‘They say that you act like the people you hang around,’ Cassius thought as he pulled up his hoodie and sauntered through the streets of Hoshito. ‘With my Perception and Intelligence stats, I can see and feel things better. I can also understand more than what is shown on the surface. That silly girl Aya is just doing the same thing that others used to do to her… Haiz…’

No matter what sort of petty grudge he held against the girl, it was all meaningless. If Cassius wanted to change, he had to learn to let small things go. He was not a little kid; hating people over something so pointless would only make him a smaller person. Plus, Aya clearly had her own things going on.

“Ha…” Cassius looked up at the brilliant rays of sunlight beaming through a few overhead clouds. “In a mere three weeks, it’s like I have become an entirely different person… If it was the me before, I surely wouldn't have given Aya anything, even if she groveled in front of me…”

They say that people never truly change. However, from evolution stems change. And change brings about further evolution.

“The Idle Evolution System doesn't really have an Evolution aspect to it as far as I can tell, but maybe the Evolution is a byproduct of the system, not a direct aspect,” Cassius silently muttered to himself while strolling around town. “The more I mull over this system, the more I realize just how odd it is. It’s supposed to be an Idle system, but it holds true to the principle that ‘To idle, one must stay proactive,’ as it constantly reminds me not to laze around. And because the Daily Quest has become increasingly easy, it started giving me Side Quests left and right, all so as to prevent me from lazing around.”

For the last three weeks, Cassius couldn't recall a single time that he had sat down and taken a proper break. It really was the oddest trait for an Idle System to have. However, he would be lying if he said he wasn't the slightest bit grateful to the system for giving him the incentive necessary to shed his previous, unhealthy lifestyle.

“The system is still an asshole, but at least it would make a good training instructor—”

Then, as if to further taunt its Host, a blue illusory screen with a red outline appeared in front of Cassius.

{[Special Side Quest]}

— [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.]

— [Save the girl and receive 2 Points in Charisma.]

— [Let the girl die and receive a subtraction of two balls from your total number of balls.]

“...But I only have two balls…” Cassius said with a twitching smile.

[Then you better save the girl!]

Silence.

“I take back everything I said; you really are the worst system in existence,” Cassius furrowed his brows. His figure blurred a bit as he ran toward where he heard the screeching brakes of a truck.

He saw the terrified face of a pretty brown-haired girl as soon as he passed around a corner. She was standing in the middle of a narrow street, with a small white Pomeranian shivering in her arms.

‘She must have frozen up,’ Cassius thought as he dumped 5 AP in Agility to give him the boost he needed to make it in time. It was cutting things close, but just as the blaring headlights of the truck were going to crash into the frightened girl, he pushed her out of the way.

“!?!?”

‘Wait… I don't think I thought this through—’ Before Cassius could finish this thought, the truck smashed into him, causing the brown-haired girl to scream out in horror.

A few dozen feet away from the point of collision, Cassius was lying against the hard, hot pavement, with blood covering him from head to toe. Through his fuzzy vision, he swore he saw what looked like an angel. The angel shook him while weeping, which seemed to be tears shed for him. He could also feel something wet and slimy slobbering all over him.

‘Why is the angel crying…?’ Cassius thought as the last of his vision dimmed. ‘And why am I being licked? Is she not an angel but instead a succubus…? Well, whatever the case may be, I think I’m about to die… Hah... And after all that spiel about wanting to become the strongest…’

‘What a joke…’

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

After Cassius lost consciousness, a soothing green energy left the palms of the crying girl with long, beautiful brown locks. It seeped into his pores and kept him alive just long enough for the special ability paramedics to arrive.

An unknown amount of time passed, and when Cassius slowly opened his lethargic eyes, he saw an otherworldly sight. Sitting by a hospital window, with wind blowing through long white curtains, was a girl so stunning that a living angel really was an appropriate term to describe her beauty. However, from Cassius's perspective, it looked like she was sad about something, as evident by how she was sleeping with dark bags under her eyes.

“Hmm…” Cassius thought about waking her up, but seeing as his body hurt a whole lot and she was clearly sleep-deprived, he decided to hold off for a bit.

After another couple of hours passed, Cassius opened his eyes once more, this time seeing something that made no sense. The beautiful brown-haired girl was leaning over his bed, letting her silky hair waterfall over him. Her eyes were wet, yet there also appeared to be a foggy haziness that controlled her actions.

Seeing as the girl was most definitely leaning in for a kiss, Cassius’s eyelids twitched a little, as he had no idea what to do in this kind of situation. He was just going to let it happen and pretend it never happened afterward, but before that plausible scenario could occur, the gorgeous girl paused.

Cassius: “???”

“...Hey… Are you awake right now…?” The girl asked with a crimson red blush adorning her picturesque features.

Cassius immediately shot his eyes open and looked at the girl who had pushed herself against the window-side wall. “...Yes, I am…”

“I-I see…” Smoke visibly left the girl’s head as she fiddled with her dainty hands. “You’re not going to ask what I was doing…?”

“No, I don't think so.”

“I see… Thanks…”

“No problem.”

A silence hung in the air for a few moments, with the humid summer heat sticking to their skin and clothes, making them a bit uncomfortable. Yet, more than that, the girl was so unbelievably mortified right now. She couldn't believe she had just done something like that! Was she out of her damn mind!?

‘I-It’s just that he looked so peaceful and… handsome laying there…’ The girl’s cheeks flushed a shade of red redder than red. ‘And then my mind traced back to when he saved me… I-I really don't know what has gotten into me…!’

Noticing that it was a little too quiet in here, Cassius cut through the silence. “So, how long have I been out…?” He looked down at the bandages wrapped around his body and felt a bit of pain, but still couldn't discern how long he had been asleep. The system Daily Quest punishment wasn't announced, so it likely hadn't been more than 24 hours.

However, completely out of his predictions, the girl replied, “I-It has been around 30 hours since you were brought here…” Her blush deepened when she looked up and saw the handsome young man staring at her with an unfounded intensity. ‘H-Has he become more handsome…? How is that possible?? Is something seriously wrong with me…??’

“30 hours… Then that means I missed the Daily Quest cut-off date,” Cassius mumbled inaudibly. He checked his pelvis area by pulling up his pants, but everything was still there. “How odd…”

“U-Uhhmm… Y-Youuu…” The girl’s eyes erratically flickered as she cutely averted her gaze and held her hands over her face. ‘I-I didn’t know th-they were supposed to be that… big…!’

Question marks went off in Cassius’s head, but he quickly realized what he had done.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized with a slight head bow, which caused a stinging pain to hit him from the waist up. He hugged his side, which made the girl’s embarrassment transform into worry. She rushed to his bed and used the same healing spell that she used the other day.

“You mustn't move around so much! Your injury could worsen if you do that!” The girl lectured unnaturally clearly, which surprised Cassius a little. He felt better after the green energy seeped into his body, but he was far more interested in this magic. It was his first time seeing something supernatural up close, and it really was something to marvel at.

Once again feeling an intense stare bore into her being, the girl looked away from the injury, only to see Cassius’s face right next to hers. Her heart rate increased exponentially as she retreated back to her chair by the windowsill. “D-Don’t come so close…” She murmured softly, too embarrassed to even look at him anymore. ‘He smells good… Are hospitalized patients supposed to smell this pleasant…?’

“Ah, yeah, sorry about that as well,” said Cassius. “It’s just that I’ve never seen magic up close. It’s a lot prettier than I expected it to be.” He awkwardly scratched his neck, utterly oblivious to the rising temperature of the beautiful brown-haired girl.

“T-That is… It’s fine…” She whispered shyly while wrapping her hair around her fingers. “And about earlier…!”

“I already forgot what happened,” Cassius answered with a warm smile.

“...Thanks…” The girl’s heart fluttered, not knowing exactly what she was feeling.

“Anyway,” said Cassius to change the subject. “How long have you been here…?” He could see that her appearance was haggard, but that didn't necessarily mean that she had been here the whole—

“...Since you got here…”

Cassius sighed at her meek response. “You really shouldn't have done something like that; we just met, so there was no need for you to risk your health—” He stopped speaking upon seeing the timid girl bite her lips apologetically. “I’m not mad at you or anything, but just… Haiz…”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“You have nothing to be sorry for; just take better care of yourself.”

“Mhmm…” That same fluttery feeling permeated the girl’s insides as she fidgeted a bit in her chair.

‘Interacting with this girl is a bit troublesome, but she seems like a good girl,’ Cassius thought as he appreciated her stunning beauty for a second. ‘However, she is likely a major pushover…’

He looked past the soft-spoken girl and saw outside the hospital window, quickly realizing that they were on the top floor of Hoshito General Hospital. He wondered if any of his family came to visit him, but the chances were slim.

‘None of them would likely even notice if I dropped over dead one day…’ He sighed before recalling the Daily Quest matter. ‘Why did the punishment not register—’

Then, from the corner of his eye, an illusory blue pop-up appeared.