*Ding!*
[Achieved Lvl 2] - [Rewards]
[Reward 1: 1 Stat Point of 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 of each Attribute] - (✓)
[Reward 2: Status Recovery] - (_)
[Reward 3: 2 Copper Skill Box(s) (Random)] - (_)
[Reward 4: 2 AP] - (✓)
Cassius instantly realized that the system automatically received the first and fourth rewards, thus giving them a checkmark, whereas the others were still waiting to be manually received. However, as this wasn’t the most opportune moment to leisurely peruse rewards, he decided to check it all out after dealing with the two enraged Savage Monkeys.
‘It could just be my imagination, but… they seem a lot slower than before…’ Cassius was sure that they had become stronger after engaging, yet it looked like he had become even stronger after reaching Level 3. ‘If that’s the case, then I wonder just how much stronger I can become if I… keep on killing…’
A ruthless gleam flashed in his icy blue eyes as he slightly blurred, realizing that his speed had gone up yet another bracket. When he reached his target, he pulled out a wooden spike and fiercely stabbed it into the back of a Savage Monkey’s neck.
SPURT!
Without even giving it the chance to touch a single hair on him, Cassius ended the Savage Monkey’s life, losing another wooden spike in the process.
The last Savage Monkey attacked with utmost ferocity, not caring about the danger involved. Yet, with a seamless heel spin, Cassius plunged the spike into the Savage Monkey’s throat before pulling it out just as quickly.
The Monkey’s final scream came out choked as blood flooded its vocal cords, and then, with many grievances, it… died.
“That makes three,” Cassius said coldly, before becoming a bit disappointed that no more system notifications arrived.
He looked down and saw a fully red health bar, yet only a third-of-the-way-filled green experience bar. “It appears that I have an RPG health bar and experience bar, but it also seems that leveling up becomes extremely tough extremely quickly.”
After understanding a bit more about this Idle Evolution System of his, Cassius peered deeper into the shadowy jungle. He realized that if he wanted to stop as many waves from reaching the outside world and ruining his hometown, then he had to keep on fighting and killing. Moreover, if he yearned for greater power, to leave behind his old weak self, then he had to keep on… killing.
“But before I go any further on this path of no return, I should look at the level-up rewards and figure out how I want to allocate my AP.”
From what Cassius could tell from the little information the system gave him, the first and fourth rewards were always received automatically. On the other hand, the second and third rewards needed to be manually received—the first of which was because Status Recovery fully restored his Fatigue, Health, and Mana. This also meant it could be used to change the tide of battle if it really came down to it.
Meanwhile, the third reward was a sort of timed drop and obviously couldn’t be automatically opened. Yet it was still tossed into a special pocket dimension called the Inventory Space, which was acquired right after Cassius’s first level-up.
As he had three of these Copper Skill Box(s), he figured he would summon them and see just what could be obtained from them.
PIANG!
Three nearly identical cube-shaped copper-colored boxes plopped onto the ground in front of Cassius. They all had a large question mark etched into each of their six sides, as well as a faint shimmering copper glow seeping from their edges. After observing their appearances for a moment, Cassius called out, “Open,” and watched them all levitate before bursting open.
Three cards then appeared and flew toward him, all of which had the bold letter ‘F’ at the top middle of their copper edges.
As soon as he conveyed his intentions to touch the cards, they flew toward him, bypassing all his defenses, and assimilated with his soul.
[Acquired F-Rank Active Skill ‘Slash’]
[Acquired F-Rank Passive Skill ‘Muscularity’]
[Acquired F-Rank Active Skill ‘Sprint’]
The first skill increased Cassius’s damage by 20% and slightly improved sword proficiency if he struck out with a sword while silently or vocally calling out the skill. The second skill, on the other hand, passively improved his Agility, Strength, and Endurance stats by 5%, which gave him roughly 1–2 stat points in each. Finally, the last skill temporarily increased his speed by 25% when used, but it came at the cost of a good chunk of MP.
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The Skills were good, yet the biggest downside had to be that they were all relative to his current power level, meaning that they would likely produce diminished effects the stronger he became. But that wasn't enough of a deal breaker to not use them while they were effective.
On a side note, after leveling up, his Health increased to 350, and his MP increased to 250, but they could both deplete in the blink of an eye if he wasn’t careful.
“It also appears that these skills can level up the more I use them and increase their proficiency,” Cassius said keenly. “In other words, the more I kill and level up, the more Skill Boxes I obtain, and the more Skill Boxes I obtain, the more skills I acquire, all of which can be leveled up and assist me in getting more skills and power. It looks like I can get a decent cycle going…”
“I do wonder if other Hunters have something similar to this… I’ve searched around on the web but was unable to find anything that had to do with a Hunter getting something like a system. Maybe it’s something extremely rare…?”
The truth was that Cassius was the only person on Earth to get a system, but sometimes, humility was best cultivated when one stayed ignorant of the truth. This was one of those cases.
After settling all of his system rewards, Cassius took his first real step into the E-Rank Sudden Gate ‘Savage Jungle,’ which marked a major point of progress for him. A period of progress that could lead him straight into the jaws of danger that shrouded the Country of Japan like an inescapable hood…
— In the Headquarters of the C-Rank Guild ‘Black Sparrow’ in downtown Hoshito —
“A Sudden Gate!? At Hoshito General Hospital!??”
“Yes, sir! It has just been reported! We have approximately 20 minutes before the first wave breaks out!”
Two men in black suits, one a superior and the other a subordinate, went back and forth with one another. The superior was unable to believe that something like this had happened during the time when most of their manpower was out assisting with the efforts surrounding the rapid appearance of several B-Rank Gates in Kyoto.
Stressed, he shouted, “Get the newbies on the line, and anyone else in the area! Have them all rush over to Hoshito General Hospital and fend off the first few waves! Under no circumstances should they enter the Gate! Just have them hold out until the higher-ups return!”
“Yes, sir!”
The subordinate hurriedly set off to complete the task assigned to him, his worry evident from the frantic shouting he performed while running throughout the multi-floored building. The superior, on the other hand, slumped into his chair, already feeling the immense migraine that was sure to come from this disaster.
Meanwhile, in the Steele household—Cassius’s surname.
Aya Steele nervously paced around in circles. She had just received an emergency alert on her phone informing her of the appearance of a Sudden Gate at Hoshito General Hospital, which was where her stepbrother had been staying for the last couple of days. She had stopped by on more than one occasion but left in a hurry each time upon seeing that beautiful brown-haired girl always sitting by his bedside. For some reason, this sight frustrated her to no end. But now, with an E-Rank Sudden Gate appearing at the General Hospital, Aya didn’t know what to think.
‘Will he be alright…?? I know that Gates are dangerous, but it should be taken care of before the danger can reach Cassius, right…?’ Her thoughts spiraled as she crouched and clutched her head in distress. “I just hope he comes home safe and sound,” she muttered, a hint of scarlet touching upon her pretty face.
It was thanks to him that she had gotten her friends off her back, and as he had said previously, they were ‘family.’
Even if Cassius gained back all that weight and looked the way he did before, Aya had already promised herself that she would treat him like family. After all, what else did one have in this world other than family?
“Mhmm…” She burrowed her head in her legs, finding it hard to understand the emotions she herself was feeling. “...Just make it back home…”
Aya felt the urge to rush out and help Cassius, but she wasn’t a combat Hunter. She hadn’t even obtained her Hunter’s License yet. But still…
“I want to go help!” Aya’s eyes lit up as she rose from the ground and ran away from her brother’s room. “Even if I haven’t been trained to be a Hunter, I still have above-average stats, and if I’m quick about things, I can make it into the General Hospital, extract Cassius, and then leave with him! Mhmm, this will work!”
Thump, Thump, Thump.
Aya darted down the stairs, attracting the attention of her mother and father. Sasha, her mother, asked, “Where are you going at this late hour? Did you not hear the emergency alert?”
In a hurry, Aya slipped on her shoes and replied, “Yeah, Mom, I received the same message as you, but I forgot something important at school. I’ll be back in a bit; promise!”
Sasha narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but seeing as her daughter had physical prowess in the D-Rank, she decided to let it pass. “Just don’t stay out too late, and keep away from the General Hospital. Even if you can take on dozens of grown men with ease, monsters are a different story.”
“Yes, Mother! I will be careful!” Aya finished all her preparations and hurriedly ran out the door.
Her father wanted to say something but chose not to. Noticing this, Sasha, the blonde MILF, patted him on the back. “I’m sure you two will get through this rough patch. Teenagers are difficult.”
“Yes…” Adam Steele sighed. As Cassius’s ‘biological’ father, he could understand his son very well, even if nothing was being said between the two of them. However, when it came to Aya, whom he had only known for around two years, things became tough. Sometimes, he just wished he had a powerful communication skill capable of solving all his problems, especially when his relations heavily concerned the success of his ‘mission’.
“Speaking of which,” Sasha said to change the subject. “You have noticed the tremendous changes in Cassius as well, haven’t you? Although he hasn't stayed around long enough for me to get a closer look, he is definitely not the same person as before. And even though you keep adamantly claiming it’s just a sudden growth spurt, we both know that is a bold-faced lie.”
“Yeah…” Sweat beads formed on Adam’s head as he knew full well that it was impossible for such drastic changes to occur with his son. “I originally assumed it to be a change in mindset, but it could very well be something more than that… A late awakening, perhaps?”
‘If that really is the case, then things could be sped up in the search for ‘it.’ For two years, we have been left empty-handed, but if the kid has awakened, then ‘it’ will surely come after him.’
Unaware of the cryptic thoughts stirring in Adam Steele’s head, Sasha shook her head before softly slapping him once more. “The number of cases of a latent awakening happening past the maximum age for awakening can be counted on one hand, and yet you actually believe our son to be one of those cases… Ha… You must be going senile…”
“Y-Yes… That is likely…” Adam awkwardly chuckled while scratching the side of his neck.
‘Indeed, even if the kid has undergone magical changes, there is no certainty that he has awakened. Maybe I should confirm this later? But I need to report back to base before I move further in the operation…