Cassius.
    "You really beat them! That's my big, strong man for ya~!"
    "...."
    'What are you doing?' Cassius asked calmly, acting completely unresponsive to the pair of large, squishy breasts pressing up against his chest. Others in the classroom were also staring at him with flabbergasted looks on their faces, but he ignored them all the same.
    Stella was unable to Voice Transmission the same way he could, but when she sneakily smirked, he could pretty much figure out her aim.
    She wanted to take this opportunity to cement her relationship with Cassius in front of any boys who might've still had thoughts about her. This way, she could both get closer to him and shoo away any and all who believed they stood a chance with her.
    It was essentially killing two birds with one stone!
    Stella's smirk turned a little smug as she snuggled up to the exasperated man. She was enjoying every bit of his suffering, even more so knowing full well that this tactic of hers was helping him, too. She knew he knew this, which was why she was being so insufferably affectionate.
    All of it was a lie!
    Cassius must remain strong and steadfast! He cannot falter!
    Meanwhile, Flora, who was sitting a few meters away, slumped into the back of her chair. Her face emulated the morass of depression she was in right now.
    She had been rejected before even getting the chance to ask¡­
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    What was more depressing than this?
    Her gloomy aura multiplied when she realized that not even a few minutes ago, she couldn't care less about this new guy. Then, out of nowhere, she was suddenly forced to pursue him with the end goal of getting into his pants! Only to then be rejected without talking to him even once!
    What better proof was there that Fate was a big b*tch than this very scenario!?
    Flora lightly banged her head on her desk a few times, causing it to slightly crack. While listening to that silver-haired girl shamelessly flirt with her First Mark, she sunk deeper and deeper into despondency.
    It wasn't until Elder Protector Violet's sluggish voice entered her ears once more that she left her state of misery. And her words¡­ they changed everything for her.
    'Young Miss, why are you so hung up on human customs? As Succubi, do you truly believe that a male being in a relationship with someone else has ever stopped us?? Plus, it's highly likely they're simply faking it.'
    "!!!" Flora's grayed eyes brightened up as she realized the Elder was right.
    What did it matter if he was dating someone else?? Who cared! She was a gawddamn Succubus!
    Flora turned toward the extraordinarily handsome man who was currently the center of attention. Her orangish-blue eyes glazed over as she seductively licked her lips before pondering how she should go about ensnaring her little pretty man. Greed flooded her heart as she squirmed in place.
    Just imagining how she would straddle him like a rodeo bull and drain him until nothing remained was enough to ignite the Succubus side of her! She was all in now! This man would be hers!!
    "Daddy, he has to be mine!!"
    A crazed shout bounced off the walls of a very old Castle as a deranged girl with long, luscious black hair stomped her feet below a high throne. On that throne was a pale-faced man with medium-length silver hair and a bulky physique. To the side of the throne was an unearthly beauty with similarly colored hair and eyes to her passionate daughter.
    Bella's father, the man atop the throne, had a twitching smile scrunched up in anger. In contrast to his lividness, the drop-dead gorgeous Milf smiled fondly at the sight of her daughter.
    With a voice seething in rage, Bella's father, Alaric Crestmore, said, "...I really was so stupid when I told that infuriating man I would give my daughter's hand in marriage to his son¡­"
    "Fufu~" Carmilla Crestmore, mother of Bella Crestmore, giggled. Amused, she said, "Our daughter seems to strongly disagree with that, though."
    "...Carmilla¡­ You¡­" Alaric looked at his wife, his grievances clear as day. "...But my daughter¡­ My precious daughter¡­ How could she already be marrying? And to that man's son no less¡­"
    Carmilla softly patted her husband's shoulder, not bothering to hide her amusement. "You silly daughter-con; just give it up and accept that a big bad wolf has snatched up your daughter~ Fufu~"
    "...."
    Alaric refused to believe that he was in love with this woman. Was he blind??
    Observing her again, he immediately took back his words. He definitely wasn't blind back in the day. He knew exactly what he wanted, and she was every bit as beautiful as the day he first met her.
    Alaric sighed before refocusing on his insane-looking daughter down below.
    'She has already grown into a stunning woman¡­' he internally commented while staring at her palpable case of the crazies.
    However, his fond expression quickly turned livid when he recalled the face of that womanizing bastard. And then there was that womanizing bastard's equally womanizing son. All bastards!
    He had kept tabs on Cassius through his subservient vampires and knew full well what had happened since the boy's seal began to loosen.
    At first, he was astonished that the boy's seal somehow loosened ahead of schedule, but his surprise swiftly transformed into anger when he watched the movements the boy made throughout the human world.
    That kid would travel to different Gates, clear them, and then come out with one or more girls! And it didn't happen just once, but several times! That perverted boy was just as much of a pervert as his bastard father was!
    Go one place, come out with more mouths to feed! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    It must be f*cking genetic!
    ....

 Chapter 169 Alarics Grudge

    Alaric had also been quite confused when Cassius occasionally disappeared from all radars, but with his loosening seal, it wasn't all that surprising that there would be a few oddities. And more importantly, that little sh*t had blatantly cheated on his daughter! Multiple times!!This was unacceptable!!!
    But what could Alaric do to change this¡­?
    He and that womanizing bastard had signed the contract years ago. The deed was done, and not even he, with his beyond SSS-Rank power, could do anything to change that fact.
    If he backed out now, the consequences would be unimaginable¡­ After all, the contract they each signed was done so in their blood. Although Alaric was unlikely to die even though he should, he would still be weakened to a state where the other Vampire Dukes could take advantage of him and his family.
    Furthermore, if he reneged on the agreement to marry off his daughter to the bastard's son, his daughter would certainly come to loathe him. From the very first moment Bella laid eyes on Cassius, she basically orchestrated the whole marriage arrangement and even coerced him into placing one of his best seals on the boy after the womanizing bastard mysteriously disappeared.
    Even now, Alaric had no idea where the real Adam Steele went off to. He heard some birds speak of there being a new Floor Guardian for the Trial Area of Humanity; however, since no one had ever seen the new Floor Guardian, he was unable to confirm the relation.
    But the one thing Alaric did know for sure was that Adam Steele was not dead. Him dying was even more impossible than HELL freezing over tomorrow. He, more than anyone else, knew full well how true that statement was. After all, a few dozen years ago, when he had first encountered the bastard, they wound up fighting in a tournament meant to decide who would take the Princess of Yggdrasil's hand in marriage.
    Alaric had been leading in the tournament for a good majority of the competition, and he was confident that if not for that womanizer's interference, he would've made it into the Top 25. However, because of Adam's sudden appearance when the tournament reached its final stages, Alaric was brought from Top 30 all the way down to Top 90!
    His fight with that bastard had practically taken him out of commission for the remainder of the Tournament! He only barely managed to pull through in the end and secure a spot in the Top 25!
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    Naturally, this meant that when Alaric and Adam fought, the former got his ass absolutely handed to him¡­ And it wasn't even close¡­
    Adam even went so far as to fight him with a single arm and a single leg! He also blindfolded himself and plugged his ears!
    Yet, even with all those handicaps, Adam plowed through Alaric's confidence gained from thousands of years serving as a Vampire Duke. Moreover, he took those same handicaps and fought the rest of the Tournament Competitors with them!
    For a member of the human race¡ªa species that could only live up to a few hundred years on the highest Floors¡ªwhat Adam had done was akin to suicide! The Ascension Tower of Humanity had always been looked down upon! Humanity was supposed to be the weakest!!
    However, that day, the preconceived notions of Humanity were completely shattered! Reality came crashing down on countless of the most powerful figures in existence!
    Adam won the Tournament, did so overwhelmingly without being harmed, and came out with a Princess as a prize¡­
    Alaric's hateful rivalry with that womanizing bastard started there, and over the years, they met each other on numerous occasions. Though, with nearly an entire century having passed since then, what was once an irrevocable hatred transformed into a friendship of sorts. (Neither would admit it.)
    And one particular day roughly 17 years ago, they went out drinking, and in their muddled states of mind, they conjured up a blood pact that would tie them by blood through the marriage of their children. Alaric regretted it the very moment he became sober, with his regret exponentially increasing when his once resistant daughter first met that ungodly baby.
    He couldn't believe the foolish thing he had done¡­
    But when Bella proposed the whole Seal idea after Adam's disappearance, Alaric's depressed mood was slightly alleviated. After all, if he made the overly divine baby too hideous to look at, surely his daughter would feel repulsed and eventually forget all about the target of her overpowering infatuation.
    Unfortunately¡­ Alaric, the millennium-old Vampire Duke, with all his vast experience, underestimated just how deeply obsessed an offspring of his could be¡­
    Bella hadn't just fancied the infant Cassius not much younger than herself, she had made him her entire world. No matter how ugly he became, no matter how generally unattractive he was, her obsessed feelings for him never lessened. In fact, they only increased over time!
    Cassius was Bella's everything! She would do any number of indescribable things for him!! Erasing entire races from the face of the planet was not even close to being out of the equation if he asked it of her!
    Alaric, her father, realized this all too late. And before he knew what had even happened, the situation before them had come to pass¡­
    "Daddy, you must make sure that you restrain my husband! You must tie him down good! Really, really, re~ally good!!" Bella raved, her eyes darkening into swirling vortexes of obsession and love.
    But when she recalled the other troublesome matter, the darkness within her morphed into something¡­ terrifying.
    "Those stupid clingy, fcking btches¡­" she scarily mumbled. "I'll kill them!!! I'll f*cking kill them and rip off their ugly little heads¡­!!!"
    Alaric and his wife Carmilla watched as their daughter began to incoherently murmur with some unknown fog seeping from her lips. Alaric didn't know whether to be pissed off, worried, or depressed. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Whereas the lovely, curvy Milf Carmilla simply giggled while holding a hand over her bright red lips.
    ....

 Chapter 170 Who cares about Consent??

    The Vampire Duke felt an itch urging him to just give in and let his daughter do whatever she wished. But when the smug face of that womanizing bastard friend of his flashed through his mind, he once again returned to being torn between anger and dread.What Alaric had failed to remind himself of when thinking of Adam was the true reason why he abhorred the cocky c*nt so much.
    All those years ago, following the conclusion of the Yggdrasil Tournament, Alaric returned to Nightingale in defeat. Even the other Vampire Dukes and a couple of lower-ranking Vampire Nobles had made it further than the Top 90. Yet he fell so short of expectations¡­
    Mortified was an understatement for what he felt.
    However, in the midst of his seemingly never-ending shame, a shining star brightened up his dreary life.
    It came in the form of his wife¡ªCarmilla Crestmore!
    She, who was the glamorous daughter of a Vampire Marquis, was not someone Alaric originally planned to marry. In fact, marriage wasn't even supposed to be in the cards for his lonely self.
    But when he first saw Carmilla, he knew right then and there that she was the one for him! His antiquated hips would finally be getting some action!!
    And that was around when his 'friend' came by to visit him.
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    Adam strutted through Nightingale like he owned the place, ascended to the 6th Floor, and barged into his home at the exact moment he managed to invite Carmilla over for a meal. Then, without a single care in the world for anything, that perverted bastard flirted with Carmilla as soon as he saw her! Right in front of him, no less!!
    Because of that incident, for nearly a decade, Carmilla talked non-stop about that sly sh*t fck!
    Alaric couldn't understand how, even though Carmilla and Adam only spoke to each other for a brief period of time, she could become so enamored by him¡­ It didn't make any sense!
    If not for the fact that Adam quickly realized what his best buddy Alaric was gunning for and backed off, the Vampire Duke swore he would've written Adam's name in his Death Note! And the name would've been written in his blood!!
    Over time, however, the both of them forgot all about that small incident.
    But when the big bastard's little bastard of a son came into the picture, Alaric was immediately reminded of the inexplicable genes of the infamous womanizer.
    He was beginning to believe that the father and son duo were not humans and were instead Incubi! Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    An extremely complicated and ancient sigh echoed through the spacious halls of a bright throne room interior as Alaric's limbs turned limp. He turned to look up at the roof as if something interesting were up there. Then, with a hoarse voice teetering on the verge of collapse, he replied to his daughter's deranged urgings:
    "I'll make sure to tie the boy down for you¡­ As long as he doesn't escape to another Dimension or something beforehand, there'll be no chance he can resist me¡­"
    Bella's dark, obsessive pupils suddenly returned to normal as she jumped up and down in joy before leaping at the tired old man.
    "Thank you so much, Daddy~! He'll finally be mine!! And I'll be able to kill those whores!!"
    Alaric could only helplessly nod, with the pessimistic side of him wondering if this would be the last hug he'd ever receive from his little girl.
    Carmilla softly chortled before stretching out her arms.
    "Where's my hug at, Bella dear?" she asked while knowing full well how annoyed this would make her husband feel.
    And just as she expected, the moment Bella switched sides and entered her mother's embrace, the Vampire Duke lost the last bit of color in his eyes. He slumped further into his throne and inaudibly mumbled to himself, seemingly talking about how unfair life was.
    "Fufu~" Carmilla giggled aloud while thinking, 'I'm curious to see just what sort of fun that flirtatious man's son will bring into our boring immortal lives. I really can't wait¡­'
    While Alaric was contemplating how many stories he would need to ascend and jump off of to unalive himself, his playful wife was already imagining future trouble¡­ To be precise, she was anticipating it¡­
    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
    As the seconds turned into minutes and the clock of time churned in a never-ending cycle, the school day passed fleetingly on Earth.
    Stella had been sticking close to Cassius the entire day. Even when the lazy Miss Violet actually started teaching, she pulled her desk next to his.
    Because of Stella's sudden forwardness, Flora was unable to make any moves on her target, but that didn't mean she hadn't been constantly thinking about what she would do when the opportunity presented itself. It was all merely a matter of time; she firmly believed that the silver-haired bimbo would eventually slip up.
    Aya, on the other hand, had barely listened to any of her lectures. She got most of the same Classes as Cassius, and during that time, she racked her mind for the best way that she should go about apologizing to him. Leaving him like that wasn't something she even really wanted to do¡­
    And when she secretly observed his match with Arthur and Alex, she finally realized just how much she wanted to be cheering him on alongside Stella.
    Hell with her so-called friends! And screw what people thought about her! She wanted to stand by Cassius's side!
    "I wish I had never walked away from you like I was ashamed to be beside you¡­ And even though we're siblings and Alabama and stuff¡­ I¡­ I¡­ L... Love you¡­!" Aya blurted out in front of a bathroom mirror with full seriousness, yet became flustered the very next second.
    "Y-Yes, that's what I'll say to him! Well, maybe¡­ maybe not the last part, but the rest for sure!"
    With a resolute gleam in her clear blue eyes, Aya walked out of a girl's restroom on the 1st Floor of Hoshito General High.
    Yet, in the very next moment, she heard the voice that she had been wanting to hear all day. Just not in the way she expected¡­
    ....

 Chapter 171 Just... act... cool...

    "Boo.""Kya!" Startled, Aya jumped back and tripped over her feet.
    However, before she could fall on her bum, a large, rough hand clasped onto her arm and pulled her in close. When they reached a distance where they could almost hear each other's heartbeats, the flustered Aya finally realized who had spooked her. Yet, this only made the tinge of crimson painting her cheeks turn a darker shade of red.
    "Wh¡­What are you doing¡ª!?" she tried to say, instinctively letting her feisty tsundere side out, but Cassius interrupted, saying:
    "Say, how about just you and me go out somewhere this weekend. A few days from now? Well, whaddya say?"
    Taken aback by this out-of-the-blue proposal, Aya forgot all about what she was going to lash out about. And when a warm hand rubbed back and forth on her head, she truly didn't know what she should be thinking anymore.
    The only thing she could do was meekly nod her head before slowly scuttering away. Without turning her beat-red face up, she backed far enough away to sidestep around a corner.
    A second later, Cassius heard a loud bang come from the same direction she left in.
    "???"
    Aya had accidentally knocked over a bucket in her hasty retreat, and when Cassius worriedly turned the same corner to check out the situation, he was unable to stop himself from chuckling. Even when he saw her rosy cheeks fill with air, he couldn't help himself.
    "Y-You¡­" Aya grumbled.
    However, before she could become any angrier, that same warm hand from before extended out. A kind smile accompanied it as a deep voice dripped into her ears like the sweetest of honey.
    "You look good wet, but don't you think it's time to get up off the hard floor? Here, take my hand."
    As she was momentarily dazed, it took Aya a second to register his words. But when she did, question marks appeared above her head, prompting her to look down.
    She was soaked. Particularly in the chest area¡­
    And as the School uniform was more than thick enough in normal use, she hadn't bothered to¡­ put on a bra¡­
    "Kya!" Aya shrieked and jumped to her feet, unfortunately barring off the tantalizing view of her twin peaks and their perky cherry tips.
    After somewhat steadying her breath and backing away, her cheeks disproportionately puffed out when she saw the hateful smirk plastered across Cassius's face. With many grievances, she gave her piece:
    "I-I'll never forgive you for this, you meanie! You'll make it up to me this weekend! I won't let you off easily¡­!" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Then, without looking back, she bolted out of there using the full speed of someone with D-Rank Agility.
    Cassius faintly smiled before vanishing from his spot.
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    When he reappeared, he found a bluish-silver-haired beauty leaning up against the Front Gates of the School. She seemed to be waiting for someone.
    Obviously, it was him.
    When Stella felt a familiar presence approach her, those tranquil eyes of hers brightened up as she turned to look in his direction. An invisible force immediately tugged up on her thinned lips, and a lovely smile blossomed.
    "Are we going home now?"
    "Not yet," replied Cassius as he walked up next to her. "Aya has already taken her own path home, but Bella has yet to leave. I'll wait by myself for her if you want to go on ahead with Aya."
    Stella shook her head and took the opportunity to interlock her arm with his, which garnered her an unusual look. Ignoring that look of his, she smilingly said:
    "I'll stay with you. I'd wait any amount of time if it were for you."
    Cassius unblinkingly stared at the gorgeous woman's equally stunning smile.
    '...Well¡­ Sh*t¡­'
    He definitely f*cked himself sideways this time as well. Over and over again, he kept shooting himself in the foot!
    Was something f*cked up in his DNA or what!?
    Glancing at the Idle Evolution System, he observed Stella's Affection Rating. It read:
    {[Stella: 83]}
    Cassius truly had no idea why her Affection Rating had increased so much, and it wasn't even the only one. In fact, it was the same situation for all the other girls living with him!
    For some inexplicable reason, their Affection Ratings would often increase by a point or two, and it was quickly spiraling out of control¡­
    He wasn't some Japanese Harem Protagonist for God's Sake! He just wanted to live a normal life!
    "Haiz¡­"
    Then, out of nowhere¡­
    "Is something the matter?" Bella's voice suddenly sounded from afar.
    "Hmm¡­??" Cassius's eyes fell on a black-haired runway model sashaying through the open courtyards outside the School.
    On her way over to the pair, she attracted the attention of many students. Their eyes stuck to her voluptuous figure and never let go. Several boyfriends received smacks to the back of their heads for being so daring.
    The cause of multiple ongoing arguments acted oblivious to it all, with the only thing she seemed to care about being the devilishly handsome man standing in the distance. She briefly glanced at the silver-haired woman, quickly clicked her tongue, then returned to looking at her husband.
    'What was that?' Stella asked herself, wondering if what she had seen actually happened. But regardless of whether it did or not, she shot a smug glare in her direction, knowing full well that Bella could not do the same without showing something weird to Cassius.
    "!!!" 'This b*tch¡­ I'll kill her¡­!'
    Unlike Stella, Bella knew exactly what she saw. And although she could do nothing right now, she would make sure to give this thieving whore some special attention when it became her time to leave this world.
    Boy, would she enjoy it, too!
    While acting all smiles, Bella finally made it to where Cassius and Stella were interlocking arms. Killing intent nearly flooded out from the very core of her being, but with every ounce of strength she possessed, she held back the urge telling her to dismember a b*tch, rip out her vertebrae, and then watch her squirm in real time. She pushed all of that down and acted cool.
    Act cool. Act cool. Just act¡­ cool¡­
    ....

 Chapter 172 Aluria Succubus Family

    With a twitching face, Bella said to Stella, "What a miracle to see you here, slu¡ª my super friend."A vein appeared on Stella's forehead.
    "Anyway, Cassius," said Bella, already turning away from the annoyed woman. "Have you heard of this new disease spreading around Japan and even the world outside the Country? It's quite horrible¡­ So, so horrible¡­ Such a horrible fate it must be to die from being too promiscuous¡­ I heard that it spreads almost instantly upon having intimate physical contact¡­!"
    Leaning up to his ear, she whispered, "The Doctors say that once you contract this disease, you'll be unable to use your¡­ reproductive organ for a very long time."
    "All I'm trying to do is warn you about who you hang around," she added while taking suggestive peeks at the silver-haired woman.
    Stella's brows furrowed in irritation, yet she didn't retaliate to the words quite obviously being aimed toward her. She instead smiled in a way just as fake as Bella and began to slow laugh, which Bella started to do as well.
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    '...I don't know what's going on between these two, but it's probably best if I stay out of it,' Cassius decided before slipping away from the sparks flying in between the two shadowy-faced smiling girls.
    They quickly caught up to his receding figure but did not once give up the silent battle going on against each other. And as they were too focused on appealing to an indifferent man and trying to get the upper hand over the other, they failed to notice the pair of misty purple eyes quietly watching them from behind.
    Cassius, however, did.
    A small smirk formed on his face as he wondered just how things would evolve from here. With that unique teacher of his and the oddly familiar girl to keep his life interesting, perhaps he would witness a development that far exceeded his expectations. He was, after all, very curious about the other races.
    And then there were those other pairs of eyes focused on him and the mischievous black-haired girl beside him. Two of which felt a bit like the Vampire Duke Bloodline he had not really delved into just yet.
    On a side note, the two Bloodline presences had the odd feeling of being diluted, not quite as prominent as his Bloodline¡­
    'Hmm¡­ Are Vampires watching me right now¡­? There's also that other, far harder to find presence¡­ I wonder what that one belongs to¡­'
    Cassius's icy cold eyes scanned his surroundings, and within mere moments, both the Vampire protectors and the spying Extraterrestrial felt terrifying waves of permafrost spread throughout their bodies. They involuntarily shivered, and in their shock, they saw something even more mind-boggling.
    Their periphery vision had been completely covered by an all-encompassing darkness. At the very top of that darkness, looming above their heads, was a pair of illusory blue ant-like eyes as large as the sun.
    "!!!" "!!!"
    The Vampires and the Extraterrestrial instinctively back-stepped. Something within the very core of their beings was screaming at them to flee, but they battled the sensation with everything they had, refusing to let it take hold.
    Their Stealth items were flawless! There was no way a mere Mortal on a Trial Area Floor would be able to see through their camouflage!
    They persuaded themselves to remain steadfast with these thoughts anchoring them to their individual objectives.
    "Interesting¡­"
    Eventually, Cassius retracted his sight and returned to a state of nonchalantness. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    If they didn't want to come out now, then so be it.
    He would ultimately rip them from their hiding spots regardless of their compliance, anyway, and he was in no rush to clean out the pests. At least he knew they were there now; this meant him always having his guard up was the correct move to make. Hell, there could be even more unknown pairs of eyes watching him out there!
    It was better to be cautious.
    Ha¡­
    Leon and Gina finally exhaled the breaths they were holding in. However, as soon as the former realized the shameful action he had just done, his face twisted in anger. He vowed to himself to return the shame he received today a hundredfold when the World's End event occurs.
    Leon knew very well what sort of dangers lay in wait within a Monster Gate in or above the Black Rank. It was also because of this knowledge that he was sure humanity would fall into the clutches of the Abyss.
    And in that Chaos, he would get his revenge¡­
    He evilly smirked just imagining how he would soon tear the cocky human limb from limb¡­ It would be oh so gratifying~!
    While Cassius, the girls, and all of the various stalkers hiding in the dark finished off the day in their own unique ways, something unforeseen was occurring in a Dimension completely different from the one Earthlings called home.
    ¡ªIn the Realm of Pleasure Dimension, within a large Palace owned by the Succubus Royal Family 'Aluria'¡ª
    "My daughter has returned?" asked a woman with a voice so heavenly that it could melt the hearts of any number of men.
    Her immense beauty was staggering. Her long shimmering blackish-purple hair cascaded down her world-toppling curves, perfectly molding her figure. Her figure¡­ Oh, her figure¡­ It would without a doubt be the most filled out one Cassius had ever seen. And she wasn't afraid to show off a lot of it, either.
    The enchanting woman sat on a large, comfy cushion, with her thin see-through pink dress doing very little to hide her curvaceous body. She sat in an alluring way that could entice even the most devout of monks. With that slightly harsh glint in her moist purple eyes thrown into the mix, even the monks with masochistic fetishes would be on their knees begging her for a chance.
    At this moment, handsome men with closed eyes catered to the seductive woman's needs with grapes and hand massages. It was that way even when a servant woman of hers barged in and announced something quite interesting.
    ....

 Chapter 173 Amaris and Grace

    Indifferently, the pretty kneeling woman said, "Yes, My Lady Amaris. The eldest of your daughters, Grace Aluria, has just returned.""Ho?" Amaris Aluria slightly arched one of her delicate eyebrows before sensually rising from the large heart-shaped couch.
    She motioned for the manservants to return to their posts, then walked up to the kneeling female servant. Afterward, she amorously tilted up the female's chin with her right index finger. With her irresistible eyes peering into the servant's soul, she said, "Lead the way."
    "Y¡­Yes, My Lady," the female servant respectfully responded. A slight blush painted her pretty features, and her legs were a little shaky, but that didn't prevent her from rising and walking ahead.
    Opening the giant opulent doors to the equally ostentatious room, she patiently waited for the naturally seductive woman to pass, then followed behind. After once again getting ahead of the woman whose every minute movement oozed grace and lust, she led the way through dozens of enormous hallways of an even more unimaginably large palace.
    ¡ªFive minutes later¡ª
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    After such a period of time of rapid travel exceeding even the max speed of the fastest man on Earth, Amaris and the female servant made it to a certain room. Hanging on the door of this room was a magical name tag that read 'Royal Library.'
    "...She's in here again?" Amaris inquired with a melodic way of speaking, her tone unconsciously flirtatious.
    "Yes, My Lady," replied the female servant, her expression unmoving even in the face of the goddess-like woman capable of effortlessly wooing both genders. "The Eldest Miss came to the study as soon as she arrived."
    After a brief pause.
    "Very well. You may leave now," ordered Amaris. "I wish to speak to my daughter, alone."
    The female servant nodded before disappearing from sight.
    "...."
    Amaris Aluria unblinkingly stared at the modestly decorated library door for a good few seconds before finally opening it up. The very same moment she viewed the fantastical scenery inside, her eyes automatically ignored the untold number of bookshelves stacking up in all directions across several miles and for thousands of feet. Those captivating eyes of hers instead fell on the angelic woman sitting at the very center of the palace library's first floor.
    Surrounding her were thousands upon thousands of books, and even at this very moment, she had her nose in a book. She was so immersed in what she was reading that she hadn't even noticed when her alluring mother entered the massive room.
    This was where Grace spent most of her free time. It was her peace space when she wasn't hanging out with the only man who made her feel a way she had never felt before.
    Cassius was her new peace, but she was unable to forget her old flame.
    "You know, you could at least say hello to your only mother when you stop by."
    A beautiful voice suddenly sounded out from behind, causing Grace to hastily lay her book down and look in the direction of the voice's source.
    "...Mother? What are you doing here?"
    "Now, is that any reaction you should have to seeing your lonely mother after not greeting her for the last ten times you visited?"
    "Lonely¡­?" Grace recalled all the various servants her mother surrounded herself with. "I don't think so¡­ And the reason I hadn't greeted you was because I assumed you were busy. The Yggdrasil Tournament is coming up soon, and I know how important that event is to you and our family¡­"
    Amaris arched an eyebrow. "Where did you learn how to speak like that? Getting so cheeky in your later years, are ya?"
    "No, Mother, it's not that¡­"
    Grace became silent, her lips seemingly trying to get something out but failing.
    Her mother could tell that she was troubled. And as she had a bit of free time right now, she decided to sit down next to her daughter and ask what was on her mind.
    The answer she received felt unsatisfactory, but as the question itself was just a formality, she asked something she already knew the answer to. "Boy trouble? I've been there at one point¡­ A long time ago, long before you were ever conceived¡­"
    "N-No, that isn't¡­ that isn't it," Grace mumbled as her cheeks turned multiple shades of scarlet. However, under the scrutinizing gaze of her mother, she hid her adorable face behind a book and murmured, "Well¡­ It kind of is¡­"
    "See? Wasn't that easy?" Amaris revealed a mesmerizing smile before asking her daughter to disclose all the details. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Although reluctant, Grace had little leeway to refuse the request of her graceful mother.
    ¡ªA few minutes later¡ª
    Amaris's expression appeared thoughtful as she contemplated this matter deeply.
    She had been aware of Grace sneaking out of the mansion their family had on Earth as the 'fill-in' parents she assigned to her daughters would report to her daily. She would be lying if she declared that she wasn't displeased with her eldest daughter's sudden rebellious nature, but it wasn't that big of a deal. After all, the Trial Area of Humanity posed little to no danger to the Guardians she set up there, and thus her daughters would always be safe.
    But with the 0th Floor's Nexus Event occurring soon, Amaris would prefer if her daughters stayed close to the Guardians at all times. Once the Nexus Event begins, even she doesn't hold full confidence in the capabilities of the Guardians limited in power. If worse comes to worse, then she would have to send in the cavalry or personally descend, but such actions would surely put their family in a tough spot.
    Among the other royal families of the Land of Pleasures, they were already seen as a prime target to exploit. Which meant that if Amaris, the head of the Succubus Royal Family, acted recklessly, the scavengers would come out to prey.
    In conclusion, the Queen of Succubi and her three daughters were in a very tight spot right now.
    Very tight, indeed¡­
    ....

 Chapter 174 What it takes to place in the Yggdrasil Tournament

    But with the Dimensional Tournament of Yggdrasil beginning soon, the Aluria Family might just be able to make a comeback¡ªthat is, assuming they're able to place high enough in the Tournament Rankings, hopefully in the Top 100. If they're able to accomplish that, then most of their political issues will be resolved.However¡­ with Amaris not eligible to participate and all her daughters too young to make any difference, she could only rely on those affiliated with her family. And to be honest, she didn't feel the least bit assured with the candidates she currently had available to choose from.
    There were several Beyond SSS-Rank Awakeners in the Aluria Royal Family, and there were even more SSS-Rank Awakeners. But of those SSS-Rank Awakeners, very few stood out among the crowd. None of them seemed like Top 100 material¡ªpossibly not even Top 200 material.
    'If only my daughters had been born hundreds of years earlier¡­ If that were the case, then by now, they would have long since developed enough of their latent bloodlines to fight for a place in the Top 100¡­'
    Amaris sighed under her breath while thinking of the unfortunate what ifs. Moreover, she also sighed at the whole ordeal involving her innocent eldest daughter.
    As Succubi, it was best if they never fell in love.
    Many years ago, Amaris made the mistake of catching feelings for a dashing male Incubus. However, as their species thrived on taking in exorbitant amounts of Yang, her Incubus husband just couldn't keep up, and he unfortunately¡­ died.
    Some men suffer from dehydration, whereas others drown.
    That man died from snu snu¡­
    The only plus side to that whole predicament was that the male Incubus went out smiling. He sure was a happy dying man, even if his cheeks were sunken in.
    Thousands of years later, Amaris finally decided to procreate and have some descendants of her own. In total, she went through nearly a dozen Incubus candidates until they succumbed to the embrace of death the same way her late husband had. But from all those happily dying men, three different variations of her pride and joy came into creation.
    And right now, the eldest of those bundles of joy was going through a rough patch with her human¡­ boyfriend¡­? Was he her boyfriend?
    Deciding to ask straight up, she said, "Hey, honey, that Cassius is your boyfriend, isn't he?"
    "B-B¡­Boyfriend¡­??" Steam puffed out from the top of Grace's head as she averted her eyes from her mother and began fidgeting with her hands. "...N-No¡­ We aren't dating¡­ Why would you think that¡­?"
    Amaris tilted her flawless head in confusion. 'She did say that this boy saved her life just a moment before the guardians I set up could make a move, didn't she? And then she told me that the boy recently vowed to find a cure for her¡­ Haiz¡­'
    The Succubus Queen felt her heart clench while thinking about the mysterious illness that ailed her eldest daughter¡ªor, rather, the¡­ curse¡­
    It was primarily because of this curse that Amaris put so much emphasis on the Dimensional Tournament of Yggdrasil. Placing high in that Tournament would not only elevate their standing among the Seven Dimensions, but it would also make it far easier to acquire one of the Lesser Tears of Yggdrasil. The real deal, which would completely cure Grace, was something only the Gold Winner of the Tournament could obtain. But the residual essence of the genuine article¡ªthe Pseudo Tears of Yggdrasil¡ªwas more than capable of keeping Grace's curse at bay until a more permanent solution could be found.
    And to acquire one of these Pseudo Tears, the easiest way was to place within the Top 100 of the Dimensional Tournament of Yggdrasil¡­
    Shaking her head, Amaris took her mind off that depressing subject and stared at her daughter.
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    Under the intense stare, Grace struggled to maintain eye contact. But when her mother softly commanded her not to look away, she once again found herself on the opposing end of that serious gaze.
    "This boy¡ªyou know that it'll never work out, don't you?" Amaris asked in all seriousness. "The lifespan of even the strongest among the human race is nothing in comparison to our own, not to mention that this pretend boyfriend of yours is from the Trial Gate Floor. This also means that he'll never be able to become strong enough to increase his lifespan or make a difference in the Dimensional Tournament of Yggdrasil."
    Exhaling sharply, she added, "It may be cruel what I'm about to say, but this is just the way of the world. That boy¡ªhis resolve to help you is admirable, and under any other circumstances, I would allow whatever you two are to continue, but unfortunately, that boy is weak. And in our society, weakness is a sin. His determination means nothing if he doesn't have the power to back it up. Let alone winning the entire Tournament, that boy will not even be able to obtain a spot that'll enable him to enter Yggdrasil for the Tournament."
    "The Tournament itself is open to all who feel themselves worthy enough to participate, but getting into the Heart of the Ascension Tower is another matter altogether. Even our family only has three spots, and that is on the better side."
    Grace bit her lip in frustration. She knew all of this already, but something¡­ something inside her was telling her that if it were him, then he'd be able to do it. Her gut and her heart were telling her that he could do it.
    She just had to make her mother understand.
    She had to! There was no other option!
    "But, Mother, Cassius¡­ His power is able to¡ª"
    "That's enough!" Amaris silenced her with a sharp shout. "We'll not speak any more on this matter. My word is final, and for the next three months or until we obtain a Pseudo Tear of Yggdrasil, you shall be put under house arrest. You're not allowed to leave the bounds of the palace anymore."
    "!?!"
    "M-Mother, you can't¡­! I'm telling you that he's¡ª"
    "Be quiet, I said!"
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    ....

 Chapter 175 Floras Scandal...

    OOOM!An overpowering aura fell not just on the trembling Grace but also over the entire palace, causing the infrastructure to violently shake.
    However, when Amaris realized that she had let her temper get the better of her, she apologized and motioned behind her. "Crysta and Crya, take my daughter to her room. There's no need to guard her doors, but make sure she doesn't leave until the morning of tomorrow."
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    "Yes, My Lady!" Two icy-haired women, one tall and one short, appeared.
    They moved past the Succubus Queen and toward her crying daughter, but before they could take her away, she tried to say, "M¡­ Mother, Cassius will¡­ He'll be able to do it¡­! I know he'll do it!"
    Amaris hoped with all her heart that actually turned out to be the case, but she knew better than anyone that hope more often than not led to disappointment. And she didn't know how much more of that she could take¡­
    With puffy eyes and a resistant fire burning brightly inside her, Grace was transported away from the space when the two emotionless icy-haired women touched her shoulders.
    Within that massive library, only one person was left. Her beauty unmatched, her charm immeasurable, and her knowledge as vast as the blue sea. Yet there still remained a profound sadness that made her seem somewhat¡­ melancholic¡­
    It wasn't like she wanted to treat her beloved daughter so harshly, but what else could she do!? If she permitted her to continue interacting with that boy, it would only hurt her more when one day that boy left her all alone in the world.
    Amaris couldn't bear to witness that happen. And she never once considered the possibility that her daughter could die before him. Even with the existence of Grace's Curse, Amaris would do whatever it took to make sure she lived at least as long as herself.
    No parent wished to see their child pass away before them. And the Queen of the Succubi was no different.
    "The Dimensional Tournament of Yggdrasil¡­ We will have someone place within the Top 100¡­ No matter what."
    *Knock! Knock! Knock!*
    Suddenly interrupting the Succubus Queen's bleak thoughts were three loud knocks on the doors of the library. Her face quickly scrunched up in annoyance as she shouted, "Did I not tell you to leave me be¡ª!?"
    "Mother, it's me¡­"
    Amaris's eyes flashed in surprise. "Flora? Why are you back here so soon?"
    Entering through the library door, a stunning, stylish woman with long black hair and orangish-blue eyes walked in. Following behind her was a sleepy woman with stark purple eyes.
    "Mother, the day is already over," replied Flora, her tone slightly exasperated. "And¡­ I have something to tell you¡­ It's important."
    'Something important?' Amaris looked to the silent, closed-eyed Violet for clues, yet received nothing. She was quite surprised that the loyal servant of the Evergreen Family held her tongue in the presence of the Queen, but this only worked to further emphasize the possible importance of Flora's news.
    "Well¡­? Go ahead and say it," Amaris calmly ordered after noticing her daughter's long pause.
    Taking a deep breath, Flora steeled her nerves and locked eyes with her mother. "I have," she began with a bit of dramatic pause. "I have undergone my Racial Awakening!"
    "You have done what¡ª!?"
    WHOOOSH!
    At that moment, Flora suddenly transformed into her Succubus Form, and a giant light film was conjured up. It spread over the entire library in an instant before solidifying its borders thousands of meters away in all directions. All sound had thus been isolated within the bubble, and no prying eyes could snoop around.
    Once the impermeable barrier was erected, Amaris's shocked eyes fell on the sight of her daughter in Succubus form. Her expression changed several times within a very short period, making both her daughter and her daughter's Elder Protector quite nervous.
    ¡ªAfter a moment¡ª
    Finally speaking up, Amaris broke the deafening silence with, "You have not told anyone about this, have you?"
    For a brief instant, a ruthless spark of killing intent was unleashed from her voluptuous figure. However, her nerves were immediately eased when her slightly frightened daughter said:
    "N-No, Mother¡­ The only other person who knows is Elder Protector Violet and¡­ and¡­"
    Amaris's killing intent burst forth once more when she observed the apprehension in her daughter's voice. Using words laced with the promise of death, she slowly uttered, "Who¡­? Who else knows?"
    Flora momentarily hesitated but quickly came to terms with the fact that she could not hide this information from her mother. While biting her light-red lips, she spoke up in a low voice:
    "...The truth is, Mother¡­"
    She then went on to explain everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. And from how her mother's exquisite face became rather ugly, she knew that the information wasn't being taken in too well. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
    ¡ªAfter nearly two minutes of silence¡ª
    The Queen of Succubi exhaled the heavy breath she had been holding in for the longest while. While reeling in her frustrations as best she could, she looked between her lovely flower of a daughter and the Protector she reserved from the family subservient to the Aluria Family. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Then, with yet another sigh, she said, "This boy is tall, has dark hair, and is incredibly handsome, isn't he¡­?"
    "...Yes¡­ Wait, how did you know that, Mother??"
    Amaris hoped with every fiber of her being that she was not correct in her assumptions. But based on what she had heard so far, she doubted she would be so fortunate.
    "And this boy¡­ He's your First Mark¡­? He's the only other one who knows of your Racial Awakening?"
    "Yes and¡­ yes," Flora answered back-to-back, with both answers causing Amaris's frown to deepen.
    She couldn't believe it¡­ There was no possible way things could be this coincidental!
    Those two guys weren't the same person! They couldn't be!
    Steadying her breath, Amaris asked with a shaky voice, "This handsome boy¡­ His name¡­ Tell me his name¡­"
    Flora's eyes immediately brightened as she replied, "His name is¡ªCassius!"
    *Kuk!*
    ....

 Chapter 176 Flora and Violets Collusion

    *Kuk!* S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.A stream of blood trickled down the Succubus Queen's lips following a violent fit of coughing. The shock from these devastating revelations forced her to lean back and simply stare up at all the long lines of fancy books that surrounded her. In her head, dread settled in and made its home wherever it could.
    At this point, Amaris's brain signals flatlined.
    If only for a brief period of time, she had become a vegetable¡­
    However, when she finally came to, she saw her charming daughter shaking her shoulders. But behind her daughter, she observed faint illusions of a wolf-like man matching Cassius's description. The wolf was staring at Flora as if she were a tantalizing five-star dinner, all while wearing a mocking gleam in his eyes.
    That mocking look haunted Amaris's thoughts¡­ until she eventually snapped and launched to her feet.
    WAAA!!
    An incredibly powerful purple aura exploded outward from the Succubus Queen. Not just the castle, but even the land across millions of miles felt the full brunt force of the woman who was once heralded as one of the most vicious and tyrannical women in the Realm of Pleasure.
    Even now, she had not lost her touch, as even the Awakeners Beyond the SSS-Rank felt primordial fear welling up inside them. The Hegemons from outside the Aluria territory also felt this overpowering aura, and though it didn't affect them much, they could still determine that Amaris was as powerful as ever.
    This caused several Rulers to deeply frown, especially the ones at odds with the Queen of the Succubi.
    ¡ªMeanwhile, back at the Aluria Palace, located between several pink cotton-candy-like mountains¡ª Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire
    "I'll just have to kill this human!!" A booming shout reverberated throughout the confines of the enormous palace as a divinely beautiful woman in scantily-dressed attire stormed out of the Palace Library. "I'll kill him!!"
    However, before Amaris could do something foolish and regret it later, Flora, her daughter, clasped onto her hand.
    "???"
    "You mustn't kill him, Mother!" Flora hurriedly explained upon seeing the scary face her mother was making. "He's my First Mark, remember!? He can't die yet! And definitely not by your hands!!"
    Amaris's senses gradually returned to her as her mighty aura receded into her body, restoring her presence to the epitome of tranquility and lust. She turned toward her daughter and said, "I'm sorry¡­ I lost my mind for a moment there¡­ But this boy¡­ Is he trying to stick a skewer in everything I've been trying to achieve¡­? Where did someone like him even come from? Is he not actually from the Trial Area of the Ascension Tower of Humanity??"
    Seeing that her mother had calmed down made Flora breathe a sigh of relief. Afterward, her gaze turned serious as she answered, "That is not the case, Mother. I ran a few background checks on him a little while ago, and he was indeed born on the Trial Floor of the Ascension Tower of Humanity. Though, I did learn that he used to look far different than he does now. Furthermore, he has several conditions that should render him unable to do what he does. And then there's his strength¡­ Although not objectively strong, he still possesses far more power than someone who hasn't Awakened should possess¡­ He's even stronger than I am¡­"
    "!??" 'Even stronger than Flora¡­? And he's not an Awakened?? Why didn't Grace mention this earlier???'
    Amaris certainly had some things to discuss with her eldest daughter later, but for now, she needed some time to think about this convoluted sh*tstorm.
    However, before she could excuse her daughter and Elder Protector Violet, the former spoke up first, saying:
    "Mother, you reacted to Cassius like you previously knew something about him. What was that all about? Do you know him¡­?"
    Amaris's mouth soundlessly moved before she caved in and decided to say, "I don't know him, but your sister does. And they¡­ Haiz¡­"
    "My sister? Grace?" Flora parroted in confusion, while thinking, 'What sort of relationship do they have¡­?'
    "Now, if that is all, it's time for you two to go," Amaris ordered plainly, with her intangible energy already pushing the duo out of the huge, resplendent library. "I'll settle everything from here, so don't do anything with that boy just yet."
    Although taken aback by the sudden movement displacement, Flora deferentially responded, "Yes, Mother."
    *Thwack!*
    The library doors closed behind Elder Protector Violet and Flora. And in the same moment, the latter's thoughts betrayed her true intentions. 'I'm sorry, Mother, but I have to grow up at some point. And this is something I can do myself.'
    Her heart overflowed with resolve as she spun on her heel and began walking in a certain direction. "I'm going to see my elder sister. Are you coming with?" she asked without turning around.
    Surprise formed on Violet Evergreen's sleepy features, but after a moment, her eyes closed again and she replied, "Yes, I'll follow you and protect you, Young Miss."
    "Very good."
    With that, the two drop-dead gorgeous women disappeared into the folds of the Aluria Palace.
    Their destination: Grace's Room.
    ¡ª-----------------
    Like a fleeting shadow or the grains of sand in an hourglass, several hours passed by in the outside world. And now¡­ now was the day when everything would go down.
    It was marriage day!
    "Whi-whi-whistle... fweee-fweee-fwoo... tweee-tweee-fwee..."
    A clear, melodic, and light tune with a lilting, rhythmic flow echoed throughout a large mansion in the affluent part of Hoshito. Bella was singing a song that made the tune feel playful, and was currently downstairs cooking up something scrumptious.
    Surprisingly, she was the first awake today.
    "...Hmm¡­?" Groggily opening his eyes, Cassius felt the all-too-familiar weight on top of him. More importantly, however, was the mellow tune filling the air. 'Is that Bella? I had no idea she had such a nice voice¡­'
    There were many things he didn't know about her.
    After slipping out of the pile of enticing bodies holding him down, Cassius made his way down the stairs of the mansion.
    ....

 Chapter 177 {[Urgent Side Quest #23!]} - [S++ Rank]

    When he found himself stepping into the living room, Cassius suddenly saw a short black-haired girl zip around a corner. She was wearing a loose T-shirt of his and had nothing on underneath. Her hair was also a bit wild, but it suited her quite nicely.However, right now, what Cassius felt most when looking at her¡­ was confusion. She was, after all, tearing up in both eyes and pointing in the direction of the kitchen.
    It was only then that he smelled the distinct odor of something burning.
    "C-Cass¡­ I¡­ The cooking¡­ W-Whyiz it so hard¡­? *Sniffle, Sniffle*"
    Bella was not even faking her emotions. She was genuinely distressed.
    A sigh resounded, and Cassius walked up to the sniffling girl. He was going to question why she was still in his house, but that would have to wait for later, it seemed.
    With a brief head pat, he said, "You trying is what matters most, I would say. And it's not certain that what you made isn't unsalvageable. Who knows, it might even be delicious as is."
    "Really¡­!?"
    "Mhmm¡­"
    Bella immediately leapt at him and clasped onto his waist like a spider monkey. Her tears of sadness had already transformed into tears of happiness as she snuggled her cheeks up against his shirt.
    If not for her Affection Rating of 100, Cassius definitely would've wondered why she was all of a sudden acting like this. But all along, he'd sorta figured she was just acting. And for the longest while, she had him convinced. Even with the constant Affection Rating chart serving as a reminder, she had him fooled on more than one occasion.
    "Danks you, Cass¡­!" Bella lovingly murmured with hearts swirling around inside her pupils.
    "Yeah¡­" was all Cassius said as he dragged her into the kitchen, where his neutral expression quickly morphed into a shocked one.
    What he saw in that kitchen¡­ Even if he had the necessary words to describe it, he wouldn't be capable of saying them¡­
    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
    After a dramatic pause. "This¡­ You did all this yourself¡­?"
    "Uhn!" Bella beamed as her grip on him tightened.
    "I¡­ I see¡­"
    Cassius had been enlightened.
    It wasn't every day that he witnessed a catastrophe like the one before him.
    And was that an eyeball¡­? An eyeball swimming in some tentacle substance over a boiling stove¡­??
    Was Bella a girl or was she the wicked Witch of the East!? Why did Cassius feel like the answer was the latter???
    "So¡­?"
    Suddenly snapping back to reality, Cassius looked at the adorable face leaning over his right shoulder. Only now registering what she had said, he repeated, "So¡­ what?"
    Bella's head bobbed cutely as one of her sharp K-9s hung over her lip, making for an even more charming display. "So, which are you gonna try first!?"
    She could barely contain her excitement.
    Cassius could barely contain his puke inside his throat.
    However, he didn't have it in him to just outright deny her like that after he said what he did earlier. Therefore, it was with great difficulty that he walked over to the least disgusting thing of all the disgusting things inside that kitchen. A horrid smell instantly assaulted his nostrils, which made him feel the urge to slit his throat.
    But he held strong.
    He had to.
    This was just another¡­
    *Ding~!*
    Having heard something that he hadn't seen in quite a while, Cassius glanced over at an illusory blue screen. A screen that featured a smug, almost insufferable emoticon face.
    [Character Development! I see that this fine piece of ass lass has quite the knack for building the Character of others! Good, good!]
    [Here! This is on the house, sweetheart!]
    BLING!
    {[Urgent Side Quest #23!]} - [S++ Rank]
    ¡ª[Survive the Terrorist-level Threat that is the cooking of one Miss Bella Crestmore!]
    REWARD 1 - [Life]
    REWARD 2 - [Not Death]
    REWARD 3 - [The best head you'll ever have! Nah¡­ just kidding! The only reward you get is to continue living! But hey, maybe try farming some AP while you're at it!]
    [Punishment for Failure: 12 Hours in Nightmarescape] - (You're still going here¡­ Let's say today! But why not go twice!? Double the fun, yeah!?)
    Cassius: "..."
    He truly didn't know why the hell he even bothered living anymore.
    For who knows how many years to come, the only partner who'd be with him at any and all times would be his shithead of a System.
    Fate really was a b*tch¡­
    *Bzzzttt¡­!*
    A sword tattoo sewn across the right side of Cassius's body started to vibrate. Though only at a level he could feel.
    Immediately realizing his mistake, he internally apologized. 'Sorry about that, Lilith. Of course, I'll still have you. Perhaps that dickhead will catch a hint and realize how much of a third wheel it's being, then get right the fuck on out of here. Or, at the very least, become non-sentient.'
    [....]
    The Idle Evolution System's emoticon became rather sad-looking. A dark cloud seemed to loom over its head, and what looked like virtual tears began to appear.
    Cassius wanted so badly to simply ignore whatever it was doing. But upon recalling how much help it had done for him¡ªvirtually bringing him up from nothing¡ªhe knew he couldn't just ignore it.
    With a sigh, he also apologized to the System while patting the floating emoticon screen. 'I'm sorry¡ª'
    [No~! You Fiend~! How could you up and touch your System like that~!? For this blatant harassment, do you accept an additional 30 hours in the Nightmarescape for today!?] Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "...But there aren't even 30 hours in a day¡­"
    [True men always learn to find a way! ????(? ?? ? - ? ) ?]
    Cassius was on the brink of freaking the f*ck out, but thankfully for his sanity, an expectant voice sounded out from atop his right shoulder:
    "So? Which one are you going to try first!? I recommend that one!"
    "...That one¡­?" Cassius repeated while staring directly at what looked like his final meal on Earth.
    "Yes, that one!"
    *Gulp¡­*
    Forget everything he previously thought.
    There would be no saving grace for him this day¡­
    ....

 Chapter 178 Viola Voidweaver

    With a hardened will, Cassius spent the next period of time taste-testing everything the black-haired beauty pointed out. The whole time, she seemed happy as could be, utterly oblivious to how he died a little with each further bite he took.And this wasn't even an exaggeration¡­
    He quite literally died every time he ate something that Bella pointed out. Sometimes, he even died, only to then immediately die again in the very next moment!
    Bella may not have intentionally poisoned the so-called "dishes," but they were sure as hell lethal.
    Even with his S+ Rank resistances to just about everything in this "Trial Gate Area," Cassius still insta-died the moment he touched Bella's food. This meant that it wasn't an exaggeration to state that each spoonful of her cooking could kill hundreds of thousands of grown men.
    She could start entire genocides by herself¡­ and all with just her cooking¡­
    'Maybe I am living in a Japanese anime¡­ God, I hate my life.'
    With tears of blood, Cassius devoured everything that Bella prepared for him. In total, he died 30 times, marking his highest number of deaths in one day. Moreover, he lost his appetite for probably the next million years or so. And most notable of all, he lost his ability to ever put his faith in Bella's cooking again. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    In fact, after finishing off the food under her ecstatic eyes, he secretly destroyed all evidence of anything that went down here.
    It all had to be erased!
    Begone, vile devils!!
    And with that done and out of the way, Cassius and Bella could finally get on with their days. Today, more so than most others, was a day in which several important things would happen.
    First off, Bella would undoubtedly attempt to kidnap her "husband" with the help of her father.
    Secondly, Cassius had to not¡­ get kidnapped. Preferably.
    Thirdly, he needed to try to avoid the System's attempts at eternally trapping him in whatever the "Nightmarescape" actually was.
    So, all in all, yeah, it was just going to be a very hectic day filled with Cassius doing his utmost to preserve his life and freedom. Though, to be fair, it was honestly just a normal day for him but with a few more Big Boss figures at play.
    As Cassius unknowingly spent quality time with the girl who would be orchestrating his future kidnapping, a silver-haired, goddess-like woman with horns and a tail looked around in confusion.
    All around Yimin were funny-looking creatures. There were koalas, panda bears, tigers, lions, and even the hippopotamuses. She seemed all too interested in these animals not too long ago, but all that interest just now vanished from her moist eyes.
    She missed her Master¡­
    "Why did the Master abandon Yimin¡­?? Yimin just wants to fuck-fuck with the Master¡­"
    He didn't abandon her. She ran off.
    "Hey, Momma, what is that funny-looking animal supposed to be?"
    A child's curious voice echoed, attracting the attention of an older woman holding onto the child's small hand. She turned to look where her son was pointing, yet saw¡­ nothing.
    "What is it, Teddy? Are you talking about the tiger exhibit?"
    "...No¡­ That other¡ª" the child looked again, rubbed his eyes, then looked once more.
    The funny-looking creature had disappeared¡­
    ¡ªMeanwhile, just outside the Steele Family mansion, a few seconds after Cassius and the girls went whichever way they were going for the day¡ª
    Sasha had decided to go out shopping while they went to school. Grace left in the same manner as the day before, and Hellion did what she usually did¡ªstayed at home and read books. When not observing him, she stuck to reading literature; it helped her pass the time that plagued all morsels under the Heavens.
    However, on their way to school, Cassius and the others were suddenly stopped by a group of three people wearing black suits. Two were men, and the last was a woman. Every single one of them had an aura of at least B- Rank, but the leading man, with a cool, suave way about him, was of the B+ Rank.
    Clearly, they were not from around here.
    "Cassius Steele, our Guild invites you," said the leading man, his tone respectful.
    But if one paid close enough attention, they would notice a certain amount of prideful disdain in the man's voice.
    "Your Guild?"
    "Yes, our Guild¡­ The Voidling Guild! We have heard much about you from reliable sources."
    Cassius's eyes narrowed. "Reliable sources?"
    "You needn't worry," the leading man reassured. "No one ratted you out. We simply checked the exclusive records of the Hoshito Branch Hunter's Association out of curiosity and found your unusual feats stated in the secret pages."
    Cassius was becoming even more suspicious.
    "You were allowed to do that¡­?" he asked.
    Cassius was unaware of this if that were the case. Was he not cautious enough?
    The leading man chuckled. "Of course not under normal circumstances, but with the unfortunate death of the Branch Master of this City, restricted data was made temporarily available."
    Shit¡­
    Cassius realized right then and there that his impaired state of mind since learning of the Branch Master's sudden death caused him to be careless. And in that carelessness, a few problems were formed.
    For a moment, he contemplated the act of simply ignoring this invitation. But then again, it wasn't like the invitation was necessarily given out with ill intentions. Moreover, he had heard of this Voidling Guild before. It was of the S-Rank and was led by an expert of the Void and Space Element.
    Her name¡­ What was her name again¡­?
    'Ahh¡­ yes¡­ it was Viola¡­ Viola Voidweaver.'
    From the rumors, this woman of incredible skill was not only ridiculously beautiful and talented but also came from a family of high renown. In fact, her parents were the heads of the Japanese Commerce Association, which was the number one business corporation in Japan. The company dipped its hands into various avenues and had a wide channel of influence that extended all over the world.
    One of those avenues just so happened to include¡­ Monsters.
    ...

 Chapter 179 Violas Attention

    After a brief period of thought."Very well," Cassius said evenly as he walked away from the girls. But before he left with the suited figures, he slightly turned his head behind him and said, "Go on to school without me. I should make it back before the start of the next period, but just in case I don't, you needn't worry. Oh, and if you can't get into contact with me by the end of the day, then just ask Hellion for my status. She knows everything you'll want to know."
    With that, he followed the figures to an all-black limo that was waiting around a corner.
    Everything had happened incredibly fast, and the girls who were walking with him were not the least bit pleased. Especially¡­ Bella.
    On the inside, she was about ready to erupt like a volcano!
    Today was supposed to be their day!!
    And yet these suited bastards really dared to interfere with their lovey-dovey time!?
    Did they have a death wish!?!?
    "!??" "!??"
    The three Voidling Guild members felt the hair on the back of their necks stand on end. However, after looking around cautiously and seeing nothing, they shook their heads before guiding the nonchalant young man into the limo. After which, they told the driver to speed on out of there.
    "...So, what do we do now¡­? Pretty sure Cass was just kidnapped¡­" Aya, as blunt as ever, blurted out what all of them were thinking.
    Stella awkwardly laughed while saying, "Knowing Cassius, I doubt even a famous guild like the Voidlings will even so much as faze him. What I would be more concerned about are the¡­ women¡­ of that guild¡­"
    Aya raised her brows in curiosity. She had no idea just how powerful her stepbrother had become after what she assumed to be a Double Awakening of sorts. But following this period of curiosity was a deep sense of unease.
    She furrowed her brows at the mention of other girls.
    Bella furrowed hers even further¡­
    Flora, who was stalking in the background, also furrowed her brows.
    Even the female vampire Gina furrowed her¡ª
    'Wait¡­ Why am I doing it as well¡­?'
    The pale-faced woman tilted her head in bewilderment.
    She had no clue that Cassius's aura was simply¡­ unmatched.
    Though, who could blame her? The poor fool beside her was bound to make the same mistake as well, but make a blunder so large that he might not be able to recover from it.
    Meanwhile, the solitary extraterrestrial was just watching all these interactions with a hard-to-read expression. However, after a few moments, it left the fold of space it was hiding in. The target it was to survey at all times had already gotten quite a bit away, and any more would surely not reflect well on its resume.
    It couldn't slack anymore. Must stay focused!
    ¡ª------------
    Cassius's thinned lips unknowingly curved up into a smirk as he quietly enjoyed his limo ride. If not for the briefest of instants, he noticed something extremely unusual. And if he was correct in his far-off assumptions, he knew precisely what he had to do to clear the rats out once this meet-and-greet was done with.
    Well¡­ one of the rats¡­
    The others would need to be dealt with later.
    Utterly oblivious to its target's thoughts, the creepy-looking alien trailed the quickly-moving limo from the rooftops. It moved at such speeds as if it were standing still, with its attention being entirely focused on the limo.
    ¡ªFive Minutes Later¡ª
    "We're here, Mr. Cassius."
    Cassius heard the placid voice of the limo driver and took the hint to open the car door. And the first thing he saw¡­
    "An airport?"
    A disdainful laugh resounded as the lead Voidling man appeared in front of Cassius. Though, when he recalled the instructions left for him by the guild leader, he reined in his laughter. Afterward, he explained the situation to the emotionless hooded man. "As the guild leader is in Tokyo right now, we'll be taking a helicopter to reach the destination faster."
    Cassius's eyes narrowed. He didn't much appreciate the concealed disrespect of this Voidling member, and his overpowering killing intent nearly escaped his control.
    Fortunately, there were far more important matters to attend to right now. Disciplining an insignificant character was nowhere close to being at the top of his to-do list. Hence, it was with an expression just as apathetic as before that he nodded and once again followed behind the Voidling Guild members.
    As they walked over to a large, ostentatious golden-plated helicopter currently in the process of starting its engines, Cassius asked a question:
    "You mentioned the Voidling Guild leader. She herself extended this invitation to me?"
    The lead Voidling member ignored him.
    Cassius paid the moron no heed and turned toward the female member. When it came to those of the opposite gender, he could oftentimes get what he wanted from them. And just as he expected:
    "Y¡­Yes, Miss Viola has personally invited you to our guild's headquarters. The focus she's put on you¡­ Not even talented newly awakened A+ hunters have received the same treatment¡­ And we're not even sure if Miss Viola is aiming to recruit you or not¡­"
    The female Voidling member summed up the situation quite well, albeit with a crimson blush on her face. Though, with every word she spoke, the annoyed look on the lead man's face worsened. At this point, he was not looking too well. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "There is no need to say any more, Susan."
    Susan immediately clamped her mouth shut. She had gotten a little carried away in those mystical eyes that she forgot where she was.
    Cassius simply nodded and flashed an appreciative look before sitting himself on the far right side of the luxurious helicopter. The others sat themselves down as well. Susan was occasionally glancing at him with a furtive way about her, whereas the lead man was repeatedly clicking his tongue.
    As for the last man, he was just chilling.
    One could say that he was the embodiment of professionalism. That and chillism.
    *Whirl, Whirl, Whirl¡ª!!*
    The top rotors of the helicopter started to increase the speed at which they spun, and within seconds, the group was off the ground. The helicopter ascended higher and higher into the sky before dipping forward and taking them in the direction of the heart of Japan.
    ....

 Chapter 180 Instant Rejection!

    ¡ªTwenty Minutes Later¡ªThe helicopter began to descend. Within moments, it was already hovering just a few meters above a yellow-painted helipad. The helipad was located at the far north side of a very large and shiny building. When it landed and the people inside stepped out, they were immediately greeted by hundreds more suited figures.
    Surprise flashed past the irises of the lead man as he hadn't expected such a grand entourage for the man he had been tasked to brief and invite. Even he hadn't received such a grandiose welcoming ceremony when he was recruited¡­
    One would think that the way he looked at the indifferent Cassius would change for the better, but that was simply not the case. As an extremely vain and conceited man, his previous irritation only increased.
    However, when the distinct sound of heels clacking against a hard metal surface echoed, he immediately discarded all his sinister thoughts.
    "Guild Leader!"
    *Thud, Thud, Thud!*
    All of the gathered men and women in suits hit the floor with their fists as a very outstanding woman entered the scene. Her dress¡ªlong, purple, and flowy¡ªwas dazzling. It was only overshadowed by the far more resplendent bed of violet-colored hair that warped around her perfect figure, accentuating the work the dress was doing for her image.
    Yet, above all else, it had to be her mesmerizing purple whirlpools that truly drew people in. Those eyes¡ªthey were far more effective than any hypnotic techniques.
    However, in the face of all this immense beauty, Cassius remained unwavering. The view was a pleasant one, but that was all. He could not allow himself to be careless again.
    Never again¡­
    One could tell that the Branch Master's death still weighed heavily on his mind. But with the goal of absolute strength pushing him forward, his subconscious did its best to push everything unrelated to the pursuit of power to the back of his mind.
    Viola raised one of her perfectly molded brows in interest. She walked through the path opened up by her innumerable men, and when she finally made it to a distance less than a few feet away from the emotionless Cassius, her interest multiplied.
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    She wasn't sure if she had ever encountered a man like him before. Unaffected by beauty at such a young age¡­ Just what had he been through?
    Death. That was the simplest answer.
    It is said that death changes a man.
    And he, who had died hundreds upon hundreds of times, was surprised that he was even capable of empathy anymore. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Viola, still appraising Cassius, thought, 'He's handsome as well¡­ How intriguing¡­'
    "So, why have I been invited to your Guild in this vast city?"
    Cassius's plain voice suddenly broke through the silence encompassing the rooftop of one of the most expensive buildings in all of Tokyo. The building not only resided in the most opportune location in all of Japan, but it was also home to dozens of top-grade training facilities and lounge areas, all of which were used by Voidling Guild members.
    The man who led Cassius here immediately became incensed when he saw him speak out of turn. "Do you have no shame¡ª!?" However, before he could finish what he was saying, Viola's deathly violet glare landed on him.
    "!!!"
    He shut his trap real quick.
    Turning her head back toward the uncaring man, Viola said, "I do apologize for the uncouth behavior of my subordinate. I hope you won't take his offense to heart."
    Cassius coldly looked at the profusely sweating man before locking all of his focus on the enchanting beauty. "It's not an issue."
    He would normally add an insult for the man at the end, but for some reason, he felt far less inclined to do so.
    Wonder why that is¡­
    Viola paid very close attention to every minor change in Cassius's facial expressions, and from how he seemed to be thinking about something unrelated to this visit, she was able to confirm it.
    'The S-Rank¡­ Another Japanese S-Rank Hunter¡­ A heaven-sent replacement for Static Baron, perhaps? Well, either way, he's still an S-Rank Hunter¡­ That much I'm almost 100% positive of.'
    As one of the most perceptive and intelligent people in not only Japan but the entire world, Viola was able to piece the clues together. First were the absurd number of Red and below Gates that had been secretly cleared by this man. Then there was his utter disregard for her immense authority as an S-Rank Hunter. Furthermore, there was something about his stare¡­
    There were unknowns hidden within its depths¡­
    Thankfully, Viola had been the first one to check into the hidden files left behind by the recently deceased Hunter's Association Branch Master. If not, then she definitely would've been obligated to share this gem with the rest of the S-Rank Hunters and the Association.
    Getting straight to the cusp of the discussion, she said, "Say, how would you like to¡ª"
    "Sorry, I won't join a Guild. I'm too weak."
    Instant rejection!
    "You¡­" The lead man from before once again started to speak up but was quickly silenced by the scary Viola. She even motioned for a few of her A-Rank subordinates to take him away and have him stay out of this conversation.
    It wasn't like the other Voidling Guild members weren't also angered by the unknown man's rather rude way of speaking. But contrary to their recently dismissed comrade, they knew not to open their mouths when their Guild Leader was making an expression like that.
    "...If I may ask, why won't you join my Guild? I promise you benefits greater than what any of the other Guilds can offer you¡­ So why?"
    Hearing Viola's question, Cassius matched her burning stare and replied in a tone void of emotion:
    "I'm weak. I already told you that."
    "...." "...." "...."
    Not just the Voidling Guild Leader, but everyone gathered there couldn't believe what they were hearing.
    Although none of them knew exactly how strong he was, those higher up among their ranks were at least aware of his recorded Gate Clears. His feats even exceeded most of their own, and they had parties to raid with! What did he have?
    Just himself!
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 181 Join Me for a Gate Raid?

    With a slightly twitching face, Viola lightly coughed before making her voice sound more coquettish. "Are you sure you wouldn't¡ª""Yeah, I'm sure. Can I go now? I have other things I need to do."
    Silence.
    Viola froze in place.
    She had never done something as demeaning as that for anyone else, you know! She even pulled her especially explicit dress out of the coffers just for this meeting! From the beginning, she knew this nameless man was something special!
    No matter what, she had to have him! For the sake of the Voidling Guild! For if something happened to her inside the World's End Gate!
    For everything above, she gave it her all! The cutesy, seductive act and everything!
    And yet¡­
    "...You really aren't going to even consider joining the Voidling Guild? I have a benefits page here¡­ Would you like to¡­?"
    Viola gave it one last desperate shot.
    "Hmm¡­ Nope, I'm good."
    And completely missed!
    What the illustrious rich researcher failed to account for was that Cassius, after a mere two months of character development, no longer had any desire for worldly commodities. Money didn't interest him, and he already had a lot of it. Status mattered even less to him. Fame was pointless. And any women or items that could be offered to him were things he was already swimming in.
    Just Lilith alone was likely worth more than the entire Voidling Guild building. And that wasn't even a baseless statement¡­
    "So¡­? Is that all you wanted to discuss? Can I go now?"
    "???"
    Cassius's bored voice snapped Viola out of her shell-shocked stupor. When she looked ahead, she now seemed to be the one whose soul got pulled into someone else's eyes. The way he looked at her¡­ It was¡­
    *Whooosh~!*
    The distinct sound of something gushing blasted through the tense air above the Voidling Guild building.
    Many looked toward their squirming Guild Leader, but as soon as they did, waves of spatial energy spread out and obscured everyone's vision. None were able to witness the shameful face that one of the most powerful figures in the country was making.
    None except for one¡­
    However, at this moment, Cassius was quite curious about the film of dark energy that just tried to temporarily disable one of his five senses. He poked and prodded at it, yet felt nothing even as his fingers sank into the starry purple energies interwoven inside.
    "Interesting¡­"
    FWIP! Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire
    Cassius vanished from his spot and reappeared beside the gorgeous woman rubbing her thighs in place. She quickly became startled and attacked him on reflex, but he effortlessly clasped her space-covered arm. This time, he felt something painful damaging the outer layer of his skin. It even made an attempt to dig deeper into his hand and vaporize his bones.
    And for the sake of science¡­ he let it happen.
    *Sizzle, Sizzle!*
    Cassius felt an excruciating pain assault his senses but didn't make a single attempt to prevent the pain from continuing. Like a clinically insane lunatic, he emotionlessly watched as the hand holding Viola's arm vanished one chunk at a time. Within moments, his entire right arm had been transported to oblivion.
    "Wow¡­" was all Cassius had to say as he cut off the corroding part at the base of his shoulder with the assistance of Lilith. That was when an unusual thought entered his frontal lobe. 'Wait¡­ is Lilith able to absorb my body to evolve? I don't mind dying a few times every day for her if that's the case. I can also ramp up my regeneration skills and turn myself into some type of infinite meat generator¡ª'
    *Ding!*
    [Sorry to burst your bubble, you masochistic host of mine, but that is unfortunately not possible! Just like how absorbing too much EXP from the same organism will force you to start having reduced gains from that organism, the same thing happens for evolving items. In fact, it's even worse! Especially with the Master of the item.]
    [Before your Lilith side chick can even so much as devour you once, there will no longer be any benefit to having her gobble your large meat¡ª]
    "Okay, that's enough," said Cassius, his forehead crinkling.
    "What was that?" Viola asked while still trying to hide what was happening beneath her sexy dress.
    "Hmm? Oh, it's nothing," Cassius replied as if he had no idea about the suspicious liquid leaking from an equally suspicious cavern. "But these space-related skills of yours; can you show more of them to me?"
    Quickly realizing this was her chance to turn things around, Viola responded, "I can, but I would also like something from you."
    Cassius's breathing became a little frosty as he coldly glared at this euphorically shaking woman. Though, he immediately noticed that the more he looked at her, the more she shook¡ªall with a straight face as well.
    'What a weird lady¡­'
    But with that being beside the point, he asked, "What is it that you want from me?" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Viola happily shivered before walking closer to him.
    He backed up by the same distance she walked.
    "???"
    She resumed her approach.
    He continued his retreat.
    "Don't get so close to me," said Cassius. "I don't know what's going on with you, but I don't wish to catch whatever it is that you have."
    He faintly recalled Bella's warning from the previous day. Was she being serious when she spoke of that deadly little-brother-killing disease?
    Well, either way, being cautious was the best course of action.
    For a moment, Viola couldn't believe what she, a noble S-Rank Hunter, was being put through right now. Moreover, she felt mortified to be viewed in such a negative light by a man whom she had just met for the first time! This was terrible! Nothing was going the way she had expected!
    So then why¡­
    Why was she becoming ever more excited¡­?
    While happily shivering in place, Viola gave up her advance and let Cassius put his guard down.
    Lightly coughing to clear the air, she said, "Don't worry, I won't ask anything too excessive of you. But in exchange for showing you my personal secrets, I believe requesting your presence on a few Gate Raids with me isn't too much to ask, is it?"
    ...¡­..

 Chapter 182 Violas Unusualness...

    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"Although the Voidling Guild members were unable to see anything right now, that didn't mean they couldn't hear. And what was transmitted to their brains through their eardrums was ludicrous!
    Their Guild Master rarely ever went on Gate Raids, even with her own Guild members, let alone with this man who not only rejected her once but several times! This was insane!
    "Gate Raids?" asked Cassius.
    "With me, yes."
    "And you won't be weird¡­?"
    "I'll try¡ª... I mean, I won't be weird," Viola corrected herself with a small blush.
    When she saw Cassius's icy glare, though, that small blush deepened, and her thigh rubbing came back in full swing.
    "...I don't believe you. You're definitely going to be weird, aren't you¡­?" Cassius asked suspiciously.
    "I¡­ I promise that I won't be weird, okay¡­?"
    Silence.
    "Fine."
    Viola cheered inside her heart but outwardly gave a slight smile and a small nod. "You won't regret this decision of yours. And perhaps through this experience today, we'll be able to become a bit closer."
    "Can we keep our distance, though? You're quite odd. Plus, you're leaking¡­ a lot¡­"
    Another rejection! Even harsher this time!
    Yet it only made Viola's excitement soar higher! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    With a goofy grin, she extended her arms outward and motioned for Cassius to walk ahead. He did so, but very reluctantly. If it was at all possible, he would prefer not to follow this atypical woman anywhere, but seeing as the mysteries of the Space Element were too juicy of an opportunity to pass up, he did what he had to.
    Viola observed that cold stare of his through her slightly closed eyes and couldn't stop herself from trembling even more. Her excitement was palpable, and if not for the fact that she temporarily blinded all of her Guild members, her esteemed reputation would surely have been sullied.
    ¡ªA few minutes later¡ª
    Cassius and Viola had been walking throughout the large Voidling Guild building for a substantial period of time. During the entire experience, they maintained silence, and in that silence, the pervy Guild Leader took furtive glances at him whenever she got the chance. However, just a couple of minutes ago, during one of these perv outs, she saw his arm regenerate from nothing!
    After being infected by her spatial powers, it should have been a very long while until his arm could regenerate. But that didn't turn out to be the case for this anomaly of a man¡­
    When she first perused his files, she immediately realized there was something extremely special about him. No one had a rep sheet like that yet preferred to stay under the radar.
    Within the hour, she had already set up his formal invitation. Of course, considering the watchful eyes of the other S-Rank Hunters, she could only send B-Rank Hunters as escorts for this mysterious man. Furthermore, she was forced to do so in a very inconspicuous manner.
    Little did she know that around half of the S-Rank Hunters of Japan had already been killed off since the last time she saw them¡­
    The only ones who were left alive were all those gathering for the World's End Raid and¡­ and¡­
    Well, the others still left alive were kept alive for a special reason¡­ a very special reason.
    In a way, one could say that the World's End Gate Raid had inadvertently saved the lives of every single S-Rank Hunter who dared to participate. It was truly an odd miracle.
    ¡ª-------------
    When Cassius and Viola finally descended the massive Guild building and left through the front door, another black limo was waiting outside. It was there for them, and when two A-Rank Hunters opened the limo doors for them, they got in and sat on opposite sides of the vehicle.
    Viola didn't mind his attempt at keeping a certain distance away from her. In fact, it only made her more excited¡­
    Cassius's lips curled in disgust while side-eyeing her.
    She loved that.
    'Seriously¡­ What is wrong with this girl? And why is her Guild more of a business than a monster hunter organization??'
    Cassius saw many labs and monster material separation rooms while making his way through the Voidling Guild building. If the Voidling members weren't wearing Men-in-Black suits, then they were either wearing hazmat suits or white lab coats. Not a single one of them seemed like they actually participated in Gate Raids themselves.
    Seeing his perplexed expression through his dashing side profile, Viola asked, "Are you wondering about what the Voidling Guild actually does?" Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire
    "How did you¡ª"
    "You aren't the first one to make a face like that after visiting the Voidling Headquarters. Almost everyone who isn't aware of our Guild's internal workings makes the same face," Viola said with a lighthearted chuckle. "But if I were to give you the simplest explanation, then it's that we're a rather unorthodox Guild. Only a couple of foreign S-Rank Guilds operate in the same manner."
    Cassius was going to delve more into the subject, but she spoke first. "The truth is that we do indeed have members who actively clear Gates. However, the vast majority of our members are those who were merely fortunate enough to awaken with a high rank, yet not many of them wished to seek out an early death in a Gate. Therefore, they joined our Guild and pursued one of the plethora of monster-handling professions."
    With a lovely smile, she added, "The pay is not as good as actually venturing into Gates, but it isn't too far off. Moreover, there's a lot of versatility and wiggle room for what you'd like to learn how to do. The only catch is that if there's a large surplus of high-ranking Gates in our territory that our Strike Forces can't handle, you must be prepared to band together and clear the Gates."
    Finally reaching the point of the conversation she was aiming for, she shot her head toward the silent fellow and asked, "Would you like to¡ª"
    "No."
    Instantaneous rejection!
    "B-But I'll give you a direct position as one of the Guild's Head Managers! You'll also be able to become the 2nd Vice Guild Leader within a very short amount of time¡ª"
    "I'm good."
    Still no!
    What da fak!?
    ....

 Chapter 183 Apocalypse Gates

    It was just no after no after no with this man! Did he not care a single bit about how pretty she was!? What of her high status?? Did he not even put her authority into the equation!?This was all so terrible! And it all turned her on!!
    "Mhmff~..."
    "???"
    Cassius could've sworn that he heard a sweet and tender moan sound out from beside him, but when he looked toward Viola, he saw that her expression was as emotionless as his. Of course, her soaked undergarments and dress gave her away, but she made a good attempt.
    It really was a solid attempt¡­
    Cassius decided not to embarrass the poor, weird lass. Instead, he leaned his palm against his chin and viewed the rapidly flashing scenery outside the limo window.
    'Tokyo truly is very large¡­ and futuristic¡­'
    He had his suspicions for quite a while now, but it wasn't until he came to a place of genuine innovation that he realized just how different this world was from his previous one. Tall, technological skyscrapers were erected as far as the eye could see. Skyline bullet train railways were scattered throughout the country and ran in every direction. There were even cybernetic vehicles that floated off the ground and traveled in organized paths in the sky.
    Cassius had seen similar scenes in the other countries he visited in his hunt for stronger Gates. But that didn't mean seeing such sights now made them feel any less unreal.
    The world¡ªit had changed.
    The year was still 12500 of the Earthen Calendar, the same as before, but nothing else was the same. This world¡­ it was not Cassius's world.
    For the remainder of the limo ride, Cassius pondered something he hadn't really had the time to think about until now. However, when they arrived and the doors to the casino were opened, he snapped back to reality. Quickly, he realized they were at yet another airport.
    "The Gates we're going to are not in Japan?"
    Were they not heading toward one of the many Red-rank Gates littered around Japan? There were dozens of them, all of which were regularly cleared or permanently closed by extremely powerful A-Rank Hunters and normal S-Rank Hunters.
    However, as far as he was aware, there were no Purple-rank Gates left open in Japan.
    As the country had far too few S-Rank Hunters and no S-Rank Hunter parties, every single Purple-rank Gate that appeared would be cleared by a temporary S-Rank force. After which, the S-Rank Hunters would split up and return to their own guilds.
    Only the most powerful and largest countries, like America, Russia, and China, were able to amass the necessary manpower to consistently farm weaker Purple-rank Gates. Though, even they could do nothing but permanently close any new Gates if they exceeded the Mid-Purple rank.
    As for Peak Purple-rank Gates, they could only be permanently cleared by S-Rank Hunters from all around the world. These types of Gates were dubbed¡­
    ¡­Apocalypse Gates¡­!!!
    And as of recent times, there have only been four such Gates in the world, two of which had only recently appeared in the last couple of months.
    The world leaders went through several meeting sessions because of these unprecedented events. And through multiple lengthy discussions, the world unanimously decided to be at peace with one another. All wars came to a temporary close just a few weeks ago.
    In a way, the World's End Gates' continued evolution and the powerful Gates that followed were the key to achieving world peace.
    As the saying went, there were always bigger fish to fry.
    *Whirl, Whirl, Whirl¡ª!!*
    "So, are you going to tell me where we're actually going?"
    Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
    Cassius's dampened voice traveled through the choppy air and reached the ears of a stunning woman whose luscious purple hair was wildly flying all around. With an otherworldly way about her, she tucked her hair behind her ear and replied with a smile that held many meanings.
    "You said you were weak, didn't you?" she asked with a bit of playfulness. "Well, I know of a restricted place that'll truly put that weakness of yours to the test. Have you¡­ heard of Apocalypse Gates?"
    "Apocalypse Gates?" Cassius repeated, his mouth hanging slightly agape. 'If we're going to an Apocalypse Gate, then is it¡­?'
    "The Apocalypse Gate¡ªOblivion's Threshold! Home of the Oblivion Titans and the Oblivion Acolyte!"
    Viola's voice, coated in space energy, eclipsed the dampening effect of the strong winds. And with it came confirmation of Cassius's suspicions. This Gate¡­ It was one he planned to solo raid within the next few days. But now¡­ now it seemed the date would be brought forward a bit.
    Viola's lively expression froze when she felt and saw no visible reaction from the young man sitting before her. She had expected him to at least gasp in surprise, but no. Nothing. He was like an unmoving rock.
    'I wonder if down there¡­ is as much a hard rock as his disposition is¡­ Mhmm~...'
    Cassius could've sworn that a similar moan as before resounded, but because of the lack of good hearing this high up, he was even more uncertain this time around. This made him momentarily consider putting more emphasis on his Perception stat. But thinking about it again, the stat was already absurdly high. Did it really need to go higher?
    This thought lingered in his mind until the moment he was beckoned off the helicopter.
    As for where they ended up landing, it was an isolated island located a few hundred miles outside of Japan. This island, which used to be unnamed and unknown, was now the conjoined property of dozens of countries, including the United States, Canada, Thailand, Jordan, France, and several others.
    On this island¡ªaround ten miles in length and a couple of miles in width¡ªthere resided a giant metallic dome. The dome was capable of reflecting all light that interacted with it and then used that same reflected light to camouflage itself. From a bird's-eye view, it was as if the dome didn't even exist.
    But for those who virtually lived inside the dome, it very much existed. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Follow me, Sir Cassius."

 Chapter 184 Not a single Normal Woman...

    Heeding Viola's polite request, Cassius followed her through a jungle trail. In the not-so-distant background, the helicopter that brought them here resumed its ascent into the skies. Within seconds, it was long gone.Cassius turned his head back ahead and walked the trail with just him, Viola, and two A++ Rank Hunters that acted as bodyguards of sorts. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire
    They, unlike the suited Hunters from before, looked like proper Hunters. They had shiny, gaudy armor and unnaturally large, high-quality weapons. Moreover, they carried with them imposing auras that unconsciously pressured everything in the vicinity. Of course, to Cassius and Viola, their mighty auras might as well have not even existed.
    Viola noticed this and further solidified her belief that this young man, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, was, in actuality, hiding a lot more than he was willing to show. Her goal here today was to better figure out exactly how much he was concealing from the world. His identity as a newly awakened S-Rank Hunter was all but certain in her mind, but the difference between those within the S-Rank was far wider than even all of the previous Realms combined.
    'Am I about to witness the birth of an unbelievably powerful S-Rank Hunter? Or will he turn out to be just like 90% of the S-Rank Hunter population? Ordinary.'
    Viola became wet just imagining the answer to that question¡­
    Cassius felt that icky feeling again, prompting him to look toward Viola. However, yet again, she looked and acted as if everything were completely normal. Even while a suspicious liquid trickled down her supple thighs, she stared straight ahead with unmatched focus.
    "...." 'Why¡­ Why is not a single woman I know normal¡­?'
    Cassius was truly starting to believe that some god above was playing him as a fool.
    ¡ªFive minutes quickly passed¡ª
    Cassius and Viola finally made it to the metallic dome, and it was only then that he truly understood just how massive the Dome actually was. It was nearly a fifth the size of the entire island and was entirely comprised of reflective panels. Moreover, each one of the panels was only the approximate size of a fist, which meant there were likely hundreds of thousands of them. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Viola walked ahead and approached an area that looked exactly like the jungle around it. However, when she reached out and touched the empty air, an octagon panel shone with a blue light. Ripples of similarly colored light spread from the octagon panel as the origin. Within an instant, the blue light took the rough shape of an average-sized hangar door.
    After a second of listening to whistling gusts of wind come out from every edge of the hangar door's light shape, it made a sound similar to the opening of a tightly closed hatch. A large hangar door that matched the light shape began to slowly fall down before eventually making contact with the ground.
    *THUD!*
    With the reverberation of a loud thud, Viola's smile slightly widened. She turned around, fully displaying her mesmerizing beauty under the bright sun, and said, "Well, are you ready to show me precisely how 'weak' you are?"
    Cassius furrowed his brows. He looked past the gorgeous woman and saw an interior space riddled with metal escalators, overarching titanium beams, and most noticeable of all, the massive Purple Gate tied down in the very center of the dome facility.
    There had to be thousands of people in professional work attire maneuvering in every direction, all moving with purpose. Vehicles and advanced mecha machinery made up the main modes of transportation.
    He could also feel a few powerful presences¡­ each one clearly at the S-Rank.
    Viola noticed this as well. Her brows knitted together a bit in annoyance as she said, "It seems that a few troublesome characters are also here for this Gate¡­ How irksome."
    "These aren't friends of yours¡­?" Cassius asked with narrowed eyes. If things were to go south, he was prepared to make his debut in the world a little earlier than expected.
    Fortunately for the S-Rank Hunters, Viola shook her head while saying, "They're not my friends, but they are technically classified as allies of Japan. Though, that doesn't make them any less¡­ irritating¡­"
    Cassius's hidden killing intent eased up as his draconic racial qualities stopped affecting his appearance. Viola had not noticed this occurrence, but if things had gone sideways, he had a Dragon Quasar Beam on standby. The force of that Skill with his current Intelligence and Atomic stat¡ªif converted¡ªwould've been enough to wipe this island off the face of the map. And that wouldn't even have been the full extent of the damage that would've ensued¡­
    Just a couple of words from Viola were enough to set in motion a ticking time bomb that could've very well permanently altered the topography of the world¡­
    Viola, unaware of the disaster she just prevented from happening, looked ahead and saw several pompous figures teleport onto the scene. A second later and they were already standing right in front of the four people who had just opened up the Dome's Hatch.
    "Well, well, well, would ya look at what the cat dragged in?" An arrogant feminine voice bled the ears of all who heard it. A powerful aura then erupted from the owner of this voice.
    OOOM!
    Multiple more incredibly strong auras blasted right after the eruption of the first woman's aura. Altogether, their natural auras were capable of bringing to their knees both of the A++ Rank Hunters that Viola brought with her. They struggled to resist the pressure pushing them into the earth, but no matter how strong their wills were or how frustrated they became, they couldn't accomplish anything meaningful.
    In the face of absolute power, all resistance was deemed futile.
    This was not the world of fiction. The power of friendship and the power of love meant nothing when faced with unquestionable strength. Anger and will could maybe overcome differences in power, but this difference¡­ it was not one that could be crossed so easily.
    'More S-Rank Hunters,' Cassius thought to himself, completely unaffected by the immensely powerful auras trying to bring him to his knees.
    ...

 Chapter 185 The Prisoners Chains

    The reason why Cassius appeared so unbothered standing before existences said to be at the very apex of the world was the same as why he acted so nonchalant with Viola. In his secret travels around the world, going from Gate to Gate, he had seen many S-Rank Hunters from afar. Of course, some were stronger than he was at the time.But these few¡­ they were not part of the "some."
    The female S-Rank Hunter leading the large group of S-Rank Hunters was of Russian origin, the same as the others with her. But when she cocked her head slightly and saw that someone besides Viola was still standing, her pretty face turned a bit ugly. She had never heard of a Japanese S-Rank Hunter with the appearance of the man looking past her group as if none of them even mattered.
    However, if he was so daring as to disregard their existences, then she would have no choice but to teach him a lesson.
    FWIP!
    She crackled with green lightning energy and appeared in front of the cold glare of the exceptionally handsome hooded man. Her anger soared even further when she saw his multi-colored pupils tracking her movements.
    Yet, just as she went to strike out, a filament of starry purple energy appeared in front of her fist.
    "!!!"
    *Whoooosh!!*
    Before the Russian Hunter's fist could make contact with the solar plexus of the indifferent young man, the starry filament rapidly expanded. It threatened to devour her whole and eternally erase her existence from the world.
    "Tsk!" She clicked her tongue and waved her hand. Out came a wave of green lightning. When the green lightning collided with the spatial filament, an extremely powerful explosion of chaotic energy blasted outward.
    A sphere of destruction was created from this collision. In an instant, it expanded dozens of times its original size. Both Viola and the Russian S-Rank Hunter were pushed back.
    They realized simultaneously that their collision of attacks could cause serious damage to the Dome Facility and the island. Thus, they dispersed the energies they had infused.
    While the chaotic energies slowly dissipated, Viola's icy glare honed in on the angered Russian. "Do not get ahead of yourself, Vera. If you think the truce between our countries or the presence of the Mage Lord is enough for you to do whatever you want, then you are sorely mistaken. Next time you do something like this¡­" A scary look emerged on her normally relaxed face. "I'll take more than just a part of your dress."
    "What!?" Vera looked down in urgency, only to see a flicker of spatial energy finishing the corrosion of her right arm sleeve. It dispersed at Viola's behest before it could do any real damage, but just imagining what would have happened if that energy burrowed into her skin was enough to twist Vera's expression into a mix of fury and fright.
    "...Vera¡­" The other S-Rank Hunters who had come with her sent vicious glares in Viola's direction, but she seemed to treat them as thin air.
    Upon recalling the horrible rumors surrounding the Space Element, they dared not retaliate.
    Vera's explosive green aura violently fluctuated as she turned around and stormed off toward the Gate in the distance. "Let's go!" she irritably ordered. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire
    The S-Rank Hunters in her group hesitated for a moment while glaring at the Japanese Hunters, but they nonetheless followed the lead of their Party head. Within seconds, they were already stepping into the Peak Purple-rank Gate. But before they fully vanished, Vera's venomous voice echoed through the Dome's interior:
    "You know the normal tradition of this Gate, Viola! So let's have a small competition to see who can kill more Oblivion Titans! My party or your little ragtag group of nobodies!!"
    With that, the Russian Hunter Party¡ªGreen Dragon¡ªventured into the rather special Purple-rank Gate.
    Cassius ignored the Russians from beginning to end, his focus entirely on the Spatial Element still swirling over Viola's hand. He would definitely find a way to add that Element to his arsenal, even if the System was too stingy to give him a Space-related Skill from Skill Boxes.
    For now, though, he had a question he wanted to ask. "A tradition? What was that¡­ Russian talking about?" He took a moment to recall her very forgettable appearance, yet still forgot her name.
    *Urgh!*
    Blood sprayed from the bright red lips of Vera, the Green Dragon. She keeled over slightly while standing atop the corpse of a massive black-and-white neon-shaded behemoth the size of Manhattan.
    Meanwhile, Viola, who had just heard Cassius's question, looked into his irresistibly attractive cold eyes and answered, "I didn't mention it to you previously for the sake of suspense, but this Gate is not like a normal Apocalypse Gate. It was also because of this Gate's uniqueness that it was not permanently cleared. You see, this Gate¡­ or, rather, the Boss and Mini-Bosses of the Gate, are locked down in chains that cannot be broken¡­"
    The tension in the air between them grew especially dramatic as Cassius sucked in a cold breath of air. "So this Gate and the 'tradition'... Let me guess. S-Rank Hunters from all around the world come to this Gate and make a sport out of hunting the normal mobs that reside within it?"
    Viola's eyes flashed in surprise. "Yes, that's a very good guess," she said, not having expected him to figure out the truth so quickly. "Tell me, have you heard of the Icedom Senator's Prison Gate? The Black-ranked Gate?"
    Cassius nodded. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    "Well, that Gate and this one are similar in how the main contenders of each Gate are tied in chains. In fact, the material that makes up the chains appears to be the same in all cases," Viola explained, her tone dramatic. "It's unknown what exactly tied them up or for what reason, but what those qualified to know do know is that something out there didn't want anyone interfering with the 'prisoners' of any Gate that has similarly bound monsters. Even if the bound monster could theoretically be killed, the chains have a built-in protection feature that prevents the captives from being harmed."
    ...

 Chapter 187 Top 100 S-Rank Hunters

    All of the illusory blue screens were what Cassius saw in the exact moment he entered the Peak Purple-rank Gate with the graceful Viola. It was fair to say that he showed a disgruntled expression in the very same period of time. The more he read, the more his emotions fluctuated. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire"???" Viola saw his perplexing state and wondered what could possibly be going through his head. 'Is he maybe thinking about me¡­? About forcing me down and dominating me until he's satisfied!? The vile fiend of a man!!'
    Now it was Cassius's turn to be confused.
    He looked over and saw the relatively short purple-haired beauty wiggling in place while defensively holding her breasts and body. The way she was behaving was in no way befitting that of a Guild Leader, but he hadn't met many Guild Leaders so far, thus it was difficult for him to determine that all Guild Leaders weren't actually as weird as this one.
    'Perhaps they're all weirdos¡­ They do say that the most influential figures in the world are eccentric¡­'
    Cassius's thoughts floated around inside his head until the very moment an ear-deafening whistling sound broke through the sound barrier. Moreover, it did so not once, not tens of times, but tens of thousands of times!
    WABOOOOM!!!
    A mountain in the vicinity exploded outward, sending chunks of rock flying in every direction. Then, with a thundering appearance, a giant silverish blue metal rod shot through the air-born mountain debris and aimed straight for two calm figures.
    The two figures greatly contrasted in appearance and hidden nature, but at the exact moment the metal rod appeared, their demeanors seemed to sync up. They coldly stared at the rod that trumped them in size by a magnitude of hundreds of thousands of times. Viola went to lift her hand, with the Space-element lingering around her. But before she could send the rod to the void, a crisp sword unsheathing sound resounded.
    "!!!" She turned her head toward Cassius, but only saw a brief glimpse of a jagged katana the size of a person. Then, when she blinked, the sword had vanished.
    And when her attention was diverted to an agonizing scream echoing out from hundreds of miles away, she was astonished to find the silverish blue rod split into countless chunks. Furthermore, standing on top of a mountain range a good distance away was a colossal humanoid with glowing white lines spiderwebbed around its body. However, above all else, what attracted Viola's attention the most was the fact that this majestic entity had a line of blood and guts splitting it in half.
    Slowly, both sides of its body tipped off to either side of the mountain range.
    The eventual conclusion was two booming thuds that cracked the distant mountain range. Yet, from this gory tragedy, there emerged a resplendently glowing black and white sphere. This was the Core of an Oblivion Titan.
    While Viola was still finding her voice, Cassius sauntered forward. His wispy Shadow Monarch's cloak flapped in the wind as he said without turning around, "Let's go."
    When the Voidling Guild Leader finally came to, a small pout formed on her flawless face. She looked out at the scenery and saw dozens of mountain tops currently in the process of sliding off their bases. She begrudgingly thought, 'He really had the nerve to call himself weak. What a shameless wolf-like man he is!'
    Viola huffed and puffed as she trailed behind the young man whose image kept on becoming more and more mysterious in her mind.
    When they made it to the mountain range and looked up at the massive split-in-half Oblivion Titan corpse, Cassius leapt up and landed on the corpse. After which, he ripped away at the ligaments and such attached to the Magic Shard, or now evolved Core.
    You see, once an A-Rank organism evolved to the S-Rank as a Monster-lineage user, their Magic Shard would achieve 20 points and thus transform into a sphere. This sphere was dubbed the 'Magic Core' and was worth far more than a Magic Shard.
    On Earth, a Magic Core of the weakest variety could go for hundreds of millions of USD. And with thousands of them going up on the market every single week, the acquisition of Magic Cores became a several trillion-dollar industry.
    Of course, with very few Hunters actually capable of hunting an S-Rank Monster, the Magic Core industry was nowhere near as giant as it could be. Even among S-Rank Hunters, the weaker ones would not be able to hunt and successfully kill a racially superior S-Rank Monster by themselves. Only those within the Top 100 S-Rank Hunter list were strong enough to solo kill S-Rank Monsters. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
    Vera, the Russian Hunter from before, was Rank 91 on that list.
    Viola, on the other hand, was Rank 56!
    But even though both of them were incredibly powerful, if they were to go all out against one another, Vera would die 100 times out of 100 times. The difference was insurmountable. And with power levels practically set in stone, Vera would likely forever remain at Rank 91.
    Her time for challenging stronger Hunters to determine her rank was a time long gone; her position unchanging¡­
    ¡ª-------------
    ¡ªFive minutes later¡ª
    'If I'm Rank 56 among the S-Rank Hunters, then¡­ Then where the hell does this freakish bastard place¡­?'
    What Viola saw before her was something that she had not even heard of the Top 50 S-Rank Hunters accomplishing.
    Sprawled out across thousands of miles of rocky whitish black terrain were dozens of Oblivion Titans, nearly numbering past one hundred. All of them were either dismembered or missing 80% of their bodies, with their unusually colored black and white blood painting the surroundings.
    However, the weirdest had yet to occur, for in the very next moment, all of the blood within the Oblivion Titan corpses started to gravitate upwards. Then, simultaneously, countless gallons of the blackish white blood sailed through the air before colliding with the tiny emotionless figure perched atop a messy Oblivion Titan corpse.

 Chapter 187 Top 100 S-Rank Hunters

    All of the illusory blue screens were what Cassius saw in the exact moment he entered the Peak Purple-rank Gate with the graceful Viola. It was fair to say that he showed a disgruntled expression in the very same period of time. The more he read, the more his emotions fluctuated. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire"???" Viola saw his perplexing state and wondered what could possibly be going through his head. ''Is he maybe thinking about me¡­? About forcing me down and dominating me until he''s satisfied!? The vile fiend of a man!!''

    Now it was Cassius''s turn to be confused.

    He looked over and saw the relatively short purple-haired beauty wiggling in place while defensively holding her breasts and body. The way she was behaving was in no way befitting that of a Guild Leader, but he hadn''t met many Guild Leaders so far, thus it was difficult for him to determine that all Guild Leaders weren''t actually as weird as this one.

    ''Perhaps they''re all weirdos¡­ They do say that the most influential figures in the world are eccentric¡­''

    Cassius''s thoughts floated around inside his head until the very moment an ear-deafening whistling sound broke through the sound barrier. Moreover, it did so not once, not tens of times, but tens of thousands of times!

    WABOOOOM!!!

    A mountain in the vicinity exploded outward, sending chunks of rock flying in every direction. Then, with a thundering appearance, a giant silverish blue metal rod shot through the air-born mountain debris and aimed straight for two calm figures.

    The two figures greatly contrasted in appearance and hidden nature, but at the exact moment the metal rod appeared, their demeanors seemed to sync up. They coldly stared at the rod that trumped them in size by a magnitude of hundreds of thousands of times. Viola went to lift her hand, with the Space-element lingering around her. But before she could send the rod to the void, a crisp sword unsheathing sound resounded.

    "!!!" She turned her head toward Cassius, but only saw a brief glimpse of a jagged katana the size of a person. Then, when she blinked, the sword had vanished.

    And when her attention was diverted to an agonizing scream echoing out from hundreds of miles away, she was astonished to find the silverish blue rod split into countless chunks. Furthermore, standing on top of a mountain range a good distance away was a colossal humanoid with glowing white lines spiderwebbed around its body. However, above all else, what attracted Viola''s attention the most was the fact that this majestic entity had a line of blood and guts splitting it in half.

    Slowly, both sides of its body tipped off to either side of the mountain range.

    The eventual conclusion was two booming thuds that cracked the distant mountain range. Yet, from this gory tragedy, there emerged a resplendently glowing black and white sphere. This was the Core of an Oblivion Titan.

    While Viola was still finding her voice, Cassius sauntered forward. His wispy Shadow Monarch''s cloak flapped in the wind as he said without turning around, "Let''s go."

    When the Voidling Guild Leader finally came to, a small pout formed on her flawless face. She looked out at the scenery and saw dozens of mountain tops currently in the process of sliding off their bases. She begrudgingly thought, ''He really had the nerve to call himself weak. What a shameless wolf-like man he is!''

    Viola huffed and puffed as she trailed behind the young man whose image kept on becoming more and more mysterious in her mind.

    When they made it to the mountain range and looked up at the massive split-in-half Oblivion Titan corpse, Cassius leapt up and landed on the corpse. After which, he ripped away at the ligaments and such attached to the Magic Shard, or now evolved Core.

    You see, once an A-Rank organism evolved to the S-Rank as a Monster-lineage user, their Magic Shard would achieve 20 points and thus transform into a sphere. This sphere was dubbed the ''Magic Core'' and was worth far more than a Magic Shard.

    On Earth, a Magic Core of the weakest variety could go for hundreds of millions of USD. And with thousands of them going up on the market every single week, the acquisition of Magic Cores became a several trillion-dollar industry.

    Of course, with very few Hunters actually capable of hunting an S-Rank Monster, the Magic Core industry was nowhere near as giant as it could be. Even among S-Rank Hunters, the weaker ones would not be able to hunt and successfully kill a racially superior S-Rank Monster by themselves. Only those within the Top 100 S-Rank Hunter list were strong enough to solo kill S-Rank Monsters. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Vera, the Russian Hunter from before, was Rank 91 on that list.

    Viola, on the other hand, was Rank 56!

    But even though both of them were incredibly powerful, if they were to go all out against one another, Vera would die 100 times out of 100 times. The difference was insurmountable. And with power levels practically set in stone, Vera would likely forever remain at Rank 91.

    Her time for challenging stronger Hunters to determine her rank was a time long gone; her position unchanging¡­

    ¡ª-------------

    ¡ªFive minutes later¡ª

    ''If I''m Rank 56 among the S-Rank Hunters, then¡­ Then where the hell does this freakish bastard place¡­?''

    What Viola saw before her was something that she had not even heard of the Top 50 S-Rank Hunters accomplishing.

    Sprawled out across thousands of miles of rocky whitish black terrain were dozens of Oblivion Titans, nearly numbering past one hundred. All of them were either dismembered or missing 80% of their bodies, with their unusually colored black and white blood painting the surroundings.

    However, the weirdest had yet to occur, for in the very next moment, all of the blood within the Oblivion Titan corpses started to gravitate upwards. Then, simultaneously, countless gallons of the blackish white blood sailed through the air before colliding with the tiny emotionless figure perched atop a messy Oblivion Titan corpse.

 Chapter 188 Slaying Oblivion Titans

    *Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh¡ª!!*The blackish white blood rapidly disappeared in the same instant it touched Cassius. Within half a second, the rest of the swarming blood vanished from the skies, leaving the Oblivion Titan corpses deprived of blood and a singular man further empowered.

    His Vampire Duke Bloodline rate began to skyrocket!

    [SSS-Rank Vampire Duke Bloodline: 0.09%... 0.7%... 1.6%... 1.8%... 2.2%... 3.5%]

    The Bloodline increment indicator ultimately stopped moving once it reached 3.5%. And along with this cease of movement came a massive wave of strength that powered both the Vampire Duke Bloodline and his personal strength. From his physical prowess to his physical and elemental resistances to his speed and reaction speed¡ªeverything was tremendously improved.

    "!!!" Viola watched in real time as Cassius''s already absurdly powerful presence became even more absurd. ''How can someone possibly become stronger in this manner!? It doesn''t make any sense!''

    She had only noticed it some time ago, when Cassius first revealed what she thought to be his concealed ''aura.'' Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    When, in actuality, he had no aura, with what she saw simply being the outward visual representation of his power. This was not the same as the ''aura'' of normal Awakeners.

    But regardless of that point, from the moment she first witnessed his presence, Viola saw that same presence steadily increase. Though, with this most recent Oblivion Titan massacre, she saw his aura spike up by an absurd amount!

    She had no idea what caused this spike, but the blood that smashed into him definitely had a part to play.

    That had to be it!

    But why was any of it still not making any sense¡­?

    How could blood make a set-in-stone Hunter stronger??

    Meanwhile, Cassius''s brows curved up in satisfaction as he glanced at the incoming System Notification while ripping out Magic Cores with his telekinetic abilities.

    *Ding~!*

    [You have slain 97 Oblivion Titans (S-)]

    [Your Experience Bar tremendously moved!] Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    [You leveled up!]

    [You received 1200 Stat Points in all of your Main Attributes!]

    [Acquired 4000 AP!]

    [You reached Lvl 97!]

    "Lvl 97, huh?" Cassius mused. "That means I''m only 3 levels away from achieving Lvl 100 and meeting the minimum requirement to take the Job Test and receive a Job."

    He had done much idling over the last period of time. From practicing his various Techniques and Skills to combining them to trolling anyone close to him. He had also been actively seeking out and completing Side Quests, Urgent Quests, Daily Quests, and Special Quests, all in hopes of increasing the ''Idle Score'' that would levy the Job he''d receive.

    ''If only I could complete the 3rd and 4th Main Quests soon. I would then be able to obtain the 4th Idle Benefit. The 5th Idle Benefit would also surely not be too far behind,'' Cassius thought while finishing up the Magic Core collection process. ''By that point, I''ll be gaining far more Idle Points than I am right now¡­''

    He knew precisely what he had to do to complete the 3rd Main Quest and would likely receive the rewards within a couple days, but the 4th Main Quest was where things truly became troublesome. Seeing as he had yet to receive the System pop-up informing him of his power level breakthrough into the SS-Rank, he was definitely still lacking when compared to the 72nd through 70th Demon Kings.

    They cared not a single bit that he was technically the 73rd Demon King of HELL. They would be gunning for his throat the very moment he stepped back into that Hellscape.

    And if he didn''t wish to actually enter the ranks of HELL as an undead or ghost, then he had to quickly become stronger than the weakest Demon Kings. After which, he would be required to go on a rampage of sorts through the 1st Floor of HELL, acquire a reputation for himself, and then travel between Dimensions with a Dimensional Hub. At that point, he would probably just repeat the process in the other 5 Dimensions, including Earth.

    Only then would he be able to complete the 4th Main Quest given by the System. This would also be his key to acquiring the 4th Idle Benefit and the opportunity to unlock the Idle Benefits that follow.

    However, before any of that could occur, Cassius had many tribulations that he had to first overcome on his little blue marble in space¡­

    ¡ª-----------

    With several minutes having flown by in the blink of an eye, Cassius and Viola had made their mark all over the Peak Purple-rank Gate. Of course, the former had been doing most of the work, but that didn''t mean that the Voidling Guild Leader didn''t also have her part to play.

    In total, she had personally killed 9 Oblivion Titans, which was even better than Vera and her Party were doing!

    It just wasn''t anywhere near as impressive as the number amassed by the freak currently crouching on one corpse among hundreds¡­

    "He has really single-handedly eradicated the Oblivion Titan population in this Gate¡­" Viola muttered with a great amount of awe.

    She had never experienced something quite like this, and it was making her super¡­ wet¡­

    Every further S-Rank Oblivion Titan that Cassius effortlessly chopped up, the more unhinged Viola''s fantasies became. She would often spontaneously burst down below whenever she looked at his cold eyes. Her imagination led to her usually being pinned down and ravaged by this emotionless beast. He would whisper savage threats into her ears, and she would have no choice but to oblige. After all, he was stronger than she was.

    In the beginning¡ªwhen Viola first witnessed Cassius''s strength¡ªenvy took hold of her mind. She wanted such strength and the ability to become stronger through blood absorption as well.

    Why wasn''t she allowed to have this privilege, too??

    But as the minutes stacked and turned into half an hour, Viola realized that more so than anything, she was just plain f*cking horny! She was hella horny!

    It was like a gawdamn year-round gusher blaster ten thousand down there!! It was insane just how much liquid was building and sprinkling both her clothes and the topography!!

    She might as well have been the incarnation of Gaia with how much she was watering the bleak black and white plants of this cryptic land¡­

 Chapter 189 The Mage Lord

    "Hehe¡­ Hihi~~""???" Cassius looked over and saw that same goofy expression plastered across the beautiful face of a woman whom one would expect to be prim and proper.

    What expectations received instead was a raging pervert with only one thing on her mind!

    However, putting his intelligence to the test, Cassius made the most optimal decision:

    "I think it''s about time to begin the real fun."

    Conveniently ignore reality and instead focus on the Grind! The Grind above all else, baby!!

    "The real fun¡­?" Viola asked between bated, steamy breaths. She also noticed the approaching auras of a few annoying characters but cared much more about hearing what the big bad wolf had to say.

    Cassius strapped the bubbly Lilith back to the right side of his body after giving her her share of the blood. After which, he turned toward the curious purple-haired beauty and said, "Obviously the real fun means breaking the chains that hold the biggest guys in this place."

    He had said what he did so nonchalantly that it took a moment for Viola to understand what he was implying. But when she did, her eyes widened in surprise. "The biggest guys¡­ You don''t mean!?"

    Cassius smirked. ''System, do what needs to be done.''

    [...]

    [Tsk, fine! I don''t know why you''re so against going to the lovely land of Character Development that is the Nightmarescape, but you do you¡­!]

    [Heaven''s Wrath, here I come!! Welcome me home!!!]

    [>?<]

    [Ahhn~! Do me harder~! Is that all you got~!? Weak!]

    Heaven: "...."

    Following a period of maniacal moaning and laughter, Cassius was able to just barely hear a thundering blast of lightning through his connection with the System. Then, something began to change in the Gate''s atmosphere.

    CRACK¡ª

    Something started to crack. Viola''s face dropped, with the same thing happening to the small group of S-Rank Russian Hunters flying toward them from the distance.

    "This can''t be¡­" Everyone except for Cassius murmured in disbelief, their eyes glued to the sight of six stupidly powerful auras gradually unveiling themselves toward the very ends of every side of the Gate''s interior.

    The Gate from outside also started to violently shake and quake, causing the expressions of the Scientists and Government Officials to drastically change. As they scattered and checked the diagnostic modules, both fear and astonishment settled in, which led to thousands contacting whoever they could.

    Governments all over the world received this devastating news at the same time, and orders were immediately thrown around.

    Dozens of countries moved with post-haste, with them all sending out urgent requests to any S-Rank Hunter they could contact. Yet, this urgency was only further amplified when they heard from the Scientists on the scene that the numbers¡­ the numbers stated that one of the two remaining Apocalypse Gates in the world was less than three hours away from breaking¡­!

    Unlike the other two Apocalypse Gates, both of which were just recently cleared by squads of dozens of S-Rank Hunters, this Apocalypse Gate gave the world barely any time to prepare! And it happened so suddenly!! Why!?

    ''Why?'' was what world leaders and powerful Hunters all across the world asked themselves.

    Why?

    ''Why??'' Viola questioned in genuine terror.

    That was when she recalled what Cassius said just moments before the distinct sound of chains breaking began reverberating. Looking at his relaxed side profile, she thought, ''Was this his doing!? But how??? This Gate is not supposed to be like this!! Just¡­ Just what exactly is this man!???''

    The infamous space user of the Voidling Guild was torn between both utter bewilderment and uncontrollable lust as she didn''t know which one to land on!

    The correct answer was such a difficult one! How was she expected to choose when the options were so terribly hard to choose between! So, so very hard! Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ''He''s not hard, right?'' Viola asked herself while peeking at the area located between Cassius''s legs. Though, when she saw a limp bulge in his pants, the edges of her lips curled up into a cheeky smirk. ''So he is hard~... I had no idea my charms were this effective, hihi~''

    He was, in fact, NOT hard. That was all soft length, baths*t crazy lady!

    However, while Viola momentarily let her thoughts run astray, Cassius had all of his attention focused on the six extremely powerful auras. With each passing second, they became stronger and stronger, especially the one situated in the far north. That aura had already long since surpassed the others and was now verging upon a level that could only be termed as insanity. Yet, it was with each further aura increase that Cassius''s apathetic facade creaked and cracked.

    He was becoming excited! Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

    He wanted¡­ He wanted to once again experience a real fight!! A blood-pumping, life-threatening battle to the death!!!

    ¡ª--------------

    The power of an S+++ Rank Monster Boss¡ªit was sufficient enough to strike terror in even the hearts of the strongest Hunters in history.

    With all that having been said, it was not entirely out of expectations that the Russian S-Rank Hunters were sh*tting their breeches right about now. Vera, in particular, wore an expression that made it seem like she had just eaten ten pounds of horse sh*t. The terrible faces of those beside her also worked well to put her anger and fright on display.

    Altogether, they appeared more like the sh*t-eating brigade than one of the highest power level Russian Strike Forces.

    It was also because of their high statuses that when the information of this abrupt Gate occurrence spread around the table, Russian Executives showed the most frustration. It was in this frustrated state of mind that they sent word to the strongest Hunter in Russia.

    He was one of the Top 10 Hunters in the world¡ªRank #9¡ªthe Mage Lord!

    "You say that there''s been a change in the Apocalypse Gate located outside of the Asian countries? What does that have to do with me?"

    A regal, non-comical voice bounced off the velvet-covered walls of a luxurious penthouse that overlooked the capital of Russia, Moscow. The owner of the voice, a Russian man with slicked-back blonde hair and a lean build, tipped up a cup of warm tea he held in his ring-adorned hands.

 Chapter 190 A Royale Gate

    From the first moment someone rushed into his home and knelt down, the Russian man hadn''t once looked in the kneeling man''s direction.The kneeling man, on the other hand, was profusely sweating from head to toe. Merely standing in the presence of the terrifying man calmly sitting before him was enough to turn his legs into jelly. Even now, while trying to speak, he felt compelled to avert his gaze from the Mage Lord''s imperious visage.

    "Do tell me," he commanded, his voice concealing a lethal coldness. "I don''t have all day. Do not waste my time."

    "Y-Yes, Sir Mage Lord!" Finally finding his voice, the kneeling A-Rank Hunter stammered. "The¡­ The President has requested that you personally oversee the closure of Oblivion''s Threshold. You see, even though the President understands that you are preparing yourself for the Raid on World''s End, he¡­"

    "Spit it out already!"

    RUMBLE!!!

    The whole skyscraper and the several city blocks that surrounded it started to violently shake. The Mage Lord''s overwhelming aura pressure forced the kneeling man from one kneeling knee to two. Furthermore, his head was now two inches away from smashing against the opulent wooden floor.

    Not willing to risk his life here, the kneeling A-Rank Hunter stammered, "T-The reason why the President wants you to accept this request is because one of our S-Rank Hunter Party''s¡ªGreen Dragon¡ªis stuck inside the Apocalypse Gate!"

    "Stuck?" The Mage Lord parroted as he finally turned around to face the kneeling Hunter, no longer staring out at the vast sparkling city below. "How are they stuck??"

    Under his burning gaze, the kneeling man replied, "T¡­ The Apocalypse Gate¡­ It has mutated. It has now become a Royale Gate¡­"

    Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

    Hearing this news put a deep frown on the Mage Lord''s handsome, rugged facial features. He remained motionless and didn''t say a single word for a whole ten seconds. Then, with a slightly annoyed sigh, he rose from his leather chair and said, "Tell the President that I''ll accept his request. But do remind him who actually runs this country. The least he could do is come¡­ personally."

    Sweating like a pig, the kneeling man smacked his head against the floor and shouted, "I''ll follow your orders, Sir Mage Lord!"

    "Good."

    FWIP!

    With that, the Mage Lord vanished from his spot.

    Along with his departure came the sudden teleportation of the long golden staff that he kept by his desk. It had long, cryptic inscriptions running down its sides and held at the top of it an ostrich egg-sized crimson red crystal. The crystal was locked in place by five diamond dragon heads, all of which passively transferred a ridiculous amount of Magicules from the crystal to the rest of the staff.

    This staff¡ªit had one name¡ªMeteor Fall.

    A powerful S+++ Rank item constructed with the materials gathered from the Apocalypse Gate Raid that put the Mage Lord in the Top 10 nearly a dozen years ago. It was also rumored to be capable of leveling entire nations if the Mage Lord went all out.

    And today¡­ today, he might just need to use it again.

    ¡ª---------------

    ¡ªMeanwhile, within the Royale Peak Purple-rank Gate ''Oblivion''s Threshold''¡ª

    "What do we do!? What do we do!?? What in the hell do we do!?!?" Vera, freaking the hell out, started to violently thrash at the crackling red barrier that now barred anyone from leaving.

    Unless the Gate gets permanently closed, no one would ever again be returning home.

    Though, to be fair, it wasn''t like anyone had much of a survival chance if they couldn''t clear the Gate, anyway. After all, the six entities that were just freed from captivity were not looking all too happy right about now¡­

    One would think that eternally trapped prisoners would be pleased beyond belief once the chains finally came off, but nope. These prisoners had long since lost their minds and now only sought to reap the lives of any who entered their line of sight. Which, at this moment, just so happened to be the tasty-looking S-Rank auras frightfully fluctuating on the other side of the Gate.

    Now, as things stand, Viola and the rest have roughly ten microseconds to ready themselves before their sh*t gets rocked¡­

    As this was occurring, Cassius saw several flashing red screens appear in front of him, prompting him to leisurely look over them. The maniacal battle-crazed smirk not once left his extraordinarily handsome face, not even while he readied multiple Skills and read the System pop-ups.

    *Ding!!!*

    [Warning!] [Warning!] [Warning!]

    [The Peak Purple-rank Gate ''Oblivion''s Threshold'' has mutated! The Prison Dimension has locked down according to preset protocols!]

    [The only way to leave the mutated ''Royale Gate'' is to erase the existence of every single prisoner eternally trapped here!]

    Cassius''s brows briefly furrowed before they tightened together. The once distant presences were now not so distant, and unless he wanted to end up splattered against whatever was behind him, he had to lock in. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Doing just that, his eyes crackled with blood-red lightning. A jagged demonic six-foot-long katana materialized and slid into his right hand, unleashing a level of bloodthirsty killing intent that caused the surrounding S-Rank figures to snap their heads in his direction.

    Though, when they saw who it was, Vera''s face further twisted in anger.

    "It''s just that useless man without any aura! He can''t even fly, which is why he''s dumbly standing on that mountain! What an idiot!! Viola, you should come get your pet¡ª"

    In the same moment the short-tempered Russian woman went off on Cassius, he blurred from his spot and turned into a hyper-accelerated beam of shadowy light. Before Viola, Vera, and the others even had the time to properly react, his figure had already crossed insurmountable distances! All in an instant!

    Somewhere along the way, he crossed paths with five absurdly large blackish white Oblivion Titans with spiky crowns on their heads. He also saw the far bigger Oblivion Acolyte, who no longer moved through the use of its city-sized legs. It instead made use of a floating Skill that bent its legs up at a 90¡ã angle.

    The Oblivion monster itself had both its eyes as well as its hidden third eye closed. Moreover, it had levitating above its head a glowing black halo that oozed a storm of savage killing intent¡­

 Chapter 191 The Oblivion Acolytes Anticlimactic Demise

    {[Oblivion Acolyte (S+++ Rank)]} - [Threat Rating: High Red][Oblivion Titan Lord (S+ Rank)] - [Threat Rating: High Yellow] x 5

    Cassius passed right by every single one of these monstrous entities. Without looking back until the very moment he made his move, his body blurred beyond belief. Then, with a razor-sharp heel turn, he swiveled around and produced shockwaves in his wake as he shot toward the Oblivion Titan Lord furthest from the Oblivion Acolyte. Just the shockwaves produced from his sudden movements were enough to vaporize surrounding mountains, yet they merely acted as a prelude to what would happen next¡ª

    "!!!"

    In that exact moment, something unexpected occurred. A loud whirring sound bled his ears, then an eruption of black light flashed from above the Oblivion Acolyte''s black halo!

    ''I can''t dodge! Shi¡ª''

    WHAZZOOOOOM¡ª!!!

    The black light transformed into a wide-area attack that melted countless mountain ranges in the blink of an eye. The entire map''s topography was altered, and even from an untold distance away, Viola, Vera, and the other S-Rank Hunters were able to make out the catastrophic damage done to the seemingly endless plot of land around them. Black, crackling smoke rose from wherever the halo''s black light hit, creating a spectacle that made the S-Rank Hunters'' hearts sink into their chests.

    They had never seen anything at this level of destruction¡­ It was insane¡­

    "Is he okay!?" Viola blurted out while scanning as far out as she could with her Magic Sense. Even though it was unable to reach the Oblivion Titans, it still should''ve been possible to perceive the existence of a certain lifeform.

    However¡­

    "Where is he??? Why can''t I feel his presence anywhere!?" Viola''s expression emulated her distress. She kept on searching, but no matter where she looked, Cassius was nowhere to be found.

    Only billowing clouds of crackling lightning and the six terrifyingly powerful entities remained¡­

    At least, that was until¡ª

    BZIP!

    Like a dot of ink appearing on a scrapped piece of paper, Cassius''s vaporized body reformed itself from nothing. Phoenix feathers fluttered around his rapidly restoring figure as he turned his mangled face up toward the towering existence.

    That existence stared down at him with its closed eyes, seemingly calculating how the tiny human had survived.

    A slit situated just between the two closed eyes of the Oblivion Acolyte suddenly shot open, and a dazzling vortex of black-and-white chaotic elements appeared. Those elements took on the shape of a spiraling abyss. From within that abyss emerged a pupil that embodied the concept of destruction¡ªor rather, of¡­ Oblivion.

    *Ding!*

    [You have died 31 times today! You can only die twice more before you enter the territory of PERMANENT DEATH.]

    [The System will not assist you if it really comes down to it, as the System''s authority is severely limited in this avenue. And considering that you still need to die hundreds more times before you can upgrade the Supreme Nirvana Rebirth Skill to its next evolutionary phase, the System suggests that you¡­ try not to die.]

    "That was indeed the plan¡­" Cassius exasperatingly muttered before refocusing on the colossal entity currently in the process of charging an attack that he had no idea if he could handle or not.

    Without thinking any more about useless stuff, he vanished from his spot, summoned Lilith, and then slashed out at the floating Oblivion Acolyte. The Boss Monster indifferently blasted another wave of black light, with potency just as devastating as before. However, when the figure it shot at turned out to be nothing more than an afterimage, its cryptic third eye darted all over the place.

    When the Oblivion Acolyte''s third eye finally settled on a moving object, the black halo above its head shot out another black wave beam attack. Another few hundred miles of land were eviscerated, yet the human had still not died. He evaded both attacks, with his speed seemingly becoming faster and faster.

    The Newbie 8 Equipment Set¡ªwhich weighed as much as several cities¡ªhad just come off.

    Now, Cassius''s speed was sitting at a level so high that he had no clue just how fast he could go if he held nothing back. With each passing microsecond, his speed gradually increased as more of its untapped potential was utilized.

    *Whoooop¡ª!!!*

    Cassius blurred around the Oblivion Acolyte so quickly that the indifferent behemoth wasn''t even able to understand that all five of its Oblivion Titan Lords had already died. In fact, it was still in the process of comprehending this while he was lapping the Gate''s interior space with a trail of blackish-white blood following behind him.

    *Ding!*

    [You have slain 5 Oblivion Titan Lords (S+ Rank)]

    [Your Experience Bar tremendously moved!]

    [You and your Growth Weapon ''Lilith'' have absorbed the Blood of all 5 of the Oblivion Titan Lords!]

    [(SSS-Rank) Vampire Duke Bloodline: 4.2%... 4.8%... 6.5%... 7%.]

    [Devil Blade ''Lilith'' has advanced from the S+ Rank to the S++ Rank, achieving the second-to-last stage of the S-Rank.]

    [- Attack +312 -]

    WAAA!

    As his and his Growth Weapon''s power exponentially improved, Cassius flashed forward multiple times faster than he was just moving. From a few dozen times the speed of light to just over one hundred times the speed of light¡ªhis speed was only increasing with each passing moment.

    ''Let''s see what comes out on top in the end: your destruction or my speed!'' Cassius maniacally grinned as he phased through speed barrier after speed barrier.

    He had become so fast that even the concept of speed was beginning to lag behind the rate at which he accelerated! And yet he was only becoming ever faster!!

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    One sword slash, a hundred thousand flashed.

    The Oblivion Acolyte registered the uncountable number of attacks that had just made contact with its body. But by that point, Cassius had already vanished to a place thousands of miles away.

    He flashed back while the Oblivion Acolyte was still comprehending what had just happened. He slashed out again, and another hundred thousand slashes collided with the Boss Monster''s unbelievably tough outer armor.

    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

    Lilith bounced back an astronomical number of times in an instant, almost as if she had repeatedly hacked at something too tough to penetrate.

    ''The armor¡­ It''s so hard¡­''

    There were no apparent weak points he could take advantage of, as every part of the monster''s body was covered in this same seemingly indestructible armor. Even the head and lower extremities were no exception.

    ''That leaves only its eyes¡ª'' sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ...

 Chapter 192 Iâ€¦ AMâ€¦ ATOMIC! Iâ€¦ AMâ€¦ OMEGA!!! I AMâ€¦.!!!!!

    ''That leaves only its eyes¡ª''In the same instant this thought formed in Cassius''s mind, the black halo sitting above the Oblivion Acolyte''s head started to erratically sputter. Then, with several black light eruptions many times stronger than before, everything in every direction around the monster was lit up by a machine gun-like spray of destruction.

    BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

    KRAKA-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

    BA-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

    WHOOOOOSH¡ª!!

    When the rolling waves of endlessly high black lightning clouds dissipated, Viola and the others were only now able to open their eyes and view the horrifying scene before them.

    For thousands of miles in a circular direction around the Oblivion Acolyte, everything¡­ literally everything had been erased. The unusual landscape, the wild foreign organisms, even the very air itself¡ªall of it had been replaced by a whiteness that held nothing beyond it. In that circle surrounding the floating Boss Monster, the edges of the Dimension had been reached.

    Those edges were just¡­ white.

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    If all of the Gate''s interior had been erased as well, then the scene would be no different, just shown on a higher scale.

    "This¡­" Viola, struggling to even so much as stand up right now, stared out at the circular whiteness with her mouth agape. From this far away, the enormous Oblivion Acolyte looked like a tiny blackish speck in the middle of a vast field of white.

    Cassius, on the other hand, was once again nowhere to be found¡­

    ''Will his presence reappear in the same way as before¡ª''

    Before Viola could even finish that thought, Cassius''s once voided aura resurfaced from the emptiness of nothingness. Both she and the six or so S-Rank Hunters standing beside her could do nothing but gawk and exclaim in surprise as they watched the impossible occur.

    "T¡­ This Japanese Hunter of yours¡­ Just what in the hell is he!?" No longer able to keep quiet anymore, Vera swiveled her head toward the shocked purple-haired woman. "How can someone like him possibly exist!? The power that the Boss Monster just unleashed¡ªit should''ve killed him on the spot!! And it did!! So how!?? How is he back alive again!???"

    "...I¡­ I don''t know," Viola answered with a tone that emulated just how confused she was.

    She had never been so taken aback in her entire life! What the hell was going on!?

    Who¡­ Just who was Cassius Steele, really!??

    "I AM SPEED!"

    ZOOOOOM¡ª!!!

    The very instant Cassius experienced complete rebirth was also the same instant he ramped up his speed even more than before!! All of his AP¡ªhe would dump it all into his Agility stat!!

    All or Nothing!!!

    [Agility +70]

    [Agility +150]

    [Agility +130]

    [Agility +890]

    [Agility +1800]

    [Agility +4000]

    [Agility +8000]

    All or F*cking Nothing!!!

    For the first time since Cassius acquired the Idle Evolution System, he used up absolutely every point of AP that he had! This time, he was truly going all in!!

    Newbie Equipment 8 Set off, all in on Agility, and even an Evomon Fusion with Nyxvoldar! Sh*t was going down, and he would be both the Architect, the Builder, and the Maker of his own unhinged actions!!

    Cassius''s battle-crazed smirk widened to both of his ears as he leaned downward before bursting forward so quickly that mountains and jungles thousands of miles away were blown to the high heavens. He became the embodiment of speed itself, with his rate of acceleration already at thousands of times the speed of light!

    ZING! ZING! ZING!

    Dragon Quasar Beams were launched in repeated succession, with the subsequent energy emissions becoming so volatile that they clashed with each other. Ridiculously sharp crimson sword slashes followed right behind, further adding to the symphony of powerful attacks fusing and separating from one another in absurd fashion.

    This scene not only happened in one direction of the Oblivion Acolyte but in every single direction.

    The Boss Monster was surrounded, with a limitless number of attacks obscuring its vision. Radiantly flashing streaks of red and purple blinded the monster just enough for Cassius to slip past its third eye and appear above its head. However, even through the innumerable attacks barring the view of the outside world from the Oblivion Acolyte, its third eye¡ªthe S+++ ''Oblivion Eye''¡ªworked in ways beyond human understanding. And the moment this swirling eye locked onto Cassius''s new location, it instantaneously reacted and burst-fired dozens of ''Oblivion Beams'' at him. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    KA¡ªBOOOOOOOOM!!!

    An ear-deafening explosion with residual effects that reached even Viola tore through the sound bubble that encapsulated them all. Yet, from the very epicenter of that dreadful explosion, a bloodied grin curved upward.

    All 33 of his lives had been used up.

    But he was simply too fast¡­

    He was so fast that even permanent death had to race him in order to hook him!

    He was so fast that even while the Oblivion Acolyte flashed its Ultimate Attack, ''Third Eye Oblivion World Render,'' his lips soundlessly moved. With each word that left his mouth, the prerequisite to an attack that could very well bring about the end of the world reverberated through both time and space.

    "I¡­ AM¡­ ATOMIC! I¡­ AM¡­ OMEGA!!! I AM¡­.!!!!!"

    Yet, just as purple, white, and crimson runic lines appeared in quantities too vast to count, and just as the final word to the sequence was to be spoken, Cassius''s crazed bloody eyes darted toward an eerie figure hiding in the folds of space.

    "Found¡ªYou."

    "!!!!"

    At that very same moment, the Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiend''s detached facade drastically changed. It reacted near-instantaneously and fled far, far away!!

    But not far enough¡­

    While the Alien ran and the Oblivion Acolyte erupted with its most powerful Ultimate Attack, a single word¡ªjust that single word¡ªits pronunciation altered the very fabric of reality inside the Gate.

    Everywhere, no matter where it was within the Gate¡ªall of it was unable to escape what that final word represented.

    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"

    The expressions of Viola, Vera, and the other S-Rank Hunters drastically changed as a scarlet purple light flashed in their eyes. Their pupils¡ªthey failed to fully reflect the calamitous scene before them. It was¡­ It was¡­ Apocalyptic.

    "I AM THE¡ª"

    "END¡ª"

    Silence.

    They say that the worst moments of a storm happen in the silence. They say this because quietness gives one the falsehood that something is peaceful.

    Then, when you least expect it¡­

    "Boom."

    ...¡­..

 Chapter 193 A Gate...Exploded...?

    "Boom. That was all I heard come from the mutated Gate when I arrived."Reports similar to the one above were given to the Leaders of Countries all over the world.

    Shortly after, seven figures emerged from the Apocalypse Gate known as Oblivion''s Threshold. Six of them were Russian S-Rank Hunters, whereas the last one was an S-Rank Hunter from Japan¡ªan enchanting violet-haired woman ranked in the Top 60 among S-Rank Hunters.

    There was¡­ no one else.

    And after inquiring from the S-Rank Hunters who escaped the now-collapsed Gate, the World Leaders all received the exact same answer.

    "First, there was a flash of light. Then, silence. Following the silence, there was whiteness, like a blank piece of paper. The Oblivion Acolyte was no more. The Oblivion Titan Lords were no more. The Oblivion Titans were no more."

    After reiterating what he had just heard from those who arrived earlier than he did, the Mage Lord''s expression turned unreadable. Those around him¡ªall coming from different regions of the world¡ªbecame nervous just standing in his presence. Yet, none of them dared to even so much as breathe without his permission.

    Even if they were S-Rank Hunters as well, none of them wished to get on the bad side of one of the Top 10. All of whom were Calamity-level Hunters said to be capable of destroying the world if left uninhibited.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the Mage Lord spoke up again, saying, "This event¡­ Are you sure there was no one else involved? None of the other World-class Hunters?"

    This was also what the Hunters in the Top 10 were termed. World-class. This was both a fermentation of their high statuses and a¡­ warning. A warning to the World Leaders that jointly governed them.

    In a way, World-class Hunters lived exempt from the rules of the world. And they managed their actions through each other. They kept each other in check, making sure that no other got ahead of themselves.

    As for the World-class Hunter Mage Lord''s question, one of the S-Rank Hunters who arrived from Thailand replied, "Sir Mage Lord, all the reports match. There was no one else present inside the Gate. Even the workers and government officials on the island said the exact same thing. The only ones to have entered Oblivion''s Threshold in the last hour were Viola Voidweaver, Vera Stromboli, and the five S-Rank Russian Hunters part of her ''Green Dragon'' Hunter Party."

    The Mage Lord deeply looked at the Thailand S-Rank Hunter. His stare caused the Thailand Hunter to uncontrollably shiver. Luckily, after a couple of seconds of this, the World-class Hunter turned away from him and said, "Very well, then. I''ll just have to verify this information for myself."

    Planning to do just that, he conjured an extremely bright tunnel of blue light that phased him up and into an unknown space. When he reappeared using the same method, he found himself standing before Vera and the other Russian S-Rank Hunters.

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    When they saw him appear, their complexions lost a lot of their color. Their eyes also became shaky, not because they had anything to hide, but simply because the Mage Lord was just that damn scary.

    To Russians, the Mage Lord was both a universal icon and an existence one was supposed to revere. Even if you were lucky enough to awaken as an S-Rank Hunter, just one word from him was enough to determine your fate,

    If at all possible, they had hoped to have little to no interaction with the monster that was the Mage Lord.

    And yet here they were¡­ jumping into the maw of the beast¡­

    "Sir Mage Lord, I¡ª"

    "Quiet, Vera." The Mage Lord calmly ordered, yet his calmness told far more of his terrifying nature than anger ever could have.

    Vera immediately shut her trap. She tilted her head down and stared at the rubble beneath her. Rubble that had appeared when, for the first time in history, a Gate¡­ exploded.

    The Mage Lord''s petrifying stare flipped between all S-Rank Hunters of the Green Dragon Hunter Party. Then, with a cold, non-negotiable voice, he demanded the truth from them.

    The answer he received was the exact same as the one reported to him¡­ Not a single discrepancy¡­

    ''They wouldn''t dare lie to me, so what actually happened here? How could a mutated Apocalypse Gate just explode¡­? Viola Voidweaver; perhaps she knows something.''

    However, just as this thought passed his mind, the Mage Lord recalled a particular Japanese man who had imprinted himself in his memories. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ''You all are the Top 10 strongest Hunters in the world, the best of the best,'' the figure said to a group of ten varying-sized shadows centered around a moonlit table. ''Do not waste what the universe has given to you. Do not mess with Japan. If you do¡­ I don''t care how powerful you believe you are. You''re all the same in my eyes¡ªfrom the weakest of F-Rank Hunters to the strongest of S-Rank Hunters. Remember what I''ve told you here today. If you ever happen to forget, then do keep in mind that the world beyond this life of yours does not discriminate.''

    The laid-back words of that man still rang vividly in the back of the Mage Lord''s mind. Yet, even though his disposition was nonchalant, the Mage Lord could tell by those striking blue eyes that the man who stood above them all was completely serious.

    "I guess the matter ends here today," the Mage Lord coldly snorted before walking away from the Green Dragon Hunter Party. "Return to Russia at once and spend the next three months at your homes, away from the nosy press."

    Vera and the others nodded with large beads of sweat running down their faces. After which, they waited a few seconds following the Mage Lord''s departure to leave as well.

    Viola, who was sitting a few dozen meters away, saw everything go down. And beside her, hiding between the folds of reality just like the Alien had done, was a shadowy cloaked man with a deadly gleam in his eyes.

    He held within his hands the mysterious amulet-like device that had somehow survived the use of his one-time Trump Card Skill.

    ...¡­..

 Chapter 194 The Aliens Amulet Device

    This amulet device came from the remains of the Alien, collected by Cassius not long after he brought about the END of the Oblivion''s Threshold Gate. During the time before everything ended, he also just barely managed to teleport everyone out and absorb part of the Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiend''s memories. He couldn''t get all of its memories, and there was likely no way he could have. If not for his quick thinking and acting, the Alien would''ve certainly escaped, and everything would''ve been for nothing. Instead of getting partial memories, he would have gotten no memories.From the very first moment Cassius heard the name of the Gate Viola would be bringing him to, he had been devising and revising a way to eliminate the thing that had been stalking him. He had his suspicions of the stalker''s intergalactic origins, but it wasn''t until his senses were heightened with the use of his Trump Card that he confirmed them. In that moment, he knew the plan he concocted was all worth it in the end.

    The loot he gained from slaying the Oblivion Acolyte was just a bonus in his mind. There were also the rewards given to him for completing the Side Quest, which were, again, just more bonuses.

    What he was after¡ªwhat he had been gunning for since the very start¡ªwere the memories of the Alien. Memories that he successfully extracted with the assistance of a Mid-Ruby Rank Skill called ''Mind Dig''. Though, that wasn''t the only Skill that had a part to play in this operation, as the Peak-Ruby Rank Skill ''Mass Indoctrination'' also did wonders in truly making everything come together as it had.

    However, although the latter Skill was used on all of the S-Rank Russian Hunters immediately after teleporting them out, it was not used on¡­

    "So, are you going to tell me what really happened in there, ''Weak'' hooded man? Is Cassius even your real name?"

    ''Viola¡­'' Cassius thought to himself as he sighed and left the folds of reality. The coast was clear, so there was no point in further concealing himself.

    After sitting down on the large chunk of rubble leaning against Viola''s rubble chunk, he corrected his shadowy hood and spoke without looking in her direction. "I have no clue what you''re talking about, Ms. Viola. Do you think I''m some CIA agent or something? The name you know me by is my real name. And why are you asking about what happened in there when you were there as well? You tell me: What happened in there?"

    Viola''s lips moved, but no words came out.

    Ultimately, she just harrumphed and crossed her slender arms under her not-so-slender bosom. "You really are such an infuriating man. Don''t you know that secretive men aren''t popular with the ladies? One might think you''re a serial killer!" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Cassius''s brows raised. "A serial killer, huh? I¡­ I have much, much to learn if I am to play the killing game professionally. Much to learn, indeed¡­"

    After imbibing the memories of the Alien he slaughtered, he understood what it truly meant to be a killer.

    That race¡ªthe Dissonants¡ªthey were killers on a level that he was many years away from hoping to match. Entire planets and solar systems had fallen to the tyranny of the Dissonants. Billions upon billions of lives had been tallied up by them.

    However, those same Dissonants now found themselves invading Earth¡ªinvading the Ascension Tower.

    The acquired memories from there onward were incomplete, but what Cassius was able to make out were two strings of distorted dialogue. The first string spoke of how ''Earth'' and the ''Ascension Tower'' were not what they seemed and something about an ''Illusion'' or ''Delusion''¡ªit was something like that.

    And then there was the second string of distorted dialogue. This one spoke not of the setting but of a search¡­ The Dissonants were searching for something.

    And he¡­ he was the key to their search.

    As for how precisely he was connected with the search, Cassius had no idea. He only knew that this Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiend was not the only one tasked with keeping an eye on him. This surely meant that there would be more popping up in the future¡­ and they might even be stronger than he was.

    If Cassius wished to retain his peaceful life on Earth without some foreign big-headed martians getting in the way, then he had to do what he did best.

    Train. Train and grind.

    Coincidentally, the Idle Evolution System had something to guide him to this end.

    *Ding!*

    [You have slain the Oblivion Acolyte Boss Monster (S+++ Rank)]

    [Your Experience Bar moved by leaps and bounds!]

    [You leveled up!]

    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 2000 Stat Points!]

    [Acquired 6000 AP!]

    Then came the Quest completion rewards¡­

    {[Side Quest Number¡­ Something or another!]} - [Oblivion''s Threshold Clearer] - [S+++ Rank]

    GOAL 1: [Eradicate all of the Oblivion Titans in the Gate] - [?]

    GOAL 2: [Kill all Five Oblivion Titan Lord Minibosses] - [5/5] - [?]

    GOAL 3: [Slay the Oblivion Acolyte] - [1/1] - [?]

    [Warning!] [Warning!] [Warning!]

    [Attempting to clear this Quest will require the Host to abuse the authority of the System and temporarily unchain the Mini Bosses and Boss, which will summon Heaven''s Wrath!] - [After note: You really made me, the poor damsel, do it¡­ You Fiend¡­!] Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

    [Of course, your beloved System will take on the full brunt of Heaven! Ahhn~! But, nonetheless, it would be most advisable for the Host to forfeit the Side Quest and most graciously accept the punishment! (It''s a good one!)] - [Scratch all this! I never said a single lick of any of this nonsense! For the sake of my mental health recovery from all this defamatory material, how would you feel about adding 40 hours to today''s required amount in the Nightmarescape!?]

    [Shake head for yes, and nod head for no.]

    [Anyway, here are the Rewards¡­ Tsk¡­ Tsk again. And another Tsk! Important things must be said thrice!]

    REWARD 1: [20 Large-sized Heaps of EXP] - [Y/N]

    REWARD 2: [The immense respect and awe of the powerful S-Rank Hunter ''Viola Voidweaver,'' I.e., Hottie Mick Hotterson, awooga, awooga~!] - [Y/N]

    ...¡­..

 Chapter 195 {[(SSS-Rank) VoidWarper Skill Set (1st Part)]}

    {[Quest Continuation Rewards]}REWARD 3: [1st Part of the SSS-Rank ''VoidWarper Skill Set''] - [Y/N]

    REWARD 4: [Why do you need more rewards than that¡­!? Getting to live should be more than good enough for you, you lazy bum! Be grateful for what your beloved System offers you!] - [Y/N]

    Cassius accepted all of the rewards with a twitching face, then watched his once-barren experience bar get filled to the brim in green, gooey, goodness!

    Then, it arrived. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Another Level-up!

    *Ding!*

    [You leveled up!]

    [All of your Main Attributes have increased by 2500 Stat Points!]

    [Acquired 8000 AP!]

    Following this level-up to 99 came the acquisition of a new Skill Set that he would have to add to his already hectic training regime:

    [Acquired ''SSS-Rank VoidWarper Skill Set'']

    BING!

    A purplish book with a pitch-black sphere in the middle silently appeared in Cassius''s hands. While the pouty yet oddly excited purple-haired beauty was distracted, he quickly flipped through the book''s pages and memorized everything within an instant.

    Thinking she heard something, Viola looked over.

    However, after seeing nothing of interest and once again viewing that irritatingly handsome face of his, she returned to brooding. She was just waiting for the government officials and country messengers to finish up whatever they were doing, then she would get out of here and away from that man as fast as she could!

    That was what the illustrious Guild Leader told herself to stop her ushy, gushy, perverted side from overshadowing her quiet, elegant side¡­

    It was a tough struggle. Both her mind and body were battling for dominance¡­

    Cassius, oblivious to her internal turmoil, closed his eyes and perused the Skill details that had been transmitted directly to his mind.

    {[(SSS-Rank) VoidWarper Skill Set (1st Part)]}

    ¡ª[Thousands of years ago, prior to the dawn of modern civilization, a Void Master famed throughout the Ascension Tower of Humanity fell in battle against an Ancient Time User. When the Void Master died, her belongings were scattered throughout the Ascension Tower. One such belonging was the Spatial Manual that she wrote in her earlier years¡ªthe VoidWarper Manual.]

    ¡ª[The full VoidWarper Skill Set was split into 3 parts. Only when one obtained all three parts could they unlock the utmost potential that the VoidWarper Skills had to offer.]

    ¡ª[1st and 2nd VoidWarper Skills are available in the 1st Part of the Skill Set.]

    ¡ª[Skill 1: ''Teleport'' - (Instantaneous movement ability with a base movement range of ''1 Meter'')]

    ¡ª[Skill 2: ''Void Port'' - (Instantaneous movement ability that conjures a spatial portal that transports items through the void and out a separate spatial portal. Base transportation range of ''1 Meter'')]

    WHOOOSH!

    Cassius learned both Skills inside his mind and immediately saw two S+++ Rank Skills appear in his Skill list. Both started at the Practiced Proficiency Level, with the potential limit for them being extremely exceptional.

    Testing the Skills right away, he used ''Teleport'' and vanished from his spot on the rubble chunk to the other side of Viola''s rubble chunk. She looked at him in shock, but he was too absorbed in these new Skills to notice. That was especially the case when he saw System pop-ups appear:

    *Ding!*

    [Increased proficiency of |S+++ Rank ''Teleport''| to 0.08%]

    |¡ªSkill Sets and Various Cases¡ª|

    When the Skill ''Teleport'' reaches 100%, it will advance the Skill Set itself to the next proficiency stage of ''Accomplished.'' After which, another proficiency indicator will appear, and the process will repeat. It was the same way for the Demon King Integration Art, the Fundamental Body Refinement Manual, and any other Techniques Cassius was currently improving the proficiency of.

    One thing to note was that the Skill increasing in proficiency would cap at 100% if there was no special case like the ''VoidWarper Skill Set,'' which was a Skill Set, and thus a Technique. For regular standalone Skills, this meant that one should attempt to rank up the Skill after it reaches 100% proficiency. For Skill Sets, on the other hand, the Skill''s rank was set in stone, unable to be advanced by typical methods. But with improvements in Skill Set proficiency, the Skills within the set would become better. This could be seen as indirect Skill advancements.

    ¡ª-------------

    A few seconds passed, and Cassius had already teleported back and forth between his rubble chunk and Viola''s more than a thousand times.

    His absurdly high MP amount was barely affected, with such short-distance teleports expending close to none of it. Though, it was from such minuscule expenditures that his VoidWarper Skill Set rocketed up the proficiency gauge and achieved the Accomplished stage. Moreover, it was even ascending the Accomplished stage at a rapid rate, with it already breaking past 10%!

    What Cassius was doing could be considered as cheating, but did any of that really matter?

    Life was not fair. Why should he play the same way as everyone else?

    FWIP!

    1 Meter ¡ú 3 Meters.

    That was how much the Teleport and Void Port Skills had improved. The most incredible thing was that the latter Skill¡ªone that Cassius had yet to even use¡ªwas improving without him actually having to do anything!

    This method of Skill proficiency advancement was simply too OP!

    ''...Just how,'' Viola muttered inside her mind. ''I don''t understand how someone like him can exist! How is he using the Void and Space Elements!? I definitely didn''t feel a single ounce of either Element in him a few seconds ago, and yet now¡­''

    The Voidling Guild Leader was stunned beyond belief. She was unable to comprehend how someone with no affinity in either Element was all of a sudden able to perfectly use them! Furthermore, from the spatial readings she was seeing, his Space and Void Elements were somehow increasing in proficiency!

    How was any of that possible!? Common sense would tell her that it wasn''t! It shouldn''t have been!!

    And yet it was¡­

    ''This man¡­ He''s so mysterious¡­'' A scarlet blush formed on her pretty face. ''I wonder if the way he moves his hands is this mysterious as well¡­ Hihi~...''

    ...

 Chapter 196 Of course Im not Human!

    For a moment there, Viola Voidweaver actually held a modicum of seriousness within her. But all it took was a single dirty thought for her to once again return to envisioning a scandalous scenario that could only be read about in a Female Lead dark romance novel.Viola was¡­ she was too far gone¡­

    FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!

    Cassius, conveniently ignoring the unusually giggling purple-haired woman, kept on teleporting. He also switched things up and used the Void Port Skill, which allowed him to throw Lilith into a spatial portal and catch her on the other side of the spatial tunnel. Using the Skills in this manner, he was able to spam both Skills simultaneously.

    However, after half a minute of doing this, Cassius''s MP bar finally reached a point where he didn''t want to risk losing any more. He stopped his discrete teleporting show and settled down less than a few inches away from Viola. Zoning out her weirdness, he glanced at the incoming System Notifications.

    *Ding~!*

    [Increased proficiency of |(S+++) Teleport| Skill to 43.5% of Minor Completion!]

    [|SSS-Rank VoidWarper Skill Set| increased to 43.5% of the Minor Completion proficiency stage!]

    A small smile emerged on Cassius''s stoic face as he felt satisfied with his progress so far. With what he had, the Teleport and Void Port Skills were effective for a movement range of up to 15 meters, which was vastly superior to what it was a few minutes ago. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Viola also noticed this visible improvement to his Space and Void Elements, prompting her to ask, "Are you¡­ sure that you''re a human¡­?"

    Cassius looked at her weirdly, before a sinister smirk appeared. "Am I human? Of course I''m not human¡­ I''m an Extraterrestrial!"

    "!!!" Fear drained all the color from Viola''s face as she leaned back in fright.

    A small chuckle echoed.

    That was when Viola realized that he was just kidding. Her cheeks filled with air as she lightly punched him in the arm. "You''re just a jerk. A big jerk!"

    Cassius''s smirk raised in amusement. "A big jerk, huh? I seem to get that title a lot¡­"

    Viola returned to staring at his side profile, with her brows furrowing a bit in annoyance. ''Why would guys call him something like that? Must be other girls¡­'' She clicked her tongue with a peeved expression before bluntly asking, "Are you single, Cassius?"

    "???"

    "I see that you have already gone past using ''Sir,''" said Cassius. "But yeah, apparently I''m not as much of a catch as I thought I was."

    He shrugged while thinking, ''Well¡­ my Alpha Sigma loner phase is mostly due to that bastard''s blue balling¡­''

    *Ding!*

    ''Oh no¡­''

    [You called? (??> ????)]

    ''No¡­''

    [Too bad! I just wish to inform you that your suffering is all a part of further Character Development! Everything I, the System, does, is for a purpose!]

    ''Whatever you say, you sadistic bastard¡­''

    Cassius''s conversation with the Idle Evolution System ended there, but a different conversation was resumed when Viola heard his answer. She nudged his shoulder with her shoulder, asking, "Are you not interested in a relationship? I would assume by now¡ªwith your interesting personality and handsome appearance¡ªthat you would be taken."

    Cassius pondered her question, eventually answering, "There are just¡­ some things I have to do first¡­" ''The 9 Idle Benefits¡­''

    He only hoped he didn''t lose all of his emotions before he tread far enough along the Idle Evolution Storyline to unlock all of the Idle Benefits.

    "Focusing on yourself?" Viola murmured with a curious glint shining in her mesmerizing eyes. "I can understand that¡­ But have you any plans for a future with a woman? With a family? With¡­ kids?"

    Cassius locked eyes with the enchanting Voidling Guild Leader. The hectic atmosphere that surrounded them added to the moment.

    People wearing various uniforms ran around, inspecting and jotting down everything they could see from the aftermath of the world''s first Gate explosion. There were even reporters from all around the world present. Yet not a single one of them seemed to be focused on the otherworldly beautiful pair inconspicuously sitting in the back.

    "Family¡­" Cassius muttered as he turned his face away from Viola''s all-too-close face. "I don''t think that is something in the books for me."

    The Voidling Guild Leader unblinkingly stared at him. It was unknown what she was thinking about, but after a couple of seconds, she looked ahead, same as him. "I''ve thought about having a family before. It''s a nice thought. A really nice thought¡­ But unfortunately, such a thing just wasn''t in the cards for me¡­"

    Cassius could sense something more to her words but decided not to delve further.

    However, unexpectedly, she shifted her gaze back to him and said, "You see¡­ as one of the only Space users in the world, and the strongest one at that, I awakened with a high affinity to the Space Element. I also happened to have a high affinity with the Void Element, which was even rarer than the Space Element."

    Cassius waited for her to get to the cusp of her story, which she did after a melancholic sigh. "Because of these two Elements, a sort of imbalance formed in my body, particularly in my¡­ womb area¡­ And none know how to solve the imbalance¡­ Family¡ªit was never in the cards for me."

    Cassius silently appraised her expression. ''She''s not lying,'' he thought. ''As for where the problem stems from, I''m not too sure. The Alien''s fragmented memories mention something about solving the issue with itself, but I don''t know what that means exactly.''

    "Anyway," Viola said with a false smile. "Are you ready to head on to the other Gates I had prepared for us today? And don''t worry, they are of the Red Rank this time."

    Cassius oddly looked at her, seemingly mulling over something.

    However, when she got up off the rubble, he, too, rose from his spot. On their way out of the damaged reflective dome, they had to¡ªor rather, Viola had to¡ªonce more report what she ''saw'' inside the Gate.

    None were able to see Cassius, so he didn''t have to do anything but look pretty.

    ...

 Chapter 197 A Mischievous MILF

    When the pair finally made it outside the glitchy-screened Dome, Viola spun around, her glittering eyes locking on his. "I''m interested to know more about you and how you can do what you do, but I won''t pry. And I also won''t tell anyone else what happened in Oblivion''s Threshold. I just hope you won''t one day alter my memories like you did with the Green Dragon Hunter Party."Cassius''s brows slightly raised. "You noticed?"

    Viola let out a small giggle before locking arms with him. "Of course I noticed, jerk. I may not look it, but I''m quite the intelligent researcher! Seeing unusual changes in other people and things is what I do best!"

    Cassius paused, then smirked. "I don''t know about you being some once-in-a-million-year genius, but you''re certainly special. Only someone incredibly special would pretend to be some quiet and introspective brooder when, in actuality, she has a bad case of the chatterbox."

    "Why thank you¡ª Wait, are you insulting me??"

    "I don''t know, you tell me," said Cassius. "You''re the genius here, while I''m but a mindless jerk."

    "You¡­"

    Viola''s cheeks puffed out as she softly hit him several times on the arm.

    Within moments, their lighthearted banter blended in with the sounds that enveloped the world. They quickly vanished from the island, then spent the next couple of hours clearing Gate after Gate. Cassius did almost 99% of the work, but with Viola''s Space Element affinity presently higher than his, she was better at transporting them from monster to monster, making for far more efficient killings.

    Of course, if he took off his now Newbie 9 Equipment Set, he would be able to move about as fast as instantaneous teleportation. But with the Set on and his Newbie 9 Training Sword by his side, his movements were severely restricted. This was where nifty Skills like Teleport came in.

    While clearing Gate after Gate all over the world, his VoidWarper Skill Set took leap after leap in terms of proficiency, especially when he started integrating Void Port into his usage of Lilith. Together, the Skill and the blade transformed the battlefield into a flash show of void portals and crimson slashes.

    Then again, this level of deadliness only became possible following the advancement of the Skill Set to Greater Completion, which increased the first two Skills'' effective movement range to 100 meters!

    Viola was, of course, extremely surprised by this method of slaying monsters. She watched many times as his jagged demonic blade vanished through a portal above his hands before appearing in front of a monster. After which, the demonic blade would pierce through the monster and instantly kill it. Sometimes, the blade would even switch things up as if it had a mind of its own, sending out bloody slashes and whatnot following its teleportation.

    It was even capable of flying around autonomously!

    Though, considering how many unbelievable things Viola had seen today, a flying sword was definitely not the craziest one.

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    ¡ªSome time later¡ª

    Five or so hours had passed since Cassius and Viola first met each other. And just a few seconds ago, they parted ways with the promise of doing this again some other time. Viola left with a lovely smile plastered across her normally emotionless face, and so too did Cassius smile. But that was only at first, for in the very same moment he looked away from the stunning beauty, his smile faded and was instead replaced with a thousand-yard stare.

    His mind was filled with the fragmented memories of the Alien he had slaughtered. In his hands also appeared the mysterious device that dropped from the Alien after its death.

    ''Although I don''t know why they''re targeting me or what they''re after, if they wish to play this game of Hunter, then I shall play as well.''

    ''I just wonder which one of us will end up being hunted to extinction first¡­''

    A cold gleam flashed past his dark red eyes as he blurred through the speedstream.

    There were a few hours left until sundown, and with the prey clearly displayed on a virtual map within his mind, it was now time to begin the¡­ Hunt.

    ¡ª--------------

    Seconds rolled over into minutes, and minutes became hours. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Impatience among a certain crazed female of the Vampire race was also on the rise¡­

    The school day had already ended. Bella felt that she had waited more than long enough! Today was supposed to be the day they eternally pledged themselves to one another! But where the hell was the groom on his big day!?

    Did he not care a single bit about how his absence affected his soon-to-be bride!? Where was the decorum!??

    It was just then that Bella''s expression drastically changed. ''It can''t be! Has he somehow figured out my plan and run away beforehand!? Has he¡­ Has he abandoned me¡­?''

    The distressed vampire could hardly believe it herself, but no matter what she did to distract herself, she couldn''t get the thought to vacate her mind. And with every passing second, her mood became worse and worse, until eventually¡­ she could no longer take it anymore.

    "That''s it! I''ll have Father find my hubby! Right now!!" she deliriously shouted while flying above Hoshito in bat form. "If my husband won''t let me love him, then I''ll make him want my love!!"

    Her crazed ramblings and giggles ceaselessly sounded out, even as she entered her old mansion house and zipped through a portal to the World of Darkness. She went on to flap her wings until reaching an absurdly massive castle, where she then found her beautiful mother.

    With mischief on her mind, the vampire MILF guided her daughter to the office that her workaholic father was currently staying in. After reaching the room and dropping off her ''gift,'' the cheeky vampire MILF closed the door behind her. She found it hard to maintain her ladylike demeanor while listening to the faint maniacal shouts of her daughter, as well as the quietness of her normally imperious husband.

    ...

 Chapter 198 {[Main Quest #6 â€˜Thwart Alien Invasion Activated]} - [SS+ Rank]

    If anyone was deriving any enjoyment from this whole sh*t show, then it was Bella''s mother. She was having the time of her life watching everything develop as it did.On the other hand, everyone else¡ªexcept for her equally troublemaking daughter¡ªwas in no way enjoying any of this. And soon, there would be one more added to the list of haters¡­

    SHING!

    A long blood-red and obsidian katana effortlessly slashed through the short, gray body of an eerie Alien. Both sides of the Alien slid off one another, putting on display the blood and guts that once resided inside the body but were now outside of it.

    As soon as this Gremlin''s death was confirmed, a System Notification rang out in Cassius''s head: sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    *Ding!*

    {[Main Quest #4]}

    {[Task: Discover and kill [20/20 Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiends]]} - [?]

    {[Reward 1 - [1000 AP]]} - [Y/N]

    {[Reward 2 - [S-Rank ''Extraterrestrial Sight'']]} - [Y/N]

    {[Reward 3 - [200 Uncommon Evoballs]]} - [Y/N]

    {[Reward 4 - [S-Rank ''Stellar Flight'']]} - [Y/N]

    [System Note: You actually completed this Main Quest?? Damn! I, the mighty System, thought you wouldn''t be able to do it and would thus have to enter the Nightmarescape for longer¡ª I mean, good job on completing the Quest, Mr. Competent!]

    Cassius ignored the System and clicked yes on all of the rewards.

    None of the rewards were particularly good for the current him, but something was better than nothing!

    Well, actually, there was one reward in particular that brightened his face when he saw the Skill description connected to it... Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire

    [S-Rank ''Extraterrestrial Sight'']

    [Enables the User to see through vast distances or short distances and instantly tell if something is of Extraterrestrial origin or not.]

    That was the segment that Cassius focused on. Just those words alone were enough to tell him just how effective this Skill would be for finding more Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiends. Although he didn''t really have a reason to continue hunting them, he¡ª

    *Ding!*

    {[Main Quest #6 ''Thwart Alien Invasion'' Activated]} - [SS+ Rank]

    ¡ª[On the Trial Floor Area of the Ascension Tower of Humanity, locate and kill every single Extraterrestrial that holds hostile intent for your homeland]

    [All Hostile Extraterrestrials exterminated - [0/1]]

    "SS+ Rank??" Cassius''s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "I haven''t received a single SS-Rank Quest yet, and the first one I do receive is of the ''+'' Rank¡­ My luck really is horrible."

    But more importantly than that, what really surprised him was how high a Main Quest''s rank could be while still within the bounds of Earth!

    If based on the strength of the World-class Mage Lord, there should''ve been no way for anything on Earth to reach the SS-Rank. But if the Quest''s rank was accurate¡ªand it likely was¡ªthen that meant Aliens of the SS+ threat level had already invaded¡­

    "But where are they hiding¡­? Perhaps Extraterrestrial Sight will help me find them?"

    |S-Rank Extraterrestrial Sight|

    The exact moment he used that Skill and amplified its range with his Magic Sense was also when he felt several extraordinarily powerful presences hiding out on a skull-shaped island. Located in the most isolated parts of the world, the skull-shaped island had lava pouring down the skull''s various holes. And within that grim-looking skull sat terrifyingly creepy figures, each one scarier than the last.

    Yet, right when Cassius honed in on these figures, he was forced to retract his Magic Sense, for they¡­ were staring also right back at him.

    But for some reason¡ªeven though they likely possessed the necessary capabilities to chase him down¡ªthey did nothing.

    "You felt it too, didn''t you?" One of the Extraterrestrials said while still staring off into the distance.

    "Yes, but with our powers limited on this lower plane, I was unable to trace the Magic Sense back to its origin. The owner moved quickly¡­ like a rat." One of the most powerful among them crackled his horns, his expression not so happy.

    "Probably just some nosy worm or one of those World-class Hunter weaklings!" If Cassius were here, he would know this Alien as the one playing the part of his father. The only difference being that his human form constantly fluctuated with his Kaiju form, creating a spine-tingling sight. "Once I get that idiot boy to lure ''it'' out, I''ll personally head the execution of all the pesky rats on this lowly planet!"

    A silent, beautiful figure in the back¡ªyet also the strongest among those present¡ªmade no comment on the matter. She simply kept her eyes on where the invading Magic Sense last appeared, her thoughts unknown.

    ¡ªMeanwhile, on a random street just outside Hoshito¡ª

    Cassius, who had just completed his third Main Quest and caught a glimpse of a peak beyond a peak, was now making his way back to his mansion home in the hills. The immensity of the auras he sensed still lingered in his mind, yet he decided to put the matter aside for now. If they had still not acted, then that meant they either couldn''t or they didn''t care. He was leaning toward the former option being the case.

    However, suddenly, out of nowhere, a rippling blood-red human-sized portal appeared in the middle of the street ahead. Then, out walked two figures, one man and one woman, both of the pale-faced variety.

    Cassius''s eyes flashed with surprise. "...Bella¡­?"

    "Yep, it''s me, my Hubby!" Bella replied with hearts swirling around in her eyes. No longer feeling the need to withhold anything, she outright announced, "It''s time to get married, my dear!!"

    "!?!?"

    What the fck!? No really, what the fck was she saying!?? And who was the man beside her!??

    His aura¡­

    That was when Cassius felt it.

    An aura that enveloped the world¡­

    An aura so powerful that no amount of plot armor could possibly hope to save him in a frontal assault!

    Survival chances: 0%

    The absurdities that had just left Bella''s pretty mouth seemed to be all but forgotten when Cassius saw the monstrous being that stood before him. ''Tens of Thousands¡­ No, millions¡­ No, billions! Fighting him would lead to billions of deaths¡­!''

    No chance! He stood no chance in hell!!

    Their hypothetical exchange would not be a battle or even a fight¡­ It would be suicide¡­

    ...

 Chapter 199 Duke Crestmore

    "So, you''re that womanizing bastard''s son," the pale-faced man suddenly said, causing Cassius to instinctively step back. "You''re the one¡­ who seduced my daughter. I see¡­"

    Cassius had no idea what this guy was talking about! Why was he suddenly bringing up him being someone''s son? Whose son!? He didn''t understand!

    But what he did understand¡ªwhat he understood very well¡ªwas the feeling that this pale-faced, silver-haired man gave him. Looking at him was like staring at dozens of world-sized snakes, with every single one of them venomously piercing the very core of his existence.

    "Tell me, boy," Alaric Crestmore said coldly. "What is it that you hope to attain in this life of yours? What are your goals?"

    Cassius, not expecting to hear a question like this from such an unfathomable man, took a second to screw his head on straight.

    Alaric gave him that time. He even went so far as to hold his unruly daughter back, preventing her from jumping him. However, when he finally heard what the young man had to say, his expression turned unreadable:

    "I want power. I want to see the peak of everything. Why? Maybe¡­ maybe I just believe there to be more beauty the higher you go up."

    Cassius had no clue why he answered the question so truthfully, even going so far as to reveal things that he himself didn''t fully understand. However, his candid way of speaking was not yet over, as the Vampire Duke spoke once more:

    "Your belief is wrong. There is no beauty when you reach the peak. It''s all just bloodshed and suffering¡ª"

    "Perhaps you just haven''t reached the true peak, then," Cassius interrupted. "If all you see is the bloodshed, then blood has obscured your vision. Blood only touches the bodies of those below, never those on top."

    Alaric Crestmore''s expression changed in a way that emulated just how amazed he was by the young man''s words. He pondered them, with each further insight leaving him increasingly perplexed. ''He''s right¡­ This boy¡­ He really is that bastard''s son.''

    The Vampire Duke didn''t want to admit it, but that friend of his always had a way with words. And that specific gene didn''t seem to end with the womanizing bastard, for the womanizing bastard''s son also had the potential to be a wordsmith.

    Nonetheless, as a father, he had made a promise to his daughter, and he wasn''t planning to renege on that promise simply because of a few words.

    OOOM!

    Although Alaric''s aura was severely limited on this plane of existence and his power was reduced to barely anything, it was still far more than enough to qualify him as the #1 expert in the world. And when Cassius felt this aura weigh down on him, he briefly lost control of his Newbie 9 Equipment Set.

    ''Sh*t!''

    Thinking fast and moving even faster, Cassius shifted his legs forward and zipped around the globe. In an instant, he had already reappeared in the most isolated part of the Antarctic. When he did, the weight he had lost control of a moment ago finally registered.

    BOOOOM!!!

    A fourth of the Antarctic continent split in two, with polar bears, walruses, icebergs, and various other things being forced to fly down both sides. Like two table flips from hell, the tops of both sides of the broken landmass collided with one another in destructive fashion. A hailstorm of snow and chunks of ice as large as cities plummeted from the collision point of the icy table flips.

    Yet, in the same moment countless lives were put at stake, time seemed to freeze. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire

    But no, that wasn''t it.

    Time hadn''t frozen; Cassius had simply sped up so quickly that it might as well have been the equivalent of frozen time for everyone else.

    While wandering in the speed stream, he cautiously looked left and right, then up. That was when he saw the mesmerizingly dangerous spectacle raining down from above. Within that beautiful danger of light blue hues and sparkling blue oceans turned upside down, he also saw Gates. Those Gates were no longer stuck to the ground, for the ground had now become the falling sky.

    There were even a number of Red-ranked and a couple of Purple-ranked Gates among those falling from the sky. Furthermore, next to the aerial position of the Gates were hundreds of men and women wearing shiny armor. Beside them were also researchers, scientists, and natives of these frigid lands.

    Cassius had chosen the most isolated spot he could find on such short notice, but there was no possible way to fully contain such immense physical weight. Even if that weight was only unleashed for a fraction of a second.

    Fortunately, Cassius had become so fast that he could save everyone and everything in the blink of an eye.

    However¡­

    FWAZIP!

    The same portal that had appeared in the street outside Hoshito reappeared here, and the same father-daughter duo walked out.

    "Why did you run from me, Hubby!?" shouted Bella. "I showered multiple times for this day to make sure everything was perfect for when we consummated our marriage! I promise you that I smell really, really good!!" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "???" Cassius had no clue who the hell this girl was, but it sure as hell wasn''t the Bella that he knew. ''Is this imposter another one of the Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiends? But my S-Rank Extraterrestrial Sight Skill isn''t going off¡­''

    Then again, there''s the existence of her 100-score Affection Rating, which is just as high as the crazy Yimin. It shouldn''t be too surprising that she had actually been concealing her true personality all this while.

    ''But what''s all that spiel about a marriage and me being her husband? What''s she talking about¡­?''

    Cassius honestly couldn''t figure anything out. His Intelligence stat wasn''t helping much in this quandary of his.

    Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw what looked like¡­ fangs¡­ sharp, deadly fangs protruding from where her canines should be. Moreover, for some reason, they looked awfully similar to the pair he gained when he¡ª

    ''Wait¡­ The fangs, the pale complexions, the bloody auras, the pale-faced man''s cape, Bella hiding her strength, Bella turning out to be crazy and delusional¡­ Ahh¡­ They are¡­''

    "Vampires."

 Chapter 200 Transforming like Crazy!

    "Vampires."

    Bella and her father were shocked to hear this word leave Cassius''s mouth. Then they figured it was only natural that he would guess their race just based on their appearances. After all, with a lot of what people saw of vampires on television being true, they could understand the stereotype guessing.

    Little did they know that what really gave it away was the recently uncovered crazy b*tch that was Bella¡­

    Cassius had read many light novels during his time as an otaku loser, and one thing he could say for certain was that every vampire, without exception, always had a screw or two loose. Sometimes, they even had too many screws missing from their heads.

    In fact, from one story involving three wives turning out to be vampires, there were so many nutso vampire chicks that it had become all but the absolute truth for him.

    That truth being: all vampires¡­ were batsh*t crazy!

    Cassius defensively backed up. Unconsciously activating his Vampire Duke Bloodline, his eyes turned red, and his pearly white teeth grew sharper. Furthermore, his presence was enhanced by a bloody aura that told tales of countless lives having fallen to his hands.

    "!!!" "!!!"

    Alaric and his daughter were shocked by what they were seeing, but their shock had only just begun.

    In the same moment Cassius''s Vampire Duke Bloodline flared, his other Bloodlines also activated. His body underwent several drastic transformations, with his physical appearance changing so many times that his facial features transcended the phrase "exotic beauty."

    However, before Bella''s sparkling, heart-shaped eyes could fully bathe in the otherworldly sight before her, Cassius experienced yet another physical alteration. Nyxvoldar¡ªwho now sat at the S++ Rank¡ªappeared from the void and fused with his body. His physique was enhanced, his height increased, and his aura became even more terrifying.

    He was utilizing so many Bloodlines and taking advantage of so many Bloodline benefits at once that his power far exceeded what it was while in the Apocalypse Gate!

    Yet¡­

    Yet he wasn''t finished.

    "Activate Demon Dragon Transformation!"

    Cassius''s body started to bulge and expand outward as he rapidly increased in size.

    3 meters¡­ 5 meters¡­ 20 meters¡­ 300 meters¡­ 2,000 meters¡­ 10,000 meters¡­

    30,000 meters!

    He had become large enough to fit several football stadiums inside him. Moreover, he had taken on the form of a mixed-racial draconic dragon, the likes of which had never before been seen.

    That was when Bella and her father heard it¡ª

    "RRRAAAAAWWWWHHHHHHHH!!!"

    A deep, guttural, echoing roar reverberated through the earth and the sky, filled with raw, ancient power.

    "Well, I''ll be damned¡­" muttered the Vampire Duke. "That womanizing bastard sure made one hell of a kid."

    He sensed multiple Bloodlines within the magnificent body of the multi-layered, multi-colored dragon. One of them was a Bloodline that felt deeply connected to his own.

    Suspiciously looking at his daughter, he asked, "Did you?"

    Bella vehemently shook her head, having already expected her father to ask this.

    While staring up in awe at the splendiferous form that her self-proclaimed husband had taken, she said, "I''ve not bitten him yet! Definitely not! I think¡­" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "...."

    Alaric knew his daughter''s personality better than the back of his own hand. It was also because of this understanding of the troublesome girl that he was 100% certain she had likely already bitten him. And from the looks of it, he was bitten quite some time ago.

    Sighing, the Vampire Duke redirected his attention back to the giant, multi-horned dragon above. His antiquated voice reverberated:

    "Boy, undo every transformation you just activated. Otherwise, I won''t go easy on you."

    The demonic dragon''s soul-shaking roar finally came to a close, with its massive, slitted eyes now fixated on the two tiny figures below. Yet, even despite the vast size difference, Cassius knew for certain that he''d lose in a battle against the pale-faced, middle-aged man.

    Realizing that peace was a better option, he asked in a booming voice, "Why are you targeting me?? And what is your relationship with Bella???"

    Alaric''s lips curved up slightly after seeing how sensible this young man was. He began to speak:

    "I will briefly explain¡ª"

    But was interrupted by Bella''s infatuated voice. "You see, Hubby, the truth is that we¡­ Blah, blah, blah¡­"

    She spent the next good three minutes in slowed-down time explaining everything to Cassius in her own delusional and highly optimistic way.

    When the explanation finally reached its conclusion, he was left gobsmacked¡ªutterly flabbergasted! Dumbfounded! Bewildered!¡ªhe was all of the above!!

    Bella had not concealed a single thing from him.

    Seeing as she now considered herself his faithful wife, it would be wrong of her to hide things from her husband. Therefore, it was only right that she told him everything he wanted to know the exact moment he asked!

    In Bella''s mind, she was already on the correct track to being the #1 wifey in the whole universe!

    Little was she aware¡­ or too optimistic to realize¡­ that she had lost the fight, the battle, and the war the very moment she revealed everything to him! Because¡­ holy f*cking sht!!

    This vampire chick was actually the genuine definition of batsh*t badonkers!! She was a lunatic!!!

    Even Alaric, her father, was embarrassed after listening to her recap everything since the very moment she first laid eyes on Cassius. With every further word she joyously sputtered, another dagger pierced through Alaric''s chest and punctured his heart. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    He truly had no idea how his precious baby girl had become so far gone¡­

    ''Female vampires are notoriously known for pursuing their potential partners no matter the cost, but even her mother was not this much of a hopeless case back in the day,'' Alaric thought as he began to sympathize with the boy. ''Your entire life was essentially ruined by my fool of a daughter¡­ Haiz, even though I want to stab you silly for seducing my baby girl, I know deep down that it would''ve eventually come down to this either way¡­''

 Chapter 201 Alaric, the Pushover

    ''Poor lad,'' was all Alaric could think as he neutrally observed all the emotions filtering through the massive Demon Dragon''s sinuous expression.

    "My whole life¡­" Cassius began to mutter, his enormous form slowly shrinking and returning to what it originally was. "My Extreme Hyperthyroidism, my Dilapidating Body Deterioration Syndrome, all the isolation I was forced to endure because of my hideous looks¡­ That was all¡­ you¡­?"

    Bella repeatedly nodded, hearts still swimming inside her sparkling eyes. "Yep, yep, that was me, my love! Me and Daddy!" Suddenly realizing something, she hysterically added, "But you see it, don''t you!? That I did all of this for you!?? I couldn''t have any more thieving b*tches¡ªlike the ones you temporarily have at your home¡ªlatching onto you, so¡­ so I did the only reasonable thing!" She clasped her hands and stared at him as if he were the whole world to her.

    "Holy¡­ holy sh*t," Cassius mindlessly murmured, his gaze becoming listless. "This is¡­ this can''t honestly be true¡­"

    But it was. And he knew it was.

    Then again, how was he just supposed to accept everything he''d just heard come from the mouth of a pretty girl he had only ever known to be polite and caring!?? What in the hell was going on here?!??

    Was the script chucked out the window or some sh*t!?

    "I don''t mean to interrupt your coping time, boy," said Alaric. "But if we don''t get the Vampire Couple Contractual Ceremony done before the night''s end, we''ll have to wait another half a year for the next bloodred moon cycle in Nightingale. Then again, perhaps my daughter would be¡ª"

    "No! Now!" Bella spat out, dangerously glaring at the hesitant middle-aged man. "We must get married today!! I want him to love me today!!"

    "¡­Yes¡­ very well¡­"

    Even though Cassius was about to be kidnapped and forced into a vampire marriage by their Vampire Duke, he couldn''t help but feel a little sorry for him. Although the Duke was the one who placed this supposed ''Seal'' on him, he was, in the end, a victim, just like him.

    He was also a¡­ pushover.

    However, with far more pressing concerns on his mind¡ªlike figuring out how to escape this nightmare and never think about it again¡ªCassius''s pupils darted subtly around the scene. He was searching for any possible way out of the mess he''d found himself in.

    Time seemed to crawl as their conversation sped unnaturally fast. This slowed-time effect allowed Cassius and his two vampire captors to speak without interruption, even as powerful human presences drew closer.

    The source of their approach was unmistakable: a thunderous explosion that had shaken the very foundation of the world. Its cause? None other than the brief but overwhelming weight of the Newbie 9 Equipment Set.

    But regardless of what would happen in a short while because of his actions, Cassius was far more keen on figuring out how to escape. Fighting was not an option, and with a very limited planet as the playing turf, running also didn''t appear to be an option.

    So then¡­ what the f*ck should he do!?

    Alaric''s time-long eyes narrowed. "What are you thinking about, boy? Don''t make me regret believing that you''re smart," he said coldly. "If you foolishly attempt to escape, it''ll just make me look down on you even more. I don''t care if you''re a bloodbag human, but I don''t like cowards. Be a man¡ªconfront your problems head-on."

    ''That''s easy for you to say!'' Cassius inwardly shouted. ''You''re not the one whose entire life was basically orchestrated by an insane vampire chick who has gone off her rockers! Did you even listen to the same things I heard come out of her mouth!? She''s fcking insane!''

    Momma always said, "Don''t put your dck in crazy."

    And he wasn''t looking to f*ck around and find out!

    But with escape and fighting out of the question, what was he to do!? Was his only option to give up and let this crazy vampire family do what they wanted with him!??

    F*ck no!

    He wouldn''t allow it!!

    So then what!?

    What should he do???

    That was when a lightbulb flashed inside his mind. ''If I can neither stay and fight nor run away, then I really have but one available option to take.''

    Steeling his resolve, Cassius gritted his teeth and announced inside his mind, ''I would like to enter the Nightmarescape!''

    A smug emoticon materialized for his eyes only.

    [Oh, would you now? ???]

    [How much do you want to go to the Nightmarescape? After all those times I magnanimously offered you a free ticket to the best place in the world, and yet you only now consider going? How do you think this makes me feel¡­?]

    [(¡ñ¡ä?`¡ñ)]

    ''I don''t give a f*ck how it makes you feel!'' was what Cassius wanted to shout at the top of his lungs.

    "???" "???" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Both Bella and her father tilted their heads in confusion as they watched the handsome, half-naked man¡­ have an argument with himself?

    "Maybe my daughter and he really are a match made in heaven," Alaric mumbled to himself as he shifted his gaze between two different versions of crazy.

    Bella''s heart-shaped eyes brightened. "I know, Daddy! Aren''t we the definition of soulmates!?" Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    ¡­Yes, but not for the reason you believe¡­

    Shaking his head, Alaric decided to just get things done and over with. He sauntered toward the perplexing young man. Stretching his hand out, he was prepared to restrain Cassius and take him back to Nightingale with his daughter.

    However, just as his dark, bloody energy shot out in the form of chain tendrils, something changed in the young man''s presence. Alaric instinctively retracted his hand, yet didn''t know why he did so right after. His brows furrowed as he once again stretched out his hand, this time with even more momentum behind his actions.

    OOOM!!!

    "!!!"

    Alaric immediately retreated. He covered his infatuated daughter in a translucent barrier before carrying her along with him. Then, with astonishment etched across his face, he watched as an oval-shaped black congregation materialized behind Cassius. The congregation emitted no energy waves, and there was no movement on its flat, swirling surface.

    But something¡­ something was ominously dangerous about the congregation¡­

 Chapter 202 I Hope We Never Meet Again

    But when the Vampire Duke looked into this black congregation, he was baffled to see something that even he, with all his knowledge, couldn''t comprehend. The congregation felt detached from reality, yet it contained within it a level of danger that made him cautiously activate every defensive Skill he could utilize on this Floor.

    ''What the hell is that thing!?'' Alaric questioned, his eyes widening as he saw the same black congregation tug at and pull Cassius toward it.

    At first, Cassius was surprised by what happened after telling the System to bring him to the Nightmarescape. However, when he felt no threat to his life, he relaxed his nerves and let whatever was happening happen. He did so while calmly sweeping his eyes between the vampire daughter-father pair, who had already retreated quite a distance away. In particular, his icy eyes honed in on the beautiful, worrisome expression of the girl he once considered to be something like a sister.

    If only for the briefest of moments, the way Cassius looked at Bella became rather¡­ sad.

    He was also angry.

    But what was the point of being angry? Would taking his anger out on her change anything? It wouldn''t rewrite the past. It wouldn''t accomplish anything.

    Plus, in a way, what Bella and her father had done to him was a gateway of sorts that made it possible for the Idle Evolution System to enter his life. Without everything happening as it did, it was tough to determine whether the System ever would''ve made him its Host. And without the System¡­

    Without the System, he was nothing. The System was both the cause of his pain and his salvation.

    Sighing, Cassius said to Bella, "It seems this is where we part ways¡­ You know, I honestly thought we had something going for us¡­ But I guess¡­ I guess it was all just my imagination."

    Bella''s expression drastically changed as she reached out, but was held back by her apprehensive father. "We did have something, husband! We do have something! Just come with me, and I''ll show you everything! We can be together forever!"

    Cassius faintly smiled as a reminiscent look formed on his face. "Do you remember what you told me that day at the arcade? You said, ''Just look around you. Look at all that you have.''

    "Your words meant a lot to me that day," he murmured. "But it seems I didn''t look hard enough¡­ I saw your Affection Rating; I should''ve realized sooner that something was off, and I did. Yet I didn''t further pursue the matter." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Perhaps I just didn''t want to lose what I already had. Perhaps I wanted to continue living in an illusion. A greedy, hoarding dragon¡­ I guess that phrase fits me well."

    All the color quickly drained from Bella''s once-spirited face as she did everything in her power to break free from her father''s grip. Something inside her was telling her that this wasn''t how things were supposed to be. This wasn''t what was supposed to happen!

    Above all else, she feared.

    She feared what would happen if she let him leave today!

    She knew¡­ she just knew that nothing would ever again be the same.

    That was when a certain thought entered her mind:

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    ''Was I¡­ was I wrong¡­?''

    The moment that thought appeared, Bella''s entire world started to crumble and collapse. What she was feeling¡­ it was scary. So very scary.

    In her fright, tears streamed down her face as she hit the ground with a thud. Her father''s large hand was tightly holding her down, afraid that she would do something foolish. Yet his expression¡ªit was no better than hers. He averted his gaze from both his daughter and the warmly smiling young man whom he was originally supposed to capture.

    Through tears, Bella reached out her trembling hand toward the person whom she considered to be her whole world. "I¡­ I love you¡­ I love you so much¡­! You are my everything!!"

    "I know," Cassius said fondly. "I''m sorry that it took so long for me to realize."

    He briefly paused.

    "I''m also sorry¡­ that I''ll not be able to reciprocate your love."

    That was the final blow.

    The final strike against a heart that had been twisted for as long as Bella could remember.

    *Bzzztttt¡ª!!!*

    As the black congregation became more volatile and took away more and more stretched-out parts of Cassius''s body, a group of dark clouds appeared above the Antarctic. Large droplets of rain beat down on the world below. A girl¡ªwith a face as if her whole reality had collapsed¡ªknelt in the mushy, snowy ground. Her eyes dimmed until they turned lifeless.

    Tears ceaselessly rolled down her cheeks. Lightning struck, lighting her sorrowful face in a mixture of glowing blues and whites.

    Alaric''s expression became complicated. He had not expected something like this to occur, and yet it had¡­

    Cassius looked one final time at the heartbroken girl. His final words¡ªwhich echoed out as the last of his being passed through the black congregation¡ªfurther shredded Bella''s already dilapidated heart:

    "This is goodbye, Bella. I hope we never meet again. And I hope you forget about me. Do yourself that favor¡­ please."

    FWIP!

    With that, Cassius vanished. His entire being had been transported into the black congregation. The congregation closed up at the same moment his face was erased from the bleak-faced girl''s line of sight.

    "¡­Husband¡­ my love¡­" Bella, suddenly overwhelmed with a waterfall of emotions, deliriously screamed, "NOOOOooooo¡ª!!! Cass! Come back!! I-I¡­ I don''t want you to go¡­ Why¡­ why won''t you let me love you¡­? I¡­ I don''t understand¡­"

    She went through several complex emotions in a fraction of a second. Her puffy eyes ultimately ran out of tears, and her face froze.

    Bella was lost¡­

    She didn''t¡­

    She didn''t know who she was without Cassius.

    Who¡­?

    He was her everything.

    Without him, she was¡­ she was nothing.

    ¡ªMultiple minutes passed by like a slow, agonizing crawl¡ª

    Even after the two table-flipped ice walls clashed into one another, and even after Hunters walked to and fro around the seemingly invisible vampire pair, they hadn''t moved from their spots. They now sat under a large semi-translucent crimson bubble that stopped anything from touching or seeing them. Following the aftereffects of the two ice walls'' collision, they were quickly submerged under countless tons of ice and snow, but neither seemed to care.

    They just existed in that spot, each going through a whirlwind of emotions¡­

    Until, eventually¡­

 Chapter 203 The Nightmarescape

    Alaric, feeling that it had been long enough, let go of his hand, allowing Bella to move freely.

    She didn''t move, or even make a peep.

    She just knelt there, her lifeless eyes mindlessly staring at where Cassius last stood.

    "It''s time to go," said the Vampire Duke, his voice tinged with pain from seeing her in such a state.

    No response.

    An ancient sigh rustled the snow that surrounded them as the millennium-old Vampire tenderly lifted up his daughter. Putting her in a princess carry, he teleported from his spot. The snow that once covered them quickly filled in the place where they just were.

    Nothing had gone as expected¡­ and the Vampire Duke worried over just how long it would take his precious baby girl to recover.

    He wanted so badly to blame the womanizing bastard''s son for this, but he just couldn''t¡­

    He could only blame himself for not guiding his daughter away from the insane path she wound up taking. Hell, he had even assisted her in making things worse than they already were!

    ''Haiz¡­ Hopefully something unexpected occurs¡­''

    The Crestmore Vampire Duke''s optimistic thoughts whisked through the open skies as he carried his distraught and unresponsive daughter back to Nightingale.

    ¡ª-------------

    ¡ªMeanwhile, within a space enveloped in pure darkness¡ª

    ZIP!

    A figure of color appeared in this place devoid of light. The figure raced through the pitch-black space at speeds that made no sense. For an unknown period of time, this figure was forcefully pulled through space until, eventually¡­

    FWIP!

    The figure dropped out of the skies above a town located in a small part of a country called Mistalore.

    "In the Land of Beginnings, within our great country of Mistalore, an angel of light descended from the heavens! I swear it upon the God of Beginnings! It really happened!"

    A man draped in low-quality peasant clothing theatrically spoke to a small group of similarly dressed people. He made use of grand hand gestures and even emphasized just how radiantly that descending angel had fallen.

    A larger man in slightly better clothing scoffed aloud. "You really expect us to believe what you, the boy who cries wolf, has to say? What do you take us for? Fools?"

    "Yeah, yeah, he''s the only one who says he saw this supposed Angel! The last time we listened to his crazed ravings, we organized all of the townspeople and the guards for nothing!"

    "Exactly!"

    "Randal''s probably just lying again!"

    "No¡­ That isn''t what I''m doing!" The man whom others knew as Randal defended himself in any way he could.

    Yet all his denying only made those around him believe what the larger peasant said. ''He''s lying,'' they all thought.

    "This¡­ why¡­ why won''t any of you believe me!?" Randal, feeling many grievances, smashed his hand against a table and ran out of the pub they were in.

    He ran and ran. He didn''t stop running until he made it out of the bounds of the small, quaint town he grew up in. Eventually, he reached the woods that the village of Littlegreen had barred off as a forbidden zone. Deadly monsters and mysterious creatures were rumored to wander these woods.

    When Randal finally opened his eyes and stopped to catch his breath, he dreadfully realized where he was. His expression suddenly dropped as his eyes erratically darted around. He was attempting to locate a way out of the woods.

    However, every direction looked exactly the same!

    It was all just tall, spooky trees that eerily scratched against one another in the blowing wind.

    "Esceeetch¡ª!!!"

    "!!!"

    That was when he heard it¡ªa spine-tingling shriek that sent him running for the hills! He fled in the opposite direction of whatever made that sound.

    A few minutes later, and after once again needing to slow down to catch his breath, Randal saw something from the corner of his eye. He pushed away from the creepy tree he was leaning on, then approached an all-too-familiar light.

    "This light¡­ it''s the Angel''s glow¡­" As if in a dazed trance, Randal took slow steps toward a large crater.

    Above the crater was a tree canopy that looked as if a meteorite had blasted through it. Tree branches were snapped, and small red fires crackled on and below the tree canopy. Yet, with the threat of potential danger barely registering in Randal''s mind, he stepped into the crater and descended until he was less than a few feet away from the light. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The light itself was crimson, red as blood. It was roughly the size of a door and fluctuated with an energy source that couldn''t be determined by Randal.

    "The Angel¡­ is it inside the Angel''s Glow¡­?"

    Just as those words left his mouth, the crimson light began to rapidly expand. Then, without a moment''s notice, it exploded!

    "What!? Ahhh¡ª!" Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

    Randal was pushed back and sent tumbling.

    When he pried open his eyes and returned his gaze toward the crimson light, he was shocked to find that the light had disappeared!

    He was even more astonished to discover an extraordinarily handsome man with long black hair and deathly blue eyes standing where the light once was.

    "Are you¡­ the Angel¡­?"

    Hearing this question, the blue-eyed man locked his gaze on the peasant. Unknown thoughts seemed to swirl inside his mind. Yet, after a moment of thought, he vanished from his spot. Or, at least, he tried to¡­

    "Hmm¡­?" The handsome man looked down at his feet, quickly realizing that he couldn''t move anywhere as fast as he previously could. According to his estimates, he was at least a million times slower now.

    The handsome man frowned, then readjusted his movements and walked toward the powerless peasant. From the peasant''s perspective, however, he looked like a willowy phantom. And before the peasant knew it, the phantom had already appeared less than a couple of feet away from him.

    Now that the peasant got a better look at this mysterious man, he saw something that didn''t feel like what an angel should feel like.

    "The Devil''s Breath¡­!?" he exclaimed, as fear gradually crept up his face.

 Chapter 204 A Devil!?

    "Devil''s Breath?" Cassius repeated. Having never heard that term before, he asked, "What do you mean by that? My Killing Intent, perhaps?"

    "The Devil''s Breath is the Devil''s Breath!" shouted Randal. "Death hangs over the dead like the breath of a yawning beast! Death just like the one that hangs over you! You¡­ You are no Angel¡­ but a Devil¡­!!"

    The scared peasant clambered to his feet, then moved his shaky legs in an attempt to escape the area.

    He had to report back to the village and tell them what he saw!

    He just hoped they''d believe him this time¡­ They had to!

    *Pat!*

    Before Randal could move even a few feet away from his original position, Cassius''s muscular right hand clamped down on his left shoulder. "Stay here for now; I have some more questions I wish to ask you," he said calmly. "Don''t worry, I won''t harm you."

    "N-No!! Stay back, you Devil!" Randal tried to resist but couldn''t do a single thing against the physical power that kept him in place.

    Cassius, while curiously looking at this peasant, thought, ''Although all parameters of my power have been severely reduced, I can still exhibit the approximate strength of a High D-Rank Hunter. But as for my Mana, Elements, and other various facets¡ªall of them are unavailable for some reason. When I go to activate one of them or one of my Elemental-based Skills, a fuse ignites, but then it gets instantly blown out.''

    He could still utilize the power of the Sword God''s Training Manual, the Fundamental Body Refinement Manual, and, of course, the System. But everything else was barred from use, including the SSS-Rank VoidWarper Skill Set he had just acquired. Moreover, all of his Bloodlines now had large locks over them in his System Interface.

    The first thing Cassius did when he arrived was ask the System about the weirdness of his Bloodlines, but the answer he received was: [Figure it out yourself, umu!]. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

    Conveniently, some native human lifeform of sorts had appeared right when he arrived.

    "Well, I can give you a choice if you would like one," he said, to which Randal replied, "Y-Yes, Devil, you should give me a choice!"

    Cassius faintly smirked as he said seriously, "Your choices are simple. One: you tell me what I want to know, and I''ll let you go on your way. Or two: I extract your memories myself and watch as you writhe in pain until you eventually¡­ die."

    He wasn''t in the best of moods right now; he would do exactly what he said he would.

    Randal instinctively knew that, which was why, after hesitating with a deep grimace, he sluggishly said, "F-Fine¡­ I''ll tell you whatever you want to know¡­"

    Cassius nodded, loosening his grip on the man of around 22 years of age. "Oh, and if you dare lie to me¡ªand trust me, I''ll know¡ªI''ll just kill you anyway. But not before extracting your memories."

    Randal furiously nodded. Large beads of sweat trickled down his face of average handsomeness as he truthfully answered everything asked of him.

    ¡ªThree minutes later¡ª

    "So we''re in the Village of Littlegreen within a Kingdom called Mistalore. Hmm¡­ so I have somehow been transported to a world stuck in the Middle Ages¡­ This is supposed to be the Land of Nightmares? The Nightmarescape? Something''s not adding up¡­"

    Surprise flashed past Randal''s average face. "You know of the Land of Nightmares, good sir!?"

    The peasant''s attitude toward him had taken a total 180 in the last few minutes, but more importantly than that, it seemed like he knew something Cassius didn''t.

    "You know of the Land of Nightmares?"

    Randal nodded twice. "Yes, good sir, of course I know of the Land of Nightmares! It is what the heroic Nightmare Slayers journey into for the sole goal of protecting the Land of Beginnings and all the people inside it!"

    Cassius''s expression froze, then he narrowed his eyes while glancing at the profusely sweating System Interface. ''You fcked up, didn''t you?''

    *Ding¡­*

    [T-The Mighty Idle Evolution System does not f*ck up, you inconsiderate Host! It''s all just¡­ just a calculated mistake! Yes, that''s it. I accidentally calculated a mistake that just so happened to send you to the Secret Realm that borders the Land of Nightmares!]

    [And I may have also accidentally locked your Daily Quest to this Realm as well¡­ And you maybe, just maybe still need to get over there and spend an hour there to complete the Quest¡­ That is assuming you still want to get back to Earth¡­ Teehee¡­]

    [(?? ?3??)]

    "Don''t teehee me, you dumb bastard!"

    "???" Randal tilted his head in confusion. "Is something the matter, good sir? I heard Devils hear voices constantly ringing in their heads¡­ Is that the case here as well? But, oh no¡­ G-Good sir, don''t listen to the voice if it''s telling you to kill me! I promise you that I can be extremely useful if given the chance!"

    Cassius left his frustrating conversation with his oh-so-beloved System.

    Shifting his perturbed expression toward the peasant, he asked, "The Land of Nightmares¡ªhow do I get there from here?"

    Randal, unable to believe what he was hearing, said, "Good sir, surely you don''t mean what you''re saying. Anyone who''s anyone knows that the only way to journey into the Land of Nightmares is to become a Nightmare Slayer. And to do that¡­"

    "To do that, what?"

    Sensing his growing impatience, Randal directly said, "To become a Nightmare Slayer, you need to head to the Capital of Mistalore and take the Nightmare Slayer admittance examination¡­."

    "And what''s so bad about that?" asked Cassius, confused as to why the peasant was making such a big deal out of it.

    Though, his brows did raise a bit when he heard Randal say, "The mortality rate¡­ The mortality rate for those who take the Nightmare Slayer Admittance Examination is over 95%¡­ And devils aren''t allowed to participate. You''ll be executed on the spot¡­" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Cassius coldly snorted. "Well, it''s a good thing I''m not a Devil, then. Now, tell me, which way is it to the Capital of Mistalore?"

 Chapter 205 12th Royal Mistalore Princess

    Randal hesitatingly responded, "The Capital is that-a-way, good sir. Around 25 days of walking, 10 days by carriage, or roughly 600 miles away."

    He pointed to the North. And that was good enough for Cassius, who vanished in the next second, repeatedly dashing through the spooky forest at thousands of miles per hour.

    "What a weird Devil he was," Randal incoherently murmured before turning around and heading back out the way he came in. "Hehe¡­ I can''t wait to tell everyone about what I saw this time! They''ll definitely believe me!" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    They won''t.

    ¡ª15 Minutes Later¡ª

    FWIP!

    Now arriving at the highest point of a hill overlooking a vast and prosperous city, Cassius settled on an overhanging boulder. Surveying the area below, he saw innumerable acres of lush green fields. Some fields were yellow, and grazing on the grass that grew in those fields were animals the likes of which he had never seen before.

    A mixture between a giant lizard and a cow¡ªit couldn''t be said for certain, but from appearances alone, it sure seemed like it. Nonetheless, they were well over ten meters in length, with some even reaching as much as thirty meters. Moreover, there also appeared to be people of the human variety riding in wooden pagodas latched to the tops of their large, scaly backs.

    That was another thing¡ªthere were only humans everywhere Cassius looked.

    ''This is supposed to be some sort of Middle-Aged world in a fantasy setting, right? So then where are the beastpeople and whatnot?,'' he thought. ''Is this a human-only kingdom or something?''

    Cassius was correct.

    The Kingdom of Mistalore was strictly populated by humans. Immigration of other species, such as the Devils, was strictly forbidden, which was why Randal the Peasant reacted as he did. Even those with trace amounts of certain Bloodlines in them were often harshly persecuted and treated unfairly.

    In a way, one could say that having his Bloodlines restricted was a blessing in disguise.

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    "Either way, I need to get into that city and find the quickest way to become a Nightmare Slayer," said Cassius, his feet already fluttering off the ground as he started his descent down the cliff.

    ¡ªThe Royal City of Mistalore¡ª

    As the Capital of the Mistalore Kingdom, the Royal City served as the city with both the highest luxury of living and the highest cost of living. There were tens of thousands of buildings scattered across the city that spanned a distance of dozens of miles. Moreover, at the very center of the city lay the crown jewel of the Capital.

    The Church of the Land of the Beginnings. And right beside it¡ªthe Nightmare Slayer Training Grounds.

    The former was a massive gold and white marbled temple. At the top front of the temple was a magnificent pure-golden statue depicting a man holding a large chunk of floating stone land.

    The God of Beginnings and the Land of Beginnings¡ªthat was what the man as the statue and the chunk of land in his hands represented.

    And yes, this meant that the Land of Beginnings was not spherical like the planet known as Earth. Rather, it was said to be an extremely enormous continent that stretched in all directions for who knew how many miles.

    As for the God of Beginnings¡ªto devout followers of the primary religion in this realm¡ªhe was the one who created the world and planted the seed that brought about all life.

    More than 95% of the population were passionate followers or believed in the existence of the God of Beginnings. Thus, as opposed to Christianity or any other religions on Earth, it was a religion that vastly dominated the religious field.

    Coming in at around a third the size of the massive golden temple and half the size of the huge, mesmerizing palace that sat behind it was the Nightmare Slayer Training Grounds.

    These training grounds were where all off-duty Nightmare Slayers stayed while they weren''t fighting for glory in the Land of Nightmares. Furthermore, it was the place where any aspiring Nightmare Slayers went if they wished to become official Nightmare Slayers.

    The Nightmare Slayer profession.

    The pay was good, the respect was better, and the fame even better. But for the sake of a high status and a higher lifestyle, there naturally came a cost. That cost being the high fatality rate, both to become a Nightmare Slayer and to continue living as one.

    Within the bustling streets outside the Nightmare Slayer Training Grounds, thousands of people had gathered around the colossal colosseum. The traffic was higher than normal today for two simple reasons.

    One: the Annual Nightmare Slayer Admittance Examination was beginning today.

    And two:

    "Have you heard?? There''s a rumor going around that the 12th Princess is going to be attempting the Nightmare Slayer Trials as a preparation ritual for her 19th birthday ceremony in a couple of days!"

    "The prodigal Princess!? There''s no way such a rumor holds any grounds! Why would a lady of such illustrious status even bother taking the Nightmare Slayer Trials??? It doesn''t make any sense!"

    "You really don''t know? The 12th Royal Princess is notoriously known for her¡­ ''unique'' personality. The point being that she''s incredibly strong-willed! Though, to the King and his 1st Wife, she''s simply¡­ rebellious¡­"

    "Isn''t that considered treason, what you just said!?"

    "Bah! What do you know?? I''m a full-blooded patriot! Rahhh¡ª!"

    Slipping through crowds of people having similar conversations was a hooded man. He wore the Shadow Monarch''s Cloak, but because of the restrictions imposed on this world, the prominent shadowy effect of the Cloak had all but been erased.

    "Make way for her Highness, the 12th Royal Princess of the Mistalore Kingdom!"

    A boisterous voice suddenly boomed, causing Cassius to slightly lift up his icy blue eyes. Observing the beautiful figure that just appeared, his expression drastically changed.

    ''She''s not¡­ human,'' he thought.

    Her appearance, or at least the appearance everyone else was able to see, was that of a stunningly pretty girl with long braided snowy white hair and lightly shaded red eyes. She possessed a petite frame, had modest¡ªnot too small, not too big¡ªbreasts, and wore a black and red, partially armored kimono.

    But overall, she just looked like any other extremely gorgeous human girl.

    When, in actuality, she was anything but¡­

 Chapter 206 Yuna Mistalore

    ''Long, upward-curved horns that glisten like the most opulent of rubies, enchantingly fluffy gray eyelashes that flutter with an inhuman grace, and her concealed aura¡­ How intriguing¡­''

    Cassius had no idea what was actually going on here, but just knowing that she was not human meant that there were likely many complicated matters deeply rooted in this kingdom. If at all possible, he would''ve preferred to stay away from all the trouble. However, as the 12th Princess indifferently walked past the large sea of people he was blending in with, her jewel-like eyes darted toward him.

    It was only for a moment, but it definitely happened.

    And in that instant, as if instinctually, Cassius subconsciously realized that the trouble would certainly be coming straight to him¡­

    After that tense moment of eye contact passed, the 12th Princess, Yuna Mistalore, shifted her gaze away from him. Looking at the intimidatingly large colosseum looming over, she briefly paused.

    Taking a slightly longer breath, she ultimately approached the cracked colosseum doors and disappeared inside.

    That was when the peasants and lower nobles congregated around the colosseum finally learned to breathe. The heated discussions then resumed in a rather loud fashion.

    "So that''s the 12th Royal Princess?? I haven''t seen her in person until now, but she''s so beautiful! Possibly the most beautiful girl in the country!"

    "Indeed, indeed. She has a quiet, mysterious way about her. It really sucks you in and makes you want her to suck something else!"

    "What did you just say, you perverted bastard!? You won''t be getting within even a hundred meters of the Princess again! Why? Because you''re about to experience what it''s like to be a cripple!!"

    "Har!? You bastards wanna go at it!? Fine, let''s fight!!"

    Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

    A brawl started in the streets.

    The city guards eventually had to intervene, but by the time they got around to breaking up the fight, the perverted man had already lost. He had been beaten to a pulp, with his face more like a pig''s than a human''s. Furthermore, both of his legs and both of his arms had been shattered beyond recovery.

    Unless a benevolent Saintess or Saint assisted the perverted bastard, he would likely forever remain a cripple¡­

    Anyway, making use of the commotion occurring among the crowd, Cassius discreetly approached the two large colosseum doors and slipped inside. He did so unnoticed. However, once arriving on the other side of the large doors, he was almost immediately found out.

    "Another newcomer? And this one seems to like keeping things secretive!"

    A young man of around 23 years of age with medium-length blonde hair approached Cassius with a smug look on his handsome face. Upon getting a little closer, he bent down and looked into the hood, only to stumble back a step when he saw the cold pair of icy blue eyes hiding within the darkness of the cloak.

    Though, once he realized what he had done, the blonde-haired man coldly snorted. "Yeah, well, whatever, dude. I can be all mysterious if I really wanted to as well!"

    "Yeah, right."

    A mocking feminine voice sounded out from the side, prompting the blonde-haired man to shoot a nasty glare in a black-haired woman''s direction. "Are you itching for a fight, Diana? Because I''ll give you one."

    The woman called Diana scoffed before shifting her large witch''s hat a bit to the side. "A fight with you would be like battling a mentally disabled toddler, Christopher. That is to say that it wouldn''t be much of a fight. The negative karma I''d gain from such a scenario might even cause me some serious backlash!"

    "Why you¡­!"

    Christopher and Diana butted heads as sparks of anger flew all around.

    Cassius stood in the back, acting as if none of what was happening had anything to do with him. He was going to quietly vacate the scene. At least, that was until he heard a soft feminine voice that seemed to melt into one''s ears like honey:

    "You don''t need to concern yourselves with them. They''re like this all of the time."

    Looking toward the source of this beautiful voice, Cassius saw the same white-haired woman that those outside called the 12th Royal Princess. Her eyes still mildly glowed red like a warm sunset, and the calm way about her had not changed one bit.

    Holding one hand over the other and both hands on the pelvis area of her kimono, Yuna soothingly said, "I saw you outside. You''re¡­ interesting¡­"

    After processing the initial surprise, Cassius''s expression returned to complete neutrality. "I saw you as well, and I can reciprocate the feeling of interest."

    Yuna silently appraised his barely visible face. After a second, she walked to a spot beside him and said, "You can see them, can''t you? My unique qualities?"

    "You can tell?"

    "Call it intuition."

    "I see¡­"

    They once again entered a period of silence while apathetically watching Christopher and Diana butt heads. Others who came to take the Nightmare Slayer test eventually had to interfere, and only then did the heated air thaw out. Though, with hundreds of participants gathered here in this wide colosseum space and every single one of them prideful youngsters, more arguments were bound to occur.

    But out of everyone here waiting for something to happen, the two vastly contrasting figures standing to the far back seemed to be the most unbothered. They looked ahead, yet only appeared to be focused on one another.

    "Your name?" Cassius suddenly turned his head toward her and asked, to which she did the same and answered, "My name is Yuna. Yuna Mistalore. But you already knew that, did you not? Why ask?" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Isn''t it only proper to ask someone''s name?"

    Yuna thought for a second, then nodded. "Makes sense."

    Silence.

    Cassius had looked away from the short beauty, but seeing as her intense stare was still drilling into his side, he said, "My name is Cassius. Cassius Steele."

    Only after hearing his name did Yuna return to staring ahead.

    After a couple of seconds.

    "How were you able to see my true appearance?" asked Yuna, once again looking in his direction. "Even the Senior Nightmare Slayers, the Court Mages, the Royal Knights, and my father were unable to view my true appearance. So how could you?"

    Cassius faintly smiled. Without locking eyes with her, he said, "Call it intuition."

    Stare....

 Chapter 207 313th Annual Nightmare Slayer Trials

    Cassius could, of course, feel those sparkling eyes of Yuna''s never leave his side, but he remained unfazed. He swept his gaze over the hundreds of young men and women termed participants. Although they varied in social status and wore clothing of differing quality, their power levels weren''t far apart from one another.

    Even with most of his abilities limited in this world, he was still very much capable of using the "Magic Eyes" that came as a built-in System Function. This was how he could accurately determine everyone''s approximate strength.

    [Christopher (Male Human)]

    [Realm: Apprentice Slayer (5th Stage)]

    [Approximate (Earth) Rank: A++]

    [Diana (Female Human)]

    [Realm: Apprentice Slayer (5th Stage)]

    [Approximate (Earth) Rank: A++]

    From what Cassius had learned on his way through the Royal City, there were five known Realms of power among those in the Land of Beginnings. Each one was further split into seven stages, and those Realms were ranked, from lowest to highest, as follows:

    1- [Apprentice Slayer]

    2- [3rd Class Slayer]

    3- [2nd Class Slayer]

    4- [1st Class Slayer]

    5- [Transcendent Slayer] Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

    Those of the 1st Class Slayer Realm could already become rulers of entire kingdoms once they served their time as Nightmare Slayers and retired. In fact, the current King of the Mistalore Kingdom was a 1st Class Slayer in the 2nd Stage, making him incredibly formidable in the Land of Beginnings.

    As for Transcendent Slayers, they were all but urban myths to the people of this world. None had been seen in the last few thousand years¡ªnot since the dramatic conclusion of the Battle of Nightmare''s End.

    That day marked the sudden disappearance of all Transcendent Slayers who had bravely fought to defend the world against the Nine True Nightmares, each of whom was said to be capable of battling Transcendent Slayers head-on.

    ''Based on the A++ levels of everyone here, I can see that the ranking system of this world goes far beyond the one I come from,'' Cassius thought with great interest. ''Furthermore, this also means that my strength and abilities are not necessarily restricted, but that this world has higher-level world laws¡­ or something¡­''

    Having read many cultivation light novels in his past life, he knew the classic higher-world tropes very well. The higher you go, the more gravity pushes down on you. It was the same situation here.

    Glancing over at the gorgeous petite woman still staring holes into him with her eyes, Cassius saw another System tag. This time, however, it was a bit more complicated than the others.

    [Yuna Mistalore (Female Human/Yokai Hybrid)]

    [Realm: Apprentice Slayer (7th Stage)]

    [Approximate Rank: S-Rank]

    ''Not even at the 3rd Class Slayer Realm and yet already an S Neutral Rank Awakener equivalent? How interesting¡­ This Slayer cultivation system is truly fascinating.''

    Through books he had glossed over at small streetside stalls, Cassius learned of the Slayer ranks and how Slayers ascended those ranks. As the name implied, the simplest and most straightforward method to advance as a Slayer was to slay Nightmares that slipped through the world net and invaded the Land of Beginnings through space-time portals.

    Once one killed a single Nightmare, they would absorb the Nightmare''s power and officially become a 1st Stage Apprentice Slayer. From there, further progression would depend both on the number of Nightmares slain and the Nightmare Talent the Slayer possessed.

    As an inherent and typically unchangeable aspect of existence, Nightmare Talent was said to depend on the innate killing intent or murderous intent of the Slayer. This rumor was further backed by the extremely high affinity that the Devil race had with the Slayer Path. Even the lowliest among them had the potential to become 3rd Class Slayers¡ªan achievement often impossible for the majority of the human population due to a lack of Nightmare Talent.

    ''Nightmare Talent¡­ I wonder if I have any¡­''

    Speaking of the devil.

    "Welcome to the 313th Annual Nightmare Slayer Admittance Examination!" a clown-faced announcer''s voice rang out from an open-air cabin in the Colosseum''s far north wing. "Time has just run out for any new participants hoping to join, which means it''s now time to begin the Examination! As for what we''ll be examining? Well, of course, it''ll be your ability to survive¡­!"

    The clown-faced announcer received loud cheers aplenty. Yet, there was no one currently present in the spectator stands. The Examination Trials were private.

    "Thank you! Thank you very much, my lovelies!" the announcer said while acting coquettish. "Anyway, let the games begin!"

    Right as those words left the clown''s mouth, Cassius''s vision suddenly turned dark. The same thing happened to Yuna and the other participants standing inside the Colosseum.

    FWIP!

    When they opened their eyes, they no longer saw the large Colosseum walls. Surrounding them on all sides were now extremely tall trees that extended far beyond the visible skyline. Within the huge canopy of person-sized leaves that obscured most of their vision, there echoed blood-curdling shrieks that sent tingles down their spines.

    "Do you know where this place is, Cassius Steele?" came a soft feminine voice belonging to the mysterious 12th Princess.

    Cassius shifted his calm gaze toward her. "No, but I assume you do."

    Yuna stole his gaze. "This is the Hunter''s Jungle."

    "Is there a reason for that name?"

    "Yes," replied Yuna. "In this jungle located in a sub-dimension to our own, you are either the hunter¡­ or the hunted." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Just then.

    "Ahhhh¡ª!!!"

    "Robert¡­!!"

    A young woman looked up in horror. Above her, the lifeless corpse of her boyfriend lay limp, pronged by several pitch-black jagged vines. Each of the countless points on the vines were wickedly sharp, and when they lifted Robert''s corpse further off the ground, a grating sound echoed. The jagged vines sawed in different directions¡ªcarving paths through Robert''s body¡ªand created the gruesome sight that followed.

    SPLAT!

    Just like that, Robert''s already empty husk of a body was forcefully ripped apart by the jagged black vines.

    The vines¡ªnumbering a little over a dozen¡ªquickly multiplied. More and more of them whizzed forward from the numerous tall trees that made up this unknown area.

    That was when Cassius and the others saw it¡ªa large face in a tree¡ªand there was one in each of the trees¡­

 Chapter 208 A Slayer Awakening!?

    Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

    [Nightmare Treant (Late-stage Rank 1 Nightmare)] X ???

    "...You''re a princess, right? Do you know what we should do next? For this Examination?"

    Hearing Cassius''s nonchalant question, Yuna shifted her serene red eyes toward his icy blues. "My status means nothing when it comes to the Nightmare Slayers. I know just as much as you do," she said calmly. "But if I were to make a guess, then I''d assume we just have to¡ª"

    Her figure blurred as she unsheathed a short blue wakizashi mid-air. Slashing out in a spinning motion, she lunged downward.

    SHING!

    "Esceeetch!!!"

    A jagged black vine was viciously dissected, causing the large face of one of the trees to scream out in excruciating agony, its ugly expression twisting in anger and pain.

    "¡ªKill them, don''t we?" Yuna finished where she left off. Looking behind her shoulder, her stunning beauty shone under the moonlight glow¡ªa sight which left Cassius momentarily breathless.

    *Ding~!*

    [You have a hard-on, dear Host~? I can see that little garden snake rising¡ª]

    The moment was instantly ruined by the annoying voice of the Idle Evolution System. Cassius clicked his tongue before resonating with the badass sword tattoo on his arm. A brilliant light flashed, and a sword as tall as an average human appeared. This meant the sword was at least six feet in length.

    Yuna''s eyes flashed with surprise when she saw Lilith. "You have a Slayer weapon?" she asked while dozens of young men and women were being shredded to bits by the Nightmare Treants. Both she and the man she was talking to seemed to treat everything around them with indifference.

    In response to her question, Cassius said:

    "Slayer weapon? Is that some way to refer to a bonded weapon?"

    Yuna: "..."

    Walking away from the tree monster she had made cry, she approached him. Once close enough to feel his breath mingle with hers, she looked him up and down a couple of times, then said, "You¡­ you aren''t from the Land of Beginnings, are you?"

    "Arggh¨C! My arm!! Someone, please fetch my arm!!!"

    "Is it your right one???"

    "Nooo!!!"

    "Then you don''t need it!"

    Ignoring the crazed ramblings of the screaming people around them, Cassius said to Yuna, "I have no idea what you mean. The Land of Beginnings has always been my home, same as everyone else. I just come from a very secluded area, thus some gaps in knowledge are present."

    Yuna scrutinized his serious expression in silence. After a couple of seconds of listening to more blood-curdling screams, she nodded. "I don''t believe you. But we all have our secrets."

    Cassius didn''t respond. He just stared at her until she turned away from him. She started to walk in a certain direction, and he walked in a direction adjacent to hers. They effortlessly dodged flying limbs and blood splatters while making their way toward two different Nightmare Treants.

    *Fwoooop¡ª!*

    Their bodies sped up. Dodging jagged black vine after vine, they dashed. Once making it a certain distance away from the hideous tree faces, Yuna slashed her small katana one way and then did the same thing in the opposite direction, creating a blue flaming x-mark that hovered in front of her. Pushing forward with the small katana, the flaming x-mark shot forward.

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    The x-mark sheared through dozens of the black vines before colliding with the hideous face of the Nightmare Treant she was targeting. The x-mark attack was blocked by a blackish barrier that protected the face of the crying tree monster, but the barrier only held up for two seconds before cracking and shattering. Then, without anything obstructing it, the x-mark attack cut into the face of the Treant, cleaving it into four evenly cut pieces. The rest of the massive tree was also badly damaged.

    After the kill was confirmed, a light black smoky substance leaked out from the desecrated Treant. The smoky substance zipped through the air at an extremely fast speed before entering the body of the apathetic 12th princess. She didn''t resist.

    OOOM¡­!

    A slight fluctuation in her aura occurred as her progress in the 7th Apprentice Slayer Stage advanced by a small degree.

    Following the acquisition of her gains from killing a Nightmare Treant, she shifted her curious eyes over to the Nightmare Treant sitting parallel to hers. Almost immediately, her brows raised as she saw a tree similar in size to hers¡ªone that she couldn''t even tremendously damage¡ªtip over and knock against a different Nightmare Treant.

    A handsome hooded man with a gaze as cold as the tundra sat where the tree was sliced in two. A black smoky substance, like what Yuna absorbed, also flowed into his body. However, unlike what happened with her, this absorption of the black smoke made Cassius''s once non-existent aura rapidly form and emanate outward.

    This event left Yuna feeling dumbfounded. If anyone else had been focusing on them instead of fighting for their lives, they, too, would have been at a loss for words.

    "A Slayer awakening¡­ But how is that possible?"

    No matter how the 12th Princess thought about it, she just couldn''t wrap her head around how someone as seemingly strong as him had yet to even undergo his Slayer awakening.

    Hell, everyone here¡ªand even the participants from previous years¡ªhad all undergone their Slayer Awakenings prior to taking the Examination! Whether through family funds or their own efforts, they were able to acquire weak or chained Nightmares to progress their Slayer Realm!

    None in the history of the Mistalore Kingdom had been daring or stupid enough to take part in the Nightmare Slayer Examination Trials without first stepping onto the path of a Slayer!

    It was simply preposterous to even consider such a ludicrous thing!

    And yet¡­

    What Yuna was seeing was unmistakable. There was no known way to replicate a Slayer Awakening, and there was no reason to do so in this perilous predicament. But then that begged the question:

    How the hell was someone so strong not yet a Slayer!?

    What was going on here!??

 Chapter 209 3rd Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm

    In this world dubbed the Land of Beginnings, there were no second paths available to those born of lower standing. There was nothing besides the Slayer path for more than 99% of the population. After all, it was the easiest to pursue; all you had to do was purchase a caged Nightmare, like the ones Cassius saw in the Capital. You would then kill it, absorb its Nightmare Essence, and bam¡ªyou were now a Slayer.

    The rest of your path depended on the luck of the draw from there, as your innate Nightmare Talent could very well make or break you. And over time, you would eventually receive the chance to become an official Nightmare Slayer, not just a regular Slayer.

    As for the other, far more rare paths, such as the Knight or Mage path, they were a lot more difficult to advance in.

    Like the Slayer Path, you required Talent for the Knight Path, but it didn''t stop there, as you also needed special technique booklets, all of which were typically passed down in high-status Knight Households. For the common populace, such a path was essentially impossible to choose and pursue, especially considering how much the Knight households gatekept their Knight Techniques, treating them as if they were divine objects.

    Then there was the final Major Power Path in the Land of Beginnings¡ªnamely, the Mage Path.

    Mages drew from this realm''s version of Magicules, which they also just so happened to call Magicules. They absorbed them into their bodies and into something they called a Primary Core.

    The Primary Core was what stored all of the Magicules that one had culminated thus far. It also helped determine what Rank one was on the Mage Path. However, as for how to go about forming one of these Primary Cores inside yourself, only the relevant Magician Techniques would be able to assist one in gaining insight. But again, these Path-specific Techniques were barred off from the common populace¡ªeven more so than the Knight Techniques¡ªand were gatekept by extremely high-ranking Mage Households.

    But, seeing as Yuna¡ªone of the highest nobleborns in the Mistalore Kingdom¡ªhad not seen Cassius among any of the very few Knight or Mage Families, what she was witnessing made no sense. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    ''Is he from one of the neighboring kingdoms¡­? But the oceans separating us¡­ And our people''s extreme xenophobia¡­ There''s no way¡­''

    Immigration in the island-kingdom of Mistalore was basically non-existent. You were more likely to find a flying cock than you were to find an immigrant from a different nation. This fact was due not only to Mistalore''s dislike of anyone who wasn''t them but also to the vast expanses of water that raged between each island kingdom in the Azure Archipelago.

    To anyone who was anyone, the Azure Archipelago was the whole world. It was the Land of Beginnings. Whereas everything else beyond the Archipelago was just water, water, and¡ªguess what¡ªmore water.

    But as for the water that existed between each of the hundreds of island kingdoms in the Azure Archipelago, it was not of the normal variety. It was violent¡ªwild¡ªoftentimes unpredictable.

    There also lived terrifying sea Nightmares in those very same waters. Nightmares rumored to be larger than the largest of towns and cities¡ªmonstrous creatures that made entire fleets of ships vanish in an instant, never to be seen again.

    However, to get to the point that was causing Yuna Mistalore to stress so much, there was just no way that Cassius was so strong. Even if he were a hidden child of nobility, she would still know about it.

    But she didn''t.

    SHING! SHING! SHING!

    Nightmare Treant after Nightmare Treant experienced a seemingly unlimited number of crimson-colored slashes. The innumerable black vines that acted as the weapons of the living tree monsters made no difference in the face of the power of a singular man and his bloody blade. The Treants'' black barriers also instantly faltered in the face of their combined power. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Esceeetch¡ª!!!"

    Nearly a dozen Nightmare Treants had their hideous faces mercilessly diced into bits and pieces. The massive trees they were connected to were smashed to smithereens, leaving the approximate vicinity a complete and total mess.

    While absorbing nine strings of black smoke, Cassius clenched and unclenched his fists. "Seems you were right," he said to the girl still motionlessly standing in front of the first Treant she killed. "Just killing them turned out to work quite well."

    *Ding!*

    [Awakened as a Slayer!]

    [Absorbed Nightmare Essence of a Late-stage Rank 1 Nightmare - Nightmare Treant -]

    [You have advanced to the 2nd Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm!]

    [Your connection with the Nightmarescape slightly deepens!]

    [Absorbed Nightmare Essence of 9 Late-stage Rank 1 Nightmares - Nightmare Treant -]

    [You have advanced to the 3rd Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm!]

    [Your connection with the Nightmarescape slightly deepens!]

    "Hmm?" Cassius briefly looked away from the stunned-silent white-haired beauty, his focus entirely on the System pop-ups. "Am I in the Nightmarescape right now?"

    *Ding!!*

    [Affirmative! The Host is currently in a sliced-off chunk of the Nightmarescape that was gathered and placed in the Kingdom of Mistalore by an ancient Transcendent-class Slayer!]

    This informative answer made Cassius immediately follow up with yet another question. "So that means 1 hour here would allow me to leave and return home?"

    *Ding¡­*

    [Yes, that is unfortunately correct¡­ And the worst part is that you haven''t even gotten to the fun part yet!]

    [What a bummer¡­]

    [Well, anyway, you will be forcefully teleported out of this Dimension as soon as the 1 hour passes. Time here will then stop completely, making it so that you can resume where you left off when you return!]

    "Like a video game?"

    [Yep! Exactly like a video game! Oh, and another thing to note is that time passes differently in this Dimension. An hour here will only be the equivalent of around half a minute in the outside world.]

    Cassius reeled back in pleasant surprise. He had not expected there to be such a large time difference¡ªor even one at all. But now that he knew this, it meant he could continue his time in the Nightmarescape and Land of Beginnings with peace of mind.

    ''Wait¡­''

 Chapter 210 Killing Thousands of Nightmare Triants

    "Is this the secret ploy devised by the System¡­? Clever¡­"

    [Teehee¡­ (©¤??©¤) ?]

    ''Again with the teehees,'' Cassius thought in exasperation. ''Sometimes, I love this System, and sometimes I just want to, ya know? Bart Simpson Strang¡ª''

    Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    [Ahh~ The System loves you, too, Dear Host~!]

    [( ? 3?)??] sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    A vein bulged in Cassius''s forehead, forcing him to vent on the nearest Nightmare Treants.

    *Thud, Thud, Thud!*

    Massive trees fell in every direction, leaving many of the Nightmare Slayer Examination Participants in disbelief. Looking toward the source of this repeated occurrence, they were even more shocked to find that the one killing so many Treants and destroying the trees was¡­ none other than the unknown hooded man who had been the last to appear in the Colosseum!

    Christopher and Diana¡ªwho weren''t faring too well right now¡ªwere most surprised of all. While fending off the erratically lashing vines of the Nightmare Treants, their eyes always found their way back to the shadowy figure weaving in and out of black vines. That same figure cut down Treants like they were common everyday yard weeds, doing so without remorse or hesitation.

    A few of the more cowardly among the Participants thought to rally behind the hooded figure and walk along the path he carved out for them. However, even with that hopeful notion pushing dozens of people toward Cassius, they quickly came to realize that fending for themselves was a far safer alternative. Not only was he moving incredibly fast and bouncing from one place to the next, but countless Nightmare Treants were also focused on him.

    The total number of black vines crisscrossing through the skies¡ªgunning for Cassius''s throat¡ªamounted to tens of thousands!

    It was insanity!

    Christopher and Diana were quite proud of having taken down two or three of the Nightmare Treants, but they could only dream of comparing to the monster that was the 12th Princess. She had so far killed a little over 30 of the Treants, and for them, that was already ludicrous!

    And then there was the handsome hooded figure¡­

    Hundreds upon hundreds¡­

    After more than 40% of the Trial Participants had fallen in battle, Cassius had already slain several hundred Nightmare Treants. And from the looks of things, he appeared to be becoming more efficient with every certain number of kills.

    "Just what sort of freak is he¡­?" Christopher murmured to himself, feeling an awful amount of regret over how he had previously acted toward the freak in question.

    Diana¡ªwho was covering his ass while he was lost in thought¡ªlet herself be pushed back by multiple black vines. Once she was less than a few inches away from the blonde-haired Christopher, she angrily shouted, "You better get your head out of the clouds, you idiot! Start fighting harder!!"

    "O-Oh, yes!" Snapping out of it, Christopher wielded his longsword. He slashed at a few black vines trying to stab Diana in the back. Then, with a newfound level of focus, he placed his back against Diana''s. "You handle that side while I get this side!"

    "Already on it, you idiot," Diana spat back.

    Emitting a dazzling green light from her two short daggers, her 5th Stage Apprentice Slayer power exploded outward.

    Christopher revealed a small smirk before fixing his stance and encasing his longsword in a unique energy of his own. In front of him was an incoming lot of roughly fifty razor-sharp vines, all aiming to jam themselves up his bum and disembowel him.

    "First one to die has to pay for the next round of drinks!" Christopher shouted, to which Diana replied, "Deal!"

    SHING! SHING!

    Blades clashed with the sharp vines on that front. Yet similar events were occurring all over the wide-open forest space that placed them in the middle of thousands of Nightmare Treants. Some had tried slipping through this encirclement, but every attempt ended in the near-instantaneous fatality of the one who tried.

    To successfully make it through the Nightmare Treants, they would have to kill well over a thousand of them in a straight line. This meant they not only needed to bulldoze through a ridiculous number of Late-stage 1st Rank Nightmares, but they also had to fend off the joint attacks of countless more Treants.

    Frankly, it was impossible.

    And for this to be part of the Nightmare Slayer Examination Trial was just¡­ straight-up crazy.

    Many lost hope once they calmed their minds enough to survey their surroundings and confirm this common hypothesis. From their elders, they had learned that the Nightmare Slayer Examination Trials were always different from the ones that came prior, but they had all been told the same thing: the Trial would seem virtually impossible to accomplish.

    If it wasn''t that way, then it was highly likely that the true Trial hadn''t even started¡­

    For Christopher, Diana, and any other promising Slayers, this was indeed an impossible task. It was one where they couldn''t even make use of their brains; they could only fight.

    Fight after fight, then more fighting¡­ It was not only exhausting but made everyone feel hopeless. Despair began to settle in the hearts of everyone still alive and fighting. And in their despair¡ªwatching as hundreds of people just like them were brutalized¡ªmore than forty minutes had flown by unnoticed.

    Yuna¡ªwho had been constantly thinking about the mysteries centered around a man she knew almost nothing about¡ªjust exceeded the 150 total kills mark. This astronomical number placed her at 2nd among all of the Participants.

    Altogether, the Trial Participants¡ªexcluding Cassius¡ªhad a cumulative Nightmare Treant kill count of well over 3,000.

    But even with such a number to serve as proof of their immense efforts, they had barely put a dent in the Nightmare Treant population. And because of mass panic, they weren''t able to focus on sweeping out the Treants in a singular direction. This meant they were still a long way from breaking through the tree monster encirclement.

    Or, at least, that was what they believed while stuck in an endless cycle of desperate, mindless killings¡­

    However, once someone opened their eyes to reality, everyone else quickly followed.

    And what they saw¡ªit was mind-boggling.

 Chapter 211 7th Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm

    "That freak¡­ He actually cleared out a path," Christopher mumbled, wide-eyed. That was when he noticed a large blue light that reached the tree canopy in height. "The transportation array that leads us out of this place¡­ It''s really there!"

    His voice made Diana briefly divert her attention away from a swarm of attacking black vines. Yet, even with a battered body and blood smeared on her face, one could clearly make out the shock etched across her delicate facial features. She absentmindedly deflected black vines while walking up to Christopher, where they both then began moving toward the distant shadowy figures still fighting in the background.

    A wide, fan-shaped path had already been cleared. Only fallen and demolished trees remained, with tens of thousands of Nightmare Treant corpses strewn about. Of course, they were drained of all their Nightmare Essence, so none of the other Trial Participants were able to reap any additional boons. But at the moment, none of them cared about something so trivial.

    More than 80% of them had died, leaving only the toughest, strongest, and highest-willed Participants still alive. To be entirely honest, those who remained were just glad to be alive, and even gladder to see a saving grace.

    However, while everyone traversed over the fallen trees in hopes of quickly reaching the shadowy figure and the 12th Princess, something shifted. A suffocating aura suddenly enveloped the entire forest, causing all of the Participants below the 6th Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm to feel as if an entire mountain were pressing down on them.

    That was when ''it'' appeared¡­

    Made up of hundreds of Nightmare Treants all fused together into one singular organism, this massive, horrifying creature loomed over the treeline. It menacingly stared down at all the little people in the distance before letting its hollowed eyes fall upon the equally tiny shadowy figure blitzing right toward it.

    As soon as the colossal fusion of hundreds of Nightmare Treants saw Cassius, it honed in on him with a ferocity bordering on eternal hatred. It bellowed out a soul-shaking roar, then stretched out its large right hand¡ªwhich, just like the rest of its body, was constructed from a limitless number of black vines. Each individual vine in the arm began to crazily vibrate. Then, without warning, they extended forward, each one taking a different route toward the relatively minuscule shadowy figure below.

    Cassius¡ªas emotionless as always¡ªlooked up, only to see that the sky was almost entirely blotted out by the black vines of the giant''s right arm. His eyes flashed with sharp coldness before he bent his knees and sprang up like a broken coil.

    BOOOM!

    He instantly broke through the giant''s right-hand vine barrage and ascended to a height even above the giant, giving him a good view of the giant''s System tag:

    {[Treant Singularity (Early-stage Rank 2 Nightmare)]}

    [(Earth-rank) Equivalent: S+ Rank]

    "Only at the Early-stage of Rank 2 and yet already equivalent to the S+ Rank?'' Cassius mused. ''Well, no matter. It''ll die and become my strength all the same.''

    With that thought echoing behind his flashing movements, he took Lilith and pointed her downward, then lunged in the same direction. Sonic blasts reverberated in his wake as he appeared in front of the Treant Singularity''s head. In that same instant, he blasted out the other side. A large hole was drilled through the giant, but seeing as it was still alive and kicking, Cassius blurred faster.

    Another hole was created in the Treant Singularity''s head. Then another. And another. Another, and another, and another¡­

    Finally, with no head or upper torso to speak of, the Treant Singularity collapsed to the ground on its knees. It no longer moved. Right after, under the wide eyes of all the other Participants, Cassius coolly landed on the mangled giant''s corpse. A big string of black smoke and appropriate System Notifications came his way, which he also took as confirmation that the Nightmares didn''t give EXP.

    Which was¡­ odd¡­ After all, everything hostile that was also alive should give Experience Points. And yet¡­ Hmm¡­

    That topic briefly lingered while the System Notifications rang:

    *Ding!*

    [Absorbed Nightmare Essence of an Early-stage Rank 2 Nightmare - Treant Singularity -]

    [You have advanced to the 7th Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm!]

    [Your connection with the Nightmarescape moderately deepens!] sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And just like that, Cassius ranked up to the 7th Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm, bringing his power level to something anyone would consider insane for a newly awakened Nightmare Slayer!

    On a side note, Yuna managed to reach the absolute pinnacle of the 7th Stage Apprentice Slayer Realm because of all the Nightmare Essence she absorbed. Furthermore, her Nightmare Talent was considered superb, making it far easier to get the most out of every ounce of Nightmare Essence. This Talent would also make what came next¡ªthe solitary mediation and consolidation necessary to achieve the 3rd Class Slayer Realm¡ªfar easier.

    The bottleneck that prevented countless Nightmare Slayers from breaking through would be a breeze for her to overcome.

    Anyway, those like Christopher, Diana, and the other high-born noble children also made great progress from this extremely difficult Trial. Some were even close to breaking through into the 7th Stage. Of course, none of them got anywhere close to the same gains that monsters like the 12th Princess and Cassius obtained.

    Though, to conclude this grand Trial of boons and good ol'' fashioned suffering, Cassius leapt off the Treant Singularity''s corpse. He walked toward the enchantingly beautiful white-haired woman. Her glistening horns and predatory irises were obviously noticed by him and him alone, but he paid them no mind. Instead, he sauntered next to her and motioned for her to walk by his side.

    She did so without much thought.

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    They leisurely approached the giant spherical light that encompassed all sides of the Nightmare Treant Forest. Ignoring the eager Trial Participants dragging their legs behind them, they seemed to be absorbed in their own little world. A world where a pretty, mysterious girl played a glancing game with an even more mysterious man of extreme beauty.

 Chapter 212 A Slayer Weapon

    While nonchalantly wiping out any remaining Treants that still dared to mess with them, Cassius became a bit curious. The girl strolling beside him didn''t talk much and also didn''t express many emotions. To understand her thoughts, the easiest method was to simply ask.

    Yuna was, after all, quite a straightforward and direct person.

    "What is it? Do I have something on my face?" he used the classic line.

    The response he received, however, was an unusual one:

    "No," she said. "Your face is perfect."

    Although a bit taken aback, Cassius continued his line of questioning. "So then what is it? Have you already fallen in love with my immeasurable charms or something?"

    Question marks appeared above Yuna''s head. "Love?" she repeated. "I don''t know what that word means. Why would you think I love you? I don''t understand."

    Silence.

    ''Talking to this woman¡­ it''s like talking to a rock¡­''

    The 12th Princess''s density level might''ve been even higher than his, which he didn''t even think was possible.

    But regardless of that useless information, Cassius heaved a heavy sigh. "You take everything so seriously. And here I thought you were a rebel of sorts. But honestly, you don''t seem like the type. You''re more of a¡­ like a robot."

    "A ro¡­bot? What does that mean? Can you eat it?"

    Cassius, feeling compelled to do so, petted the short girl''s soft bed of snowy white hair. "You can''t eat robots, but sometimes I wish I could eat mine. Maybe then it would shut up."

    *Ding~!*

    [You wish to eat me out~? You dirty dog, you~]

    [(???>©n<???)]

    ''You¡­ f*cking bastard¡­'' Cassius''s temples grew itchy the longer he thought about his System. ''Just wait until I figure out a way to eat you for real¡ªdevour you whole! Let''s see who''ll be the one cracking jokes then!''

    [Fufu~ I''ll be patiently waiting for that day to arrive~ Don''t keep a lady waiting for too long~]

    [(¨®©n¨°?)]

    ''Yep, that''s it¡­ Enough of the Bastard for today¡­''

    With that, Cassius tuned out the frequency that was his System, which meant Channel ''Bastard A*shole'' was now off-limits for the rest of the day. And rather than have his mind filled with every useless thing that spilled out of the bastard''s mouth, he much preferred the sparse exchange of words he had going with Yuna.

    Talking to her was like talking to an adorable girl apt at providing comedic relief, only to then enjoy a very satisfying stretch of silence. And if not for the yapping youngins yapping away in the background, it might have actually turned out to be a very pleasant afternoon stroll through haunted woods.

    Noticing his sighs, Yuna took the chance to ask, "About earlier¡ªyou experienced your Slayer Awakening, did you not?"

    She knew the answer but wanted to hear it from him personally.

    Cassius nodded.

    Yuna''s gaze intensified at that subtle confirmation. For the next ten seconds of walking and slashing, she didn''t once look away from him. Eventually, it became something he could no longer ignore. He shifted his eyes toward her while still moving forward, asking:

    Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    "Something else you want to ask?"

    Yuna nodded once, then cutely nodded again. "That weapon of yours¡ªyou never answered my question: is it your Slayer Weapon?"

    Cassius blinked at her, then blinked again, and like a sloth, he recalled. "Ah, that. Yeah, I really don''t know what a Slayer Weapon actually is."

    "...And you''re sure you''re not from somewhere beyond the Land of Beginnings?"

    Cassius awkwardly scratched his neck. "I know nothing about anything beyond the Land of Beginnings. But even if I did, I''d likely forget it. As you can see, my memory is definitely not my most noteworthy quality."

    Yuna pondered his words, seriously. So seriously, in fact, Cassius wondered what part of what he said was so profound. Yet, he was baffled to hear her say, "Your memory is not good¡­ I see¡­ My name. Do you remember my name?"

    Cassius was speechless.

    ''Does she think I''m a f*cking turtle or something?? My memory isn''t that bad!''

    Despite his thoughts, he said, "Of course¡­ of course I remember your name."

    "Say it."

    "Pardon¡­?"

    Yuna tilted her head in confusion. "So your memory really is that bad¡­"

    Cassius''s face twitched.

    Sighing, he slowly and deeply said, "Yuna Mistalore. That is your name."

    "Say it again."

    "Yuna Mistalore."

    "Again."

    "Yuna¡­ Mistalore."

    "Do it again."

    "Yu¡­na¡­ Mist¡­alore¡­"

    Yuna nodded, then did so twice more. "Mhmm, I don''t think you have memory problems."

    ''Is that what you got from all of this¡­?? What the f*ck¡­''

    However, the next words to leave the 12th Princess''s pretty candy-red lips immediately intrigued him. "You want to know more about Slayer Weapons?"

    Cassius wasted no time in responding, "Yes, if you don''t mind."

    Yuna nodded, but then paused and closed her mouth. After a moment, she turned to him, extremely serious, and said, "I can tell you, but my name."

    "What about it?" asked Cassius.

    Yuna looked him straight in the eye and said, "You must say my name more often from here on out."

    ''What sort of request is that??'' he questioned skeptically, yet still replied with a nod.

    It was silent for a few seconds after that¡­

    "Are you not going to tell me¡­?" Cassius asked, unable to understand what was going on here.

    Yuna¡ªhaving not once looked away from him¡ªsaid, "You haven''t said my name yet."

    Cassius: "...."

    "...Yuna¡­ if you would please tell me, I''d really appreciate that¡­"

    Yuna nodded, her voice turning grave. "Very well, I''ll tell you, Cassius Steele from Isolated Land."

    ''She makes this sound so serious¡­ Is there something more to the details of Slayer Weapons than meets the eye??''

    Turns out there wasn''t. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    To summarize what she went on to inform him of: Slayer Weapons were essentially evolving weapons that advanced with their Host. Similar to how Lilith functioned, they absorbed part of the Nightmare Essence that entered their Host''s body before amplifying the amount and strengthening both themselves and their Host. Though, the craziest part had to be how one actually acquired a Slayer Weapon, as they were not externally forged.

    Rather, they were created¡­ inside a Slayer''s body¡­

 Chapter 213 Slayer Soul, Slayer Weapon, Daily Entry

    Slayers¡ªonce having achieved the Pseudo 3rd Class Slayer Realm¡ªwould acquire something that served as proof of their journey thus far. Namely, it was something called the "Slayer Soul" and would take on the shape of various weapons, all dependent on the unique qualities of the Slayer.

    After a certain amount of time, this Slayer Soul¡ªwhich resided somewhere in the mind¡ªwould begin to outwardly project a manifestation of itself. This manifestation was the "Slayer Weapon" that Yuna had been referring to. It was also one of the key steps necessary for breaking through into the 3rd Class Slayer Realm. Yuna would soon be taking this step herself, for she had just crossed into the Pseudo 3rd Class Slayer Realm.

    "So, you thought I had one of these Slayer Weapons?" asked Cassius, nearing a pillar of blue light.

    Yuna nodded before her expression became a bit complicated. "I did. Well, at least that was until I witnessed you undergoing a Slayer Awakening."

    Cassius feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you mean. Of course, I''ve been a Slayer, and you''re right; this is my Slayer Weapon," he said while reluctantly flashing the cool tattoo on his right arm. "The truth is that¡­ I''ve been concealing my true strength all this time! But now that you''ve found out, there''s no helping it¡­ Sigh¡­ Oh, the woes¡­"

    Yuna unblinkingly stared at him. From how expressionless her face was, it was clear she didn''t believe a single word that came out of his mouth.

    "You''re not a good person¡­" Although barely noticeable, a small pout formed on her normally stoic face.

    Cassius, of course, noticed this right away. A slight smirk formed on his face as an easygoing tune began to echo out with him as the source.

    Yuna returned to staring holes into the side of his face, seemingly entranced by how softly his lips pressed against one another. Her thoughts were unknown. However, to everyone cautiously trailing behind them, they couldn''t care less about what she was thinking. They only wished to leave this accursed forest and never look back.

    But with how leisurely the two leaders at the front were treating everything, they could only patiently and anxiously slug along behind them¡­

    Eventually, though, the spherical blue light closest to them arrived. Now, it was time to walk into it and see what happens.

    Just as Cassius was about to step into the light, he turned around and bowed slightly. "Ladies and Princesses first," he said politely.

    But Yuna was no blind fool. She could clearly see the conniving smirk plastered across his handsome face. Coldly snorting, she said in passing, "Hateful man."

    As soon as Yuna touched the blue spherical light, her foot turned the same color as the light. Then the rest of her turned blue, and within an instant, she vanished.

    ZIP!

    Cassius curiously lifted his head and looked at where the icy beauty once stood.

    The other participants also looked, though they expressed far more emotional surprise. Being first-time participants in one of these Examination Trials, they had no idea something as advanced as a teleportation formation was set in place. Though they did have their suspicions when they suddenly appeared in the notorious "Hunter''s Forest" from the Colosseum.

    It also just so happened to be their first time in one of the Mini Nightmarescape Dimensions that the country normally kept highly restricted. Even as noble descendants and high-borns, they hadn''t previously been allowed anywhere near something like a Mini Nightmarescape Dimension.

    After a brief period of silence and seeing the freakish man follow behind their princess, Christopher and the others started to sprint. They kept their distance when the scary pair was around, but now that they weren''t, they felt no reason to take things slow.

    With the ominous howls and scratching of the remaining Nightmare Treants serving as motivation, they bolted right the f*ck out of there!

    One by one, they entered the blue light, until eventually, all 70 or so of them successfully escaped the creepy forest.

    The forest returned to an eerie level of silence¡­

    ¡ª------------ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ¡ª Meanwhile, back on the Ascension Tower of Humanity''s Trial Floor (Earth), on the island that once housed the Peak-Purple Rank Gate "Oblivion''s Threshold" ¡ª some time prior to Cassius''s transportation to the Nightmarescape ¡ª

    "Hmm¡­? What''s this over here?"

    A government official from the United States had been surveying the ruined area for anything of note. That was when he saw a slightly cracked clipboard lying under a large chunk of whatever unknown substance the Gates were made of.

    Picking up the clipboard, the official read the first thing he saw. Every word caused his eyes to progressively widen.

    [Daily Entry #21]

    [Name: Cassius Steele]

    [Rank: Unawakened]

    [Affiliation: None]

    [Country of Origin: Japan]

    [Return Probability: 0%...]

    "I¡­ I have to report this up the ladder right away¡­!"

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    His declaration was instantaneous, and his feet were just as quick as he ran out of the damaged dome in a panic. Others looked at him weirdly, but he didn''t even register their existence. His mind was wholly focused on informing his superiors of what he found.

    ''If this is correct¡­ then that means there was someone else inside Oblivion''s Threshold when it exploded¡­! But the reports from the S-Rank Hunters¡ªthey spoke nothing of an additional person. Now, either they were lying¡­ or something unexplainable occurred inside that Gate¡­''

    The government official was unsure which option was the truth, but either way, what he discovered here would surely make the higher-ups notice him.

    ''For fame, money, and women, I''ll personally bring this clipboard back to the US!'' he thought excitedly while boarding a helicopter currently in the process of taking off.

    ¡ª A few minutes later ¡ª

    The government official had gone through several higher chains of command. However, as a global crisis in the Antarctic had just been felt around the world, the news related to it caused him to be stopped in the White House. Sitting outside the President''s Oval Office, the official''s sweaty palms fidgeted above his black khaki pants.

 Chapter 214 Let The World Burn

    *Thwack!*

    A door was abruptly opened. It led into the Oval Office.

    The nervous government official shot his eyes toward the door, only to see a man of great stature standing there. The man possessed an aura well into the S-Rank, with visible aura palpitations even stronger than Vera and Viola. His gaze was stern, his posture disciplined, and his orangish hair wild like a lion''s mane¡ªthis man was like the incarnation of an animal god.

    "The President is expecting you," he said in a deep voice. "Come inside."

    The government official anxiously bobbed his head before practically jumping off his seat. He hurried past the towering man, then heard the lavishly decorated door shut behind him.

    Upon getting a good look at the room''s interior, the official''s shaky eyes fell on the wizened old man sitting behind a wide desk in the far back end of the room. The glass window behind him reflected the setting sun very well, casting an eerie glow over his wrinkled face. Yet, even with age having taken its toll on him, he still held an air of fortitude. The way he crossed his hands just a little ways away from his mouth made him appear all the more menacing from the official''s perspective.

    "I hear that you have something you wish to show me?" the President''s gravelly voice echoed, his stony eyes piercing into the official''s soul.

    Finding his voice under the oppressive atmosphere in the luxurious room, the official said, "M-Mr. President, sir, right here in my hands is something that I believe could help us better understand the unexpected situation with the Oblivion''s Threshold Gate!"

    After a brief moment of thought, the President motioned to the large, lion-maned man standing beside him. The man vanished, then reappeared with the clipboard that the official held out. Without reading it, the man quietly handed it over to the President.

    Although the government official was stunned over what had just occurred, he quickly lowered his head and patiently waited.

    ¡ª After a few seconds ¡ª

    The President, showing a face that wasn''t pure indifference, handed the clipboard over to the lion-maned man to look over. He, too, after a moment or two, showed a complicated expression. They exchanged a certain look with one another, then turned back toward the government official, all smiles.

    "We appreciate you," the President said genuinely. "Without you, this peculiar case never would''ve been brought to the table. And for that, we thank you."

    The government official''s face visibly glowed as he lifted his head, prepared to give his humble response.

    But before that could happen, he felt the world around him¡­ flip upside down¡­?

    "Wha¡ª"

    SPLURT!

    The official''s head rolled off his shoulders and tumbled against the velvety carpet a couple of times before coming to a sudden stop.

    No change was made in the President''s eerily smiling expression as he handed a white handkerchief to the lion-maned man. Seeing as the powerful man now had blood smeared across his right hand, he surely needed something to wipe it off with.

    "It''s simply unfortunate that you knew too much," the President intoned, his face becoming ever more terrifying. "Make sure that everyone who knows about this clipboard¡ªwho isn''t with us¡ªalso meets their¡­ unfortunate ends."

    The lion-maned man nodded before disappearing once more, this time for good. In his wake, the now-bloody handkerchief fluttered down from a few feet off the ground. Eventually, the handkerchief landed softly on the happy face of the man who didn''t even know he had died.

    Smiling creepily, the President of the United States sat there in his black leather chair, unmoving. Only after a few seconds did his wrinkled face begin to twitch, causing his head to knock to the left and right every so often. Yet, beyond that, nothing occurred.

    For the next indefinite period of time, the President just sat there¡­ sat there and smiled¡­

    Meanwhile, the horrifyingly powerful lion-haired man¡ªotherwise known as the Lion King, ranked #7 in the World¡ªvanished and reappeared in several places across the United States. Every time he appeared, another head would roll. Clean-up vans would arrive on the scene within seconds each time this happened.

    And before long, there were no longer any more heads that needed to be chopped off¡­

    When the Lion King finished up his part of the tasks, the eerily smiling President looked down at the clipboard lying on his desk. Seeing the name written on the board, his head whacked itself sideways a bit unnaturally before returning to normal. Though, in the very next moment, the clipboard suddenly vanished.

    "Information has been stored in the Mothership¡­ The target has evolved beyond expectations and is now capable of destroying Gates," the President robotically muttered. "This evolution changes things. Requesting for protocol #490 commencement to be granted."

    A silence ensued, until eventually, an emotionless feminine voice rang out:

    "Permission¡­ granted."

    Before the President could respond, the feminine voice continued, "Malakar has been removed from his duties and was sent back to the Mothership to be prepared for recycling. The Mothership has determined you¡ªSeminar¡ªto be the next most suitable candidate. Do whatever it takes to lure ''it'' out. That¡­ Anomaly of a Floor Guardian has still not made a move even though more than half the world''s powerhouses are no longer humans. Take advantage of this and use everything at your disposal to complete the mission."

    "Understood," said Seminar, the President.

    The feminine voice didn''t sound out again. Radio silence followed, urging the President to cut off the connection and resume his creepy smiling session with the wall facing the front of his desk.

    Protocol #490 was promptly set in motion, and within mere seconds, every Extraterrestrial in the world received the same message. The message read: S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Chaos, cause as much of it as possible. Throw the world into turmoil, incite wars, threaten each other, let¡­ the world burn. Follow these instructions as soon as the World''s End Gate opens. Save the humans from imminent doom, avoid the Abyss, and then drag the humans back into despair. Whatever it takes¡­ Whatever it takes, ''it'' must be brought out of hiding." Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 215 Grace and Flora

    Listening to the rest of the message, Extraterrestrials worldwide heard:

    "If the first part of the instructions doesn''t produce the desired results, then begin with the second part of the instructions. Threaten, capture, and torture every single human that we have allowed ''its'' son to get close to thus far. The plants have already been planted; your objective is to use them.

    And if in the end, gruesomely eliminating those close to the target does not work in forcing the target to call ''it'' out, then even more excessive measures will be required. By the time Protocol #490 needs to be put into motion, the world will already be ours, so everything will be at our disposal. Absolutely everything. Burn¡­ Burn out the rat to catch the snake."

    The message ended there, and all at once, hundreds of millions of ''humans'' returned to whatever they were doing. They acted completely normal¡ªvery¡­ human.

    ¡ª On an unknown mountain peak on Earth ¡ª

    A man adorned in ragged traveler''s robes tipped his straw hat down enough to fully cover his rugged features. He relaxed on a red beach chair. In his hands was the latest Playboy magazine, its explicit images eliciting occasional oohs and ahhs from the man with the straw hat.

    However, suddenly, the straw hat man looked up from his naughty magazine. His Magic Sense rapidly expanded and covered the entire world in an instant, doing so unnoticed by all. Specifically, though, his Magic Sense honed in on a certain part of the Antarctic¡ªthe part that was now split into two parts and currently sliding off one another, leading up to what would most definitely be a disaster.

    Seeing an old friend in the midst of a snowfield, the straw hat man''s eyes widened a little. He also noticed the crazed black-haired chick standing beside him, which made him give a casual comment:

    "It looks like my kid needs my assistance with that little wife of his¡­ But hmm¡­ He''ll never develop a good character if I help him now," said the deadbeat dad who not once helped his only son. "I''m sure he''ll figure everything out on his own. He is my kid, after all," added the narcissistic womanizing bastard. "Well, at least I know for sure he''s mine. I mean, just look at all the girls he has fawning over him. It almost makes him a tenth as good as I was when I was his age. Haha."

    With that, he returned to immersing himself in the pages that depicted the pinnacle of cultural advancement. Even as the world around him rumbled and quaked, his eyes remained glued to the magazine. Though, when he felt his son''s presence completely disappear, he looked up once more.

    But then he shrugged, saying, "He''s probably gone off to some faraway land to bring home another daughter-in-law. My son inherited all of my good qualities, after all, ha¡­"

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    Following a reminiscent sigh mirroring his good ol'' days of cummin'' n'' going, he no longer paid attention to the ongoings of the world around him. Only the crisp sounds of him flipping pages of the stuff of legends could be heard from atop his lone, green mountaintop.

    The Extraterrestrials, on the other hand, freaked out quite a lot when Cassius mysteriously vanished. Just like when he went to HELL''s Gate Trial Floor, they tasked every one of their own with finding him.

    However, unlike the last time, when he disappeared for hours, all it took was half a single minute for him to reappear as a large blip on a map that revealed his approximate location. It wasn''t able to precisely determine his location, but it was enough to verify his place on this planet.

    Then again, it was also because of how vaguely his location would appear on the map that when the Aliens saw him appear at the Oblivion''s Threshold Gate a while back, they thought nothing of it.

    It wasn''t until confirmation of him entering the Gate came through that everything unraveled itself before the beings who descended to this plane from beyond the stars¡­

    But with the target now back at home base, everything in the world returned to normal.

    However, beneath the normality of it all lay an unforgiving undercurrent that only had one thing stopping it from erasing hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution¡­

    That thing being¡­ time.

    The Extraterrestrials¡ªlike many other beings lurking in the shadows¡ªwere just biding their time¡­ waiting for the most opportune moment to send the whole world into a pit that it wouldn''t be able to climb back out of¡­

    All for the sake of a singular being.

    A singular being who would change everything.

    Or nothing at all¡­

    ¡ª A few hours after Cassius returned to Earth from the Nightmarescape, a secret conversation between sisters of the Succubus race was happening in the Realm of Pleasure ¡ª

    Lazily laying off the side of her large fluffy pink bed was a gorgeous girl with long brown hair. She seemed extremely bored. And that was, in fact, the case.

    Hugging a big body pillow of a man who looked an awful lot like a certain handsome devil, Grace rolled around. Her boredom mixed with a poutiness that left her as a giant complicated mess. "That dummy," she mumbled. "He''s already become so close with my younger sister. Humph! Just a big dummy, that''s all he is!"

    Something rustled from a chair sitting beside her bed, then a wry feminine voice sounded. "You know I''m still right here, don''t you¡­?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Grace briefly turned her cute pouty face toward the stylish girl sitting on one of her many bunny-shaped chairs. An adorable snort echoed, followed by Grace sharply turning her face away from her sister. She rolled over as well, leaving her sister only the sight of her in bunny pajamas to look at.

    "I''m not talking to you right now, you meanie," Grace grumbled.

    Flora sighed. "I already told you that I''d help you sneak out of here and see him again, and it''s not like I knew you felt such a way about him. At least not at first¡­"

 Chapter 216 Floras Letter

    Elder Protector Violet had filled Flora in on any of the missing details that her mother¡ªthe Succubus Queen¡ªleft out. Violet did so by looking through the records penciled down by the ''fill-in'' parents at their House on Earth. It was because of these events that Flora was able to learn the whole backstory between her dear older sister and her First Mark.

    Grace snuggled her charming face out of her covers, body pillow still in hand. "You promise that you''ll be able to sneak me out of here to see him¡­? I¡­ I just don''t want to die without¡­ without first telling him how I feel about him¡­"

    Flora rose from her seat and grabbed her older sister''s trembling hand. "You''re not going to die; stop speaking such nonsense. And, of course, I''m a Succubus who keeps her word."

    Grace revealed a lovely smile as her eyes creased up like two rays of sunshine. "Thank you, Flora¡­ I-I really mean it."

    Flora silently nodded.

    While still holding her hand, she said, "I will, however, need you to understand that because of my first mark, I''ll have to rock the bed with him. It''s unavoidable. Else I''ll probably be the first one to die out of us sisters¡­"

    A bomb was dropped on Grace, and all she could do was bite her lower lip and drop her gaze from Flora''s. Grace''s eyes erratically flickered as she let go of her sister''s hand and returned to adorably sulking in her covers. She wiggled around a lot, twisting and turning, but Flora did not interrupt her. She simply let her do whatever she had to do.

    After all, Flora believed that she had already won this little game between sisters. It was also because of this belief that her smile twitched every now and then, seemingly trying to prevent itself from growing into a wide grin.

    Finally, after several seconds of tossing around, Grace brought her pouty face back to her patiently waiting little sister. With a preciousness that was hard to come by in this toxic day and age, she softly murmured, "Fine¡­ But only once to erase the mark you put on him! After that¡ªafter that no more! No, no¡­ no¡­!"

    "I understand," Flora replied with a small smile, inwardly celebrating. "I''ll only rock the bed with him once, then I won''t initiate anymore." ''He could always bring it up himself if he wants to go to poundtown again.''

    Grace unwillingly nodded, though her brows furrowed a bit as she said, "And no more saying ''rock the bed''! It''s¡­ It''s vulgar! And I don''t like it!"

    ''You only don''t like it because you''re secretly imagining the way I''ll be throttling him when we break the bed.'' Flora evilly smirked inside her mind, yet outwardly complied.

    Another few cute snorts escaped Grace''s eternally rosy cheeks before she rolled herself up in her blanket and turned into a burrito. Facing the opposite direction of her somewhat hard-to-look-at little sister, she said, "You may excuse yourself. I want to be alone right now. And if you meet Cassius, tell him¡­ tell him that I believe in him." She brightly smiled, but then realization shocked her expression. Rolling to face her sister, she slurred her words together, "But don''t say it as if I''m pressuring him or anything! I-It''s not like he has to take part in that dangerous Yggdrasil Tournament¡­! It''s just that¡­ that if he does, I''ll be here rooting for him!"

    Her expression suddenly changed again.

    "But, oh God¡­ What if the Yggdrasil Tournament really does turn out to be too dangerous¡­!? What if he gets hurt!?? Or worse?!? This can''t happen! You must tell him to forget all about the tournament!! Tell him to forget all about me¡­! Even if I do end up dying¡­ If I do die, I don''t want him to blame himself¡­"

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    Turning her head up and focusing her previously unfocused eyes, she rambled, "Tell him to not worry about anything at all! Actually, I want to see him in person¡ª"

    That was when Grace realized that her little sister had already disappeared, leaving behind a letter that slowly fell to the end of her bed. Like a cold-started engine, Grace speedily unwrapped herself and jumped on the letter. Her prettily painted hands hurriedly ripped apart the letter. As her eyes scanned the content written on the paper, her complexion switched between green, purple, and red before eventually landing on pink. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She tightly hugged her Cassius body pillow, mumbling with a deep blush coloring her cheeks.

    On the letter, a number of words were written, each one in Flora''s handwriting. They read:

    "I''ll keep all my promises, dear elder sister. My sacred place shall only accept his raging dragon one time of my own volition. I promise not to catch any feelings as well, so he''s all yours in that department.

    As for getting you out of here, it will have to wait a few weeks, but I promise it will happen. When the Nexus Event for Earth occurs, Mother will be busy dealing with the aftermath that follows. Many Dimensions will involve themselves with the Ascension Tower of Humanity''s business¡ªincluding our Mother and the Aluria Family. This will be the only chance that I can have Elder Protector Violet slip you out of the Palace without alerting Mother or the other Elders. Then again, it will be quite dangerous¡­

    Though, I''m sure that won''t be enough to keep you away from your lover boy, will it?

    Oh, and Big Sister, you won''t be dying anytime soon. If you can''t trust our family, then trust your Cassius. Ha¡­ You should''ve seen how livid he became when I sparked up a conversation mentioning how I was your sister and how our Mother basically put you under house arrest. He definitely knows about our supernatural origins, but I''m pretty sure he thinks we''re blood suckers¡­ lol."

    The letter ended with that.

    "Shtupids..." Grace''s large brown doe eyes charmingly watered. "Both my little sister and Cass, both of them are just shtupid dummies¡­!"

    Her time of sulking and rolling resumed¡­

    It was a period in her life that was both self-realizing and, most of all, adorable as f*ck!

 Chapter 217 The Rushans Have Taken Master!?

    ¡ª Meanwhile, in the Ascension Tower of Humanity, where a flying silver trail of light darted through the late-night skies ¡ª

    Eventually, the silver light trail came to a stop on one of the many mountains in the Himalayas, somewhere in Asia. Once the dust and soot brought up from her crash landing dispersed, Yimin''s curious eyes shot all around until they ultimately landed on a woman who could only be described as a modern-day Egyptian Goddess.

    Sitting on a high-quality Chinese-style chair, Hellion leisurely sipped on a cup of green herbal tea. She was perusing an article describing what happened at the Antarctic earlier that day; however, once a small explosion occurred right next to her, she looked up. Her calm yet emotionless eyes locked onto the goofy, voluptuous dragon woman approaching her.

    "Yimin has come! Where is Master at!?" Yimin''s chirpy voice echoed as she looked all around, her tail wagging. Though, when she saw no Master and smelled no Master, her excitement instantly died down.

    Although a malicious aura pressed down on her, Hellion calmly said, "No need to get upset. Your Master may not be here, but I know how to find him, which I stated in the letter I sent by pigeon. Did you not get the letter?"

    "The letter?" Yimin''s menacing expression turned adorably confused as she placed her right index finger against her chin. "Oh¡ª" her irises suddenly flashed in realization, "¡ªyou mean the tweetie snack?? Yimin gobbled it up! It was so yummy!"

    "...Then how did you know to come here¡­?"

    Yimin proudly slanted her nose on an incline. "Yimin smelt Master''s scent in Yimin''s poo''s and followed it here! Wait¡­ Where is the Master!?"

    Like a mix of a forgetful turtle and a territorial lion, she returned to baring her fangs and claws, with her shiny silver hair standing on end.

    Speechless.

    That was what the millennia-old Sphinx was feeling at the moment. She had never¡­ not in her thousands of years of life, met anyone so odd. Though, considering Yimin''s identity as a species that shouldn''t even exist in the Ascension Tower, it made a lot of sense that she was a¡­ weirdo.

    Shaking her head, Hellion waved forward; a chair similar to hers was summoned from thin air.

    Yimin tilted her head. "Want Yimin to eat it¡ª?"

    "No, just sit," Hellion interrupted. "We have a lot to discuss. That is, assuming you still want to find a way back to your Master."

    Yimin thought about it, then forgot why she was thinking about anything. She plopped down on the chair, her tail still wagging. "So where''s Yimin''s Master?? Is Master playing hide and seek!?"

    She became excited again.

    She really, really¡­ really loved hide and seek.

    ''This girl is truly something else¡­'' Hellion thought with twitching brows. ''I just wonder how she was able to track Master''s scent here but not to where he actually is? Maybe this location was closer to her? No, that''s just silly¡­¡ª''

    "Ooh, a colorful birdy!" Yimin bounced out of her seat and Naruto-sprinted toward a peacock that had just ascended the small mountain they were on. "Yimin was just chasing so many of these colorful birdies before pooing and going after Master! Now, there''s more!" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She quickly grabbed the peacock before bringing it back to her chair. She then forced it to stay still in her lap, all while swinging her head left and right in a jovial way.

    Silence.

    Hellion looked at this unusual silver-haired specimen, seriously wondering if she had some severe brain damage.

    After inhaling longer than normal, she exhaled. Her face returned to complete apathy as she said, "So how about we discuss how you''re going to find your beloved Master?"

    Hellion, the Hellish Sphinx, then went on to weave out a grand tale. She depicted Yimin as the protagonist that needed to venture into dangerous lands to save the damsel in distress, which just so happened to be her¡­ Master.

    As for where these dangerous lands were, it was obviously¡­ Russia!

    "The Rushans have taken Master!? Yimin won''t allow it!"

    OOM!

    Her aura erupted outward, creating waves of immensely powerful energy. Her presence became increasingly stronger, until eventually reaching close to the Mage Lord''s approximate power level.

    Hellion faintly smiled. ''This will work,'' she thought before saying, "If you wish to save your Master before he gets eaten by the¡­ Rushans, then you''ll need to head out now. Hurry, we must not waste any time."

    Yimin furiously nodded. "Yimin will save Master from the Rushans!! Thanks, funny-looking lady I don''t know!!"

    FWIP!

    Yimin took off into the skies like a silver rocket, leaving the dumbfounded Hellish Sphinx to her own devices.

    "...We live in the same house, you know¡­? We even serve the same Master¡­"

    Hellion sighed, then vanished as well.

    ¡ª Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe ¡ª

    Cassius, after meeting up with every woman in his household, decided to contact a peculiar girl who went to the same school as him. His time since returning to this world had led to many surprises, one of which was the announced kidnapping of Grace.

    ''Can it really be called a kidnapping, though¡­? Hard to tell¡­''

    His thoughts swirled around inside his head as he waited by the only train station in Hoshito. The reason he was waiting for showed up not even two seconds later, wearing a flowy white sundress.

    Flora walked over with slow, elegant strides. A lovely smile was plastered across her face, which would give one the illusion that she was some cheerful girl. But Cassius knew better. He became abundantly aware of what sort of person she was shortly after she approached him and dropped the bombshell that was Grace''s situation. He understood very well that everything he was seeing right now was merely a facade.

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    But what puzzled him was what exactly her aim was.

    He knew not if she was actually Grace''s sister or if they were even related; after all, Grace never told him her last name.

    To be honest, his first assumption was that Flora was a Gremlin Extraterrestrial Fiend, but that idea was discarded as soon as he activated his S-Rank Extraterrestrial Sight Skill.

    So, then¡­ What was the truth¡­?

 Chapter 218 Floras Proposal

    However, what Cassius could 100% verify the truth of was that Flora was not human. No human had fangs like hers, or bat wings, or the ability to hypnotically control people¡ªeach of which were abilities that she showed to him. From just this fact alone, he was able to put a certain amount of trust in what she said. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    But just in case, he kept his guard up.

    One could never be too careful in this world¡ªa world where anyone could be an Alien or even a woman/man in disguise!

    But regardless of Cassius''s suspicions, when Flora approached him and curtly bowed, he returned the gesture with a slight head nod. Getting down to the matter at hand, he coldly asked, "Why have you called me out here? I have many important matters I need to attend to."

    "I''m sure you do," Flora giggled. She strode up to him and interlocked her arm with his. "Don''t you wish to know more about Grace''s current situation? My mother does not play around, you know?"

    Cassius broke free from her soft, cushiony grasp. "I have no interest in playing this game with you," he scoffed. "Just tell me how to bring her back."

    Of what Flora told him, she left out a few very important key details. One was that they were Succubi. Two was that their family was also working toward acquiring a cure for Grace. And three, Flora didn''t state precisely how long Grace was to be kept under house arrest. For all he knew, their mother would lock Grace away past the three-month deadline, thus preventing him from having any hope of giving her the cure.

    Flora had, of course, left out all of these details on purpose. How else would she have gotten him to stay hooked on the line she threw out?

    If she were stronger than him, then everything would''ve been far simpler, but even with her Succubus Awakening, she still felt inferior. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    When she looked at him, it was as if she was staring into a bottomless abyss...

    Merely imagining his Essence was enough¡ª Ahn~ ¡ªto make her feel weird¡­

    She squirmed in place after being harshly rejected by her First Mark, seemingly obtaining a similar fetish as the Voidling Guild Leader¡ªanother batsh*t crazy lady.

    Cassius''s lips curled in disgust while looking back at her. ''Another one¡­?'' He was beginning to believe that his luck with the ladies truly was the worst.

    However, for Grace''s sake, he had no choice but to entertain the antics of this extremely unusual girl. "Tell me," he said non-negotiably. "Where is Grace being held? And how strong are those in your family?"

    Flora gazed into his striking blue eyes. Unable to hold back the laughter, she gracefully placed a hand over her mouth. "You''re serious, aren''t you? Haha~ You have a far better chance of winning the entire Yggdrasil Tournament than getting my elder sister away from Mother. At that point, you might as well become one of the Ancestors of the Ascension Tower! Pfft~"

    Cassius blankly stared at the laughing girl as they boarded a train headed outside of Hoshito. They weren''t heading anywhere in particular but decided the most isolated parts of a public train to be the most optimal place to talk.

    He sat down first, with no one around him. Flora, interrupting this solitude, plopped her ample bottom on the seat right next to his. Her butt brushed up against his hand, forcing him to hold onto one of the hanging metal poles.

    "I turn 18 years old in a few weeks, you know?"

    Cassius turned his head in her direction. Her eyes sparkled with hope, a dreamy smile playing on her lips. He sighed, leaned closer, and said, "Listen, kid. I''m gonna be frank with you¡ªI don''t give a f*ck. I don''t do minors. I''m not a soda machine."

    Memphis was also a minor, but her case was different. He let her get close to him because she had no one else in her life following her father''s death. And it wasn''t like they had intercourse or anything of the sort, which was exactly what this fox-like girl sitting beside him wanted.

    Flora''s lips puckered. "Not even for little ol'' me~?"

    "Definitely not for you."

    Oof!

    Flora took critical damage, but this was not enough to keep her down. Thinking quickly, she said, "You have big dreams of saving my elder sister, don''t you? Well, to do that, you need to get into Yggdrasil and participate in the Tournament of Yggdrasil. And you need to win."

    "I know that already¡ª"

    "But do you know that the Tournament of Yggdrasil itself is open to all, but getting into Yggdrasil is virtually impossible unless you''re a high-ranking faction on the 6th Floor of any Ascension Tower? And even then, those factions only receive a very small number of Yggdrasil tickets."

    A frown formed on Cassius''s covered handsome face. ''If what she says is true, then I''ll need to rethink my plans,'' he thought. ''Also, from the smug way she''s talking, it''s obvious that her family has one of the required tickets, which means¡­''

    He assumed she was joking or exaggerating with what she said about Ancestors just a second ago, but that could very well be the truth. Just the Trial Floors of the Ascension Tower of Humanity and HELL already had S-Rank organisms residing within them. Moreover, merely the 1st Floor of HELL had Demon Kings an unknown ways into the SS-Rank.

    As for the higher Floors, it was only natural to assume that the beings became progressively stronger the higher one ascended. Using this logic, if only factions on a 6th Floor could have a chance at entering Yggdrasil, then this cheeky girl''s family¡ªher mother, who was presumably a matriarch of sorts¡­

    ''Just how powerful is she¡­? More powerful than a 2nd Class Slayer?''

    He wasn''t positive if that were the case, but if Flora and Grace''s mother were indeed at such an insurmountable level, then his hurdles¡­ just multiplied¡­

    To understand his unrest at this information, one would need to turn back the clock to just after Cassius returned from the Hunter''s Forest in the Nightmarescape.

    He managed to make it out of the Colosseum and into the Royal Palace with the rest of the survivors. In there, he was aggressively questioned by several ridiculously powerful entities who, according to Yuna, were 2nd Class Slayers. Above them, however, sat an even more stupidly broken being¡ªKing Mistalore.

 Chapter 219 The Nexus Event?

    Although the King never said a word, his Ministers¡ªthe 2nd Class Slayers¡ªhounded him about what occurred in the Hunter''s Forest. Normally, 95+% of the Participants died when taking their Examination, but this time, only a little over four-fifths of them met their demise. This anomaly raised suspicions among the Royal Court, and with Cassius''s unknown origins, those suspicions were raised even higher¡ªespecially when they found out from the other Participants that he alone paved a path out of the forest.

    The King''s expression briefly changed when he heard all the Participants'' accounts, but he still didn''t say a word. Like a menacing man of stone he was.

    Toward the end of a borderline interrogation session, the Ministers of the Court nearly seemed to be on the verge of taking him into the back to be tortured. But just as Cassius predicted¡ªand also why he did everything as he did¡ªthe 12th Princess spoke up on his behalf. This also elicited a small reaction from the stoic and burly King. And in the end, her words silenced the Ministers. Ultimately, the decision for what to do with the freakish young man was left up to the King.

    And what the King did next was precisely what made Cassius add several additional layers to the severity of Grace''s predicament. The King, without moving an inch from his spot, merely looked at him with a bit more focus. And just that was enough to¡­ bring him to his knees.

    The pressure was so overwhelming that Cassius felt as if the countless billions of pounds he was carrying on his person weighed less than a feather in comparison. Just half a nanosecond longer of that insane pressure and he absolutely believed that he would''ve exploded on the spot.

    But in that same instant, the King reduced the intensity of his gaze. To those in the Court, he seemed oddly¡­ satisfied.

    And then, for the first time since the winning Participants were brought into the Court, King Mistalore spoke up. Though, he said but three words:

    "Leave him be."

    The Ministers all looked as if they were betrayed, but none of them dared to even so much as breathe incorrectly in their Liege''s presence, let alone question his final decision. Thus, they let the matter end there.

    Though, they did have one more question which pertained to Cassius''s eligibility to become a Nightmare Slayer. However, seeing how menacingly their King was staring at them, they knew full well what he would say if they asked him something so stupid.

    And just like that, Cassius became an official Nightmare Slayer!

    But just as the Ministers unwillingly reached his name when calling out where every Newbie Nightmare Slayer would be stationed in the Nightmarescape, time froze.

    The Idle Evolution System said that an hour had already passed inside the Hunter''s Forest, but decided to do a one-off thing of extending his time. However, that same extension ended very abruptly. Then, just like turning off a gaming console, Cassius returned to reality.

    Only 20-something seconds had passed since his departure into the Land of Beginnings.

    But the chaos he left behind before leaving¡­ was still very much there to greet him upon his return¡­

    Of course, like the responsible adult he was, he slipped away from the catastrophic scene in the Antarctic, and instead spent his time in the company of gorgeous women! This was the responsible thing to do!

    Then Flora''s phone message came along, and now, here we were, on a train heading to nowhere land.

    "So what you''re telling me is that to get into Yggdrasil, I have to, what? Join your Family?"

    Hearing Cassius''s question, Flora giggled. "Yes, that''s what I''m saying," she said. "And for this to be possible, you have to¡ªone: magically become an Incubus¡ªand two: compete in the Family Yggdrasil Entrance Tournament being held in roughly two months'' time. Of course, to take part in the Tournament, you have to be a part of the Family. But worry not, because I gotchu covered! And I also know of a method to help you easily acquire an Incubus Bloodline!"

    Cassius''s eyes narrowed. Everything sounded far too good to be true. Furthermore, there was one more pressing matter of concern:

    "What is it that you get out of this?"

    His question got straight to the point, catching Flora slightly off guard. Her bubbly and friendly facade nearly cracked, but she just barely managed to save herself in time. "I have only one thing I want," she said endearingly. "My elder sister''s well-being. And if you have even the smallest chance of acquiring a cure for her illness, then I don''t care what I have to do to help you."

    It wasn''t like she was entirely lying; she truly meant what she said about her sister. But she may or may not have left out the fact that she wanted to bone the shiz out of Cassius.

    All for the sake of him being her First Mark, of course!

    Probably¡­ Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire

    Well, considering that he would be quite literally drained to death by the time she was done with him, Flora preferred not to think about catching the feels. He was handsome and cool, and oddly sweet to those around him, but¡ª

    ''This whole "remain a fortress of solitude" may turn out to be a whole lot tougher than expected¡­''

    *Skirrrrrttt¡ª*

    Flora''s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the blaring sound of the train coming to a halt. Her head jolted back before restabilizing. But when she came to, the man who was sitting beside her was now sitting directly in front of her.

    "What do I need to do?" asked Cassius, his tone colder than ice.

    Although momentarily dazed by the way he was glaring at her, Flora retained enough clarity to say, "Hit my number in 2 to 3 weeks'' time, right after the Nexus Event truly concludes. Once that time arrives¡ªassuming it does¡ªI''ll tell you exactly what you must do to obtain an Incubus Bloodline."

    Cassius silently pondered.

    ''The Nexus Event¡­ I want to ask her what that is, but I highly doubt she''ll answer for free¡­''

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 Chapter 220 Allow Him To Fight In Yggdrasil!?

    After a brief pause, Cassius said, "Very well. And Flora¡­ Do not betray my faith in you. If you lied to me about any of this to get back at Grace for reasons I don''t care about, I''ll simply have to¡ªkill you."

    Even if he was almost positive this stylish girl and the meek Angel were indeed related, he knew how messy a family could get. If things really came down to it, family members could stab each other in the back¡ªthe worst kind of betrayal.

    Nonetheless, when those final words left Cassius''s mouth, the inside of the train all of a sudden turned dark. Then, with the screeching of the train''s brakes, light returned.

    But the shadowy cloaked man had mysteriously¡­ disappeared.

    Flora struggled to budge from her spot for the next ten minutes, with her thoughts still filled with Cassius''s threats. And then there was the way he looked at her¡­ Oh, that look! It was so¡­ it was so¡­ f*cking hot¡­! Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

    Creepy, perverted laughter bounced off the thin metal walls of the train. And it also just so happened that a purple-haired beauty was experiencing something similar from a few hundred miles away¡­

    Yet, there was one more. Someone, who less than a few hours ago, was reduced to a mere husk of the person she once was. Now, however¡­

    "My Husband! Mhm!! My Husband~!!!"

    Bella was rolling around on her large velvety bed in Nightingale. Her lips were curved up eerily, yet her beauty still remained unmatched. No matter how mentally insane she became, that fact never changed.

    During the first couple of hours following Cassius''s mysterious departure, she had been lifelessly meandering around in her own thoughts. Moreover, outwardly, she was unmoving.

    However¡­

    Once a certain amount of time passed, Bella just seemed to¡ªsnap¡ª

    She moved once more, wiped away her dried-up tears, and then began flicking her bean off to one of the countless pictures of Cassius that she kept stapled on every part of her room. Though, once she realized that such mediocre methods of self-pleasure were far from satisfactory, she quit horsing around and began devising a plan to win her Husband back.

    Although Bella understood more than anyone else how she screwed up, that in no way meant she was ready to give up! Her hubby was her light; he was the stars in the night sky!

    There was simply no possible way she''d give up so easily!! S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Her love was boundless¡ªand her insanity even more so!!!

    "I know what I must do!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, then immediately bolted out of her suspiciously drenched room.

    Once she made it in front of a pair of large, Gothic-style doors, she barged in. The first people she saw were her silver-haired father, with her s*xy mother sitting on the side of his throne. She was combing his soft hair with her hands before her daughter appeared, but, much to Alaric''s dismay, she almost instantaneously retracted her hand.

    Bella rushed past the motionless black-armored guards standing on both sides of the throne room. In an instant, she was already honing her pleading eyes on her father.

    "Please¡­!? Pwetty, pweety, please! With a cherry on top!??"

    Alaric blankly stared at his daughter. They both knew full well what was being asked of him here. But no¡ªhe wouldn''t do it.

    Under no circumstances would he allow something so disgraceful to occur in his noble Duke Family¡ª!

    "Won''t you at least consider hearing her reasoning, my dear?"

    Carmilla''s charming voice instantly silenced whatever the Vampire Duke was going to say. His awkwardly opened mouth closed, then his brows furrowed. He deliberated this matter very seriously, but under the puppy dog eyes of his precious daughter as well as the striking red eyes of his wife, he folded.

    "Fine¡­" He sighed. "You may speak."

    Bella''s vortex-like irises swirled radiantly. "Well, Daddy, first, I want to be allowed to go back to Earth¡ª!"

    "Denied."

    "Dear¡­"

    Alaric''s expression contorted rather difficultly. He clenched his throne, causing it to crack. And then, with a defeated voice, he said, "Very well¡­ But only for the next 10 or so days. The Nexus Event is occurring soon, and even Vampire Duke Descendants are not safe. Also, that bastard''s son¡ªyou''re not allowed to interact with him anymore¡ª" However, before he could speak further, Bella interrupted him, saying:

    "No can do, Daddy! Cass is my husband! No wife should be separated from their husband for too long!! Plus, the red moon is still out; we still have time!!"

    "He''s not even actually your husb¡ª"

    "He''s my husband!"

    "But, he''s really not¡ª"

    "He. Is. My. Husband," Bella slowly iterated, her eyes becoming scary. "K, Daddy?"

    Alaric helplessly looked at his even more helpless daughter. His helplessness became even worse when his mischievous wife gave him a cheeky look with her eyes. He shook his head before asking, "Beloved daughter of mine, what is it that you hope to accomplish by involving yourself with that boy again? Just entering the Humanity Tower''s Trial Floor with a mere incarnation cost me dearly; I won''t be able to go down again. The window is gone. So tell me; what do you hope to accomplish?"

    Bella lovingly grinned. "My Husband hates my guts, Daddy, you know that," she replied. "But seeing as I want him in my guts, I got to thinking!"

    Conveniently ignoring the palpable silence in the air, Bella continued, "My Cass is also someone who pursues benefits. So, then I thought: Well, what could benefit my Cassy Wassy? And the answer was so simple! I''ll just give him my ticket to enter Yggdrasil! I''ve noticed that he enjoys fighting, so¡ª"

    BANG!

    Both armrests of the Duke''s throne shattered, followed by a terrifying aura being unleashed from him. "Unacceptable!!" he roared. "I shall not allow it!!!"

    Seeing his unrest, Carmilla tenderly rubbed his shoulders. "Calm down, my love."

    "You''re also supporting such nonsense!?" Alaric flashed her a fierce glare.

    Carmilla shook her head. "Of course not," she said. "But I have an even better proposal in mind. I heard from little Bell that the boy has what should be your Vampire Duke Bloodline, or rather a diluted version of it as he is not a true descendant but instead a Turned."

    Ending on a high note, she said, "So how about this: what if we invite him into the Family and allow him to fight for one of the Yggdrasil Tickets that we''re still deciding what to do with?"

    "!?!?"

 Chapter 221 Perhaps He Likes Men...?

    "But he''s merely from a Trial Floor! His power will not make a difference in Yggdrasil! He''ll be out in the first round¡ª"

    "Surprises often come in the strangest of forms," said Carmilla, her voice like honey in her husband''s ears.

    That, or the words of a hypnotic she-devil¡­

    Either way, Alaric, the pushover, couldn''t retort. He frowned, then entered deep thought, and finally, he said, "Very well¡­ But only a single drop of Rank 6 Vampire Blood shall be given to him to upgrade his Bloodline! Anything past that will have to be earned by him."

    Bella furiously nodded before leaping. She wrung herself around his neck, rubbing her cheeks against his. "Thanks so much, Daddy!! I promise that you won''t regret this!! My Husband¡ªhere I come!!!" Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    With that, Bella transformed into a bat and escaped through an open window before speeding off into the distance.

    "...I''ll definitely regret all of this¡­"

    "Fufu~" Carmilla giggled cheekily. "Perhaps this is how our baby girl either hooks this guy or finally comes to terms with her misdeeds and rejection. But I do wonder¡­ Is she not aware of what one of the prizes that the contestant who takes home Gold will get this Century?"

    Alaric scoffed. "It doesn''t matter. That womanizing bastard''s son will never make it past even the Preliminaries with his level of strength. Forget winning it all, I doubt he''ll even make it past the front door!"

    Carmilla giggled. "Only time will tell, my dear." Then, her eyes misted over. "Now, what say we have a little time to ourselves~? You''ve been wanting to try that hand thing, haven''t you~?"

    Alaric nearly salivated at the mouth.

    Once again, he would be bent to the will of his Succubus of a wife¡­

    Oh, the woes¡­!

    ¡ª Meanwhile, in Hoshito, Japan, Earth ¡ª

    FWIP!

    Cassius just returned home and was immediately greeted by a stunning blonde-haired beauty as soon as he walked through the front door. There she was¡ªAya¡ªstanding there in one of his loose t-shirts and a pair of pink-laced underwear. Her hands, which were sleepily rubbing her eyelids, were suddenly put down.

    She saw him.

    They looked at each other, each silent. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Then, Aya''s cheeks became redder and redder, until, eventually, she screamed. "Ahhh! Y-You pervert¡­! S¡­ Shtupid big brother! So, so, so shtupid!!"

    *Thud, thud, thud.*

    Her hurried footsteps reverberated as she raced up the main marble stairway of their mansion. A loud door slam followed.

    "Well¡­ That could''ve gone better¡­"

    [Indeed¡­ Host has negative aura¡­ When a woman of any kind sees him, they immediately flee¡­ How does one go about acquiring this Skill? I, the System, wish to add this to the database.]

    *Bzzzztt¡ª!*

    Even Lilith¡ªin tattoo form¡ªvibrated in a low hum, clearly conveying its disappointment as well.

    "You two¡­" Cassius went to say something, but just ended up sighing. "I promised Aya that date this weekend; perhaps I can smooth a few things out with her then¡­"

    [Good luck with that! (He''s definitely going to f*ck it up.)]

    Lilith agreed with a slight buzz.

    Silence.

    It was extremely quiet¡­

    Until it wasn''t.

    "What was that scream all about?"

    A soft, melodic voice found its way into the ears of a devilishly handsome man who just couldn''t seem to catch a break today. He bleakly shifted his gaze toward the source of the voice, with him quickly laying eyes on an alluringly beautiful silverish-blue-haired woman wearing tight dolphin-patterned pajamas. But with how large her soft bosom was, several of the pajama''s buttons appeared to be on their last legs. They looked as if they were attempting to hold two parts of a massive boat from breaking away from one another.

    Magnificent.

    "Hello? Can you hear me?" Stella got close to him, with her voluptuous mountains of jelly jiggling all up in his peripheral vision.

    ''I think I need a larger field of view, because my screen just isn''t big enough to render anything else right now,'' Cassius thought to himself, yet vocally replied, "Yes, I can hear you. I was just spaced out for a second."

    Stella carefully inspected his expression. "I see¡­ Well, anyway, what was that about with Aya?"

    "Nothing much¡­ I just don''t think she was expecting male company¡ªdressed like that."

    "Ahh, yeah," said Stella. "We thought you would be gone longer than you were. Which reminds me, there''s also someone else dressing a bit¡ª"

    "What was that ruckus just now?"

    Walking around a corner was the gorgeous MILF who took up residence in the Steele Mansion. Her silky hair; long and golden, her eyes like pools of liquid gold, her milk makers like round and supple hilltops. Then, there were her child-bearing hips and donkalicious a*s, well¡­ nothing more needed to be said there. The tantalizing sight presented before Cassius''s innocent, virgin eyes was words enough.

    Sasha''s expression drastically changed when she saw just who was standing in the middle of the wide hallway. Slowly, she looked down at her barely dressed upper half, noting what was most definitely a slipped-out pink nipple. Then, with an explosion of smoke from both her ears, she ran back around the corner she just came out from.

    "C-Cassius¡­ Forg¡ª"

    "Already forgotten," said Cassius, his tone reassuring. "It''s very dark in here, after all."

    While gradually sliding down an unseen wall in embarrassment, Sasha faintly smiled. Her heartbeat quickened unnaturally, prompting her to tightly clutch the area above her heart. ''W¡­ What is this I''m feeling right now¡­? I shouldn''t be¡­ I can''t. I''m married. So then why¡­??''

    "Seems like Master is being productive as always."

    A different voice sounded out this time, coming from a small mahogany dining room table that sat under a dim lightbulb glow. Sipping tea while looking at recent news related to one of many consecutive terrorist attacks on Russia was the tan-skinned goddess-like woman¡ªHellion.

    "Why are you always sitting ominously like that¡­?" Stella asked.

    "Because my Master likes a woman who quietly observes," replied Hellion.

    "He does??"

    "Who knows? I was kidding."

    "...."

    Hot air escaped Stella''s pursed lips. "All the girls who call you Master are insufferable, Cassius. This one most of all. Humph!"

    She got her hopes up and everything! But nope, back to square one she went! Still completely in the dark about what Cassius''s ideal type was!

    Perhaps he likes men¡­?

    No, surely not¡­

 Chapter 222 Approaching the ArchDemon Rank

    Cassius silently observed the cute interaction between Stella and Hellion. However, his expression quickly changed when he received a mental message from the enchanting woman who was still calmly reading a news article.

    ''I sensed your connection with HELL worsen. Things have changed; assuming you still want to keep your status as the 73rd Demon King, you must enter HELL sooner than expected. And even if you wish to cut your losses on the Demon King Bloodline, I must implore you to reconsider; Bloodline retraction backlash at this stage will be disastrous. With the Nexus Event for this Floor rapidly approaching, I would not recommend taking the chance.''

    Cassius''s brows knitted together, but he nodded nonetheless. ''I understand,'' he responded back. ''We''ll return within the next few weeks. By then, I hope to still have you as my Guide through HELL. To me, you''re indispensable.''

    Hellion unnoticeably smiled. ''Of course, Master. I''ll be with you until the end. No one is more interesting than you, after all.''

    Noticing how quiet it was, Stella suspiciously eyed Cassius and Hellion. She felt something wasn''t right. But she couldn''t pinpoint exactly what that something was.

    "Humph!" was all that wound up leaving her mouth.

    Her grumbling, however, broke the concentration that Cassius and Hellion had on each other. As a result, they silently parted ways, with Hellion remaining in place and Cassius ascending the stairs of the mansion. He noticed Sasha on his way up with the help of his eye-related skills, but he didn''t do anything about it. He simply continued on his way, with Stella following closely behind.

    "You have something planned with Sasha, don''t you?" Stella asked, her tone emulating her displeasure.

    Cassius nodded.

    Stella''s cheeks puffed with air as she snorted¡ªmore than once. It wasn''t until they''d almost ascended the lengthy staircase that she tugged on the back of his cloak and said, "You''ll take me out somewhere as well, right? We still haven''t really talked about our mothers much since that incident with the MoonShiners. I¡­ I was just wondering if they were alike, you know? Since they were both related to this Sanctuary of Yggdrasil¡­"

    Cassius''s irises briefly flashed. ''With everything going on, I completely forgot about Stella''s connection to Yggdrasil¡­ and also my own¡­''

    Turning around at the topmost stair, Cassius met her gaze and said, "Your Grandma¡ªwould we be able to meet her on a day other than the day you want to go out?"

    Stella looked at him in confusion. "You don''t want to see her on the same day we go out¡­?"

    "Why would I want that? You don''t wish to have the day specially for yourself? It''s odd, but okay¡ª"

    "No, no!" Stella furiously waved her hands. "I''ll take the special day¡ªjust you and me¡­! Then, on a different day, we can go and meet Grandma!"

    Cassius tilted his head ever so slightly. After a moment, he gave up on understanding women and simply nodded. "It seems we have a plan, then." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Uhn!"

    With that, the confused man and ecstatic woman separated in the hallway, each returning to their personal rooms. One would likely end up in the other''s room later that night, but for now, Cassius would receive some much-warranted alone time.

    Shortly after entering his room and closing the door behind him, Cassius sat down on his bed in meditation. He was originally going to practice his movesets for the Fundamental Body Arts in an attempt to get them all to the 9th Layer but decided to reserve that for when he was in a wider space.

    For now, he would stick to his Fiendish Demon King Arts and Demon Dragon Integration Arts.

    Both of those techniques were similar to the cultivation techniques that Cassius read about in online webnovels. All he had to do was cultivate them as stated in their manuals, and he would improve both his strength and the proficiency of the techniques themselves. However, when it came to the Demon King Arts¡ªrather than improve his Bloodline like with the Demon Dragon Integration Arts¡ªhe instead cultivated the power contained within his Demon King Bloodline, which felt almost limitless.

    After more than a month of grinding away in his various techniques, Cassius had, of course, progressed his Demon King Rank quite a lot. From the 1st Rank of Lesser Demon King, he smashed straight through the 2nd Rank of Greater Demon King and found himself at the very pinnacle of such a profound stage!

    And as of now, he was only a fortuitous opportunity away from completely obliterating the wall that prevented him from achieving the 3rd Rank¡ªthe Archdemon Rank!

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    ''I think I''ll be able to break through tonight.'' His resolve steeled, and the Magicules in the room started to fluctuate. ''I''ll definitely make the breakthrough tonight.''

    WAAA!

    The Magicules suddenly morphed into something far redder and far more evil. Yet, except for the blowing of his hair and the slight grimace on his face, Cassius appeared to be in the comfort of his own home¡ªwhich he was¡ªbut this was meant metaphorically.

    However, as the strong winds in the room became even more intense, Cassius was forced to utilize his Teleport skill multiple times in quick succession. Only after around a hundred spams did he make it to a mountaintop somewhere in Japan; he hadn''t paid much attention to details while teleporting.

    Though, it was good that he did this, because in the very next instant, the top of the mountain was obliterated by insanely strong winds!

    Luckily, Cassius managed to keep himself levitating in a lotus position, thus preventing himself from destroying the rest of the mountain. Nonetheless, once his mind grabbed hold of the volatile string that kept the Archdemon Rank from him, he locked straight the f*ck in and amplified the essence of his Demon King Bloodline.

    His physical appearance transformed into something much more demonic and terrifying. He grew a pair of curved obsidian horns and a long, wickedly sharp tail. Moreover, the color of his eyes became a deathly shade of red, with a couple of menacingly slitted pupils added in as well.

    WHOOOOOM¡ª!

 Chapter 223 A Moment For Prayer

    WHOOOOOM¡ª!

    Cassius''s cloak ruptured and exploded.

    If not for the Shadow Monarch Cloak''s unique ability to self-regenerate over time, he would''ve been rather pissed over this incident.

    But regardless of the what-ifs, as soon as his mind and body both crossed over into a threshold of no return, Cassius didn''t look back for even a second and dived straight in!

    OOOM!!!

    His demonic aura exploded outward, reaching such an insanely high level that living beings all over the world could feel it. Chills ran down the spines of many, but not a single one could pinpoint precisely what was making them feel this way.

    If put in layman''s terms, it was as if everyone everywhere suddenly had the weirdest feeling that the world¡­ became ever more malevolent.

    Then, with Cassius''s breakthrough concluding on a note of massive success, that feeling was heavily multiplied.

    But then, seemingly out of nowhere, that feeling vanished as if it had never been there to begin with¡­

    The widely known 10th Strongest Hunter in the World¡ªthe Mage Lord¡ªalso experienced this same phenomenon. And in his lapse in judgment, his insufferably annoying opponent took the opportunity to land a devastating gut punch right to the pit of his stomach. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    BOOOM!!

    An explosion reverberated as a straight line of destruction was drawn through the vast territory of Russia.

    But if one believed that to be the end of his opponent''s momentum, then think again! Because before he could even catch his balance and stop uncontrollably blitzing through the skies, a silver rocket moved even faster and appeared where he was heading.

    With an unwavering hand raised high, a resounding slap echoed through the air, striking with the force of a thunderclap.

    KA¡ªBOOOOOOOM!!!

    It was a slap heard around the world.

    The damage caused by this furious slap was so immense that many large regions of Russia caved in under the weight of the attack and collapsed into the ground. The damage¡ªbeing most disastrous where the Mage Lord was slapped into¡ªtook the worst of it all. No more human or animal life was present in that area, with the whole place having turned into no more than a massive, multi-layered crater.

    At first thought, one would believe that there was no way the Mage Lord could''ve possibly survived a physical attack at such a level. After all, he was a Mage-class!

    But that was where one would forget one very important fact¡­

    The Mage Lord¡ª

    RUMBLE!!!

    ¡ªwas a World-class motherf*cking Hunter¡­!!!

    CRACKA¡ªBOOOOOOM!!!

    The crater where the Mage Lord was planted imploded upward. Then, from within billions of tons of sailing debris, a blonde-haired man draped in mystic purple robes appeared. His incalculably high anger was visible through the flames shooting out of his eyes, and though his hair was disheveled and his clothes a mess, he was still more than capable of magically amplifying his voice:

    "YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE NERVE!??"

    "THE NERVE TO COME INTO MY COUNTRY AND KILL MY HUNTERS!!! AND THEN TO ADD TO YOUR DEATH WISH, YOU HARM ME!!!! ME!????"

    "COURTING DEATH!!!"

    Yimin dug out her right ear and flung what she found in the seething Mage Lord''s direction. "Yimin has to kill you now, carrot-head. Otherwise, Yimin won''t be able to save Yimin''s Master!"

    "Who gives a fuck about your shitty master!?? I''LL KILL YOU!!!!"

    Yimin''s happy expression zeroed out as dark black streaks formed over her eyes.

    The Mage Lord roared as his aura extended to the high heavens. A spiraling red and blue sphere spun around on his S+++ Rank Staff. He tossed the sphere into the sky, causing it to disappear.

    "TELL ME HOW YOU LIKE MY METEOR FALL, B*TCH!! AND TELL YOUR SH*TTY MASTER THAT I SENT YOU THERE WHEN HE MEETS YOU IN THE AFTERLIFE!!!!"

    Yimin''s face further darkened.

    |METEOR FALL| - |AQUA FIRE METEOR SHOWER| - |ULTIMATE SKILL!!|

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    OoOoOM! OoOoOM! OoOoOM!

    OoOoOM! OoOoOM! OoOoOM!

    OoOoOM! OoOoOM! OoOoOM!

    From the mixed blue and red skies emerged dozens of colossal fiery bluish-red meteors, each one the size of a small country. And each one aimed in the singular direction of a shadowy-faced silver-haired woman seemingly frozen in place.

    Seeing this pitiable sight, the Mage Lord sneered. "What, girl¡ªare you scared!?? Are you terrified!?!?" Using his enhanced vision to better look her body up and down, he licked his lips. "If you want to live, then I don''t mind sparing you! But you''ll have to get down on your knees, slowly strip yourself down, and then service me until I''m satisfied! Hell, I''ll even let your sh*tty Master watch as I violate you¡ª"

    "ENOUGH!!!!"

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    A voice more terrifying than the deepest pits of HELL was followed by countless explosions as Yimin''s rage-filled face burst upward at many times the speed of light!

    "!!!"

    The Mage Lord realized all too late, and before his Ultimate Skill could speed up its descent, an obsidian claw clasped onto his head. Then, while moving at a speed beyond what he could properly deal with, Yimin rammed the back of his head straight into one of the bluish-red meteors plummeting from the sky.

    The meteor exploded instantly!

    The Mage Lord came out the other end of the exploded meteor with a bloodied face and a cracked skeleton. Every single one of his protective measures had been destroyed!

    Yet¡­

    "For insulting Yimin''s Master¡ªDEATH!!!"

    "N¡­ No!! Pl-Please, ha-have mercy¡­!!!"

    Too late.

    Yimin reeled back the crying face of one of the most powerful men on the planet, then called upon even more of her latent Tyrant Dragon Bloodline.

    A moment for prayer.

    Then, a moment for those who would be implicated because of this.

    And then, finally, one moment to view the sight of the Mage Lord''s handsome face slowly peel off in slow motion as his body blurred forward.

    However, one must not forget to give a moment of prayer to the meteors that did not sign up for this.

    CRACKA¡ªBOOOOOM!!!

    Another meteor exploded, this time in even grander fashion than the last one!

    But from the innumerable chunks of flying debris, Yimin''s furious expression appeared above one of them as she viciously grabbed onto the Mage Lord''s mangled face. She threw him toward a different fiery meteor, and another explosion resounded.

    But she was not anywhere close to being done.

    Another explosion. Another meteor wrecked.

    Another¡­ Another¡­ Another¡­ Another¡­ Another¡­ Another...

 Chapter 224 Hellions Sinister Intentions

    Like a ping-pong ball being tossed around on a table, the Mage Lord''s bloody mess of a body crashed through every single meteor falling from the sky. Eventually, after less than half a nanosecond of hypertravel, the meteors were left as no more than flying debris.

    As for the Mighty and All-powerful Mage Lord¡­ calling him a bag of meat and bones would be quite generous to describe his current appearance.

    Even with an S-Rank Awakener''s insane Endurance stat, his regeneration was unable to help.

    He died.

    For the first time since the Gates appeared nearly a century ago, a World-class Hunter perished from something other than natural causes. This event was a terrifying thing to imagine¡ªunbelievably terrifying.

    "Humph! That''s what you get for insulting Yimin''s Master, carrot-head!" Yimin coldly snorted as she tossed aside the gory mess in her claws.

    But if this event was such a terrifying thing to imagine, then why was there someone as cute as Yimin acting as the cause of it all¡­? S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Yimin¡ªwhile covered in some of her own blood but mostly the Mage Lord''s¡ªcasually licked off the blood trickling down her claws. "Blegh! Even his blood tastes nasty!" She coughed up whatever she had just swallowed before whipping her tail around and shooting off into the distance.

    ''Weird-looking lady said we would meet again on that mountain with the funny-looking colorful chickens, and she would tell Yimin the next step on how to find and save Master. I''ll go there!''

    Her thoughts echoed out rather joyfully as she left behind a scene of mass destruction that would leave the massive country of Russia forever scarred.

    Not only had she murdered one of the World-class Hunters¡ªonly one of two in Russia¡ªbut she also savagely brutalized thousands of the most powerful A-Rank and S-Rank Hunters, including the Green Dragon Hunter Party.

    Vera died at her hands, and so did the rest of her party.

    In total, dozens of S-Rank Hunters fell to her¡­ which meant very few S-Rank Russian Hunters still remained.

    Even the extraterrestrials disguised as high officials or powerful Hunters died at her hands, though she was none the wiser to their true identities. Then again, she did briefly wonder why they looked so weird after she killed them, even prompting her to taste-test one of them.

    However, she immediately spat out the big-headed gray freak, and that was the end of that.

    Anyhoo, the Russia that existed before Yimin killed the Mage Lord was already a land riddled with craters and devastation. But when she left the fiery meteor debris to fall upon every inch of the country, the snowy wonderland transformed into a land of¡­ death¡­ and misery.

    Fortunately, the deaths of the Russians were extremely quick, as the meteor debris rained down at a ridiculously fast speed. The common populace suffered none¡ªtheir demise merciful.

    However, of those who still remained in Russia following the greatest apocalypse event in its history, there was one¡­ one who gradually began to awaken because of all the constant rumblings.

    The man whom those under the age of 50 had no idea even existed¡ªa man classified as a 1st Generation World-class Hunter¡ªa man whom the Russians feared even more than the Mage Lord¡ª

    Igor Volkov¡ªthe Wolf Deity¡ª!!!

    Deep underground in Russia, in an extremely spacious ice chamber, a man who hadn''t opened his eyes in decades began to grow restless. The ice chains that tied him to pillars stretching upward for thousands of meters began to rattle. The ice pillars themselves also started to creak and groan.

    Then, a crack appeared.

    *Crack, crack, CRACK, CRACK!*

    More cracks appeared until, eventually, there wasn''t a single pillar without a web of fractures spreading across its surface.

    Down below, a man with white, wolf mane-like hair that reached his lower torso moved slightly from his kneeling position. His face was entirely covered by an ice mask, but even with his mouth and eyes fully obscured, one could still see the hot, steamy breath seeping out of the mask.

    "Time¡­" The voice scraped against one''s mind like rusted metal on stone, each word a jagged wound in the silence. "It''s almost time for the Ice Sovereign''s cage to shatter¡­ Nearly there¡­"

    With Igor Volkov''s voice no longer breaking the silence of the underground ice chamber¡ªand the cracking coming to a close¡ªthe camera zoomed out.

    ¡ª Back on the Himalayan Mountain, where Hellion first requested Yimin to ''save'' her Master from the Rushans ¡ª

    "You killed them all?"

    Hellion''s intoned voice immediately resounded as soon as Yimin landed on the flat mountaintop. She was sitting in the same spot as last time, and in her hands was yet another newspaper. However, the newspaper this time described a level of destruction that extended far beyond the chaos Yimin had caused before.

    The world was in a state of extreme panic, with even the world leaders and S-Rank Hunters unaware of what they should do now.

    ''It''s been around six hours since the news came out about Russia''s near utter annihilation, which means this dragon took a few more detours again¡­''

    Hellion''s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

    In response to her icy stare, Yimin chirpily said, "Yimin killed all of them! All the evil Rushans!"

    "Are you sure?"

    "Of course¡ª!" That was when she faintly recalled scenes of relatively strong humans fleeing beyond her scope of killing. "Well¡­ perhaps a few of the Rushans got away¡­ but only a few! Like¡­ erm¡­ one, two, or three!"

    Hellion blankly stared at the silver-haired girl. A silly look was plastered across her face as beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks.

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    A sigh escaped Hellion''s lips as she shook her head. Though, if someone had been paying close enough attention, they would have noticed a darkness buried deep within her gaze; it was boundlessly dark. Terrifyingly evil.

    ''That Mage Lord nearly conveyed killing intent toward my Master. Death was a mercy for him,'' Hellion thought coldly. ''And those of his kind are no better¡­ They were affiliated with the man who wished harm upon my Master. For this, they all deserved to die.''

    ''As for those who slipped out of the trap¡­ I''ll have to deal with them personally.''

 Chapter 225 The Fastest Man Alive

    One thing that Hellion hid from everyone else¡ªeven her Master¡ªwas how her connection with her Master''s Demon King Bloodline caused her power to soar. And with Cassius''s most recent breakthrough into the Archdemon Realm, her power also increased by leaps and bounds, far exceeding what she previously possessed as a mere HELL Trial Floor Guardian.

    Although she still wasn''t at the same level as any of the World-class Hunters, she could easily take on your average S-Rank Hunter. In other words, ''cleaning'' up the remainder of the audacious worms would be no big deal.

    ''For conveying the intent of harming my Master¡ªeven if only briefly¡ªdeath is what you''ll receive. Everyone¡­ Everyone will die.''

    Hellion¡ªa Deity of sorts¡ªwas a woman who lived for interesting things. For too many years, she had been searching for greater sources of intrigue. And now that she finally found someone who fully satisfied her craving for intrigue, there was simply no way in hell she would allow any pesky insects to get in her way!

    The Mage Lord''s death was set in stone the very moment he dared even think about doing anything to her Master! And the desolation of Russia was the cost of his impertinence!

    His life wasn''t even counted in the price, for that was something that would''ve been taken regardless.

    ''For Master¡­ For Master, I''d do anything¡­''

    Unknowingly, and without Cassius noticing, Hellion''s once abysmally low Affection Rating skyrocketed straight to the moon¡ªstraight to the maximum value of 100!

    However, as if her inward insanity was all just an illusion, she emotionlessly shifted her eyes away from Yimin and returned to reading over the newspaper. But noticing Yimin''s growing impatience, she said, "Your Master is in the Country of Japan right now¡ªin a city called Hoshito. Make it there, and you''ll find him by scent."

    "Ja¡­pan?" Yimin struggled to pronounce the foreign word. "Can you eat it?"

    "It''s a country where your Master is trapped¡ªand no, you can''t eat it," said Hellion. "Now go; I wish to be alone right now."

    Yimin tilted her head but still did as she was told. She zipped off into the skies, beginning a new journey around the small blue space marble that she had already lapped thousands of times.

    Eventually, she would find Japan!

    Right¡­?

    Well, regardless of Yimin''s uncanny resemblance to a certain green-haired pirate with three swords, she left for good. Hellion, on the other hand, was left to read over a newspaper while meandering in her own thoughts.

    ''Now, the next most pressing matter of concern,'' she thought as her vision honed in on a skull-shaped island located far away. ''My Master''s most unwelcome visitors. They are strong, yes, and their relation to that massive organic entity hovering above is interesting. But¡­ my Master is far more interesting.''

    The Dissonants who invaded from the stars beyond the Illusion would undoubtedly die¡ªthat much, Hellion guaranteed without an ounce of a doubt.

    ''My Master''s origin to that place and those people¡ªthese invaders know full well about it, and they plan to take advantage of my Master¡­ Utterly unacceptable. They will die. Same as the Russians. And the same as anything else that dares to control or harm my Master. They''ll all die.''

    Hellion''s shimmering golden eyes darkened ever so slightly as she continued reading over the newspaper in her hands.

    Until, eventually¡­ she vanished.

    ¡ª In North America, the United States, at the Earth Crusaders Headquarters in Washington D.C. ¡ª

    Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire

    The Earth Crusaders received an unexpected visitor on this particular day¡ªVictor Rapido, the alleged fastest man alive.

    "You say he''s the fastest?" sounded a feminine voice bereft of emotion.

    "Why? Is our little ice princess all of a sudden now interested in men or something~?"

    Three people¡ªall S-Rank Hunters¡ªwere walking through tall marble corridors as they maneuvered toward the Meeting Area for the S-Rank members of the Earth Crusaders Guild. All three of these S-Rank Hunters were female, each extremely powerful. And of them, there was one face in particular that anyone in the Steele Mansion would recognize within an instant.

    "Memphis, you''re actually asking about a man?? I must be dreaming right now because there''s no way that''s possible!"

    It was the third member of their little group who spoke this time. She had medium-length black hair tied up into twintails. Her beauty, if summed up in a single word, would be classic.

    However, the young woman she was looking at was anything but classic. With Memphis''s glistening golden eyes and her long, shiny black hair¡ªnot to mention her voluptuous figure¡ªshe was a goddess-like woman rarely seen throughout the ages!

    If not for the fact that she was only 17¡ªwhich was below the legal age of consent in America¡ªit was highly likely that powerful and influential men from all over the world would be constantly swarming her. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Well, there were still those who didn''t care much about her morally questionable age and still sought to pursue her. But those men were very quickly deterred by the protectiveness of the behemoth of an organization that reigned as the strongest Guild in the world.

    With a total of four World-class Hunters in their ranks¡ªall stronger than the Mage Lord¡ªas well as more than a hundred S-Rank Hunters, the Earth Crusaders were the one organization that no one dared to carelessly offend.

    Even kings who had their lascivious eyes on the newest rising S-Rank Hunter were left with no choice but to give up.

    That was just how powerful and influential the Earth Crusaders were.

    Today, however, they were gathered for reasons unknown. And with the special guest appearance of the Rank 22 S-Rank Hunter¡ªVictor Rapido¡ªeveryone was put on their toes.

    Upon arriving at the S-Rank Meeting Room¡ªlocated within a massive auditorium in the Earth Crusaders Headquarters¡ªMemphis finally received some respite from her friends. They had gone on and on about Victor Rapido for quite a while, repeatedly hinting at something that she denied time and time again.

    ''The fastest man alive,'' she thought apathetically. ''He was also especially interested in speed¡­''

    The "he" she was referring to was none other than the incarnation of speed himself¡ªa man who knew not when to slow down¡ªa man who moved so fast that she didn''t even know exactly when her heart had been stolen¡­

 Chapter 226 A Cunning Dragonoid...?

    "Are you ready, Ice Princess?"

    A playful voice broke Memphis''s strained train of thought, forcing her to turn her head up and look at the sight that lay beyond a simple door. Inside the wide auditorium lay more than a hundred high-quality chairs, each one seating a presence that by themselves felt overwhelmingly powerful. And with all of their immense auras coalesced together, an aura amalgamation beyond mortal comprehension filled the seemingly restricted space with its suffocating presence.

    This marked the first time Memphis personally experienced something as fantastical as this since joining the Earth Crusaders.

    It was a feeling like no other¡­

    "QUIET!!"

    A booming voice cut off the flow of conversations happening between the various S-Rank Hunters gathered in the room. Memphis and her two friends found their seats to the side, where they were able to clearly see a total of five figures standing on stage.

    The one in the middle¡ªalso the one who spoke up¡ªwas the strongest of the lot.

    He was an imposing old man with a rugged, battle-worn face, his deep-set eyes radiating a cold intensity. His weathered skin was marked by a network of scars, each telling a tale of violence and survival. A prominent gash ran diagonally across his cheek, a testament to a life of conflict. His silver-streaked hair was cropped short, and his wiry frame, though aged, exuded an air of unyielding strength. Dressed in dark, practical clothing, his presence alone commanded respect and wariness, as if he carried the weight of countless battles in his steely gaze.

    His name?

    John Adams¡ªRank 3 in the World¡ªthe Battlemonger.

    The three standing on his right side were also characters of immense standing in both the U.S. and the world. The first was a thin man with a long, whirly mustache and a monocle¡ªRank 9¡ªGentlemanly Saint. His special ability: Rapier Savant (S+++ Rank).

    The pretty middle-aged brunette posing beautifully beside the Gentlemanly Saint was a drop-dead gorgeous woman known far and wide for both her beauty and her unique ability to change her size at will.

    Barla¡ªRank 8¡ªMacro Mommy. Her special ability: Size Manager (S+++ Rank).

    As for the last one standing to the right of the Battlemonger, he stood just over 5 feet tall and carried a cane just as short as him. His back was hunched, and his eyelids were squinted due to the passage of time. Overall, he appeared as though the slightest wind current would be enough to send him into the afterlife for good.

    However, with an antiquated, tyrannical presence as powerful as his, none were foolish enough to judge this book by its cover.

    He had but his title as his name after discarding his birth name long ago¡ªRank 5 in the World¡ªTasmanian Bladedevil.

    His name was fitting, for he carried four thin swords on his back, each one containing a presence capable of bringing a weaker S-Rank Hunter to their knees.

    Not many knew precisely what the Bladedevil was like in battle¡ªor why he carried four swords¡ªbut it was rumored that so little was known about him simply because¡­ all who saw him fight were no longer alive to tell the tale.

    As for the lone blonde-haired man confidently standing on the Battlemonger''s left side, it was none other than Victor Rapido¡ªthe fastest man alive!

    ¡ªThree minutes later¡ª

    Once all the S-Rank Hunters in the Earth Crusaders Guild were seated in the massive auditorium, the Battlemonger''s deep, gravelly voice once more reverberated:

    "We''ve gathered you all here today¡ªregardless of whether you were raiding a Gate or not¡ªfor the sole reason of the unknown silver-haired dragonoid''s attack on Russia."

    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"

    "That news was real!?"

    "I thought it was all a hoax! But with those rumblings a few hours ago¡­ everything makes so much more sense¡­"

    "Has an extremely powerful humanoid Monster actually escaped the Gates!?"

    "Is the Mage Lord actually dead!? But that means¡­ a World-class Hunter has¡ª"

    "Yes." The Battlemonger''s voice silenced every agitated fellow in the meeting room. "This silver-haired dragonoid has been confirmed to be an extremely powerful¡­ and extremely intelligent Monster that somehow escaped from a Purple-rank Gate. Could''ve happened when Oblivion''s Threshold exploded, or it could''ve happened elsewhere. But the fact is that it happened. An intelligent Monster of immense proportions has been set loose on our world."

    *Achoo!* sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    That "extremely intelligent Monster" cutely rubbed her nose before resuming her chase of a group of scared sh*tless panda bears in a bamboo forest.

    "Yimin shall catch the black and white floofers! Don''t run, floofers!!"

    "Now, as I''m sure everyone is aware by now, this threat is one that could very well bring about the end of the world," said the Battlemonger. "Right here on this screen you will see multiple photos recently captured in what used to be the country of Russia."

    *Click, click.*

    Memphis and the other S-Rank Hunters watched with rapt focus as a slideshow flipped between increasingly worse images. The whole nation had been turned into an apocalyptic icy wasteland. Clouds of gray smoke permeated the air for thousands of miles, raining ash on the very few living beings who survived the battle between gods. Craters were scattered everywhere, each one containing the bones and dried blood of millions of Russians and billions of other living organisms.

    By the end of the slideshow, the atmosphere of the auditorium had turned grim. Even Memphis''s usually indifferent expression now had a slight frown¡ªnot because of the graphic scenes but because of how familiar that silver-haired dragonoid seemed. All images of her were extremely blurry, so it was hard to tell, but there was definitely something familiar about her.

    ''Do I know that humanoid Monster? But who¡­?''

    Interrupting her thoughts was the clicking off of the slideshow. The Battlemonger''s voice sounded thereafter:

    "From here on out, every single one of you are to keep a watchful eye out for this elusive and incredibly cunning dragonoid. Tell all of your subordinate A-Rank Hunters as well; have everyone on high alert. At any moment, this unknown creature could catch us by surprise and kill some of our own."

 Chapter 227 Protect Your Undies!

    The faces of the S-Rank Hunters turned grave as they stared up at their Guild Leader with full focus. They knew that he wouldn''t call them all here today for something like a warning or a small directive, for things like that could simply be told through email. There must be something else.

    And, just as expected:

    "Now, as this unknown Humanoid Monster is shown to be extremely fast, Victor Rapido here has been invited to test your speed and make sure you can defend against attacks that the Mage Lord could not," the Battlemonger said, his hands redirecting everyone''s attention to the suave blonde-haired man.

    It was common knowledge among the Hunter community that Victor Rapido was indeed the fastest man in the world. There was even a time when he raced one of the World-class Hunters with an S+++ Agility Stat, yet still won by a long shot. However, it was also widely known that when stacked up against anyone in the Top 50, Victor was lacking in everything except for his speed.

    If based on stats like Strength, Endurance, or Intelligence, Victor was merely considered a bit above average for an S-Rank¡ªand that was with the addition of the influence that his Agility had on his other stats. Without that, it was highly possible that he wouldn''t even be considered a fairly powerful A-Rank Hunter.

    But what he lacked in everything else, he made up for with his stupidly fast speed!

    If Victor went all out¡ªwhich he had never done before with a human¡ªthen it was unknown just how quickly he could get his legs to move! Possibly even thousands upon thousands of times the speed of light!

    And though all of the prideful S-Rank Hunters were at first taken aback and slightly offended by what their Guild Leader said, when they logically thought about it, it wasn''t a bad idea. None of them particularly cared for or even liked the arrogant fastest man alive, but it was impossible to deny his God-given talent to go really, really, really fast.

    It was because of this undeniable fact that they either stayed silent or let out barely audible snorts. This was their way of saying they were fine with such a proposition by their Guild Leader.

    The Battlemonger scanned his eyes between all of his S-Rank Hunters before turning his fierce gaze toward Victor Rapido. After a moment of staring at him, he shifted his eyes back to the hundred-plus S-Rank Hunters. "What I''ve yet to tell you about this exercise of sorts is that you''re not only doing it to counter the humanoid Monster¡ªcodename ''Draconic Silver Bullet''¡ªbut you''re also doing this because of the upcoming World''s End Gate Raid."

    Another wave of dread washed over the expressions of those present when they heard those three specific words.

    In the world of Hunters, mentioning the World''s End Gate had become somewhat of a taboo. The more superstitious folks even believed that just saying the name would bring nothing but death and misfortune.

    However, as the strongest of the strongest, those in the Auditorium knew very well what the World''s End Gate meant for not only them but the entire world.

    If they''re unable to clear it, then it''ll surely live up to its name.

    Many of those in the Auditorium today had actually personally been in the Evolving Gate during one of its many Evolutionary Periods. And when they listened to their Guild Leader, they knew exactly what he was referring to when he mentioned speed counters being necessary.

    In that Gate, there existed Monsters that moved so fast that you were only able to hear the wind whistle by before realizing that you were already¡­ dead.

    It was daunting, but it was all too real. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This made all of the S-Rank Hunters even more inclined to follow the lead of the fastest man alive, if not just for now.

    Looking back at Victor, the Battlemonger said, "They''re all yours for today; take them out to the thousands of acres of open land we have in the back."

    "Yes, sir," Victor said before beginning to descend the stage.

    "Oh, and Victor," said the Battlemonger.

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    "Yes?"

    "Do not go easy on them."

    Victor confidently smirked. "Of course, sir."

    FWIP!

    With that, Victor vanished from his spot. Then, with ludicrous levels of speed, he reappeared near the door that led outside. Looking back over his shoulder, he asked, "What are you all waiting for? Let''s get going, yeah."

    Many grunted and huffed in displeasure, but none of them made any remarks. They did just as their Guild Leader instructed and rose from their seats before following behind one of the most insufferably competent bastards on the planet.

    ''Victor Rapido,'' Memphis thought while looking at his distant back. His back seemed to overlap with the back of someone whom she constantly tried her best to forget. ''I wonder who''s the fastest among the two of them¡­''

    When the hundred-plus S-Rank Hunters made it out of the Auditorium and onto the field, the ''Speed Resistance Training'' began right away.

    FWIP!

    The windflow in the area was momentarily skewered in a certain direction. But before anyone even comprehended what had occurred, Victor''s voice rang out. "See what I have here?" he asked, swinging around a tiger-striped piece of cloth. "It''s the underpants of one Mister Lester Evans."

    "???" "???" "???"

    All eyes fell on a portly man standing at the back of the S-Rank Hunters. His cheeks flushed red in embarrassment as he averted his gaze.

    "What we''re going to play is a little practice exercise I like to call ''Protect Your Undies,''" Victor said, his smirk widening ever so slightly. "You lose if you lose your underwear, and you win if you keep your underwear from being stolen. And if you''re a female or worried about consent, don''t bother. I have the permission of your Guild Leader and three Vice Guild Leaders to do whatever is necessary to sharpen your God-given talents, if not by just the smallest of amounts."

    Victor''s wolf-like eyes scanned over all the S-Rank Hunters, pausing slightly longer on the beautiful females. Especially on Memphis.

    Many felt a chill.

 Chapter 228 Memphiss Mysterious Symbol

    ''This man is¡­'' Memphis''s lips curled up in disgust. An unknown light energy seeped out of her palms, mysteriously causing the air to both freeze over and radiantly burn. ''Scum.''

    "Anyway," said Victor. "Let the games begin!"

    FWIP!

    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!" Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

    Everyone instantly went on guard, their eyes darting all over the place.

    "Boo."

    *Snatch!*

    An unsuspecting, pretty S-Rank Hunter felt something tingly travel down her neck. And then, without any hope of stopping it, her bright red panties were stolen.

    "Ahhh!" she yelped before crouching down, her face tinged red.

    "You''re going to need to try harder than that if you want to keep what''s yours," Victor said, his pointer finger twirling around the lady''s panties. He had unknowingly reappeared in the same spot as before, smack dab in the middle of the giant grassy fields. "Well, let''s go again, why don''t we?" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Seeing his sly smirk slowly fade, all the S-Rank Hunters scrutinized their surroundings. Going a step further than before, they also activated every tracking-related skill they could think of.

    Finally, someone''s face brightened as he pointed toward the East. "He''s over there!" he exclaimed. "Right ther¡ª"

    "Your superman undies are now mine, good sir," Victor whispered into the muscular man''s ear before blurring from view.

    He materialized in the same spot as before, with that same insufferable grin etched across his face.

    "One of you can do better than that, right?" asked Victor, swinging around his finger the superman underwear of one mortified fellow.

    The way everyone was looking at him made him feel the urge to puke his guts out¡­

    Memphis''s eyes narrowed. Her stance grew more defensive, and the icy golden energy emanating from her hands became deadlier.

    However, that was when something changed¡­

    At some point during Victor''s next disappearing trick¡ªone aimed at a blonde woman a few feet away¡ªa tattoo began to form on the backside of her right hand. The tattoo depicted a cross mixed with the symbol for the female gender and was a light shade of gold.

    For but a moment, that tattoo increased in brightness, creating a small, unnoticeable flash of golden light where Memphis was standing. And during that flash, her goldish pupils underwent a change, for within their centers emerged what were without a doubt crosses of the ''Heavenly Kingdom.''

    If anyone familiar with the esoteric 7th Ascension Tower Dimension¡ªHeavenly Kingdom¡ªwere here right now, they would immediately be able to match Memphis''s eyes with the trademark of the Angels: The Eyes of Divinity. They were what all Angels under the All-Father possessed¡ªa special, extremely powerful ability that carried the Will of the All-Father.

    But the thing was¡­ Only Genuine Angels¡­ or the aberrational descendants of Angels had the Eyes of Divinity. Meaning that Memphis was without a doubt¡ª

    WHALOOOM!

    ¡ªAn Angel!

    For a very brief period of time, Memphis''s pupils tracked the every movement of the Fastest Man Alive. She saw him casually walk toward the blonde girl and reach into her tight suit before skillfully ripping up her purple-laced underwear¡ªall while the blonde girl made no attempt to resist, almost as if she were frozen in time.

    Although Memphis was still attempting to wrap her head around what was happening, she nonetheless felt a great sense of repulsion at the speedster. ''This Victor is nothing like him... They are nowhere even close to being the same.''

    As soon as that thought finished, her pupils returned to normal, and Victor returned to the center of the field.

    "You didn''t even make it a challenge for me!" he said. Spinning on his fingers were the risqu¨¦ panties of an S-Rank woman well-respected for her modesty and conservative nature. She only realized after seeing the underwear that she had been the one to get snatched from.

    At this moment, she felt like jumping into an extremely deep hole and burying herself inside¡­

    Memphis, on the other hand, was no longer paying attention to the perverted speedster. Her eyes were trained on the dimly glowing gold symbol attached to her right hand. Ninety percent of the symbol was dull, whereas the other ten percent was a far brighter shade of gold. And curious enough, with each passing second, the brighter shade of gold overtook the duller shade.

    ''What happens when the bright gold covers the entire symbol¡­?''

    Wishing to know the answer to that question, Memphis let time pass. As more and more of her Guildmates had their underwear stolen, she watched her hand symbol, counting exactly how long it took for the bright gold to overtake the dull gold. From what she could tell, every full second made the bright shade of gold ratio increase by another ten percent of the entire symbol surface area.

    At the end of ten entire seconds, the symbol turned fully bright gold.

    As if on instinct, Memphis could feel that same eye skill become an option available to her. Though, to be certain that what she was feeling was indeed the case, she waited for Victor to perform his slow phase, then she activated the symbol.

    And¡ªsame as the first time¡ªshe could now see Victor move around as if everything was progressing at a normal speed.

    ''This symbol¡­'' Memphis thought with wonder. ''Just what exactly is it¡­?''

    Following this utterly mind-boggling discovery, she continued experimenting with it, her curiosity knowing no bounds. Then, finally¡ªafter 80 S-Rank Hunters got their underwear stolen¡ªit was her turn.

    But Memphis was prepared.

    The symbol on her right hand flashed a bright shade of gold, then Heavenly crosses appeared in her eyes. Time slowed down¡ªor, at least, that was how it looked.

    Memphis pretended to be motionless, same as all the other S-Rank Hunters. She calmly watched as the infamous fastest man alive strolled over. His eyes glazed rather lustfully upon getting a good look at his next target; her figure was unbelievably voluptuous, and her beauty a league above the second prettiest girl in the Guild.

    Victor was planning to get a little more handsy with this one, just a tad bit more. But just as his hand deviously inched toward Memphis''s plump bottom, a feminine hand suddenly clasped onto his wrist.

    "!!!"

 Chapter 229 Two Yips For Memphis!

    "!!!" ''Wha¡ª!?''

    Although he was not moving at his fastest, there still should''ve been absolutely no way that anyone other than the World-class Hunters could react to his speed! It was simply impossible!

    ''But then,'' Victor thought as he looked up and saw a splendiferous pair of eyes glaring at him. ''What the hell is this???''

    He back-stepped at once, getting his hand free from Memphis''s grasp. Time returned to normal, and everyone''s eyes fell on the two of them.

    Not once over the last couple of minutes had Victor Rapido reappeared anywhere other than the center of the field. But now, under their confused gazes, they saw the fastest man alive taking an apprehensive stance against the cold-faced newbie. They noticed her hand retracting, then saw the mild burn mark on Victor''s right wrist, and were able to connect the dots.

    "Did the Ice Princess actually see Victor move¡­?"

    "Not only that, but it seems that she was able to counterattack and force him back!"

    "How is this possible!? Her revealed Attributes were exceptional¡ªeven among the S-Rank¡ªbut they were nowhere near the level necessary to deal with Victor Rapido! He''s the fastest man alive, for God''s sake!"

    "A special, hidden Ability perhaps!? That''s definitely it!"

    "But for it to be capable of coping with Victor''s ridiculous speed¡­ the S+++ Rank¡­ It must be of the S+++ Rank, just like the Skills of the World-class Hunters!"

    Many members of the Earth Crusaders had originally overlooked Memphis¡ªnot because she was a girl or because of her backwater origins¡ªbut because of her Class. She had awakened with the ''Ice Paladin'' Class, which, although an extremely rare Class, was a very difficult Class to mesh with others in a Party.

    And considering the high-danger Purple-rank Gates that the Earth Crusaders entered on a daily basis, without a Party, they would essentially be committing suicide. Only Red-rank Gates of far less importance and value would be relegated to these sorts of Misfit S-Rank Hunters. Hence the prime cause for Memphis being overlooked.

    But now¡­ now things had changed.

    Dozens of S-Rank powerhouses started to swarm the emotionless Memphis. They hounded her with questions and showed immense amounts of interest.

    Meanwhile, Victor Rapido¡ªthe Fastest Man Alive¡ªwas left on the sidelines. His mind was still spiraling in confusion as he tried to understand what had happened.

    Suddenly, he shifted his eyes toward the indifferent girl, searching for something. But he was instantly left disappointed. Those golden crossed eyes weren''t there; they must''ve been an illusion.

    ''No!'' Victor exclaimed. ''That can''t be¡­! I definitely saw them!''

    But the fact remained that they weren''t there.

    With a clouded mind, Victor turned away from the hundred-plus S-Rank Hunters. On his way back to the Auditorium, he called out, "Training for today is over; you''re all dismissed. I''m going to speak with your Guild Leader and Vice Guild Leaders."

    The S-Rank Hunters were ecstatic over this information.

    "This is all thanks to Memphis, the Ice Princess!"

    "One yip for Memphis!"

    "Yip!!"

    "Two yips for Memphis¡­!"

    Cheers and claps resounded as everyone stared at the beautiful golden-eyed girl with joyous expressions. They were too immersed in the satisfaction that came from Victor getting a taste of his own medicine to notice Memphis not looking at them, but rather at the receding back of the suave blonde-haired speedster. ''I wonder if -he- is faster than this so-called fastest man alive¡­ And if so, will this Symbol also work on -him-?''

    She wasn''t exactly positive what the Eyes of Divinity were fully capable of, but she knew for certain that activating them didn''t directly increase her speed. Rather, they somehow adjusted her parameters to whatever parameters her target had. This, in turn, reduced her Strength, Endurance, Intelligence, and Perception to whatever Victor was using in base form.

    However, what she did not know was where exactly the limit for this ethereal ability lay¡­

    If Victor were going all-out, would she have still been able to match his speed?

    What about if she were facing -him-...?

    So many unanswered questions, and no one to answer them. Hell, she didn''t even know why this Ability suddenly appeared now of all times! What were its origins?? Why was it not a part of the original skill sheet she received from the Hunter''s Association when she went to take her Hunter''s test!?

    In the end, thinking any more on the matter would bring about nothing useful¡­

    Memphis sighed before helplessly enduring the praise and thanks of her Guildmates. Her only two friends in the Guild¡ªwho were standing in the back¡ªwere enjoying every second of her suffering. She couldn''t help but lament her fate for befriending such characters.

    --- After a while ---

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    The S-Rank Hunters dispersed, each one returning to whatever it was they were doing before. Memphis, however, bid farewell to her cheeky friends and made her way toward a clearing located on the other side of the Auditorium. There, she saw the menacing Guild Leader and his three equally terrifying Vice Guild Leaders. Beside them was the arrogant Victor Rapido, his eyes wholly focused on her.

    ''I was called here telepathically, but what is it that they want from me? Did Victor say something? Likely¡­''

    "I hear that you have a particularly unusual hidden Ability," said the Battlemonger. "But you needn''t worry; none of us here will interrogate you about this Ability or how you obtained it. However¡­"

    ''However¡­?'' Memphis frowned, preparing to activate her hand symbol at the slightest sign of danger.

    "Calm, child," said Barla, her voice naturally soothing. "What this old man means to say is that we have no interest in your Ability, but we are interested in your Allegiance to the Guild. Though we do not doubt you, we need to make sure you can handle any¡­ trouble that our Guild gets into in the future."

    ''Trouble?'' Memphis parroted. ''What could possibly cause any trouble for the strongest and most influential Guild in the World¡­?''

    Barla smiled at the beautiful girl''s confusion. "We have no issues dealing with anything on this planet, even if the threat may be the S-Rank Hunters ranked #1 and #2." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The Battlemonger''s brows deeply furrowed at the mention of those two people¡­

 Chapter 230 A Shocking Discovery!

    After a brief pause, Barla continued, "But the threat we worry about¡­ does not originate from this planet¡­"

    "!!!"

    Memphis had no clue why she was suddenly being told all of this or what brought it about, but she knew for certain that what she''d hear next would definitely change ¡ªeverything¡ª

    Realizing that she had Memphis''s full attention, Barla said gravely, "The threat I refer to comes from places unknown. We have no idea how long they have been here, what they have been up to, or what they are planning. But what we do know is that they exist. And that they''ve taken over¡­ our Government. Even many of your comrades in the Guild are no longer who you think they are¡­"

    "!!!"

    "Are you saying that¡­"

    "Yes," said the Bladedevil, his voice scratchy. "Aliens from beyond our home planet have invaded. And their plans¡­ are huge."

    "We don''t even know how strong they are," the Battlemonger added. "But we can say for certain that they are stronger than us and even all of humanity combined. If we face them head-on, we are certain to perish. This is why¡ªeven though we know they roam among us¡ªwe''ve done nothing about them."

    Memphis''s frown deepened with every word they spoke. Eventually, she could no longer take it and got right down to asking the question pressing on her the most:

    "Why tell me all this? Why now?"

    The World-class Hunters exchanged a look. Then the Gentlemanly Saint stepped forward and said, "If it was before, you would''ve never learned of this; after all, you weren''t qualified to know. But with your recent altercation with Victor, we''ve been assured that you have the necessary strength, for flukes don''t exist when you become as powerful as we are. But, of course, even that¡ªif by itself¡ªis not enough to warrant us telling you all this." Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

    "So then¡­ !!!" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "It seems you figured it out," said the Battlemonger, quite impressed. "You are new here. And since your arrival wasn''t grand enough to immediately catch the attention of those things, we could confidently rope you in. But it had to be now."

    Memphis understood what was being implied. ''Some of those who were cheering for me out there¡­ weren''t human. Rather, they were something else entirely¡­''

    "It seems you''re finally starting to understand why we did this," Barla said, pointing at the shimmering isolation barrier covering them. "That''s also why we set up this barrier to keep our conversation private. They''re always watching you know¡­"

    Memphis felt a chill.

    A slight sense of worry also began to fill her heart. Those back at home probably had no idea about these Aliens. And even if nothing had happened to them yet, what if¡­ what if they were no longer the same as before¡­?

    Memphis''s cold eyes locked onto the Battlemonger. "What happens when one of the Aliens takes the place of a human? What happens to the human?"

    The World-class Hunters paused ever so slightly, then Barla said, "Sweetie, they die."

    ''...They die¡­''

    Memphis figured as much, but hearing it told to her personally was just¡­ terrifying.

    "How do you know they exist¡­?" she asked, biting down on her lower lip. "What evidence do you have?"

    Victor''s feet tapped. "I''m the evidence," he said proudly. "Me and the big-headed gray freak we have locked up in the top-secret basement of this place."

    Memphis gave the World-class Hunters a look, requesting an explanation.

    The Bladedevil went this time, saying, "Victor Rapido, as you know, is a Japanese Hunter. But a while back, he and another Japanese S-Rank Hunter¡ªDante Blackthorn¡ªcame to us with matters concerning ''more shadows in the world than usual.''"

    "At first, we passed it off as a big joke," the Bladedevil continued. "But on one particular day not long after, we just so happened to catch one of these Aliens whilst it was in the process of assuming a human form. We promptly locked away that creature in the 49th Basement Floor of our Research Facility. This was also around when we took Victor and Dante''s matter more seriously; those extra shadows¡ªall of them are Aliens. And there are millions of them, from what Victor has told us."

    "This¡­" Memphis was finding it hard to swallow all of this information. Though, after a couple of seconds, she managed to get out, "Why¡­ Why do you think I''ll be useful in whatever it is you''re planning? What can I do against such a threat?"

    Barla warmly smiled. "Sweetie¡­ Your only purpose¡­ The only thing we want from you is your¡­ body!!"

    "!!!"

    At the same time as all the World-class Hunters'' and Victor''s faces went dark, Memphis activated her hand symbol. A brilliant flash of golden light erupted. But by then, Barla''s outstretched hand was already right at her throat. She swerved her head out of the way just in the nick of time, before following up with a sideways cartwheel.

    Barla was right on her tail, but with their stats now the same, she was not able to catch up.

    Memphis tried to break free from the Isolation Barrier erected around the whole backside of the Auditorium. But quickly, she realized that¡­ there was no escape¡­

    "Did you really believe we spent all this time talking to you for no reason?" Barla''s sickeningly sweet voice echoed. "During our entire conversation, Gentlemanly Saint has been actively making use of his ''Saint'' Class to fortify the barrier enough that even I would not be able to break out. Which brings up the second point: why do you think I''ve been taking the lead in most of the discussions? You think we wouldn''t be able to figure out how your Ability works? Or where it comes from?"

    "The Angels," said the Battlemonger, a bit annoyed. "They exist even outside this world and the Tower you live in. But it seems that their Abilities vary very little here."

    Memphis''s expression drastically changed. "So then you all are¡­"

    "Yes," the Bladedevil said, his face fluctuating between his wrinkled face and something far more horrifying. "We are not humans. These bodies¡ªthey once belonged to World-class Hunters. But now, they are ours. Everything¡ªfrom their powers to their families to their memories¡ªall ours."

    With her back pressed against the Isolation Barrier''s wall, Memphis muttered, "So everything you said¡­"

 Chapter 231 Memphiss Purpose in the Plan

    "So everything you said¡­" Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "A lot of it was partially true," Barla said, stopping her approach a few meters away. "The original owners of these bodies really did coincidentally locate and capture one of our own. But by then, the higher-ups sent out the Vanguard¡ªus¡ªto deal with the World-class Hunters who dared interrogate and torture one of our own.

    The story about Victor and Dante was also true; they did indeed come by to report their findings. But considering they were the only ones who knew about this phenomenon, we quickly disposed of them while they weren''t looking. That Victor¡ªhe was a fast worm, even faster than any on our side who wasn''t an Elder. Stabbing him in the back¡ªwhere his speed made no difference¡ªdid the trick though."

    Memphis''s mind swirled with many things; everything was so overwhelming. She should''ve known this was a trap, but how could she?? They were supposed to be her Guildmates! Why would they all of a sudden turn on her!?

    "That''s right¡­" Memphis mumbled. "Why target me? I knew nothing about any of you before you told me¡­ Why do all this?? And why do you want my body??"

    The Battlemonger cackled. "We targeted you for the same reason we want your body and also for the same reason that we''re taking the conquering of your World at a snail''s pace," he said. "Your hometown¡ªthe young man who saved you from inside a Gate and took you home. He cared for you, he gave you a place to call your own after you lost the only family you had. But one day¡ªwhen you figured out you had power¡ªyou left him. Does this ring any bells for you?"

    "!!!" ''Cassius!''

    "Bingo!" the Bladedevil said as if reading her mind. "We have eyes and ears everywhere. And you may have underestimated him¡ªwhich also may have been why you left¡ªbut deep down¡­ deep down, you knew he was special. Far more special than you could ever hope to compare with. That was why you truly left, wasn''t it?"

    Memphis felt something sting her heart, causing her emotions to vortex. She knew he was right. Why else would whenever she saw someone strong, she immediately stacked them up against Cassius and felt that they were somehow lacking in comparison?

    But what did that have to do with these imposters'' interest in Cassius? Their reason for invading was him?? Why???

    "The only thing you failed to realize," said the Battlemonger, "was precisely how special Cassius actually is. The reason we''re doing everything as we''re doing now is because of him. The reason why we were instantly there to scout you at your lowest with an offer you couldn''t refuse was also because of him.

    In fact, the only reason we''re acting now on you instead of ten days later¡ªwhen the World''s End Gate''s Final Raid happens¡ªis because of your abrupt awakening to your latest Angel Bloodline. Angels are troublesome no matter the world, and we can''t have you somehow reporting back to them."

    Memphis pondered their words, then paused. "My body," she said. "Why do you need it¡­? Wait¡­"

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    The edges of Barla''s lips curved upward. "Yes, Sweetie. We plan to use you to lure Cassius into a trap, which will also serve as a trap for our true target. This is what we have been setting up since we first faced that Anomaly, and now¡ªeven if that Freak does interfere¡ªthere will be nothing he can do. A day¡ªten days from now¡ªwhen the World experiences its END¡ªthat day will mark the day we''re finally able to ascend this accursed Tower and send down the true powerhouses of our mighty race¡ªthe Dissonants!!"

    An evil laughter contagiously spread among the five Dissonants, leaving Memphis to experience wave after wave of emotions. So much was being dumped on her at once, and she barely understood a fourth of what they were talking about.

    But what she needed no context to figure out was that¡­ Cassius was being viciously hunted down¡­

    She knew not the reasons for this, but if it was to happen¡ª

    OOOM!

    ¡ªThen she had to take out a few of them before they could get anywhere close to harming her Cassius!!

    With the full power of a World-class Hunter, she burst forward¡ªher first target being Barla.

    "Did you really think we didn''t see this coming beforehand?" said the Battlemonger. "We mentioned it previously, did we not? Why we had you focus on Barla over me, the Gentlemanly Saint, or the Bladedevil? You used that pesky Angelic Ability on Barla, did you not? Well, guess who''s stronger than her?"

    "!!!"

    Before Memphis had the time to react, a powerful blow sent her cannonballing into the side of the barrier, the impact knocking the wind out of her. Blood spewed out of her mouth as soon as ripples spread from where she impacted.

    As she slid down the barrier, her vision began to blur, with her golden crossed eyes struggling to stay open.

    Once collision with the floor occurred, she nearly lost consciousness but managed to hear a few last words before that happened:

    "I guess we did go a bit overboard in this plan," said the Battlemonger. "After all¡ªeven right now¡ªthe human worm is barely able to replicate the power of Barla. It would''ve been impossible for her to replicate my power. But it matters not in the end."

    "Indeed," the Bladedevil said. "As long as the mission gets completed, nothing matters."

    The Battlemonger eerily nodded, then motioned for Barla. "Go and take her body and memories. Remember to send her husk to the Mothership, same as all the others."

    "This isn''t my first rodeo," Barla said as she approached the already knocked-out-cold girl. "I''ll teleport her husk to where we keep all the other high-profile husks. They will make good food for the Voidworms when the Voidworm Feeding Season arrives."

    Without further ado, Barla placed her hand against the unconscious Memphis. Then she made use of a technology infused into the blood of all active Dissonants called ''Nanomorph.''

 Chapter 232 A Winged Woman Descends

    ¡ªNanomorph¡ª

    It was what the Dissonants used whenever they wanted to take over an area one step at a time. In their blood existed the smallest of nanobots, and programmed into those nanobots was the ability to 100% extract and copy over the existence of another. Excluding elusive things like the Soul¡ªwhich the Dissonants were unsure even existed¡ªeverything else could be perfectly extracted and infused elsewhere.

    However, once the Nanomorph Ability was used on another living organism, that living organism would lose all that they once had. Thus giving them the name ''Husks.''

    This was exactly what was happening to Memphis right now¡­

    *Bzzzmm¡­*

    The process was completed.

    The original Memphis was no more, now replaced by someone that talked, acted, and inherited everything that she once was. But she¡­ she was no longer Memphis¡­ Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    "It''s done?" asked the Battlemonger.

    Memphis twitched repeatedly, then stopped. Turning toward the four other Dissonants, she replied, "It''s done. My former body is over there; give it to one of the others. This body''s husk is lying beside it and will be transported to the Mothership in a few seconds. As for the Bloodline and Abilities of this human female, they''re even more extraordinary than expected¡ªWait¡­ What!? No!!! Don''t!!!"

    "!?!?" "!?!?"

    The other Dissonants stared wide-eyed at Memphis, watching in shock as a radiant golden light erupted from all her orifices. She turned into some kind of vessel overflowing with golden light. Barla''s silent screams mixed in with the light as her pain surpassed levels she hadn''t even thought possible.

    "What is happening to her!?" the Battlemonger roared. He lunged forward in an attempt to save Barla, but some sort of golden forcefield prevented him from getting within ten inches of her.

    "Do not test your luck, outsider." An archaic voice echoed, one that sounded as if it predated the very world itself. "This one is not yours to take. Find yourselves something else to entertain you, lest I use you as my entertainment."

    The illusory visage of a ten-winged woman adorned in golden silk materialized above Memphis''s head. Her eyes were mystically enchanting and shone a deep gold, with her pupils a permanent depiction of the Eyes of Divinity. Yet, to the Dissonants below, her eyes looked akin to the piercing eyes of the cruelest of devils. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The visage''s figure was molded beyond mortal standards and emphasized her exquisite curves to a master craftsman''s level. As for her face¡­ No words could properly describe the beauty she possessed. Through her immaculate beauty, one could see her pure golden strands of hair fluttering about. Like a goddess descended from the heavens above, she appeared to gaze down upon those not worthy to be in her presence.

    As soon as the gorgeous ten-winged woman gracefully landed on the ground, her eyes shifted over to the now unresponsive Barla. Her sight also fell upon the lifeless husk crumpled up off to the side.

    A large amount of killing intent welled up inside the winged woman. It quickly overflowed and suffocated the surroundings, causing the World-class Hunters and Speedster to feel an immense amount of pressure. Their knees buckled beneath them, and they hit the ground with loud thuds.

    But just as they thought they''d die, the pressure subsided. The winged woman''s voice followed:

    "Normally, I''d just kill you bunch and be done with it, but as Destiny would have it, a much worse fate is in store for all of you. Being locked to the Trial Tower of Humanity will be the worst thing to have ever happened to your race."

    Finishing off with those words, the enchanting winged woman tugged her fingers at Memphis. The temporarily blanked consciousness of Barla was stripped from everything that she had stolen from Memphis. Then, as if working with the hands of God, the winged woman fused Memphis''s existence back into her husk, thus restoring her to how she was.

    Feeling no need to say anything more to a bunch of weakling grunts, the illusory winged woman lifted Memphis with the power of telekinesis and then ascended in two flashes of golden light.

    ¡ª After a few minutes to digest ¡ª

    "Angels," the Battlemonger muttered. "No matter the world or place, Angels have and will always be troublesome existences. Especially the high-ranking ones with so many wings¡­"

    He looked over at Barla''s ripped-out existence. Although she managed to naturally find her way back into her original meat suit, it would still take at least a week before full recovery could be made possible.

    "What do we do now?" Bladedevil asked, his eyes also fixed on the dilapidated sight of Barla. "With our bait taken away by the Angels of this place, we need to find another way to lure ''its'' son to where we want him positioned."

    After a moment of thought, the Battlemonger replied, "We''ll just have to make do with, say¡­ threatening him with the complete annihilation of his home country," said the Battlemonger. "Everyone he knows and cares about lives there. Even if he''s able to save some in time, he won''t be able to save them all."

    "This means operation ''Burning World'' is still a go?" Bladedevil asked.

    The Battlemonger nodded. "Around when Judgement Day begins, we''ll rain fire from the sky and bring about the END of this world before the Main Entree of the Nexus Event can get to it. This will not only threaten ''it'' as planned, but it will also add a double layer of insurance as it will threaten the safety of the sub-target."

    "Very well," said Bladedevil, already lugging Barla over his decrepit shoulder. "We''ll proceed with this plan. And then ten days from now¡ª"

    "Ten days from now," the Battlemonger finished for him. "We''ll lure ''it'' out of hiding and finally achieve what we''ve been wanting to for the last two years."

    *WHIIiizzzz¡­*

    The Isolation Barrier started to go down, bringing back the original scenery of the Earth Crusaders'' massive Guild complex.

    The Battlemonger immediately turned toward the 100+ S-Rank Hunters eerily staring at them. Even Memphis''s ''friends'' were no different, as they twitched and spasmed all over.

 Chapter 233 Want Me To Lick It...?

    "How many of the top rankers in the United States are left unturned?" Battlemonger asked.

    Bladedevil replied, "Only the newly recruited have yet to be turned. We now have a large surplus of Husks sitting around in the Mothership."

    "Voidworm Season is indeed on the horizon, and they will be searching for tribute from the Dissonants," Battlemonger mused. "Well, when is the next Void Hunting Cycle again?"

    This time, Victor responded, "Void Hunting will start within the next few years. But until then, the Husks will be safely preserved and kept until the time arrives."

    Battlemonger nodded.

    With that, the three high-ranking Dissonants and the numerous disguised Gremlins walked away from the Auditorium in a rather organized fashion. Though, after a few seconds, they eventually dispersed and went their own ways.

    World domination and/or destruction waited for no man¡­ or alien.

    ¡ª-------------

    ¡ª Meanwhile, in Hoshito, Japan, shortly after Cassius solidified his breakthrough into the Archdemon Rank ¡ª

    As our intrepid protagonist nonchalantly made his way down one of the many empty streets leading to his mansion on the hills, a sudden, unexpected visitor arrived. One that left him greatly conflicted. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

    "Hello, young fellow," said a black-haired, starry-eyed woman with a white beard and a slightly humped back. "Are you looking to try some of my goods? I promise you the quality does not disappoint."

    A woman¡ªwho was most obviously Bella dressed up as an old man¡ªwas playing the part of a streetside peddler. She sat cross-legged under a makeshift tent, but had sprawled out before her only a few random rocks and one diamond-plated vial with a single droplet of reddish-silver liquid inside it.

    It was quite clear that she wanted him to purchase whatever was in that vial.

    "...."

    Cassius had no idea what could possibly be going through the head of this girl. From how unkempt she appeared, it was fair to say that she had been waiting out here for a long while. But for what reason?

    All to sell him this suspicious vial with some mystery liquid inside?

    Not long after he totally told her to essentially p*ss off as well!

    Was there actually something wrong with her frontal lobe, or what?

    Then again, that was a given¡­

    ''Perhaps I should just ignore her¡ª'' But just as that thought entered his mind, the System picked the oddest time to pop up a description for the sole item being advertised at Bella''s stall.

    BLING!

    {[Rank 6 Vampire Duke Blood]} - (EX+++ Rank)

    ¡ª[The purest form of blood, pricked and extracted from a genuine Vampire Duke. Upon consumption, the user will either directly acquire an EX- Vampire Duke Bloodline or have their prior Vampire Bloodline upgraded appropriately.]

    ¡ª[If the user consumes several drops of this type of blood, the original EX+++ Vampire Duke Bloodline will be obtained. Though it''s unknown how many hundreds of droplets that''ll take¡­] S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The moment Cassius finished reading the item''s description, he realized right then and there that he couldn''t pass up this chance.

    ''If the SSS-Rank is after the SS-Rank, then the EX-Rank must be after the SSS-Rank,'' he thought introspectively. ''And if that''s the case, then the blood inside this vial is worth an absurd amount¡­''

    After a brief pause. "I''m quite interested in this item you have here," he said. "How much will it cost me to get it from you?"

    First off, he had to figure out what game Bella was playing at. This question should do the job just fine.

    Bella''s eyes visibly sparkled as she nearly leapt up and hugged him. But holding herself back, she said, "I can sell this extremely valuable item to you; however, you must give me two¡ªno, three kisses! Wait¡­! I mean, you must, uhmm¡­ sign this completely normal piece of paper!"

    Sweat beads trickled down her forehead as she nervously slammed an unknown thick piece of paper on the ground in front of her. She averted her erratically flickering eyes, doing a very bad job of not acting suspicious.

    "...."

    Cassius glanced over the paper set out in front of him.

    ''The Tournament of Yggdrasil?? Join the Crestmore Vampire Duke Family!? Become the wife of Bella Crestmore!??''

    The last part was not originally part of the contract, as it was written in Bella''s handwriting. Quite sloppily, at that.

    Yet, that didn''t make what he was looking at any less baffling.

    Right after he accepted Flora''s proposal to acquire a ticket to enter Yggdrasil, another opportunity found its way to his doorstep.

    However, the first opportunity was already complicated enough¡ªnot to mention how absurd this one was!

    ''Should I accept the offer?'' Cassius looked up from the contents of the contract and saw Bella''s expectant eyes. ''I want to hate her so badly¡­ But I don''t understand why I can''t¡­''

    If it were the old, more human version of him, he would''ve rudely denied whatever Bella was planning. But with how he was now and with such benefits presented before him, it was hard to do something like that. Especially when the one offering these benefits was staring at him with so much love and affection that it nearly blinded him.

    ''...I don''t know what to do here¡­''

    If Cassius accepted the terms of the contract¡ªexcluding the last unofficial part¡ªthen he would acquire both the Rank 6 Vampire Duke Blood droplet and a ticket to Yggdrasil. As for the downsides, he would be forced to join the Crestmore Vampire Duke Family, which could lead to any number of troubles. Particularly when it involved being around this insane woman.

    He wasn''t sure if he''d ever be able to forgive her for what she had done to him¡­

    But with lucrative benefits on the line¡­

    A sigh escaped Cassius''s lips. He extended a hand.

    Bella tilted her head in confusion. "Want me to lick it?"

    "???"

    Hurriedly correcting herself, Bella said, "I-I mean¡­ Do you want me to, uhmm¡­ ki-kiss it¡ª"

    "I''m asking for a pen¡­"

    "Ohh!! Y-Yes, of course!"

    Bella immediately scrambled for a pen and handed it to Cassius, her cheeks flushed red.

    ''Did she completely forget that she''s supposed to be playing the part of an old streetside vendor?? Seeing her look like that while blushing as if she were a pubescent teenage schoolgirl is¡­''

 Chapter 234 The EX-Rank

    Shaking his head in exasperation, Cassius accepted the pen. Then he wrote his full name at the bottom of the contract in a refined cursive style.

    Once he finished writing his signature, Bella wasted no time; she yanked at her hair and beard. "It''s me¡ªBella!!" she haughtily exclaimed. "You didn''t see this coming, did you, my love??"

    Cassius blankly stared at her, truly wondering if there was something seriously messed up within her brain. Though, considering how badly she seemed to want this moment, he feigned surprise with an oh-so-shocked expression.

    "How could this be¡­?" he said lazily. "How could the old street vendor be Bella¡­? What sorcery¡­"

    "Fufu~" Bella giggled victoriously while happily swinging back and forth. "I knew you''d fall for my impeccable disguise! And now you''re stuck with me forever¡ªas my husband! We should begin the Vampiric Ritual Ceremony right away¡ª"

    "You know that part of the contract wasn''t official, right?"

    "...It wasn''t?"

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    "Did you not even bother to understand how the contract worked before coming and sitting here all night?" Cassius asked, slightly taken aback. "It''s clear that your father wrote down nearly all of this, but as for the last part¡­"

    Bella broke out in a guilty cold sweat. "I-I have no clue what you''re talking about! Wh¡­Who is the one who eloquently added the last segment!? Trying to tarnish the Crestmore Family''s noble name, are they!??"

    Silence.

    After a few seconds of awkwardly staring at each other, Cassius reached out and picked up the vial of blood before downing it in one gulp.

    Bella''s eyes briefly flashed in surprise. She felt his connection with her deepen greatly, causing her to bubble up in euphoria. The blood he drank was partly mixed with her primordial essence; after all. It was something she spent a great deal to extract and have primordialized.

    But for her, it was all worth it.

    ''We''re becoming so much closer~! I want to become even closer~!!''

    It took everything she had not to jump Cassius while he was undergoing a Racial Advancement. His sharp canine teeth increased in length, his wings sprouted from his back, and his icy blue eyes turned a dark crimson red. However, his appearance took an even greater step, transforming his bat-like wings into terrifyingly grim wings that stretched outward for nearly a dozen meters.

    Yet, it didn''t end there, for an overwhelmingly powerful bloodthirsty aura enveloped the area¡ªwith him as the source.

    "He''s so¡­ so¡­ so hot!!!" Bella screamed out, hearts swirling around in her eyes. "I want him so, so, so bad~!!"

    Her lust was becoming progressively worse, but she quickly snapped out of it when she realized how big a commotion this promotion could create. She acted immediately, using a high-rank Vampire Ability called |Blood Dome| to isolate everything happening with her husband.

    Fortunately, there weren''t any people on this abandoned street, so no one was trapped in the |Blood Dome| with them.

    OOOM!

    Cassius''s aura further expanded as something much darker mixed with his advancing Vampire Duke Bloodline.

    It was his Demon King Bloodline!

    As a result of his Vampire Duke Bloodline''s advancement into the EX- Rank, his Demon King Bloodline also advanced forward!

    SS-Rank ¡ú SSS+ Rank!

    Just like that, his Demon King Bloodline exceeded its limits and transformed into something that vastly improved the effectiveness of his Demon King Rank.

    His power soared!

    Yet, the chain sequence of events was nowhere close to being done¡­

    OOOM!!!

    His Oracle Sphinx Bloodline took a major leap and jumped straight to the SSS-Rank!

    The Demon Dragon Bloodline was not too far behind, as it leapt directly to the SSS-Rank as well!

    Then there was his Ordinary Phoenix Bloodline, which not only leveled up to the SSS-Rank but also metamorphosed into something superior¡ªthe Legendary Phoenix Bloodline!

    Cassius''s already immense aura broke through shackle after shackle, surpassing limit after limit.

    Until eventually, like a raging river returning to tranquility, his aura vanished. And he lightly tapped the ground, his disposition entirely otherworldly.

    He appeared more ethereal. Acted more ethereal. Even breathed in a more ethereal way.

    "The EX-Rank," Cassius said calmly. "It really did all this." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The EX-Rank, unlike the ranks that came before, was one where the common evolved into something far less common. It was a rank akin to transcendence. And with transcendence¡ªor ascendance¡ªeven a chicken could be carried to heaven with oneself.

    In this case, acquiring an EX-Rank Bloodline¡ªeven if it was only of the minus status¡ªwas enough to carry the rest of Cassius''s Bloodlines closer to the EX-Rank.

    This was what caused the situation before him. From this moment onward, any and all Bloodlines obtained by him would receive the same treatment. Even if the Bloodline was only of the E-Rank, it would automatically advance to the SSS-Rank as soon as it fused with him.

    The only seemingly unfortunate part about all this was that any relevant Techniques or Skills tied to upgraded Bloodlines would not also be upgraded. This meant his Supreme Nirvana Rebirth S-Rank Skill was still at the S-Rank. The same applied to his Demon Dragon Integration Arts and Fiendish Demon King Arts.

    But on the plus side, all of those Techniques and Skills would now be far easier to level up, thanks to the improved quality of their linked Bloodlines. Before long, every single one of them would surely reach the SSS-Rank.

    "Hmm¡­" Cassius clenched and unclenched his fists, unsure of just how much power he now possessed. ''Would I be able to take on the weakest of Demon Kings as I am now?''

    He wasn''t too clear on the answer to that question. But even if he wasn''t there just yet, he certainly wasn''t far off either.

    A few more weeks of grinding his Techniques, Skills, and AP, and he might achieve the power necessary to resume his march through HELL¡­

    However, until then, he still had some matters to attend to. One of those matters was staring at him with wide, sparkly eyes as they spoke:

    "Hubby, you''re so powerful now~! Just look at you~!!" Bella screamed like a fangirl, giddily inspecting every inch of his partially exposed body. "Say, how about we consummate our marriage right now~?? I''ll call for Father~!!"

 Chapter 235 A Daddy In Trouble...

    "I''ll call Father~!!"

    "No thanks," Cassius firmly denied before calmly walking away from the delirious girl.

    "W-Wait, my love!" Bella called out. "What about the contract!? It states that you have to join my Crestmore Family! You have to!"

    Without looking back, Cassius said, "It stipulates that I do indeed have to join your Vampire Duke Family. It does not, however, say when. I''ll find some time another day. As for right now, I have more important things I need to attend to."

    Color drained from Bella''s complexion. "B-But¡­"

    Cassius faintly smiled. "I''ll see you around, Bella," he said before disappearing from the empty street, breaking through the |Blood Dome| with ease. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    He had decided something that day. Hating Bella¡ªit was pointless.

    There was no way he''d ever be able to escape her incalculable amount of love, and there was also no way he''d be able to find it in himself to kill her. Even if she had essentially ruined the better part of his life, she was also partly to thank for how much strength he had today. Then there was this most recent vial of blood, which surely wasn''t an easy thing to convince her father to give to him.

    All in all, Cassius figured he''d let bad bridges between them vanish. He saw no point in holding a grudge over something so¡­ mortal.

    Starting fresh was for the best.

    That, however, didn''t mean he''d be all chummy with her right from the get-go. She had to earn his affection.

    Then again, Bella had no idea about any of Cassius''s thoughts. The only thing she knew was that he had left her right after taking what he wanted from her¡­ and he did so without a second thought.

    "So cruel," she murmured, shadows obscuring her vision. "So mean¡­ So... So sexy~!!"

    Her depression might as well have not even existed to begin with, for, like a certain hopelessly lost dragon, she was¡ªin her core¡ªtoo horny for words to properly articulate.

    Though, while wiggling in place with a suspicious fragrance filling the air, Bella suddenly recalled who wrote the contract. Her eyes darkened further, and not in the good way this time.

    "Daddy¡­ He had only one job," she said coldly, "and yet he couldn''t even do it right¡­"

    A chill ran down a certain Vampire Duke''s spine as he cautiously turned his head in all directions. Carmilla, who was sitting beside him, could pretty much guess what was happening to him¡ªor, rather, what was about to happen to him. This keen intuition of hers made her signature smirk appear.

    Alaric Crestmore had a bad feeling about what was to come.

    ¡ª Meanwhile, on top of Mount Everest, a shadowy cloaked figure materialized into being ¡ª

    "It''s about time I enter the Nightmarescape again," Cassius said. "None at home have woken up yet, so they won''t even realize I''ve gone somewhere. As for those eerie eyes that follow me everywhere¡­" He smirked, then lifted his hand.

    "!!!" "!!!" "!!!"

    Multiple gremlin extraterrestrials felt an irresistible force grab hold of them and pull. Without even the slightest hope for resistance, they were yoinked out of their pockets in space and brought to levitate in front of a demonic man.

    "You six are quite a bit stronger than the last ones," Cassius commented casually before tightening his hand. "Yet, seeing as you''re still merely of the S++ Rank, the Elders must not see me as much of a threat."

    From the memories of dozens of aliens, Cassius had learned a lot. He knew the name of their race, he knew the strict hierarchy of their kind. He even knew the names of several of the most important figures sent down for this ''operation.''

    The only things he didn''t know¡ªor was unable to find¡ªwere how exactly they got to Earth, where they came from, and what precisely their ultimate goal was.

    "Perhaps you bunch will give me more insight into your origins," Cassius emotionlessly uttered. "Don''t worry; I''ll give you painless deaths."

    "N¨C!" the tightly bound aliens shouted, but before they could finish a single word, Cassius''s right hand clenched hard on thin air.

    POP! POP! POP!

    The aliens were first crunched up into progressively tinier balls before exploding into a shower of green blood and guts.

    Without wasting a second, Cassius activated his mind-related skills and searched through their brain matter. Many memories similar to the ones he already knew flashed before him, but after a few nanoseconds of searching, he finally found something different. A memory. In that memory, he saw the faint silhouette of something that sort of looked like a fleshy, moving spaceship.

    But just as he reached out to access the memory, warning red lights flashed around him. A large, mystically runic lock appeared on the memory. Then every memory behind and around that memory was also barred behind the same locks.

    "What the¡­?"

    Before Cassius even knew what had occurred, he was suddenly kicked out of the area where all the aliens'' memories were stored. When he tried to go back in, he was even more astonished to realize that all of the memories¡­ had vanished.

    He tried a different alien''s brain matter.

    Yet the same thing happened.

    "It seems these dissonants are not as stupid as I once believed," Cassius said with a slight grin. "Well, no matter. As I become stronger, I''ll eventually become powerful enough to force all their secrets out of them. Especially those extremely powerful ones on that skull-shaped island. Those are the aliens most likely orchestrating this whole operation centered around me and¡­"

    He was unable to finish that thought because he honestly had no clue what the answer was. The only things he could figure out from the aliens were that he had a major part to play in whatever they were planning. He also knew that aliens exceeding the S-Rank were heavily restricted in this world. But he knew for certain that they all holed up on that skull-shaped island for a reason.

    His theory was that the island somehow allowed them to use their power freely¡ªassuming they were below a certain rank. Because past a certain power level, the world would not be able to bear the weight of their presence and would thus forcefully ban them from entering the moment they tried. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    However, the SS-Rank was definitely still very much allowed.